Economy pounds WTTW - Hear WSCR more places - Dahl to start podcast

Subject:

Comments:
: Sidenote: Most of this information has already been either posted here before or appeared in other columns, but hey, let's respect Lazare for his.. writing for the common man. : : - : Economy pounds WTTW : MEDIA | '09 pledge drive donations down 11%; WFMT tops goal : July 16, 2009 : LEWIS LAZARE | Sun-Times Media & Marketing columnist : Chicago public television outlet WTTW-Channel 11 has been hit hard by the economic downturn. A report prepared for the TV station's board of trustees and staff showed the total amount of money raised from the station's pledge drives during the 2009 fiscal year that ended June 30 was 11 percent below what had been budgeted. : The station typically budgets to raise between $6 million and $7 million from its pledge drives. Jerry Liwanag, WTTW's vice president of fund-raising/programming, said the amount raised during the May/June drive was especially disappointing, though the totals for the previous two pledge drives in December and March also didn't generate the dollars WTTW hoped they would. : WTTW had increased the length of the May-June pledge from the typical 10 to 12 days to 15 days in hopes of raising more money. WTTW's pledge drive shortfall is in marked contrast to its sibling fine arts radio station outlet WFMT-FM (98.7), which exceeded its June fund-raising goal, thanks in large measure to an anonymous $100,000 contribution right at the start of the drive. : : Hear WSCR more places : Bit by bit, CBS Radio's all sports WSCR-AM (670) is trying to expand its audience base -- and its ratings. On Wednesday, the station announced that WSCR can now be transmitted directly to iPhone and Blackberry users via a new AOL Radio application. This new means of accessing WSCR frees iPhone and Blackberry users from the need to be near a computer or radio to tune into the station. And WSCR Program Director Mitch Rosen said WSCR listeners who are part of the Portable People Meter sample and tune into WSCR via the new application will count in determining the all-sports station's ratings results. Meanwhile, CBS Radio Chicago Market Manager Rod Zimmerman continues to insist no plans are in the works to simulcast WSCR on a CBS Radio FM frequency in Chicago, despite news that CBS Radio has just introduced all-sports formats on FM frequencies at stations it controls in Boston and Washington, D.C. Adult hits WJMK-FM (104.3) had been mentioned as one CBS Radio outlet that might be commandeered for a WSCR simulcast here in Chicago. But Zimmerman says he's happy with WJMK's performance and has no plans at the moment to drop that station's adult hits format. : : Dahl to start podcast : Chicago radio legend Steve Dahl is back. Sort of. Beginning Sept. 8, Dahl will produce a one-hour podcast five days a week from his home recording studio. The podcast will then be available by noon each day on Dahl's own Web site www.dahl.com and the WJMK site, www.iknow jack.com. : Dahl was dumped from WJMK last fall, along with his staff, in an effort to cut costs, though he will continue to draw his WJMK salary of around $1 million a year for the next two years. Dahl will use a staff of three, including two engineers and a producer, to create his daily podcast, and he will pay their salaries. CBS Radio Chicago Market Manager Rod Zimmerman said he is going along with the podcast experiment because he hopes to sell advertising against it. "We'll give it six months to a year and see how it goes," said Zimmerman.

Optional Link URL:
Link Title:
Optional Image URL:

Enter verification code: