WBZ-TV 4 rebranding

[Sid Schweiger]

>>If it was such great branding, there should have been a bump in their
ratings when they re-branded as CBS4. Maybe there was such a bump, but
if so, I don't remember hearing about it. Did you hear about it? How
long after the re-branding was the effect noticeable. When did the
bump occur? Or maybe the great branding was just theoretically great
branding. I don't understand why they didn't re-re-brand as CBS4
WBZ-TV. I do not think that is too long for the public to remember or
deal with. As far as the public is concerned CBS is not three letters,
it's one brand. And similarly, WBZ-TV is not five letters and a
hyphen, it's one brand. The public can handle the idea of two brands
for one station.<<

No, there should not have been any bump in the ratings after a brand
change.  Branding matters not at all to viewers who already know where
to find their favorite programs.  To those who don't, the brand CBS
matters much more than the brand WBZ-TV.  "Just tell me what channel
number the CBS programs are on, and that's all I need."  That's what the
average viewer is after.  "'Desperate Housewives' is on channel 5?  I'll
switch to that."  "'Law & Order' is on WHDH-TV?  What channel number is
that?"  TV remotes don't have a means of inputting a call sign...only
channel numbers.  Ever see a TV magazine or online TV listings?  It's
the network name and channel number (sometimes just the channel number
alone), and the call signs are either listed elsewhere or not at all.

Call signs, even in radio, have been largely irrelevant for years. 
There are so many other ways of branding a station that are much more
effective and last much longer in viewers' or listeners' memories.  The
US is, as far as I know, the ONLY large country left which insists on
legal IDs with the assigned call sign once per hour.  All those other
countries seem to do just fine without them.



Sid Schweiger
IT Manager, Entercom New England
WAAF - WEEI AM/FM - WKAF - WMKK - WRKO - WVEI AM/FM
20 Guest St / 3d Floor
Boston MA  02135-2040
Phone: 617-779-5369
Fax: 617-779-5379
E-Mail: sid@wrko.com