Kurt St Thomas to helm WFNX.com

[raccoonradio]

Boston Phoenix
http://blog.thephoenix.com/BLOGS/ph...s-executive-producer-of-the-new-wfnx-com.aspx

>>Kurt St. Thomas, the award-winning filmmaker, author, music producer, and program director who presided over WFNX's most exciting and successful years, is returning to take charge of the Phoenix's revamped online streaming radio station WFNX.com.

 

[rockcaptain]

We are living in a bizarro world. It's the battle of the internet radio stations in Boston. Neither of which is going to make any sort of real impact and I predict both will be off the "air" within 18 months (and I am being generous). And if they are not off the "air" by then, they will be purely jockless streams of automated music.

 

[WBIMDJ]

Was very excited (and surprised really) to hear this. Kurt's already doing a fairly successful, groundbreaking online radio station called Houndstooth Radio. If he even merely cloned what he was already doing there and put it on WFNX.com (which is too easy for him, i'm sure he's got other plans involved)...it would be fantastic. What I think is this should be a great online radio war with Radio BDC and WFNX.com. Such great talent on both sides!

 

[CTListener]

We are living in a bizarro world. It's the battle of the internet radio stations in Boston. Neither of which is going to make any sort of real impact and I predict both will be off the "air" within 18 months (and I am being generous). And if they are not off the "air" by then, they will be purely jockless streams of automated music.

I agree. Internet radio is too fragmented and there are way too many choices out there for this war to turn out well. WFNX.com and BDC Radio will be lucky to attract a four-digit audience at any given time. Really, how many of WFNX's former listeners considered the disc jockey a can't-do-without part of the listening experience? There are so many online sources of seamless, uninterrupted alternative music of all descriptions, not to mention commercial-free Sirius XM with limited yacking by voicetracked talent -- don't you think most of the 'FNX crowd has already found a comparable, if not better, source for the music they love?

It's hard to believe that people are being hired to do live shifts for online "radio" operations that might be listened to by a couple of thousand people in a demo that advertisers apparently don't consider dumb or free-spending enough to fall for their pitches.

 

[ex radio pimp]

Is Houndstooth successful? Financially?

It seems to me that this internet radio war is just that. It's not good business.

 

[reelyreal]

The problem is less about audience fragmentation and more about financial viability. When it comes down to it, the royalty structure makes it highly unlikely that ANY online operation could ever be financially viable. The more people who listen, the more burdensome the royalties become.

 

[rockcaptain]

WFNX.com and BDC Radio will be lucky to attract a four-digit audience at any given time.

It's hard to believe that people are being hired to do live shifts for online "radio" operations that might be listened to by a couple of thousand people in a demo that advertisers apparently don't consider dumb or free-spending enough to fall for their pitches.

I think even you are giving them too much credit. Four digit audience at any given time is a stretch. A couple hundred at a time I can see...a couple thousand, not so much.

 

[Ciao9999]

WFNX.com and BDC Radio will be lucky to attract a four-digit audience at any given time.

It's hard to believe that people are being hired to do live shifts for online "radio" operations that might be listened to by a couple of thousand people in a demo that advertisers apparently don't consider dumb or free-spending enough to fall for their pitches.

I think even you are giving them too much credit. Four digit audience at any given time is a stretch. A couple hundred at a time I can see...a couple thousand, not so much.

I used to be a loyal FNX listener. I tried the stream once. It was empty, just no music, no jocks. Then I tried BDC Radio. Never went back to FNX. Yes, the music is similar. But it is refreshing to hear the personalities. Granted I only listen at work, that's the only realistic time to sit and stream.

And big point: everyone is already at Boston.com. Few are at WFNX.com. That's a big advantage. Not everyone listens to the stream, but everyone in my office is at boston.com checking the news at lunch. It's a much larger potential audience.

 

[promixcuous]

So, what is the measure of success for RadioBDC? They are putting out a great product. They have 4500 likes on Facebook. They have a handful of advertisers. What does RadioBDC need to be to be an asset to The Globe?

 

[trock]

So I guess people don't have smart phones in Boston. If you think like a internet broadcaster and not like a radio broadcaster you can make it work.

 

[WNTIRadio]

The problem with being and internet broadcaster only is that you can be even more a victim of your own success. Each listener that gets added costs you more, each song you play to each added listener costs you more.

With a transmitter, whether you reach 5,000 or 5,000,000 the costs are the same. The copyright police have all but made being a successful small internet broadcaster impossible. Look at how much money Pandora pays in royalties alone. They've never had a profitable quarter.

http://techcrunch.com/2012/05/23/pandoras-quarterly-results-80-8m-in-revenue-52m-active-users-3-09b-listening-hours-per-month/

Radio BDC and Phoenix have an uphill battle. The question is how long will the Globe support Radio BDC if it is a money losing operation?

 

[TRF]

And big point: everyone is already at Boston.com.

Er, no.

Few are at WFNX.com.

How do you know that? WFNX.com had an audience long before the station sale went down, and (other than automation glitches) has remained online throughout the transition. I don't know how many listeners were lost in the interim, but neither does anyone else here. Or to be more precise, if anyone here has evidence one way or the other, they're not sharing it.

Not everyone listens to the stream, but everyone in my office is at boston.com checking the news at lunch. It's a much larger potential audience.

How many thousand people are in your office?

On a side note, I heard an ad for the first time on (online-only) WFNX.com Tuesday, then again Wednesday - Middle East and Zazu in Cambridge. So they have one ad sale.

 

[WNTIRadio]

Could very easily be trade with those venues.

 

[CTListener]

The problem with being and internet broadcaster only is that you can be even more a victim of your own success. Each listener that gets added costs you more, each song you play to each added listener costs you more.

With a transmitter, whether you reach 5,000 or 5,000,000 the costs are the same. The copyright police have all but made being a successful small internet broadcaster impossible. Look at how much money Pandora pays in royalties alone. They've never had a profitable quarter.

http://techcrunch.com/2012/05/23/pandoras-quarterly-results-80-8m-in-revenue-52m-active-users-3-09b-listening-hours-per-month/

Radio BDC and Phoenix have an uphill battle. The question is how long will the Globe support Radio BDC if it is a money losing operation?

Or if it's a howling success but the recording/publishing/performing industry's cut becomes too big for the beancounters to justify? Does the Globe start charging for access to the stream? Are people, at long last, ready to pay for radio on the internet?

 

[WNTIRadio]

People pay for it on satellite, and also the internet for the same satellite service.

People pay for TV on the internet now too... Hulu and Netflix as examples.

It's not a stretch, but is what they are doing so vastly different from anything else that it justifies a price tag?

 

[wickedwritah]

I'm thinking the end game here for the Globe goes way beyond RadioBDC. It gives the Globe a foothold into the Internet radio market, with known names who will draw at least some listeners ...

But long term, I'm thinking you'll see Boston.com diversify its audio programming. Whether that's through one full-service style stream or several targeting niches -- alternative music, news, sports. Given the size of the newsroom and the tie-in with NYT, they could enormous amounts of spoken-word content (audio from a story, shows hosted by columnists, etc.) at little additional cost, if they wanted to go that route.

 

[WNTIRadio]

Soooooo.... After all the hoopla about FNX.com, what's happened? Has the old/new whiz bang PD of sorts done anything? Any air staff? Or have most people already forgotten about FNX. A lot forgot about it when it was on the air based on the PPM numbers.

 

[Jacko]

WFNX.com has been running its automated stream since leaving 101.7 FM, and has since diversified its playlist. The Facebook page has been quiet for a while, but recently has been more active. I don't know if Kurt St. Thomas is now at the station, but things do seem to be happening. I feel that Radio BDC has a bigger advantage at the moment as they've been getting the word out and have many of WFNX's former DJs running things. Only time will tell.

It is funny how there's a Boston-area internet streaming alternative rock war taking shape, to go along with the CHR and NPR wars...

Jacko

 

[WNTIRadio]

The question is: Is there any money to be made in the online alt rock war?

 

[TRF]

Soooooo.... After all the hoopla about FNX.com, what's happened? Has the old/new whiz bang PD of sorts done anything? Any air staff? Or have most people already forgotten about FNX. A lot forgot about it when it was on the air based on the PPM numbers.

Lots of liners saying that they're under construction, be patient, the new format will be introduced soon...