• 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

WBUR GM Is Not A Big Fan Of Competition

DToTheJ

DToTheJ

After adding more talk programming during the day, WGBH-FM has appeared to draw listeners away from WBUR-FM - much to the chagrin of WBUR general manager Charles Kravetz, who claims his station "pioneered" the public radio talk format "across the country".

Says Kravetz: "This marketplace did not need to have two public radio stations with the same format... This is a zero-sum game."

http://articles.boston.com/2011-04-16/business/29425744_1_wgbh-wbur-station-changes-format
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/e..._public_radio_competition_is_good_for_boston/

I'm not sure what Kravetz is complaining about... Both WBUR and WGBH's cume and share have been pretty much flat over the last few months.
 
Says Kravetz: "This marketplace did not need to have two public radio stations with the same format... This is a zero-sum game."

How is this anymore a zero-sum game for the public radio stations than for commercial stations competing in the same format? Does Kravetz understand what a zero-sum game is?

Regards,
TSB
 
TSBench said:
How is this anymore a zero-sum game for the public radio stations than for commercial stations competing in the same format? Does Kravetz understand what a zero-sum game is?
Click to expand...

It's different from commercial radio in that public radio stations raise a significant part of their operating income via listener donations, whereas commercial stations do not. Although sponsors underwrite on public stations for the same reason that they advertise on commercial stations, a lot more factors influence how audience size influences ad revenue on commercial stations than on stations that depend on direct listener support. A good time salesman can have a great equalizing effect on commercial-station revenues. In public radio, the effect of the good salesman (or the equivalent in the public radio world--a good corporate fund raiser) is more limited.
 
it's pretty much impossible to tell the stations apart. i might accidentally donate to the wrong one, if i listened to either, save for 30 minutes of eric jackson a month
 
It IS completely stupid that there are 2 stations duplicating that much programming, especially on the weekends. But I fault NPR, not the local stations. Unlike a commercial operation, NPR doesn't grant any type of market exclusivity to an affiliate. There are full and partial affiliates, with the full ones getting right of first refusal, but in this case we have 2 full affiliates.

NPR wins twice, because they get their exorbitant fees to run all of the programming from 2 stations. And those fees are scaled to market size and station income, so they're paying full price for everything.

The local stations ultimately lose, because it's diluting the same audience for what's essentially the same product.
 
If WBUR really wanted to stick it to WGBH, they'd hire former NPR personality Juan Williams to do a local show exclusively for 'BUR... or does anyone think the average public radio listener has lost his trust after that "I get scared when I see Muslims boarding an airplane I am on" comment?
 
carmen said:
it's pretty much impossible to tell the stations apart. i might accidentally donate to the wrong one, if i listened to either, save for 30 minutes of eric jackson a month
Click to expand...

WBUR has Tom Ashbrook and runs ATC during more of evening drive along with Here and Now. WGBH has the World, Emily Rooney,and Callie Crossley (local programs). There is acually value added on both stations notwithstanding the high amount of redundant NPR programs.
 
Ha ha, what if WGBH took on Chris Lydon in a Connection-style show?
I would listen to that.
 
carmen said:
it's pretty much impossible to tell the stations apart. i might accidentally donate to the wrong one, if i listened to either, save for 30 minutes of eric jackson a month
Click to expand...


I hear ya, the only good thing on either of them is Eric Jackson (WGBH) playing jazz at night.

I get a kick out of the guy on just before Eric Jackson. He sounds like he's drooling and has big jowls. He sounds ridiculous. And self important. Typical.
 
Take a look at how long NECN stagnated under Kravetz.

As for pioneering public talk, you might want to ask Diane Rehm or Mike Cuthbert and the folks at WAMU what they think of that bit of revisionist history.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom