John Ellis said:
Okey dokey: time for something rare in our business--honesty.
As 1/2 of the morning team that was fired from 98.9, I'd be shocked if you heard the same format this time next year. I can say this: it's a tough situation. We were asked (told) to cut our breaks down, talk almost never, play comedy clips from late night shows, and "get credit for those laughs"....the result, in my opinion, was an instant alienation of our base--a base we worked hard to build early and often. We'd get emails, FB posts, tweets...all asking "where did you guys go?", and "why don't y'all talk about your kids and life anymore?"
Let the record always show that no matter how much/little experience I have as a jock, it was not my decision to take what was an entertaining, effective, clean AMD show for AC (while playing more songs per hour than any other CC/EC station), and scoop the guts and heart out of it. You had two second-gen radio pros, and a golden opportunity to leverage that name recognition. But, that would have come at the risk of losing one "Survivor" song an hour. God forbid.
Yes, my dad is Bill. And while that doesn't qualify me for a Marconi, it has allowed me total access for over 25 years to the GSP media market. I've been around all the great shows and jocks, almost all of whom have been sent packing by way of corporate cuts. I was given 1 full book--in the middle of some reformatting--to show our worth. In the W12 book for F25-54, our TSL was 2:15, with a 9.8 share in that demo for the FEB trend....when we were doing the show as designed by the guy who hired me. Unfortunately, he left, as did our vision.
I may have not been the answer for that station in morning drive. But I can assure you: we were not the problem.
Hi, John. If Magic goes, it will have been totally avoidable. A properly programmed Mainstream AC is gold in a market like this. Magic is so off track that they are not an indication of what the format can do. When Magic (and MY) did Mainstream AC properly, it wasn't uncommon for both to have a 11-12 share combined. Yes, the AC format has slipped a little since then, but remains extremely popular/viable, especially in a conservative southeastern market like this.
I would not be surprised if Entercom already has an idea of what they want on 98.9 and are, on purpose, letting the AC format on there die. IMO, they don't have the smarts or knowledge to turn the station around at this point, and from what I hear, aren't trying.
Under the last PD at Magic, I think the station sounded the best it had in ages for a while (Chase was obviously doing something right, now programming AC Q-101 in San Antonio). Magic has played in the background at work for years, and I remember thinking it really sounded together. Now it's a mess, just musically speaking. Those same, horrible, burned out tracks over and over. The management/PD is either clueless or doesn't care. The situation in mornings just shows that they are the same with the air talent. The station just sounds like a jukebox in the morning now. I agree with everything you said (as well as Scooter Lesley's final paragraph). It's not the talent killing the station...it's the brains, or lack thereof, behind it. You two had potential. Wishing you and Lauren success.
