K
K.M. Richards
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So long as that results in high ratings in salable demos, that is exactly what we are suggesting.
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John Records Landecker Quits WLS
- Thread starter Dr Wayne
- Start date
So long as that results in high ratings in salable demos, that is exactly what we are suggesting.
Where did I give the impression that this was a point that needed to be addressed?
I did not say that, either. I have no idea how Biondi got into radio, but I began as a go-fer at age 13 and worked for free for the first year because 1) I wanted to and 2) the more they saw I could do, the more likely they would eventually hire me as an employee... something that actually happened.
That was the problem when salaries were directly related to market size. And often, moving to a bigger market was ego-gratifying and most of us in radio are at least partially driven by ego and self-image.
Pre-consolidation, most radio companies and independent stations had no retirement plan, and many did not even have insurance. Given the fairly low pay for most people in radio, it is understandable that quite a few never saved. Some were "waiting for their big break" and others were just putting it off, but I know far to many radio people who did not save.
No they don't. A few stations in larger markets pay well for certain positions. For talent, the major dayparts. For sellers, the ones with the better lists. For management, depending on the size of the station. For everyone else, the same as a comparable position at a parallel industry.
He should have, but in fact may not have saved much. During a part of his career, particularly the 70's and early 80's, he was in a small market where pay is not notoriously high. He should have been able to start saving in his 20-year run back in Chicago, but doing late-nights is not a formula for a good paycheck.
Lot's of us in radio have gone through similar experiences and not everyone had enough left over to save and most of us had no retirement plan or pension available to us.
And that's not including the significant group that had some catastrophic event in their lives such as major illness, a fire or flood or a change in ownership. And sometimes things like college expenses for kids or losses on investments or real estate can have had a major influence.
Midnight to 6 AM (I mistakenly typed "2 AM" previously) has been rated by Arbitron / Nielsen as far back as I can remember. I have not gone back to the first books from 65-66 but the data has been available, although seldom mentioned or used.
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When he called asking about a job at KRUX in Phoenix, I got the impression he was very much in need of a paying job.
There's only so much longer WLS-FM can look to the past. I graduated in 1975, in what could have been considered The Big 89's heyday when they were still battling it out with Super CFL. and I'm 3 years out of the sales demos. There's talk on this and other boards about allowing the jocks to talk more. They did give JRL some leeway early on, allowing him to re-create "Americana Panorama" and a feature called "It sucked then, and it still sucks now". PPM likely showed tune out, not tune-in, sad to say. Boogie Check when we were all high schoolers was one thing, but a Boogie Check with people in their 50s and 60s calling in....not so much I wouldn't think.
People say they want a lot of things. They say they was responsible government, quality TV, and healthy food. But when no one's looking, we discover what they really want.
I can't imagine what radio would be like when we lose all the great talents that we grew up with. Yes, Mr Biondi is in his eighties but eighties years young. WLS had a wonderful opportunity to bring back the music and talents of yesterday year. I never understood the reasoning that Jan Jeffery,the former program director, had in not allowing its DJ's to speak. Under his watch I noticed ratings that went south and the music was repetitive. I have all the records that WLS ever played but listen not for the music but for the entertainment of the jocks. Did we really care what songs Lujack played? Just loved his style and sarcasm. We were truly blessed to have such great radio here in Chicago. As my hair turns gray and I move a little slower, I think about all the time these guys brought a smile to my face. I truly hope that the new PD at WLS FM can turn things around. Increase the playlist and allow its talent to do what they do best and that is entertain.
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