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sara lee exits fm news 101.9 along with 2 others
- Thread starter wprt949
- Start date
Is the ship sinking already?
Just because it's backed by a lot of money doesn't mean that the investors won't pull out if they realize that FM News is failing. Especially if they see CBS's new news outlet in DC do better against WTOP than both FM News stations in NYC and Chicago combined.
Just because it's backed by a lot of money doesn't mean that the investors won't pull out if they realize that FM News is failing. Especially if they see CBS's new news outlet in DC do better against WTOP than both FM News stations in NYC and Chicago combined.
Somebody doesn't like Sara Lee. 
Merlin has new people in charge of news programming, and that usually means staff changes. It also has sounded like they are trying to use more network reports to fill air time, and computers to put it all together.
When she was hired last year it was reported that Sarah Lee was going to do medical reports, as she had done for NJ Public TV for years. It now sounds like they will rely on network feeds for those kinds of special topic reports. She also was part of an evening anchor team for a while, but with the new way of doing things they may only need one anchor a shift, not two. And while no one would say it, Sarah Lee is also out of the target demo, and may not be relateable to the target audience the way the programmers would prefer.
Another former NJ Public TV reporter, Briana Vannozzi, was doing street reporting for WEMP at the beginning, but she has since appeared as a producer/reporter on NJTV, the newly reorganized public TV in New Jersey.
No matter how much money they have, with audience numbers as low as they are, there is, unfortunately, no reason to have a big, ambitious and expensive news staff. But, the big money boys did recently put up the bucks to buy a Philly FM and they are going to put news on that one too. So they apparently haven't given up on the concept of owning major market all news operations targeted at younger demos on FM. They just haven't found the best formula yet.
According to the ratings, the TV spots did bring in some new listeners, but that result was kind of disappointing too. Seems like if they still want to attract that younger FM audience to news, they may have to convince them that its in their interest to pay attention to news. That's a big job. WCBS and WINS aren't especially high rated among younger demos either.
When she was hired last year it was reported that Sarah Lee was going to do medical reports, as she had done for NJ Public TV for years. It now sounds like they will rely on network feeds for those kinds of special topic reports. She also was part of an evening anchor team for a while, but with the new way of doing things they may only need one anchor a shift, not two. And while no one would say it, Sarah Lee is also out of the target demo, and may not be relateable to the target audience the way the programmers would prefer.
Another former NJ Public TV reporter, Briana Vannozzi, was doing street reporting for WEMP at the beginning, but she has since appeared as a producer/reporter on NJTV, the newly reorganized public TV in New Jersey.
No matter how much money they have, with audience numbers as low as they are, there is, unfortunately, no reason to have a big, ambitious and expensive news staff. But, the big money boys did recently put up the bucks to buy a Philly FM and they are going to put news on that one too. So they apparently haven't given up on the concept of owning major market all news operations targeted at younger demos on FM. They just haven't found the best formula yet.
According to the ratings, the TV spots did bring in some new listeners, but that result was kind of disappointing too. Seems like if they still want to attract that younger FM audience to news, they may have to convince them that its in their interest to pay attention to news. That's a big job. WCBS and WINS aren't especially high rated among younger demos either.
TimeIsTight said:
This reminds me of today's Dibert strip:
http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/2012-03-01/
The decision came from the head of Sara Lee's Chocolate Division. Word is that advertising on a station for 7 1/2 months worth of stunting wasn't bringing in the expected droves.
In another three weeks the news format will have seen parts of every one of the four seasons. Either New York is not an FM news town or 101.9 remains one of those jinxed frequencies. Under Merlin's guidance, the rock prince that had been kissed turned back into a toad.
The grab for gold in those FM hills would be pretty adventurous -- if there were no competitors. It's hard to believe that the backers were blinded solely by the pyramid of gold that WTOP had become, but such avarice has to be considered. Yet consider that, for the longest while, WTOP already was 'it' ; the only game in town. No such Merlin luck in Chicago, New York, and .... face it .... Philadelphia. Those places are saturated, roped off and branded, and have been for decades.
In another three weeks the news format will have seen parts of every one of the four seasons. Either New York is not an FM news town or 101.9 remains one of those jinxed frequencies. Under Merlin's guidance, the rock prince that had been kissed turned back into a toad.
The grab for gold in those FM hills would be pretty adventurous -- if there were no competitors. It's hard to believe that the backers were blinded solely by the pyramid of gold that WTOP had become, but such avarice has to be considered. Yet consider that, for the longest while, WTOP already was 'it' ; the only game in town. No such Merlin luck in Chicago, New York, and .... face it .... Philadelphia. Those places are saturated, roped off and branded, and have been for decades.
TimeIsTight said Sarah Lee isn't in their demo. Do you think most listeners know she's in mid-50s?
Cosmopolite said:
Let me add a little bit to what I said:
It's not the specific "age" that is considered but the "lifestyle awareness" that goes along with that approximate age.
In straight news the age of the anchor/reporter shouldn't matter, look at the ages of the reporters on 60-Minutes.
But, no matter what kind of targeted radio, programmers prefer to have their on-air types "into the format." Classical stations always wanted people who went to classical concerts and opera on a regular basis, who "lived in" a classical music world, and had friends and relatives that were into it too.
Rock stations want people who have music on all the time, dress the part and who frequent rock concerts, read music magazines, and hang around with friends who are into it too etc.
Smart management also may want to keep a certain spirit or mood around the station by filling it with people who are all into the same things and live the same kind of lifestyle. They will usually work better together because they relate to each other better.
If you want news anchors to make "off the cuff cute comments" to each other that the target audience can "relate" to, it probably makes sense to have anchors who have a similar "lifestyle" to each other and the target audience. That said, there are always exceptions, and Zacherley proved that by being a popular NYC rock jock when he was thirty or forty years older than the audience.
In the case of Sara Lee, we don't know what the reason she left was. Merlin is trimming staff for economic reasons and that means management is forced to make choices based on some criteria. Nobody's been there all that long. For her sake, lets hope Sara Lee is going back to TV like her former co-worker Briana Vannozzi and she left Merlin on her own.
I recall watching Sara Lee on KENS-TV in San Antonio, Texas. She got her first job at KENS TV in the Spring or 1974. This
may have been after she graduated from the University of Texas in Austin, I'm not for sure. But, to say the least, I was
very impressed with her back then. The old KENS-TV news director, Bob Rogers sure had a sixth sense for picking great talent back then.
I emailed her at 101.9 and I told he I recalled watching her on KENS-TV back in the day. To which she replied a few months ago:
Anchor/Reporter
FM News 101.9
Makes me wonder if she wants to get back into TV or if she prefers radio instead.
may have been after she graduated from the University of Texas in Austin, I'm not for sure. But, to say the least, I was
very impressed with her back then. The old KENS-TV news director, Bob Rogers sure had a sixth sense for picking great talent back then.
I emailed her at 101.9 and I told he I recalled watching her on KENS-TV back in the day. To which she replied a few months ago:
Sara Lee Kessler
Anchor/Reporter
FM News 101.9
Makes me wonder if she wants to get back into TV or if she prefers radio instead.
Steve Green NEPA said:
CBS is the undisputed leader of all-news in Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Listeners in those cities are very ingrained in their habits. They know where to go when events warrant.
Merlin would've been better off building news/talk outlets on FM in all those CBS news strongholds.
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