Radio has always evolved as society changed. There has always been technology changes and new competition. Radio history is interesting, at least to me anyway, in that when the environment got tough there were those who saw radio demise and/orwho were happy with the status quo. There were others who saw a new beginning and who thought of very creative ways to attract and engage listeners in that changed environment. For a long time, it was always about ideas and there was no point to an age litmus test.
There was a time a radio star was a singer, a comic, an actor, a playwright, an “M.C.” Television came along and radio had to compete differently. There were those who decided to stay the course. Some decided to play “records.” Some saw rock ‘n roll as some kind of threat. Pat Boone covered a lot of really great music/artists because skin color trumped talent. Some saw lots of potential in hiring a radically different “announcer” and Alan Freed and others were born.
One of my major beefs with large corporate ownership and their strong influence in the industry is in the arena of ideas. IMO fewer major decision makers = greater chance of getting it wrong. Since I’m bringing up history to make some points, consider this. When four lads from Liverpool were getting noticed across the pond, there were a number of very influential PDs of all ages who didn’t think the Beatles had what it took to be a success in the US. They got it very wrong. Still, imagine if they held a position such as format coordinator and they oversaw 500 stations across the country. Indeed, decisions held by the very few can have dire consequences. The Beatles were a financial bonanza for radio.
I’m not a typical radio listener. Where I’m the same as anyone else is I will listen to what “I” like. A challenge for radio is it not only competes with technology du jour and stations within the local market, but it competes on a national stage too. To get noticed, to grow an audience and to grow revenue from new platforms as well, I believe the product has to be good and I mean really good. This is healthy for radio.
I estimate that 98% of my radio listening involves listening to other markets outside of Jacksonville. In my view streaming and the like gives me all kinds of choices that goes way beyond the very narrow and limited local formats. If this were the past, my radio would be off most times but instead I do listen, hear commercials and I feel very involved even being hundreds or thousands of miles away. Certainly, this has to be a growing trend and I believe it promises a competitive future for radio.
We listeners do have lots of choices. In the mornings I mainly listen to WFEZ (Miami) and Susan Wise. It’s one of those perfect matches. When the mood strikes, I kick it up a few notches and listen to Rick Stacy and the incredibly great programming of WOCL (Orlando). Two ends of the spectrum (formats we don’t have locally)and actually two cases that show an Easy AC and a hybrid oldies/classic hits format can be very today, engage their listeners effectively with the right talent and overall sound so damn good. I give a lot of credit to those who break stereotype and who give listeners something else different from all the rest and then derive lots of success as a result.
Whether you are looking at history or if you are looking at the current environment, radio succeeds when bold, fresh new ideas follow a different course than whatever the status quo says works. There was a time the decision-makers could speak up and bring to the table solutions. Today, there is limited voice, especially if that voice is in a big company at the local level. An idea can become a great one but if we discount that idea because the person achieved a certain birthday milestone, I don’t believe it is healthy for the business and a lot can be learned from history. “Baggage” as it applies to age can be very divisive. All I ask is please don’t broad brush. Ideas, good or bad, should be judged accordingly and a seasoned radio pro’s contributions should not be automatically discounted.
