Fired from PD job.
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Steve Hansen out at KDKA
- Thread starter Boss Radio
- Start date
R
Radio_Realist
Guest
Making an opening For Rob Pratte.
L
lash
Guest
Well, its about time! The guy almost destroyed the place. Thank goodness, someone came to their senses.
steve was mis cast....not his fault...
R
RadioMoo
Guest
And pleeeease, no more Keith Clark.radiopeas said:The place is a shambles. And please, not Rob Pratte.
that radio station is still too important to have a "shared duty pd".
the radio station needs to be reshaped. they need to find a "cigna" to lead them on air and only a focused PD can fiund such an on air leader.
they were in a similar situation some years ago post bogut and it was john cigna who rallied the troops.....there is no such leader in that house right now.
the radio station needs to be reshaped. they need to find a "cigna" to lead them on air and only a focused PD can fiund such an on air leader.
they were in a similar situation some years ago post bogut and it was john cigna who rallied the troops.....there is no such leader in that house right now.
Jim Trefney said:Speaking of the "Big" 1020, what is wrong with the nightime signal. The past few nights I could hear a tone underneath and at times knocking out KD. Are those Cubans fireing up those high powered transmitters again?
A few years ago there was an outfit, apparently with studios in the Daytona Beach area and a transmitter in the Turks and Caicos islands doing business as "Caribbean Christian Radio". They were signing on at sunset, and gave a phone # in the 904 area code. Wonder if it's them again?
But regarding Steve, I really don't think any of this was his fault.... I don't think he had much in the way of final decision-making power.
And the above poster is right.... the lack of a powerhouse morning show is a big minus. But now I'm not so sure that the tide can be turned. I mean really, could you reinvent KD in a way that would bring the demos back from retirement age? In a strange way, Steve Hansen might have been part of the answer... I heard the first Sunday night talk shift he did a while back... I was driving up from Florida and it took me about 20 minutes to figure out who he was (Knew the voice and couldn't place it... then almost drove off of I-79 when I realized it was Steve on KD). He was doing a really good job and most of the callers, lifetime KD folks, HAD NO IDEA WHO HE WAS. Steve sort of laughed about it, saying, "Oh, I've only been in this market for 20 years or so..."
A lineup that mixed more hosts like Steve Hansen and John McIntyre with the leftover Hons and Pintek stuff might have had a chance. But then corporate crammed down O'Reilly, and I'm sure there was similar influence with Cramer's Mad Money show. Sorry, but a stockbroker hour at noon belongs on 620, not a station that's #2 or 3 in total persons.
It will take much more creativity to keep 1020 from becoming the next WJAS.
R
Radio_Realist
Guest
only a focused PD can fiund such an on air leader.
Why is radio so different from any other industry? In any other industry, a good human resources recruiter is expected to fill dozens of such slots on a regular basis. Movie casting directors are expected to cast entire movies in a matter of weeks.
How is finding one good on-air leader so much more difficult than recruiting sales managers or any other leadership talent?
Why is radio so different from any other industry? In any other industry, a good human resources recruiter is expected to fill dozens of such slots on a regular basis. Movie casting directors are expected to cast entire movies in a matter of weeks.
How is finding one good on-air leader so much more difficult than recruiting sales managers or any other leadership talent?
G
garnet
Guest
honestly, i think its because the people who have done it for 20-30 years are burnt out...and there are no new people coming up, for obvious reasons discussed on this board regularly...i've been doing it for 21 years, and i know i'm kind of burnt out, but...its what i do for a living...
radiomayor2 said:that radio station is still too important to have a "shared duty pd".
the radio station needs to be reshaped. they need to find a "cigna" to lead them on air and only a focused PD can fiund such an on air leader.
they were in a similar situation some years ago post bogut and it was john cigna who rallied the troops.....there is no such leader in that house right now.
You're correct, but these are radically different circumstances. Bogut left in '83 and KDKA was still a powerhouse that was overwhelmingly No. 1 (in overall 12+ ratings) and had standing in the market. They had a solid news department, they were still programming a mix of music and talk, and the Pirates were still an asset because they were contenders. AM in general still had a bigger slice of the audience and KDKA still had a "major league" aura. Their demographics were creeping up, but they still had an audience under 45, too.
They also promoted the heck out of Cigna's morning show and the K Team concept. Remember the TV spots where he would tag along with the news team? He was hanging out of a helicopter, getting hit by a speeding car, etc. They were great spots because people were talking about them.
Even if KDKA totally overhauls, it will be an uphill battle unless it's backed with a huge promotional campaign that sells the "new" KDKA. The first thing they have to do is overcome the perception they're grandpa's radio station. With all the nickel and dime cuts Infinity is making, I don't see any way they'd be willing to spend what it takes to reposition KDKA.
Boss Radio said:You're correct, but these are radically different circumstances. Bogut left in '83 and KDKA was still a powerhouse that was overwhelmingly No. 1 (in overall 12+ ratings) and had standing in the market. They had a solid news department, they were still programming a mix of music and talk, and the Pirates were still an asset because they were contenders. AM in general still had a bigger slice of the audience and KDKA still had a "major league" aura. Their demographics were creeping up, but they still had an audience under 45, too.
They also promoted the heck out of Cigna's morning show and the K Team concept. Remember the TV spots where he would tag along with the news team? He was hanging out of a helicopter, getting hit by a speeding car, etc. They were great spots because people were talking about them.
Even if KDKA totally overhauls, it will be an uphill battle unless it's backed with a huge promotional campaign that sells the "new" KDKA. The first thing they have to do is overcome the perception they're grandpa's radio station. With all the nickel and dime cuts Infinity is making, I don't see any way they'd be willing to spend what it takes to reposition KDKA.
I do remember those commercials, Boss. Everyone was talking about them because Cigna did all of his own stunts...he's not afraid to go out on a limb and that's what contributed to his success. I believe that kind of success can be replicated again at KDKA, but it won't happen the way the station is being treated now.
Serious marketing dollars need to be shoveled in to that station to show that it hasn't grown tired or stodgy. Getting rid of the Pirates is NOT the way to do that, nor is it replacing local talk hosts with syndicated ones. When you're one station in a massive cluster, the thinking at the top is "We control so much of the media already, why do we have to market ourselves more?"
Yet we forget that even Wal-Mart, while a staple of American retail these days, STILL knows the importance of marketing and promotion. The only problem is, they don't do any of it on local radio.
Marketing KDKA as "new" would take more than just a mere publicity campaign. As far as an on-air leader goes, someone young and fresh with the right amount of attitude could take them to that level. I always thought Allen Cox from 105.9 would have been a great candidate...he wasn't afraid to be bold on the air and tell his listeners which way the wind blows, but at the same time, he didn't try to be Howard Stern. Cigna was the same way in his earlier years...and you need a younger version of that who's going to give the station the staying power it needs in the morning.
Parttimer said:In a strange way, Steve Hansen might have been part of the answer... I heard the first Sunday night talk shift he did a while back... I was driving up from Florida and it took me about 20 minutes to figure out who he was (Knew the voice and couldn't place it... then almost drove off of I-79 when I realized it was Steve on KD). He was doing a really good job and most of the callers, lifetime KD folks, HAD NO IDEA WHO HE WAS. Steve sort of laughed about it, saying, "Oh, I've only been in this market for 20 years or so..."
The callers had no idea who he was because if they ARE lifetime KD folks, they weren't listening to him when he was on DVE or 3WS. That's like asking someone who has spent their entire life in the North Hills what the best local restaurant in Bethel Park is.
Steve was not part of any budget cut. He got the axe because someone had to take the fall for a book that bad. Rumor has it that he's only the first out the door not the last. Could be that someone at Foster Plaza or Gateway Center's Christmas card could be pink.
About KDs signal--they've been having significant problems with the transmitter upgrades. Overbudget, way behind deadlines. At last check they were still on the backup which only pushes abut 30Kw at peak. If you're hearing that at night then its side channel splatter from someone on an adjecent frequency. Its a major problem that the FCC and IBiquity have been trying to hide from for a year. They knew going in about the potential for the problem but hoped that someone would come along with a solution. So far they haven't.
About KDs signal--they've been having significant problems with the transmitter upgrades. Overbudget, way behind deadlines. At last check they were still on the backup which only pushes abut 30Kw at peak. If you're hearing that at night then its side channel splatter from someone on an adjecent frequency. Its a major problem that the FCC and IBiquity have been trying to hide from for a year. They knew going in about the potential for the problem but hoped that someone would come along with a solution. So far they haven't.
Radio_Realist said:Why is radio so different from any other industry? In any other industry, a good human resources recruiter is expected to fill dozens of such slots on a regular basis. Movie casting directors are expected to cast entire movies in a matter of weeks.
How is finding one good on-air leader so much more difficult than recruiting sales managers or any other leadership talent?
Quite simple, Realist. On-air people aren't given the free rein anymore to do their shows in the way they feel they should be done. Consultants and PD's often try to keep morning drive talent within the same boundaries as other dayparts, and that's not a good thing. What's the point of hiring a top on-air talent with a proven track record if you're going to micromanage him to death?
If you hire someone whom you're comfortable is going to deliver you the ratings you want, then let them do their thing and leave them alone. Sadly, a lot of top managers overstep their boundaries and pop their noses into the on-air studio to "offer" their opinions on how the morning show should be.
As they say, all relationships are based on trust. Trust is something you don't find in radio or pretty much anywhere else anymore.
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