Elvis Duran Says Radio Isn’t What It Used To Be...

[leethalweapon]

In a "Captain Obvious" moment...

Elvis Duran Says Radio Isn't What It Used To Be

"Radio isn't what radio used to be. A lot of radio companies gave up on personalities; they just wanted to play music, it's cheaper. That's not good for our business."

barrettmedia.com

 

[TheBigA]

From that article:

We asked Derek “Big D” Haskins of the nationally syndicated Country morning show, “Big D & Bubba,” for a reaction to that statement and Duran’s answer. “We love Elvis, but I think he simply forgot the other formats and their great national talents. Country, NewsTalk, AC, etc. are all benefiting economically and receiving strong ratings from those national shows,” said Haskins.

Big D really nailed it. If Elvis wants to fix the personality situation in radio, maybe he should give his opinions to Bob Pittman before he tells them to CBS.

But sure, radio isn't what it used to be. In fact nothing is what it used to be. Radio has a lot fewer listeners and a lot less money. Adding more personalities isn't going to change either one of those things. Thanks Elvis for being so magnanimous.

 

[Theater of My Mind]

The last time I listened to Elvis he went into a long story that sounded super interesting and continued for at least two or three minutes. When he finally got to the payoff it turned out to be a paid endorsement for some product he was shilling. I have not listened again since then.

 

[radiofan2023]

Hopefully Elvis talks more about how it’s become more of a multimedia business than just a music business (look at his morning show’s videos on Youtube with their multiple camera angles, etc.)
Stern sort of pioneered that when he/CBS let Entertainment TV film his show.

 

[Always interested]

From that article:



Big D really nailed it. If Elvis wants to fix the personality situation in radio, maybe he should give his opinions to Bob Pittman before he tells them to CBS.

But sure, radio isn't what it used to be. In fact nothing is what it used to be. Radio has a lot fewer listeners and a lot less money. Adding more personalities isn't going to change either one of those things. Thanks Elvis for being so magnanimous.

Just another plug for Jingle Ball. Z100 is just another affiliate for Ryan Seacrest. IHeart is as shady as the day is long.

 

[henry]

Nobody under age 30 cares about radio personalities, sadly. (And 30-50 aren't exactly enamored like we were in the 1990s).

It's a two-pronged death:

• Elvis is right. Corporate suits gave up on radio and depreciated their own product.
• Because radio gave up on itself, younger audiences dismissed radio as they explored the world for fun personalities (which they found on YouTube, TikTok, Twitch, etc.)

I said it before and I'll say it until I'm dead: Any radio executive who doesn't know what Twitch is has no business programming a radio station. A billion Gen Z and Gen Alpha young adults and teens all pile onto that site 24/7 to watch live streams. The only difference between Twitch and 1960s "Top-40" radio is that instead of spinning hit records, they are playing video games — which they do because it doesn't get copyright strikes.

It's personality driven, not content driven. Yes, [insert title of video game] is the initial appeal to start watching the stream, but you keep coming back for the personality and the friendship. No voicetracking. No syndication. No automation. It's pure, unadulterated live/"local" (topical) content to give a bored/lonely viewer a "friend" (as Elvis described).

You show me one medium-market radio station left that offers that. Other than like maybe 6 syndicated shows, and a few solid performers in big markets, where is the personality? Where is the CHR host that gets people under 30 talking? They don't exist because radio execs didn't let them exist. And the audience has moved elsewhere.

 

[101.9 La Kalle]

I said it before and I'll say it until I'm dead: Any radio executive who doesn't know what Twitch is has no business programming a radio station. A billion Gen Z and Gen Alpha young adults and teens all pile onto that site 24/7 to watch live streams. The only difference between Twitch and 1960s "Top-40" radio is that instead of spinning hit records, they are playing video games — which they do because it doesn't get copyright strikes.

If we're going to compare Twitch to 1960's CHR, a similar comparison would be YouTube's countless commentary channels to Conservative Talk.

There are commentary videos on YouTubers getting into "drama" as long as four hours, maybe even 6-12 if we mention the "How Deep Does The Iceberg Go?" videos. Commentary YouTubers are YouTubers who simply cover what's going on in the world or just what's going on with the platform and their take on it, with most of them being up forward and direct about their opinion in their videos.

 

[Always interested]

The last time I listened to Elvis he went into a long story that sounded super interesting and continued for at least two or three minutes. When he finally got to the payoff it turned out to be a paid endorsement for some product he was shilling. I have not listened again since then.

Once again He was just promoting Jingle Ball. Z100 is unlistenable to me.

 

[AM-FM-DXer]

For jocks that have been in radio for nearly 40 years, as Elvis has, it is understandable that he is mourning the decline of radio as a medium. With so many other options today and radio use all but absent among the youngest demographics, the money for on-air personalities is gone. Elvis came of age when personality was the key ingredient in many radio markets, and that is also nearly gone. Many of us also mourn what Elvis is missing, but we know the reality. Jocks with "personality," with the exception of remaining morning stars, is gone forever.

 

[TheBigA]

Any radio executive who doesn't know what Twitch is has no business programming a radio station.

What's the basic difference between Twitch and broadcast radio? One is INTERACTIVE. That's the difference between radio and all social media. Between radio and sites like this one. They're all interactive, and radio is not. Radio can't be interactive. It doesn't matter how many personalities you hire and what you let them do. Unless you are interactive with your audience, you're not going to engage with them. Period. Give any child an interactive toy and one that isn't, and see which one he plays with. The interactive toy. The one that directly responds to the touch of that child. Radio can't do that.

Where is the CHR host that gets people under 30 talking? They don't exist because radio execs didn't let them exist. And the audience has moved elsewhere.

You just spent your entire post explaining in detail why young audiences use social media rather than radio, and now you blame it on radio execs? Really? What could radio execs do to change everything you just talked about? How is Elvis Duran competing with Twitch or TikTok or any sites that you can name? He isn't because he can't. Look, I get it. You don't have to lecture me about social media. I see how it works and I use it to my advantage every day. But it's not radio and radio can't duplicate that experience regardless of how much local personality a station has. It's not the same thing or the same experience. Not because radio execs didn't let them exist, but because they AREN'T the same thing.

You're blaming the horse because no matter how much hay you feed him, he'll NEVER be as fast or look as good as my Porsche. Never. Why blame the horse for that?

 

[TheBigA]

With so many other options today and radio use all but absent among the youngest demographics, the money for on-air personalities is gone.

If the money is gone, then what happens? The talent goes to where the money is. That's the point. Elvis Duran is the example. Why did Elvis become a syndicated host? Because that's where the money was. Did he fret about the fact that he was taking jobs away from the next generation of radio talent when he took that money? NO! Of course not. He took the money, and now bites the hand that feeds him.

The radio business changed 35 years ago. Local radio stations couldn't pay their talented personalities enough to keep them working in their local markets. The only solution was syndication. Rush Limbaugh profited from it. Howard Stern profited from it. Don Imus profited from it. They all demonstrated that you can be the greatest personality in Little Rock or Louisville, but nobody outside of those two cities will ever know. But if you're syndicated, everybody has access to you, and you make more money than you'd ever make in Louisville.

If the money is gone, the talent goes where the money is. That's why radio has changed. People like Elvis changed it. Now he's mad because radio has changed.

 

[MassMusicMan]

Any radio executive who doesn't know what Twitch is has no business programming a radio station.

Mike Thomas knows what Twitch is. Toucher and Hardy from 98.5 the Sports Hub stream there instead of airing on NBC Sports Boston, which airs their midday and PMD shows.

That's been a thing since it was Toucher and Rich. Mike went on to ESPN Chicago, and came back to Boston to run WEEI, which remains relevant at all because of his intelligence.

 

[MassMusicMan]

If the money is gone, then what happens? The talent goes to where the money is. That's the point. Elvis Duran is the example. Why did Elvis become a syndicated host? Because that's where the money was. Did he fret about the fact that he was taking jobs away from the next generation of radio talent when he took that money? NO! Of course not. He took the money, and now bites the hand that feeds him.

The fallacy in your argument is that the alternative to airing Elvis Duran in the morning both exists, and is better.

The number of people who are interesting is finite. The number of people who are interesting, and can adhere to the framework of radio is more finite. The number of people who are interesting, can adhere to the framework of radio, and are willing to show up at 5 AM (or earlier) is miniscule.

Elvis didn't take a job from anyone who does it better, and wants to be there.

 

[TheBigA]

The fallacy in your argument is that the alternative to airing Elvis Duran in the morning both exists, and is better.

The fallacy in your argument is that "better" is subjective. There are LOTS of alternatives to Elvis Duran. Some exist within his own company.

All I'm saying is that he wants to blame someone for why radio isn't what it used to be, and the answer is it's him. It's just easier to blame the suits. The companies didn't "give up on personalities." Instead they hired him.

 

[MassMusicMan]

The fallacy in your argument is that "better" is subjective.

No, it isn't. It's objective, in the form of Nielsen ratings.

If you want to go down the "blame Elvis Duran" road, I'll abide the argument that the Phone Taps are stale and played out (and have been for 20 years), and exist only because nobody's conceived a better idea for a signature daily feature.

American radio is 10,000 stations, and three ideas. There's a reason David Eduardo has repeatedly pointed out that every other country nationalizes their radio.

 

[TheBigA]

No, it isn't. It's objective, in the form of Nielsen ratings.

Just because a station does well in Nielsen doesn't mean it's better. Just that more people listen.

Going back to Elvis' comment, playing more music works in Nielsen. But according to him, it's not good for our business.

 

[MassMusicMan]

Just because a station does well in Nielsen doesn't mean it's better. Just that more people listen.

Going back to Elvis' comment, playing more music works in Nielsen. But according to him, it's not good for our business.

Good talk works in Nielsen, too. That's a third of Boston radio listening.

Well, it's 31.9 6+ in the last monthly among subscribing stations. It's certainly far lower 25-54, but that's still a good slice.

 

[TheBigA]

Good talk works in Nielsen, too. That's a third of Boston radio listening.

Absolutely! That's the point Big D was making. Elvis was painting all of radio with one brush, and ignored formats other than CHR.

In Boston, iHeart doesn't air Elvis Duran. They had Matty Siegel, who was live & local, and got great ratings. When Matty left, they could have brought in Elvis. They didn't. They kept it local. Is that better? Is that good for our business? I don't know. It's what they did.

 

[AM-FM-DXer]

If the money is gone, then what happens? The talent goes to where the money is. That's the point. Elvis Duran is the example. Why did Elvis become a syndicated host? Because that's where the money was. Did he fret about the fact that he was taking jobs away from the next generation of radio talent when he took that money? NO! Of course not. He took the money, and now bites the hand that feeds him.

The radio business changed 35 years ago. Local radio stations couldn't pay their talented personalities enough to keep them working in their local markets. The only solution was syndication. Rush Limbaugh profited from it. Howard Stern profited from it. Don Imus profited from it. They all demonstrated that you can be the greatest personality in Little Rock or Louisville, but nobody outside of those two cities will ever know. But if you're syndicated, everybody has access to you, and you make more money than you'd ever make in Louisville.

If the money is gone, the talent goes where the money is. That's why radio has changed. People like Elvis changed it. Now he's mad because radio has changed.

I think that part of Elvis's point was that "where the money is" happens to be other media. Twitch is not the same as radio. Neither is YouTube. Your point is correct, and perhaps Elvis did not realize it.

I would still argue that there are plenty of Little Rocks and Louisvilles with local (morning) talent. Some of these jocks rule their markets and make decent money. 35 years ago, there was live talent in most dayparts. Now, it is pretty much limited to mornings.

 

[MassMusicMan]

When Matty left, they could have brought in Elvis. They didn't. They kept it local. Is that better?

Mix got their best numbers ever in three decades on the air. Worked beautifully for them.