With the recent firings and conversion to robots the last couple of years, I have wondered if in the next 10 years all there will be are stations that are jockless or that have a on air person only during a 6-10 or 3-7 shift? Is satellite radio, internet podcasts, internet radio the next big wave? Or can independent stations make a name for themselves in big markets? Any thoughts? I'm one who have grown tired of the big commercial stations and have stopped listening to them. I now listen to college stations or satellite radio. (Love that Underground Garage).
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Is rock radio doomed?
- Thread starter jake1966
- Start date
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Now is Rock Radio doomed? Well that seems like a two part question. First I guess we'd have to ask first is Rock music doomed? I think we might have to say yes. The only folks interested in it are 30 or older and aging quickly. Unless you think Hip Hop is alive and well and just a new form of Rock. Now Radio itself has been in a slow death almost since it's beginning. Depending on what your age is the window of its success you remember seems to gauge your hypothesis on its demise. If your old enough you remember when it was all the large corporations and entertainment companies that controlled all the successful stations and networks. When radio staffs where in the hundreds with cafeterias and in-house orchestras. When networks would regularly link stations across the country and even into small markets. Then radios cousin was born Television (Radio with pictures... also owned by most these same large companies) Then if your younger you remember a strange period when small stations with smaller staffs playing radical music with local content gained enough of an audience that they where able to shake the interest and hold of these large companies. Then these folks started selling all these properties creating a few companies that slowly grew almost as large as the original companies that owned radio. The only thing is just like pro sports Radio along the way had a lot of expansion going on in these years. So now these companies had more stations and formats and more competition. Ohh I forgot to mention that radical music also fractured into many forms all of them started to loose popularity as well. But like I said some of these companies got so large that they could still make reasonable money by owning so much of the market even if the individual audiences where smaller. Only thing is then came the iPod and now folks could have there own radio stations attached to their ears where they where the program director. Ohh the radical music folks they lost everything to some college kids who figured out not only how to steal the music for their iPods but how to justify it so everyone would feel good about doing it. Then these two new companies came along and figured out how to get folks to pay for music on the radio and using satellites could sell it across the country. The only thing is several years into it they can't figure out how to make any money and the loans are about to be cut off.
But yes Jake to answer your original question I think Rock Radio is doomed. Just another fad that passed...
CCU 33.30
CBS 24.03
Entercom 12.45
Greater Media (private)
XM 12.40
Sirrus 2.95
Now is Rock Radio doomed? Well that seems like a two part question. First I guess we'd have to ask first is Rock music doomed? I think we might have to say yes. The only folks interested in it are 30 or older and aging quickly. Unless you think Hip Hop is alive and well and just a new form of Rock. Now Radio itself has been in a slow death almost since it's beginning. Depending on what your age is the window of its success you remember seems to gauge your hypothesis on its demise. If your old enough you remember when it was all the large corporations and entertainment companies that controlled all the successful stations and networks. When radio staffs where in the hundreds with cafeterias and in-house orchestras. When networks would regularly link stations across the country and even into small markets. Then radios cousin was born Television (Radio with pictures... also owned by most these same large companies) Then if your younger you remember a strange period when small stations with smaller staffs playing radical music with local content gained enough of an audience that they where able to shake the interest and hold of these large companies. Then these folks started selling all these properties creating a few companies that slowly grew almost as large as the original companies that owned radio. The only thing is just like pro sports Radio along the way had a lot of expansion going on in these years. So now these companies had more stations and formats and more competition. Ohh I forgot to mention that radical music also fractured into many forms all of them started to loose popularity as well. But like I said some of these companies got so large that they could still make reasonable money by owning so much of the market even if the individual audiences where smaller. Only thing is then came the iPod and now folks could have there own radio stations attached to their ears where they where the program director. Ohh the radical music folks they lost everything to some college kids who figured out not only how to steal the music for their iPods but how to justify it so everyone would feel good about doing it. Then these two new companies came along and figured out how to get folks to pay for music on the radio and using satellites could sell it across the country. The only thing is several years into it they can't figure out how to make any money and the loans are about to be cut off.
But yes Jake to answer your original question I think Rock Radio is doomed. Just another fad that passed...
In a word, no. To paraphrase an old election year slogan, "it's the programming , stupid".
The more recent music (I include the last 20 years in this...) just plain sucks. Stations that play
the older stuff -- the playlists are way too tight. The problem with "oldies", by definition,
is that they don't have any new material to augment the old material. Yes, radio must
adapt to survive in a multimedia environment. The naysayers said that TV would doom the
movies altogether. That did not happen. They said that the end of network radio programs
(dramas, comedies, etc.) would doom radio altogether. That did not happen. Satellite radio -
how is this really that much different (content-wise) than large clear-channel terrestrial radio stations?
Newer technology - sure. But, in the end, it all comes down to programming content.
There are those on this board (who most likely have never worked in the broadcast business...)
who will claim that a handful of people (including themselves) would support an "innovative, new format".
Not gonna happen - that is narrowcasting, not broadcasting. Even if there WAS a listerning audience, of some size, present, it is doubtful that there would be enough advertiser support to warrant a "format" - a full-time, steady diet. A few hours per week for a specialty program, maybe...
Yes, some changes are needed. For talk -- entertaining, compelling hosts who will draw an audience other than those who already agree with their point of view. For news -- those who will follow a story through it's conclusion, and not just report sensationalized headlines. For music -- not some jerk scratching records to
a rant with no melody, tune or musicianship involved. Time for local management to step up to the plate and take a swing or two...
The more recent music (I include the last 20 years in this...) just plain sucks. Stations that play
the older stuff -- the playlists are way too tight. The problem with "oldies", by definition,
is that they don't have any new material to augment the old material. Yes, radio must
adapt to survive in a multimedia environment. The naysayers said that TV would doom the
movies altogether. That did not happen. They said that the end of network radio programs
(dramas, comedies, etc.) would doom radio altogether. That did not happen. Satellite radio -
how is this really that much different (content-wise) than large clear-channel terrestrial radio stations?
Newer technology - sure. But, in the end, it all comes down to programming content.
There are those on this board (who most likely have never worked in the broadcast business...)
who will claim that a handful of people (including themselves) would support an "innovative, new format".
Not gonna happen - that is narrowcasting, not broadcasting. Even if there WAS a listerning audience, of some size, present, it is doubtful that there would be enough advertiser support to warrant a "format" - a full-time, steady diet. A few hours per week for a specialty program, maybe...
Yes, some changes are needed. For talk -- entertaining, compelling hosts who will draw an audience other than those who already agree with their point of view. For news -- those who will follow a story through it's conclusion, and not just report sensationalized headlines. For music -- not some jerk scratching records to
a rant with no melody, tune or musicianship involved. Time for local management to step up to the plate and take a swing or two...
A
argytunes
Guest
There are those on this board (who most likely have never worked in the broadcast business...)
who will claim that a handful of people (including themselves) would support an "innovative, new format".
Not gonna happen - that is narrowcasting, not broadcasting. Even if there WAS a listerning audience, of some size, present, it is doubtful that there would be enough advertiser support to warrant a "format" - a full-time, steady diet. A few hours per week for a specialty program, maybe...
I guess the possibility of "an innovative, new format" wouldn't come up if listeners were completely satisfied with what's being offered? OBVIOUSLY, SOME OF THEM AREN'T!
Time for local management to step up to the plate and take a swing or two...
But will "the corporate ownership" give local management the opportunity to step up to the plate and attempt to hit a broadcast homerun? :
argytunes (who HAS worked in broadcasting for more than 35 years)
who will claim that a handful of people (including themselves) would support an "innovative, new format".
Not gonna happen - that is narrowcasting, not broadcasting. Even if there WAS a listerning audience, of some size, present, it is doubtful that there would be enough advertiser support to warrant a "format" - a full-time, steady diet. A few hours per week for a specialty program, maybe...
I guess the possibility of "an innovative, new format" wouldn't come up if listeners were completely satisfied with what's being offered? OBVIOUSLY, SOME OF THEM AREN'T!
Time for local management to step up to the plate and take a swing or two...
But will "the corporate ownership" give local management the opportunity to step up to the plate and attempt to hit a broadcast homerun? :
argytunes (who HAS worked in broadcasting for more than 35 years)
A
Aljr
Guest
argytunes said:There are those on this board (who most likely have never worked in the broadcast business...)
who will claim that a handful of people (including themselves) would support an "innovative, new format".
Not gonna happen - that is narrowcasting, not broadcasting. Even if there WAS a listerning audience, of some size, present, it is doubtful that there would be enough advertiser support to warrant a "format" - a full-time, steady diet. A few hours per week for a specialty program, maybe...
I guess the possibility of "an innovative, new format" wouldn't come up if listeners were completely satisfied with what's being offered? OBVIOUSLY, SOME OF THEM AREN'T!
Time for local management to step up to the plate and take a swing or two...
But will "the corporate ownership" give local management the opportunity to step up to the plate and attempt to hit a broadcast homerun? :
argytunes (who HAS worked in broadcasting for more than 35 years)
That's a great post Argy. The last two points are key,will local management step up and will corporate allow it?
With conglomeration there are very few independently owned stations that can do it their own way and compete for audience and advertising dollars. That leaves it to the big boys to loosen the reigns a bit for local tastes and new format directions. They can afford to take the hit if it fails in the test markets. Joe Blow single station owner can't afford the risk of doing it if he wants to stay in business,IMO.
WLYNgm said:
I disagree. Maybe you'd rather listen to 60s or 70s music, but that doesn't make Herman's Hermits any better than Daughtry. Remember the generation that came of age during the Depression and WWII had a similar disdain for rock & roll.
On this point we agree. Most, if not all of the big broadcasting chains have any number of stations in their stable that are, for lack of a better term, dogs. Don't you think they'd LOVE to find some wonderful format that would propel them into profitability? I know, I can hear all the protests from the usual crew...these companies are run by bean counters, not music lovers; they're afraid to try something bold & new; and blah blah blah.
The fact is, anyone can put together an eclectic mix of music that they (and they alone) like. Now, try and put one together that will attract a saleable audience. Gets a whole lot harder.
Look at a breakdown of listenership of the satellite services...there are a dozen or so channels (mostly pretty mainstream, plus Stern) that pull a decent audience, the majority pull numbers that a brokered-religion 250W daytimer AM in East Pinecone, Maine would be ashamed of.
The days when you could be all over the place musically are long gone.
East Pinecone, ME
I heard that the sister city of East Pinecone is
Upper Moosebreath, WY ;D ;D ;D
I heard that the sister city of East Pinecone is
Upper Moosebreath, WY ;D ;D ;D
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