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Clear Channel Consolidates Imaging Production
- Thread starter robnokshus06
- Start date
Ford said:
Ding, ding ding: Image liner winner! ".... with a flavor all it's own." Please produce without whistles, gongs, zaps, electrocution SFX.
And we do. By the carload. Drake Tymp, hot then under: VO: "Alll bland, Alll the time!" Make sure it's brickwalled +5 in; -.5 output. 128 kpbs. Nobody cares. [/sarcasm]TBA said:
Since when is corporate radio interested in what listeners want? Heck, they're not even particularly interested in what advertisers want as long as the money keeps coming in.
95% of the music - or maybe 99% of the music - may be national product, but until corporate dictated otherwise, the mix at different stations varied considerably. Stations in the northeast played a lot more Springsteen than Journey. Stations in the Bay area played a lot more Journey than Springsteen. Stations may play the same songs, but the emphasis on songs varies considerably from market to market. I live in Buffalo. We had Canadian content that did very well here, but you sure wouldn't hear in El Paso. I suspect that El Paso had some Tex-Mex that never made it north of Arkansas.
Radio is inherently a local medium. Yes, we're all Americans, and have a lot of common interests. But, there are also huge variations in lifestyle in different sections of the country. NY sure ain't LA. Seattle sure ain't Atlanta. Chicago ain't Dallas. Imaging - and programming - should reflect those differences. Even in the days of network radio, not all content was national. Locally produced shows were featured during a significant portion of the broadcast day.
Radio needs to differentiate itself from generic national content in order to create the relationship with listeners that advertisers want to buy. Otherwise, there's no future for local broadcasters.
95% of the music - or maybe 99% of the music - may be national product, but until corporate dictated otherwise, the mix at different stations varied considerably. Stations in the northeast played a lot more Springsteen than Journey. Stations in the Bay area played a lot more Journey than Springsteen. Stations may play the same songs, but the emphasis on songs varies considerably from market to market. I live in Buffalo. We had Canadian content that did very well here, but you sure wouldn't hear in El Paso. I suspect that El Paso had some Tex-Mex that never made it north of Arkansas.
Radio is inherently a local medium. Yes, we're all Americans, and have a lot of common interests. But, there are also huge variations in lifestyle in different sections of the country. NY sure ain't LA. Seattle sure ain't Atlanta. Chicago ain't Dallas. Imaging - and programming - should reflect those differences. Even in the days of network radio, not all content was national. Locally produced shows were featured during a significant portion of the broadcast day.
Radio needs to differentiate itself from generic national content in order to create the relationship with listeners that advertisers want to buy. Otherwise, there's no future for local broadcasters.
SirRoxalot said:
How do you keep the money coming in if you don't provide what listeners and advertisers want? How does that work exactly?
SirRoxalot said:
Your example is over 30 years old, predating MTV. When MTV debuted, it changed the way radio was programmed. The agenda was set nationally. Your example also predates the sale of the major record labels to international conglomerates, who also set a very different agenda than when the labels were owned by US companies.
The fact is that even at companies where music comes from "corporate dictate," and I know of only two companies where that happens, there are allowances made for local adjustments. If you carry Ryan Seacrest, you can get a version where you insert the music locally. Several other national shows work that way. Premium Choice has enough talent options so a local programmer can pick the mix that most suits his area. Local radio, with all the localism that existed 40 years ago, is still being done at thousands of stations, and localism hasn't changed the listening habits of new generations. The agenda is being set elsewhere. You want radio to become sushi, in order to differentiate itself from hamburger. No amount of localism will get me to eat raw fish.
Getting back to the subject, imaging doesn't have to be produced locally in order to reflect local tastes or sounds. I've worked with TM and many other national jingle houses, and they go out of their way to find ways to localize their work.
Too bad. Sushi is good. You really should try it sometime.
BTW, the earth is round, the sky is blue and water is wet. (Just a little yank on your contrarian chain there, Biggie
)MTV? You mean the cable channel that used to play music - 30 years ago? My example may have been 30 years old, but it's as valid today as your reference to MTV. The listening habits of the "new generation" are as wide as the listening habits of kids who swapped 45s in the 60s, LPs in the 70s, CDs in the 80s and 90s, and MP3s since the Internet got fast enough to make it practical. The depth and breadth may be a little greater because the "album" concept was killed off by the single song download.
The homogenization of radio has really taken hold in the last 10 years. In spite of that, sampling of radio (cume) remains over 90%. TSL continues to shrink in part because radio is less relatable than it was 10 years ago. Stations with local talent dominate the ratings in most markets. Consolidators are turning to "Premium Choice" and other syndicated pap because they're BROKE, not because it's better programming. If anybody's trying to push sushi on listeners, it's corporate radio. And it's not even good sushi. It's pre-packaged, frozen sushi with microwave instructions on the box.
TM and other jingle houses produced packages at the behest of local programmers. The local guys mixed and matched components, and often selected elements from multiple packages because they fit their station's SOUND. That was local programmers, not the jingle houses. And, yes, I'm talking ART here, not force-fed pap from corporate that tries to make all stations in a format sound the same.
The homogenization of radio has really taken hold in the last 10 years. In spite of that, sampling of radio (cume) remains over 90%. TSL continues to shrink in part because radio is less relatable than it was 10 years ago. Stations with local talent dominate the ratings in most markets. Consolidators are turning to "Premium Choice" and other syndicated pap because they're BROKE, not because it's better programming. If anybody's trying to push sushi on listeners, it's corporate radio. And it's not even good sushi. It's pre-packaged, frozen sushi with microwave instructions on the box.
TM and other jingle houses produced packages at the behest of local programmers. The local guys mixed and matched components, and often selected elements from multiple packages because they fit their station's SOUND. That was local programmers, not the jingle houses. And, yes, I'm talking ART here, not force-fed pap from corporate that tries to make all stations in a format sound the same.
SirRoxalot said:
Show me facts that back that up. The real reason TSL is shrinking (and not by much) is because of audience sharing. The time people have to listen is shrinking, thus TSL shrinks. That fact is backed up by sociological data.
SirRoxalot said:
At some stations, not all. The services are available from TM and the other houses, and despite the changes in on air staffing, there are still local programmers directing what goes on the air, including the imaging. The local programmer was the one who oversaw the imaging when it was in house, and he still does so when it's outside. That has not changed.
How about if you show all of us YOUR sources of "data"? You've never provided links to studies that back up your statements. So, all we have is your opinion, and we know all about the value of opinions.
TSL has declined since the '80s - roughly the time that LMAs, cap changes, and other means of consolidation began to affect radio. If people are seeking other forms of entertainment, it's because radio isn't as compelling as it once was. Ask any listener over the age of 30. Radio simply isn't as good as it once was. Cost cutting is the primary reason, and cost cutting had little to do with improving the product. It had - and has - everything to do with overleveraged companies trying to make a failed business model work.
As far as local programmer overseeing imaging is concerned, that's not what Clear Channel is doing. They're intent is to make all stations in a particular format sound the same. It's McDonalds radio, not funky-local-bistro radio. And I'll pick the funky local bistro EVERY time.
TSL has declined since the '80s - roughly the time that LMAs, cap changes, and other means of consolidation began to affect radio. If people are seeking other forms of entertainment, it's because radio isn't as compelling as it once was. Ask any listener over the age of 30. Radio simply isn't as good as it once was. Cost cutting is the primary reason, and cost cutting had little to do with improving the product. It had - and has - everything to do with overleveraged companies trying to make a failed business model work.
As far as local programmer overseeing imaging is concerned, that's not what Clear Channel is doing. They're intent is to make all stations in a particular format sound the same. It's McDonalds radio, not funky-local-bistro radio. And I'll pick the funky local bistro EVERY time.
SirRoxalot said:
Also the same time as gameboys, walkmen, and the explosion of cable TV. You have a very narrow view, but the public doesn't.
SirRoxalot said:
Before the 1980s people didn't care if radio was compelling. If they wanted to hear their favorite music, that's how they heard it. Now they have lots of choices. The monopoly is gone. So you can do "compelling radio," whatever that is, and it will get a 2 share. It happens every day in markets across the country. Too many stations, too many options, and an audience that is simply unable to process all the options.
SirRoxalot said:
That’s obviously not true. That’s why local programmers still have jobs, and why they have dozens of options in each of the formats, either from Premium Choice, or locally if they can afford it. And the local programmers have the ability and opportunity to localize their imaging. I’ve already heard examples. Clear Channel programmers know they are competing against other stations in their local market. Their success or failure will be in how they do there, not in national programming. That's why neither CC nor Premiere has gotten into the 24/7 format business that Cumulus and Dial Global is in.
You like the funky local bistro? Good for you. When you buy a radio station, you can run it any way you want.
...and there go the Imaging Directors. At least two that I can tell from this All Access story:
http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/104220/clear-channel-makes-cuts-in-a-number-of-markets
I'm sure the numbers will swell as the layoffs roll across the continent. Too bad. However, I am sure that Country Boy/Big A will be able to put the appropriate spin on all of this to make it all better.
http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/104220/clear-channel-makes-cuts-in-a-number-of-markets
I'm sure the numbers will swell as the layoffs roll across the continent. Too bad. However, I am sure that Country Boy/Big A will be able to put the appropriate spin on all of this to make it all better.
And it sucks for teachers, police, firefighters and nurses to get laid off. Thanks for helping to make my point.
TheBigA said:
Actually the economy is (slowly) recovering. The company I work for has been bulking up on staff in anticipation of better times ahead. CC is not initiating this latest round of layoffs because of the economy. It is because they're cheap, they've got a load of debt to service, and they figure they can best do so by firing as many people as possible.
No, it's having a domino effect on TALK radio. Or perhaps I should say "had". The Rush wringing of hands appears to be over since the lefties have moved on to other subjects.
If a successful pizzeria starts to downsize and save money by reducing the number of pieces of pepperoni, and cutting back on the cheese..and using less sauce, and commercial grade flour, and pre packaged crust...well soon..someone will notice and not patronize that pizzeria anymore..and eventually the product will not even look like a pizza.
Just sayin'
Just sayin'
Jeff Laurence said:
Interesting analogy because there's a pizza price war going on right now. Godfathers Pizza is selling a large pepperoni for $5. That's half what Dominos and Papa Johns charges, and below cost.
Meanwhile, in the real world of radio, CC has among the highest rated radio stations in most of the major markets where it owns stations. In some cases, they have four of the Top 5. Their pizzas haven't changed one bit, at least as far as their customers can tell.
Oh, their customers can tell. That's one major reason why revenue is down.
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