Re: WMEX to end all-local talk

[dan.strassberg@att.net]

Well, it just might be--as others have said--that you're 
writing WMEX's obit prematurely. After Dave Faneuf wrote 
yesterday that Dr Joy's gig on the WOR network runs from 
10:00 to noon (which are the hours when WCAP carries the 
show live), it occurred to me that perhaps Dr Joy will 
do what Gene Burns has been doing--a Boston-only version 
of a show that originates from an out-of-town location.

Of course, WMEX may carry the national show on tape. 
Carrying it after WCAP finishes airing it might be 
a requirement of WCAP's contract with WOR. As I 
understand it, the WOR network does not accept spot 
inventory in exchange for its programming. But I think 
we must wait until Monday, or maybe Tuesday, to see 
whether or not Boston gets a live show. Even if WMEX 
normally carries a delayed repeat of the birdfeed, 
the kickoff show might be live.

As for WMEX not having commercials--that's bunk. 
Initially, all of the spots were national and probably 
were almost given away at Web-auction sites for unsold 
spot inventory. Now, however, there are also many local 
commercials, mostly for restaurants, but also for a shoe 
store, a place that sells hardwood flooring, an office-
design firm (this one was probably bartered for 
work done on refurbishing the office space that WMEX 
occupies), and several other Boston-area businesses.
 
These, too, may be given away. Who knows? But I'd guess 
that the average spot load throughout the day is 12 to 
15 minutes per hour. Langer may very well not be 
covering expenses (my guess is that he's not) but the 
station does have a resonable number of local as well as 
national accounts and LOTS of spots (so many in fact, 
that Larry Glick complained to Alex Langer about them on 
the air when Langer interviewed him and Jerry Williams!)
 
> The whole idea of the station is that it was to be live & local
> "intellegent" talk.  Bringing in the bird is a sign that it's not
> working.  Langer can't continue paying all these local hosts if he isn't
> selling any time.  However, running shows off the bird homogenizes the
> station and destroys any kind of "uniqueness" and identity they were
> trying to build.  Usually, satellite talk on AM usually means that
> eventually the whole station will go that way.
> 
> Mike Thomas