Three Long Island FM Stations are Gone

[musicradio77]

Three Long Island FM's Moving Into Satellite Radio-Like Mode

BY KURT HANSON

Later this week, The Morey Organization, Inc. (TMO), Long Island's largest privately owned media company, which owns three Long Island pop/rock FM stations, is relaunching them in a new approach that mimics satellite radio, which they call "FM Channel Casting."

Described on their press release as "the next generation of radio," TMO says that it "has reinvented the medium by creating the nation's ONLY completely FREE music source... and it not only surpasses traditional AM and FM broadcasting, but it rivals satellite and Internet radio as well.

Described on their press release as "the next generation of radio," TMO says that it "has reinvented the medium by creating the nation's ONLY completely FREE music source... and it not only surpasses traditional AM and FM broadcasting, but it rivals satellite and Internet radio as well.

Its approach involves (A) changing the branding of the stations to channel numbers (e.g., "WLIR 98.5 FM" becomes "Channel 98"), (B) eliminating DJs entirely, and (C) dropping 30- and 60-second spots in favor of sponsored hours (sold via its website) in which the sponsor gets four brief mentions per hour. TMO plans to characterize this as "commercial free."

"The advent of satellite radio has presented the industry with a bigger challenge than ever before and we as broadcasters cannot put our heads in the sand and pretend that it won't affect our medium," said John Caracciolo, President of TMO. "We cannot stop technology. We must live with it, grow with it and keep competitive with it."

The press release on the subject asks, "How is it possible to offer the listener commercial free music and offer the advertiser an on-air branding campaign simultaneously? The solution is simple: Brandcasting.

"In layman's terms, brandcasting brands your product, service or business through the medium of FM Channel Casting. An average brandcast consists of a one-hour sponsorship of [largely] uninterrupted music through four quick yet efficient messages strategically placed between songs, giving the listener what they want with a low cost proposition to the advertiser.

"Through the technology of FM Channel Casting," says Caracciolo, "I truly believe that TMO has revolutionized the industry and saved terrestrial radio. We are confident that FM Channel Casting is the wave of the future for stations throughout the country."

[musicradio77]

Morey Launches 'FM Channel Casting'

Later this week, The Morey Organization will transform all three of its Long Island properties — Classic Rock WBON, Dance WDRE and Alternative WLIR — to commercial-free jockless stations in an attempt to combat satellite radio, iPods and Internet radio. Additionally, WLIR will flip to a Smooth Jazz/Chill/AC hybrid known as "FM Channel 107: NeoBreeze," with WBON rebranded as "FM Channel 98: Long Island Rock" and WDRE morphing to CHR/Pop as "FM Channel 105: Party Hits."

All three stations will be overseen by PD Harlan Friedman, and WDRE PD Andre Ferro will exit soon. Airtime will be sponsored by advertisers, but no commercials will air during the paid time. There will not be an airstaff, and the stations will feature very little imaging.

"We realized with all the clutter and the talk about 'Less Is More,' we had to stand out in the crowd, and we had to make our advertisers feel special," TMO President John Caracciolo tells R&R. "What we're trying to do is something positive for the advertisers and simultaneously for the listeners as well. It'll be clean, it'll be clutterless."

[musicradio77]

Morey Launches FM Channel Casting

By Bram Teitelman, Radio Billboard Monitor

Taking aim at satellite radio, Long Island-based Morey Organization is launching what it is calling "FM Channel Casting" on its three Long Island, N.Y., stations on Thursday (Sept. 15). Top 40 WDRE-FM, classic rock WBON-FM (the Bone) and modern rock WLIR-FM will be rebranded with satellite radio-like channel names as FM Channel 105: Party Hits; FM Channel 98: Long Island Rock and FM Channel 107: NeoBreeze, respectively.

Concurrent with the rebranding, WLIR changes format to an Adult Contemporary and Chill hybrid.

Harlan Friedman, program director for WLIR will program all three stations, with Andre Ferro, operations manager, assisting with the transition through October. The remainder of the airstaff and much of the promotions departments of all three stations will exit.

Like much of the adult hits (Jack) format, the three stations will run jockless. And like public radio, the stations will sell sponsorships, called "brandcasts" instead of commercials. Not only will traditional advertisers be able to purchase time, but listeners will be encouraged to as well. A typical "brandcast" will consist of a one-hour sponsorship of music with four messages running throughout the hour.

A Web site for the three stations, www.fmchannelcast.com, was not operational as of this writing, but Morey's press release says Web-based contesting will be mentioned on-air. Sponsorships can be purchased via the Web site.

"The advent of satellite radio has presented the industry with a bigger challenge than ever before, and we as broadcasters cannot put our heads in the sand and pretend that it won't affect our medium," said John Caracciolo, president of The Morey Organization, in a statement. "We cannot stop technology. We must live with it, grow with it and keep competitive with it . . We are confident that FM Channel Casting is the wave of the future for stations throughout the country."

[musicradio77]

3 stations dial new formats

BY RAFER GUZMÁN
STAFF WRITER; Staff writer Monty Phan contributed to this report.

September 14, 2005

Who will become the next big advertiser on WLIR? It could be you.

The Morey Organization, which owns three Long Island FM stations - the alternative rock station WLIR/107.1, the dance-oriented Party 105 (WXXP/105.3) and the classic-rock outlet The Bone (WBON/ 98.5) - is going through another upheaval. Starting tomorrow, the stations will have new formats, no DJs and a rather unusual way of running commercials.

The Bone will continue to play classic rock alongside newer bands such as Jet. Party 105 will switch to a Top 40-style format. And WLIR will convert to "NeoBreeze," an easy-listening format that's slightly hip: Alongside Frank Sinatra and Yanni, you might hear R.E.M.

But the biggest change comes in a new method of advertising dubbed "brandcasting." Essentially, advertisers can sponsor an hour of music in exchange for just four messages lasting between 15 and 30 seconds each. (Advertisers will not, however, choose the songs.) The plan is to have no DJ, although programmers still will pick songs to play. Those whose jobs were affected were offered other positions at the company, but three people decided to leave, said Morey president John Caracciolo.

Anyone can be a sponsor: The stations are promising affordable rates - in the range of $100 to $500 per hour, depending on the time of day - hoping local folks will want to devote messages to birthdays, weddings or just shout-outs to the homies. The Morey Organization, which has copyrighted its ideas, says it hopes to license the concept to other stations around the country, Caracciolo said.

"We're selling exclusivity and branding," Caracciolo said. "To just have an hour and the only thing mentioned is you, you really stand out from the crowd."

Staff writer Monty Phan contributed to this report.