WSYR / Unacceptable Mediocrity

[BobRoss]

Just got out of work at 5:00 and turned on WSYR. My commute is short, but I usually get into the car in time to catch the tail end of the Fox News, all of the local news, and a few minutes of Reith.

Today... Fox ended, and Rachel Marisay picked up. So far so good. Then, 15 seconds later, Mediocrity Central.

It sounds like the board operator (or "producer" as Clear Channel calls them, even though they don't actually produce anything) screwed up and either went back to the Fox feed, or kept it up and a promo started airing. For whatever reason, Marisay got faded out. Then the promo was faded out and the station sat in silence for a good 45-60 seconds.

Next, a local spot for a bank -- which was "conveniently" faded down for the 2 seconds the bank's website address was given, but then it aired the rest of the way in its entirety.

Following, that, the weather open... and the music bed... but no Weather Channel personality. Just a few seconds of music bed.

Then, a Reith billboard, the Reith show open, and then Reith apologized for "technical difficulties."

Unacceptable! If you didn't have Rachel Marisay pre-recording the afternoon drive news updates FROM HOME every day, there wouldn't be a risk of "technical difficulties." It's apparent either they were playing the wrong newscast or they somehow wiped it out of the queue and they couldn't retrieve it quickly enough to bother replaying it.

And seriously? Reith doesn't have a copy of the weather forecast on paper to just read himself in case something like this happens?

We're talking the 5:00 hour here. Many people JUST got out of work, some of whom may not have had a chance to listen to the radio for at least a few hours, maybe all day. This is the first chance to get caught up on the day's happenings and WSYR blew it. Big time. It's too bad that neither WFBL nor WXTL have a local news presence because I would have immediately switched over to get the local news and weather that the self-appointed "News and Weather Station" wasn't providing.

And as long as I'm at it -- was headed out for lunch yesterday at 1:30. The news open/bed played, but no Nia Carter. Where were you, Nia? 1:30 happens at the same time every day. No excuse for not being there (or not having the news recorded in time.)

I think it's a disgrace to the listeners, and to the entire journalism industry, that Clear Channel allows newscasts to be pre-recorded and passed off to listeners as if they were live. It's one thing on an FM music station, where news is really more along the lines of "info-tainment" but on a self-branded "Newsradio" station, it should be live every hour, with an anchor who's actually IN the building during their shift.

 

[PhilMusic]

You should send this letter to the Post Standard rather than just preaching to the choir!

 

[Aldoran2]

Just got out of work at 5:00 and turned on WSYR. My commute is short, but I usually get into the car in time to catch the tail end of the Fox News, all of the local news, and a few minutes of Reith.

Hate to point this out, Bob, but your post is time stamped from 4:22 and you say you heard today's 5:00 news. Care to elaborate?

 

[Radknowski]

Just got out of work at 5:00 and turned on WSYR. My commute is short, but I usually get into the car in time to catch the tail end of the Fox News, all of the local news, and a few minutes of Reith.

Hate to point this out, Bob, but your post is time stamped from 4:22 and you say you heard today's 5:00 news. Care to elaborate?

Time stamp settings on this board can be individually set. In many cases they're Eastern Time, but they can one hour off. It happens.

 

[Aldoran2]

I'm just saying, it would be nice to have an independent verification of Bob's account. He sounds like he has something to prove, like a former employee.

 

[therealjm12]

The sad thing about all this is...... It is in a medium size market with the Newhouse School in residence. From what I can gather WSYR radio is the only commercial station that bothers with news at all. Probably the closest competitor is WRVO. Same in Rochester with WHAM & WXXI and probably the same situation in Albany. Is It Clear Channel's fault? Maybe, because they bought WHEN and took them out as a competitor but there's still a great signal on WFBL and whatever is on 1260 these days. And there's no law that says there can't be news on FM. Also, downsizing local news coverage was the destroying of what was left on WTVH-5, leaving just two broadcast TV operations in Syracuse -and don't forget WTVH claims to be CBS for Utica.

 

[SirRoxalot]

I'm just saying, it would be nice to have an independent verification of Bob's account. He sounds like he has something to prove, like a former employee.

Aldoran, you might want to look back at the history of posts on this board for a little more info about Bob Ross. Your TWO post total on Radio-info hardly make your request for "independent verification" credible. Who are YOU and employee of, and what do YOU have to prove?

 

[BobRoss]

Hate to point this out, Bob, but your post is time stamped from 4:22 and you say you heard today's 5:00 news. Care to elaborate?

Radio-Info.com is based in Chicago. Even though my local time is set properly in my profile on this forum, their location in the Central Time Zone may be the explanation you seek.

Of course, I'm sure I'm not the only person in Central New York who heard this gaffe, and I'm guessing Clear Channel probably has some sort of 24/7 digital aircheck logging system where this is documented. I don't work there so I don't know for sure if such a system is in place, but with Clear Channel being such a large company, I'd be surprised if there isn't. I don't have to prove anything; I'd bet it's on a hard drive somewhere.

Aldoran, you might want to look back at the history of posts on this board for a little more info about Bob Ross. Your TWO post total on Radio-info hardly make your request for "independent verification" credible. Who are YOU and employee of, and what do YOU have to prove?

Thanks, SirRoxalot... appreciate it.

 

[Aldoran2]

God Forbid I break the first Commandment of Radio-Info, "Thou Shall Not Question Anonymous Poster Using Fake Name."

Oh, that's right, you have, and he has, ZERO credibility until you use a real name. It's legitimate to ask questions, this isn't Nazi Germany, though you may have it that way, Rox. It's not as if I asked, "What really happened on 9/11." I don't work in radio, I have nothing to prove, and I still am yet to see a single verification of his post.

Maybe I'm Jim Reith's producer. Ooga Booga.

 

[pangderx]

I don't work in radio, I have nothing to prove...

...Maybe I'm Jim Reith's producer. Ooga Booga.

By saying you don't work in radio, you definitely COULD be Reith's producer! Of course this post was made during the show so I doubt you're him. He would be too busy looking through his iPod, shoving snack of the day down his gullet and trying to get any kind of free schwag he can get.

 

[useddj]

I agree BobRoss...i have heard the same type of thing many times...not this specific one...but ones just like it. OFTEN! I was so hoping when I heard FBL was going talk that they would have the commitment and smarts to hire at least ONE good solid news hound!!! Would have been great so they could do live morning or afternoon news! I remember the good ole days...morning guy covers midday events etc..writes copy leaves cuts for afternoon....afternoon covers night time meeting etc..leaves copy, cuts for morning!! just doing the basics in journalism now days would look like "superman" compared to what I hear on some stations. Too much reliance on syndication...but I know its costs money to have a news staff! Oh well....back to my rocking chair. :

 

[RomeNYToupee]

So change the station

last time i checked there are two other stations that have a talk format in the area. with the exception of limbaugh and some of their conservative lineup, why do people still listen to the local offerings on wsyr? they will soon be going the way of the dodo bird.

 

[TheBigA]

You should send this letter to the Post Standard rather than just preaching to the choir!

And what are they going to do about it? Call in the journalism police? Get their journalism degree revoked? Come on. Like they don't make gramatical errors every day?

Personally I was surprised that WSYR actually had a human board op on that shift. I think it might have been an automation mistake. But that's just me.

Look: mistakes happen. They happen at the big networks. And it doesn't matter if they have staffing or not. I remember a famous story about a newscaster who walked into the booth and left some of his script at the desk. So he goes in without enough copy to fill a three minute cast. He reads for two minutes, realizes his mistake. And says on the air, "And now, we'll have a moment of silence." And that's exactly what we heard, until the syndicated talk show resumed. I'm not kidding. This guy is a well respected journalist with a wall full of awards to his credit.

 

[collegeDJ86]

I remember the good ole days...morning guy covers midday events etc..writes copy leaves cuts for afternoon....afternoon covers night time meeting etc..leaves copy, cuts for morning!! just doing the basics in journalism now days would look like "superman" compared to what I hear on some stations. Too much reliance on syndication...but I know its costs money to have a news staff!

You likely have a chance to listen to a news operation that does do that (one I used to be part of) - at nearby WHCU 870 AM in Ithaca. Live, local newscasts every half hour 5:30a to 8:30a following CBS News, "nearly-live" pre-recorded casts through the afternoon, live one-hour news/weather/sports/commentary block at 6pm. I was late morning to early evening most of my time there, my boss was morning and early afternoon coverage, and we had at least one person doing evenings (many nights two). Many mornings, we'd have four, sometimes five voices in morning casts (between anchor, myself & two evening reporters, and our morning show producer dropping an occasional cut). I like to think our team was rather high quality, especially for market #285, and it would certainly give WSYR a run for its money.

 

[useddj]

CollegeDJ...too funny.. I was actually thinking of the good ole days of WTKO 1470 "The Information Station"! But you are correct WHCU has done and still does a very good job of providing live local news and information for their market of their size. Hats off to Susan Johnston for contiuing to keep that element of their programming alive!

 

[Bob1370]

"I remember the good ole days...morning guy covers midday events etc..writes copy leaves cuts for afternoon....afternoon covers night time meeting etc..leaves copy, cuts for morning!! just doing the basics in journalism now days would look like "superman" compared to what I hear on some stations. Too much reliance on syndication...but I know its costs money to have a news staff!"

I remember those days too, having been part of them since the 70s. That's the way we did it at WHEN-AM during Meredith's ownership of the station--a newsroom staffed 24/7, morning guy (Rod Wood back then) handling morning news and then going out to cover late morning events, while the midday guy would handle early afternoon events after he got off the air, then the afternoon drive newscasteandr (me) would leave the studio after the 6 o'clock news tp c over night events, the late evening guy (Kurt Barnhart back then) would cover overnight fire & police stuff, and so on. Worked well, and more than paid for itself because every newscast was sold out at premium prices for the daypart.

 

[TheBigA]

Worked well, and more than paid for itself because every newscast was sold out at premium prices for the daypart.

Even if you staffed it the same way and provided the exact same service today, you would not be able to sell it at premium prices. Those days are over.

 

[JustPastBuffalo]

I've been checking and reading this thread for a week, wondering if and when somebody would apply Randy Michaels' now famous WGN edict to the title of the thread. He might ask "when is mediocrity ever acceptable?" Savor the day!

 

[useddj]

I'm not sure I agree BIGA..I have nothing to base it on other than my gut, but I think radio is its own worse enemy. I think we have trained the listeners to accept this type of newscasts, so if someone went back to the "basics" and did a nice job, I think you might be surprised...well at least I'd like to think so.... ...but you could be right. I'm pretty sure based on what has recently happened with the two new additions in the talk realm, that we will never know! BTW everyone...its nice to have a conversation and discussion without someone throwing out disparaging comments...thanks! ...now I'll wait for someone to call me an idiot...lol..

 

[Bob1370]

The BigA opined about the way we used to do 24/7 news at WHEN, "Even if you staffed it the same way and provided the exact same service today, you would not be able to sell it at premium prices. Those days are over."

You can if you own 18-49 demos like we did back in the day--surely someone has the prime adult demo cuts under control, and can sell news at top dollar because it's a real value-added draw for an adult audience even now...