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The Torch Has Been Passed
- Thread starter johndavis
- Start date
That's a funny brain fart that happens to a lot of radio people. I was at KTRH back in the early 90s -- 15 years after I left KPRC Radio -- when I absent mindedly closed out a newscast one night with my old KPRC sign-off. oooooops
The News Director nearly had a stroke. She was new to the business, and didn't understand how things like that can happen.
The News Director nearly had a stroke. She was new to the business, and didn't understand how things like that can happen.
Maybe News 92 can hire this guy. He seems to get it!
http://failblog.org/2012/01/27/epic-fail-fail-nation-wtf-am-i-reporting-on/
http://failblog.org/2012/01/27/epic-fail-fail-nation-wtf-am-i-reporting-on/
This video clip is clearly one that was done for the "office reel", which every TV station has, but keeps locked away well hidden and only brings out for private parties.
That guy is my old buddy Thom Dickerson, who was a reporter at KTRK Eyewitness News for years. For a long time they let him do field reports about hunting and fishing, and he did a great job with them.
He left KTRK in the 1990s and now works in the TV and Film department at HISD.
Thom and I worked together at KPRC Radio back in the 70s. He's a great guy.
That guy is my old buddy Thom Dickerson, who was a reporter at KTRK Eyewitness News for years. For a long time they let him do field reports about hunting and fishing, and he did a great job with them.
He left KTRK in the 1990s and now works in the TV and Film department at HISD.
Thom and I worked together at KPRC Radio back in the 70s. He's a great guy.
I'm going to suggest we stop referring to "the torch being passed." I think a different metaphor is in order.
KTRH never passed the torch to anybody. They poured water on it, laid off all their good news people, and what was once the news voice of the southwest is dead dead dead.
All their feeble efforts to sound like what they used to be are just that: feeble efforts.
KTRH has no news credibility any more. None. I don't know why anybody bothers to listen. What are they hoping to hear?
KTRH's demise created a news vacuum KROI's owners decided to fill. They picked up that dead torch in the middle of the local radio road and they've fired it up again. The flame is bright and getting brighter all the time, while the crew at KTRH stumbles around in the dark pretending they're "doing news", and wondering what has happened to them.
KTRH never passed the torch to anybody. They poured water on it, laid off all their good news people, and what was once the news voice of the southwest is dead dead dead.
All their feeble efforts to sound like what they used to be are just that: feeble efforts.
KTRH has no news credibility any more. None. I don't know why anybody bothers to listen. What are they hoping to hear?
KTRH's demise created a news vacuum KROI's owners decided to fill. They picked up that dead torch in the middle of the local radio road and they've fired it up again. The flame is bright and getting brighter all the time, while the crew at KTRH stumbles around in the dark pretending they're "doing news", and wondering what has happened to them.
H8TERAID said:
No doubt...
And this whole thread is a joke. As long as KTRH has Rush, it will outperform KROI in ratings and revenue - period. KROI may end up being a decent news station. Who knows. In Texas, it has about as much chance of beating KTRH as KRLD does of beating WBAP. The best KROI can hope for, the very best, is to finish closely behind KTRH.
Some of your observations are fair, others are not. I have never suggested KTRH is not good at what it does, in fact excels at what it does. KTRH is a TALK station and as far as TALK goes, I cannot think of anything in this market that even comes close. That being said, although I am bored with Michael Berry and think his ego is out of control, he is a part of the talk success.
KTRH is NOT a news station. Their news credentials are lacking and whether you like it or not, the "news" mantle has shifted to KROI. Period. It just has. As for Cheap Channel, I wold digress that their brand of cookie cutter, voice tracked crap is "good radio" or that they are somehow to be praised because they employee a "lot of people." Radio One employees a lot of people. CBS employees a lot of people. So what? Employment numbers, alone, do not make great radio, RATINGS do and you are correct, we shall see.
KTRH is NOT a news station. Their news credentials are lacking and whether you like it or not, the "news" mantle has shifted to KROI. Period. It just has. As for Cheap Channel, I wold digress that their brand of cookie cutter, voice tracked crap is "good radio" or that they are somehow to be praised because they employee a "lot of people." Radio One employees a lot of people. CBS employees a lot of people. So what? Employment numbers, alone, do not make great radio, RATINGS do and you are correct, we shall see.
Is it just me, or is KUHF sadly over-looked on the "Torch Being Passed" thread? I thought their coverage of the recent severe weather was good. They broke in when needed and I felt that I was up to date on what was going on. My sense is that KROI has more than one station to compete with.
Also, I noticed that KROI put up some new boards with "All News...All the Time". Glad to see they took my suggestion from an earlier thread.
Also, I noticed that KROI put up some new boards with "All News...All the Time". Glad to see they took my suggestion from an earlier thread.
The problem with Clear Channel or other conglomerates is mediocrity and less local content. Having syndicated shows may be cost effective, but it lacks local talent and content. This is why the best thing the FCC could do would be to roll back ownership maximums in a market to an AM and a FM per company. Then we'd see and hear some interesting programming.
stan said:
No, you wouldn't. Automated programming would still abound. I'd wager it would be even less local and more poorly produced too.
Do you not remember all the stations running Satellite Music Network and Westwood One satellite formats in the 80s and early 90s? Before SMN, it was Drake-Chenault and Broadcast Programming reels. By comparison, today's voicetracking is infinitely more localized, even if it's done by someone hundreds of miles from the station.
I contend KTRH is a great station. I think KROI is a great station. Comparing one to the other is apples and oranges. They are vastly different from one another. I cannot, for the life of me, figure out why KTRH wants to call attention to what they are not.
Clear Channel made the wise business decision. Run a radio station in the easiest, most profitable manner with the best possible results as far as attracting dollars. That is a solid business decision.
The issue is emotional for many of us. We humans don't like change very much and when our emotional ties are connected to business, there is something in our brain that says that is not right. Even so, the station we counted on for news for years is no longer, and for some time, not the station we became emotionally attached to in order to be kept informed. The change, dictated by business (producing as much profit as possible), irks us because it seems they sold out for the almighty dollar. However, every smart business tries to maximize profits and lower overhead so it can survive economic downturns and such. When we know we cannot turn to KTRH for instant news when we could in years prior, we feel let down.
I doubt KROI will overtake KTRH in the ratings, ever. With that said, I see the potential for success for KROI and see how it can become a very important part of the Houston Radio landscape. Hopefully that will happen, not only because it offers more diversity on the radio dial, is welcome to a segment of radio listeners and also because I'd hate to see anybody put up this sort of investment and lose (employees and company).
Clear Channel made the wise business decision. Run a radio station in the easiest, most profitable manner with the best possible results as far as attracting dollars. That is a solid business decision.
The issue is emotional for many of us. We humans don't like change very much and when our emotional ties are connected to business, there is something in our brain that says that is not right. Even so, the station we counted on for news for years is no longer, and for some time, not the station we became emotionally attached to in order to be kept informed. The change, dictated by business (producing as much profit as possible), irks us because it seems they sold out for the almighty dollar. However, every smart business tries to maximize profits and lower overhead so it can survive economic downturns and such. When we know we cannot turn to KTRH for instant news when we could in years prior, we feel let down.
I doubt KROI will overtake KTRH in the ratings, ever. With that said, I see the potential for success for KROI and see how it can become a very important part of the Houston Radio landscape. Hopefully that will happen, not only because it offers more diversity on the radio dial, is welcome to a segment of radio listeners and also because I'd hate to see anybody put up this sort of investment and lose (employees and company).
Parallel situations?
WNEW all-news radio station is both boon and bane for D.C.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifes...-bane-for-dc/2012/02/01/gIQANaiH4Q_story.html
WNEW all-news radio station is both boon and bane for D.C.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifes...-bane-for-dc/2012/02/01/gIQANaiH4Q_story.html
johndavis said:
Except WCBS and WINS are both owned by the same company (CBS) -- and their formats are completely different. They cater to two completely different audiences. WCBS is geared more towards long-term listenership, while WINS is more for those taking that short cab ride to wherever their destination is in lower Manhattan.
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