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would what work on wpen

O

oasisrulz

Guest
I know this must have been said over and over again, I am by no means beating a dead horse, but I think the WHAT format would explode on WPEN. Many would say the demos are too old, this and that, but I know WHAT has good ratings in their listening area, which is not large by no means, especially at night. With the monster signal of 950 and the poor ratings and costs of their current format, they should make the move. I do think Standards would do rather well. What else is their to put on 950, Country Classics, All Commercial Radio which is being throw around in some radio companies at this moment, you put on the station and hear local commercials, 24/7, with certain pin numbers given out, you can use at the places advertised for discounts. Bottom Line, Standards once again on 950 would be a sweat deal...
 
That horse is pretty dead from the beatings that began when they stopped having the WHAT format. Explode? Not likely.

I'm sure WHAT does get some good ratings in its area--there are some big nursing homes in that area. :D
 
That is exactly what happened when Greater Media blew up the standards format - it exploded.

I was with WPEN for almost 20 years, from the very beginning of the standards format when it kicked off on Labor Day Weekend 1979 through 1998, just about the time when the format was showing severe listener erosion. It was a format constantly being re-invented and "freshened" to gain younger listeners while not alienating the meat and potato 55-plus audience. The key to the format's success was of course the music, but also the high profile personalities like Ken Garland, Joe Niagara, Ed Hurst, Bill Webber, Dick Clayton, Tom Moran,and so on. The news and information, as well as promotions and contests all were a major part of the "stationality" of WPEN's "Standards" format. The reason it went away is because all of those ingredients cost a lot of money - and that's why the format went away on WPEN. The station made money but the payroll was substantial, and the percentage of profit vs. costs didn't attract much love for the format in later years from Greater Media. The WPEN "Standards" format as it was then - and as successful as it was in the ratings could never be duplicated in today's financial environment. Oh sure, you could voicetrack it and have a "no-clue" Program Director in title only sitting at a desk all day staring at a computer screen adding and deleting music from selector music scheduling software, but where is the passion and fun of the format?

It's interesting that the "Standards" format was a "last ditch" effort in 1979 on WPEN after the failing of "95PEN" oldies. It was Julian Breen's baby and his idea. People thought he lost his mind. I remember Julian's one hope expressed in our very first staff meeting with the new format - it was "Guys, just get me a 3 share - that's all we need so we can sell this turkey". He meant "sell commercials" - not the station. We managed to double that share for Julian for many years - and sell plenty of commercial time too!
 
If they did it right 950 ESPN would blow up.

Has anybody else heard how tired and old WIP sounds. Sadly, PEN is trying to win a varsity game with JV players.

Mikey Miss, great hire and its worked, goes to show, bring in talent, that LIKES the teams and get ratings.

Harry and Jody...they dont mesh a little bit. Tough listen, no ratings.

Tirico and Van Pelt...thats an embarassing show in a sports town like Philadelphia.

Dan Schawartzman - PEN cant be serious with this hire.

Get Philly host...Mikey Miss, likes Philly teams, people listen.

Harry and Jody, neither are Phily fans and it shows, no passion for the teams. Dan S., it sounds like he doesnt want to be in Philly. Nobody listned to him on 920 and their still not.

Put Philly radio hosts on, guys on like the teams and have the passion, and the station will be fine.

6-9 Mike and Mike are fine.

9-1 - Jody isnt getting it done and he is costing you to much money. Nobody in the demo PEN remembers his glory days on WIP, his show is tired and he sounds like he wants to be anywhere else. Get a team that sounds like its having fun with guys who are Philly fans. I want to listen to a guy who is hurting as much as I am when the Eagles lose...not a guy who just watched the game cause he had to.

3-7 - Mikey Miss - Imagine is numbers if he had a lead in

What they should do...

6-10 - Mike and Mike - You can bring in any top sports radio show in the county...its not going to work here. So this will do, dont waste money on a battle you cant win.

10-3 - (Get rid of Jody salary and you can afford 2 talented guys, I know you can find two guys, at 50k each and your saving money and getting a better show) If tired old Macnow and Gargano can pull a 10-3, so can PEN. get a good young team, that has passion for the teams, someone with energy and that sounds like they want to be in Philadelphia.

3-7 -Mikey Miss - Give him a lead in and watch the numbers grow

7-10 - I would try to get Jolly here, does a solid job good night guy.

10-1 - Bruno is fine. If your budget is tapped out

WEEKEENDS....PLEASE, GIVE US LOCAL WEEKENDS...PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE.

This format can work, if you run it right...Sports in Philly its about about the passion and how that comes across. Mikey Miss has it, he gets numbers. The others dont, they get no ratings. simple as that.
 
Isn't it fact, when WPEN had the Standards format, they never dipped below a 3.1 and went as high as a 4.0 share, if so? why dump success...If the WHAT format as it is now was on WPEN what does everyone think the rating would be, over 3.0.
 
And don't forget, that while Julian Breene was the "architect" ... Dean Tyler was the "contractor" and worked magic as PD &, later, as GM.

A legend at WPEN ... and at WIP.

Dick Carr from WIP's early golden days is still around. Maybe he'd be interested in a re-birth at WPEN.

Either that, or maybe dead air would work. Save the spectrum. AM isn't happening, especially in music for older, non-sellable demos.

As Julian once said about Oldies 95/PEN once ... "'PEN has its fans ... just not enough of them." Even with Loren Owens and a great team that predated and even better team with MOR/Standards as mentioned.

Now, if 'PEN could get the Phils away from WPHT. Nah, the "new" signal still isn't optimum.
 
You cant sell Standards. Not with a 3.0 share, not with a 10.0 share. Nobody wants to advertise to that demo.

Its about about the demo. What would you buy Men 25-54 or men 65+ ?

Who is spending more money ?

Would the standards gather better ratings, probably, but if sports is done right on PEN it will be fine. Right now its not being done right.
 
oasisrulz said:
Isn't it fact, when WPEN had the Standards format, they never dipped below a 3.1 and went as high as a 4.0 share, if so? why dump success...If the WHAT format as it is now was on WPEN what does everyone think the rating would be, over 3.0.
Click to expand...

Because whether it's a fact you like or not, demos matter. They've mattered more and more over time, thus it matters even more today than 10, 20 or 30 years ago. Dismissing that reality because it doesn't match your desires doesn't change it. 12+ ratings are meaningless.

A fairly cheaply run station can turn in better profit margins with lower overall listenership if those listeners are ones advertisers want to reach. The whole "WPEN is losign to WIP" thing doesn't matter that much. No one argues beating your competitor is a nice feeling, but from a business standpoint, the lower payroll alone may make WPEN a workable property right now.
 
I think Charlie has the situation pegged. Although there are probably a ton of qualified programmers out there able to put the product on the air, there's a lack of the personalitie to hold the product together. No more Joe Niagaras or Ken Garlands or, IMHO, anyone in the market who could pull it off. There's also the issue of how much you could afford to pay someone from outside the market to come in, and there's hardly a training ground available for up and coming personalities anymore. Damn shame.
Charlie: Nice to see you're still around. Send me a message here and we'll talk.
 
Actually WPEN went way above a 4 share - we were in the 6 share area for many years, generally bouncing between a 5.5 - 6.5 which was unheard of for a music station on AM.

Dean Tyler started at WPEN in February of 1983 so there were a few years before Dean when Julian was the guiding force. Dean was programming the station from 1983 until 1990 when he became GM.

GLENN - Yes I am still around - a member in good standing of AARP and living under a few palm trees in Florida!

Tough life! LOL!

Charlie
 
While this thread was focused on WPEN and WHAT and whether the standards format would ever work on WPEN again, let's not forget that Andy Kortman (former WPEN-er) is doing a great job playing the standards - and "modern" standards too on 1360AM. He is a part of the original WPEN air staff and is a good example of the passionate attitude all of us former WPEN family members had for the format. His site is andykortman.com

so although WPEN will never bring back the format, you've got Andy and you've got WHAT.
 
...and Wee Willie Webber is still on 92.1 Sunday afternoons with the format. He still sounds great! Nothing like a live restaurant read by Wee Willie to make you salivate...from the days when radio sold thoughts and images instead of agency numbers.
 
Charlie,

GREAT seeing you on here again. (I used to post under the name generalee.)

Felt good reading your posts about WPEN and all the good folks on there, especially Ken. I still stay in touch with Elaine.

Hope all is well with you and the Mrs. down in Sunny, warm Florida.

Best regards.......


charlie mills said:
Sam,

You may want to calibrate your equipment in private?

Oh damn I love old disc jockey humor (or lack of it)!
Click to expand...
 
Hey General!

Thanks. I normally check out the board a few times a week.

I was wondering why I hadn't seen a Generalee posting! Now I know - you became Jlongstreet!

Hope the transformation wasn't painful.

Ivory and me are doing great. We love Florida but will always miss Philly - just not the cold!

Take care and best regards to you too!

-Charlie
 
Charlie,

Thanks for getting back to me, much appreciated.

Changed my screen name, same army, different rank. lol

Change not painful in the least.................I think.

Talk to you soon.

Regards...........

charlie mills said:
Hey General!

Thanks. I normally check out the board a few times a week.

I was wondering why I hadn't seen a Generalee posting! Now I know - you became Jlongstreet!

Hope the transformation wasn't painful.

Ivory and me are doing great. We love Florida but will always miss Philly - just not the cold!

Take care and best regards to you too!

-Charlie
Click to expand...
 
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