LARadio.com Format Flip - Free Biz Model Defunct

[observer8057]

Has he tried making it relevant?

I can't begin to express my disdain for your mean and nasty comment. If you don't find anything relevant on the site, you are clearly not cut out for the radio industry. It is the bible for those who actually work in radio. (Playing CDs at Bar Mitzvahs does not count.)

 

[observer8057]

So let me get this straight L Mays and musicfan101, you don't find any of Barrett's content relevant and you don't want to pay for information about the LA radio industry or those who make it happen? That's fine, you probably weren't reading his website anyway, or maybe you guys are two of many who share passwords. If you knew anything about the site or it's history you might just appreciate it. It's always been about the people behind the microphones and behind the scenes. If you want general industry info you can always go to All Access or Radio Daily News or any number of sites that are free. But you'll have to look hard to get past the info about every other city in the nation. This is a unique site devoted to those who work in LA whether they're big time personalities or the overnight board op. It gives you info that you simply cannot find anywhere else. San Diego has a site, but it's different, same for Chicago. The windy city site gets updated every few weeks or months. $40 isn't that much to pay. Yeah, not everyone has income to blow, but it's you're choice not to subscribe. But really, you can't find anything of relevance there? Oh and if all you can do is throw an insult about the way he looks(How superficial and petty of you by the way)and blame Don for your lack of work, you're living in a delusional world. I don't see where this has anything to do with keeping people from getting canned. How sad your comments are, but I guess it makes you feel better to put others down. Barrett has done a lot for those who work in radio here in LA, but you'd know that if you actually read about what he's done over the years. Believe me, when he decides to shut his site down we'll all be a little poorer for it.

Yawn. It's a gossip column. How did we all survive without the site for so long?

Up on the wrong side of the bed this month? You are clearly not an important member of the industry. If you were, you would understand. Clearly you don't, and apparently you are not!

 

[romer979fm]

Has he tried making it relevant?

why don't you help him? oh, right...

 

[musicfan101]

So let me get this straight L Mays and musicfan101, you don't find any of Barrett's content relevant and you don't want to pay for information about the LA radio industry or those who make it happen? That's fine, you probably weren't reading his website anyway, or maybe you guys are two of many who share passwords.  If you knew anything about the site or it's history you might just appreciate it. It's always been about the people behind the microphones and behind the scenes. If you want general industry info you can always go to All Access or Radio Daily News or any number of sites that are free.  But you'll have to look hard to get past the info about every other city in the nation.  This is a unique site devoted to those who work in LA whether they're big time personalities or the overnight board op.  It gives you info that you simply cannot find anywhere else.  San Diego has a site, but it's different, same for Chicago.  The windy city site gets updated every few weeks or months. $40 isn't that much to pay.  Yeah, not everyone has income to blow, but it's you're choice not to subscribe.  But really, you can't find anything of relevance there? Oh and if all you can do is throw an insult about the way he looks(How superficial and petty of you by the way)and blame Don for your lack of work, you're living in a delusional world. I don't see where this has anything to do with keeping people from getting canned. How sad your comments are, but I guess it makes you feel better to put others down. Barrett has done a lot for those who work in radio here in LA, but you'd know that if you actually read about what he's done over the years. Believe me, when he decides to shut his site down we'll all be a little poorer for it.

Yawn. It's a gossip column. How did we all survive without the site for so long?

Up on the wrong side of the bed this month?  You are clearly not an important member of the industry.  If you were, you would understand.  Clearly you don't, and apparently you are not!

OKAY, this is enough! Now people who don't subscribe to some BLOG aren't "important members of the industry"?! This is the DUMBEST statement I've ever seen in my life! So people who aren't even aware of LARadio.com who work in the radio industry aren't important?! Hmm, I work in radio and seem to be doing just fine, career wise, and in regards to be updated on the industry. Don, it's pretty obvious this is you! You do some great pieces on the site, but charging $40 to read content is clearly absurd! When there are other publications who talk about the radio industry. It doesn't surprise me that people who have no lives that are on this board would disagree with me! It kills me how people on this board get offended over the sharing of password, how is that any different from illegally downloading a song, something that everyone on this board has done in their lifetimes. Do you guys really feel that getting big and bad over stuff like this will show loyalty to Don? Does he really care about each one of you personally? All you guys are just plain gullible to think paying $40 will keep you in the know and give you updates that you can't get anywhere else! Whatever, in the end it's your guys's choice, but little comments like these just make me sick!

 

[calguy]

Okay, lets be honest here. I believe that you have a right to your opinion, but... The insulting and petty nature of these comments are uncalled for. You see this kind of thing all the time when reading the comments below a story on the internet. We all have handles that make us anonymous, so like some idiot on the freeway sealed in his or her car who feel free to scream, yell and flip-off other drivers you feel free to insult someone personally.

If you can't see the value of Barett's LA Radio, so be it, you're free to be as short sited as you want, but there's no need to get nasty about the man's appearance. He's not being greedy, he's trying to make a living, and this is the way he's going about it. You're free not to buy his product and to call it irrelevant, but don't expect everyone else here to put up with it when you get nasty.

Don Barrett has done many good things for those in the industry and he doesn't discriminate. He'll give you face time whether you're Ryan Seacrest or some overnight weekender in Santa Clarita. So you think $40 is too much, don't buy in to it, but like Buckethead said, it's a dime a day, that's not a lot to pay to find out about the people of LA Radio, which is exactly what his sight has always been about. His site started as an extension of his book about the people of LA radio and gathering the info isn't something anyone would want to do for free. It's work, plain and simple done by a man who has passion for those who make it all work, even about you, whoever you really are.

 

[romer979fm]

It doesn't surprise me that people who have no lives that are on this board would disagree with me! It kills me how people on this board get offended over the sharing of password, how is that any different from illegally downloading a song, something that everyone on this board has done in their lifetimes.

so...you're in radio (and doing fine thank you)...that's good. but just like no one knows you on this board, you also have no clue as to who you're posting with...there are some major league talents lurking in here...but everyone is welcome. that's the point...it's a choice.
don't like Don's site? no problem...but you sure look foolish trashing it. nothing personal.
I have never worked in LA radio...but I subscribe...and like enjoy the site. Please do not preach to me about how harmless it is to share passwords on a pay site. And no, I don't steal music from the internet, either.

 

[L Mays]

Wow. The holier than thou contingent is alive and well in radio.

For the record, I've been in this business long enough to know enough to know that LA Radio.com has no bearing on my career or anybody's career. My career has flourished without the help of all of the radio history lessons and whiny e-mails published on LA Radio. LA Radio is a gossip site that should pay ME for reading it.

It would be a fair statement to say that I am an "important member of the industry," as one defender put it. And I don't understand.

So my question remains: How did we all survive without the site for so long? And I have a new question: How did those of us who become successful do it without LA Radio? Answer those two questions and I'll shut up.

 

[Radio Owl]

$40.00 is Not that much $$ for something of value, It's just pennies a day.

Don Barrett makes a lot of effort to make a Radio Web Site that is Much More than just today's
news, music charts, and things like that. He goes behind the scenes and brings out the "Personality"
traits and histories of those who were maybe "crazy enough" to choose Radio as a career.

I, (under another name), subscribe to LARadio.com. It's worth the $40.00 a year to me.

If you don't (and I'm referring to the nay-sayers) that's fine, but Why "knock" it??

Somebody here must really have a boring life to spend time here criticing something they don't
even like and not willing to pay for. I don't understand the need for all the Negativism.

Negativism for the sake of Negativism is a real sickness. Somebody needs a Doctor.

Good Luck everybody...

 

[nmoore6676]

$40.00 is Not that much $$ for something of value, It's just pennies a day.

Don Barrett makes a lot of effort to make a Radio Web Site that is Much More than just today's
news, music charts, and things like that. He goes behind the scenes and brings out the "Personality"
traits and histories of those who were maybe "crazy enough" to choose Radio as a career.

I, (under another name), subscribe to LARadio.com. It's worth the $40.00 a year to me.

If you don't (and I'm referring to the nay-sayers) that's fine, but Why "knock" it??

Somebody here must really have a boring life to spend time here criticing something they don't
even like and not willing to pay for. I don't understand the need for all the Negativism.

Negativism for the sake of Negativism is a real sickness. Somebody needs a Doctor.

Good Luck everybody...

Amen, well said!

There is criticism which should be a positive thing and then there are those who can see nothing good in what others are doing and yet can not come up with a constructive comment as to how the others who are doing might do it better. Seems to be a lot of that these days.

 

[calguy]

Wow. The holier than thou contingent is alive and well in radio.

For the record, I've been in this business long enough to know enough to know that LA Radio.com has no bearing on my career or anybody's career. My career has flourished without the help of all of the radio history lessons and whiny e-mails published on LA Radio. LA Radio is a gossip site that should pay ME for reading it.

It would be a fair statement to say that I am an "important member of the industry," as one defender put it. And I don't understand.

So my question remains: How did we all survive without the site for so long? And I have a new question: How did those of us who become successful do it without LA Radio? Answer those two questions and I'll shut up.

"Holier than thou" No one claims to be holy about anything. If you're such an "important member of the industry" why would you choose a screen name like L Mays, a name that most of the industry dislikes? I'm sure you see yourself as the straw that stirs the drink as Reggie Jackson once said, but being insulting for the sake of being insulting or for the attention isn't anything to be proud of. LA Radio dot com has nothing to do with any of us becoming successful. We did it on our own long before the site was even in existence. You're way off point here, but in my experience that just means that you can't debate what's really going on. Like a magician, you're trying to get us to look in one direction when everything is happening in another place. For my part, I just don't like your attitude. I know Don Barrett, he's a good guy, not perfect, but who is? Maybe he just hasn't paid you the attention you feel you deserve. Then again, radio is full of as many jerks as it is good people.

 

[L Mays]

Wow. The holier than thou contingent is alive and well in radio.

For the record, I've been in this business long enough to know enough to know that LA Radio.com has no bearing on my career or anybody's career. My career has flourished without the help of all of the radio history lessons and whiny e-mails published on LA Radio. LA Radio is a gossip site that should pay ME for reading it.

It would be a fair statement to say that I am an "important member of the industry," as one defender put it. And I don't understand.

So my question remains: How did we all survive without the site for so long? And I have a new question: How did those of us who become successful do it without LA Radio? Answer those two questions and I'll shut up.

"Holier than thou" No one claims to be holy about anything. If you're such an "important member of the industry" why would you choose a screen name like L Mays, a name that most of the industry dislikes? I'm sure you see yourself as the straw that stirs the drink as Reggie Jackson once said, but being insulting for the sake of being insulting or for the attention isn't anything to be proud of. LA Radio dot com has nothing to do with any of us becoming successful. We did it on our own long before the site was even in existence. You're way off point here, but in my experience that just means that you can't debate what's really going on. Like a magician, you're trying to get us to look in one direction when everything is happening in another place. For my part, I just don't like your attitude. I know Don Barrett, he's a good guy, not perfect, but who is? Maybe he just hasn't paid you the attention you feel you deserve. Then again, radio is full of as many jerks as it is good people.

I don't care about my position in the industry. I was just replying to a misguided person who assumes that those of us who ignore LA Radio (that'd be MOST of us) are either board ops or people who will never grow in this business. My intention is to show that is bunk.

How can I be seeking attention with a pseudonym?

Not really interested in stirring the drink (though it's a nice side effect), I'm just interested in asserting my opinion about a website that doesn't get enough eyes looking at it to make it relevant to advertisers, but has a tiny loyal following of minions who defend it as though it is the holy grail.

 

[musicfan101]

I apologize for coming off as strongly as I did. I just don't appreciate the notion that by Observer's comments that you are not a vital piece to the puzzle called radio if you don't read and subscribe to LARadio.com. I take things like that very personally because I worked really hard to get any position in radio, came from nothing to do it, and lost everything in the process! Again my apologies.

 

[ercjncpr]

Now they want to charge $40 per year to see the same stuff I didn't look at for free. Like THAT's gonna happen.

I get as much or more here than with Don Barrett whether free or pay.I think he probably needs to just give up

 

[calguy]

Don has come close to throwing in the towel on more than one occasion over the last few years and may finally do so soon, who knows?

I personally never said that you're not important if you don't read his site, my problem is with those who use insults the way a bully does on a playground. As I said in earlier posts, you're free to not like his website and to not read it, but the personal insults about how he looks go too far. You may feel that his site has no significance and that's your right, but honestly, you'd be wrong. If that were the case it wouldn't be read every day by GM's, PD's and everyone in between. The problem for Don is that there just may not be enough radio people in the general vicinity to support his site financially. It has little to do with content and more to do with numbers. I personally know of more than a few people who subscribe from as far away as Chicago, so it's not just Angelino's who read it. Don is a former PD for pioneering broadcaster Gordon McClendon and has been the GM of WDRQ, Detroit and KIQQ here in LA to name a few, so he knows radio and happens to love the people who make it work. I hope he continues, but nothing lasts forever, that's the circle of life.

 

[L Mays]

Don has come close to throwing in the towel on more than one occasion over the last few years and may finally do so soon, who knows?

And that's one of the problems with LA Radio: Whining about how it's not working and how he's going to try this and that and then not sticking with a plan. Maybe he should just make it a hobby and stop the silliness of threatening to shut down.

 

[Nick Gerard]

LARadio.com is a treasure.

As a journal of local radio, there is nothing like it anywhere in the U.S. Nothing can match this website’s coverage of the people, the trends, the often abrupt events that shape radio in market #2.

LARadio.com may not be "relevant", as one poster wrote, to everyone in radio, nor all radio fans. But for those who have spent any time at all working in the market, or who are exceptionally interested listeners to the stations, Don Barrett’s oeuvre is a gift. In a market this size there are hundreds, if not thousands, of radio folk with absolutely fascinating histories and stories to tell. Without LARadio.com, these stories would be never be propagated, and thousands of us would never learn them.

Right now, LARadio.com is running a series on the career of George Green. I’ve never worked for him nor met him, but George is so much a part of the tapestry of LA radio history, it’s just great to have the opportunity to learn about his life, his thinking, and how he built a magnificent radio career. Thank you LARadio.com.

My own ephemeral career in LA radio occurred over eight years. I was blessed to work at 4 stations and one network (Westwood One). Think of how many acquaintances I have because of these jobs. I’m out of touch with many of them, but it’s always a delight to follow their professional journeys, and the only place I can easily do that is LARadio.com.

Plus, the website is just plain fun. Ear Ache is a daily collection of random quotes heard recently on LA radio stations. Always something to make ya laugh. When I read a quote from an air talent I don’t usually listen to, it just gives me a little more of a clue regarding what that air personality is all about.

The One Year Ago Today and Five Years Ago Today features are vivid reminders of how quickly it all changes in our business.

LARadio.com shares professional achievements, personal struggles, parties, memorial services, awards, joys and sorrows of LA Radio people. If you’ve known or listened those folks, you love these stories. It’s fun to read about new talent coming into the market, and interesting to learn why someone has left.

I love the egalitarian quality of LARadio.com. Market superstars, producers, overnight board ops – everyone is welcome to contribute and everyone is treated with respect.

I’ve never regarded LARadio.com as a career tool, nevertheless, I was hired for two different part time on-air positions specifically because of information I learned on LARadio.com. Gigs I’d otherwise never have known existed.

“Has he tried making it relevant?” Brother, if you question the relevance of LARadio.com, you’re just not paying attention.

I’ve met Don, and he is unquestionably sincere about sharing his enthusiasm and love for LARadio and its people. But it is difficult to make an online venture profitable.

We who love the site owe Don a big debt of gratitude. $39.95? Considering the hours of great reading and how much we have learned from this daily must-read, LARadio.com is a bargain at twice the price.

Nick Summers

 

[calguy]

Don has come close to throwing in the towel on more than one occasion over the last few years and may finally do so soon, who knows?

And that's one of the problems with LA Radio: Whining about how it's not working and how he's going to try this and that and then not sticking with a plan. Maybe he should just make it a hobby and stop the silliness of threatening to shut down.

Why would you care? If you don't like and don't read it, you shouldn't care about it or it's problems right?

Why shouldn't Don appeal to his readers fro help with password sharing etc? You ask your friends or followers for help if you need it. I don't see it as whining, but hey, everyone here has their opinion.

Nick Gerard just summed it all up better than anyone, but you shouldn't really care, right? You can keep posting till the cows come home, and if you must have the last word, go ahead, but Nick's right, so why bother?
I'd say he's summed it all up nicely.

 

[AM FM listener]

The best description of Don Barrett that I have ever read was by a college professor named Karen Martin. She provided guest commentary for LARadio.com on May 11, 2003. She described various legends as having different roles within the LA Radio community: pioneers, great chieftains, pillars of the community, heroes, iconoclasts, tricksters and saints. The following is an excerpt regarding Don Barrett's role:

"So what is the role of Don Barrett in the LA Radio community? I humbly suggest that he has become the Shaman, the Sage and Healer. His power stems not from the usual earthly sources: vast wealth or the ability to hire and fire, but from a deeper well. The Shaman is set apart from the general community; this gives him freedom from petty skirmishes and territorial loyalties. The Shaman may not be physically perfect or conventionally strong, but he has extraordinary powers of observation. He critiques, he shapes with his gentle touch, he directs the community’s attention, he provides and accepts honest criticism; he applauds the public successes, and commiserates with private concerns. He is the gateway to a core of forbidden knowledge, revealed gradually. He encourages, cajoles, preaches and explains to all who have become part of his circle, and those who have not, and those who hover on the edge. Whether they love him or hate him, agree or disagree with him, they all come, making their confessions, seeking dispensation. And slowly, but surely, a most unlikely community is forged."

Quite profound.

 

[L Mays]

Brother, if you question the relevance of LARadio.com, you’re just not paying attention.

Oh brother.

 

[WTFman]

The interest in Radio-Info.com Discussion Boards seems to wax and wane with the news. If Don had added a Discussion Board that was a little more robust than his Comment feature allowed, he might have attracted more eyeballs. Not being a website designer or savvy to the technical end of things I wouldn't know how much trouble that might have been. Maybe he just got tired of policing his ruder commentors.
I'm not a radio pro myself--I just listen a lot and have done so for many years. I heard the first "All Things Considered" broadcast and after listening to NPR for decades have drifted away from them and their political agenda toward the Right--something I'd never have predicted as a 'nattering nabob of negativism'. I like the interactivity of Talk Radio. I like to know what people are thinking--and I can tell when I'm being led. I don't care for that and I tune away. I listen to all kinds of stuff though--KPFK, KPCC, KRLA, KFI, KOGO, --even KABC now and then. Anyway, maybe websites are a little bit the same for me--I like the prospect of being able to chime in now and again. Blah, blah, blah...