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From Super CFL

Life is like that is many businesses. I know an architect whose company is very slow. Radio is typical. Just modern times.
 
Can't say for sure, but the hope would be that the CRTC's efforts to see to it that all segments of the community are properly served might work in his favor.

That said, Canadian radio is getting to be just as dumbed-down as on this side of the boarder. CKOC is mentioned in the article. Still a good listen (and on one of my iPhone radio pre-sets). But, among other things, the cost cutters at Astral have the lady who does the morning traffic reports and/or news also "hosting" evenings via voice-track. ??? (Not to be confused with the Wolfman Jack re-runs on the weekends, etc.)
 
Do you know the name of the angry-sounding liner guy? He's on a lot of stations (and as far as I am concerned, I could do without him)!
 
the Dearborn story has been replayed several 1000 times over the past few months. the industry has lost some of the best like him, and many will never find their way back. the best air personalities were experienced pros who worked in Classic Hits or oldies like Dearborn with several decades of experience, who still have alot to give, but have been thrown under the bus, i wish him and others like him well, radio needs these people, more than they know.
 
cspotrun said:
the Dearborn story has been replayed several 1000 times over the past few months. the industry has lost some of the best like him, and many will never find their way back. the best air personalities were experienced pros who worked in Classic Hits or oldies like Dearborn with several decades of experience, who still have alot to give, but have been thrown under the bus, i wish him and others like him well, radio needs these people, more than they know.

I absolutely agree. Fred Winston is another great talent who should be on the air, but isn't due to the state of radio today.
 
Prais said:
Sorry, but from a business standpoint, today, cheap makes sense.


Many of these over-leveraged, debt-ridden radio companies are cutting expenses to survive today, but what about tomorrow? Where will their revenues come from after they’ve devalued the product so much and it results in fewer listeners?

As bleak as the state of today’s radio is, the “visionaries” controlling these big outfits don’t seem to be doing much to insure a better future. They’ll get their bonuses and some of the corporations may even survive. But what about radio? After a while it won’t be just the kids who don’t care about it.
 
DeltaDon said:
Prais said:
Sorry, but from a business standpoint, today, cheap makes sense.


Many of these over-leveraged, debt-ridden radio companies are cutting expenses to survive today, but what about tomorrow? Where will their revenues come from after they’ve devalued the product so much and it results in fewer listeners?

As bleak as the state of today’s radio is, the “visionaries” controlling these big outfits don’t seem to be doing much to insure a better future. They’ll get their bonuses and some of the corporations may even survive. But what about radio? After a while it won’t be just the kids who don’t care about it.

All they are concerned about is instant gratification. Also, what are they going to do with those AMs when AM radio becomes totally obsolete? Don't tell me that the property that their towers stand on is going to totally make up the difference.
 
DeltaDon said:
Prais said:
Sorry, but from a business standpoint, today, cheap makes sense.


Many of these over-leveraged, debt-ridden radio companies are cutting expenses to survive today, but what about tomorrow? Where will their revenues come from after they’ve devalued the product so much and it results in fewer listeners?

As bleak as the state of today’s radio is, the “visionaries” controlling these big outfits don’t seem to be doing much to insure a better future. They’ll get their bonuses and some of the corporations may even survive. But what about radio? After a while it won’t be just the kids who don’t care about it.

Hey....I'm a cost-cutting manager from waaay back. But the problem that most bean-counters overlook is that the cost cutting gets out of hand to the point that companies morph into something other than the thing that it was that made them great/profitable in the first place.

Radioman148 also makes a great point about "instant gratification". To a large extent this can be blamed on pressure from stockholders....particularly investment banking firms and Wall Street fund managers. Problem here is the resultant short-term this mentality has been trumped time and again....particularly in industrial markets....by Japanese and other offshore competitors. People who think big picture and don't mind taking a few short term hits to get to where they want to be. Entire industries have been repeatedly pounded by this.
 
cyberdad said:
DeltaDon said:
Prais said:
Sorry, but from a business standpoint, today, cheap makes sense.


Many of these over-leveraged, debt-ridden radio companies are cutting expenses to survive today, but what about tomorrow? Where will their revenues come from after they’ve devalued the product so much and it results in fewer listeners?

As bleak as the state of today’s radio is, the “visionaries” controlling these big outfits don’t seem to be doing much to insure a better future. They’ll get their bonuses and some of the corporations may even survive. But what about radio? After a while it won’t be just the kids who don’t care about it.

Hey....I'm a cost-cutting manager from waaay back. But the problem that most bean-counters overlook is that the cost cutting gets out of hand to the point that companies morph into something other than the thing that it was that made them great/profitable in the first place.

Radioman148 also makes a great point about "instant gratification". To a large extent this can be blamed on pressure from stockholders....particularly investment banking firms and Wall Street fund managers. Problem here is the resultant short-term this mentality has been trumped time and again....particularly in industrial markets....by Japanese and other offshore competitors. People who think big picture and don't mind taking a few short term hits to get to where they want to be. Entire industries have been repeatedly pounded by this.

Exactly my point: the PDs get their instructions from New York to cut wherever possible. The PD doesn't want to lose his job so he runs a very tight ship. End result, the listeners suffer, but that's the world we live in.
 
Getting back to the start of this thread.... I just spotted this post about Dearborn on the Buffalo board of all places....

Bob1370
rimember

Offline Offline

Posts: 1169

Occupation: Radio host/producer


Re: On WBUF-Buffalo and WBBF-Rochester...
« Reply #1 on: August 02, 2009, 12:22:59 pm »

If I were a PD for an adult-oriented station in Chicago I'd be seeking him out--he first rose to prominence on the old WCFL in the late 60s and early 70s. It also wouldn't be surprising to see him surface with a national syndicator or hosting on a Sirius/XM channel or two.
 
DeltaDon said:
Getting back to the start of this thread.... I just spotted this post about Dearborn on the Buffalo board of all places....

Bob1370
rimember

Offline Offline

Posts: 1169

Occupation: Radio host/producer


Re: On WBUF-Buffalo and WBBF-Rochester...
« Reply #1 on: August 02, 2009, 12:22:59 pm »

If I were a PD for an adult-oriented station in Chicago I'd be seeking him out--he first rose to prominence on the old WCFL in the late 60s and early 70s. It also wouldn't be surprising to see him surface with a national syndicator or hosting on a Sirius/XM channel or two.

I for one would like to hear Bob Dearborn again along with Fred Winston. Very talented guys who should be back on radio.
 
Radioman said, "I for one would like to hear Bob Dearborn again along with Fred Winston. Very talented guys who should be back on radio."

Well, I would too....but I'd like gas at 35 cents a gallon and a new Oldsmobile, as well. It's not the 1960's anymore.

Today, people and companies need to do more with less, and while those guys were fine, (and I miss "the old days" too) a satellite service and good automation, well programmed will have to do.

I agree that (maybe) you and I would know the difference, (maybe not) but an average listener wouldn't notice. Adult Standards Jeff Rollins sounds terrific from the dish. Nobody cares if he is in California or on the moon.

Along with Jeff (from California), our weatherman was a thousand miles away in New York, and people would often stop by to "want to see the radar room" he talked about. That was in the 80's. The automation, if done right, is even better, now.

We have to adapt to the times.
 
"Sorry, but from a business standpoint, today, cheap makes sense."

Not to me. In my experience, the more I invest in my product and people, the more I get in return.
 
"I agree that (maybe) you and I would know the difference, (maybe not) but an average listener wouldn't notice."

I've experienced the exact opposite. My FIRST week as a sales guy. My FOURTH sales call. I go to an auto-body store and the guy says he will never advertise because they replaced his favorite jock with someone "from outerspace" he says (I will never forget that term). It was an AC and the syndicated show was a nighttime guy named Johnny Williams out of, I think, Indianapolis. This was early 80s.
 
radioray said:
"Sorry, but from a business standpoint, today, cheap makes sense."

Not to me. In my experience, the more I invest in my product and people, the more I get in return.

I agree with you, but in todays world with all the problems in the economy almost everybody is cutting costs wherever possible.
 
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