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I'd like to see WPAZ return. It could be very valuable in a severe emergency. However daytime local low power AM radio is a tough sale to listeners as well as advertisers. There are so many other options and distractions that radio never even comes to mind to most people, much less daytime AM radio.
The recent hurricane Sandy proves the point. Disaster victims completely forgot about battery operated radios as a source of information when power, phone service, cell phones, TV, cable and internet were not available. They complained there was "no source of information". Yet some radio stations were on the air broadcasting emergency information. Radio has been forgotten by large segments of the population.
The recent hurricane Sandy proves the point. Disaster victims completely forgot about battery operated radios as a source of information when power, phone service, cell phones, TV, cable and internet were not available. They complained there was "no source of information". Yet some radio stations were on the air broadcasting emergency information. Radio has been forgotten by large segments of the population.
Super...that last comment, I don't know where you heard or read that nonsense, but it is total Bravo Sierra!
I personally sat through Sandy in Somers Point, NJ. The eye passed at 7pm after hours of howling, only to be replaced by even worse winds at high tide. No power, phones. Just a Zenith TransOceanic and a GE SuperRadio. The 'major' stations are ALL in the marshes here (sans WPUR), their transmitters were already powerless, underwater, or in some cases, washed out to sea. WOND was one, however, it has a sister FM that has a transmitter on top of a hi-rise, which was dry and on generator. The inand studio had generator power, and they put info out for weeks on 102.7 instead of 1400Kc. 101.5 gave great info for the northern part of the state. WE ALL LISTENED TO OUR RADIOS FOR INFO> ALL my neighbors, all my family. There was no internet, no power for days. Some listeners may have tried to get info from unmanned "music stations" from 'National Owners", or simply turned on the radio, and "their" station was gone from the dial, and didn't bother to look around. We all had radios, and SOME had cell service. Wawa, on huge Cat generators, had neighborhood charging stations set up for us. Wawa is a good corporate neighbor down here.
"Disaster Victims completey forgot about battery operated radios"? Really...We live in a Hurricane / Nor' Easter Zone...we always have battery radios and flashlights at the ready!
I personally sat through Sandy in Somers Point, NJ. The eye passed at 7pm after hours of howling, only to be replaced by even worse winds at high tide. No power, phones. Just a Zenith TransOceanic and a GE SuperRadio. The 'major' stations are ALL in the marshes here (sans WPUR), their transmitters were already powerless, underwater, or in some cases, washed out to sea. WOND was one, however, it has a sister FM that has a transmitter on top of a hi-rise, which was dry and on generator. The inand studio had generator power, and they put info out for weeks on 102.7 instead of 1400Kc. 101.5 gave great info for the northern part of the state. WE ALL LISTENED TO OUR RADIOS FOR INFO> ALL my neighbors, all my family. There was no internet, no power for days. Some listeners may have tried to get info from unmanned "music stations" from 'National Owners", or simply turned on the radio, and "their" station was gone from the dial, and didn't bother to look around. We all had radios, and SOME had cell service. Wawa, on huge Cat generators, had neighborhood charging stations set up for us. Wawa is a good corporate neighbor down here.
"Disaster Victims completey forgot about battery operated radios"? Really...We live in a Hurricane / Nor' Easter Zone...we always have battery radios and flashlights at the ready!
wcradio2 said:WPAZ/WBZH, only at the tail end of their run, started to get it together with the all local stuff. And they were starting to build an audience.
The problem, the overriding problem with the whole enterprise, was there was no sales staff. If there were a sales team, or at least a single knowledgeable sales guy/gal, they might have made a go of it.
It's hard to do anything, let alone 'doing local well' if there's no income.
Like I've encountered at many stations. There can be a marketable product, but if there is no one to sell it, you may as well forget it. Sales staff... particularly at heritage AMs, tend to be older (and there's nothing wrong with that) but even if you're a good salesman, you have to know or understand your product, or want to sell your product and not be intimidated by it.
PAZ/BZH had yet another problem... just no sales staff at all. It wasn't part of the initial model (or didn't seem to be) and that will lead to any station's downfall.
That's why I always find it humorous on the radio boards when people come up with the same ideas over and over about what format sells... A salesman or staff sells.
Brokered stations will continue to kill radio as it was. Sure, stations draw in money, but they spew out garbage (usually) as only a vanity project can. So who listens? Who benefits beyond the walls of the station?
There is no, 'Oldies only' solution.
How good is your air staff? Production staff? How do you serve the community? The arts?
Do you have an experienced and dedicated sales staff or person?
My 2 cents? Almost any format can be sold. But you have to have the people who can sell.
There was no sales staff when they went back on the air? WOW. I liken that to bringing a station back to life while digging its grave at the same time.
I can't fathom a radio station WITHOUT a sales staff. Like you said, the sales force has to believe in the product to be effective. I won't sell a product I don't believe in. And I'm willing to bet my life that the WBZH people couldn't find any takers to sell what they were putting on the air.
I've always held the belief that if you make the programming decisions and can't sell your own product, then you need to change your way of thinking. By the time they switched to "The Buzz", the damage already had been done, evidently.
I hear whining from sales consultants "It's so hard to sell AM radio". A consultant we had once told me "radio is radio is radio". If you offer what the people want, and it's saleable in the sense that they can't get it elsewhere, you can sell it. Radio's saleability isn't within the confines of its band as much as it is in its product offerings.
And believe it or not, there are still a few daytimers on the dial who superserve their communities of license and are VERY profitable!
I've also held the belief that 'local done well' will sell. Here's an example of some AM stations who do it right in western Pennsylvania...and are profitable:
WBUT and WISR (co-owned), Butler
WCNS Latrobe
WKST New Castle
WJPA Washington*
WPXZ Punxsutawney*
WDAD and WCCS, Indiana
WMBS Uniontown
WQZS Meyersdale*
*denotes stations that are actually FM, but run with a full-service format that would be more typical of an AM station.
The fact that WPAZ operates with low power at night is immaterial. Even at 52 watts at night, at 1370, the station should have a clear signal within ten miles of its transmitter. That's plenty for high school sports games to be heard clearly. Not only that, but those games can be streamed via the station's website (also a must-have).
Think Pottstown and Montgomery County. That's the audience you're going for. Not Reading or Philly. Maybe some Berks County bordertowns, but that's it.
You can also work at deal with the local cable company to carry your audio on their public access channel when they're not originating local programs.
And everyone needs to keep their own personal musical tastes out of this discussion. Focus on the full-service aspect of it all. Local news, sports, and information. The music is SECONDARY. It must be relatable, but it doesn't need to get much more specific than that.
RandyDascher said:wcradio2 said:I didn't suggest a solution (other than a sales staff), merely tired of hearing the same ideas.
Oh, I'm sorry. Didn't you hear the news? If you program an AM radio station with music that was recorded 55 years ago, advertisers will line up in front of your studio to buy spots like it's Black Friday at Walmart.
Hey Randy......did you hear, if you play Rap and Hip Hop and all the other crap on Radio today, advertisers are going to line up at the stations door to buy spots. I think the amount of businesses lining up to purchase spots on a station playing 50's and 60's oldies would be a hell of a lot more than a station playing the crap today.
RandyDascher said:DG02816 said:The Buzz crew should have learned their lesson from what happened to WHAT(as Skin Radio)and WCHE.
Mr. Gardiner,
I’m assuming by your post that you are implying the Alternative Rock format failed at WCHE. I have to disagree with you. I worked at WCHE for five and a half years. I received a paycheck every other week. During that time the station had a handful of loyal sponsors that paid their bill every month. The only reason WCHE changed formats is because the station down the street, WCOJ, was sold to Holy Spirit Radio Foundation. After WCOJ was sold, a former salesman from WCOJ started meeting with the owner of WCHE and convinced the owner to hire him, fire me, and flip formats to what is basically WCOJ’s old format. I received severance pay and collected unemployment. Had WCOJ never been sold, WCHE would probably still be airing Alternative Rock and I would still be doing my four hour a day live, local, caller driven, entertaining radio show.
I will share with you one fun little radio story. During my final days at WCHE, the station owner told me they had to have a bunch of new phone lines installed because Ron’s Swap Shop was going to receive 50 to 75 calls per day. I still laugh when I tune in and hear Ron when he gets four calls a day. Ron’s a good salesman but his show is about an hour and a half longer than it needs to be.
Sincerely,
Randy Dascher
http://www.randydascher.com/
By the way, Randy, when I had a show on WURD 900AM, I personally had seven loyal sponsors that I personally visited and signed up to advertise on my show.So...if you are trying to be funny....have news for you, ignorance isn't entertaining.
amfmsw said:Super...that last comment, I don't know where you heard or read that nonsense, but it is total Bravo Sierra!
I personally sat through Sandy in Somers Point, NJ. The eye passed at 7pm after hours of howling, only to be replaced by even worse winds at high tide. No power, phones. Just a Zenith TransOceanic and a GE SuperRadio. The 'major' stations are ALL in the marshes here (sans WPUR), their transmitters were already powerless, underwater, or in some cases, washed out to sea. WOND was one, however, it has a sister FM that has a transmitter on top of a hi-rise, which was dry and on generator. The inand studio had generator power, and they put info out for weeks on 102.7 instead of 1400Kc. 101.5 gave great info for the northern part of the state. WE ALL LISTENED TO OUR RADIOS FOR INFO> ALL my neighbors, all my family. There was no internet, no power for days. Some listeners may have tried to get info from unmanned "music stations" from 'National Owners", or simply turned on the radio, and "their" station was gone from the dial, and didn't bother to look around. We all had radios, and SOME had cell service. Wawa, on huge Cat generators, had neighborhood charging stations set up for us. Wawa is a good corporate neighbor down here.
"Disaster Victims completey forgot about battery operated radios"? Really...We live in a Hurricane / Nor' Easter Zone...we always have battery radios and flashlights at the ready!
Your reaction to Sandy (and those around you) as a radio enthusiast at Summers Point, NJ may not be the only valid one, and perhaps not even typical among many victims.
See Readers Forum, Radio World P.38 Dec. 19, 2012.
A number of TV interviews with victims in New York and New Jersey indicated that broadcast radio never crossed their minds as a possible source of emergency information.
Most people wouldn't even understand your reference to "total Bravo Sierra!". "Total" being a breakfast cereal to most and "Bravo Sierra" meaning brave mountains?
I too have a " Zenith TransOceanic and a GE SuperRadio." But the average Joe and Jane doesn't.
Originally organized as the "WPAZ Preservation Association" the stations reincarnation included live local sports, church broadcasts, websites, web streaming and live rebroadcast of their studio cam with audio for two hours every AM and www.ustream.tv to one of the local "public access" cable TV channels. The public access cable TV channel stopped carrying the WPAZ studio cam when it changed call letters to WBZH and dropped the use of "WPAZ Preservation Association".
The "alternative" music format of most of the live DJ programs apparently was not popular locally. I think that's why it's called "alternative" as opposed to "popular". It appealed to a small minority in a small WPAZ coverage area.
The "alternative" music format of most of the live DJ programs apparently was not popular locally. I think that's why it's called "alternative" as opposed to "popular". It appealed to a small minority in a small WPAZ coverage area.
OK Super, I just read the article you mentioned(arrived Sat). It was ONE interview. The author didn't do his homework, touting the stations as "blanketing the area". THEY were not even on the air! WOR, WINS and dozens of others were dark or silent because no audio could be fed, WCBS 88 was the only game in town, at reduced power. WOR for a time was simulcasting TVCh 5 audio. Verizon, AT&T and others had collapsed. NO Cell service, no landlines, no cable, no power. If he didn't have a transistor radio, he was a dumbass. TV/radio warned for 3 days to prepare here with flashlights, working portable radio, batteries, water, food, etc. That may also be what interviewee was referring to. He was right...for a time, there was no information getting out. The author is in DAYTON, OH. What autority would he have on the storm? ..cripes, I was listening to Cleveland clear channel that night to get news because everything HERE was dead. KYW does not make it to the shore at night, nor does 1210. WKNR was taking calls from, you guessed it, New Jersey listeners! My posts are still on the Cleveland page from 10/31. http://radiodiscussions.com/smf/index.php?topic=220850.20
Anyway, local radio is alive and well down here. If this one person interviewed didn't have a transistor radio, he was a dumbass. TV/radio warned for 3 days to prepare with flashlights, working portable radio, batteries, water, food, etc. But the author's summation is proper, that today's generation still couldn't give a rat's tail about commercial radio.
BTW, it's Somers Point, NJ...not Summers. Named after Capt. Richard Somers who died in the war with Tripoli in 1804. Those familiar with the area know his house still stands and overlooks where the "circle" was and "Circle Liquor Store" is. There's also a Somers, NY in Westchester County named after him.
Anyway, local radio is alive and well down here. If this one person interviewed didn't have a transistor radio, he was a dumbass. TV/radio warned for 3 days to prepare with flashlights, working portable radio, batteries, water, food, etc. But the author's summation is proper, that today's generation still couldn't give a rat's tail about commercial radio.
BTW, it's Somers Point, NJ...not Summers. Named after Capt. Richard Somers who died in the war with Tripoli in 1804. Those familiar with the area know his house still stands and overlooks where the "circle" was and "Circle Liquor Store" is. There's also a Somers, NY in Westchester County named after him.
"But the author's summation is proper, that today's generation still couldn't give a rat's tail about commercial radio."
Exactly my point.
Thanks for the history lesson.
Here's one about Pottstown:
http://www.pottstown.org/history.htm
Exactly my point.
Thanks for the history lesson.
Here's one about Pottstown:
http://www.pottstown.org/history.htm
By the way, Randy, when I had a show on WURD 900AM, I personally had seven loyal sponsors that I personally visited and signed up to advertise on my show.So...if you are trying to be funny....have news for you, ignorance isn't entertaining.
[/quote]
Doowopvault,
I find it funny that you accuse me of being ignorant in a post containing punctuation errors.
Perhaps you missed my point. There appears to be an ongoing theme on this board that Alternative Rock does not work on AM. I suppose the reasoning behind this is that most young people listen to FM instead of AM. With that reasoning would someone please explain Radio Disney? I think the point is if no stations are airing Alternative Rock in a market then why not try it on AM? When WCHE flipped to Alternative Rock no other stations were airing that format. WDRE and Y100 were both gone so why not try to fill that void?
One other argument is that Alternative Rock sounds better on FM. Do you know what else sounds better on FM? EVERYTHING! Unfortunately there are a limited number of frequencies on the dial so AM is still useful. I think the biggest problem today is that six corporations own ninety percent of the media. How many times does one have to hear "Mrs. Robinson" as opposed to a song by Soul Coughing?
Sincerely,
Randy Dascher
www.randydascher.com
[/quote]
Doowopvault,
I find it funny that you accuse me of being ignorant in a post containing punctuation errors.
Perhaps you missed my point. There appears to be an ongoing theme on this board that Alternative Rock does not work on AM. I suppose the reasoning behind this is that most young people listen to FM instead of AM. With that reasoning would someone please explain Radio Disney? I think the point is if no stations are airing Alternative Rock in a market then why not try it on AM? When WCHE flipped to Alternative Rock no other stations were airing that format. WDRE and Y100 were both gone so why not try to fill that void?
One other argument is that Alternative Rock sounds better on FM. Do you know what else sounds better on FM? EVERYTHING! Unfortunately there are a limited number of frequencies on the dial so AM is still useful. I think the biggest problem today is that six corporations own ninety percent of the media. How many times does one have to hear "Mrs. Robinson" as opposed to a song by Soul Coughing?
Sincerely,
Randy Dascher
www.randydascher.com
Doowopvault,doowopvault said:By the way, Randy, when I had a show on WURD 900AM, I personally had seven loyal sponsors that I personally visited and signed up to advertise on my show.So...if you are trying to be funny....have news for you, ignorance isn't entertaining.
I find it funny that you accuse me of being ignorant in a post containing punctuation errors.
Perhaps you missed my point. There appears to be an ongoing theme on this board that Alternative Rock does not work on AM. I suppose the reasoning behind this is that most young people listen to FM instead of AM. With that reasoning would someone please explain Radio Disney? I think the point is if no stations are airing Alternative Rock in a market then why not try it on AM? When WCHE flipped to Alternative Rock no other stations were airing that format. WDRE and Y100 were both gone so why not try to fill that void?
One other argument is that Alternative Rock sounds better on FM. Do you know what else sounds better on FM? EVERYTHING! Unfortunately there are a limited number of frequencies on the dial so AM is still useful. I think the biggest problem today is that six corporations own ninety percent of the media. How many times does one have to hear "Mrs. Robinson" as opposed to a song by Soul Coughing?
Sincerely,
Randy Dascher
www.randydascher.com
Ken... It's not that WBZH/WPAZ couldn't find anyone to sell what they were putting on the air (which everyone now thinks is alternative etc. It wasn't... especially when they first came back. Then, it was local news, MOR, afternoon local talk, etc. Indie and local music came later).
It's just that the initial sales staff, which eventually went away, was as volunteer as the rest of the staff. I don't know this for a fact, but that's what it seemed like.
I don't know how sales at the beginning were incentivised. But if they weren't compensated in some way, I don't think it would be enough to keep anyone (it wouldn't keep me anyway) at a voluntary sales position, as well as having a day job.
But, this is just a guess on my part. If someone knows better, feel free to chime in.
It's just that the initial sales staff, which eventually went away, was as volunteer as the rest of the staff. I don't know this for a fact, but that's what it seemed like.
I don't know how sales at the beginning were incentivised. But if they weren't compensated in some way, I don't think it would be enough to keep anyone (it wouldn't keep me anyway) at a voluntary sales position, as well as having a day job.
But, this is just a guess on my part. If someone knows better, feel free to chime in.
Whatever you wish to call the format of WPAZ/WBZH it is now off the air, serving no one. :'(
RandyDascher said:Doowopvault,doowopvault said:By the way, Randy, when I had a show on WURD 900AM, I personally had seven loyal sponsors that I personally visited and signed up to advertise on my show.So...if you are trying to be funny....have news for you, ignorance isn't entertaining.
I find it funny that you accuse me of being ignorant in a post containing punctuation errors.
Perhaps you missed my point. There appears to be an ongoing theme on this board that Alternative Rock does not work on AM. I suppose the reasoning behind this is that most young people listen to FM instead of AM. With that reasoning would someone please explain Radio Disney? I think the point is if no stations are airing Alternative Rock in a market then why not try it on AM? When WCHE flipped to Alternative Rock no other stations were airing that format. WDRE and Y100 were both gone so why not try to fill that void?
One other argument is that Alternative Rock sounds better on FM. Do you know what else sounds better on FM? EVERYTHING! Unfortunately there are a limited number of frequencies on the dial so AM is still useful. I think the biggest problem today is that six corporations own ninety percent of the media. How many times does one have to hear "Mrs. Robinson" as opposed to a song by Soul Coughing?
Sincerely,
Randy Dascher
www.randydascher.com
Randy, it's funny how you ignored my response to your comment, which insinuated that AM wouldn't be attractive to advertisers playing music 55 years old. When I offered an example to prove you wrong, you focused on my punctuation, which is a common response when ones position has been shot down in flames, i.e try and find some grammatical errors and punctuation errors as a weapon. So, Randy, I did not miss the point. When you made the statement "advertisers will line up at a station playing music 55 years old like shoppers at Walmart on black friday," you are insinuating that stations playing 1950's Doo Wop and rock are failures for generating advertisers. So, you go from music 55 years old and jump to Alternative Rock, and I missed the point!!! I proved that businesses are interested in spending their advertising dollars on stations playing music 55 years old, can you prove they're not? Some of the businesses I personally signed up we're a restaurant, oil heating company, cell phone, furniture and carpet business,plus a few others.Now, your examples.
SUPER...thanks for the P'town link. It's quite good, really. But I know all about P'town and it's fine proud history. I grew up there. My first radio job was at WPAZ while in High School at St. Pius X. Herb Scott said if I got my FCC RadioTelephone 3rd Class with Broadcast Endorsement, he'd pay me to help with remotes. I got it in 1973 at the Customs House in Philadelphia.
doowopvault said:Randy, it's funny how you ignored my response to your comment, which insinuated that AM wouldn't be attractive to advertisers playing music 55 years old. When I offered an example to prove you wrong, you focused on my punctuation, which is a common response when ones position has been shot down in flames, i.e try and find some grammatical errors and punctuation errors as a weapon. So, Randy, I did not miss the point. When you made the statement "advertisers will line up at a station playing music 55 years old like shoppers at Walmart on black friday," you are insinuating that stations playing 1950's Doo Wop and rock are failures for generating advertisers. So, you go from music 55 years old and jump to Alternative Rock, and I missed the point!!! I proved that businesses are interested in spending their advertising dollars on stations playing music 55 years old, can you prove they're not? Some of the businesses I personally signed up we're a restaurant, oil heating company, cell phone, furniture and carpet business,plus a few others.Now, your examples.
Doowopvault,
When I made the statement, "If you program an AM radio station with music that was recorded 55 years ago, advertisers will line up in front of your studio to buy spots like it's Black Friday at Walmart", I was being sarcastic. Whenever someone on this board criticizes an AM station for airing Alternative Rock, their solution is to play Oldies.
Sincerely,
Randy Dascher
www.randydascher.com
Actually, Familiar music from the the Rock/Pop era (I hate the word 'oldies'), and that would include a specialty show like a Cool Bobby B do-wop program, would fit nicely on that signal. Alternative was a mistake from day 1. Not on AM, with frequency response of 100-5Kc...in mono. And not with the antiquanted or misaligned Texar processing used. The station, when I last heard it, was modulating at about 80%, and was very compressed and flat, with no bottom end (bass). It just sounded thin and aniemic.
From my RAB Newsletter I received this very morning: The population of Americans age 45 to 64 grew 31.5% from 2000 to 2010, according to the U.S. Census, while growth in the number of people 65 and older also outpaced most younger population groups, with a 15.1% increase.
That has a fat rotation, Pop Era format for a stand alone AM written all over it. In P'town, that means mixing with local news and daily talk as well.
From my RAB Newsletter I received this very morning: The population of Americans age 45 to 64 grew 31.5% from 2000 to 2010, according to the U.S. Census, while growth in the number of people 65 and older also outpaced most younger population groups, with a 15.1% increase.
That has a fat rotation, Pop Era format for a stand alone AM written all over it. In P'town, that means mixing with local news and daily talk as well.
amfmsw said:SUPER...thanks for the P'town link. It's quite good, really. But I know all about P'town and it's fine proud history. I grew up there. My first radio job was at WPAZ while in High School at St. Pius X. Herb Scott said if I got my FCC RadioTelephone 3rd Class with Broadcast Endorsement, he'd pay me to help with remotes. I got it in 1973 at the Customs House in Philadelphia.
I got mine at the same place, 1961.
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