Zach is Back!!!

[Buddy Shula]

Thank you David. I truly appreciate that, and again, my apologies for talking with my emotions and not thinking first when I replied to you. That is the part of me I have to change!

 

[Buddy Shula]

Well said.
For whatever reason tbolt gets off on tearing down people who still think radio is viable. Why? What does tbolt care what Buddy does? Clearly Buddy thinks what he plans will work or he wouldn't throw more money at WECK than tbolt will EVER make.

Thank you Rob

 

[SirRoxalot]

Good luck, Buddy. It'll be interesting listening to some of the guys you've got lined up. I hope you have fun and make enough money to keep everybody happy. They know something about service the "public interest, convenience, and necessity." That alone will be a refreshing change for some listeners.

 

[davideduardo]

Rusty, I'm sure that the major operators in town will pay attention to Buddy, but I doubt that they're worried much about the niche market that he's pursuing. There's simply not enough money in the 65+ market for them. Radio is heading deep into "automated buying" that allows the folks who are used to buying Google ads to buy airtime with the click of a mouse button. Big advertisers will want much broader and younger audience.

While programatic automated buying is a trend at the big shops in the media center cities, it's not used by smaller local and regional agencies and certainly not by local direct accounts. Only 22% of the roughly $52 million a year in radio billings in Buffalo comes from non-local national accounts.

So a station can live nicely by biting off a piece of the remaining $40 million in local direct and local agency money. Look at WBEN, where 75% of the AQH audience is over 55. They are #2 in billings and very close to the top biller in Buffalo. And that is because local direct accounts don't have those strict age barriers they never cross.

 

[flybynight]

what precludes the large corporations that own these stations from buying or using an existing translator, feeding it with one of their FM HD channels, and programming oldies or a standards-oldies hybrid to roadblock WECK?

Omg....lol....I needed that.

You are such a card!

 

[davideduardo]

Objective question: It's almost certain that Entercom, Townsquare and Cumulus have a few eyes and ears on WECK. Presuming the station steals a few shares from WBEN, WHTT or WYRK, what precludes the large corporations that own these stations from buying or using an existing translator, feeding it with one of their FM HD channels, and programming oldies or a standards-oldies hybrid to roadblock WECK? Could the corporate operators LMA WJJL or WXRL and program it to compete with WECK? From what I've read, large radio corporations will do just about anything to protect their franchises. iHeart (which does not operate in Buffalo) has signed agreements with religious operators that own translators in the commercial band, programming the translators to protect their larger stations from losing listeners to upstart competitors.

Buddy can confirm, but I think there are lots of clients for whom "big" radio is too expensive, and for whom print is losing its effectiveness that will welcome a new way of reaching consumers. This option that Buddy is building has a good chance of bringing new dollars into radio, particularly from print, direct mail and other non-broadcast media. If I were building such a station, I'd go after those dollars first...

One of the big clusters is not going to "roadblock" a station they do not feel is significant competition.

 

[Buddy Shula]

I would say "expensive" is a relative term. AS long as advertisers are getting ROI from their investments, nothing is too expensive. WECK will lead with client ideas, not price. The price will be going up quickly. However, nothing beats a great idea! This especially appeals to local direct advertisers. If a local advertiser trying to reach 50 plus in Buffalo uses WBEN and WECK, and WHTT. They will do a great job reaching the demo. I am guiding them to utilize all three stations.

 

[Rusty Bridges]

Omg....lol....I needed that. You are such a card!

try the veal, they say it's to die for... And tip the waiters, they work for peanuts.

 

[Element9]

If a local advertiser trying to reach 50 plus in Buffalo uses WBEN and WECK, and WHTT. They will do a great job reaching the demo. I am guiding them to utilize all three stations.

Smart long term strategy.

 

[yugoidar]

Buddy, happy to see your apology to Dave Eduardo. I was surprised to see your reaction since he has been very supportive of your efforts in previous posts ever since your very early dust-up with him weeks ago regarding ratings and your success selling without using them.

It seems to me that your apology shows Buddy Shula's real character.

 

[davideduardo]

Buddy, happy to see your apology to Dave Eduardo. I was surprised to see your reaction since he has been very supportive of your efforts in previous posts ever since your very early dust-up with him weeks ago regarding ratings and your success selling without using them.

It seems to me that your apology shows Buddy Shula's real character.

I can't blame Buddy for being a tad "hair triggered" as there have been a variety of unfounded and unwarranted criticisms of his efforts here. He has shown himself to be a real supporter of radio in tough times, which is something I really admire.

Of course, Buddy took some flack when with WBEN that was mostly due to the content on the stations; Buddy was the sales person and he knew that the station had a big audience which he admirably monetized.