More on losing Progressive Talk Radio in Rochester - Say Hello to Sportsradio 1280 WHTK
I guess “Hot talk 1280″ isn’t really a sports tag anyway.
As we all know as we told you earlier and were reminded by Bill Press, when RT interviewed him during his visit to Rochester, 950AM WROC is changing its radio format from Progressive talk to Sports talk effective September 1st. Well around they date at least.
The station management will claim mensa credentials when they push a second sportstalk radio stations into a market that doesn’t have a major league sports franchise (Buffalo has 2). Of course, the management won’t admit their lack of station promotion was probably a contributing factor in ratings. They will complain about their weak signal but remember this is the same weak signal over which they will broadcast sportstalk.
See there is already a Sports Talk radio in Rochester 1280 WHTK. They have a powerful line-up with rights to air content or not. Did I mention that Rochester doesn’t have any major League sports teams? What are they going use as content?
Check out the chatter on this radio blog - seems 1280- will have a month’s head start in the marketing.
WHTK has (pre-emptively?) rebranded itself as “Sportsradio 1280 WHTK” and its website, whtk.com has been updated to reflect that.
Yes, the new branding on their web site
And to think this was a local decision by a local station manager. Change the format from one where there is NO competition (and station promotion would help) to one where there is entrenched competition.
Genius
True Genius, of course, would be to work with the local community the loyal listeners and grow the listener base via promotion.
You have our attention now can we get yours?
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Has it been confirmed that that is what 950 is switching to? Sounded like speculation to me from a commenter.
It is confirmed by Bill Press per the video’s I’ve repeatedly posted.
This Commenter simply confirmed that WHTK the currently sole sportstalk radio tweaked its brand. Speculation here is because 950 is changing. Which again has been confirmed by Press.
Sorry, I wasn’t clear - I meant I saw a comment on an old thread speculating that it was going to a sports format in September. I have to admit that I’ve not actually played any of the clips you’ve posted. So, I guess it has been confirmed and isn’t just assumed from that one comment. Thanks.
I actually really like sports radio and listen a lot. But, one station is probably enough (except I’ve never figured out why they have the Mike O’Mara show from 3:00 -7:00 on sports radio, but I digress)
No problem. I’d recommend this video
Regarding sportalk radio - nothing wrong with sportstalk or any other format - One should not dine on a single format alone regardless of what that is. Dumping progressive radio removes an option for me to listen.
We can hear 550am’s signal and 620am’s signal so we will have 4 sports signals in our market
So what happened to that petition. Anyone going to the media like Rachel barnhardt to “press” this story. Speaking of which why wasn’t Bill Press’ appearance worthy of a mention in the local papers? he is a nationally known author and jounralist.
Sportstalk. Ugh.
Count me a one person who can not wait for 950AM to change format to ESPN radio. I love sports talk and think ESPN has some of the best hosts and shows around. I can’t tell you how nice it will be not to have to log onto the internet to listen to Mike Trico in the afternoon. With the NFL starting up nothing beats the NFL on ESPN radio on Sundays. It is like having the NFL Sunday ticket on your radio. Not all baseball fans like listening to the NY Yanks. So it is nice that we will have a choice.
I mostly listen to sports radio because sports are my passion, but I do listen to other talk radio. Not just because I want to be informed, but entertained. I like Rush, Laura Ingraham, and NPR. I do listen to 950AM for Joey Reynolds and Democracy Now. I have given “Big” Ed and Sister Stephanie a chance. I find them just copy cats of Rush and Laura. I also wonder why they have to bring them up so much in their shows. I have also given The Bill Press Show a chance too. It put me back to sleep. I did enjoy listening to Al Franken when he was on. I may not have agreed with much of what he said, but did find his show funny and enjoyable. I was not upset at all when Randi Rhodes was let go! I also never understood when WROC changed format to Air America why they didn’t carry that show with Janeane Garofalo. I would have listened to that. For the record I do not listen to Savage, O’ Reilly either. Many of you reading this may have forgotten that when Hot Talk started they tried to running shows from the left with Don Imus, Tom Lekis, and Mario Cumo. These shows became unprofitable and the station slowly changed over to sports. Which is the bottom line in any business, making $$$. Most, if not all, management at radio and TV stations lean to the left. They would love it if progressive talk worked, but radio is all about ratings and profit. It has been proven that Sports Talk work! Many cities now have two or three sports stations.(Syracuse, NY) And I for one am glad that there will soon be a second sports station here in Rochester. I thank rochesterturning.com for letting someone with a different view to post a comment. Finally, I leave you all with one thought based on what Bill Press said when he was here in Rochester. Check out the telecommunication act of 1996 signed into law by Bill Clinton. Please read it very closely! I also hope you will check out ESPN radio. Even if you are not a huge sports fan like I am. You will find it interesting and that they don’t always talk about sports. Most of ESPN’s talking heads lean to the left.
I don’t agree with your assertions about management leaning left, but I appreciate hearing your honest perspective on what you find entertaining and what you don’t. Thanks.
the idea of liberal bias or left leaning in media has been discredited for some time. Media have been right leaning for along time.
However the statement about Clinton and the 1996 Communications act is entirely correct. That act is a disaster for public use of the media and concentration of ownership Clinton often sided with right leaning deregulation agenda and is not the hero some of you make him out to be. Far from it.
To realgreacer-Bill Press’ apperance here in Rochester was listed in the paper. That was how I heard(read) about it. I would have went and saw him if I didn’t have to work. I think Bill Press is a nice man and a very smart gentleman. He just does a bad and boring radio show. I have seen him interviewed many times. He makes a better guest than he does host.
To Exile on Ericsson St.-I guess we will just have to agree to disagree. Please believe me when I tell you that most management, and talent, in media HATE Limbaugh, Savage, O Reilly, etc, etc, etc. (Even Lonsberry) They hate them with a passion!!! Because they feel like they are selling there souls to the devil for ratings and profit.—Zone.
realgreecer
Discredited by who? Someone who as never set foot in a media outlet.
I just we will just agree to disagree also, but anyone who tells you that management and talent in media leans to the right also believes in Santa and the Easter Bunny. —Zone
Just an update that 95.1 announced today that Wease will be back on the air in 95 days. http://www.fox951.com/pages/bwupdate.html
Wease? I couldn’t stomach him before. BORING and SOPHOMORIC. I won’t listen to him when he comes back.
I will miss Bill Press when the format change comes. And sometimes Ed. As for the rest, I got bored by their schticks a long time ago.
All you have to do is count the number of right talk radio programs, so many of them stove-piped into the clear channel behemoth, to see the right-leaning bias that is mentioned above. This should not be confused with Hollywood’s politics. Progressive talk is a recent upstart compared to conservative talk, which has been around for more than 20 years. As for ESPN, this city needs less sports coverage, not more! People that tune into sports everyday also tend to be the least politically-informed, so let’s have some balance here in ROchester!
There have been studies showing there are 9 hours of right wing talk for every one hour of progressive talk. Very right leaning. Also, Progressive talk HAS been very successful in markets where the stations did promote the stations and format instead of leaving them sit on the back burner like what happened here. I can go back and find the sources for this info, or I’m sure anyone who cared to hear the truth could google.
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