A J'Ville Radio Trip

[pocket-radio]

John your observations about the market are correct. And it's going to take a major shift in thinking to see the changes you want. And the wake up call might come in the form of a bankruptcy or two.

I think you want what most of us want from radio, change & innovation. Your observation about the child with the Beetles CD is spot on! It's to bad nobody in radio thinks like you

For many years radio was caught up in the Wall Street way of doing business.
Getting rich is everything, people/employees don’t matter. Exploiting them is acceptable.
Listeners matter only so long as we're number # 1.

I'd say many mangers in Jacksonville are still operating like it's 1999 as revenues have shrunk the pressure is on. Short-term profits matter more! People don't matter, listeners matter so long as we're number #1 That's the game!

Many mangers have yet to wake up and understand their world is over, the old ways of radio won't work because free content is everyplace today, radio's TSL is shrinking.
The game is changing, the new game is about keeping the listeners you have not getting more!
Now ratings are everything, though they will matter less. Instead of shallow use them/dump them relationships with listeners, radio will have to care more about listeners they can keep, like never before.

TSL is shrinking because radio's listeners are able to find better content, on the internet or right on their phones. The game has changed, it's 2012 and the radio world is on the brink of ending!

I bring up bankruptcy as a means to clear the decks of "the old gray dogs" and make way for NEW BLOOD and new thinking! new energy! Without it radio is dead, because operating from the old models won't work.

I think many in radio are still trying to figure out what happened, or want to go back to the past, they would be the losers. When they should be innovating, aiming the ships towards their future. Doing what radio has always done is sure death! Going back to the past won't work! From endings comes new beginnings.

Sadly it may take bankruptcy like GM to clear the slate! Cox, CC, Renda, Citadel, Emmis are all carrying to much dead weight - up to their eyeballs in debt - and reveneus won't likely return for a while - They're chasing their tails - In the meantime radio's listeners are slipping away - to other devices - other content providers - other sources who are providing innovative choices and options..

John it isn't just Jacksonville. And your shall we say disappointments, are being felt by many of radio's listeners. The thing is they don't care like you or I do. The just turn the knob off and plug in..

Radio needs Steve Jobs. Not another consultant or banker..

 

[John FL]

Pocket-radio – Right on! Right on! Right on!

Overall, I believe many of us look at the state of things and realize that those in whom we as a society place our trust and confidence have let us down and that includes radio in Jax. The need to exceed Wall Street expectations has created a lot of unnecessary risk taking and even irrational decisions. Priorities have shifted focus but we can’t forget the customer (listener) and the advertiser are the lifeblood of the business.

Commercial radio is in business to make a profit but I have to agree with your opinion that radio managers here operate as if the same environment exists as it did a decade ago. Listeners have more and more options today and from where I sit in the cheap seats, it’s tough not to come up with the opinion that very little effort is made to value and retain listeners. One would think a certain amount of pride would still exist among those who hold positions of decision and influence.

Let me take this opportunity to expand on something I said in a prior post to make the connection to operating in “1999” as you put it. When I brought up X102 9 and cited they are operating totally small town, it is because radio is no longer confined by signal and geography. Radio is on a world stage thanks to the Internet. Trashing a competitor by mentioning their calls on the air will eventually get old to the locals and it has zero relevance for someone listening in Charlotte NC or Portland, OR and every place in between. It just becomes a lot of clutter with a message lost.

I’ve read a good number of reports over the years where listeners move to other alternatives because radio has little relevance, it’s boring, the music gets stale, there is little variety and they are treated like an idiot. I think some may feel getting the “DJ” to say as little as possible will help in the not feeling like an idiot category. So instead, we have the never-ending sweeper between each song that more often than not detracts from the music and really shows little respect for anyone.

It’s almost 5 years Eagle hits listeners over the head with variations of 50 minutes of music each hour or join us for the commercial free flight. I’ve figured there are over 100,000 mentions of this per year. We not only insult listener intelligence, it’s fair game to slam advertisers who are the life blood of any station as well. No one digs commercials but we don’t need radio to reinforce that and actually turn us off to the very hand that feeds them. It’s understood listener impressions need to be made for ratings reasons but there are far more effective ways to achieve that. Even before PPM, CBS FM didn’t talk about HOW MUCH music they played, they just played it and they let the programming speak for itself. As a listener with many choices, I listen to them almost all the time because I feel respected and valued and quite frankly the PD there literally works his ass off in the creative department. That does not happen here folks and it’s because we are still yesterday’s news.

While I read plenty of comments in boards across this country and there are lots of comments regarding radio’s decline, I also come across bright spots as well from small, specialized formats to even our own Jones College Radio that has tons of listeners around the country and beyond who like the music. It’s all about creating demand and getting sponsors and they do. Stations who can connect with those around the corner or around the world will have a better chance to succeed. That’s what I have always wanted for Jacksonville radio – I want it to succeed and why so many of us continue to speak out.

I try to give benefit of the doubt to those in charge to see the bigger picture. I’m not seeing it and I just don’t get it. For those who have revenue targets and audience share as performance goals, I don’t understand the do as little as possible approach. To me, it’s far more risky than those who take chances and who hold the listener and the sponsor in high regard. Someone should see Jacksonville for what it is before it’s too late – a thriving, diverse and growing community which is the subject of this thread.

There's a lot of cool stuff out there. I wonder if radio management here listens to it. I wonder too if they even care. I guess they don't teach having pride in your work at Bean Counter U.

 

[John FL]

I’d like to add my final comments to the last post and based on the very large number of views, it would appear this topic has generated much needed interest.

Sometimes my mind works in weird ways but as I think of radio in Jax, I had a flashback to the old Mary Tyler Moore Show and especially the last show. For those who remember, a new owner came to the TV station and wanted to address the ratings problem. He had to call it as he saw it. Was the problem behind the camera or on camera? Of course, he made a totally wrong decision thinking “Ted” was not the issue and that was all part of the big joke.

I wish we were in the middle of a classic comedy sketch but we are not – this is serious stuff. Someone in the Tallahassee post talked about all the various formats they have. If you look at virtually all markets in Florida – Tampa, Miami, Orlando, West Palm and even Ft. Pearce, you will find more offerings for listeners. It’s more than casual perception. It’s the reality of the state of radio in our town that continues to be crystal clear that we don’t reflect the community. No, it’s no longer 1999 – our demos are changing. But do we have what it takes to execute something different here as is being done in many markets across the country?

If you look at the many mishaps in just the last few years, I’m sure many beside me have to ask where the biggest problem lies. Is it the ownership or does it lie with local management? I’d like to not think it’s both as that sounds so hopeless and that’s all I will say.

Some may argue there is no point dredging up the past but I believe in lessons learned so we don’t continue to make the same mistakes. As we’ve seen some formats go away, it was because the decision makers only saw things in the “now” and not in working on future potential. We’ve seen total programming incompetence as in the case of KOOL. I often think what they could have been and how they could have been a part of a format that has seen resurgence. I recall a poster was actually excited over Movin's cracking the Top 10 in woman in a certain age demo and thought we seem so content in mediocrity here. We’ve seen TAMA engaged in format du jour over the years on their low power stations. Some had potential but either bad programming or duplication of format doomed them. Other formats around the dial that I believe had viability either received no support or were just allowed to flounder because no one bothered to do a damn thing to tweak the playlist and work on creating listener interest. But, that takes work, doesn’t it? I continue to say this is one wacky way to do business and over time, it cost precious dollars and that is a major management responsibility, is it not?

Even in my working life, I often found myself scratching my head as I had more than my share of working for idiots. How in the hell do some people get those jobs they get? People all around us feel let down by politicians, by Wall Street execs, bankers, unions – you name it. We place faith, confidence and trust to those so they can make the right decisions on our behalf and so many have not proven to get it right. The same thing is happening here. The talent relies on their management to make the right decisions. Well, we've seen what happened and how they are the first to go to make others look good.

When I think of the future of radio in our market, I have to keep asking do we have what it takes with what we have to meet tomorrow’s challenges? I’m not sure about anything anymore so I’ll leave it to others to decide. Overall, I really can’t see how anyone can feel good about the product they have created. A little more effort can make all the difference and it’s a step in the right direction that must be made soonest. That’s it for me on this subject. I’ve wanted to say these things for a long time and I have. Thanks for listening. Peace/out.

 

[ShaunB105]

John Jax- always love your posts ...and I understand to a point your view about X1029 but whats wrong with poking a bit at the competetion...true they are playing on a bigger stage with the Internet and such but your first and primary audience is here locally and I think there is nothing wrong with telling the listeners why they should stick with their station over the other...now after awhile youre right , there is a time to stop mentioning the other calls on your air and X1029 maybe be at that point considering how well they are doing in the ratings

and as far as an Oldies station..a traditional one like COOL 96.9 probably isnt viable anymore but boy, it was fun to listen to and they were fun people to work with!...miss that tremendously

 

[stevations]

I'll put in my two cents.....I went to U of FL in 1979 and loved WFAM 91.1 with Jazz plus WSNY 600 with soft rock.

 

[pocket-radio]

Many radio companies are simply obsessed with protecting and propping up the fort and holding on to what they have. - That takes a lot of time and energy! - And doesn't leave any time left over for looking around the corner to what's on the horizon and coming at you! Anyone left in radio, who still has a job, is a burnout.
Not that they don't love what they do and are very talented, but are beaten into the ground by hearing no.
Or working 10 jobs at once. Even a dog gives up after a while.

If given a chance to express and try some new ideas, you'd witness an explosion of creativty and passion.
Plus you'd witness not just just happy listeners but raving fans! - Radio today is a machine. A factory really, where creative people more or less go to work and disgengage their brains and hearts doing the same thing they did today as they did yesterday and the day or month before that.

In some markets the old way of doing things is making room for a new kind of radio. Where people engage their hearts and are rewarded.

Sadly good radio people are still being let go, as management views talented people as costs.
And short-term profits/goals is all that matters.