Triad Sports Station

[triadradioguy]

Am I the only one that thinks the triad needs a real sports radio station? ESPN? How about SJS becoming a sports station?

 

[goatboy]

so, you don't consider 790 the ball to be a real sports station?

 

[n_guy]

If the station had a signal it would be fine but thats not the case, just try to pick them up in most of Winston-Salem. As for SJS as a sports station, not likely!

 

[Mr Winston-Salem]

Scratching those lottery tickets? I remember sports at 1590. Talk about a weak signal! ESPN radio didn't last long at 1590. Sports has a bad history in the Triad. ESPN Radio was at 830 WETR in the 1990's. The best attempt at sports radio was 1320 The Ticket. I liked it better as WGLD, but it was a good sports outlet. WPOL caused signal problems in Winston-Salem though.

If only WSJS could move to 830, then we could have Sports Talk Radio 600. I can listen to 830 WTRU out here (Atlanta area). What is on 980 WAAA? I haven't been out that way since all the format flips. Is it Standards or something else?

 

[n_guy]

One reason the all sports format has never done well in the triad is that it has never been done well here.
ESPN Radio is great but to make it work there has to be some local programing too.

 

[XTalker]

A local sports station would need to key elements - a great signal and a great local programming line up.

WSJS would never dump the current format for all sports. Too much revenue generated by the daytime line up (minus afternoons).

The Ball and all others who have tried just don't have the metro signal to make it work. All sports is really a nitche format and you need broad coverage to make the numbers work. I agree with Mr. Winston-Salem about The Ticket. They had a good product, but signal problems kept them from being competitive in the metro and without numbers, there was little revenue!

830 would make a good sports signal - but don't expect Truth (young Stu Epperson) to dump religion for sports.

 

[CCX]

I was at Clear Channel when we launched the Ticket. Most of us felt that a few strategically placed billboards would have helped considerably. The Ticket had a really loyal following, we just needed to grow it.
Another problem with Sports/Talk here is that we have no professional teams in the Triad. As for The Ball, it may not be large, but it has a loyal following. You're right, Sports is a niche format and I don't think it's possible to have big ratings with it in our area, but that doesn't mean you can't have a successful small station.

 

[XTalker]

To be a financial success, you have to have the signal that covers at least the two major counties of the metro - Guilford and Forsyth. And it helps to get into Alamance. The Ticket had a problem in Forsyth. The Ball has a problem in Guilford - particularly in the area of the most affluent population.

Sport on a good signal - with some promotion - could work and make money for someone.

 

[johnqdoe]

I don't think the lack of a major pro franchise here has anything to do with a spots station being successful. Like others have stated here, it's the stick...or lack thereof. There are PLENTY of sportsfans in the 1.4 million 12+ in the Triad. College basketball, NASCAR, Hurricanes, Panthers. Redskins, college football, Charlotte Bobcats....There's PLENTY of NC material to fill a sports station. It begins and ends with a market covering signal.

 

[ShoNuff]

I really loved "The Ticket", I thought it was great blend of local and syndicated. Does anyone remember who the local guys were?

And CCX, Clear Channel didn't launch "The Ticket", I believe it was AM/FM (before the merger)

 

[CCX]

The Morning Team was Matt and TJ (Matt Pencola, still with CC). I can't remember TJ's last name, but he went to WKRR, but I don't think he's still there. They were hilarious together! There's a great story about how the team came to be. WMFR-AM wanted to have a sports talk program. They turned it into a contest and invited local people to try-out for the host of the show. Both Matt and TJ were stand-outs and both were extremely knowledgeable about sports. It came down to the two of them at the end of the contest and they were so funny how they bantered and sparred with each other that Management decided to keep them both and have a team. After doing the show on WMFR for a period of time, Management realized that these guys were REALLY talented! When WMAG and WMFR merged with WWWB "B-100" and its AM station, the AM became The Ticket and Matt and TJ were the morning team. I really thought they were so good that they might be syndicated one day. Unfortunately, the company never did ANY marketing to promote them and the station's signal really only covered the Greensboro/High Point area. When the Ticket was eventually sold, both guys remained with the company (can't remember who owned us at the time) in other positions. Eventually, TJ left to go to WKRR. I think Matt is on the Buzzard doing News or something.

 

[goatboy]

TJ=Tom Jorgenson

 

[xpd]

Here is a topic I know something about. I was the one who created The Ticket. The most fun I ever had as a PD. It was a great station, but had no sales support. The fact that the signal sucked was no help either.

To make it in this market, a Sports Station needs a halfway decent signal that is going to cover the market. It will never be a ratings winner, but hell, neither is The Fan in NYC and they are one of the top billing stations in the country.

I stole the name and logo from KTCK in Dallas. We were both owned by AM/FM at the time. Right after we went on the air, KTCK was bought by another company, but we already had the name and logo so what the hell could they do.

I found the call letters, WTCK, on a Coast Guard ship that had sunk in the Atlantic, so I grabbed those.

I put Matt and TJ on in the mornings. They had been doing a late afternoon sports show on WMFR for me and were kicking ass.

Yes, I "discovered" Matt Pencola. We did public auditions for a new sports show on WMFR and within the first 30 seconds of his audition I knew I was going to hire him. Tom Jorgenson bugged the hell out of me and he was actually pretty good, so I gave him a chance also. The two of them were so good together that I made the show a two man affair.

Matt Pencola is still one of the funniest human beings on the planet and needs to be on the air somewhere.

TJ is out of radio altogether now.

My biggest mistake on the Ticket was putting on The Fabulous Sports Babe. She was still on ESPN at the time but her show was on the decline.

I have to get back to work now.

 

[CCX]

To XPD - Yes, I know who you are and you know who I am. We were once political allies - he!-he! Weren't you once one of the most "hated" men in High Point? I always worried about you riding your bike down Main Street! I noticed this is your first post. Guess you just couldn't resist telling the Matt & TJ story. What a great radio team they were. Hope all is well at the "Evil Empire".

 

[xpd]

To XPD - Yes, I know who you are and you know who I am. We were once political allies - he!-he! Weren't you once one of the most "hated" men in High Point? I always worried about you riding your bike down Main Street! I noticed this is your first post. Guess you just couldn't resist telling the Matt & TJ story. What a great radio team they were. Hope all is well at the "Evil Empire".

Hi CCX. Yes I know who you are. We were "Political Allies"? Are you kidding? Limbaugh and Franken have more in common. And yes, I was hated in High Point. In fact, the mere mention of my name still brings a sneer to the faces of some people there. But what do you expect? To be a Liberal in High Point is bad enough. To actually have the audacity to expouse those types of views on the radio there was just more than most people could take.

The Matt and TJ Story. Sounds like the title of a movie on Lifetime doesn't it?

BTW CCX. Did you know the "Dick Deal" is back? Dick Harlow is the new MM for CC in Raleigh.

 

[Mr Winston-Salem]

That was a good morning team! They also appeared on ABC 45 news, if I remember correctly? It was also a great time to have a sports outlet of that quality. Look at all the sports headlines that happened during that time. They covered the Hurricanes coming to Raleigh and Major League Baseball in Kernersville. The Atlanta Braves vs. your Kernersville Twins just doesn't sound right. ;D I remember the group from Winston-Salem trying hard for five years to bring some major league sport to the area. Soccer, baseball and tennis. Expand the Warthogs into the majors. Downtown Winston-Salem or Kernersville, between the two I-40s. HEADLINE: Could the majors be in Erine Shore's future? ...Ernie Shore did play in the majors! All fun to look back on. The Triad really needs this (a major league team) now. They may not have then, but they do now. Also a problem for sports radio are the teams. It is good to have Panthers Football or UNC Basketball as an example. At least Wake Basketball. I remember the Panthers on 94.5 The Rock Alternative. State was at WIST. I can't remember who had UNC?

 

[xpd]

They were a great team period. The stories I can tell about them and that station. When we kicked off the station, Fox 8 showed up and did some live breaks on the TV morning show of Matt and TJ on in the morning. We got a lot of great press from the News and Record because we would have their sports writers on the air with us. And yes, they did do some work with ABC 45 at the time. We tried to leverage all of the other media outlets in the market and for the most part we were successful.

I wish I had the time and space to tell the story of Matt and TJ doing one of those controlled drinking promotions on the air. You know, where you have the Highway patrolman in to do the breathalyzer tests? We did one with a sports anchor from Fox 8 (can't remember his name and he is no longer there) and it got completely out of control. Not for us of course, but as far as the TV station was concerned. They did two days of apologies on Fox 8 for what they had on the air and for the actions of their Sports reporter. It was great publicity for us.

Then there was the promotion we did where we invited listeners to come out and see if they could hit Matt and TJ with a paint gun. If you have ever been hit with a paint ball gun, you know how much it hurts. Well, we had a Marine Sniper show up and needless to say, he never missed. Even with Matt and TJ moving trying to avoid getting hit. They both ended that day with huge welts and bruises, but it was funny as hell. Matt is still pissed at me about that one.

 

[XTalker]

UNC was on WSJS for four seasons while NC State was at WIST, and Wake Forest was bouncing around from 100.1, 94.1, WFDD and ultimately 98.1. Wake is on 101.1 WZTK this season. And they are 2-0 to open the football season. What's happening? Is the world ending?

 

[CCX]

Hey XPD - You have the wrong CCX. I really WAS a political ally. I was the sidekick to the person you think I am. Back to Matt & TJ, didn't TJ shave his head at some point? I seem to remember a picture of Kim Reid with an electric shaver. What was that all about?

So, Harlow made it back to the area. That's very interesting. He's probably the only person who could get CC Raleigh fixed. What a mess!

 

[Mr Winston-Salem]

UNC was at 98.7. That's why it took me so long to remember. ;D I do remember UNC at WSJS for a while and I think they moved to 98.7 in the late 1990's. I think they were on WTOB too? UNC should've been on The Ticket.

I have an aircheck of Matt & TJ in May 1997 having a few laughs at the long speaches in Raleigh for the Whalers relocation. I thought that would be an interesting item a few years down the road.