What does anything about a 'Right Wing Crazy Train' rather than simply calling the format Talk radio have to do with this discussion? Any certainly no mention of a 'Left Wing Crazy Train' is ever brought up on this board when those on the left choose to insult the other 50% of the population. It goes both ways. How about sticking to discussion of radio like what most of us are here for? There's plenty of other message boards to go and trade political insults on.
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What's up at WBEN-AM 930?
- Thread starter Mr. Furley
- Start date
What does anything about a 'Right Wing Crazy Train' rather than simply calling the format Talk radio have to do with this discussion? Any certainly no mention of a 'Left Wing Crazy Train' is ever brought up on this board when those on the left choose to insult the other 50% of the population. It goes both ways. How about sticking to discussion of radio like what most of us are here for? There's plenty of other message boards to go and trade political insults on.
Why do you think stations like, say, WBFO and WXXI-AM do well(a 3.8 12+ in the latest book for 'BFO and in the 2's for WXXI-AM)? Because there's a decent segment of the population that is TIRED of the claptrap that WBEN feeds us and wants a somewhat saner news/talk outlet.
You are missing my point. There's no need to anonymously insult people who might be listeners of a conservative talk format just because you don't like the format or agree with the views espoused by the hosts and many of the callers to the station. There are plenty of other places to have your own viewpoint discussed if that's what you are looking for than a message board about a radio market. And for the record, this isn't about me. I'm apolitical and don't trust much of what I read or hear from either side without verification from multiple sources and careful consideration. This a radio message board and I just don't see a need to say things to alienate people who might not want to discuss politics just because you don't agree with them.
Perhaps because outside of Pacifica, the fringes of the left are rarely heard on radio. Whereas many of the talk stations we discuss in addition to mainstream conservatives, broadcast a great deal of content that goes beyond ideas and into distortion, insults and trolling. Since that content dominates talk radio today, discussing the fringes of the opposite side doesn't often intersect with terrestrial radio.
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Buddy Shula
Guest
From being the #1 direct seller at WBEN for 20 years, and from being on air creating the Buffalo Means Business show, I can tell you first hand that the success of WBEN is the heritage, the "talk" format (not so much news). Clients like the format, that's what matters. For every client that is opposed to right leaning talk, three love it. Listeners love the talk show hosts, and WBEN is not a 60 plus station at all. It is much younger than you would think, more like 35-64, with plenty of 40 and 50 year olds. I think people should remember, when they talk about programming, is that SALES has kept the radio industry alive, not programming. Programming has decimated it. If it were not for the resilient hard-working sales people that radio tends to have, the medium would really be in trouble. If the advertisers keep liking and trusting radio, radio will be around for a long, long time. There may not be ONE listener. but if the ADVERTISERS like and trust it for whatever reason, it will continue to do great. Radio makes ALOT of money. The bankruptcies you have seen are not because of the revenue radio creates, it is because of the debt and expenses. The revenue in radio is huge, because the product is AIR. I left Entercom 17 months ago in Buffalo, it is, and always has been a total top-notch company. The best in the radio industry. I know all of the very top people at Entercom, including David, including Weezie....I have their cell phones. They are amazing leaders with the best balance sheet in media. Stop trying to knock WBEN. Could some of their other stations be doing better? Yes. But WBEN is thriving, and Entercom is a great example of what radio should be.
100% agreed. And the buck stops with senior/executive management. Obviously, I don't really know, but it has all the hallmrks of so-called "top" folks that didn't keep up with the times... they thought the 'product' was rather untouchable.
It's one of those chicken and egg questions, and quite often the engineers want to weigh in as well. If the engineers don't keep the transmitters up and running, no one hears the commercials. But at the end of the day, everyone, sales, programming, and engineering all take orders from the same guy, and hopefully they're all rowing the boat in the same direction.
So, Buddy is saying bad programming has decimated Radio. However, advertisers love it and will continue to buy ads even if nobody is listening. Huh? Now that's the Ultimate Echo Chamber.
Even if clients are "fans" of a particular station, they probably still expect results for their money. WBEN is a polarizing station. Some love it, some hate it and others don't care at all. If clients are happy with the results, then they'll keep buying it...
Even if clients are "fans" of a particular station, they probably still expect results for their money. WBEN is a polarizing station. Some love it, some hate it and others don't care at all. If clients are happy with the results, then they'll keep buying it...
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Buddy Shula
Guest
Correct. Advertisers will still buy it if they like it. It has always been tough to prove if someone came in a store because of a radio ad - many radio ads are branding ads. So if the client thinks it works, perception is going to be reality.
And I'm one that doesn't care for it. If I want news, I'll go to WBFO. Or Toronto's 680 News. Or the CBC. I REFUSE to listen to WBEN any more.
Using the same logic, if the client thinks radio doesn't work, that perception is going to be reality.
Hence the demise of most AM stations.
But many local direct accounts only use one radio station. They know when they get response to price-item or sale or new merchandise ads, and have a good sense for traffic of old vs. new customers.
And a good sales person knows how to answer objections like "radio does not work" or "my customers don't listen to your station" as those are among the most basic of all reasons not to buy.
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Buddy Shula
Guest
I have sold 30 million dollars of direct local advertisers using radio. There is offer type ads and branding ads. I can prove that offer ads will work immediately by telling the store owner to offer to give away everything in his store at no cost for one day. We will see if AM or FM radio works.
It’s all about the message.
LOL. That's awesome. I recall a local concert promoter using generally that same approach in the 1970's. Forgot all about it.
Kudos to you.
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