No more questions about WBOQ flipping formats; it happened this morning

[Dan Strassberg]

Well, now I KNOW that there is no reason for me to feel like an ass (at
least about WBOQ's format flip). The flip took place a day earlier than
predicted, but I didn't understand why it was rumored to be taking place on
a Tuesday. WBOQ (North Shore 104.9, your good-time favorites station)
is now just another birdfeed oldies station like how many others around
here? Seems like, given that the flip did happen, if anyone should feel
stupid about his post on this topic, it's you.

I guess I'm supposed to be glad that at least they aren't playing rap.

Just caught a promo that said that Jackie Ankeles, the woman who did middays
under the old format will be doing middays under the new oldies format, so I
guess I can't be sure how much of the programming will be birdfeed. I think
her program was voicetracked before and will undoubtedly be voicetracked
now. I believe that only the AM-drive show was done live. If the reason for
the flip wasn't that oldies is available via satellite, whereas the unique
blend of jazz renditions of pop standards by current artists isn't, and
satellite is cheaper to program than voice-tracking, then I don't understand
the reason for the flip. The old format definitely appealed to an upscale
audience and the station had a good spot load to show for its efforts. So is
this a personal thing with the new owner (he likes oldies? he likes owning a
station that sounds like 3000 others around the country?)

Maybe the problem was that the old format was too hard to explain to time
buyers who can't hear the station. Maybe the new owner thinks that
big-city-based time buyers will be more likely to make buys on a station
whose format they understand. Does he REALLY think he can attract national
buys to a Class A FM that can't be heard in most of the large market its
service area abuts? That's clear thinking! As far as I could tell, WBOQ
wasn't broken, so why try to to fix it? It still seems to me that it all
boils down to greed.

--
Dan Strassberg, dan.strassberg@att.net
eFax 707-215-6367

----- Original Message -----
From: Brian Vita <brian_vita@cssinc.com>
To: 'Dan Strassberg' <dan.strassberg@att.net>; 'Eli Polonsky'
<elipolo@earthlink.net>
Cc: 'Boston Radio Interest' <boston-radio-interest@bostonradio.org>
Sent: Friday, December 12, 2003 4:12 PM
Subject: RE: Maine's classical music radio network has been sold


>
>
> Brian T. Vita, President
> Cinema Service & Supply, Inc.
> 77 Walnut St. - Ste 4
> Peabody, MA  01960-5691 USA
> +1-978-538-7575 voice
> +1-978-538-7550 fax
> www.cssinc.com
>
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: boston-radio-interest-bounces@rolinin.BostonRadio.org
> > [mailto:boston-radio-interest-bounces@rolinin.BostonRadio.org]
> >  On Behalf Of Dan Strassberg
> > Sent: Friday, December 12, 2003 7:44 AM
> > To: Eli Polonsky
> > Cc: Boston Radio Interest
> > Subject: Re: Maine's classical music radio network has been sold
> >
> >
> > It's really too bad that somebody doesn't syndicate a format
> > similar to the one BOQ has been running until now. Aside from
> > WBOQ, the only place I know where one can pick up similar
> > formats is on satellite radio.
>
> First of all, WBOQ was essentially MOYL with a bit of NAC thrown in.  I
> actually listened to the station for the first time in recent history last
> week and was impressed with the sound but annoyed by the stopsets from
hell.
> They seemed to go on forever.
>
>
> > I guess that the locally produced format (though voice tracked in many
> > dayparts) was just too expensive for the greedy new owner
> > (even though he is a member of the Tanger family).
>
> Given the fact that we really don't know what's being done and that all
> that's being said is speculation, won't you feel like an ass if there are
no
> changes?
>
> > The people who really P!@# me off, though, are the
> > ones who say "gee, I hope they switch to smooth jazz." What
> > the H!@# is the matter with these idiots? What is it that
> > bothers them about real (albeit, light) jazz with
> > recognizable melodies? MUST the only "jazz" on commercial
> > radio be Kenny G 24/7?
> >
>
> Thirdly, Kenny G makes up very little of a smooth jazz rotation.  Right
now
> on the NAC charts you'll find David Sanborn (known for more traditional
> jazz), a number of covers of various Motown and R&B songs by Michael
> McDonald, Lee Rittenour, George Benson, etc.  What I hear on the smooth
jazz
> stations that I listen to when I travel and also off of XM is a strong
lean
> towards an upbeat Motown type sound.  Take a look at this week's R&R
chart:
>
> http://www.rronline.com/Charts/sj_Home.htm
>
> Brian T. Vita, President
> Cinema Service & Supply, Inc.
> 77 Walnut St. - Ste 4
> Peabody, MA  01960-5691 USA
> +1-978-538-7575 voice
> +1-978-538-7550 fax
> www.cssinc.com
>
>
>