WSAR - What happened there today

[Skynet74]

I suggest that people check out this link to see what's happening outside. It's really quite interesting.

http://boards.radio-info.com/smf/index.php?topic=217119.msg1951446#msg1951446

 

[artiemad]

Incredible station in the 70's, Curt Hansen, Thiebeaut, Jim Murphy, Paul Douglas, Pete Stone, Peter Bush,great memories?

 

[Skynet74]

Well they should have stayed incredible. At what point did someone screw up that caused them to implode?

 

[tony r]

I heard that Paul Giammarco is the new GM .

 

[NERadio2007]

Sky:

For all of the shortcomings and less than ideal conditons you describe from the past (and probably still exist today)......

In spite of all of that.....

I think even you would have to admit that the Karam's are doing a much better job with 1480/1400 than the Peter Arpin Empire is doing with 990/1320.

No comparison......HANDS DOWN ! ! ! ;D

As someone who worked for 1320 for 2 years I can attest to the non sense that went on over there....

 

[Skynet74]

It doesn't even matter the station. No matter Big or small, all radio stations should treat their employees with respect. Being a small little station should not give the owners/management Carte blanche to treat employees like garbage. That's one reason I chose to get out of the business. People in radio don't get respect. Work 20 years at a station and then one day you come into work and your key won't work anymore (or) you find out there is a format change and you are not part of it. There is no job security.

After I left radio I doubled and tripled my income when I moved to Los Angeles and worked at the LA Times. I should have stayed there. But I was young and got homesick. So I moved back and went broke because of it. Then I was offered a job at various radios stations in New England that I couldn't take because I didn't even have the money to relocate. The pay they offered me was crap anyway. I would have been better off going back to work at WSAR for the third time.

It soured me on radio broadcasting. I'm not angry about it. The anger passed many many years ago. I just feel bad for anyone involved in it because it's only a matter of time until one Christmas, your present is going to be a pink slip.....and it won't even be wrapped in a box with a pretty little bow on top.

 

[VelvetR]

The 25 kW tidbit earlier in this thread had me musing so I spent a little time last night reviewing the CP.

Apropos of nothing, just for kicking around:

1. There does seem to be room on the site for the third tower. Interesting that it's much shorter than the others. Wondering whether that's for cost saving on steel; limitations on land available for a ground system or perhaps some sound engineering reason.

2. I doubt an owner whose primary business is other than radio had the skookum to analyze cost vs. potential advertising gain so there may be a sharp GM or CE in the equation. Any idea which? Or am I off entirely?

3. OK, audience to be gained in New Bedford but also Capeside which might be helpful in enticing advertisers but year 'round? Or just in summer?

4. My experience has shown 3-tower arrays to be a constant pain in the tailbone. Anyone have different experience?

5. My mind kept wandering back to the original engineering for WLKW/990 and that lonely seagull sitting on Bishop's Rock off the coast of England who so enjoyed "The Sound of Beautiful Music" as it wafted seaward and away from any human audience.

OK, I've raised a lot of engineering points but I've raised them on this board and in this thread because of the overall "why in heck would anybody do this?" factor. All that said, I hope they'll end up with something solid like the newer version of "my" cherished ND-25 with (added-on) DCC!

 

[Jefferson Ward]

It doesn't even matter the station. No matter Big or small, all radio stations should treat their employees with respect. Being a small little station should not give the owners/management Carte blanche to treat employees like garbage. That's one reason I chose to get out of the business. People in radio don't get respect. Work 20 years at a station and then one day you come into work and your key won't work anymore (or) you find out there is a format change and you are not part of it. There is no job security.

After I left radio I doubled and tripled my income when I moved to Los Angeles and worked at the LA Times. I should have stayed there. But I was young and got homesick. So I moved back and went broke because of it. Then I was offered a job at various radios stations in New England that I couldn't take because I didn't even have the money to relocate. The pay they offered me was crap anyway. I would have been better off going back to work at WSAR for the third time.

It soured me on radio broadcasting. I'm not angry about it. The anger passed many many years ago. I just feel bad for anyone involved in it because it's only a matter of time until one Christmas, your present is going to be a pink slip.....and it won't even be wrapped in a box with a pretty little bow on top.

You acutally bring up legit points in this post, and I agree with you. However, bashing people who still work in the business and those stations they work for does not help your arguments at all. You got out of the business for legit reasons. You still seem very angry and bitter about not being in radio, based on your history on this forum.

 

[Skynet74]

You acutally bring up legit points in this post, and I agree with you. However, bashing people who still work in the business and those stations they work for does not help your arguments at all. You got out of the business for legit reasons. You still seem very angry and bitter about not being in radio, based on your history on this forum.

Jefferson..... trust me on this one. I'm not angry and bitter. I'm very opinionated and you are confusing the two. I hear a lot of things on radio which sound truly awful. I see programming decisions being made which I think are completely assanine. I hear lots of uncreative talent who just mimic what others across the country are doing. What you perceive as anger is actually not anger at all. It's actually me poking fun at the horrible state I think radio has turned into these days. SO the next time you see me criticize, ridicule or attack someone or something in the business, Please take note that this is not anger. I don't feel angry or bitter at all. I'm just pointing out what I think is clearly some stupid sh*t going down in radio these days.

 

[Runrigger]

John, say goodbye to the demographic you're no longer a part of. People expect different things from radio today. Blame the listeners. That isn't a criticism of you.

 

[Skynet74]

John, say goodbye to the demographic you're no longer a part of. People expect different things from radio today. Blame the listeners. That isn't a criticism of you.

Let's elaborate on your point. What is it that people expect from radio today?

 

[riradio02842]

John, say goodbye to the demographic you're no longer a part of. People expect different things from radio today. Blame the listeners. That isn't a criticism of you.

Most listeners want a relatively commercial free "jukebox", of the format of their choice. This is why services like Pandora are so popular. Radio will become the realm of news + talk, even on FM.

Radio will be a vastly different in 10 years when smartphones and 3G/4G coverage (and increased comfort with using smartphones) are the norm in most populated areas. We're already starting to see this now where there are streams with followings stronger than many radio stations. In contrast, rural areas will be continue to be served by radio in many ways like it is now, since technology trends move much slower in sparsely populated areas.

My prediction for 25 years from now, is that most media consumption, including radio, will be Internet based. OTA radio stations will still exist, but, they will be "backup" distribution methods for the Internet based stations, for when emergencies and catastrophes occur and normal Internet communication is limited or not available. There will also be fewer radio stations, especially on the over-crowded AM band.

Just my two cents...

 

[Runrigger]

John, say goodbye to the demographic you're no longer a part of. People expect different things from radio today. Blame the listeners. That isn't a criticism of you.

Let's elaborate on your point. What is it that people expect from radio today?

It's 2012 & there are too many other media choices. I was watching some TV special on DVD not long ago & Sid Caesar commented on his feeling that what led to the demise of the TV variety show was the remote control. Now multiply that concept by whatever & you have what's happened to radio. People want what they want & they want it now. They're impatient & have no attention span.

 

[Skynet74]

It's 2012 & there are too many other media choices. I was watching some TV special on DVD not long ago & Sid Caesar commented on his feeling that what led to the demise of the TV variety show was the remote control. Now multiply that concept by whatever & you have what's happened to radio. People want what they want & they want it now. They're impatient & have no attention span.

This is why I think any radio station with a music format is ultimately doomed. An office/home/ or wherever you may be can just load up a customized list of MP3's that fit exactly the format they are looking for. Take for instance a hair salon. They can even load up their own commercials inbetween songs to upsell their own products inside the store while people are already there. Same goes for a grocery store who wants to tell it's customers about something on sale in aisle 7. Not only do they have to not pay for these commercials, but the customers are already there to Buy the items. It's a win/win situation.

Talk/news formats will survive because they are offering up to the minute info that people want to know. But I think music stations are headed towards some real trouble. People will just download new music and load it into their own player.

 

[BostonRandy]

It's 2012 & there are too many other media choices. I was watching some TV special on DVD not long ago & Sid Caesar commented on his feeling that what led to the demise of the TV variety show was the remote control. Now multiply that concept by whatever & you have what's happened to radio. People want what they want & they want it now. They're impatient & have no attention span.

This is why I think any radio station with a music format is ultimately doomed. An office/home/ or wherever you may be can just load up a customized list of MP3's that fit exactly the format they are looking for. Take for instance a hair salon. They can even load up their own commercials inbetween songs to upsell their own products inside the store while people are already there. Same goes for a grocery store who wants to tell it's customers about something on sale in aisle 7. Not only do they have to not pay for these commercials, but the customers are already there to Buy the items. It's a win/win situation.

Talk/news formats will survive because they are offering up to the minute info that people want to know. But I think music stations are headed towards some real trouble. People will just download new music and load it into their own player.

Your above post is exactly why, if I ever decide to go back into radio, I'll pursue a position with a N/T format. Don't hold your breath waiting for it to happen.....

 

[wknd92]

This is why I think any radio station with a music format is ultimately doomed. An office/home/ or wherever you may be can just load up a customized list of MP3's that fit exactly the format they are looking for. Take for instance a hair salon. They can even load up their own commercials inbetween songs to upsell their own products inside the store while people are already there. Same goes for a grocery store who wants to tell it's customers about something on sale in aisle 7. Not only do they have to not pay for these commercials, but the customers are already there to Buy the items. It's a win/win situation.

There is a problem with that scenario, those companies would then need to start paying BMI & ASCAP fees for playing the music for public consumption. Patrick's Pub here in Providence got into some serious hefty fined trouble a couple of years ago because of they didn't think they had to pay the fees & were ultimately found to be wrong in court. And it wasn't the jukebox that got them in trouble, it was the live music. (the fees are part of the jukebox service).

 

[Skynet74]

I wonder how much BMI & ASCAP fees could possibly be for a business just to play some songs in house. You can broadcast on Live365 and they'll pick up all BMI and ASCAP fees. I bet there is a creative way around this without having to pay an arm and a leg.

 

[talkerguy]

Skynet74. I doubt that you were ever in the building. For starters, you have the flip to talk in 1989, when in fact it was in 1979 under GM the late Bob Nims. I know, I was there... 1977 -1983. Ken (Mike) McLean was the PD (brought in from Boston, where he had been producing Avi Nelson's program) tasked with the flip.

Heck was Fall River's version of Salty Brine and brought over from the old WALE.... a very good move.

Norman (Knight) was cheap but probably the last humane owner for whom I have worked since. He was also a pioneer in the business model now used by Salem, combining a chain of local stations as a single unit for the purposes of sales. His "Ring around Boston" consisted of stations in Fall River, Worcester, Fitchburg, Manchster (NH) and I think one other NH station. They did not rate in the Boston ARB, but were the local stations listened to by commuters into the city.

Before the flip to talk from MOR, WSAR was an AOR AM regional answer to WBCN; with Daniel Francis Hayen, Curtis W. Hanson, Eugene Brown and a more than talented support staff.

The station has a proud and long history (back to 1921) as one of the first half-dozen stations licensed in the US. The Knights are honorable people, and you are just loser who couldn't make it in a small market because you are just too good to do real radio. Right Sky?

 

[BostonRandy]

You're right. Mr. Knight is a wonderful man and generous to a fault. My family would be nothing without the hard work of my father and the kindness of Mr. Knight.

 

[Skynet74]

Even when I worked there the on air staff was awesome. I worked with both Art Berluti and Kim Tunnicliffe. Art was the PD who hired me. Loved that guy. Mary Murphy was a sweetheart. Can't believe she's still there today. All the people I had a problem with at the time have passed away. So I won't dwell any longer on the problems I had with them. Mostly it was just one guy anyway named Len. Everyone else was fine.... even though I have a hunch that happy Hec wasn't so happy behind peoples backs. But whatever. He's an old man. I'll leave him alone.