What happened to country radio??

[Robert Bass]

Ok i'll agree with much of what you say but dammit sometimes Little 1 can be really obnoxious just like David Eduardo!!!!

Makes you wonder if they are related?

R

 

[little1]

I had no idea who "David Eduardo" was until I showed up here, and still not sure exactly who he is, just know half the peeps here seem to hate him for whatever reason...

Where I think Laffer hates me just 'cause I speak the truth. "Rimshot" figured out what I meant without me having to spell it out...

But the one thing he missed- okay, I'll grant you she cared about 'her job'. But you can only really say that if you consider her job to be JUST a midday or PM drive shift.

How about being 'there' for the rest of the team- be it from telling someone else they had a good break, a good show, etc, mentoring or helping out the newbie, participating in brainstorming sessions, going out on a sales call to help close that important piece of buisness, etc etc etc...

The story that I heard was that Amy told them she was moving to Sedona. And they could install a ISDN line and hire a board/op producer to run her show from DFW, or she'd find some other station that WOULD let her do it...So Susqehanna let her have her way...

But like Rim said, how about meeting the listeners..

 

[TheLaffer]

I had no idea who "David Eduardo" was until I showed up here, and still not sure exactly who he is, just know half the peeps here seem to hate him for whatever reason...

Where I think Laffer hates me just 'cause I speak the truth. "Rimshot" figured out what I meant without me having to spell it out...

But the one thing he missed- okay, I'll grant you she cared about 'her job'. But you can only really say that if you consider her job to be JUST a midday or PM drive shift.

How about being 'there' for the rest of the team- be it from telling someone else they had a good break, a good show, etc, mentoring or helping out the newbie, participating in brainstorming sessions, going out on a sales call to help close that important piece of buisness, etc etc etc...

The story that I heard was that Amy told them she was moving to Sedona. And they could install a ISDN line and hire a board/op producer to run her show from DFW, or she'd find some other station that WOULD let her do it...So Susqehanna let her have her way...

But like Rim said, how about meeting the listeners..

Little1,

Arrangements like Amy B's have gone on for decades in broadcasting. She became so popular at one time she had the clout to move to Arizona. Management agreed. Did it piss of some people, probably. Was it fair, depends on who you talk to. From what i understand she did remotes, was available by phone/email. Hey some IN TOWN jocks never are in the public. I think (Again) YOU are making a mountain out of a mole hill.

 

[Steve Eberhart]

You know, being available for remotes is all good and fine, but the fact is, what TRULY counts is what comes out of those speakers for the 3 or 4 hours you are on the air. If you can execute a flawless show with local content and showcase your personality - who cares where it is actually originating?!

Want to know how many remotes KVIL did when they had double digit numbers in the early 80's?
Z E R O.
The station did not do remotes at all. Outside of the occasional public appearance by Ron at a promotion, and an occasional "KVIL Happy Hour", the rest of the staff was virtually unseen...BUT, performed at a level that commanded more listeners than any other station in the Southwest (at the time).

Remotes are for one thing and one thing only: REVENUE. Not that that is bad, but the promotional value of 99% of all remotes is also ZERO.

Same for answering phones. You may talk to 50 people on the phone in a shift. If that is anywhere near the total number of listeners you have - you are in serious trouble!

What counts is what comes out of those speakers.

 

[KPLEXCOMPLEX]

Aww but Steve you made a point,Ron made personal appearances ,and some others at times. I remember Selden making at least a couple and Cat Simon did as well. A "few" might have been phoners. Bottom line,personal appearances were made and listeners were met. I agree with you however that how one performs on air is paramount above anything else.
I am not sure AMY made any "appearances",butinthe length of time she was there I am sure there might have been a least a couple.

 

[little1]

You know, being available for remotes is all good and fine, but the fact is, what TRULY counts is what comes out of those speakers for the 3 or 4 hours you are on the air. If you can execute a flawless show with local content and showcase your personality - who cares where it is actually originating?!
(snip)
Remotes are for one thing and one thing only: REVENUE. Not that that is bad, but the promotional value of 99% of all remotes is also ZERO.

I'm not going to disagree with your general premise, but what good is great programming if revenue isn't there also? Now not saying that revenue should 'drive the bus', but how many 'good' stations have gone off the air because of an inability to generate revenue?

I'm certainly not saying remotes/appearences are the be all end all. Rimshot is the one that started the riff about meeting the listeners, I was just expanding that that is one of the many ways that Amy wasn't really 'there' during her time in Sedona...

 

[little1]

The other thing Steve, I think you're dating yourself with the 'promotional value of 99% of remotes is zero".

The last couple of groups I've worked for couldn't disgaree with you more. Who shows up at remotes? Your hardest of hardcore listeners. Your P-1's.

And if you believe in the 80/20 rule, those P-1's are your lifeblood. Which is why so many stations focus at remotes on getting you to sign up for their email list, their club card, their mailing list, etc etc...

Not to mention that if 99% of remotes have no promotional value, why do stations seem to spend zillions of dollars on magnets, stickers, koozies, t-shirts, caps, and other 'gimme' items? Isn't the point of all that swag, (given away at promotions and remotes), to get your call letters in front of a listener? Isn't that 'promotion' of your station?

I usually only see my mailman on Saturdays, but a couple of times in the past few months when I've been out working on the yard he's been wearing a freaking Ticket shirt while delivering the mail...I asked him once where he got it....one guess what his answer was...

Yep, a remote. That 8 dollar t-shirt is still paying dividends for them, while my bosses won't spring for diddly...

 

[TheLaffer]

You know, being available for remotes is all good and fine, but the fact is, what TRULY counts is what comes out of those speakers for the 3 or 4 hours you are on the air. If you can execute a flawless show with local content and showcase your personality - who cares where it is actually originating?!
(snip)
Remotes are for one thing and one thing only: REVENUE. Not that that is bad, but the promotional value of 99% of all remotes is also ZERO.

I'm not going to disagree with your general premise, but what good is great programming if revenue isn't there also? Now not saying that revenue should 'drive the bus', but how many 'good' stations have gone off the air because of an inability to generate revenue?

I'm certainly not saying remotes/appearences are the be all end all. Rimshot is the one that started the riff about meeting the listeners, I was just expanding that that is one of the many ways that Amy wasn't really 'there' during her time in Sedona...

Until they screwed up and hired Cook, Amy B was getting great ratings without being here too much. I agree with Steve, what counts is what comes out of the speakers.

Back in the day the greaseman at one time never was seen and that even made him more popular.

Same reason why Johnny Carson, Dave Letterman and jay leno do very few interviews. Overexposure can kill you just like radio jocks pitching cheesy tshirts, pens and hotdogs every weekend.

 

[TheLaffer]

The other thing Steve, I think you're dating yourself with the 'promotional value of 99% of remotes is zero".

The last couple of groups I've worked for couldn't disgaree with you more. Who shows up at remotes? Your hardest of hardcore listeners. Your P-1's.

And if you believe in the 80/20 rule, those P-1's are your lifeblood. Which is why so many stations focus at remotes on getting you to sign up for their email list, their club card, their mailing list, etc etc...

Not to mention that if 99% of remotes have no promotional value, why do stations seem to spend zillions of dollars on magnets, stickers, koozies, t-shirts, caps, and other 'gimme' items? Isn't the point of all that swag, (given away at promotions and remotes), to get your call letters in front of a listener? Isn't that 'promotion' of your station?

I usually only see my mailman on Saturdays, but a couple of times in the past few months when I've been out working on the yard he's been wearing a freaking Ticket shirt while delivering the mail...I asked him once where he got it....one guess what his answer was...

Yep, a remote. That 8 dollar t-shirt is still paying dividends for them, while my bosses won't spring for diddly...

At a typical remote usually brings in less than 1% of your p-1 , if that. I can't tell you how many times i've been to a Bone remote, same 30 people showing up remote after remote after remote. Ever go to a typical kluv remote. Everytime i've ever been less than 10 people there with their big fat guts hanging out waiting for a cheesy prize or do-nut. Same 10 next week for a cheesy magnet! I've seen some kluv jocks stand there for hours and fewer than 5 people show up!

 

[rimshot]

Geez guys, I'm sorry I even mentioned the "remote part" now. It was actually meant to just help make a point that NOT HAVING YOUR BODY in the studio is part of was has destroyed radio! Anybody who has done a remote knows that large crowds don't show up. (would YOU show up for a cheap-ass bumper sticker and a CD that you'll never play?) Stations today don't get it. Why do think the Wolf was so successful from the beginning? Because Brian Phillips put the station on the STREET and gave away DECENT stuff! I said GAVE AWAY. He didn't make them WIN it and wait around for two hours in the hot sun. It's called SMART marketing. Spend a little, get a LOT back. Eberhart can say all he wants about the "heyday" of KVIL. Things were different then. Jocks were stars. In some major markets, EVERY day-part had his face on a billboard! The Wolf got back to basics. Having Amy B in another state kept them from even being better.

 

[Marv-L.A.]

Country music sales were down by less than ONE percent last year, which tells me that country music fans STILL love the format and the music.

 

[TheLaffer]

Country music sales were down by less than ONE percent last year, which tells me that country music fans STILL love the format and the music.

I must confess i heard a female on at 3am on the Wolf that didn't sound like she was 13. Nice pleasant voice but then only heard her talk twice in 45 min :'(

 

[JRA]

Geez guys, I'm sorry I even mentioned the "remote part" now. It was actually meant to just help make a point that NOT HAVING YOUR BODY in the studio is part of was has destroyed radio! Anybody who has done a remote knows that large crowds don't show up. (would YOU show up for a cheap-ass bumper sticker and a CD that you'll never play?) Stations today don't get it. Why do think the Wolf was so successful from the beginning? Because Brian Phillips put the station on the STREET and gave away DECENT stuff! I said GAVE AWAY. He didn't make them WIN it and wait around for two hours in the hot sun. It's called SMART marketing. Spend a little, get a LOT back. Eberhart can say all he wants about the "heyday" of KVIL. Things were different then. Jocks were stars. In some major markets, EVERY day-part had his face on a billboard! The Wolf got back to basics. Having Amy B in another state kept them from even being better.

I'd wait three hours to win a koozie! Wouldn't you? ;-)

 

[yardape101]

The way all these different dj's are being traded back and forth and put where some think they should be - it's obvious to me that we don't have any pd's on this thread.

 

[Jubb05]

Extreme radio ignorance here - but Bobby Mitchell doing mornings on Cowboy 1190 is like Troy Aikman starting at QB for Wylie Middle School, no? I know working beats not working, but he can't be making enough to pay for the drive from Waxahachie, can he?

 

[KPLEXCOMPLEX]

There are plenty of folks on air and behind the scenes who are driving to the studios from afar. Its not uncommon for one to drive anywhere from 45 min to an hour to a gig. Thanks to consolidation etc,you go where the job is and getting a temporary apt is not feasible.

 

[little1]

bump

 

[TheLaffer]

bump

Oldies stations have always shared audience with Country and Jazz formats. I would say with the Departure of The Oasis, The oldies on 1190 and KXEZ and the dismal programming on EVERY Country station in DFW today...KLUV should continue to do very well.

 

[networker]

They moved west to Fort Worth and beyond. I am fairly new to this market, but based on the zero response I got on my KTFW posting, a lot of you have not yet found 92.1. If you're looking for real country music, that's where it is. Up until Monday, the station was running a lot of teasers making you think they might flip. It appears it was a publicity stunt announcing their move into new studios in Sundance Square and a new name - Country Legends. Although KTFW is not ranked high, they do consistently show up.

 

[TheLaffer]

They moved west to Fort Worth and beyond. I am fairly new to this market, but based on the zero response I got on my KTFW posting, a lot of you have not yet found 92.1. If you're looking for real country music, that's where it is. Up until Monday, the station was running a lot of teasers making you think they might flip. It appears it was a publicity stunt announcing their move into new studios in Sundance Square and a new name - Country Legends. Although KTFW is not ranked high, they do consistently show up.

Where i live it's hard to pick up KTFW because KXEZ is on the same frequency. But there are times i've heard KTFW. They used to have some really good dj's on there several years ago i enjoyed but that country bumkin' stuff i can't get in to. No offense.