WHAT ABOUT DAVE?

[wiseguy]

So, Dave's re-tooling because it's not posted listener growth. It's the only ATL station I listen to. Radio life before Dave was not good. So if we agree that we need to keep Dave/AAA, then what can be done to change this and save Dave? If they replace New Order with old Clapton, will that help? If their presentation is perceived as smarter-than-thou or too-hip, how do they shed it? Are more down-to-earth, real-people personalities a solution? I was up north this summer and realized CBS AAA sister-station WXRT/Chicago has an on-air line-up that has been mostly in-tact since my Regan-era high school days. Does Dave need a few more 40-somethings to appeal to a target audience that's a little older & wiser? What can they do? If Dave goes away I fear it'll be the return of Rush-Tom Sawyer every 90 minutes!

 

[TheRealOtherNeil]

Funny you should bring up Dave-FM. What a train wreck. Michelle Engle, the train is off the track how do you suppose we right it? “I don’t know, how about telling people that the music matters not personalities and then cut a one minute promo about Mara Davis?”

I have so many things to cover here so it’ll be a long one, you may wanna go to the bathroom before you read this.

Mornings – The revolutionary new idea, according to the Shawn Mullins-voiced and horrible written promo is a music intensive morning show (which I suggested in July) with Holly Firfer as the news reader who will give you “just enough news so you won’t be ignorant.” Wow, that makes no sense at all. There needs to be someone to be the morning jock. Even if they say, “That was U2, here’s Dave Matthews.” Dave Marino could handle that much.

The Retro in the Metro – Apparently the researchers at Viacom decided that the Atlanta market was clamoring for more 80’s in our musical diet, thus we get a full hour at 5pm with Sully. (Please note, facetious comment follows) I am so glad that Roddy Freeman and I went to BFF every week with giant signs reading “We Demand More Kajagoogoo!!” It finally paid off, well done my friend. C’mon, aren’t the eighties played out already? VH1 doesn’t even rerun that insipid series anymore.

Acoustic Sunrise – Now this sounds exciting. Every Sunday morning from 7am until the 15-hour Falcons pre-game show, Dave will play acoustic, more soothing and hipper songs that they don’t normally play. I think we have all waited for this idea. I am sure Michelle thought of this all by herself with no outside inspiration. I guess you could call it “organic” in it’s conception.

My favorite part of the re-positioning of Dave is the promo where Michelle invites those of us already listening to “re-acquaint ourselves with Dave.” What? If I am already tuned in, I don’t need to re-acquaint myself. This promo is aimed at those who have gone elsewhere for the holy trinity (REM, DMB, and U2). So let me get this straight, you are asking people who aren’t listening to come back but they don’t know to come back because they aren’t listening. I think I just broke the time-space continuum with that sentence.

Now for the music that matters. REM - has beens. DMB – we wanna rock but we may offend someone. U2 – focusing more on saving the world than rocking. Dave is basing their future on the past. What did Elvis once say? “Talk about the future now let’s put the past away.” The need to drop the pretense and play good new music. Find the upstart bands and give them time to grow. Stay away from geezers whose glory was during the Reagan Administration. The Killers, The Strokes, Spoon, Granddaddy, Audio Slave, Neko Case, etc, these are bands that matter right now. Dave dutifully ignores most of them.

Dave is in a tough spot, they have the Falcons for one more season after this; apparently WSB wouldn’t come up with enough money to make the birds fly away. This format, especially with Michelle in charge, is sinking faster than tube socks on Kate Moss. Viacom has to start being concerned, even though V103 keeps them afloat, some has to wonder why they are going to pay Steve Barnes for another year after under-performing during the previous two. (Uh-oh, I just mentioned his name, he will probably sue me.) The bean-counters at Black Rock might wanna know ask Michelle why Dave spends more time and money promoting festivals in other markets (Vegoose and Bonaroo) than it does it’s own station.

The learned poster above me mentions WXRT, a Progressive, AAA station that has had the same format since 1972. The same PD since 1981 and hasn’t hired a new jock since 1991. Back in the day before Viacom owned it, ‘XRT routinely was in the top 5 in billing and number one in the 25-45 demos male and female. It still is a top biller though ratings have eroded as Viacom fooled with it. Obviously that is what Dave aspires to be. With Michelle at the helm, it won’t happen.

 

[beef]

"This format, especially with Michelle in charge, is sinking faster than tube socks on Kate Moss." You write pretty.
And Barnes is getting paid for a whole year? Oh, God, when does it end. Do some people just fall into money without any discernible reason why? Like it just follows them?
In regards to the Falcons: Has a lesson been learned Atlanta? Major sports teams and rock stations don't work here

 

[Insideradio]

Funny you should bring up Dave-FM. What a train wreck. Michelle Engle, the train is off the track how do you suppose we right it? “I don’t know, how about telling people that the music matters not personalities and then cut a one minute promo about Mara Davis?”

I have so many things to cover here so it’ll be a long one, you may wanna go to the bathroom before you read this.

Mornings – The revolutionary new idea, according to the Shawn Mullins-voiced and horrible written promo is a music intensive morning show (which I suggested in July) with Holly Firfer as the news reader who will give you “just enough news so you won’t be ignorant.” Wow, that makes no sense at all. There needs to be someone to be the morning jock. Even if they say, “That was U2, here’s Dave Matthews.” Dave Marino could handle that much.

The Retro in the Metro – Apparently the researchers at Viacom decided that the Atlanta market was clamoring for more 80’s in our musical diet, thus we get a full hour at 5pm with Sully. (Please note, facetious comment follows) I am so glad that Roddy Freeman and I went to BFF every week with giant signs reading “We Demand More Kajagoogoo!!” It finally paid off, well done my friend. C’mon, aren’t the eighties played out already? VH1 doesn’t even rerun that insipid series anymore.

Acoustic Sunrise – Now this sounds exciting. Every Sunday morning from 7am until the 15-hour Falcons pre-game show, Dave will play acoustic, more soothing and hipper songs that they don’t normally play. I think we have all waited for this idea. I am sure Michelle thought of this all by herself with no outside inspiration. I guess you could call it “organic” in it’s conception.

My favorite part of the re-positioning of Dave is the promo where Michelle invites those of us already listening to “re-acquaint ourselves with Dave.” What? If I am already tuned in, I don’t need to re-acquaint myself. This promo is aimed at those who have gone elsewhere for the holy trinity (REM, DMB, and U2). So let me get this straight, you are asking people who aren’t listening to come back but they don’t know to come back because they aren’t listening. I think I just broke the time-space continuum with that sentence.

Now for the music that matters. REM - has beens. DMB – we wanna rock but we may offend someone. U2 – focusing more on saving the world than rocking. Dave is basing their future on the past. What did Elvis once say? “Talk about the future now let’s put the past away.” The need to drop the pretense and play good new music. Find the upstart bands and give them time to grow. Stay away from geezers whose glory was during the Reagan Administration. The Killers, The Strokes, Spoon, Granddaddy, Audio Slave, Neko Case, etc, these are bands that matter right now. Dave dutifully ignores most of them.

Dave is in a tough spot, they have the Falcons for one more season after this; apparently WSB wouldn’t come up with enough money to make the birds fly away. This format, especially with Michelle in charge, is sinking faster than tube socks on Kate Moss. Viacom has to start being concerned, even though V103 keeps them afloat, some has to wonder why they are going to pay Steve Barnes for another year after under-performing during the previous two. (Uh-oh, I just mentioned his name, he will probably sue me.) The bean-counters at Black Rock might wanna know ask Michelle why Dave spends more time and money promoting festivals in other markets (Vegoose and Bonaroo) than it does it’s own station.

The learned poster above me mentions WXRT, a Progressive, AAA station that has had the same format since 1972. The same PD since 1981 and hasn’t hired a new jock since 1991. Back in the day before Viacom owned it, ‘XRT routinely was in the top 5 in billing and number one in the 25-45 demos male and female. It still is a top biller though ratings have eroded as Viacom fooled with it. Obviously that is what Dave aspires to be. With Michelle at the helm, it won’t happen.

One key common denominator keeps rearing it's ugly head....MICHELLE ENGEL!
Her and her boy toy APD continue to have jobs.....why? How can the suits continue to let her play with their money, and 100,000 watts?

Note to CBS - IT AIN'T WORKIN - MOVE ON! I'm guessing the high end, hip people they are looking for, have their favorite music on IPODS already! Why do they need DAVE?

No Michelle, the reason why these people aren't filling out diaries isn't because they don't have time, or because they are too rich, it's because YOUR STATION [EDIT]

[EDIT-vulgarity]

 

[wooder]

Regarding a "More Music Morning" approach, can anybody tell me anywhere in rock radio where a music intensive morning show has ever done consistantly well in the ratings? No matter what people on message boards and focus groups say, the fact seems to be that the only thing that wins big in morning radio is good personalities.

 

[TheRealOtherNeil]

Regarding a "More Music Morning" approach, can anybody tell me anywhere in rock radio where a music intensive morning show has ever done consistantly well in the ratings? No matter what people on message boards and focus groups say, the fact seems to be that the only thing that wins big in morning radio is good personalities.

Woody;

You bring up an excellent point. With a music intensive morning show, the station needs a jock to guide the listener along. The jock doesn't have to be high profile, all that person needs is a voice. True that this type of show will not get large ratings however, offer an alternative to the other morning shows and give the mid day host a decent lead in. In Dave's case, Mara Davis is the most well-known personality on the station and she also has the highest ratings. The bombast of Barnes (uh-oh, more fuel for the lawsuit) did not help her at all.

Thanks for your astute input.

 

[Willy T]

You're right, Michelle Engle should go back where she came... A friend sent me a memo she wrote that went out every Friday (until someone complained about it's idiocy ) called the "You can count on me" memo... I guess everyone who got it was supposed to sign it and send a copy back to her... with a "promise" to do their very best to make the coming week of DaveFm "the very best it could be"... It was without a doubt the most sophomoric piece of crap I have every read. and shows the total lack of leadership, experience and maturity Michelle Engle has

 

[johnnykool]

You're right, Michelle Engle should go back where she came... A friend sent me a memo she wrote that went out every Friday (until someone complained about it's idiocy ) called the "You can count on me" memo... I guess everyone who got it was supposed to sign it and send a copy back to her... with a "promise" to do their very best to make the coming week of DaveFm "the very best it could be"... It was without a doubt the most sophomoric piece of crap I have every read. and shows the total lack of leadership, experience and maturity Michelle Engle has

If you have the letter, then post the contents. Not to add to this virtual burning of Michelle in effigy, but if you're going to say something like this back it up.

 

[wooder]

Regarding a "More Music Morning" approach, can anybody tell me anywhere in rock radio where a music intensive morning show has ever done consistantly well in the ratings? No matter what people on message boards and focus groups say, the fact seems to be that the only thing that wins big in morning radio is good personalities.

Woody;

You bring up an excellent point. With a music intensive morning show, the station needs a jock to guide the listener along. The jock doesn't have to be high profile, all that person needs is a voice. True that this type of show will not get large ratings however, offer an alternative to the other morning shows and give the mid day host a decent lead in. In Dave's case, Mara Davis is the most well-known personality on the station and she also has the highest ratings. The bombast of Barnes (uh-oh, more fuel for the lawsuit) did not help her at all.

Thanks for your astute input.

I strongly disagree that all a "more music morning" show needs is a "jock to guide the listeners along" who does not need to be "high profile". Again, where in rock radio is this approach happening? Mara Davis is as strong a jock as anyone, but she's a good, solid pleasant DJ. Big morning ratings are built on BIG MORNING STARS like Bert, The RG's, The Morning X, Steve and Vikki, etc. not on 8-10 songs an hour. And giving people an "alternative" is a nice thought but it doesn't bring big ratings...unless you can show me examples where I'm wrong.

 

[atwater kent]

Sounds like Dave is getting "help" from Alice. "Retro in the Metro" is a lame copy of KFOG San Francisco's 10 At 10 music feature which Modern AC competitor Alice began trying to copy a few months ago. "Acoustic Sunrise" is also the name of the hugely successful KFOG Sunday morning program with amazing ratings which has been on the air for a dozen years. Since CBS radio VP and WXRT PD Norm Winer has retreated from any association with Dave FM in the last year, the corporation has sent in Alice PD Chris Mays to give Dave some of her "expertise." Mays ran KMTT in Seattle, a decent but essentially boring AAA, for years before moving on to San Francisco. So, they're sending in the soft rock, AC programmers to give Dave some backbone. Trouble.

 

[Insideradio]

How is the "RIVER" doing in morning drive? Not trying to defend DaveFm, but that could be one example of a musice driven morning show that works. I don't have the demo breakdowns.