Yankees On WWYY, "The Bone"

[trixter]

It's hard to believe that management would even consider running the NY Yankees baseball schedule on The Bone! Whatever listeners they have picked up during the format change a year and a half ago will be lost during that time and some may even find a new home to listen to active rock. That will show in the upcoming spring and summer books. I'm sure Nassau is saying that baseball may be a good selling tool for the radio station. They may even bring in some additional revenue by conning advertisers in buying Yankees Baseball in the Allentown, Pa. market! LOL! Either way you look at it, this will be a huge programing mistake done by Nassau. Have they ever done a study on their demos who actually like to listen to baseball on the radio?? I really don't think the audience that listens to "Hollywood Undead" will be listening to Yankees baseball in a Philly market! LOL! Yankees games can also be heard via internet for free and most games are available on TV. If they do pick an older listener or maybe two, it will not be worth much on how many they will lose!
Once again and all of us have seen this before; Common sense and radio management often do not go hand in hand!

 

[plooker]

Wow,
This is truly a "Bone"headed move! Sports is what AM is for. Plus, they already have Yankee baseball on WEEX in the market. Sounds like a panic reaction to a majorly decreased ad revenue stream.

Like Trixter so wisely pointed out, alienating the majority of your audience to pick up a few extra higher end Male demo listeners is irresponsible, unwise and just plain stupid!

This will give WZZO a chance to get back into the ballgame, pun intended.

I hear the death rattle in Nassaus breathing, I really don't think they are long for this world, at least in Pa.

 

[jeffwoehrle]

Hey, if Nassau is so desperate for revenue, I have a better idea for 107.1:

RADIO CLASSIFIEDS!

Think of the revenue!

First ad: "For Sale - one, slightly overworked FM transmitter, fringe signal, with no hope of upgrade or ratings. Slightly scratched and dented, with mystery stains on one side. CHEAP!"

 

[Roger]

The only thing that would be good for WWYY 107.1 is for Pamal Broadcasting to buy the station and put WXPK 107.1 on WWYY 107.1

 

[kfitz]

Now I'm not saying that I think this is a good idea...but....WWYY is really a Stroudsburg area station, it only has a fringe signal in the Allentown market (at least that's what the signal coverage software says). 106.9 in Camden, NJ must interfere with WWYY in much of the Lehigh valley; it certainly wipes out WEZX in southern Luzerne County. Stroudsburg has a massive number of New Yorkers there....WABC always shows up in the ratings, for example. Having the Yankees on a Stroudburg station makes a lot of sense.....now putting baseball on an FM (that's not all sports)....that's another story.

 

[zombie69]

Guys hold on a second...lets give it a chance. For all we know this could be a good thing. Putting the Yankees on a station in a market that has a minor league team for the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies could be the shot in the arm Nassau needs. Kudos for this bold and and and....sorry cant keep a straight face...WTF! Good luck guys and I mean it.

 

[trixter]

Guys hold on a second...lets give it a chance. For all we know this could be a good thing. Putting the Yankees on a station in a market that has a minor league team for the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies could be the shot in the arm Nassau needs. Kudos for this bold and and and....sorry cant keep a straight face...WTF! Good luck guys and I mean it.

I'm sorry but I can't keep a straight face either! My thoughts are, if you are going to bring in special programing to a radio station, at least cater to the demos that support the format. Streaming concerts, give aways (from trade outs) promotions etc. are proven attractions to listeners. Yankees Baseball on Nassau in this region has been floating around several stations for quite sometime with very little or no success. This could be a format killer for "The Bone." In this case, "the shot in the arm" you mentioned might as well be done by Dr. Kevorkian!

 

[jeffwoehrle]

Now I'm not saying that I think this is a good idea...but....WWYY is really a Stroudsburg area station, it only has a fringe signal in the Allentown market (at least that's what the signal coverage software says). 106.9 in Camden, NJ must interfere with WWYY in much of the Lehigh valley; it certainly wipes out WEZX in southern Luzerne County. Stroudsburg has a massive number of New Yorkers there....WABC always shows up in the ratings, for example. Having the Yankees on a Stroudburg station makes a lot of sense.....now putting baseball on an FM (that's not all sports)....that's another story.

Kevin,

Nassau has two viable AMs in Monroe that would work well for this Yankees experiment. Now, neither one is much of a signal...(probably comparable to what 107.1 provides in the LV, but I digress) but would provide a service to the transplants ye mention.

Let's not lose sight of the fact that this is Nassau. Not exactly a brain trust even when they had some money to spend...

 

[plooker]

I can see Pro football on an FM Rocker(see 94.1 WYSP) That is a nice fit for their demo, and its in a non rated throw away slot.

But Jeez!!! WTF!! I mean really, I am peeing my pants I'm laughing so hard.

This is what happens when after massive cost cuttings and firings(and Nassau is not the only station guilty of this)
They lose the talented and motivated people, and keep the suck ups, and lowest paids, and you get this abomination, Baseball on the Bone....
Hey, I got another show idea for Mr Musselman & Mr. Sheridan. If they really want the high end Demos, why don't they go after the cigar afficianado types, the afluent crowd who doesn't mind paying $10 for a nice cigar. Have a show about stogies.... They can call it...

BONE SMOKING!!!!!

Wait, wait, maybe a show about how to bring illegal drugs into the country for all their degenerate listeners...

BONE SMUGGLING!!!!

You get the idea, I mean, hell nassau will do anything for a buck, and I know they have alot of Bone smoking/smuggling types in their employ.

WTG Gang, you'll be down to that 0.0 in no time at all! Clear Channel says thanks!

 

[Nokmo True]

I can see Pro football on an FM Rocker(see 94.1 WYSP) That is a nice fit for their demo, and its in a non rated throw away slot.

It's a nice fit at YSP because the team and the station are in the same city and in a city large enough to support a pro sports franchise, statistically you'll find a disproportionately sizable number of fans who will listen because there is a disproportionate number of fans to begin with.

In even marginally nearby markets, anyone who cares about "the team" is listening to the game ONLY if circumstances prevent them from watching the game. Baseball I can see slightly more than football just because it's 165 games versus 17 or 18 but really how hard is it to find any game anywhere on TV? I suspect the taxi-driving demo is huge in sports on the radio. How many taxis are there in Monroe County?

 

[plooker]

I think the biggest reason for the marketing failure of this station is very simple, and Mr. Fitzgerald kind of hints at it. They market themselves as "The Valleys Real Rock Station" When in fact they are a rimshot at best, and don't even cover alot of spots in the Lehigh Valley. When a listener hears that positioning statement, as he/she drives down Rt 22 or 78, and the station is constantly dropping out, do you think that inspires brand loyalty, or does it just p1ss them off???

If Nassau was honest and marketed the station realistically, they wouldn't be in this bad spot they're in currently, however, Honesty and Nassau are 2 words that will never go together..

A damn shame that their management has let these properties goto seed the way they have!

 

[trixter]

Well, it's a crying shame that this format on "The Bone" is only 1½ years old and according to the last book it showed some promise and now because of future idiotic programing, this format will take a dump! I believe once the baseball season is over, most of their core listeners will be gone. What Nassau doesn't realize about this particular fickled audience is that some listeners will not even tune in because it's not the "kewl" thing to listen too. The harm may not be reversable. Nassau may figure with the old notion, "WE CAN ALWAYS CHANGE FORMATS!" This gets old in the market place, almost laughable. Time is running out on Nassau and other corps that share their views.
Success comes to those who do not treat their listeners like a piece of meat thrown out to the wolves to enjoy.

 

[Radiodeity]

Well, the way I see it - maybe they could broadcast Golf on WSBG. After all, spring is on the way and maybe they could take in 50 or 60 bucks with the golf thing. Then they could hold out and broadcast Bowling on WVPO again. Problem though - they would have to find someone to take Ernie's place to do the play by play or should I say pin by pin commentary. Could be a problem though selling enough to pay the rent at the 960 site... but WTH, they made millions selling off the site to begin with so a few dollars loss won't be a problem since they planned for a rainy day... errrr... spent the wad on cigars and yachts... errr... I mean...

Awww... forget it... you get the idea...

Hope the bilge pump still works... they're gonna need it...

It's interesting watching the 'Me Generation' attempt to run an enterprise... look at the last eight years to get a typical overview...

(My 2¢ thank you... Carry on...)

Ha!

 

[dread pirate roberts]

Hey Geniuses-

The Yanks on the Bone will work and here's why. The Poconos and Eastern LV areas are loaded with transplanted New Yorkers and New Jersians (is that a word?). That's the area where the Bone's signal is strongest. The Yanks are the biggest franchise in pro sports...no offense to the Phils and their 2 World Championships, but the Yanks have 26. And like Stern, people who hate the Yanks are more likely to listen to the games. Plus there are a few people who like them too.

WEEX no longer carries the Yanks (they are carrying the IronPigs now). Way to pay attention.

And last time I checked, baseball games are played at 7:30pm, not 7:30am plus an occasional Thursday day game. People who want rock all day will still get it. This move will grow the cume guaranteed.

You may now resume your bitter and uninformed rant.

That is all.

 

[pdkiller]

Been watching this board as a lurker, but I gotta speak up in regard to this last numb nutz post..

Dreap [EDIT] Pirate Roberts...

Dude, Ever hear of afternoon games??? Why, yes, believe it or not, if your a fan of the sport(like I am) There are lots of 1pm games during the season, and not all during the weekends(especially during the summer you idiot.)

So, a Nassau employee has finally been lured out of the pits of hell, away from their great leader Rick Mussel.. er.. Satan.

I can understand you defending your company, but even you must understand that Baseball on an FM rocker is probably the stupidest idea of all time, no matter what daypart its in..

FAIL is written all over this clusterfrack...

Unfrackenbelievable!!!

Maybe you should worry more about your job their Pirate, since in a few months after this genius programming move, you will be working for an actual Pirate station!


[EDIT-namecalling]

 

[stoshman]

i'm enjoying a good laugh here,please keep the comedy coming....the move should generate some cash and you have to remember, radio is a business, dying or whatever but the goal is to make money.........money buys yachts so i hear...

 

[dread pirate roberts]

Ahh, pdkiller. The name says it all. Disgruntled former on-air personality. Probably a part-timer. Someone with a passion for radio but no knowledge of the business end. And as Stoshman deftly points out, this move will bring in revenue. Aligning yourself with the biggest brand in sports is never a bad move. And there are FAR more Yankees fans out there than fans of all the other regional teams combined.

Way to keep it classy with the last post. I won't stoop to your level of namecalling. When you roll around in the mud with pigs, all you get is dirty.

Yes there are some day games. 17 to be exact. That's 17 out of 162 if you're keeping score. I don't think any fans of rock will take 107.1 off the presets because they came across a Yankee game on a Thursday afternoon.

But I do so look forward to your reply. I like those veiled naughty words...very clever!

 

[trixter]

Well, I am a former GM, PD, MD, DJ and all between. I am happily retired and enjoyed radio when the listeners meant something to the company. You guys have 2 AM'rs, WVPO AND WPLY. Used them instead of treating them like a bad stepchild! Nevertheless, I'm sure WZZO and Clear Channel welcomes the move. I would bet Z95 is already on top of this to lure listeners away during the games and to KEEP THEM as well. Have you guys thought about the consequences with this move concerning Arbitron? I'm sure Clear Channel has! LOL! Once again in a previous post, I stated what little you gain in an older demo during the games will be wiped out by the defections of your younger core. I'm sure the sales dept. meetings will be a "boiling pot" late this fall once the baseball season is over! And by the way, have fun programing when the weather turns ugly. Please don't forget about "delay of games" when the games seem to run forever or perhaps the dreaded unscheduled "double header!" Tell whatever listeners you have left that you will get back with them when you will return to music.

Ahh, pdkiller. The name says it all. Disgruntled former on-air personality. Probably a part-timer. Someone with a passion for radio but no knowledge of the business end. And as Stoshman deftly points out, this move will bring in revenue. Aligning yourself with the biggest brand in sports is never a bad move. And there are FAR more Yankees fans out there than fans of all the other regional teams combined.

Way to keep it classy with the last post. I won't stoop to your level of namecalling. When you roll around in the mud with pigs, all you get is dirty.

Yes there are some day games. 17 to be exact. That's 17 out of 162 if you're keeping score. I don't think any fans of rock will take 107.1 off the presets because they came across a Yankee game on a Thursday afternoon.

But I do so look forward to your reply. I like those veiled naughty words...very clever!

 

[dread pirate roberts]

There sure are a lot of programming/management gurus on these boards. I am humbled. Not sure why you think I am an employee...just someone in the business who has a different opinion. Full disclosure: I am a Yanks fan. That being said, every programmer out there is guilty of over analyzing the reaction of listeners to change. Take off the GM?PD?DJ? hat for a minute. You don't listen the same way the average Joe listens. They are in and out when it's convenient. I sincerely doubt The Bone will be turned off in office buildings because of a Yankees game. If it were an AC, then yeah, dumb move.

And if I owned those AMs I would definitely use them for something serviceable.

We will see how it pans out...one thing is for certain, the Yanks are a viable product no matter the medium. And unlike music, it is appointment listening.

I'll be anxious to see what the ratings say. Be sure to update me when the first book comes out. I guess that would be Spring?

If it goes the way most of you think, then you can say, I told you so. Won't that make you all feel giddy?

Let go of the anger...it's not healthy.

 

[zombie78]

This thread has been very entertaining. So much so, I had to register...to reply.

I'm an avid rock fan, especially of 107 the Bone. From my standpoint, I think this is an excellent move!!! While I may not always sit and listen to a whole ball game, it will be great to have an outlet in the area that I can tune in and catch a pitch or a score after the sun goes down, unlike WEEX (in my area at least). I remember when WVPO/WILT (now WPLY) carried Yankees games. Those signals are shoddy at best even during the day. A little maintenance on those sites should be done...but that aside I think this will prove to be an excellent move. I won't be removing the bone from my presets...and I'll get all the rock I want anyway, when there aren't games.

If worse comes to worse after the season's over, and if ratings are lost (which I don't think will happen, or be much of a problem) I'm sure Nassau will focus on restoring the lost audience and not sign up for another Yankees contract next year on the bone.

Don't be looking at these stations for a good laugh...these people are trying their hardest! Kudos to Gina and Scotty, gotta love em. Even the weekenders seem like cool people. Fr a real laugh...try tuning into some non comm college stations in the Stroudsburg area. LOL. Especially recently, they sound like they are going to crash and burn anytime! Those frequencies are for fun, but WOW, they have taken a downhill dive. Maybe these stations should consider little league sports and throw the S-bomb and the F-bomb into the commentary.