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Z97.1

F

FM Boy

So what's the new Z97 sound like? I saw their new logo on a myspace page and saw their slogan is "Your Hit Music Station", and also their logo shows Z97.1, rather then just Z97. Who's doing the voiceover, how do they sound, etc.??

Also, what is their website being 971kiss.com is no longer in use.
 
Aside from the very good people that work there, it seems like Pamal higher up gurus just decided without a plan to change the station back to Z 97. All the imagining just seems to be a re-use of the Kiss imaging just now saying Z 97 instead. I'm not sure who is going the imaging, sounds similar if not exact to the CC person who did the Kiss drops. The new logo is pretty weak in my opinion, something deserving of a boring a/c station as opposed to a supposedly happening CHR. Say what you will about the previous Z 97 logo that originated around 1990, it was good, simple, and effective. At least we are not hearing the totally horrible "Z 97 Always More Music" jingles that festooned the station until the end of 1994, after that the sun certainly rose on Dorr Drive !!
 
I think the dark days for Z are upon us...the imaging is standard for CHR, but sounds like the staff had a short time to put it together...if what I hear about Pamal management is true, the staff probably had just a few days of imaging time...Voice guy sounds like Sean Caldwell...

Is Z taking talent from Fly 92 Albany? Mick Lee is on middays...does he make the drive? Tracking from Albany?

As for Pamal "gurus"...I don't think they had a plan...the Rutland management doesn't believe in CHR...hopefully, after Z flutters in the wind, they'll pull someone from Fly to help...or go all jazz.... ::)
 
I have to say, Z was sounding its best just before the KISS switch. They added AJ who sounded more "big-market", and new voiceover and imaging. Even KISS sounded more "big-market" as well. I've been out of VT since July of last year, so haven't heard it since. It would be a shame to see the new Z go down the drain being its a CHR powerhouse in terms of signal. I do like the new Z logo however.
 
I like the Z logo used just before the Kiss change...one thing for Clear Channel, they know how to make a logo...AJ was great on 97.1..now he's waiting for doom at 92.1 Kiss.

Maybe we should all get ready for 97.1 smooth jazz or Oldies 97 :-X
 
I hardly think that the Pamal gurus would ever put a format on to compete or canabalize from WJJR :eek:
 
I doubt you would be shocked at that DAG...I fully expect a WEBK style cleaning of house within the next few months...at soon to be Oldies 97 8)
 
I have to disagree. Z is the only format of its kind serving the area it does. From what i've seen, it's ratings are pretty well in its area. Changing Z to an oldie's format would be the dumbest decision made. Not sure of who the PD is at Z, but the right person can do good things for 97-1. Musically they are doing pretty well with banging out the hits.
 
Knowing the staff at Z 97 and whatever staff from Z 97 that is scattered amongst the Pamal cluster.. I do give a high amount of credibility to their ability to do radio the proper way.. They have seen it done, and they know the drill.. I can certainly tell you from first hand experience that if you wanted to get a station promo anytime in the first quarter, you'd have a fair chance monday - wednesday, and the rest of the time you'd hear it at 2:00 am, that's how full the commercial load was... Been there, done that, and done that extremely well !! ;D
 
No doubt the staff at Z is capable of doing the job the "right" way...the problem is that Pamal doesn't want to recognize that...nor will they. Air staff to Pamal is dirt...salestaff for Pamal is dirt. As long as the current management is in place, it will remain that way and it will show, and has shown in the product. You mention, DAG, how full the commercial log was...how full is it now? Take a listen and notice how little advertising and promotion is on Z and that was on Kiss since January. Take a listen to WSYB and notice all the PSAs (all the same PSAs) that run EVEN DURING THE RED SOX...

I'll bet it gets worse for the staff at Pamal before it gets better. They'll either take the garbage from management and continue on, or you'll hear nothing but imaging between songs because they won't have any jocks. Or maybe Kenny G will return to Z? James on Z? Nancy Gordon on Z? I still like the smooth jazz 97-1 idea... :-\
 
When Excalibur owned the palatial estate on Dorr Drive where Z 97 and WSYB eminate from, one of their important core values was "relationships were built on the foundations of mutual trust and respect".. The staff there was greatly appreciated by management. Those were great words to live by, no matter how one may interpret them. Nassau uses the a similar type core value statement since there is some very mportant lineage between Excalibur and Nassau.

Z 97 / Kiss-FM have not overly changed the commercial stopsets all that much going back 10+ years. The years I am talking about are roughly the winter months from the early 1990's to the early 2000's. The folks there ate up, "The Official Ski and Ride Station" handle, and the business was thriving in a huge way in the first quarter, when traditionally that is usually the worst quarter for advertising dollars. (Hence the name, "White Sale"...) I can easily tell you just by listening that you can drive a Mack truck through the commercial logs, and not a lot trees are being expended to generate the commercials logs at this time. I'm sure the business will grow. Like I've said many times before, the folks that are now Pamal Employees that have spent time on Dorr Drive during the Excalibur and Clear Channel years are very good, top notch, intelligent people. They get it. Remember, "Mutual Trust and Respect" is a good thing !! The Red Sox have traditionally been good sellers, by people who know how to sell and believe in WSYB. The Yankees never appeared to sell gangbusters on WEBK, though I like hearing the New York City WCBS commercials there".

Smooth Jazz on 97.1 ? Can't see that or Oldies.. Maybe on an HD FM channel, or better yet, XM or Sirius. Boston, Albany, Hartford, Providence, Portland ME, do not have smooth Jazz stations on traditional FM main signals. Oldies stations seem to be morphing at alarming rates into Classic Hit stations. New York City does not have an oldies station albeit WABC's Music Radio 77 night at the oldies on Saturday nights.
 
What happened to Judy? The Z kicked ass back when Keith Scott and Devon Foxx did nights and overnights. What happened to these guys. The station used to do weekend remotes at clubs in Lake George. It needs some excitement!
 
DAG...Again, I agree with you on the Z staff...however, there is just a handfull of the "old" staff left, now most likely beat down by the beast that runs Pamal...I remember well the days of the "official ski and ride station". Hopefully those days of glory will return for Z...I joke about jazz or oldies on 97.1...CHR belongs on 97.1...GOOD CHR belongs on 97.1...maybe a couple of bad quarters will force a revamped sales and promotions effort.

We'll see what happens...
 
Dean, the reason they don't do more in Lake george revolves around sales. A problem they have is silimar to many stations. Sales gets comfortable with the clients they have and don't want to go to far to get new ones. I know lake gearge isn't far but, the sales team is only focused on the general Rutland area. Progarmming would love to be back over in the lake george area, but nothing gets sold. Plus, when you pay little for talent, you can't get the type of jocks that know what they should do. All they afford are newbies. I am sure Devon would love to have it back to the way it was back then. The stories I heard were amazing.
 
I think I still have my Zachary's T-Shirts lyong around somewhere. Zachary's is no more. The Zachary's remotes were an absolute blast ! Lake Geo. in the summer time, hubba hubba !! ::) Keith Scott went off to bigger and better in Portland Maine, then off to Raleigh NC, not sure of his whereabouts today. He won a Mercedes SLK in a Radio and Records contest once upon a moon and he was great to work with. "Devon Foxx" in the Boxx ? I don't know, he was from Barre-Montpelier originally, his whereabout are unknown. He too, is quite talented.

Don't forget Pamal owns most of what's left of the former Vox cluster in Glens Falls including 100.3 WKBE, Froggy 107.1 Q101.7 and two AM's.. I'm sure there's some territorial issues in regards to selling.
 
Those were the days when the sales staff was hungry...and had motivation and pride in the stations they were selling...that doesn't exist at Pamal. The higher ups at Pamal, I think, do not know how to get that out of their sales staff...either in Rutland or maybe even higher, at Pamal HQ.
 
Dudeman, I believe the word you are looking for to define that time perhaps would be passion. Passion leads to station pride, motivation, a sense of urgency, and a feeling of satisfaction and spoils of a job well done. Considering all of that came of out of a building that was one of the dumpiest broadcast facilities around.. I'd have to say that's pretty good. Remember the old Boston Garden was a total 'ratpit', but then again the Celtics raised all of their 16 championship banners in there. Nuff said !
 
I think passion about ANY profession is wonderful. Until....the "passionate players" (and my apologies to the surviving members of the 70s rock group, Jethro Tull) realize that they're doing MOST OF THE WORK while one or two cling-ons are making all the money! :mad:

If this is the way "radio is done these days"----it's no wonder so many local listeners have begun to segue to satellite! :p

argytunes
 
The answer to an earlier question, the very talented Judy Anderson is now doing mornings on 94.5 Cat Country.
 
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