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Rich Shertenlieb Show on WZLX

What did I say about the word "need?" Read my first sentence again. Then read post #14.
I read that. So it’s no big deal thar there’s no need for a 3rd AM drive sports outlet in the market. It’s about, money, right? Well, need and money are related in the real world. If there’s no need—there’s no money.

I do find it pretty amazing that with the history of some pretty amazing FM Rock stations in the Boston area over the years...WBCN, WCOZ, WAAF, WFNX and WBOS among others and some forgotten ones too...WBZ-FM, WCGY, WTTK and WHDH-FM...Boston is now down to one commercial FM Classic Rock station which basically talks about sports in the morning. Kind of
 
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So it’s MK big deal thar there’s no need for a 3rd AM drive sports outlet in the market. It’s about, money, rught? Well, need and monet are related in the real world. If there’s no need—there’s no koney.

It depends who you ask. If we ask you, there's no need for this morning show. But the company that owns the station felt the need to do it because they don't own a sports station in Boston, and wanted to find a way to get some sports money. So that's why they did it.

It's their station, and they can do what they want without asking everyone to vote. If you don't like it, you don't have to listen. But as I said, the ratings for the station have gone up a full point since he started. So somebody likes what he does.

The question you should be asking is do we really NEED to hear Led Zepplin and Queen again. And again. And again.
 
The music has changed, the audience's interest has changed, how they get their music has changed, and the community that once coalesced around those radio stations for both music and culture is gone. So the change in radio really reflects a much bigger societal change, and radio is just one of the signs of collateral damage. Take a look at the sports community and how they unite around their teams. That's what you look for when starting a radio station. Forty years ago, that kind of community existed for rock music. It doesn't exist anymore.

Radio stations were once the connection between the bands and their fans. Bands would visit the radio stations and do interviews. They don't do that much anymore. They communicate directly through social media. So the relationship has bypassed radio completely. People don't buy albums anymore, and the money in music is between the band and the fan. The bands want to make money directly from the fans. So they basically own their own media. The internet makes that possible.

The problem rock stations find is the music is very individual. People are fans of specific bands, not the genre in general. They won't sit through bands they don't like. Classic rock doesn't have that problem. Every song is a classic, they all are consensus hits. Because of streaming, there are no consensus hits. Rock record labels don't focus on recording hit songs anymore. So the balkanization of music has led to the death of rock radio in a lot of places, including Boston and New York.
More basically, I have 130 songs on my IPod. It’s every song thats ever been on heavy rotation on every iteration of rock/classic rock/the best of the 80s, 90s and more/the songs you grew up with/yadda yadda. Don’t blame streaming in my case—that’s unnecessary. I don’t need terrestrial. For ROCK. For old rockers it’s been accumulated at 89 cents per song lol. It’s owned and it travels everywhere. And its “signal” is always perfect.

So when the 76th iteration of such radio format predictably loses most of its audience…and goes Business, Talk, Religion, Pay to Play Registered Investment Advisor scams….its neither a reason for joy or sorrow.
 
More basically, I have 130 songs on my IPod. It’s every song thats ever been on heavy rotation on every iteration of rock/classic rock/the best of the 80s, 90s and more/the songs you grew up with/yadda yadda. Don’t blame streaming in my case—that’s unnecessary. I don’t need terrestrial. For ROCK. For old rockers it’s been accumulated at 89 cents per song lol. It’s owned and it travels everywhere. And its “signal” is always perfect.

😃😀😄😅😆

I've been building my own mp3 jukebox (right now it is just over 500 entries!): Originally I started recording streams and then clipping individual songs from them...then last year I found a couple "back alley", open access (Russian?) Napster(?) sites, which usually has different versions of just about every concievable song, as well as a site that clips YouTube videos (as either mp4 video or just mp3 audio). 😎
 
😃😀😄😅😆

I've been building my own mp3 jukebox (right now it is just over 500 entries!): Originally I started recording streams and then clipping individual songs from them...then last year I found a couple "back alley", open access (Russian?) Napster(?) sites, which usually has different versions of just about every concievable song, as well as a site that clips YouTube videos (as either mp4 video or just mp3 audio). 😎
Awesome, that’s fantastic. And just for that other guy’s info —we don’t listen to these songs on a literal jukebox or IPod.
You know whats interesting …I’m listening to a small station that actually does NOT play the songs that are in every research driven rock play list and subsequently reminders to us to buy/download. I swear it’s like audio file /
Playlist songs 301-600. And Im like “wow that’s GREAT!”. There are a TON of great songs especially in the 70s through 90s that are great songs/big hits you heard all the time THEN— but never hear TODAY.

Is it just me—or does this seem like an opportunity? Or maybe, I assume, it has been tried—and failed (“your almost favorites of the 80s, 90s & more” lol)…lol….Full disclosure I worked in radio long ago..but I identify as a “listener” today cuz that’s what I am.
 
Is it just me—or does this seem like an opportunity? Or maybe, I assume, it has been tried—and failed (“your almost favorites of the 80s, 90s & more” lol)…lol….Full disclosure I worked in radio long ago..but I identify as a “listener” today cuz that’s what I am.

People who want what you want know where to get it. It doesn't take a college education. Most people don't care. That's how WZLX is a Top 5 station. They play what MOST people want to hear. The research isn't made up. It comes from what people say they like. You want something else, so that's what you do. Knock yourself out. As I said in post #20, things have changed. Everyone knows all about it. It's not going back to the way things were. That's why there's no rock station in Boston. Everyone knows where to find their favorite rock band.
 
Awesome, that’s fantastic. And just for that other guy’s info —we don’t listen to these songs on a literal jukebox or IPod.
Right! I prefer the VLC Player, which has a built in compressor, to really juice up the processing! 😁VLC_Compression-ReverbSettings(V).png
 
Apparently Rich is gone as of today, according to this:


Boston: The Rich Shertenlieb Show on iHeartMedia Classic Rock WZLX/Boston has come to a screeching halt after less than five months, as Shertenlieb is among the many iHeart pros missing in action today.
 
Wow...talk about throwing a nice chunk of change down the toilet! I wonder how much money iHM has to eat on that contract?

He proved not to be a great fit for WZLX, but I would've thought the company would've at least tried to relocate him to one of their spoken word stations in the market.

I suspect the company will play it safe in mornings and go with a music-intensive show.
 
Apparently Rich is gone as of today, according to this:



In @lanceventa story, he quotes Rich…

“When we launched the show at the end of May, the plan was simple. We would take the months of Summer to build chemistry with the new cast and by Fall and football season, we would be close to sounding what our vision of the show would be.

However, just over two months into the show, management decided to alter the format.

They wanted music, I did not. However despite my disagreement about the decision, I agreed to move forward and music was added…”

I would say he was a dead man walking for the fact he was at best, grudgingly complying with programming decisions.
 
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Wow...talk about throwing a nice chunk of change down the toilet! I wonder how much money iHM has to eat on that contract?

He proved not to be a great fit for WZLX, but I would've thought the company would've at least tried to relocate him to one of their spoken word stations in the market.

I suspect the company will play it safe in mornings and go with a music-intensive show.
Local or imported? Or (gasp) autopilot AM drive with only liners and commercials for non-music content?
 
Why is it that Kevin Karlson dying was the end of the rest of his cast, but Matty retiring wasn't the end of the rest of his cast?

iHeart could score some goodwill points with a Pete and Heather return, but, as stated above, the money for that is going to Rich to not host their morning show.
 
In @lanceventa story, he quotes Rich…

“When we launched the show at the end of May, the plan was simple. We would take the months of Summer to build chemistry with the new cast and by Fall and football season, we would be close to sounding what our vision of the show would be.

However, just over two months into the show, management decided to alter the format.

They wanted music, I did not. However despite my disagreement about the decision, I agreed to move forward and music was added…”

I would say he was a dead man walking for the fact he was at best, grudgingly complying programming decisions.

Perhaps management did a "bait and switch" to lure him to iHM Boston and never had any serious intention of allowing him to do the style of show he wanted?

It is also possible they panicked when they saw the first couple months of Nielsen numbers and changed gears.

The smarter move would've been to leave WZLX's incumbent morning show in place and not hire Rich in the first place.
 
In @lanceventa story, he quotes Rich…

“When we launched the show at the end of May, the plan was simple. We would take the months of Summer to build chemistry with the new cast and by Fall and football season, we would be close to sounding what our vision of the show would be.

However, just over two months into the show, management decided to alter the format.

They wanted music, I did not. However despite my disagreement about the decision, I agreed to move forward and music was added…”

I would say he was a dead man walking for the fact he was at best, grudgingly complying programming decisions.
Yup basically that.
 
It was never a good idea to have Rich do a sports show... the appeal of Toucher & Rich doing sports was that they had the resources of The Sports Hub. Rich with no Fred and less resources talking about sports(?) and playing music on occasion was completely doomed. I feel bad for iHM employees.
 
I would say he was a dead man walking for the fact he was at best, grudgingly complying with programming decisions.

That's funny. People seem to forget who works for who.

Perhaps management did a "bait and switch" to lure him to iHM Boston and never had any serious intention of allowing him to do the style of show he wanted?

Nobody forced him to leave the Toucher show. He did that all on his own.

It is also possible they panicked when they saw the first couple months of Nielsen numbers and changed gears.

Did you see the Nielsens before you posted?

3.83.73.94.34.94.5WZLX-FM100.7 WZLXClassic RockiHeartMedia461,300
 
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