Well, I feel I should preface my comments by saying that I have a soft spot in my heart for WZAT. I'm proud to list those calls on my resume but I'm also sad to see the state in which the station finds itself so many years later. I've been in the biz a long time and I'm far removed from Georgia at this point. However, when I get back to visit friends and family, it's been a depressing listen to hear the wreck that the once mighty Z has become. I've read the old posts. I'm not a "z basher". Quite the contrary. I would love nothing more than to see this station rise from the ashes. But let's face facts.
Z has had many opportunities to rebuild itself and I've watched with anticipation (albeit from afar) everytime a new PD has been crowned the "great white hope" for the station. A number of talented people have recently passed through the halls. A series of great PDs have made their way through Savannah all faced with the same task: rebuild this sleeping giant. All have failed. Not because they were incapable but because they were stifled by the corporate powers-that-be. Some were fired (JT & Dylan); others threw their hands up and left (Rickman). Most have gone on to bigger and better things and proven their talents in other roles (Dylan as a personality in Nashville, Rickman as the programming big cheese for Urban Radio Broadcasting). There have been many others but those are the two that I have been able to locate.
It seems to me that new ideas for the station are greeted with indifference in favor of a tired retread of "more of the same": the JJ "Hot Ac-CHR" mutt that delivers mediocre ratings nationwide. Take a look at the latest sample. As far as I can tell, the "new big idea" for the station is to throw up a few new billboards and debut (gasp) a shiny, kinda-new logo. The library is the same. The imaging is the same. The jocks still have no real personality. Bob and Sheri Mornings? Really? That's the solution?
Look, I know it's all been said before but the only thing that is going to revitalize WZAT is a serious facelift. Either go head to head with Kiss or re-brand as something completely different.
Now before the guys across the street get all high and mighty let me remind them that they are also nothing more than a CC "standard-issue" CHR. There's nothing special about that station either. It "wins" (and I echo the previous poster who reminded us all that we're talking about two stations battling it out for FIFTH in the market) because it's more focused. Kudos to you for being able to copycat the major market Top 40s better than WZAT. Really? Is that all you've got? Nothing special for Savannah, huh?
Here's the be-all-end-all. Savannah is a more intelligent market than most of our corporate brethern give it credit for. The reason these CHRs languish in the latter half of the numbers is that they are generic, bland and, frankly, half-assed stations that are after-thoughts when it comes to the all mighty bottom line. The Urbans (and to a lesser degree, the Country properties) rule the roost. The rules have changed in Savannah and instead of introducing new concepts, the corporate giants have chosen to cling to the old tried and true which is now tired and losing momentum fast.
Now, having said that, I want to make clear that I am NOT faulting anyone sitting behind the mic or even behind a desk at KISS or Z-102. We all know that your hands are tied by guys hundreds of miles away. You can't make the changes your soul may tell you to make. It's not your cross to bear. The fault lies with the corporate office. But, if they want to continue losing money...that's their perogative. You'll likely just be another casualty along the way.
I just wish some of you could have seen WZAT when it was a monster. It was truly something to proud of. I'm still proud to call it the station where I cut my teeth. It's just embarassing to see what it has become. I mean, the station's Wikipedia entry actually boasts about the new logo! Yeah! Wow. That's...um...impressive.
"In April 2007, Z102 unveiled a new logo, with a green Z and yellow numbers, replacing the old logo, a red Z with black numbers." - Wikipedia, WZAT
Note that I'm not disgruntled (I left on top in the early 90s); just disapointed (I cry when I visit this board).
K.T.
Z has had many opportunities to rebuild itself and I've watched with anticipation (albeit from afar) everytime a new PD has been crowned the "great white hope" for the station. A number of talented people have recently passed through the halls. A series of great PDs have made their way through Savannah all faced with the same task: rebuild this sleeping giant. All have failed. Not because they were incapable but because they were stifled by the corporate powers-that-be. Some were fired (JT & Dylan); others threw their hands up and left (Rickman). Most have gone on to bigger and better things and proven their talents in other roles (Dylan as a personality in Nashville, Rickman as the programming big cheese for Urban Radio Broadcasting). There have been many others but those are the two that I have been able to locate.
It seems to me that new ideas for the station are greeted with indifference in favor of a tired retread of "more of the same": the JJ "Hot Ac-CHR" mutt that delivers mediocre ratings nationwide. Take a look at the latest sample. As far as I can tell, the "new big idea" for the station is to throw up a few new billboards and debut (gasp) a shiny, kinda-new logo. The library is the same. The imaging is the same. The jocks still have no real personality. Bob and Sheri Mornings? Really? That's the solution?
Look, I know it's all been said before but the only thing that is going to revitalize WZAT is a serious facelift. Either go head to head with Kiss or re-brand as something completely different.
Now before the guys across the street get all high and mighty let me remind them that they are also nothing more than a CC "standard-issue" CHR. There's nothing special about that station either. It "wins" (and I echo the previous poster who reminded us all that we're talking about two stations battling it out for FIFTH in the market) because it's more focused. Kudos to you for being able to copycat the major market Top 40s better than WZAT. Really? Is that all you've got? Nothing special for Savannah, huh?
Here's the be-all-end-all. Savannah is a more intelligent market than most of our corporate brethern give it credit for. The reason these CHRs languish in the latter half of the numbers is that they are generic, bland and, frankly, half-assed stations that are after-thoughts when it comes to the all mighty bottom line. The Urbans (and to a lesser degree, the Country properties) rule the roost. The rules have changed in Savannah and instead of introducing new concepts, the corporate giants have chosen to cling to the old tried and true which is now tired and losing momentum fast.
Now, having said that, I want to make clear that I am NOT faulting anyone sitting behind the mic or even behind a desk at KISS or Z-102. We all know that your hands are tied by guys hundreds of miles away. You can't make the changes your soul may tell you to make. It's not your cross to bear. The fault lies with the corporate office. But, if they want to continue losing money...that's their perogative. You'll likely just be another casualty along the way.
I just wish some of you could have seen WZAT when it was a monster. It was truly something to proud of. I'm still proud to call it the station where I cut my teeth. It's just embarassing to see what it has become. I mean, the station's Wikipedia entry actually boasts about the new logo! Yeah! Wow. That's...um...impressive.
"In April 2007, Z102 unveiled a new logo, with a green Z and yellow numbers, replacing the old logo, a red Z with black numbers." - Wikipedia, WZAT
Note that I'm not disgruntled (I left on top in the early 90s); just disapointed (I cry when I visit this board).
K.T.
