WINZ

[Faraway]

Remember when WSVN lost its network affiliation and everyone thought they were goners? Instead they countered with hours and hours of local news, the most memorable part at 10pm, when each night, they'd have Rick Sanchez, shirtsleeves rolled up, sweating profusely, reporting live from three or hour different crime scenes during the hour. He'd do a live shot, then get in the station van, high tail to the next crime...etc...But you were guaranteed to see the yellow blanket covering a body in every live shot. And little kids gleefully jumping around trying to get on screen. THAT wackiness was real reality TV. WSVN has tamed down their newscasts (a little) but is now joined by Channel 7 Junior (WFOR) and lately Channel 7 Jr. Jr. (Channel 10).

Sorry, I guess this post belongs on a different form, but Mike's excellent analysis brought the old "if It Bleeds it leads" Channel 7 to mind.

 

[Time Traveler]

WINZ went all-news around 1975, but had talk in the overnight dayparts. WNWS (790) also went all-news that same year with the NBC News and Information Service.

So was WINZ Top 40 until the format change to all-news????

 

[Mike Sheridan]

So was WINZ Top 40 until the format change to all-news????

I would call it A/C, really but it would be close to top 40. There slogan was: "The AM that sounds like a FM".

The audio was really good, best sounding AM station on the dial. Gannett got rid of the old RCA Ampliphase transmitter, put up some new towers and transmission line (one of the old towers was actually bent toward the bottom, and bought a new Harris MW50. It really sounded good!

 

[sheldon94]

WIOD definitely bills well, just based on the numbers David's posted here before. But why would broadcasting WIOD on FM necessarily mean they'd have to find something else to do with the AM side? There are several talkers throughout the country that are using their FM side to supplement the AM... WHIO in Dayton is one that comes to mind. WBT in Charlotte as well, even though they use their FM signal more to serve an area in the metro that the AM side doesn't cover very well. Still, though... what's to say 'IOD couldn't simulcast? It'd actually bring in a little extra money, I'd think.

Clear Channel has let go ALL their talent pool for WIOD! John Levitte was just fired two weeks ago and has more news experience than Lori Shepard. Guys they have ZERO talent and low numbers. CC IS the evil empire! everything is voiced tracked like traffic for example. My old shift was 1pm-9pm and did 7 radio stations from Vero to Key West. They forced me of-the-air and let Amy Lauren whon only had 4 years experience in the biz. Thats age discrimination. Someone needs to have the balls and goto the EEOC and sue them for AGE discrimination!


George Sheldon

 

[raykroc]

As this thread has evolved from a discussion of the future of WINZ to a discussion of how to build a great talk
station, I have not seen anyone address the idea of resurrecting a great entertainment station such as the one that WIOD built during the 70's with Mike Renieri, Big Wilson, Bill Calder, and Larry King. I believe they were called "The Great Entertainers." The station was even better in the 90's with Rick and Suds, Phil Hendrie, the obnoxious Randi Rhodes, and the franchise, Neil Rogers. When Cox sold IOD, the station "jumped
the shark" and began its descent into mediocrity. Now it sounds like 100 other mediocre, cookie-cutter stations around the country. Bring back entertainment and laughter to radio, and you will put a severe dent into dull political talk.

 

[Faraway]

[EDIT]

Ray - I recall hearing Uncle Neil, not long after the sale to Paxson, that WIOD, with all of it's great numbers and talent, made money only year out of all the years he was there, and that was the year before it was sold, when they cut expenses to create a stronger balance sheet to show potential buyers. What did Paxson pay for WIOD? Something like $15 million? People in the industry were shocked how cheap it went. Probably because that cool station wasn't really so successful. Listen, I am not denigrating what WIOD under Neil and everyone sounded like - it was a favorite of mine when I lived there - I'm just reminding everyone about the reality of radio then and now - that succesful radio is a mix of programming AND sales. Say what you want about today's WIOD, but as discussed earlier, station makes a boat load of money, and they sure came thru for South Florida after the hurricanes (and got great ratings, too), That sounds like a pretty good story, too.

[EDIT-inflammatory]

 

[artradioguy]

Forgive me for this, but as long as I have been in radio there have been boneheaded programming moves. Long after I am dead, there will be others. But whining, and sniveling, and talking about what a great station this one or that one was is non-productive. If you are a pro, and George I know you are, you pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and get another job. If you don't do that, become a salesman, as for me, I'm on the radio which is why I am artradioguy.

 

[sheldon94]

Artradioguy, I have retired from broadcasting and returning to middle school teaching in Western North Carolina. I was a hell of a lot happier teaching in the past than I was in radio. I guess it's time for the younger generation to take over radio. I put in 23 years and I'm tired of the so called consultants, young jock program directors that think they know radio. Radio has changed WINZ has changed and it is time that I change and move back to an area that I can be happy in. I see a lot of competition here, I see a lot of high priced condos, apartments, gas, etc... To survive in certain parts of South Florida you have to make at least 40 thousand a year. I don't know anyone in or out of radio that makes that. except managment and sales. Clear Channel had affected hundreds of lives in a negative way in dozens of markets and I have a non-compete that I am NOT willing to wait it out here in Hurricanville so it's time for me to move again.

 

[bgwilde1]

George,

Remember what we talked about???