https://www.tennessean.com/story/sp...-titans-predators-vols-vanderbilt/1998932001/
I wonder what happened here....
I wonder what happened here....
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Well, this did not last long: George Plaster leaves WSM-AM after one month
- Thread starter sjs1959
- Start date
It's like an auto repeat. Two Titantics were headed toward each other... who did not see this happening when it was originally announced?
George is going to do a podcast. That sounds like a unique idea. Gaylord is a complete joke. Glad the city of Nashville disowned them years ago. I would say turn the lights off, but they already are...at least at the tower.
100 percent pathetic.
George is going to do a podcast. That sounds like a unique idea. Gaylord is a complete joke. Glad the city of Nashville disowned them years ago. I would say turn the lights off, but they already are...at least at the tower.
100 percent pathetic.
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From wsmv.com:
We received the following statement from Ryman Hospitality, owners of WSM radio:
"WSM has decided to end SportsNight with George Plaster. We are evaluating our options for this time slot, and in the meantime, we are looking forward to providing alternative programming for our listeners." – Ryman Hospitality Properties
We received the following statement from Ryman Hospitality, owners of WSM radio:
"WSM has decided to end SportsNight with George Plaster. We are evaluating our options for this time slot, and in the meantime, we are looking forward to providing alternative programming for our listeners." – Ryman Hospitality Properties
Have you ever had buyer's remorse? I have. Sometimes the idea is better than the reality.
Plaster has been off the radio for how long? His act needs phone calls, and I bet he didn't get many. After 4 weeks, they had talked to all of the listeners ten times already. I've done talk shows with no calls, and it's tough.
Glad to hear country music on WSM in the afternoon once again! I hope the station doesn't try again to add more talk programming.
It's known far and wide as a country station (one of the best). Becoming a music/talk hybrid seems unlikely to bring in more listeners, or sponsors. Sports talk is best left to all-sports stations.
It's known far and wide as a country station (one of the best). Becoming a music/talk hybrid seems unlikely to bring in more listeners, or sponsors. Sports talk is best left to all-sports stations.
You are asking me about buyer's remorse? Haha. You know what I would have turned back into for all the money back! Made several pretty horrific biz buys over the decades. I have my guesses, and that is all. I think you are onto something. I think there were guarantees and promises that were not kept by marketing. I also think there was "hire remorse." Plaster carries a bit of the old school mannerism. Sadly, especially on AM, no one is enamored anymore. I can see stresses on both sides, but to pull the plug this quick. I can only imagine how that went down. I think I said it before, George had exhausted his radio options after his last time on air. He quit his day job on a grass is greener fantasy. None of that is a bad thing, really. Just have to be much more certain of success in 2019 and this was not remotely going to be that.
I agree with everything you said in the previous post.
With regards to 650, I really think the days of attracting any usable audience on an AM, even a 50K AM with heritage, are about over. I sense the folks in Atlanta are thinking about transitioning WSB completely over to the FM simulcast, and jettisoning 750. If that happens, what else is left?
It really is a tough reality about AM. We all knew this would eventually go away, but in markets like Nashville, the impending death is still hard to take. Especially "this soon." I am not sure we can totally fault the content, BigA, even though it and the overall AM dial are sparse pickings. I think that and the obvious signal issues on AM are just not fixable. Last week, iHeart traded 98.3 to EMF here in Nashville and that is certainly interesting and shocking. I guess they really don't see the need to even simulcast a 50kw AM - WLAC.
When you give listeners a choice by airing the same content on a 50KW heritage AM and a full market FM, and a majority of them choose the FM, what does that tell you? That's what they're seeing in Atlanta with WSB. What should they do?
I'm very curious what led to Ryman Entertainment (Gaylord) making this decision so quickly. There is no ratings data yet for George Plaster's show (that would come out in about 3 more weeks). WSM doesn't subscribe, anyway.
So that means it had to be either an internal disagreement between Plaster and WSM management, or a revolt by the station's advertisers.
I would tend to assume that listenership was very low because they chased off all the country music fans (and fans of WSM's prior PM drive program, Nashville Today), and barely promoted the new show with George Plaster.
So that means it had to be either an internal disagreement between Plaster and WSM management, or a revolt by the station's advertisers.
I would tend to assume that listenership was very low because they chased off all the country music fans (and fans of WSM's prior PM drive program, Nashville Today), and barely promoted the new show with George Plaster.
In answer to Tibbs' question, the afternoon time slot that had briefly carried the sports show is now playing the station's regular country music format, and at least for now, is being hosted by Lexi Carter, cohost of their mid-morning show, Nashville today.
A station shouldn't veer between music and sports talk. I believe that WSM is useful to its owner as a country station, to maintain interest in the co-owned Grand Ole Opry.
A station shouldn't veer between music and sports talk. I believe that WSM is useful to its owner as a country station, to maintain interest in the co-owned Grand Ole Opry.
This. What I don't get is why the owners of WSM-AM sold WSM 95.5. Wsan't there a simulcast at one time? With no translator, and car streaming not quite here yet, they seem to be pushing the stream a lot. it just looks like they need either a translator or a full FM for simulcast. Your thoughts?
I was just looking down the board here, and I noticed that the buildup to this show lasted longer (about two months) than the actual show itself (just one month).
As far as "the same 10 callers" all the time, yeah, that happens on Newschannel5+, too. Rev. Fuzz manages to call in on almost every talk show that they have!
As far as "the same 10 callers" all the time, yeah, that happens on Newschannel5+, too. Rev. Fuzz manages to call in on almost every talk show that they have!
My recollection was that at the time of the sale, Gaylord wanted out of broadcasting as they were going full tilt after the hospitality market. But they saw WSM as a key element in marketing the Opry, and kept it as they wanted the actual on-air broadcasts to continue.
I probably shouldn’t feel too sorry for George Plaster. He’s probably made more off of his sports talk show than most of us will ever see, and he likely had a contract with Ryman that will have to get bought out.
I do, however, really hate when companies hire people away from good jobs only to cut them shortly afterward. This happens a lot in radio but is common everywhere. Plaster had what looked like a good job at Belmont. Now, he doesn’t have that, and he doesn’t have a job at WSM either. I realize nobody forced him to leave Belmont, but companies have a way of presenting themselves as good opportunities only to throw the people they hire under the bus.
I do, however, really hate when companies hire people away from good jobs only to cut them shortly afterward. This happens a lot in radio but is common everywhere. Plaster had what looked like a good job at Belmont. Now, he doesn’t have that, and he doesn’t have a job at WSM either. I realize nobody forced him to leave Belmont, but companies have a way of presenting themselves as good opportunities only to throw the people they hire under the bus.
If WSM is their only remaining (radio) holding, then it cannot even be a "loss leader." It is just simply a loss for them.
If he didn't burn his bridges with them, he could probably go back. As it is, he is probably fairly close to retirement age, anyway.
Kent - George left his job at Belmont before this deal was signed. Not many people would leave a job in education with benefits and security to go play radio on an AM station. I believe there were some reasons for that change that were not based upon specifically getting back on the air at WSM-AM. I was honestly shocked that he was able to talk WSM into even considering it. I would guess that George agreed to buy the time on the air and sell his own advertising to make money. I don't think WSM would have paid him a salary and IF they had, it would be minimal to start.
I always tell people to look at one thing and one thing only when hiring - Track Record. Once you see that on a resume, you can easily decide how the hire will pan out. Then you look at potential and talent. Look how many GREAT radio "stars" came through Nashville back in the 60's, 70's and 80's. Pretty impressive. Ever notice that when a name would return to Nashville a few years later (or longer) they would almost always flame out within a matter of months? There is a sad cycle to this and radio in 2019 is not exactly the shining stardom of yesteryear.
I doubt George will be owed anything. I would say he has probably seen his last studio in this market, unless he can come up with the probably $1.35M to by WSM-AM and then be able to afford the $40k a month to run the station.
Also, there was never a simulcast of WSM-AM and WSM-FM. And, Cumulus bought the two FM stations from Gaylord for a ridiculous amount that should have included the AM, but did not. Bad business move. Cumulus did run the station for a while, with an LMA. Eventually, Ryman Hospitality and Cumulus parted ways and I don't think Cumulus ever regretted it. WSM-AM has been a tough, tough sell for 12-15 years.
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The only one who I ever remember doing that was Dan Miller. He went out to L.A. with Pat Sajak and became Sajak's sidekick on Sajak's late-night talk show. If that show had made it, Miller might have stayed out in L.A. I was still living in west TN at the time, and did not know who Miller was. I remember thinking "I know that guy from somewhere" after moving here and seeing him host a local talk show on channel 4. This was TV of course, and Miller "made it" here; he just didn't make it out in L.A. Would have been great if Sajak's show had made it, and Miller could have stayed on as his "Ed McMahon."
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