Maybe it's just me, but I find local radio just plain boring. The music, jocks, contests and the promotions are about as bland as a glass of water. It's an epidemic! It just seems like everyone sounds the same. Formats are few and closely aligned, disenfranchising many of the potential radio audience. Radio used to be fun and exciting to listen to. Not anymore, at least to this old geezer. Maybe it's the corporate approach to radio nowadays? Way too many bean counters with no interest in creativity and hiring good, talented radio junkies. And, the music? Where do they come up with this stuff? It all sounds the same...Country or Top 40. Thirty plus years ago this crap wouldn't make it as a B side. Gee, it's frustrating! I feel bad for the kids and younger adults who have listen to this garbage. Ain't it funny how young kids react to Brown Eyed Girl or Sweet Caroline at a dance? They love it! Obviously, I don't listen much these days. Pretty much rely on my IPod. From what I understand, lots of people feel the same way. What with all the competition from other types of media, I hope it's not too late for radio to change. Oh, and by the way, I miss that reverb sound that many stations used years ago. 10-7-0 did it best back in their musical days. I miss that station.
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Boring!
- Thread starter Potts
- Start date
Potts said:
Potts...I agree. I too, am an "old fart" on the verge of retirement. I have two MP3 Players loaded with the music I like. Why should I listen to today's person-less radio that employs a music filled computer that I don't like? Indy radio around 1970 was outstanding. WIBC was outstanding. WFBM and WIRE were top notch. And who can forget WIFE? There was great news coverage, sports, music and great personalities. Back then, there were FEWER stations and ALL of them were LIVE and LOCAL, day and night. We had fun working in the business and did not mind working for peanuts in many cases. Now, the mega-owners just want to cut... cut... cut... and call it radio. I call it "Generic" radio....It's all the same. Outside of morning and afternoon drive, there's not much LIVE in most markets. In fact, there are no news departments in many cities anymore. Traffic reports now come from hundreds of miles away where the announcers can't even properly pronounce the names of the streets in your city. I blame a lot of this on the government (yes, the FCC) for relaxing standards to permit many more stations to "squeeze" into the already tight spectrum. The addition of the new stations has cheapened radio to the point where operating with no staff whatsoever, still cannot be profitable in many cases. There are now too many stations competing for limited advertising dollars. Now, station owners just connect a computer and satellite dish to the transmitter and "call it radio". Unfortunately, radio's not for me anymore. If I have to get my music fix from a machine, I'll stay with my own MP3 players! Most stations are proving they can't add any content, whatsoever, over MP3 players or iPods (can you say "live, local news?" for instance).
It seems things began to bad when the government allowed owners to have 3, 4, 5 or more station per market. Before that, each station (or stations if it was an AM-FM comba) usually received lots of attention from the owner. Nowdays the attention is spread thin over a cluster of stations. Plus Wall Street is now calling the shots instead of a creative radio-centered owner or operator. That's led to robot frequencies which wind up with dead air for an hour before anybody notices, except the listeners. Most of the younger audience has no interest in or use for radio now. Add to that the fact that radio now generally ignores what would be it's most loyal demo (adults over 49) and you have a recipe for radio appealing to very few people nowdays.
C
cspotrun
Guest
there will probably be some who might say.."well here are a bunch of old farts wishing for the good old days"...i just wish for those who would feel that WAY, THAT they could experience Radio as a REALMedium for Entertainment[/b as either a listener or one who works in the industry because it WAS a Hell of a lot of FUN! not much fun any more for a listener or one who works in the field these days, i'm both. :'(
There are a few real stations left. In Indiana look at WTRE in Greensburg. A daily Swap Shop program, local events, sports, etc. As much as it is lamented, WSLM Salem.
Television is no better : 200 Channels and nothing on. Some great programs like American Pickers are great. How many times can we watch the same episode? The change is that we have gone from a society that cared about things to one that is apathetic. The good news is that unless there is a change in how society as a whole operates we face no threat of radio going away. Newspapers are still in business. Their era ended a hundred years ago.
If we were proactive we would do something to change things. When the FCC allowed group owners to have more than 50 stations it dumbed down how we operate. Each market became less relevant and each town less important. There are some great syndicated programs but when the same program is available in multiple towns the impact is not that great. When WLS had live jocks and was in it's heydey there was no competition. Now the same programming is available elsewhere.
Our wow factor left the building when what we are doing became less interesting and less unique. Our repeating the same process became an oxymoron. What we do is less therefore our outcome doesn't change."And faith unfaithful kept him falsely true." (Tennyson)
Change starts with us. ideas rather than lamenting what will not be again?
Television is no better : 200 Channels and nothing on. Some great programs like American Pickers are great. How many times can we watch the same episode? The change is that we have gone from a society that cared about things to one that is apathetic. The good news is that unless there is a change in how society as a whole operates we face no threat of radio going away. Newspapers are still in business. Their era ended a hundred years ago.
If we were proactive we would do something to change things. When the FCC allowed group owners to have more than 50 stations it dumbed down how we operate. Each market became less relevant and each town less important. There are some great syndicated programs but when the same program is available in multiple towns the impact is not that great. When WLS had live jocks and was in it's heydey there was no competition. Now the same programming is available elsewhere.
Our wow factor left the building when what we are doing became less interesting and less unique. Our repeating the same process became an oxymoron. What we do is less therefore our outcome doesn't change."And faith unfaithful kept him falsely true." (Tennyson)
Change starts with us. ideas rather than lamenting what will not be again?
flip23 said:
So true, Flip. If everyone ever wonders why Monopolies are bad for everyone (the consumer, the workers, and the industry) they need to look no further than the radio biz. The current climate absolutely kills smaller 1 & 2 station companies in most markets in the US. At this point it has gotten so out of hand, there is nothing the FCC can do about it.
While watching the "Indy Radio Wars" movie, I could not help but noticed how much radio has regressed back to 1960's. Everybody happy in there niches when someone new comes in and shakes up the area. Burden instilled personality and gave people a reason to listen to a crappy signal on 1310. This move shook up the apple cart down to its core (pun intended). Only after this happened, did the other stations start programming more aggresively. This move begat "The Buzzard", again giving people a reason to listen to medium that was new and few people had recievers for (FM). Stations then started populating FM with riveting programming and personalities.
Radio is back to being happy in there little niches without any thought of changing now or in the future.
If you give people a reason to listen, no matter how crappy the signal, they will listen. Oasis proved that with 101.9. His problem was he would not leave station alone to let the station grow. Moving jocks time slots left listener in a lurch, proving the station untrustworthy in the listeners eyes. (Otherwise, listener could build a relationship with the jock).
This market is SOOO primed for an apple cart upsettling that it hurts to watch. When that happens...who know!
Radio is back to being happy in there little niches without any thought of changing now or in the future.
If you give people a reason to listen, no matter how crappy the signal, they will listen. Oasis proved that with 101.9. His problem was he would not leave station alone to let the station grow. Moving jocks time slots left listener in a lurch, proving the station untrustworthy in the listeners eyes. (Otherwise, listener could build a relationship with the jock).
This market is SOOO primed for an apple cart upsettling that it hurts to watch. When that happens...who know!
Great radio begins with content, content begins with talented, creative people, and those people cost more money than most of today's owners and managers want to pay. So they give their audiences the nondescript garbage they're settling for--if the audience sticks around at all. In this market, BYB has no real competition, so they can keep cranking out the crap they squirt out their transmitters BECAUSE THEY CAN. Unfortunately, many listeners are joining the IPOD crowd. The radio industry may never get them back.
Hence my nickname reportasaurus. Almost NOBODY in Indiana is doing actual radio news any more. Even WIBC's news product has deteriorated. I hear factual errors and mispronunciations a LOT--Fred Heckman must be rolling in his grave.
But I'm having a BLAST refocusing on sports play-by-play on the internet. I have complete creative control of football, basketball, volleyball and baseball, I'm covering things terrestrial broadcasters have ignored for too long, and it's very rewarding producing a QUALITY product that online listeners really enjoy.
You can ride the wave or get slammed by it--your choice. Surf's up!
Hence my nickname reportasaurus. Almost NOBODY in Indiana is doing actual radio news any more. Even WIBC's news product has deteriorated. I hear factual errors and mispronunciations a LOT--Fred Heckman must be rolling in his grave.
But I'm having a BLAST refocusing on sports play-by-play on the internet. I have complete creative control of football, basketball, volleyball and baseball, I'm covering things terrestrial broadcasters have ignored for too long, and it's very rewarding producing a QUALITY product that online listeners really enjoy.
You can ride the wave or get slammed by it--your choice. Surf's up!
I agree with many of the others who have posted....today's radio generally speaking "sucks big-time". I am sure there are a few stations that still have personalities, news, weather, sports and connect with listeners. I think most music stations today sound like Ipods. I think when stations let radio personalities go, and went to the bird or the computer, their listeners thought if the station sounds like an Ipod they may as well buy an Ipod and play what "they" want to play.
I also agree some really good news stations have slid into mediocrity. WOWO used to have a great news department....not anymore! Just my 2-cents...and I am 53 years old, also an old geezer and former broadcaster.
I also agree some really good news stations have slid into mediocrity. WOWO used to have a great news department....not anymore! Just my 2-cents...and I am 53 years old, also an old geezer and former broadcaster.
Drucifer said:
I think a major reason radio has gotten boring is on-air jocks have a lot of additional responsibilities they didn't have 5 or 10 years ago. Whether it is additional production/imaging duties, promotions, website maintenance, blogging, social networking, sales, or even engineering, the "talent" is given less time to work on bits, show prep, and map out their shows.
Also, the corporate over-thinkers have taken a lot of the creativeness away from the show hosts. Hard to do a good bit when you are worried your stopset break might be over :40 seconds. And god forbid if you don't get the proper liner cards read each hour promoting your station's website.
And of course, maybe the biggest reason radio is boring? The business just doesn't pay good, local talent. Unless you are in a top 40 market, you likely are not making near enough money to comfortably support yourself and your family. Instead of paying good, local talent, companies like Clear Channel rather take the cash and make sure Ryan Seacrest gets a big fat multi-million dollar contract. Meanwhile, the talented local guy who works hard, has great ratings, but still can't support his family after getting a miniscule raise (if any at all) has to find a new job.
But don't worry, they can always find a no-talent kid out of college that will work 50 hours a week for 22,000 a year so he can justify his Radio-TV-Film degree.
At this point radio will have a hard time making a comeback, even if changes are made. Most people under 30 don't use or depend on radio for music or info. They may listen occsionally, but radio is not important to them when compared to their 'mobile device'.
Radio operators are trying to cut costs at every corner to stay afloat, so automation and syndication are not likely to go away. On top of that, some companies now limit their people to no more than 10-20 seconds of talk at a time in hopes of pleasing the PPM gods.
Radio operators are trying to cut costs at every corner to stay afloat, so automation and syndication are not likely to go away. On top of that, some companies now limit their people to no more than 10-20 seconds of talk at a time in hopes of pleasing the PPM gods.
C
cspotrun
Guest
Radio LOST IT for all the reason listed above, AND when web sites became MORE IMPORTANT than the on-air product, RADIO WAS DEAD.
40 Second Stop Sets in the Arbitron Markets if you're lucky, 10-20 second sponsored liner/promotion verbiage over intros in the PPM markets with the music never stopping is also very true. Radio is changing quite a bit. For a new generation, what concerns me is they will think that this standard of today's on-air performance is great, and it isn't always great. Talent still should matter, and maybe it will cycle back around. Playing within the rules and parameters of today's standards of radio, the jocks that want to work in the business will do what they are asked. It's easy to be nostalgic, but it's also practical to be realistic for the current landscape of radio. Satellite radio has some good programs. I find myself gravitating to more of that, and I thought I would never say that. Be excellent in the time you're given! If that's 3 seconds, make em count terrestrial radio people. On another note, I had to chuckle about the 50 hour work weeks for $22,000. I would think 60 hours are more realistic for some company's, and $17,000 to $18,000 might be more realistic as well. Thanks to all for being passionate about radio. Without passion, we don't have this board, and personally I enjoy reading people's thoughts and ideas.
Just to vent a bit more. What would be so wrong to bring back fun jingles, funny, entertaining and zany deejays and oh yes, the echo chamber and stick a lock on that baby so it can't be tampered with. Remember those days? I'm not saying it has to be an oldies station. Top 40 (golly, do they still call it that?) or even Country. Why wouldn't what worked way back when not work now? (Sorry for all the W's.). Also, WHY CAN'T STATIONS PLAY SOME DAMN MUSIC DURING MORNING DRIVE? Talk, talk, talk is all you hear and it's absolutely about nuthin' and it goes nowhere. Please, how about some music, maestro?
Potts said:
I miss the old school jingles too, on the right format. Jingles just don't really fit the CHR's that play the rhythmic cuts. They still fit well on the Hot A/C and A/C stations, in my opinion.
As far as talk in the morning drive, I find the talk in the PPM Markets (Indy for example) has been greatly reduced in the AM and more songs play each hour. However, some of the diary markets have yet to adopt this. I was in Fort Wayne two weeks ago, and heard a lot of talk in the morning.
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