WHAT ABOUT BOSTON?

[MR. JAROME_CALVIN]

-Look at (Radio-locator.com) Look up "Anchorage, Alaska"
-They have a Hip Hop Station KFAT 92.9, Rhythmic AC KMVV 104.9, and Smooth Jazz KNIK 105.7. Anchorage has both Rhythmic AC and Smooth Jazz. Of all the cities in United States, Anchorage, Alaska has both Rhythmic AC and Smooth Jazz.
What about Boston?
It's a shame that we in Boston don't have either. It's very sad what happened to Star 93.7, and W I L D 1090am. It's very sad.
All I'm saying is Entercom should switch 93.7. Put 93.7 (Funkytown 93.7), and put MIKE FM on 93.7 HD 2.
My second idea is they should change 97.7 to Smooth Jazz. If they do that, the listenners in Boston will be happy for that.




or




Greater Media should put 92.9 to Smooth Jazz. This would be the best station to have Smooth Jazz on, because their signal is EXCELENT in and around this part of Boston, Massachusetts.


Boston radio management/programming should look into these two options and should highly consider them.. It's a shame and very sad to seee Boston without those two formats. Take a few hours out of your days (free time) see what is on the Boston dial. Nothing too good to listen to, mostly all stations play simular or the same music. Stop, and think how you would feel (a person who like Smooth Jazz, or a person who likesOldschool r&B) and can't hear both 24/7. Think how would you feel if you was that listenner and can never find that radio station here in Boston.
Think of these listenners who don't have computer access, nor can not afford to get an HD radio. Think of these things highly!!!!
It's a shame and very sad not having these stations here in Boston.


(to all the readers out there) if you have nothing good to say here, please keep all bad things to yourself? No need to put no one down here.
I'm just putting my say and thoughts


Thank you for your time.

 

[Speaker of Truth]

It all comes down to billing..if a format is able to attract advertisers, it will survive..if it can't, it won't..

Ever hear of I-Pods..XM..Sirius..AOL Radio...a similar service is provided via Yahoo..or streaming?

If you want different music, its avaliable with the right hardware, or a computer and the proper modem..

Stop waiting for commercial radio to provide you with what you want, in Boston or anywhere else..its not going to..its in the business of answering to shareholders, to salespeople, to GMs under the gun quarter by quarter..

 

[GovtMule1979]

Speaker is right on the money. If you're smart enough to know how to post on a message board, then you can program an iPod. The only thing local radio is good for, is news, weather, traffic, and loacl talk. If you want to hear diffrent music make your own playlist. I have three days worth of Gov't Mule songs on my iPod for when I'm not listening to local talk. Get an iPod and load it up with all the dentist music you want.

 

[Neanderpaul]

If there's money to be made in a format in Boston...it will be done.

It's that simple.

If radio would better train sales to sell a format/lifestyle we'd probably see a true Hip Hop station in Boston. The reality is, when the sales department doesn't listen to, or understand the product, they have a difficult time answering the myriad of client questions when pitching, and they look stupid. Not because they are stupid. But, because they either haven't been properly trained, or haven't taken it upon themselves to know what the hell they're selling.

Someone once said to me, and I don't see a way to argue it: Nobody goes through HS, or College and says to themself; "Damn..I cannot WAIT to be a salesperson!"

I'm betting that's fairly accurate. It's probably tough to find motivated individuals willing to accept that their job is to sell an intangible. Radio airtime doesn't exist. You cannot touch it. And that requires a more skillful ability to pitch. Every possible question with regard to not only the product they are selling, but the product on the entire dial has to be considered.

I empathize with salespeople. Just put yourself at your job. The phones rings, you pick it up, and someone's pitching you. What do you do after rolling your eyes? Exactly. Sales has a very tough gig from the get-go.

Now...factor in that a lot (I can't say most..but I have experienced it more often than not) of salespeople don't even listen to the product. They can't answer any questions about the bands, personalities, or concerts coming to town. They just haven't been prepped properly. Is that the sales manager's job? Or, should the salesperson take it upon themself? Probably a little of both? I don't know. I do know that sales managers have a ton of pressure to cover that monthly, quarterly, and yearly nut. Training salespeople is probably not high on their priority list. So, the new salespeople are assigned to current salespeople. Some of whom have no interest, or idea what they're selling, and the cycle continues.

What this eventually means is that programming must make adjustments to accommodate sales. That's just the way it works. It's easier to make the format more generic than expending the time, and finances to train salespeople.

That's not a slight at all to sales in any way. It just appears to be the way of the industry, and a microcosm of life in America. Don't force the individual to adapt. Change the system.

Just my long-winded opinion on a Sunday morning in KC with a heat index of 110.

 

[mistermicrophone]

It's a shame and very sad not having these stations here in Boston.

To whom? You? You mention Mike-FM. They are billing well and doing well in the ratings, why would you flip the station back to a format that DIDN'T work?

 

[LA_Guy]

KTWV (The Wave) is one of the top billers in Los Angeles. They program smooth jazz. It also has great ratings-until now. See, it's being DECIMATED by the People Meter-so much so that they just might change format.

I'm not sure that jazz can survive in the People Meter ratings universe.

 

[WMC2006]

Just my long-winded opinion on a Sunday morning in KC with a heat index of 110.

Come back to Boston for a visit. Much more comfy out this way as long you don't run into any of the tornados that have hit the south shore and New Hampshire in the last couple weeks.

 

[Oldbones]

KTWV (The Wave) is one of the top billers in Los Angeles. They program smooth jazz. It also has great ratings-until now. See, it's being DECIMATED by the People Meter-so much so that they just might change format.

I'm not sure that jazz can survive in the People Meter ratings universe.

So which ratings are the "truth"? PPM or diary? Maybe, just maybe the station wasn't doing as well as diary results would have indicated.

Any jazz enthusiast would laugh you right out of the room if you even hinted that "smooth jazz" was the real thing.

 

[rapking]

Boston, A Great City. Boston, A Great Sports City. Boston, A Garbage Music Radio Dial city( Cape Cod and Providence has better music on the air than Boston ). Lets These signals go to waste 97.7,890,1510,590,1260,1150 and 101.7

 

[Mickey37]

If radio would better train sales to sell a format/lifestyle we'd probably see a true Hip Hop station in Boston. The reality is, when the sales department doesn't listen to, or understand the product, they have a difficult time answering the myriad of client questions when pitching, and they look stupid.
Training salespeople is probably not high on their priority list. So, the new salespeople are assigned to current salespeople. Some of whom have no interest, or idea what they're selling, and the cycle continues.

This is just another example of the genius that is corporate radio management - -
One of the people with the best understanding of Boston radio (that posts on this board) is now in Kansas City! But I digress......

Paul is right on the money. If you want to feel a breeze inside a radio station, go to the revolving door to the sales office. It's not rocket science; if you don't know what you're selling, how can you market it to clients? Commercial formats that don't establish a toe-hold among listeners and sponsors don't last. I'd like to hear a REAL jazz station in Boston, not some signal crankin out the Best of Kenny G.

 

[Retro]

-Look at (Radio-locator.com) Look up "Anchorage, Alaska"
-They have a Hip Hop Station KFAT 92.9, Rhythmic AC KMVV 104.9, and Smooth Jazz KNIK 105.7. Anchorage has both Rhythmic AC and Smooth Jazz. Of all the cities in United States, Anchorage, Alaska has both Rhythmic AC and Smooth Jazz.
What about Boston?
It's a shame that we in Boston don't have either. It's very sad what happened to Star 93.7, and W I L D 1090am. It's very sad.
All I'm saying is Entercom should switch 93.7. Put 93.7 (Funkytown 93.7), and put MIKE FM on 93.7 HD 2.
My second idea is they should change 97.7 to Smooth Jazz. If they do that, the listenners in Boston will be happy for that.




or




Greater Media should put 92.9 to Smooth Jazz. This would be the best station to have Smooth Jazz on, because their signal is EXCELENT in and around this part of Boston, Massachusetts.


Boston radio management/programming should look into these two options and should highly consider them.. It's a shame and very sad to seee Boston without those two formats. Take a few hours out of your days (free time) see what is on the Boston dial. Nothing too good to listen to, mostly all stations play simular or the same music. Stop, and think how you would feel (a person who like Smooth Jazz, or a person who likesOldschool r&B) and can't hear both 24/7. Think how would you feel if you was that listenner and can never find that radio station here in Boston.
Think of these listenners who don't have computer access, nor can not afford to get an HD radio. Think of these things highly!!!!
It's a shame and very sad not having these stations here in Boston.


(to all the readers out there) if you have nothing good to say here, please keep all bad things to yourself? No need to put no one down here.
I'm just putting my say and thoughts


Thank you for your time.

Now why would Entercom do that?

 

[Adam Rivers]

Heard you on planet Mikey the other night Lauro!

 

[MR. JAROME_CALVIN]

It all comes down to billing..if a format is able to attract advertisers, it will survive..if it can't, it won't..

Ever hear of I-Pods..XM..Sirius..AOL Radio...a similar service is provided via Yahoo..or streaming?

If you want different music, its avaliable with the right hardware, or a computer and the proper modem..

Stop waiting for commercial radio to provide you with what you want, in Boston or anywhere else..its not going to..its in the business of answering to shareholders, to salespeople, to GMs under the gun quarter by quarter..

thank you everyone for (speaking the truth and all your thoughts) thank you for your "good" words.
thank you

 

[FPB]

Sometime back in '07 Charlie Rose did an interview with the president of Entercom. The guy said a couple of very interesting things. First he declared in glowing terms that "radio is doing great!". (Who knew??) Then he said - almost in the same breath - that there is NO expectation for growth in radio in the foreseeable future.

Wait a minute! What is Rule #1 in American business? You know; the first thing they teach you at Harvard Business School, and the first thing they say in all those books that show you what they "don't teach you at Harvard Business School"?

Rule #1 in American business is "Grow or Die". This is as true for communications giants as it is for the local pizza shop. Understand and embrace this rule, and you could plan your retirement. Ignore it and you'll be brushing up your resume before you know it.

So how does this guy say with no sense of irony that radio is doing great and it has no prospects for future growth? Obviously, the suits in our industry are operating under a very different set of rules, and those rules are: "Milk the cash cow dry until it is completely dead and totally useless".

But this is actually good news. When these parasites are finally finished with radio and have no further use for it, the market value of radio stations and their licenses will be in the sub-basement. Small groups - even individuals - will be able to purchase them for pennies on the dollar. Then, finally, localism and creative programming will become possible.

 

[MR. JAROME_CALVIN]

thank you for your time and replys.
I still say Boston should get these two formats. I hear what you all are saying. I mean, look at it, Touch 106.1 and Big City 101.3 can get advertisers on their stations, and play commercials.
This can happen again. It's just no one want to do anything about it, and no one want to give it a try.
Thank you all for your time

 

[mistermicrophone]

Touch 106.1 and Big City 101.3 can get advertisers on their stations, and play commercials.
This can happen again. It's just no one want to do anything about it, and no one want to give it a try.

Why should someone try AGAIN when the formats you laid out didn't work in the first place? Also, if a company is happy with how their stations are doing, why do they need to change?

 

[dumber than a box of hair]

thank you for your time and replys.
I still say Boston should get these two formats. I hear what you all are saying. I mean, look at it, Touch 106.1 and Big City 101.3 can get advertisers on their stations, and play commercials.
This can happen again. It's just no one want to do anything about it, and no one want to give it a try.
Thank you all for your time

So, they can get advertisers. That doesn't mean they have a measurable audience, nor does it mean that those formats are commercially viable. How many more times does this have to be explained to you?

 

[MUGrad]

thank you for your time and replys.
I still say Boston should get these two formats. I hear what you all are saying. I mean, look at it, Touch 106.1 and Big City 101.3 can get advertisers on their stations, and play commercials.
This can happen again. It's just no one want to do anything about it, and no one want to give it a try.
Thank you all for your time

So, they can get advertisers. That doesn't mean they have a measurable audience, nor does it mean that those formats are commercially viable. How many more times does this have to be explained to you?

I touched on this idea last week, maybe someone with more insider insight can verify or not. Isn't it entirely possible that the pirate stations mentioned (106.1 and 101.3) get advertisers by the simple fact that they can pick their rates (rather than rely on market rates based on ratings) and still come in cheaper than the cheapest legal commercial station's rate since they have much, much, much more overhead to take care of?

So yes, maybe the pirates get advertisers (no one's saying these formats can't attract advertisers...it's whether they attract the ones that pay enough to pay the bills). But without the overhead of running a legal station (are the pirates paying ASCAP, for example?), the pirates might be able to charge X per 30 second spot whereas a commercial station has to charge 5X or 10X to make ends meet.

A profitable pirate does not equate to a profitable legal station. It's apples and oranges.

 

[WLYNWAZNgm]

"A profitable pirate does not equate to a profitable legal station. It's apples and oranges."

Absolutely correct - an astute observation. The pirates are actually preventing a legitimate
station from flipping to these formats, as they are eating the legal stations' lunch. (that is,
until the pirates are shut down once and for all. Good riddance!)

Neither format worked here. Three malcontents (always the same three...) do not make for a mandate.
They just don't get it - never will...The stakes are way too high...

 

[Eli Polonsky]

Absolutely correct - an astute observation. The pirates are actually preventing a legitimate
station from flipping to these formats, as they are eating the legal stations' lunch.

I don't think I'd go that far. If a legitimate station believed that a format was profitable in the greater Boston market, they would do it regardless of whether there are pirates doing it. With a superior (licensed) signal and professional production and on-air values, a legitimate station would beat out any pirate if they did the format properly.

However, that still wouldn't necessarily mean that the format is viable for a legitimate station which can't survive on cut rate ads limited to Boston's inner city only, like the pirates who don't have the overhead and expenses of a legitimate station.