Some Actual Facts to chew on

[mdoyle]

Hey all, I love to read the speculation, but I thought since Bob Smith and Luvcoors are having a fight, I would provide some facts:

We wanted Wease back. We got out bid by Clear Channel. His agent did a masterful job of pitting us against them. He did a masterful job of making us look like the bad guy 'big company' in the press. Truth is, he worked for CBS and now works for CCU. Now those are big companies.

I obviously cannot comment on what level we dropped out of the bidding and do not know what he is making. Trust me, he has a very good, big time agent. By the way, his contract expired Dec 31, 2007. (to settle that point).

We are very happy with the Break Room, Billy, Tommy, Rich & Sally are doing an outstanding job (along with others) in putting on a great AM show. This show is #4 in AM drive in A 25-54. It is doing well, and it has a future with us. A long and happy future we hope.

Kimberly and Beck were number 1 A 25-54 in the Spring book ( I think for the second time). The Buzz is #1 in Radio Prime Time (6a-7) and is # 1 in AM, Midday (with Pete Kennedy) and The Bee is #1 total week. The Bee morning show (another great show) has been #1 for a 3 years in this key demo, and was #2 to Buzz in the spring book.

WPXY was #3 in W 25-54 total week. We are very happy with that AM Drive show. It is growing, and doing well in its W 18-34 target.

We love great talent in the morning. We have 4 great am drive shows, that we are happy with, and have no plans to change any of them. I promise - Bob 1370 .

We did take the WCMF morning show studio board to Mill Street, the mics etc. We left the furniture. All other equipment in that building belongs now to Stephens Media. I cannot imagine they wlll leave behind anything of value when they move. It will be a good move for Clear Channel. It has great views, studio walls etc all built. We thought about moving there, but love our space on Mill Street and the rent. If you haven't seen our studios, stop by, very brick. and Studios in the front lobby windows as far as the eye can see. It is set up like radio stations should be. Radio stations in the windows and 'on air' lights.

What will happen when Wease returns? I think we have a great show on WCMF. I think the whole station sounds great. I think Kimberly and Beck and The Bee Morning Coffee Club sound great. I think Spezzano and Sandy sound great. It's not a sprint, it is a marathon. There will be sampling. Over time, the best shows will get the ratings. We are putting on 4 very good morning shows, and have some great talent during the day (Weslea, Billy Kidd, The Mayor, Dave Kane - who is nominated for a Marconi Award for personality of the year, Robinson, Danger, Megan Carter, and Hell-we're even live overnights with Big Daddy !!!!!)

Almost 8 years ago, when we moved wbbf and launched the buzz, this board called us stupid, now that station is top 3 in Adults, men and women 25-54 for the past 4 years. It's billing is tripled. It is now one of the highest billing stations in Rochester. It did not happen over night, it does not have to.

The only thing that bothers me about this board is that broadcasters like Bob Smith speculate, but do it in a tone that sounds like fact. If you don't know the ratings on the Buzz morning show, how can you say that we might blow it up for Tony and Dee. (both great people). We are not going to blow up a successful team, and this is a successful team. This gets silly rumors started based upon speculation that is silly. Radio does not need more 'shooting' at itself in self loathing or silly competitive games. Radio needs to focus on putting great products on the air, and getting results for our advertisers. Clear Channel has hired Wease. I don't hate him for taking a big paycheck. My job is to move on, put on great products and get results for advertisers.

Anytime you want to see the ratings, Bob, stop across the street. I will show you. I know it is supposed to be fun to speculate what might happen. But keep in mind, you should state things as facts only when you know them to be facts. And that, my friend, is what I hope you do on your show every day. (by the way, i don't know who luvcoors is, in case u want to speculate on this too).

 

[mdoyle]

The problem with listing people is you forget some. I forgot to mention: Dem Jones, who is doing a great job as PD and PM drive on The Buzz, Kasper nights on PXY, The Bee morning show by Name, (vets Terry Clifford, Steve Hausmann, and my buddy Newman), and a whole bunch of hard working producers like Pat The Producer on The Breakfast Buzz, Jackson Spurr on The Bee, and Phil the Phone Screener on The Break Room, and Christian Dan, resident sports expert.

I am sure I forgot others. I apologize. The point is, Entercom employes a lot of great local people, not voice tracks from Miami (or Ohio or Florida), and it is because of these people we have great stations.

Now get back to work.

 

[luvcoors]

Thanks for the info...my comments were meant to show Bob how wrong he was information wise and provide a solid, knowledgeable opinion of the overall view of the market. Good luck moving forward...

 

[Bob1370]

Thanks for the detailed info, Mike...many of us don't see it, and it helps a lot to set it in perspective. One thing, though, that puzzles me (and I'm clearly showing my age by asking this, coming of age in an era where stations needed to paint with a broader demographic brush to collect the bucks); are all station groups slicing the demo targets so fine, that it gets tough to make real money? Or do you all survive mostly by selling multi-station package buys to cover the territory, instead of generating much of the money from single station ad placements these days?

 

[scooterodell]

Thanks, Mr. Doyle. It's always nice to get an "official" perspective from someone truly in the know.

 

[listener-in]

Mr. Doyle, it’s good to read about the success you are having with your FM stations, which has to be largely due to a nurturing environment. I also appreciate your having opened WROC to progressive talk for the past few years. Not that I would expect you to discuss station politics, but I do wonder if the format change has something to do with the recent changes in station management.

Now that I know that you read this board, may I request that you hold the format change, at least for a couple more months until after the dust of the election dust has settled (barring a repeat of 2000). In the interim, why don’t you come on the air a few times and bring WROC’s listeners (most of whom, I suspect, are blissfully unaware that their favorite programming is about to be dumped) into your confidence? I’m sure they would appreciate learning the thinking of station management, and having the opportunity to influence management into changing its mind. I know that’s not the customary way of doing things in commercial radio, but it would be a wonderful opportunity to establish a bond with your listeners. If you really cultivated your audience, promoted the station and cured its technical problems, the advertisers would follow.

As you wrote in the context of the FM stations “it's not a sprint, it is a marathon” and “it did not happen over night, it does not have to”. The same would have applied to WROC, had the progressive talk format from the beginning had the same nurturing that the FM stations have enjoyed. It’s not too late to start.

You wrote that “radio does not need more…..silly competitive games”. Mr. Doyle, there’s already a sports station in town and you actually want to compete with it? WROC has progressive talk all to itself. Why not keep it that way?

One final thought. I haven’t kept count, but I find it quite remarkable, for a station that supposedly lacks listeners, how many callers from Rochester I hear on the shows that WROC carries live.

Thanks.

 

[cee]

Listener-in,

I, like so many regulars on the this board, worked in radio for a long time. I can tell you without hesitation that Mr. Doyle and Entercom will not be holding off changing formats on WROC. I am a regular WROC listener and feel they could have gotten somewhat better ratings with a little promotion in the Rochester progressive community, but that didn't happen and ESPN is coming soon.

Best bet is to hope Mr. Doyle(Entercom's Regional Mgr.) doesn't recommend that WWKB also drops Progressive Talk(though who knows what format would be left for them to change to). In a pinch, if you have 12.99/month to blow, Air America is also on Satellite Radio.

 

[dampier]

Listener-in,

I, like so many regulars on the this board, worked in radio for a long time. I can tell you without hesitation that Mr. Doyle and Entercom will not be holding off changing formats on WROC. I am a regular WROC listener and feel they could have gotten somewhat better ratings with a little promotion in the Rochester progressive community, but that didn't happen and ESPN is coming soon.

With a virtual guarantee of no change in the ratings because of it.

 

[SirRoxalot]

Sing-a-long

I think that Billy Preston covered that one:

"Nothin' from nothin' leaves nothin'...."

 

[cee]

With a virtual guarantee of no change in the ratings because of it.

Oh yes, I agree with you 100%. They wouldn't get any change in ratings even if they were the only All Sports station in town(keeping in mind WHTK is now positioning themselves as All Sports). The only thing I can think of is ESPN, being hot to get into the Rochester market, is giving them a few bucks for each network spot they run. I'm sure the Entercom brain trust knows they haven't got a prayer in hell of getting any ratings with ESPN. But perhaps it's more money coming in to pay the electric bill for the transmitter.