The Akron Beacon Journal du lieu suivant : Akron, Ohio • Page 194

Sunday, April 16, 1978 6 Akron Beacon Journal Identity crisis haunts 's TV station i Local shows include Civic Forum of the Air, From the People, Spectrum 78, Opie Evans, Dave Lom-bardi, Jesus Is the Answer and others that appear irregularly. By comparison, WEWS has 15 or more hours of locally produced programming every week. WAKR airs a number of religious programs, said Berk, because that is what many of the people in this area want. FOR THOSE who watch WAKR news, the faces of the newscasters are familiar. There is Fred Anthony, the 6 p.m.

news anchorman who doubles as the station's news director for TV and radio. Marci Messett and Dick Russ anchor the 11 p.m. news, a feature that WAKR instituted about 11 months ago. Bostian is the first to admit that until about three years ago, the evening news left a lot to be de Continued tnm page 4 Channel 4 on Warner Cable since 1972. A SECOND PROBLEM is the difficulty of getting syndicated television shows that the station can air around network shows.

Because of Akron's proximity to Cleveland, rates for the old series are set at prices the Cleveland stations can afford to pay but far above the limits of WAKR's budget. As a result, the Cleveland stations often get first pick of most of the best-loved oldies, Bostian said. However, he said he was negotiating for some old film series that he felt would have good audience -appeal in this area. BOSTIAN SAID WAKR's small viewing audience has made it hard to find advertisers and, thus, to make money. WAKR has been losing money since its founding, he said.

He declined to say how much. But, he added, it would have died long ago if the Berk family, founders of the station, had not absorbed a sizeable chunk of the losses. Roger Berk, who succeeded his late father in the operation of the station, is now president of Summit Radio. "ADVERTISING is based on how many people you can get to the number of homes we cover and how many people are actually watching the channel," Bostian said. "We've had some problems getting advertising.

It has been a long, uphill fight. We're not charging our advertisers what we should be charging. We can't charge the high prices of Cleveland because we are not reaching the same number of people." Bostian estimated that Channel 23's advertisers are charged $150 for a 30-second block of air time compared to $300 on Geveland channels. DESPITE IDENTITY, advertising and budget problems, Bostian still contends WAKR is a "thorn in the side of the big monster in Cleveland." "We compete with everybody," Bostian said. "We compete with the Beacon Journal, the Cleveland stations, the radio stations and even with our own radio station.

"Our local programming is geared to giving Akron what it want news, advertising, announcements and local shows all about Akron. "It is very seldom that you will see a public-service announcement on our stations from Cleveland," he said. But, Bostian noted, he has never turned down an announcement from the Akron-Canton area. HE SAID WAKR allows fewer commercial breaks during the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m.

news broadcasts in order to give more news. He was critical of Cleveland stations for loading the half-hour local news slots with commercials and non-news commentaries during the news. Bostian counts as another victory in WAKR's fight against Geveland TV a refusal last year by Akron City Council's Public Utilities Com- lower and before busiest time of yearl And they want to do their best. "If Fred or Marci or Dick make a mistake in reporting the news, our switchboard lights up like Christmas. People are interested in what we are trying to do.

And we are interested in doing it right for them." BOSTIAN SAD) despite the problems WAKR faces, he sees nothing but good things ahead. "We've made a lot of changes in the last few years. We're getting in new camera equipment that will allow us to do spot news coverage almost right up to the time we go on the air," he said. "That will beef up our news production right there. "But I think attitude is really the key to the whole thing.

We're getting better, we're making progress. And there is no place for us to go but up." cnu FEATURING HtAVY STm POfTAMI ASf HtAVY -OUTY WHOS Kit IASY tOUJNO 133 SO. M. COOKMO WOiim 1Mb. Propane Cylinder Oil II IMJ H51 IJU llti! Modal 7910 ClluUIT TMflM IIMftt Modal 7940 UIU-CUTTUWML BURKEI Model 150 MIU-CAIT TUnL BURNER Modal 300 uiu-cut thum.

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