What's Up With WCRN?

[gcc83j]

Anyone know what happened to Scott Shannon on WCRN in Worcester.
I used to catch his show starting at 12 noon Mon.-Fri. Now there's
more financial talk 'til 1pm and no Shannon all afternoon. The music
appears to be segued by in-house computer but Shannon's pre-recorded
liners still play every so often. The music mix is quite different
from Shannon's satellite feed with less of Scott's fondness for non-
top 10 R&B oldies and more of the older stuff from the late 50's like
Connie Francis. If you like wall-to-wall music with only one spot break
per hour, this new approach to oldies will be appealing.
In the beginning of the week I thought maybe they lost the feed from the
bird, but they still have live AP news on the morning show which indicates
to me that it's not a receiver problem. Anyone else notice this change?
I wonder if it's permanent. Perhaps the initial contract with Shannon's
network has expired and WCRN has decided to go it alone. Thoughts??

 

[Eli Polonsky]

> Anyone know what happened to Scott Shannon on WCRN in Worcester.
> I used to catch his show starting at 12 noon Mon.-Fri. Now there's
> more financial talk 'til 1pm...

Maybe whoever produces the financial show purchased more airtime.

> ... and no Shannon all afternoon.
> The music appears to be segued by in-house computer but Shannon's
> pre-recorded liners still play every so often. The music mix is quite
> different from Shannon's satellite feed with less of Scott's fondness
> for non-top 10 R&B oldies and more of the older stuff from the late
> 50's like Connie Francis. If you like wall-to-wall music with only one
> spot break per hour, this new approach to oldies will be appealing.
> In the beginning of the week I thought maybe they lost the feed from the
> bird, but they still have live AP news on the morning show which indicates
> to me that it's not a receiver problem. Anyone else notice this change?
> I wonder if it's permanent. Perhaps the initial contract
> with Shannon's network has expired and WCRN has decided to go it alone.
> Thoughts??

I've still heard Shannon live (or maybe voicetracked sounding live, at least announcing the songs and bantering more than just liners) during the past week, but in the evenings instead of the afternoons.

The "wall-to-wall" oldies with only liners from Shannon is what has always run on the satellite when Shannon isn't actually hosting (whether he does it live or tracks). I believe we're still hearing The Oldies Channel satellite, but for some reason the hours that Shannon actually hosts have changed.

I've actually heard him at various different times of day and night over the past year. It's his network, maybe he goes in and hosts live just whenever he feels like it!

If their contract with Shannon expired, I doubt they would still be running his liners.

 

[gcc83j]

>
> The "wall-to-wall" oldies with only liners from Shannon is
> what has always run on the satellite when Shannon isn't
> actually hosting (whether he does it live or tracks). I
> believe we're still hearing The Oldies Channel satellite,
> but for some reason the hours that Shannon actually hosts
> have changed.

I'll admit, I haven't had the opportunity to listen at night. Did
you hear any recorded tracks where Scott Shannon ID's himself?
The Shannon liners I've heard are only the standard, generic
ones promoting their oldies programming. None that I heard actually
had Scott Shannon saying his name...I can't think of a reason why
they would not use Shannon during the afternoon and only at night.
And I'm certain the music in the afternoon is NOT coming from a
satellite feed. It's way too different from when Scott's voice is
VT'd.

 

[Eli Polonsky]

> >
> > The "wall-to-wall" oldies with only liners from Shannon is
> > what has always run on the satellite when Shannon isn't
> > actually hosting (whether he does it live or tracks). I
> > believe we're still hearing The Oldies Channel satellite,
> > but for some reason the hours that Shannon actually hosts
> > have changed.
>
> I'll admit, I haven't had the opportunity to listen at night. Did
> you hear any recorded tracks where Scott Shannon ID's himself?

I haven't been listening much this week, but last week late afternoon/early evening I heard him ID himself, call back the songs, banter, etc.. as if live.

> The Shannon liners I've heard are only the standard, generic
> ones promoting their oldies programming. None that I heard actually
> had Scott Shannon saying his name...I can't think of a reason why
> they would not use Shannon during the afternoon and only at night.

I'm still guessing that he DJ's live in his studio when he feels like it, perhaps regardless of what time it is.

> And I'm certain the music in the afternoon is NOT coming from a
> satellite feed. It's way too different from when Scott's voice is
> VT'd.

I'll try listening more closely, but I know that since that channel has aired on CRN, Shannon often threw in odd and deeper oldies when he was DJ'ing live (or VT'ed live) that didn't appear when the satellite was on automation, but it was still the satellite.