What Should Be Done With WTTS-FM?

[Bomba]

Let's analyze WTTS. As usual, the station, consistently, lags behind, far behind in the ratings. And, I would not think that it is a very easy sell, with the possible exception to Bloomington business owners, who may be interested in the larger signal of WTTS, compared to B97 and Big Red Country (WGCT-FM). The format isn't that easy to market, to begin with; so, what does the owner of WTTS do? Does he/she keep the format? Do they continue to "pretend" to be an Indy station? Do they focus on Bloomington and IU and cater to those folks (If so, I would assume that the student population would not care [too much] for the classic rock that WTTS insists on playing.)? If the format is in need of changing, what should it become? If the decision is made to keep the current format, what tweaks, if any, should be made (Again, I may make a point to mention the classic rock music. Does it really belong in a station promoted and marketed as a AAA?)? Finally, what other problems/benefits does one see with WTTS-FM, as it currently exists? Now, let's let the discussion begin...

Thanks.

--Bomba

 

[PTBoardOp94]

The need to choose one city or the other. It seems to me like they chose Indy, but sell a lot of their ads in Bloomington. Uh...that won't work.

I personally like the WTTS format and positioner. The could do with better air talent and imaging -- they sound like I imagine a station would have sounded in 1974.

 

[Ann Tenna]

Since Sarkes-Tarzian is based in Bloomington, I can't imagine selling off the "flagship" FM alone. In theory, Tom Tarzian should probably have sold the company (radio & TV) back when the big groups were in their feeding frenzy in 1999-2000, but his father had a great deal to do with the development of the medium, so there has to be a lot of emotion involved. Probably hard to just step out of the broadcasting business when you have such close personal ties to it. Tough call, but sitting there with a bottom-feeder like WTTS is these days can't be very satisfying either.

 

[MACK184]

Since Sarkes-Tarzian is based in Bloomington, I can't imagine selling off the "flagship" FM alone. In theory, Tom Tarzian should probably have sold the company (radio & TV) back when the big groups were in their feeding frenzy in 1999-2000, but his father had a great deal to do with the development of the medium, so there has to be a lot of emotion involved. Probably hard to just step out of the broadcasting business when you have such close personal ties to it. Tough call, but sitting there with a bottom-feeder like WTTS is these days can't be very satisfying either.

Well maybe, and maybe not. Think about it..it might not be at the top of the heap, but I'm sure it doesn't come with the huge debt load that the big conglomerates do. So you could make a great deal less money and be better off without having to pay the bankers. And maybe, they just enjoy owning it. There's nothing wrong with that, ya know.

 

[Hionradio]

Mack, just because an owner doesn't owe a bunch of money to the bank doesn't mean that he doesn't lose money (in a global sense). Let's say a station is worth $10,000,000 as a stick. An owner who owes NOTHING on that station COULD have sold the station and put the money in a bond or the bank and he'd make 8% a year. In other words, he could make $800,000 with NO RISK and NO WORK. If someone owns that ten million dollar station WITHOUT DEBT and makes $600,000 a year, he's really losing $200,000 a year. That's why lack of debt service is not a legitimate measure of what a station can or cannot afford to do.

 

[MightyFrenchman]

The need to choose one city or the other. It seems to me like they chose Indy, but sell a lot of their ads in Bloomington. Uh...that won't work.

I personally like the WTTS format and positioner. The could do with better air talent and imaging -- they sound like I imagine a station would have sounded in 1974.

I was a college student in 1974 and you're right. There was a station in Murphysboro, Illinois, WTAO, that had that "undergound" type of sound and presentation. WTTS sounds like the WTAO of 1974.

 

[wgomforever]

If someone owns that ten million dollar station WITHOUT DEBT and makes $600,000 a year, he's really losing $200,000 a year.

I gotta believe that the WTTS audience, while small, is flush with cash - just the person advertisers want to reach. If they're selling it right, 'TTS should be billing a lot more than their ratings would indicate. My guess is S-T's profit on that station is around 50% of their billing, meaning at least 1.5 million per year - probably closer to 2.5 mil.

But that's total guess work.

Plus, S-T could still be living off their sale of Channel 4.

 

[indyradioguy]

The could do with better air talent and imaging --

How true... their talent sounds tired and like they are going through the motions. They also sound very voice tracked at times. Its funny how they try to pretend they are in Indy. Nobody, even the listeners fall for it.

 

[11south]

The could do with better air talent and imaging --

How true... their talent sounds tired and like they are going through the motions. They also sound very voice tracked at times. Its funny how they try to pretend they are in Indy. Nobody, even the listeners fall for it.

You're giving voice tracking a bad rap here. Voice tracking can and should sound better than live as it forces the jock to plan what they are going to say. It really doesn't matter how "that was one song...here is another" is delivered technically.

I heard Eric Garnes on B105.7 Sunday afternoon...I am sure he was not there...but I couldn't tell it.

Boils down to talent and energy.

 

[PTBoardOp94]

Wgomforever: Interesting. I was in the car with a high schooler last week. I asked if there was a station they'd like to listen to, and he said 92.3.

How long has it been since S-T sold WTTV? I had thought it was nearing 15 years.

 

[ScatzerFan]

ROCK 105.......T -A -O..............Murphysboro.....Carbondale.......Marion

 

[MightyFrenchman]

ROCK 105.......T -A -O..............Murphysboro.....Carbondale.......Marion

It's been awhile since I've been back in Southern Illinois. I know that WTAO is now owned by Clear Channel so I don't expect that they still sound like a 1974 radio station.

 

[317C50KW]

WTTS in 1974 made the transition from Beautiful Muzak to automated country as WGTC.
They carried the ABC-FM news service at 15 after the hour and I dare say most southern Indiana stations got their feed of IU football and basketball from 'TTS (WIRE was the flagship back then). I remember the calls of their AM and FM being slightly different...one was WTTS but I don't recall what the other one was.

WTAO, it was hippy heaven. And one of the jocks circa 1972-73 was ABC News Chris Bury. Station ran out of a trailer, had a tempermental transmitter and was one of those "whatever the jock wanted to play" stations. Times have changed!

 

[radiorob2.0]

If this radio station, like any business, is able to pay the bills, covers a payroll and makes a profit, leave it alone.

 

[radio2100]

... it was hippy heaven. ... was one of those "whatever the jock wanted to play" stations.

You have just described the old WKLU (pre-Oasis)! Although...

 

[brian_stevens]

I remember the calls of their AM and FM being slightly different...one was WTTS but I don't recall what the other one was.

1370 was WTTS. 92.3 was WTTV-FM.

 

[MightyFrenchman]

WTAO, it was hippy heaven. And one of the jocks circa 1972-73 was ABC News Chris Bury. Station ran out of a trailer, had a tempermental transmitter and was one of those "whatever the jock wanted to play" stations. Times have changed!

Were you in Southern Illinois then? A beautiful area with over 60% of the students from the Greater Chicagoland area.

A syndicated program that WTAO and stations like them used to run was The King Biscuit Flower Hour. Is that program still being produced?

 

[IndyDan]

According to their website, King Biscuit currently airs on stations in Evansville and Lafayette (and other stations across the country), but from what I read, the program is produced from their archives and I was not able to tell if any new material is included. I remember listening to it on WNAP back in the 70's, so it has been around a long time.

 

[donkeypuncher]

but from what I read, the program is produced from their archives and I was not able to tell if any new material is included.

I totally believe that bud they play stuff like night ranger and loverboy and you know those shows arent hapening these days unless its in burning night c lubs still good to hear the show tho because I like there live music. word to the wise!

 

[gr8oldies]

Thought at one point they were doing a "classic" and "current" version of KB but even that was some time ago.