I’m writing this post from the footprint of News4NewYork, the YES network, and the New York Times. Some random media observations from the NYC metro:

• Newspapers still rule: NYC continues to be a four newspaper town (plus all of the specialty and suburban papers). As I was sitting on the subway and commuter train many folks had their noses in their newspapers. The Daily News emblazons the fact that they boast 2.6 million readers each day. My brothers-in-law are dependent on their home-delivered papers: one the Newark Star-Ledger and the other the Bergen Record. I don’t know if they are making any money, but the newspaper’s portability and reliability fits the metro lifestyle.




• Relaxed excellence: for a media professional, you’ve definitely arrived when you get a gig in market #1. What I’ve noticed over the years when meeting in person or observing a NY personality is a sense of self-confidence that excudes a charm and relaxed persona; they don’t have anything to prove. On this trip it struck me while watching WNBC 4 just how low key and how much fun the anchors where having on the air. You don’t get that forced Ted Baxter loud voice that you tend to find in smaller markets.
• Great songs: this might just be an impression that actually has no basis in reality, but it seemed like the mix of songs on the radio are more broad and “tasty.” We especially heard this on WLTW Lite-FM, which boasts its variety. We heard “oh-wow” songs that we thought didn’t exist anymore, even on BOB-FM.
• Talk about saturation: if you think we have too much media in a small city like Erie, how would you like to be marketed to with every move you make. Just walking down 5th Avenue you might get hit with video screens at the top of subway stairs, a ticker wrapping around a building, giant buses and little pamphlets. Media is king in NYC.

I know that comparing Erie to New York is no comparison, and that’s not my intention. But for a media junkie, it sure is fun to watch some of the best here in NYC.