John, you've contributed some thoughtful analysis to this board and your ongoing WCMF debate with Sir Roxalot made many of us think. I've disagreed with your opinions in some cases, but always found them well thought, directive, of value and certainly well stated.
Regarding the Telecom Act, Bubba, Congress and the cast of characters in the radio business, I'll stand by my initial statement. There most assuredly is plenty of blame to go around. There is, however, a paucity of accountability.
The NAB essentially wrote the
Telecom Act of 1996 and pushed the legislation through the pipeline by way of its lobbying arm. The House and Senate were only too eager to be influenced, buy in and get bought out. William Jefferson Clinto was only too happy to sign the bill in the name of progress and advancing the marktplace to accomodate and spur "new technologies."
Gahhhh!
For the record, let me state that I'm not a William Jefferson Clinton sycophant, but I'll readily concede that he's far sharper than the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
A few years back, I read an interview wherein Mr. Clinton, discussing the consolidation of the media and the Telecom Act, was asked to comment on the growth and seeming monopoly and irresponsibility of Clear Channel, CBS, Entercom et al. Mr. Bill, perhaps owing to the interviewer's lack of chtuzpah and/or academic acuity, blustered and said (paraphrasing), "I thought this bill was designed to open up and advance the cell phone companies... I had no idea it would turn the radio business upside down..."
What tripe. A man who is conceded as having one of the sharpest legal minds and political savvy of his generation, pleading ignorance or misinterpretation of the law?
BTW, this has no relation to parsing the meaning of the word "is" and DNA evidence. Let's just leave that out of this discussion.
If only the media, especially the electronic media (the one that swallowed Yellow Cake, Biological Warfare Capabilities and WMD's hook, line and sinker) had the nads and brains to write, produce and report objectively and accurately. If only they paid attention to and revealed the man behind the curtain. Thank God for NPR and PBS, McClatchy and Knight Ridder Newspapers.
Now then. To your post. You say, "Some industries NEED to die." How painfully and to what effect on those who make a living working in those industries do those industries need to die? Yes, I'm aware of your buggy whip analogy. It was a fine metaphor.
Perhaps you meant some industries need to re-invent or revive themselves to be relevant in the new millenium and " take the challenge of a changing marketplace and get out in front of it," as you say. No doubt. But how? And when? I recall in your debate with SR, you intoned something to the effect of "if I had the answers to the questions, I wouldn't be posting on message boards."
And what of that splendid WCMF debate which you and Sir Roxalot engaged. The theory put forth by SR that Entercom might possibly be euthanizing WCMF... and your rebuttals to the contrary. Perhaps WCMF needs "to die" as you say. Or more clearly, needs to adapt, re-inventing itself to accomodate the changes now and to come.
Just asking. No savant am I, although I have plenty of opinions which are based on my ever growing awareness of the business, the situation at hand and reading the commentary from sage posters such as you.
I'd offer that radio has become, like those 99 dollar VCR's made in China, ever so disposable. It's an "industry" (a misnomer if ever there was one), let's say "business," that makes nothing. Not widgets, not bearings. Once a business that encouraged creativity, showmanship and personalities, showcased music and without argument dedicated to sales and advertising, it's now more concerned with producing disposable formats, disposable personalities and disposable clusters.
But please, let's not mention Wease in our further discussion. Good as he is, was and might still be, he's disposable and apparently Entercom is prepared to prove that point if Mr. Levin doesn't come to terms. Perhaps at any price.
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