I think WBCN was the unfortunate victim of a time in CBS' history where they were so unprepared for the loss of Stern, that they had "bigger" concerns.
If anything, I believe it sent an additional clear message, Morning shows *must* be part of the entire station brand.
When stations who subscribed to the "we're two different stations...Howard & the rest of the day" mentality, suddenly found themselves with no identity in the highest-billing daypart, the revenue losses had to be ridiculous. Everyone searched for a quick-fix. They rushed in to the "Free FM" concept. They thought (as is often the case) that a "celebrity" could carry their stations based upon name recognition. They found that what we do, cannot be done effectively by just anybody. That's because it works in NY, doesn't mean it will work in Sacramento. It was a hard lesson. WBCN was a great station. It remains the inspiration for why I do this.
I honestly think they lost it, when they began reacting. When they were forced by board-room consultants to swallow the pill of "national performance" by other successful stations in the company.
Perception is reality. My perception of WBCN when I was growing up, was that it was the place that either ignored the trends, or set them in a unique-to-Boston fashion. It never conformed. It was its own machine. Didn't matter if Huey Lewis was the biggest thing in the Midwest. WBCN was playing Fischer Zed. It was a different time. A time when being individual, seemed to matter. WBCN was unique. And when it lost that identity, it became just another choice. Think WBOS when it was Rock 92/9.
That's what it became. No personality. Just another background appliance.
Playing the Rolling Stones next to the Killers may have worked when the WBCN I grew up with existed. But after the fragmented format plague of the 90's, the lines were too cut n' dry. Rock is Rock is Rock. But, promotional budgets and the desire to siphon money from several accounts from the same record company for the same song, across multiple formats, caused a narrowing of lanes, that choked itself out.
That being said, a station like WBCN was in it's heyday, (it's assumed) wouldn't really perform in PPM today.
Unfortunately, we're told that "there is no exclusive cume." People scan. And when they come upon your station, it better hook 'em. The philosophy? Familiar, and tight. Look at KISS 108. Huge cume. Monotonous, repetitive, and ungodly short separation.
Winner.
A quick scan of WBOS' gold shows nothing but crushing hit songs. Is it adventurous? No. Is it groundbreaking? No. It's popular. And that's our business. We're are in the "please love me" business. The formula is no longer to educate. It is to regurgitate.
"Give the people what they want" - The Kinks
WBCN lost it's identity not because of the people in-building. They were talented, and connected with the audience. They lost it when they tried to be *not* WBCN. They stood as one of the greatest Rock stations in radio history. They lost it...when they lost that identity. They never embraced the changes legitimately. You *knew* they became something they didn't want to be. You could hear it. Credibility may not mean anything in the pop world. But, if you don't have it in Rock, you're dead in the water.
WBOS doesn't have the legacy of being *so* well-branded, it could not re-identify itself. WBOS has been so many different formats, that it's as disposable as the state of formats today. They play the hits. And in PPM, that allegedly wins.
Until something better comes along...
Which would take time, money, & patience to develop.
WBCN meant something. It meant *so* much to so many, it couldn't adapt with any credibility to become a disposable, background appliance.
It could be resurrected. If done properly.
HD-3 and webcasts aren't the answer.
