WAKR OVERTAKES WTAM IN FALL BOOK

[SeanMGilbow]

About time. Kudos to Chuck Collins, Ed Esposito, Nick Anthony, Larry States and the rest of the staff for giving Clear Channel a good swift kick. WAKR's audience increased by 50 percent from the previous book.

Four of the top six spots went to locally owned stations, led by Rubber City Radio's country WQMX and Media-Com's talk WNIR. Rubber City's rock WONE and WAKR finished 5 and 6.

Clear Channel stations did finish in the top 10, but none of them were from the Akron/Canton cluster.

 

[OhReally?]

(sigh) And once again, we're referring to 12-plus numbers and M-Sun 6a-12mid. :

Yeah. We get it. You despise Clear Channel. Yawn. Referring to such broad and vague numbers just further puts your immaturity in the spotlight.

 

[airwaveobserver]

Oh Really,

We get it. You work for Cheap Channel. You think they are wonderful. Your blind devotion to all things Cheap Channel shows brown-nosing makes more sense to you than reality.

Yawn.

 

[SeanMGilbow]

(sigh) And once again, we're referring to 12-plus numbers and M-Sun 6a-12mid. :

Yeah. We get it. You despise Clear Channel. Yawn. Referring to such broad and vague numbers just further puts your immaturity in the spotlight.

For the record...When I lived in Akron, I grew up listening to WAKR. And when I was earning my journalism degree at Kent State, my internship was with WAKR. This was in 1985, when WONE and its classic rock format replaced the former WAEZ, and the WAKR news department (a staff of 16 under News Director Larry States) covered stories for both 1590 and TV23. This was a year before the Berk family sold the radio operations to a non-local company.

Larry States will be the first person to counter your anonymous commentary regarding my maturity. But I will add the following staffers past and present who will also dispute your comments.

Nick Anthony, who I knew through the Southern Region CYO Search program. At the time, Nick was PD for WKDD.
Bob Allen, who now anchors the noon news and has been with the station since 1978.
Tim Daugherty, morning drive on WONE and afternoon drive on WAKR. He has been with WONE from day one.
Mark Williamson, former TV23 anchor up until the day Paxson Communications fired the whole news department in 1996. He now handles public relations for Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic.
Pat Kennard, longtime WAKR anchor now working for the Ohio Department of Transportation.
Carol Costello, who anchored news on two TV stations here in Columbus before moving on to CNN.
Jim Kambrich, former TV23 anchor who, at last check, is working at a TV station in Syracuse.
Joyce Lagios, who has handled marketing and public relations for at least three decades with WAKR/WONE.

And if, OhReally, you still aren't satisfied...Feel free to track down one of WAKR's best-known DJs of the past...Jerry Healey, who gave me my first radio job when he PD at WCUE. He eventually went on to satellite radio and worked with another former WCUE voice, Chick Watkins, on the MOR format WAKR used to carry, Westwood One's "America's Best Music." The last known whereabouts of Jerry were with a station in Sacramento a few years ago before it went to...get this...progressive talk.

I will now end this diatribe on account of excessive yawning you are causing me by once again giving kudos to both the Rubber City Radio Group and Media-Com for proving that local ownership makes for good radio.

 

[R_Schmidt]

Sean, two corrections

Sean -

You forgot to congratulate that locally owned and programmed morning show hosted by Stan Paitt on WNIR. They did so well in the fall book, they fell to 14th place. Beaten by 4, that's four! snydicated shows in adults 25-54 including, Valentine, Tom Joyner, Russ Parr and Jim Quinn. Howie may tell the world he's number 1, but if he looked at the book, he knows he produced his worst ratings in 10 years and #1 belongs to WQMX middays.

Have to argue the Live and Local line...

Rubber City, yep Live and local.

WAKR: Voice tracked 9am-5am. that's almost ALL day.
WONE: Voice Tracked overnights

Check out lineup at other Rubber city stations:

WQTX in Lansing: http://www.wqtx.net/jocks_all06.asp
or
WVIC: http://www.wvic.net/jocks04.asp
or
WJZL http://www.wjzlonline.com/personalities.asp

I don't see too many local jocks in there.


final question: you have a journalism degree? Why aren't you on the air instead of selling soap on the internet?

 

[SeanMGilbow]

Re: Sean, two corrections

Sean -

You forgot to congratulate that locally owned and programmed morning show hosted by Stan Paitt on WNIR. They did so well in the fall book, they fell to 14th place. Beaten by 4, that's four! snydicated shows in adults 25-54 including, Valentine, Tom Joyner, Russ Parr and Jim Quinn. Howie may tell the world he's number 1, but if he looked at the book, he knows he produced his worst ratings in 10 years and #1 belongs to WQMX middays.

Have to argue the Live and Local line...

Rubber City, yep Live and local.

WAKR: Voice tracked 9am-5am. that's almost ALL day.
WONE: Voice Tracked overnights

Check out lineup at other Rubber city stations:

WQTX in Lansing: http://www.wqtx.net/jocks_all06.asp
or
WVIC: http://www.wvic.net/jocks04.asp
or
WJZL http://www.wjzlonline.com/personalities.asp

I don't see too many local jocks in there.


final question: you have a journalism degree? Why aren't you on the air instead of selling soap on the internet?

To answer all your questions:

First, I work for the Ohio Department of Public Safety. Specifically, I am a Customer Service Assistant for the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, where my main duties involve the processing of mail-in motor vehicle renewal registrations. My annual income is also a matter of public record: I made close to $42,000 last year.

I believe, Mr. Schmidt, you will find very few people in the Akron radio market who make the income I do. I can safely say a small percentage of the broadcast people in Columbus make anywhere close to $20 an hour.

And yes, Mr. Schmidt, my degree from Kent State was a journalism degree. To be specific, I completed a double major--journalism and telecommunications--with General Honors from KSU's Honors College. And I completed my coursework in 3 1/2 years, graduating *** laude with a 3.57 G.P.A. while finding time to write and serve as an editor for the Daily Kent Stater and DJ on the student-run radio station. My final two years of school were paid for entirely with scholarship money.

Now, as far as the internet soap selling you speak of, Mr. Schmidt, you could probably figure out that I don't need the income from such activity. My profits I reinvest in causes I care about. Since I do not itemize, I cannot deduct my charitable contributions. From my W-2 wages, I make contributions to my church and the State of Ohio Combined Charitable Campaign, each of which will receive between $1,000 and $1,200 this year. Half of my Combined Charitable Campaign contribution goes to United Way of Central Ohio.

My sideline business is a means of taking advantage of the tax laws to provide additional financial support to various organizations in both the Columbus and Akron/Canton areas. I do not pocket the profits.

As for the numbers you cite, I have no clue where you got those. The rankings I cited are based on the 12+ ratings numbers Arbitron released earlier in the week and can be found by clicking on the appropriate links here.

And regarding your "live and local" arguments, be thankful you don't live in Columbus. Here local news stops at 6 p.m. And voice-tracking, while you may not like it, is becoming the norm in markets like Columbus rather than the exception, thanks largely to Clear Channel's cookie-cutter, cost-cutting in its attempt to dominate the industry, especially in large markets. Akron has been immune in comparison to other markets like Columbus, where many longtime radio professionals have voluntarily or involuntarily left the industry.

Having said all that...I am on the air, Mr. Schmidt. My commercials have run on WVKO, with yours truly doing his own spots, and my voice may become more frequent on the station as I offer my radio experience in exchange for additional commercial time. I'm not quitting my day job, but I am meeting with the GM to see how we can work together to make our businesses profitable while providing better service to the Columbus community.

And if, Mr. Schmidt, you also find yourself skeptical about anything I just said, you are more than welcome to give Larry States a call and ask him about me. Please be sure to relay my congratulations.

 

[OhReally?]

We get it. You work for Cheap Channel.

Bzzt. The only thing you "get" it sounding completely ignorant. You haven't a clue. Although I am not surprised, chump. Unlike the majority of you freaking whiners, I "get" the industry today and the corporate culture of the industry. Again, unlike most of you. Which is why most of you are planted on the curb.

 

[VODood]

Sean -

You forgot to congratulate that locally owned and programmed morning show hosted by Stan Paitt on WNIR. They did so well in the fall book, they fell to 14th place. Beaten by 4, that's four! snydicated shows in adults 25-54 including, Valentine, Tom Joyner, Russ Parr and Jim Quinn. Howie may tell the world he's number 1, but if he looked at the book, he knows he produced his worst ratings in 10 years and #1 belongs to WQMX middays.

Have to argue the Live and Local line...

Rubber City, yep Live and local.

WAKR: Voice tracked 9am-5am. that's almost ALL day.
WONE: Voice Tracked overnights

Check out lineup at other Rubber city stations:

WQTX in Lansing: http://www.wqtx.net/jocks_all06.asp
or
WVIC: http://www.wvic.net/jocks04.asp
or
WJZL http://www.wjzlonline.com/personalities.asp

I don't see too many local jocks in there.


final question: you have a journalism degree? Why aren't you on the air instead of selling soap on the internet?

re: WONE. Overnights is a non-rated daypart. Live or VTd, it doesn't matter.



And, 12 plus numbers are a non factor. They are "glory" numbers. Stations that appear to do poorly 12 plus can, and usually do, do well in their target demo(s).


Never use 12 plus as a barometer. It'll get you killed, figuratively of course.

 

[1sttimecaller]

wow. $41k?

You made $41k last year. Do you drive a dodge stratus too?

 

[SeanMGilbow]

Re: wow. $41k?

You made $41k last year. Do you drive a dodge stratus too?

A 2002 Hyundai Accent I purchased new...with the loan paid off in exactly one year.

 

[airwaveobserver]

I "get" the industry today and the corporate culture of the industry. Again, unlike most of you. Which is why most of you are planted on the curb.

You fit right in with the spineless, clueless, a$$ kissing corporate slugs that have spent the last decade gutting radio. You should be proud to be part of such a gaggle of "chumps."

Your posts hint at the fact that you enjoy seeing people "planted people on the curb." Is that what you "get?" Is that what makes you so special?

Nothing compares to live and local radio.

 

[VODood]

I "get" the industry today and the corporate culture of the industry. Again, unlike most of you. Which is why most of you are planted on the curb.

You fit right in with the spineless, clueless, a$$ kissing corporate slugs that have spent the last decade gutting radio. You should be proud to be part of such a gaggle of "chumps."

Your posts hint at the fact that you enjoy seeing people "planted people on the curb." Is that what you "get?" Is that what makes you so special?

Nothing compares to live and local radio.

I understand your point about "live and local", and it has merit. Just remember "live and local" doesn't equate to good. Nor does a syndicated show.

Too many variables with each. Only thing a syndicated show does is lower the overhead.

For instance, I was at a classic rock, Top 40 market, where Bob and Tom were placed instead of "live and local". The affiliate fee was $80k. NO WAY you can get a "live and local" morning show of that caliber (multiple Marconi awards), with that many players, for $80k.

Voicetracking has it's place. "Live and local" has its place.

I hear stations touting "live and local". Doesn't mean the talent is good. And really, do listeners care? They just want to hear the music they want when they want it. Radio can't even deliver that simple request well.

 

[sam1]

This diatribe shows exactly what has ALWAYS been wrong with radio, corporate or local. HUGE EGOS! $42, 000 per year is nothing to bragg about, if you are a degreed person. Most people in radio sales and management in any decent sized market, make more than $40,000. As for Mr. O'Really, get a life. You sound just lie, oops, like your namesake, a REAL BS artist.

 

[OhReally?]

As for Mr. O'Really, get a life. You sound just lie, oops, like your namesake, a REAL BS artist.

Blah blah blah. Yawn. If people like you can't take it, don't dish it out. Pretty elementary.