Shake up at Curtis Media Winston-Salem/Raleigh

[rkramden]

When you were a kid did anybody do a staring contest to see which one would blink first.  Let me explain myself.  Curtis has had, since 1991, WPTF with no news/talk competitor.  Now, in a month or so he's got the competition coming.  He's losing his heavyweights and WRDu is going to have them.  If this new board is correct, the morning guy from Winston S. is coming to Raleigh to do the PTF morning show.  What's wrong with Fitzgerald?  Doesn't Curtis have any confidence in him?  He's new.  He was hired to do mornings at PTF.  He hasn't gotten a chance to establish himself as the morning guy and now they're taking him off of mornings?  What's going on here?  If the story is true then, Curtis blinked.  In a race you don't look back and see where your competitor is, you keep moving forward to win it.

[Hourly]

By that logic isn't it WRDU that is doing the blinking?  First they blinked when 96ROCK got their act together and bailed from classic rock.  Then they blinked when WQDR 94.7 was choking them in the country format. In both those cases Curtis used the competition to max out the sound and marketing of his stations and they won the battles.  Isn't that what it's all about?

[quadraphonic]

They didn't so much "blink" as they just averted their eyes for a second so they could reload.
CC might claim that as a victory in the staring contest, but the entire Olympics is a much broader set of events.

[surfdude]

WPTF HAS had some competition.  WZTK is news talk and Imus has been on in the market off and on for years.  Plus they compete with the Sports stations for Talk, too.

Rush will no doubt help WRDU.  But, don't give CC too much credit until they EARN it.   They're going to need a decent news department, AM host, and people who know how to sell the format.  Will they spend the money to do it?

They've got a horrible track record in Raleigh the last decade.

WRDU = fail
WRVA = modest ratings success and they practically give away commercials
KISS = fail
G105 = success (but it was before CC bought them)

[dittohead1]

Note that the originator of this thread has not contributed anything more to clarify their original comment.  Makes me think they were just dropping their turd in the punch bowl then getting off on the reaction.

[quadraphonic]

I guess that's easier than registering some new domain names and thwarting Curtis Media that way.

[rkramden]

"Note that the originator of this thread has not contributed anything more to clarify their original comment.  Makes me think they were just dropping their turd in the punch bowl then getting off on the reaction."


I totally agree dittohead1.

[Moonshine]

Has anybody given thought to the fact that Curtis may be viewing this change as a positive!  Rush is very expensive and cost actual cash and not just barter.  If Don Cutis and Phil Zackery have blinked I have not seen it.  Yes there have been some format wobbles but over all this group has been extremely profitable and that my friends is the name of the game.  Moving a morning person from Winston to WPTF is a pretty smart move due to the fact there may be some simulcasting going on here.  Curtis has also purchased the NC News Network and is on go for 2010!  I think we need to sit back and watch, maybe somebody can say I told you so in a few months.

[JimA]

Don Curtis ain't stupid!  Chill out

[rkramden]

Nobody's calling Uncle Don stupid.  I don't think I've seen the word stupid on this particular subject.  Has anybody else?  I've seen Don over the years do some things you just kinda shake your head about. Getting rid of Wolfpack Sports on the flagship station WPTF.  Letting Jerry Agar go.  Cutting to the bone the WPTF news staff after taking over in 1991.  Not investing in the people and the broadcast equipment he took over in the first 9-10 years at Highwoods.  If you really want to talk about the person who has the brains at CMG it's Phil Zachary.  He's the one that has built the CMG empire over the last 7 years.