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Buffalo WEBR The Breeze
- Thread starter topsound
- Start date
Wasn't the Breeze a failed format of WECK, between the Talk years and Adult Standards. It was 70's/early 80's gold AC.
WEBR's version is "somewhat" related. 96.1 also branded as "Breeze" for a bit.
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If I recall correctly, WECK was "The Breeze" while Dick Green owned it and just before Buddy bought it.
What a creative, inovative concept. Just what radio needs right now, a continum of failed everything. Even copied the failed logo verbatim. Failed at WECK (before I owned it) - Failed at 96.1 - and no one will hear it at WBER so it does not matter anyway, since you can't get it and even if you could nobody listens, except, possibly a few folks in Niagara County . Talk radio in middays at this teapot, and it's called "The Breeze" (good call) Talk Radio/Political in the evening and it's called "The Breeze"(good call nice and relaxing), talk shows all weekend with failed "legendary" jock. 10 PD's in a few years, zero ratings, 20 slogans in a few years, 15 formats,"THE HITS OF 716"(That's a biggie!), 1 facebook person who interacts named "Tom" and a few hundred wanna be fired jocks over the past few years. This is literally like the "Land of Misfit Toys".
This mish-mash of whatever simply does not get it.
These gurus simply refuse to believe what they are dealing with, or who they are. They actually think they are in Buffalo, because their cab company/lube job facility is in Kenmore.
How they are not walking around with their heads covered in shame is beyond me. The only "breeze" around these folks is coming from right around their abdominal region.
So why do react so harshly to this embarrasing cab company? Because they (especially one Dumke person) attacked me many times. While some may not fight back, I do.
Again, these folks want to play big-time Buffalo radio? Make me an offer. Of course, you'll need me to run it as well.
Here's a real programming tip: Target Niagara County
This mish-mash of whatever simply does not get it.
These gurus simply refuse to believe what they are dealing with, or who they are. They actually think they are in Buffalo, because their cab company/lube job facility is in Kenmore.
How they are not walking around with their heads covered in shame is beyond me. The only "breeze" around these folks is coming from right around their abdominal region.
So why do react so harshly to this embarrasing cab company? Because they (especially one Dumke person) attacked me many times. While some may not fight back, I do.
Again, these folks want to play big-time Buffalo radio? Make me an offer. Of course, you'll need me to run it as well.
Here's a real programming tip: Target Niagara County
Truer words were never spoken. Old proverb: No one is as deaf as those who refuse to listen.
Buddy, Buddy...calm down! Get your oversized ego under control. Certainly you've been a success in your hometown. It's undeniable. No one would dispute it. But clearly you don't have all the answers or we'd be hearing more about your success (?) with your latest acquisition - The Patriot. Tell us that story and what your future plan is for that property. Or maybe that station you bought in Key West a few years ago, how'd that story end?
Folks, I truly hate to sound hateful, but I am a very passionate radio person. I do know my stuff as I should since being in this business locally since 1983 (age 15). I wish WBER the best. I am simply pointing out that they know nothing about what they really should be doing to make the stations a success. However, I get it. The owner has these stations as a hobby, not a career like I do. Other than this board, I would not even know they exist, so let move on
The Patriot? Terrible format. Wrong move by me. It will be corrected very soon. 93.3FM and 95.1FM our truly metro translators will cover all of the Buffalo population and most of Niagara County. They will be up as early as next week, or as late as 2 months. They will not be turned on at the same time.
You will see a major correction to the syndicated Patriot. BIG CORRECTION in programming. I have NOT promoted this station, because I know a BIG correction is coming. Again, my bad. Local is the way to go. Not syndication. That being said, I have already paid for the station 3x over from the purchase price
I have some things in the works that I simply cannot discuss here. Think of some of the biggest things I could do, and you would probably have a good chance of being right. However, good things come to those who wait. That goes for you and me.
These are not "little things" I am working on. They are very big to the community of Buffalo. When I announce, I think you will know that I realize what is important to my company and Buffalo. That's all I'm saying for now.
Oh yeah, Key West. I really never explained. I purchased WKEY because I own a home in Key West. Not a rental, but a house. It's our 2nd home, not investment. I thought it would be cool to purchase a station, so I did and presented the Yacht Rock format which is now taking the country by storm, however, I was the first to make it a full-time format. I made my money back thru sales, no huge gains, and sold the station to Michael Stapleford, a great friend and a great broadcaster who lives in KW and owns several stations there, along with some in NY and Pennsyvania. His company is Magnum Broadcasting. I respect the hell out of this guy. The format in KW is the hottest thing going. Just go there and ask the locals.
Knowing what I am going to be doing in Buffalo, I sold it to focus here. I go there now for about a month every 3 months. I work and think clearer there. I bridge-fish. I have a studio in my house. It's perfect for work ....so, thats the scoop. No drama, just an honest recount of that situation. I like and respect Mike so much, I gave him an interest free note, just because he's a true hard-workign broadcaster. I wanted to help him and leave the station under great stewardship
So, I will not be checking into this board, or reading or answering anything for now. I will be back after you find out what is going to happen in Buffalo.
Be well, have a great summer, and GO BILLS!
One more thing, the folks who work at WBER are good people. The owner is a good person. I simply wish they would stop the programming non-sense and just make hay with owning Niagara County and stop with the lame music stuff that anyone can get in a million places. Be the "Talk of Niagara County" and make some real money
The Patriot? Terrible format. Wrong move by me. It will be corrected very soon. 93.3FM and 95.1FM our truly metro translators will cover all of the Buffalo population and most of Niagara County. They will be up as early as next week, or as late as 2 months. They will not be turned on at the same time.
You will see a major correction to the syndicated Patriot. BIG CORRECTION in programming. I have NOT promoted this station, because I know a BIG correction is coming. Again, my bad. Local is the way to go. Not syndication. That being said, I have already paid for the station 3x over from the purchase price
I have some things in the works that I simply cannot discuss here. Think of some of the biggest things I could do, and you would probably have a good chance of being right. However, good things come to those who wait. That goes for you and me.
These are not "little things" I am working on. They are very big to the community of Buffalo. When I announce, I think you will know that I realize what is important to my company and Buffalo. That's all I'm saying for now.
Oh yeah, Key West. I really never explained. I purchased WKEY because I own a home in Key West. Not a rental, but a house. It's our 2nd home, not investment. I thought it would be cool to purchase a station, so I did and presented the Yacht Rock format which is now taking the country by storm, however, I was the first to make it a full-time format. I made my money back thru sales, no huge gains, and sold the station to Michael Stapleford, a great friend and a great broadcaster who lives in KW and owns several stations there, along with some in NY and Pennsyvania. His company is Magnum Broadcasting. I respect the hell out of this guy. The format in KW is the hottest thing going. Just go there and ask the locals.
Knowing what I am going to be doing in Buffalo, I sold it to focus here. I go there now for about a month every 3 months. I work and think clearer there. I bridge-fish. I have a studio in my house. It's perfect for work ....so, thats the scoop. No drama, just an honest recount of that situation. I like and respect Mike so much, I gave him an interest free note, just because he's a true hard-workign broadcaster. I wanted to help him and leave the station under great stewardship
So, I will not be checking into this board, or reading or answering anything for now. I will be back after you find out what is going to happen in Buffalo.
Be well, have a great summer, and GO BILLS!
One more thing, the folks who work at WBER are good people. The owner is a good person. I simply wish they would stop the programming non-sense and just make hay with owning Niagara County and stop with the lame music stuff that anyone can get in a million places. Be the "Talk of Niagara County" and make some real money
Your questions are answered below. Just one for you if you don't mind. Since you do not live in Buffalo, what city do you live in?
I just sampled it over the past hour - hits from 70s, 80s and 90s but it’s a little bizarre in artist and song selection - Todd Rundgren - Hello It’s Me, Duncan Sheik - Barely Breathing, Aretha Franklin - Freeway of Love, John Lennon - Starting Over, Kenny Loggins - Heart to Heart, Spyro Gyra-Morning Dance. I agree with Buddy and I don’t see anybody listening to it either. It has zero personality - more like an embalming chamber of past hits that don’t have a cohesive feel. If that want a better template for a 70-90’s format they should mirror Boom 97.3.
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I liked the format WEBR signed on with a soft oldies/standards mix. After all WKBW played some Mom & Dad tunes mixed with the Beatles and Stones. We grew up listening to a very interesting mix that's not availabe anywhere else.
I listened to it a little yesterday evening. For the roughly hour to 90 minutes I heard it, it wasn't terrible musically, but it definitely wasn't a research-driven playlist. Like you mention, it sounded a bit rough around the edges most of the time, and some of the song transitions were outright trainwrecks. The playlist was a little too large and has a lot of stiffs, but I only heard one song that made me want to tune out ("Reelin' in the Years" by Steely Dan).
I didn't hear much in way of personality either, but people probably aren't listening to "The Breeze" for that.
Haven't there been enough research driven playlists? Do listeners care or have a concept of trainwrecks?
Top 40, from the mid-50's through the 60's, was a broad format because FM had not found its place yet (forced by non-duplication rules after nearly 30 years of failure or scant revenue).
Look at markets like Cleveland, Rochester, Buffalo, Pittsburgh and the like. Maybe 6 or 7 decent AMs that were fulltime and covered at least most of the market. Some were MOR, one might have been country in a market or two, one might have been R&B and a couple were Top 40.
So the Top 40 stations tried to be all things for all young people, including younger adults. Even then, aside from some pimple cream ads and the like, there was not enough teen money for a station to live off that group. So stations played a range from Dean Martin to Iron Butterfly.
When FMs were forced to find a different format, some picked a variety of Top 40. So we got album rock, Top 40 without the MOR / adult songs, "chicken rock" which became AC and lots of other formats that splintered the traditional music formats of the prior 15 or so years.
But from the mid-50's through the 60's, those of us at the younger end of the demos knew that our markets had two or three Top 40 stations most of the time. I was in Cleveland through 1962, and nearly always had three Top 40 stations to choose from... so when Domenico Modugno or Sinatra or Nat "King" Cole came on, I switched to another station.
My point is that what you call an "interesting mix" did not make anyone enormously happy. The older listeners who were not into the very old MOR did not like the rock and bubblegum and The Twist and so on. And the younger ones, like me, did not like the stuff that sounded like those old crooners.
You’ve been in this business long enough to know that, when done well, researched playlists work. The usual reaction to abnormally large playlists with a heavy amount of stiffs is, “this sucks.”
Maybe, maybe not, but you also know that playlists designed by people who have the audience in mind and care are successful. If the ownership at WEBR can afford it and is just trying to have fun, good for them. Must be a nice luxury to have. When you have to make money, you have to think about what your audience wants and how to deliver it.
All playlists are based on either research the station does or a "summation" of stuff other stations do. Add in the wealth of streaming data and every playlist is somehow based on research.
Back in the later 50's and 60's, stations called record shops, one-stops, jukebox operators and the like and compiled requests. We just found new ways to do the same thing when 45's stopped being a measure of record popularity.
Going back to my prior post, many if not most of found those old Top 40 lists to be full of things we did not enjoy, whether "for older people" or "just for kids".
When you do Top 40, you just can't change the songs or song orders much, or you screw up the rotations
Yet there are stations who have done none of this and still won.
This is why our 1210/96.7 shifted from new hit country to early 80s to about 2010 country.... the previous owner tried to compete against Townsquare's 100kw Y95... were choosing not to
I can't think of any, at least not in the post Docket 80-90 era in any significant market.
I'm sure a handful of small town stations that couldn't afford research have been successful, but they wouldn't likely win in crowded markets.
I get the frustration. Most everybody has worked with a consultant who asked to see your watch, told you the time, and sent you a bill. Bad research and bad consulting definitely exist. With good research, though, even a mediocre manager like me can look good at his job.