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WBZ's "identity"

N

nowradioguy

Star Participant
We're coming up this weekend on the first anniversary of the spinoff of WBZ Newsradio 1030 from CBS Radio to Entercom to iHeart Media.

I've noticed over the past week that the station is slowly de-emphasizing its long-used branding; now it's simply "WBZ Newsradio". But wait, there's less!

Before: "WBZ News time is 8:53 - time for traffic and weather together on the threes ...";
Now: "It's 8:53 - time for traffic and weather together on the threes".

Before: "I'm Josh Binswanger, WBZ News. Our top story this morning...."
Now: "Our top story this morning...."

Before: "Business news at :08 and :38 past each hour. I'm Andrew O'day, Bloomberg Business on WBZ Newsradio 1030."
Now: "I'm Andrew O'day, Bloomberg Business on WBZ Newsradio."

And don't get me started on who's on which shift. Josh and Deb Lawlor seem to be "off today" quite a lot. Jeff Brown and Nicole Davis are popping up in just about all dayparts except evenings and overnight (so far, anyway). Heck, even Charlie Sherman has been heard doing mid-day news. And good luck figuring out when/if Adam Kaufman will be heard during any given half-hour each morning.

And I'm not enjoying any of the new on-air promos, either. Something's missing. (I think I know what it is but I'll be slammed for saying it.)

What I'm waiting to hear:

- Yeah, but it's subtle.
- Yeah, but more people listening to the iHeart stream where frequency is immaterial.
- Yeah, but who cares who delivers the news, as long as it's being delivered.
- Yeah, so what? but shouldn't iHeart be allowed to do what it wants with one of its own stations?
 
Keep in mind that at some point, probably fairly soon, this station will have to give up those call letters. They are trademarked by CBS. Entercom has a long term deal to retain the former CBS letters, but I don't know if that conveyed to iHeart. So it's possible that they're preparing for a required call letter change. Maybe not. But that's my theory.
 
TheBigA said:
Keep in mind that at some point, probably fairly soon, this station will have to give up those call letters. They are trademarked by CBS. Entercom has a long term deal to retain the former CBS letters, but I don't know if that conveyed to iHeart. So it's possible that they're preparing for a required call letter change. Maybe not. But that's my theory.
Click to expand...

That would be horrid; I’d be beside myself.

Worse: the call sign “WBZA” is taken by stations in upstate NY.
 
As far as Charlie Sherman, someone should remind him that he's not doing a sports report, and Mike Macklin to perk up if possible.
IHeart better not be firing any more of their more talented anchors.
The quality has diminished since a year ago, the platform promos don't fit.
It's become quite a stupid station, yet I feel that Iheart has just started the dismantling.
Evil Evil, company.
 
inorm99 said:
As far as Charlie Sherman, someone should remind him that he's not doing a sports report, and Mike Macklin to perk up if possible.
IHeart better not be firing any more of their more talented anchors.
The quality has diminished since a year ago, the platform promos don't fit.
It's become quite a stupid station, yet I feel that Iheart has just started the dismantling.
Evil Evil, company.
Click to expand...

Well, I wouldn't say the station is "stupid", but I damned well feel "there is something happening here, what it is ain't exactly clear", and it's not probably not necessarily going to be either to your or my liking.
 
TheBigA said:
Keep in mind that at some point, probably fairly soon, this station will have to give up those call letters. They are trademarked by CBS. Entercom has a long term deal to retain the former CBS letters, but I don't know if that conveyed to iHeart. So it's possible that they're preparing for a required call letter change. Maybe not. But that's my theory.
Click to expand...

The callsign IP licensing was explicitly transferrable from Entercom to subsequent buyers.

"WBZ" isn't going away.
 
nowradioguy said:
Well, I wouldn't say the station is "stupid", but I damned well feel "there is something happening here, what it is ain't exactly clear", and it's not probably not necessarily going to be either to your or my liking.
Click to expand...

I'm reminded of my new neighbor, who bought the house across the street, and immediately started making changes. Some of the neighbors liked the way the house originally looked, and started to ask the new couple why they were changing the house that seemed to be perfect before they bought it. They said it's their house, and they want to make it more their style. But the neighbors still don't like it, and often long for the previous owners to come back. When someone buys something, they're allowed to repaint it or replace the landscaping if they choose.
 
TheBigA said:
I'm reminded of my new neighbor, who bought the house across the street, and immediately started making changes. Some of the neighbors liked the way the house originally looked, and started to ask the new couple why they were changing the house that seemed to be perfect before they bought it. They said it's their house, and they want to make it more their style. But the neighbors still don't like it, and often long for the previous owners to come back. When someone buys something, they're allowed to repaint it or replace the landscaping if they choose.
Click to expand...

"Acquisitions have consequences."

Yes, but in your analogy, the house is for the one who owns it to live in. He need not "serve" the neighborhood.

WBZ is not a "house" for iHeart to live in. WBZ has long served - and hopefully will continue to serve - a vast neighborhood, the greater New England community, and I'm sorry if some of us are noticing a certain passing of a long-held tradition under its new owners.
 
nowradioguy said:
Yes, but in your analogy, the house is for the one who owns it to live in. He need not "serve" the neighborhood.
Click to expand...

There is nothing in their license that says they have to retain the branding of the previous owners. The things you're talking about are very similar to the color of paint. If they change the format, that's different, but still very permissible.
 
How about if they take an old Victorian, gut it, reshape it, Punch out walls, add siding, paint the outside a puke green and copy it to match all the houses in Levittown, NY.
That's what I'M reminded of.
I hate IHeart
 
inorm99 said:
How about if they take an old Victorian, gut it, reshape it, Punch out walls, add siding, paint the outside a puke green and copy it to match all the houses in Levittown, NY.
That's what I'M reminded of.
I hate IHeart
Click to expand...


Still, with all of that, you're talking about the appearance, and not the content.

Meanwhile iHeart owns the #1 station in Boston.
 
Deep in debt but iHeart is the biggest ownership in the country and I think Entercom is second (they're dealing with a bunch of scandals and have their detractors).Both companies, like them or not, are huge parts of this market, as is Beasley.

All news, Christmas music, Red Sox, and various formats--iHR and Entercom are doing well in Boston (and Turtleboy made sure to show pix of the humble mansion ETM's David Field has in suburban Philly).
The newswatch never stops.
 
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raccoonradio said:
Deep in debt but iHeart is the biggest ownership in the country and I think Entercom is second (they're dealing with a bunch of scandals and have their detractors).Both companies, like them or not, are huge parts of this market, as is Beasley.
Click to expand...

I don't know of any "big scandals" at Entercom. Yes, they have had issues with talk hosts at several of the sports stations, but that is nothing new in the industry.

And iHeart has huge cash flow on the station operations; they should emerge from Chapter 11 with manageable debt that the BCF can cover and more.

Considering their size, both are good operators in today's environment.
 
Agreed...by scandals etc I mean such thngs as MInihane, the "hold your water for a Wii" station in Sacramento, Craig Carton at the inherited WFAN etc...online and in newspaper articles (the inevitable "sports station war" in Herald and Globe)
they're played up. Howie took some delight on twitter in an Entercom stock plunge but yes they and iHR will survive.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dr_4f7gWsAM50Dt.jpg (as tweeted by Howie)
 
inorm99 said:
How about if they take an old Victorian, gut it, reshape it, Punch out walls, add siding, paint the outside a puke green and copy it to match all the houses in Levittown, NY.
That's what I'M reminded of.
I hate IHeart

TheBigA said:
Still, with all of that, you're talking about the appearance, and not the content.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

The upshot: There is no Landmarks Preservation Commission for radio.
 
raccoonradio said:
Agreed...by scandals etc I mean such thngs as MInihane, the "hold your water for a Wii" station in Sacramento, Craig Carton at the inherited WFAN etc...online and in newspaper articles (the inevitable "sports station war" in Herald and Globe)
they're played up.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dr_4f7gWsAM50Dt.jpg (as tweeted by Howie)
Click to expand...

All but the fatal stunt in Sacramento are sports-talk-related and, apparently, to be expected and brushed off as "boys will be boys" stuff.
 
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