Apparently a format specifically designed to talk directly to a female listener isn't working out the way Merlin had planned. On the heels of radio veteran Dave Williams' surprise firing by Merlin in Chicago a source inside the station has confirmed that the station is making "major directional changes." The source also says there will not be any more layoffs and in fact the station is hiring again. "What we went on the air with looked good on paper. But then once it went on the air it was apparent we had to change the focus from narrowcasting to broadcasting. Some of the features weren?t working and we went with a harder news approach, but still with a more modern execution and feel," the source also told us.
In the October 24th print issue of Radio Ink magazine, Merlin COO Walter Sabo described why the format he helped put on the air was different. "All day, you take the news of your life and you share it with your spouse, parents, friend, co-workers, etc. The way you share it is different. Let?s say you got a promotion. You would tell it differently to each of them. You might feign modesty when talking to your neighbor. You might simplify it when talking to a 5-year-old niece. You might brag a little when telling your dad. It?s the same fact, but you present the information to the audience you are talking to a little differently. You communicate in words, terms, symbols that are meaningful to your audience. The traditional all-news stations are great stations. They are brilliant at reaching the retirement set. You look at the demography of those stations, and they aggressively appeal to people over 65."
When the station originally went on the air it was quickly criticized by Chicago media, some saying it was unlistenable. The station source told Radio Ink, "we?ve done a lot of things to actually add muscle to our coverage. It didn?t help that we had the world?s worst computer system in the buildings. You can?t imagine the problems that caused. No way to describe. That?s now changing. It?s too bad our staff was blamed for poor execution when newscasts were locking up, disappearing, etc."
Sabo is quoted in the magazine saying what Merlin was putting on the air was "not really a new way. It?s the way people have spoken all of their lives. When you are late to meet your friends because of traffic, you?re not going to say, ?There was a four-mile backup due to a disabled vehicle with police activity on the side of the road.? We are going to say, ?Some idiot ran out of gas,? or, ?The police are doing radar, stay away from there.? Because that?s how you would tell your friends."
Sounds like Merlin is leaning more toward saying things the old way. More toward the CBS way.
(10/12/2011 5:42:01 AM)
Well! What do you know? The only reason this group has ever gotten so much publicity is because of your affinity for them, not because they were newsworthy. Now we find this small company, yes it is small, is also fallible. Thanks for giving them an inordinate amount of publicity. Now let's get back to the rest of the broadcasting community.
(10/11/2011 11:56:16 AM)
Please be quick.
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