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SL-100

M

Meepster

Well, Blow me down!

Mr. Vestal...

I listened for the first time today to SL-100 for a while. I was driving the wife's mini-van to pick up stuff that wouldn't fit in the Jeep. It was on SL-100, but with the music that was playing I didn't notice it wasn't 92.3.
(Where the Jeep radio usually sits when not IPOD'ing)

Suddenly, some spots or whatever and....Paul Harvey! I have always LOVED Paul Harvey from back in the WRJB-Super 98 days. I got me some good tunes, nearly half an hour of Paul Harvey, and got to where I was going.

Later, I listened some more and liked mostly every song I heard. Later in the day there was an older sounding guy on. I was in and out of the van and never caught who he was. A girl was on midday and she seemed to do well. The older guy sounded a little Charles Maxey-like.

I haven't heard SL-100 in quite some time before today, not since they started "The Big Show."
But, the music I heard today was just fine. I guess I'll give it a pre-set, and maybe give it a little bit of 92's time when doing the radio (around 11:30 anyway).

I don't hesitate to opine when I don't like something I hear, so I thought I'd mention this on the board, because I DID like something I heard.
 
I was in Dyersburg that day.
I no longer live in Memphis...in fact, was smart enough to get out even when I still worked there.
 
Here's where I get confused about radio. Roger is listed as General Manager...does this mean he's doing double-duty programming the station too? Because someone else is listed as PD.

Are program directors just "yes" men without the ability to creatively program the station?

I would think that General Managers hire PD's to come in, steer the ship and help the station succeed.

I'm not saying that this is what is going on in Dyersburg...just asking a question.

Pedro
 
I can't speak for the particular situation in Dyersburg, but generally, in a small town setting, the PD is pretty much a MD (Music Director), with some additional scheduling and on-air duties. The "GM" is usually doing most of the programming (as long as the owner goes along)

The "PD" handles music calls, too, but the GM and owner decide programming-usually down to the playlists.

In a situation like Dyersburg (and again-not specifically) the GM might make about 30 grand a year, where a "PD" might make 25 or 26G. Many small town "GM's" are paid to do the actual running of the station because many owners have NO IDEA how to do it. PD's are ther to handle the small details the GM can't or doesn't want to deal with.
Some GM's can make more as they have most of the "House" sales accounts to call on and keep happy.
Plain old "Jocks" at these stations make very little and often have to supplement their income with sales calls, too.


The "House" accounts are the ones the "House" keeps after the person who actually sold it and brought them to the station gets canned or quits. When a salesperson leaves-if an account is a bigger one and pays on time and usually supports promotions and etc...viola!, it becomes a house account. The ones that require actual work and selling are given to other sales reps.

Another tactic by smaller ownerships is to lay titles on people so they will do more work for less pay.

Even with all this kind of stuff...big corporations are much harder to work for. If someone can make a living in small market radio these days-I'd pick that as the way to go.

I've done plenty of both.
 
BTW...As I said, I can't speak for the situation in Dyersburg...with that said, someone off board old me they knew for a fact that Roger Vestal, as GM of SL-100, was making over three times the 30 Grand I spoke of in my scenario. Seems like an awful lot to me...now matter how talented a GM may be, that's GREAT DEAL OF MONEY for a market that small. That's in the neighborhood of 7500 bucks per month. I used to hear a formula where you could figure a GM makes about 4 or 5% of what the station bills. Were that true in this NEW scenario, that would mean that SL-100 would be billing in the area of $150,000 per month or more. Maybe so, but I never would think that WASL is billing nearly 2 Million a year in today's economy and in that market.

But, I've been out of it for a long time and maybe the figures in my head are not relative to reality at all.

More power to Mr. Vestal if he's making that! He's been doing this for a long time and has cetainly paid dues.
:)
 
Are the Maxeys entirely out of the picture now at SL-100? Has Charles retired? His daughter used to be an account executive there. Apparently, she's no longer with them either. I have been away from west Tennessee for about 15 years, so it's hard for me to keep up with the goings-on there anymore.
 
I don't know a lot, but I do know that Maxey is retired. Don't know anything about his daughter, though.
Years ago, Maxey and the ownership decided to go after the Jackson market and that was apparently the motivation for increasing the power. It certainly improved the reception, but from what I understand, it's still difficult to hear in most of Jackson.

The air staff I've heard sounds better overall than I recall hearing in the past, and the music they're playing now (apparently after a recent "format" change to "rock") is a lot better than what it was. They added John Boy and Billy when 92 dropped them.

Remember, though, that I've only heard bits and didn't listen to much of anything from them for several years. But, my guess is that it sounds as good as it ever has, JB&B probably have some folks listening in the morning that didn't before. I heard a girl on mid-day that sounded ok. Whoever is on in the afternoons that I've heard a couple of times sounds very reminiscent of Charles Maxey.

The last morning guy I heard before JB&B (which I haven't heard on SL-100), was a PUKER. He sounded like the kind of guy who turns the headphones up REAL loud so he can hear himself and his "Ronnie Radio" voice.
Anything was an improvement on that.

Seems pretty solid and heading in the right direction...but I still can't imagine it being a multi-million dollar biller...I dunno...I've been out of the biz for a while now.

I'm gonna try and check 'em out more near middays, as I gather they still play Paul Harvey daily!
 
If you go to this link and scroll all the way down, that could be Maxey's daughter walking out of the room. But I don't know. I only see the back of her head in this shot.

http://wtro.wasl.net/photo_day.htm

According to their home page, they do indeed still carry Paul Harvey. But you'd better listen early. According to their site (check link at their home page at http://www.wasl.net ), they carry his midday program at 11:30 a.m.

SL-100 does show up in the Jackson arbitrons. Jackson is something like market #291. I can't help but think that SL would do better in rural west Tennessee away from Jackson and Memphis, and might pick up a few 92.3 refugees in the rural areas.
 
Meepster said:
I can't speak for the particular situation in Dyersburg, but generally, in a small town setting, the PD is pretty much a MD (Music Director), with some additional scheduling and on-air duties. The "GM" is usually doing most of the programming (as long as the owner goes along)

The "PD" handles music calls, too, but the GM and owner decide programming-usually down to the playlists.

In a situation like Dyersburg (and again-not specifically) the GM might make about 30 grand a year, where a "PD" might make 25 or 26G. Many small town "GM's" are paid to do the actual running of the station because many owners have NO IDEA how to do it. PD's are ther to handle the small details the GM can't or doesn't want to deal with.
Click to expand...

I thought the figure you quoted (even as an example) was low for a GM. I can see Program and Production Director's making low money, but I figured the GM would be making a nice salary.

I don't understand why anyone would want to be a PD at a small market station...more responsibilities and not that much more money.

I wish I could work in small market radio again but, that would be irresponsible (money-wise) on my behalf.

I image there are really good local jocks, etc that could make smaller stations sound great, but the money just isn't there. Plus, working 6 days a week got old after a while. It isn't so bad when you're 23...but when you've got a family, you want to spend more time at home.
 
I agree whole-heartedly about small market radio. Thing is, from what I hear and read here and elsewhere, the pay isn't that great when you can find a job in medium marketd any more.

I still find it hard to comprehend a GM at a station in a market as small as Dyersburg making right at six figures. Can't imagine the revenue being there even if he IS pulling an airshift.
 
Meepster said:
I agree whole-heartedly about small market radio. Thing is, from what I hear and read here and elsewhere, the pay isn't that great when you can find a job in medium marketd any more.

I still find it hard to comprehend a GM at a station in a market as small as Dyersburg making right at six figures. Can't imagine the revenue being there even if he IS pulling an airshift.
Click to expand...

It's a fun job but, I guess, you have to decide if you're going to continue working long hours for low pay or find something to pay the bills. I still dabble with the occasional weekend gig now and again though.

WASL is owned by a pretty stable company and Roger has a pretty good background in radio...so who knows?

Pedro
 
Kind of the same deal here.

If Roger (or anyone else) is pulling that kind of cash in small market radio-I say "Go get 'em, Dude!"

I have to work a lot to get close to it.
;D
 
PedroOrange said:
Meepster said:
I can't speak for the particular situation in Dyersburg, but generally, in a small town setting, the PD is pretty much a MD (Music Director), with some additional scheduling and on-air duties. The "GM" is usually doing most of the programming (as long as the owner goes along)

The "PD" handles music calls, too, but the GM and owner decide programming-usually down to the playlists.

In a situation like Dyersburg (and again-not specifically) the GM might make about 30 grand a year, where a "PD" might make 25 or 26G. Many small town "GM's" are paid to do the actual running of the station because many owners have NO IDEA how to do it. PD's are ther to handle the small details the GM can't or doesn't want to deal with.
Click to expand...

I thought the figure you quoted (even as an example) was low for a GM. I can see Program and Production Director's making low money, but I figured the GM would be making a nice salary.

I don't understand why anyone would want to be a PD at a small market station...more responsibilities and not that much more money.

I wish I could work in small market radio again but, that would be irresponsible (money-wise) on my behalf.

I image there are really good local jocks, etc that could make smaller stations sound great, but the money just isn't there. Plus, working 6 days a week got old after a while. It isn't so bad when you're 23...but when you've got a family, you want to spend more time at home.
Click to expand...
I agree with this, but working six days a week got old for me, even when I was still in my 20s. That comes to about 300 days a year, assuming you get a week off for vacation. Remember, there are no holidays. Add to that being salaried, and not being paid for the overtime, and working for a perfectionist for whom nothing was ever good enough, and it gets really old really fast! I had always heard that radio was good for one's social life, but it just about took my social life completely away from me! The burnout factor is really high!
 
When Maxey left, his daughter was promoted to the Sales Manager. I was told that by Roger Vestal himself.. I guess she is still there. They have reworked their website......frankly, I liked the old one better. I agree Meepster....I don't see them billing $150,000 a month. Even with 3 stations now, I don't see them doing much over 75-80 if that much.
 
I was working in Dyersburg today and heard Maxey announcing Dyersburg High School basketball on WTRO this evening. Apparently they've brought him back for that.
 
Is Roger still kicking it around in Dyersburg? Someone told me he moved on.

Pedro
 
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