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WBTA - showing in the book
- Thread starter JIBGUY
- Start date
A
anoldguy
Guest
Can anyone tell me how WBTA, a class IV station on 1490, 30+miles from Rochester, frequently shows up in the book? They must be doing something spectacular there.
Yes I can. Danny Fisher bought the station a few years ago and has just basically added on to the things that worked. He has made it local, local, local. Dan himself attends every local event he can make it to. He has a very high profile in the community. Dan has been around the biz for over 30 years (maybe closer to 40) now and seen the idiots come & go. He treats his people with repect, LOVES what he is doing, and has a sense of humor about the whole thing. Dan is a true radio person. It's just too bad the big guys don't learn from him.
By the way, he doesn't subscribe to the book and only knows about the ratings from what people tell him. I doubt he makes an extra cent from his showings in the Arbitron books.
Yes I can. Danny Fisher bought the station a few years ago and has just basically added on to the things that worked. He has made it local, local, local. Dan himself attends every local event he can make it to. He has a very high profile in the community. Dan has been around the biz for over 30 years (maybe closer to 40) now and seen the idiots come & go. He treats his people with repect, LOVES what he is doing, and has a sense of humor about the whole thing. Dan is a true radio person. It's just too bad the big guys don't learn from him.
By the way, he doesn't subscribe to the book and only knows about the ratings from what people tell him. I doubt he makes an extra cent from his showings in the Arbitron books.
Having visited the WBTA studios along with a contingent of others...
It's a wonder small market radio operators don't flock to Batavia by the bus loads. They are doing it *right* there.
The formula is no secret. Good programming, hyper-local involvement and local coverage. One of the things they did right was to get a nice little downtown storefront and become physically VISIBLE in the community. If you're out by the railroad tracks on the edge of town, no one sees you...
It's a wonder small market radio operators don't flock to Batavia by the bus loads. They are doing it *right* there.
The formula is no secret. Good programming, hyper-local involvement and local coverage. One of the things they did right was to get a nice little downtown storefront and become physically VISIBLE in the community. If you're out by the railroad tracks on the edge of town, no one sees you...
WBTA sounds terrific. I've heard it many times on my Thruway jaunts. I'm not an advocate of music on AM, but it's what happens when the music stops that helps make WBTA the successful community station that it is.
Local always wins in communities such as Batavia, Lockport, Olean, Dunkirk-Fredonia and similar markets. Local, local, local... oh, and LIVE, LIVE, LIVE as much as possible. With technology being what it is, owner-operators need to realize there are so many possibilities not only in voice tracking but by being LIVE as much as possible. (ISDN, "Hotline," cell phones, Marti shots and good ol' phone lines.)
It seems owners of local stations, especially in markets such as Batavia, need to do exactly what Dan's doing: Live in the community and become part of it. The rewards can be handsome, beyond being monetary (although it certainly is a prime consideration.)
For the record, WBTA can be heard fairly well at Transit Road and Genesee Street in Depew (Erie County), although it fades exponentially as one drives west on Genesee.
Best wishes to Dan and his staff.
Local always wins in communities such as Batavia, Lockport, Olean, Dunkirk-Fredonia and similar markets. Local, local, local... oh, and LIVE, LIVE, LIVE as much as possible. With technology being what it is, owner-operators need to realize there are so many possibilities not only in voice tracking but by being LIVE as much as possible. (ISDN, "Hotline," cell phones, Marti shots and good ol' phone lines.)
It seems owners of local stations, especially in markets such as Batavia, need to do exactly what Dan's doing: Live in the community and become part of it. The rewards can be handsome, beyond being monetary (although it certainly is a prime consideration.)
For the record, WBTA can be heard fairly well at Transit Road and Genesee Street in Depew (Erie County), although it fades exponentially as one drives west on Genesee.
Best wishes to Dan and his staff.
M
Mark_Giardina
Guest
JimPastrick said:
WBTA puts a dent into the theory that the so-called "Mom and Pop" operations are a thing of the past. Local is extremely important and always will be in radio.
I remember the days in Corning with the live remotes and promotions. That is when going to work in radio was actually fun and didn’t consist of babysitting a board to switch from one syndicated program to another.
Unfortunately a number of small market stations these days are opting for the same regurgitated formats the bigger markets are doing. You know what I mean. The same music, same syndicated talk programming, same jockless formats, little to no local news outside of reading from the daily newspaper or wire service.
From what everyone is writing it sounds like WBTA would be a great place for someone to either start their career in radio, or for some old vet to spend their last few years doing what they love best. It’s nice to read that WBTA is doing so well. Unfortunately I can not hear the station where I live and work. But I also wish the owner and staff well.
It's nice to hear some good news in radio especially about WBTA. My uncle, long gone now used to listen to what he called "The Batavia Station" all the time. He lived in Alexander and worked for Sylvania in Batavia. I'm glad WBTA is still serving their audience good local radio and I hope it catches on elsewhere.
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