Lame Radio

[lfuss]

Since I moved to Las Vegas 5-1/2 years ago, I've been underwhelmed at the quality of local radio. Here in market #32, the radio stations
are incredibly boring and lame. I found it interesting that one local jock (who I won't name here) submitted an aircheck to Dan O'Day for critique. Dan critiques the guy in his current newsletter, which reinforces my opinion that Las Vegas radio is lame. You can sign up for Dan's newsletter at www.danoday.com.

Opening break: You're signaling to the audience, "I've got to say this stuff, so I'm saying it." But you don't sound as though you're
interested in what you're saying...and as though you mean it.

It sounds very much as though you're reading it cold, that you're learning about the event at the same the listener is. If it's worth promoting, it's worth promoting in a way that involves the audience and gets them excited.

When you reach "this afternoon," it's clear that you've achieved your goal: to read the liner. That goal is not worth either you or the audience showing up for it.

Listen to the way you identify the song. Can you imagine anyone not concluding that you're bored? To your own ears, do you sound
interested?

My comment: Perhaps if the station in question had a PD who had a clue things might be different.

LF

 

[westonsheppup]

radio is no longer about grabbing the listeners, it's about grabbing the dollar and being a slave to corporate interests

imho, radio has to be one of the worst mediums to make piles of cash off of. One slight move and all the listeners go away. I rarely listen to vegas radio anymore, I pipe it in via external sources. if KNYE in pahrump had a stronger signal i would tune into that during the day at least.

thought we got lucky in 2000 or so with "1140 am cruisin oldies" but it would fizzle quickly mirroring some sports broadcast i could care less about, then just switched to some retarded "radio for men" format. last time I checked, there are sports stations here and you can watch that garbage on television...

There's a perfect example right there of one small change sending the listeners away

some of the "hijinks" (i don't mind them, not tearing into anyone here) posted in some of the other threads here in this section I doubt would survive in corporate radio today. if you don't slave to their spread sheets and assholes with MBA's forcing you to read dull scripts on air approved by a thug in corporate 2000 miles away, in between being trained to program a on air automation machine before getting a pink slip, you are of no use to them.

Radio is like baseball, when it becomes professional who cares to listen anymore? Watching a team strike perfect hits everytime, never drop a ball, etc is boring as hell, same as radio.

Most listeners are probably more tolerant of "sorry we went off air last night, a cigarette fell into the cart rack!" versus a corporate shill like clear channel raping a community's radio presence. Anyone remember their botched attempt at having a rip off oldies show similar to mike harvey's supergold broadcast from the top of the stratosphere tower?

It was a poorly programmed piece of garbage, anytime I tuned in they frequently had numerous outages with it and so much more bs. Glad that died off quickly and I hope everyone involved is eating cat food by candle light now. then they flip 93.1 after that messy experiment failed and brought in whoopi, what a whoop! that lower part of the dial to me now might as well be stamped 666, it's garbage. The irony isn't lost on me that pre october 1998 93.1 was corporate radio, but at least it had more charm to it then the garbage of today. I've lost count of how many "Kool/Cool" oldies stations there are across the us now

KBGO 93.1 KOOL 105.5 pre 1998 both had interesting features to them. I generally gravitated towards 93.1 more having supergold aired on saturday nights, but the other wasn't too bad either.

radio is a sinking ship until the illegal telcom act of 1996 is expelled and forced back to it's original roots. Part of the core problem of any industry anymore, radio to whatever, is how much money do you actually need? geez

 

[lfuss]

if KNYE in pahrump had a stronger signal i would tune into that

You ARE kidding, right?

Granted, they have an eclectic mix of music, which some people seem to like (some people like velvet paintings of Elvis too), but everything else on the station is so boring and predictable. (It's a beautiful Tuesday here in Pahrump.") No personality.

LF

 

[westonsheppup]

if KNYE in pahrump had a stronger signal i would tune into that

You ARE kidding, right?

Granted, they have an eclectic mix of music, which some people seem to like (some people like velvet paintings of Elvis too), but everything else on the station is so boring and predictable. (It's a beautiful Tuesday here in Pahrump.") No personality.

LF

no I am not. considering you probably are of the generation that mark and mercedes and the drivel they play for songs passes as "quality".....

people in pahrump love the station, it's even improved more that Karen has now taken full ownership of it. Frequently airs alot of community service related news (I don't see any stations here doing that) people are always calling in and saying how she is doing a great job, has a show on thursdays where she gets local political people, sheriffs and more on to talk about issues in the town, and much more. I listened to it one day, a local political figure was even offering his cell phone number to people calling in and wanting to hear their concerns and so much more. You don't get that here anymore.

Back to your prepackaged screaming rap/trance/techno/heavy metal radio

 

[vegasradio]

Larry, please tell us where radio is NOT lame. I was in markets 2 and 4 this past 2 weeks and it was awful! I have never heard such weak talent! Kade doing nights in LA? He was barely good enough to do overnights here in Vegas....So much was automated, it made me puke...Radio isn't compelling and fun anymore for the most part...People still want a "human touch." Business has become so automated in so many ways, it's just sick...When u call a business, try actually getting a person...I hate it! Calling a hotel, can't get a person...in the store, self-checkout....even Jack in the Box has gone automated....so I quit eating there! So Larry, if you or anyone knows where radio is not lame, let me know...I'm retired, I'll move there...lol....good luck...can't wait to see your response!

 

[lfuss]

Where is it not lame? Damn few places anymore. The Clear Channel and Cume-you-less people have made it lame everywhere.

LF

 

[vegasradio]

True, so true....With the economic conditions, someone with a brain, somewhere, will buy a station, and show these morons how to do it right. So many old rules of radio 101 are gone. While they were and are old, they work. Radio is due for a comeback. Radio is just another form of customer service, and the listeners are the customers.
Today we see old groups with very young fans. They are some that are craving attention and to be "touched" because good human beings, and good air personalities and good music can do that.
I am actually excited for 2010. Someone will have the guts to start this trend and once it is started, and success is seen, the copycats will pursue what radio needs to do again.
It can be done. Work smart, not hard.