Thursday, September 07, 2006

Ruby Safe?

For those concerned about former WMMS personality Ruby Cheeks, with rumblings that her Phoenix rock station is changing to a Spanish-language format a week from Friday... you may not need to be concerned.

Despite the overhaul of the station's website, and a Spanish-language message about a format change after a 35 year run on September 15th, there's this tidbit from AllAccess this evening:

With new PD BUZZ CASEY just hired, it's doubtful a Spanish flip is in store. Sources in the building tell ALL ACCESS that the Rock format will continue with some interesting tweaks. Stay tuned here for updates.

Radio companies are getting more in-tune with trying to create buzz online.

A recent format switch in Rochester NY resulted in a station's new website being found prematurely by online users, which resulted in a Labor Day weekend poem about the online rumblings being posted on that very website.

The poem not only mentioned trade magazines like Radio and Records, but also long-time Friend of OMW Scott Fybush, editor of NorthEast Radio Watch.

The station, by the way, did actually flip to the rhythmic AC format with Whoopi Goldberg hinted by the "Snap 107.3" website.

(Note to Northeast Ohio radio stations contemplating format change stunts: Feel free to call out OMW. We'd get a kick out of it, even if you're not poetic...)

So, the upshot is...take online moves by a radio station with a grain of salt. The world of "we're just tweaking our format, but we want to draw attention to it by faking a format change" radio has arrived on the Internet...

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

As long as we're talking about Phoenix radio stations, how about Albuquerque? What ever became of Doc Thompson, formerly of WMJI. He left Lanigan and Malone for a gig in Albuquerque, and I think he left there shortly thereafter. Where is he now?