Layoffs At Bluewater
In the words of Milton Waddams “The ratio of people to cake is too big.” Unfortunately it appears this is the case at Montgomery’s Bluewater Broadcasting today.
General Manager Terry Barber had this to say: “This is a very difficult, somber day at Bluewater
Broadcasting. Given the economic and political environment that exists, we feel that we must position our company to withstand continued challenging times. The individuals leaving today are solid broadcasters who will be missed. We continue to add new products and innovative ways for businesses to market to our listeners. This now becomes the responsibility of our management and sales team to monetize these products.”
No one likes seeing other people lose their jobs but here’s the list:
Operations Manager/ WBAM Program director Mike Alan.
Mario Hendrix, digital content manager.
Web Portal Buzz Montgomery has ceased operations.
Dan Morris has been replaced as host of Viewpoint on WMRK.
To replace Mike Alan at WBAM, Rick Peters will assume programming responsibilities and Dr. Sam will shift from nights to middays.
Greg Budell will continue working his existing air shifts on WMRK and WQKS, but will ALSO be the temporary host of Viewpoint.
Popularity: 12% [?]
Finally! After almost a year and a half since Montgomery locals were turned up on Direct. Picture quality is great. ...
This is really sad. I knew all of these people.
Terry Barber was brave enough to go on Greg Budell’s show and explain these decisions. It couldn’t have been easy for the Bluewater folks to let this much talent get away. However, take a look at the recent successful startup of Lite 100.5 and Yo! 107.1 … HD upgrades … the best disc jockeys in Montgomery … and the pieces of the puzzle are still there to make the Bluewater stations profitable, successful, and highly rated.
One thing a listener or observer of Montgomery broadcasting can never say is that Bluewater doesn’t take risks. I just hope that when they let these people go today, that they all parted on good terms and perhaps may return when times are better. Dan Morris was the surviving link to Don Markwell’s Viewpoint, and Mike Alan has done a tremendous job with WBAM over the years. What a shame.
it’s kind of funny that this “decisions” came just after the release of the spring book.
Mike Alan is a great PD, knows his stuff, and will hopefully land on his feet in a bigger and better role.
News in Montgomery seems to be going down hill. Great talent has left or has been laid off. WSFA has a couple good reporters still like Eileens replacement Max Reese. WAKA only has krista Littlefield left, who is likely the best looking in the market. Does anyone know why she is still here? Her bio says she has been at WAKA since 2007! Lets just hope with the so called “merger” we don’t loose her….thoughts?
-Dave M.
Pike Road
I heard part of what Rick Peters said this morning when he called in. If I understood correctly, he said that he’d heard enough about the “business model” that didn’t work but that the bottom line in Dan’s case was the ratings book that recently came out. I thought he said Viewpoint went from a 7 share to a 2.something share. Is there a web site to check these numbers? Perhaps I didn’t hear this correctly – there was a lot going on in my kitchen when he called in. Lol.
You heard correctly. There isn’t a place for you to check the ratings, they are proprietary to Arbitron and the radio stations who pay to view them.
Thanks, Greg. I thought I had seen them posted somewhere in the past, but I probably just “misremembered.”
Anyway, that’s quite a big drop in ratings. I have to say I’m not totally surprised. I had noticed quite a few “regular” callers from the past no longer called in.
You can see 12+ ratings online but those don’t really mean anything. 12+ means that it is an overall sample of everyone over the age of 12. There are not any stations that use that kind of sample to sell advertising, and thus program their stations.
Most talk radio focuses on a 35 to 64 demo. When they sell advertising, they tend to focus on advertisers that would benefit from advertising their products to people in that demographic.
Rick was talking about that core demo when he said Viewpoint went from a 7 share to 2 share. Advertisers are of course willing to pay more to reach more people. The people spoke about the changes to Viewpoint by changing their dials, thus a change of programming was necessary to ensure that the amount of revenue vs. expense that was previously coming in could be achieved again.
Radio is a business after all.
nothing much i can add brian. you pretty much put it down where the goats can get it. bluewater, however, could publish its demo’s or tsa’s or any other part of arb since they pay for it.
make that tsl’s not tsa’s for for God’s sake. time spent listening. keep up the good work.
I don’t understand the ratings completely. I know Dan had the Listeners who had money, and the High Quality Sponsors who benefited from them. Both are upset at this Situation.
I smell serious trouble at Bluewater. I would like to see Dan back on, on a different Station.
As far as the National Shows, 1440 has the highest rated National Talk Shows. They really should get an FM, and maybe hire Dan for afternoon drive,
You know what’s interesting about this story?
All of the jocks and talk personalities were LOCAL. This discussion couldn’t really happen about some of the other stations around here. I think that says a lot for what Bluewater is trying to do – prune back a little so they can grow some more.
I like local personalities. If they cut them all out, why not just listen to Satelite Radio?
@3Lexander –
I think with the advertisers that you are speaking of…they were bought in to supporting Dan, not necessarily reaching a specific customer group. They’ll follow him wherever he goes as long as they can. If he goes away though, they will find someone else to hitch their wagon too. I’ve seen it happen before.
Personally, I would love to hear a simulcast of Matt Murphy from WAPI in Birmingham in the mornings. I don’t think it will happen though because Citadel, who he works for, is getting bought out by Cumulus…owners of News Radio 1440 AM here locally.
Only a blurb has been mentioned about the others who were cut from Bluewater Monday.
- Content manager Mario hendrix, Let go after only being there a short time.
- bama Country PD/Ops manager Mike Alan. Gone.
all of this overshadowed by Dan Morris’s exit.
i Have faith in Bluewater, it’s sad to see anyone go, but those 3 talented individuals will land on their feet in due time.
@Brian, I listen to Matt today on the internet, and do listen when I am closer to Birmingham.
@Jack, Mike Alan was a bad loss. I don’t know Mario.
@3lexander
Mario was brought over to bluewater from WSFA to handle Digital content for their websites including Buzzmontgomery.com , which was also cut.
@Jack. They have already been in Bankruptcy Protection once, and this looks like the writing on the Wall for Total Liquidation.
Years ago, I worked for a Company that went both routes, and I can see the signs on the wall.
I hope that doesn’t happen and they can avoid it, but its tough when times are this bad.
@3lexander-You can get 1440 on FM with an HD tuner. The sound quality is very good.
3lex,
Bluewater isn’t going ANYWHERE. We just made some hard decisions about where to invest our resources. I will program WBAM. Mike was a fine jock, but so is Dr. Sam. Buzz never made a penny. Can’t have a business unit that doesn’t contribute to the bottom line. Also can’t make money with a 2 share morning show, especially when the host is taking half the inventory. Saving money in this environment allows us to do projects like the translators . Simple.
@Rick, Dr. Sam is a has been.I can’t stand his Screaming Commericials. I am no longer listening to anything on your station, after your remarks yesterday.
“Im the owner, if you don’t like it go elsewhere.” I have.
@Rick, you should be glad you have Terry Barber who is much better at Public Relations than you are.
I never said that..but bye, bye.
@3lexander,
this is radio, not burger king, you can’t get it your way.
@Rick, keep up the awesome work, the new Lite 100.5 sounds great and is welcomed addition to my radio dial.
Jack,
Check out the new Yo! 107.1 which debuted today. All this vitriol about one daypart on one station out of what is now 7 stations is pathetic. We are trying as hard as we can to create innovative and unique products for the market (re: Gump). The peanut gallery be damned.
@Rick. Not those exact words, thats just the attitude I picked up.
@Jack, glad you like the Lite. What little I have heard of it, it is all the songs I hoped never to hear again.
I’m on the road quite a bit, so low power Stations don’t help me much.
@Rick
my mind is blown ..Yo! 107.1 is like a time capsule for great music!
WOW!!!!
bring back marcus & rivers mornings….or p.m. either way greg would only have one show to do. love him or leave him, marcus was always a revenue producer. on tv also.
[...] 8. Layoffs at Bluewater [...]