WECK shuffles their lineup

[TheBigA]

Revenue is down. Way down over the decades.

Of course it is. You take a neighborhood with one restaurant and add ten more, and the revenues at that one restaurant will go down. Regardless of quality, regardless of price. More competition lowers revenues. That's basic economics. There is no reason to believe that adding more songs to the play list, or more talk from the DJ will improve revenue. That's simply wrong. Lower revenues is not a programming problem.

Creativity among jocks, especially morning shows: I have found management typically does not want to get away from what research tells them to do.

Here's what I've found: Management wants what works. If they have a morning show that makes money, all the rules go out the window. The station will fire everyone else to pay for that morning show. Top morning shows don't report to the PD, but the GM. Top DJs have personal agents who work directly with management and ownership to ensure their client is the best paid, and gets to do whatever he wants. All that is great and wonderful until that DJ says something that pisses off a community group. Then everyone gets fired. That's how radio works. On the other hand Joe Rogan says something that makes national news, and Spotify leaves him alone. Why? They're not licensed by the federal government, and their money comes from subscribers, not advertisers.

You make an interesting point about trying something new. Here's what I have found: the one that tries something new is the least among stations in a market with nothing to lose

I've worked for both commercial and non-commercial radio. You have too, I believe. I think we can both safely say things are very different in the non-commercial world. If someone has an unusual idea, and it can get funding, it will get done. We had an organization come to us with a weekly poetry show. Every week, we'd spotlight a different poet reading their poetry. Try doing that at a commercial station. We did it, got it funded, and it ran for a while. But advertisers in the commercial world want one thing: numbers. I was in a sales meeting with a creative programming idea, and at the end, all the sponsor wanted to see was "spots & dots." The brick wall in creativity on the radio is with the advertisers. They determine the size of the playlist, the format, and the amount of creativity. That's why I say if someone wants more creativity in radio, they need to listen to non-commercial radio.

 

[ScottBurns]

Wow Scott, I hear my words in many of your comments. I am going 'personal' in my response.

Because I know syndicated from local, I would say we have become too reliant on syndication, likely because we have lowered the number in the radio business universe to the point maybe there's just not enough talent reaching the level required to fill all the slots. If the syndicated show has great content I might find myself a regular.

Voicetracking is frequently not done right in my book. Where I work, we're voicetracked outside the morning show but they sound live and when needed change a break at will (ie: Severe Thundersorm Warning triggered by EAS is announced about 2 minutes later at end of song by the jock voicetracking the station). When you're doing 5 to 10 stations I can see where you tend to 'phone it in'. Radio has always been a bit too understaffed.

Because I'm in radio I am not a fan of liner card jocking. I've been told my personality was in how I conveyed the liner card to the listener.

Jockless is something I tend to not be a fan of. My reasoning might be more unusual. For the same reason I was not a fan of automated stations in earlier decades. I have a theory that we as humans have a primal need to know our world is safe. There was the expectation that a person behind the microphone would tell me of any threat to my safety or anything that might alter my plans. Seeing how angry people get when they are not alerted to flooding or bad weather by their favorite station tells me I'm not the only one. Those angry listeners are simply saying their radio station did not live up to their expectation of telling them what was a disruption or dangerous to their safety, real or perceived. Jockless says nobody is manning the ship.

Creativity among jocks, especially morning shows: I have found management typically does not want to get away from what research tells them to do. I have seen many pioneers that toss the playbook aside. The reality is those pioneers typically fail. That failure is not ignored but the process refined and adjusted so that after a few failures you might have something new and unique. Most management and air talent would rather not go there because the risk of failure is so high.

On tight playlists, I personally like the songs but I am a music lover. Thus my tastes run deep in each style of music and music discovery is important to me. A station programming for me would fail. There's just not enough consensus among music lovers. I get why there are tight playlists based on listening patterns. Ironically one of my favorite CHRs was a station in the 1980s that had one rotation: all the hits they played repeated about every 70 minutes. They played 2 recurrents an hour. If I recall, there were 36 recurrents. Generally they moved out songs about every 4 weeks.

You make an interesting point about trying something new. Here's what I have found: the one that tries something new is the least among stations in a market with nothing to lose. Those that invested the big bucks radio properties used to command would not easily be convinced to do anything that had not already proved to be highly successful elsewhere. Even management wants the same because it is job security and simply easier to monetize than a less proven option.

A Houston station was changing formats. Those of us across town pondered the options. One comment I thought was very insightful. The jock said they should go with a certain format. Others said it must not be a good choice because it had never been tried in Houston. That jock said, yes, how do you go out and research what doesn't exist so you can prove it is the way to go? He made a good point. Then again the station went Smooth Jazz, never before tried in Houston.

You gave me much food for thought and I appreciate that.

To respond to some of your points:
1. I agree about the quality of syndication being a problem. There are some evening syndicated programs that are not of good quality. "Backstage Country" is one such show. Remember the days of high energy, heavy-phones night jocks? One thing missing from the analysis: Such jocks build station loyalty. They make people want to tune in. Billy the Kid did this in Dallas at Kiss.
2. There are some very good voicetrackers out there. But doesn't it become obvious - and doesn't the quality suffer - when the same jocks are tracking simultaneous shifts on multiple stations within a market? This is happening in both large and small markets.
3. Jockless shifts also do little to differentiate a radio station from a jukebox or an iPad. Magic 92.5/San Diego, among others, has tried to compensate for this by having voiceovers announcing artists before their songs played. While it helps a little, it is not the same as having a jock.
4. You make a good point about the risks of trying something new. But there are many stations - and owners - who are bleeding so much money that they have little to lose. And new can work. In other posts on other boards, I have given examples of the few stations out there succeeding at doing something new or different (WPLM/Plymouth, MA is a great example).
5. I am a music lover too, but it's heartbreaking when Classic Hits stations play "Start Me Up" over and over and over and ignore the legions of other great Stones' songs, for example. And how many times can I hear "Don't Stop Believing," for example, without getting utterly sick of it?

 

[TheBigA]

There are some evening syndicated programs that are not of good quality. "Backstage Country" is one such show. Remember the days of high energy, heavy-phones night jocks? One thing missing from the analysis: Such jocks build station loyalty.

For those unaware: Backstage Country is a country radio show done for Beasley Broadcasting country stations, hosted each week by a country star. It's not unlike a lot of artist takeovers that are popular today not only at radio stations, but also at SiriusXM and Apple Radio. The energy of the show depends on the artist. Someone like Jon Pardi is going to be more energetic than Alan Jackson. The thing this show gives is direct insight into the lives of the artists without any censorship or control by an outside person. Quite often, a DJ has an agenda in his interviews with artists. He's trying to get the artist to say something the host wants him to say, rather than what the artist wants to say. In this case the show is completely built around that specific artist. So it's something very different from what listeners normally hear on country radio. The local PD has no involvement in the show. It's done by an outside company. The rest of the day is hosted by live & local talent. No outside VT. But it's only available at Beasley owned country stations, such as WXTU or WKLB. They don't have a station in Buffalo or Rochester.

 

[davideduardo]

I'll add one point made earlier: the poster preferred the talk of the morning crew compared to a Van Halen tune. I worked for a banker/CPA who owned a station. As a non-radio guy he made a number of statements that turned radio people's heads. One I remember was he said he preferred talk over music on the station he owned. I asked why. His answer is any station can play songs. Any station can copy us 100% if we're a music format. Talk is exclusive. Nobody can duplicate or copy us. He felt that exclusive offered a competitive advantage. I thought that was a great observation and I agreed.

Interesting and true.

In 1986 I was asked to help Z-101 in the Dominican Republic. It was a Top 40 station that played merengue music all day. Now, merengue was the biggest music form of that nation, but anyone with a credit card could go to a record store back then and duplicate our library and hire some jocks and compete. The capital city had over 30 FMs and about as many AMs... all fulltime, all full signal stations.

But nobody had a morning show of significance. We created, in an intense 48 hours of recruiting and training, a talk based morning show. It became totally #1, and the music was eliminated. We learned that the President had a transcript done every day to know what "the people" were talking about. We added a talk afternoon show, then middays, evenings, nights and weekends. The station has as big an audience as any of the local TV stations, and is absolute #1 and has been for going on 37 years.... with talk.

 

[Tower590]

WECK is very good station.

 

[Tower590]

Sometimes these discussions seem like endless loops.

If all aspects of anything can be retrieved on your phone, that doesn’t mean you stop it as part of a conversation.

1. Why give time, temperature, weather, sports scores, information because you can get it on your phone?

Of course you can, but would you rather it be as sitting next to a friend that’s talking with you about things and happens to toss that into the mix? How many times in conversation has someone talked about the weather approaching a weekend? That talk and colour is not on the phone.

You can get music on your phone, too!

The reason people on this page say what they do is that they don’t realize the reason radio stopped talking about things in the moment has nothing to do with phones. It has everything to do with people saying that radio can save money by being better voice-tracked. That’s why nothing is in the moment. Does a listener complain that someone happened to give the Sabres score, time, temperature or whether heavy snow is beginning to fall?

The thing about radio is that the good stations like WECK are local.

I have nothing against Kidd Kelly, But what does he say that’s particularly entertaining or important or timely? What does he say about things that are going on in your town?

2. WECK is voice-tracked? Surprisingly they are live all day. I learned this from a reliable source. As well, you can tell by listening.

The following hosts are live on WECK. Mornings with Joe Chille, middays with Tom Donahue and Roger Christian, afternoons with Bobby O and evenings are done by Glenn Topolski live from his home.

These are all LIVE.

When the weather is bad, the Sabres are playing or there’s an accident that has traffic stopped on the bridge, they have it instantly. You never hear this on radio anywhere. I don’t even know that WBEN does this in the evening. And for those who say nobody listens in the evening, WECK does good then while the other stations gave up nights and stupidly weekends. WECK is live on weekends, as well. It doesn’t seem like they are just saying stuff that could be voice tracked. They talk about things that are happening now.

Does Kidd Kelly or frankly any other radio station in Buffalo, even in the evenings, do what WECK does?

3. I don’t understand why WECK wastes money on Nielsen. If they think it’s BS, then just don’t use it. Maybe because they do really well in the ratings and their revenue has grown exponentially, so they figure they need it. Revenue is all that matters. I still don’t see why they get Nielsen though.

4. Why do people here cut WECK down for the format? Anyone who knows radio knows it’s boomers who still listen to it. WECK doesn’t bask in the olden days. They just play good songs and don’t talk about the past. At least from what I’ve heard.

I give these guys credit for being local. That’s what radio is all about. That’s where the money is.

There are far better music formats, etc., for just playing songs, elsewhere.

As well, I just like someone who isn’t canned talking about what’s happening where I live. I don’t live in Buffalo, but it comes in well enough across the border and I listen mostly to their on-line.

I just like someone who isn’t canned talking about what’s happening where I live. I don’t live in Buffalo, but it comes in well enough across the border and I listen mostly to their on-line.
Smart stations are local and play music as part of the whole package.

WECK sounds like a major market radio station over the last few months. Someone knows what they’re doing.

Whoever is programming that station is a genius. It can’t be just a format that is purchased

I admit I didn’t like the name the BIG WECK but it’s grown upon me. It gives it even more of a personality.

I like Zoomer Radio on 740 as it is easy to get anywhere, but WECK is definitely my favourite.

Even though I don’t live in Buffalo I love the BIG WECK because I love radio done well and the station is one of the best I’ve heard in MANY years.

 

[ScottBurns]

Sometimes these discussions seem like endless loops.

If all aspects of anything can be retrieved on your phone, that doesn’t mean you stop it as part of a conversation.

1. Why give time, temperature, weather, sports scores, information because you can get it on your phone?

Of course you can, but would you rather it be as sitting next to a friend that’s talking with you about things and happens to toss that into the mix? How many times in conversation has someone talked about the weather approaching a weekend? That talk and colour is not on the phone.

You can get music on your phone, too!

The reason people on this page say what they do is that they don’t realize the reason radio stopped talking about things in the moment has nothing to do with phones. It has everything to do with people saying that radio can save money by being better voice-tracked. That’s why nothing is in the moment. Does a listener complain that someone happened to give the Sabres score, time, temperature or whether heavy snow is beginning to fall?

The thing about radio is that the good stations like WECK are local.

I have nothing against Kidd Kelly, But what does he say that’s particularly entertaining or important or timely? What does he say about things that are going on in your town?

2. WECK is voice-tracked? Surprisingly they are live all day. I learned this from a reliable source. As well, you can tell by listening.

The following hosts are live on WECK. Mornings with Joe Chille, middays with Tom Donahue and Roger Christian, afternoons with Bobby O and evenings are done by Glenn Topolski live from his home.

These are all LIVE.

When the weather is bad, the Sabres are playing or there’s an accident that has traffic stopped on the bridge, they have it instantly. You never hear this on radio anywhere. I don’t even know that WBEN does this in the evening. And for those who say nobody listens in the evening, WECK does good then while the other stations gave up nights and stupidly weekends. WECK is live on weekends, as well. It doesn’t seem like they are just saying stuff that could be voice tracked. They talk about things that are happening now.

Does Kidd Kelly or frankly any other radio station in Buffalo, even in the evenings, do what WECK does?

3. I don’t understand why WECK wastes money on Nielsen. If they think it’s BS, then just don’t use it. Maybe because they do really well in the ratings and their revenue has grown exponentially, so they figure they need it. Revenue is all that matters. I still don’t see why they get Nielsen though.

4. Why do people here cut WECK down for the format? Anyone who knows radio knows it’s boomers who still listen to it. WECK doesn’t bask in the olden days. They just play good songs and don’t talk about the past. At least from what I’ve heard.

I give these guys credit for being local. That’s what radio is all about. That’s where the money is.

There are far better music formats, etc., for just playing songs, elsewhere.

As well, I just like someone who isn’t canned talking about what’s happening where I live. I don’t live in Buffalo, but it comes in well enough across the border and I listen mostly to their on-line.

I just like someone who isn’t canned talking about what’s happening where I live. I don’t live in Buffalo, but it comes in well enough across the border and I listen mostly to their on-line.
Smart stations are local and play music as part of the whole package.

WECK sounds like a major market radio station over the last few months. Someone knows what they’re doing.

Whoever is programming that station is a genius. It can’t be just a format that is purchased

I admit I didn’t like the name the BIG WECK but it’s grown upon me. It gives it even more of a personality.

I like Zoomer Radio on 740 as it is easy to get anywhere, but WECK is definitely my favourite.

Even though I don’t live in Buffalo I love the BIG WECK because I love radio done well and the station is one of the best I’ve heard in MANY years.

You said everything I feel and you said it much better than I can. Thank you.

 

[KilowattKat]

Sometimes these discussions seem like endless loops.

If all aspects of anything can be retrieved on your phone, that doesn’t mean you stop it as part of a conversation.

1. Why give time, temperature, weather, sports scores, information because you can get it on your phone?

Of course you can, but would you rather it be as sitting next to a friend that’s talking with you about things and happens to toss that into the mix? How many times in conversation has someone talked about the weather approaching a weekend? That talk and colour is not on the phone.

You can get music on your phone, too!

The reason people on this page say what they do is that they don’t realize the reason radio stopped talking about things in the moment has nothing to do with phones. It has everything to do with people saying that radio can save money by being better voice-tracked. That’s why nothing is in the moment. Does a listener complain that someone happened to give the Sabres score, time, temperature or whether heavy snow is beginning to fall?

The thing about radio is that the good stations like WECK are local.

I have nothing against Kidd Kelly, But what does he say that’s particularly entertaining or important or timely? What does he say about things that are going on in your town?

2. WECK is voice-tracked? Surprisingly they are live all day. I learned this from a reliable source. As well, you can tell by listening.

The following hosts are live on WECK. Mornings with Joe Chille, middays with Tom Donahue and Roger Christian, afternoons with Bobby O and evenings are done by Glenn Topolski live from his home.

These are all LIVE.

When the weather is bad, the Sabres are playing or there’s an accident that has traffic stopped on the bridge, they have it instantly. You never hear this on radio anywhere. I don’t even know that WBEN does this in the evening. And for those who say nobody listens in the evening, WECK does good then while the other stations gave up nights and stupidly weekends. WECK is live on weekends, as well. It doesn’t seem like they are just saying stuff that could be voice tracked. They talk about things that are happening now.

Does Kidd Kelly or frankly any other radio station in Buffalo, even in the evenings, do what WECK does?

3. I don’t understand why WECK wastes money on Nielsen. If they think it’s BS, then just don’t use it. Maybe because they do really well in the ratings and their revenue has grown exponentially, so they figure they need it. Revenue is all that matters. I still don’t see why they get Nielsen though.

4. Why do people here cut WECK down for the format? Anyone who knows radio knows it’s boomers who still listen to it. WECK doesn’t bask in the olden days. They just play good songs and don’t talk about the past. At least from what I’ve heard.

I give these guys credit for being local. That’s what radio is all about. That’s where the money is.

There are far better music formats, etc., for just playing songs, elsewhere.

As well, I just like someone who isn’t canned talking about what’s happening where I live. I don’t live in Buffalo, but it comes in well enough across the border and I listen mostly to their on-line.

I just like someone who isn’t canned talking about what’s happening where I live. I don’t live in Buffalo, but it comes in well enough across the border and I listen mostly to their on-line.
Smart stations are local and play music as part of the whole package.

WECK sounds like a major market radio station over the last few months. Someone knows what they’re doing.

Whoever is programming that station is a genius. It can’t be just a format that is purchased

I admit I didn’t like the name the BIG WECK but it’s grown upon me. It gives it even more of a personality.

I like Zoomer Radio on 740 as it is easy to get anywhere, but WECK is definitely my favourite.

Even though I don’t live in Buffalo I love the BIG WECK because I love radio done well and the station is one of the best I’ve heard in MANY years.

Are you a relative of Buddy Shula? 🤔

 

[Tower590]

Are you a relative of Buddy Shula? 🤔

No, but I do like his station. We have Zoomer Radio, but I do like the Big WECK much more. I most definitely get tired of hearing “THIS IS BUDDY SHULA” seemingly 5 times an hour, however. He does appear to be a person of a rather large ego. What makes him credible as a spokesperson? He seems like a “know it all blowhard.”

Otherwise, the only other complaint I share is the weekend morning talk shows are unprofessional and don’t fit what the station does. That’s when I listen to 104.1 and 97 Rock has a good Beatles program. CHUM-FM is another good choice.