If the Big Mac was made 50 years ago, nobody will eat it. The medium of radio is 100 years old. THAT is the mechanism that stays the same. But clearly the audience is looking for different things from that 100 year old mechanism. Pizza may be 100 years old, but it's not the same kind of pizza they made back then. They didn't put chicken or BBQ sauce on pizza 100 years ago. Today, people can get local news, local weather, and local traffic from a lot of different places. Radio doesn't have an exclusive on that any more. Lots of places make pizza. Lots of hamburger places. What distinguishes one place from the other? So you have to consider there's really nothing they can ONLY get from terrestrial radio.
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My Week Listening to Tampa Radio
- Thread starter Gregg.
- Start date
If the Big Mac was made 50 years ago, nobody will eat it. The medium of radio is 100 years old. THAT is the mechanism that stays the same. But clearly the audience is looking for different things from that 100 year old mechanism. Pizza may be 100 years old, but it's not the same kind of pizza they made back then. They didn't put chicken or BBQ sauce on pizza 100 years ago. Today, people can get local news, local weather, and local traffic from a lot of different places. Radio doesn't have an exclusive on that any more. Lots of places make pizza. Lots of hamburger places. What distinguishes one place from the other? So you have to consider there's really nothing they can ONLY get from terrestrial radio.
So... basically what you're saying is, because there are alternatives to terrestrial radio, terrestrial radio should stop trying to provide fresh, local, informative, entertaining content... and just roll over and die. Do you work for iHateRadio or something?
My analogy is correct, in fact you helped make my point. The content on terrestrial radio right now, is very much akin to a 50 year old moldy cheeseburger (Hotel California anyone?). When I cited stations such as WSUN, etc, I was referring to the edgy, high energy, entertaining, and local-centric way that they delivered the content... that never gets old, and people never get tired of that. People didn't leave radio, radio left the people awhile back.
My analogy is correct, in fact you helped make my point. The content on terrestrial radio right now, is very much akin to a 50 year old moldy cheeseburger (Hotel California anyone?). When I cited stations such as WSUN, etc, I was referring to the edgy, high energy, entertaining, and local-centric way that they delivered the content... that never gets old, and people never get tired of that. People didn't leave radio, radio left the people awhile back.
So... basically what you're saying is, because there are alternatives to terrestrial radio, terrestrial radio should stop trying to provide fresh, local, informative, entertaining content... and just roll over and die.
Did I say that? No. I'm saying that it's more difficult when radio isn't the only place for those things.
Radio is still fresh and vibrant, and it's fresh and vibrant in Tampa...but probably on stations you don't listen to.
I guess so, because I don't hear a lot of fresh and vibrant radio anymore. I hear a lot of generic syndicated programming. I hear a lot of show hosts keeping their content generic so they have a better chance with a national audience. I hear a lot of cost cutting, and a lot of the same songs over and over. Even the community station is cutting local content now, and automating more. Radio has turned into a bunch of prerecorded and outdated content that gets repeated over and over, almost as if to intentionally induce listener fatigue. I don't know what you're listening to, but maybe I should be listening too. What stations/programs do you find fresh and vibrant?
I guess so, because I don't hear a lot of fresh and vibrant radio anymore. I hear a lot of generic syndicated programming. I hear a lot of show hosts keeping their content generic so they have a better chance with a national audience. I hear a lot of cost cutting, and a lot of the same songs over and over.
There's no syndication on WQYK or WLLD. No national hosts or cost cutting there either. No syndication at WXGL or WDUV. These are among the highest rated stations in Tampa. I'm sure I can come up with at least five more stations like that.
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WXGL's playlist literally contains 100 songs or less, and even if they aren't VT'd, they sound that way. WDUV is a good background music station, but they also have a very limited playlist, with lots of repeats, and they also sound very very very automated. As for WQYK or WLLD, you're right, I don't really care for the kind of stuff that they do. But I have listened to them, and they also have very limited playlists, especially country stations, they play the same 40 songs over and over.
I dunno, I grew up listening to great live/local radio here, I guess I was spoiled.
I dunno, I grew up listening to great live/local radio here, I guess I was spoiled.
I dunno, I grew up listening to great live/local radio here, I guess I was spoiled.
How big was WSUN's playlist back in the day?
I was speaking of WSUN specifically when they were Talk formatted in the 90's. I don't have a problem with new music stations playing 40 songs in rotation... the problem I have is when a classic rock station only plays 40 songs. There are thousands of popular rock songs that could be played, everyone would still recognize them and enjoy them. But instead we are limited to Hotel California, Reelin' in the Years, and Take the Money and Run. Consultants have been telling me for years now that this is what the average listener wants, and I still say they're full of crap.
Consultants have been telling me for years now that this is what the average listener wants, and I still say they're full of crap.
Obviously you're not the average listener. The stations I listed are the most popular stations in Tampa. So people like what they do. Maybe not you, but lots of other people.
Well, I am certainly not average, but from a listener standpoint, I guess the only thing that could disqualify me is that fact that I've been on the inside for a long time, so maybe I am slightly more cynical when it comes to broadcasting. As for those stations being the most popular, I am already aware of that, but lets put this in perspective. Just because they are the most popular of a set of stations, that doesn't mean that they are great stations, it just means they're more palatable than what the other stations are pedaling. It's my opinion that the overall quality of terrestrial radio has been slipping for a couple of decades now. Of course there will always be a #1 rated station, but so what? Number one out of what? Podcasts are getting more ears than major market radio stations, and again it has nothing to do with the technology or the medium... it has to do with the fact that terrestrial radio is being programmed with inferior content. The only explanation that I can find for this is that broadcast companies such as iHeart, want to shift their listeners away from their FM radio and over to streaming internet radio... I suppose we will never agree, but no one can argue that terrestrial radio is on life support, the debate comes down to why. Some say its because the technology is antiquated, I say it's because the people who are programming it either have ulterior motives, or they're stupid.
The only explanation that I can find for this is that broadcast companies such as iHeart, want to shift their listeners away from their FM radio and over to streaming internet radio.
They make way more money with FM than internet streaming. So I doubt that's their strategy.
It's not called iHeartRadio anymore is it? After the buyout, there was a press release that came out stating that they intend on shifting their focus away from terrestrial radio and into internet/mobile media. Terrestrial sales are still good for many stations, but not so great for others. Look at what happened to CBS here, they couldn't sell enough to turn a profit. Try to find a person under 30 who listens to the radio on a regular basis, I am probably one of the few in the area. I am absolutely of the opinion that companies such as iHeart want to discourage people from listening to terrestrial radio. In the long term it will be beneficial for them... hey, wait and see man. Everyone told me I was full of crap when I said "The Fan" was going off the air soon.
After the buyout, there was a press release that came out stating that they intend on shifting their focus away from terrestrial radio and into internet/mobile media.
First of all, there was no buyout. It's owned by the same company that owned Clear Channel. They just gave it a new name.
Here's a link to the official company press release. No where in it does it say they're "shifting focus away from terrestrial radio." In fact, they talk about terrestrial radio as their foundation.
http://clearchannel.com/Pages/Press.aspx
CBS traded their Tampa stations only because they don't own a TV in the market. The Tampa radio cluster was one of the most successful in the company.
I beg to differ, there absolutely was a buyout, it happened back in late 2008. They took the company private. It's not the same company anymore, they have a new CEO as of 2011/2012. They pushed the Mays' out and rebranded the company. To quote their new CEO, "We have a company that's doing progressive stuff, and yet we're named after AM radio..." I've also read that before the buyout in 2008, terrestrial radio only accounted for half of their income, with the rest coming from billboards.
As for CBS, all I know is what I was told by people working over there, and according to them, sales had been rough... but then again sales are rough for the entire industry, so maybe I read too much into that... or did I? Because they folded... do you really expect me to believe that their Tampa cluster was one of the most successful, and yet they sold for lack of a TV station??? That makes no sense. They obviously didn't learn from the DuMont network, you don't sell your most successful station to keep the rest afloat... ever...
As for CBS, all I know is what I was told by people working over there, and according to them, sales had been rough... but then again sales are rough for the entire industry, so maybe I read too much into that... or did I? Because they folded... do you really expect me to believe that their Tampa cluster was one of the most successful, and yet they sold for lack of a TV station??? That makes no sense. They obviously didn't learn from the DuMont network, you don't sell your most successful station to keep the rest afloat... ever...
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I beg to differ, there absolutely was a buyout, it happened back in late 2008.
The name change just happened a couple months ago. You made it sound there was a connection between the buyout and the name change. There wasn't. The iHeartRadio concept pre-dates the buyout. My point is they make more money from terrestrial radio than internet. So they're not refocusing away from terrestrial.
do you really expect me to believe that their Tampa cluster was one of the most successful, and yet they sold for lack of a TV station??? That makes no sense.
You can believe whatever you want, but if you look at CBS, it's a radio-TV company. They're trying to market their clusters as radio-TV combos. So they traded radio-only Tampa to a company that had radio stations in Miami, where CBS owns TV. That gives them a radio-TV combo. It had nothing to do with the success of Tampa as a cluster.
I think there is a connection, these things don't just happen overnight, there was all kinds of legal stuff that they had to deal with. Shortly after the buyout the company's name was changed for the first time. The word "Radio" was removed, and their name was changed to "Clear Channel Media & Entertainment"... so they've been distancing themselves from the terrestrial radio side of the business for awhile. And no, it is definitely not the same company, different CEO, different executives at the top, different agenda, etc. If it is true that they are still making more money from terrestrial, then it won't be that way for long. Right now the terrestrial side of the business is just filling the gap, and killing time... if you think they aren't focusing away from terrestrial, you need to reread the recent comments from their current CEO, it's clear that he has contempt for that side of the business.
I'll take your word for it on CBS.
I'll take your word for it on CBS.
if you think they aren't focusing away from terrestrial, you need to reread the recent comments from their current CEO, it's clear that he has contempt for that side of the business.
The current CEO has been in radio since he was a teenager growing up in Pittsburgh. He has programmed several of the biggest radio stations in the country. He wouldn't have the job he has today if he didn't love radio. So I doubt very much he has "contempt" for radio. I think he's just trying to dig his company out of debt, debt that he inherited from the Mays family.
Well, then maybe he should choose his words more carefully.
"It's not a company with a bunch of old radio stations and outdoor anymore," Chief Executive Bob Pittman said in an interview. "We've transformed, so let's now take a name that matters..."
I know who Bob Pittman is, he programmed some radio stations back in the 70's when he was in his 20's, he then went on to help create the monster that is MTV. This guy isn't a real broadcaster, he's a suit... I don't care for him or what he does. He may be a successful businessman, but he doesn't have what's best for the medium at heart. That's all I have to say on the subject.
"It's not a company with a bunch of old radio stations and outdoor anymore," Chief Executive Bob Pittman said in an interview. "We've transformed, so let's now take a name that matters..."
I know who Bob Pittman is, he programmed some radio stations back in the 70's when he was in his 20's, he then went on to help create the monster that is MTV. This guy isn't a real broadcaster, he's a suit... I don't care for him or what he does. He may be a successful businessman, but he doesn't have what's best for the medium at heart. That's all I have to say on the subject.
This guy isn't a real broadcaster, he's a suit... I don't care for him or what he does.
Oh well. He was a "real broadcaster" long before he wore a suit or became a businessman. Radio is in his blood. The Mays folks were car dealers. Pittman has never done anything but been in broadcasting. It takes a real broadcaster to fix what the car dealers wrecked. You may not like what he says or does, but fixing a $20 billion debt won't be easy for anyone. Most people would just walk away.
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