• 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

WBFO Comes Up Short

I guess it depends on if those 500 people - who gave up their names, addresses, and e-mail addresses to sign the petition - were also contributors to WBFO. Could be that they were $30K light if those were folks who voted with their checkbooks and didn't renew their basic memberships.

As noted, we don't know what shows performed well, and which ones stiffed. One thing is sure - not enough shows are pulling their weight. The evening programming, and afternoon programming on Saturday and Sunday sure don't seem to spark much in the way of contributions if my sporadic sampling of that programming is representative. Seems to me like an awful lot of those hours came up short.
 
SirRoxalot said:
The evening programming, and afternoon programming on Saturday and Sunday sure don't seem to spark much in the way of contributions if my sporadic sampling of that programming is representative.
Click to expand...

That's not uncommon in public radio. Some stations don't even fundraise during those hours.
 
The website indicates 481 people have signed the petition. The stated goal is 500. So it looks like WBFO isn't the only party that came up short. The website states that Anita West has been doing the blues show for ten years. Not one of my radio friends can remember her being on WBFO in late 2004 or early 2005. Maybe she's been hanging out with Brian Williams and flying in helicopters.
 
Last edited:
If you looked at the petition page, you'll find that Anita West didn't post it. Blame the author of the petition, Jeffrey Fox, not West. Perhaps he's been hanging out with Brian Williams and flying in helicopters. Or maybe he's just a fan with an imperfect memory.

There's no way that WNYPB will hire her back. This was more about ego than anything else in the first place, and they've become inured to dissatisfaction by their listeners and viewers. Maybe they figured that any fallout from her firing would be expressed during the next fund drive, and decided to do get it over with sooner rather than later. Or, maybe they're just out of touch with their constituents' reality in the post-Christmas, pre-Income Tax era. A lot of corporate planners simply look at dates, not the context of those dates when planning.
 
And yet, if you look at it another way, they DID raise $160,000. That's not anything to be embarrassed about. In a market the size of Buffalo, that's a good chunk of change, especially at a station that's in transition. Put that in context with charity fundraisers that the commercial stations do. How much money does WYRK raise in their annual marathon for St. Jude?
 
On Point and Fresh Air are excellent programs in the midday.
Tom Ashbrook is a quality host and the topics are usually compelling.
Public Radio supporters may have their personal favourites and different
reasons for contributing.
Those two shows have my support...
 
TheBigA said:
How much money does WYRK raise in their annual marathon for St. Jude?
Click to expand...

Hardly a fair comparison. One is a once a year event for a national charity that provides little direct local service. The other is a local not-for-profit that serves the area daily and has a non-stop fundraising platform.
 
It's no surprise that WBFO came up short. Maybe the CEO can cover the difference, or sell a few more commercials. Part of the problem with this station is you can never tell what is on. News or a sob story? Everyone talks as if they are about to die. I'm a rather new listener and I spent 30 minutes or so listening today, and that's 30 minutes of my life I'll never get back. Among other things, they were talking about three Muslims (or as they said it..Mooselums) that were killed and are trying to call it a hate crime.

No thanks. I won't even contribute my loose change. They should really be paying the listeners to tune in.
 
WBFO came up a little short today. At least their website did from what I can see. I "forgot" to turn the dial as I was locked in to what I was listening to. So I'm sure they weren't reporting and talking about the breaking news in Buffalo during the 7 o'clock hour this evening.
 
So, who was talking about the breaking news in Buffalo during the 7 o'clock hour last evening? Slick Tom? WYRK?
 
While WBEN should be praised for jumping on this breaking story, from what I read on my Twitter feed last night, the call-ins were an embarrassment to our community -- call after call of people defending a racial slur. i read one tweet where the host was said to have remarked we wouldn't be having this debate if the name was the Blue Skins. What an insipid and weak argument! But I guess that's to be expected from a 'BEN host these days. Glad I didn't waste my time listening. And it's another example of how far this once great radio station has fallen.
 
WBEN is a freak show. Callers sound like they might croak before they
can finish their incoherent drivel.
WBEN failed badly on 107.7 and it will live out its last grim days on AM.

NPR will do quite well without Dan's crowd...
 
tbolt909 said:
WBEN is a freak show. Callers sound like they might croak before they
can finish their incoherent drivel.
WBEN failed badly on 107.7 and it will live out its last grim days on AM.

NPR will do quite well without Dan's crowd...
Click to expand...

Hey - that's "ageism"! And don't be calling me "old", either! Now get offa my lawn!! ;)
 
SirRoxalot said:
So, who was talking about the breaking news in Buffalo during the 7 o'clock hour last evening? Slick Tom? WYRK?
Click to expand...

WBEN of course. Larry Hunter was in from 8-11, I believe Tom Puckett was taking calls during the 7 o'clock hour, although it may have broke before 7.
 
Mark1981 said:
While WBEN should be praised for jumping on this breaking story, from what I read on my Twitter feed last night, the call-ins were an embarrassment to our community -- call after call of people defending a racial slur. i read one tweet where the host was said to have remarked we wouldn't be having this debate if the name was the Blue Skins. What an insipid and weak argument! But I guess that's to be expected from a 'BEN host these days. Glad I didn't waste my time listening. And it's another example of how far this once great radio station has fallen.
Click to expand...

There was never a racial slur. And even if someone's feelings were hurt a little bit over a word, the point is how the particular school board went about eliminating the name. A big dog and pony show.

But that's how the public schools do things. Hopefully residents of that town will decide on some better individuals with a spine next time around.

And, of course, people like you will take what the host said and say it's ridiculous. Even though he explained how the term Redskin came about...red paint, which if it was blue paint, it wouldn't be an issue.

And of course, anyone could have called in.
 
Last edited:
SirRoxalot said:


Hey - that's "ageism"! And don't be calling me "old", either! Now get offa my lawn!! ;)
Click to expand...


Roxy, I'm much younger than what you think is the average listener of that station.

There's an eighth grader on the show as I'm typing this.
 
dand5780 said:
Roxy, I'm much younger than what you think is the average listener of that station.

There's an eighth grader on the show as I'm typing this.
Click to expand...

Dand, you must be young enough to think that it's always about you. My quip - and it was a quip - was aimed at the previous poster, Tbolt, which is why I quoted HIM.

So, how long have you been working at WBEN, or for Entercom?
 
SirRoxalot said:


Dand, you must be young enough to think that it's always about you. My quip - and it was a quip - was aimed at the previous poster, Tbolt, which is why I quoted HIM.

So, how long have you been working at WBEN, or for Entercom?
Click to expand...

I think you know the answer to that. We've been through that before, probably in this thread.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom