...And Oh,...Such A Chance Meeting.

[Scooter Lesley]

While visiting one of my buddies, at his local pawn shop, ogglin' some of the prime handguns that had rolled off of their pawn,...something weezel this way comes. Across the threshold, entering the shop, male or female, they all seem to have that twitchy little stride. A Clear Channel salesperson, armed with all the shameless fodder it takes to sell advertising. Now, before I get into anything really funny, let me point-out dummm-ass mistake #1: When the economy is bad, pawn shops are ranking it in. As the sales weezel went into park, and assumed the preaching stance, from behind a podium that none of us could see, the pitch begain. My buddy had no intention of buying any advertising, but gave me a nod, as he allowed the weezel to continue. I too listened, as I continued to purruze the pistols...I guess we can all agree that it was a good thing that none of'em were loaded. The offer was made at a low, introductory rate, for a flight of spots on THE ROAD. Since, John, the owner, has Sat Radio in his pick-up,...you're right, he did not know what THE ROAD was. Still, yet to carve a notch out of his quota, the sermon continued. It was not my intention to say anything or scare the (sensored word) outta Reverend Addy, but when this description was spouted, I had to weigh-in: It's one of our "Prime Coice" stations. Premium music...the best Classic Rock, serve by the best National Air Talent. John said, sorry, I'm just not interested. So, with the 38 still in my hand I said, I have one question: What good does it do to have your alleged best National Air Talent, when all they do is read index cards? All I can figure is that he must've been late for his next call????????

 

[TheBigA]

It's one of our "Prime Coice" stations. Premium music...the best Classic Rock, serve by the best National Air Talent.

So the owner of the shop loves satellite radio? Who do you think hosts all the satellite radio music channels? Answer: National Air Talent. And guess what most of them do for hosting duties: They read index cards. If you like satellite radio, you'll love Premium Choice. Same music without the $14.95 monthly fee. Satellite radio has demonstrated there's an audience for national air talent reading index cards. The question is: Do you want to pay for it, or are you willing to sit through commercials? Same content. One's free. Choice is yours.

 

[freqdev]

i am more concerned with scooter holding guns

 

[Y-100]

Hey Scooter....what is really hilarious, I doubt he even knew
what you meant by 'reading cards'.

 

[Scooter Lesley]

The Big A, your royal "A"-ness,...most of the time, those that post here...make a connnnnnn-chus effort to post, without the risk of painting themselves into the corner of foolishness.
Now, personally, I would never point-out such embarasssss-ment, unless I was either with someone or by myself. So, let's just leave it up to the members of the Think Tank to decide:
The Big A, on his last post, to this topic, compared Sat Radio, and their National Air Talent to Clear Channel's "Prime Choice", THE ROAD, and their (alleged) National Air Talent. Please take the time to go back, and read his post. A post that champions VT's that clip on both the front & back. VT's that spout: "We are commerial free, until we get to October."...that clip ran repeatedly on...
October 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th; only minutes later to be followed by...Yep!...Spots!

 

[TheBigA]

So you're saying satellite radio doesn't make mistakes? Really? You should go to the Sirius board and read the comments of subscribers. These folks pay a monthly fee, and they sound unhappy. But yes, they have no commercials. Hooray.

 

[Scooter Lesley]

It seems as though, I have left myself slanted. Also, it seems as though I have left poor...TheBigA...feeling about as meaningless as a spot of diarrhea, at a turd convention. Not true, so...I'll begin: No one is more aposed to Sat Radio than me.
However, the Monster has escaped the lab, and aside from, maybe, Internet Radio in cars, it is 23+million subscribers, and climbing like a cat with his ass on fire! Remember, I too thought that no one would be willing to pay for radio, but that was before we all had to clearly see the truth...Commercial radio is so (Awww-ful!) bad, they will pay;...and much like the plight of AM, the auto industry has pushed the product. Commerical radio's only hope,...hope to even make profit, is to return...
...to base. I don't have to explain that any further to true Radio people, but for laidmen/laidgals,...back to before the corporate buy-out. I have expressed my opinion of THE ROAD, but I am no more on their side than I am a fan of the current WROQ.
Rock 101 is a pale reflection of what it once was, and drifting ever further away from serving the audience that it still barely retains. THE ROAD's playlist is 99% reflective of WROQ, with the 1% difference pulled from the "Classic Hits" format. Neither Programmer knows his ass from a hole in the ground! Clear Channel's only reason for launching THE ROAD,...(as we all know)...was to/is to shave just enough male numbers away from WROQ, to give WSSL an easier path to the top of the ratings. Behold...The Truth!

 

[TheBigA]

Commercial radio is so (Awww-ful!) bad, they will pay

But the question I ask you is satellite radio any better? The only advantage I see is it has no commercials. But the talent, as I pointed out, is the same. So what makes anyone think satellite is better than commercial radio?

As I said, go over to the Sirius board and read the complaints about small playlists and favorite channels getting canceled. How many "true radio people" actually pay for the same stuff they can get for free?

 

[w00t]

The cross-promoting on satellite is ridiculous. They do indeed do nothing but read cards that promote traffic stations, other stations in the same genre, stations no one would want to listen to anyway, etc.

I've had satellite radio for years now, but the perceived value of it has waned too much while the cost kept going up. I'm in the trial period that came with a new car right now but when it's up I don't plan to renew.

 

[freqdev]

i agree. sat radio is not that special and no more targeted to my tastes than local radio. i cancelled mine years ago. i can hear the same songs on local radio and sometimes hear a commercial that catches my attention

 

[carolinaradio]

Add me to the list that doesn't care for satellite. Lots of quantity without much quality. iHeartRadio has tons of their own stations that are free, are commercial free (I believe), and sound just as good to me if I do not want to hear something local.

 

[Scooter Lesley]

Clear Channel's launch of iheart radio,...a free counter to satellite radio,...with promotions such as their over hyped iheart fest, are a cluster of consultants' idea of a fix. Spend a (senored)load of money on the afore mentioned, instead of fueling/refueling stations to be local, and add jobs,...thus a fix with tools that you already own. It's the twisted thinking of Corporate Radio to...go all the way around the house, just to get to the front door. The end result is commercial radio, barely hanging on, and a pointless, "Hey,...look what we did!"...stable of alleged "Premium/Prime Chioce" Horse(sensored) stations, that have not, can not, and will not ever fix anything. The truth of...more interested in playing the game, instead of running the business.
Remember, the clear existing fact is: Whether you like it...or whether you don't like it, with 23+million subscribers(& counting), disgruntaled/unsatisfied listeners are willing to pay for radio...becaused Corporate Radio downsized, and ruined what we had!

 

[TheBigA]

Whether you like it...or whether you don't like it, with 23+million subscribers(& counting), disgruntaled/unsatisfied listeners are willing to pay for radio...becaused Corporate Radio downsized, and ruined what we had!

You can talk yourself into anything. But the fact is that satellite radio operates with less staff than CC. Yes, 23 million people are paying for radio, but not because Corporate radio downsized. By the way, 23 million pay for satellite after ten years of operations. However, over 10 million people are using iheartradio in just its first full year of operation. I'd say by next year, iheartradio will have more users than satellite.

 

[w00t]

iHeart is a huge success. I'm amazed at what they have done, but CC really knocked one out of the park.

 

[RadioMetalMan]

The problem with iheartradio to me is sounds just like the commercial radio stations. Nothing fresh about it. Same tired tracks only on a smartphone. Well, damn, how could it not be a miss, right? They'll get their SAME listeners but on the go. That's not growth, it's lateral at best.

 

[TheBigA]

The problem with iheartradio to me is sounds just like the commercial radio stations. Nothing fresh about it. Same tired tracks only on a smartphone.

That's partly correct...you can receive over 700 commercial radio stations from all over the US, so if you don't have a rock station in your market, you can listen to one from someplace else. And they're not all CC stations. But in addition, there are also a number of music streams, similar to Pandora or Spotify, if you prefer un-hosted music streams.

The reality is that more people carry phones than radios. But they'd like to hear the radio anytime and anyplace. This is one way to do it.

 

[awp69]

My wife has satellite radio because she got the first three months for free. And then having a 40-minute commute to Greenwood for her job at the time got used to it and love it.

If the radio landscape hadn't changed in the past year with MY 102.5's flip, Chuck and, particularly in my case, X98.5, I wouldn't have minded it myself. But now that I do have stations I like in the Upstate, I actually don't like when I'm in her car listening to satellite. The stations are too narrowly focused (ie., 80s, 90s, 20s on 20, etc.). Even for rock, there's Atlernative Nation or whatever it is, but for lighter alternative, you'd probably want some of The Pulse's music. So I'd be flipping even more than I do on commercial radio, which would probably drive me nuts.

As for iHeart Radio, it's great, particularly if you don't have a format in the area you are in. But unless you are around Wi-Fi, it's still not a viable alternative to radio. The data streaming costs in a car would be enormous and quickly go beyond the typical 2 GB cap. So I personally don't see, other than in the office, how it's really a direct competitor to satellite. When mobile hot spots in cars become more economical, then the flood gates will open and iHeart radio certainly will be a force to recon with (I personally don't know how things like Pandora streams in the newer cars that I see it advertised in so that future may be closer than I know).

 

[Scooter Lesley]

Now,...this is indeed some good Radio Deee-scusion. Kinda/Sorta a two-sided double nintendo of just egg-zactly whooooo's right, and whooooo's sided with some nearby hemroidal consultant. Well,...Marv,...switch on the box fan, and hand me the Doooookie bucket! Woot, your Woot-ness, so glad that you decided to join us. RadioMetalMan, we appreciate you too, and TheBigA, with his big toe in the Hot Tub(Hot Tub, Hot Tub!). First off, whether you can peek at recent successes or not, does anyone really think that Clear Channel can do anything right? Satellite Radio does have an eventual death, but that day will dawn when the auto industry is offering the new in-dash, Internet Radio. This unit will feature around 20+ pre-set push buttons, with voice command, and the selected "Webcast", will be displayed on the unit's mini-marquee. It is at this junt-shure that commercials will have to be as sneaky as a mo-sketto donned with a klingon cloaking device. So, in pure simplicty, iheart radio may be CC's counter force, but a polished turd,...is still...(yes, still)...a piece of (sensored)!

 

[TheBigA]

So, in pure simplicty, iheart radio may be CC's counter force, but a polished turd,...is still...(yes, still)...a piece of (sensored)!

The subtext being: If I'm not on it, then it's a piece of (something else.)

 

[RadioMetalMan]

There is already internet radio in cars via smartphones, and it is WAY overdue as a standard equipment piece in my opinion.

I live in Charleston and I've been listening to the longest swansongs on various stations and most are just too damn painful to listen to. I can predict with great accuracy what songs are coming up on stations as they are ALL predictable. The jocks are for the most part not just card readers, but less than that. It's sad.

There isn't much personality or creativity. It's doing the minimum to keep a job from what it sounds and that's it. From my own experience and others in the market, I can't say that I blame them. When your radio bosses cut off the head of the business to save it? You are left with a signal on life support, just keeping the lights on. That's it.

It's not even a discussion about talent or programming, it's a down economy and no one wanting to take ANY risks. What does that give the audience. Complete crap.