WKNR...

[OCBRadio]

So I was out scavenging the world wide web for some "Dining Deals" the other day, and I stumbled across WKNR's atrocious website - which is someone less atrocious than normal. Why is that you ask? No, they didn't fire Greg Brinda or hire Les Levine...nor did they discontinue the outsourcing of their sports updates, or discontinue their terrible station imaging.

So what's new?? They've joined the 21st century and adopted an industry norm known as "Web Streaming." Congratulations Mr. PD. it's about time. What's next on the agenda for WKNR? How about losing the "Eddy Mularz show" on weekday mornings. Does this bother anyone else?? - that this kid has to say his name every 10 minutes, when all he does is board op?? "I'm Eddy Mularz, WKNR newstime 6:32, now back to Mike and Mike." - embarrassing.

 

[Tim]

<How about losing the "Eddy Mularz show" on weekday
> mornings. Does this bother anyone else?? - that this kid has
> to say his name every 10 minutes, when all he does is board
> op?? "I'm Eddy Mularz, WKNR newstime 6:32, now back to Mike
> and Mike." - embarrassing.>


You guys can't possibly think you're going to complain about the business on internet message boards and that'll make the radio industry better, do you?

Until owners are once again willing to pay living wages to talented people, radio will stay the way it is in general these days: low-quality, boring, mindless. We're living in an era of "radio on the cheap"...voice-tracking, cookie-cutting formats, and hiring on-air people for peanuts in large markets who couldn't have gotten even small market jobs 25 or 30 years ago.


<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by John T. Arthur on 03/09/06 10:27 AM.</FONT></P>

 

[nsp]

>
> You guys can't possibly think you're going to complain about
> the business on internet message boards and that'll make the
> radio industry better, do you?
>
> Until owners are once again willing to pay living wages to
> talented people, radio will stay the way it is in general
> these days: low-quality, boring, mindless. We're living in
> an era of "radio on the cheap"...voice-tracking,
> cookie-cutting formats, and hiring on-air people for peanuts
> in large markets who couldn't have gotten even small market
> jobs 25 or 30 years ago.
>

case in point, today is their coverage of the mid american conf tournament. where they bring out their "best" play by play people for the games. Talk about a train wereck..... Hey I like watching train wrecks. why not get some of the area play by play people to do the games.... OHHHH I forgot, that makes to much sense.

 

[Shawman]

>
> Until owners are once again willing to pay living wages to
> talented people, radio will stay the way it is in general
> these days: low-quality, boring, mindless. We're living in
> an era of "radio on the cheap"...voice-tracking,
> cookie-cutting formats, and hiring on-air people for peanuts
> in large markets who couldn't have gotten even small market
> jobs 25 or 30 years ago.
>

Unfortunetly stations like WKNR don't make enough money to pay living wages. And why pay more for someone if you can get them for less?

One thing you can say about consolidation, the large companies have made radio more proffessional, and weeded out some of the poor talent.

In most cases the large company stations are better run, and sound much better than the small company stations.

 

[HeyYo]

As far as their play by play, they did use Les Levine a couple of years ago for a game. It was a one-time thing for some reason. Brinda continues to feel he can do it, despite his lack of talent play-by-play wise. I thought their best guy recently left in Ryan McNaughton. He sounded very good during the games. Bob Karlovick is also fairly steady, and I must say Roda isn't horrible to listen to. Kendall Lewis used to take that cake.

'KNR will be what it will always be...third-rate. Mide as well sit back and "enjoy" it.

 

[sportsnut]

> >
> > You guys can't possibly think you're going to complain
> about
> > the business on internet message boards and that'll make
> the
> > radio industry better, do you?
> >
> > Until owners are once again willing to pay living wages to
>
> > talented people, radio will stay the way it is in general
> > these days: low-quality, boring, mindless. We're living in
>
> > an era of "radio on the cheap"...voice-tracking,
> > cookie-cutting formats, and hiring on-air people for
> peanuts
> > in large markets who couldn't have gotten even small
> market
> > jobs 25 or 30 years ago.
> >
>
> case in point, today is their coverage of the mid american
> conf tournament. where they bring out their "best" play by
> play people for the games. Talk about a train wereck.....
> Hey I like watching train wrecks. why not get some of the
> area play by play people to do the games.... OHHHH I forgot,
> that makes to much sense.

> Your point about the play by play may or may not be valid, but the fact that you posted it at 11:49 this morning, BEFORE THE GAMES EVEN STARTED, nullifies your credibility. I actually listened to the games and I didn't think they did a bad job. Of course, we haven't heard the great Brinda yet.

 

[OCBRadio]

Isabella and Catan = catastrophic

Look, it's nothing personal, but does KNR realize that some broadcasters actually go to school to do play-by-play? Does it realize that there are some local broadcasters who have actual professional experience (Rian Kilbane..)? I sincerely hope that this isn't the national MAC feed - can you imagine if family and friends of players and coaches had to listen to Isabella yesterday? Utter embarrassment.

 

[sportsnut]

> Isabella and Catan = catastrophic
>
> Look, it's nothing personal, but does KNR realize that some
> broadcasters actually go to school to do play-by-play? Does
> it realize that there are some local broadcasters who have
> actual professional experience (Rian Kilbane..)? I sincerely
> hope that this isn't the national MAC feed - can you imagine
> if family and friends of players and coaches had to listen
> to Isabella yesterday? Utter embarrassment.
>
I'll agree for the most part about Isabella but I thought Catan was solid. And I also agree that I hope Kilbane gets a shot somewhere sometime.

 

[ddever]

> >
> > Until owners are once again willing to pay living wages to
>
> > talented people, radio will stay the way it is in general
> > these days: low-quality, boring, mindless. We're living in
>
>
> Unfortunetly stations like WKNR don't make enough money to
> pay living wages. And why pay more for someone if you can
> get them for less?
>

Exactly... why pay more if you don't have to? There's a fresh supply of 20-something kids who think it's a "cool" job and are willing to work for bargin-basement wages and free concert tickets.

They're the same kids who post here from time to time lamenting all the "people with 'ex-' in their name" while boasting how they currently work in radio. Which is all well and fine, but I'd rather boast that I can afford my mortgage and car payments and all the creature comforts that selling out to the man provides me.

I have a hard time just blaming the owners and the giant corporations... Folks are willing to go to work for the wages, advertisers are willing to buy air-time regardless of how bad the station seems to sound, and some people actually listen to it.