WLR FM ..supporting local businesses ????????

Man Up

Is anyone else fed up with WLR beating out the "We're local" message? "We support local businesses" You can't have missed them! Well, you could if you don't listen to it :-)

Anyway I'm one of those guys when I'm working in the shop or in the car who turns it up if I like something and turns it down when i don't, and if the truth be told I don't take a lot of notice of much else ..... but those irritating "local" things they keep playing and saying really do grate on me! Oh, and when i do turn it up it always sounds no matter where I am like I need to tune it in right if you know what I mean? Even though I have!

Anyway I'm back from Limerick a couple of weeks after a few days away and while there got chatting to a couple of guys in a pub called Peter Clohessy's. When they heard I was from Waterford one of them began the craic about knowing this guy from Limerick that works on WLR. Straight away I though ..."where is the localness in that??" ... and then i thought could this be a way for me to win 500 euro on my birthday? But it turned out he does their radio transmission technical type work, which wasn't going to help my birthday fund, but did, and does, leave me with a question!! Why the hell do they go on and on about being supportive to local businesses if they employ some guy from Limerick who can't even hear WLR there to do their transmission work?? Especially as there is a Local Business in the centre of Waterford that specialises in this sort of thing??? So not only am i fed up hearing the "we support local businesses" stuff being belted out .... I'm even more annoyed that WLR aren't practicing what they preach!!

So, I gave them a call when I got back, spoke to some girl, explained that I was fed up listening to the support local businesses muck .... when they don't .... the girl hadn't the first clue what I was talking about and of course there was nobody there to speak to me .... probably because they were out supporting local businesses .... in New Zealand or somewhere!!

Anyway does anyone else think it's hypocritical to pump out these support local messages (as well as annoying!!) ???? Where is the support from WLR for local businesses??

How can WLR say it supports local businesses when they (a radio station) can't even support a local business that actually does radio transmission work??!!!

S28382

Thats some rant for your first post Welcome to boards.

Man Up

Thanks for the welcome S28382!! I registered a while back ... but couldn't think of anything to moan about then ..... except the weather :-)

wellboytoo

You forgot world peace

bradknowell

Should see how much they charge for an ad. Jaysus , I nearly had a heart attack when i seen it, a few radio stations from different counties are charging way less than WLR

ChunkyNorris

I admire what you are trying to say here Man Up. It's an epidemic here. There are businesses over in south Kilkenny advertising to be Waterford businesses but paying their rates to the cats, and i mean companies just over the county boundary. This money is NOT going back into the local economy!

Keep your business local people if possible, Waterford companies should get quotes from Waterford companies first and foremost. This keeps jobs in the city and county.

jad2007

How dare they give jobs to people from outside Waterford !!

Imagine hiring people from outside our GAA boundary. The only way this country will recover is if we stick to the parish pump politics.

Personally Im guessing you went for this job and didnt get it.

Next thing they will have foreign people working in Waterford.

allthedoyles

Just reading the latest edition of ' Waterford Today '

If this is fact then locals must be supporting WLR .

If this is the most listened radio station, then WLR should re-pay that by supporting local business .

jad2007

Firstly I would strongly suspect the OP is trolling.

Secondly even if he isnt if a company advertises for a new position they can hardly say " has to be from Waterford"

When people say support local business they mean making choices such as I choose to do my christmas shopping in Waterford rather than Dublin.

Supporing local business does not meant discriminating against people based on their geographic location.

I can just imagine the fun people would have on here if Kilkenny radio said

" Engineer wanted only Cats need apply"

fricatus

ChunkyNorris wrote: »

IThere are businesses over in south Kilkenny advertising to be Waterford businesses but paying their rates to the cats, and i mean companies just over the county boundary. This money is NOT going back into the local economy!

They can't help who they pay their rates to. That's a separate issue, but the solution to that is that the council boundaries are redrawn so that the city administers its hinterland.

It's ridiculous to suggest that we shouldn't support a business in Slieverue or somewhere because it happens to be "just over the county boundary". It's still local FFS, and even though the rates might be spent in Kilkenny city or wherever, the money earned will more than likely find its way back over the bridge. It's not going to North Korea like!

Here's a novel idea: did you consider for one second that one of those awful "non-local" businesses just across the bridge might actually - horror of horrors - employ someone from south of the river?

Smell the glove

It annoys the crap out of me too when they bang on about how much they love Waterford and please support the Waterford business and then they play the advert for a cork hotel haha they are some shower of money wh**es. I would have no problem with them playing this advert if they didn't harp on about their love for Waterford and all business's from Waterford.

Max Powers

WLR in fairness do support local stuff/festivals/businesses with advertising/good rates/ promotions - bring the van there etc etc

On saying that too, WLR is often the best option for listening to the radio if you want to avoid the pathetic cringeworthy, wannabe your friend, so whacky wallys on 2fm and today fm.

CardBordWindow

Smell the glove wrote: »

It annoys the crap out of me too when they bang on about how much they love Waterford and please support the Waterford business and then they play the advert for a cork hotel haha they are some shower of money wh**es. I would have no problem with them playing this advert if they didn't harp on about their love for Waterford and all business's from Waterford.

You hardly expect WLR to refuse to air a PAYING customer's ad???

In order to spend money in the local area, money is needed.

looksee

Have none of you complainers any idea of how pathetic and parochial you sound? I reckon we have trolls and rock painters on here.

wellboytoo

What amazes me about this rant is this guy can write, good punctuation parsing, spelling, apostophies in the right place..... wait surely he's not trolling or using boards to grind out an old grudge.

decies

No

Jason Todd

I'm a local guy, who works in a local, family-run business. We deal with WLR on more than one occasion every year. Just saying.

TheGormog

Listen Billy, dese people are comin down here an takin our jobs an stealin all of our megahertzes. Where does it stop Billy? 

jad2007

Will Someone please think of the Children !!!

bradknowell

Don't even listen to it anyways. I'll.stick with mp3's , at least then I know I'm not listening to shyte

niallo76

Hey don't knock WLR-it's the only radio staisuín in the world that continues to play Level 42 and Huey Lewis &The News-

michellie

Man Up wrote: »

Thanks for the welcome S28382!! I registered a while back ... but couldn't think of anything to moan about then ..... except the weather :-)

This isn't only a place for moaning ya know....:)





Joke joke, it is!!

looder

Do any local businesses do radio transmission work?


If the chap from Limerick was the best qualified for the job, what's the problem?

Musicman2000

Yes Total Broadcast solutions are a waterford based company and I'm sure WLR are one of their clients. You do know WLR is owned by a Cork based company TCH Holdings and the other 20% by Des Whelan. So there goes the whole local thing.

MitchKoobski

looder wrote: »

Do any local businesses do radio transmission work?


If the chap from Limerick was the best qualified for the job, what's the problem?

Was just gonna post this.

I'm all for supporting local as much as the next guy, but if someone else can do better work or a better price then why would you bother shopping local?

Smiley Burnett

a few points re this rant

1---We have one of the most successful radio stations in Ireland based in Waterford and yet you still complain??!!:rolleyes:

2---what would happen to major waterford employers/companies like RADLEY ENGINEERING if they didnt get contracts and work OUTSIDE of their own county??:cool:

bradknowell

Smiley Burnett wrote: »

a few points re this rant

1---We have one of the most successful radio stations in Ireland based in Waterford and yet you still complain??!!:rolleyes:

2---what would happen to major waterford employers/companies like RADLEY ENGINEERING if they didnt get contracts and work OUTSIDE of their own county??:cool:

its hardly one of the best in the country is it?
As I said already I don't listen to wlr or any radio station at all but didn't think wlr would have been up near the top. Hmm learn something new everyday.

Smell the glove

Ah it's just wlr's skewed listenership figures, they dress them up and word them neatly but when you break them down they are nothing impressive.

scout353

Had to be a troll!

If the guy from Limerick was the best in the interview then congrats to him!

As for WLR, they are very good at what they do. They are recognised as one the best stations in the country and the listenership figures are independently verified so let them off. I listen to them on a regular basis and while some of their presenters are very good, I would turn off for certain presenters in particular, the self serving Mr Deise AM!

wellboy76

looder wrote: »

Do any local businesses do radio transmission work?


If the chap from Limerick was the best qualified for the job, what's the problem?

Assuming the Waterford guy was asked for a price also, then I wouldn't have a problem with it myself. If they didn't bother get a price from him in the first place, that's a different story.

There is a local celebrity here (well puts himself up as one anyway) who pulled the wool over my eyes in the last month, went to Dublin to buy his particular purchase, lied to me about needing his existing repaired. Bragged about his new purchase on twitter the same evening I was with him after telling me that he wouldn't be making a purchase until later this year! Happens a lot in my line of work.

Darkest Horse

looksee wrote: »

Have none of you complainers any idea of how pathetic and parochial you sound? I reckon we have trolls and rock painters on here.

Exactly. This is well and truly pathetic.

The bit I chuckled at in the OP was "I was in a pub called Peter Clohessy's".

Black Suir

Smell the glove wrote: »

It annoys the crap out of me too when they bang on about how much they love Waterford and please support the Waterford business and then they play the advert for a cork hotel haha they are some shower of money wh**es. I would have no problem with them playing this advert if they didn't harp on about their love for Waterford and all business's from Waterford.

If people dont like the bloody station, turn it off, listen to something else. No one says you have to listen to it.

Black Suir

Musicman2000 wrote: »

Yes Total Broadcast solutions are a waterford based company and I'm sure WLR are one of their clients. You do know WLR is owned by a Cork based company TCH Holdings and the other 20% by Des Whelan. So there goes the whole local thing.

There is a simple solution to this, buy them out and make it 100% local so.

RumMonkey

Max Powers wrote: »

WLR in fairness do support local stuff/festivals/businesses with advertising/good rates/ promotions - bring the van there etc etc.

You don't think they do that for free?? They charge to have an outdoor broadcasts (or bring the van as you called it) at store openings or other events.

bradknowell

RumMonkey wrote: »

You don't think they do that for free?? They charge to have an outdoor broadcasts (or bring the van as you called it) at store openings or other events.

Seen the prices they charge for advertising. Bloody mental prices. Fook it though, if they can get people to pay it then why not haha.

Smell the glove

Black Suir wrote: »

If people dont like the bloody station, turn it off, listen to something else. No one says you have to listen to it.

Not if it is wired through the workplace smartarse.

Man Up

Man, where do I start? Folks, I was only making the point that I was, and am, fed up with WLR banging on endlessly about supporting local businesses when this is clearly not always the case.

I know nothing about the guy who looks after their radio signal or transmitter!

I have no idea if he sat an interview, or indeed, if anyone did. I have no idea if he is directly employed, part-time, full-time or as and when required!

No, I'm not a disgruntled interviewee failure! Well, not in this case anyway, as I know nothing about this type of work!

I have no personal issues with WLR! I have already admitted that I listen to it, and I do so daily!

I explained clearly that I find it irritating and hypocritical that WLR being a local station harps on about supporting local businesses when this seems to not always be the case! I asked if others had reason to think similarly! I used the example I did as it came up in conversation whilst in Limerick on holiday!

I have no idea how much they charge for ads!

I am not a disgruntled listener - I do enjoy listening!

I apologise to the guy (or girl dressed as a guy :-)) whose only contribution was to condemn me, due to my use of the English language! However, there were indeed issues with the grammar on my starter post that obviously escaped their eagle eye!

I simply came on to make a point that I thought was worthy of discussion, and if i think of others I will do the same!

If you spotted someone you admired, who constantly moaned and shouted about the dangers of alcohol, would you not think they were a hypocrite if you discovered they were drinking to excess daily???

Well, it's the same principle here, WLR are shouting through my speakers daily about supporting local businesses when this is evidently not always the case! As someone else has pointed out WLR don't have to leave Waterford to find a reputable company to do a similar job as they have some guy from Limerick doing. I have no issue with the guy, I can't even remember his name, my issue is with the contradiction in the message that WLR is putting out about supporting local businesses when this is obviously not always the case! If they weren't putting out this message then I wouldn't have brought the topic up!

Man Up - I don't do txt speak! :cool:

looksee

Fair enough. And we could do follow up discussions on

'I got broadband but I don't have an apartment full of gorgeous girls borrowing it'

'I bought x brand of ham but my kids still mess about when they are supposed to be eating their lunch'

'I have been eating this breakfast cereal, but I am not slim and beautiful yet'

iseegirls

Does anyone know the other show in the Top 10 listenership in Waterford that's not on WLR?

Man Up

To explain, the impression i have is that WLR-FM employ a guy from Limerick to do their transmission work on a contract basis. This is despite there being a perfectly competent radio transmission company in Waterford - someone earlier mentioned Total Broadcast.

I'm told that they were not even given the opportunity to price for the work. It look's like WLR would rather give the work to someone else than offer them it.

That's the simple version!

Strange that they go on about supporting local buisnesses but won't in this case.

Man Up

looksee

Man Up wrote: »

To explain, the impression i have is that WLR-FM employ a guy from Limerick to do their transmission work on a contract basis. This is despite there being a perfectly competent radio transmission company in Waterford - someone earlier mentioned Total Broadcast.

I'm told that they were not even given the opportunity to price for the work. It look's like WLR would rather give the work to someone else than offer them it.

That's the simple version!

Strange that they go on about supporting local buisnesses but won't in this case.

Man Up

Ah that's easy, the woman who works for WLR in the canteen is cousin to the wife of one of the guys who works in the office in Total Broadcast. She was out with the cousin because she reckoned she had told her brother (the brother of the woman in the canteen) that the brother of the guy in Total Broadcast's office had been doing a line with the brother's (canteen woman's brother) friend. And it wasn't true. So he told the wife of the guy in the office, and he told the manager that they were not reliable. So the guy in Limerick, who was recommended by one of their clients, who hadn't actually used him, but he was talking to someone in a bar who did, got the job.

Black Suir

Smell the glove wrote: »

Not if it is wired through the workplace smartarse.

point taken, but it could allow some people in the work place go on the air if the need arose, especially during the current affairs programmes.

banjacksed

Now i remember a time when a small "local" business like the local plumber, carpenter, electrician, could afford to advertise on WLR but they have seemed to move away from supporting small local business due to the small local business not having enough money to pay for air time that wlr are charging ,,, it's a ripp off, when people say they support local business through advertising it makes me sick, Like who the likes of big car dealerships advertising against the local trades man? ow the hell can the local small business compete with the likes on buying airtime? answer = impossible.

It's gone to the cost now,
1 seccond airtime = €1.00 + vat?
Probobly more now,

I remember a time when wlr had an interest in local business but not anymore ,only the local business with fat wallets.

Darkest Horse

banjacksed wrote: »

Now i remember a time when a small "local" business like the local plumber, carpenter, electrician, could afford to advertise on WLR but they have seemed to move away from supporting small local business due to the small local business not having enough money to pay for air time that wlr are charging ,,, it's a ripp off, when people say they support local business through advertising it makes me sick, Like who the likes of big car dealerships advertising against the local trades man? ow the hell can the local small business compete with the likes on buying airtime? answer = impossible.

It's gone to the cost now,
1 seccond airtime = €1.00 + vat?
Probobly more now,

I remember a time when wlr had an interest in local business but not anymore ,only the local business with fat wallets.

That doesn't sound in the slightest bit expensive.

banjacksed

Darkest Horse wrote: »

That doesn't sound in the slightest bit expensive.

Are you for real?

you need at least 5 20 seccond ads a day at least 5 days a week to impact that ads, and at least to run the ads for a minimum of 5 months.

5 x 20 sec ads a day 20 x 5 = 100 + vat at 23% = €123.00 per day

€123.00 x 5 = €615.00 per month

And your saying its not dear????

jesus you must know some serious local trades men that can afford that. :rolleyes:

Darkest Horse

banjacksed wrote: »

Darkest Horse wrote: »

That doesn't sound in the slightest bit expensive.

Are you for real?

you need at least 5 20 seccond ads a day at least 5 days a week to impact that ads, and at least to run the ads for a minimum of 5 months.

5 x 20 sec ads a day 20 x 5 = 100 + vat at 23% = €123.00 per day

€123.00 x 5 = €615.00 per month

And your saying its not dear????

jesus you must know some serious local trades men that can afford that. :rolleyes:

Calm down you psycho. I'm allowed a different opinion.

banjacksed

Darkest Horse wrote: »

Calm down you psycho. I'm allowed a different opinion.

im not a luny just a realist

yes you are allowed an oppinion,

Trick of the Tail

615 per month for 5 ads on the radio a day actually isn't expensive.

The problem is, that running a radio station in Ireland is - because of the way the business model is imposed by the regulator - a very expensive business.

Not WLR, but a station I know of HAS to bill around 15-20k PER WEEK in order to break even.

Thats not easy these days.

Besides, that's not what this thread is about: I do not find it appropriate however for me to comment on the OP's original subject, though, as I am closely connected with the Waterford broadcast transmission company mentioned.

A.