What host do you want to return the most?

[dustintv]

When I lived Albany I remember being an occasional listener to WGY afternoon drive host JR on GY and liking him better than his predecessor Mark Williams(who last did a stint at WROW a couple years ago) and successor Scott Allen Miller before Miller was replaced Hannity. I wish he was back on WGY between 3 and 6 rather than the vile Hannity. Also I miss the old WFLY-FM morning people.

As I've only lived in Brockport now since 2004, I certainly do miss Ron Dobson at WBEN.

 

[Ed Trefzger]

When I lived Albany I remember being an occasional listener to WGY afternoon drive host JR on GY and liking him better than his predecessor Mark Williams(who last did a stint at WROW a couple years ago) and successor Scott Allen Miller before Miller was replaced Hannity. I wish he was back on WGY between 3 and 6 rather than the vile Hannity.

If Hannity rates as vile, is there even a sufficiently strong adjective in the English language to describe JR Gach's show?

 

[Bob1370]

"If Hannity rates as vile, is there even a sufficiently strong adjective in the English language to describe JR Gach's show?"

There are really two phases to J.R. Gach, the one we got in Western NY and the one listeners in New Orleans and Albany got later on, and that later phase is what wrecked his career, though there was a reason for it. The later Gach had the valid excuse of a medically diagnosed bipolar disorder for the crazier stuff he said on the air in New Orleans and Albany...unlike a lot of hosts who either use a manic persona as an on-air shtick, or simply present a mean-spirited face to the world. His meltdown was a tragedy for him and his family. When he was in good shape, which was pretty much during his entire stint at WGR in Buffalo in the '90s (especially when working with his wife and occasional on-air sidekick Susie), Gach was actually entertaining, agree or disagree with him, and a lot more sincere than many others on the air...too bad his medical problems blew him out of the water professionally.

 

[umtrr-author]

Allan Harris.

Preferably at 1180AM, between the hours of 2 and 5, with between 11AM and 2PM as a very close second choice and between 8 and 11PM as a statistically dead heat third option.

 

[listener-in]

Allan Harris.

Preferably at 1180AM, between the hours of 2 and 5, with between 11AM and 2PM as a very close second choice and between 8 and 11PM as a statistically dead heat third option.

Seconded.

 

[Element9]

Dobson, weeknights on WBEN. Especially if the station takes a hit in the Fall book.

 

[scooterodell]

Allan Harris.

Preferably at 1180AM, between the hours of 2 and 5, with between 11AM and 2PM as a very close second choice and between 8 and 11PM as a statistically dead heat third option.

Seconded.

Shall we bring this to a vote? All in favor: AYE!

 

[SirRoxalot]

I'm afraid radio is not a democracy. Management may, however, respond to torches & pitchforks.

 

[therealjm12]

All in favor: AYE!

AYE

 

[umtrr-author]

I'm afraid radio is not a democracy. Management may, however, respond to torches & pitchforks.

Depending on who is holding said torches and pitchforks.

 

[Bob1370]

"I'm afraid radio is not a democracy. Management may, however, respond to torches & pitchforks."

Or tuning dials twisted away from their signals. I hate to say this (having spent some of my best years, and the station's best years, working at WBEN myself) but WBEN has been hit hard by some of its recent decisions and it's showing softening of the Arbitrons as a result. It may be no accident that the fall from first to third coincided with the decision to replace a strong local show with lame syndicated stuff that didn't make it in other markets.

 

[yugoidar]

Bob, do you really think that losing Ron Dobson's Show (good though it might have been) could have that big of an impact on WBEN's overall numbers?

After all, radio listenership in the evening hours is traditionally not that strong to begin with. Dobson must have had some really huge shares if that's the case.

 

[Element9]

Bob, do you really think that losing Ron Dobson's Show (good though it might have been) could have that big of an impact on WBEN's overall numbers?

After all, radio listenership in the evening hours is traditionally not that strong to begin with. Dobson must have had some really huge shares if that's the case.

From 9 a.m. to midnight, WBEN is a predictable echo chamber of rightwing bile. Dobson's unpredictability was part of what attracted listeners, plus he was live and local. The station now has ideological purity and conformity of thought, lower expenses and softer ratings. Dobson's number may not have been massive, but very likely much better than what the delayed-playback Sean Hannity show draws in that slot.

 

[Bob1370]

"Bob, do you really think that losing Ron Dobson's Show (good though it might have been) could have that big of an impact on WBEN's overall numbers? After all, radio listenership in the evening hours is traditionally not that strong to begin with. Dobson must have had some really huge shares if that's the case."

He actually just needed to do as well as the rest of the station...which IIRC, he was. The syndicated stuff apparently is not. Losing a few shares at night can do two things to your overall 12+. First, it can chop a fraction of a share off the total 6 AM-midnight tally all by itself. Second, it can encourage tuneout that translates into hurting total AQH and cume because fewer radios are tuned to the station first thing in the morning, and more people have to retune their radios to come back to you. Now a majority of your morning core still will, because of WBEN's well-earned news rep. But even if only a few here and a few there don't come back in the morning, it can have a ripple effect throughout the day.

Moral of the story? Never give up on any daypart between morning and midnight where there are significant numbers of people available to you, because giving up on one daypart has a ripple effect on every other, even on the dayparts you don't change.