How much is it hurting the future of radio?

[jas2525]

There are many varied arguments on this, so how much do YOU think all the consolidating and "belt tightening" and syndication is hurting radio's ability to keep and replenish audience going into the future?

 

[unitron]

There are many varied arguments on this, so how much do YOU think all the consolidating and "belt tightening" and syndication is hurting radio's ability to keep and replenish audience going into the future?

Are you asking how much is Information Technology hurting the future of radio, or some other unspecified "it"?

In which case, what is "it"?

 

[davideduardo]

In which case, what is "it"?

Ah, this is the classic case of a feckless pronoun looking for its errant noun to no avail.

 

[TheBigA]

There are many varied arguments on this, so how much do YOU think all the consolidating and "belt tightening" and syndication is hurting radio's ability to keep and replenish audience going into the future?

I think what you're talking about is all "inside baseball." The audience doesn't care how much money people in radio spend. If you don't give them what they want, they've got lots of choices. From what I've seen, radio is holding it's own considering other media can be far more personalized. THAT is the issue, not consolidation.

 

[PirateJohnny]

There are many varied arguments on this, so how much do YOU think all the consolidating and "belt tightening" and syndication is hurting radio's ability to keep and replenish audience going into the future?

Are you asking how much is Information Technology hurting the future of radio, or some other unspecified "it"?

In which case, what is "it"?

I think "it" was spelled out in the post:

"how much do YOU think all the consolidating and "belt tightening" and syndication is hurting radio's ability to keep and replenish audience going into the future?"

Looks to me that "it" is "consolidating and "belt tightening" and syndication".

The audience that grew up listening to live DJs has matured and now has other things to do with their time (that used to be set aside for listening). The newer audiences have so much more entertainment choices available and radio is no longer the #1 choice it was for previous generations of audiences. "Consolidating and "belt tightening" and syndication" have helped make radio an "also ran" other than a standout entertainment choice.

 

[TheBigA]

"Consolidating and "belt tightening" and syndication" have helped make radio an "also ran" other than a standout entertainment choice.

I disagree. In my view, there's absolutely nothing radio can do, and no amount of money that radio can spend, that will get me to give up my cell phone, my TV, or my laptop. Nothing. Radio can hire the best DJs, can spend millions on promotion, and play all kinds of music. But in the end, I want what I want when I want it. So if I have to wait five minutes for a local traffic report, and I have that same report available on my phone or laptop, then I'll choose the instant report. Same with my favorite song. Or news and sports. None of that has anything to do with consolidation or syndication.

I think the real definition isn't the "it" in the subject line, but what is a "standout entertainment choice." I think the reality is that there ARE better choices, and it's because better devices have been invented in the last 40 years. There's nothing radio can do about that. So what radio companies are doing is spreading their content on those other devices. When radio content is available on other devices, that content wins. And THAT more than anything is going to define then future of radio.

 

[NHRadio]

Maybe it's me, but it seems simple. It's exactly like the local hardware store competing with Walmart. Fighting them head on is futile. Do what they can't...employees who aren't stupid, special orders, higher quality merchandise, etc....you know...service.

Same with Radio. Jukeboxes will be crushed by Pandora, Ipods, XM, etc. We have to be local, and I don't mean lost dogs and church suppers. I mean construction on Elm street, local news and sports, being active in the schools, Scout troops, etc. It takes commitment, hard work, and yes, investment. We also have to stop the 15+ units an hour crap and use online as more than "value added". If we don't we will suffer the same fate as AOL, Sears, Kodak, and others who took their eye off the ball and faded into irrelevance.
The problem is how to do this and earn a profit. Not as easy. But local businesses will support you IF they know you have THEIR interests at heart, not just grabbing their money.

If you disagree, please feel free to say why.

 

[TheBigA]

If you disagree, please feel free to say why.

Sure...at the end of the day, the majority of people buy hardware based on price, not service. And that's why most of the small local hardware stores are gone. They lost on price, and all the service in the world wasn't enough to pay the rent.

Radio is in the same business as Wal Mart. Radio isn't a small hardware store. It can't do personal service. Especially in larger markets. Radio is a mass medium. It's Pandora and iPods that are personal music services. The advantage radio has over those other things is radio is cheaper, easier, and always on.

My view is that what will cause radio to suffer the same fate as Kodak, AOL, and the rest is if it doesn't adapt to what people want, and begin to put their content on devices people use. They're not buying transitor radios any more. They're not even buying clock radios any more. So if radio has built its model around those devices, it will die. But if radio puts its better content on other media, it will win. Some of that content may be local, some may not be. That's not important. What's important is that it's well thought out, and appropriate to the marketplace.

We also have to stop the 15+ units an hour crap and use online as more than "value added".

Here's what I've learned in my years running stations. It costs a lot more to run a licensed radio station than an internet feed. Especially if you insist on that station being live & local. So you can't demand personal service on one hand, then ask for fewer commercials on the other. If you want service and luxury, it's gonna cost you. I mean even if you go to a Dennys, the waitress expects a tip. So that means the lowest level service on OTA radio is going to cost more than Pandora. Otherwise, you join the hardware store going out of business.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

Wow! In some ways this is the same old conversation that we have here in the forums over and over and over again.... and yet, this particular thread has managed to come up with illustrations and logic that made it pleasant and worthwhile to wade through.

I think we are still in an era where an FCC license gives some credibility, some amount of a head-start. Yes, it is cheaper to run an on-line audio service than paying for all the "froo-frah" that goes with operating a classic/genuine/traditional transmitter-based service. But if twelve different on-line audio services are going to set up shop in my community and I want to be part of the fray.... I want to be the one that is tied to a classic/genuine/traditional transmitter-based service. But that may be a mental crutch. It would give me more confidence every morning when I get up and review my agenda for the day, my to-do list, my sales-call list. Does being tied to a station actually give me an advantage... of is it just a security blanket... and I need a name tag that says: "Linus". Maybe the guy down the street that has never worked in radio doesn't know he is supposed to feel insecure so he goes out and establishes an on-line service that just runs rings around me. At this point this part of the conversation is like discussing exotic, tangental religious creeds. Has anyone published anything discussing "the value of having an FCC license for your communications umbrella"?

If 17,000 people with a gleam in their eye launch stand-alone audio streams... will the broadcast industry even know it happened? Will anything change that causes the to ask each other: "What the hell is going on? Something is different this year."

Afterthought: I had never before used "froo-frah" in writing... only in oral conversation. Before clicking on POST I decided to check to see if I could find some help on the proper spelling. I just added to my to-do list. Go back and do that Google search tomorrow. Looks like some interesting reading there. I guess you can use it with or without the hypher and live to tell about it. ;D

 

[TheBigA]

If 17,000 people with a gleam in their eye launch stand-alone audio streams... will the broadcast industry even know it happened? Will anything change that causes the to ask each other: "What the hell is going on? Something is different this year."

17,000 streams each with an audience of one. Because, as I've learned, if you build it, they may not come. In fact, unless the streamer has a system to attract listeners, perhaps by advertising on traditional media, or by getting picked up by a well-known blogger, the stream will be a tree falling in the forest. Meanwhile, the major players in broadcasting are launching their own streams with all kinds of built in links and analytics to attract audiences. Because the fallacy of this thread is that broadcasters are simply cutting back their on-air presentation, when in fact they're simply diverting their budgets to new media.

 

[NHRadio]

It costs a lot more to run a licensed radio station than an internet feed. Especially if you insist on that station being live & local.

Obviously. As I said, the hard part is doing this and being profitable.

 

[SaltyDog]

My view is that what will cause radio to suffer the same fate as Kodak, AOL, and the rest is if it doesn't adapt to what people want, and begin to put their content on devices people use. They're not buying transitor radios any more. They're not even buying clock radios any more. So if radio has built its model around those devices, it will die. But if radio puts its better content on other media, it will win. Some of that content may be local, some may not be. That's not important. What's important is that it's well thought out, and appropriate to the marketplace.

I agree with all that Personal note I just through out an old table radio I finally admitted to myself I will never again use.) Where I have no answer is what that content is. I thought Randy Michaels had it right when he launched Merlin with spoken word only formats because I don't see how radio companies can again have a sustainable economic model using music in the face of competitors that are interactive. I realize Merlin's game plan wasn't working and they have since retreated into tried and true music formats, but I understood why they tried it.

If I had a programming answer for traditional broadcast radio I would still be in the game, but since I don't so I'm not.

As for the old "we gotta be local" statement, made by others not you: I've been hearing it for years if not decades but it seems unsupported by evidence. Lots of syndicated shows trounce local shows. What's really remarkable is that in those instances where local radio stations have local air personalities, they invariably spend a majority of time talking about national topics. Now that may be unavoidable if there aren't enough local topics to fill the time but it still negates the argument that things have to be local. I have a local ESPN Radio affiliate with an inane live and local show in the afternoon. That's when I get out my phone with its ESPN app and listen to the superior network programs. What caused me problems as a broadcaster has been wonderful as a listener.

 

[TheBigA]

As for the old "we gotta be local" statement, made by others not you: I've been hearing it for years if not decades but it seems unsupported by evidence.

Here's what needs to be local in order to succeed: The format has to fit with the competition. If there are five high-personality country stations already in the market, it probably isn't wise to launch a sixth one. We all learned a long time ago about the value of counter-programming, and all that is local. The national office isn't going to help you with that. That's why there needs to be someone local, even if it's an OM.

The station needs to have a local presence. You don't need local personalities to do that. But just running syndication without any local presence isn't enough. Those personalities need to provide local liners and inserts. They need to occasionally visit the market. There needs to be an ad campaign featuring those syndicated personalities. And it helps when there's a local person who inserts themself in the syndicated show who can represent that show for personal appearances. There is no replacement for meeting listeners. If you have local personalities, and they don't do appearances, you might as well run syndication.

I think those two things are key. The station needs to be programmed locally, and it needs to have a community presence. Everything else is optional.

 

[SaltyDog]

The station needs to have a local presence. You don't need local personalities to do that. But just running syndication without any local presence isn't enough. Those personalities need to provide local liners and inserts. They need to occasionally visit the market. There needs to be an ad campaign featuring those syndicated personalities. And it helps when there's a local person who inserts themself in the syndicated show who can represent that show for personal appearances. There is no replacement for meeting listeners. If you have local personalities, and they don't do appearances, you might as well run syndication.

I think those two things are key. The station needs to be programmed locally, and it needs to have a community presence. Everything else is optional.

Maybe, but for years when being harangued by employees that we needed more local appearances, more promotion, more outside advertising, I'd point to Rush Limbaugh and say "but he's kicking our tail and has none of that". Ditto Tom Joyner, although later on he started doing both in-market billboards and appearances.

I know better than to project my own personal preferences onto the population at large. I look at things through the prism of a long-term broadcaster. I'm a sample of one. But for me, the value is in the content and it is of no importance to me whether I get it from my radio, cable TV, tablet pc or a phone app. In my mind, the show has been unhooked from the station. The station is a mere conduit, plumbing to deliver a product.

 

[TheBigA]

The station is a mere conduit, plumbing to deliver a product.

I agree, but when we're talking about growing the medium, or launching new shows or hosts, it takes more than just good content, because there's no sampling the way there used to be. Back in the old days, people spun their radio dials looking for something good. Now, they have pre-sets and they go with what they know. That's not good for someone launching something new. I think it hurt Merlin's ability to launch a new FM news station, although I also believe they were selling a product that wasn't really necessary. I think any station launching a new format will be up against the brick wall that people already have their favorites. Your goal is to make them change. That's a tough thing to do, especially if you're not in their face. So you have to begin with great content that people want, and THEN you have to beat them over the head with why they want it. That's harder to do with a national show. Sure you can go on Letterman or The View, but you also have to do what political candidates do, and that's bring it to the people face to face. They say politics is retail, and so is radio, and you need that local presence to bring your product to the consumers. It can be done in lots of ways, but every product needs to find some way to get put in front of the consumer, and that includes radio shows or stations.

 

[davideduardo]

As for the old "we gotta be local" statement, made by others not you: I've been hearing it for years if not decades but it seems unsupported by evidence.

That's generally true. And "local" has a totally different meaning today where our Facebook community may be spread across many cities, states and nations.

As Big A stated, a station needs to be a conduit: instant news, traffic, weather, etc. via apps and websites. If a station truly makes a variety of ancillary services available off-air.