I enthusiastically floated around several stations in North Jersey during the 70s and into the 80s, then left radio to work in another industry. When I began working in radio again on a part-time basis in the mid 90s, it was immediately clear that during my hiatus, something had happened. Something must have been added to the water at radio stations around the country that affected only owners and/or management. Something that rendered them completely gullible and submissive to the idea that they no longer were smart enough to hire Program Directors who knew the market well enough to program the stations on their own. But maybe owners and management were also convinced that if they owned a group of stations, they would realize some cost savings, too. Who knows?
Whatever the justifications, my opinion is that it was the coming of the consultant that spelled doom for radio... truly good radio as we knew it. How else could we have countless stations across the country branding themselves by firing off every sound effect in their library at the top of each hour as some over-equalized-and-compressed in-your-face voice spits the station moniker in our faces? Oh, this is what they call 'imaging?' Am I to believe, then, that the 'image' of this station I am to come away with is that they are irrelevant noise and attitude? If every station 'brands' themselves in this manner, what's the <expletive> point?
And now, on AllAccess.com, we see ads for a talent coaching service that claims to "create" personality radio. Pardon me, while I lose my lunch. "Daddy, that man is back, and he wants to sell you another bridge."
So not only do we already have radio, in effect, circling the bowl... but now there is some force manning the plunger to ensure it all goes down... and quickly.
We HAD personality radio. Unique individuals who knew how to program, entertain and inform based on the demographics in their own unique markets. Rubber-stamped radio killed this, and there needs to be a stake we can drive into the heart of this monster.
Women and children first.