Does anyone besides me think AC today is a joke?

[K.M. Richards]

Anyway, the advice I have been given, in the words of Melissa Manchester, "Just keep it inside and learn to hide your feelings."

Whoever gave you that advice is a very wise person. I hope you will heed it.

 

[oldies76]

Whoever gave you that advice is a very wise person. I hope you will heed it.

Must you pick on every person you disagree with???

 

[K.M. Richards]

Must you pick on every person you disagree with???

Only when their posts come so frequently, with repetition, as to annoy me and clutter this board to the point where my professional colleagues avoid it.

I can disagree with someone once or twice, but when it comes a litany, then it moves beyond simple disagreement.

 

[Bob Eubanks]

Anyway, the main idea here is that there should be a format that is bland and not offensive that I think many people are looking for.

There are a handful of places that could work on terrestrial radio, but not most...and it's simple economics. But there are other options in this world of digital choices. Will they appease everyone? No. Someone will find a way to complain about each and every one having some kind of obstacle inherent in them, but those exceptions aside, there are many ways to get precisely what one wants.

 

[vchimpanzee]

Whoever gave you that advice is a very wise person. I hope you will heed it.

Someone here, but it was Melissa Manchester who used those words.

I didn't feel the need to rant Wednesday. About this topic, anyway. I have other problems which I mostly talk about on another site. We have something called The Vent Thread.

I'm already spending so much just to be able to tape my TV shows and use the Internet (even the cheapest if not slowest Internet now costs more because the modem has a monthly cost now) that i can't see adding Sirius /XM but if I did, they have two versions of the AC I used to like. I didn't think Yacht Rock cold possibly be good but a list of songs looks just like what I used to like in college. Meanwhile, I read people are complaining because their soft AC station has added so much music for people like me since the beautiful music channel was moved to online only. Which is another reason for me not to spend the money on Sirius/XM.

 

[JeffM]

I'm surprised none of you caught the fatal flaw in vchimp's logic a few posts back; that he wants radio to be BLAND. I can't imagine anyone wanting to listen to anything because it's bland, let alone admit to that. There are as many ways to be entertained as there are listeners with their individual tastes, but people want to be entertained, not bored; and advertisers want to reach people who are listening with interest, not lulled into a stupor. I'd love to know which performers and what type of music receives his Bland Seal of Approval.

 

[K.M. Richards]

I'm surprised none of you caught the fatal flaw in vchimp's logic a few posts back; that he wants radio to be BLAND. I can't imagine anyone wanting to listen to anything because it's bland, let alone admit to that.

I'd settle for him not using RD as his personal blog.

 

[semoochie]

I'd settle for him not using RD as his personal blog.

"Let's all sing like the birdies sing; tweet, tweet, tweet, tweet, tweet!"

 

[umfan]

Lighten up Richards, I like vChimp's posts.....just skim over them if you don't.

I think while he used the term 'bland', and I certainly don't need to speak for him, he meant that there is a market for a Soft AC that would play the modern equivalent of a 'Middle of the Road' type format which in today's terms I would say would be a lot of Soft AC from the late 70s to early 90s with select tunes from earlier or later being an occasional exeception.

These formats work where there are clusters of older Americans, but have a local sales force to sell them. Such a format is not something that would pull big 25-54 ratings nor would agency buyers likely be interested.

The Internet only 202.FM from Miami, available by Streema, is an example of this format as is Gold 99 FM which, not surprisingly, originates from near 'The Villages' in Florida.

 

[K.M. Richards]

Lighten up Richards, I like vChimp's posts.....

Yes, he has his fans. They constitute a minority of the people who post here, and do not include any industry people.

Without going into a repeat of what I have said before about non-radio people presenting circular arguments -- which is not what this site is for (and there are a few people who aren't here anymore because they pushed their agenda too far and management banned them) -- I have to ask a simple question.

This will be post #530 in this thread. After that much discussion, don't you all think we've asked, answered, re-asked, discussed, and re-answered what the OP asked four months ago?

Q: Does anyone besides me think AC today is a joke?

A: Yes, others do, and have said so. To continue in the posting vein of vchimpanzee is no longer a discussion but a series of blog posts.

And umfan, you're not my mother, 'kay?

 

[vchimpanzee]

I'm surprised none of you caught the fatal flaw in vchimp's logic a few posts back; that he wants radio to be BLAND. I can't imagine anyone wanting to listen to anything because it's bland, let alone admit to that. There are as many ways to be entertained as there are listeners with their individual tastes, but people want to be entertained, not bored; and advertisers want to reach people who are listening with interest, not lulled into a stupor. I'd love to know which performers and what type of music receives his Bland Seal of Approval.

Actually, it depends on the style of music. There are styles of music I can enjoy which people would find exciting. Even with the formats that I am happy with because they are bland in their way, there are songs and styles of music that are interesting.

 

[vchimpanzee]

Yes, he has his fans. They constitute a minority of the people who post here, and do not include any industry people.

All right, that's a valid point. This is essentially a forum for industry people.

In my case, I just needed a place to say what I had to say and this site was here. When you think about how I ended up here, it makes sense because I was looking for others who agreed with me that getting rid of WFMX radio was a terrible thing.

A lot of what appears to be trivia is just my attempt to document what it is I like and don't like and seek out opinions of others on whether there is a pattern that makes sense to them. In the case of today's AC, we did have someone posting a lot here who strongly agreed with me not on what she wanted to hear but on how today's AC did not serve the purpose it once had.

It's clear to me the target audience is being served, and others are not, at least not by traditional radio, and background music in businesses will not please me. And here is not really the place to keep saying that, unless others are adding something worthwhile.

 

[umfan]

You're right, I'm not your mother.


Further, this forum is not exclusively for people in the industry as you assert. It's for people interested in radio

 

[K.M. Richards]

Further, this forum is not exclusively for people in the industry as you assert. It's for people interested in radio

I never said it was exclusively an industry site. I said it was primarily one.

RD's owners -- Streamline Publishing -- also own the industry site RBR-TVBR.com (Radio Business Report-Television Business Report) and the well-regarded publication RadioINK. Logically, there is no way they would create a site with the primary audience of listeners and aficionados. (In fact, I was told that the reason the site was taken down for a while was because of the predominance of that secondary audience, which made the owners feel they weren't getting enough industry professionals to participate.)

With that in mind:

Listeners (or to use your broader term, for inclusiveness, "people interested in radio") are a secondary audience for this site. And if you need answers to questions you can't answer from outside the business, ask away and we'll do the best we can to give you information. But when our answers are challenged with an attitude of "you suits always say that" then it becomes a perception that you think you know our jobs better than we do. That's when we get frustrated ... then upset when our replies beget more challenges from the interested people ... then angry when it all devolves into circular arguments.

Basically, you're welcome here, but don't get the idea that you know more than we do about the subject.

Also, discussion is one thing, but if someone wants simply to rant about how radio has changed in way that is contrary to what they enjoyed in past times, this isn't the right venue. Blogs are free from sites like Blogger. Go get one and rant to your heart's content.

I'm going to tell you a little bit about my temperament that may help you both understand some of my replies and have an indicator of when you may want to consider backing off. When someone asks a question or expresses a concern that I have knowledge about, I will answer, because knowledge is useless if you don't share it with others who may need to know the same things. When the answer from an industry person is challenged, however, we see it as armchair quarterbacking, and when I see it happen, I start getting annoyed, but I don't lose my temper yet. When the challenge is replied to -- by me, or David, or BigA, or whoever -- and that results in more replies insinuating that we are somehow wrong because you listeners and aficionados disagree with our answers, I begin to get upset. When the arguments become circular and start bordering on ad hominem attacks, my anger kicks in. At that point, it won't take much of a post for me to let loose.

The analogy I have used over the years is what I call the "S&H Green Stamp" situation. Those of you who were alive in the 1960s and 1970s will remember when a popular retail promotion was to give out trading stamps in amounts based on the total of your purchase. Sometimes there would be bonus promotions, where one supermarket chain would offer double (or even triple) trading stamps to draw customers in. Gas stations even gave away trading stamps. The best known trading stamp company was Sperry & Hutchinson, or "S&H". And you will remember that you would dutifully paste those stamps into little booklets (or if you had kids, you let them have the "fun" of that task), and when a book was full, it could be redeemed at a nearby store owned by the trading stamp company for merchandise. I remember that the first transistor radio I owned was "bought" with Blue Chip trading stamps (a regional competitor to S&H).

Here's how that works as an analogy for me: Every time I get annoyed, or upset, or angry, I paste another S&H Green Stamp into the saving booklet. Sooner or later, I get around to filling the last space on the last page of the booklet. And that makes it ready for redemption. And that's when you see the posts in which I lose my temper. So you can now imagine how many times I didn't lose it ... and you may want to consider that when I reach that point, the RD management is starting to think the offending poster no longer belongs here. And I know of at least three people who were banned, since the beginning of this year, because they pushed back too long.

I am trying to see things from all perspectives. Please give me -- and the other industry people -- the same courtesy and try to see our perspective as well.

 

[landtuna]

Basically, you're welcome here, but don't get the idea that you know more than we do about the subject.

An excellent post. I would only add to the above that "subjects" can be fact-based or opinion. Many of the posts on this site are of the opinion variety and because they are opinion every viewpoint is valid. Sometimes it is difficult to tell which side of the line the subject is on.

Also, discussion is one thing, but if someone wants simply to rant about how radio has changed in way that is contrary to what they enjoyed in past times, this isn't the right venue.

If you look up the definition of "rant" you will get at least half a dozen differing meanings but one common definition is to express yourself loudly in an impassioned manner. Missing from the definition is the term "disagreement" so I take away from that one can disagree with another without "ranting". For instance, I have posted multiple times why I dislike current popular music (in general). Several professionals have their reasons why it is still performed and as good as the old days. We therefore have disagreed but neither of us has "ranted" nor has anyone (that I know of) pressed the issue beyond polite discussion.

My point here is simply that a "rant" to one person can be perceived as an impassioned statement by another or a senseless argument by a third. The written word does not always convey the intended message and most of us here are still amateur writers.

I have enjoyed this forum immensely and have learned a lot from both amateurs, hobbyists and professionals alike. I would hope that we can continue to have spirited discussions, especially on the opinion side.

 

[vchimpanzee]

I understand about the industry people saying they are right. I generally understand that they are right but sometimes refuse to admit it because at would mean there is no hope for me to get what I want. As long as there are those who agree with me, I hae some hope.

I don't feel the need to rant these days because Sirius/XM Escape has got plenty of people doing that and I like reading their comments. I tend to agree with them but never was willing to spend the money on satellite radio. I have to learn to live on less.

I have a radio station in my area playing the music I like, so why do I need to complain? And yet people on this site, including me, are currently complaning that they took away our DJs. The music is still good--better, in fact, this week--but the DJs added something. So again, my eed to rant is satisfied and i dont even feel angry about what they did, or at least less angry because there are others who agree.

Everytime I walk into a store playing background music that seems more suited to teens than people like me (and in fact, it's for people who are the parents of teens) then I put an S & H Green Stamp in my book. Why this place or the other radio site seems like a good place to redeem the book I don't know.

 

[K.M. Richards]

An excellent post. I would only add to the above that "subjects" can be fact-based or opinion. Many of the posts on this site are of the opinion variety and because they are opinion every viewpoint is valid. Sometimes it is difficult to tell which side of the line the subject is on.

Very well said, sir. I agree on all three points.

My point here is simply that a "rant" to one person can be perceived as an impassioned statement by another or a senseless argument by a third. The written word does not always convey the intended message and most of us here are still amateur writers.

I used the word "rant" primarily because vchimp did (posts #513 and #525), and therefore I felt context dictated its use. It is indeed difficult to judge one's intent when you can't see the facial expressions. (Smiley icons help a little, when we remember to use them, but there is still a significant gap in perception.)

 

[K.M. Richards]

I understand about the industry people saying they are right. I generally understand that they are right but sometimes refuse to admit it because at would mean there is no hope for me to get what I want. As long as there are those who agree with me, I hae some hope.

I imagine that your hope would be stronger if any of us industry people agreed with you.

Sadly, even as we acknowledge the changes in the business which has all but eliminated the broadcast of formats appealing to listeners over the age of 55, we are powerless to do anything about it, because our business is driven by advertising revenue and if we are in a situation where both the agencies refuse to buy and there is not a strong enough local advertising market we end up with the same (relatively) few format choices.

Personally, I wish it were otherwise so we programmers could do something different than the same old stuff. On the other hand, it makes consulting a lot easier when you only have to do variations on a theme for your client stations ...

I say all of the above as reassurance that our often pessimistic responses should not be equated with a lack of understanding how you feel.

 

[tall_guy1]

Hmm....checking into this topic again. Here in Kansas City, it does not seem like the current "forumula" is winning, as mainstream AC KC 102.1 KCKC slipped down to a 2.2 last month, indicating people might want something different....

 

[michael hagerty]

Hmm....checking into this topic again. Here in Kansas City, it does not seem like the current "forumula" is winning, as mainstream AC KC 102.1 KCKC slipped down to a 2.2 last month, indicating people might want something different....

Well, KCKC has been 2nd in AC for a while....the real story in AC in that market is KZPT, which is 5th in the market with a 5.7. It also looks like Entercom has some more bucks invested in promotion of KZPT than Mgtf Media has in KZPT. Not sure I'd blame what AC is now...sounds like a station problem, not a format problem.