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Scanning the dial

P

Parttimer

1250 today carried the baseball playoff game and bumped Paulsen & Co. over to the web, where I'm sure the audience was maybe in the tens... (not ten-share, ten people...).

1360's local time buy this afternoon managed to get a live interview with Steve Forbes. Although the host is less than smooth, it was still quite a coup. Wonder if anyone at KD even knew he was in town (he had a speaking engagement downtwon tonight)?

Honz needs better call screeners. They are putting idiots on the air. If those are the only callers you're getting you don't take calls.
 
Part- For all the complaining about the change of format, that's quite a catch for 1360.

But is it really a surprise? We always complain about how the radio stations here are lazy and sit on their laurels. I'm not even surprised a fella buying time lands Forbes while everyone else snoozes.

In fact, I expect it.

As for ESPN 1250, perhaps this isn't such a bad thing. This isn't meant to be a criticism of Paulsen and Crow, but in the past there have been plenty of ESPN radio broadcasts of playoff baseball I wanted to hear instead of the ESPN 1250 talk shows. When the talk shows were carried instead, I didn't tune in.

Flip side, what is the audience for WEAE's ESPN radio broadcasts of NBA games around here? Does 1250 have sponsors for the NBA broadcasts they wouldn't have otherwise?

I believe ESPN Radio also runs talk shows during the NBA games as an alternative, and since most Pittsburghers would rather hear crickets chirping than the NBA I am surprised the talk shows aren't carried instead.
 
1360 had better connections to Forbes than anyone else in town through Jerry Bowyer. Connections win booking battles every time.

1250 carries the NBA games because the folks in Bristol make them. This is still a top 25 market and they want their feature attractions on in big markets. That said the numbers for it are just plain miniscule. There are more people in the building on Ardmore Boulevard than are listening.

Baseball wouldn't have been there if Paulsen, et al had better numbers. The people in the building know what's going on and are trying to give the show every chance they can, even if that means getting it out of the way every once in a while.

Parttimer, I feel sorry for the screeners. Honz has chased away all but the lunatic fringe. Can you imagine the calls they aren't letting on the air???
 
The other note regarding the baseball games is that in previous years the afternoon games got bumped over to 540. Not that they ever bothered to tell anyone that the games were there.... but 540 is a MASSIVE signal that is loud and clear in Clarksburg and well past St. Clairsville. I wish it was carrying something besides Radio Mickey.
 
Snafu- I agree, but isn't it telling that the larger talk radio stations aren't making the sort of connections to land the Steve Forbes-type guests?
 
Most of the other stations in the market have fresh out of college kids screening calls and booking guests because that's what they want to afford. Of course these kids don't have connections, and it shows.
 
Sure, but where's the desire to get ahead?

Where's the "trading?" If 1360 has Steve Forbes, a KDKA or other station producer should call up that producer and ask them for a deal- "I'll give you Rick Santorum's cell number for Forbes," that sort of thing.
 
I'm not even sure the KDKA shows care about Steve Forbes. It's not the way they operate. The shows are built around host ranting, then having a local pol come on to say, "I can assure you I will be looking into this, Marty/Kevin/Fred." Then they turn the whole thing into a promo within a half hour.
 
Pratte4Life said:
Sure, but where's the desire to get ahead?

Where's the "trading?" If 1360 has Steve Forbes, a KDKA or other station producer should call up that producer and ask them for a deal- "I'll give you Rick Santorum's cell number for Forbes," that sort of thing.
Click to expand...

You did have that kind of networking years ago, when everyone competed against each other. Now that you have a few companies controlling multiple properties, you don't have that so much anymore. You're constantly watching your back to ensure you have a job tomorrow.
 
Then why not employ this blast from the past to improve content?

I know many broadcasting seminars still teach this sort of trading.

My favorite "deal" was a sports talk show that once dealt Billy Corrigan's cell number for John Stockton's.

Wouldn't being able to land big-name guests be a way for a producer to not only keep his job, but to be promoted, no matter what the ownership status of the station was?
 
That concept has probably never even crossed the minds of most of those screeners.They likely view their job description as , "where you callin' from, what do you want to talk about, OK hold on".
 
Also, the reason why WEAE ran the baseball is because it is an ESPN O&O, and they are probably required to run any sports event ESPN has, even minor ones like the college football games they air on Saturday nights.

They always promo it on Mike and Mike in the Morning, and they go there often (for Monday Night Football and other events).
 
Have the rules changed? As I said, in earlier years the talk shows got priority ahead of the ball games- and I really wanted to listen to the ball games!
 
Seminars?? These kids are all still living at home because they make $7.75 an hour and have a $400 a month college loan payment that they are already behind on. You really think they can afford to go to a seminar? Most stations don't send anyone outside of the sales droids to seminars.
 
Pratte4Life said:
Then why not employ this blast from the past to improve content?

I know many broadcasting seminars still teach this sort of trading.

My favorite "deal" was a sports talk show that once dealt Billy Corrigan's cell number for John Stockton's.

Wouldn't being able to land big-name guests be a way for a producer to not only keep his job, but to be promoted, no matter what the ownership status of the station was?
Click to expand...

Right. Back then, you had competition. If you got blown out of one joint, you could go across town and get another gig tomorrow. Even back then, you weren't allowed to mingle with your competitors, and if you were, they'd find reason to get rid of you if anyone found out. Now there's nowhere to go.

Another problem is the work ethic. You've gotta hustle in this business. Hustle is something that's falling by the wayside because nobody wants to work anymore...period. Too many people are taking pride in their mediocrity and show little interest in getting better...the usual "We've always done it like this" and "we've never had to do that before" mentality. As long as that thought process is perpetuated, it's not going to get better.

Especially when we have advertisers now shaking in their shoes over the economy, now more than ever we need to improve our product. This is not a fun time to own a radio station.
 
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