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Worst Blunders In Knox Radio History

T

tk

OK...we all know there are no original ideas in radio..just borrowed...
So here it goes... Saw a great post for the worst Charlotte and Asheville radio blunders and it started this great discussion.

So what do you think are the worst blunders in Knoxville radio history?
WBIR flipping to WIMZ and opening things up for WIVK? WOKI flipping to Country? The downfall of U-102? Or how about the missed opportunity of WRJZ moving to FM before it was too late?

TK
 
There are many, WIMZ reporting the "death" of Jimmy Buffet is in the top five.

As for U-102's "downfall" that was due to the changing climate of AC listener habits and they didn't "grow" with their target.

WOKI switched to country and WIVK fell from a 30+ to a 19, so that was one of the smartest moves.

WBIR wasn't going anywhere so their switch to "Rock 104" where they enjoyed rabid success was a smart move.

WRJZ was starting to get whupped up on by WOKI by '77 and by that time FM was so big they were making movies with that name.


> So what do you think are the worst blunders in Knoxville
> radio history?
> WBIR flipping to WIMZ and opening things up for WIVK? WOKI
> flipping to Country? The downfall of U-102? Or how about the
> missed opportunity of WRJZ moving to FM before it was too
> late?
>
> TK
>
 
> So what do you think are the worst blunders in Knoxville
> radio history?

My vote is WILD 98.7 but I might be biased.

They launch with one of the best consultants in the format and with a great promotions consultant. Then decide to blow them out when they believed that seven share book with the 21 share 18-34 numbers were real.

That left the station in the hands of an inexperienced PD (they could have hired an experienced PD after Brian Tatum left but I digress). Then they totally miss why the Bone changed formats and became HOT. Didn't tighten up their ship because they thought HOT was going to cannabilize STAR. (RadioPromoGirl could have told them that was wrong, she seemed to know everything about WILD and HOT)

Next thing ya know (old Jed's a millionaire) the jocks are fired, and a new PD (who is a real nice guy) arrives and brings in new staff, but too much damage was already done.

It was a good battle and I certainly wish the staff of WYIL well and hope they get gigs soon (perhaps Nick will get the KWIE/Riverside PD gig). It probably didn't help them that they didn't get full support from the top management in the building.

Things coulda been different with support in the building...but all in all I'm happy with the way things turned out.

Still fat but not selling cars,

ra


<P ID="signature">______________
April 29, 2005
5pm
</P><P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by RussAllen on 06/29/05 11:55 PM.</FONT></P>
 
*** Interesting that you re-wrote history with that "WIVK fell from at 30+ to a 19". It was more like they went from a 22.3 to a 21.8.

Come on now.

How bout the death of the WEZK Saturday night 70's show? What a travesty.

TEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!

> There are many, WIMZ reporting the "death" of Jimmy Buffet
> is in the top five.
>
> As for U-102's "downfall" that was due to the changing
> climate of AC listener habits and they didn't "grow" with
> their target.
>
> WOKI switched to country and WIVK fell from a 30+ to a 19,
> so that was one of the smartest moves.
>
> WBIR wasn't going anywhere so their switch to "Rock 104"
> where they enjoyed rabid success was a smart move.
>
> WRJZ was starting to get whupped up on by WOKI by '77 and by
> that time FM was so big they were making movies with that
> name.
>
>
> > So what do you think are the worst blunders in Knoxville
> > radio history?
> > WBIR flipping to WIMZ and opening things up for WIVK? WOKI
>
> > flipping to Country? The downfall of U-102? Or how about
> the
> > missed opportunity of WRJZ moving to FM before it was too
> > late?
> >
> > TK
> >
>
 
> *** Interesting that you re-wrote history with that "WIVK
> fell from at 30+ to a 19". It was more like they went from a
> 22.3 to a 21.8.
>
> Come on now.
>
> How bout the death of the WEZK Saturday night 70's show?
> What a travesty.
>
> TEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!

I'm out of town these days so enlighten me...was the Saturday night 70's show really worth saving...or ya just being funny.

TK
 
> *** Interesting that you re-wrote history with that "WIVK
> fell from at 30+ to a 19". It was more like they went from a
> 22.3 to a 21.8.
>
> Come on now.
>
Do your research. I stand by my post, because it is accurate. Why else would they (WIVK) jumped so hard to get the signal? Because it toppled their empire and took cash from their pockets.
 
How about the MAC SANDERS screw-up. He took a sucessful AM AC station WNOX and changed it to country circa 1982. Also buying a sucessful FM out of Clinton and trying to compete in knoxville with it's class A signal. WNOX died a quick death and never came back until going news/talk w/ Citidal. The FM tried several formats that didn't go and is now religious sattelite station.

> OK...we all know there are no original ideas in radio..just
> borrowed...
> So here it goes... Saw a great post for the worst Charlotte
> and Asheville radio blunders and it started this great
> discussion.
>
> So what do you think are the worst blunders in Knoxville
> radio history?
> WBIR flipping to WIMZ and opening things up for WIVK? WOKI
> flipping to Country? The downfall of U-102? Or how about the
> missed opportunity of WRJZ moving to FM before it was too
> late?
>
> TK
>
 
> > *** Interesting that you re-wrote history with that "WIVK
> > fell from at 30+ to a 19". It was more like they went from
> a
> > 22.3 to a 21.8.
> >
> > Come on now.
> >
> Do your research. I stand by my post, because it is
> accurate. Why else would they (WIVK) jumped so hard to get
> the signal? Because it toppled their empire and took cash
> from their pockets.
>
Here is the research: These are the 12+ numbers for WOKI and WIVK from 1992 thru 1994 (WOKI flipped from I-100 to country in right before the start of the Spring '93 book).

BOOK --- WOKI --- WIVK-FM
WI 92 --- 9.0 --- 30.8
SP 92 --- 8.5 --- 28.6
SU 92 --- 7.8 --- 30.9
FA 92 --- 7.5 --- 31.1
WI 93 --- 7.9 --- 31.9
SP 93 --- 7.3* --- 32.7
SU 93 --- 8.4 --- 26.9
FA 93 --- 8.1 --- 25.8
WI 94 --- 8.9 --- 21.9
SP 94 --- 8.2 --- 30.9
SU 94 --- 9.1 --- 24.8
FA 94 --- 6.7 --- 28.3

It's probably fair to say that "The Hitkicker" did have an impact on WIVK, but not as much of one as Pirkle had probably hoped.
It should also be noted that the metro survey area was redefined starting with the Fall 1993 book, as Arbitron removed Hamblen Country from the Knoxville Metro. Many claim this hurt overall listening to the country format.
 
> > > *** Interesting that you re-wrote history with that
> "WIVK
> > > fell from at 30+ to a 19". It was more like they went
> from
> > a
> > > 22.3 to a 21.8.
> > >
> > > Come on now.
> > >
> > Do your research. I stand by my post, because it is
> > accurate. Why else would they (WIVK) jumped so hard to get
>
> > the signal? Because it toppled their empire and took cash
> > from their pockets.
> >
> Here is the research: These are the 12+ numbers for WOKI
> and WIVK from 1992 thru 1994 (WOKI flipped from I-100 to
> country in right before the start of the Spring '93 book).
>
> BOOK --- WOKI --- WIVK-FM
> WI 92 --- 9.0 --- 30.8
> SP 92 --- 8.5 --- 28.6
> SU 92 --- 7.8 --- 30.9
> FA 92 --- 7.5 --- 31.1
> WI 93 --- 7.9 --- 31.9
> SP 93 --- 7.3* --- 32.7
> SU 93 --- 8.4 --- 26.9
> FA 93 --- 8.1 --- 25.8
> WI 94 --- 8.9 --- 21.9
> SP 94 --- 8.2 --- 30.9
> SU 94 --- 9.1 --- 24.8
> FA 94 --- 6.7 --- 28.3
>
> It's probably fair to say that "The Hitkicker" did have an
> impact on WIVK, but not as much of one as Pirkle had
> probably hoped.
> It should also be noted that the metro survey area was
> redefined starting with the Fall 1993 book, as Arbitron
> removed Hamblen Country from the Knoxville Metro. Many
> claim this hurt overall listening to the country format.
>

Those are fabricated numbers. And, I'm sure Pirkle hoped to make the impact he did, they're still shelling out millions a year for him to not be their competition.
 
I've got the actual Arbitron books, would you like me to send you photocopies?



> > > > *** Interesting that you re-wrote history with that
> > "WIVK
> > > > fell from at 30+ to a 19". It was more like they went
> > from
> > > a
> > > > 22.3 to a 21.8.
> > > >
> > > > Come on now.
> > > >
> > > Do your research. I stand by my post, because it is
> > > accurate. Why else would they (WIVK) jumped so hard to
> get
> >
> > > the signal? Because it toppled their empire and took
> cash
> > > from their pockets.
> > >
> > Here is the research: These are the 12+ numbers for WOKI
> > and WIVK from 1992 thru 1994 (WOKI flipped from I-100 to
> > country in right before the start of the Spring '93 book).
>
> >
> > BOOK --- WOKI --- WIVK-FM
> > WI 92 --- 9.0 --- 30.8
> > SP 92 --- 8.5 --- 28.6
> > SU 92 --- 7.8 --- 30.9
> > FA 92 --- 7.5 --- 31.1
> > WI 93 --- 7.9 --- 31.9
> > SP 93 --- 7.3* --- 32.7
> > SU 93 --- 8.4 --- 26.9
> > FA 93 --- 8.1 --- 25.8
> > WI 94 --- 8.9 --- 21.9
> > SP 94 --- 8.2 --- 30.9
> > SU 94 --- 9.1 --- 24.8
> > FA 94 --- 6.7 --- 28.3
> >
> > It's probably fair to say that "The Hitkicker" did have an
>
> > impact on WIVK, but not as much of one as Pirkle had
> > probably hoped.
> > It should also be noted that the metro survey area was
> > redefined starting with the Fall 1993 book, as Arbitron
> > removed Hamblen Country from the Knoxville Metro. Many
> > claim this hurt overall listening to the country format.
> >
>
> Those are fabricated numbers. And, I'm sure Pirkle hoped to
> make the impact he did, they're still shelling out millions
> a year for him to not be their competition.
>
 
> I've got the actual Arbitron books, would you like me to
> send you photocopies?

If that is a fact, then why don't your numbers reflect the truth.

I've got the physical books sitting right here, wanna come over and take a gander?
 
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