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WBOS Format Flip

BoredModerator said:
Advertisers have the power, and radio is not the trend amongst the young....let us not forget the IPOD and 99 cent downloads - who needs radio?

The biggest mistake the industry ever made was not insuring that radio tuners were built in to the ipod.
 
Eli Polonsky said:
Norm Rosen said:
You cannot call yourself classic alternative without playing the all important music from the years 1977-1983...

Just a decade ago, some of us were saying; "You cannot call yourself "oldies" without playing the all-important music from the years 1955-1963..."

And the years just keep on going...

Eli, There is a huge difference between the term oldies, and classic alternative.
Classic alternative is much more specific to the punk and new wave of 1977- 1983.
Oldies is any song that is older than a re-current
 
BoredModerator said:
92.9 and MIKE FM are going jockless to be PROFITABLE and stay in business, so their INVESTORS do not abandon ship and go out of business. Look at CC selling clusters, ie Providence. It's not profitable to run these stations anymore.

Maybe then the companies would sell these stations and give them back to the local airwaves, where they belong!
 
kalimba said:
BoredModerator said:
Advertisers have the power, and radio is not the trend amongst the young....let us not forget the IPOD and 99 cent downloads - who needs radio?

The biggest mistake the industry ever made was not insuring that radio tuners were built in to the ipod.

There actually is a radio tuner built into the iPod. You just need this optional cable and controller to use them.
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APP...home/shop_ipod/ipod_accessories&nplm=MA070G/D
I have one but I never really use it either. The thing is once you have all the music you like on your iPod why do you want to listen to someone else's playlist that will inevitably hit songs you don't like. With an iPod your the program director and this is one audience you know best... yourself.
 
Norm Rosen said:
Eli Polonsky said:
Norm Rosen said:
You cannot call yourself classic alternative without playing the all important music from the years 1977-1983...

Just a decade ago, some of us were saying; "You cannot call yourself "oldies" without playing the all-important music from the years 1955-1963..."

Eli, There is a huge difference between the term oldies, and classic alternative.
Classic alternative is much more specific to the punk and new wave of 1977- 1983.
Oldies is any song that is older than a re-current

I understand that's the definition in the industry, but there was also a long period when the word "oldies" conjured up the 1950's pioneers of rock'n'roll in people's minds, and a generation couldn't see how a station could call itself "oldies" without playing Elvis Presley's '50s hits, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Little Richard, Roy Oribison, etc... just as some of us can't see a "classic alternative" station that doesn't play the music of the late '70s punk/new wave heyday such as early Elvis Costello, The Clash, Ramones, Talking Heads, Sex Pistols, etc... it's all about formats that are targeting very specific age groups.

That's why most "oldies" stations nationwide have rebranded themselves as "classic hits", (with one exception being our WODS, which has a successful 20-year heritage of people identifying with that moniker here), so maybe instead of "classic alternative", perhaps the new WBOS format should be called "classic grunge", for the term that arose to describe much "alternative" rock during the decade that they're focused on.
 
Slip_Cue said:
Looks like Holly Harris is gone as well. Maybe WGBH or WZLX will pick her up for fill-in on their blues shows.

The WZLX show is pre-recorded, so I don't think a fill-in would be needed as long as Carter has time to pre-record the show at some point within the previous couple of weeks. Also, it would probably cost them more to pay a fill-in host, since I'm guessing that pre-recording the show is part of the work Carter does during the week for his regular salary as MD, APD and mid-day host.

Holly will probably seek another station to air her show weekly rather than being just an occasional fill-in elsewhere. WXRV "The River" would be smart to take it on if they want to court former WBOS listeners, if they're willing to pay her for the show. I'm sure she had sponsors for blues shows at local venues and clubs, etc... that would follow her over.

Or, perhaps WUMB should consider it for a weekend show if they're purportedly going to expand their format in more of a AAA direction. (They already air a syndicated weekend blues show that probably costs very little). I'm sure that she could raise more than enough in fundraising pledges and underwriting to far offset what they would pay her, and she would create a profitable slot for them, if they could see it.
 
Email from a college educated friend who does NOT work in the biz about 92.9:

"I'm so bummed - I switched to this station when 93.7 fired everyone. Now
where am I to go? And (husband) loves Holly Harris Blues on Sunday. what will
we do????????????"

They live in the Western Suburbs, not sure if they can get 92.5 too well out there. They'll probably end up getting satellite radio.

Meanwhile, in NYC, Emmis just put a AAA format ON, looks like they're doing it right. Oh, the irony. WBOS switches to a new target demo that uses radio sparingly - while forcing the previous audience to now do the same. In the end, NO one will be left listening to terrestrial radio.
 
Signpost said:
They live in the Western Suburbs, not sure if they can get 92.5 too well out there.

WXRV 92.5 actually comes in better in the western suburbs than it does in town, away from all the interference generated from the Pru and elsewhere. If they have a half-decent radio with an antenna, they should get it.
 
Keith321 said:
radiodouble said:
...part of the problem is empty, greedy suits like mitt romeny who own these media companies.

Since when does Mitt Romney own any radio stations...?

Well, he doesn't himself, but his former equity firm Bain Capital, which he founded and then managed for over a decade and still may have some involvement with, is one of the two partners that purchased Clear Channel Communications last year.
 
Eli Polonsky said:
Keith321 said:
radiodouble said:
...part of the problem is empty, greedy suits like mitt romeny who own these media companies.

Since when does Mitt Romney own any radio stations...?

Well, he doesn't himself, but his former equity firm Bain Capital, which he founded and then managed for over a decade and still may have some involvement with, is one of the two partners that purchased Clear Channel Communications last year.

So, a company he USED TO be involved with is buying Clear Channel.

So that makes him a "empty, greedy suit"?
 
reason 99291912919912 that Satellite radio is better. Trust me..take a road trip with a buddy that has Sirius or spend a BBQ with someone that has one and within a week you'll buy one.

The rare times I listen to any FM station in boston its the same tired songs they played when I gave up in Aug of 2006.

Sorry to see the jocks go, that is never a good thing and I actually would listen to BOS while doing housework now and then to see what was up.

Oh well.
 
Keith321 said:
Eli Polonsky said:
Keith321 said:
radiodouble said:
...part of the problem is empty, greedy suits like mitt romeny who own these media companies.

Since when does Mitt Romney own any radio stations...?

Well, he doesn't himself, but his former equity firm Bain Capital, which he founded and then managed for over a decade and still may have some involvement with, is one of the two partners that purchased Clear Channel Communications last year.

So, a company he USED TO be involved with is buying Clear Channel.

So that makes him a "empty, greedy suit"?

his company's shares were placed in the trust account when he entered the public sector. so technically, he's still invested in the company. he'll resume his full involvement with bain after today's announcement.

howie and jay-o will be sobbing all day today. together. in different home studios. bye-bye.
 
radiodouble said:
his company's shares were placed in the trust account when he entered the public sector. so technically, he's still invested in the company.

So, it has been in trust...meaning he is not making any decisions there. How can that make him "Greedy"?
 
> So, it has been in trust...meaning he is not making any decisions there. How can that make him "Greedy"?

I think the purpose of running a Private Equity Firm is to generate wealth. I think that qualifies as greed. Not saying greed is bad, it's natural to want to enrich yourself.

it's a shame the radio industry is imploding because it's not generating large enough returns for its corporate owners. The fat corporate payback is more important than the station's health. I remember a certain Boston station whose roster of employees - before consolidation - was double its current level - while grossing half of what it does today, and at the time seemed to be doing just fine. Now, all the money that station generates goes to corporate, while cutbacks cripple the station's potential.
 
Signpost said:
> So, it has been in trust...meaning he is not making any decisions there. How can that make him "Greedy"?

I think the purpose of running a Private Equity Firm is to generate wealth. I think that qualifies as greed. Not saying greed is bad, it's natural to want to enrich yourself.

it's a shame the radio industry is imploding because it's not generating large enough returns for its corporate owners. The fat corporate payback is more important than the station's health. I remember a certain Boston station whose roster of employees - before consolidation - was double its current level - while grossing half of what it does today, and at the time seemed to be doing just fine. Now, all the money that station generates goes to corporate, while cutbacks cripple the station's potential.

It's pretty absurd to single out Mitt Romney as being involved in the changes that you describe above. For one thing, Bain Capital hasn't been involved with Clear Channel for very long at all. The deal was done less than a year ago (2007). Secondly, Romney hasn't been with Bain Capital since 1999! Eight years earlier.

Look, John Edwards and Chelsea Clinton have worked for Wall Street hedge funds - does that make them greedy destroyers of radio? Edwards was in it until 2006; Clinton still works for one of the big hedge funds. And, Bill Clinton makes millions in business deals, some of which can be tied to companies that are tied to investments that are tied to radio (which is no farther removed than Romney is). Are they all greedy? Or are just conservatives greedy?

If you want to make comments about the overall state of the business, that's fine. Some of what you're saying is true and you make a decent point. But, that point becomes tarnished when you single certain politicians out (wrongly) just because you (clearly) don't like them. Remember, as many Democrats are tight with Wall Street as Republicans are. Basically, you have to be loaded to run for public office these days and you need friends in powerful places. So, blame them all or blame none.
 
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