Is live & local radio dead?

[TheBigA]

It's not up to me to "save" radio.

Me either.

I still want them to turn things around and succeed

Which means returning to the way things were when you were employed.

Here's the inconvenient truth: You were still employed by radio when the exodus began. Was there anything you could have done while you were there to stop people from switching to Spotify and Sirius? Not that it was your job to do so. I understand. But if you could, was there something you could have done that would have retained the 98% of the people who once listened to radio? Ask that 20-something woman what it would take. What does she want? Can radio provide it? You tell me.

 

[Deus Ex Machiato]

Me either.



Which means returning to the way things were when you were employed.

Here's the inconvenient truth: You were still employed by radio when the exodus began. Was there anything you could have done while you were there to stop people from switching to Spotify and Sirius? Not that it was your job to do so. I understand. But if you could, was there something you could have done that would have retained the 98% of the people who once listened to radio? Ask that 20-something woman what it would take. What does she want? Can radio provide it? You tell me.

That's quite the strawman you've erected.


My employment in the radio business ended in 2019, not in the 80s. I survived several rounds of layoffs And as I've mentioned before, I did push for more emphasis and effort into our stations' digital platforms when the execs saw digital as an afterthought. Back when there was a big push for HD Radio (recall the HD Radio Alliance spots) myself and another guy at the station built out a hybrid station on our HD2 channel with creative imaging and an eclectic, curated music mix. All our efforts were for naught, as that signal was eventually switched to a low-effort (literally merge the music logs a month out) boring wasteland.

No, it was not my job to do so then, and it is definitely not my job to do so now, understand? My job now is to work with the R&D team to test improvements to our product, run daily software release validations, and support commercial ops when I'm not involved in Dev testing. My focus is not on the past. It's on the future and what I'm doing now. No, I don't want things to go back to "the good old days," I've said that before, but at this point we're talking past each other.

 

[TheBigA]

My employment in the radio business ended in 2019, not in the 80s.

Never said that it ended in the 80s.

No, it was not my job to do so then, and it is definitely not my job to do so now, understand?

I clearly said it was never your job. Just asked what you would have done. But you clearly don't wanna go there. Oh well. It's so much easier to make it someone else's problem. I know.

 

[Deus Ex Machiato]

I clearly said it was never your job. Just asked what you would have done. But you clearly don't wanna go there. Oh well. It's so much easier to make it someone else's problem. I know.

I explained a couple of things I actually did. Another thing (though it didn't "save" radio) was to drag my cluster (kicking and screaming, at one time) to ditch paper production orders and go with a digital system. That alone was a microcosm of what afflicted parts of the business...."well we've always done it this way" disease. When they finally spent some money to renovate my studio, my DAW (Adobe Audition) was super giltchy. I got with the company that did the install and they found the problem. The board wasn't compatible with the ten year old version of the software. It was from back before Adobe started charging a subscription, and "it's worked just fine up until now" wasn't working. That's the thing...every step forward was a struggle to accomplish, and by the time they finally got around to fixing things, the horse had already left the open barn door.

What could have been done? Well for one, investing in/nurturing young talent. Investing in the product rather than constantly cutting back. Going "all in" on digital platforms and content to stave off the competition from new media. Being (and I have mixed feelings about this term) "disruptive." Or as the Silicon Valley tech bros say "move fast and break things." Radio - as an industry - moved slow IMO and was afraid of being disruptive. "Waah, if we do that it will cost money and the bean counters won't let us spend money..."

Sometimes, you need to spend money. The last time I talked to a PD about a job (5 years ago) he asked me what I was making. I told him, and said if he could come close to it, I'd be open to working with him again. He sighed and said (with a defeated tone) "well...I can ask..." They said "no." The next time I talked to him, he asked "so what is it you do again? Is your company hiring?"

Crazy thing is, we actually did have a former iHeart PD/Brand Manager with us for a bit, though he didn't work out. In the past five years I've worked with people from the aviation industry (an airline pilot, a flight instructor, a fleet management specialist), a former pro football player, and because it's the tech space I now have friends at LinkedIn, TikTok, Antropic, Meta, Waymo, and others that were all on the same team. How did that happen? Because the company invested in talent no matter where they came from. *

People are your greatest resource. I love what I do now, in no small part because of the diverse array of young, talented, and creative people I work with. There is no "well we've always done it this way" disease. Is the company burning through cash in order to get this project off the ground? You bet. Are there challenges to scaling up the operation? Holy crap yes. But it's better than "welp, the holidays are coming up here at the radio station, and you know what that means...layoffs."

So...what was your idea, again?

* p.s. that company went under after some really poor decisions from SLT, which is why my team is scattered to different places. You gotta break some eggs...

 

[TheBigA]

What could have been done? Well for one, investing in/nurturing young talent. Investing in the product

Ask the 20-something woman in your office if that matters to her.

Your former employer spent lots of money on young talent. In fact most of the stations in the market at staffed with live & local talent all day.

 

[Deus Ex Machiato]

Ask the 20-something woman in your office if that matters to her.

Your former employer spent lots of money on young talent. In fact most of the stations in the market at staffed with live & local talent all day.

That would be a weird thing to ask her out of the blue. Anyway, she's the beneficiary of investing in/nurturing young talent. She started out not too long ago in an entry level job, and is now on a path to a promotion because whatever her background might be, she's very good at this stuff.

Oh, and I can't think of any stations in this market (Phoenix) that are "staffed with live and local talent all day." Perhaps you could enlighten me?

 

[TheBigA]

Oh, and I can't think of any stations in this market (Phoenix) that are "staffed with live and local talent all day." Perhaps you could enlighten me?

KSLX, KOOL, KUPD, KDKB, KMVP, KTAR, more

 

[rtruskey2]

I don't know if anybody touched on this, but I just discovered Jolene and Remy Maxwell on The Eagle aren't "live & local". They're voice tracked, basically.

The only live and local shows on The Eagle used to be the morning & afternoon shows, now it's just the morning with Justin Case, and Doug Thomas whenever he fills in on The Eagle.

It's just a shame when you know your DJs aren't "live & local", in my opinion, but I guess it's cheaper.

 

[TheBigA]

It's just a shame when you know your DJs aren't "live & local", in my opinion, but I guess it's cheaper.

Think of it this way: If there is a technology available to you that gives you more time to do other things, why shouldn't you use it?

Think of all of the conveniences we use every day, including computers and cell phones. Why should someone in radio be forced to sit in a studio for an entire shift, when the majority of the time is taken up by recorded music? They're just waiting for the song to end. It would be different if they were a talk show host.

The DJ doesn't care if it's cheaper. The DJ cares about the amount of time he's spending in the studio. Perhaps he could use the extra time to VT other shifts in other markets and be heard by even more people. That way he grows his fan base, and shares his love and knowledge of music.

If you don't know it, maybe that means Remy & Jolene are good at what they do. The idea is to hire people who are good at what they do, not that they happen to be convenient and live nearby.

Here's a story about Remy Maxwell, who is heard around the country, and is very passionate about what he does:

Rock Radio's Remy Maxwell Focuses on Being Unapologetically Himself

Whether it’s a weekday timeslot or Maxwell’s syndicated “Dude, It’s The ‘80s Show,” folks rely on Maxwell for great tunes and even greater takes.

barrettmedia.com

 

[michael hagerty]

I don't know if anybody touched on this, but I just discovered Jolene and Remy Maxwell on The Eagle aren't "live & local". They're voice tracked, basically.

The only live and local shows on The Eagle used to be the morning & afternoon shows, now it's just the morning with Justin Case, and Doug Thomas whenever he fills in on The Eagle.

It's just a shame when you know your DJs aren't "live & local", in my opinion, but I guess it's cheaper.

Here's the question:





What did you think of Jolene and Remy before you discovered they weren't live and local?

 

[rtruskey2]

Remy's a very funny, capable guy. I don't have a problem with him. Jolene's alright too. I know it sounds like I'm making more of this than it really is, and maybe you're right. I take your point, but is that all DJs do anymore is sit in a studio and monitor the computer?

They used to take phone calls, and requests, but I guess when music is so easily accessible on your phones and computers, who wants to call in and make a request?

Radio stations used to be good for winning concert tickets, or even CDs (though, do people know what a CD is anymore? lol) and sometimes they still are good for winning tickets. The Eagle still gives away tickets.

A DJ in another state can just voice track in a studio for hours, I don't know it doesn't feel right. I don't know why I care, maybe it's because I once had (and still do a bit) a passion for being a DJ.

The one station that truly was live & local was K-Hits (KCCL) before they signed off and they took listener calls often I remember.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

I don't know if anybody touched on this, but I just discovered Jolene and Remy Maxwell on The Eagle aren't "live & local". They're voice tracked, basically.

The only live and local shows on The Eagle used to be the morning & afternoon shows, now it's just the morning with Justin Case, and Doug Thomas whenever he fills in on The Eagle.

It's just a shame when you know your DJs aren't "live & local", in my opinion, but I guess it's cheaper.

im local, but i aint live. i work 7am to 230pm 5 days a week and my show is traked by 11a, but i have rgularly updated it later in the day

I get weekends/holidays off, the week between xmas and new years off... and i work reasonable hours.

LIVE isnt the winning answer you think it is.

Unless its a tornado warning/watch... our weather cut ins are recorded.. just minutes before they are and placed on all 4 stations

Tell me how reading a community calendar event is made better because its read live instead of voicetracked

Our previous local morning show host was at least partially voicetracked, say 20 percent of the day weekdays, maybe 30 to 40 percent fridays and all of saturdays mornign show was tracked.

But before we got a fancy new automation system where we can go live or re cut a track simply sing a web browser and laptop with a external mic.... we could work from home long before it was cool to do

 

[rtruskey2]

Here's the question:





What did you think of Jolene and Remy before you discovered they weren't live and local?

Fair question. Great question. Remy's funny as hell and that doesn't exactly change my opinion of him. Jolene's not bad either, I could take her or leave her though, personally.

I don't think it really changes my opinions of them as personalities. I'd still listen.

 

[TheBigA]

I take your point, but is that all DJs do anymore is sit in a studio and monitor the computer?

That's a great question. Obviously it depends on the format and station. Some stations expect their DJs to also interact and engage with listeners via social media. That's really where the rubber meets the road. People seem to be more comfortable using social media than using the phone. I knew a DJ in Seattle who did a totally different show on Twitter, where he was able to give more information about the music than he could on the air. Social media and online isn't measured by Nielsen ratings. So the DJs have more freedom to talk longer with listeners. Plus they can do it in a way that everyone can join in, whereas the phone is one-to-one.

 

[michael hagerty]

Remy's a very funny, capable guy. I don't have a problem with him. Jolene's alright too. I know it sounds like I'm making more of this than it really is, and maybe you're right. I take your point,

I mean, seriously, if you enjoyed listening to them until you had that knowledge, then it kinda means the voice-tracking works.

but is that all DJs do anymore is sit in a studio and monitor the computer?

Live ones? Kinda. Which is why it has become inefficient to have someone sit in the room for four hours just to crack the mic---what?---two, maybe three times an hour?

They used to take phone calls, and requests, but I guess when music is so easily accessible on your phones and computers, who wants to call in and make a request?

Radio stations used to be good for winning concert tickets, or even CDs (though, do people know what a CD is anymore? lol) and sometimes they still are good for winning tickets. The Eagle still gives away tickets.

People who make requests and participate in contests were what we used to call "active listeners". They were about ten percent of your audience. When radio was filled with elements beyond the music---things intended to sound immediate and exciting---the 90 percent that didn't participate didn't really have other choices.

Now they do, and hearing that stuff is perceived by many as an interruption. It has nothing to do with them.

A DJ in another state can just voice track in a studio for hours, I don't know it doesn't feel right.

It's rarely hours. There might be an hour, but more likely 20 minutes involved in tracking a four-hour show on most music-intensive stations these days. If a jock is doing five stations in different cities, there's a shade over an hour and a half---maybe two or three hours total including prep. Which frees the jock up to do whatever the other job(s) they do at the station to justify their continued employment.

I don't know why I care, maybe it's because I once had (and still do a bit) a passion for being a DJ.

I get it. I loved the ten years I was a jock---but even then (1971-1981), it was clear most of the audience wanted us to shut up and play the music. That made being in a studio for hours at a time inefficient and, by extension, the location of the talent (with some exceptions) largely irrelevant.

The one station that truly was live & local was K-Hits (KCCL) before they signed off and they took listener calls often I remember.

They've been gone for three years, and never had killer ratings. It worked for them because they targeted an audience that grew up with the more personality-oriented hit music stations---but those people have aged out of the attractive ad demographics.

 

[rtruskey2]

^ And now KYRV is basically trying to get K-Hits' listeners with the "classic hits" format, but you're right about what you said about people growing up with more "personality-oriented" music stations.

You have a point about people wanting the DJs to shut up and play the tunes, I wish radio stations would play fewer commercials but, I get you have to pay the bills lol.

 

[michael hagerty]

Out-of-town voice tracking is nothing new, by the way. One of the best radio stations I ever heard was KMJJ (Magic 11) in Las Vegas in 1978, 1979 and 1980. They were automated, but used a company called Audio Stimulation to have major league talent from all over the West in all dayparts. Charlie and Harrigan from KCBQ San Diego in morning drive, Bobby Ocean, then at KHJ, Los Angeles in middays, Steve Goddard from KCBQ in afternoons, and Rick Shaw from KFRC, San Francisco in evenings.

They voice-tracked a day in advance and FedExed the tracks to KMJJ. Here's the demo (if it takes a few seconds after you press "play", that's just Google Drive buffering):

aschkmjj78.mp3

drive.google.com

 

[rtruskey2]

Out-of-town voice tracking is nothing new, by the way. One of the best radio stations I ever heard was KMJJ (Magic 11) in Las Vegas in 1978, 1979 and 1980. They were automated, but used a company called Audio Stimulation to have major league talent from all over the West in all dayparts. Charlie and Harrigan from KCBQ San Diego in morning drive, Bobby Ocean, then at KHJ, Los Angeles in middays, Steve Goddard from KCBQ in afternoons, and Rick Shaw from KFRC, San Francisco in evenings.

They voice-tracked a day in advance and FedExed the tracks to KMJJ. Here's the demo (if it takes a few seconds after you press "play", that's just Google Drive buffering):

aschkmjj78.mp3

drive.google.com

That's pretty cool. I enjoyed listening to that.

 

[K108 Sacramento]

Saving Radio has been mentioned saving it is cool. My question is, hasn't it always been actually about broadcasting to the population of a local or regional audience? Where is it written in stone that something different from what was can't be done to interest a new audience with engaging content?