Radio and our Culture of Greed

[EbolaMonkey]

I think what hurt the talent pool in English-speaking media were other, better opportunities. Someone like a Seinfeld might have had a career in radio. Or the Saturday Night Live folks.

Then why didn't Howard's "E" show blossom into something bigger? And why didn't Rush-bo's 90's TV offering do anything? For better or worse, radio requires something unique.

From the other angle, Bill O'Reilly hasn't achieved the sort of radio success he thought he could (Great TV guy, but those skills didn't get it done at the same level in radio). Larry King's old-fashioned radio style was obsoleted by Rush, and King left radio with his tail between his legs. Remember his Larry's last and ill-fated attempt at an afternoon shift? The jury is certainly still out on Dennis Miller.

Maybe a few on this board should think better of Seacrest?

 

[TheBigA]

Maybe in a galaxy far, far away.

Nope. It'll be in about three weeks. And the person I'm thinking of will be heard in at least 3 of the Top 10.

I've given you several examples. Then you changed the definition to suit yourself, and said my examples diidn't fit your definition.

It took Howard Stern 20 years to go from Hartford to national syndication. Today, it happens a lot quicker.

Once again, isn't your point that syndication is bad for radio?

 

[EbolaMonkey]

Once again, isn't your point that syndication is bad for radio?

You need to go back to the fifth page of this thread, where I wrote:

"Stern, Harvey, and Rush represent the type of talent that could come into a market and compete against proven and successful local shows. Stern, Harvey and Rush were groomed in local radio and worked their way up. I don't begrudge them for that. There has always been a place for quality syndicated programming in radio. But the market was healthier when strong syndication offerings competed against strong local shows. That competition required that both sides of that equation continue to strive to be better."

It'll be in about three weeks. And the person I'm thinking of will be heard in at least 3 of the Top 10.

I've given you several examples.

Really. Really? This talent is the next Stern or Harvey? And these things happen "a lot quicker these days"?

We've gone through this already, haven't we? The only NEW thing remotely close to Stern or Harvey is Seacrest. And he proves my point. Network television gave him the boost he needed. He wasn't a purely radio creation like Stern, Rush and Harvey. NOTHING is happening "a lot quicker." There are no other examples.

Except, of course, for your show-in-waiting that should be "hitting" any time.

 

[TheBigA]

We've gone through this already, haven't we?

Yes we have. Which is why there's no point wasting any more of my time on this subject.

Examples have been given, and you've dismissed them because you don't know them. But these are people who are now heard in more markets than Stern or Imus ever were.

 

[neo11]

We've gone through this already, haven't we?

Yes we have. Which is why there's no point wasting any more of my time on this subject.

Examples have been given, and you've dismissed them because you don't know them. But these are people who are now heard in more markets than Stern or Imus ever were.

It's telling that those personalities are not known by even one individual on a radio message board. Not for that individual, but for those personalities and the state of radio as a whole.

 

[adma]

It's telling that those personalities are not known by even one individual on a radio message board. Not for that individual, but for those personalities and the state of radio as a whole.

If they're the ones David Eduardo cited, it speaks more of a cultural divide among message board regulars--which probably says a lot about the "White Rhodesian" state of many radio enthusiasts.

If they're the likes of John Boy & Billy or Big D & Bubba: well, to repeat, with names like that, no wonder radio is losing the college educated...

 

[One Who Knows]

I think that quote from the Bible can be applied to a heck of a lot more than just radio. While this industry is guilty of many sins, come judgment day it will have to wait inline behind all the unscrupulous, greedy crooks on Wall Street, in the mortgage & banking industry, and Congress!

Like the Wall Street fat cats, radio managemente has gotton very greedy over the years. With all their sophisticated, impressive titles, CEO's, CFO's, GM's, Asst. GM, PD, APD, etc. etc. etc, They take home the BIG $$$$$ while the underlings bust their ball sacks for a pittance. Corporate greed indeed!

Uh...when did an APD ever make much more than about $40 grand, unless you were in a really, really big market?

 

[softmachine]

But you do have to admit there is a lack of new English-speaking talent, and not because Spanish-speaking is growing. It would grow anyway. What has perhaps killed a lot of talent pools is consolidation. People will ply their talents in other media or not in media at all.

I think what hurt the talent pool in English-speaking media were other, better opportunities. Someone like a Seinfeld might have had a career in radio. Or the Saturday Night Live folks. Instead, they went into movies. Just as talented people like Bob Hope, Jack Benny, and others who left radio in the 1940s for TV and other media. Those who were left in radio weren't as talented as they think they are. I had a chance to listen to as many as 25 radio DJs do interviews with a celebrity. After hearing the same questions asked over and over, hearing a lot of inane ideas, bad jokes, and simply terrible questions thrown at these celebrities, I find it hard to blame radio companies who've been letting on-air types go.

Whoopi?

When did you get to witness this celebrity interview? Does it coincide with the 'post '96' era? Just prior?

Are you telling me what's left, after all the shrinkage, is the cream of talents? God help us all-if we're talking strictly about the local level.

I think if radio personalities-who are truly talented-weighed their talents and decided to give it a go in comedy, for instance, they are more satisfied with a life of more control, certainly, if they find success. If we're talking funny, the better talents find their way into other media.

Seinfeld started in the clubs as a teenager. I don't think radio was on his mind.

Seacrest started in radio at 15, according to wiki. There is certainly a 'plucked and groomed' aspect to his career. He was in LA by 20. I'm thinking white-bread safe mass-appeal, the same thing that puts him squarely in the AI demo. Who knows what his magic is. I don't see it.

 

[TheBigA]

When did you get to witness this celebrity interview? Does it coincide with the 'post '96' era? Just prior?

Recently, but almost all of these people were veteran talents, in the business for more than 15 years. Has nothing to do with post-96 era. Has to do with the fact that there are only a handful of original talents in any business.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

. . . . ... almost all of these people were veteran talents, in the business for more than 15 years. Has nothing to do with post-96 era. Has to do with the fact that there are only a handful of original talents in any business.

There are indeed special people in this world who have original talents or natural talents. May I suggest, however, that in some of your logic about those who can create successful radio programming, there is another factor besides natural born stars.

As something of a glorious finale to my heavy-duty working days I was allowed to join an interest "skunk-works" team in my company. We did not use the title "Business Process Improvement" but I learned that was the popular title then being used by other corporations. It was our job to learn and understand the quality methods that had been rather famously cultivated and defined by Toyota. When someone asked "What do you do" and I would start explaining our charter and when I saw their eyes begin to glaze over... I simply stopped and said: "We bring the Toyota methods to our company." And their eyes would again sparkle and they would respond... "Now I understand."

I have one last dream in life. To bring TQM (Total Quality Management) to a radio station. Good radio doesn't need a super-star original talent to succeed. It needs a team with quality management controls in place. The team will make the person fronting the show (a person with reasonable talent, not necessarily SUPER talent) LOOK LIKE A STAR.

 

[videokilledtheradiostar]

. . . . ... almost all of these people were veteran talents, in the business for more than 15 years. Has nothing to do with post-96 era. Has to do with the fact that there are only a handful of original talents in any business.

There are indeed special people in this world who have original talents or natural talents. May I suggest, however, that in some of your logic about those who can create successful radio programming, there is another factor besides natural born stars.

As something of a glorious finale to my heavy-duty working days I was allowed to join an interest "skunk-works" team in my company. We did not use the title "Business Process Improvement" but I learned that was the popular title then being used by other corporations. It was our job to learn and understand the quality methods that had been rather famously cultivated and defined by Toyota. When someone asked "What do you do" and I would start explaining our charter and when I saw their eyes begin to glaze over... I simply stopped and said: "We bring the Toyota methods to our company." And their eyes would again sparkle and they would respond... "Now I understand."

I have one last dream in life. To bring TQM (Total Quality Management) to a radio station. Good radio doesn't need a super-star original talent to succeed. It needs a team with quality management controls in place. The team will make the person fronting the show (a person with reasonable talent, not necessarily SUPER talent) LOOK LIKE A STAR.

Amen! Let's have some good 'ole original ideas put to good use. Let's rid radio of corporate greed and corruption. No more piping in national shows to local stations. Local stations should be grooming local talent. ;D