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WJOB Hammond floundering

D

dave1230

Guest
Air personalities on WJOB Hammond AM1230 are announcing on air they have been told they are off air beginning Monday. Ric Federighi, the GM, will stay on air in AM drive and the station will play Christams music and return on Jan 3rd with an unspecified new format. Rumors are flying that some staff members weren't paid recently, and staffers have admitted in their private blogs that this is a financial move rather than a programming move.

Before anybody laments this they need to listen to this station's programming. Awful.
 
Although (especially during daytime hours) WJOB-1230's signal penetrates into Chicago, perhaps the station should try to do the best possible job (pardon the pun!) of covering the suburbs where it's signal is strongest, including local news and sports.

Besides, isn't WJOB under the same ownership as a local newspaper?? That should open-up synergies for news coverage.

But come January 3rd, it may become yet another leased-time ethnic station.
 
> Air personalities on WJOB Hammond AM1230 are announcing on
> air they have been told they are off air beginning Monday.
> Ric Federighi, the GM, will stay on air in AM drive and the
> station will play Christams music and return on Jan 3rd with
> an unspecified new format. Rumors are flying that some staff
> members weren't paid recently, and staffers have admitted in
> their private blogs that this is a financial move rather
> than a programming move.
>
> Before anybody laments this they need to listen to this
> station's programming. Awful.

The syndicated stuff they run is awful, yeah, and the local shows seem to change time slots about twice a week, but at least they provide local coverage for Da Region of news, sports, and traffic/weather. Since many in the community fought bitterly to keep it from being sold to a Catholic group a couple of years ago, one would hate to see WJOB go the way of WCGO in Chicago Heights, among other south suburban/NW Indiana stations.

OTOH, they do have a long tradition of playing Christmas music.
 
> Air personalities on WJOB Hammond AM1230 are announcing on
> air they have been told they are off air beginning Monday.
> Ric Federighi, the GM, will stay on air in AM drive and the
> station will play Christams music and return on Jan 3rd with
> an unspecified new format. Rumors are flying that some staff
> members weren't paid recently, and staffers have admitted in
> their private blogs that this is a financial move rather
> than a programming move.
>
> Before anybody laments this they need to listen to this
> station's programming. Awful.

>

As an employee of the station i can tell you this post is not completly factual. unlike under past ownership, no one has had trouble cashing their checks, and no staff is being laid off. we are going to all day christmas music on december 3rd but will return with a tweaked format in January. as far as the supposed private blogs...you can check for yourselves what they say as they are connected to the stations website which can be easily googled.<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by hossiersteve on 12/02/05 05:40 AM.</FONT></P>
 
> > Air personalities on WJOB Hammond AM1230 are announcing on
>
> > air they have been told they are off air beginning Monday.
>
> > Ric Federighi, the GM, will stay on air in AM drive and
> the
> > station will play Christams music and return on Jan 3rd
> with
> > an unspecified new format. Rumors are flying that some
> staff
> > members weren't paid recently, and staffers have admitted
> in
> > their private blogs that this is a financial move rather
> > than a programming move.
> >
> > Before anybody laments this they need to listen to this
> > station's programming. Awful.
>
> >
>
> As an employee of the station i can tell you this post is
> not completly factual. unlike under past ownership, no one
> has had trouble cashing their checks, and no staff is being
> laid off. we are going to all day christmas music on
> december 3rd but will return with a tweaked format in
> January. as far as the supposed private blogs...you can
> check for yourselves what they say as they are connected to
> the stations website which can be easily googled.
>

An excerpt from the 12/1/05 Post-Tribune (NW Indiana daily)quotes James Dedelow, a station co-owner, as saying layoffs are still being considered.
I am not referring to the blogs on the station's website.

Edit to remove a copy/paste of copyrighted material.<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by itstrue on 12/02/05 06:29 AM.</FONT></P>
 
> Although (especially during daytime hours) WJOB-1230's
> signal penetrates into Chicago, perhaps the station should
> try to do the best possible job (pardon the pun!) of
> covering the suburbs where it's signal is strongest,
> including local news and sports.
>
> Besides, isn't WJOB under the same ownership as a local
> newspaper?? That should open-up synergies for news coverage.
>
>
> But come January 3rd, it may become yet another leased-time
> ethnic station.
>
It used to be a very good local station. Years past have seen the likes of the late ABC News anchor, Frank Reynolds, at the mike. Maybe others can add other prominent personalities who have worked at the station.
 
The late Channel 7 reporter Hugh Hill. And, of course, Jean Shepherd of "A Christmas Story" fame.
 
The current owners are running that thing on a shoestring. They were ill-prpared when they won the auction in 2004. Since then, they've poured a pile of money into the operations. But none into the technical side of things. It needs some serious technical help..and it's obvious on the air. But they can't afford it.

Their problems really go back to the previous owners who really screwed the pooch with the local community. I think that if they fix their technical problems and sound better, their appeal will increase. Who wants to buy time on a crappy sounding station.

Then there is the money pit known as WIMS, Michigan City. The repairs needed on that site exceed the value of the station...and the land it sits on.

GR

> Air personalities on WJOB Hammond AM1230 are announcing on
> air they have been told they are off air beginning Monday.
> Ric Federighi, the GM, will stay on air in AM drive and the
> station will play Christams music and return on Jan 3rd with
> an unspecified new format. Rumors are flying that some staff
> members weren't paid recently, and staffers have admitted in
> their private blogs that this is a financial move rather
> than a programming move.
>
> Before anybody laments this they need to listen to this
> station's programming. Awful.
>
 
> The late Channel 7 reporter Hugh Hill. And, of course, Jean
> Shepherd of "A Christmas Story" fame.
>
I remember names from the 60s like Tom Williams, Tom Lanham, Larry Peterson, Cosmo Currier and the great Jan Gabriel (hey, he'd play your request, LS and CFL didn't). And what ever became of Dale Zahn, boy wonder of region radio?
"Uncle Len" worked there before starting WAKE/WLJE, and in the early 60s the sports guy was appropriately named Jack Nemo (you do know what a "nemo" is, don't you?).

The last time I was in the studios, they were meticulously neat and clean
(this was under Colby's ownership. And you had to wear a necktie.<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by 317C50KW on 12/03/05 10:21 PM.</FONT></P>
 
> > The late Channel 7 reporter Hugh Hill. And, of course,
> Jean
> > Shepherd of "A Christmas Story" fame.
> >
> I remember names from the 60s like Tom Williams, Tom Lanham,
> Larry Peterson, Cosmo Currier and the great Jan Gabriel
> (hey, he'd play your request, LS and CFL didn't). And what
> ever became of Dale Zahn, boy wonder of region radio?
> "Uncle Len" worked there before starting WAKE/WLJE, and in
> the early 60s the sports guy was appropriately named Jack
> Nemo (you do know what a "nemo" is, don't you?).
>
> The last time I was in the studios, they were meticulously
> neat and clean
> (this was under Colby's ownership. And you had to wear a
> necktie.
>

besides reynolds, shepard, and hill, gabriel, and numerous others in the distant past, other, more recent notables include steve king(wgn), felicia middlebrooks (wbbm), Jim Barber (ESPN, herb kent (wvon) are among some of the former employees currantly working in illinois.
 
Many different Chicago traffic reporters have been on WJOB over the years...if that counts.

I also believe that Scott Rosenberg (Director of Programming for Radio One Communications in Valpo) was the PD there for a time.

Even on that shoestring...the ratings were starting to get better over there. I remember seeing a fall book that had them in the top 10 stations in Lake County, Indiana 12 +. (as a side note..beating all 4 Radio One stations..and just edging out WCGO) Maybe they plan to fill around their "talk" with Beautiful Music (like on WCGO) seeing the numbers they get...and WAKE's weak Lake County signal and presence.

What is odd to me....Is that All of the suburbs EXCEPT NW Indiana have strong local stations. Say what you will about NextMedia...but their stations are WAY more local than anything in NW Indiana. The WLJE group has 4 stations....like 3-4 jocks. Except for WLJE, the stations are on the bird all the time.

It would be sad to see WJOB fail at their more local attempt. That station has a really good heritage...all those listeners want is someone talking about pot holes and city council...I think they really started to fall apart when they picked up all those second tier national shows.
 
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