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WJER's coverage of sentencing

N

newsgeek

Guest
I tuned in to hear WJER's FM noon newscast yesterday and instead heard the graphic, vulgar, and otherwise disturbing testimony in the sentencing of a New Philadelphia convicted murderer. WJER stated they were carrying the sentencing as a service to the community. Was it really a service to the community or to the station? I also wonder how they got away with airing the vulgarities...where's the FCC when you need them.
 
Clear Channel holds the license to both sides of WJER. The complaints should be directed to CC. They would do the community a great service by ending the lease-back agreement and taking control of an operation that is now out of control.
 
If there was quesitonable content, couldn't the five second delay be used? Airing sentencings for brutal/graphic crimes in the New Philly area is nothing new for WJER. It is done in the name of "providing a community service." I am unfamiliar with the case that was covered. How graphic was it?
 
Mistakes happen. I'm not defending the station or the actions it took during that sentencing, but do not put down a station that is going through a difficult time with changes and uncertainties.We can only hope that the few stations like WJER that still exist can remain untouched and continue to deliver quality news and information to the communities that they serve...Enjoy it while you can...It will all be gone soon. And if you don't like it tune in to all those fine Clear Channel syndicated, voice tracked wonders...there are plenty of them in this listening area.
 
I agree that WJER is going through some very difficult times, but those difficult times are the direct result of the former owner. Don't get me wrong, Gary Petricola is a great guy who has done, along with the station, wonderful things for the community. I'd give almost anything to have the station remain intact in Tuscarawas County. However, what is done is done and for the good of everyone I think that it's time to let go and move on. As for listening to other Clear Channel stations, I do on a regular basis. It all depends on what I'm listening for at that time. Finally, WJER has aired sentencings in the past and not just during these turbulent times and the delay should have been used or maybe the sentencing should not have been aired at all or maybe a disclaimer should have been aired periodically to let listeners know what was occuring or could occur.
 
AM going anywhere?

Yeah, CC is taking the WJER-FM license North, but does anybody know what's going to happen to the AM? Would be nice for the AM to stay in Tusc. Co.
I agree with the other posters though; The former owner needs to move on!!!
 
Re: AM going anywhere?

oaktree68 said:
Yeah, CC is taking the WJER-FM license North, but does anybody know what's going to happen to the AM? Would be nice for the AM to stay in Tusc. Co.
I agree with the other posters though; The former owner needs to move on!!!
Click to expand...

I agree Clear Channel needs full control of AM & FM.. This would be the best move for the community.
 
Re: AM going anywhere?

I agree Clear Channel needs full control of AM & FM.. This would be the best move for the community.
[/quote]
Why does Clear Channel need to take control of both? Why would it be the best move for the community?
 
Biz,

I have the same question. Right now with the major companies taking over the small stations, where has all the individual voices gone? I applaud the ownership of my local stations WKVX/WQKT for their steadfast refusal to sell their signal, as we at least have a voice covering all of Wayne County for high school sports, local news, and election coverage. We need that local voice to keep our individual identities as a community.

I have never had the chance to listen to WJER, but I have had contact with Gary Petricola. Evidently he is a better person to deal with in the pressbox than in a employer/employee situation if I read these posts correctly.

I hope that no matter what happens that Dover gets to keep a local voice.

Check out my blog. It's called WIXY's Gone Bananas, and my latest entry is a salute to the laborer.

http://wixygrad.blogspot.com/
 
WIXY, Ah, yes, I forgot about Petricola's duties as the Voice of the Tornado Marching Band. I spent some time at both WJER and WQKT. I loved the time I spent at WQKT. Ken Nemeth, Mike Breckenridge, and company are a good crew. I'm glad they haven't sold their powerful station either. They do a great job there. Sure, the music comes in via satellite but they do so much local sports programming.
 
Biz, I didn't know you spent some time on Hillcrest. A lot of good radio people have come out of there, ya know?

As far as WQKT selling that beautiful class B - remember, we reported on the MBoF(tm) a while back that there was a deal being pitched for them to sell 104.5 to Clear Channel, to move into the Akron market, with 107.7/Loudonville as the local replacement. 104.5 could well have become WKDD's new home instead of the current 98.1/Canton.

One would assume that the Dix family just took a drive up 585 and nixed the proposal.
 
Selling WQKT would be a huge letdown for that market. 10 times the disaster that selling WJER would be. At least in the Dover area, you have WTUZ which has done a respectable job in news. WKLM isn't that far away and of course, there's WBTC (I think that's the Uhrichsville station.). In Wooster with that monstrous signal, there's no competition there...nowhere close. Of course, the rural area doesn't really justify the need for more media outlets. What WQKT does, they do well.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Wooster. Good people there. Everyone is really cool to work with. If I could have, I would have loved to have worked there more and longer but I decided to change careers and go into education. I can't say enough good things about the people there.
 
BizDecision said:
Selling WQKT would be a huge letdown for that market. 10 times the disaster that selling WJER would be. At least in the Dover area, you have WTUZ which has done a respectable job in news. WKLM isn't that far away and of course, there's WBTC (I think that's the Uhrichsville station.). In Wooster with that monstrous signal, there's no competition there...nowhere close. Of course, the rural area doesn't really justify the need for more media outlets. What WQKT does, they do well.
Click to expand...

WKLM has some of 'QKT's territory (Holmes County), but is basically a non-entity in Wayne County.

There are two big problems with WQKT "decamping" to 107.7, as was being talked about in 2001:

1) 104.5 is truly a "county wide" station in Wayne County, not a "Wooster" station. They pay as much attention to Doylestown, which is nearly in Akron, as they do to Wooster. 107.7 is a non-starter past Smithville, and with nighttime local sports, so is 960 (32 watts that barely make it past Rubbermaid on 585).

2) Dix is based there. If the company were elsewhere, they would not be hyper-sensitive about serving the entire county.

So, the 104.5-for-107.7 deal didn't have even a chance of happening. I'm sure CC waved some money at 'em, but it was not going to happen.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Wooster. Good people there. Everyone is really cool to work with. If I could have, I would have loved to have worked there more and longer but I decided to change careers and go into education. I can't say enough good things about the people there.
Click to expand...

It's a class operation, and one that is TRULY local...and does what other stations should do. The country music on satellite on the FM is merely a filler between the local news, sports and weather.
 
Re: AM going anywhere?

npquaker said:
I agree Clear Channel needs full control of AM & FM.. This would be the best move for the community.
Click to expand...

HAHAHAHAHA! Clear Channel is good for the community? Good for radio?
 
Re: AM going anywhere?

starkcounty said:
npquaker said:
I agree Clear Channel needs full control of AM & FM.. This would be the best move for the community.
Click to expand...

HAHAHAHAHA! Clear Channel is good for the community? Good for radio?
Click to expand...
Clear Channel is definitely not good for you, Johnboy. How many of those PI spots do you run an hour?? If it's a businesses dealing with check cashing, credit reparation, tattoos and used car dealers focusing on those with poor credit, WZKL is the station to advertise on. Nice demo.
 
You need to lose the hard on you have for WZKL. You are making yourself look like a dimwit and you seem to be good at it.
 
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