Report Card- Legends 102.7

[The Voice of Reason]

Personalities: (Grade B) The station does have some promising talent and the hiring of Mike Vickers was a step in the right direction. However there are a few announcers that do need some voice-training. But at least the station strives for local personalities versus voice-tracking from Area 51.

Music: (Grade C-) Unfortunately one of Legends weakest points is the repetition of their music. I continue to hear the announcement from their program director urging the public to write in suggestions for their favorite songs, but there are days when I hear the same songs repeated over and over again.

News: (Grade F.) Why this station, which is going after baby-boomers, doesn’t bother to have any news is something I just can’t figure out. Maybe the owners don’t want to spend money for a wire service, but to have no news on what-so-ever is just a bad decision on their part.

Overall comments: This station has potential to become a serious competitor in the Rochester market but first the owners/management has to embrace the old adage “you have to spend money to make money.” They can accomplish this by increasing their music rotation list so there isn’t so much repetition; add news, especially during morning and afternoon drive, and hire some name talent. I truly believe if those goals are reached, then Legends could go far.

 

[JimMcGrath]

Voice states:

They can accomplish this by increasing their music rotation list so there isn’t so much repetition; add news, especially during morning and afternoon drive, and hire some name talent. I truly believe if those goals are reached, then Legends could go far.

which I agree with but with this caveat: There is some music repetition in the overnight when we do listen at work but there also seems to be a trend toward "Peter Allen easy listening songs" on certain nights and not others. The overnight Friday seems to be more along the lines of what I like to listen to with a stress on 50's & 60's R&B stuff rather than 80's pop. Also the Steppenwolf/Sinatra segues are still jarring.

 

[Element9]

Calling on an account in Rochester this past week I checked 102.7. Have mercy Miss Percy, it's embarrassing. Schitzoid music segs that defied logic or reason. So starved for oldies-classic hits are some Rochesterians they'll listen to a station that's merely mediocre.

 

[Desert Pete]

Voice Of Reason/Element 9 ... You're both being much too kind to Legends. Someone always has to be the bottom the barrel, and these days, they are it. Predict that they'll have a cume through the roof, but their problems will kill any hopes for a decent TSL.

Personalities: Make that a grade D. The best of the lot are the P.D. and the 7-midnight guy. Morning guy ... sing-songy to the point where he actually has a vocal range while talking. The ladies ... tradition dictates that gals (unless they're local legends) are a negative in this format K.B. Cooper is the closest they got. While I'm at it ... note to the Saturday night guy: play hits. Hits are songs that were high on the charts and therefore tunes that people will know and enjoy hearing again. Playing songs "off the list" will always get you nowhere.
Suggestion: Maggie to mornings to team with Scott and do news. Get 'em a talent coach, and they'll be fine. Vickers to mid-day. K.B. Cooper to track overnights. Full-timers should track weekends.

Music: Element9 is right on the mark (schitzoid music segs that defy logic or reason). The station should've never asked the listeners for ideas on what to play. That gives the audience the perception that the station has no idea what they're doing. The listeners already know that from what music is being played. Don't re-enforce a huge negative. Suggestion: The P.D. should listen the WCBS stream and take notes. Play exactly what they play and nothing they don't. That should work for now. Also, buy a contemporary jingle package to "hip it up". Then buy some TV time.

Enough free consulting.

 

[The Voice of Reason]

Voice Of Reason/Element 9 ... You're both being much too kind to Legends. Someone always has to be the bottom the barrel, and these days, they are it. Predict that they'll have a cume through the roof, but their problems will kill any hopes for a decent TSL.

Personalities: Make that a grade D. The best of the lot are the P.D. and the 7-midnight guy. Morning guy ... sing-songy to the point where he actually has a vocal range while talking. The ladies ... tradition dictates that gals (unless they're local legends) are a negative in this format K.B. Cooper is the closest they got. While I'm at it ... note to the Saturday night guy: play hits. Hits are songs that were high on the charts and therefore tunes that people will know and enjoy hearing again. Playing songs "off the list" will always get you nowhere.
Suggestion: Maggie to mornings to team with Scott and do news. Get 'em a talent coach, and they'll be fine. Vickers to mid-day. K.B. Cooper to track overnights. Full-timers should track weekends.

Music: Element9 is right on the mark (schitzoid music segs that defy logic or reason). The station should've never asked the listeners for ideas on what to play. That gives the audience the perception that the station has no idea what they're doing. The listeners already know that from what music is being played. Don't re-enforce a huge negative. Suggestion: The P.D. should listen the WCBS stream and take notes. Play exactly what they play and nothing they don't. That should work for now. Also, buy a contemporary jingle package to "hip it up". Then buy some TV time.

I wouldn't go as far as saying that Legends is the "bottom of the barrel" yet since I've heard some radio stations that are far worse. May I add my own observations to your suggestions?
First I wouldn't team Maggie and Scott up mornings. All that is doing is following other stations and if Legends wants to stand out alone, then they need to take a different approach. Instead I would put Mike Vickers on mornings. Second, no announcers to read news. Instead hire someone with a radio news background and not just a TV reporter or excerpts from a television newscast. Again that's copying other stations. I've already made my comments known about Legends music rotation, which other posters seem to agree with.
I'm not familiar with the station's owners or management, but judging from what I've heard on-air, it appears to be an operation that either doesn't have, or wants to spend, a great deal of money on personnel. In conclusion I truly believe that unless Legends makes some serious changes, they will see their TSL drop like a rock as listeners will become tired very quickly of the same music.

 

[therealjm12]

Instead I would put Mike Vickers on mornings.

Like everyone else, it seems on the this board, I would like to hear more of Mike Vickers but the last I knew he moved out of radio full time. He has a job with great benefits, a NYS pension, and a very good hourly wage. Just like radio only different. Enjoy him on the weekends.

 

[AndrewLawson]

...Mike Vickers ...moved out of radio full time ...has a job with great benefits, a NYS pension, and a very good hourly wage. Just like radio only different...

From what I've read on these boards, it appears this is standard operating procedure for a business that continues to cut local air talent out of the equation, relies more on local or long-distance voice-tracking and satellite delivered programming.

Enjoy him on the weekends.

Seems the happiest of the lot are those that have good jobs outside the business and work weekends or fill-in. Often, as appears to be the case on Legends, they sound as good or better than some of the fulltime airstaff. These weekenders have good day jobs and get to work on radio during the weekend without having to worry about the uncertainty and silliness that affect the radio business. You'll excuse me if I offer that many of the posters on this board appear to be "weekend warriors."

 

[Element9]

You'll excuse me if I offer that many of the posters on this board appear to be "weekend warriors."

Nice try. You'd be surprised. Then again, it also might be a surprise as to who reads these boards. Heh, heh.

 

[Mark Giardina]

Weekend Warrior.....I like that title. Now where is my cape and the nearest phone booth? ;D

 

[Yeziknoradio]

News: (Grade F.) Why this station, which is going after baby-boomers, doesn’t bother to have any news is something I just can’t figure out. Maybe the owners don’t want to spend money for a wire service, but to have no news on what-so-ever is just a bad decision on their part.

NO news at all? Doesn't the FCC have regulation dictating that a select amount programming per week is to go to local news content?

At least enough to cover (part of) mornings and (part of) afternoon drive durring the week?

Here in Canada, that's where the CRTC is better than the FCC, I guess.

 

[The Voice of Reason]

NO news at all? Doesn't the FCC have regulation dictating that a select amount programming per week is to go to local news content?

At least enough to cover (part of) mornings and (part of) afternoon drive durring the week?

Here in Canada, that's where the CRTC is better than the FCC, I guess.

No news at all.
When Legends first changed its format to the FM dial they had a woman read about a minutes worth of news (which sounded like it was taken out of the morning newspaper). After a while the woman, who was part of Legend's morning team, disappeared from the airwaves leaving her male co-host doing a solo gig. Since then not a speck of news during morning or afternoon drive. I had to find out about Tim Russert's death by listening to NPR.
The FCC here in the US is a big joke. I've heard people call the FCC the Federal Clone Commission.You folks in Canada are lucky to have some regulations requiring local news.
Deregulation has all but eliminated local news at many radio stations in the United States.

 

[scooterodell]

I fail to understand why anyone would want to require news content. There are a significant number of people in the world who don't want to listen to news. Why should it be force fed? Every market has at least one established news source (most have several); those who want the news know where to find it. There's no need to make its presence ubiquitous just to feed the laziness of those who like the news.

 

[SirRoxalot]

No News is Good News?

I, for one, would prefer to hear at least current (i.e. "not ripped from yesterday's newspaper") headlines on the music-oriented stations that I listen to. It's not a problem in the car - I can simply push a button. At home, or at work, access to the radio is not as simple for many people. Yeah, I've got an old, analog tuner with broadband AM capability. If I want to hear news, I have to switch to AM and dial in a station, then switch back to FM and dial in music again.

As a citizen, I feel a responsibility to stay informed. Headlines give me an idea what topics I may need to look into more deeply. Since I'm not always at the computer, headlines keep me up to date on major stories.

One of the unintended consequences of deregulation is that there are major broadcasting groups with no news department available if a major story breaks, or catastrophe strikes. In Buffalo, neither Citadel nor Regent has a news department. Short-sighted? Yes, perhaps to the point of negligence in broadcasting. If Corporate Parkway were cut off from communication, commercial radio would have independent source for news. TV newscasts on radio have a very hard time being relevant when video is heavily emphasized.

Ratings for NPR and other non-commercial stations have been rising. Perhaps their strong commitment to news is part of the reason.

 

[The Voice of Reason]

I fail to understand why anyone would want to require news content. There are a significant number of people in the world who don't want to listen to news. Why should it be force fed? Every market has at least one established news source (most have several); those who want the news know where to find it. There's no need to make its presence ubiquitous just to feed the laziness of those who like the news.

If Legends format was geared to a younger audience then I would agree that news isn't important. However since they are going after "baby boomers" featuring local and national news can only improve their audience. Why send them to another station to hear the news when you can provide it? And believe me there are people who do want to know what is going on in the world and very few FM outlets that bother to carry news. Legends would be just one of two FM's in Rochester (besides WXXI) that could carry news. With Bob Kirk out of work would it really hurt Legends to at least talk to this person? (Not that I'm the guy's agent or anything).

 

[Mark Giardina]

I fail to understand why anyone would want to require news content. There are a significant number of people in the world who don't want to listen to news. Why should it be force fed? Every market has at least one established news source (most have several); those who want the news know where to find it. There's no need to make its presence ubiquitous just to feed the laziness of those who like the news.

Scoot-
Allow me to chime in with my two-cents. Having worked at two radio stations known for their local news coverage (WHAM & WXXI) I can attest to the fact that one reason those stations have loyal listeners is because the general public knows they provide news, weather and traffic reports.

As mentioned by Voice, having news on Legends would only help improve the station's ratings. It doesn't have to be an all-day thing; Morning and afternoon drive would surfice.

Regarding your statement that "There's no need to make its presence ubiquitous just to feed the laziness of those who like the news." is kind of insulting to people like myself and others who not only enjoy good music, but also want to be informed as to events going on in my community, country and the world.

If Legends wants to be different than other radio stations on the FM dial, the suggestion of having news would make a big difference. Otherwise Legends can continue to follow the rest of the pack.

One final thought. If Legends PD wants input from the public about the choice of music, why not ask if these same listeners also want news?

 

[RDJ3000]

Seems the happiest of the lot are those that have good jobs outside the business and work weekends or fill-in. Often, as appears to be the case on Legends, they sound as good or better than some of the fulltime airstaff. These weekenders have good day jobs and get to work on radio during the weekend without having to worry about the uncertainty and silliness that affect the radio business. You'll excuse me if I offer that many of the posters on this board appear to be "weekend warriors."

I agree. However, there are some Weekenders that work on the radio station during the week as well doing another job. I know from Legends that Weekender Rob Keim is also one of the Sales persons too. You can listen to the promo.

There's a new person on the air as well during Weekends at midnight. His name is Michaelangelo, and as Mike Vickers sounds Happy, Michaelangelo - as far as I hear the station at that time - sounds happy too. I heard Mark on the air once with Michaelangelo. He said that the guy, aside from working Weekends at midnight. He is also a creative producer there.