WBOS who's the PD of this station....?

[Cocoa]

I just came back to live in the Boston area and just checked out what was once one of my favorite stations...WBOS 92.9.

What happenned to this station? It used to be a great station to listen to at work or in the evening.

I looked up the ratings (at R&R online?)...and it appears to be a station in real trouble. They are beaten by WPLM? Even "The River" (in Haverhill of all places!) looks good next to WBOS.

WBOS sounds like they have no one running the place.....like its on auto-pilot...and pointed in the wrong direction.

Who is the PD of this station? Has he programmed any other sucessful stations? What other markets has he worked? What is he trying to do with WBOS?

I had it on the clock radio one evening before bed...and woke up to????? Who is the jock? I couldn't tell.

I have found memories of someone named David Learey(?)...where is he now? Anyone know?

Does WBOS have a real PD or not?

Are they just biding time for a format change? WHat will they flip to?

I can't believe this is Boston radio....and what they've done to a once well formatted station.

 

[Neggy]

There is no morning DJ, their thing is no jock in the am

dAVID o'lEARY, eX wbcn, eX wbos WAS LAST HEARD DOING SOME WEEKENDS WORK ON SISTER STATION wmjx. too bad I always likes him.

They tried to do the River clone thing by hiring Joanne Doody.. Ex WJUL, Ex WFNX, Ex WXRV, EX someplace in NH. They booted her not too long ago.

Rumor had it that the Red Sox wanted to buy into it but WRKO made them an offer they couldn't refuse to make 680 the flagship of the network.

That station has never ever done well in the ratings. Doesn't matter who was running the show it has always been a non entity in the market.

 

[sp113]

i can remember when they had at least some cohesive prograaming....save the earth, some good jocks, etc. (btw i liked David Oleary too...what kind of move was it to get rid of him?)

wasn't jim herron the pd at one time? maybe not a nice guy....but he seemed to have some vision of what the station should sound like...

sound like whoever is in charge doesnt have ears (or a working monitor in the bosses offices)

 

[Moonstruck]

David Ginsburg is WBOS' PD. Dana Marshall was PD but is now MD and does middays. Other than staffing changes that are a matter of taste from one listener to the other, and of course an unstaffed morning show, I don't see that the station's lineup is any better, worse, or even different than it's been in past years. I do think Dana Marshall just talks endlessly and that combined with a voice that lacks much inflection it gives middays a flat sound but other than that I don't see much difference in the quality of staffing. Is it the music? They've always been a combination of current AAA music and classic rock. By the way David O'Leary in addition to weekends at Magic does afternoon drive at 93.3 Coast FM in Providence.

 

[webcastboy]

That station has never ever done well in the ratings. Doesn't matter who was running the show it has always been a non entity in the market.

Clarification: WBOS has never done well in the 12+ ratings, which we all know are next to useless. Also, while I have no idea how WBOS does in more profitable demos, I have heard it said in multiple forums (including here) that usually WBOS bills quite well thanks to it's work-friendly programming. I'm being somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but I would imagine that as long as the advertising money comes in, Greater Media doesn't care much how WBOS does in the ratings.

Not to start another thread, but I think WBOS will be one of the "landmark" stations that Arbitron's Portable People Meter will show drastically different results, compared to the traditional diary method. I have a sneaking suspicion that it's a station people listen to without really realizing it...if that makes sense.

 

[Neggy]

I've read posts that claim it bills well, and I used to listen to it frequently, but at this point it is a non entity in my world, although I had to reprogram the presets in my truck today and it did get spot 1, but we'll see if I bump it out to put WGIR in.

 

[DavidZ]

They tried to do the River clone thing by hiring Joanne Doody.. Ex WJUL, Ex WFNX, Ex WXRV, EX someplace in NH. They booted her not too long ago.

Isn’t Joanne still on BOS on the weekends only? Also, current mid-day host Dana Marshall is also from The River.

I do think Dana Marshall just talks endlessly and that combined with a voice that lacks much inflection it gives middays a flat sound but other than that I don't see much difference in the quality of staffing.

I agree about Dana talking endlessly. I very rarely listen anymore during her shift due to the incessant chatter. Dana adds very little and I think Joanne was much better when she held down the mid-day shift.

Is it the music?

Most definitely! Very tired older cuts that have been played to death; not only on BOS but many other formats, too. The new stuff is uninspiring for the most part and soon played so much that you can’t help but hit the scan button very quickly. For a AAA station, the lack of true musical diversity (borrowing from The River’s tag line) makes for a very boring and tired sounding station.

 

[TSBench]

I've read posts that claim it bills well,

It billed $9 mil in 2006, substantially outperforming most of the market in terms of billing vs audience share. For a station which must cost next to nothing to run, it's a money machine. I understand it has great qualitatives, and a sales staff which knows how to sell them.

Needless to say, past performance is no indication of future performance, but it would really have to fall apart to become loser in the short to intermediate term.

Regards,
TSB

 

[Keith321]

I've read posts that claim it bills well, and I used to listen to it frequently, but at this point it is a non entity in my world...

You know, I've heard this billing claim as well.....but that was years ago. For the last year they have been trending down to never-never land. Maybe it's about time to put that claim to rest.

http://www.radioandrecords.com/RRRatings/DetailsPage.aspx?MID=35&RY=2007&RQ=3&MP=1&OTHER=2&MN=Boston&MS=MA&MR=11&12P=3838300&UP=8/21/2007&SU=CM&BPER=6.3&HPER=&OPER=&NSD=9/18/2007&CE=0

(I have seen the 25-54 numbers and I can't post them, but they don't look much better.)

The "billing" claim was touted a few years ago....but they have seriously slipped since then. (I mean they are just above WJIB!)

I don't know if the PD is any good, or he's just babysitting the place until they get serious and figure out what they really want to do.

Right now it seems like a rudderless ship.

It billed $9 mil in 2006, it's a money machine.

That was 2006. If you look at the numbers since then, it's all been downhill.

Plus, billing $9 mil in Boston is next to nothing. From my experience, it cost about that to run the station.

And if an asset is going to substantiate itself as worthwhile, it should throw off more profit than the owner could get letting the value sit in a bank account.

-

 

[TSBench]

That was 2006. If you look at the numbers since then, it's all been downhill.

No, I haven't seen the numbers for the first six months of 2007. What are they? (other than a downturn for radio revenues in general.0

Plus, billing $9 mil in Boston is next to nothing.

From my experience, it cost about that to run the station.

And if an asset is going to substantiate itself as worthwhile, it should throw off more profit than the owner could get letting the value sit in a bank account.

 

[TSBench]

Sorry, the computer burped.

That was 2006. If you look at the numbers since then, it's all been downhill.

No, I haven't seen the billing numbers for the first six months of 2007. What are they? (other than a downturn for radio revenues in general.)

Plus, billing $9 mil in Boston is next to nothing.

It is what WTKK bills, which I would imagine is a lot more expensive operation.

From my experience, it cost about that to run the station.

If it costs more than $9 mil a year to run a shared facilities operation like WBOS, GM should roll some heads.

And if an asset is going to substantiate itself as worthwhile, it should throw off more profit than the owner could get letting the value sit in a bank account.

Of course, this could be said about a lot of businesses, including almost every radio station in Boston, even the profitable ones. I wonder why all those owners don't just liquidate.

I have no idea what kind of profit WBOS throws off, or any idea of what it would be worth on the open market, so I have no idea if they could do better putting the money in a bank account.

Regards,
TSB

 

[sp113]

FWIW....

I heard that prior to the sale WCRB had an operating expense of about 7Mill/Yr.

So, it wouldn't surprise me if WBOS Operating expenses were about 8 or 9.

Just my $.02

 

[Cocoa]

I just spoke to a jock in the area who I had been friendly with.

He said that the feeling in the Boston market is that the guy who is currently programming WBOS is in "way over his head".

And he added that they have been through a slew of PD's in the last few years....however this one seems to have the station at an all time low....

 

[chitchatjf]

I wouldn't mind doing but but my idea would probably be a wee bit eclectic. {Elvis to Eminem for example}

In reality I would pull Ron Robin off his new Cape based Oldies station and bring Disco 93 back.

Rhythmic hits of yesterday and today heave on the dance and with NO RAP!

 

[Kritical]

Let's clarify all of this. David Ginsburg is the PD. He was promoted from music director. Prior to that, he came up through promotions. WBOS brought Dana Marshall over from the River to become the new music director. She was on a couple of weekends and then became the midday announcer, bouncing Joanne Doody to Saturday. At the River, Dana was the PD and was not on the air. (Yes, she blathers on about nothing, but I actually prefer her voice to Joanne's).

I agree that they play to death some of the older tunes--there's more to reggae than 4 Marley tunes. The songs that were strong hits a year ago are rarely heard. They don't go deep enough. Yes, I still listen to them more than other stations, but as soon as commercials come on, I jump to the River, WUMB, or the numerous CDs in my car. I don't listen at home or work.

As mediocre as Dana is, I do love Laurenti, Knight, and Dominick. I also enjoy Chris Kennedy on the weekends. Kevin Redding has definitely improved to better fit the format on his fill-ins. And I do love some of the music. Just don't take my iPod or CDs away and I'll be happy.

Almost forgot the ridiculous attempt at news in the morning. Stop it. It's not news; it's teasers. When I happen to catch their news, it reminds me that I can hit AM and get the real deal on WBZ. Better than reading the Globe while driving.

 

[SAYWOT]

Back to the ratings - you couldn't help but notice that 'PLM had opened up a substantial lead on WBOS in the Spring. Ouch. For a 50kW on the top of the Pru to get beaten by a South Shore stick is rough. On the revenue side I'd imagine they are running pretty lean (no morning show or pricy talent or substantial marketing) but that's an incredibly tough number to sell. I'm not sure in a PPM world that will change much. If WXPN in Philadelphia is any indication, PPM doesn't favor AAA. I'm sure they are a little profitable - they would be alot more if they were consistently in the mid 2's 12+. A 1.3 in the latest trend is nothing short of dismal. Doesn't Greater Media want to win? Why play to come in last?

The last time I remember them on the first page of the Arbitron book was Spring 2002 when 'BOS was a 2.7 12+, top 10 25-54 and 18-34 and actually top 5 25-54 in a few dayparts if I remember correctly. I just found this online from June of 2002:
_______________________________________________

Spring ratings stage surprises for Hub stations
Boston Radio/by Dean Johnson

The spring (April-June) ratings are radio's most hotly contested numbers, and they will be dissected for much of the year. The Herald ran a list of the top stations earlier this week, but several other signals also had strong spring numbers, even if they didn't make it to the top of the charts.

WBOS-FM (92.9) tweaked its adult rock format prior to the spring ratings, and the station cracked the Top 10 in both the age 25-54 and 18-34 contests.
_______________________________________________

At the time WBOS had more edge and was relatively more eclectic. Just less boring. Seemed to matter more and took more chances. That was what - 4 PD's ago? It's been a complete wipe out since Buzz Knight was put in charge of WBOS on the corporate level in 2003. Right now its like listening to paint dry. No position or excitement whatsoever. You gotta stand for something and you can't have it both ways. If you want to be know as the station committed to music, every song can't be some boring cume friendly piece of fluff. Please. Challenge and try to delight us at least once an hour...

 

[radiodouble]

...At the River, Dana was the PD and was not on the air. (Yes, she blathers on about nothing, but I actually prefer her voice to Joanne's).

ahh, check that again - she was very much on the air at the river.

 

[DavidCamb]

I completely agree with this. I've been a BOS listener since I moved to Boston in early 2003, and the station seems to have become more boring with each successive PD. Granted, they've always played it safer than a lot of AAA stations do, but lately every hour is horribly predictable – a few safe classics (David Bowie, Tom Petty, Bob Marley, The Cars), major 90s hits (same three songs each from Counting Crows, Goo Goo Dolls, Dave Matthews Band), two recurrents that were really big hits (meaning The Fray seemingly every other hour) and two currents that are usually uninspired. Gone are the days of the Lifesaver request, which dug deep, and the 8pm box-set. WBOS won't touch deep cuts from major artists, and they avoid a lot of bands from all eras that are staples of the AAA format – everything from Bob Dylan to Death Cab for Cutie.

Also – again, just my opinion – I really think this "All Music Morning" has run its course. I can't imagine that a music-intensive morning show with actual news, weather, traffic, as well as music news and occasional artist interviews would not outperform what they have now. George Knight would be terrific back in the AM. As for the rest of the staff, I agree that John Laurenti is solid. Dana Marshall is okay, but I don't she can hold a candle to Amy Brooks who was terrific on middays.

At the time WBOS had more edge and was relatively more eclectic. Just less boring. Seemed to matter more and took more chances. That was what - 4 PD's ago? It's been a complete wipe out since Buzz Knight was put in charge of WBOS on the corporate level in 2003. Right now its like listening to paint dry. No position or excitement whatsoever. You gotta stand for something and you can't have it both ways. If you want to be know as the station committed to music, every song can't be some boring cume friendly piece of fluff. Please. Challenge and try to delight us at least once an hour...

 

[Inventor989]

The station pulled close to a 4 share 12+ in Fall of 1992, when it was doing a locally-tweaked version of Rock AC ("soft album rock") based on its (former) sister station in Orlando, WMMO. O'Leary was there, Bill Smith, Merilee Kelly, etc. PD/GM changed after that, and it's never been over a two something since. Greater Media would never go in that direction again as it would cannibalize Magic.

The only format that ever cracked the 4 share mark on 92.9 was country when Sconnix owned it.

 

[Lucylu]

Bring Back Tom Sandman and His Beatles Brunch (remember when he did that Beatles A-Z Weekend on BCN, back when BCN did things on the weekend?) :'(