• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

WRXP: who stays, who goes?

Let's put a stop to all the negativity - how many of you have ever programmed a radio
station in a major market, yet alone programmed ANY station in your life? Do you really think
all decisions are made by one person? Really? Do you really think listeners know formats
and genres? Why do you think the iPod took off - people could listen to their favorite music
with no boundaries. While the staff is staying professional and working until the end, don't
you think we could be respectful and celebrate what we accomplished? I'm in the building -- these
are the hardest working people I've ever seen, led by someone who leads by example.
I've watched Leslie do the morning show and work until 8 every night and then go out and see
a show -- what other PD's do that? None. She never missed one day in the morning show. She
had to endure working with someone who more than once a week had an "issue" making it to work,
missed interviews, one excuse after another. Do you think anyone knows that how she stood
by his side when no one else would? No, they don't. YOU don't. Her commitment to this station and
her work ethic are unbelievable. She's now trying to make sure her staff gets gigs -- how can you
sleep at night? RXP achieved ratings success with virtually no marketing dollars, thru a terrible economy,
a frequency largely known as a jazz station and defied the odds from a lot of hard work and long hours.
Don't write bullshit you know nothing about when a staff is about to lose their livelihood. The market
finally gets a station focused on new music, local bands and events, etc. We are leaving on a high note.
Top 10, huge male numbers, and again-- no marketing in New York City. Can we please stop the negative
bullshit and show some respect? Or at the very least, just stop commenting on things know nothing about
and weren't involved with.
 
According to @Quake, RXP...

"achieved ratings success" (REALLY? IN WHICH DEMO? AND IT OBVIOUSLY WASN'T ENOUGH "SUCCESS" TO KEEP THE STATION FROM BEING SOLD.)

"defied the odds from a lot of hard work and long hours" (MATH TUTORIAL, DUDE: HARD WORK + LONG HOURS + DOING ALL THE WRONG THINGS = FAILURE.)

is "leaving on a high note" (AND WHICH NOTE IS THAT? THE NOTE OF LAY-OFFS, THE END OF A CAREER IN RADIO FOR MOST OF US, OR A STATION SALE?)

has "Top 10, huge male numbers" (MAN, YOU'RE REALLY BENDING THAT DATA. TYPICAL EMMIS MOVE, YOU'VE OBVIOUSLY LEARNED A LOT DURING YOUR TIME THERE.)

has "no marketing in New York City" (OK, SO WAS THIS DONE ON PURPOSE? IF NOT, WHY WAS IT ALLOWED TO GO ON? IF IT'S THE OLD "WE HAD NO BUDGET" EXCUSE, DO YOU MEAN TO SAY THAT NONE OF THE HARD-WORKING, TALENTED PEOPLE UP THERE COULD FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET MARKETING RESULTS AND GENERATE AWARENESS ABOUT THE STATION WITHOUT SPENDING MONEY? TRUTH IS, ANYBODY COULD GET MARKETING COVERAGE IF THEY HAVE A CHECKBOOK. THE CHALLENGE IS BEING ABLE TO GET THE COVERAGE THROUGH CREATIVITY, INGENUITY, AND SMARTS - WHICH SUPPOSEDLY THE HARD-WORKING, TALENTED PEOPLE IN THE BUILDING HAD - BUT THEN AGAIN, MAYBE NOT.)

Also, we should "Show some respect? Or at the very least, just stop commenting on things know nothing about and weren't involved with." (RESPECT TO WHO, WHAT, WHY? AND AS FAR AS KNOWING NOTHING ABOUT IT AND NOT BEING INVOLVED WITH IT - I DON'T KNOW WHO YOU ARE, LESLIE FRAM'S ASSISTANT PERHAPS? - BUT I WORK ON THE SAME FLOOR AS YOU...)
 
WRXPinsider said:
"achieved ratings success" (REALLY? IN WHICH DEMO? AND IT OBVIOUSLY WASN'T ENOUGH "SUCCESS" TO KEEP THE STATION FROM BEING SOLD.)
Click to expand...

The station isn't being sold because of bad ratings. It's being sold because Emmis needs to lower its debt load. Big difference. So don't confuse corporate debt with ratings.
 
Emmis indicated in financial filings that WRXP, combined with the two stations it is selling in Chicago only started to turn a small profit recently. They lost money on them for several years. That is probably more important to the company than the ratings.
Evidently Emmis decided the stations are worth more to them for their sale value than the modest revenue they have started only recently to produce, given their debt issues.
 
They said the station has turned a profit "recently" - and coincidentally (or not), the ratings have also increased recently. I think it would have been wise for them to keep going and to see if they could keep the increases up. But I guess Michaels made an offer that was too hard to refuse?
 
Quake is a moron. Just because Leslie Fram (Worst PD ever) was there every morning doesn't mean anything, I can work 18 hours a day as well but its the PD who works smart not long hours that gets the job done.

Who's fault was it when she let Matt on air when he had his issues? She didn't care she was putting horrible radio out. Now we are suppose to feel bad for her because Matt ****ed her by being drunk. Bullshit. She let a drunk on air because she didn't want to lose Matt's music connects. So who is to blame? Are you even allowed to let someone drunk on air? That sounds illegal. Wonder how many times she allowed that, QUAKE?

If she didn't like the direction the station was going, she should of quit. Oh wait, she came to NY for a paycheck, not to make a great radio station. Hi I'm Leslie, I will do whatever you say as long as I get a check.

Fans wanted to come to RXP(I was one of them) but when you are giving tixs away to Interpol and never playing them, we have a problem. A good PD would of stepped up and made the right changes and moves but not Leslie Fram. How can you get good ratings when your morning show was horrible. No good lead-in. Leslie cutting Matt off, Leslie telling us news (Really? that is what the audience wanted from Matt and Leslie, her reading us news, thanks) Leslie acting fake in every interview, should I continue. Maybe QUAKE, SHE SHOULD OF TAKEN A FEW MORNINGS OFF.
 
quake said:
Let's put a stop to all the negativity - how many of you have ever programmed a radio
station in a major market, yet alone programmed ANY station in your life?... don't
you think we could be respectful and celebrate what we accomplished?I'm in the building -- these are the hardest working people I've ever seen, led by someone who leads by example.
I've watched Leslie do the morning show and work until 8 every night... Her commitment to this station and her work ethic are unbelievable... Don't write bullshit you know nothing about when a staff is about to lose their livelihood... We are leaving on a high note. Top 10, huge male numbers, and again-- no marketing in New York City. Can we please stop the negative bullshit and show some respect? Or at the very least, just stop commenting on things know nothing about and weren't involved with.
Click to expand...

Wow, look at WRXP employee "Quake" trying to one-up Dan Halyburton for some face time in the next edition of TRI. ::) But seriously, folks... I know, "Quake", that your feelings are sincere, and appreciate you sharing your thoughts... but that's what this board is all about, sharing thoughts, be them positive or negative. So your signing up to set the record straight helps a lot. It's turning this thread into a radio community soap opera, but talking this out helps.

That being said, I have some thoughts to share about how WRXP finished "top 10" with "huge male numbers". That may be true, but if I, a male, were to think of at least five New York stations (currently) on the air that gear toward males, they'd be the two sports stations, WFAN and WEPN, the classic rock station, Q104, perhaps WABC (you want huge male numbers, listen to every host outside of Hannity taking calls on their shows), maybe mix in one of the Spanish music stations... and WRXP. My point is, there's not very many choices on the New York radio dial that appeal to male listeners. I had to struggle to come up with a list of five, plus WRXP. It's like that scene from an episode of "Family Guy," when Chris, the heavy-set son, tells his father, Peter, about this new "game" he discovered at a local establishment: "They have this game where you put in a dollar and you win four quarters! I win every time!" That "game" was a change machine. Now, I don't mean to urinate on WRXP's grave while the coffin hasn't even been polished - if you go back a few pages on this thread or one of the other ones, I did write that Leslie did the best she could with the resources she had - I mean, spending a year's worth of time on a festival with Coldplay as the headliner, only to pull the plug... freakin' Coldplay! (Not that I'm a fan, but a big name is a big name... that "Speed Of Sound" track is pretty good, though...) That in and of itself ought to show how dedicated she was to the station. So on that, "Quake," I will agree with you, and trust that you and your colleagues have done all that they could for three years in the face of adversity. And the fact that not only did WRXP show a little bit of ratings life in recent months, but to finish on the Top 10 male demos, well... Randy Michaels and his crew might be able to take WRXP away from you - "like magic," if you will - but they can never take your accomplishments away. But regarding the Top 10 male demos, in making the point that I just illustrated but never actually made... With the shortage of male-appealing radio stations in New York City, for WRXP to finish in the Top 10 in male demos, it's no different than getting 10 points on the SAT for writing your name: it's automatic. But Top 10 is Top 10, no matter how you slice it. Not trying to mock or belittle this feat, just sharing my thoughts... because that's what this board is about, right? ::)

(Oh, and I happen to be the PD of an Internet radio station that, on most hours, operates just like an iPod - so for that alone, I should be entitled to my opinions. ;) )
 
Quake:

First of all, yes, some of us just may have programmed before. It is completely possible that we might disagree, but not solely due to our lack of experience.

Second, as one who has, I can more than bear witness to the fact that you betcha, all too often, staffers work their tushies off, receive no cooperation, and end up getting the shaft. In fact, the resulting failure very seldom has to do with the lack of diligence on their part. The commentor who inferred that this all happened, 'way above the staffers' pay grade, was spot-on.

Third, had WRXP had the ratings of a Q-104.3, or even a CBS-FM, their revenues might have turned a big enough profit, early enough, so that Emmis didn't need to unload it about 3 years later. I doubt that Emmis was looking ahead, preparing for a sale, when they put 'RXP on the air. I just think they predicted a better outcome at the time.

Emmis' boneheaded decisions were not limited to the daily operation of the rocker WRXP (does anyone here with half a brain really think that jocks or PD's really make unilateral decisions, as you accuse them of thinking? I sincerely doubt it). They also involve the initial decisions to first mess with the Smooth Jazz format ("Chill", anyone?), followed by dumping it altogether and going with a format touted to and then by the Suits as being "PPM-friendly". At the time, no one could disprove that bit of alchemy... so... you got a station that eventually died at #19. Because jeepers, these guys have titles! They make tons of money! So certainly, they must know more than us armchair dweebs! Number 19, baby.

My earlier comments stand. CD 101.9 had ratings plus the potential for more (and this, with very little outside marketing). It furthermore occupied a unique niche that was ripe for the lucrative "concept sale". Rather than enhancing that environment, the company chose the all-too-typical cliched way out: shock the market for some attention, buy enough research to support your executives du jour's preconceived notion of what they wanted to do anyway, and flip the format. Not like that's ever happened before!
 
RXP was pretty good in the beginning. I remember hearing stuff like Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds and The Doors, mixed with modern stuff. It was more an AAA station. That was when Bryan Schock was the PD and afternoon drive guy. I personally liked the playlist a lot back then. He got fired for bad ratings, supposedly. If I remember correctly though, they had a cume of 2.5-3 while he was there. After Leslie Fram came in and Pinfield was hired, they went from playing a cool mix of past and present rock to more 90s commercial alternative with the old classic staples thrown in (the clash, ac/dc, the police, gnr, van halen). I think it just started to sound too commercial and predictable, like KROQ. It wasn't bad music in my opinion. I think it just started to become too predictable and tight. Also, I think they could have had better personality on the station. It wasn't like k-rock where they had a good balance between personality and music, with Stern/Booker/O&A. The station never really seemed too interactive, and there was never any 'buzz' surrounding it. It sounded very boring bland, with the same promos, cuts, sweepers, voiceover, etc. Very generic. I believe RXPInsider when he said it just started to become a toy of the higher-ups (and not a station for the people)... like a chunk of play-do or clay that the execs can mold to feel creative, all along thinking that the audience would eventually think their clay turd sculpture was a masterpiece
 
Macker said:
RXP was pretty good in the beginning. I remember hearing stuff like Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds and The Doors, mixed with modern stuff.
Click to expand...

I disagree. In the beginning I thought it sounded like an unfocused Classic Rock station with a few new alt-rock hits thrown in that stuck out like a sore thumb. Ting Tings next to Queen, anyone? I'm all for mixing new and old rock but it has to be done right. The kinds of songs in the early 'RXP mix appealed to totally separate kinds of audiences, and I would argue that mistake is what sunk them in the long run.

Eventually WRXP evolved into the much more focused alt-rock station that it is today, and in my opinion it sounds great now, musically anyway. But I think people already formed their impressions of the station in the beginning, and to a younger rock listener it was just terrible. They should have changed the branding, beginning with the logo and artwork, to convey the change in direction when they ditched the Woodstock rock. I'll bet a lot of alt-rock fans who would love the station are just now finding out that it has changed and that's why the ratings are beginning to edge up. Too little, too late, unfortunately.

The other problem is there's no star power on the air. And before you jump down my throat and say, but...but...but...Matt Pinfield...well he's not. Yes he has name recognition but not the kind that I believe compels people to tune in. He's not an entertainer in the sense that Howard or O&A are, and that's what rock radio really needs to create fans.

So ironically WRXP is sounding its best just before it gets killed off. They even had that upcoming Coldplay show generating some buzz for them. With a good re-imaging, a star morning team and lots of renewed promotion I think they could have built some real momentum.

I hope we get another (non-classic) rock station in New York before long to fill the void, but I'm not holding my breath.
 
On a final note, if you'd like a quick peek into the weak management minds that ran the show at WRXP and ultimately destroyed the station, take a look at some of the delusion from Alex Cameron, GM of the NYC cluster. It's from February, but it's a clear sign (chock full of typos, incomprehensible logic, and huge truth-bending data interpretation) of what us staffers had to deal with: either we chugged the punch or we were booted from the team. It's been a heartbreaking and soul-crushing experience.

http://emmisnewyork.com/

BTW, looks like Alex has been distracted by news of the sale of RXP, since her last tweet was back in late May. Might she have known about what was in the works way back then?

http://twitter.com/#!/alexthecanadian

Same for Drelio. No tweets since mid June. It's going to be hard to live on a two station OM salary when you have a three station lifestyle.

http://twitter.com/#!/briandrelio
 
The emmisnewyork.com site linked on the above post states that Matt Pinfield's "Duties have evolved as he shifts to mid days." Evidently that means he is off the air, and is no longer mentioned by co-host Leslie Fram.
 
Why would they even bother switching Matt & leslie to mddays if the station is being sold & the format most likely blown up?
 
WRXPinsider said:
On a final note, if you'd like a quick peek into the weak management minds that ran the show at WRXP
Click to expand...

Think of how much better your life will be now! I'm so happy for you.

It's been my experience that working for bad management is better than not working at all.
 
ouuc said:
Why would they even bother switching Matt & leslie to mddays if the station is being sold & the format most likely blown up?
Click to expand...
Even if the station was not changing formats, would it make sense to have on two hosts, one of them the station's star (and presumably high paid) personality, during the midday time slot? Would people listening at work be able to pay much attention to Pinfield's interviews of rock acts?
 
RockTheGlobe said:
WRXPinsider said:
Same for Drelio. No tweets since mid June. It's going to be hard to live on a two station OM salary when you have a three station lifestyle.

http://twitter.com/#!/briandrelio
Click to expand...

What, you don't have "inside news" on Drelio? RAMP reported almost two weeks ago that he's leaving.

http://app.e2ma.net/app2/campaigns/archived/1401332/c74f9731b6f55cd9c156edf37237d498/
Click to expand...

My error by not exploring this - apologies and thx for bringing it to the forefront.

BTW, Drelio's p.r. line - he's leaving voluntarily.

Reality as we've just found out - he was canned. RXP was his baby from the get-go, and he fell on his sword --- with Smulyan doing the pushing.
 
As an avid alternative/rock fan who lives in NYC, I've pretty much come to the conclusion that there will never be a radio station that serves my needs. That being said, I never listen to the radio so the idea of "hey, we need a station that plays OUR music" really just comes down to the fact that we want one available in case of an emergency but really have no interest in supporting it. Case in point, when I'm home visiting my parents in CT, if I need to borrow one of their cars, I'm glad there is a radio station I can flip to that is bearable. However, I'm never going to stream it or listen to it as opposed to listening to my own music and discovering new bands through my own filter of taste-makers. Chances are whatever RXP is hyping as the "hot new band", I've already heard of them 2-3 months ago.

The imaging of the station and DJ's are pretty lame too. It almost sounds like NPR in between songs, you get the feeling the DJ is filling up their Honda Prius in between breaks.

Finally, let's take a look at an hour of music programming. In a world that gets more and more fragmented (music-wise), RXP is STILL trying to kitchen sink model (even if it's gotten a bit better). Now, it's really only one or two songs an hour that have new business. Everyone, together now, let's all take a look at which band/artist DOESN'T belong in this set:

Nirvana
Billy Idol
311
Nine Inch Nails
Van Halen
Death Cab For Cutie
Goldfinger
Midnight Oil
Coldplay
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Sublime
U2
Silverchair

(HINT: It's a band that would basically be a washed-up bar band had it not been for a great guitarist).

Also, playing one current an hour, not very fun and exciting guys.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom