1.26.2007

 

Fresh: No Fluke?

I'm hearing a lot of establishments have made the switch to the new Fresh 102.7. I read an account where one dentist who had it locked on Lite for 15 years changed it earlier ths month to the former WNEW. Accounts like this are a sure sign that a competitor to WLTW was a long time coming. When you've got people getting wind of an alternative, and finally changing their dials to hear it, that pretty much tells you all you need to know that the programming of Lite - and moreso, its vulnerability is mundane.

One can only imagine if CBS took the opportunity to bring "Fresh" or any other competitor to New York earlier on. Although I always thought that was the idea of the first incarnation of "Mix" in early 2004.

I'd also like to see if more radios made the switch to 102.7 when they went all-Christmas prior to that flip.

Of course, the sheer irony would be if the only establishments that don't have "Fresh 102.7" piped in are the ones that its logo tends to aim toward - laundromats.
 

Memo To WWRL: It's Miller Time

A 24-hour falling out at WWRL with Sam Seder led the Air America New York flagship to black him out Wednesday in favor of the syndicated Stephanie Miller, apparently whetting the growing 1600 audience's appetite for fresh left-talk. And from what I read, she was well-received. Seder returned Thursday to the 9 am-noon slot with little fanfare.

I'll be straight with you: I don't listen to WWRL not "progressive talk" programming, nor am I known to lean that way exlcusively. Also, I don't know Miller personally, and for the record, I don't even know where her show is syndicated out of. But the public has spoken, and they agree: It's Miller Time.

So WWRL, with that huge increase in the last book, you could make it a little bigger by adding her to the lineup full-time. Even if you have to put her or Seder on tape-delay, do it. Don't tease your listeners, or - allegedly - tell them it's an "Air America" show when they call to ask why Seder is not on the air.

And if Access1 (1600's owner) won't do it, maybe Air America can pull a Springer-esque deal and "buy" her show to put it on the network. If they can afford it, that is...

Briefly, it appears Richard French (owner of WRNN-TV, upstate NY) will become the new owner of the Air America network pending approval of the sale. He does an interesting show on WRNN and said he would farm himself out on the Air America network if he owned it. But with all due respect to Richard French, he should realize that Stephanie Miller's face value nationally trumps Richard French, and if he had to choose between one of them for the air, my advice: Tooth and nail, Rich. Fight tooth and nail for the rights to her show from Jones, just like the former AA owners dragged Springer away from Clear Channel. It would be a perfect fit and hopefully won't have disastrous results like the Springer deal.

Ironically, Springer is known universally for his talk show more than his radio work. Miller, few recall, had a failed late-night talker in 1995.
 

No Calm Before The Storm At My9

The New York Daily News reports Storm Field, WWOR/9 meteorologist for about a decade, was unceremoniously axed Wednesday night after the newscast. Field told the News he was "taken aback" by the move, and added: "There's a humane way to shoot somebody. Unfortunately, they chose to be inhumane about it."

While the article did not cite the reason for his dismissal, the second paragraph in the story refers to, ironically, Puente enduring a "similar ugly contract deal" at her former employer, WCBS/2.

While Field did not grant a comment to the New York Post, their story on this transaction today noted it's the first time "since the 1960's" that a Field - neither Storm nor his father Dr. Frank - has not done weather on New York TV.

If what went down at 9 Broadcast Plaza - or is it now 205 E. 67th, I don't know - is as "inhumane" as the younger Field said it was, I do wish him all the best, and he certainly shouldn't have a problem landing another gig - if not here, then elsewhere. Someone with that much experience should be given a fair opportunity.

For example - and with all due respect to Storm, if you did a word association with me and asked the first word that comes to mind when you say "WWOR" and "weather", my word would be, "HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Yup, good ol' Lloyd Lindsay Young. In case you're wondering how he's doing these days, he's actually in Bakersfield right now doing the weather for McGraw-Hill's KERO ABC 23 News. And not only is he still doing the "HELLOOOOOOOO" schtick (and allowing viewers to write in who they want him to say "HELLOOOOOOOO" to on the air), he's also accepting suggestions as to what to use as a pointer (look for the button on 23's site called "Get to the Point" for more information).

As far as the hiring of Tito Puente's daughter at WWOR, clearly it shouldn't be compared to CBS putting Katie Couric in the anchor chair over at CBS. Audrey actually knows what she's doing, and has a passion for it, to boot. And with WWOR previously shooting for the ethnic demos under its former affiliation with UPN, and now aiming at the ladies with their "My" branding, Audrey and My9 seem like a perfect fit. I guess that contract dispute at WCBS/2 that Huff refers to could be the best thing that ever happened to her. She's got a bright future ahead of her, and WWOR seems like the best launching pad. Who knows, after 25 years, she may have made the rounds with the other area stations like her predecessor, Storm Field. But hopefully, News Corp. won't drop the ball when they get to that bridge. Don't blow it, Channel 9.

1.04.2007

 

The New Stale 102.7.

Where to begin... Has CBS really stooped so low as to model a radio station after laundry detergent or - worse, Massengill products? "Fresh 102.7"? The "soft music" station? That'll definitely take some getting used to.

I mean, you want to finally put together a station that can take a run at WLTW, whose vulnerability after the recent cutbacks and other changes (e.g. Delilah) has nowhere to go but up? Props to you. But with a few exceptions, it is never a good idea to position your station after an adjective. Just ask "Fickle 93.3" up in Rochester, or even the former WTFM here in New York - you know, "Mellow T"? Ironically, one of the songs you will probably never hear on Fresh 102.7? "Fresh" from Kool & The Gang, since his music is not "contemporary" enough, according to someone from CBS.

Actually, I think I see what CBS is trying to do here: They're trying to create a niche format with a certain set of songs from a certain generation, then wait for the ratings to go higher and effectively start putting it on other stations across the country. (See KCBS-FM aka Jack in L.A.)

But what they're really doing with this format is actually rewriting history - and I'm talking the dubious kind. See, New York already had this kinda format - and I'm not talking about back in the spring of 2003, pre-Blink. Raise your hand if you remember a "big" station with Danny Bonaduce in the morning? Right - "Big 105", whose soccer mom-geared playlist Fresh appears to be copying most, if not all, of. But wait, there's more: Remember when WRFM switched to WNSR - which stood for "New York's Soft Rock"? And it eventually evolved into "Mix 105" - which, you guessed it, was another brilliant format idea for 102.7?

You see what's happening here, folks: Every single format - fabled and failed - that had ever existed on 105.1 FM post-WRFM and pre-WWPR, is having a resurrection in some form on 102.7. We've heard "Mix", whose playlist was mostly similar to that of the old Jammin' 105; now we get a station pretty much modeled like Big 105, and in addition, pushing a playlist of "soft" songs, like the old WNSR. Really, how long until they bring back Abby & John for afternoons?

And your liners - yes, we know you're going after the already diluted female demographics, okay, we get it! Why should each liner sound like a Maybelline jingle? Granted, while I'm clearly out of 102.7's demos, to be fair, I should say that some of the older songs - just like Big before it - were ones that I "grew up" with. After all, why should I write that the station is the most emasculating frequency on your dial? Music is music. (Although I should add you will never find me caught dead listening to anything from Sylvester or Village People.)

Which brings me to the death of WNEW-FM. Yup, they're finally dropping the vaunted call letters - but they're parking them on a station in West Palm Beach, which has yet to be determined. How funny would it be if they quietly moved those calls to their station on 107.9 to replace WIRK? Yes, they stress their calls, but they also position themselves as "today's hot new country". Hey, all you radio know-it-alls, those of you who predicted country on WNEW-FM, your wish has come true!

So the new calls will be WWFS. Which, even if Fresh decomposes, would still be pretty good call letters if they ever did want to go country with "The Wolf" - although my proposal of country on 92.3 WFNY-FM would fit a little more - alas, there goes Opie & Anthony's shot at returning to 102.7.

Of course, country on WNEW would be even more ironic.
 

Happy New Year.

If there's one New Year's resolution I have - forgive me if it isn't keeping this blog updated regularly. And I know there's a sizeable audience that enjoys reading even the older posts. Why, just the other day, someone commented on a Delilah post about a couple months ago. Hey, I'll take all the comments I can get at this point, but even if you wish not to leave your mark, I'm grateful for the eyes. I know I've even cut back on a lot of the format flip scoops of late (and no, I wasn't asked to do so, in case you're wondering - yet, anyway). Balancing between my work schedule and free time and contributions to The Radio Racket (not necessarily in that order) made it a challenge to keep the blog - no pun intended - fresh.
 

The Radio Exercise Game.

And if you need a little motivation losing those horrid holiday pounds - and you just happen to be a radio geek - here's a fun little game you can play on the exercise bike at your gym. Try alternating between speeds, high and low. For example: I'm Lite-FM: I'm hovering my speed over 6.0... I'm Power 105 or Hot 97: I'm over 4.0 - now it's the winter - below 4.0 - summertime again - back over 4.0... I'm any CBS Radio FM station in New York: I'm struggling below 2.0... Try it, it's a lot of fun.
 

Was It Q - Or Was It TDK?

This may prove how long it took me to post on my blog again, but better late than never: Once again last December, Q104.3 had another great week of broadcasting with its annual "Rock Marathon", whose auction proceeds benefitted Billy Joel's Charity Begins At Home foundation. Now, a good cause is a good cause, but this begs the question: Since this was done shortly after Clear Channel's decision to do away with live overnight programming, does anyone know if hours 16-21, 40-45 and so forth were voicetracked? I actually did listen at one point during the wee hours and it was really hard to tell.

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