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April 12, 2018 3:58 pm  #1


Do You Believe The Reason For This Format Change?

This isn’t local by any means, but there’s a very bizarre story about a format change in the U.S. that I’m finding very hard to believe.
 
You can read the entire yarn here, but here’s the short version:
 
An Entercom FM station in San Diego, the Padres flagship, was about to change to what appeared to have been a talk format. It hired a new morning host, who proceeded to tweet a series of promos asking listeners to “Jump” to the new station when it officially launched.
 
But when one of those “Jump” tweets showed a local bridge (shown below), the predictable online outrage began, accusing the guy of promoting suicide and not being sensitive. The Padres apparently started questioning the rep of the station, musing about whether this was a good place for their team. Management supposedly panicked, pulled the plug on the new format before it was even launched, fired the morning host who never got on air, and switched the thing to a FAN-type all-sports station.
 
At least that’s the tale that’s made headlines as stories of this spread. But I’m not quite so sure. Launching a new format isn’t something you do in two weeks or sketch out on the back of a napkin. You have to plan everything – hire new staff, get producers, write and record liners, jingles, arrange promotion etc., sell advertisers directly related to the audience you’re seeking and more.
 
You don’t decide a week before to suddenly go all sports if you’ve supposedly been planning this change for months. I can’t help but wonder if this was the plan all along, and everyone who fell for this only helped them get the kind of publicity that money can’t buy.

You can read the story and judge for yourself here.

 

 

April 12, 2018 4:15 pm  #2


Re: Do You Believe The Reason For This Format Change?