Suggestions To My Former Employer

[Mark_Giardina]

1. Dump Diane Rehm and put Bob Smith’s show on from 10-to-Noon. It’s called counter-programming. Instead of attempting to go up against Lonsberry, who is kicking your collective rear-ends in the ratings, have a local program on the air the same time WHAM carries Glen Beck. From Noon-2 p.m. take one of the many NPR programs that are offered and run that instead. One suggestion would be “Fresh Air” with Terry Gross. Having worked at WXXI for many years I know for a fact that after 6 p.m. your audience drops like the Titanic into the ocean. Gross’ show is very entertaining and you would reach a much larger audience airing her show from 1-2 O’clock, instead from 7 to 8 at night.

2. Run more local promos during your network breaks. Instead of airing music fillers during these shows, promote what is coming up on WXXI. Self promotion is just as effective as spending money on outside promotion IE: billboards. I know that WBFO and other NPR affiliates use that time to promote their stations; why don’t you?

3. Make up your minds what you want to do with WRUR. Either turn that station into a full-time NPR affiliate, or just give it back to the University of Rochester. How much money did WXXI pour into that operation, just to end up having 88.5 carry Morning Edition and ATC, along with a few other NPR shows? Besides with a good AA format, you could reach a younger audience, thus increase your fundraising base. Let’s be honest, classical music audiences are declining. You keep on going to the same well for water, eventually that well will dry up.

4. Bring back jazz and blues programming during the weekday evenings. What do you have to lose? I know that would mean hiring a real human being instead of running your ENCO automation system, but again you might reach a different type of listener. Repeating Bob Smith’s show at night isn’t generating an audience for you.


<P ID="signature">______________
"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted and I won't be laid a hand on.
I don't do these things to other people and I expect the same from them".</P>

 

[TheREALJM1]

> 1. Dump Diane Rehm and put Bob Smith’s show on from
> 10-to-Noon. It’s called counter-programming. >

> I agree. But have more open phone hours. I'd like to hear something different from Rochester area listeners. I like Bob Smith but sometimes his guests have no interest for me. I'd like to hear more on what's on Bob's mind - Smith that is, we already know what's on Lonsbery's mind.

 

[Shadowsabre]

> > 1. Dump Diane Rehm and put Bob Smith’s show on from
> > 10-to-Noon. It’s called counter-programming. >
>
> > I agree. But have more open phone hours. I'd like to
> hear something different from Rochester area listeners. I
> like Bob Smith but sometimes his guests have no interest for
> me. I'd like to hear more on what's on Bob's mind - Smith
> that is, we already know what's on Lonsbery's mind.
>
Are they doing any "Best of" programming there? Always nice to catch what you missed earlier in the day sometimes, but not good if "Best of" is over done.

 

[Mark_Giardina]

> Are they doing any "Best of" programming there? Always nice
> to catch what you missed earlier in the day sometimes, but
> not good if "Best of" is over done.
>
I wouldn’t call it the “best of” programming, more like the “lack of” programming.

With all due respect to my friend Bob Smith, repeating one hour of his talk show at night is just a filler because the management at the station doesn’t have a clue what to do after 6 p.m. when their audience virtually vanishes.

At one time the station repeated Bob’s two hour show from earlier in the day, but then cut it back to an hour, replacing it with a hodge-podge of NPR shows over the years.

Unfortunately over the past several years WXXI has replaced local programming and personnel with syndicated shows and automation.
This is due in part because every time the station had budget cuts, radio was hit the hardest.

<P ID="signature">______________
"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted and I won't be laid a hand on.
I don't do these things to other people and I expect the same from them".</P>

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

Would WXXI be better-off swapping it's formats, so NPR news/information moves to the bigger FM signal and classical music moves to AM??

With the news/info format on the bigger FM signal, it may attract more listeners and in turn, more pledge $$$.

 

[Mark_Giardina]

> Would WXXI be better-off swapping it's formats, so NPR
> news/information moves to the bigger FM signal and classical
> music moves to AM??
>
> With the news/info format on the bigger FM signal, it may
> attract more listeners and in turn, more pledge $$$.
>
Sure the station would be better off. But as I’ve explained before that idea has been proposed numerous times in the past, but it will never happen under the current management running WXXI because they don’t want to lose their classical music audience.

Instead of doing what Alan Chartok did by purchasing numerous small market AM stations in a few hundred mile radius of Albany and using them as a satellite for WAMC, WXXI’s management continues playing this cat and mouse game with WRUR-FM by sinking a great deal of money into that operation without getting any firm control of the station. If it wasn’t for WXXI, WRUR would have never had the equipment upgrades it needed and its license stood a good chance of being revoked for failure to meet certain FCC requirements.

If WXXI-AM wants to generate an audience after pattern change time (when the sun sets) then make a final decision on what to do with WRUR. Either take over the station and simulcast the AM station on 88.5 or give the station back to the students at the U of R and let them play radio with it. If WXXI decides to go with the second scenario, first they should make sure that all of their equipment is pulled out; considering it is taxpayers and contributors funds that paid for that equipment in the first place; not the U of R.


<P ID="signature">______________
"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted and I won't be laid a hand on.
I don't do these things to other people and I expect the same from them".</P>

 

[Mark_Giardina]

Changes to 1370 Connection

In all fairness to Bob Smith, he’s been without a producer for the past several years when management fired his previous producer, along with two other radio staff members, because of budget cuts. Also Bob’s been ordered to cut back on the number of “open phone” segments from the front office.

From what I’ve heard from two sources at the station, Bob maybe getting a new producer in the future, which would ease the burden for him of having to book his own guests so he can concentrate on hosting the program.

On the other hand Bob needs to allow more callers to voice their opinions. I know this for a fact because there were times I was asked to monitor his show from master control and the phones would be jammed with callers, while Bob would go on and on about a subject.

But it doesn’t really matter what I suggest because the program will continue at its current time slot.
I still maintain however that the best decision to counter-program talk rival WHAM could be for Smith’s show to be aired earlier (10 a.m.-12 noon) versus going up against WHAM’s noon news block, Paul Harvey and Lonsberry.

<P ID="signature">______________
"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted and I won't be laid a hand on.
I don't do these things to other people and I expect the same from them".</P>