-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
The Song in Indy is Gone
- Thread starter duke_fan
- Start date
L
lash
Guest
It was just announced in a breaking news email from hisair.net
I thought they were doing well??
I thought they were doing well??
D
Daniel911
Guest
Song in Indy is Gone
Cumulus is the worst company in radio. They are destroying all the Suquehanna stations because they are so cheap. They think anyone who makes over 30 grand is overpaid!
Cumulus is the worst company in radio. They are destroying all the Suquehanna stations because they are so cheap. They think anyone who makes over 30 grand is overpaid!
This is sad! However, being a former Cumulus employee...I don't agree that Cumulus is the worst. I would call the other company who is firing talent left & right...just in time for Christmas.
I counted about 18 people getting let go in one day in three different markets late last week. No job is sacred with Cheap Channel right now.
I counted about 18 people getting let go in one day in three different markets late last week. No job is sacred with Cheap Channel right now.
O
OttoM
Guest
jackd said:
Actually, lots of companies are also firing people just in time for Christmas. You just don't see it splashed across the headlines like it is for that one BIG radio group.
It's a sad fact of corporate life: Budgets are submitted, Corporate cuts them, people lose jobs in December.
This has been discussed before on the Indiana board. The news/talk format attracts an older audience that Cumulus is already reaching with its classic rock format on 104.5 and country format on 95.5. Unlike news/talk, CCM reaches females 25-44 very effectively.
This is absolute absurdity.
On the day Cumulus took the station, "93.9 The Song" was the number one station W35-44 and, if I recall, #3 W25-54. The company immediately cut the female half of the female-targeted morning show on the female-targeted station, creating a team of men...good and talented men, but men.
"The Song" should have been the glue that could hold together the country and the variety hits in the cluster's sales strategy. A lackluster attempt at talk, even if somehow successful, will not be able to do that.
On the day Cumulus took the station, "93.9 The Song" was the number one station W35-44 and, if I recall, #3 W25-54. The company immediately cut the female half of the female-targeted morning show on the female-targeted station, creating a team of men...good and talented men, but men.
"The Song" should have been the glue that could hold together the country and the variety hits in the cluster's sales strategy. A lackluster attempt at talk, even if somehow successful, will not be able to do that.
It is nuts. At least Clear Channel recognizes the value in the CCM format and has been unveiling new CCM's in new markets as opposed to Cumulus who is killing good existing stations. It just sucks that a couple very talented radio vets were cut loose. Hopefully they will land on their feet.
M
MrJoey
Guest
It's sad to see the employees go...but for a Christian station that's not allowed to say JESUS on it...I really don't think God would honor that station. What's your thought on it?
MrJoey said:
Thoughts? That wasn't the case. But it doesn't matter now. So please, rather than rehash the same ol' same ol', let's just say good job and thanks, and let The Song die in peace.
G
GaryTheThompson
Guest
MrJoey said:
I think God ordains many things. I think he blesses, uses and honors many things... in many different ways... and in many different seasons. And not all of them have his name blatantly plastered all over them.
God is perfectly capable of blessing (and does honor) many things that we don't think he should.
But that never stopped him.
This looks like another example of how certain secular ownership groups can't be trusted to do a CCM format and stay with it. If they think they can make more money with another format, they'll drop it. 
I keep hearing that any station doing "God's Work" has a positive effort. Even if they're in it for the wrong reason this somehow makes it okay. If Satan had a Christian music station?
Some say He does and they're changing format....
WXIR was on air for 18 years in Indy with Jewish ownership. The cartoon with the businessmen singing "What a Friend We have in Jesus." It was always about cash and not about ministry. 5 million dollar friend by the way. Steve White's still looking for work.
Too many in the building were making money. They had a trade for BMW's for airstaff. This primes the business community to lay low on cash and expect trade.
Song had better numbers than WXIR ever did. It was "Family Formatted"... whatever that is, making it more appealing to secular audience.
Pastor Hood had "Joy 96" for two years or less. Cash didn't come so he sold it. The Pastor nuked the format. I think this was another 5 million.
Song has a two year run just like every other format they ran. Too many people as opposed to a PD who programs the satellite clock in the Enco DAD system.
I heard their cash flow was good but the whole not being able to say Jesus thing killed their credibility. If they had it would have been the same inexcusable WXIR fiasco. They said Jesus and prayed for people. This is considered by the big chains to be fraud because they aren't in it for ministry. Can't fault them for this portion of what they did.
K-Love, Catholic Radio, WQME, The Jesus First Network, IPOD?
Some say He does and they're changing format....
WXIR was on air for 18 years in Indy with Jewish ownership. The cartoon with the businessmen singing "What a Friend We have in Jesus." It was always about cash and not about ministry. 5 million dollar friend by the way. Steve White's still looking for work.
Too many in the building were making money. They had a trade for BMW's for airstaff. This primes the business community to lay low on cash and expect trade.
Song had better numbers than WXIR ever did. It was "Family Formatted"... whatever that is, making it more appealing to secular audience.
Pastor Hood had "Joy 96" for two years or less. Cash didn't come so he sold it. The Pastor nuked the format. I think this was another 5 million.
Song has a two year run just like every other format they ran. Too many people as opposed to a PD who programs the satellite clock in the Enco DAD system.
I heard their cash flow was good but the whole not being able to say Jesus thing killed their credibility. If they had it would have been the same inexcusable WXIR fiasco. They said Jesus and prayed for people. This is considered by the big chains to be fraud because they aren't in it for ministry. Can't fault them for this portion of what they did.
K-Love, Catholic Radio, WQME, The Jesus First Network, IPOD?
S
Shadow Catcher
Guest
MrJoey said:
I know the men and women at The Song. They are husbands and wives, parents and step-parents. On staff are an ordained minister, a missionary, preacher's kid, and people who teach Sunday School. I remember when Kurt Wallace talked from his heart and shared his grief w/ Song listeners the passing of his father. It was open, honest and real. Song listeners called in for days after sharing their hearts and thanks to Kurt for allowing them to be apart of his healing. I think that's GOD honoring.
G
GaryTheThompson
Guest
Amen and Amen
You all realize that a commercial station owned by a secular company cannot demand that employees subscribe to a specific doctrine or even a particular religion...only that they do their job duties. Lets say a Catholic staffer knew teh CCM format well, got great ratings and talked openly on the air about his or her cCatholic faith. You all would have had a cow.
This discussion concerns ownership and corporate control.
I is very probable the employees would want to talk about Jesus but were restricted because as Charlie Morgan said day 1 "We are not a ministry."
Corporate America knows there are things they can and can't do with the "Christian format" because misrepresentation as a ministry comes into play.
I am sure there were some great Nazi party members. Pope Benedict reportedly was a Hitler Youth. Does this mean he supported atrocities? No. His life example is above reproach.
Don't try to bring the employees into this to defend corrupt corporate ethical concerns.
Let's be clear that the CCM format was not a ministry and that those Clear Channel and large corporate stations cashing in on Christ are doing just that.
I is very probable the employees would want to talk about Jesus but were restricted because as Charlie Morgan said day 1 "We are not a ministry."
Corporate America knows there are things they can and can't do with the "Christian format" because misrepresentation as a ministry comes into play.
I am sure there were some great Nazi party members. Pope Benedict reportedly was a Hitler Youth. Does this mean he supported atrocities? No. His life example is above reproach.
Don't try to bring the employees into this to defend corrupt corporate ethical concerns.
Let's be clear that the CCM format was not a ministry and that those Clear Channel and large corporate stations cashing in on Christ are doing just that.
R
radioelizabeth
Guest
ChiefEngineer said:
so what?
so what?!
It's not like listeners don't have choices. We aren't talking about being the only venue that is selling the sacrifical lambs. Let's not pretend like we're turning tables in the Name of our Lord. Clearly He is on His throne and in control. Clearly.
now...
When someone can tell me that they are shouting "Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!" every two seconds as they walk down the street or are in the market...then maybe I'll listen to them talk about how not saying His Name 24/7 is an issue.
You know, we who are in RADIO understand it is NOT about US! It is not about what WE want to say, what WE think about, what WE think they ought to know. It's about OUR LISTENER. So we do our very best and strive to communicate her thoughts back to her and maybe say something that gets her thoughts going. It's about her favorite songs, her interests, her dreams, her desires, her life, her heart, her relationships, her day. NOT OURS.
Certainly we add our personality, this is flavor and it is necessary. Certainly I talk about my life and my heart and the things on my mind as well...just as in any relationship...as the talent, I'm the only one communicating out loud...but my gosh...the focus of the whole exchange that happens in those 30 seconds is HER.
So, it matters VERY little if all of a sudden I want to scream Jesus at the top of my lungs. If the time and place aren't appropriate for that, then it simply isn't. Let me beat you to the punch... of course we, as believers, always say the time is appropriate...but let's be authentic here if we are really going to get to the heart of it.
You aren't shouting like John The Baptist or starting philosophical conversations like Paul when you are freezing in the stands cheering for your favorite football team now are you? Didn't think so.
We, who are Christians, are to communicate Christ in EVERYTHING. But that does NOT mean vocalizing His Name as much as that means living under His reign. IN EVERYTHING.
If a listener doesn't know a jock is a Christian without that jock saying "Jesus"...then there is a bigger issue going on with that jock than whether some fantom memo went out prohibiting saying "Jesus" on the air.
God forbid if I get to a place as an air talent where Jesus doesn't pour from my lips regardless of whether the actual phonics of that word are there or not.
/rant
radioelizabeth said:
Amen.
---
To the former staff: all the best, and may your season on The Song remain just one positive chapter in the book of your life. My wife would call it "another jewel in your crown." Peace. (Jer. 29: 11-13).
- Status