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WPEN to flip to sports talk
- Thread starter Zzzzz
- Start date
P
Phillyradiogeek
Guest
http> ://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/breaking_news/12476437.htm
>
What a shame. I had such high hopes for the real oldies format when it debuted, yet after just a few months it was obvious that management would bungle the job. WPEN higher-ups have no one to blame but themselves for the failure of the format.
What's really frustrating is that as I've read about the signal improvements, I still foolishly thought that they were possibly going to give the format the proper treatment it deserved. Silly me.
One more rant: apparently sports talk warrants more respect on weekends than the music that helped propel the modern radio era.
I'm pissed and saddened by this news.
>
What a shame. I had such high hopes for the real oldies format when it debuted, yet after just a few months it was obvious that management would bungle the job. WPEN higher-ups have no one to blame but themselves for the failure of the format.
What's really frustrating is that as I've read about the signal improvements, I still foolishly thought that they were possibly going to give the format the proper treatment it deserved. Silly me.
One more rant: apparently sports talk warrants more respect on weekends than the music that helped propel the modern radio era.
I'm pissed and saddened by this news.
O
OldiesCat
Guest
WPEN= flawed concept
The whole "real oldies" thing has been a dud everywhere. Actually, to most people who love the genre of music "real oldies" isn't mostly 50s songs but late 50s to early 70s, what the "real" oldies stations played when they debuted in the late 80s.
Not only that, no matter how good they sound and how much they market, it's AM and very few will turn to AM for music programming. "real oldies" was a dog premise from the beginning.
>
> One more rant: apparently sports talk warrants more respect
> on weekends than the music that helped propel the modern radio era.
>
> I'm pissed and saddened by this news.
>
The whole "real oldies" thing has been a dud everywhere. Actually, to most people who love the genre of music "real oldies" isn't mostly 50s songs but late 50s to early 70s, what the "real" oldies stations played when they debuted in the late 80s.
Not only that, no matter how good they sound and how much they market, it's AM and very few will turn to AM for music programming. "real oldies" was a dog premise from the beginning.
>
> One more rant: apparently sports talk warrants more respect
> on weekends than the music that helped propel the modern radio era.
>
> I'm pissed and saddened by this news.
>
W
wxctintern
Guest
They're flipping to Sports Talk and yet they gave the rights to the Phillies back to 1210. Yeah. That makes sense. Great now 98.1 will be the only oldies station in Philly. I don't think I'll visit the Philly area anymore. Of corse in a dream world WPEN's current oldies format minus the infomercials would move to 95.7 FM.
Where does that leave the displaced jocks - 3 former WOGL regulars who were banished to the OGL weekends and left, would OGL take any of them back? And Blavat, who is still on WVLT. Will he buy time again on WNJC? The weekday daytime station had a great sound. The weekends killed any possibility of success.
And this at a time talk radio is down, WPHT flat & WIP dropping. Will the WIP addicts really be persuaded to tune the dial? Are they fighting over a small piece of the radio pie? Of course they have to also compete with "Philadelphia's Real Sports Station" WPHY (lol)!
And this at a time talk radio is down, WPHT flat & WIP dropping. Will the WIP addicts really be persuaded to tune the dial? Are they fighting over a small piece of the radio pie? Of course they have to also compete with "Philadelphia's Real Sports Station" WPHY (lol)!
B
bierkenstock
Guest
You Can Count on Greater Media
It given a choice, they'll always pick the dumbest option.
Now they are going to do REAL sport talk, instead of real oldies. Of course, WIP started out that way without much success until they evolved into guy talk. Generally, major market ESPN (or Fox) sports talk stations are bottom-feeding turn-key operations (like Salem and Air America stations). Even WFAN gets most of its numbers and income from morning drive when they are personality news-talk, not sports talk.
Wonder what they will flip to next September? Religion. Foreign language. All brokered, all the time.
It given a choice, they'll always pick the dumbest option.
Now they are going to do REAL sport talk, instead of real oldies. Of course, WIP started out that way without much success until they evolved into guy talk. Generally, major market ESPN (or Fox) sports talk stations are bottom-feeding turn-key operations (like Salem and Air America stations). Even WFAN gets most of its numbers and income from morning drive when they are personality news-talk, not sports talk.
Wonder what they will flip to next September? Religion. Foreign language. All brokered, all the time.
OLDIES 950, WE HARDLY KNEW YE
I understand the sentiment of the poster above completely. I have an affinity for WPEN, because I worked there from 1972 to '74. WPEN, aside from it's years as The Station Of The Stars, has a checkered history of mostly being Philadelphia's Radio catch-all. After WIBG went Top 40 in the '50s, WPEN stopped playing popular music and fell deep down into the pack as an also-ran MOR station. WPEN was the station where you ended up after WIP or WCAU fired you. From Jim Tate to Bob Meneffee, WPEN was the last stop out of town or out of your career.
In 1969 when Martin Field purchasd The William Penn Broadcasting Company, WPEN took a run at WIP, hiring 10 WI-People away...WPEN with its more conservative music posture and chattier jocks, failed to transfer the magic three blocks down Walnut Street past Rittenhouse Square. After less than 2 years, WPEN released the staff, and went to a more music intensive A/C format with local voices as "announcers" in the new format...which continued until Greater Media signed off WPEN upon purchase to launch 95PEN.
95PEN signed on playin " Nothin But Golden Oldies" in its attempt to come after WCAU-FM, which was barely holding on to a five share. With a new transmitter, ground system and revitalized presence on the dial, giving away a thousand dollars a day-aye, WPEN's momentum dropped when the 102.9 simulcast ended six months later.
In 1979, WPEN's new Nostalgia format inherited a ton of disenfranchised listeners from WIP, and for most of the next 25 years, WPEN forged an exclusive market position and format, and stands as one of the best runs any Philadelphia radio station had in their format. Yeah...everybody there was from everywhere else too...but the stable of great talent from Kenny Garland, Joe Niagara, Tom Moran, Dick Clayton, Jerry Stevens, Bill Wright Sr. reinforced the station's heritage and importance to the city.
What happened. Firstly, Consolidation made WPEN a secondary or terciary consideration in the age of "combo sales". Reps born in the '70s and '80s who were selling for WMGK and WMMR became the reps for WPEN. Those shiney WPEN media kits were everywhere...under the seats of their cars along with empty bottles of Diet Pepsi, lining the bird cages in their houses...an exclusive audience and market position UNPITCHED.
As revenues shrunk, and the aging WPEN stars retired or died, replacements from the bench were younger, less familiar, and when compared to the legends that preceded them, they were light weight. When you pay great money you get great talent, when you don't you get...you get the picture.
Last September, WPEN launched Oldies 950, complete with a staff of jocks who formerly worked at WOGL...is this starting to sound predictable. The launch of the station, with no program director, no morning show, no cume building...and with a sales staff not designated or deployed, the new station was stillborn. Plus, through its experiments with digital HD audio delivery, WPEN was technically unlistenable. It's nighttime signal deteriorated, the Phillies came off the station on account of it, and WPEN pretended it was serious about forging this new market position, in spite of the fact that the format was off the air every saturday and sunday. Universally, Oldies stations have great weekend numbers...in Philadelphia, the format was off the air.
Today WPEN announced that it is again changing its format to Sports Talk, in attempt to go head to head with a station that has been in the format 15 years, WIP. Around and around and around we go. The star of the new WIP is Jody Mac, who was formerly featured on WIP. WIP is in the low threes somewhere 12+, and unless I'm totally crazy, WPEN will stay below a two. Again, WPEN has settled for launching a market position and format, content on being the number two station in their format.
I feel badly for the people who believed enough in WPEN to go to work there, in some cases leaving what they were doing, only to be disposed of. Christy is great and she'll work, Jim can and will work if he chooses to, The Geator is the Geator and he'll always be somewhere, and Charlie Bennett, if he wishes to continue announcing, may have to settle for reading that familiar liner, " do you want fries with that?"
A sad affair, a sad day, and another sad chapter in the history of a legendary station that has always had so much promise.
I understand the sentiment of the poster above completely. I have an affinity for WPEN, because I worked there from 1972 to '74. WPEN, aside from it's years as The Station Of The Stars, has a checkered history of mostly being Philadelphia's Radio catch-all. After WIBG went Top 40 in the '50s, WPEN stopped playing popular music and fell deep down into the pack as an also-ran MOR station. WPEN was the station where you ended up after WIP or WCAU fired you. From Jim Tate to Bob Meneffee, WPEN was the last stop out of town or out of your career.
In 1969 when Martin Field purchasd The William Penn Broadcasting Company, WPEN took a run at WIP, hiring 10 WI-People away...WPEN with its more conservative music posture and chattier jocks, failed to transfer the magic three blocks down Walnut Street past Rittenhouse Square. After less than 2 years, WPEN released the staff, and went to a more music intensive A/C format with local voices as "announcers" in the new format...which continued until Greater Media signed off WPEN upon purchase to launch 95PEN.
95PEN signed on playin " Nothin But Golden Oldies" in its attempt to come after WCAU-FM, which was barely holding on to a five share. With a new transmitter, ground system and revitalized presence on the dial, giving away a thousand dollars a day-aye, WPEN's momentum dropped when the 102.9 simulcast ended six months later.
In 1979, WPEN's new Nostalgia format inherited a ton of disenfranchised listeners from WIP, and for most of the next 25 years, WPEN forged an exclusive market position and format, and stands as one of the best runs any Philadelphia radio station had in their format. Yeah...everybody there was from everywhere else too...but the stable of great talent from Kenny Garland, Joe Niagara, Tom Moran, Dick Clayton, Jerry Stevens, Bill Wright Sr. reinforced the station's heritage and importance to the city.
What happened. Firstly, Consolidation made WPEN a secondary or terciary consideration in the age of "combo sales". Reps born in the '70s and '80s who were selling for WMGK and WMMR became the reps for WPEN. Those shiney WPEN media kits were everywhere...under the seats of their cars along with empty bottles of Diet Pepsi, lining the bird cages in their houses...an exclusive audience and market position UNPITCHED.
As revenues shrunk, and the aging WPEN stars retired or died, replacements from the bench were younger, less familiar, and when compared to the legends that preceded them, they were light weight. When you pay great money you get great talent, when you don't you get...you get the picture.
Last September, WPEN launched Oldies 950, complete with a staff of jocks who formerly worked at WOGL...is this starting to sound predictable. The launch of the station, with no program director, no morning show, no cume building...and with a sales staff not designated or deployed, the new station was stillborn. Plus, through its experiments with digital HD audio delivery, WPEN was technically unlistenable. It's nighttime signal deteriorated, the Phillies came off the station on account of it, and WPEN pretended it was serious about forging this new market position, in spite of the fact that the format was off the air every saturday and sunday. Universally, Oldies stations have great weekend numbers...in Philadelphia, the format was off the air.
Today WPEN announced that it is again changing its format to Sports Talk, in attempt to go head to head with a station that has been in the format 15 years, WIP. Around and around and around we go. The star of the new WIP is Jody Mac, who was formerly featured on WIP. WIP is in the low threes somewhere 12+, and unless I'm totally crazy, WPEN will stay below a two. Again, WPEN has settled for launching a market position and format, content on being the number two station in their format.
I feel badly for the people who believed enough in WPEN to go to work there, in some cases leaving what they were doing, only to be disposed of. Christy is great and she'll work, Jim can and will work if he chooses to, The Geator is the Geator and he'll always be somewhere, and Charlie Bennett, if he wishes to continue announcing, may have to settle for reading that familiar liner, " do you want fries with that?"
A sad affair, a sad day, and another sad chapter in the history of a legendary station that has always had so much promise.
J
johnnythunder
Guest
Re: WPEN= OH WELL- it stunk anyway
I love oldies but WPEN really sucked big time.. I thought Nettleton would be more creative but he ran it into the ground with bad programming. Christy was the best thing the station had but hopefully she will end up back at OLG and replace the robot now on at night... what a beautiful voice she has!! I guess the other jocks will move over to geriatric radio at WVLT the armpit of FM radio with its zero rating. Those jocks are so bad they would be second rate on CB radio. Its a shame WPEN didn't go about it professionally but if they think they can unseat WIP they are insane... obviously it will be another spanish station shortly... just what we need... and a bitter end to a once great station.
I love oldies but WPEN really sucked big time.. I thought Nettleton would be more creative but he ran it into the ground with bad programming. Christy was the best thing the station had but hopefully she will end up back at OLG and replace the robot now on at night... what a beautiful voice she has!! I guess the other jocks will move over to geriatric radio at WVLT the armpit of FM radio with its zero rating. Those jocks are so bad they would be second rate on CB radio. Its a shame WPEN didn't go about it professionally but if they think they can unseat WIP they are insane... obviously it will be another spanish station shortly... just what we need... and a bitter end to a once great station.
Any chance we'll see Mike Missanelli and Joe Conklin working mornings on a Greater Media radio station any time soon?
I think Rome will do well in Philly, but I really hope the station isn't syndicated in mornings or evenings. A local show from 7p-11p in the fall, when WIP is airing Flyers or Sixers games almost every night, would give the city an alternative to discuss it's true love, the Iggles.
I think Rome will do well in Philly, but I really hope the station isn't syndicated in mornings or evenings. A local show from 7p-11p in the fall, when WIP is airing Flyers or Sixers games almost every night, would give the city an alternative to discuss it's true love, the Iggles.
http> ://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/breaking_news/12476437.htm
>
This saddens me. For all its faults such as signal issues(yes, frustrating)it still was a nice little oldies station. Looks like I better start airchecking "Oldies 950 Limited". guess it's back to listening to the horrid "Breakfast Club" on WOGL. These days WMTR doesnt come clear, so I guess I'm SOL.
I hope the former WOGL jocks find thier way back home...than they can say goodbye to Angela Mason and Jack "Dont call me David" Seville. Now as soon as the sports format hits 950, watch how it gets s**t on and we will all be crying for Oldies to return to Philly once again.
Like The Brothers Ritcheous sang..."It makes me just feel like cryin, cuz babyy somethin beutifuls dyin"...<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by JoeyDee_WOGL on 08/26/05 02:20 AM.</FONT></P>
>
This saddens me. For all its faults such as signal issues(yes, frustrating)it still was a nice little oldies station. Looks like I better start airchecking "Oldies 950 Limited". guess it's back to listening to the horrid "Breakfast Club" on WOGL. These days WMTR doesnt come clear, so I guess I'm SOL.
I hope the former WOGL jocks find thier way back home...than they can say goodbye to Angela Mason and Jack "Dont call me David" Seville. Now as soon as the sports format hits 950, watch how it gets s**t on and we will all be crying for Oldies to return to Philly once again.
Like The Brothers Ritcheous sang..."It makes me just feel like cryin, cuz babyy somethin beutifuls dyin"...<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by JoeyDee_WOGL on 08/26/05 02:20 AM.</FONT></P>
B
BobAltimari
Guest
Re: OLDIES 950, WE HARDLY KNEW YE
> I understand the sentiment of the poster above completely. I
> have an affinity for WPEN, because I worked there from 1972
> to '74. WPEN, aside from it's years as The Station Of The
> Stars, has a checkered history of mostly being
> Philadelphia's Radio catch-all. After WIBG went Top 40 in
> the '50s, WPEN stopped playing popular music and fell deep
> down into the pack as an also-ran MOR station. WPEN was the
> station where you ended up after WIP or WCAU fired you. From
> Jim Tate to Bob Meneffee, WPEN was the last stop out of town
> or out of your career.
>
> In 1969 when Martin Field purchasd The William Penn
> Broadcasting Company, WPEN took a run at WIP, hiring 10
> WI-People away...WPEN with its more conservative music
> posture and chattier jocks, failed to transfer the magic
> three blocks down Walnut Street past Rittenhouse Square.
> After less than 2 years, WPEN released the staff, and went
> to a more music intensive A/C format with local voices as
> "announcers" in the new format...which continued until
> Greater Media signed off WPEN upon purchase to launch 95PEN.
>
>
> 95PEN signed on playin " Nothin But Golden Oldies" in its
> attempt to come after WCAU-FM, which was barely holding on
> to a five share. With a new transmitter, ground system and
> revitalized presence on the dial, giving away a thousand
> dollars a day-aye, WPEN's momentum dropped when the 102.9
> simulcast ended six months later.
>
> In 1979, WPEN's new Nostalgia format inherited a ton of
> disenfranchised listeners from WIP, and for most of the next
> 25 years, WPEN forged an exclusive market position and
> format, and stands as one of the best runs any Philadelphia
> radio station had in their format. Yeah...everybody there
> was from everywhere else too...but the stable of great
> talent from Kenny Garland, Joe Niagara, Tom Moran, Dick
> Clayton, Jerry Stevens, Bill Wright Sr. reinforced the
> station's heritage and importance to the city.
>
> What happened. Firstly, Consolidation made WPEN a secondary
> or terciary consideration in the age of "combo sales". Reps
> born in the '70s and '80s who were selling for WMGK and WMMR
> became the reps for WPEN. Those shiney WPEN media kits were
> everywhere...under the seats of their cars along with empty
> bottles of Diet Pepsi, lining the bird cages in their
> houses...an exclusive audience and market position
> UNPITCHED.
>
> As revenues shrunk, and the aging WPEN stars retired or
> died, replacements from the bench were younger, less
> familiar, and when compared to the legends that preceded
> them, they were light weight. When you pay great money you
> get great talent, when you don't you get...you get the
> picture.
>
> Last September, WPEN launched Oldies 950, complete with a
> staff of jocks who formerly worked at WOGL...is this
> starting to sound predictable. The launch of the station,
> with no program director, no morning show, no cume
> building...and with a sales staff not designated or
> deployed, the new station was stillborn. Plus, through its
> experiments with digital HD audio delivery, WPEN was
> technically unlistenable. It's nighttime signal
> deteriorated, the Phillies came off the station on account
> of it, and WPEN pretended it was serious about forging this
> new market position, in spite of the fact that the format
> was off the air every saturday and sunday. Universally,
> Oldies stations have great weekend numbers...in
> Philadelphia, the format was off the air.
>
> Today WPEN announced that it is again changing its format to
> Sports Talk, in attempt to go head to head with a station
> that has been in the format 15 years, WIP. Around and around
> and around we go. The star of the new WIP is Jody Mac, who
> was formerly featured on WIP. WIP is in the low threes
> somewhere 12+, and unless I'm totally crazy, WPEN will stay
> below a two. Again, WPEN has settled for launching a market
> position and format, content on being the number two station
> in their format.
>
> I feel badly for the people who believed enough in WPEN to
> go to work there, in some cases leaving what they were
> doing, only to be disposed of. Christy is great and she'll
> work, Jim can and will work if he chooses to, The Geator is
> the Geator and he'll always be somewhere, and Charlie
> Bennett, if he wishes to continue announcing, may have to
> settle for reading that familiar liner, " do you want fries
> with that?"
>
> A sad affair, a sad day, and another sad chapter in the
> history of a legendary station that has always had so much
> promise.
>
And it seem they're gonna finally get rid of what really hamstrung that station....those damn weekend infomercials (or at least reduce their presence).
I wonder if they will fill the weekend spots with FOX Sports Radio (and finally clear JT the Brick in Philly).<P ID="signature">______________
I've done it all...HOO HOO...tell 'em, Fred!
FOX News Alert: YOU SUCK!!! Ya like apples?</P>
> I understand the sentiment of the poster above completely. I
> have an affinity for WPEN, because I worked there from 1972
> to '74. WPEN, aside from it's years as The Station Of The
> Stars, has a checkered history of mostly being
> Philadelphia's Radio catch-all. After WIBG went Top 40 in
> the '50s, WPEN stopped playing popular music and fell deep
> down into the pack as an also-ran MOR station. WPEN was the
> station where you ended up after WIP or WCAU fired you. From
> Jim Tate to Bob Meneffee, WPEN was the last stop out of town
> or out of your career.
>
> In 1969 when Martin Field purchasd The William Penn
> Broadcasting Company, WPEN took a run at WIP, hiring 10
> WI-People away...WPEN with its more conservative music
> posture and chattier jocks, failed to transfer the magic
> three blocks down Walnut Street past Rittenhouse Square.
> After less than 2 years, WPEN released the staff, and went
> to a more music intensive A/C format with local voices as
> "announcers" in the new format...which continued until
> Greater Media signed off WPEN upon purchase to launch 95PEN.
>
>
> 95PEN signed on playin " Nothin But Golden Oldies" in its
> attempt to come after WCAU-FM, which was barely holding on
> to a five share. With a new transmitter, ground system and
> revitalized presence on the dial, giving away a thousand
> dollars a day-aye, WPEN's momentum dropped when the 102.9
> simulcast ended six months later.
>
> In 1979, WPEN's new Nostalgia format inherited a ton of
> disenfranchised listeners from WIP, and for most of the next
> 25 years, WPEN forged an exclusive market position and
> format, and stands as one of the best runs any Philadelphia
> radio station had in their format. Yeah...everybody there
> was from everywhere else too...but the stable of great
> talent from Kenny Garland, Joe Niagara, Tom Moran, Dick
> Clayton, Jerry Stevens, Bill Wright Sr. reinforced the
> station's heritage and importance to the city.
>
> What happened. Firstly, Consolidation made WPEN a secondary
> or terciary consideration in the age of "combo sales". Reps
> born in the '70s and '80s who were selling for WMGK and WMMR
> became the reps for WPEN. Those shiney WPEN media kits were
> everywhere...under the seats of their cars along with empty
> bottles of Diet Pepsi, lining the bird cages in their
> houses...an exclusive audience and market position
> UNPITCHED.
>
> As revenues shrunk, and the aging WPEN stars retired or
> died, replacements from the bench were younger, less
> familiar, and when compared to the legends that preceded
> them, they were light weight. When you pay great money you
> get great talent, when you don't you get...you get the
> picture.
>
> Last September, WPEN launched Oldies 950, complete with a
> staff of jocks who formerly worked at WOGL...is this
> starting to sound predictable. The launch of the station,
> with no program director, no morning show, no cume
> building...and with a sales staff not designated or
> deployed, the new station was stillborn. Plus, through its
> experiments with digital HD audio delivery, WPEN was
> technically unlistenable. It's nighttime signal
> deteriorated, the Phillies came off the station on account
> of it, and WPEN pretended it was serious about forging this
> new market position, in spite of the fact that the format
> was off the air every saturday and sunday. Universally,
> Oldies stations have great weekend numbers...in
> Philadelphia, the format was off the air.
>
> Today WPEN announced that it is again changing its format to
> Sports Talk, in attempt to go head to head with a station
> that has been in the format 15 years, WIP. Around and around
> and around we go. The star of the new WIP is Jody Mac, who
> was formerly featured on WIP. WIP is in the low threes
> somewhere 12+, and unless I'm totally crazy, WPEN will stay
> below a two. Again, WPEN has settled for launching a market
> position and format, content on being the number two station
> in their format.
>
> I feel badly for the people who believed enough in WPEN to
> go to work there, in some cases leaving what they were
> doing, only to be disposed of. Christy is great and she'll
> work, Jim can and will work if he chooses to, The Geator is
> the Geator and he'll always be somewhere, and Charlie
> Bennett, if he wishes to continue announcing, may have to
> settle for reading that familiar liner, " do you want fries
> with that?"
>
> A sad affair, a sad day, and another sad chapter in the
> history of a legendary station that has always had so much
> promise.
>
And it seem they're gonna finally get rid of what really hamstrung that station....those damn weekend infomercials (or at least reduce their presence).
I wonder if they will fill the weekend spots with FOX Sports Radio (and finally clear JT the Brick in Philly).<P ID="signature">______________
I've done it all...HOO HOO...tell 'em, Fred!
FOX News Alert: YOU SUCK!!! Ya like apples?</P>
Re: WPEN= flawed concept
> [The whole "real oldies" thing has been a dud everywhere.
> Actually, to most people who love the genre of music "real
> oldies" isn't mostly 50s songs but late 50s to early 70s,
> what the "real" oldies stations played when they debuted in
> the late 80s.
>
> Not only that, no matter how good they sound and how much
> they market, it's AM and very few will turn to AM for music
> programming. "real oldies" was a dog premise from the
> beginning.]
I'm not familiar with WPEN. But Chicago's Real Oldies station, WRLL, started out two years ago as a '50s/early '60s (pre-British Invasion) Top 40 station. They had a great play list, based on Chicago's Top 40 charts from that period. Ratings haven't been great, but I doubt that has anything to do with AM. WRLL is programming to an audience that listened to '50's/'60s music on AM radio when it was new. In most of the country, with the possible exception of the east coast, that music had been missing from the radio for too long. That audience had simply turned off the radio and found their music elsewhere. Once you loose an audience , it's hard to get them back. Chicago lost its FM Oldies station recently, so WRLL has added late '60s music to their playlist. It's too early to tell if that will help them in the ratings.
> [The whole "real oldies" thing has been a dud everywhere.
> Actually, to most people who love the genre of music "real
> oldies" isn't mostly 50s songs but late 50s to early 70s,
> what the "real" oldies stations played when they debuted in
> the late 80s.
>
> Not only that, no matter how good they sound and how much
> they market, it's AM and very few will turn to AM for music
> programming. "real oldies" was a dog premise from the
> beginning.]
I'm not familiar with WPEN. But Chicago's Real Oldies station, WRLL, started out two years ago as a '50s/early '60s (pre-British Invasion) Top 40 station. They had a great play list, based on Chicago's Top 40 charts from that period. Ratings haven't been great, but I doubt that has anything to do with AM. WRLL is programming to an audience that listened to '50's/'60s music on AM radio when it was new. In most of the country, with the possible exception of the east coast, that music had been missing from the radio for too long. That audience had simply turned off the radio and found their music elsewhere. Once you loose an audience , it's hard to get them back. Chicago lost its FM Oldies station recently, so WRLL has added late '60s music to their playlist. It's too early to tell if that will help them in the ratings.
V
vanearlwrong
Guest
Re: OLDIES 950, WE HARDLY KNEW YE
> > I understand the sentiment of the poster above completely.
> I
> > have an affinity for WPEN, because I worked there from
> 1972
> > to '74. WPEN, aside from it's years as The Station Of The
> > Stars, has a checkered history of mostly being
> > Philadelphia's Radio catch-all. After WIBG went Top 40 in
> > the '50s, WPEN stopped playing popular music and fell deep
>
> > down into the pack as an also-ran MOR station. WPEN was
> the
> > station where you ended up after WIP or WCAU fired you.
> From
> > Jim Tate to Bob Meneffee, WPEN was the last stop out of
> town
> > or out of your career.
> >
> > In 1969 when Martin Field purchasd The William Penn
> > Broadcasting Company, WPEN took a run at WIP, hiring 10
> > WI-People away...WPEN with its more conservative music
> > posture and chattier jocks, failed to transfer the magic
> > three blocks down Walnut Street past Rittenhouse Square.
> > After less than 2 years, WPEN released the staff, and went
>
> > to a more music intensive A/C format with local voices as
> > "announcers" in the new format...which continued until
> > Greater Media signed off WPEN upon purchase to launch
> 95PEN.
> >
> >
> > 95PEN signed on playin " Nothin But Golden Oldies" in its
> > attempt to come after WCAU-FM, which was barely holding on
>
> > to a five share. With a new transmitter, ground system and
>
> > revitalized presence on the dial, giving away a thousand
> > dollars a day-aye, WPEN's momentum dropped when the 102.9
> > simulcast ended six months later.
> >
> > In 1979, WPEN's new Nostalgia format inherited a ton of
> > disenfranchised listeners from WIP, and for most of the
> next
> > 25 years, WPEN forged an exclusive market position and
> > format, and stands as one of the best runs any
> Philadelphia
> > radio station had in their format. Yeah...everybody there
> > was from everywhere else too...but the stable of great
> > talent from Kenny Garland, Joe Niagara, Tom Moran, Dick
> > Clayton, Jerry Stevens, Bill Wright Sr. reinforced the
> > station's heritage and importance to the city.
> >
> > What happened. Firstly, Consolidation made WPEN a
> secondary
> > or terciary consideration in the age of "combo sales".
> Reps
> > born in the '70s and '80s who were selling for WMGK and
> WMMR
> > became the reps for WPEN. Those shiney WPEN media kits
> were
> > everywhere...under the seats of their cars along with
> empty
> > bottles of Diet Pepsi, lining the bird cages in their
> > houses...an exclusive audience and market position
> > UNPITCHED.
> >
> > As revenues shrunk, and the aging WPEN stars retired or
> > died, replacements from the bench were younger, less
> > familiar, and when compared to the legends that preceded
> > them, they were light weight. When you pay great money you
>
> > get great talent, when you don't you get...you get the
> > picture.
> >
> > Last September, WPEN launched Oldies 950, complete with a
> > staff of jocks who formerly worked at WOGL...is this
> > starting to sound predictable. The launch of the station,
> > with no program director, no morning show, no cume
> > building...and with a sales staff not designated or
> > deployed, the new station was stillborn. Plus, through its
>
> > experiments with digital HD audio delivery, WPEN was
> > technically unlistenable. It's nighttime signal
> > deteriorated, the Phillies came off the station on account
>
> > of it, and WPEN pretended it was serious about forging
> this
> > new market position, in spite of the fact that the format
> > was off the air every saturday and sunday. Universally,
> > Oldies stations have great weekend numbers...in
> > Philadelphia, the format was off the air.
> >
> > Today WPEN announced that it is again changing its format
> to
> > Sports Talk, in attempt to go head to head with a station
> > that has been in the format 15 years, WIP. Around and
> around
> > and around we go. The star of the new WIP is Jody Mac, who
>
> > was formerly featured on WIP. WIP is in the low threes
> > somewhere 12+, and unless I'm totally crazy, WPEN will
> stay
> > below a two. Again, WPEN has settled for launching a
> market
> > position and format, content on being the number two
> station
> > in their format.
> >
> > I feel badly for the people who believed enough in WPEN to
>
> > go to work there, in some cases leaving what they were
> > doing, only to be disposed of. Christy is great and she'll
>
> > work, Jim can and will work if he chooses to, The Geator
> is
> > the Geator and he'll always be somewhere, and Charlie
> > Bennett, if he wishes to continue announcing, may have to
> > settle for reading that familiar liner, " do you want
> fries
> > with that?"
> >
> > A sad affair, a sad day, and another sad chapter in the
> > history of a legendary station that has always had so much
>
> > promise.
> >
>
>
> And it seem they're gonna finally get rid of what really
> hamstrung that station....those damn weekend infomercials
> (or at least reduce their presence).
>
> I wonder if they will fill the weekend spots with FOX Sports
> Radio (and finally clear JT the Brick in Philly).
>
Excellent breakdown Bob and very impressive facts to give along with an opinion.
Here's why the WPEN switch makes sense at this time. Sports talk radio may not be a repected format, but you can sell the heck out of it(even without big ratings)..
WIP still has incredible 25-54 male ratings. Howard Stern is fading into Sirius radio obscurity soon and stations are scrambling to get that piece of the 25-54 males audience lost in limbo.
Philly is a very pathetic talk radio market, and thus - WIP gets the piece of the pie legitmate talk stations would get in other big markets.
Jody Mac has a decent following and will be an option to the very tired and bored Howard Eskin in the afternoons. Actually, a trained chimp could do what WIP does: endless calls about the same topic 24/7 and no creativity in a provincial city like Philadelphia. In TV, Action News isn't really better, people just are more comfortable,lazy and just accept it.
WPEN has no other way to go. Oldies stations are dying with the audiences and painful play-lists. Most CBS FM's are going with the JACK format of voice tracked/wise-ass guy playing music. DJ's are all but obsolete in this day of mega companies buying up stations and consolidating.
Jim Rome won't do much damage because Philly fans won't buy that west coast punk stuff and he hasn't cut it in any east coast major market except Cleveland.
Bottom line: This is the right move at the right time.
> > I understand the sentiment of the poster above completely.
> I
> > have an affinity for WPEN, because I worked there from
> 1972
> > to '74. WPEN, aside from it's years as The Station Of The
> > Stars, has a checkered history of mostly being
> > Philadelphia's Radio catch-all. After WIBG went Top 40 in
> > the '50s, WPEN stopped playing popular music and fell deep
>
> > down into the pack as an also-ran MOR station. WPEN was
> the
> > station where you ended up after WIP or WCAU fired you.
> From
> > Jim Tate to Bob Meneffee, WPEN was the last stop out of
> town
> > or out of your career.
> >
> > In 1969 when Martin Field purchasd The William Penn
> > Broadcasting Company, WPEN took a run at WIP, hiring 10
> > WI-People away...WPEN with its more conservative music
> > posture and chattier jocks, failed to transfer the magic
> > three blocks down Walnut Street past Rittenhouse Square.
> > After less than 2 years, WPEN released the staff, and went
>
> > to a more music intensive A/C format with local voices as
> > "announcers" in the new format...which continued until
> > Greater Media signed off WPEN upon purchase to launch
> 95PEN.
> >
> >
> > 95PEN signed on playin " Nothin But Golden Oldies" in its
> > attempt to come after WCAU-FM, which was barely holding on
>
> > to a five share. With a new transmitter, ground system and
>
> > revitalized presence on the dial, giving away a thousand
> > dollars a day-aye, WPEN's momentum dropped when the 102.9
> > simulcast ended six months later.
> >
> > In 1979, WPEN's new Nostalgia format inherited a ton of
> > disenfranchised listeners from WIP, and for most of the
> next
> > 25 years, WPEN forged an exclusive market position and
> > format, and stands as one of the best runs any
> Philadelphia
> > radio station had in their format. Yeah...everybody there
> > was from everywhere else too...but the stable of great
> > talent from Kenny Garland, Joe Niagara, Tom Moran, Dick
> > Clayton, Jerry Stevens, Bill Wright Sr. reinforced the
> > station's heritage and importance to the city.
> >
> > What happened. Firstly, Consolidation made WPEN a
> secondary
> > or terciary consideration in the age of "combo sales".
> Reps
> > born in the '70s and '80s who were selling for WMGK and
> WMMR
> > became the reps for WPEN. Those shiney WPEN media kits
> were
> > everywhere...under the seats of their cars along with
> empty
> > bottles of Diet Pepsi, lining the bird cages in their
> > houses...an exclusive audience and market position
> > UNPITCHED.
> >
> > As revenues shrunk, and the aging WPEN stars retired or
> > died, replacements from the bench were younger, less
> > familiar, and when compared to the legends that preceded
> > them, they were light weight. When you pay great money you
>
> > get great talent, when you don't you get...you get the
> > picture.
> >
> > Last September, WPEN launched Oldies 950, complete with a
> > staff of jocks who formerly worked at WOGL...is this
> > starting to sound predictable. The launch of the station,
> > with no program director, no morning show, no cume
> > building...and with a sales staff not designated or
> > deployed, the new station was stillborn. Plus, through its
>
> > experiments with digital HD audio delivery, WPEN was
> > technically unlistenable. It's nighttime signal
> > deteriorated, the Phillies came off the station on account
>
> > of it, and WPEN pretended it was serious about forging
> this
> > new market position, in spite of the fact that the format
> > was off the air every saturday and sunday. Universally,
> > Oldies stations have great weekend numbers...in
> > Philadelphia, the format was off the air.
> >
> > Today WPEN announced that it is again changing its format
> to
> > Sports Talk, in attempt to go head to head with a station
> > that has been in the format 15 years, WIP. Around and
> around
> > and around we go. The star of the new WIP is Jody Mac, who
>
> > was formerly featured on WIP. WIP is in the low threes
> > somewhere 12+, and unless I'm totally crazy, WPEN will
> stay
> > below a two. Again, WPEN has settled for launching a
> market
> > position and format, content on being the number two
> station
> > in their format.
> >
> > I feel badly for the people who believed enough in WPEN to
>
> > go to work there, in some cases leaving what they were
> > doing, only to be disposed of. Christy is great and she'll
>
> > work, Jim can and will work if he chooses to, The Geator
> is
> > the Geator and he'll always be somewhere, and Charlie
> > Bennett, if he wishes to continue announcing, may have to
> > settle for reading that familiar liner, " do you want
> fries
> > with that?"
> >
> > A sad affair, a sad day, and another sad chapter in the
> > history of a legendary station that has always had so much
>
> > promise.
> >
>
>
> And it seem they're gonna finally get rid of what really
> hamstrung that station....those damn weekend infomercials
> (or at least reduce their presence).
>
> I wonder if they will fill the weekend spots with FOX Sports
> Radio (and finally clear JT the Brick in Philly).
>
Excellent breakdown Bob and very impressive facts to give along with an opinion.
Here's why the WPEN switch makes sense at this time. Sports talk radio may not be a repected format, but you can sell the heck out of it(even without big ratings)..
WIP still has incredible 25-54 male ratings. Howard Stern is fading into Sirius radio obscurity soon and stations are scrambling to get that piece of the 25-54 males audience lost in limbo.
Philly is a very pathetic talk radio market, and thus - WIP gets the piece of the pie legitmate talk stations would get in other big markets.
Jody Mac has a decent following and will be an option to the very tired and bored Howard Eskin in the afternoons. Actually, a trained chimp could do what WIP does: endless calls about the same topic 24/7 and no creativity in a provincial city like Philadelphia. In TV, Action News isn't really better, people just are more comfortable,lazy and just accept it.
WPEN has no other way to go. Oldies stations are dying with the audiences and painful play-lists. Most CBS FM's are going with the JACK format of voice tracked/wise-ass guy playing music. DJ's are all but obsolete in this day of mega companies buying up stations and consolidating.
Jim Rome won't do much damage because Philly fans won't buy that west coast punk stuff and he hasn't cut it in any east coast major market except Cleveland.
Bottom line: This is the right move at the right time.
Re: OLDIES 950, WE HARDLY KNEW YE
I'm so glad someone else pointed out how "tired and bored" Eskin sounds. I literally yell WAKE UP at the radio when I listen.
> > > I understand the sentiment of the poster above
> completely.
> > I
> > > have an affinity for WPEN, because I worked there from
> > 1972
> > > to '74. WPEN, aside from it's years as The Station Of
> The
> > > Stars, has a checkered history of mostly being
> > > Philadelphia's Radio catch-all. After WIBG went Top 40
> in
> > > the '50s, WPEN stopped playing popular music and fell
> deep
> >
> > > down into the pack as an also-ran MOR station. WPEN was
> > the
> > > station where you ended up after WIP or WCAU fired you.
> > From
> > > Jim Tate to Bob Meneffee, WPEN was the last stop out of
> > town
> > > or out of your career.
> > >
> > > In 1969 when Martin Field purchasd The William Penn
> > > Broadcasting Company, WPEN took a run at WIP, hiring 10
> > > WI-People away...WPEN with its more conservative music
> > > posture and chattier jocks, failed to transfer the magic
>
> > > three blocks down Walnut Street past Rittenhouse Square.
>
> > > After less than 2 years, WPEN released the staff, and
> went
> >
> > > to a more music intensive A/C format with local voices
> as
> > > "announcers" in the new format...which continued until
> > > Greater Media signed off WPEN upon purchase to launch
> > 95PEN.
> > >
> > >
> > > 95PEN signed on playin " Nothin But Golden Oldies" in
> its
> > > attempt to come after WCAU-FM, which was barely holding
> on
> >
> > > to a five share. With a new transmitter, ground system
> and
> >
> > > revitalized presence on the dial, giving away a thousand
>
> > > dollars a day-aye, WPEN's momentum dropped when the
> 102.9
> > > simulcast ended six months later.
> > >
> > > In 1979, WPEN's new Nostalgia format inherited a ton of
> > > disenfranchised listeners from WIP, and for most of the
> > next
> > > 25 years, WPEN forged an exclusive market position and
> > > format, and stands as one of the best runs any
> > Philadelphia
> > > radio station had in their format. Yeah...everybody
> there
> > > was from everywhere else too...but the stable of great
> > > talent from Kenny Garland, Joe Niagara, Tom Moran, Dick
> > > Clayton, Jerry Stevens, Bill Wright Sr. reinforced the
> > > station's heritage and importance to the city.
> > >
> > > What happened. Firstly, Consolidation made WPEN a
> > secondary
> > > or terciary consideration in the age of "combo sales".
> > Reps
> > > born in the '70s and '80s who were selling for WMGK and
> > WMMR
> > > became the reps for WPEN. Those shiney WPEN media kits
> > were
> > > everywhere...under the seats of their cars along with
> > empty
> > > bottles of Diet Pepsi, lining the bird cages in their
> > > houses...an exclusive audience and market position
> > > UNPITCHED.
> > >
> > > As revenues shrunk, and the aging WPEN stars retired or
> > > died, replacements from the bench were younger, less
> > > familiar, and when compared to the legends that preceded
>
> > > them, they were light weight. When you pay great money
> you
> >
> > > get great talent, when you don't you get...you get the
> > > picture.
> > >
> > > Last September, WPEN launched Oldies 950, complete with
> a
> > > staff of jocks who formerly worked at WOGL...is this
> > > starting to sound predictable. The launch of the
> station,
> > > with no program director, no morning show, no cume
> > > building...and with a sales staff not designated or
> > > deployed, the new station was stillborn. Plus, through
> its
> >
> > > experiments with digital HD audio delivery, WPEN was
> > > technically unlistenable. It's nighttime signal
> > > deteriorated, the Phillies came off the station on
> account
> >
> > > of it, and WPEN pretended it was serious about forging
> > this
> > > new market position, in spite of the fact that the
> format
> > > was off the air every saturday and sunday. Universally,
> > > Oldies stations have great weekend numbers...in
> > > Philadelphia, the format was off the air.
> > >
> > > Today WPEN announced that it is again changing its
> format
> > to
> > > Sports Talk, in attempt to go head to head with a
> station
> > > that has been in the format 15 years, WIP. Around and
> > around
> > > and around we go. The star of the new WIP is Jody Mac,
> who
> >
> > > was formerly featured on WIP. WIP is in the low threes
> > > somewhere 12+, and unless I'm totally crazy, WPEN will
> > stay
> > > below a two. Again, WPEN has settled for launching a
> > market
> > > position and format, content on being the number two
> > station
> > > in their format.
> > >
> > > I feel badly for the people who believed enough in WPEN
> to
> >
> > > go to work there, in some cases leaving what they were
> > > doing, only to be disposed of. Christy is great and
> she'll
> >
> > > work, Jim can and will work if he chooses to, The Geator
>
> > is
> > > the Geator and he'll always be somewhere, and Charlie
> > > Bennett, if he wishes to continue announcing, may have
> to
> > > settle for reading that familiar liner, " do you want
> > fries
> > > with that?"
> > >
> > > A sad affair, a sad day, and another sad chapter in the
> > > history of a legendary station that has always had so
> much
> >
> > > promise.
> > >
> >
> >
> > And it seem they're gonna finally get rid of what really
> > hamstrung that station....those damn weekend infomercials
> > (or at least reduce their presence).
> >
> > I wonder if they will fill the weekend spots with FOX
> Sports
> > Radio (and finally clear JT the Brick in Philly).
> >
>
>
> Excellent breakdown Bob and very impressive facts to give
> along with an opinion.
>
> Here's why the WPEN switch makes sense at this time. Sports
> talk radio may not be a repected format, but you can sell
> the heck out of it(even without big ratings)..
>
> WIP still has incredible 25-54 male ratings. Howard Stern is
> fading into Sirius radio obscurity soon and stations are
> scrambling to get that piece of the 25-54 males audience
> lost in limbo.
>
> Philly is a very pathetic talk radio market, and thus - WIP
> gets the piece of the pie legitmate talk stations would get
> in other big markets.
>
> Jody Mac has a decent following and will be an option to the
> very tired and bored Howard Eskin in the afternoons.
> Actually, a trained chimp could do what WIP does: endless
> calls about the same topic 24/7 and no creativity in a
> provincial city like Philadelphia. In TV, Action News isn't
> really better, people just are more comfortable,lazy and
> just accept it.
>
> WPEN has no other way to go. Oldies stations are dying with
> the audiences and painful play-lists. Most CBS FM's are
> going with the JACK format of voice tracked/wise-ass guy
> playing music. DJ's are all but obsolete in this day of mega
> companies buying up stations and consolidating.
>
> Jim Rome won't do much damage because Philly fans won't buy
> that west coast punk stuff and he hasn't cut it in any east
> coast major market except Cleveland.
>
> Bottom line: This is the right move at the right time.
>
I'm so glad someone else pointed out how "tired and bored" Eskin sounds. I literally yell WAKE UP at the radio when I listen.
> > > I understand the sentiment of the poster above
> completely.
> > I
> > > have an affinity for WPEN, because I worked there from
> > 1972
> > > to '74. WPEN, aside from it's years as The Station Of
> The
> > > Stars, has a checkered history of mostly being
> > > Philadelphia's Radio catch-all. After WIBG went Top 40
> in
> > > the '50s, WPEN stopped playing popular music and fell
> deep
> >
> > > down into the pack as an also-ran MOR station. WPEN was
> > the
> > > station where you ended up after WIP or WCAU fired you.
> > From
> > > Jim Tate to Bob Meneffee, WPEN was the last stop out of
> > town
> > > or out of your career.
> > >
> > > In 1969 when Martin Field purchasd The William Penn
> > > Broadcasting Company, WPEN took a run at WIP, hiring 10
> > > WI-People away...WPEN with its more conservative music
> > > posture and chattier jocks, failed to transfer the magic
>
> > > three blocks down Walnut Street past Rittenhouse Square.
>
> > > After less than 2 years, WPEN released the staff, and
> went
> >
> > > to a more music intensive A/C format with local voices
> as
> > > "announcers" in the new format...which continued until
> > > Greater Media signed off WPEN upon purchase to launch
> > 95PEN.
> > >
> > >
> > > 95PEN signed on playin " Nothin But Golden Oldies" in
> its
> > > attempt to come after WCAU-FM, which was barely holding
> on
> >
> > > to a five share. With a new transmitter, ground system
> and
> >
> > > revitalized presence on the dial, giving away a thousand
>
> > > dollars a day-aye, WPEN's momentum dropped when the
> 102.9
> > > simulcast ended six months later.
> > >
> > > In 1979, WPEN's new Nostalgia format inherited a ton of
> > > disenfranchised listeners from WIP, and for most of the
> > next
> > > 25 years, WPEN forged an exclusive market position and
> > > format, and stands as one of the best runs any
> > Philadelphia
> > > radio station had in their format. Yeah...everybody
> there
> > > was from everywhere else too...but the stable of great
> > > talent from Kenny Garland, Joe Niagara, Tom Moran, Dick
> > > Clayton, Jerry Stevens, Bill Wright Sr. reinforced the
> > > station's heritage and importance to the city.
> > >
> > > What happened. Firstly, Consolidation made WPEN a
> > secondary
> > > or terciary consideration in the age of "combo sales".
> > Reps
> > > born in the '70s and '80s who were selling for WMGK and
> > WMMR
> > > became the reps for WPEN. Those shiney WPEN media kits
> > were
> > > everywhere...under the seats of their cars along with
> > empty
> > > bottles of Diet Pepsi, lining the bird cages in their
> > > houses...an exclusive audience and market position
> > > UNPITCHED.
> > >
> > > As revenues shrunk, and the aging WPEN stars retired or
> > > died, replacements from the bench were younger, less
> > > familiar, and when compared to the legends that preceded
>
> > > them, they were light weight. When you pay great money
> you
> >
> > > get great talent, when you don't you get...you get the
> > > picture.
> > >
> > > Last September, WPEN launched Oldies 950, complete with
> a
> > > staff of jocks who formerly worked at WOGL...is this
> > > starting to sound predictable. The launch of the
> station,
> > > with no program director, no morning show, no cume
> > > building...and with a sales staff not designated or
> > > deployed, the new station was stillborn. Plus, through
> its
> >
> > > experiments with digital HD audio delivery, WPEN was
> > > technically unlistenable. It's nighttime signal
> > > deteriorated, the Phillies came off the station on
> account
> >
> > > of it, and WPEN pretended it was serious about forging
> > this
> > > new market position, in spite of the fact that the
> format
> > > was off the air every saturday and sunday. Universally,
> > > Oldies stations have great weekend numbers...in
> > > Philadelphia, the format was off the air.
> > >
> > > Today WPEN announced that it is again changing its
> format
> > to
> > > Sports Talk, in attempt to go head to head with a
> station
> > > that has been in the format 15 years, WIP. Around and
> > around
> > > and around we go. The star of the new WIP is Jody Mac,
> who
> >
> > > was formerly featured on WIP. WIP is in the low threes
> > > somewhere 12+, and unless I'm totally crazy, WPEN will
> > stay
> > > below a two. Again, WPEN has settled for launching a
> > market
> > > position and format, content on being the number two
> > station
> > > in their format.
> > >
> > > I feel badly for the people who believed enough in WPEN
> to
> >
> > > go to work there, in some cases leaving what they were
> > > doing, only to be disposed of. Christy is great and
> she'll
> >
> > > work, Jim can and will work if he chooses to, The Geator
>
> > is
> > > the Geator and he'll always be somewhere, and Charlie
> > > Bennett, if he wishes to continue announcing, may have
> to
> > > settle for reading that familiar liner, " do you want
> > fries
> > > with that?"
> > >
> > > A sad affair, a sad day, and another sad chapter in the
> > > history of a legendary station that has always had so
> much
> >
> > > promise.
> > >
> >
> >
> > And it seem they're gonna finally get rid of what really
> > hamstrung that station....those damn weekend infomercials
> > (or at least reduce their presence).
> >
> > I wonder if they will fill the weekend spots with FOX
> Sports
> > Radio (and finally clear JT the Brick in Philly).
> >
>
>
> Excellent breakdown Bob and very impressive facts to give
> along with an opinion.
>
> Here's why the WPEN switch makes sense at this time. Sports
> talk radio may not be a repected format, but you can sell
> the heck out of it(even without big ratings)..
>
> WIP still has incredible 25-54 male ratings. Howard Stern is
> fading into Sirius radio obscurity soon and stations are
> scrambling to get that piece of the 25-54 males audience
> lost in limbo.
>
> Philly is a very pathetic talk radio market, and thus - WIP
> gets the piece of the pie legitmate talk stations would get
> in other big markets.
>
> Jody Mac has a decent following and will be an option to the
> very tired and bored Howard Eskin in the afternoons.
> Actually, a trained chimp could do what WIP does: endless
> calls about the same topic 24/7 and no creativity in a
> provincial city like Philadelphia. In TV, Action News isn't
> really better, people just are more comfortable,lazy and
> just accept it.
>
> WPEN has no other way to go. Oldies stations are dying with
> the audiences and painful play-lists. Most CBS FM's are
> going with the JACK format of voice tracked/wise-ass guy
> playing music. DJ's are all but obsolete in this day of mega
> companies buying up stations and consolidating.
>
> Jim Rome won't do much damage because Philly fans won't buy
> that west coast punk stuff and he hasn't cut it in any east
> coast major market except Cleveland.
>
> Bottom line: This is the right move at the right time.
>
J
Joseph_Gallant
Guest
Re: WPEN
Greater Media may well be making a mistake in flipping WPEN-950 from oldies to sports talk.
That's because it's quite possible in the near future (inspite of Greater Media launching "Ban" in Philly, a clone of the "Jack" formats), Infinity will flip WOGL-98.1 from oldies to "Jack".
There's much speculation on the San Francisco board--especially in light of the program director and a couple of announcers leaving--that longtime Bay Area oldies station KFRC (same ownership as WOGL) may flip to "Jack", even though there is a "Jack"-type format there called "Max" (owned by Bonneville). Much of the speculation on the San Francisco board suggests that KFRC might flip to "Jack" on or sometime around Labor Day weekend.
Greater Media may well be making a mistake in flipping WPEN-950 from oldies to sports talk.
That's because it's quite possible in the near future (inspite of Greater Media launching "Ban" in Philly, a clone of the "Jack" formats), Infinity will flip WOGL-98.1 from oldies to "Jack".
There's much speculation on the San Francisco board--especially in light of the program director and a couple of announcers leaving--that longtime Bay Area oldies station KFRC (same ownership as WOGL) may flip to "Jack", even though there is a "Jack"-type format there called "Max" (owned by Bonneville). Much of the speculation on the San Francisco board suggests that KFRC might flip to "Jack" on or sometime around Labor Day weekend.
H
HomerJay
Guest
Re: WPEN
> Greater Media may well be making a mistake in flipping
> WPEN-950 from oldies to sports talk.
>
> That's because it's quite possible in the near future
> (inspite of Greater Media launching "Ban" in Philly, a clone
> of the "Jack" formats), Infinity will flip WOGL-98.1 from
> oldies to "Jack".
>
> There's much speculation on the San Francisco
> board--especially in light of the program director and a
> couple of announcers leaving--that longtime Bay Area oldies
> station KFRC (same ownership as WOGL) may flip to "Jack",
> even though there is a "Jack"-type format there called "Max"
> (owned by Bonneville). Much of the speculation on the San
> Francisco board suggests that KFRC might flip to "Jack" on
> or sometime around Labor Day weekend.
>
I love how every holiday is supposedly the day they'll make these major changes. By now we should know there's no particular meaning to holidays--someone wants to switch, they'll do it at 10:18 am on a meaningless Wednesday...or whenever they want.
That said, while dumping an ill-advised format that had zero chance of finding an audience from day one is a logical next step.....sports talk? I suppose if you took on WOGL with a 15 year headstart, sure, why not try to battle WIP once again, this time in the jock arena? Can't do any worse than the last time they tried to beat WIP, on the music side.
Two sports stations can succeed? Why sure. Clearly we all remember how the GiMP set the world on fire with its mix of syndicated shows and an occassional local show that promised more "real" sports and less general guy talk. That was a stunning success.
And they at least had the Phillies to build around.
So a new sports talk station comes on with only the St. Joseph's Hawks to build around (no offense to St Joe's, but come on...that's not exactly something to put you over the top)...during the beginning if Eagles-mania in this city...and the beginnings of the hockey and basketball seasons....
Oh the humanity....
> Greater Media may well be making a mistake in flipping
> WPEN-950 from oldies to sports talk.
>
> That's because it's quite possible in the near future
> (inspite of Greater Media launching "Ban" in Philly, a clone
> of the "Jack" formats), Infinity will flip WOGL-98.1 from
> oldies to "Jack".
>
> There's much speculation on the San Francisco
> board--especially in light of the program director and a
> couple of announcers leaving--that longtime Bay Area oldies
> station KFRC (same ownership as WOGL) may flip to "Jack",
> even though there is a "Jack"-type format there called "Max"
> (owned by Bonneville). Much of the speculation on the San
> Francisco board suggests that KFRC might flip to "Jack" on
> or sometime around Labor Day weekend.
>
I love how every holiday is supposedly the day they'll make these major changes. By now we should know there's no particular meaning to holidays--someone wants to switch, they'll do it at 10:18 am on a meaningless Wednesday...or whenever they want.
That said, while dumping an ill-advised format that had zero chance of finding an audience from day one is a logical next step.....sports talk? I suppose if you took on WOGL with a 15 year headstart, sure, why not try to battle WIP once again, this time in the jock arena? Can't do any worse than the last time they tried to beat WIP, on the music side.
Two sports stations can succeed? Why sure. Clearly we all remember how the GiMP set the world on fire with its mix of syndicated shows and an occassional local show that promised more "real" sports and less general guy talk. That was a stunning success.
And they at least had the Phillies to build around.
So a new sports talk station comes on with only the St. Joseph's Hawks to build around (no offense to St Joe's, but come on...that's not exactly something to put you over the top)...during the beginning if Eagles-mania in this city...and the beginnings of the hockey and basketball seasons....
Oh the humanity....
> http>
> ://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/breaking_news/12476437.htm
>
> >
> This saddens me. For all its faults such as signal
> issues(yes, frustrating)it still was a nice little oldies
> station. Looks like I better start airchecking "Oldies 950
> Limited". guess it's back to listening to the horrid
> "Breakfast Club" on WOGL. These days WMTR doesnt come clear,
> so I guess I'm SOL.
> I hope the former WOGL jocks find thier way back home...than
> they can say goodbye to Angela Mason and Jack "Dont call me
> David" Seville. Now as soon as the sports format hits 950,
> watch how it gets s**t on and we will all be crying for
> Oldies to return to Philly once again.
> Like The Brothers Ritcheous sang..."It makes me just feel
> like cryin, cuz babyy somethin beutifuls dyin"...
>
The station wasn't that amazing. They ran infomercials on weekdays! You are lucky to even still have an oldies station.
<P ID="signature">______________
Check my website www.freewebs.com/radiostuffandnews
</P>
> ://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/breaking_news/12476437.htm
>
> >
> This saddens me. For all its faults such as signal
> issues(yes, frustrating)it still was a nice little oldies
> station. Looks like I better start airchecking "Oldies 950
> Limited". guess it's back to listening to the horrid
> "Breakfast Club" on WOGL. These days WMTR doesnt come clear,
> so I guess I'm SOL.
> I hope the former WOGL jocks find thier way back home...than
> they can say goodbye to Angela Mason and Jack "Dont call me
> David" Seville. Now as soon as the sports format hits 950,
> watch how it gets s**t on and we will all be crying for
> Oldies to return to Philly once again.
> Like The Brothers Ritcheous sang..."It makes me just feel
> like cryin, cuz babyy somethin beutifuls dyin"...
>
The station wasn't that amazing. They ran infomercials on weekdays! You are lucky to even still have an oldies station.
<P ID="signature">______________
Check my website www.freewebs.com/radiostuffandnews
</P>
A
am-fm
Guest
Re: WPEN= flawed concept
> The whole "real oldies" thing has been a dud everywhere.
> Actually, to most people who love the genre of music "real
> oldies" isn't mostly 50s songs but late 50s to early 70s,
> what the "real" oldies stations played when they debuted in
> the late 80s.
>
> Not only that, no matter how good they sound and how much
> they market, it's AM and very few will turn to AM for music
> programming. "real oldies" was a dog premise from the
> beginning.
See sister station WMTR/WWTR's raitings - it failed because they LET it fail. Plus theyre going against WOGL giving away a vacation a day....<P ID="signature">______________
AOL IM: wnjoldies or jamminoldies105
CBS-FM lives at http://67.83.117.32:8010
Oldies Board co-moderator</P>
> The whole "real oldies" thing has been a dud everywhere.
> Actually, to most people who love the genre of music "real
> oldies" isn't mostly 50s songs but late 50s to early 70s,
> what the "real" oldies stations played when they debuted in
> the late 80s.
>
> Not only that, no matter how good they sound and how much
> they market, it's AM and very few will turn to AM for music
> programming. "real oldies" was a dog premise from the
> beginning.
See sister station WMTR/WWTR's raitings - it failed because they LET it fail. Plus theyre going against WOGL giving away a vacation a day....<P ID="signature">______________
AOL IM: wnjoldies or jamminoldies105
CBS-FM lives at http://67.83.117.32:8010
Oldies Board co-moderator</P>
B
bla_bla_bla
Guest
What do you have against Jack Seville or Angela Mason?
> http>
> ://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/breaking_news/12476437.htm
>
> >
> This saddens me. For all its faults such as signal
> issues(yes, frustrating)it still was a nice little oldies
> station. Looks like I better start airchecking "Oldies 950
> Limited". guess it's back to listening to the horrid
> "Breakfast Club" on WOGL. These days WMTR doesnt come clear,
> so I guess I'm SOL.
> I hope the former WOGL jocks find thier way back home...than
> they can say goodbye to Angela Mason and Jack "Dont call me
> David" Seville. Now as soon as the sports format hits 950,
> watch how it gets s**t on and we will all be crying for
> Oldies to return to Philly once again.
> Like The Brothers Ritcheous sang..."It makes me just feel
> like cryin, cuz babyy somethin beutifuls dyin"...
>
> http>
> ://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/breaking_news/12476437.htm
>
> >
> This saddens me. For all its faults such as signal
> issues(yes, frustrating)it still was a nice little oldies
> station. Looks like I better start airchecking "Oldies 950
> Limited". guess it's back to listening to the horrid
> "Breakfast Club" on WOGL. These days WMTR doesnt come clear,
> so I guess I'm SOL.
> I hope the former WOGL jocks find thier way back home...than
> they can say goodbye to Angela Mason and Jack "Dont call me
> David" Seville. Now as soon as the sports format hits 950,
> watch how it gets s**t on and we will all be crying for
> Oldies to return to Philly once again.
> Like The Brothers Ritcheous sang..."It makes me just feel
> like cryin, cuz babyy somethin beutifuls dyin"...
>
This move, while not entirely surprising, leaves me scratching my head and going..."huh?".
Question the way they entered and executed the oldies format. But I don't see a lot of upside in switching to sports 13 months after ditching their heritage nostalgia format. Quite frankly, they would do better going "Air America" and other syndicated lib talk fare. And yes, I know that's a big risk. But so is this.
The main problem: they have no pro sports team to market around. There had been rumors WPEN would pick up the Sixers. But once WIP was re-signed by the club, that ended that.
The Phillies also buy their time, and clearly saw their money better spent on a 50KW flamethrower at WPHT.
The Flyers are going nowhere on the radio. That leaves the Eagles...a team that can command a ton of money for their radio rights. Hope the Greater Media honchos have some deep pockets if they're even thinking about going there. Don't look for what happened in Miami with the Dolphins to happen here. Nobody wanted the Dolphins on radio in South Florida. The Eagles, on the other hand, are a hot radio commodity.
Oh...wait a minute. There's the Soul. RIGHT!
This is...as I've said before...all about the money. Sports talk is an easy sell on the street. But I'll make this prediction. Don't expect to see a lot of local talent. Aside from Jody MacDonald...maybe a morning drive guy or team. The rest of the day...and weekends...will be on a bird. (My guess...Sporting News Radio.) They could, of course, continue brokering a lot of their time...allowing talk host wannabes a chance to buy their way on the air.
As for those about to be shown the door...I know many of them. They're all talented and will find work somewhere...if they want it. Jerry Blavat, of course, does things his way (that's what makes him successful) and he'll have no problem going forward.
As for those suggesting this is WPEN's death knell...you may, in fact, have a point. This will be the station's last chance to do anything meaningful. Should this fail, Greater Media would do well to just get what they can for the license and sell the station outright. That might prove to be the best business solution.
What would I have done? Tweaked the oldies format a bit and left it alone. Given the realistic options out there for an AM station about to improve it's signal (and hopefully market that fact), it's better to keep what base you have and build on it...rather than nuke the place and hope for the best.
Just one man's opinion.
Question the way they entered and executed the oldies format. But I don't see a lot of upside in switching to sports 13 months after ditching their heritage nostalgia format. Quite frankly, they would do better going "Air America" and other syndicated lib talk fare. And yes, I know that's a big risk. But so is this.
The main problem: they have no pro sports team to market around. There had been rumors WPEN would pick up the Sixers. But once WIP was re-signed by the club, that ended that.
The Phillies also buy their time, and clearly saw their money better spent on a 50KW flamethrower at WPHT.
The Flyers are going nowhere on the radio. That leaves the Eagles...a team that can command a ton of money for their radio rights. Hope the Greater Media honchos have some deep pockets if they're even thinking about going there. Don't look for what happened in Miami with the Dolphins to happen here. Nobody wanted the Dolphins on radio in South Florida. The Eagles, on the other hand, are a hot radio commodity.
Oh...wait a minute. There's the Soul. RIGHT!
This is...as I've said before...all about the money. Sports talk is an easy sell on the street. But I'll make this prediction. Don't expect to see a lot of local talent. Aside from Jody MacDonald...maybe a morning drive guy or team. The rest of the day...and weekends...will be on a bird. (My guess...Sporting News Radio.) They could, of course, continue brokering a lot of their time...allowing talk host wannabes a chance to buy their way on the air.
As for those about to be shown the door...I know many of them. They're all talented and will find work somewhere...if they want it. Jerry Blavat, of course, does things his way (that's what makes him successful) and he'll have no problem going forward.
As for those suggesting this is WPEN's death knell...you may, in fact, have a point. This will be the station's last chance to do anything meaningful. Should this fail, Greater Media would do well to just get what they can for the license and sell the station outright. That might prove to be the best business solution.
What would I have done? Tweaked the oldies format a bit and left it alone. Given the realistic options out there for an AM station about to improve it's signal (and hopefully market that fact), it's better to keep what base you have and build on it...rather than nuke the place and hope for the best.
Just one man's opinion.
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