Clear Channel - Destroyer of Heritage

[ChannelChanger]

I agree Clear Channel has screwed up a lot in Atlanta. But to me, the first big screwup was changing the "Peach" moniker to "Lite." And let's face it, if you can't beat B98.5, a station that changes its playlist about as often as Matthew McConnaughey bathes, you've got some seriously bad programming going on. While I'm not a big listener of the format, one positive is Delilah will have to find some other station to talk endelessly about herself.

 

[cyberdad]

Some months back there was a thread on the Iowa board which illustrates CC's ability to destroy a "legacy" station. Specifically WMT in Cedar Rapids. Monster signal (5kw at 600khz), the proverbial big fish in a small pond. Yet there was a strong commitment to high quality local/regional program and a very strong bond with loyal listeners throughout the eastern half of the state.

Nowadays, its a mishmash of canned syndicated stuff and stale (even by Iowa standards) local content. Ratings have suffered, and so, presumably have revenues.

My take is CC didn't know what to do with an animal like this, so the suits tried making it fit "established business models". Thus wrecking it.

 

[DashRiprock]

I can’t think of anything that Clear Channel has done right in Atlanta. I feel bad for all the folks they fired and the stations they destroyed, but there’s not much I can do beyond not listening to their stations. I did that. I’m on day 58, I think.

I’ve made the switch to XM and WSB. In fact, I even avoid the CC stations on XM just for good measure. It also makes me feel better to complain on a message board...

 

[sissyboy]

Project 9-6-1 is not a cookie cutter name for a radio station, I don't think any American station has the "Project" moniker.

becasue it sucks.. it's stupid.... and it will fail.

 

[radiofriend1]

Project 9-6-1 is not a cookie cutter name for a radio station, I don't think any American station has the "Project" moniker.

becasue it sucks.. it's stupid.... and it will fail.

glad yer able to predict the future. u should have a tv show

:-\

 

[sissyboy]

it's clear channel, it's atlanta and i've listened. the jocks are so bad and the imaging so 15 year old male that it can't do well and not to mention who's going to do the morning show? lex and terry?

 

[sissyboy]

by the way, there's this thing called sound coding. the pd should give it try, it keeps the music from clumping. it might help.

 

[TheGreenskeeper]

**destroyer of heritage** only applies to long time, always successful radio stations

lite has not been that for years, neither was wkls

They were successful before Clear Channel.

golly gee we all forgot clear channel ruins EVERYTHING!!!!!!!

our bad

:

As far as Atlanta goes, I think that Clear Channel management has ruined everything.

Prove me wrong.

oh we see. now we're just talking about local mgmt. in atlanta
that whittles it down quite a bit

Right, Atlanta. Check up there toward the top of the page you’re on:
“Radio-Info BOARDS>TOP 20 MARKETS> Atlanta >Clear Channel - Destroyer of Heritage“

The facts speak for themselves, and “whittled down” is a good description of CC’s audience in Atlanta over the last few years. Instead of correcting the previous bad moves, CC decided to flip and fire. More bad moves, IMO. But hey, I'm just a listener.

 

[Barry Blakely]

Corporate radio sucks...the music is picked out by someone that gives us a 300-500 play list to listen to...and designed by bean counters to put the same stuff on a bunch of stations across the entire country...be damn what the listener whats to hear. By killing 94.9 Lite and changing it to a country station (which Atlanta needed like a hole-in-the-head), it shows they have no idea what to sell us.

 

[radiofriend1]

blah blah blah blah blah

more examples of people who choose to bitch & whine about their industry vs. spending that time being positive contributors

part of the problem or part of the solution--------it is totally OUR ROLE and our choice to pick

 

[TheGreenskeeper]

blah blah blah blah blah

more examples of people who choose to bitch & whine about their industry vs. spending that time being positive contributors

part of the problem or part of the solution--------it is totally OUR ROLE and our choice to pick

As I said, I’m just a listener, and I have no illusions that CC cares what I think.

Maybe they (you?) have some sort of master plan that calls for running off old listeners in favor of a different audience. Good luck with that.

 

[taylorengineer]

It is not the listener's job to "change" radio. It is the programmer's job to program to the desired audience.
But we all need to understand that this is a "Entertainment Tonight" world. This is, indeed, what the average listener wants.....50 songs played over and over again.
Go to the local Waffle House....same damn songs over and over and over. The River....same 100 songs over and over and over....top 5 station in the first book! This is not a new theory.....radio is a serious habit for people....bordering on neurosis for some.
So quit expecting "innovation." Expect the radio we desire and deserve....just like the government we desire and deserve.
And don't look to XM or Sirius....they suck even worse....and the audio quality makes NYC FM audio quality sound pristine!

 

[radiofriend1]

so none in atl. do any of these things (or a specific am show that doesn't)?

what about bigger-picture strategic ideas? time & temp doesn't usually make or break any station

thankx

 

[researchthis]

And don't look to XM or Sirius....they suck even worse....and the audio quality makes NYC FM audio quality sound pristine!

How do they suck even worse ??? ..the variety is unmatched, something for everyone.....the sound quality is acceptable, not going to satisfy the audiophile, and there is no static :

 

[taylorengineer]

The potential is there.......but let's think about this.
1. It's still practically all music. Why not get Napster and a MP3 player?
2. The jocks are terrible!
3. The audio really is bad. Even the unwashed notice the sound quality is lacking. The laws of Physics prevail.
4. It costs $10-15 per month. Why.....you can better use your money buying lottery tickets.....or beer.....or concert tickets!

The current providers simply emulate FM radio. Same basis, same research, same execution, same ol' same ol'!! Well....with maybe more variety in the same ol'.
Now I admit that having blues and bluegrass would be nice......but I would rather hear the cheezy commercials and get it for free.

 

[researchthis]

The potential is there.......but let's think about this.
1. It's still practically all music. Why not get Napster and a MP3 player?
2. The jocks are terrible!
3. The audio really is bad. Even the unwashed notice the sound quality is lacking. The laws of Physics prevail.
4. It costs $10-15 per month. Why.....you can better use your money buying lottery tickets.....or beer.....or concert tickets!

The current providers simply emulate FM radio. Same basis, same research, same execution, same ol' same ol'!! Well....with maybe more variety in the same ol'.
Now I admit that having blues and bluegrass would be nice......but I would rather hear the cheezy commercials and get it for free.

1- Not true....how many XM stations have you listened to...many talk, news, and entertainment channels....in my car I have a radio that has a built in SD card reader for MP3s when XM happens to not have something of interest.
2- Not that many actual jocks, but some are annoying especially on the 60s, but they try to keep it true to the era they are representing with the "motor mouth-talking over the music" type of persona....Deep Tracks on XM 40 has the most informed "DJs" that I have ever heard. They are seasoned veterans that know the music they play and give the true music lovers the needed info about the tuneage.
3- Purely subjective as it sounds OK to me and others that I know that have XM...cant comment on Sirius
4- $12.95 per month (less if paid by the year) for XM and less than .50 per day - best entertainment value for me Cant remember the last time I went to a concert for $15 :

Thats the good thing about choices...I cant stand lisening to 40 minutes per hour of inane commercials with the oft chance that they "might" play the song I like, enjoy, recognize....if you like those "free" channels then thats great.

Three years ago I would have called you crazy if you said I would someday pay for something I can get for "free", but because of companies like CC, I have weened myself from terrestrial radio......life is good. ;D

 

[DashRiprock]

XM is not for everyone, but it works for me. I don’t have a problem with audio quality because my car is a pretty noisy environment. Besides, about half the time I’m tuned to O&A, BBC, FOX, Radio Classics, and comedy anyway.