I took a look over on the rockpage.net forum and there are some harsh posts. It's sad--at least to me--because those posts only make the situation worse. Dave Barger is genuine and without a doubt one of the kindest guys one would want to meet or have as an employer and I'm sure that this was not an easy decision. I don't think anyone is surprised by the recent developments (or at least those familiar with local radio or the economy). A lot of businesses are struggling from increased costs and decreased revenue. There are so many broadcasters that are experiencing financial difficulties. The NASDAQ has warned a few large owners that they risk being de-listed, Emmis has reduced the salaries of a bunch of executives. There is a lot of competition to local radio and that is taking a toll on all stations. Some groups have an advantage because they can better control the market. Those who own fewer stations have less control over the rates and cannot offer as many "freebies" or package deals with other stations in the group. All local businesses (would be advertisers) are finding new ways of cutting costs and sadly, cutting radio advertising budgets appear to be one of those methods.
Posts on that rockpage fourm are encouraging people to boycott the advertisers of Q94, but that will only translate to even more job loss. Local businesses should be encouraged to support local radio and the local economy.
What is happening in Altoona is no different than what went down in places like Huntingdon and Bedford 15 years ago. The local stations and personalities were replaced by satellite and automation. At least they still had local morning shows and local news throughout the day. Look at Huntingdon now--they don't even have automated stations. All they are left with are simulcasts from Altoona or State College.
It's obvious that costs had to be cut. Listening for local spots during the breaks will tell you that there are issues. On the positive side, not everything is off the bird. There is still local radio and a reason to tune in. The morning shows are local. WRTA has some excellent news gatherers/talent and they are among the best in the business. Those guys can provide features that compliment the satellite programming on the other stations and that will help set apart Q94 and Mix from the stations on XM. I would rather listen to Mix 94.7 than XM Blend. I listen to XM for formats that local radio does not offer (like Smooth Jazz).
It's not just Altoona. I spend most of my time in Richmond, and there are a few of stations with just 1-2 air personalities and mostly jockless automation. The large majority of the stations have out of market jocks or syndication during at least one key day-part.
Things might improve slightly in the short term as far as local radio goes, but I don't think there will be a positive change in the long term. Younger people are not listening to radio and are definitely not listening to the spots. As those people become decision makers for the advertising budgets at businesses, terrestrial radio will be screwed. In the meantime, I hope local businesses will support local radio and preserve what we still have. Maybe the posters at rockpage will come around and realize they are not helping the problem.
If I were a local radio owner, I would be keeping up on the latest internet and wireless technology. Investing in a better web presence would be a good idea for any of the stations in Altoona or State College. I'm not impressed by the web properties of any of the stations and that includes all of the owners.
