Small Market Stations Might Be The Salvation Of Radio

[Mark_Giardina]

Just for a moment take into consideration that more and more people are moving further and further away from big cities, into more rural areas. This is why I believe that properly run, smaller market radio stations can actually breathe life into what many of us remember what radio used to be.

As the population grows in these rural/suburban areas, more advertisers will try to reach people through the means of broadcasting or print. And if these larger market stations are losing audience, or their rates are too high, then advertisers will take a second look at these smaller stations, which could lead to a growth in revenue. A growth in revenue could mean that these same stations might go more local, which apparently is still very popular with the listening audience judging from the recently released spring book.

Any thoughts?
???

 

[raymond_shaw]

I would agree, but one problem: most of the small market stations I hear are running satellite programming - generic music on FM and usually right wing talk and advice shows on AM. A local morning show and occasional local sports at night doesn't really cut it, local wise. There was a post here recently on WBTA being live and local and I applaud them for that. Other rural-casters will have to get with the program.

Keep in mind that people in rural areas also have access to ipods and those portable ipod mini radio transmitters. In the near future, all radio will have to be more live and local to survive.

 

[OldNumber7]

Mark,
For the very reasons you suggest, I can see the exact opposite alternative being equally likely. Why not thin the bands (especially AM) so stations licensed to major markets can upgrade their coverage and better serve their outer suburbs? Radio listening is so often defined by commuting patterns, that (given the choice) the station with a small stick in the exurbs probably wouldn't be the preferred station of most people driving 40 and 50 miles to a metropolitan center.

 

[Debaser]

IMO, it all boils down to money. Small market stations most likely can't compete with larger markets with what they pay their staff. The talent necessary to make a small market station more interesting to listen to most likely will work in markets where there is more cash available for salaries.

That said, small market and indie stations are the last bastions for true creativity. IF (and that's a big "IF") there are owners out there who are as tired of formula radio as most of us are and are willing to take a chance and invest some fairly decent money, they might see a payoff in a few years. But chances of that sort of thing happening are pretty slim in this day and age of everyone wanting a big and immediate payoff.

 

[Radknowski]

Put Your Hand On The Radio And Say Halelujah!

Small market (AM) radio can be very entertaining. It can also be flat out bad. I spend considerable time in the truck (though less now than a year ago) and being a hopeless radio addict, listen to all kinds of radio.

I've analyzed my listening and found that it runs in streaks. I'll become enamored with talk and spend days listening to talk... then, out of the blue, I'll get back to the FM band and listen to the typical ratings leaders... then I'll go on a Canadian bender and bounce between Q-107, CFNY, Giant and CFHI.

When I listen to small town radio, such as Batavia and Lockport and Niagara Falls, I hear things that are entertaining as well as news, talk, music and production that are abysmal. WBTA, WDOE and WLVL get generally good marks. WJJL is inconsistent. WSPQ has some bright spots.

I'm trying to be diplomatic here.

WBTA Batavia fills up a bit more airtime with its contemporary music format that's blended with local talk. Yet how many 25-54's tuning in to 1490 to hear the music. If they want music of that sort, they'll get it from Warm, Star, WHTT or The Drive. So why run the music? Simple. It's easy filler. No crime in that, especially if the automation program runs smoothly, as it does on WBTA. But those are hours that can be filled with talk, news-talk or local features. At the least, it can be filled with syndicated talk.

WLVL Lockport airs a more challenging mix of local and syndicated talk with almost no music, save for an occasional weekend specialty music show that appears to be targeting 55+ listeners. WLVL deserves some credit because it offers a strong morning news-feature-talk show with Tradio, followed by a local political talk show that leans left of center. The host tries hard but he's up against WBEN. Regardless of what you think about Bauerle, that's a tough a very tough act to compete with. WLVL also airs O'Reilly, Hannity and Boortz. The drawback is all three of those shows air in sequence and there's no local news after 1 p.m. Furthermore, it there's no live, local news after 1 p.m.

WSPQ Springville is an interesting blend of localism and sports from ESPN that quite frankly seems to be filler material in the same way WBTA runs music. Also, while the station is no powerhouse, WSPQ is a very cool call sign.

WDOE is automated with local voice-tracking and features interspersed in its Oldies music format.

WJJL is a mish-mash of Oldies and local ethnic programming with occasional remotes and Harvard Cup football. That's commendable, but how many people can that mix attract?

WXRL is the local darling of radio geeks and while the station has a unique format guided by a a genuine hometown legend, how many people are listening?

Then, there are stations that crank out "pay for pray" and foreign ethnic programming like WTOR. They're probably the most solvent of the bunch, though they sound horrible.

It's got to be tough making a buck doing local AM radio. I'm sure there are owner-operators who are combo guys who have their hands in sales, production, promotion, air work, engineering and management who are making a few bucks, paying the bills, trading out their dining rooms sets and cars and enjoying it. Just the same, it's got to be a tough go.

Look at what's happening in the Western New York economy. It's brutal. Taxes and oil-related costs keep going up. It's hard (if not impossible) to pass that expense along to the station's advertisers. How do you motivate your sales staff to "hit the bricks" and make sales calls when gas is $3 per gallon and they're selling spots for $20 a pop and $250 schedules at 10% commision on collections rather than sales?

We have a tendency on this board to romanticize the small market operators. This isn't a bad thing. Yet it's important to have one's feet firmly grounded in reality. Running a small market stand alone AM is no picnic, no matter how talented and diverse we think we might be.

As pointed out in previous posts, employees want and deserve better salaries, especially if they've reached a level of personal proficiency that exceeds the level of the radio station. Then, it's buh-bye and off to Rochester or Buffalo, forcing the owner-operator to re-start the training cycle as listeners hear another rookie read the morning news, attempt to do a talk show or jock as proficiently as the guys in Rochester or Buffalo.

Nope. It ain't easy.
[/Mike]

 

[ThePickleReport]

Re: Put Your Hand On The Radio And Say Halelujah!

[size=12pt]

At the least, it can be filled with syndicated talk.


I think syndicated talk ISN'T the way to go. Sure there's the big names with a following, but there a lot of junk in syndication as well. Not to say that there aren't some good programs out there but just because someone is talking on the radio doesn't mean someone is listening. I think local content, usually news & events is what makes local radio successful.


WJJL is a mish-mash of Oldies and local ethnic programming with occasional remotes and Harvard Cup football. That's commendable, but how many people can that mix attract?

None.

WXRL is the local darling of radio geeks and while the station has a unique format guided by a a genuine hometown legend, how many people are listening?

About the same as WLVL according to Arbitron.

 

[Debaser]

You should try to check out David Marsden's show on 94.9 The Rock on Thursday and Friday nights from 7-midnight.

The Rock is an indie out of Oshawa, ON (east of Toronto) that normally plays mostly classic rock (but a far wider selection that Zeppelin, Zeppelin and Zeppelin), but on these two nights they let David (one of two Candians featured in the radio wing of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame) have total control of the station, playing tracks he originally featured on CFNY, CHUM-fm and even CKEY when he was known as Dave Mickey. The result is actually quite good for the station: during those time slots they are #1 in their area and #3 overall in Toronto, where the signal is not nearly as good.

While David's style and music are not for everybody, there is no denying his popularity here. And there is no reason other people who have something to say (epecially with the music) can't do the same thing in areas where they made their reputations. All it takes, as I said in my previous post, is an owner willing to take a chance and then stick with it long enough to have it pay off.

BTW-If you can't pick up The Rock's signal where you are you can also listen on line at www.therock.fm.

David also does a weekly show that is doing quite well at www.pulverradio.com

 

[Yeziknoradio]

You should try to check out David Marsden's show on 94.9 The Rock on Thursday and Friday nights from 7-midnight.

The Rock is an indie out of Oshawa, ON (east of Toronto) that normally plays mostly classic rock (but a far wider selection that Zeppelin, Zeppelin and Zeppelin), but on these two nights they let David (one of two Candians featured in the radio wing of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame) have total control of the station, playing tracks he originally featured on CFNY, CHUM-fm and even CKEY when he was known as Dave Mickey. The result is actually quite good for the station: during those time slots they are #1 in their area and #3 overall in Toronto, where the signal is not nearly as good.

While David's style and music are not for everybody, there is no denying his popularity here. And there is no reason other people who have something to say (epecially with the music) can't do the same thing in areas where they made their reputations. All it takes, as I said in my previous post, is an owner willing to take a chance and then stick with it long enough to have it pay off.

BTW-If you can't pick up The Rock's signal where you are you can also listen on line at www.therock.fm.

David also does a weekly show that is doing quite well at www.pulverradio.com

I have to agree. If Durham radio inc. (owners of that station) took the advice of some insiders when buying the station from Corus radio, it would have changed from the AC station it was (Magic @ 94.9) to being a repeater of their sister station in Hamilton. (Wave 94.7 FM, a smooth Jazz station)
If it were a bigger company, perhaps that's what would happen (to keep costs down) but instead, their independence gave them the freedom and courage to try something very different, and I'm glad they did.