FILM - "CORPORATE FM" - January 7th

[TonySantiago]

I haven't seen this movie yet but there will be a screening in New York on Monday at the Anthology Film Archives (32 2nd Avenue, off East. 2nd). Based on the FB event invite below "Corporate FM" is supposed to be about the effects of radio post "Telecommunications Act of 1996" and how the industry has been getting ruined because of it.

I'm definitely going to this screening just to get another interpretation on things.


https://www.facebook.com/groups/123247354357934/?ref=ts&fref=ts

 

[TonySantiago]

I just got back from seeing this movie. All I can say, in a sad way, is WOW

To hear from those in the industry (owners, on-air personalities, managers, independent artists) about how the industry went downhill after the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (which portrayed a very unflattering view of the CEO of Cumulus Media, Lew Dickey) and how local radio was killed, even to the point of stations being totally voicetracked and automated throughout the weekend, with the PERCEPTION of someone being there was bad enough.

THE WORST PART? How these corporations are "sleeping" with these capital partners who could give two craps about these radio stations so as long as they earn money with their "brand" of doing things, as well as hiring those that do not even COME from radio as GM's, etc. It showed how firing tons of staffers are done to cover debt costs while CEO's are making BONUSES doing so.

I had to buy the movie after I saw it. The producer definitely deserves whatever he can get out of this, after spending 7 years doing this.

Quite honestly this documentary made me OPEN MY EYES and gave me such an education. While I've always been sympathetic of the on-air personalities, this made me even MORE sympathetic, in light that more people are losing their jobs while CEO's are getting richer.

http://www.fmfilm.com/

 

[mrbrightside]

I just got back from seeing this movie. All I can say, in a sad way, is WOW

To hear from those in the industry (owners, on-air personalities, managers, independent artists) about how the industry went downhill after the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (which portrayed a very unflattering view of the CEO of Cumulus Media, Lew Dickey) and how local radio was killed, even to the point of stations being totally voicetracked and automated throughout the weekend, with the PERCEPTION of someone being there was bad enough.

THE WORST PART? How these corporations are "sleeping" with these capital partners who could give two craps about these radio stations so as long as they earn money with their "brand" of doing things, as well as hiring those that do not even COME from radio as GM's, etc. It showed how firing tons of staffers are done to cover debt costs while CEO's are making BONUSES doing so.

I had to buy the movie after I saw it. The producer definitely deserves whatever he can get out of this, after spending 7 years doing this.

Quite honestly this documentary made me OPEN MY EYES and gave me such an education. While I've always been sympathetic of the on-air personalities, this made me even MORE sympathetic, in light that more people are losing their jobs while CEO's are getting richer.

http://www.fmfilm.com/

You can hear the crickets chirping from the normal respondents on this board. I majored in Radio/TV Production, from 1998-2002. While I was in college, the industry was gutted in pure pursuit of profits. This meant fewer and fewer jobs available for graduates. I eventually found my footing advertising, but still dream of being in radio.

 

[TheBigA]

I just got back from seeing this movie. All I can say, in a sad way, is WOW

Keep in mind what you saw was one point of view. I haven't seen the movie, but I've seen the trailer, and as someone who's worked in the industry a long time, the movie is based on a lot of mythology about radio history. Radio is a business, and it's always been a business. The goal, from the 1920s on, was to make a profit. That's why corporations like Westinghouse, GE, Sears, Nationwide Insurance, and more bought stations back then. Radio was not created as a local medium, but rather as a regional medium, with powerful AM stations that could cover dozens of states. The concept of local personalities is a rather recent phenomenon. The Golden Age of Radio was built around national networks, the way TV is today.

The problems that led to the 96 Act were: 1) Too many radio stations. Or rather, too many radio stations for the amount of advertising revenue they attract. There were a few thousand stations in the 60s, most of them AM. There are 12,000 now. This was largely caused by a greedy government that over licensed the spectrum with Docket 80-90. 2) Ronald Reagan cut the FCC budget in the 80s, forcing them to eliminate dozens of regulations, having to do with news, technical requirements, and public service. 3)Big multi-facted corporations, like insurance companies, department stores, and electronics manufacturers, sold their radio stations in the 1980s, leaving no one to pick up the slack. 4) In their place, radio-only companies got financing from investment companies. 5) The digital revolution began in the 1990s, and personal music devices were starting to replace radio as a source for entertainment. 6) Advertisers soon had lots of cheaper alternatives to reach their audience besides radio, causing a huge loss of income.

Was any of that covered in the movie? It's not all "big mean corporations." The fact is that if they hadn't bought the radio stations, no one would have. And today, even at bargain prices, no other companies or individuals are buying radio stations. Even colleges are getting out of the ownership business. It's too expensive, and there are much cheaper ways to do the same thing. The reality that we in the industry live with is far less romantic than what you saw in the movie. And while it might make you feel good sending money to the movie-maker, it won't change any of the facts about radio. Truthfully, the train has long since left the station.

 

[MoldaMania182]

Keep in mind what you saw was one point of view. I haven't seen the movie, but I've seen the trailer, and as someone who's worked in the industry a long time, the movie is based on a lot of mythology about radio history. Radio is a business, and it's always been a business.

THIS. I usually avoid these so called 'documentaries' because they push an agenda, and the facts end up very diluted or grayed.

 

[davideduardo]

I'm definitely going to this screening just to get another interpretation on things.

I followed your link and ordered the DVD. I'll post my reaction once I see it myself.

Thanks for posting the link, Tony.

 

[luperm]

Keep in mind what you saw was one point of view. I haven't seen the movie, but I've seen the trailer, and as someone who's worked in the industry a long time, the movie is based on a lot of mythology about radio history. Radio is a business, and it's always been a business. The goal, from the 1920s on, was to make a profit. That's why corporations like Westinghouse, GE, Sears, Nationwide Insurance, and more bought stations back then. Radio was not created as a local medium, but rather as a regional medium, with powerful AM stations that could cover dozens of states. The concept of local personalities is a rather recent phenomenon. The Golden Age of Radio was built around national networks, the way TV is today.

The problems that led to the 96 Act were: 1) Too many radio stations. Or rather, too many radio stations for the amount of advertising revenue they attract. There were a few thousand stations in the 60s, most of them AM. There are 12,000 now. This was largely caused by a greedy government that over licensed the spectrum with Docket 80-90. 2) Ronald Reagan cut the FCC budget in the 80s, forcing them to eliminate dozens of regulations, having to do with news, technical requirements, and public service. 3)Big multi-facted corporations, like insurance companies, department stores, and electronics manufacturers, sold their radio stations in the 1980s, leaving no one to pick up the slack. 4) In their place, radio-only companies got financing from investment companies. 5) The digital revolution began in the 1990s, and personal music devices were starting to replace radio as a source for entertainment. 6) Advertisers soon had lots of cheaper alternatives to reach their audience besides radio, causing a huge loss of income.

Was any of that covered in the movie? It's not all "big mean corporations." The fact is that if they hadn't bought the radio stations, no one would have. And today, even at bargain prices, no other companies or individuals are buying radio stations. Even colleges are getting out of the ownership business. It's too expensive, and there are much cheaper ways to do the same thing. The reality that we in the industry live with is far less romantic than what you saw in the movie. And while it might make you feel good sending money to the movie-maker, it won't change any of the facts about radio. Truthfully, the train has long since left the station.

Very well said. Thank you for taking the time to write that.

 

[TheBigA]

It showed how firing tons of staffers are done to cover debt costs while CEO's are making BONUSES doing so.

One thing to keep in mind about this is we just went through a huge economic crisis in this country where banks, insurance companies, and investment companies went bankrupt. The government had to bail them out. They also bailed out two car companies. Millions of employees lost their jobs, and the entire world economy was thrown into a tailspin that we're still dealing with now. And through it all, not a single person, not a single CEO, was fined or sent to jail. That includes the government agencies that are supposed to prevent these problems from happening in the first place. So radio is small potatoes in the big scheme of things. I just read the former head of AIG, the insurance company the government bailed out with billions of dollars in taxpayer money, is about to sue the government because he feels the interest rate was unfair. Imagine that! If you want to get mad about something, start there. It all begins with money.

 

[uncamark]

And it should be noted that there have always been complaints about radio. As for the filmmakers, their complaints date back to long before 1996--to the mid-70s, when one commercial "free form" rock station after another followed the lead of Lee Abrams and Allen Shaw and became formatted and rotated AOR, because the majority of the audience who was tired of Top 40 radio wanted to hear the biggest rock stars and the latest albums them and didn't want to hear 15-minute jams from little-knwon local bands, electronic music, obscure R&B songs and avant-garde jazz. If there's any changes today, it's that the educational institutions who own college stations are either selling them off to public radio concerns or converting them themselves to public radio stations that can support themselves and draw more listeners than a DJ playing obscure music for obscurity's sake.

 

[TonySantiago]

I just got back from seeing this movie. All I can say, in a sad way, is WOW

Keep in mind what you saw was one point of view. I haven't seen the movie, but I've seen the trailer, and as someone who's worked in the industry a long time, the movie is based on a lot of mythology about radio history. Radio is a business, and it's always been a business. The goal, from the 1920s on, was to make a profit. That's why corporations like Westinghouse, GE, Sears, Nationwide Insurance, and more bought stations back then. Radio was not created as a local medium, but rather as a regional medium, with powerful AM stations that could cover dozens of states. The concept of local personalities is a rather recent phenomenon. The Golden Age of Radio was built around national networks, the way TV is today.

The problems that led to the 96 Act were: 1) Too many radio stations. Or rather, too many radio stations for the amount of advertising revenue they attract. There were a few thousand stations in the 60s, most of them AM. There are 12,000 now. This was largely caused by a greedy government that over licensed the spectrum with Docket 80-90. 2) Ronald Reagan cut the FCC budget in the 80s, forcing them to eliminate dozens of regulations, having to do with news, technical requirements, and public service. 3)Big multi-facted corporations, like insurance companies, department stores, and electronics manufacturers, sold their radio stations in the 1980s, leaving no one to pick up the slack. 4) In their place, radio-only companies got financing from investment companies. 5) The digital revolution began in the 1990s, and personal music devices were starting to replace radio as a source for entertainment. 6) Advertisers soon had lots of cheaper alternatives to reach their audience besides radio, causing a huge loss of income.

Was any of that covered in the movie? It's not all "big mean corporations." The fact is that if they hadn't bought the radio stations, no one would have. And today, even at bargain prices, no other companies or individuals are buying radio stations. Even colleges are getting out of the ownership business. It's too expensive, and there are much cheaper ways to do the same thing. The reality that we in the industry live with is far less romantic than what you saw in the movie. And while it might make you feel good sending money to the movie-maker, it won't change any of the facts about radio. Truthfully, the train has long since left the station.

TheBigA,

First, let's be fair. You did NOT see the entire movie so you really can't give a full opinion on things based on just a trailer.

I've sat through the 73 minutes in the theater watching the entire film very closely along with the Q&A session with the producer of the documentary. While the movie was a "negative" regarding how major corporations and capital partners have botched the industry post Telecom 1996, you did get various perspectives from those in the industry (on-air personalities, GM's, former owners) as well as artists trying to get that musical break somehow. And believe me, there was nothing being "romanticized" here. If anything for some, I actually felt pity.

Now granted, for those of you in the radio industry most of what was in the movie is probably nothing new to you guys. I'm sure you all have your horror stories in one form or another. And maybe this film wasn't supposed to be aimed to those that work in the industry per se, rather targeting to the people that once supported the medium but have flocked away to Internet streams, digital media players because radio, in their opinion, no longer serve the same purpose as it did because what made radio "radio" somehow got stripped and people needed to see where that came from because the first knee jerk reaction would be to blame a DJ, PD, MD, GM, etc when in fact it's much deeper.

The ONE THING that was really being stressed here was "community". That at one time, radio DID serve the general public, not just uniting with the music but helping out the local community. That through "mom and pop" the mentality WAS there in that radio needed to do more. Even regarding music, at a time local artists may have been given that shot based on a gut instinct of an on-air personality. But with dereg, it's all about the majors. But like I had said, this is obviously nothing new to you guys in the industry and I understand that.

The one feeling that hit me at the end of the movie was.....why aren't there more people like ME fighting about this? No matter what your favorite format is, things have been affected in one way or another. Maybe this is too philosophical of thinking in today's standards but if radio is supposed to serve the public, then why aren't they listening to us? And yeah, the obvious answer....$$$$$$$.

Maybe I should visit some stations and look at public files. Maybe I need to attend an FCC hearing someday. That's what it made me think. And agree with me or not, if I do that, I'm not just fighting for the fans of my music but I'm fighting for you guys in the industry as well...like it or not.

Someone's gotta be that "David", right? ??? And yeah, I did feel good about giving the producer the money to purchase the DVD. This documentary may not necessarily be for those in the radio industry to see, but for those that have this love and passion for the media, it sure gives a wake up call to see what had happened along the way.

 

[TonySantiago]

It showed how firing tons of staffers are done to cover debt costs while CEO's are making BONUSES doing so.

One thing to keep in mind about this is we just went through a huge economic crisis in this country where banks, insurance companies, and investment companies went bankrupt. The government had to bail them out. They also bailed out two car companies. Millions of employees lost their jobs, and the entire world economy was thrown into a tailspin that we're still dealing with now. And through it all, not a single person, not a single CEO, was fined or sent to jail. That includes the government agencies that are supposed to prevent these problems from happening in the first place. So radio is small potatoes in the big scheme of things. I just read the former head of AIG, the insurance company the government bailed out with billions of dollars in taxpayer money, is about to sue the government because he feels the interest rate was unfair. Imagine that! If you want to get mad about something, start there. It all begins with money.

Believe me, for what you've just said you are preaching to the choir! AMEN. It's DISGUSTING.

 

[TheBigA]

The ONE THING that was really being stressed here was "community". That at one time, radio DID serve the general public, not just uniting with the music but helping out the local community. That through "mom and pop" the mentality WAS there in that radio needed to do more.

This is the mythology I'm talking about. I worked in New York City radio before Telecom, and that "mom & pop" mentality didn't exist. New York radio has always been corporate owned, always the flagship stations of the radio networks and companies that owned them, and really wasn't interested in helping the local community. As far as the music community, there was a very brief period, between 1967 and 1971, and a couple of FM stations had some autonomy from their owners to stretch out musically. The very minute those stations attracted an audience, their owners clamped down on the freedom, and instituted strict playlists. By 1972, the experiment was over. That was LONG before 1996.

So although I haven't seen the movie, if it preached about mom & pop radio and community service, it was total mythology, at least as far as my experience in New York.

 

[TonySantiago]

The ONE THING that was really being stressed here was "community". That at one time, radio DID serve the general public, not just uniting with the music but helping out the local community. That through "mom and pop" the mentality WAS there in that radio needed to do more.

This is the mythology I'm talking about. I worked in New York City radio before Telecom, and that "mom & pop" mentality didn't exist. New York radio has always been corporate owned, always the flagship stations of the radio networks and companies that owned them, and really wasn't interested in helping the local community. As far as the music community, there was a very brief period, between 1967 and 1971, and a couple of FM stations had some autonomy from their owners to stretch out musically. The very minute those stations attracted an audience, their owners clamped down on the freedom, and instituted strict playlists. By 1972, the experiment was over. That was LONG before 1996.

So although I haven't seen the movie, if it preached about mom & pop radio and community service, it was total mythology, at least as far as my experience in New York.

That's fair.

In terms of the movie, the radio stations were in Lawrence and Topeka, KS so big markets can't be matched in that sense to smaller markets.

 

[TheBigA]

.

In terms of the movie, the radio stations were in Lawrence and Topeka, KS so big markets can't be matched in that sense to smaller markets.

There you go. Small market radio was losing money before 1996. The choice was allow them to be owned by big companies, or shut them down. Which would you prefer? The FCC chose the first.

 

[TheBigA]

The one feeling that hit me at the end of the movie was.....why aren't there more people like ME fighting about this?

That's the thing about a movie made about something that happened 17 years ago. The time to fight was 17 years ago, not now. In the time since, there have been dozens of books on the subject, all written around the same mythology, all promoting the same agenda, and nothing has changed. The FCC held public hearings on radio ownership more than five years ago, and they were well attended, with lots of very passionate people speaking very loudly promoting their personal causes. And when it was all done, the FCC packed up and went back to DC. Nothing has changed. The reason is that SOMEONE has to own these stations. So if they're going to ban big companies (which legally they can't), then who has the money and resources to pay for them. And I'm not talking about buying the frequencies. I'm talking about keeping them on the air.Paying the salaries, rent, and utilities.

Take a look at WBAI. There's a community-owned station that's not corporate owned, and how are they doing? Do you want more stations like that? Consider the alternatives, and you'll start to understand why the FCC has done nothing since 1996.

 

[leethalweapon]

Here's a question for everyone... What roll has technology played in all of this? When I first started in radio, we were splicing tape. Ten years later there was next to no tape splicing. Almost all jobs in my proffessional life have been a combination of rolls, brought about because of technology. Therefore, it makes sense to have multi-skilled people in your business. The days of single role jobs are all but gone.

 

[John Waywoods]

I believe that the Telecommunications Act may have hindered the large markets. However, smaller markets have benefitted. A market like Tampa was full of slight variations of AC or Hot AC creating a scenario where you could hear the same song simultaneously played on four frequencies until the law changed. No longer were a group of mom and pops fighting only for the white middle class female aged 25-54 or white females 18-34 or white males 18-34. Post law, you had CC add an Urban FM where one had never existed. The new way to look at clusters allowed for an increase in the variety of formats available which were more frequently based on underserved demos.

It is shameful that voice tracking or satellite-fed programming is rampant, especially in the Talk format. I no longer listen to talk as it does not address anything that happens where I live and I do not need a high school graduate or a failed over the hill DJ to tell me how to vote.

 

[ty_kleinle]

Post law, you had CC add an Urban FM where one had never existed. The new way to look at clusters allowed for an increase in the variety of formats available which were more frequently based on underserved demos.

Clear Channel and a variety of formats? Ever listen to Z100 and KTU in the same hour? Same music, almost identical playlist. They don't dare try classic hits or oldies, their "research" shows it doesn't sell as much. Every time Clear Channel puts Elvis Duran on one of their stations (so far fifty) a morning show host and co-host lose their job. Same goes for Ryan Secrest or that crappy Nikki Sixx show on their rock affiliates. Their satellite formats are becoming way too common. Where I live in Northeast PA, I can pick up TWO of the same exact "premium choice" formats. No local disk jokeys at either station. Also, I hear Nikki Sixx on three different rock stations at night, and the same canned overnight show. So much for variety.

 

[TheBigA]

Had the 96 Act not happened, radio stations would have replaced local shows with syndication anyway. It was heading in that direction with Rush Limbaugh. He was one of the first national hosts in the modern era to replace local hosts in the daytime. Prior to that, syndication was restricted to weekends and overnights. Larry King was one of the most successful. But Rush proved that a national host could do well in the daytime. That was long before the 96 Act. After Rush, stations were willing to give up prime, rated dayparts to people like Howard Stern and Don Imus, and the stations didn't have to be owned by those companies to do that.

Way back in the 60s, it wasn't uncommon for entire stations to be automated with no local hosts. Most of the beautiful music stations were run that way, with everything on reel to reel tape. IIRC, WTFM and WPAT were two examples in the NY area. Based on my estimates, as many as a third of all radio stations on the air in the 60s had no local on air staff at all. So this idea that radio was all locally staffed before the 96 Act is pure fiction.

 

[davideduardo]

Clear Channel and a variety of formats? Ever listen to Z100 and KTU in the same hour? Same music, almost identical playlist.

The lists are quite different, even if there is some overlap. One is CHR, the other is a rhythmic variant. Different listeners, too.

They don't dare try classic hits or oldies, their "research" shows it doesn't sell as much.

There is already a classic hits station in New York, and only about four and a half shares for that format. Two classic hits stations would fragment the shares, so neither station would rank well or sell much.

And there are no oldies formats on major signals, IIRC, in any of the Top 100 markets. The reason is that the format mostly delivers people over 55, and advertisers almost universally don't buy 55+.

Every time Clear Channel puts Elvis Duran on one of their stations (so far fifty) a morning show host and co-host lose their job.

You could say the same thing about Leno or Letterman... it's done because those folks in radio or TV get bigger ratings.

Their satellite formats are becoming way too common.

The Clear Channel Premium Choice systems are not satellite delivered and are not formats, anyway. They are essentially work parts, which can be assembled, often with the station's local music, in a hosted show that delivers good numbers.

The Golden Age of radio was almost entirely network based... The Blue Network, the Red Network, Columbia... what is wrong with network shows?

No local disk jokeys at either station. Also, I hear Nikki Sixx on three different rock stations at night, and the same canned overnight show. So much for variety.

In all probability, you are hearing those personalities on stations that serve different markets... the ability to hear a distant signal with the same program does not mean that in each market local listeners have more than one choice for that show.