I had this conversation too. What Ford doesn't say is people are buying cars and trucks from the Ford website, bypassing the local dealers. This hurts the local dealers.
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- Thread starter SirRoxalot
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I had this conversation too. What Ford doesn't say is people are buying cars and trucks from the Ford website, bypassing the local dealers. This hurts the local dealers.
Today’s remaining dj’s are probably mostly voice tracked. If live on air shifts still exist on music formats they are either a) in a huge market, or b) trying to clutch to an outdated idea that matters little today. My apologies to those who do radio tradio in tiny markets!
Not true. Most morning shows on music radio stations are completely live. You can tell because they're talking about things that are happening in real time. They also interact with the traffic and weather people. Even some of the celebrity interviews are live. You can even watch some of them on video in real time.
That is kind of what I said. Major markets, yes. Medium to smaller markets not so much. And how many use syndicated morning shows? This part of the market has been increasing for decades.
The idea of a music intensive format "needing" a jock is long gone. Morning shows (and to a lesser extent some PM drive shows) are personality driven. Listeners are there for the personality and content.
If the listener is simply there for the music, the jock is nothing more than an unnecessary expense. This is why iHeart has success with Premium Choice jocks, and why Variety Hits stations have success with jockless presentations. Pipe in someone that is able to come up with compelling PPM content and it sounds good. Live and local doesn't always equal good. Why listen to someone ramble on when your phone can play the music you want?
If the listener is simply there for the music, the jock is nothing more than an unnecessary expense. This is why iHeart has success with Premium Choice jocks, and why Variety Hits stations have success with jockless presentations. Pipe in someone that is able to come up with compelling PPM content and it sounds good. Live and local doesn't always equal good. Why listen to someone ramble on when your phone can play the music you want?
It depends...I see local talent in Saginaw Michigan, Augusta Georgia, Eugene Oregon, and Chattanooga TN.
How many more do you want?
I understand your point. Yes, some still exist, but salaries are down and the level of talent is down. Local dj’s still exist but are a dying breed. Those trying to convince radio is in a healthy condition are lying to themselves.
Once again, it's hard to generalize. In some of these small markets, I see heritage talent, as in people celebrating 25 years, so you can't say they're underpaid or not qualified. They're also winning awards for what they do.
I am thinking that some in the business don’t realize how far the industry has fallen, or do, but want to continue on. I have nothing against the radio industry, as it provided a life long career for myself.
But change is inevitable. The media
entertainment/news segment has changed a few times in the past 100 years. It will continue to change.
But change is inevitable. The media
entertainment/news segment has changed a few times in the past 100 years. It will continue to change.
I agree. But it's hard to generalize. Too many stations, too many owners. Ten years ago, it looked like Cumulus was going all national at their stations. Then they fired the CEO, and his replacement wanted to return local stations to their local identities.
I worked for Cumulus almost 20 years ago. Horrid environment. Horrid upper management. Worst situation in my 40 year radio career.
And from what I understand, a lot of car dealers operate on low profit margins. I'm sure that doesn't help them, either.
I just heard, on the radio, that over the next year there may be 5% inflation or greater -- the dollar will be worth about 5% less than it is right now. I'm sure that won't help the radio industry much -- or other media, for that matter.
The last program director I worked for once pointed in the direction of our towers and said "the time is coming soon when these things will be irrelevant." He was not wrong, but like the rest of the industry he kept directing most of his efforts to the product emanating from the over the air signal.
Digital sales was an afterthought...little more than the dreaded "added value." The digital creative department (the "content creators") went from a small staff to two guys, then to one guy, then to one guy who was the APD/MD and midday talent of one station who got the title of "Digital Program Director" added to his duties. Then he got downsized.
I feel like I'm watching (from a distance) the radio industry follow a similar path that the phone book industry followed. Companies and executives looking at their shrinking market share and plummeting revenues saying "I've got it! If we make the book smaller, people will like it more!"
That is not how I see it. Most of us are platform agnostic, believing that we create content that is suitable for any distribution system
But, for the moment, the profits from content come from the broadcast signals. The cost to stream music based content and the DMCA rights make profitability from ad sponsored free-to-the-listener streams elusive. So we will maintain the radio focus as we try to hold in or hold out while a way to make ad-sponsored, free to listeners, streaming profitable is developed or negotiated.
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Very few radio groups have anything digital to sell with any meaningful audience. The main exception is iHeart, which has a successful podcast division.
Now, I'm sure someone will say: "But Townsquare has a lot of digital revenue!"
That's correct, but effectively Townsquare is getting that revenue for being an ad agency. A very small percentage of those digital ads are going on properties that Townsquare controls, most gets forwarded to Google or Facebook.
His statement was mainly wrong, in so far as tower space leasing is a great business to be in. With new restrictions popping up for permitting cell towers in communities all over the U.S., vertical real estate is smoking hot right now. These stations and broadcast groups who opted for a quick influx of cash by selling their towers to companies like ATC are now missing out on the NTR.
Another huge mistake that some stations and smaller groups made early-in. Their websites were crap, and amounted to tossing in coupons and free ad banners to their radio advertisers. When you give away your on-line revenue opportunities early in the game, it's hard, if not impossible to get them back. Plus it doesn't help when owners cheap out when it comes to providing relevant content listeners would benefit from. Having their PD or Promotions department also be webmasters, is yet another NTR missed opportinity.
Not just were crap. Still are crap.
The only group I know of that does online right is Zimmer in Missouri. They even have a sales website and regular social media posts about sales and advertising topics. As for the rest: The templates used by iHeart and Audacy have no SEO value whatsoever. You can't do local SEO on a fill in the blanks template.
It's not that simple. Radio (and all broadcast media) is not only fighting against popular perception, but also government regulation and Nielsen ratings. Companies like Sirius or Spotify can do radio and present their own numbers. Broadcasting has to submit to one single company.
Not only that, but the last several cars that I have had, have had plastic bumpers. You put a sticker on that, it AIN'T coming off. Paper stickers are the exception, but they wear out and fade rather quickly.
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