Boy, there's lots of opinions on here about WKAB, along with Joe Reilly (AKA "The Big One"), call changes, personnel changes, format changes... everything but diaper changes! ;D
I was with the original WHLM-AM/FM in the 1980s and can tell you that it indeed was a cash cow for Magee Industrial Enterprises, along with the starting-to-fail hotel. The carpet business was poor, and their entrance into fast food ("Arthur Treacher's") was disastrous - they couldn't sell the limited number of franchises they had, so ended up buying the whole chain to make a go of it. Recently retired Magee-Rieter Chairman Mike Katerman came up to "learn the broadcasting business" about that time, spending about six months. Our rate card was a grid system with some pretty high dollar spots, depending on where you fell. We had gross billings in the 7 figure neighborhood back then. Current WFYY GM Scott "Scottso" Richards was a combo on-air/sales guy then, and will tell you the stations did very well. The biggest problem was in separating the AM & FM, as the AM had no direction, let alone identity. IMHO, a shame, as it indeed, as others have pointed out, had "reach" and "identity" from Billtown to Steamtown. Our news and sports operations won numerous nominations and awards from AP and others, including one or two for me.
I nearly bought WCNR from the former owner in 1984, before leaving the area to work in network television. At the time, the station had potential as an AM, although it was poorly managed, including failure to take advantage of an omni-directional antenna with a nighttime authorization of 500 watts because he couldn't afford to pay the staff, let alone sell time. My group planned on a strict oldies format (1960-1970), ala the resurgent WFIL Famous 56 in my hometown of Philadelphia. We had jingles, bumpers and all sorts of promos lined up, including a genuine restored 1965 Mustang for a "prize patrol" vehicle to use all summer and then give away on Labor Day Weekend 1984, when the deal fell apart before really getting started. By the way, Kevin Fennessey was a consultant on the project at the time.
To answer the question posed by one writer, is it smart to change calls to those of the past? I think Joe knew exactly what he was doing. WHLM had and still has a certain cachet to them in the area... the WCNR name, just like WBRX, more or less stood for a joke amongst most advertisers, as they knew they wouldn't get even the cheap amount they were paying for their spots. What advertiser understands the BS fed them about Arb ratings when the sales rep shows them the book? Nobody I know, and I've been in the biz over 20 years on the local and network level. WCNR's $ 3.50 spots weren't worth the paper the invoice was printed on. Same thing goes for WFBS's and, to a lesser extent, the former WKAB's... I've placed spots on most local media as a consultant the last three years, and surprisingly, the only local stations that brought responses in the volume needed for my clients were WFYY and WHLM-AM.
Music-wise, whatever sells is what's good for business. For several years, the hottest format in NYC was country - and the fastest growing. County music in the Big Apple? Who'd of thunk it? So, while certain fan favorites may be gone from the new WHLM-FM, what remains or has replaced it is obviously financially viable... which is, of course, the bottom line of any business. You've gotta make money to stay on the air or in business. Nobody, other than maybe Cousin Brucie, runs stations for fun.
I am a strong believer in personality radio - which is one reason why WABC Talkradio 77 has resurrected the "musicradio" days of yore on Sunday nights. Unfortunately, real personality radio with either big name jocks or those who aspire to be - and thus know how to do the patter, play to the music and relate to the audience - cost money. Otherwise, hire a bunch of college kids to talk about something inane - we did it on Sunday afternoons at the original HLM-AM/FM - just to spin the records and keep the station on the air. Thankfully, there's automation and - again, IMHO - the worse invention to hit mankind, the computer, which helps a station remain profitable and play the music listeners want to hear... or whatever programming they want. Sure, a chatter track is nice, but even the Big Dick himself (Clark) never played the records and talked them up live on Rock, Roll and Remember... You want personality radio, find some airchecks of Dan Ingram, Ron Lundy, Scott Muni, Jay Cook and others online.
The bottom line, it just costs too damned much... it's not right, it's not fair, it's a shame, but there it is. In defense of Joe Reilly and all the other small operators, there's a fine line that has to be watched... make a profit and stay on the air, or lose money and go silent. While the Commission (FCC) makes great statements about "localism", that's a word you never hear in the hallways when visiting... they really could care less. Those operators who fly under the radar of the big groups, like Reilly and others, can only stay afloat as long as they can pay the bills. It'd be nice to go back in time, but then again, we'd all sound like a bunch of conservatives clamoring for a "kinder, gentler nation" again... and I sincerely doubt that most radioheads are that.
A long post, but as it's my first, I suppose I'm entitled... You gotta get your money's worth the first shot, right?
Have a GREAT radio weekend!
DC
I was with the original WHLM-AM/FM in the 1980s and can tell you that it indeed was a cash cow for Magee Industrial Enterprises, along with the starting-to-fail hotel. The carpet business was poor, and their entrance into fast food ("Arthur Treacher's") was disastrous - they couldn't sell the limited number of franchises they had, so ended up buying the whole chain to make a go of it. Recently retired Magee-Rieter Chairman Mike Katerman came up to "learn the broadcasting business" about that time, spending about six months. Our rate card was a grid system with some pretty high dollar spots, depending on where you fell. We had gross billings in the 7 figure neighborhood back then. Current WFYY GM Scott "Scottso" Richards was a combo on-air/sales guy then, and will tell you the stations did very well. The biggest problem was in separating the AM & FM, as the AM had no direction, let alone identity. IMHO, a shame, as it indeed, as others have pointed out, had "reach" and "identity" from Billtown to Steamtown. Our news and sports operations won numerous nominations and awards from AP and others, including one or two for me.
I nearly bought WCNR from the former owner in 1984, before leaving the area to work in network television. At the time, the station had potential as an AM, although it was poorly managed, including failure to take advantage of an omni-directional antenna with a nighttime authorization of 500 watts because he couldn't afford to pay the staff, let alone sell time. My group planned on a strict oldies format (1960-1970), ala the resurgent WFIL Famous 56 in my hometown of Philadelphia. We had jingles, bumpers and all sorts of promos lined up, including a genuine restored 1965 Mustang for a "prize patrol" vehicle to use all summer and then give away on Labor Day Weekend 1984, when the deal fell apart before really getting started. By the way, Kevin Fennessey was a consultant on the project at the time.
To answer the question posed by one writer, is it smart to change calls to those of the past? I think Joe knew exactly what he was doing. WHLM had and still has a certain cachet to them in the area... the WCNR name, just like WBRX, more or less stood for a joke amongst most advertisers, as they knew they wouldn't get even the cheap amount they were paying for their spots. What advertiser understands the BS fed them about Arb ratings when the sales rep shows them the book? Nobody I know, and I've been in the biz over 20 years on the local and network level. WCNR's $ 3.50 spots weren't worth the paper the invoice was printed on. Same thing goes for WFBS's and, to a lesser extent, the former WKAB's... I've placed spots on most local media as a consultant the last three years, and surprisingly, the only local stations that brought responses in the volume needed for my clients were WFYY and WHLM-AM.
Music-wise, whatever sells is what's good for business. For several years, the hottest format in NYC was country - and the fastest growing. County music in the Big Apple? Who'd of thunk it? So, while certain fan favorites may be gone from the new WHLM-FM, what remains or has replaced it is obviously financially viable... which is, of course, the bottom line of any business. You've gotta make money to stay on the air or in business. Nobody, other than maybe Cousin Brucie, runs stations for fun.
I am a strong believer in personality radio - which is one reason why WABC Talkradio 77 has resurrected the "musicradio" days of yore on Sunday nights. Unfortunately, real personality radio with either big name jocks or those who aspire to be - and thus know how to do the patter, play to the music and relate to the audience - cost money. Otherwise, hire a bunch of college kids to talk about something inane - we did it on Sunday afternoons at the original HLM-AM/FM - just to spin the records and keep the station on the air. Thankfully, there's automation and - again, IMHO - the worse invention to hit mankind, the computer, which helps a station remain profitable and play the music listeners want to hear... or whatever programming they want. Sure, a chatter track is nice, but even the Big Dick himself (Clark) never played the records and talked them up live on Rock, Roll and Remember... You want personality radio, find some airchecks of Dan Ingram, Ron Lundy, Scott Muni, Jay Cook and others online.
The bottom line, it just costs too damned much... it's not right, it's not fair, it's a shame, but there it is. In defense of Joe Reilly and all the other small operators, there's a fine line that has to be watched... make a profit and stay on the air, or lose money and go silent. While the Commission (FCC) makes great statements about "localism", that's a word you never hear in the hallways when visiting... they really could care less. Those operators who fly under the radar of the big groups, like Reilly and others, can only stay afloat as long as they can pay the bills. It'd be nice to go back in time, but then again, we'd all sound like a bunch of conservatives clamoring for a "kinder, gentler nation" again... and I sincerely doubt that most radioheads are that.
A long post, but as it's my first, I suppose I'm entitled... You gotta get your money's worth the first shot, right?
Have a GREAT radio weekend!
DC