More reasons why radio sucks

[Johnny Morgan]

competition will make us all better at what we do and, in the end, the listeners have more choices

Funny, that whole competition argument was behind the 1996 Telecom Act...and it resulted in a handful of major companies controlling the major signals in all the markets. If this wasn't a government-licensing operation, it would succumb to DOJ antitrust analysis.

Funny to read about competition when, for example, in Cleveland, every major commercial FM signal but two is controlled by three companies.

In 1996, those same signals were controlled by over 8 companies.

We can do the same analysis in almost every mid-major, large, and major market.

Please tell me what competition there is when the majors now are super-niching their formats so as not to step on a cluster-sister's shoes.

Please tell me what competition there is when we're looking to narrow-cast in the first place.

Marc Chase (then-Jacor VP/Programming, now CC VP/Programming) said it perfectly back at the R&R Convention in 1998: the conglomerate era is going to be scary to radio industry folks because the bus is either going to pass you by, run you over, or have you on board. But he also added that the programmers were forced to keep in mind three targets: advertisers, the audience, and for the first time, shareholders.

If we're maximizing the best single money-maker aimed at the largest advertiser-targetted audience, how is that broadcasting?

And how have we permitted this uncompetitive atmosphere to lead us down the path to predicable, unchallenging (and unchallenged), and stale programming for so long?

 

[majicjim]

Go ahead you arrogant corporate morons,call us whiners and crybabies..it's in your face and you deny the truth like an ultra right-wing extremist denying that the holocaust took place. Video may have killed the radio star back in the 80s but you [EDIT] spew the last remnants of radio's once credible creative people and personalities into a polluted lake like the Janjaweed's final soultions against the last of the indigenous peoples in Sudan....but declining "numbers",disgruntled fans,Sirius,XM and internet-only independant stations are killiing you..and yet you deny it.
The late Ruth Lyons,Edward R. Murrow and Wolfman Jack would have surely told you off and exposed you early on as the almighty invincible [EDIT](predestined for eternal damnation) that you are!!!!
(sans the obvious anglo-saxon expletives not allowed here on these boards.)





[EDIT-namecalling]

 

[lash]

Why don't you tell us you really feel?

 

[FRR]

The big Communications Act in 96 was the death of good radio in America. Congress got lots of free cell phones and other goodies, but no one was looking out for the listening public. That's why three companies own the country. Can you imagine some guy, even with money, trying to make it own their own today. We have WDJO here in Cincinnati, and I hope they make it. But I'm sure it is an uphill battle. Check out www.oldies1160.com and see what I mean.

 

[gr8oldies]

Then again, it would have been interesting to see how mom-and-pop radio, one AM and one FM to a market and a 12-12-12 limit would have fared in the iPod and internet world. Thaty has to be taken into consideration, at least.

 

[CTListener]

Go ahead you arrogant corporate morons,call us whiners and crybabies..it's in your face and you deny the truth like an ultra right-wing extremist denying that the holocaust took place.

Isn't there an unwritten rule (or written ... I think it was in a Dave Barry column) that you automatically lose an argument on the Internet if you bring Hitler/Nazi Germany into the discussion?

 

[Oldbones]

Please tell me what competition there is when the majors now are super-niching their formats so as not to step on a cluster-sister's shoes.

Please tell me what competition there is when we're looking to narrow-cast in the first place.

OK, please tell me how the audience was being better served with 4 ACs (all playing essentially the same songs), 3 AORs & 3 CHRs (ditto). Yeah, the niches are narrower, but it makes room for formats that wouldn't otherwise have been viable. Would you rather be the #4 AC, or the only country?

If we're maximizing the best single money-maker aimed at the largest advertiser-targetted audience, how is that broadcasting?

Huh??

And how have we permitted this uncompetitive atmosphere to lead us down the path to predicable, unchallenging (and unchallenged), and stale programming for so long?

Are you implying that "unchallenging (and unchallenged), and stale programming" did not exist before 1996? The Telcom Act only accelerated a trend that was already well-established.

 

[radiofriend1]

there have actually been MORE RADIO JOBS since consolidation if U think about it:

for example a station outside atlanta-mom & pop op might need a dozen people TOTAL. handful of DJs, 3 sales people, couple of office workers and everybody wearing 3-4 hats.

move that station INTO atlanta and try to be competitive U have probably 10 on air (incl. 3-4 on am show and producers) about a dozen sellers, 4-5 promo people. it adds up fast

 

[muskrat14]

OK, please tell me how the audience was being better served with 4 ACs (all playing essentially the same songs), 3 AORs & 3 CHRs (ditto). Yeah, the niches are narrower, but it makes room for formats that wouldn't otherwise have been viable. Would you rather be the #4 AC, or the only country?

I don't know about the audience, but it served ME better. If I wanted more money or a better shift, I at least had competition to choose from. Now, my former competition is all in-house and in a different format. If you're an AC jock and there's only one AC, you're stuck, unless you want to move. Plus I miss the days where we used to really compete -- show up and try to sabotage each other's promotions, beat each other on record releases, tweak each other on the air, steal each other's jocks (that was the best). Now...yawn...

Are you implying that "unchallenging (and unchallenged), and stale programming" did not exist before 1996? The Telcom Act only accelerated a trend that was already well-established.

Of course it did. But it was a helluva lot easier to change and fix back then. Your format competition -- which doesn't exist now, for the most part -- kept you on your toes. Now, if you're the only country station, you can be lazy.

 

[muskrat14]

there have actually been MORE RADIO JOBS since consolidation if U think about it:

for example a station outside atlanta-mom & pop op might need a dozen people TOTAL. handful of DJs, 3 sales people, couple of office workers and everybody wearing 3-4 hats.

move that station INTO atlanta and try to be competitive U have probably 10 on air (incl. 3-4 on am show and producers) about a dozen sellers, 4-5 promo people. it adds up fast

MORE job since consolidation? Are you on crack? Without consolidation, EACH one of those stations (or at most an AM/FM combo) needs a GM, sales managers, a full airstaff, promotions people, production directors, traffic (logs and road), billing, etc. Most of those are now shared within multi station clusters. PD's are running 4 and five stations. The MD job has all but disappeared. Find an all-night jock in a market outside the Top 20. Remember the creature known as the 10p-2a jock? I used to be one. Come on' "friend." Look around.

 

[gr8oldies]

Yes, we had four A/C's in many markets, and some markets went years a t a time with no CHRs. Even if the rules were the same as in 1990, the ability to voice track and hard drive automation would still be there, and it may well be used more than it is under the current system. You remember that in most markets you had three or four fairly dominant stations (most likely A/C) and a bunch of rimshots that were "format of the month club" members. How would those rimshots and lower powered signals really be faring in our internet-and-iPod world today if they were still mom-and-pops?

 

[Anyacat]

Well, we will never know because consolidation removes choice. The last generation to grow up listening to radio has been pushed elsewhere and what follows is a generation that is used to going elsewhere for what radio used to give people. So much for radio.

 

[OldiesCat]

radio

It's funny, I heard the same carping about radio when music FMs took over the lanscape in the '70s; radio people bitched and whined when carts replaced vinyl, when CDs replaced carts and when cart machines vanished from studios and spots came from PCs. When the big migration of move-ins happened in the '80s, radio people complained and once again the end of radio as we know it was imminent.

Yet, a great number of those complainers stayed and stayed and stayed in radio, many still in the business.

Guess it doesn't suck that badly. We are indeed creatures of routine and we just plain hate change. Imagine taking all that energy and emotion and turning it toward doing exciting, interesting and compelling radio. If you are an on-air personality and spend much of your time criticizing your industry, please take just a minute, look into the mirror and ask, "am I going to be part of the problem or part of the solution?". Because, continually criticizing and knocking this wonderful business will not improve any of it one iota. There is no reason you cannot make your contribution to what we do entertaining and dazzling every day, every week. Some guy getting fired in Philly or Phoenix can either get you down or motivate you to be great. It is your choice.

;D

 

[amfmsw]

Hey Cat...

Many of those "complainers" of the Docket 80-90 move-ins are now their owners!

But alas, as I read in the M street Journal yesterday, the Table Of Allotments, in use for 40 some years, is no more at all! It was abolished and abondoned by the FCC.

 

[vibe]

One of radio's mistakes whatever the format is a very vanilla playlist; some people prefer Baskin Robbins. Some stations have a very predictable and boring playlist. Could it be that they have made incorrect assumptions about the musical tastes of the audience?
We went to a 40th high school reunion this summer. The DJ's were about 1/2 our age. The songs they picked were mostly crap, they could have done some quick research and compiled a playlist of the songs that were popular in 1964-66. (sophomore, junior, senior years). So even with an audience that fit into a very small age span, the DJ's STLLL couldn't get it right. (we basically told the dj, we were taking over and he would play what WE wanted, not him-and it worked).
The point is that there is an awful lot of assumption as to what music an audience wants. Some songs have been played literally thousands of time! So my advice as a listener, not one who is in the business, is to take chances. Play a song that "only" made it up to #11 on the charts. Play more songs by one hit wonders. Play some"B' sides occasionally. Yes, you may be trying to appeal to a certain age groups/demographics, but understand, we are aren't all of the same mold. There are 24 hours in a day, mix it up, throw some darts, fight and win back your audience.

 

[amfmsw]

Some reasonable points Vibe, but take a look at the top 77 songs for the past 8 years, and vote while you're there. The same top 15 for nearly all years. That's why it's become predictable.

www.musicradio77.com

 

[vibe]

Thanks for that link-used to listen to WABC in the 60's while at the Conn shore. There were so many radios playing the station it sounded like it was in stereo.

 

[OldiesCat]

can't have it both ways

One of radio's mistakes whatever the format is a very vanilla playlist; some people prefer Baskin Robbins. Some stations have a very predictable and boring playlist. Could it be that they have made incorrect assumptions about the musical tastes of the audience?
We went to a 40th high school reunion this summer. The DJ's were about 1/2 our age. The songs they picked were mostly crap, they could have done some quick research and compiled a playlist of the songs that were popular in 1964-66. (sophomore, junior, senior years). So even with an audience that fit into a very small age span, the DJ's STLLL couldn't get it right. (we basically told the dj, we were taking over and he would play what WE wanted, not him-and it worked).
The point is that there is an awful lot of assumption as to what music an audience wants. Some songs have been played literally thousands of time! So my advice as a listener, not one who is in the business, is to take chances. Play a song that "only" made it up to #11 on the charts. Play more songs by one hit wonders. Play some"B' sides occasionally. Yes, you may be trying to appeal to a certain age groups/demographics, but understand, we are aren't all of the same mold. There are 24 hours in a day, mix it up, throw some darts, fight and win back your audience.

Wait just a sec here. In one breath, you talk about "incorrect assumptions about audience music tastes" then end your post with "mix it up, throw some darts" with the music.

What if you assume wrong then?

 

[bobeeboxer]

worked at a radio station and we widen our playlist. Played some of those b sides every now and then, slowed down rotation etc.....our ratings went way down. So we did research chopped a ton of music out and played only the top testing most over played songs and our numbers were up and the best we ver had..... Play the hits thats what mr and mrs public want....mr and mrs dj and music geek you have a cd player at home......The most popular pizza topping is peperoni that would be the most over used and over eaten topping but try to run a pizza joint and hardly offer it that in a nut shell is what it is

 

[radiofriend1]

true. the expression *playin the hits* has lasted for years for good reason