Hey Mr. Dithers

[grantchester]

Hey J.C. Dithers... You've been around the block. What do you makes a successful radio station? Likewise, what condemns a bad one? Anyone else got any ideas?
g

 

[theshadow]

Anyone else got any ideas?g

I'm not Dithers, but I'll give my two.

My philosophy/rules are quite simple.

1. Serve your community, and serve your listeners.
2. Hire radio people, not lawyers.
3. Use consultants and music testing as a TOOL, not
as a Bible. When programming, use your gut, like
old times. You know your station and listeners better
than some idiot 2,000 miles away!. DO YOUR JOB! Don't
be a puppet to management.
4. Realize that persons are going over to satellite radio
and burning their own music because they are getting
pleasure from listening to something that you
are not delivering. Make it your mission to find out
what is driving them away. Use THAT information to
improve your product and station.
5. Realize that radio is a combination of advertising
and programming. Good programming and listener
loyalty makes advertisers buy spot packages, and
makes your station desirable. Worry about the product
before the almighty dollar.
6. See rule 1
7. See rule 1
8. See rule 1
9. See rule 1
10. See rule 1

 

[KPLEXCOMPLEX]

TheShadow makes absolute sense!!AMEN!! Its called "the basics".get back to them,and you will succeed.

 

[TheLaffer]

Anyone else got any ideas?g

I'm not Dithers, but I'll give my two.

My philosophy/rules are quite simple.

1. Serve your community, and serve your listeners.
2. Hire radio people, not lawyers.
3. Use consultants and music testing as a TOOL, not
as a Bible. When programming, use your gut, like
old times. You know your station and listeners better
than some idiot 2,000 miles away!. DO YOUR JOB! Don't
be a puppet to management.
4. Realize that persons are going over to satellite radio
and burning their own music because they are getting
pleasure from listening to something that you
are not delivering. Make it your mission to find out
what is driving them away. Use THAT information to
improve your product and station.
5. Realize that radio is a combination of advertising
and programming. Good programming and listener
loyalty makes advertisers buy spot packages, and
makes your station desirable. Worry about the product
before the almighty dollar.
6. See rule 1
7. See rule 1
8. See rule 1
9. See rule 1
10. See rule 1

Shadow,

Those kind of people don't get hired anymore. :'(

Having said that, the average ipod user has about 500 songs. About the average of most oldies and gold based ac's.

I think Mr. Dithers has had his fill here ;D

 

[fettman]

Anyone else got any ideas?g

I'm not Dithers, but I'll give my two.

My philosophy/rules are quite simple.

1. Serve your community, and serve your listeners.
2. Hire radio people, not lawyers.
3. Use consultants and music testing as a TOOL, not
as a Bible. When programming, use your gut, like
old times. You know your station and listeners better
than some idiot 2,000 miles away!. DO YOUR JOB! Don't
be a puppet to management.
4. Realize that persons are going over to satellite radio
and burning their own music because they are getting
pleasure from listening to something that you
are not delivering. Make it your mission to find out
what is driving them away. Use THAT information to
improve your product and station.
5. Realize that radio is a combination of advertising
and programming. Good programming and listener
loyalty makes advertisers buy spot packages, and
makes your station desirable. Worry about the product
before the almighty dollar.
6. See rule 1
7. See rule 1
8. See rule 1
9. See rule 1
10. See rule 1

Thank you, shadow. You hit the nail right on the head, especially with point 4. I miss KZEW and Q-102. Now there is nothing on local radio that I truly love listening to. I tolerate KZPS at work because my boss likes classic rock (and so do I) and it's way better than The Edge.

The last station I really enjoyed listening to for several hours at a time was when 93.3 was The Zone. Its playlist was almost what I would choose for myself. Then the bell tolled... literally... for 8 hours non-stop. And they became The Bone.

Anyway, the lack of variety here in Dallas is why I listen to satellite radio more than AM/FM.

 

[VERITAS DE VOCE]

Shadow, guess you can hear the choir singing about you from the cheap seats. Yet another in agreeance with your rant, sir. The "basics," as KPLX noted, are what was golden about radio... and ultimately became the death of it too. Now, in today's non-stop, bumper-to-bumper-to-everlasting stop set radio, variety is a term only used by those that remember what the hell a "reel-to-reel" machine is.

It's not what it used to be, and never will be again. Yet, somehow, it's got to change and remember that those things called Arbitron ratings are actually people with listening habits that will surely forget what AM/FM is all about once XM and SIRIUS goes back on sale.

Just a thought.