WDVE gets Tribune-Review Praise

[Pratte4Life]

Laurel- To WDVE. The rockin' radio home of the Pittsburgh Steelers that broadcasts "live from the Pittsburgh Trib studios" continues to lead the market in audience share, rising in the spring Arbitron ratings more than two full points. The ratings are reflective of an eclectic programming philosophy that has come to define Pittsburgh. Rock on.


OKAY- Part of this is back slapping, but what are your thoughts here?

 

[toddjammin]

I expect WDVE to go up even more in the ratings during the fall Super Bowl Champion Steeler Season. Here We Go Steelers Here We Go!!!!!!!!!

 

[corporateradiosucks]

Laurel- To WDVE. The rockin' radio home of the Pittsburgh Steelers that broadcasts "live from the Pittsburgh Trib studios" continues to lead the market in audience share, rising in the spring Arbitron ratings more than two full points. The ratings are reflective of an eclectic programming philosophy that has come to define Pittsburgh. Rock on.


OKAY- Part of this is back slapping, but what are your thoughts here?

Eclectic?? I guess that's throwing the Green Day & Nickelback into what's essentially a classic rock station (although if I had to pick 2 current bands to throw in, that certainly wouldn't be it). I can't think of anything else that DVE does that is dramatically different, unless they mean broadcasting sports on an FM station.

I think by "part" that's back slapping you mean "completely."

 

[Radio_Realist]

"Eclectic?? I guess that's throwing the Green Day & Nickelback into what's essentially a classic rock station"

I see "eclectic" as meaning that they run standard music with DJ shows some of the time, the Morning Show and Paulsen's night time shows that are a blend of music and comedy bits, and sporting events and sports coverage. I don't see their music playlist as being what makes them "eclectic", it's that fact that they aren't just playing programmed music wall-to-wall, 24/7.

To radio insiders, it's all about what songs are picked. To newspaper writers (and everyone else out in listenerland), it's about real differences between the individual radio shows. To some of the rest of us in listenerland, we still think in terms of radio "shows", just like TV shows. "The 'DVE Morning Show" isn't just a block of programming, it is a specific show. "The Electric Lunch" is a one-hour radio "show" on at Noon.

 

[cingram]

Laurel- To WDVE. The rockin' radio home of the Pittsburgh Steelers that broadcasts "live from the Pittsburgh Trib studios" continues to lead the market in audience share, rising in the spring Arbitron ratings more than two full points. The ratings are reflective of an eclectic programming philosophy that has come to define Pittsburgh. Rock on.

OKAY- Part of this is back slapping, but what are your thoughts here?

My thought is that since WDVE's "Pittsburgh Trib studios" are presumably a paid sponsorship, the Trib should "asterisk" their laurel and add a "potential conflict of interest" disclaimer.

As for the rest, I come neither to bury Caesar, nor to praise him. Are they leading the market in the ratings? Yes - in part because sister station 'PGB has taken quite a chunk out of KDKA. Are they eclectic? Personally, I don't think so. Does DVE define Pittsburgh? Like it or not, they do. (in a number of ways) Are they unbeatable? No, and it has been quite a while since any station has truly tried.

 

[cingram]

One of these days, I'll figure out how I keep making these duplicate posts.

 

[Parttimer]

Eclectic? Actually if you compare DVE to the 300-song classic rock droning tht dominates most of the country, they're WAY out there.

You won't hear Stevie Ray Vaughn AT ALL on most classic rockers. Or Yes, for that matter, with the exception of "Your Move/I've Seen All good People" on classic hits crossovers. Add in the 100 or so deep-cut titles that DVE leans on for that Pittsburgh flavor. You will not hear Donnie Iris on the radio anywhere else, except maybe "Ah Leah" as a lost classic feature of some sort. And the Outlaws are from Tampa... you think we EVER hear an Outlaws song here?

DVE is a combination of a classic rock station with elements of the "outlaw country" crossover format, AND tons of sports content. There are a few examples of stations managing to be a market leader by portaying one image, but really having elements that appeal to multiple demos, thus broadening their appeal beyond the norm. When the legendary Q105 dominated the Tampa market, they were a CHR that played OLDIES from 10A-noon. Really successful CHRs manage to image themselves as new and hip, but play Hot-AC recurrents from 6A-6P (and THAT is what B94 was all about in its heyday).

So whether or not "eclectic" is necessarily the right word may be open to discussion, but DVE is absolutely one of a kind, as is the market it serves.

 

[Radio_Realist]

As an enthusiastic amateur musician who has worked in more than a few reasonably successful bar bands, it never ceases to make me laugh when I hear radio people trying to define musical genres by listing the names of bands and solo artists, as if those bands and solo artists only recorded one single style of music over the entire course of their careers. I'm not saying that all radio pros are clueless when it comes to music. I understand that some radio pros are actually skilled musicians in their own right. But there are too many people out there responsible for selecting which songs to play for audience test groups who don't know one type of music from another that it's a wonder playlists aren't even worse than they are now. And that's saying something.

 

[Parttimer]

What's your point (aside from the fact that you're still as annoying as ever)?

The question was, is DVE different from other classic rock stations? Yes.

How are they different? They play songs and bands other classic rock stations don't play, and bands that usually are only heard in other formats.

As far as the comment about artists not being limited to one style of music... what? Did I miss the Outlaws' symphonic period or something?

And DVE puts up billboards... I figured that would be good enough for you. Maybe the bilboards should list all the different songs they play.

 

[Radio_Realist]

"The question was, is DVE different from other classic rock stations?"

Not in this town. 'DVE is the only classic rock station in town now. How can something that is one of a kind be different from something when there's nothing else in their category to be different from?

"How are they different? They play songs and bands other classic rock stations don't play, and bands that usually are only heard in other formats."

I disagree with that observation to a point. They may have a larger playlist, but what really sets them apart, what really makes them unique among Pittsburgh radio stations, is that at least during morning drive time they do more than just play recorded songs with some talking in between them.

"Did I miss the Outlaws' symphonic period or something?"

Typical response from a typical radio guy. Pick a mid-level act with no depth or breadth in their repertoire as proof that no acts have any depth or breadth. Why not name a one-hit wonder as proof that no act ever has more than one hit?

 

[cingram]

Nothing like a good argument.

I agree. DVE is one of a kind.

As for the music, which station do you think plays more total song titles, WDVE or 3WS? I worked in that building and could answer that question, but I won't. Just throwing it out on the table as a point to ponder.

 

[Radio_Realist]

"which station do you think plays more total song titles, WDVE or 3WS?"

Is that a trick question based on the number of songs played on the midnight to dawn shift playlist?

And, over what period of time are you talking? When I get stuck listening to 3WS at work, it seems like they rotate a small selection of songs in for a while, play them to death, then rotate in a new list to play to death. So, in terms of total overall song list, 3WS might have the bigger list. But in terms of what the 3WS list sounds like if you listen every day all day at work, it sounds like they're playing the same few songs over and over and over and over.

 

[Boss Radio]

Funny thing about DVE is Krenn has had a lot of success doing Dumb Yinzer characters. Yet they always have a sports guy (used to be Kirczyk, now Prisuta) who actually IS that guy.

 

[cingram]

"which station do you think plays more total song titles, WDVE or 3WS?"

Is that a trick question based on the number of songs played on the midnight to dawn shift playlist?

And, over what period of time are you talking? When I get stuck listening to 3WS at work, it seems like they rotate a small selection of songs in for a while, play them to death, then rotate in a new list to play to death. So, in terms of total overall song list, 3WS might have the bigger list. But in terms of what the 3WS list sounds like if you listen every day all day at work, it sounds like they're playing the same few songs over and over and over and over.

It wasn't meant as a trick question, just a thinking point, but I wasn't thinking of the syndicated Tom Kent overnight show, in which just about anything or everything gets played sooner or later. So, the answer is more complicated than I thought, and any answer I gave would be a couple of years old anyway. Never mind.

 

[cingram]

Funny thing about DVE is Krenn has had a lot of success doing Dumb Yinzer characters. Yet they always have a sports guy (used to be Kirczyk, now Prisuta) who actually IS that guy.

Pittsburgh has quite a few Dumb Yinzers. Being a native myself, I don't mean that unkindly. ;D

 

[radiogeek07]

I have been listening to them all this week because of their extensive training camp coverage. In Dayton, we have a very similar station called TUE. The only difference is they have Bob and Tom instead of their own morning show. What sets DVE apart from them is the fact they have a major sports team to follow, and Pittsburghers only truly have 1 professional sport in town.
One thing I have been saying to people down here is while the Reds still have a chance, baseball season in the Burgh concluded last weekend. Don't even get me started on the Pens.

 

[cingram]

I have been listening to them all this week because of their extensive training camp coverage. In Dayton, we have a very similar station called TUE. The only difference is they have Bob and Tom instead of their own morning show. What sets DVE apart from them is the fact they have a major sports team to follow, and Pittsburghers only truly have 1 professional sport in town.
One thing I have been saying to people down here is while the Reds still have a chance, baseball season in the Burgh concluded last weekend. Don't even get me started on the Pens.

PNC Park notwithstanding, I could make a case that baseball season in the 'Burgh concluded with the 1992 playoffs.

But then, other than the '70s-era Pirates and Steelers, sports hasn't really been a big interest of mine (which is blasphemy in this town). I turned on the Super Bowl near the two minute warning to see if we were winning. I'm glad we won. That's about it.

The appeal of "training camp coverage" is entirely lost on me.

 

[radiogeek07]

What I think I like most about the camp coverage on DVE is that it is not a sports station. I would think that Homer in Cincinnati may do one of their shows live from Bengles Training Camp. That would be expected though. If you have a rock station doing all of the training camp coverage, there is something more to add than just sports. That's what makes it interesting. It makes it less clishé imho.
Oh yeah, Elis was asking if anybody had gotten over that 1992 loss to the Braves the other night. I suppose that just makes your point doesn't it!
I was but a small child then.

 

[Radio_Realist]

"What I think I like most about the camp coverage on DVE is that it is not a sports station."

Like I said in another thread, the 'DVE Morning Show isn't just a few hours of a typical "play some songs with some talking in between". It's more like "The Yinzer's Home Companion", with jokes, news, skits, interviews and other interesting stuff. Personally, I'd like to hear them replace even more of the music with other content. Even though they aren't as funny as they used to be, they're still the most entertaining morning show on the air in Pittsburgh.

 

[kenhawk1160]

Even though they aren't as funny as they used to be, they're still the most entertaining morning show on the air in Pittsburgh.

Agreed. You don't often find a local morning show with so much going on in a market that's not in the Top 10.