In a future filled with electric cars, AM radio may be left behind (off-topic)

[TheBigA]

There's nothing wrong with the words, "white, "angry," "man" or "old," but when you put them together, as in "angry old white man," that's pejorative.

That's your interpretation. One could say you're being overly sensitive. No one is stopping that group from doing anything.

Conservative talk radio campaigns against something they call "wokism." The only thing "wokism" does is promote respect and civility in the treatment of minority groups. They preach banning of approved medical procedures for transexuals. That's taking a pejorative to an extreme, by codifying it in law. Nothing like that is being done to "aowm."

We need to get to a point (and we're not there yet) where both sides have respect for each other. We need to have a level of tolerance for minorities. The founding fathers wrote a constitution that understood that. It's why they didn't allow the government to create a national religion. Yet we have people citing their religious beliefs as a reason not to serve people they don't like. That again is using a pejorative in an active, prejudicial way.

 

[wadio]

That's your interpretation. One could say you're being overly sensitive. No one is stopping that group from doing anything.

Conservative talk radio campaigns against something they call "wokism." The only thing "wokism" does is promote respect and civility in the treatment of minority groups. They preach banning of approved medical procedures for transexuals. That's taking a pejorative to an extreme, by codifying it in law. Nothing like that is being done to "aowm."

We need to get to a point (and we're not there yet) where both sides have respect for each other. We need to have a level of tolerance for minorities. The founding fathers wrote a constitution that understood that. It's why they didn't allow the government to create a national religion. Yet we have people citing their religious beliefs as a reason not to serve people they don't like. That again is using a pejorative in an active, prejudicial way.

I don't disagree with most of what you say. Again, you've said it in a thoughtful and reasoned way. That's very different from the fly-by swiping I was talking about.

What I do disagree with is the statement, "Conservative talk radio campaigns against ..." That lumps all conservative talk shows together -- paints them with a broad brush. Mark Simone, for example, is pro choice and pro gun regulation. He's not alone, but it requires actually listening to these shows to make that determination.

And BTW, try saying "angry black man" on the radio or on a forum and see what happens. And rightly so.

 

[TheBigA]

And BTW, try saying "angry black man" on the radio or on a forum and see what happens.

That's exactly what anti-wokism is about. "What about THEM?" Nobody is targeting you specifically as being angry, old, white, or male. You're interpreting it that way. But in practice, a lot of these conservative talk shows ARE targeting black people or gay people or Hispanic people. These talk shows in fact DO say "angry black man" on the radio (using the term "BLM" or "CRT") and then go about passing laws that discriminate against them. Nobody is using your age or color against you. So you benefit from a certain amount of privilege that is not given to other people. Name a conservative talk show host who promotes wokism in practice or law. Even black conservatives are against it.

 

[vchimpanzee]

(On the chance you are really referring to "oldies") Yet almost no stations remain in that format.

It depends on how oldies is defined. Even without asking whether "beach music" is "oldies" or "classic hits", I know of four AM stations with translators (one with a simulcast partner), one FM station with a simulcast partner, and one HD-2 with a translator in North Carolina. and that's just in the cities large enough to have Nielsen numbers. There is a network of four nonprofits in South Carolina.

 

[davideduardo]

It depends on how oldies is defined.

Within the industry the term "oldies" means, and only means, pop and contemporary hits mostly based in the 60's and fringe 50's and early 70's songs. "Classic hits" refers to an 80's core, with fringes in adjacent decades.

Stations can call themselves anything they want on the air. However, the two terms I have cited are the only ones the advertising business and Nielsen accept for those two format options.

 

[wadio]

These talk shows in fact DO say "angry black man" on the radio (using the term "BLM" or "CRT") and then go about passing laws that discriminate against them.

I have no idea what you're listening to. Certainly not the same shows I hear.

Beyond that, you don't know my age or ethnicity. And you don't know my politics because my posts here are about things like the style of the shows and whether there's a loud hum on the Internet stream!

So, be honest, you're guessing. That's what I'm talking about. You're making assumptions. We're all individuals and it's about time we stopped judging each other by what "side" we perceive the other to be on, as I believe you pointed out previously.

 

[vchimpanzee]

Within the industry the term "oldies" means, and only means, pop and contemporary hits mostly based in the 60's and fringe 50's and early 70's songs. "Classic hits" refers to an 80's core, with fringes in adjacent decades.

Stations can call themselves anything they want on the air. However, the two terms I have cited are the only ones the advertising business and Nielsen accept for those two format options.

I thought of one more oldies station, but the definition I am using for most of the stations is 60s, 70s and 80s. The classic hits stations are the ones with mostly 80s. I'm not sure what you would call a station with lots of 70s songs.

And then two of the stations I listed are 60s based with a lot of 50s and maybe some 70s on one of them.

 

[TheBigA]

Beyond that, you don't know my age or ethnicity.

Other than you're making a big deal about "angry old white men." So we can assume you resemble a few of those things.

Had you not mentioned it, we wouldn't have known. The fact is that the audience for conservative talk radio is 92% white men. The average age is over 60. The "angry" part is the only non-statistical part of it. Everything else is basic statistics. Nothing racist about it.

 

[davideduardo]

Other than you're making a big deal about "angry old white men." So we can assume you resemble a few of those things.

Had you not mentioned it, we wouldn't have known. The fact is that the audience for conservative talk radio is 92% white men. The average age is over 60. The "angry" part is the only non-statistical part of it. Everything else is basic statistics. Nothing racist about it.

And, all you have to do is listen to a random sampling of talk shows and the word "angry" instantly pops into mind.

While there certainly are exceptions, the overall tone of the format does fit the "angry old white men" descriptor.

And if you don't limit to "non-Hispanic white" and measure just "white" the figure is above 92%.

 

[Kelly A]

The "angry" part is the only non-statistical part of it. Everything else is basic statistics. Nothing racist about it.

And the 'angry' part relates to the typical motivation of a political talk show listener. They listen to the daily anti-left, anti-government, anti woke, anti immigrant, anti LGBTQ, anti Muslim, diatribe from the host. Talk show host's job is to push the right buttons of their audience, getting it fired up about something. That's likely never good or happy news, but something that gets their 60+ white, male, audience angry about the topic. Angry means commitment to the format and host.

 

[davideduardo]

I thought of one more oldies station, but the definition I am using for most of the stations is 60s, 70s and 80s. The classic hits stations are the ones with mostly 80s. I'm not sure what you would call a station with lots of 70s songs.

Nobody has created an industry standard term for a 70's based station as there are nearly none of those. For Nielsen to create a new format descriptor, there have to be a certain number of stations in that format that all agree on a term.

And then two of the stations I listed are 60s based with a lot of 50s and maybe some 70s on one of them.

And that is the definition of "oldies" where the core is Motown and British Invasion with older and newer fringes.

 

[vchimpanzee]

Nobody has created an industry standard term for a 70's based station as there are nearly none of those. For Nielsen to create a new format descriptor, there have to be a certain number of stations in that format that all agree on a term.

I thought of yet another station just in North Carolina. There are surely a lot of them.

And that is the definition of "oldies" where the core is Motown and British Invasion with older and newer fringes.

Not that much British invasion on the ones I mentioned, but some Motown. More doo-wop and what they used to call rock and roll.

 

[Harvey_Dogg]

And, all you have to do is listen to a random sampling of talk shows and the word "angry" instantly pops into mind.

While there certainly are exceptions, the overall tone of the format does fit the "angry old white men" descriptor.

And if you don't limit to "non-Hispanic white" and measure just "white" the figure is above 92%.

The number one AM station in Indianapolis is black gospel. The right wing talk is now on FM. The far right wing conspiracies are on the internet.

 

[davideduardo]

The number one AM station in Indianapolis is black gospel. The right wing talk is now on FM. The far right wing conspiracies are on the internet.

You are misidentifying a declining technology with the appeal of a format.

Indianapolis is one of the larger MSAs that does not have a full-market signal on AM, but many on FM. So the viable more mass appeal formats have all gone to FM.

 

[davideduardo]

I thought of yet another station just in North Carolina. There are surely a lot of them.

Not really.

Not that much British invasion on the ones I mentioned, but some Motown. More doo-wop and what they used to call rock and roll.

You are nit-picking. There are industry standard format names that are specifically selected to make time buying easier, particularly for media planners and buyers who either don't listen to all their local stations or who have to place buys on multiple stations in dozens or more markets without ever having heard any of the stations.

So if a buyer knows a station is "oldies" it likely won't fit any of their buys, and if it is "classic hits" it will be for a buy that includes the higher end of 25-54.

This is all separate from how a station calls or positions itself on the air. No station uses "adult hits" or "Hot AC" as an on-air slogan. But an ad agency needs to know in non-confusing terms what a station does.

And most people in the business think of "oldies" as centered directly on Motown and the British Invasion. For anyone to like most doo-wop they have to be in their mid to late 70's.

 

[vchimpanzee]

Not really.

I'm referring to the 70s-based stations which no one has a name for. How is North Carolina different from every other state?

 

[vchimpanzee]

And most people in the business think of "oldies" as centered directly on Motown and the British Invasion. For anyone to like most doo-wop they have to be in their mid to late 70's.

Regardless, the man who owns the one has kept it this way for years. His FM is more classic rock but is identified as classic hits.

The other, according to people on this site, is based in Milwaukee.

 

[davideduardo]

I'm referring to the 70s-based stations which no one has a name for. How is North Carolina different from every other state?

There are likely not enough 70's gold stations in measured markets to have a group of them ask Nielsen for a new kind of format name.

 

[davideduardo]

Regardless, the man who owns it has kept it this way for years. His FM is more classic rock but is identified as classic hits.

And that does not change the way Nielsen, and therefore, the industry, name formats for sales purposes.

If other stations in a rated market think a station has notified Nielsen of an incorrect format name, they can file a grievance and Nielsen checks it.

But if a station is small, in an unrated market or very low rated in one that is, nobody is going to care.

 

[Daryl Lynn L.A.]

And, all you have to do is listen to a random sampling of talk shows and the word "angry" instantly pops into mind.

While there certainly are exceptions, the overall tone of the format does fit the "angry old white men" descriptor.

And if you don't limit to "non-Hispanic white" and measure just "white" the figure is above 92%.

Agreed. Right-wing political talk radio & tv, as exemplified by past hosts like Rush Limbaugh, Michael Savage, etc. or some current tv talk shows on Fox News, seems to be so angry about "wokism", that they don't want a response from "the other side." They just want to be angry. JMO.

If there could be some kind of a talk show with the focus on "meeting of the minds", where people tried to hear a variety of viewpoints, have a productive, civil discussion, and try for some form of raproachment, I think it would attract listeners. I am hopeful that our nation is ready to heal and would welcome a show with "healing energy."

The U.S. society has become more polarized in the past years, to the point that some people are estranged from their families over political talking points. Talk radio promotes this estrangement, because it provokes listeners to anger, in order to drive engagement, which drives ratings. ( Just my opinion).