Newspaper Poster: "Radio Wasn't Telling Us Anything"

[radioboy]

Like many posters here, I often wonder when, if ever, will radio step up to the plate and become
useful once again.

Tallahassee was hit with a severe thunderstorm Sunday evening. The National Weather Service recorded approximately 6,000 lightning strikes associated with the storm. Some structures, mostly sheds, had damage to the roofs; more than 8,000 people (myself included) lost power; and a couple of fires were started by lightning, causing extensive damage to at least two residences.

And where was radio?

Asleep at the satellite dish, apparently.

A Tallahassee Democrat reader wrote a post under the storm article in today's paper, basically stating that they were watching TV updates at a friend's home via satellite until the power went out. Upon their arrival home, they discovered that Comcast cable was out, and "radio wasn't telling us anything either."

So it's not just radio geeks that have discovered that for the most part, radio has become useless at a time when information is needed.

In order to get weather information for my stepdaughter's fiance, who was to travel home to Panama City, we found it necessary to get on the Internet, once power was restored, to help him find the safest way home.

A job that radio could have helped with, but did not.

Sigh.

 

[smedge2006]

When will this start getting coverage outside of radio sites?

 

[Brother Bear]

I find it deliciously ironic that a criticism of what radio DOESN'T do was delivered by the ultimate in Dead Media, a newspaper. An exhausted, outmoded fish wrap barely worthy of recycling into a paper plates finds time to cast stones as it wallows, dare I say DROWNS in it's own incompetant shortcomings!
Maybe radio "wasn't telling" you "anything" because you weren't listening, or maybe because you live in a market where the ravages of the Radio Wars have hit the hardest. Either way before you cast stones of your own, look at every facet of the glass you seek to shatter.
What was once a place of thought provoking commentary and insight from true radio insiders, this board has turned into, by and large, a porch full of the bitter and disenfranchised bitching about how radio sucks and never will be like it was "back in the day". I defend your right to say whatever and applaud this venue for fostering free speech and ideas, but ....
To those who simply wring their hands and lament the way things are, I ask, "What are you doing about it?"
Or is it easier to simply sit back and complain about Corporate Radio and the suits and how the Ol' Gray Mare ain't what she used to be and how today's air talent is horrible and how great it was to smoke weed in the studio during your shift and sleep with groupies and hang out with Blackfoot and these morons don't know what REAL radio is and radio is dead blah blah blah.
Some of us are still on the front lines and chop at the log all day and as for myself, you blackhearts and malcontents that think radio OWES you something really piss me off with your whining. I could've left radio a long time ago and sold cars or cut lawns or drove a truck or punched assholes in animal crackers for that matter, but I didn't. I stayed at the path with the MOST resistance because I love radio, as do my surviving brothers and sisters who still play the game, who still deal with bean counters running the show. I have made the sacrifices, taken the pay cuts and abuses of management peons that aren't worthy of shining my boots, and I stayed at it because I want to see radio thrive again ... and it WILL with or without the Brown Dwarf stars that simply suck the energy out of the universe and give nothing back but negative energy and cynicism.
Dammit, we can make radio GREAT again! It won't be the same as it was years ago, but what survivor is? They survive because they are the fittest ... and adapt to change. So as the dinosaurs die off, join our hardy band and help us make radio great again. Don't just wallow in hate. Don't make excuses. Be a part of the solution, not part of the problem!
Great ... the sasparilla has angered up the ol' Bear's blood again!

 

[John FL]

Brother Bear, I respect you and your fellow broadcasters a lot, perhaps even to a fault. A long time ago when I first got into management someone wise told me that if I needed to deal with employee issues, that it's best to walk around the block and cool off or wait until the next day to deal with it. In that way, you are more effective in dealing with the problem and emotion is left at the door.
In this venue, there have been times I have wished I could edit responses I've made a few hours after the fact but no dice. While this is no excuse, my intentions have at times been overshadowed by how I have said things and so I will take some responsbility here to try to improve on that front. OK?
Now, to some of your points especially to the question, "What are you doing about it?" leaves me almost to the point of being speechless. While there are many others who post here, I shouldn't assume your ire is directed all toward me. But I feel I need to defend myself. The vast majority of my commentary over the years has always included ideas and suggestions. I do try to bring solutions to the table and there probably isn't anyone close on this board who is more of an advocate for the talent such as yourself than I am. I'm sorry if this sounded too much like bitching and that was never the intention.
In fact, I am often the leader on this board starting strings giving kudos to those who have earned recognition. The written word can often be misunderstood. It's not about whining, it's not really who I am. If we ever sat down together and got to know each other, you would realize I'm positive and motivated but my expectations are high. You all know I love the business of radio and I always have. Frustration is a tough emotion to deal with but that's something I will work to improve.
However, I will not apologize for reminding those in charge to remember radio is a communications medium and it's about the listener. I also remain firm in my belief that if you just go through the motions or take your audience for granted, that strategy will eventually bite you in the AZZ and we all loose.
There are a lot of bright spots in Jax radio, especially morning drive where personality dominates. O.K. I've said what I wanted to say. I respect your thought processes and hopefully mine will be respected too.

 

[upstate29651]

I find it deliciously ironic that a criticism of what radio DOESN'T do was delivered by the ultimate in Dead Media, a newspaper. An exhausted, outmoded fish wrap barely worthy of recycling into a paper plates finds time to cast stones as it wallows, dare I say DROWNS in it's own incompetant shortcomings!
Maybe radio "wasn't telling" you "anything" because you weren't listening, or maybe because you live in a market where the ravages of the Radio Wars have hit the hardest. Either way before you cast stones of your own, look at every facet of the glass you seek to shatter.
What was once a place of thought provoking commentary and insight from true radio insiders, this board has turned into, by and large, a porch full of the bitter and disenfranchised bitching about how radio sucks and never will be like it was "back in the day". I defend your right to say whatever and applaud this venue for fostering free speech and ideas, but ....
To those who simply wring their hands and lament the way things are, I ask, "What are you doing about it?"
Or is it easier to simply sit back and complain about Corporate Radio and the suits and how the Ol' Gray Mare ain't what she used to be and how today's air talent is horrible and how great it was to smoke weed in the studio during your shift and sleep with groupies and hang out with Blackfoot and these morons don't know what REAL radio is and radio is dead blah blah blah.
Some of us are still on the front lines and chop at the log all day and as for myself, you blackhearts and malcontents that think radio OWES you something really piss me off with your whining. I could've left radio a long time ago and sold cars or cut lawns or drove a truck or punched assholes in animal crackers for that matter, but I didn't. I stayed at the path with the MOST resistance because I love radio, as do my surviving brothers and sisters who still play the game, who still deal with bean counters running the show. I have made the sacrifices, taken the pay cuts and abuses of management peons that aren't worthy of shining my boots, and I stayed at it because I want to see radio thrive again ... and it WILL with or without the Brown Dwarf stars that simply suck the energy out of the universe and give nothing back but negative energy and cynicism.
Dammit, we can make radio GREAT again! It won't be the same as it was years ago, but what survivor is? They survive because they are the fittest ... and adapt to change. So as the dinosaurs die off, join our hardy band and help us make radio great again. Don't just wallow in hate. Don't make excuses. Be a part of the solution, not part of the problem!
Great ... the sasparilla has angered up the ol' Bear's blood again!

I fail to find any rational thoughts in this post. Newspaper being a "dying medium" is irrelevant here.

G

 

[pocket-radio]

Brother Bear the era of mass media is coming to a close and that includes radio as we know it today. As Seth Godin says "small is the new big" Newspapers are the weakest link in the chain, because other tools have come along, that suit the needs of advertisers. And people who still read print, generally adults 70+ are dying. Plus the same news is easily found on the web free! Newspapers who can adapt to the new world order will thrive and survive for many years and those who can't will die.. People still have an interest in news, but they're using the web to time shift and better control what content they'd like to read. A world of content and information awaits the fingertips of engaged minds.

TV viewers are spending more time in front the computer watching television programing.. Uh.. mmm that's strange.. Broadband penetration is high, so rather than watching TV on TV's time, consumers are using the web to time shift viewing habits, and better control what content they'd like to watch. It's happening.. and TV is very concerned..

That leaves radio. Radio has suffered through, consolodation where everything sounds the same, more voice tracking and generally doing more with less. We finally know what less is more really means.
Many FM's have been reduced to ipod like clones.. And AM's have become syndicated talk clones.
Through all of these insults to the ears and minds of our listeners radio remains strong.
Though listeners are dirty rotten cheaters. They're spending time with their ipods, cell phones, sat radio and the web where virtual jukeboxes plays every song known to man.. and much of it is free. Radio's last domain the car is flirting widely with the web too. She's a dirty slut..

Change is taking place faster than any of us can comprehend. The suits won't ever admit this, but they're concerned about their careers and the future of radio. Oh they'll pound their chest's like great apes and act all confident.. but it's a show to look powerful and all knowing.. but don't believe it.. Animals in wild act the same. Within the near future, expect bankrupt fillings from Clear Channel, Citadel, Disney and others.. The remaining victims of war that nobody asked for, will be burnt, missing limbs and hurt badly. Some will die and take up truck driving. It's not a bad profession. From the ashes we'll rebuild the next generation of radio, that probably will seem strange compared to what we thought we knew radio was, in radio's past that is..

Buckle up the worst is yet to come. But to reach the other side we'll have to walk through fire first.

 

[smedge2006]

I could've left radio a long time ago and sold cars or cut lawns or drove a truck or punched assholes in animal crackers for that matter, but I didn't. I stayed at the path with the MOST resistance because I love radio, as do my surviving brothers and sisters who still play the game, who still deal with bean counters running the show. I have made the sacrifices, taken the pay cuts and abuses of management peons that aren't worthy of shining my boots, and I stayed at it because I want to see radio thrive again ... and it WILL with or without the Brown Dwarf stars that simply suck the energy out of the universe and give nothing back but negative energy and cynicism.

Self-abuse and self-loathing shouldn't be necessary components of a career in radio. Corporate ownership has made them so. I suspect that many of those who are "going through the motions" do so out of a belief that the only way to get the crop of "management peons" out of the way is to do as little as possible and enough to get by, in the hope that it'll accelerate the inevitable crash.

 

[Stephen Young]

It's so easy to tell someone else how they should run their business when your not the one paying the bills. I'm also amazed at all the pat answers that just blame corporate for everything as if all owners amd managers are heartless evil individuals. I'm sorry but some of the most passionate radio people I know are what some here would call the evil corporate people.

 

[PrivateSector]

To answer the question, "What are you doing about it?". The answer for a lot of the people on this board is simply, "Nothing". It's certainly not by choice. It's because the folks that run radio stations are far less willing to take any "risks" on programming. Have you actually tried to get a job at a radio station lately? They simply don't want to talk to anybody because there are NO OPENINGS! Just about everyone has trimmed down the employee list to the absolute bare bones. They program the station via corporate directives. NO ONE WANTS TO TALK TO YOU! THEIR HANDS ARE TIED! EVEN IF THEY DID HIRE YOU, YOU WILL BE HIRED TO EXECUTE A CORPORATE GAME PLAN, NOT BE A CREATIVE PROGRAMMER!!

I agree that some of the most passionate people in radio right now are those running the stations, but they want to KEEP their jobs, so they do exactly what they're told by corporate. Do you think they like it that way? Do you think they're happy about it? NO! But what choice do they have?

As I've stated before, the survivors in this business will be the smaller companies that are willing to take a bit of a risk. They will program locally, not from an ivory tower in some faraway land. They will find a formatic hole and fill it. They will be successful!

Of course, there are (few) exceptions such as WOKV. As far as I'm concerned, that's the ONLY station in the market that gets down and dirty with the local issues and super-serves its audience. The ratings prove it. Mike Dorwart does a fantastic job programming WOKV. I rest my case.

 

[John FL]

If anything, this string has interesting and varied comments. It’s fairly common, however, to generalize that the posters want to tell business how to operate and spend their money. But this is not totally true as it applies to the Jax market. In fact often, we saw what they were doing as a financial drain. If we are look at where we are as a radio community, I believe it is obvious the decisions were not really proven correct for the long-run.

Actually, many of us were not really as anti-corporate as one would believe because we wanted radio here to thrive and prosper but I guess we were hoping corporate would see the current course as a dangerous one. I still maintain that the corporate decisions of the past several years have weakened radio here overall and many of us saw this day coming to no avail.

Drawing attention to the market deficiencies can be dismissed as the blame game, bitching, calling corporate evil and not really understanding the business of radio. I don’t agree because that has not really been the message.

The GM is in a position of leadership. I certainly don’t envy their role especially if they are micro-managed and given little latitude. But, the decisions made and the executions of those decisions have a ripple effect on the community, the radio industry and the talent who loose their livelihood as a result. Ownership apparently has their proverbial head up their butts if they can’t see the mess we have here.

Life has a lot of forks in the road and so does business signifying choices we make along the way. While I believe all of us can appreciate and understand the importance of revenue and profitability, there is more than one way to achieve those goals.

If you want to call this bitching – fine – but I believe the easy way has been chosen to achieve goals and we seem content in mediocrity. When I hear the word “risk” as it applies to programming, I believe doing nothing- playing the same songs over and over-day in and day out- without any special programming is far riskier. When there is little incentive to listen, all you will achieve is lackluster numbers but we seem content in that.

It takes work to offer listeners varied and exciting radio but I believe it helps the market, the industry and solidifies listener loyalty. What we have instead is going with formats that can generate billing with the least effort. I suppose my expectations have always been higher. Perhaps there are those here who want to operate differently but cannot. What can anyone say? I just wish it were not that way and things will eventually change for the better.

I’ve moved on to other music radio markets but a part of me would love to support a local station. As I mentioned before, our morning shows are a bright spot. I have never been a hard rocker but I recently added Rock 105 to my car presets. If anyone would have told me that I would wind up a Bubba fan, I would think they were nuts. I’m not quite sure what the appeal is but he just makes me feel like I’m in a sports bar and he’s the loud mouth who had a few and has an opinion about everything. Somehow it works and that’s how radio should work – hook you in and make you listen longer.

In the meantime, I’m listening to a Z to A countdown special that has so many songs being aired that it will take almost a week to conclude. What a treat! Across the country, including right here in the Sunshine State, there are many July 4th programming specials taking place. It takes effort and no, it’s not taking a risk. It’s just smart to increase time spent listening when your audience has time off. It makes the audience feel special and my friends, that’s what lacks in music radio in the River City.

Perhaps a difference of opinion in how to operate but I firmly believe that when you take care of your customers, they will take care of you! Have a happy and safe Independence Day!