Do You Really Care About Radio?

[DavidKaye]

I think that radio days are pretty much over.

Does anybody care that Karel is about to be fired if his ratings don't improve and if he can't keep from picking fights with fellow talkshow hosts and management?

Does anybody care what format KBLX is changing to?

Does anybody care whether Cumulus runs its stations into the ground?

Does anybody care whether the KGO talkshow hosts come back to radio? I mean, really care?

I find that I'm caring less and less. As early as I can remember I was listening to the radio. Back when Colpix records (Columbia Pictures) had a few hits on their hands, I pasted a big gold star to my bedroom door and declared myself to be "Dan Colpix". I wanted to be a DJ when I grew up. After having tasted that and other radio and TV jobs I eventually shifted to careers that paid better. Still, radio was in my blood, TV not so much, but radio definitely.

Now, it really doesn't matter. The romance of seeing open-reel decks, cart machines, audio boards, patch bays, STLs and transmitters isn't there anymore. For one thing, most of that equipment has been replaced by one or two computers anybody can get at Best Buy. Today's teenaged boy likely has better equipment in his bedroom than most stations have in their control rooms.

And the talent, well, it takes a lot to wow me. I get wow factor from public radio programs now -- Jad Abumrad on "Radiolab" and Glynn Washington on "Snap Judgment" (produced in Oakland, by the way) with a nod to the comedic Peter Sagal on "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me". That's about it for wow factor these days.

Howzit for you folks? Do you care much about what's going on in radio these days?

 

[Phedeks]

Good riddance, with the constant commercials, constant playing of the same songs over and over. Why even listen? I can just go Satellite or Download an infinite amount of song to my Ipod playlist that hooks up to my car. My car actually can play music via bluetooth now. I have no use at all for the garbage that is played on commercial radio.

 

[TheBigA]

I don't think anybody cares about any of the things you listed. Those are all "inside baseball."

But if KOIT all of a sudden became a talk station, a lot of people would be pissed.

Radio generally aims for people 25-45. If you're outside that demo, you probably don't care, and don't listen.

 

[HCochet]

I care a lot about KGO and I miss the old format. I miss all the hosts that were fired. I care about Karel in that I hope he leaves KGO. I don't wish him any harm as far as work goes. I hope he gets a decent paying job, but not on what used to be my favorite station. Maybe he should get a real job at maybe a grocery store or restaurant or picking lettuce. I'd like to see how long he'd last. I wonder if he's ever done manual or tedious labor in his life. I had not heard that he's fighting with anyone, but someone last night kept repeating his name and website over and over (Peter B Somebody/Collins???) and then said he's only trying to say his name and website as much as Karel says his.
Karel is a terrible radio talk show host. That's not an opinion. It's a fact.
Yes, I care A LOT about KGO. I can't express how much I miss the old KGO. I mean I don't cry myself to sleep every night, but it's a real bummer that it's gone. I listened in my car and my home a lot. I only tuned in to other stations during news (5 AM - 9:07 AM) and skipped the noon news back when they had it. Never liked KGO news. I listened to the 7 minutes at the top of each hour. That was OK, but not more those 7 minutes.
I can't get the stations the KGO hosts went to except in my car sometimes. Doesn't come in on my clock radio at home.
I miss Bernie and I wish he hadn't gotten into trouble.
Never heard of KBLX. I'm a KGO guy, or I was I mean.
I hope Cumulus goes bankrupt. I hope they sell KGO and some investor returns it to how it should be.

 

[nocomradio]

Do I care.

In short, yes. Why? Because I grew up with a radio playing from as early as I can remember. After a lot of years, things have changed and not always for the better, but still radio provides entertainment that I enjoy. I do need to look a lot deeper and harder to find what I want, but with a little work I can still find it on the air. I have a large antenna array at my home now, and many very high end radios to do just that, but it is possible. Probably more involvement than most people want, mind you.

For the long haul, I am not sure how my views will change. Given that everything is available in an instant, and what I want to hear is at my fingertips, it will be hard for radio to compete, even for me with the patience to climb a tower, install an antenna, and see what I can pull out of thin air. That said, I don't think that it will be necessary for radio to compete though. Just as it isn't necessary for mom and pop to compete with Wal-Mart, radio doesn't need to be everything to everyone, but rather provide quality to its listeners. That is where I think things need to change.

 

[jprg]

I think David is quite correct. I knew from the age 0f 5 (I'm 45 now) starting from my parents getting me Mr. Microphone to finally working at several station over the years. Yes the cart machines, taking tower readings from a 4 tower array, turntables, reel to reel, usuing an old RCA ribbon mic, etc. Those days are gone for sure. My first commercal radio gig was at KSCO/KLRS Santa Cruz. Sure I got paid $5 an jour in 1988 but the knowledge I learned was more valuable.

My favorite stations back in the day:

KFRC, The Big 610. Dr. Don, Bobby Ocean, Don St John, The Duke, etc
KFOG
KRQR- The Rocker
106 KMEL, We're ROCKIN' THE BAY!
KSFX 104
Solid Rock 92.3 KSJO
KQAK - The Quake
KKCY - The City (after The Quake)

I live in San Diego now and the only station I listen to here is all the jazz station KSDS 88.3 with live DJ's 24/7, otherwise I have 4400 songs on my iPod and that's it. Very sad of what was and what will never be again

 

[DavidKaye]

Radio generally aims for people 25-45. If you're outside that demo, you probably don't care, and don't listen.

If you're outside that demo you probably listen to radio more than if you're 25-45. I know lots of people in their 20s and 30s and I can't think of a one who listens to radio with any regularity. They listen to NPR, for instance, but usually via podcasts.

 

[TheBigA]

Radio generally aims for people 25-45. If you're outside that demo, you probably don't care, and don't listen.

If you're outside that demo you probably listen to radio more than if you're 25-45. I know lots of people in their 20s and 30s and I can't think of a one who listens to radio with any regularity. They listen to NPR, for instance, but usually via podcasts.

NPR does very well in San Francisco, DC, and Boston, but not a lot of other places.

You'd be surprised how many people listen to traditional radio a lot, but won't admit it. People care about a lot of things, but they tend to be family, friends, and neighbors. That doesn't mean they don't USE radio. They do. In very large numbers. Even in San Francisco. You'd be surprised. And in the radio business, all that matters is that they USE radio.

 

[LKellerIII]

I care...just not as much, anymore. I always loved radio, but when I was young, I couldn't afford to buy a lot of music, so radio provided a means for me to listen to music that I wouldn't have otherwise have had access to. More recently, I can certainly afford to buy music, and now I don't even have to go to a record store to get it.

But sometimes, I have to drive my older car with no MP3 aux jack, and I find that I actually like listening to radio for awhile. Yesterday, I tuned in 103.7 in the early evening, and they were playing some obscure (non-playlist) songs from the 70s. A couple of them were awful (It's a Heartache by Bonnie Tyler...ugh), but it was actually fun hearing these songs again, their DJ in that hour actually tries to entertain a bit, and I was thinking that it was really decent radio.

I do listen to KCSM a few times weekly for my jazz fixes, and of course, NPR (KQED, KALW) for about an hour a day or more - morning and afternoon. So I haven't exactly abandoned radio.

 

[stewie]

I care...just not as much, anymore. I always loved radio, but when I was young, I couldn't afford to buy a lot of music, so radio provided a means for me to listen to music that I wouldn't have otherwise have had access to. More recently, I can certainly afford to buy music, and now I don't even have to go to a record store to get it.

But sometimes, I have to drive my older car with no MP3 aux jack, and I find that I actually like listening to radio for awhile. Yesterday, I tuned in 103.7 in the early evening, and they were playing some obscure (non-playlist) songs from the 70s. A couple of them were awful (It's a Heartache by Bonnie Tyler...ugh), but it was actually fun hearing these songs again, their DJ in that hour actually tries to entertain a bit, and I was thinking that it was really decent radio.

I do listen to KCSM a few times weekly for my jazz fixes, and of course, NPR (KQED, KALW) for about an hour a day or more - morning and afternoon. So I haven't exactly abandoned radio.

Well put.

Radio was all about music discovery in an age with no other means to discover music. It serves a different purpose now. A 25 year old today has grown up in the "digital age".

Fast forward ten years --> I think radio's in trouble.

 

[1069_KIFR]

I remember back in the day, new songs hit the NY, LA airwaves first. It would be a couple of weeks at least before those songs were played/released anywhere else.

Also all the big name On-Air Personalities were only heard in the large markets. Howard Stern, Mark and Brian, etc.

Now with technology/syndication today, anyone can hear the newest songs, the biggest names nearly anywhere.

 

[TheBigA]

Radio was all about music discovery in an age with no other means to discover music.

You'd be surprised how much music discovery still happens on OTA radio. Some formats are built around catalogue, but the major ones like CHR and country are built around new releases. On average, a third of the music on those stations are new releases. It's hard to discover new music on a streaming site, because the site wants to stear you to things you already like. Radio is more open, and doesn't know your preferences, so it is more likely to play something outside your sphere of likes.

What WILL change is the platform. The device known as the radio is morphing into part of a phone or part of a computer. No one buys free standing radios, and that means ANY kind of radio. So the stations you listened to on your transistor will be moving to your other devices. But no streaming service, including Pandora, has been able to create the radio experience like radio itself.

 

[stewie]

Radio was all about music discovery in an age with no other means to discover music.

But no streaming service, including Pandora, has been able to create the radio experience like radio itself.

Not yet.

While I imagine some will disagree with your comment, radio was good (and continues to be good) at making sure you hear the new music, over and over again.

 

[TheBigA]

While I imagine some will disagree with your comment, radio was good (and continues to be good) at making sure you hear the new music, over and over again.

People like repetition. How many times do we hear the same songs on the jukebox, or even on our personal ipods? It's that repetition that makes a song a hit.

 

[DavidKaye]

Radio was all about music discovery in an age with no other means to discover music. It serves a different purpose now. A 25 year old today has grown up in the "digital age".

Fast forward ten years --> I think radio's in trouble.

A 25 year old today grew up during the trailing end of CDs. Today's 25 year old likely has never seen a 45rpm record (seriously; I've asked), and the only reason they know 33rpm is because some DJs spin 33s. Today's 25 year old grew up with the first Napster file sharing program, Bit Torrent and other torrents, and thus has a huge library of music already.

Today's 25 year old doesn't need a DJ to keep them company; they have Facebook, Twitter, cell phones, texting. Back "in the day", the lonely kid who didn't have friends living nearby might not even have telephone privileges to call someone on the single landline phone on a school night.

Today's 25 year old doesn't need talkshows with opinionated know-nothing callers; s/he has Fox News 24/7 for that now.

In short, except for the morning zoo with local comics, or the KOIT-like background music station, there's little of interest on the dial for the 25 year olds that they can't get elsewhere more conveniently.

 

[recto101]

Well I only listen to OTA radio if its all-news but thats about it. If its for music then I will tune to the Web based radio or to an app and it will be interesting.

 

[TheRover]

Well. the "Bad" guys won, and rock radio is now devoid of anything musically tasty. Just the re-fried beans.

What today's radio wants to "sell" you on, is not the re-fried beans, but the "personality" that is serving you.... the re-fried beans. And people are sheep enough to accept that.

So the corps. were right, thaer are just too many sheep to be shored, to even be ever concerned about putting any quality into their playlists.

The success story of today's radio is the personlaity that delivers the music. A world in which only the personality-driven formats suceed.

But that ignores a whole body of music that delivers itself.

I remember, when I used to faithfully tune into my album rock station, because the "music" was entertaining, and not because some "personality" was delivering schmaltz.

De-regualtion has suceeded in pushing off and out the truly entrertaing music, and the effet that that music might have on the populace.

What we have now is a negative social engineeering for sheep.

The corporationsthat run things couldn't be happier, that they are controlling the masses that listen to radio, now that they've de-regulated out all the music that you do not hear, including protest music.

They control the message now.

Enjoy !! ):

 

[LKellerIII]

Radio was all about music discovery in an age with no other means to discover music. It serves a different purpose now. A 25 year old today has grown up in the "digital age".

Fast forward ten years --> I think radio's in trouble.

A 25 year old today grew up during the trailing end of CDs. Today's 25 year old likely has never seen a 45rpm record (seriously; I've asked), and the only reason they know 33rpm is because some DJs spin 33s. Today's 25 year old grew up with the first Napster file sharing program, Bit Torrent and other torrents, and thus has a huge library of music already.

In short, except for the morning zoo with local comics, or the KOIT-like background music station, there's little of interest on the dial for the 25 year olds that they can't get elsewhere more conveniently.

A couple of years ago, I asked my teenage daughter (14 at the time) what her favorite radio station was. She looked at me like I'd lost my mind. She graduated from Radio Disney at about age 8, kind of liked Wild 94.9 for a month or two - then went straight to downloads and MP3. Her new music knowledge comes from internet sources - You Tube, etc.

Today's 25 year old doesn't need talkshows with opinionated know-nothing callers; s/he has Fox News 24/7 for that now.

Stop. Now you're depressing me.

 

[stewie]

Radio was all about music discovery in an age with no other means to discover music. It serves a different purpose now. A 25 year old today has grown up in the "digital age".

Fast forward ten years --> I think radio's in trouble.

A 25 year old today grew up during the trailing end of CDs. Today's 25 year old likely has never seen a 45rpm record (seriously; I've asked), and the only reason they know 33rpm is because some DJs spin 33s. Today's 25 year old grew up with the first Napster file sharing program, Bit Torrent and other torrents, and thus has a huge library of music already.

In short, except for the morning zoo with local comics, or the KOIT-like background music station, there's little of interest on the dial for the 25 year olds that they can't get elsewhere more conveniently.

A couple of years ago, I asked my teenage daughter (14 at the time) what her favorite radio station was. She looked at me like I'd lost my mind. She graduated from Radio Disney at about age 8, kind of liked Wild 94.9 for a month or two - then went straight to downloads and MP3. Her new music knowledge comes from internet sources - You Tube, etc.

Today's 25 year old doesn't need talkshows with opinionated know-nothing callers; s/he has Fox News 24/7 for that now.

Stop. Now you're depressing me.

Lkeller and David - You two are spot on! The days of traditional radio are fading.

Some broadcasters are getting the message though. The most recent version of the iHeart Radio App includes a "music discovery" feature that allows the listener to "dial in" music discovery.

 

[TheBigA]

In short, except for the morning zoo with local comics, or the KOIT-like background music station, there's little of interest on the dial for the 25 year olds that they can't get elsewhere more conveniently.

And yet hundreds of thousands of them LISTEN every day. We know they do. We have factual evidence that proves it.

They may not be in love with the local DJ, they may not sleep with their tiny transistor, they may not plan their day around certain radio features, BUT they LISTEN. And they listen a lot . And the balance of the ages among those who listen hasn't changed in 50 years. The percentage of 25 years olds who listen to the radio today is the same as it was in the 60s.

However, as I said earlier, they may be listening via devices that make them think they're not listening to their daddy's radio.