Just another shovel of dirt on the grave of AM radio, which is dying. The people who listen to it, like many of the posters on these boards, are 50+. Nothing 'wrong' with that, it's just the way it is. Aside from sports talk on AM, there's little if any incentive for a 34 year old to listen an AM station. As to KFI Los Angeles (with the edgy John & Ken show), although it scores well 25-54, the audience is predominantly 45 and 50+, stronger 35-64. Even with a drastic shake-up and infusion of youth (that 32 year old Brooklyn cop who has an opinion about everything and that 28 year computer/IT guy with the great sense of humor), in ten years AM radio will be of interest only to those of us who post here.
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WOR Strikes Out
- Thread starter WNTIRadio
- Start date
I disagree, I'm 24 and I love talk radio, if it's good talk radio. The problem isn't talk radio, or the AM dial, it's PD's who are more concerned with a healthy ad and sales department and don't do the job implicit in their title. Programming is key to the future of successful radio. Anyone can DJ their own playlist these days, we don't need guys to spin records and be dopey. We need guys who can push the limits and create a compelling product not available anywhere else. If people want watered down, castrated interviewing and opinion shows, they can watch tv. Radio must be a place where news is made, where something is happening you can't hear any where else, otherwise its purpose in society will continue to diminish. WOR's chief problem is that it runs a bunch of old, boring "personalities" that have no personality. No one with half a brain would waste any time listening to those hosts, regardless of their age. Until they, and stations everywhere realize that good programming is the ONLY way to create a sustainable station, things are going to continue to get worse.
Brooklyn118 said:
Perhaps there's hope. Truly good to have the perspective of a person in the 25-34 demo here. That said, the points made in your analysis support my initial theory. AM radio has one foot in the grave and the other on the banana peel for all the reasons you've articulated. Incidentally, it's not the PDs who are enamored with sales and revenues, it's the SMs and GMs. Nonetheless, the mission of the PDs is closely linked with the SM and GM. But whether it's left, right, progressive or conservative, what we're hearing on AM radio these days is mostly formulaic, preaching to the choir, much like's direction can be charted by listening to the commercials, especially the national spots. They're largely directed at Persons 55+ and with good reason. That's where the ratings are. Again, no crime in that. It's just the way it is. At least for now. In ten years? Pfffft.
I'm in my mid-30's and listen to a lot of AM radio. 660, 770 and 880 for news. Sometimes I listen to WOR when Savage is on, but as I stated in the first post of the thread, they've pissed me off with the stupid news in the middle of a show idea.
Honestly, to echo the other poster, WOR mostly stands for World's Oldest Radio. Let's see, do I listen to Rush, Evan and Joe or Joan Hamburg at 12? Hmmmm... I don't imagine anyone under the age of Methuselah listening to Joan Hamburg. I'll forgive them some of the B squad talkers, but I don't get that whole scene at all. My mother doesn't get it either. If they want to do anything to lower the demo, she has to be the first to retire. That block in the middle of the day is a larger version of the news in the middle of Savage. At least, even though it is almost all syndicated, WABC has continuity to the day. You know what you're going to get. Someone could discover Gambling on WOR and like the show, and tune in later to hear this old bag hok a chainik about what she had for dinner last night and who's on off Broadway and sounding like a grandmother's grandmother.
On FM, for music I'll listen to WFUV, CBS-FM and the Peak if I'm in range. When I'm in Boston, WERS. For talk on FM, WNYC. The rest are either music I can't understand (Spanish) or relate to (Hip Hop, CHR).
If WOR was programmed with compelling local hosts talking topics that people under 900 could relate to, they would listen. The second half of that equation is once the programming is in place, advertise in the right spots to let everyone know it's there. And then deliver on your product.
The problem with "younger talk" in previous incarnations in NYC is that it was a station that was mostly dick and boob jokes. Guys under 40 do want to hear something more than dick jokes and sports. We do vote and pay attention to politics.
Honestly, to echo the other poster, WOR mostly stands for World's Oldest Radio. Let's see, do I listen to Rush, Evan and Joe or Joan Hamburg at 12? Hmmmm... I don't imagine anyone under the age of Methuselah listening to Joan Hamburg. I'll forgive them some of the B squad talkers, but I don't get that whole scene at all. My mother doesn't get it either. If they want to do anything to lower the demo, she has to be the first to retire. That block in the middle of the day is a larger version of the news in the middle of Savage. At least, even though it is almost all syndicated, WABC has continuity to the day. You know what you're going to get. Someone could discover Gambling on WOR and like the show, and tune in later to hear this old bag hok a chainik about what she had for dinner last night and who's on off Broadway and sounding like a grandmother's grandmother.
On FM, for music I'll listen to WFUV, CBS-FM and the Peak if I'm in range. When I'm in Boston, WERS. For talk on FM, WNYC. The rest are either music I can't understand (Spanish) or relate to (Hip Hop, CHR).
If WOR was programmed with compelling local hosts talking topics that people under 900 could relate to, they would listen. The second half of that equation is once the programming is in place, advertise in the right spots to let everyone know it's there. And then deliver on your product.
The problem with "younger talk" in previous incarnations in NYC is that it was a station that was mostly dick and boob jokes. Guys under 40 do want to hear something more than dick jokes and sports. We do vote and pay attention to politics.
WGN is having a rocky road to bring the demos lower than retirement age. WOR may need to do the same thing.
scott5 said:Aman to the point!!!
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I like the "hok a chainik"..................
My grandmother used to cut off conversations with "Hok me nicht a chainik!" I haven't heard that in many, many years.
That's the result of having an Irish-Catholic father who grew up in a Jewish neighborhood in the Bronx in the 40's and 50's! All of those wonderful Yiddish words and phrases have stuck with me!
To continue the theme, WOR needs to tell Joan to gay kaken aufen yam and put some younger (as in below remembering the Civil War) programming on in the mid day.
For a little while, it seemed like they were going to head in the right direction by getting rid of the Dolans and hiring John Manelli. Of course, that lasted about as long as a flea's fart and here we are now.
Gov. Patterson might be a nice enough guy, and would be a good weekend host, but not for PM drive every day. He's radio paint drying. I need some controversy to keep me tuned in. A little back and forth and strong opinions. I didn't expect the second coming of Bob Grant, but geez, that was the best they could do? Yet another non-radio person trying to carry a show and learn while doing. A NYC 50kW AM is not the place to learn by doing. And next week we'll have Geraldo doing the same exact thing. Sure he's a broadcaster, but a TELEVISION broadcaster. Radio is a different animal. You have to know how to keep them tuned in without pictures and want to stay for the next segment.
Consolidation has decimated the minor league system of radio by putting all those signals on the bird. Radio has turned into the Mets: No prospects.
To continue the theme, WOR needs to tell Joan to gay kaken aufen yam and put some younger (as in below remembering the Civil War) programming on in the mid day.
For a little while, it seemed like they were going to head in the right direction by getting rid of the Dolans and hiring John Manelli. Of course, that lasted about as long as a flea's fart and here we are now.
Gov. Patterson might be a nice enough guy, and would be a good weekend host, but not for PM drive every day. He's radio paint drying. I need some controversy to keep me tuned in. A little back and forth and strong opinions. I didn't expect the second coming of Bob Grant, but geez, that was the best they could do? Yet another non-radio person trying to carry a show and learn while doing. A NYC 50kW AM is not the place to learn by doing. And next week we'll have Geraldo doing the same exact thing. Sure he's a broadcaster, but a TELEVISION broadcaster. Radio is a different animal. You have to know how to keep them tuned in without pictures and want to stay for the next segment.
Consolidation has decimated the minor league system of radio by putting all those signals on the bird. Radio has turned into the Mets: No prospects.
Decisions to hire big names like Patterson (and years ago Cuomo, a brilliant orator who would have made an excellent contributor to NPR), noted figures in their particular areas of expertise but having no knowledge of how to entertain on the radio, usually come from a General Manager. "This will be fantastic, he/she's a big name, everybody will listen." As has been proven, "everybody" doesn't listen. These shows may draw attention for a week or two, but like a bad play or movie, word gets around and the shows tank. Today, GMs (and SMs who say "I can sell that") think they're PDs, while PDs do their best to make bad programming decisions made by the GM work. Surely there's abundant (young) talent in NJ or Connecticut that know the issues, understand how to do radio and can put together a compelling, intelligent show.
WNTIRadio said:
Unless you're into sports talk. There's still plenty of young talent coming up through the "farm system" there, because most sports talkers are local at least twice a day. Of course, the minor leagues of sports talk pretty much start at Class AA level, in cities like Hartford and Portland, rather than in grassroots "rookie league" towns, which either don't have sports talk stations or have stations that are 100 percent birdfeed except for high school/college play-by-play. But at least they're not handing microphones to ex-jocks the way the mainstream talkers -- and satellite radio -- give airshifts to celebrities.
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