"What I'd do with WHJJ if I were Clear Channel..."

[Holland Cooke]

OK, let's have some fun.

With Buddy joining WPRO, the game changes.
This is one of those few times when OVERALL RADIO LISTENING will grow.
When people AND ADVERTISERS who-otherwise-don't-pay-much-attention sure will.

If YOU were Clear Channel, what would YOU do?

Assume that money-is-no-object...within reason.
Affordable: what-you'd-say-on-billboards or in a TV spot or in direct mail.
Unaffordable: 3 traffic copters.

I'll start, with #1, 2 and 3 of 6-things-I-would-do-with-WHJJ-if-I-were-Clear Channel:

#1: Simulcast it on WSNE.

And I say this as a former WSNE PD, and with genuine respect to the folks who toil at The Coast: It's the-one-music-station-too-many here. Take the WSNE programming expense to-the-bottom-line.

"But there's $X million in revenue there!"
There WAS.
With Buddy joining WPRO, the game changes.

Want to feel like you're in an iPod commercial?
WALK DOWN THE STREET.
Talk Radio will save FM...but not every FM. Just the first few smart-enough-to-see-this-coming-on-stilts.

Be "WHJJ AM/FM, PROVIDENCE," and take Talk Radio into a couple Arbitron Zips where WPRO struggles at night...and to the many people just don't use AM radio.

#2: Steal Rush Limbaugh.

Clear Channel already owns him; and for-all-we-know WPRO might be about to dump him, and is using recent PR as disinformation.

Make this A BIG DEAL promotionally.

#3: STOP SAYING THE WORD "NEWS."

You might as well be saying "WPRO."
It's like "Kleenex," "Scotch Tape," and "Xerox."

Stop playing WPRO's game, and be TALK.

I've got 3 more, but don't want to hog the mic.

What would YOU do with WHJJ if YOU were Clear Channel?

 

[Dighton Rockhead]

Holland:

LOVE the idea except for one small thing. Why hang on to the AM frequency?

Wouldn't it make sense for Clear Channel to get a quick infusion of cash by simply selling off 920?, thereby making it possible for one of the smaller operators to expand its presence in the market a bit, or making it possible for a new player to enter the market?

How many millions would the K-LOVE people gladly spend to enter the market, for example?

 

[Holland Cooke]

Here's where the diplomatic host says "Good point caller, but you're off-topic"

Rather-than-bogging-down-with why-a-stand-alone-AM-is-fundamentally-disadvantaged, and why-throw-the-baby-out-with-the-bathwater, I'd like to stick to WHAT WOULD YOU DO ideas.

The station I managed in Washington in the 80s, WTOP, was 1500AM when I was there, and has since moved to FM. So I hear ya. And YOU can hear 1500AM, at night, and hear the well-intended, forward-thinking Washington Post Radio that's rumored-to-be-a-goner after Nationals baseball ends next month (http://sportsvideo.wjar.videos.vmixcore.com/video/1485596).

Maybe they should've just simulcast too.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH WHJJ?

 

[Dighton Rockhead]

Holland:

Yes......I have heard the AM broadcast of "Washington Post Radio" on 1500 in Washingon, and like much of what I've heard. I would be sad to see such an experiment be discontinued.

Under your scenario, were Clear Channel to institute WHJJ-FM, it wouldn't be a bad idea for them to team up with the Journal to produce "Providence Journal Radio" for 920. I could see this format as a good way of giving Southeastern Massachusetts that "hug" that's been talked about here.

If your idea didn't work, then that's what I would try.

As for your observation on the disadvantaged status of stand-alones, that's exactly WHY I chose K-LOVE as an example. For groups like them, and the Trinity Broadcasting Network, much of the traditional business model for radio simply doesn't apply. For them, it would simply be one more step toward fulfilling what the New Testament calls "The Great Commission", of spereading the Gospel to the entire world before the end.

I'm sure they wouldn't care a feather or a fig about being a stand-alone.

 

[Skynet74]

HJJ has to rebuild an identity for themselves. Most people don't even know who is there anymore. Air America essentially killed the station. They haven't recovered since. Losing Imus made an already horrible situation even worse! HJJ needs to figure out exactly who they want to be first before they move forward. At the moment they just seem to be hopelessly drifting in different directions without a solid plan of where they want to go. Throwing different things on the wall and praying that something sticks.

So step 1 is to decide what you are going to be. Are you a News station? A Talk station or a News/Talk station? I'm with Holland on this one. Be different, stand out from the crowd. WPRO is the king of News. They are going to win that game for years to come. No station is going to instantly steal away an audience. HJJ needs to brand themselves as TALK. Then when they gain a loyal audience, that is the time to start showcasing their news product a little more. Slowly work it in once you've already got a captive audience.

Next..... I would fire the whole on air staff and start fresh. All new people, a whole new identity. Out with the old and in with the new. It's nothing personal against the fine people who work there. But unfortunately Nobody knows who works there! That's the problem. The station doesn't have any strong talents that stand out. They've got mediocre talents who keep a signal on the air, but who don't pull in any higher ratings than a 24 hour loop of Zoo sounds would.

Then hire all new local hosts. They don't have to be expensive. They just have to be good! It is my belief that Radio is full of bad hosts who are paid way to much. But I also believe that some of the best hosts will work for wages that don't break the bank. Find some interesting people who are willing to be innovative and creative without asking for $300,000 salaries. Trust me. They are out there. Stop equating a salary with how good of a host someone is. I've heard student DJ's on WBRU working for free who have made me laugh more than Arlene Violet ever did. Stop over paying these hosts who don't pull in any better ratings than a 18 year old kid would. It's not about money. It's about talent. Stop confusing the two. They don't always go hand in hand.

I do think that WHJJ can bounce back. But they need to have DIRECTION. Right now they've got none.

 

[Holland Cooke]

RE ProJo Radio

it wouldn't be a bad idea for them to team up with the Journal to produce "Providence Journal Radio" for 920.

It's an idea whose time WILL come, whether or not AM/FM station owners do it.

I was interviewed by Washingtonian magazine several weeks ago when rumors began swirling that 1500AM owner Bonneville and The Post would go-the-separate-ways after the Nats season ends. And I told 'em that just-because-any-one-station-owner-doesn't-do-it doesn't-mean-that-newspapers-won't-talk. They may end up doing-it-themselves, without even being on AM/FM radio.

Washington is among the first of roughly 300 areas soon-to-light-up Wi-Max, the 30-or-more-mile-radius-version-of the 300'-radius Wi-Fi you tap-into at Starbucks and elsewhere. When Wi-Max comes, ANYONE is a broadcaster. The "receivers" are already proliferating. Maybe your wireless phone has web access. And you saw those grown-ups lining-up for iPhones like kids-lining-up-for a Harry Potter book.

Repurposing newspaper to radio is easier-said-than-done, for cultural reasons. Washington Post Radio's travails have been well-documented in the press down there; and I confronted this dynamic when I did USA Today Sky Radio (http://members.aol.com/cookeh/skyradio.ram) in the early 90s.

There are 2 kinds of people writing news at newspapers:
1. those who can talk,
2. those who can't.

There are 2 kinds of people writing news at newspapers:
A. those who want to do radio,
B. those who don't.

A ProJo radio, or Washington Post Radio, or what we were sending via satellite to airlines from USA Today, assumes 1.A. Washington Post Radio's had a rough time with 1.B. And any such effort will make-the-most-of 2.A.

Something else you'll be hearing more on AM/FM: television.

I'm working for two TV-stations-with-radio-stations, in the Midwest, repurposing TV content to deliver QUANTUM more local news than any other radio station could afford to. But some of the same cross-cultural fundamentals make crossing-platforms a challenge.

But both newspapers and TV stations WILL be heard.

 

[S DANMAN]

Holland,

You know your stuff, but you're way off on throwing talk on SNE. SNE is a cash cow !!! Sells out monthly, it's basically the only station in the cluster to connect with the desireable Women demo. The talk pie is already dominated by PRO and the addition of Buddy grows that for a book or two, after that they go back to the pie the already had without the $300,000 Buddy salary. Their salary nut is probably $750,000 right now. What rates do they have to get to profit as all frequencies have to do?

 

[Holland Cooke]

Calc

No question, status quo WSNE revenue is a-bird-in-the-hand.
But...

RE
<< Sells out monthly >>

Selling-out-too-quickly is the marketplace saying rates are too low.

And Buddy changes the game.

And music FM is not a viable long-term proposition.
So the game of musical chairs has begun.

Rush Limbaugh and other "AM" programming is heading to FM one-way-or-another.
Evidence: Red Sox games.

Nobody wants to be the last music FM.
Often, in conversations of this sort, in any industry, someone mentions "buggy whips."
There used to be hundreds of companies making buggy whips.
There still is one, nearby, in Westfield MA.
And they're making a fortune.
Nobody knows where else to buy buggy whips.
Want to bet an FM station that you'll be the-last-buggy-whip-maker in music radio?

And the fundamental profit calculus is still not just about revenue.
NO other format has the revenue potential of Talk radio.
Just TRY to run that many spots on a music station, where spots interrupt programming.
NO other format "indexes" (ratio of ratings to % of market radio dollars) better than Talk radio.

And there's the other piece of the calc:
NOBODY knows about cutting expense like Clear Channel.

 

[DG02816]

I'll throw my .02 in with Holland on this one, especially with regard to 920's night DA. A figure-8 with deep nulls to protect ESPN 920(WPHY) down here, and a 920 in the Maritimes, it's lost to a good part of the area after sunset. Doing a simulcast on 93.3 would fill in that hole. Since WPRO's night pattern is similar, 920 gets nighttime advantages. The "soccer mom" SNE listeners would likely migrate to WWBB or WWLI. I'd try working with the ProJo for news, and run CBS top of the hour, and ABC Entertainment at the bottom. Perhaps even try something like John Martin did on WEAN years ago....

Dave Gardiner

WVCH 740/WNWR 1540

Philadelphia

 

[wknd92]

Holland...I have given this much thought after being on Wampanoag for 8 years and now outside of the industry for another 10 and also seeing you and hearing you speak about the market about 1/2 dozen times....

When I was last on the Trail, I had always found HJJ a good competitor....they had Arlene at her peak, John Depetro was just back from NYC, John Carpillio was nailing down the morning news, Dr Laurua was just starting to generate some #'s vs Rush, etc....a real good time for them. On the other hand, Telemedia was doing a good job of messing up WPRO-AM (before WLKW switched to Sports and the Score). Phil Sirkin came in and was soooo worried about the Sox games being done on the RKO radio network, that he was having that cut out on the air by the board ops...silly to focus on that when you should be looking at the overall picture. They tried their ill fated hand with the Howie Carr experiment after Bruce had his shot, got rid of Mary Ann. Kass was a partial savior for them at that time or else we could have seen a similar problem for both stations at this point, very little local talk and a ton of syndicated talk.

That is the problem with WHJJ lately (at least 3-4 years now)...comprehending the overall picture and forward thinking movement for the station-a strategic plan. It sort of started when they lost the Yankees broadcasts to the Score, (I know, a minor point and blip on the radar screen) then rolled into canning local shows for national shows....the ill fated wedding to Air America kind of sealed it. They aren't relevant. I don't know if the regional has too heavy a hand in the situation; but the station needs more than some spackle and a new paint job, it needs a major overhaul.

I don't know Helen Glover from a hole in the wall; but the only place she gets mentioned is here....I never see her name in the Pro-Jo, don't pick up the Pheonix regularly enough to see if she is mentioned there, either. I have tried to gleen from her show her point of view and point of attack; but I can't grasp it....all I usually hear is topics/conversations that don't generate an interest in me staying with the station/show.

The last time I listened to more than 3 minutes to the station before I had to switch was a URI football game last fall...there is just nothign going on there.

My decision simply would be to clear house on air and start over. When Imus does come back, I would hook up with him again as their male numbers were still relatively decent in the mid to upper demos-you have to start somewhere.

I would look at sending out feelers to Mary Ann to see if she'd like to get back into the rat race (doubtful; but worth a try) and also see about another bout with Rudy. Maybe not long term (2 yr contract?); but at least to resurrect some interest in the station as both have shown to be able to do it in the marketplace before.

I would also expect that the Score is going to go gangbusters after the URI package sooner rather than later as they no longer have PC or the Celtics and are relegated to the Yankees and Brown U sports, so making sure that at least is tied up well for the forseeable future to have some decent revenue to continue to come in.

As I sit here and try to think of some local talkers from the past to help try and get the ship righted, it is sad to come up with those that have left us for the great beyond. I guess that once Carcieri is done, Kass could be an alternative to come back; but other than he, Mary Ann or Rudy, I cannot think of someone who would help out with some credentials...Matt Allen would be a nice choice; but if he hasn't ju,ped yet from Citadel, i don't think he will, he seems too content where he is now. (BTW...side note, Matt was an intern for Gio & Kim 8 yrs ago at Pro-FM the first time I met him)

That is my plan....I don't know how the current crop of syndication is doing on WHJJ....maybe take the best performer and run it at night; but there is a lot wrong with that station that needs to be addressed.

 

[Kenny Atkinson]

Re: "Providence is Talking, TALK 93"

I like the 93.3 Talk FM idea alot.They would have to throw in at least 2 more local hosts if that were to happen.
I'm sure if someone were to come along and make an offer for 920 am that was reasonable they would sell it.My understanding its a pain in the neck to run the station from an engineers piont of view and the station really doent bring in that much money.It does but it does nt.

 

[Skynet74]

Awwww that's a good idea "wknd92". It's something that I didn't think of. Bring Matt Allen onboard for HJJ! The guy gets so much respect here. Everyone seems to like him. I can only imagine that the general consensus among listeners is the same. He sure would be a nice start to a new future for HJJ. A nice solid start to that foundation. I'm sure that HJJ would pay him more than WPRO does and he would definitely be worth it! I'm loving that idea!!! If I was in charge over at HJJ, I would be placing a call to Matty on Monday. The timing seems perfect to me. Let's get a whole new lineup in place at HJJ before Cianci starts at PRO. HJJ will need that head start if they even care about surviving the Winter book. It's a no brainer. DO IT!

 

[aqualung]

This is all fine and dandy but they're not gonna spend the money to do any of it. They took a crack at Cianci because they were able to see an almost guaranteed return on their investment but that's about the only reason. And we've been hearing for years how well WSNE does which is surprising since they're the "firing-est" station in the market. They do well for the cluster because any females are good females but they are totally unnecessary.

 

[IdentityProgramming]

To be honest Holland, WHJJ has struggled for many years, even before they were news/talk. It has been a second banana to WPRO for pretty much it's entire life, even when it was owned by The Outlet Co and it's calls were WJAR.

It really makes sence for WHJJ to abandon the news/talk format. Providence isn't a big enough market to fully support two news/talk stations. There also isn't enough population turnover in Providence where people aren't aware of WHJJ and it's history. I equate it to the WLNE of radio.

Clear Channel is a conglomerate and not known for fresh, innovative programming.
I suspect if they were interested in being competitive in the talk arena, they wouldn't have let go their only decent draw; Arlene Violet. Buddy Cianci will be a HUGE draw and he loves to hear himself talk, so WHJJ has some decisions to make.

Where is it written that they can't go back to music? There are two sports stations in Providence, so you don't need three. If this were MY station, consultant or not, I'd do a heavy personality-driven music format. Either a classic, balls-to-the wall classic top 40 or a new standards format my partner and I have created called "A Touch of Class."

In any event, WHJJ has to do something to get people interested in listening to the radio again. AM is mostly a 35+ male audience, so play to that strength music wise. Providence is still a good market for AM radio, and if they go AM Stereo,
the perception will be they're better sound-wise than WPRO, whether they are or not or if anyone has an AM Stereo car radio or not. Perception is reality.

If all you're going to do is simulcast WSNE, the question one needs to raise is do they even need WHJJ? WSNE has a fine signal and simulcasting doesn't add any revenue. We certainly can be more creative than that in coming up with appropiate programming solutions.

I wish WHJJ all the best. If they feel I can help them, please call.

For what it's worth, those are my two-cents.

Best,

Gary Begin

 

[chrish]

I would try to work out a deal with WJAR-TV channel 10 for the use of the WJAR call letters to bring back the identity of a once great station with possibiliy of some
joint news deal.
WJAR calls are not lost to younger listeners as so many such as WNAC and WMEX are, WJAR-TV still rules the market as far as news and information.

 

[IdentityProgramming]

I agree, change the call letters!

WHJJ is probably one of the worst set of call-letters I have ever seen. I don't know if I'd go back to WJAR, but if you change format rebranding is in-order.

Gary Begin

 

[Skynet74]

I disagree with putting any kind of music programming on AM. It just doesn't do music justice. You mine as well listen to music through a telephone.

 

[Dighton Rockhead]

I disagree with putting any kind of music programming on AM. It just doesn't do music justice. You mine as well listen to music through a telephone.

Agreed. All things being equal, I would choose FM for music. However, not every music format is viable enough to make it onto a mainstream FM station.

I was one of those (perhaps very few) who was listening to what Steve Conti was doing with the jazz/big band/swing mixture on 990 before the plug got pulled.

Then again, I'm part of the final generation that grew up primarily on AM radio, so perhaps I'm a bit more forgiving of the shortcomings of AM.

Of course, this probably means I'll be "aging out" of the desirable demos anytime soon. : ;D

 

[wknd92]

Awwww that's a good idea "wknd92". It's something that I didn't think of. Bring Matt Allen onboard for HJJ! The guy gets so much respect here. Everyone seems to like him. I can only imagine that the general consensus among listeners is the same. He sure would be a nice start to a new future for HJJ. A nice solid start to that foundation. I'm sure that HJJ would pay him more than WPRO does and he would definitely be worth it! I'm loving that idea!!! If I was in charge over at HJJ, I would be placing a call to Matty on Monday. The timing seems perfect to me. Let's get a whole new lineup in place at HJJ before Cianci starts at PRO. HJJ will need that head start if they even care about surviving the Winter book. It's a no brainer. DO IT!

Winter book....it's debatable that they will survive thru the 2nd trend of the fall book!

Here is the problem with Matt at WHJJ, he inevitably has been contacted by CC to make the move (probably most recently when John D got brought to the Trail) and either is very comfortable where he's been for almost 8 years and doesn't want to move (a possibility) or CC miserably failed in their attempt to entice him to make a move (a probability).
Look at it even in these terms, at the moment, even being a producer, which station would you like to be at....WPRO as the market dominant station or over at HJJ where you may be out w/o anywhere to go in 3-6 months!?!

 

[Skynet74]

I see what you are saying "wknd92" about Matt. Job security is nice. But being underappreciated isn't. Matt gets passed over time and time again. I would hate to see the guy get stuck at PRO for several more years as a Producer when it's clear that he shines on the air. I just think there are plenty of other stations in America who would offer him so much more. His career could really excel and I think he could become BIG! But that can't happen if he's stuck where he is now. Hey maybe he's happy. If that's the case than fine. I just think that he deserves more.