Interesting podcast, well worth a listen.  Doug Elliot 94.9 and Steven Kerzner (Ed) are sharp guys.  Hope this works for them and 94.9 The Rock is a success. What local radio should be.   

One thing I've really learned over the years, and this isn't knocking you @rawkgurl, but the only people that care about radio being local, are "radio people".  Outside of that, most listeners of podcasts and streaming music services just don't care.

Even a good portion of radio listeners don't REALLY care if their content is all that local.  If that weren't true, Hamilton wouldn't have the out-of-market tune out it does.  If I'm watching YouTube or listening to podcasts on subject matter that I'm interested in, it doesn't matter to me that what I'm consuming comes from Des Moines, Iowa or Toronto, Ontario.  I just care that it's relevant to me.

Even when I think back to listening to radio in the early 80s, I wasn't caring about "local" when I listened to countdown shows, or when I was DXing WOWO or WBZ.  I'm sure a lot more listeners than we care to admit weren't either.

Just my two cents.
 

Radiowiz wrote:

That's total BS!! If Toronto transit does not get you there kindly do not say Toronto. Thanks.  
I have no shortage of friends who think this way.

Relax!  Sheesh - watch that blood pressure of yours.  Is that all it takes to get you that cranky or angry?

First off, no need to be so overly cranky over such a disagreement.  I've watch RA and patterson go back and forth for pages, and neither of them became anywhere near frothy or angry.  So relax!  It's disposition such as yours that give forums and social media the bad name they have.

Next thing, sure, Mr Oshawa PD shouldn't say "Trawnna" while he's in Oshawa.  Fair enough!  I wasn't debating that directly, but it just made me think of a side point about radio's strength being local.

However, if you're telling me that most people (not just your sample of friends - but MOST people) give two hoots about radio being "Local"; they don't.  Look at the success Boom has in Southern Ontario.  Listeners relate to Stu and Maie, and the music.  Whether they are in Toronto, Barrie, Hamilton or Kay-Dubya, they're eating it up.  Those in the latter, outyling markets are getting what they want.

Admittedly, 1010 has seen better days, but I'd be shocked when friends used to say they'd hear me report traffic, and they were from Brantford, Cayuga, Hamilton or Niagara.  Sure that's anecdotal evidence too I suppose, but a lot of Ontario listeners that still listen to radio, or at least stream it, tune in to Toronto.

And that's NOT total BS!
 

paterson1 wrote:

Most of the audience for 94.9 could be in Toronto. 

So the term local can be referring to a few different things.     

Come on now. Most of the audience is not in Toronto and it’s not referring to a 'different' anything.
It’s a small station in the suburbs trying to sound bigger than it really is. If you’re in the Oshawa Airport, you’re in Oshawa no matter how much you wish weren’t.

It’s just like when Q107 presents a concert and the Rock uses the phrase, “The Rock welcomes ____.” There’s no harm in it, but using the term 'welcomes' is intended to be close enough to 'presents' to deceive people. No doubt about it.

Last edited by Tomas Barlow (August 8, 2023 2:12 am)

Per Thomas Barlow  " If you’re in the Oshawa Airport, you’re in Oshawa no matter how much you wish weren’t."

If you’re in the Toronto Airport, you’re in Mississauga no matter how much you wish you weren’t.

Marsden wrote:

Paterson 1 wrote - Most of the audience for 94.9 could be in Toronto.  Oshawa is in the GTA.  So yes 94.9 Rock is not a licensed Toronto station, but is a station that serves Toronto and the GTA. 

I was there for 11 years and unless it has chanaged since then , Oshawa is unfortunately not recognized as being in the GTA. And yes - and again unless it's changed - Oshawa is not recognized in GTA rating reports. Sad really.

94.9 did participate briefly in the Toronto ratings. 

Briefly.

RadioAaron wrote:

paterson1 wrote:

The topics and phone calls that Ed takes will be all over the map and he will likely get all kinds of phone calls from Toronto and NY state. Also as they mentioned in the podcast, calls from all over North America and overseas from people listening on line.  So in that sense it is both local and international. 

   

Anyone who has any current experience in even the biggest markets in the biggest timeslots knows this is complete BS. That phone's not ringing; it's all an act.
 

Don't know if you listened to the Broadcast Dialogue podcast but Steven and Doug mention their regular callers.  So these must be the BS calls you are referring to.  Sort of hard to believe that all of the calls, on the all night show, 5 days per week, week after week would all be fake.  That's a lot of fakery and effort for an all night show.

Here I am being stubborn again, but I bet more than a few calls are legit since Rock 94's owners are a smaller company, that obviously still believes in radio.   And not afraid to try something like a live all night show.

paterson1 wrote:

RadioAaron wrote:

paterson1 wrote:

The topics and phone calls that Ed takes will be all over the map and he will likely get all kinds of phone calls from Toronto and NY state. Also as they mentioned in the podcast, calls from all over North America and overseas from people listening on line.  So in that sense it is both local and international. 

   

Anyone who has any current experience in even the biggest markets in the biggest timeslots knows this is complete BS. That phone's not ringing; it's all an act.
 

Don't know if you listened to the Broadcast Dialogue podcast but Steven and Doug mention their regular callers.  So these must be the BS calls you are referring to.  Sort of hard to believe that all of the calls, on the all night show, 5 days per week, week after week would all be fake.  That's a lot of fakery and effort for an all night show.

Here I am being stubborn again, but I bet more than a few calls are legit since Rock 94's owners are a smaller company, that obviously still believes in radio.   And not afraid to try something like a live all night show.

Have you listened to it?

I'm not sure how a washed-up sock on a station that gets 9% of the listening in a three-station market is going to grow audience before Steve loses his voice and gets discouraged talking to three Uber drivers, but, sure.

Tomas Barlow wrote:

I wouldn't be surprised if they get calls in a factory town.  Lots of people are up at weird hours there I'm sure.  Hearing calls on the air encourages more calls.  Just don't pretend you're in Toronto.  That just makes you sound desperate.

Exactly!  Why be so down on a station that is trying something different? The show has already been a success for 94.9 with free publicity.  They did have an article in the Star and on their website. A few weekly papers and trade publications have had articles.   I even saw a promo shot with Justin Trudeau and Ed.
https://www.insauga.com/ed-the-sock-returning-to-the-airwaves-in-oshawa

How much promo and press has the all night show on any Toronto station generated in the last three months?  Oh that's right they can't be bothered doing all night programming any more because the audience won't notice anyway...
 

Tomas Barlow wrote:

I wouldn't be surprised if they get calls in a factory town.  Lots of people are up at weird hours there I'm sure. 

If there's one thing factory workers are known for, it's being able to stop and call radio stations while they're working. Radio reception in factories is pretty great, too.

Thank you to Doug Elliot, PD of The Rock of Durham Radio for bringing back Ed The Sock.  Most importantly for having a live broadcast in the midnight hours.  It's always been a wonderful sport to have live radio; but of course we can't get programming in those hours anymore.  Thank you, Doug.

Dale Patterson wrote:

It's great that someone is making an effort to program the all-night show with a human (ok, a sock, but a sock with a live human behind it.) Why igmore 25 per cent of the broadcast day?

As a current overnight radio DJ, I agree 100%. I do get calls at night when I supply the request line number.

DOPEfm wrote:

Dale Patterson wrote:

It's great that someone is making an effort to program the all-night show with a human (ok, a sock, but a sock with a live human behind it.) Why igmore 25 per cent of the broadcast day?

As a current overnight radio DJ, I agree 100%. I do get calls at night when I supply the request line number.

I worked 25 of my 35 years at CP-BN on midnights and I loved it (and also got night differential). You can get your work done without management literally breathing down your neck. No traffic driving to work either.