Another Media Profile:
Nowhere in these United States will you find a radio station quite like WPSE AM 1450. Erie radio still can find a new audience. CEO’s talking to CEO’s talking to the community.
WPSE just celebrated its 10th anniversary of its “Partners for Business” program. The former frequency was once the former home of WWGO radio with studios that stood at the tip of the Commerce Building at 12th and State Streets.
Now its home rests on the campus of Penn State Behrend, its current owner. The programming includes business news, stock information and financial advice and tips for the general public. According to their website:
WPSE just celebrated its 10th anniversary of its “Partners for Business” program. The former frequency was once the former home of WWGO radio with studios that stood at the tip of the Commerce Building at 12th and State Streets.
Now its home rests on the campus of Penn State Behrend, its current owner. The programming includes business news, stock information and financial advice and tips for the general public. According to their website:
Weekdays consist of BusinessTalkRadio programs such as Business Morning, Market Track, Market Wrap, financial call-in shows, Bloomberg and CNN Financial Network news, BBC World Business Reports, and stock market updates.
The programs offer in-depth analysis and investment advice, including interviews with popular business authors, consumer information, and live interviews with Conference Board economists, Fortune 500 CEOs, and leading-edge entrepreneurs.
The weekend schedule offers a wealth of programs, ranging from computer technology to health, golf, dining, and travel, as well as frequent business and financial updates. Evening and weekend sports feature CBS and Westwood One broadcasts of the NFL and NCAA, and Penn State Nittany Lions football and basketball.
But the real diversity and uniqueness comes from its “Partners for Business” program we mentioned earlier. These are local business leaders and entrepreneurs who tell their story and their goals in one minute segments that are mostly candid interviews. “Partners for Business” serves two purposes. It allows executives to talk to other executives and the community about not only what their company does but what they see as its future. This is so important. This kind of format would not survive in standard radio.
Two, it targets a select audience of upscale listeners and investors with a great deal of disposable income that wealth based advertisers love to reach. The audience is modest, but very exclusive.
The whole operation and the idea man behind WPSE is Ron Slomski. Ron has had an interesting career in radio as well as public television. His previous claim to fame was as host of a polka show he produced. (No Polish jokes…this guy is as serious as you can get.)
Ron has a great deal of help from Melanie Deppen and Val Engelleiter who make up his permantent staff. Penn State students also have an opportunity to learn the radio game first hand. The “Partners for Business” concept takes a lot of intense work from conducting the interviews follwed by the laborious task of editing the sound bites at the studio for air.
It is very interesting to note that one of the prime movers who has advised and helped WPSE in this journey is none other than the Erie radio icon himself, Myron Jones. Myron has served in the past as chairman of a special advisory committee to the station along with other broadcast and community leaders. (Disclaimer…this writer also sits on the advisory board)
Myron Jones has had a long personal goal that looks like it is finally going to be reached; moving the 1450 stick (antenna) from its current campus location to the westside of Erie in the 12th and Greengarden area. That should substantially help its signal and reach.
Rarely noticed, but what WPSE has done is unique in broadcasting today. Slomski has had many stations across the country ask him just how he did it. When they find out how much work and time is involved, their interest just sort of melts away, but total admiration for WPSE's radio entrepreneurial spirit remains real.
The station has set up strict standards for advertising from which it will accept or reject. As an example, it will not take standard “buy them up…move them out” spots or political advertising. With the exception of sports, “Partners for Business” is virtually the station’s total advertising effort. Slomski is very sensitive to his audience and the proper environment he needs to retain for his business clients and his select but growing list of listeners.
Two, it targets a select audience of upscale listeners and investors with a great deal of disposable income that wealth based advertisers love to reach. The audience is modest, but very exclusive.
The whole operation and the idea man behind WPSE is Ron Slomski. Ron has had an interesting career in radio as well as public television. His previous claim to fame was as host of a polka show he produced. (No Polish jokes…this guy is as serious as you can get.)
Ron has a great deal of help from Melanie Deppen and Val Engelleiter who make up his permantent staff. Penn State students also have an opportunity to learn the radio game first hand. The “Partners for Business” concept takes a lot of intense work from conducting the interviews follwed by the laborious task of editing the sound bites at the studio for air.
It is very interesting to note that one of the prime movers who has advised and helped WPSE in this journey is none other than the Erie radio icon himself, Myron Jones. Myron has served in the past as chairman of a special advisory committee to the station along with other broadcast and community leaders. (Disclaimer…this writer also sits on the advisory board)
Myron Jones has had a long personal goal that looks like it is finally going to be reached; moving the 1450 stick (antenna) from its current campus location to the westside of Erie in the 12th and Greengarden area. That should substantially help its signal and reach.
Rarely noticed, but what WPSE has done is unique in broadcasting today. Slomski has had many stations across the country ask him just how he did it. When they find out how much work and time is involved, their interest just sort of melts away, but total admiration for WPSE's radio entrepreneurial spirit remains real.
The station has set up strict standards for advertising from which it will accept or reject. As an example, it will not take standard “buy them up…move them out” spots or political advertising. With the exception of sports, “Partners for Business” is virtually the station’s total advertising effort. Slomski is very sensitive to his audience and the proper environment he needs to retain for his business clients and his select but growing list of listeners.
Currently, "Partners for Business" has over 125 participating local sponsors. (Wow!...That's an effort.)
WPSE won’t get rich but they make expenses and provide a service to both the business, college and the greater community at large.
WPSE won’t get rich but they make expenses and provide a service to both the business, college and the greater community at large.
Congress passed a law on February 1, 2006, setting a final deadline for the DTV transition of February 17, 2009. Most television stations will continue broadcasting both analog and digital programming until February 17, 2009, when all analog broadcasting will stop.." FCC http://www.dtv.gov/
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5 comments:
I would like to point out that WERG's Super Soul Saturday has been quite popular for years, especially with African Americans. For years it's continued to be successful and that's just one days worth of programming. Will the new radio station owners take a chance on an Urban or Hip Hop station?
I doubt it because it's not the most appealing demographic to make the money. I wish it would be considered.
I also miss having an Alternative station. Yes, I miss the Planet and 95.9 does not come in that well always from London.
The format choices in Erie are so limited, and so cookie cutter that it pains me to listen to local radio. Even when I worked for one of the multi-owned radio groups in Erie, it was hard to listen to the stations because the formats were just not that appealing to me.
I'm sure we all go through that though. Anyway, because of the limited choices of local radio, I will be a loyal Sirius subscriber for life!
I intend to do a feature soon on WERG. It is a great alternative and fills a void. My son's favorite station when he is home.
But you do point up a problem with local radio and it not being local enough.
Unfortunatly it also has to be profitable.
Jennifer:
Super Soul Saturday dates back to the early 70's when music, today classified as hip hop, was ACTUALLY Soul music. It certainly has withstood the test of time. Many of their listeners today had parents and perhaps grandparents that have tuned in every Saturday.
WPSE is yes a showcase of success. It should be noted that after WWGO, 1450 was home to WEYZ which ran Al Ham's "Music Of Your Life" format. I was the Program Director of WEYZ in 1989 (after coming over from K104 in 1988) when WEYZ was moved to the 1330 frequency which gave us a MUCH better coverage area. In fact, in 1992, WEYZ was a Top 5 national finalist for a Marconi Award. The winner that year was WPEN in Philadelphia.
Wondering what all of you think of this. Do you feel the "Jack" format (not Tirak,lol) or the new "Movin" format which is targeting 25-34 females would find success here?
2 nit-picks if I may.....
WWGO et al. studios were not at the "tip of the Commerce Bldg". They were in the northwest corner of the 2nd (of 10 total) floor, along with the 1450 transmitter itself (the feedline ran up to the base of the tower on the building's roof).
Also, I thought the WPSE 1450 transmitter & tower was not on the Behrend Center campus but was located in an industrial area on the East Side of Erie somewhere out near the end of East 10th or East 12th Sts.[sorry for being so vague, been a while since I've needed to be in that neighborhood]. IIRC that was where it was moved after leaving the Commerce Bldg location. Was it subsequently moved out to Behrend ?
Last time I knew, the 1450 tower was near 12th and Downing.
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