New Blood?

[emo474]

When you stop and think about it... all of the most pouplar DJs or teams in this area have been around for quite some time locally. Frankie @ Magic, Daniels & Webster @ 107, Doc Medic @ Froggy, Rocy & Sue/ Jeff Walker @ KRZ, Kevin Lynn @ WILK..... these are personalities that go back to the early 80's in many cases. Yet, are there any new voices to add to this list? I know there's ratings in familiarity, and all these individuals do well in thier respective roles... but where is the new blood? If the advent of KRZ gave us all this talent in the early 80's, why hasn't any new station since created a personality with true staying power? Was the early 80's it's own golden age for local talent? Yes, there is talent out there at other stations, but not of the magnitude and staying power these individuals have exhibited. And when there's a need for a new talent, what do programmers do? They get back in their DeLorean and bring back more faces and names from the past... Steve Corbett, Michael Neff. I have no problem with these individuals.. each fills their nitche nicely and deserve the air-time they get.. but as the song goes "who gonna fill their shoes"? When you stop and think of it.. we really did have a special group of people who made NE PA thir home in the 80's.

 

[masterg]

Take the fact that ucountable radio jobs have dried up nationwide over the last 25 years, and it shouldn't be at all surprising that "new blood" is hard to find. Jobs are hard to find, because not every small town in American has at least one station with honest-to-God full time employees. I don't know, anyone want to guess? I'd take a run at it and say that there at least 60% fewer jobs in radio than there were 25 years ago. Clearly, those who have the "good gigs" stay in them, being transient, being a radio bum, isn't what it used to be. When I got in the biz(early 70s), you could literally work your way across the country finding jobs at stations in every state along the way. I knew several guys who did just that; they hopped to Ohio, Indiana llinois, Iowa, etc. Today, not a chance.

The advent of KRZ was early 80s' Stop, think, count how many jocks WARM, WILK, WEJL, WNAK, etc., had at the time, how many news people they had then. WARM alone had 6 full time jocks, and 5 full time news people, and a handful of part timers on top of that. People stay put because the options of where to go have evaporated. You have a good job, you sit, you stay.

 

[DStroyer]

Yet, are there any new voices to add to this list? I know there's ratings in familiarity, and all these individuals do well in thier respective roles... but where is the new blood?

Radio stopped paying a decent living wage, so we left.

 

[mimo]

Jim Bone at 97.9 X has only been there since late 2003 or early 2004. He came from Kansas City, and last I checked, they had decent morning ratings.

 

[masterg]

Radio stopped paying a decent living wage, so we left.

"I didn't leave radio, radio left me." Great line from a great friend not all that long ago.

 

[chacha]

Radio stopped paying a decent living wage, so we left.

"I didn't leave radio, radio left me." Great line from a great friend not all that long ago.

Part of it too, is that radio stopped being the fun, creative outlet it once was. That was a big part of what
attracted talented, creative individuals. The most recent generation of "air personalities" (with some notable exceptions) are not particularly talented and (for whatever the reason may be) not very creative or entertaining....so radio operators, not seeing a difference in either ratings or billing between jocks, have decided
not to spend a lot of money on it because it doesn't matter anyway.

With that said....the MONSTER talents in the industry (all from older generations), Stern, Imus, Kraddick, Dees, Opie & Anthiny are all doing better now than the ever had financially.

 

[emo474]

And that's because of the technology. The technology that we once thought would save and revive this industry (Stereo AM/Satellite Sources for Music, News, Sports) has now taken away most of our jobs! Deregulation duplicated one station onto many and axed a great numbers of radio professionals, the satellite then made everyone expendable... big name talent at a lower cost, But the true cost was the local programming and talent, Every station is like USA TODAY.. plenty of fluff, pie charts, and pictures, but nothing to serve the local audience.

 

[nepa_radio]

let me tell you whats wrong you can hardly say crap on the radio without getting fired, after Imus got fired AL. SHARPTON!!!(eewwww) ****ed up radio, it was bad enough the way it was now it's worse kill censorship!!!!

 

[deff junction]

I was at the doctors office and the receptionist asked what I did.
I told her I worked for W--- and she said, W? WHats that? I said it was the local station. She said."radio? I hate radio". She is in her 20s and hates radio because
"its too boring" The station prides itself on being a part of the community and programs for her demographic,

 

[masterg]

I was at the doctors office and the receptionist asked what I did.
I told her I worked for W--- and she said, W? WHats that? I said it was the local station. She said."radio? I hate radio". She is in her 20s and hates radio because
"its too boring" The station prides itself on being a part of the community and programs for her demographic,

Scary, don't you think? Yet any number of people will challenge you, telling you that all is well in radio. I made a comment elsewhere on this board about sat radio ruling in time. I also said(for the 37th time)that AM is dead, and that FM is in serious trouble. If radio has a future, it's satellite radio.

 

[Nokmo True]

I don't know masterg. I think maybe satellite will end up as orphaned technology when the day comes that wireless internet fills the air like radio does now. Then your car radio will have a chip, will be a computer essentially, and everything from everywhere in the world will be available. You'll still pay for access, like you do online at home now, but satellite? Who will need it when wifi is everywhere?

 

[waunderlust]

I was at the doctors office and the receptionist asked what I did.
I told her I worked for W--- and she said, W? WHats that? I said it was the local station. She said."radio? I hate radio". She is in her 20s and hates radio because
"its too boring" The station prides itself on being a part of the community and programs for her demographic,

I guess you didn't get a date then huh? That's so sad. Remember when you used to say "I'm so-and-so from such-and-such" and people's eyes would widen? The good old days.

 

[deff junction]

A date? That would have been nice.I am old enough to be her father.
I remember sometimes not telling people I worked in radio. Ever have someone unload on you about your station? "The music sucks, so and so sucks,too many commercials "etc. Sometimes the attention you get is not what you expect. I knew a guy who thought one of his listeners sounded hot on the phone,made a date and you can guess what happened next. She was about 3'6" and was visually challenged (Boy , are we PC these days) ANd she became a major problem.
Oh the stories we all could tell,

 

[waunderlust]

Visually challenged or Visually challenging? Ha! A new PC term for not pleasing to the eyes. Visually challenging...sorry, but I think that's funny... Maybe I shouldn't laugh, I have a voice for newspaper and a face for radio!