WABC internet fills

[jhguthlac]

For some time, the WABC webstream had used the same two or three offensive 1-800 fill-in ads. Then suddenly about a month ago, they began to fill the time with generic music (think porno film).

Now they are finally making some good use of the minutes by airing ABC news bytes. Headlines and features we might not otherwise hear. When your stop sets are 5 minutes long, it helps to have something different.

 

[oh holland]

I've wondered about this for months too. I listen to WABC and KABC via streaming, and both stations seem to have given up on airing paid online ads. They run a handful of PSAs (most represent some government do-goodism) and tinny, cheesy muzak (one's an adaptation of the theme from The Addams Family-! Weird.)

I'd frankly rather hear cheesy paid ads than this heavy rotation of filler material. Wonder if all Cumulus streaming radio's doing the same? Why aren't many paid ads being featured at least on KABC and WABC anymore?

 

[wadio]

Frankly anything is an improvement over the drop-in ads they used to run. Those ads were all voiced by the same "talent" -- a guy who was annoying beyond belief. To his defense, he probably read hundreds of ads for which he got paid $10 apiece, or something like that, but his robotic, sing-song delivery was a complete turnoff. Those ads ran back-to-back, sometimes 4 or 5 in a row for well over a year and their disappearance from Internet streams around the country (including WOR's) is a very welcome relief!

 

[oh holland]

Wadio, you're funny -- and so right! I know the voice you mean -- he did almost all the WABC ad reads, and a few he voiced landed on KABC too. His cadence was so predictable I could recite his lines exactly the same way, no rehearsal necessary.

 

[sidchase]

I worked for abc's hot ac and had to hear that guy 2 o3 times an hour for Sear siding and Itt techical institute.

 

[leethalweapon]

I wonder if those ads worked. A lot of the streams I listen too used to have them. I used to hear them on Entercom streams, but it's been a while since I listened to one of their streams.

 

[OC3]

Just remember that very few radio stations are actually responsible for or even know what is on their streams. The work is all farmed out to just a few services which is why I guess that the same thing ends up a lot of places!

 

[oh holland]

But aren't those streaming breaks supposed to bring in revenue? The last few months the vast majority are filler music (sometimes with a voice overlay warning us "don't go anywhere" -!), PSAs and in-house programming promos. Granted, the ads I used to hear (notably, one seasonal product called "Damn Deer") were cheesy but ostensibly they brought in a few shekels.

I'm just a lowly listener but it's odd to me anyone in management would just give up on selling internet ads. There must be some kind of business explanation ... or excuse.

 

[OC3]

Call it the Limbaugh effect.

 

[wadio]

The problem stems back to when Aftra suddenly demanded triple scale for talent whose commercials were simulcast on the Internet. That was about 12 years ago at a time when listening to radio online was a rarity, and Internet radio streaming has been a mess ever since.

Had that not occurred, Internet radio streams would have continued as simulcasts of the exact air product, including all commercials and proper audio processing. As streaming gained in popularity, boosting audience numbers as a result, ad rates and talent fees would have risen accordingly and everybody would be happy. Now terrestrial audience numbers are down and separate ad placement in Internet streams is a tough sell.

I'm not one to shout, "GREED" in the public square, but this is clearly an example of it.