Blood Bath at ABC Radio (Citadel)

[radioaircheck]

My question is...How long before they blow out Hal Jay on WBAP who has been there for years? I enjoy listening to him and have also met him once, a great guy. Does any one think he will be the next cut at Citadel?

 

[Mictian-MFT]

Radio fails today because it considers expense an absolute negative.

That's BS. For 40 years, politicians in this country campaignaround the concept that more money in education means smarter kids. And for 40 years, we've dumped more and more money into education, only to see that money doesn't make smarter kids. Test scores fall in places where the most money is being spent, like inner city Washington DC.

Radio doesn't fail because it doesn't spend money. Just take a look at the most popular You Tube videos to see that quality isn't the issue. I'd suggest that radio got too fat and cushy, too isolated from the audience, too unwilling to engage in social media with listeners, too focused on their own personal issues to identify with the public. Then the public realized they didn't need professionals to run the media. They could do it themselves. Who needs towers and transmitters, full time staff with salaries and benefits, when you have hobbyists who do the same thing from home for no money.

Radio fails today when it forgets who really is in charge.

Wow. That's the truth slapped in out faces too.

 

[OKCRadioGuy]

I agree to SOME EXTENT with what you have said. What I don't agree with is that it doesn't take a certain amount of money to make the big machine turn. If you had a hot-rod and you forgot to change the oil and do maintence on it, how long could you get away with it before the damn thing didn't run right anymore? That's what radio has done. They bought a really expensive car that will do 140mph, forgot to change the oil, and ran the hell outta it. Now they are pissed off the damn thing gave up on them. If what comes out the two speakers sucks, there isn't much to sell. It's such a simple concept but so many suits refuse to understand it. The refuse to understand it because it means that year after year they can't squeeze more blood out of their properties. They won't understand it because THEY made bad deals where they went on a buying frenzy like a bunch of drunken sailors with a roll of hundreds they got from someone else. The someone else is the stock holders. How much is Sheite-to-sell down to now?

 

[OKCRadioGuy]

I mean, how many of us people that actually worked IN a radio station knew that 15 times billing was insane. That's what the stations I used to work for sold for. God bless him... Our former owner cleaned up on the dummy that bought the stations. Just to pay the principle, the current owner has to pay for 20 years. He's missed payments of course and has pretty much de-valued the stations, and of course the economy hasn't helped things. For several years now he's been putting cheap oil in the engine and changing it about once ever 15,000, so to speak... I'm glad I left before things got worse actually. It went from being a very positive and fun place to work to being more boring than a normal business office. That's not radio. That's not what inspires people to be their best. I feel there will be a day that radio will rebound up to an acceptable level again when ownerships change and some debt it flushed. Until then it's all about just surviving and that's not going to win any races.

 

[OKCRadioGuy]

On the ABC thing, it's pretty sad to see that stations that had to go sat. can't even get half-way decent talent via ABC/Cit networks now. I suppose it's a bit irronic, but it's sad too. I'm certainly not a fan of putting stations on the bird these days, but now the stations that, for one reason or another, went that way are going to be that much worse. It seems like radio just keeps trying harder to force people to go to other souces for music entertainment. Why do we as an industry work overtime to run people off then go spend tons of cash to broadcast in "HD"? Isn't there something very wrong with the whole concept? If corporate suits would spend as much money and attention fixing the things that need to be fixed they wouldn't be in the trouble their in. Instead they play with fundimentally broken technology. Next we'll have the power increase for FM 'HD' that will cost even more money and cause less analog listeners to be able to get a good signal.... The suits are so smart!

 

[donicus]

My question is...How long before they blow out Hal Jay on WBAP who has been there for years? I enjoy listening to him and have also met him once, a great guy. Does any one think he will be the next cut at Citadel?

I hope not, but I wouldn't be surprised if they let him go. I'll be totally on the sat radio then, since he's the only local host I still listen to.

 

[TheBigA]

They bought a really expensive car that will do 140mph, forgot to change the oil, and ran the hell outta it. Now they are pissed off the damn thing gave up on them.

I don't see the analogy that way. I see that they bought an expensive Model T. Someone came along with a Corvette, and blew them away. Now they're stuck with an expensive antique. Spending more money on the Model T won't make it a Ferrari. Although some of my car friends pour money into their Ferarris hoping they'll just run like Toyotas.

It went from being a very positive and fun place to work to being more boring than a normal business office. That's not radio. That's not what inspires people to be their best.

I read lots of comments from people complaining that all the consolidation killed the competition. My view is if you need competition to fuel your drive & desire, try looking at all the other forms of audio media, like Pandora, as the new competition. Doesn't battling new technology inspire you to do more? If not, then just lie down so they don't have to work so hard to pass you. Because they're about to kick radio's ass.

You guys have to quit crying the blues about all this old style radio, and fretting about how things just aren't the same any more. You sound like a bunch of old grandpas. Try letting go of the past and start focusing on the future.

 

[TheBigA]

On the ABC thing, it's pretty sad to see that stations that had to go sat. can't even get half-way decent talent via ABC/Cit networks now.

Hmmm. Maybe you haven't heard, but one of the channels is offering Kidd Kraddick. Now he's not what he used to be, but he's got to be better than what was on these satellite channels. Plus talent from NY, Atlanta, and the local Dallas stations. I'd say that's half way decent. It's not like they're using people from Grand Rapids like some other company.

 

[Junkie101]

ABC Radio was only profitable because its greatest expenses were shared with TV. Once those expenses became the responsibility of radio, it ceased to be profitable. If they had been profitable, they would not be getting cut.
[/quote]

This is so wrong. ABC radio ran great radio stations independent of TV. Margins were enviable by any standards. The TV division and radio division P&L's were never combined to distort earnings. Each stood alone

 

[EbolaMonkey]

If people are being "run off," perhaps one should question their dedication.

Don't worry. I doubt anyone feels the need to run you off.

You'll be there to turn out the lights when your parent company liquidates the remnants of your station out from under you.

 

[OKCRadioGuy]

"Hmmm. Maybe you haven't heard, but one of the channels is offering Kidd Kraddick. Now he's not what he used to be, but he's got to be better than what was on there before.."

Kraddick lost it years ago when KEGL moved him off nights IMHO. He was truely one of the greatest night jocks ever IMHO but wasn't too great in afternoon dive and truly stinks in mornings. Other than just being around so long people have got used to him, I don't understand why he has the numbers he does down there. Our chr here in okc tried him for a while with absolutely no sucess. They were never so happy to pull his sat feed off in favor of a real local morning show...

 

[bossbill]

This is Citadel's "marqee talent". How is marqee talent going to make a small rural station sound more local? The strength of satellite-delivered 24/7 music formats is that small rural stations can use them in conjunction with local talent to present a local feel 24/7. Once you start utilizing famous national names, you've lost it.

It's not likely that a local listener will think that Kidd Kraddick or Ryan Seacrest or John Tesh is sitting in the studio down by the transmitter in Dumptruck, Iowa.

 

[Steve Eberhart]

...well, do those same people in "Dumptruck" think Jay Leno is doing his monologue down at the local TV studio?....
do they think the Dallas Cowboys are playing at the local high school when they watch a game?....
entertainment is entertainment - doesn't matter WHERE it's coming from.

 

[bleonard62]

You're right, Steve......I have been hesitant to chime in here, but, I have to answer some of the allegations about the lack of talent at the network. I have been in this business for 43 years and have a pretty fair resume that includes a #1 morning show in Philly, mornings at WLS in Chicago and practically a quarter century at ABC Radio network. In those 25 years, I worked with some of the most talented professionals I have ever known. Dedicated people who gave it their all on a daily basis. It seems that some of the posts here are coming from wannabee's who are neverwere's. Satellite Music Network/ABC Radio Network provided a valuable service to a lot of small and medium market stations by utilizing a good amount of very capable major market talent. I feel privileged to have worked with most of the people I worked with over the years. It's extremely easy to criticize something about which you know absolutely nothing.

 

[BBontheRadio]

wannabee's who are neverwere's

90-95% of the posters here

 

[donicus]

wannabee's who are neverwere's

90-95% of the posters here

Never been on radio, never wanted to be on radio. Just like listening to radio and reading whats going on in the industry.

 

[gr8oldies]

Got a DVD full that I gave my grandson on his first birthday

 

[bossbill]

Yes, the networks have some great talent, but less than last week, and less than a couple of years ago because of cost-cutting by the networks.

Bob Leonard, Peter Stewart, Tom Kennedy, Jonathan, Lori, etc. The list goes on and on. The network talent in most cases was much better than we would be able to afford locally, but they are all believable to the listeners. Most of our listeners actually thought that these talented people were part of our community in many ways.

Part of the reason it worked for us was that the talent was great, but people couldn't point to them and say they were national shows.

My reference to "marqee talent" was focused on names that are familiar across the country that in most cases are producing or voice-tracking a show that is obviously national, but appears on my local small town radio station.

If I wanted nationally-recognized produced network shows, I would have contracted with them directly.

Because we're in the Pacific time zone and have a local morning show, we only picked up 3-6am and I didn't think too much about it until I had a professional middle-aged woman the other day tell me how disappointed she was that "Richard & Lori" were not on anymore. She explained that she gets up at 4:30 am and listened regularly. Yes, entertainment is entertainment, but it had a local feel to it.

 

[TheBigA]

Yes, the networks have some great talent, but less than last week, and less than a couple of years ago because of cost-cutting by the networks.

Things change. So what you used is now gone. Time to move on.

The DJs your listeners liked didn't die. They're still alive and out of work. What needs to happen is some enterprising person wake up and bring them together and put them back on the air. It's not out of the question, it's not impossible, although they may have to sit out a non-compete. If it's too expensive for your small station, I'm sure there are ten or so other stations who feel the same as you. Give them a call. This is how companies start. Necessity is the mother of invention.

 

[PTBoardOp94]

Things change. So what you used is now gone. Time to move on.

The DJs your listeners liked didn't die. They're still alive and out of work. What needs to happen is some enterprising person wake up and bring them together and put them back on the air. It's not out of the question, it's not impossible, although they may have to sit out a non-compete. If it's too expensive for your small station, I'm sure there are ten or so other stations who feel the same as you. Give them a call. This is how companies start.

A big thumbs up to BigA.

From what I've heard a number of Hits & Favorites affiliates are still very upset by the changes. It'd need to get done in a hurry.