What about Magic?

[OhhMeeOhh]

There has been a tremendous amount of discussion about the demise of WROW. While I agree that the new GM probably didn't fully understand the popularity of Beck and S&J until he pulled the plug, nobody is talking about Magic.

They have been a consistent top 10 (sometimes top 5 depending on the demo) performer since Jay Scott took the helm. By putting Magic on the AM band, the station will be effectively destroyed. In an economic slump, with the sad state of broadcasting, why would ABC take a solid performer and purposely kill it?

Jay hasn't been on the air in a few days, I heard Jacki D in the afternoon - certainly neither of them are happy about the bizarre turn of events - what was ABC thinking?

 

[Reporter]

Yes, consistent in the ratings, Top 5. Why put them in the AM. Doomed for failure, sorry..AM is not made for music radio these days, if we were in the 1950s, sure!

I hope Jay and Ben have their resumes ready...I've never met this Chuck Benfer person, but from what I've read, not a very popular man.

 

[RBW]

Yes, consistent in the ratings, Top 5. Why put them in the AM. Doomed for failure, sorry..AM is not made for music radio these days, if we were in the 1950s, sure!

Yes, with all the 590 hype, no one has actually heard FROM the WKLI listeners. As I have posted before, for ME (a part-time MAGIC fan) I'm not bothered by the move at all. I'm fine with them being on AM. I can get 590 at work (in Albany) MUCH better than 100.9 ... and I already --- yes ALREADY listen to THIS kind of music on AM -- everyday! And I also seem to be the only person whose been annoyed by 100.9's insessant jingles and their 4 min spot breaks every 12 minutes or so.

Still, the 100.9 fans have been sorta silent! :

 

[BoomerBuzz]

Chuck Benfer's a very bright and motivated guy who had a successful run as GM of the Cumulus cluster in Poughkeepsie. I doubt that he didn't understand Glenn Beck's overall popularity with the vocal minority who listen to talk radio but remember that only 10% of Republicans listen to talk radio. Except for Saratoga county,
the Capital District is overwhelmingly Democrat so you're already starting with a small listener base. Also, WROW has been a really tough sell for ABC's account execs since Paul left. So it's not surprising that a new, aggressive
GM would re-evaluate the situation going forward.

As for moving Magic to the AM signal, you need to remember that FLY and B95 are the cash cows in ABC's Albany cluster. I haven't seen any recent audience sharing info for the 35-54 adult demos between B95 and
Magic but it wouldn't surprise me if Chuck & Kevin feel that by marginalizing Magic they'll help B95. The ad sales environment is already pretty tough out there so management's job is to give their sales departments as much
ammunition as they can muster to help ring the cash register.

 

[tower17]

This situation is just part of the sad reality of radio. When it comes down to it radio is a business and a business needs to make money, no matter what the costs sometimes. You can't make an omelet without breaking the eggs.

 

[KB1PCI]

What was the FM standards station in Albany 4 or 5 years back that only lasted about a summer?

 

[FM AM]

What was the FM standards station in Albany 4 or 5 years back that only lasted about a summer?

That was 96.7...WPTR.....which had recently migrated to FM from 1540 AM....

 

[lilj]

maybe im one of the few,, but i think WROW sounds great with the music on it now, i took a trip out to Central New York this past weekend and pretty much had them on most of the way, decent signal on the thruway , heading east on 90

 

[ROCKTHEMIC]

It will turn out to be the biggest radio blunder in Capital Region radio for the decade! Benfer is an ass and a bully! Anyone forwarned that accepts employment at that group is commiting career suicide!

You've been warned, the ship is taking on water and the hole is to big to plug!

 

[Orator1]

Anyone forwarned that accepts employment at that group is commiting career suicide!

Seeing as radio is one of toughest businesses to find decent-paying work of any kind.....I think you're mistaken to advise any out-of-work person to turn down a job. There are a**holes in every business, and possibly even more in radio...but if anyone is offered an increasingly rare job in radio or any business, you'd be well advised to put your petty bs behind you and take the job and the paycheck.

Not having a job is worse career suicide.

 

[RBW]

maybe im one of the few,, but i think WROW sounds great with the music on it now, i took a trip out to Central New York this past weekend and pretty much had them on most of the way, decent signal on the thruway , heading east on 90

I've been in your court too... ever since the whole "switcheroo" began. AM comes in better at work, and (to me) sounds just as fine, for that kind of music, on AM as it does on FM. My only real complaint, is the same as it was when they had 100.9 ... I've always hated their station jingles. They're too long, and they play them way too often! I'm used to listening to stations that have no jingles, or certainly run them less frequently. Their commercial breaks drive me nuts too. It's good that they're billing... but again, they're VERY long and are just as frequent as when they had 100.9 With all the billing AB does, you'd think they could have a COMMERCIAL FREE hour at least a couple times a day!

 

[Johnny_45]

The ABC sales staff could never sell Magic. It always came as an "extra" when time was purchased on B95 and WROW. With WROW dead in the water, it made sense to move Magic to AM. Stay tuned!

 

[RBW]

The ABC sales staff could never sell Magic. It always came as an "extra" when time was purchased on B95 and WROW. With WROW dead in the water, it made sense to move Magic to AM. Stay tuned!

So you're saying the bulk of ads on the "old" Magic were (for lack of a better word) freebies????

This makes me wonder if all those loaded breaks heard now on 590 are the same thing? I still don't understand though, that "if" most of the revenue AB brings in, is from B95, or FLY, why saturate listeners with verbal pollution (even on your secondary stations) if only to give the impression that the station is pulling its own weight?? I don't think anyone's arm is being twisted to buy time on either 92.3 or 95.5 ... or even on WAJZ!

 

[Randal Marshall]

I was in the Albany area on Monday and listened to Magic on 590, I thought it sounded pretty good. I certainly had no problems receiving it anywhere in the Albany/Schenectady area. Regarding the spots, most of them sound like some type of network spot, I don't remember hearing anything local at all. I think WROW could make a respectable showing selling to small mom and pop operations, like many other AM's do. I wonder if anyone at ABC is motivated enough to do that.

 

[DToTheJ]

I was in the Albany area on Monday and listened to Magic on 590... Regarding the spots, most of them sound like some type of network spot, I don't remember hearing anything local at all...

You mean, loads of per-inquiry spots, including those with the announcer stressing a toll-free number in a very unique way (EIGHT-hundred, FIVE, FIVE, FIVE...)

 

[Randal Marshall]

Per-inquiry spots, yes.

 

[klutch00]

I don't know if anyone's paid attention, but Magic had a slight increase in the last Arb. Granted, the period when 'ROW was its current format was just under half of the survey period, but it was the best showing they'd had in quite some time. Only one other AM ranked higher, that of course being WGY.