"Whelm": over/under

[Tennessee Cowboy]

Al Gore says he'll get us some internet if we put in a Democrat. There's a fellow in Petros we all think is about half quare. Nobody's told him yet what a penal farm really is. Maybe we can get him to come out of the closet and run.

 

[Tennessee Cowboy]

On 100.3 the sexy allure of politics and the excitement of accounting: It was Knox County government day again. Say 'fiduciary' like you mean it, big boy.

 

[Stormychuck]

Tennessee Cowboy has a point....

 

[Tennessee Cowboy]

End of week eight.

I can't remember the last time I cared enough to listen to HHH. There should be a disclaimer on 100.3 telling people to not operate heavy machinery when the topic is Knox County finances.

And, yeah, billbattle, 98.7 sounded distorted today. WIMZ sounds a little brighter, though. Maybe I can tolerate their 3,427,992nd playing of Free Bird for a few minutes.

Still a Meh-minus for Knoxville radio. Does anybody know if Howard Stern remembered how to insert something halfway clever in between f-bombs since he went to satellite?

 

[Fiveahead]

Still a Meh-minus for Knoxville radio.

I question the ability of anyone in the Knoxville market to tell their ass from a hole in the ground.

 

[TnJanitor]

Someone needs to bring the "Phil Hendrie Show" to k-town.

 

[BillBattle]

I think one of the station ought to bring a Texas Hold um Poker Show on radio. It is big on TV. I would listen to to Texas Hold um Poker all day.

 

[Tennessee Cowboy]

So Ed and Bob, Bob and Ed, whatever... They've spent a lot of time building up those boy scout images and don't want to hurt them. They could add an annoying a-hole in the morning. Someone who would suggest an inexpensive shotgun-based alternative to the high maintenance of an old farm cat maybe. It might irritate and upset Ed, but the phones would light up like a Christmas tree. And you can imagine how many people would switch over from any of several otherwise benign morning shows.

All Claude had to do was go into character to tell the dirtiest jokes imaginable. It wasn't Claude. Take it up with Lester. Simple and awesome. RIP Claude.

 

[Tennessee Cowboy]

Now with streaming video. The audio isn't matching the video. Or they haven't learned to lip-sync yet.

 

[secondchoice]

I question the ability of anyone in the Knoxville market to tell their ass from a hole in the ground.

That might be true for most of the corporate radio companies. How many CEO’s have actually got up at 4AM to do a show, sat up all night with a sick transmitter or directional system, or tried to make a sale to a client who says “I ran three spots on another station two years ago and did not get one person who came in a said they heard it on the radio.

IIRC it was Immus that a lot of Wall Street types listened to who got the idea that a public corporation should buy and introduce corporate thinking (living only to make a this quarter’s numbers)into broadcasting. IIRC 80-90 did away with the “financial” requirements (having the ability to operate the station without any revenue for a set time period, I think it was a year). It was the perfect storm for companies to bid up properties to unsustainable prices (10 and 20 times positive cash flow). If a person could launch an IPO or swing a loan from a bank all of a sudden he was a radio executive. When the business did not grow the 20% a year required to pay the bank, the only expense that they could cut was people. Now a huge percentage of the stations nationwide are running cookie cutter national programming and the “executives” wonder why their stations are losing out to other media.

I hope 100.3 proves that “radio experience” in ownership and programming can make a difference.

 

[boogiecheck]

I question the ability of anyone in the Knoxville market to tell their ass from a hole in the ground.

That might be true for most of the corporate radio companies. How many CEO’s have actually got up at 4AM to do a show, sat up all night with a sick transmitter or directional system, or tried to make a sale to a client who says “I ran three spots on another station two years ago and did not get one person who came in a said they heard it on the radio.

IIRC it was Immus that a lot of Wall Street types listened to who got the idea that a public corporation should buy and introduce corporate thinking (living only to make a this quarter’s numbers)into broadcasting. IIRC 80-90 did away with the “financial” requirements (having the ability to operate the station without any revenue for a set time period, I think it was a year). It was the perfect storm for companies to bid up properties to unsustainable prices (10 and 20 times positive cash flow). If a person could launch an IPO or swing a loan from a bank all of a sudden he was a radio executive. When the business did not grow the 20% a year required to pay the bank, the only expense that they could cut was people. Now a huge percentage of the stations nationwide are running cookie cutter national programming and the “executives” wonder why their stations are losing out to other media.

I hope 100.3 proves that “radio experience” in ownership and programming can make a difference.

So many holes (in your theory), so little time.

A company must be operating for a set amount of time, usually three years, before taking their stock from "private" status to "public" status. There are several more hoops that must be jumped through as well, but this is a radio board and not a seminar on high finance so I'll spare you the rest of the details.

Financial Responsibility still plays a part in FCC licensing. See FCC Form 44 for more on that.

 

[secondchoice]

So many holes (in your theory), so little time.

A company must be operating for a set amount of time, usually three years, before taking their stock from "private" status to "public" status. There are several more hoops that must be jumped through as well, but this is a radio board and not a seminar on high finance so I'll spare you the rest of the details.

Financial Responsibility still plays a part in FCC licensing. See FCC Form 44 for more on that.

If the Media industry is operating on sound financial principles explain the Citadel / ABC, and Tribune Bankruptcies. Which would you be better off with $1K in each of the C’s (except Cox) or $3K in the S & P over the last 3 years? This might be hard to figure with CC’s private “restructuring deal” so make it Cumulus and Citadel and $2K in the S & P.

 

[boogiecheck]

So many holes (in your theory), so little time.

A company must be operating for a set amount of time, usually three years, before taking their stock from "private" status to "public" status. There are several more hoops that must be jumped through as well, but this is a radio board and not a seminar on high finance so I'll spare you the rest of the details.

Financial Responsibility still plays a part in FCC licensing. See FCC Form 44 for more on that.

If the Media industry is operating on sound financial principles explain the Citadel / ABC, and Tribune Bankruptcies. Which would you be better off with $1K in each of the C’s (except Cox) or $3K in the S & P over the last 3 years? This might be hard to figure with CC’s private “restructuring deal” so make it Cumulus and Citadel and $2K in the S & P.

Over that period of time they're all losers, except when the wise investor went soundly with specific sectors and positioned their options for a sound return.

Two words: upside bias.

 

[secondchoice]

Even Wall Street has figured out the leadership of a lot of radio companies (I KNOW THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS) is clueless.

http://www.radio-info.com/news/wall-street-doesnt-like-radios-recent-track-record

Going after newspapers clients (whose circulation problems makes radio’s troubles look small) is common sense. I thought sales people were working that angle but according to the article they are not.


IMHO The streamlining of staff (especially sales) has reduced radio’s ability to go for local “beat the streets” sales. Sure an agency buy is nice and can be huge, but a lot of local non agency sales are based on long term relationships that are built up in more than a quarter. A local account that is getting results is not worried the latest ratings, he / she just wants customers to show up and buy their stuff. I know agencies control a large amount of the “local” accounts but outside of the top 25 markets there are still local accounts that the sales person deals with the owner. If I owned a station or cluster,I would like the operation’s expenses including debt payment were covered by locally controlled money and the agency money extra cash in my pocket.

Turning this tread back to Knoxville, I wonder how many of the accounts on 100.3 are a result of Ed’s contacts verses the ratings?

BTW I keep up with options and serious $$ was made shorting the old Citadel stock a few years ago. Disney (one of the better ran media companies) basically ended up getting cash. Citadel shareholders and employees got screwed.

 

[Tennessee Cowboy]

secondchoice...

It seems the larger corporate entities are more interested in economies of scale and consistency, making it easier for some guy in another state to make a decision. There are some media sales reps (not just radio... TV, print, cable, billboards, whatever) that get raked over the coals for bringing in otherwise great sales that just didn't fit into some box the right way.

 

[secondchoice]

secondchoice...

It seems the larger corporate entities are more interested in economies of scale and consistency, making it easier for some guy in another state to make a decision. There are some media sales reps (not just radio... TV, print, cable, billboards, whatever) that get raked over the coals for bringing in otherwise great sales that just didn't fit into some box the right way.

That is sad but true. Fiveahead is correct in that a lot of “management” (100.3 NOT INCLUDED!) and the butt and hole comment. Although I find a lot of talk radio boring, I hope that WNOX does well. The only chance for growth in radio is for local management, not some” Executive” in Vegas or Texas to call the shots. Unless you were in the market every day the regular programmer (me included not in the market everyday) would have gone country. The 100.3 crew being local correctly went after a Citadel weakness not its strength.

 

[Tennessee Cowboy]

Turning this tread back to Knoxville, I wonder how many of the accounts on 100.3 are a result of Ed’s contacts verses the ratings?

Many. That, and the relationships that came with any experienced sales people they may have hired.

 

[Tennessee Cowboy]

Week nine: benign

 

[TnJanitor]

Getting better and better, considering how fast 100.3 got up and running. I'll go with "whelm plus".

 

[Big Bopper]

Getting better and better, considering how fast 100.3 got up and running. I'll go with "whelm plus".

[size=12pt]TN Janitor, you started my day with a chuckle. Thanks.

Now, I am trying to figure out which "whelm" you are referring to...over or under. LOL

In the past month, 100.3 has scooped most of the other local media with a few major stories, all with a calm, informed presentation, and much more depth than available with TV sound bites, etc. And that sports show is the best thing to hit that genre since I have been in town.
I give local programs an "over."

Their syndicated shows are all good, although a couple are a little abrasive for my taste.
Ramsey seems to have been a brilliant choice, since Rush was committed and seems to be wearing a little thin with females. I give their syndicated shows an "over."

Radio-philes have no choice but to give an "over" to their audio and signal quality. No contest, there. I have heard them all over town with no problems, and the overall audio is great. Another "over."