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WGON 92.8
The End of the Beginning
Jay sat in his brown fabric-covered rolling chair in front of the 6-rotary-knob broadcast mixing board in Studio C. Looking through the glass window at the dark, empty interview sound booth where so many narration tracks were recorded, Jay wondered, how did the station end up here?
For 13 years, Jay was the Production Director in charge of the broadcast production and multi-track recording studios at WGON 92.8 at Greenville University. The station was being outsourced by the educational licensee to a large conglomerate public radio network in Albany, New York, and today would be his last day of employment.
Jay got up from his seat, turned, and looked at the three Ampex-400 2-track tape machines where he had produced many of the local broadcast concert series — such as the Greenville Symphony Orchestra, The Twilight Chamber Music Series, Concert in the Field, and so many other locally produced, community-based broadcast music series. Jay stepped down the two stairs leading out of the studio, turned to the right, and walked down the hall to the receptionist's office where Neil Friendly was sitting behind the desk.
"Have we gotten a reprieve from the governor yet?" Jay satirically joked.
"No. By the way, you wouldn't happen to know where the second Panasonic 3700 DAT machine in news control went?" asked Neil, implying that Jay may have pilfered it, since all the station's equipment was going up to WVCT.
"I have my own 3700 at home in my studio," said Jay.
"I thought as much," Neil acknowledged.
Jay turned and looked at the stack of black plastic staff inboxes sitting on the two short, gray, double-drawer filing cabinets near the window, where memos to the staff from Neil Friendly silently rested, announcing the station's doors closing at 5 o'clock that afternoon. Neil, now acting station manager and liaison for the transition of WGON to WVCT in Albany, New York, sat behind the desk, just waiting for the end of the day.
6 Years Earlier
Station Manager Don Roberts called the staff meeting to order as the five WGON professional staff members sat in a semi-circle around the manager's desk. The manager's office was a corner office on the second floor of Scholz Hall. The office has tall white wooden-and-glass French-style pulldown windows, set in mahogany wooden wall panels. The bright afternoon sun streamed into the room.
"We're here today to talk about hiring a new Operations Director for the station. Since Paul Creed left, we really need to quickly fill that position. Did everybody receive a copy of the latest candidate's CV? I have his audition tape right here and we can all listen," said Don.
A murmur of agreement and a shuffling of papers went around the circle. At the meeting were Pam Williams, Marketing Director — a short, plump woman wearing glasses in her 50s; John McKnight, News Director — a medium-build, slightly bald man in his 40s; Sam Headie, Station Engineer — a tall, slim guy with blonde hair in his late 30s; Elliot Zeazee, Program Director — a slim man wearing black-framed glasses and a small goatee in his early 40s; and Jay Flanders, Production Director — a medium-height, brown-haired, brown-eyed man in his early 30s. They all reviewed Neil Friendly's packet of material.
"It looks like Neil has briefly worked at a number of stations throughout the country — first in Philadelphia, then Texas, and now at WVCT in Albany," said Pam.
"According to his CV, Neil has a background in television and video production. That may be very useful," John commented.
"I find it interesting that Neil is applying for an Ops position, as that is considered to be entry level," said Jay.
"That's a question we can ask Neil when we get him on the phone. First, let's listen to his air-check audition tape," said Don.
Don placed Neil's cassette into a portable cassette machine that sat on his desk. Snapping the cassette drawer down in place, Don pressed the play button and the sound of Neil's voice announcing the previous set of songs along with the WVCT station ID was heard in the room. It was clear to everyone on the staff that Neil's radio presence was strong, clear, confident, and professional.
"This guy sounds good to me. It really would be helpful to have another strong voice talent for on-air hosting, station drop-ins, and voicing underwriting announcements," said Don.
Everyone agreed.
"Let's call him up and hear what he has to say," said Sam.
Neil's Phone Interview
Don picked up the phone receiver, punched in the WVCT phone number, and put the phone on speaker.
"Hello, WVCT, this is Neil Friendly."
"Hi Neil, this is Don Roberts, station manager for WGON in Greenville. How are you doing?" asked Don.
"Not bad," said Neil.
"I'm here with the entire WGON staff and I have you on speaker. Is that okay?" asked Don.
"Oh wow, that's great," Neil replied.
"Would it be alright if we asked you some questions?" said Don.
"Sure," Neil replied.
"Pam Williams here, Marketing. I see you've been at several radio stations in the past few years. Why such short stays?"
"I'm trying to find a public radio station that fits my interests. Many of those stations — like WOKV in Philadelphia, as well as KTEZ in Texas — felt stifling. Even WVCT has a management style that I am not quite comfortable with. I want to work at a station where I can develop my talents and skills," said Neil.
"Sam Headie, Station Engineer. What was it about the station's management style that did not feel comfortable?"
"To me, the overall feel of the station is rigid, with very strict programming guidelines. Looking at your program guide, I see WGON offers a diverse range of programs, both local and national. At WVCT, my suggestions were never truly considered," Neil finished.
"Jay Flanders here, Production Director. As you know, the position we are trying to fill is an Ops position. Generally speaking, that's an entry-level position. With your extensive background, why would you want to be an Operations Director?"
"The Operations Director is an important position, as they provide support for all the other departments in the station," Neil strongly stated.
"The salary for Ops is not a lot, although that will increase over time," said Don.
"That's not really the point. What's really important to me is the working environment, and from what I've learned about WGON, it sounds like the place to be," said Neil with conviction.
"Elliot Zeazee, Programming. Operations is a demanding position — it requires you to be on call 24/7. Having said that, are you willing to move to Greenville if we give you the job?"
"Yes. I enjoy working, and working at a public radio station is how to connect with the local community and businesses," said Neil.
"Okay, thanks for talking to us today," said Don.
Everyone in the room said goodbye to Neil, then Don hung up the phone.
"Well folks, what do you think?" asked Don.
"Let's bring him on," said Pam.
"He sounds hungry and willing to do the job regardless," said Elliot.
The entire staff agreed, and the hiring of Neil Friendly went forward. Later, back in his office, Jay pondered, I never really thought about how powerful the Ops position could be. Roughly three weeks later, Neil Friendly joined the staff at WGON and began working as Operations Director.
Neil at Ops
Neil quickly became very familiar with how each department worked — capturing satellite download feeds, routing programs to and from on-air, voicing underwriting announcements for marketing, and doing on-air shifts throughout the broadcast day. Neil was indeed an effective Ops Director.
During weekly staff meetings, Neil offered many good suggestions and started working closely with Pam. Neil suggested simplifying the station's ID from "You're listening to WGON FM 92.8 Greenville" to "This is WGON 92.8 Greenville." Neil began assisting students working in the news department while commenting on how the NPR news program delivery was not like local commercial news programming to John. As Neil seemed not to have any experience in the recording studio and music production, he did not have much interaction with Jay. Outside of a simple hello and brief acknowledgments, Neil said very little to Jay.
2 Years Later
"Hey Jay, Don has something he wants to share with the entire staff. There's a meeting scheduled for this afternoon in the manager's office at 2pm. Can you make it? I'm letting every one know" Neil stated.
"Sure," said Jay.
At 2 o'clock, the entire WGON staff gathered in the station manager's office to hear what Don Roberts had to say.
"Hi folks, thank you all for coming. I have some important news to share. I will be stepping down as the station manager do to medical reasons. Currently, I believe we have a real strong team. The last Arbitron report for Spring 1995 showed us at 4,800 average quarter-hour listeners — those are the highest numbers I've seen in my five years as manager of WGON. With the staff we currently have in place, changing managers should go smoothly. I have informed the licensee, and a new manager search will be implemented immediately. I will stay on until the new manager has been hired. To help in the search process, I will be forming a search committee made up of WGON staff members. Pam, you will be the chair of the committee. Elliot, you will be Vice Chair, and Neil, you'll be the secretary. You three will be in charge of reviewing all the manager applications. Once the search committee ranks the three manager finalists, the entire WGON staff will vote for the top candidate," said Don.
The Manager's Search
Unfortunately, the manager search did not go as well as hoped. There were three separate attempts by the WGON staff to find a suitable manager everyone could agree upon. The primary reason for the continuous failure of the manager search was the developing divided interest between the WGON staff. Pam and Neil wanted to move the station in a direction that was closer to the NPR network sound, while Elliot, Jay, and John favored a local community presence. Sam, the station engineer, was on the fence, saying both public radio philosophies had merit, but that success would be determined by listener support.
For the third time, the final group of manager candidates kept the WGON staff divided. Out of the final three candidates, two came to the station and met each staff member individually, and the third was interviewed by phone as he could not leave his post as Station Manager at KCET in Colorado.
The Next Candidate
The first of the two who came to the station was a young man in his late 30s who was very positive about the current WGON radio format. Josh Povinsky met with Jay in WGON's multi-track production Studio B.
"Hi Josh, good to meet you," Jay said with enthusiasm.
"I'm excited to be here to see the station and its operation," said Josh.
"As you know, WGON is an NPR affiliate offering programs like Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Talk of the Nation, Car Talk, and Performance Today. We also subscribe to a few of the APR cultural programs such as This American Life and Marketplace. However, we believe our strength lies in our local broadcast concert series and our community-based, volunteer-hosted programs. We feel the community that continues to provide financial support and enjoys our diverse programming reflects the heart and culture of the Shenandoah Valley. During our membership campaign, it is our community volunteers and their programs that generate the majority of our fundraising donations. Let me play you one of our fundraising campaign promo jingles," said Jay.
Jay turned to the multitrack tape machine and played Public Radio Nightmare.
"Wow," said Josh. "You produced that?"
"Yes, with help from some of my student staff interns," said Jay.
"I really like that. To effectively use the skills and talents of local resources not only saves money, but connects the station with the community," said Josh.
Just then, Elliot walked into the studio and said, "Josh, you're with me for the next hour." Josh and Elliot walked out of Studio B, and Jay thought, I like Josh. He understands the need for community involvement and local programming.
The Final Candidate
The last of the three candidates who came in person was Bill Scott. Bill was an older gentleman — mid-50s, slightly overweight, with a receding hairline. He wore a light suit coat over a white shirt with a striped red tie, presenting a formal appearance. He had a gruff voice and exuded overconfidence. Jay was in the 2-track production studio producing another segment of the Greenville Orchestra Broadcast Series for that night's radio broadcast. Sam the station engineer and Bill Scott walked into Studio C.
"Hey Jay, do you have a minute? I would like to introduce you to Bill Scott," said Sam with a purposeful grin.
"I'm just finishing up. Hi Bill," said Jay, reaching out to shake Bill's hand.
"What are you doing?" said Bill.
"I'm finishing up the production of tonight's Greenville Symphony Orchestra broadcast," said Jay with a sigh of relief.
"This studio looks old. What are those — Ampex-400 tape machines?" Bill pointed at the three reel-to-reel tape decks lined up across the back wall. "How often are they serviced? Is that your job or is that the station engineer's responsibility?" said Bill assertively.
"I do the general maintenance, such as tape head cleaning and demagnetizing. I do this regularly before any production broadcast," said Jay, taken a little aback by the direct line of questions.
Bill turned around and looked at the broadcast mixing console.
"Why are your output switches not in the neutral position? You are finished, right?" said Bill accusingly.
Jay went over to the broadcast console and switched two of the six switches to their neutral position. "When you are working intensively on a broadcast production, you're not always thinking about normalizing the board," said Jay sarcastically.
Jay and Bill then talked for a while about station policy and programming, the kind of management style the WGON staff would expect, then ended with assurances on the success of WGON. At this point, Marketing Director Pam Williams knocked on the Studio C door, walked in, and said, "Bill, you need to come with me."
Jay thought Bill was very rude and would not be easy to work with in the studios — though Pam's line "you need to come with me" was truly appropriate given Bill's commanding attitude, Jay thought.
Candidate Review
Don Roberts called the meeting to order. "Okay, you all had a chance to review the documentation for the last three candidates, and I know some of you have personally met with two of the prospective managers. This meeting is to discuss how you felt about the various individuals, and whether any of them would be suitable for the manager position of WGON," said Don.
Pam immediately spoke up. "First of all, the guy in Texas who we interviewed by phone seemed not to really want the job. At least he wasn't willing to make any concessions or arrangements to come and meet the staff in person." Everyone on the search committee agreed.
"For me, again, none of the three candidates seem to fit the direction WGON should move into for the future," said Pam.
"And what direction is that?" said Elliot curiously.
"I know you like the sound of our local presence and community volunteers, but times are changing — the Corporation for Public Broadcasting is being pressured to reduce funding by Congress. A more professional approach to our overall public radio sound, I feel is needed," said Pam with conviction.
Neil chimed in. "I agree, but none of these guys have the wherewithal to know how to achieve that outcome. Josh is much too inexperienced, and Bill is a demanding jerk," said Neil.
The entire staff nodded in agreement.
"Our strength lies in the local community and the type of programs we provide. Sure, NPR has a professional public radio sound, but the demographics of our listeners — that is to say, within the Shenandoah Valley — is primarily made up of farmers and agricultural-related businesses. Besides, NPR programs are not so cheap," said Elliot.
"I agree. However, there is nothing wrong with sounding more professional. Many of our community volunteer hosts have little or no professional radio training, and if you think about the sound of some of our late evening programs, well, improvements clearly could be made," said John humorously.
"Just what is a professional sound?" said Jay, offering a skeptical view. "It seems to me that a balance between NPR programming and the honest sound of our volunteer hosts creates a level of realism and authenticity that polished NPR news talk is unable to provide," said Jay.
"There are good points on both sides. Should you go with nationwide familiarity, or offer creative and unique programming with colorful, personality-based shows? Just remember, our transmitter is more than 25 years old and maintaining that system will be a rising and costly expense," said Sam.
"We are an NPR station, and we should sound that way. Anything else is amateur," said Neil.
"I think we're getting off topic," said Don. "So, am I to understand none of the candidates are agreeable?"
The entire staff said yes.
"This is the third set of candidates the staff is turning down. I'm not sure how the licensee will respond — they will not be happy. They may not be willing to go through another manager search, but I'll let them know," said Don.
Shortly after this meeting, Don Roberts resigned for medical reasons, and Elliot Zeazee became acting station manager.
The Response from Greenville University
As predicted, the response by the educational licensee was not good. The Greenville University board members decided to form their own search committee, choosing selected members from the WGON staff. The board would find a manager, and the division of public radio philosophy within the staff would be moot. The board selected Sam Headie, Station Engineer; Pam Williams, Marketing Director; and Neil Friendly, Operations Director.
In the spring of 1997, the search committee established by the educational licensee selected Frank Enstine. Frank was a short man with black hair and glasses. He came from WPOC in Baltimore. From what was related to Jay, John, and Elliot by the WGON search committee members, Frank was very impressive.
"NPR's credibility and reliability generates money nationwide, and given the style and sound of public radio professionalism, the continuing success of WGON is pretty much guaranteed. I took a small public radio operation in Baltimore and turned it into a strong NPR news talk station," Frank told the board.
"So why did Frank leave and apply for the manager position at WGON?" asked Elliot curiously.
"According to Frank, the licensee refused to increase his salary after he successfully increased the station's local market share by 75%," said Sam.
"I personally spoke to Frank, and I felt he had good ideas to move our station forward," said Pam.
"Frank worked for CPB and would have inside influence and information with his contacts over there," said Neil.
"It sounds like Frank is an insider, and we don't have much of a choice," said Elliot. Jay agreed.
"Don't worry — Frank appreciates many of our local music programs and said any change he would make would come slowly," said Neil reassuringly.
"I like Frank's interest in the news. Our local edition of All Things Considered could gain greater exposure with more news listeners listening side-by-side with NPR news programming," said John.
"When will this all take place — that is to say, the hiring of the new station manager?" asked Elliot.
"Late August, or early this fall. The board wants Frank in place before the fall membership campaign," said Sam.
Frank on the Job
In late August of 1997, Frank Enstine was placed in the position of Station Manager for WGON FM 92.8. At first, Frank was a listener. He was very understanding and open regarding the format and operation of the station. He began to have one-on-one conversations in his office with every member of the WGON staff, learning about who they were and what they did.
Frank conducted several intense focus group sessions in his office relating to WGON programming. In one such session, Frank asked the entire staff to call out station priorities. On a paper flipboard, Frank wrote down what staff members felt were the station's top priorities. The list included: expanding listenership, a greater radio presence in the Greenville market, salary increases for all staff members, adding a position for a specialist in public relations, and modernizing the WGON radio facility including the transmitter.
Frank then passed out five blank index cards, asking the staff to rank their top five priorities in their own numbered sequence. He told them to draw the sequence number on the back of each card, then place the cards on their lap in highest priority order.
"Okay, if three or more cards match, that will determine the staff priority. So what is the first priority?"
The entire staff raised their first card, revealing them to Frank. Frank counted the matches, then wrote that priority statement on the flipboard. This process continued for each of the remaining four priorities, creating a staff priority agreement list.
The Priority Agreement List
1. Salary increases for all staff members – 5 of 5
2. A greater radio presence in the Greenville market – 3 of 5
3. Expanding WGON listenership – 4 of 5
4. Modernizing the station’s equipment and transmitter 2 of 5
5. Adding a position for a specialist in Public Relations 1 of 5
"So now the question is, how do we do this? In order to achieve these priorities, there needs to be a strategic programming plan. One such strategy used throughout the public radio network is to offer programs you believe listeners will enjoy. Another — and possibly better — strategy is to offer programs to attract the listeners you want. This second approach is based on two critical steps. First, a survey of your current membership list to find what they like about WGON and what they are willing to support. And second, a commitment by the entire station staff to whatever the top priority becomes — rise to the challenge. If you are willing to commit and support WGON, you are willing to work to achieve the outcome," said Frank.
"Won't that take time?" said Elliot.
"With any luck, it will take about two years. Let's get through the next few membership campaigns and see where the numbers are. By the summer of '98, WGON will start transitioning to the new programming format. Our job is to begin conversations with our radio volunteers and WGON supporters to get them on board, so they understand and go with the direction the station is moving towards. Come the fall of '99, WGON will flip the switch and will become the flagship NPR station for the Greenville Valley," said Frank.
Transitioning, 1997–1998
Frank Enstine settled into his new top-floor corner office that was previously occupied by Don Roberts. After rearranging his office furniture to present a commanding view from his horizontal desk — stretching almost to the opposite wall facing the room entrance — Frank sat behind the desk in a dark red reclining leather chair. In front of the desk was a heavy, straight-backed, padded wooden chair. By the wall, under the window, sat two light gray double-drawer filing cabinets. Catty-corner to the filing cabinets were two plain wooden-and-beige cloth chairs side-by-side, facing the manager's desk. There were plaques on the walls — various awards and degrees, along with a commemorative award stating WGON as one of the first 200 member stations of the NPR network. The organized room clearly had intention. What that intention would translate to, the staff and volunteers were yet to find out.
First Change
The first change that happened to the laid-back staff of WGON was the formalized station structure and the introduction of the weekly, mandatory Monday morning staff meeting. From nine to approximately ten-thirty, the staff met each week in Frank's office, discussing the changes and marketing strategies being developed. At first, these meetings were polite, casual, and quiet, as Frank did most of the talking. Pam, Neil, and Sam discussed station policy and marketing techniques to build interest in the coming WGON program change.
Neil suggested buying a number of billboard ads featuring WGON's logo and the words: WGON — Just Keep Listening.
"This will be part of our run-up to the format change," said Neil with a pretentious grin.
"So when will the other shoe drop?" said John satirically.
"For now, I think we need to be on the QT for many of our volunteers," said Pam.
"Don't you think they will begin to notice the reduction in our local community sound?" said Elliot with a shrug, trying not to look skeptical.
"There will be pushback, no doubt," said Sam. "However, if we present it in a positive light — explaining how CPB wants member stations to rely less on federal funding and provide a more professional NPR network sound — don't you think they would agree?" said Neil.
"Many will, but I feel most won't. Considering some of the lives these volunteers have, and how hosting a public radio program in their community is the highlight of their week, you will certainly end up with disgruntled people on both sides of the microphone," said John.
"Still, we move forward. Once the licensee provides me with a programming budget, we can start selecting programs to insert, slowly establishing WGON's transformation to the new format. Some of the changes will be tough, but in time it will be worth it," said Frank confidently.
The Next Change
Throughout the fall of 1997 and on through the spring of 1998, subtle yet significant changes were made to WGON's sound and staff. The first really noticeable change was the reduction of the student staff. This had a considerable impact on all the WGON departments. From a staff of 15 work-study and fully paid students serving departments such as programming, marketing, news, production, and engineering, the student staff was reduced to three student workers. True, the remaining student staff were highly skilled students being fully paid by the station. Unfortunately, all the students who were federally funded work-study qualified were let go.
The remaining volunteer hosts were being evaluated, required to submit aircheck tapes every week for review by Neil and Elliot. On-air radio shifts that were normally covered by student DJs — such as Cruzan, the afternoon jazz program — were now being covered by either Elliot Zeazee or Neil Friendly. The all-day, 9am-to-6pm Saturday folk and bluegrass music program Strumming & Picking was squeezed at the top by three hours of Americana music from 9 to noon, provided by the network. Dixie Dancing, one of WGON's most lucrative fundraising programs on Sunday morning from 8–12, was reduced by one hour, allowing NPR's Weekend Edition to roll over and fill the slot. The other two Sunday afternoon programs — Big Band Stage and Swing & More — continued, as they were favored by the older WGON paying listeners.
Behind Closed Doors
In the background, behind closed doors, Frank, Neil, and Pam met privately to discuss how to handle the upcoming membership campaigns. The remaining WGON staff were updated about programming strategies during Monday morning meetings. Discussions about what to say to listeners who called in and asked about programs that were either reduced or no longer existed were referred to Pam and Neil. It was clear to Elliot, John, Jay, and Sam that the culture of the station was changing. The interpersonal communication and democratic agreement between staff members shifted in such a way that walls between the staff were created, with station authority given to marketing and operations.
In October of 1998, a week before the fall membership campaign, Elliot came to Studio C to talk with Jay.
"Hey Jay," said Elliot, walking into the 2-track production studio. Elliot closed the door.
"Hi Elliot, what's up?" said Jay.
"Have you noticed anything unusual about the behavior of Neil Friendly?" said Elliot in a quiet and neutral tone.
"Only that he seems to be all over the station, providing advice to Frank and Pam, while making sarcastic commentary on how certain departments are managed," said Jay.
"I feel that," said Elliot.
"Neil clearly sees himself as a public radio specialist, giving very specific opinions and ideas about the running and sound of the station," said Jay.
"I know. Did you hear how Neil was complaining to John about his lack of knowledge regarding the NPR news magazine delivery style? I heard Neil say to John that he wants him to create short news features and interview segments instead of a real-time half-hour news broadcast. I can't put my finger on it, but there's something there — something that makes me feel uneasy, possibly suspicious. Being right down the hall from the manager's office, I've noticed Neil spends a lot of time with Frank behind closed doors," said Elliot.
"I know. I went upstairs to the Wells Studio to ask Neil if he needed to schedule a recording session for voicing new station IDs, underwriting announcements, and/or on-air fundraising promos. When I walked into the studio, to my surprise, Neil was coaching Frank regarding his voice delivery as new station IDs and WGON campaign promos were being recorded. I stood in the studio, listening to Neil telling Frank how to deliver various phrases. What was strange — it seemed like Neil wanted me to see them working together. Neil did not say he was busy, or I'll get back to you' — not a word," said Jay, now thinking about the event retrospectively.
"Have you talked to Sam about how you feel?" said Jay.
"Yes. Sam agreed that things are certainly happening, but for right now, his focus is on keeping the station broadcasting. Sam said he likes to remain neutral and outside of station politics," said Elliot.
"It's a bit unfair, don't you think? Sam was on the licensee's search committee," said Jay.
"Perhaps that is why Sam was selected. His neutral opinion provided no strong dominant energy when choosing the new station manager," said Elliot.
Just then, there was a knock on the door and Neil Friendly entered Studio C.
"Are you busy, Elliot? There are some special NPR network programs coming down from the satellite tonight that we need to record and schedule," said Neil with a flat inflection.
"We'll talk more later about this week's Recording at Home program lineup," said Elliot.
Neil and Elliot left the studio. Jay sat back in the studio chair thinking to himself, everything is definitely changing. I wonder what will happen next.
By the end of 1998, the station was almost transformed, as several lesser-known minority culture community-based radio programs were dropped. In February 1999, after Jay's office was repurposed for the hiring of a new public relations manager, Jay now had to use Studio C as his permanent office.
Frank & Jay — Part 1
In early January of 1999, Neil Friendly dropped by Studio C.
"Hey Jay, Frank wants to see you in his office at 2 o'clock today," said Neil.
That's ominous, thought Jay.
At 2 o'clock, Jay walked upstairs to the manager's office. The door was open.
"Hi Jay, come on in," said Frank.
Frank got up from his desk, walked around, and closed the door.
"So how's the production department doing?" said Frank with little interest.
"It's been quiet. The only thing that keeps me busy are my clients. I am working with several talented bands and individuals in the multi-track studio, creating CD demos for them to distribute," said Jay.
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. As we move forward, becoming the dominant NPR public radio station for the Valley, your work as a Production Director is changing. Many of the things that you used to produce for the station can now be handled by operations. However, you could assist both operations and programming by doing digital audio transfers of radio content to cart for on-air. As you know, we are working up to a program change, and your assistance in providing digital audio transfer-to-cart services will be crucial. Neil and Sam, who are scheduling the Wells Studio, will train and help you with the various audio transfer tasks. There will be programs on DAT tape, new station IDs, promotional drop-ins, underwriting announcements, along with overnight programs that will need to be put on cart or transferred to reel. Can you do that, Jay?" said Frank matter-of-factly.
"Sure, whatever you need me to do," said Jay.
"Now, your recording studio clients — you are producing their CD demos, right? How much do you charge per hour?" asked Frank.
"The cost of recording studio time is $40 per hour, with blocks of 20 hours for $700 and blocks of 10 hours for $300," said Jay.
"That's fine. What I need from you is this: provide me with a list of your clients and the projects you are producing each week, and keep track of the hours for each project. From now on, we will meet in my office on Mondays at 2 o'clock to review the total amount of time the multi-track studios are in use. Okay?" said Frank.
"Sure, whatever you need me to do," said Jay.
The Membership Survey
In the early spring of 1999, two students with Master of Science degrees from the School of Communications — Scott and Mary — were brought in as interns to develop and conduct a survey of the WGON membership. A questionnaire was created without influence from the WGON station manager or the station staff. A 20-question, short-answer survey was put together using the WGON program guide, on-air fundraising campaign data from spring 1994 to the present, and a 2-week broadcast monitoring period of the current WGON program lineup. The purpose of the survey was to find out if WGON listeners would be willing to support a stronger NPR news presence.
The Survey Questions:
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5 questions on specific programming preferences
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5 questions on why are you a WGON listener?
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5 questions on what NPR programs you currently listen to
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5 questions on how valuable NPR programs are to you as a listener
Out of the 4,000 membership surveys sent out, approximately 3,500 were returned. Out of that number, 3,271 provided usable written data. The membership survey was reviewed by Scott and Mary, the interns in charge of the survey, with oversight by the Chair of the School of Communications, Dean Walter Thattswhy.
"I have here 3,271 returns. I think there are clearly many members loyal to WGON," said Mary.
"I think you're right. It appears as though many of the volunteer-based programs have a strong following, but compared to membership campaigns from 1994 through 1996, not so much now. It also appears that WGON's NPR news programs — certainly important during morning and afternoon drive times — remain strong. Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and even WGON's local edition of ATC still have consistently steady numbers," said Scott confidently.
"It also looks like Talk of the Nation, Car Talk, Performance Today, and A Prairie Home Companion also have strong support," said Mary.
"Yet, overall, the number of listeners seems to have declined starting in the spring of 1998," said Scott with an inquisitive look.
"Arbitron numbers from spring 1998 to fall 1998 indicate 3,450 listeners per average quarter hour. That's down from Arbitron spring 1994 through spring 1995, and most of that decline is in the evening after 7pm and throughout the weekend," said Mary.
"Yes, that's when most of the local community-based, volunteer-hosted programs were broadcast," said Scott.
"And that decline seems to be continuing, according to the spring 1999 Arbitron report," said Mary.
Reaction to the Survey
Sitting in Frank's office, Neil and Pam, along with Frank, were reviewing the outcome of the membership survey created by Mary and Scott.
"The downward trend between 1997 and 1998 is concerning but not unexpected," said Pam.
"I agree. But as you can see, we still have a strong listenership for NPR programming in the mornings and afternoons," Neil pointed out.
Frank looked out the window and said, "I'm not really sure how much we can trust the information presented in the WGON membership survey. A 20-question, short-answer survey is not a reliable mechanism for collecting accurate data on our listeners. A 1-to-5 data range survey is a far better indicator of what listeners really want to hear on WGON. For now, let's continue forward with the programming change regardless of what the survey says. We'll flip the switch in September, skip the fall membership campaign, and wait till the spring of 2000 to begin our fundraising for our new format — NPR news talk. Let's go ahead and begin purchasing more NPR news blocks. I only wish Greenville University would give me a clearly defined WGON programming budget," said Frank with concern.
Throughout 1999, WGON continued to slowly transform. The station, now having a very formal business feel to the two floors that contained WGON, became quiet and solemn. Everybody had a job to do whether they liked it or not. Monday morning meetings continued without much objection by Elliot and Jay, as they were inwardly skeptical of the format change to all-NPR news talk. Occasionally, Sam and John interrupted the conversation between Frank, Pam, and Neil with questions that were either accepted, overlooked, or dismissed as something not to worry about at the moment.
Frank & Jay — Part 2
The weekly Monday afternoon meeting with Jay continued as Jay created audio notes on a small portable field recorder.
"I see you have Katbar the Celtic harp player this week, and several local poets. The poets read their poems with the intent to create a CD?" questioned Frank.
"No, the poets prefer cassettes — it's cheaper. Once I mix their project, I transfer the audio onto CD. Then the poets take the mastered CD to a local cassette duplication company," said Jay.
"I know one of those poets. Peter Simons. Didn't we air a series featuring local poets in the community that this guy produced?" said Frank.
"Yes, The Poets Sandbox. It was a series of poetry vignettes, no longer than three minutes, that aired after the top-of-the-hour station ID. Each vignette had a signature piano theme, and Peter Simons would announce the poet and the poem," explained Jay.
"You know that Peter Simons suffers from dementia. He's not someone you can fully rely on. So Jay, you had 8 clients last week for a total of 23 hours. Not bad. Let's meet again next Monday afternoon," said Frank with a slight smile.
The spring 1999 on-air membership campaign was very slow. Frank, Pam, and Neil all agreed that this was to be expected.
"Anytime you make changes — even small changes in the radio format — many listeners will disappear. However, new listeners will start to increase as new programs attract new listeners. Let's create new station IDs with the phrase: WGON 92.8, Greenville, New York — Home for NPR news, information, and Americana music," said Neil.
"For now, that will work with our current programming format. Come September, we'll flip the switch and turn the broadcasting page in the long history of WGON," said Frank.
As 1999 moved into the summer, Jay began working with Sam in the Wells Studio. Sam brought Jay up to speed on the new 14-channel stereo broadcast console and how to dub from DAT machine to radio cart. Jay became responsible for transferring station IDs and underwriting announcements onto cart, and for dubbing overnight programs. Once the dubbing routine was established, it was basically a babysitting job.
Flipping the Switch
On Monday morning, September 6, at 12:01 AM, WGON flipped the switch and became NPR news, talk, information, and entertainment. All the remaining community-based programs were dropped. Gone were Morning Classics from 9–12 weekdays with Jon Masters; Cruzan, weekday afternoons featuring Greenville University student DJs; Strumming and Picking on Saturdays with Arlene, Matt, and Jacob; Dixieland Dancing with Cotch; Big Band Stage with Nick; and Swing & More with Barney — all left the airwaves forever. Jay's In-Home Recording on Monday evenings at 8pm and The World of Mike Sparrow on Friday nights from 6 to 9pm were replaced by APR's This American Life.
Even though all the volunteer hosts of the programs that were to be dropped were asked to quietly close out their last show saying goodbye to their listeners, by the end of that week the WGON switchboard was flooded with disgruntled listeners. Neil, Pam, and Frank handled the incoming calls and explained how CPB was reducing revenue and relying more on loyal NPR listeners.
"NPR has a huge national following and is one of the most trusted networks for news and information," Frank would say to callers.
"I know you are disappointed, and I understand how you feel about the loss of The World of Mike Sparrow and Morning Classics with Jon Masters. However, we are filling those slots with very engaging and entertaining programs from NPR and APR that I'm sure you will enjoy. Just keep listening," said Pam with a slight plea of desperation.
"I'm so sorry you don't like the new sound of WGON. Let me transfer you to the station manager and he will explain why," said Neil in his most professional radio voice.
All through September and October, listeners continued to call in and complain about the changes. However, there were some NPR fans — new to WGON — who appreciated the more consistent format over the 35 culturally diverse and locally delivered music and entertainment programs WGON had provided each week.
"That's nice to hear. Let me direct you to Pam Williams, our Marketing Director. I'm sure she would love to get your feedback. Perhaps you should become a member of WGON," said Neil.
Then, at the end of October, when the on-air membership drive was usually scheduled, WGON station drop-in announcements — written and produced by Neil and Frank — were placed in rotation for the on-air board operator to drop in at designated times throughout the last week of the regularly scheduled fall campaign.
"Hello, this is Frank Enstine, station manager of WGON 92.8. As WGON moves towards a more professional level of public radio broadcasting, we ask for your patience and understanding. I'm sure in time, you will come to enjoy what you hear. Just keep listening," Frank's voice would say over the airwaves.
Throughout November and December, WGON listener calls complaining or commenting on the new sound slowly diminished. The new sound of WGON started with four hours of Morning Edition with Bob Edwards from 6 to 10am; Performance Today from 10 to noon; Talk of the Nation from noon till 1pm; Americana music from 1 till 4pm; then All Things Considered from 4 to 6pm; APR's Marketplace from 6 to 7pm; and Fresh Air with Terry Gross from 7 to 8pm. Starting at 8pm until midnight, WGON broadcast Americana music from the NPR network. At midnight to 6am, two back-to-back three-hour network jazz programs aired — Jazz After Hours and Jazz Unknown — completing the 24-hour daily broadcasting cycle.
As it happened, WGON still provided lots of NPR network music programming, but at a considerable price — far more than the 15 community volunteer hosts who had provided their personal record collections as they programmed their weekly shows.
Neil Suddenly Leaves WGON
In January 2000, when the Arbitron ratings for the final quarter of 1999 came out, WGON went from 3,800 listeners per average quarter hour to 1,200 listeners per average quarter hour. Then, during the third week of January, after the Arbitron book was released, Neil Friendly suddenly and unexpectedly gave his two-week notice that he would be leaving the station. This was announced by Frank at the Monday morning staff meeting, surprising everyone.
"Why did Neil suddenly leave?" asked Elliot.
"Apparently, he was tired of running around the station. Neil and I worked so hard together to make the change, and to have him leave now is strange," said Frank.
"Did you see the Arbitron numbers?" said Pam.
"Yes, let's talk about that later this afternoon," Frank quickly redirected. "For now, we need to circle the wagons and reorganize station responsibilities to take up the slack from Neil's departure and John's family leave of absence," Frank grimaced. "Elliot, I want you to take over Neil's operations duties, and Sam, you'll need to assist with some of the programming schedules and on-air shifts. What we need to do now is start focusing on the upcoming spring membership campaign in early April. It's never too soon to consider how we should handle our first membership campaign after the format change," said Frank with command.
"I think we need to be direct and honest with our listeners," said Pam.
"I agree. We must be clear about how important it is for WGON to maintain the current programming standards and how that will benefit our listeners in the coming months," said Elliot.
"Very good. We'll keep positive as we move forward throughout the spring membership campaign," said Frank in agreement.
"It's going to be rough, down two staff members, and if I need to go to our transmitter for a few days to do repairs, things here will get crazy," said Sam with a grin.
"Nevertheless, let's pull together and do our jobs," said Frank, trying to rally the troops.
Frank & Jay — Part 3
In the middle of February 2000, Jay met Frank in his office for their weekly Monday 2 o'clock meeting.
"Hi Jay, thanks for coming in. I've been reviewing all the log sheets you have submitted on your clients, the number of hours for recording studio time, and the amount of money you have generated within the past year. Unfortunately, the amount of revenue you made with the recording studio does not completely fund your full-time salary. Since you are no longer producing local concert performances and/or providing support for our community-based radio programs — which no longer exist — I'm afraid I must reduce your position to half-time. I'm sure you understand this reduction, as the need for original fund drive campaign promos is no longer necessary. All promotional materials are coming directly from the NPR network. However, you can still transfer station IDs, underwriting announcements, and promotional drop-ins onto cart in the Wells Studio," said Frank matter-of-factly.
"Whatever you need me to do," said Jay.
Walking out of Frank's office to go back to Studio C, Jay thought to himself, what goes around comes around.
The Takeover
At the beginning of March, Frank, Pam, and Elliot began working feverishly on the spring membership campaign strategy throughout the two-week period of WGON's broadcast day starting in April. There were to be 15-minute fund drive campaign segments interrupting the regularly scheduled programs. A list of membership levels beginning at $35 would be offered, including WGON's program guide and assorted items offered by the NPR network as premiums.
As the station and the staff got closer to the start of the campaign, the tension and stress throughout the station noticeably increased. Then suddenly, everything snapped. The licensee, Greenville University, told Frank not to conduct the spring membership campaign. They said that negotiations between Greenville University and WVCT were in process. They told Frank the station was in debt to the tune of $400,000 because of all the costly NPR programs, and WVCT was willing to absorb the debt if WGON would turn over their entire membership list. WVCT would keep the radio call letters WGON and move the entire operation to Albany. They also told Frank they would no longer need his station management services, and as of April 1st, he was out.
Full Circle
Jay was sitting in Studio C thinking about how much the station and the membership campaigns had changed over the past few years when suddenly there was a knock on the door.
"Come on in," said Jay. Elliot stepped in, looking rather stunned.
"Have you heard the news?" Elliot burst out, fuming with rage.
"No," said Jay.
"WGON is being outsourced to WVCT 96.3 in Albany. Greenville University has fired Frank and dismissed the new public relations manager. Pam, Sam, you, and I will be given the opportunity to work part-time for WVCT up in Albany, or stay here to help with the transition of WGON. All of WGON's equipment, record collections, and music archives will be moved to WVCT. And here's the kicker — Neil Friendly is now working again for WVCT and has been put in charge of the transition. He will be taking over as WGON station manager while organizing and inventorying all of WGON's assets," said Elliot, fuming.
"What about the station staff?" said Jay.
"For however many years of service, Greenville University will keep us employed at our current salary rate until the 31st of May, when the station doors officially close," said Elliot with a grimace.
"What about our programming?" questioned Jay.
"To our listeners, it will sound as though nothing has happened. Everything will stay exactly the same. Brilliant, isn't it? WVCT Shenandoah Valley Radio will take over our transmitter and will absorb WGON into their consortium of public radio stations — which includes WVCT, classical music from Albany; WPET, folk and bluegrass from the Shenandoah Mountains; WVZZ, jazz music broadcasting from the west side of New York State; and WGON, NPR news talk, smack dab in the middle of all those stations," said Elliot, shaking his head back and forth.
"Sounds like a slam dunk to me," said Jay.
"Yeah, and Neil Friendly owns the ball, makes the shot, and ends up refereeing the WVCT transfer game," said Elliot, pounding the wooden separator between the stairs in Studio C. "I knew there was something suspicious about Neil right after he was hired, but I did not realize how devious Neil would be," said Elliot.
"It's sad — WGON listeners lose all their local radio programs, while WVCT dominates the public radio airwaves for the entire valley," said Jay in amazement.
Epilogue
The demise of WGON 92.8 remains to this day a mystery. Who really was Neil Friendly? Was he sent by WVCT to disrupt WGON, making it vulnerable — or was he working alone for some other purpose? Was it an elaborate plan by Greenville University to find a way to defund WGON, saving the cost of having an expensive public radio station on campus? True, the WGON staff could not find a suitable manager they could agree upon. It's also true that Greenville University took over the manager search, finding someone who could take the station in some sort of direction.
Whatever the case may be, it really doesn't matter now. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has been defunded by the Trump administration. NPR and all other related public radio networks are gone or have now turned private. The ideal of public radio broadcasting — funded in part by a federal agency, along with the supporters of WGON — is now all just a radio memory.
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