• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

WNEB-AM in Worcester Upcoming Format Change

BTW, I would characterize Jordan Levy as an "Ed King" Democrat.
Click to expand...

An apt description. If you listen to Levy, and are unaware of his prior political career,
you could make the case that he seems to have become somewhat of a centrist since
becoming a talk show host. To me, he actually leans a little more right on certain issues;
more so than I might have previously expected him to. If I'm not mistaken, he's still says
he's a registered Democrat.
 
I meant to ask in my previous post what kind of success do you think a
Spanish formatted WNEB will have? At the 1230 AM position on the dial,
will that hurt or help considering that 1310 AM is now the "established"
Spanish station in Worcester. Will being close to them on the dial help
siphon off listeners who may be using the seek button in a quest for
Spanish programming? Economically speaking, is there enough business
in the metro-Worcester area to support two similar formats, especially given
WORC-AM has a signal that's 5 times stronger during the day?
 
radio zombie said:
I meant to ask in my previous post what kind of success do you think a
Spanish formatted WNEB will have?
Click to expand...

As has been pointed out many times--though, apparently not in this thread--Spanish is a language, not a format. There is as much variety among Spanish formats as there is among English-language formats. Also, didn't the original post say that WNEB would be doing a Spanish RELIGIOUS format? That would make it as different from WORC as WWDJ in Boston is from WKOX. Since WNEB is owned by a religious broadcaster (Blount Masscom), just as WWDJ is owned by a religious broadcaster (Salem), this kind of flip would appear to make sense. It's what religious broadcasters seem to be doing these days with underperforming stations. WWDJ is LMAed to a Florida-based outfit (Radio Luz--translates to Radio Light, as in Jesus is the Light). Is WNEB to be LMAed to a similar (or even the same) Spanish religous broadcaster?
 
DanStrassberg said:
As has been pointed out many times--though, apparently not in this thread--Spanish is a language, not a format. There is as much variety among Spanish formats as there is among English-language formats. Also, didn't the original post say that WNEB would be doing a Spanish RELIGIOUS format? That would make it as different from WORC as WWDJ in Boston is from WKOX. Since WNEB is owned by a religious broadcaster (Blount Masscom), just as WWDJ is owned by a religious broadcaster (Salem), this kind of flip would appear to make sense. It's what religious broadcasters seem to be doing these days with underperforming stations. WWDJ is LMAed to a Florida-based outfit (Radio Luz--translates to Radio Light, as in Jesus is the Light). Is WNEB to be LMAed to a similar (or even the same) Spanish religous broadcaster?
Click to expand...

A lot of all-brokered stations are going the Spanish religious route. WNSW 1430 NYC, WXCT 990 Hartford, and WLIE 540 Long Island are all leased to Radio Cantico Nuevo. (None of these 3 are co-owned either. WNSW is Multi-Cultural (like WLYN/WAZN), WXCT is Davidson (like WKKB/Providence), and WLIE is Principle like WJDA) PolNet's WLIM 1580 in Patchogue, Long Island is also leased to Spanish Religious broadcasters. And there are others elswhere.
 
I must admit it is indeed not accurate to describe a format as "Spanish" but it may just be shorthand
for "predominantly Spanish-language". I know "ethnic" has been used before and I note some stations
using the word "multi-cultural" (even in the name of these guys: http://www.mrbi.net/radiogroup.htm )

WKOX and WXKS run some commercials and PSAs in English...and I note WCCM 800/w/ 92.1 translator
had traffic reports in English (then back to Spanish)
 
There's money in religion. We all know that. IF WNEB goes with Spanish/religion, it will do just fine!

But the bigger question is: Is the bottom falling out on religion in English? -due to the economy? -where a single owner who has 2 stations in a market can fit all the same language (English) "survivors"(preachers that are still on) on one station, nowadays? In Worcester, apparently so.
 
The Original knows lots about the Worcester market and WNEB. WNEB helped put me through college as a full-time D.J. in the late '80s. WNEB would have been the perfect station for a Spanish/ethnic format had WORC not been the first. Now, I doubt it will work. Whether a Spanish/religious format would work is also highly questionable. WNEB pretty much only covers the city and one town out during the day and only the city on a consistent basis at night. WNEB needs a hands-on owner who knows the radio business and the movers and shakers in Worcester. Bill Blount is not a local, which is what WNEB really needs. I know how corny we can all get about full-service and home-town radio, but that's really what WNEB has to be: ALL ABOUT WORCESTER. Example of what WNEB needs in terms of ownership: Dick Wright, the former general manager of WTAG. Dick scrambled to put together a partnership when the San Francisco Chronicle purchased the Telegram and had to dump 'TAG. His plan was to build a studio/office set-up at the transmitter site on Shrewsbury Street in Holden. He couldn't pull it together fast enough and Norman Knight beat him to the punch with all the additions lined-up for the WSRS location in Paxton and 2.7 million bucks. Dick Wright would have been the perfect owner for WTAG. Now, a station like 'NEB, could use a real local guy and hands-on-type person like Dick Wright. I don't see Bill Blount and a Spanish format working for WNEB at this point. However, Bill is probably so desperate to get 'NEB into the black and make his 400k back that he purchased the station for that he'll try anything. As for Jibguy's view of the English/religious format: yes, the bottom has fallen out, and it did back in the mid '90s. Just ask Ken Carter.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom