What do You want n Ft. Wayne Radio?

Garr · Post by **Garr** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 9:10 am

I appreciate your response, man. Honestly I do, but I was holding my breath and waiting for the "Reasons we can't do what you think we should do after asking you what we should do" post. We got it just in time for the holidays.

Instead of excuses or reasons not to do something, I think it would be FAR more productive to think in terms of how something could be done that would be a step in that direction. I hear new singles break ALL the time on your station and I don't turn the channel. I listen and take it in. Are you honestly telling me that throwing in a new local song once or twice a day is going to destroy your ratings? I don't know jack about jack, but that smells like a steaming pile.

As far as remotes to local shows go. . .make it a contest and a giveaway. Get someone to sponsor it and do one a month. So, yeah, you can't pop out every Friday and Saturday to say hi to the locals who are busting their asses to bring live music to the Fort, but you can take a step in the right direction.

Remember Bob and take baby steps, or this is you!

Silencio · Post by **Silencio** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 9:25 am

- bitter old crank mode ON

This is why commercial radio blows.

We should keep it coming so you can continue to tell us why everything we suggest can't be done? That's swell. Then just keep doing things exactly the way you're doing 'em, and see if that generates enough interest to buy you a couple points in the next book. Keep bringing PD's in and firing them 6 months later... THAT'LL get things cookin'. Yeah, internet-based music surveys? You know that's working... check out our awesome playlist!

You could keep doing that... or you could try to imagine WHY ANYBODY LISTENED TO THE RADIO IN THE FIRST PLACE and then see if you couldn't move back in that direction. You could join the whole creeching world in working toward improving the "User Experience." You could learn from stations like The Krush, or you can just keep on plodding along in bronto fashion til you keel over.

My point is this: most of this discussion is furthering the tired construct that smart, creative, listener-driven radio can't make money, and that construct is a lie. You just have to have smart, creative, listener-driven people to do it.

Lemme know when you find a couple.

- bitter old crank mode OFF

Honestly, Drew, this isn't intended as a personal indictment of you or any specific radio professional. But when you ask people what they want, and then tell them why they can't have it, or why you imagine you're already giving it to them... well, it's not real good PR. You would have done better to not ask.

Extra points to anyone who recognizes the phrase "whole creeching world."

Oliver's Army · Post by **Oliver's Army** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 9:51 am

Drew Cage · Post by **Drew Cage** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 9:54 am

I don't take any of this as an attack on me or my station. My whole point of this was to see what people wanted and see if there were any original ideas to be had in here, but I found what I expected with the same complaints that we as a company have addressed and can't do anything about. What I tried to do is to explain why things are the way they are. We would like nothing more than to please everyone but it just can't be done.

I am trying to take steps in the right direction with things like the "Music Advisory Panel" link I posted, how can you complain about us asking you if you like our music? I thought thats what you wanted. I was serious when i said that we look at these every week when we move our music around and decide what should play more and what should play less. There is no reason for someone not to be a part of that survey if they want to see a change. We give you a direct way into the decision making when it comes to music. If you choose not to use it, thats not our fault.

The Local Concert Thing- Getting it sponsered and mentioned is a good idea, I will talk to the new "Local Licks" host Jerrdog about it. I think that its a good thing to try and sponser shows like this. But, let me warn you, I'm not the one that would come up with the money to sponser it. It would have to be a business or something and it would be a tough sell.

It wouldn't kill our ratings to play a local band every once in a while, thats true. But again, you have to look at it from a business standpoint. We want as many people listening for as long as possible and the general public wants to hear their favorite song and they want to hear it often. Not saying that there's not people who love new music, I'm one of them, but most people don't. Thats why we break new bands slowly, it starts at night. If you ant new stuff, listen after midnight. As the song grows and judging by people's response to it on that panel that I talked about, it eventually gets more airplay.

So to play a local band, it has to take the place of someone's favorite song and may cause them to change the station. Not saying that anyone here would do so but it does happen. And going back to what I said earlier, the majority of people listening to radio in Ft. Wayne do not care about local music. I'm sorry but its true. If they did you would see huge crowds at sunset for a show. Its not that people don't know about these bands its that they don't care. When we get bands opening slots on national concerts, they may make a few new fans but the majority of people don't care.

I'm not saying that the music is bad, but it is very difficult to break a band in Ft. Wayne.

We do bring people in and ask them what they like and don't like about our station, I mentioned it before. Thats why our Heavy Metal How was extended for another hour, because people asked for it. You can do the same thing. Unfortunatly it will take people to actually get out and get involved to make a change, if you don't like it we give you the opportunity to change it but its up to you to get involved.

Trojan · Post by **Trojan** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 9:56 am

Local Music- I'm sure I'm not going to make any friends with this part but its the truth. Your average listener does not care about songs that they have never heard by bands they have never heard of.

You are right and I would have to agree with this statement. Would you ever consider sliding in a local group during the prime time of the broadcast day? If they have a good sound and fit a radio format and do it for about a week to see if people respond to it.

We found this out years ago when we started the Homegrown Show. It had horrible ratings,

I am going to upset a few people with my next statement but please understand I do support local music! I did listen to the Homegrown show and Local Licks and I can see why it had horrible ratings, Some of the bands that got airplay on those shows were not exactly ready for radio. I support all local music even if it is not the style of music I prefer. However if it is not good it should not be put on a 50,000 watt station. I have heard alot of really good bands that could be huge if they had someone get behind them. Sadly only a few of them were from the Fort. If you got a demo from an unsigned band in Whoville Mississippi and they were great put them on. That would raise the bar for the local groups to work a little harder and polish their material before sending off to the local radio station for airplay.

I have never worked in radio so I maybe way off base,but if a band is worth their salt and have good songs it should not mater if they are signed to a major label or not give them a shot. If you get no responce then drop them. If a band had success getting spins then WBYR could bost we found them and you heard them here first.

tiny · Post by **tiny** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 10:02 am

<jaded cynic mode ON>

Ok, Silencio. I fail to see how a public radio styled radio station--one located in a community smaller than Aboite Township (3 square miles), with a total of ten thousand people, with an average income twice that of Fort Wayne's, in the middle of a tourist driven millionaire's alcove of wineries on the fringe of San Francisco Bay-- can be held up as an example of what is possible here. Sorry.

At least Drew asked. All of his points were valid. You want live broadcasts promoting local music? Get the bars to pitch in to a general fund to pay for it....or get the musicians to kick a share of the gate back into the same fund. Either possibility is remote.

Local music? I point to X102 and the Homegrown show as prime examples of the local area's support of THAT concept. Sorry. A 0.0 rating (the last Homegrown show book) doesn't pay the bills.

Got a legitimate idea on how to make it better? Have at it. But don't blow Drew, or anyone else, grief because he asked the question, or because no one decided to piss away THEIR money to program to YOUR likes and dislikes. There are a couple of decent FM sticks for sale on Lower Huntington. If the format you describe is viable, maybe THAT is a place to start. A cool million and a quarter took X102 out of the mix....could Wombat 94.1 be next?!

Just an observation.

<jaded cynic mode OFF>

No hard feelings. Shake?

Oliver's Army · Post by **Oliver's Army** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 10:03 am

So the question here is more,

"What changes can the BEAR make, within its current format, operations, and methodology, that you would like to see?"

Drew Cage · Post by **Drew Cage** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 10:11 am

Trojan wrote:

I have never worked in radio so I maybe way off base,but if a band is worth their salt and have good songs it should not mater if they are signed to a major label or not give them a shot. If you get no responce then drop them. If a band had success getting spins then WBYR could bost we found them and you heard them here first.

We do, we play a lot of songs that you don't really hear on other stations throughout the country. A prime example is Egypt Central. They were an unsigned band out of Nashville that was getting some play on a local station down there and one of the DJ's there was friends with Stiller and we got some of their stuff and played it. Now they are a top band for us, but a nobody to the rest of the country. The same things goes for a band like Ra, granted they are a big name. But, truth be told they have not done much on the national scene since their first single. Not knocking the band, I love them and they are firends of mine and the station. Hinder is another band that we got behind before others. The first time they ever heard their song on any radio station was here in Ft. Wayne.

We do take a lot of chances with bands that we thing are good, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. We don't go around blowing our own whistle about it.

And I would never say that any local band isn't or won't be a big "radio" star in the future, I have nothing but respect for any artist who is willing to put their work on public display like that, but there are several reasons why we don't do it with local bands. Not saying that we wouldn't but it opens up a whole big can of worms that most people don't realize.

tiny · Post by **tiny** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 10:12 am

Ollie,

I think that's a very fair statement. No one is going to throw 16 years of heritage and programming out the window for ANY reason.

Drew is fairly new, and has a fire in his belly to do radio right....and do right by his listeners. That fire is pretty common here at Fed Med North, actually. You'd be hard pressed to find a better set of broadcasters than the collective group in our two buildings.

That being said, it IS a business. And needs to be viewed as such. The reason the Homestead and CCJHS stations can be as eclectic as they are is....drum roll please....they don't have to make money. In fact, they CAN'T. By law. When there's no bottom line, there's no pressure to make it.

My last post seemed harsh, upon reflection, but I let it stand. I'd love to play a 10,000 song playlist. McDonalds would probably love to serve steak and lobster. But we both do what we do, for sound business reasons. I don't know what anyone can do to change that.

Sorry.

PS: Tell me how to pay the light bill....and I'd love to work at the Krush.

Silencio · Post by **Silencio** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 10:13 am

Ooops, I slipped and submitted this while I was still typing.....

Garr · Post by **Garr** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 10:13 am

I have to support what he says there. You guys do support national markets that no one else does.

Now, I pose a question. . .

What set of criteria would an unsigned band's song have to meet to get consideration for regular (or even irregular) rotation?

Drew Cage · Post by **Drew Cage** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 10:28 am

Garr wrote: What set of criteria would an unsigned band's song have to meet to get consideration for regular (or even irregular) rotation?

I'm not in a position to give a definate answer to this, seeing as how I'm not the boss. From what I've seen, it has to do with quality of the song, does it fit with our format, do we have room, would people care.

If it would take away from us playing an accomplished "hit" song, we have to give priority to the "hit"

Garr · Post by **Garr** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 10:33 am

While thinking about local artist sponsors, I know that IPFW used to sponsor a lot of local music projects, but I don't know any of the specifics. I think that it would certainly be a direction to look into.

Also, since I didn't comment on it, the Music Advisory Panel thing, I'd heard of, but don't know much about. I'll have to check that out.

Garr · Post by **Garr** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 10:46 am

Oh yeah. . .and another thing. . .I've been saying for 10 years now that it's the people's fault that the music scene is so dead here. I've also been told that it's the same almost anywhere you go. There are approximately 250,000 people in Fort Wayne. I'd say that maybe 1/3 of those are in the age range to get out to shows. That's about 83,000 people. If you added up all the people who go see local artists' shows in Fort Wayne, I bet that it would be less than 800 total. That's less than ONE PER CENT here folks. . .

How sad is that? The numbers say it all. Fort Wayne doesn't give a sh*t about you.

Silencio · Post by **Silencio** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 10:51 am

So, tiny, you think The Krush (which is not anything like "public radio," BTW, it's a rock station, who's signal doesn't stop at the border of Sebasatpol) is successful because Sonoma County is rich, smart and touristy? I guess that means it can't work in Fort Wayne because Fort Wayne is poor, dumb and nobody wants to come here.

Let me restate my illegitmate ideas:

1. Fire the consultants and program with your ears, taking in community feedback by phone, by e-mail and, most important, face to face. This does NOT mean programming a bunch of obscure junk and local bands... it means playing hits, ALL the hits, across a wide range of genres.

2. Position yourself as Fort Wayne's radio station, and I don't mean in that kitschy way everybody tries to, I mean "WOWOland" style.... as a true local resource.

3. Get involved in the community (and I don't mean getting hammered and telling slobbering dirty jokes at a bikini contest in a bar, I mean real community involvement).

4. Encourage your listeners to feel a sense of ownership.

Now, how are those not legitimate ideas?