Loss of Jobs in Media due to COVID-19

[tbolt909]

You are correct. And so far I have not seen any national network or cable news channel focus on nursing homes with some kind of in-depth report.

In my market, half the population is made up of seniors. And there are lots of nursing homes in the full county (a county which is larger than the 5 smallest states, incidentally). There have been plenty of local TV reports on deaths and infections at those facilities.

The worst are at ones where people who had ended possible treatments in a hospital and are living short end-of-life periods at such homes that offer continuous care. In one case, only one of two dozen employees showed up three days ago, and the seniors were sent to other facilities... many with lots of equipment and fluid connections.

It seems that this is a significant news story.

Nursing homes are not famous for resort living. They are not a replica of one of the Sun City developments. They are mostly for people who can't make it on their own and whose family can't deal with the issues due to either priorities or inabilities.

The only person to mention this subject that I know of (although I don't listen to him) was Limbaugh who said that many victims were at the end of their lives and vulnerable. He was immediately criticized and scorched for saying that, although it is definitely a fact.

You say you don't listen to Limbaugh, so who told you? He also said the virus was a hoax. CNN, NPR and other outlets have mentioned nursing homes during the COVID 19 crisis. Hospitals may be getting more coverage because that is where people go when they show symptoms (ER care). The point of trying to flatten the curve is to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed. It seems to be working, but there are still people who will say "The Death toll isn't that bad, why are we bothering with Social Distancing"? Those people don't get it.

Your compassion is overwhelming. Do you realise how expensive it is to live in a nursing home? Most people exhaust their resources quickly and end up on Medicaid. It's not resort living. Staff are woefully underpaid and many residents have no relatives (or they don't visit). Nursing home residents are vulnerable and yes they are nearing the end of their lives. That doesn't mean they deserve a push over the edge...

 

[Rusty Bridges]

I sure hope the mods don't shut this thread down. It's veered all over the landscape, yet maintained a certain beneficial dialogue, relevant to media and radio. In Western New York ("WNY" - never to be called "upstate" by the locals), the nursing home coverage remains a focus of local news by both radio and television journalists. The nursing home mortality rate in Erie County has not approached that of Washington State, and experts in the field say it's not likely to because WNY nursing homes were shut down to all visitors at 7 p.m. March 12th.

Prior to that date, many nursing homes established rigorous screening protocols, taking temperatures of all staff and visitors and limiting visitation to one family member at a time per resident. The latest Erie County tabulation (2020-04-09, 1700 hrs) shows some improvement relative to overall active cases in the county.

Again, local news radio and television stations have done a commendable job covering this crisis. It's worth noting that the three music stations that I sometimes check have provided no information on the air. One station has referred to its AM news counterpart, another to it's website. Granted, it could be that I'm not listening when the information is dispersed.

It may also be that these stations feel their sole purpose is to take listeners' minds off the crisis. Understandable to some extent. But my observation and evaluation come through the lens of the information these same music stations provided during blizzards and severe weather.

Before this turns into an argument, it's clear that these times are entirely different from those involving blizzards and severe weather, given that staffs have been down-sized and most remaining staffers are working from home.

Ratings-wise, referring to earlier posts regarding listening being reduced 15% in certain markets within a three week period, it's going to be a very unusual rating period, yet one well worth studying and analyzing. If radio programmers and executives don't learn anything from this relative to programming, it may be a lesson and opportunity lost. Arguably the radio-TV-media business has learned an invaluable economic lesson, one from which it may never fully recover. There will be scar tissue. And no doubt, cosmetic surgery to follow.

 

[CTListener]

The only person to mention this subject that I know of (although I don't listen to him) was Limbaugh who said that many victims were at the end of their lives and vulnerable. He was immediately criticized and scorched for saying that, although it is definitely a fact.

It was Bill O'Reilly who said that in a conversation with Sean Hannity.

It is unbelievable how basic facts can change just by going from one person's mouth to another's ears.

 

[davideduardo]

It was Bill O'Reilly who said that in a conversation with Sean Hannity.

It is unbelievable how basic facts can change just by going from one person's mouth to another's ears.

Thanks for correction. Same play, different actors.

 

[davideduardo]

Ratings-wise, referring to earlier posts regarding listening being reduced 15% in certain markets within a three week period, it's going to be a very unusual rating period, yet one well worth studying and analyzing. If radio programmers and executives don't learn anything from this relative to programming, it may be a lesson and opportunity lost. Arguably the radio-TV-media business has learned an invaluable economic lesson, one from which it may never fully recover. There will be scar tissue. And no doubt, cosmetic surgery to follow.

Remember, subscribers get weeklies two to three weeks after the actual week ends. And Monthlies are issued that way, too

The March Survey Period is February 27 to March 25, and will begin coming out on March 13, with the last group out on March 16th.

I expect that different markets will show different declines as the prohibitions or restrictions on business openings, etc., were introduced. California showed a big drop in Week 3, which was through March 18th but covered nearly a week of the "stay at home" orders along with non-essential business closing.

 

[davideduardo]

You say you don't listen to Limbaugh, so who told you?

The interview, which I stand corrected on as to the source, was between Hannity and O'Reilly. It was reported on in various news media I subscribe to.

He also said the virus was a hoax. CNN, NPR and other outlets have mentioned nursing homes during the COVID 19 crisis. Hospitals may be getting more coverage because that is where people go when they show symptoms (ER care). The point of trying to flatten the curve is to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed. It seems to be working, but there are still people who will say "The Death toll isn't that bad, why are we bothering with Social Distancing"? Those people don't get it.

I don't regularly listen to OTA radio. I do watch CNN along with others, and have seen only minimal coverage of the concentration of the nursing home susceptibility. However, the better of our local TV stations in this below-#100-market, did a full series of nursing home reports, showing how several had had massive infections and large numbers of deaths.

Your compassion is overwhelming. Do you realise how expensive it is to live in a nursing home? Most people exhaust their resources quickly and end up on Medicaid. It's not resort living. Staff are woefully underpaid and many residents have no relatives (or they don't visit). Nursing home residents are vulnerable and yes they are nearing the end of their lives. That doesn't mean they deserve a push over the edge...

That is exactly what I said: nursing homes are not resorts or retirement communities. One CNN report alluded to "high numbers of seniors" in a report when the news item was about nursing homes, not retirement communities.

CNN seems to me to be the news source that has the least understanding of statistics. If a larger number of people in a group die, that has to be presented with reference to how many people there are in each age group so one can see the proportionality to population. In the case of seniors, it is not shown always whether they mean 55+, 65+ or something else.

Nobody said that those patients deserve a push over the edge. But, in truth, the statement about the residents being the most vulnerable is true. The observation on the air by O'Reilly was truthful in that nursing homes generally have the most at-risk residents and those residents, even before the pandemic, were terribly and sadly susceptible. Nobody said that they "deserve a push"... the comment was intended to show that the statistics about the demographics of the patients who died did not show that many of the seniors who died were also in nursing homes or "long term care" facilities.

Oh, and as someone with long-term care insurance, I know exactly how expensive such facilities are.

 

[davideduardo]

It was Bill O'Reilly who said that in a conversation with Sean Hannity.

It is unbelievable how basic facts can change just by going from one person's mouth to another's ears.

Sorry. I wrote that at really late at night and used the wrong player. To me, all of those are about the same in perspective, attitude and orientation.

But the point was correct even though I erred in attribution: seniors in long-term care facilities are the most vulnerable of all as many are there with deteriorated health, terminal diseases or are simply very frail.

 

[TheBigA]

I have not seen any national network or cable news channel focus on nursing homes with some kind of in-depth report.

Here you go:

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow...nursing-home-front-line-in-shadow-81865285641

 

[flybynight]

I see considerable interest at major stations among friends who work for a number of the larger and better known groups. This event is being seen as disruptive, and can realign preferences and change the rank of stations once a bit of normalcy returns.

The issue is also about what can be done to "hold the fort" when some companies have released half the staff; when conditions improve, many stations will be very different due to staff changes at the stations and social changes among listeners.

Considering that many stations have long since stripped themselves of much live talent and extraneous staff---and that people will still want to hear the music they like---I cannot imagine this disruption having any long-lasting effect once restrictions ease up and people are back in their cars. The ongoing diminishing of radio will just continue at it's usual pace.

 

[TheBigA]

The ongoing diminishing of radio will just continue at it's usual pace.

Why would removing "extraneous staff" cause a "diminishing of radio?" Seems to me it would make it stronger.

People like what people like, regardless of what we might think.

 

[flybynight]

The point of trying to flatten the curve is to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed. It seems to be working, but there are still people who will say "The Death toll isn't that bad, why are we bothering with Social Distancing"? Those people don't get it.

I can already hear that crowd bellowing "See, the death tol wasn't as bad as they said! It was media hype and/or a HOAX!" Forgetting that the death toll was mitigated due to all the steps thatw ere taken to slow it's spread.

The people who don't "get it" are cousins of the anti-vaxxers, who are convinced that we don't need kids inoculated because we don't have those illnesses anymore!

 

[gr8oldies]

Some nut case on Twitter from where I live is saying we should open the schools and let kids get "herd immunity"...forgetting the teachers, custodians and bus drivers (most who are north of 60 years old). Yeah, open everything and let the bodies pile up, but at least I can scarf down wings at Chilis.

I can already hear that crowd bellowing "See, the death tol wasn't as bad as they said! It was media hype and/or a HOAX!" Forgetting that the death toll was mitigated due to all the steps thatw ere taken to slow it's spread.

The people who don't "get it" are cousins of the anti-vaxxers, who are convinced that we don't need kids inoculated because we don't have those illnesses anymore!

 

[flybynight]

Why would removing "extraneous staff" cause a "diminishing of radio?" Seems to me it would make it stronger.

I never implied that. Radio is diminishing as far as it's relevance in people's daily lives, and it's only getting worse regardless of staffing. Two separate issues.

 

[TheBigA]

I never implied that. Radio is diminishing as far as it's relevance in people's daily lives, and it's only getting worse regardless of staffing. Two separate issues.

I think you're applying your view to other "people." Do they still have radio bumper stickers on their car? No. Do they listen as religiously as they once did? No. But if you flip their format to something else without warning them, you'll learn real quick how much relevance that format has in their daily lives.

It's a different kind of thing. Radio was once an amazing device. Now I have many other more amazing devices, and radio has become an appliance, like a coffee maker. But that doesn't mean I don't use my coffee maker a lot. I stayed in an Airbnb that didn't have a coffee maker, and there was a huge hole in my life that weekend. So it's relevant, just in a different way. And its been my experience that NPR listeners still have that same attachment to radio that kids 40 years ago once did. Perhaps because NPR listeners used to be kids 40 years ago.

 

[flybynight]

I think you're applying your view to other "people." Do they still have radio bumper stickers on their car? No. Do they listen as religiously as they once did? No. But if you flip their format to something else without warning them, you'll learn real quick how much relevance that format has in their daily lives.

It's a different kind of thing. Radio was once an amazing device. Now I have many other more amazing devices, and radio has become an appliance, like a coffee maker. But that doesn't mean I don't use my coffee maker a lot. I stayed in an Airbnb that didn't have a coffee maker, and there was a huge hole in my life that weekend. So it's relevant, just in a different way. And its been my experience that NPR listeners still have that same attachment to radio that kids 40 years ago once did. Perhaps because NPR listeners used to be kids 40 years ago.

The population of the U.S. has only increased while the numbers of people listening to OTA radio is decreasing. That's all I meant.

And I don't drink coffee.

 

[TheBigA]

The population of the U.S. has only increased while the numbers of people listening to OTA radio is decreasing.

The population has also changed. What we notice is that certain demos still listen to radio in the same amount as they once did. If we can combine that demo with advertisers, then we can operate a radio station. So yes the 30 year old white males don't listen to OTA as much. But 30 year old black males do. Rock fans don't listen to OTA much, country fans do. Get the picture? We don't program to the entire population.

 

[davideduardo]

The population of the U.S. has only increased while the numbers of people listening to OTA radio is decreasing. That's all I meant.

Actually, the number of people using radio each week has only declined a couple of percentage points over the last 25 years.

Further, the numbers we see in public data are percentages (share) of radio users, not percentages of the universe (rating). There are always 100 shares, no matter how many people listen.

The amount of time spent listening has declined, and quite significantly. However, as much of the decline has to do with People Meter measurement as it is to do with actual real listening.

 

[davideduardo]

The population has also changed. What we notice is that certain demos still listen to radio in the same amount as they once did. If we can combine that demo with advertisers, then we can operate a radio station. So yes the 30 year old white males don't listen to OTA as much. But 30 year old black males do. Rock fans don't listen to OTA much, country fans do. Get the picture? We don't program to the entire population.

All groups declined in Persons Using Radio (PUR) by between 30% and 40% when the PPM came out in the 48 largest markets beginning 12 years ago. The largest declines were in Spanish language and Black targeted stations.

That change affected all ages and formats pretty much the same.

Once the new system settled in, we had gone from 18 to 20 PUR ratings in 6 AM to Midnight to around 11 to 12. Over the last 12 years, PUR has further declined to around 7 (plus or minus a point in each major market) due to time spent with other new media. The 18-34 is slightly lower than 35-54, but it is not anywhere as near the extreme most people believe it to be.

 

[davideduardo]

I think you're applying your view to other "people." Do they still have radio bumper stickers on their car? No. Do they listen as religiously as they once did? No. But if you flip their format to something else without warning them, you'll learn real quick how much relevance that format has in their daily lives.

It's a different kind of thing. Radio was once an amazing device. Now I have many other more amazing devices, and radio has become an appliance, like a coffee maker. But that doesn't mean I don't use my coffee maker a lot. I stayed in an Airbnb that didn't have a coffee maker, and there was a huge hole in my life that weekend. So it's relevant, just in a different way. And its been my experience that NPR listeners still have that same attachment to radio that kids 40 years ago once did. Perhaps because NPR listeners used to be kids 40 years ago.

If we could give "stars" like some forums, this would get all five.

 

[TheBigA]

PUR has further declined to around 7 (plus or minus a point in each major market) due to time spent with other new media. The 18-34 is slightly lower than 35-54, but it is not anywhere as near the extreme most people believe it to be.

All of that is interesting, but doesn't address formats specifically. I think when you apply the usage data to radio formats, you see pretty much the choices available now. As I said, radio stations don't program to the population as a whole, but to narrow groups.