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WJDQ Format Flip

J

jo-nathan

(I'm startng a new thread since we're not really talking about the move to 95 that happened over a year ago)

someformofdj said:
A top 40 (adult leaning) would work great in the market given that it is programmed RIGHT. Many people have gone away of "what you don't play can't hurt you" saying. All the BIG WIGS have been saying the opposite. While that might work in huge markets, I think with Q's downfall, we've seen that Meridian is not ready for it. For that matter,,,Meridian might never be ready for it. I can't say that I would be surprised.
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Here here. Meridian is not a hip town and never will be. Starbucks and Olive Garden are just now entering the city and also people in Meridian think that Art's Shedhouse is a great nightclub (umm...).

I remember when URB first took over and I was talking to their programming VP before going back full time (I had just moved back down from Fort Wayne, Indiana and was back part time at Q at that time)... I told him that Meridian was different from any other radio market that I had ever been in and that the people in the area aren't hip. I told him that Q had to be programming just so or it wouldn't fly. Obviously he didn't listen. The consultant he stuck on Q sent the same music rotation list to all of the URB CHR stations. We'd often not follow it verbatum, honestly. Regardless, they have a Cumulus mindset and that does not fly, at least not in Meridian. *sarcasm on* I'm sure the fact that most of the URB big wigs are former Cumulus and Clear Channel employees have nothing to do with that, not at all. *sarcasm off*

This is the lesson that I hope they take from this before WWKZ (KZ in Tupelo) and WMSR (Star in Muscle Shouls/Florence) tank too: What works in one place almost never will work in another. Even New York and LA are different. I mean, God forbid that local program directors actually be allowed to program rather than push paper and try to please the investers.

One other factor that killed Q: No or bad promotion. Before I left the URB brass had promised TV spots and billboards for Q... that never happened. None of it. As far as I know there was no book promotion for Q in the fall (the book before we gave away alot of cash - but even that was a cluster screw up). The Valntine's Day promotion consisted of a leaf blower. You read that correctly, a leaf blower. That is pathetc. If the sales people couldn't have found better sponsorship than that they should all be fired. ALL of them. *more sarcasm* Nothing says "I love you" like a new leaf blower for the driveway *less sarcasm*.

The fact that the staff turnover was so high should have told them something. Lee Taylor got sick of it all and went across the street (and for a better position at that). I left due to anxiety issues (radio wasn't the only cause but it was a big part of it). Carson left to take a lesser job (he was OM/PD of Q)... for the same amount of money. While he's not a PD anymore, at least now he's having some fun. We were all going crazy because it wasn't fun anymore. I don't know about Carson but when I really thought about it I realized that I didn't find it fun anymore because it had become a chore to go in everyday rather than a chance to have fun on the air. It was so... nuts.

Suits who want to play radio are ruining the medium. They think they can win by doing the same things at all of their stations. They honestly think they will win when they do nothing to stand out. They think they will win with sub-par programming and piped in talent (let me be clear: I have nothing against DB Nyce; I've known him for many years, consider him a friend and even helped him as much as I could even though I wasn't employed at Q anymore). They want to make money, be number one and yet don't want to make any kind of investment in their station. I'm no business expert but I do know that a somtimes you have to spend a little money to make a lot of money.

So that's my $0.02. I really hope when the LMA is finished (assuming that URB doesn't complete the purchase - I'd be very surprised if they did) someone buys one or two of those stations and saves them from doom. It would be nice for the Q to be back on 101 as it was when it was last number one but I'm not stupid enough to believe that that will ever happen. But, it would be nice.

Jonathan
 
Good essay,which basically describes most corporate radio today .Urban is what i describe as the bottom feeder of corporate radio,SUCKS better than a Hoover.When the LMA is up that will be it for them.If Goldman Sachs gets in the same boat as Bear Stearns,that will be it for a lot of players in the broadcast industry.Dean Pearce had the legendary
Q101,but when a corporate player offers you WAY more than your property is worth, a smart operator(like Dean) will take the money and run,i'm sure he's still laughing today.Maybe real radio people (not Wall street suits)can salvage
what is left over.Radio deserves alot better ,but sadly plenty of great radio people have been added to the casualty list .
 
> Dean Pearce had the legendary Q101

And the Partridge family before him. As cheap as Don was, the radio station was a monster even back then. But, like many other stations, it has been killed by corporate people who have no idea what constitutes a great radio station.

LF
 
I just have to jump in on this one!

Lesson 1 - We all have to remember that group operators of radio stations are in the business to make money, not provide good radio. At least, that is the priority structure. Profit ALWAYS comes first.

Lesson 2 - The first lesson for making money is to run every station as cheaply as possible. If a group operator owns many stations, they will try to only pay once for everything and then duplicate it at every other station they own. Any wonder they all sound alike?

Lesson 3 - Don't worry about whether the stations are in Maine, Mississippi, Montana...it's all America and everyone likes the same things.

You may appreciate the irony in this. If you remember "The Research Group" in the 70s and 80s, they were a major player in the field of radio research. I worked for a station in Albuquerque that was owned by their parent company. We asked our "cousins" to work up a standard market study for us. Of course, they didn't want to expend any energy and resources for one of their own stations when they could be doing it for a paying client, so they sent us the research they did for our sister station in Fresno and told us that Fresno and Albuquerque were about the same size and had about the same demographics, so we would be fine using their material. Can you believe that? They surely wouldn't have told a paying client that had stations in different markets that they could just use the same reports, but it was fine with them to blow us off like that. Funny how that works, but you can believe that a lot of the same thing goes on with the big companies now when it comes to research, consultants, and programming. If you try to tell them a market like Meridian is different, they'll just laugh it off and do the same thing they did in another market because it's very cost efficient...better known as CHEAP!
 
Well, looks like for the most part it's a the same house with some new furniture and a new paint job. Musically it's the same thing as before, minus the hip-hop and most newer pop. Also thrown into the mix is more 90s and some 80s music. Honestly, they sound very similar to V93.5. The only thing Q really has going for it is that it has (mostly) local talent. Also, the name is different: 95Q "The Queen City's Best Mix."

I am pleased that URB decided not to have a syndicated morning show. Former Q101 midday jock Christina Kelly is holding down the morning shift. I caught some of the midday show but honestly can't remember the lady's name. I can almost guarentee you that she's tracked out of market. I wish the new afternoon jock/new PD didn't sound like such a DJ.

The night show (if you want to call it that) is John Tesh. Yikes. And I thought I was a bad night jock. :D Seriously, the guy's "show" consists of reading surveys and studies from the Department of Made-Up Facts and Figures and also plugging his book. He'll rambling off some "intelligence for your life" which also happens to be the name of his book. He also makes sure to let everyone know where they can purchase the book atleast two-three times an hour. There's no interaction at all. Pretty much what it amounts to is a long commercial. I really hope URB is getting paid to air this show, otherwise they're getting ripped off a lot in lost ad time (seeing as Mr. Tesh likes to plug his book so much).

On a somewhat related note: I heard that Scotty Ray and Debbie have left the building. Can anyone confirm this? I do know some people in the building but I don't want to ask them about it for fear of them possibly getting into trouble.

And on a personal note: I know that my comments before were kind of charged. When I really thought about it, I shouldn't take it so personally. Although, the reason I do is because Q was more than a place where I worked. I grew up listening to Q101, through the many personalities and eras that it went through. I also did get my radio start there (which was and is a dream come true) and I was very glad that I had a hand in making the station number one. However, I don't even understand why I felt so upset at the changes. It's just air, computers and sliders. At any rate, I shouldn't take things like this so seriously, just as none of us should.

Jonathan
 
someformofdj said:
you just listed two local djs for q,,,last I checked I believe v has three local djs
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I'm not sure if you're including Dr. John and Nate West in that or not... they're VTed out of Jackson.

Although I'm sure you meant Lee, the morning co-host (can't remember her name-sorry) and Marc B. When I said local jocks, I meant in key dayparts (morning and pm drive).
 
And just to be clear: I do realize that V is also live in the morning.
 
HOT AC, WOW..Jonathan, NO ONE has taken Q serioulsy since Dean wired CC together.Urban's just putting a band-aid it to stop the bleeding, But it'll be tough, the AORTA was cut along time ago.IMHO
 
Qs programing is only a very small portion of what is wrong at URBan. I know that many of you are progamming guys but the way URBan is setup in that building is a no win ...no one person seems to able to make a decission. The Opps guy is calling the shoots and the sales side seems to be at his mercy. You can not let programming run your radio station! As important as great progamming is ,without sales you can not pay the bills. By listening to their stations only Miss and Kiss are not on life support as far as sales and by losing their morning team their revenue will take a hard hit on Miss. You may or may not like those guys in the morning but they do appear to bring in the sales. URBan will be luckey to hold on until the LMA option gets here ....they appear to be the ultimate micro managers that are still uninformed about the local market and what it will take to win against someone that just will not go away. Just my observation
 
i have watched Q since the 80's,had good friends that worked there,Bill Loggins,Brock Boulette and others.Larry O'Neal did an amazing job with Q101.i won't ever forget riding thru Meridian and hearing that station.Dam, i could not believe it was in Meridian MS.Major market sound,major market execution.(My fun radio was done in New Orleans years ago.)But the landscape is different in broadcasting today.Mr.Mays at Clear Channel may have one last big payday as will Mr.Dickey with Cumulus.Never will happen for the Urban folks,they are hanging on for dear life.Radio people should run radio properties.You may be "smilinfromtheinside"but others are laughing or crying on the outside.
It's a shame.
 
It is a shame because it did not have to be that way ... Had they just listened to someone locally ,spent some money in the early days promoting (fixed q first ) it would have been a strong 2nd biller to MISS101.
, but that is history
 
Can we really call it "hot ac" if they play no currents? I've yet to hear one.
 
I can confirm that rumor!! He's answered to many other names that would be censored here.....but those that know him also know this......you know where you stand with Oneal.....no gray area. I'm just glad the wheels didnt fall off Q on my watch......whew!
 
You and me both, Doc. It's depressing, I can't stand to listen to the "new Q". I know that I'm not "supposed" to like the station as it's presented but even with that in mind, I can't stand it. I wish they wouldn't call it Q anything. This station is not Q. It's a poser using the heretage name.
 
jo-nathan said:
Can we really call it "hot ac" if they play no currents? I've yet to hear one.
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Pardon any ignorance, but is there anything requring HOT AC to paly currents? I have always been under the impression that the basic defenition of HOT AC was to play cuts that take the tempo above regular, elevator speed AC, rather than a focus on how new the music is.
 
Jackson's fun......tough radio market for an AC. Got alot of people fighting over the same small piece of pie, but I love the company and our folks are selling us very well. I ( with alot of other peops in the market) wish that arbitron would stabilize just ONE full book....it seems to be the RULE rather than the EXCEPTION that you'll have two good trends and then one in the tank. Nobody ever has three good trends.....I mean whopper drops too......trending from a 6 to a 1....seems to happen to everyone too. Oh well...but I do enjoy the area, love going to work every morning, have some very good friends here and some family too, and sometimes see some radio buds around. Thanks for asking Smilin......stay in touch.....here or [email protected]
 
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