Phoenix Radio Seems So Boring Right Now...

[Ultimajock]

Here's one solution for all the former radio stars:

www.dahl.com

Chicago's Steve Dahl has created his own podcast, where he does what he wants, has a dedicated audience of about 10,000, and apparently attracts advertising. Sure, it's a fraction of his former audience, but you don't play by PPM rules, you don't answer to bean counters (other than yourself), and you can do it from your house.

...Dahl has such little strengh nowadays he couldn't pull a greasy string out of a cat's @$$...

 

[landtuna]

2Son's choice of music stations define one problem - so-called "new" music. People who listen to this genre also tend to be the biggest users of MP3 players and prefer their own mixes to random tracks from the radio. Paradoxically perhaps are the *ahem* older listeners who do not care for the "new" music nor the antics of the 20-something DJ's - especially the yuck-yuck "zoo" formats. So the evolution of music (or non-music as it were) has driven many former radio listeners away.

I disagree somewhat that listeners don't want to hear DJ's. In my youth we had DJ's who knew the music, artists and could relate their knowledge to the listener. What has changed over the past several decades is the long stopsets that go on for 5-8-10 minutes. It could be that listeners object to the DJ reading the commercial rather than their historical function of adding to the musical enjoyment. I know of no one who actively listens who fails to immediately hit the preset once one of those long commercial breaks begins. And what if favorite #2 also happens to be on a stopset? Hit the "off" button.

Four years ago I faithfully listened to Bill Gardner's morning gig then they got rid of him. I also listened faithfully to Camelback Jack in the afternoon then they got rid of him. Two years ago I faithfully listened to KOOL's Morning Show (three personalities + the traffic guy) then they got rid of half the show.

I didn't abandon radio. It abandoned me.

 

[radioiscrack]

...Dahl has such little strengh nowadays he couldn't pull a greasy string out of a cat's @$$...
[/quote]

And which planet does getting paid a million dollars a year mean he has little strength? He was #1 in his demo until PPM hit, and even then was doing just fine....Pratt, Dahl, Russ martin in Dallas, Tom Leykis in LA, Adam Corolla and others ALL got fired because of a CBS corporate decision to downsize highly paid talent...maybe the most idiotic business move I have ever seen, because ALL were producing BIG audience and dollars for their stations and in almost every case, their cheaper replacements are sucking swamp water in the ratings and sales...I wish to God I was making a mill a year and my bosses told me to take a year or more off WITH pay.

I was on a big station in Dallas, (market #5) a few years back, I had good numbers even against Rush and a powerful local guy across town, and when Bill O'Reilly became available for free for a couple years so Westwood One would not lose the market, I still got fired. There is no rational reasoning in radio at all, and it has killed the product.

Just sayin'

 

[oldiesfan6479]

I disagree somewhat that listeners don't want to hear DJ's. In my youth we had DJ's who knew the music, artists and could relate their knowledge to the listener. What has changed over the past several decades is the long stopsets that go on for 5-8-10 minutes...(snip)...Four years ago I faithfully listened to Bill Gardner's morning gig then they got rid of him. I also listened faithfully to Camelback Jack in the afternoon then they got rid of him...(snip)...I didn't abandon radio. It abandoned me.

Senor Tuna, you realize the Old Geezer Gringo is going to play the "geezer" card with you.

 

[davideduardo]

I disagree somewhat that listeners don't want to hear DJ's. In my youth we had DJ's who knew the music, artists and could relate their knowledge to the listener. What has changed over the past several decades is the long stopsets that go on for 5-8-10 minutes...(snip)...Four years ago I faithfully listened to Bill Gardner's morning gig then they got rid of him. I also listened faithfully to Camelback Jack in the afternoon then they got rid of him...(snip)...I didn't abandon radio. It abandoned me.

Senor Tuna, you realize the Old Geezer Gringo is going to play the "geezer" card with you.

Royal Flush: Geezer card, senior card, old folks card, retirees card.

As nice as some of those people are, advertisers don't spend money to reach them. Out in Sun City, they thought Gardner was a young whippersnapper; his average audience age was about 10 years older than the then-old KOOL.

 

[pattiwacki]

I thought DJs were fun in the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. Since then (since ipod?), all I want to hear from a radio personality are the song titles of the set that was just played. Not so on Talk Radio though, I still enjoy hearing those personlities talk. At some point, music interspersed with talk became obnoxious.

 

[DrAkbar]

uhhhh...it's all about change, folks. Either adapt, or get your own Media Hut franchise and long for the good old daze!

 

[davideduardo]

uhhhh...it's all about change, folks. Either adapt, or get your own Media Hut franchise and long for the good old daze!

I'd really like to open a Media Hut in Press-kit. What are the franchise fees?

 

[landtuna]

I'd really like to open a Media Hut in Press-kit.

There are no 55+ Media Huts in Press-kot.

 

[TheBigA]

I didn't abandon radio. It abandoned me.

You moved outside the target demo. Not by choice, of course. Same thing happened to your parents at some point.

 

[landtuna]

You moved outside the target demo. Not by choice, of course. Same thing happened to your parents at some point.

The music changed in the early-to-mid 80's. I was less than 40 years old. Apparently I've been outside the demo for quite some time.

I don't remember my folks ever listening to the radio.

 

[Legend City]

Radio in PHX used to be rich, creamy, sharp and sometimes pungent in a good way.

Now its aerosol and bland and melts easily, without taste, form or purpose.

We need better cheese in this town, my Ipod sounds better than over the air and the internet is the only place to find good stations run by people who are creative and allowed to do what they love for their audience.

 

[DrAkbar]

uhhhh...it's all about change, folks. Either adapt, or get your own Media Hut franchise and long for the good old daze!

I'd really like to open a Media Hut in Press-kit. What are the franchise fees?

Press-kit has been taken. However Nurse Jeff tells me Skull Valley, Cornville & Clarkdale are available. We'll be sending you our easy to read 128 page Franchise agreement para su firma.

Welcome aboard, and a great big tip of the fez from the Buckeye Boyz!

 

[azenergyfan]

I really wish someone would do something that is out of the box, something compelling and entertaining. I think back to when i first moved here. I use to love The Zone, yeah the music was cool but I tuned in to hear Howard and then Pratt in pm drive and loved Powell at night. You can make fun of Free FM all you want but it was something different to listen to. I could only take so much of Leykis but for the first time in a long time I found myself listening to radio in the evening and The Big O and Dukes show.


These days when I am in my car and I don't have XM or my IPOD on I find myself going up and down the dial looking for something to listen to. Its the same ol played out songs on the radio and really nothing grabs my attention. Its bland, boring, and predictable. Blah.... something has to give.

 

[oldiesfan6479]

I'd really like to open a Media Hut in Press-kit. What are the franchise fees?

Press-kit has been taken. However Nurse Jeff tells me Skull Valley, Cornville & Clarkdale are available.
We'll be sending you our easy to read 128 page Franchise agreement para su firma.

Doc, aren't you going to advise D.E. about page six? You know, where it states that
all new faculty members have to teach "Geezer Sales 101" their first semester?

 

[OCradiodude]

David may correct me on this, but aren't studies showing that between 85-95% of radio listeners listen through the commercials?

 

[indieradioguy]

2Son's choice of music stations define one problem - so-called "new" music. People who listen to this genre also tend to be the biggest users of MP3 players and prefer their own mixes to random tracks from the radio. Paradoxically perhaps are the *ahem* older listeners who do not care for the "new" music nor the antics of the 20-something DJ's - especially the yuck-yuck "zoo" formats. So the evolution of music (or non-music as it were) has driven many former radio listeners away.

I disagree somewhat that listeners don't want to hear DJ's. In my youth we had DJ's who knew the music, artists and could relate their knowledge to the listener. What has changed over the past several decades is the long stopsets that go on for 5-8-10 minutes. It could be that listeners object to the DJ reading the commercial rather than their historical function of adding to the musical enjoyment.

Two words: Mary McCann (the Bone Mamma.) Somebody bring her back to Phoenix. Please. And I will still occasionally listen to The Edge - er, I mean X103.9 - just to hear Robin Nash, because she's one of the few DJ's left in this town who is enthusiastic enough to make me want to buy a CD. Why *can't* I have my cake and eat it, too? I don't want to choose between DJ's or new music, paper or plastic.

 

[davideduardo]

David may correct me on this, but aren't studies showing that between 85-95% of radio listeners listen through the commercials?

Yes, there have been several. The surprise for most is that the number is so high, and that usualy comes from people who think that half or more of listening is in the car, where it's easy to change stations. When we realize that two thirds of listening is not in the car, and that folks don't change clock radios, kitchen and bath radios, office radios every time spots or a bad song comes on we see why most people endure the long stops.

 

[landtuna]

The surprise for most is that the number is so high, and that usualy comes from people who think that half or more of listening is in the car, where it's easy to change stations. When we realize that two thirds of listening is not in the car, and that folks don't change clock radios, kitchen and bath radios, office radios every time spots or a bad song comes on we see why most people endure the long stops.

I've always heard that most radio listening (and I mean by that active listening and not as background noise in the Home Depot) is done in a vehicle.

Someone who is not actively listening probably can't differentiate between a commercial and a music set anyway.

 

[pattiwacki]

Two words: Mary McCann (the Bone Mamma.) Somebody bring her back to Phoenix. Please. And I will still occasionally listen to The Edge - er, I mean X103.9 - just to hear Robin Nash, because she's one of the few DJ's left in this town who is enthusiastic enough to make me want to buy a CD. Why *can't* I have my cake and eat it, too? I don't want to choose between DJ's or new music, paper or plastic.


[/quote]

I would listen to Mary McCann.