Re: WFNX

[mamros@MIT.EDU]

Going back a little ways in this thread...

Rob Landry <umar@wcrb.com> speculates on a potential news format for FNX:
>I imagine it would be serious news with more local content than WBUR and
>less blood and scandal than WBZ.  But I haven't done any research, and the
>actual format might turn out to be quite different.

That pretty well reflects the sort of news that the Phoenix runs.  But
remember, the Phoenix is only a weekly paper - it would take a much
larger staff to keep a 24/7 (or even a 12/5) news radio operation going -
a far larger commitment to radio news (and especially local radio news)
than anyone's been able to muster in a *long* time...

Sean Smyth <ssmyth@tiac.net> mentions a "hot talk" format, but asks:
>That could be a false idea, though, because if they were, why would they
>let Tai slip out of their hands to a potential rival? Feel free to expond
>folks.

Maybe it's just money?  Odds are good that RKO is paying him better than
FNX was, even if just to play second banana to Marj...  And, judging from
the number of jocks FNX has lost to BCN et al over the years, it sounds
like they must not have heard of non-compete clauses in Lynn.

My take on FNX is that Phoenix kingpin Stephen Mindich isn't necessarily
in it for just ratings points; otherwise he would have thrown in the towel
ages ago.  FNX has been running more-or-less the same format for something
like 12-13 years now, and they've never had stellar ratings in all that time.
Unless FNX is or becomes too big of a financial drain on his media empire,
or unless someone makes him an offer he can't refuse (unlikely with the
pipsqueak 101.7 signal), he may very well stay put, even if BCN eats a
large chunk of his audience.  FNX has had a much bigger voice in the modern
rock arena (on a national as well as a local scale) than their ratings
would suggest, because of their longevity if nothing else.  I could see
them adding more talk to the mix if it looks promising, but I don't think
they'll dump music altogether, again unless FNX starts siphoning away more
of Mindich's $$$ than he feels he can afford.

- -Shawn Mamros
E-mail to: mamros@mit.edu

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