More Top 40 than Ever Before!

I am very proud and delighted to say that, after about three hours of tinkering last night, I finally got my FM antenna in the "sweet spot". I can now receive not only WKFR Battle Creek, but I can also pick up WVKS Toledo, WKQI Detroit and (finally) WNDV-FM South Bend (I've been able to barely pick WNDV-AM up at night for some time). With this new adjustment, not only can I now pick up WKFR in stereo (ah, wonderful FM stereo!), I finally have the ability too say "Screw this!" and switch to another CHR when WKFR decides to go on another one of their hour-and-a-half-long total crap binges. Now it's time for some observations about the stations I was listening to all night long last night.

92.5 WVKS Toledo "92-5 Kiss FM" (6th in their market 12+)
I'm still hearing on the Michigan Radio and TV Buzzboard that Tower 98 is kicking butt in Toledo, but considering the fact that they're currently 10th in their market 12+, I'd have to dispute that. I will say, though, that as their number one song ("Just A Lil' Bit" by 50 Cent) is coming in at 97 spins this week, I do wonder why they aren't doing better than Kiss (talent, possibly?). Kiss, however, is still doing pretty well. It's not the Kiss I remember from when I first heard it several years back, but they're playing more currents than anyone in my local area is, which isn't saying much, but it's at least somewhat of a compliment. Not to say that Kiss isn't up to par... I'd say they're right at par. The problem is, par these days is about 15. Almost no one is shooting for 3 any longer. The number one song last week ("We Belong Together" by Mariah Carey) got 80 spins. Although I find it to be lacking (your number one song should have at least 90 spins each week, and if you're not getting any more than that, it should only be because the track just hit it big that week), it is about average, so I'll let it slide without thoroughly cursing out Cheap Channel.

95.5 WKQI Detroit "Channel 9-5-5" (7th in their market 12+)
Well well well, listen to this! A station that has the guts to play not only the good edit of Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl" (the one that cuts the offensive word out instead of dropping the "UNH!" in it's place... making it sound cheesy and pathetic), but also has a pair big enough to play "Don't Phunk With My Heart" in favor of the sugar-coated "Don't Mess With My Heart" (both by the Black Eyed Peas, in case you're out of the CHR loop). Amazing... a station that's doing things close enough to the way I would that I'd actually be willing to work there!

92.9 WNDV South Bend "U93" (1st in their market 12+)
And it's very easy to hear why they're number one! Not only are they playing better edits like Channel 9-5-5, they're also throwing a lot of dance mixes into the regular playlist... officially making me want to sue them for stealing my idea! Jerks! No, seriously, this is Top 40 the way it should be done. Currents should be spun way more than recurrents and gold tracks. In fact, your gold tracks should barely even be played at all, and recurrents should only come up as end-of-the-hour filler. On top of that, play the edits that are edgy... the ones that are going to get complaints from the overly-sensitive, non-regular listeners but aren't going to get you in trouble with the Commission. And daggone it... MIX IN THE DANCE TRACKS! Dance is much bigger than most MD's out there think, and contrary to the popular station management belief structure, it does have a place outside of clubland. Apparently U93's management and staff understand this, and they've got the 12.0 rating to prove it! Now if I only had the money to put a station like this on a 100kW, 400-foot-tall stick in Nashville, Michigan, I'd be a happy man!

As a side note, this is the first time I've ever had more than three Top 40 stations to turn to when I want to hear good music. Back when I lived in Miami, I had Power 96 and Y-100. When I lived in North Carolina, there was 107-5 KZL, G105 and Kiss 95.1. Now I can pick up two great stations, one good one, and one pretty pathetic excuse for a CHR, making it possible for me to find something I like on at least one station at any given time. And it's all thanks to those three hours I spent moving my antenna around. Yes, it seriously took that long. What can I say? Radio is my life!

Political Bias in Talk Radio: Isn't That What It's All About?

I got into a discussion this afternoon on radio-info.com about bias in talk radio.  Isn't that the name of the game?  Here are my arguments against those of the writer of the original post.

I just love how people on this board who talk about how conservative talk radio is biased make broad, sweeping generalizations about conservative talk radio as a whole, then end up bashing Hannity. When will you guys learn not to be so obvious in your attacks? You're making it too easy for me! Seriously, though, I love a good debate... I'm just trying to motivate you into presenting better arguments :-)

> Being neither a liberal or a conservative....I am sick of
> the biased talk radio that is taking over this
> country....This in a simplistic form is how it
> works....Liberal Radio....takes shots at Republican
> President.Conservative Radio....Defends Republican president
> and takes shots at those who take shots at Republican
> President.And I guarantee you if a Democrat is ever elected
> again...the roles will be reversed.

The interesting thing is this: not only is that description simplistic, it's overly simplistic. You have to listen to the argument, not just observe that an argument is taking place. Listen to the majority of liberal talk out there and I'll guarantee you that there's no substance to what most of the hosts are saying. It's pure hatred for conservative ideology and President Bush. Then listen to what the majority of conservative talkers are arguing. They're going through their side point-by-point, and no liberal talker does anything to refute those points. I'm not saying they can't (although I do believe that), I'm just saying they don't. Obviously I can't hypothetically ask "when was the last time you heard a liberal talker shoot a piece of conservative ideology out of the sky," as one ideolog is going to see things in an entirely different light than one of an opposing view. However, ask yourself this: are liberal talkers truly making points to counter those of conservative thinkers, or are they just Bush-bashing? I think you'll find the latter is true.

> Why can't anybody do a
> show that is unbiased? O'Reilly...does for the most
> part...he will take shots at both sides..but he seems more
> willing to point out the morons on the left as opposed to
> the ones on the right.

For one thing, the whole point of talk radio is to voice one opinion as opposed to another. It's not really possible to do an "unbiased" talk radio program. Hosts have their opinions, and even if the point of the show is to provide an unbiased forum for callers of opposing views to tell their side of the story, you're not going to come away from the program without knowing at least something of the hosts ideas on a subject. O'Reilly... eh, I don't know how unbiased he really is. As you say, he tends to lean a bit more to the right than anywhere else. The one person I've heard do a really good job is Alan Colmes. Of course we all know he leans left, but he does a great job of keeping his opinion as his own and not forcing it on callers. O'Reilly does have a tendency to try to convince callers that his stance is the right one.

> The guy I really have a problem with
> is Hannity..I have listened to him..off and on since his
> days in Atlanta....and his act never changes..He promises
> fair and balanced...and acts like he is doing a news
> show....but come on....he sides with one team...and is anti
> the other...

I wouldn't say Hannity acts like he's doing a news show. Sure, he promotes himself as the antidote to liberal bias in the mainstream media, but he's always made clear what his position is, and that's one thing he's pointed out again and again: the mainstream media doesn't clarify their position. They claim to be unbiased when they aren't... at least according to Hannity (and I agree with him). But when you tune into Hannity, you know what you're going to get because he tells you up front. As for his siding with one team... as I've pointed out before on this board, there have been many times I can think of when Hannity has disagreed with President Bush and this administration on several topics, such as illegal immigration and border protection, just to name two recent examples. Being anti-liberal... well, obviously there's no argument from me there :-D

> and on his TV show on Fox...I have a real
> problem with him interviewing...the President, the Vice
> President or anybody else in the Cabinet...He interviews
> these people like he is on their team...and he does this on
> a network that promises to be fair and balanced....neither
> he or Colmes should be allowed to interview a Office holder
> on his side...When the President is interviewed on Fox it
> should be by someone who is not an open advocate of his
> party...

Again, Hannity has had problems with President Bush and members of his cabinet, and in every interview I've seen and heard him do, he's confronted them with points he feels are important. I do agree, though, that it does seem a bit biased even if that's the case. What I think would be a better idea is to not have the one-on-one interviews as they've had in the past, even if the host of the opposing view is conducting the interview, and bring these guests on as all the regular guests come: between Sean and Alan, making it a true debate. That's the whole idea of Hannity & Colmes; it's a debate show. Let's actually debate instead of just interviewing!

It just seems to me that we did away with the "Fairness Doctrine" in order to provide the people with an opportunity for politcally biased talk radio.  No matter what your ideology, you probably have a voice somewhere out there on the air.  If not, you're free to seek out a station on which to voice your opinion.  No matter what it is, talk radio provides a forum for you in which to voice it.  That's the name of the talk radio game: opinion.

Let's Get It Started (In Here)

I just got a really cool idea.  Anyone who'd like to participate in this is welcome, although the knowledge and... well, knowledge of those of you in radio are preferred.  I was going to say wisdom there, but since when were us radio folk wise? :-D

Let's create a dictionary of radio terms.  No, this won't be one of those "Webster"-type dictionaries wherein you can find unbiased, truthful and actual definitions.  I'm looking to create a dictionary of radio terms as they're truly defined in the real world.  For example:

Engineer: (in-jun-eer) n. A person, usually of the older and balding persuasion, who is employed by a broadcaster to fix things.  Usually ends up doing more harm than good while trying to transform an Optimod 8400 into a Star Trek-type "replicator".

- or -

Cart: (kart) 1: n. A loop of magnetic tape encased in plastic, resemblant of an 8-track cartridge, used for the storage, playback and often sudden unexpected loss of audio.
2: n. According to many disc jockeys, the best and most practical form of audio storage and playback to date, especially because, when using a cart, it can't be determined who took the electromagnet to the station's only copy of "Red Red Wine".
3: v. To transfer audio to a cartridge, often making things sound crappy and generally irritating.

You get the idea.  I'll compile this into several posts going in alphabetical order and place links to them in the sidebar for future reference.  Again, any and all help in this venture is appreciated.  Thanks in advance for your participation, and I wish you happy defining!

The Problem With WSAE/KTGG/WJKN-AM/FM

One of the clusters in my area, owned and operated by Spring Arbor University, has recently undergone some very radical changes.

For those of you unfamiliar with the institution, Spring Arbor University is a small liberal arts school started by the Free Methodist church in the late 19th century. It has always been a school at which the curriculum has had a strong basis in Christianity. Their radio voice, WSAE, combined with it's translators in Lansing, Adrian, Battle Creek and Kalamazoo, is one of the largest signals in the area and, up until recently, was definitely the largest signal for a Christian Contemporary station in the state in terms of coverage area. KTGG, the AM sister station, is an Inspo station with a vastly smaller range (which is probably a good thing, because no one listens to it anyway). WJKN AM and FM were added in 2001. WJKN-AM simulcasts KTGG, and WJKN-FM didn't sign on until earlier this year, when it signed on simulcasting what was then on WSAE (known as "Power Praise FM"). As of May 18th, 2005, WSAE is now "Home.fm", a "Jack-FM" type format with a few Contemporary Christian tracks thrown into the playlist every hour or so. The "Power Praise FM" moniker has been moved to WJKN-FM, and KTGG/WJKN-AM remain unchanged.

WSAE, until now, has always been a student-staffed professional station, meaning that while the grown-ups run the back office and determine what the station is and does, the kids get to play radio. It was a great setup designed to teach broadcasting students how radio works in the real world before they actually get out there. As I'm a former student, I know firsthand how well the program worked, and I know from experience how respected the program was by both employers and listeners. Today, WSAE is entirely run by professionals... no students allowed. The student-run format has been moved back to the educational band with a much smaller signal (a fact that's mentioned later in this post), while KTGG/WJKN-AM continue to be the training grounds for future WJKN-FM jocks.

The following is one of my posts taken from the Michigan Radio & TV Buzzboard in a discussion about the changes at SAU. This should provide a pretty clear view of how I see the situation, and what the future looks like for the new face of SAUComm.

I like the music variety. Very laid back, but not too much so to not play some decent uptempo tracks. The imaging is great... I'd love to know who did it for them! It fits the format beautifully. As for how long this will last... eh, I don't know. I've been saying for a while now that I don't think the donors are going to like this all that much. The whole purpose of WSAE to begin with was to teach students how radio works in the real world while providing a professional Christian contemporary station to the market. My biggest problems with the change are these:

- The student-run station has been moved back to the educational band with a far smaller coverage area.

- The primary voice of Spring Arbor University is no longer presenting a purely Christian message.

- There's still no Christian rock outlet in Mid Michigan, something that could have easily changed in the rush to flip formats.

Here's the possible (and quite unfortunate) chain of future events as I see it:

- WJKN is going to become just another student-run college station on the educational band. In time, the classes that are currently a prerequisite to being on the air at the station will end up being dropped, and the term "digital sandbox" (a term frequently used by station management there in the past) will no longer be something to avoid, it will become the norm.

- The translators for WSAE are going to have to be dropped one-by-one due to loss of money from donors because of the format flip. However, with the loss of listeners who were loyal to Power Praise FM in the first place, it won't matter, and WSAE will once again have to rely on it's primary coverage area.

- KTGG and WJKN-AM will remain Inspo stations, a format that is quickly dying, and the two AM's will become a drag on SAU Comm's budget. They'll either have to find something to do with the stations that makes money or sell them off. WJKN-AM will be the first to go, as they'll hold onto KTGG as long as possible (they see the "K" call letters as a novelty to flaunt). However, after going through all the options they're willing to consider, they'll sell KTGG off as well.

- WJKN-FM will eventually have to be sold if they let it go that far. Once it's become "just another college station", no one will be listening, and the loss will probably barely even be noticed outside of the campus. However, once WJKN-FM is sold, that means WSAE is next on the chopping block, and if nothing else, that will be the wake-up call. It will be hard work, but they'll try everything they can to gain back the listener's trust and loyalty by bringing everything back the way it was, piece by piece... or station by station, I should say.

Here's what I think they should have done:

- The move of Power Praise FM to WJKN was a fine and dandy idea... if they'd done something with WSAE that would have been suitable to the current audience. Home.fm is not that solution. A better move would have been to flip WSAE to Christian Rock. Why? Breakaway, the weeknight show when WSAE was Power Praise FM, was the station's most listened to programming block. There was no other outlet for Christian Rock in the market, and WSAE served the demographic that was screaming for it. On top of that, take a look at the progress of Yes! FM in Toledo/Wauseon/Lima and RadioU across the rest of Ohio, as well as Air1 in the western states. It's not as if the format has no record of success! The programming would easily be sustainable in the area, as no one else provides it. Also, the station needed to remain student-staffed. There was no excuse for pulling students off of WSAE, no matter what format they chose to run.

- The call letters need to be flipped between WJKN-AM and KTGG, making KTGG the more powerful 3000-watt station while still keeping WJKN a local set of call letters, albeit with a reduced power of 450 watts. The reason for doing so? Further flaunting the KTGG call letters. What better way to do so than with a power upgrade so it will reach more people? I've got one: a format flip. Flip the then KTGG-1510 AM to Christian News/Talk, giving the opportunity to learn how to do radio news to those students who want it. Again, this is a proven format, and there are literally thousands of people in range of the station who I'm sure would listen to it. In addition, move all the talk programming that's on WJKN now to what would be the new station, and you've got a lineup comprised of proven programs mixed with those that are new to the market, opening new opportunities for more listenership. As for what would then be WJKN-AM on 1540... make it a campus station... heck, with that kind of a signal, that's pretty much all it's good for these days

So as you can see, I think the choices they've made in this whole ordeal have been pretty poor. They're alienating their core listenership in an effort to gain the listenership of those who wouldn't normally listen to the station (did that make sense?), and on top of that, they're letting their other three stations (which have great potential) to go to waste. I don't see this working out very well for them. But again, I like the music variety on WSAE!

I've received many comments about my opinion and outlook, both from the Buzzboard and from friends of mine who still work there, and everyone seems to be in agreement. This isn't looking very good. One friend, who I'll refer to here as "That Crazy White Girl", said "I share most of your opinions about the new station. It will be interesting to see where things go from here." She also said later that most of the staff there feel the same way.

If you're local in the area, what are your opinions of Home.fm and the whole idea behind the change? And even if you don't live in the area, any thoughts on the situation? I look forward to getting some more feedback on this, as it's pretty upsetting to me (if you couldn't tell by now). The comments section awaits you!

EDIT:
As you can see in the comments, I mistakenly wrote earlier that WSAE was the largest Christian Contemporary station in the state in terms of listenership. I had intended to say it was the largest in terms of area covered. Just goes to show you what happens when your fingers move faster than your mind!

Welcome!

As the readers of my personal blog must be saying:

IT'S ABOUT TIME!

This is a brand spankin' new blog for all my radio rants. For months now I've been posting about nothing but radio on my other blog. Consequently, no one is visiting my other blog. This makes me sad, because it gives me the impression that no one loves me. There are often times that I think of just going out and ending it all simply due to the fact that no one is reading my personal blog because all this radio stuff has taken it over.

No, not really. I just like making it sound like I'm a pathetic depressed person who posts every little mood swing on his/her LiveJournal.

So, in order to get this official radio blog off to a good start, I'd like to share a little bit of wisdom about engineers with you. As I will be studying to get an engineering degree myself, I found this quite accurate. Clicky.

Also, last night, it sounded like WVIC (Jackson, MI) was having problems with their STL (Studio-Transmitter Link, for you non-radio types). This really isn't all that important, but it was kinda interesting trying to listen to CCR through static and 10-second-long periods of dead air. I even went so far as to record it. How sad is my life? I'll post a copy of it as soon as I can find the power cord for my MiniDisc recorder.