This past Saturday 9/29, I had the pleasure to tuning into 30 minutes of the Penn State Football network program countdown feed on WSBA. All that aired was the countdown prior to the game station "heres your 15 minute countdown" etc etc. Twi weeks ago, it was dead air prior to 7 where a program was suppose to air but wasn't there. If Susquehanna still had this place, stupid stuff like that surely wouldn't be happening. I didn't stick around to see if any of the local spots (if any) ran during the game, I was just laughing and shaking my head that all this was happening. Cumulus certainly mneeds to get their act togeter with this place.
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Is Anyone Awake At WSBA?
- Thread starter DaveWilliams
- Start date
WSBA and 1440 are both cheap, garbage radio.
The great days of WSBA are over forever!! Negative, you betcha!!
Cumulus will run this puppy into the ground. When you hear PSA's in morning drive and throughout the day on 910 the ball game is over.
1440 has technical problem so often that they have become part of the format.
If you are looking for the return of AM radio in Central Pa think about how boring WHP has become....the 580 powerhouse is a shadow of once what was Central Pa's gold standard.
The great days of WSBA are over forever!! Negative, you betcha!!
Cumulus will run this puppy into the ground. When you hear PSA's in morning drive and throughout the day on 910 the ball game is over.
1440 has technical problem so often that they have become part of the format.
If you are looking for the return of AM radio in Central Pa think about how boring WHP has become....the 580 powerhouse is a shadow of once what was Central Pa's gold standard.
B
Bubba Bob
Guest
One name: Chris Huber, the former G.M. at WSBA. He made sure the sales staff sold the programs. Had dead air happened under his regime, heads would have rolled. It's obvious Cumulus is just as cheap as CC.
J
John-Summers
Guest
Bubba Bob said:
It wasn't just Chris Huber. It was the entire organization in that building. Everyone took pride in keeping that WSBA heritage intact. And as I remember, if for some reason you did have dead air, there was an ear-splitting "silence" alarm that went off. If you heard that one time you would never have dead air again.
There is no doubt that radio has changed for the worse with the CC and Cumulus consolidation. Back in the 80's and 90's it was real radio at WSBA. Say what you want about the Morning Mayor Hal Raymond, Ralph Lockwood, egg sucking dog Curt Hart or Jim Horn, it was real radio. No sound tracking in those days. WSBA is doing what it can to keep local. Gary, Jeff and Mark are still there. However, the weekends are not made for the prime time players. Mistakes will happen and will continue to happen as long as the powers that be believe that they can cut back to move ahead.
Over on WARM, there used to be an old Tapecaster tucked under the cabinet. On deck was a 9-minute music fill cart, which began with "Good Morning Starshine." If someone mis-timed a bathroom break and walked in to hear ol' Oliver, they could segue out of the fill song and continue with normal programming. AND watch for the intercom to light up. 
Lets not forget Phil Eberly. Some people would make fun of him, but he ran a really tight ship that probibly made more money in one month back in the day then 910 now bills for the entire year. Also, Ed Wickenheiser ran a radio news department that was second to none in the area. John Simmers is right. everyone in that building (am or Fm) was proud to work there.
B
Bubba Bob
Guest
loeper said:
True on each of these mentioned! Yet, Phil Eberly was paranoid at times, and, wouldn't let people do their jobs. As a manager, he got carried away at times. Wickenheiser was the best news director WSBA had, while others who superseded him were either incompetent or constantly screamed at people. Radio shouldn't have been that. Those at the time got the job done though.
G
grandoleopry
Guest
I am in complete agreement that Susquehanna stations were first class operations and were very well run. Mr. Appel and the company were very
good to the York community in turn the community and its businesses became very loyal to the stations. But, its hard to say whether some of the changes that have occurred there over the past several years would not have occurred even if Susquehanna still owned the stations, mainly because radio has more competition now than ever for advertising dollars. Back then there was no internet, sattelite radio, I phones, etc. Add to that the erosion of AM audience and you have the current result of companies needing to operate with as little expense as possible to stay in the black.
While I think they should have systems in place to make sure the station is on the air and operating properly, it is understandable how gliches to the computer system can and do occur. For those of us who have worked in the business for any length of time it is difficult to accept how the quality of the on air product is not what it once was we must accept that radio in 2012 is far different from ten, twenty or even thirty years ago.
good to the York community in turn the community and its businesses became very loyal to the stations. But, its hard to say whether some of the changes that have occurred there over the past several years would not have occurred even if Susquehanna still owned the stations, mainly because radio has more competition now than ever for advertising dollars. Back then there was no internet, sattelite radio, I phones, etc. Add to that the erosion of AM audience and you have the current result of companies needing to operate with as little expense as possible to stay in the black.
While I think they should have systems in place to make sure the station is on the air and operating properly, it is understandable how gliches to the computer system can and do occur. For those of us who have worked in the business for any length of time it is difficult to accept how the quality of the on air product is not what it once was we must accept that radio in 2012 is far different from ten, twenty or even thirty years ago.
It's surprising the silence sensor isn't programmed to call someone, technology exists that allows that. It's true that WSBA is merely a shadow of what it was under Susquehanna, and it's very sad to see what has happened to heritage stations across the country, WGST in Atlanta is a case in point. With large groups paying many times the billing for properties, dealing in volume, they've had to jettison personnel to save money, and the industry has suffered from major to large to medium to small markets.
The race to be the biggest radio company has left a lot of wrecked stations and unemployed talent in its wake. Hopefully they won't turn the industry into an audio billboard for their digital content.
There are still groups making it work, Beasley comes to mind and there are "Ma and PA" and small operators keeping the faith. I still believe if radio learns to marry technology rather than be its B---ch, there will be a Renaissance. I am seeing some signs of technology overload among the younger generation and Boomers and "Ys" have not abandoned the medium.
I still believe in radio.
A note to Sideshow-- uh I mean Bubba Bob. I'm sorry to see you insulting other WSBA news directors...but I hear you're a good friend of a certain host who verbally abused and belittled his producers, surprised you didn't mention that.
The race to be the biggest radio company has left a lot of wrecked stations and unemployed talent in its wake. Hopefully they won't turn the industry into an audio billboard for their digital content.
There are still groups making it work, Beasley comes to mind and there are "Ma and PA" and small operators keeping the faith. I still believe if radio learns to marry technology rather than be its B---ch, there will be a Renaissance. I am seeing some signs of technology overload among the younger generation and Boomers and "Ys" have not abandoned the medium.
I still believe in radio.
A note to Sideshow-- uh I mean Bubba Bob. I'm sorry to see you insulting other WSBA news directors...but I hear you're a good friend of a certain host who verbally abused and belittled his producers, surprised you didn't mention that.
DaveWilliams said:
My father worked at WSBA back in the late 1940's as a studio engineer when they still had the engineers there running the boards; you'd have never heard something like that go over the air back in those days. Sounds like a once-great station relegated to the dust bowl heap.
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