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What is a local radio station?

K

KeyTimes

Guest
The question is a serious one ...
What, to your discerning ear, to your passion (if any) for public interest, convenience and necessity, to your sense of what is good and useful (however you describe good and useful) ...
What is a local radio station, in your mind and in your gut?
Thank you for any thoughts.
 
> What is a local radio station, in your mind and in your gut?

It's a nostalgic memory of something that doesn't really exist anymore.
 
Well, for me it means live jocks 24/7 jocks who was on top of all local current events/weather. Jocks that actually cared about his/her job had a relationship with the listeners. The music was always open for ideas or suggestions, not the music of robots it is today. It was fun to listen when there was a live remote the whole station showed up it was almost like the circus was in town the station went all out for the advertiser, today its just a joke at the remote broadcast with a paid jock with a flip cell phone and a intern to hang banners and if your lucky they "might" give away a couple of DVD's that the promotions department or jocks haven't fingered for themselves. I know I turned it into a rant. I'm sorry

And yes I know this is not 1975 and I know get over it and move on. Ok I shall
And by the way I love what Clarke Ingram is doing with 620 it reminds me of "old tyme radio" thanks Clarke, I listen every chance I get, I went out and purchased a GE superradio, sounds great in wide band
 
> And by the way I love what Clarke Ingram is doing with 620
> it reminds me of "old tyme radio" thanks Clarke, I listen
> every chance I get, I went out and purchased a GE
> superradio, sounds great in wide band

Thanks for the kind words about 620 KHB. It DOES sound good in wideband, doesn't it? I sure wish everyone could listen that way.

Unfortunately, this is the last weekend (10/8) for me on 5-7 PM Sat, as a polka show has bought the time slot.
 
> > And by the way I love what Clarke Ingram is doing with 620
>
> > it reminds me of "old tyme radio" thanks Clarke, I listen
> > every chance I get, I went out and purchased a GE
> > superradio, sounds great in wide band
>
> Thanks for the kind words about 620 KHB. It DOES sound good
> in wideband, doesn't it? I sure wish everyone could listen
> that way.
>
> Unfortunately, this is the last weekend (10/8) for me on 5-7
> PM Sat, as a polka show has bought the time slot.
>

CI--

Exactly how much would the 5-7 saturday slot cost? I'm just wondering. You can email if the price is supersecret. :)
 
WJPA and WMBS are local radio stations!

> > What is a local radio station, in your mind and in your
> gut?
>
> It's a nostalgic memory of something that doesn't really
> exist anymore.
>
Dear Mr Realist,
1450am/95.3 fm wjpa are local radio stations with news and jocks and fun, WMBS is a local radio station and wjas is a local radio station. They exist and make money too.
 
Re: WJPA and WMBS are local radio stations!

> > > What is a local radio station, in your mind and in your
> > gut?
> >
> > It's a nostalgic memory of something that doesn't really
> > exist anymore.
> >
> Dear Mr Realist,
> 1450am/95.3 fm wjpa are local radio stations with news and
> jocks and fun, WMBS is a local radio station and wjas is a
> local radio station. They exist and make money too.

I stand corrected. I shall re-phrase it as "Local Radio stations are nostalgic memories of something that continue to exist only in a few small towns".
 
Come on, RR...

That's too easy a stance to take ("exist only in a few small towns) and an unfair slap to the stations givwn as an example above as well as to Pittsburgh.

Despite a national following, WABC has done a fine job of defending its heritage and serving NYC. So has WBAI. In Pittsburgh, WDVE fits the bill (despite CC and, while we all have different tastes, kudos to them for sticking with local talent).

Local radio means being PART of the community -- including fitting in to the fabric of what is there (as opposed to creating an event to be a part of or *just* throwing $ or trade at a feel-good promotional opportunity).
 
Re: Come on, RR...

> That's too easy a stance to take ("exist only in a few small
> towns) and an unfair slap to the stations givwn as an
> example above as well as to Pittsburgh.
>
> Despite a national following, WABC has done a fine job of
> defending its heritage and serving NYC. So has WBAI. In
> Pittsburgh, WDVE fits the bill (despite CC and, while we all
> have different tastes, kudos to them for sticking with local
> talent).
>
> Local radio means being PART of the community -- including
> fitting in to the fabric of what is there (as opposed to
> creating an event to be a part of or *just* throwing $ or
> trade at a feel-good promotional opportunity).

Well, I don't live in New York. I can't pick up any New York City radio stations, so I don't have any first hand knowledge of what WABC broadcasts. So, if you say that it's a "local" station, I'll take your word for it.

As for WDVE, the people on the air have been there long enough to have become "local", but then any carpetbagger who lives in a new place long enough eventually can call himself "local". I realize Jim Krenn was born here, which explains why his schtick pretty much consists of not suppressing his normal yinzer accent.

But despite Marilyn Michael's remote from the RG Johnson parking lot yesterday afternoon, I don't hear WDVE being a "part" of the community so much as I hear WDVE exploiting local angles to boost ratings and billings. Not that doing that is a bad thing, that's what the radio business is all about.

But aside from Krenn, how many current people on the air on 'DVE were local people given their first break here? Aside from the 'DVE Coffee House bit on the Morning show, how many songs by Pittsburgh artists are on 'DVE's playlist that wouldn't be there if the songs weren't national breakouts? How many songs by local artists on the 'DVE playlist were originally broken on 'DVE?

If you want to convince me that 'DVE is a GOOD station, don't bother. I already think it's a good station. But don't try to convince me that 'DVE is a LOCAL station.
 
Re: Come on, RR...

Any decent AM radio will pick up WABC in the evening...or try reading a few trade magazines or following the industry.

Sean McDowell (DVE PM drive) is the son of Al McDowell, a legendary Pittsburgh newsman, and is as local as it gets. He mixes calls and music and quickly changes to a very local perspective in times of crisis, celebration, or major news. Gene Collier is a Pittsburgh legend. There are other spots with respect to WDVE that make it very "local" (and I am not a WDVE listener by the way).

Any "carpetbagger" *cannot* do what you claim they can.

Again, open your mind, ears, and eyes...please. The whining gets tiresome.
 
Re: Come on, RR...

> Any decent AM radio will pick up WABC in the evening...or
> try reading a few trade magazines or following the industry.

Again, I do not live in New York City. I have no interest in hearing a New York City radio station. If I wanted to talk about radio in New York City, I'd particpate in the New York City board, not the Pittsburgh board.
 
Re: Come on, RR...

> > Any decent AM radio will pick up WABC in the evening...or
> > try reading a few trade magazines or following the
> industry.
>
> Again, I do not live in New York City. I have no interest in
> hearing a New York City radio station. If I wanted to talk
> about radio in New York City, I'd particpate in the New York
> City board, not the Pittsburgh board.
>

We're discussing local radio stations (or lack of same) and it's being pointed out to you that WABC is one. I agree...I've heard it on 770 and it definitely is not a "cookie cutter" station that could be mistaken for something here. I can't explain it, you'd need to listen for yourself, but that would mean you'd have to admit there still are local stations out there and that would ruin your theory.

And if your qualifications for a local station are everyone on it was born and raised in that town and there is music on there that was first played in that town...there would be MANY small towns across the US that never had a local radio station, and that just isn't the truth.
 
Re: Come on, RR...

Thanks, Corp...closed-minded so I chose not to respond...not the least of which he failed to pick up on the WDVE comments. Thinking is permitted here.

BTW, WOR and WGY do a good job of local, too.
 
Re: Come on, RR...

> We're discussing local radio stations (or lack of same) and
> it's being pointed out to you that WABC is one. I
> agree...I've heard it on 770 and it definitely is not a
> "cookie cutter" station that could be mistaken for something
> here. I can't explain it, you'd need to listen for
> yourself, but that would mean you'd have to admit there
> still are local stations out there and that would ruin your
> theory.

I do not dispute that WABC is a local station for New York City. I only observe that as I am not a resident of New York City, it does not interest me.

> And if your qualifications for a local station are everyone
> on it was born and raised in that town and there is music on
> there that was first played in that town...there would be
> MANY small towns across the US that never had a local radio
> station, and that just isn't the truth.

I would only expect that more than a handful of the on-air talents on a local station should be local people for that station to have bragging rights to the description "local". I also will not dispute that a station doesn't have to be local to be good or worth listening to.
 
Re: WJPA and WMBS are local radio stations!

WJPA AM and FM are Local and is making money.

WMBS is a joke...They are using a networks most of the time to play music and they have brokered radio programs from a national and local level. The news department is a shame. Most of the news is coming from the local newspaper or directly from the wire.

As someone who has worked there WMBS has not made money in 20 years. The owner has it as a tax write off.

Local radio is a thing of the past. It a tough reality for use to swallow but it is true.

Bill Alexander
The guy that created the slogan "Your Local Station"





> > > > What is a local radio station, in your mind and in
> your
> > > gut?
> > >
> > > It's a nostalgic memory of something that doesn't really
>
> > > exist anymore.
> > >
> > Dear Mr Realist,
> > 1450am/95.3 fm wjpa are local radio stations with news and
>
> > jocks and fun, WMBS is a local radio station and wjas is a
>
> > local radio station. They exist and make money too.
>
> I stand corrected. I shall re-phrase it as "Local Radio
> stations are nostalgic memories of something that continue
> to exist only in a few small towns".
>
 
Re: Come on, RR...

> Thanks, Corp...closed-minded so I chose not to respond...not
> the least of which he failed to pick up on the WDVE
> comments. Thinking is permitted here.

Tell you what, you respond to my observations about 'DVE's failure to promote local music and local musicians, and then I'll respond to your comment about one DJ's father being a local TV reporter.

I've been listening to 'DVE all day long for the past few days. They play four or five songs of about 4 minutes each, then the DJ might talk for half a minute. With a ratio of music to DJ talk of 20 minutes of music to 30 seconds of talk, I think their lack of local content in the music part of their programming more than overshadows the fact that one DJ's dad worked in Pittsburgh television, and one commentator who does a periodic guest bit on the morning show wrote for the Post-Gazette.
 
Re: Come on, RR...

> Tell you what, you respond to my observations about 'DVE's
> failure to promote local music and local musicians, and then
> I'll respond to your comment about one DJ's father being a
> local TV reporter.
>
> I've been listening to 'DVE all day long for the past few
> days. They play four or five songs of about 4 minutes each,
> then the DJ might talk for half a minute. With a ratio of
> music to DJ talk of 20 minutes of music to 30 seconds of
> talk, I think their lack of local content in the music part
> of their programming more than overshadows the fact that one
> DJ's dad worked in Pittsburgh television, and one
> commentator who does a periodic guest bit on the morning
> show wrote for the Post-Gazette.
>
There's more to being a local station than what you play on the radio, IMO.

As far as the local music scene - a lot of it simply doesn't fit WDVE's format, so why would they play that, any more than they would play rap?
 
Re: Come on, RR...

> As far as the local music scene - a lot of it simply doesn't
> fit WDVE's format, so why would they play that, any more
> than they would play rap?

Clear Channel owns multiple stations, playing several different music formats. They could easily put locally recorded songs on whatever of their stations each songs is appropriate for. And, if local musicians thought they had a snowball's chance in hell of getting some local airplay if they'd write songs appropriate for any local station's format, more of them would.

Besides, this isn't about the hundreds of local songs that aren't appropriate for 'DVE to play, it's about the four or five that are.
 
Re: Come on, RR...

> > As far as the local music scene - a lot of it simply
> doesn't
> > fit WDVE's format, so why would they play that, any more
> > than they would play rap?
>
> Clear Channel owns multiple stations, playing several
> different music formats. They could easily put locally
> recorded songs on whatever of their stations each songs is
> appropriate for. And, if local musicians thought they had a
> snowball's chance in hell of getting some local airplay if
> they'd write songs appropriate for any local station's
> format, more of them would.
>
> Besides, this isn't about the hundreds of local songs that
> aren't appropriate for 'DVE to play, it's about the four or
> five that are.
>
Local radio was KDKA back in the Fifties with Rege cordic, Bob Tracy, Art Pallan , and Ed and Wendy King.
 
Re: Come on, RR...

> As far as the local music scene - a lot of it simply doesn't
> fit WDVE's format, so why would they play that, any more
> than they would play rap?
>

The coffehouse on the morning show is actually a nice, albeit small showcase for local acts. And frankly, DVE probably plays the Clarks TOO much.
<P ID="signature">______________
"With God as my witness, I could have sworn turkeys could fly."</P>
 
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