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WPTT PM Drive?
- Thread starter trefdawg
- Start date
I would guess they're rethinking every aspect of WPTT.
They can't be making money with those numbers and a live-and-local talk staff....
But if somehow WPTT was on the much better WJAS signal, could it possibly make more money than JAS does now? It certainly wouldn't get the 12+ numbers that JAS gets, but those demos are older than dirt. What could PTT bill with a 3-share?
But if somehow WPTT was on the much better WJAS signal, could it possibly make more money than JAS does now? It certainly wouldn't get the 12+ numbers that JAS gets, but those demos are older than dirt. What could PTT bill with a 3-share?
Those two stations are both 5KW daytime from the same side of town, how would swapping them give a rating of a 3 share to a talk station? If you would switch the two stations all you would do is kill WJAS which does bill something with another that bills nothing. WPTT fails miserably because of the fact that Pittsburgh has too many talk stations in the market and their is no ad dollars to support it with the other stations winning. Forget about the non-existant night signal because stations in other markets are daytime only stations, run talk programming and are very profitable. The whole talk thing is what is killing the station, might as well go with Dr Weiner infomercials 24/7 and make money instead of loose it in my eyes.
Neither of these stations is doing much. Old Man Renda would turn off WPTT at this point if he thought he could get away with it. He's losing $$ on it and can't come up with any ideas to make the bleeding stop.
I wouldn't bother with a talk format right now if I didn't already have a successful one. If the FCC is really serious about these local advisory boards and tighter restrictions on licenses the entire talk world is about to be turned upside down.
I wouldn't bother with a talk format right now if I didn't already have a successful one. If the FCC is really serious about these local advisory boards and tighter restrictions on licenses the entire talk world is about to be turned upside down.
PGHsalesguy said:Those two stations are both 5KW daytime from the same side of town, how would swapping them give a rating of a 3 share to a talk station? If you would switch the two stations all you would do is kill WJAS which does bill something with another that bills nothing. WPTT fails miserably because of the fact that Pittsburgh has too many talk stations in the market and their is no ad dollars to support it with the other stations winning. Forget about the non-existant night signal because stations in other markets are daytime only stations, run talk programming and are very profitable. The whole talk thing is what is killing the station, might as well go with Dr Weiner infomercials 24/7 and make money instead of loose it in my eyes.
1320 and 1360 might both be 5kW on paper, but JAS is a much better signal. Drive around a little. Whatever is on 1320 will do better than whatever is on 1360 for that reason alone.
I don't necessarily agree that there are too many talk stations in town, primarily because I don't think music works on AM unless it is an oldies or classic country format.
Because of its signal, WPTT was never going to be a ratings winner. But it is a total afterthought in the Renda chain. It seriously has potential, but the lack of vision and enthusiasm by station management kills the station.
I feel WPTT fails for a lot of the same reasons Pittsburgh radio fails- there is a lack of vision.
Lynn Cullen and Doug Hoerth can't make WTAE profitable anymore? Cullen can't make her show stick on KDKA? Then we'll just pick them up over here and run the same station that ultimately had to change their format- but with lesser production values and without Phil Musick- who was probably the best host WTAE had those days.
Oh, and we'll have a weaker signal.
Am I the only one who sees this as a recipe for failure?
When Jerry Boyer and NASCAR were on WPTT, there was a real left-right mix and the station did double the ratings they did now. Boyer was a real pro. His interview with Bob O'Connor the day before the 2005 Democrat Primary made O'Connor look like a fool.
But WPTT never promoted this. WPTT never had any idea what to do with NASCAR.
They lost them both and then WPTT was down to the past-their-primers.
The station still had one more hope when they picked up Neil Bortz. Now, I'm not a Bortz fan, but I realize that Bortz is one of the most successful talk show hosts in the country and when he was on 104.7 he reportedly outdrew Rush Limbaugh on KDKA.
Furthermore, Bortz paid to promote his own show. He bought billboards. When has WPTT ever done any promotion otherwise?
However, they dropped him after a few months because the hard-left Cullen listeners felt offended by him.
How close minded of the "progressives."
Is Cullen buying billboards? Is Cullen a national celebrity?
Wouldn't Cullen have then had a great lead-in that her listeners could pick apart? Or are Cullen's political arguements so weak she could not offer a rebuttal to Bortz's claims?
Ultimately, this move doomed the station. It no longer had promotion. It no longer had a MORNING SHOW!
You simply cannot tell me Hoerth in the morning, followed by Bortz, followed by Cullen, with promotion, wouldn't have been a respectable station. Bortz would have had the Boyer role that once made the station look like something other than a graveyard for past-their-prime hosts.
So now Hoerth is out of work. Bortz is taking a job away from a local host on KDKA. Cullen is losing her skills and audience, WPTT is dead and the entire talk radio format in the market is suffering as we try to figure why what didn't work years ago isn't working now.
Because of its signal, WPTT was never going to be a ratings winner. But it is a total afterthought in the Renda chain. It seriously has potential, but the lack of vision and enthusiasm by station management kills the station.
I feel WPTT fails for a lot of the same reasons Pittsburgh radio fails- there is a lack of vision.
Lynn Cullen and Doug Hoerth can't make WTAE profitable anymore? Cullen can't make her show stick on KDKA? Then we'll just pick them up over here and run the same station that ultimately had to change their format- but with lesser production values and without Phil Musick- who was probably the best host WTAE had those days.
Oh, and we'll have a weaker signal.
Am I the only one who sees this as a recipe for failure?
When Jerry Boyer and NASCAR were on WPTT, there was a real left-right mix and the station did double the ratings they did now. Boyer was a real pro. His interview with Bob O'Connor the day before the 2005 Democrat Primary made O'Connor look like a fool.
But WPTT never promoted this. WPTT never had any idea what to do with NASCAR.
They lost them both and then WPTT was down to the past-their-primers.
The station still had one more hope when they picked up Neil Bortz. Now, I'm not a Bortz fan, but I realize that Bortz is one of the most successful talk show hosts in the country and when he was on 104.7 he reportedly outdrew Rush Limbaugh on KDKA.
Furthermore, Bortz paid to promote his own show. He bought billboards. When has WPTT ever done any promotion otherwise?
However, they dropped him after a few months because the hard-left Cullen listeners felt offended by him.
How close minded of the "progressives."
Is Cullen buying billboards? Is Cullen a national celebrity?
Wouldn't Cullen have then had a great lead-in that her listeners could pick apart? Or are Cullen's political arguements so weak she could not offer a rebuttal to Bortz's claims?
Ultimately, this move doomed the station. It no longer had promotion. It no longer had a MORNING SHOW!
You simply cannot tell me Hoerth in the morning, followed by Bortz, followed by Cullen, with promotion, wouldn't have been a respectable station. Bortz would have had the Boyer role that once made the station look like something other than a graveyard for past-their-prime hosts.
So now Hoerth is out of work. Bortz is taking a job away from a local host on KDKA. Cullen is losing her skills and audience, WPTT is dead and the entire talk radio format in the market is suffering as we try to figure why what didn't work years ago isn't working now.
Pratte
Excellent post! After reading your missive (love that word) I realized that you are right on the fate of 1360. I did hear Lauar Ingram on last week in the afternoon. As an example with Hons and Hannity on the big talk sticks at the same time, why isn't Renda putting an oposing voice on the air such as Big Ed, Steph Miller etc. Even though I am not a left winger wouldn't it make sense to offer opposing viewpoints to build a different audience? Plus if you did lean to the left,or program anything else that is unique to the market why not promote it? "If you promote it they will come!" ;D
Just my 2 cents
Excellent post! After reading your missive (love that word) I realized that you are right on the fate of 1360. I did hear Lauar Ingram on last week in the afternoon. As an example with Hons and Hannity on the big talk sticks at the same time, why isn't Renda putting an oposing voice on the air such as Big Ed, Steph Miller etc. Even though I am not a left winger wouldn't it make sense to offer opposing viewpoints to build a different audience? Plus if you did lean to the left,or program anything else that is unique to the market why not promote it? "If you promote it they will come!" ;D
Just my 2 cents
F
FreddyE1977
Guest
Snafu said:Neither of these stations is doing much. Old Man Renda would turn off WPTT at this point if he thought he could get away with it. He's losing $$ on it and can't come up with any ideas to make the bleeding stop.
I wouldn't bother with a talk format right now if I didn't already have a successful one. If the FCC is really serious about these local advisory boards and tighter restrictions on licenses the entire talk world is about to be turned upside down.
What about the supposed flip to 910? Is that now off the table?
FreddyE1977 said:What about the supposed flip to 910? Is that now off the table?
It's dead.
Lynn Cullen and Doug Hoerth can't make WTAE profitable anymore? Cullen can't make her show stick on KDKA? Then we'll just pick them up over here and run the same station that ultimately had to change their format- but with lesser production values and without Phil Musick- who was probably the best host WTAE had those days.
The switch to all sports at 1250 came because ABC bought the station and wanted to make it an outlet for ESPN programming. They chose to operate it on a smaller budget with less local programming and talent who made no more union scale. Was it profitable as WTAE? I don't know, and suspect you don't, either.
Cullen was doing a weekend show on KDKA and left for a full-time job at WPTT.
The switch to all sports at 1250 came because ABC bought the station and wanted to make it an outlet for ESPN programming. They chose to operate it on a smaller budget with less local programming and talent who made no more union scale. Was it profitable as WTAE? I don't know, and suspect you don't, either.
Cullen was doing a weekend show on KDKA and left for a full-time job at WPTT.
In other words, it's dead.
SR was supposed to swap 1360 for another channel years ago and that never happened to date, so you can bet this swap will never happen. Doing that swap would be committing business suicide on what little money 1320 does make now. Sr knows he would loose what little revenue he gets from the two stations and he never moves fast let alone at a competitive speed to other companies. 1360 should shut down to save money or go back to the old classic country or any other format that is fully automated, anything makes more sense at this point.
Boss Radio said:Lynn Cullen and Doug Hoerth can't make WTAE profitable anymore? Cullen can't make her show stick on KDKA? Then we'll just pick them up over here and run the same station that ultimately had to change their format- but with lesser production values and without Phil Musick- who was probably the best host WTAE had those days.
The switch to all sports at 1250 came because ABC bought the station and wanted to make it an outlet for ESPN programming. They chose to operate it on a smaller budget with less local programming and talent who made no more union scale. Was it profitable as WTAE? I don't know, and suspect you don't, either.
Cullen was doing a weekend show on KDKA and left for a full-time job at WPTT.
Sorry, left out a word. Should read: "...talent who made no more than union scale."
The switch to all sports at 1250 came because ABC bought the station and wanted to make it an outlet for ESPN programming. They chose to operate it on a smaller budget with less local programming and talent who made no more union scale. Was it profitable as WTAE? I don't know, and suspect you don't, either.
Cullen was doing a weekend show on KDKA and left for a full-time job at WPTT.
Uh, Boss-
Sports Radio WTAE was originally a SportsFan Radio Network affiliate. They didn't switch to ESPN until about roughly a year later.
Hence, why it was called SPORTSRADIO WTAE. They didn't change their call letters until later and the name to ESPN 1250.
Second point- The original lineup was Doug Hoerth in the morning, then Jim Penna and John Phillips. There may have been someone else at the very beginning.
Weekends had Ray Walker, a radio vet who would have likely made much more than union scale.
Snafu said:The flip isn't officially dead, but the old man won't take any action on it. Younger members of the family/management team are still willing to go forward, but Renda Sr. is the last word and right now he's says "prove it will make money."
Very true. The costs of constructing a new antenna site for not just one, but two radio stations, in addition to the marketing budget you'd need to promote it are astronomical, and it will be likely that Tony won't see a return on his investment in his lifetime if he moves forward with it.
Besides, he's still waiting to see the returns for WGSM and the new building housing the four stations in Indiana. While those stations are profitable and very much on their way, there's still a long way to go and we are teetering on the brink of a recession.
Weekends had Ray Walker, a radio vet who would have likely made much more than union scale.
A talent's ability to earn more than scale depends on bargaining power, not service time. Ken Rice and Patrice King Brown make much more than scale because they can command a higher price.
A guy doing weekends on a niche AM station is making scale.
A talent's ability to earn more than scale depends on bargaining power, not service time. Ken Rice and Patrice King Brown make much more than scale because they can command a higher price.
A guy doing weekends on a niche AM station is making scale.
Let us all applaud Boss' ability to save face.
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