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Radio furloughs
- Thread starter Promo174
- Start date
Tibbs.....there was a story circulating a couple of weeks ago about a Cumulus market whose engineer was on furough. One of the stations went off the air.....the backup engineer could not be found and the GM wouldn't allow station personnel to call the the regular engineer because of the regulations that corp had sent out regarding furloughs....I understand the station was off the air for quite some time until the backup engineer could finally be located......ridiculous in my opinion....
cw
cw
CW: Guess what city it happened (allegedly happened) in??? Hint: See RI.COM's city directly above North Florida////
Station sounded better off the air, than on. Actually, gotta give it to em, they're sounding great * these days.)
Don't know if the story is really true.
* censor that, they'll change to crap Monday if they read this.
Station sounded better off the air, than on. Actually, gotta give it to em, they're sounding great * these days.)
Don't know if the story is really true.
* censor that, they'll change to crap Monday if they read this.
I can't believe what I'm reading here, especially standing by doing nothing while your station goes off the air. Imagine if radio operated under the same rules as other business such as a restaurant. Radio finds itself where it is because they treat the listeners - their CUSTOMERS like crap.
If restaurant owners decided it was perfectly normal to offer the same type of food on virtually every corner and strip shopping mall, reduce wait staff to a point that it took way to long to get an order in and to get the food, if the quality of the food went down to save a buck but the prices didn't reflect the product and if a bouncer stood at the restaurant entrance making it known if you older than a certain age, you are not welcome - then no one would be surprised the business would fail. Come on folks, to a large degree radio does this. And they wonder why listeners continue to loose interest and revenues continue to tank. Really, would you advertise knowing what you witness everyday?
I don't know. I wish some of these guys who are over their head divest and do the GM thing - operate smaller and try to get back to quality. You know, regarding that Performance Tax thing I brought up the other day, I approached someone I know in the TV media. When it comes to radio, the answer I keep hearing is this really isn't a general interest story.
Imagine that - radio is not of general interest. This is how low things have gotten in the public's perception. All of you out there who are the decision makers, I don't know how you can live with yourselves for what you continue to do.
If restaurant owners decided it was perfectly normal to offer the same type of food on virtually every corner and strip shopping mall, reduce wait staff to a point that it took way to long to get an order in and to get the food, if the quality of the food went down to save a buck but the prices didn't reflect the product and if a bouncer stood at the restaurant entrance making it known if you older than a certain age, you are not welcome - then no one would be surprised the business would fail. Come on folks, to a large degree radio does this. And they wonder why listeners continue to loose interest and revenues continue to tank. Really, would you advertise knowing what you witness everyday?
I don't know. I wish some of these guys who are over their head divest and do the GM thing - operate smaller and try to get back to quality. You know, regarding that Performance Tax thing I brought up the other day, I approached someone I know in the TV media. When it comes to radio, the answer I keep hearing is this really isn't a general interest story.
Imagine that - radio is not of general interest. This is how low things have gotten in the public's perception. All of you out there who are the decision makers, I don't know how you can live with yourselves for what you continue to do.
Maybe my question should have been "WHO is being asked to take furloughs" instead of "What stations.." I would imagine anyone who is part of a 2 or 3 or more member "on-air team" is being asked to take a furlough. If the stations think one computer can run entire blocks of time or whole weekends, why would they want to pay for two or more humans to sit there? After all, computers don't need medical insurance or vacations or... a paycheck!
Oh radio... how I miss you and your fun pals who made it such grand entertainment.
Sigh.
Oh radio... how I miss you and your fun pals who made it such grand entertainment.
Sigh.
Radio furloughs wouldn't have to take place at all if these greedy CEO's and their cronies would just take a reduction in their big bonuses. I said reduction, not totally give up those big fat unearned checks. We're in this situation because of corporate greed. You know the story.
The guys that will ultimately have the most success as professional broadcasters in the future will be the small independent operators that are broadcasting die-hards that know how to serve their audience on a local level. Some of these folks have been fired from CC, Citadel, Cumeless, CBS and the rest but know that there are still 235 million people out there that sample radio every week. That's a lot of people. That can be, in time, a lot of revenue.
Radio isn't over. There are a lot of people that won't pay $12.99 a month for the same thing on a satellite. That's who your available audience is. It's not the 12-25 year old. They never really were into radio. There are way too many other choices for them. It's the 40+ crowd with more spendable income than any other group that terrestrial radio must serve.
It has to happen this way. If it doesn't, the last guy out needs to turn off the lights.
The guys that will ultimately have the most success as professional broadcasters in the future will be the small independent operators that are broadcasting die-hards that know how to serve their audience on a local level. Some of these folks have been fired from CC, Citadel, Cumeless, CBS and the rest but know that there are still 235 million people out there that sample radio every week. That's a lot of people. That can be, in time, a lot of revenue.
Radio isn't over. There are a lot of people that won't pay $12.99 a month for the same thing on a satellite. That's who your available audience is. It's not the 12-25 year old. They never really were into radio. There are way too many other choices for them. It's the 40+ crowd with more spendable income than any other group that terrestrial radio must serve.
It has to happen this way. If it doesn't, the last guy out needs to turn off the lights.
PrivateSector said:
I understand what you are saying, however all of us collectively as a society can be regarded as greedy as well for loads of reasons. But given the subject of the string, I'll refrain from getting into all of that.
It may sound contrary to many of you given what I usually discuss, but I never had an issue with those who are in leadership capacities, in any company, who draw handsome salaries, bonuses and have lots of perks such as large expense accounts or the use of a private jet. Those who make the tough, correct decisions and guide a company, keeping it profitable, should be rewarded. Where I have issue is I don't believe the decisions of the past several years as it regards to radio and especially the Jax market have been the correct ones. So, yes it does infuriate me to see those at the top profit in excess at the expense of really good radio people who are regarded as a liability and not an asset. I am equally angry that financial gain is also achieved by having little regard for their real client - the listener.
PrivateSector said:
Very well said, Private. I can't begin to tell you how much I hope and pray that one or two small operators can come to our town and serve the community well on a local level. The current thinking of fragmenting the audience even further by playing spoiler peeling off listeners of one station in favor of another is not a winning long-term stategy IMHO. I believe commercial radio needs to do all it can to GROW the pie, not cut the slices even smaller. The fight is on for listeners because of increased competition and technology. As has been said countless times, radio will have a needed hook if it is local and inclusive of all segments of the community it serves.
l agree too in that the younger/youngest members of the audience are the most likely to seek, if you pardon the expression, music alternatives. The advertising rules that so many of you subscribe to can one day be a part of your undoing if you don't engage in a total audience market mix for your cluster. Look, younger people by nature are impulsive, easier to manipulate, not set in their ways or habits and usually want to be the first to have that new gadget. Remember a little thing called FM? The younger demos abandoned AM music first because they wanted stereo and they didn't want to listen to their parent's radio station. History is repeating itself. You have to diversify your audience folks! Trying to attract mainly to those who don't have real attatchment to you or a history is not in your best interest.
It takes a lot of hard work and innovative thinking to be a success. Achieving monthly revenue targets is a valid business goal and I have no issue with that. But how this is being achieved does not ensure success in the long run. I may be the eternal optimist but I believe a lot of good radio lies ahead. It's up to the decision makers. If they do the right thing for their listeners and advertisers and hire (granted a small number) real radio talent who have the passion and drive to succeed, well then I would agree CEO and senior management salaries would be justified. Today, they represent a huge expense and yes, given what they have done to achieve this, it IS pure greed.
As I continue to think about the subject of radio furloughs and for that matter the elimination of talent, I have to wonder if the wrong actions and thought processes of the decision-makers have left them little alternative. Overall, my commentary over the years has resulted from believing radio should always strive to be really good and serve the public and community very well. In my simple mind, I always believed in the old adage that if you take care of your customers - they will take care of you.
I am just a radio listener and I never considered myself a radio subject matter expert. When things haven't made sense to me from a business perspective, it was enough to motivate me to comment AND to get answers. It's rare to get answers here so I will try once again.
In the last post I mentioned decsions made over the past few years that I didn't believe were the correct ones but I wasn't specific. When I think of the poor signal of 105.3 and 105.5, it seemed they found a good format when they did smooth jazz as they were earning solid 2s. Apparently, despite poor signal they had a following. If they couldn't sell the format, maybe they had the wrong sales team/sales person. If they were skewing old, so what - the signal was crap. Why mess with success given what you had to work with. Eventually they went with an urban type format bringing 4 stations to the market at the time pretty much going after the same audience. And as we know, that didn't last long and the market once again has 2 urbans and many of us said that should suffice. When I heard the ownership was going through bankruptcy, I don't think anyone was surprised. I'm an idiot, please tell me - what the hell was the point in blowing up jazz to go with something 3 others were doing, disrupting listener habits and chasing away whatever advertising was generated? They wound up scraping the bottom of the ratings heap if I recall correctly and that had to cost them.
As I look at country music in this market, I believe it would be safe to say that despite population shifts and an influx of new residents from northern states, there is a following as the format garners 10-12% of the audience pie. I think there are some reasons for this but that's another subject for another day. I'm trying to understand the need in having 3 stations do the format. WQIK has taken a hit. From a year ago, they are down about 3 shares. So, their billing rate is down. Doesn't this wind up really hurting everyone? In other words, WGNE is also doomed to remaining just about where they are. After the newness of Legends wears off, I think we will see 'QIK average 6-7 shares, 'GNE in the 3s or 4s and Legends in the 2s. We seem to have a contrary rule with going after an older audience with Legends and I don't understand why that's OK but going after some of the Eagle offering a different music mix for the listener is not.
To this day, I still can't understand why Renda Broadcasting let KOOL die on the vine with one inept decision after the next. Given the tremendous success we are seeing across the country with the format, especially in the PPM world that I talked about even 4 years ago, one has to wonder potentially where they would be today. So now, the station has flipped twice. I don't know, it seems an expensive way to operate changing every couple years especially given they wound up giving up a family-friendly format that could have complemented WEJZ going with something that had no track record. Again, I just don't get it.
And what more proof do we need that the younger demos have little loyalty as we see the alternative battle play out before our eyes. We hear so much about profitability but so many operate a la Russian Roulette. You can get the audience today but will they be there tomorrow? As much as I like to learn and understand why things are done, little in this town makes sense. To me fragmenting your own audience limits revenue potential. But that's just my opinion.
I am just a radio listener and I never considered myself a radio subject matter expert. When things haven't made sense to me from a business perspective, it was enough to motivate me to comment AND to get answers. It's rare to get answers here so I will try once again.
In the last post I mentioned decsions made over the past few years that I didn't believe were the correct ones but I wasn't specific. When I think of the poor signal of 105.3 and 105.5, it seemed they found a good format when they did smooth jazz as they were earning solid 2s. Apparently, despite poor signal they had a following. If they couldn't sell the format, maybe they had the wrong sales team/sales person. If they were skewing old, so what - the signal was crap. Why mess with success given what you had to work with. Eventually they went with an urban type format bringing 4 stations to the market at the time pretty much going after the same audience. And as we know, that didn't last long and the market once again has 2 urbans and many of us said that should suffice. When I heard the ownership was going through bankruptcy, I don't think anyone was surprised. I'm an idiot, please tell me - what the hell was the point in blowing up jazz to go with something 3 others were doing, disrupting listener habits and chasing away whatever advertising was generated? They wound up scraping the bottom of the ratings heap if I recall correctly and that had to cost them.
As I look at country music in this market, I believe it would be safe to say that despite population shifts and an influx of new residents from northern states, there is a following as the format garners 10-12% of the audience pie. I think there are some reasons for this but that's another subject for another day. I'm trying to understand the need in having 3 stations do the format. WQIK has taken a hit. From a year ago, they are down about 3 shares. So, their billing rate is down. Doesn't this wind up really hurting everyone? In other words, WGNE is also doomed to remaining just about where they are. After the newness of Legends wears off, I think we will see 'QIK average 6-7 shares, 'GNE in the 3s or 4s and Legends in the 2s. We seem to have a contrary rule with going after an older audience with Legends and I don't understand why that's OK but going after some of the Eagle offering a different music mix for the listener is not.
To this day, I still can't understand why Renda Broadcasting let KOOL die on the vine with one inept decision after the next. Given the tremendous success we are seeing across the country with the format, especially in the PPM world that I talked about even 4 years ago, one has to wonder potentially where they would be today. So now, the station has flipped twice. I don't know, it seems an expensive way to operate changing every couple years especially given they wound up giving up a family-friendly format that could have complemented WEJZ going with something that had no track record. Again, I just don't get it.
And what more proof do we need that the younger demos have little loyalty as we see the alternative battle play out before our eyes. We hear so much about profitability but so many operate a la Russian Roulette. You can get the audience today but will they be there tomorrow? As much as I like to learn and understand why things are done, little in this town makes sense. To me fragmenting your own audience limits revenue potential. But that's just my opinion.
Sorry for the double post but I forgot something and it was too late to edit. Let's just think about the WQIK/WGNE battle and what the addition of a third country station in the market can potentially result. If revenues drop because billing is diminished as a result of a smaller, fragmented audience then what will need to occur to remain on revenue target? Yes, the talent gets screwed once again as they are the first to be cut.
Don't think for a moment the morning shows on WQIK or WGNE are safe. If a bean-counter believes they can do with 1 or 2 instead of 3, it will happen. There again, decisions to peel off listeners of 1 station in favor of another has consequences. Look, regardless of how you feel about WQIK's Big Show or WGNE's morning team one thing is clear; both teams have great chemistry together. Meddle with that and listener impressions take another hit and it's way too vulnerable as it is. If cuts are made in other dayparts, whatever bond remains will suffer as well. Again, I don't think any of this is a winning strategy and it just causes a lot of crisis management. This is not good for the listener, the advertisers, the radio market and certainly the talent. Discuss.
Don't think for a moment the morning shows on WQIK or WGNE are safe. If a bean-counter believes they can do with 1 or 2 instead of 3, it will happen. There again, decisions to peel off listeners of 1 station in favor of another has consequences. Look, regardless of how you feel about WQIK's Big Show or WGNE's morning team one thing is clear; both teams have great chemistry together. Meddle with that and listener impressions take another hit and it's way too vulnerable as it is. If cuts are made in other dayparts, whatever bond remains will suffer as well. Again, I don't think any of this is a winning strategy and it just causes a lot of crisis management. This is not good for the listener, the advertisers, the radio market and certainly the talent. Discuss.
John...
IMHO, the consideration for the audience is not what it was and will gradually deplete down to nothing.
The radio stations "of old" were their own entity. They competed with similar formated stations in their markets. They got the audience involved and advertisers were paying bucks to be on both station. Yes, I'm talkin' years ago.
Now, we have the "big guys" and a new industry has evolved. (And, I don't mean that to be a favorable word). They whittle away at all of the stations. Cut this person loose, do away with an entire department, give someone two jobs to do... you know what I mean.
Then, someone comes up with the idea that rather than start getting rid of members of good producing teams.. we'll just let them sit home once in awhile. They will probably like the time off.. and, the management gets to save some cash. Of course, that only lasts for a little while. Then, they realize that they just can't afford to pay those salaries (which for the most part probably aren't great anyway) to that many people. So, someone has to go. Then, another. And, then, we have a computer who can organize the music.. and, after all that's what people REALLY want anyway .. is the music. So, let's save even more money and let the computer do the work.
Like you, I tend to listen to the people on the radio. It's fun to hear about their crazy lives or what is going on in Jax. But, you know, we are going to have to get over it. Because whether we get a chance to vote for it or not, the big radio owners are making the decisions. And, then, certainly haven't included a single thought to what we USE to like.
Times are changing in every business. Some of the things I mentioned are happening a lot to companies everywhere.
So, I guess we can get on the internet and listen to some tunes.. an old TV show... whatever. Because our voice is old... yesteryear.. not worth considering.
IMHO, the consideration for the audience is not what it was and will gradually deplete down to nothing.
The radio stations "of old" were their own entity. They competed with similar formated stations in their markets. They got the audience involved and advertisers were paying bucks to be on both station. Yes, I'm talkin' years ago.
Now, we have the "big guys" and a new industry has evolved. (And, I don't mean that to be a favorable word). They whittle away at all of the stations. Cut this person loose, do away with an entire department, give someone two jobs to do... you know what I mean.
Then, someone comes up with the idea that rather than start getting rid of members of good producing teams.. we'll just let them sit home once in awhile. They will probably like the time off.. and, the management gets to save some cash. Of course, that only lasts for a little while. Then, they realize that they just can't afford to pay those salaries (which for the most part probably aren't great anyway) to that many people. So, someone has to go. Then, another. And, then, we have a computer who can organize the music.. and, after all that's what people REALLY want anyway .. is the music. So, let's save even more money and let the computer do the work.
Like you, I tend to listen to the people on the radio. It's fun to hear about their crazy lives or what is going on in Jax. But, you know, we are going to have to get over it. Because whether we get a chance to vote for it or not, the big radio owners are making the decisions. And, then, certainly haven't included a single thought to what we USE to like.
Times are changing in every business. Some of the things I mentioned are happening a lot to companies everywhere.
So, I guess we can get on the internet and listen to some tunes.. an old TV show... whatever. Because our voice is old... yesteryear.. not worth considering.
I appreciate the response, Promo. Look, I understand that many of the questions I ask are for rhetorical effect only. But while that is true, I still try to make us think about the consequences of the decisions and the resulting negative effect it has on our radio community.
Yes Promo, times are changing in every business and I have never advocated radio return to the way it was in 1975. As far as I'm concerned every business has to change, evolve, reflect the tastes of it’s' customers and constantly reinvent itself to stay alive and face new challenges/competition. However, if one is to look really objectively at even the few things I mentioned in the past several posts, can we really look in the mirror and be honest that they have resulted in a more positive experience for the listener, provide incentive for advertisers to invest and strengthen the medium against increased competition? You all be the judge and decide who is really correct here and I remind you to consider what you are now hearing on the air in our town.
With respect to talent, NO, - I'm not going to "get over it" and neither should our radio community. Let me expand. As far as listener tastes and preferences, no one including me wants to hear pukers talking over every song. That is indeed radio of the past. But the pendulum has swung too far to the point that whatever talent is on the air has so little freedom and latitude that their very existence seems to serve very little purpose. Listeners appreciate getting critical information and they do like what I consider intelligent, not over the top entertainment by a real person.
A perfect example of what I'm talking about happened yesterday on WCBS-FM but really there isn't a day that goes by that I don't catch broadcast excellence in both the talent front and the programming. Stay with me, while I know many of you will say, come on John - that is a big NYC station and you can't compare their budget etc. to Jax, I say the fundamentals of good radio should still exist here and if they were in place, we all would be better off.
I was listening to Bob Shannon (10-3 PM host) yesterday afternoon and let me just take this moment to say he exemplifies what today's talent does. I've followed Bob for a long time. He isn't a puker. He's witty and very knowledgeable about the music he plays and has an incredible sense of perfect timing. He aired a listener conversation where the caller was talking about Michael Jackson and how a reporter asked if he could still "Moonwalk." The caller added it would be a scary sight to see M.J do that today. Bob agreed and segued into "Thriller" saying very little at that point. Brilliant. "Born to be Wild" followed at the top of the hour and I thought how cool that there are still stations that feature real music variety. As Steppenwolf faded there was a comment about old, rusty guitars that needed some grease. Yeah, you guess it. Frankie Valli's "Grease" aired. Talk about leaving me positive impressions. How many of you can name 3 songs in a row any Jax station played yesterday?
Apparently, the PD gives his team the latitude to use their best judgment. The segment not only worked but it cemented my feelings about the station even further. "Thriller" is not a song normally aired as it is played only in special programming, so it made the entire event even more exciting and real.
Back to Jax. I feel like we are behind the communications iron curtain here. It's reprehensible that the talent is so restricted and on the verge of extinction. I realize formats need to be adhered to otherwise chaos can result. But for the jock to only talk "weather" at the designated time, even if there is a monsoon or heat index hits 115, or to do a traffic report when formatted even though there is a major accident doesn't serve the public well.
There was a time my former career took me to Charlotte NC almost weekly. When I landed here it was often late in the evening like 10PM. I can't tell you how many times when Tom Murphy was on the air on Cool that I was warned about a major tie-up on one of my routes home. It made me go home a different way and I appreciated that big time as I was exhausted and couldn't wait to get home. Now the listeners are SOL because no one thinks it's worth providing information after a certain time. One would think even with voice-tracking, some mechanism would kick in providing info as needed.
No Promo, my voice is not old and neither is yours. I only advocate that radio remembers it is a communications and entertainment medium and that is what seperates it from all that attacks it. The kind of radio I want is not what happened in 1975, it is what is happening in many markets across this country. There is still a place for information to call home and for the listener to feel a bond with "that guy on the radio." These are not old-fashioned concepts. They are part of today's strategy. Maybe in time, it will catch on here too. And so, I wait.
Yes Promo, times are changing in every business and I have never advocated radio return to the way it was in 1975. As far as I'm concerned every business has to change, evolve, reflect the tastes of it’s' customers and constantly reinvent itself to stay alive and face new challenges/competition. However, if one is to look really objectively at even the few things I mentioned in the past several posts, can we really look in the mirror and be honest that they have resulted in a more positive experience for the listener, provide incentive for advertisers to invest and strengthen the medium against increased competition? You all be the judge and decide who is really correct here and I remind you to consider what you are now hearing on the air in our town.
With respect to talent, NO, - I'm not going to "get over it" and neither should our radio community. Let me expand. As far as listener tastes and preferences, no one including me wants to hear pukers talking over every song. That is indeed radio of the past. But the pendulum has swung too far to the point that whatever talent is on the air has so little freedom and latitude that their very existence seems to serve very little purpose. Listeners appreciate getting critical information and they do like what I consider intelligent, not over the top entertainment by a real person.
A perfect example of what I'm talking about happened yesterday on WCBS-FM but really there isn't a day that goes by that I don't catch broadcast excellence in both the talent front and the programming. Stay with me, while I know many of you will say, come on John - that is a big NYC station and you can't compare their budget etc. to Jax, I say the fundamentals of good radio should still exist here and if they were in place, we all would be better off.
I was listening to Bob Shannon (10-3 PM host) yesterday afternoon and let me just take this moment to say he exemplifies what today's talent does. I've followed Bob for a long time. He isn't a puker. He's witty and very knowledgeable about the music he plays and has an incredible sense of perfect timing. He aired a listener conversation where the caller was talking about Michael Jackson and how a reporter asked if he could still "Moonwalk." The caller added it would be a scary sight to see M.J do that today. Bob agreed and segued into "Thriller" saying very little at that point. Brilliant. "Born to be Wild" followed at the top of the hour and I thought how cool that there are still stations that feature real music variety. As Steppenwolf faded there was a comment about old, rusty guitars that needed some grease. Yeah, you guess it. Frankie Valli's "Grease" aired. Talk about leaving me positive impressions. How many of you can name 3 songs in a row any Jax station played yesterday?
Apparently, the PD gives his team the latitude to use their best judgment. The segment not only worked but it cemented my feelings about the station even further. "Thriller" is not a song normally aired as it is played only in special programming, so it made the entire event even more exciting and real.
Back to Jax. I feel like we are behind the communications iron curtain here. It's reprehensible that the talent is so restricted and on the verge of extinction. I realize formats need to be adhered to otherwise chaos can result. But for the jock to only talk "weather" at the designated time, even if there is a monsoon or heat index hits 115, or to do a traffic report when formatted even though there is a major accident doesn't serve the public well.
There was a time my former career took me to Charlotte NC almost weekly. When I landed here it was often late in the evening like 10PM. I can't tell you how many times when Tom Murphy was on the air on Cool that I was warned about a major tie-up on one of my routes home. It made me go home a different way and I appreciated that big time as I was exhausted and couldn't wait to get home. Now the listeners are SOL because no one thinks it's worth providing information after a certain time. One would think even with voice-tracking, some mechanism would kick in providing info as needed.
No Promo, my voice is not old and neither is yours. I only advocate that radio remembers it is a communications and entertainment medium and that is what seperates it from all that attacks it. The kind of radio I want is not what happened in 1975, it is what is happening in many markets across this country. There is still a place for information to call home and for the listener to feel a bond with "that guy on the radio." These are not old-fashioned concepts. They are part of today's strategy. Maybe in time, it will catch on here too. And so, I wait.
Maybe I sounded a bit more negative than I intended, John. I understand what you are saying. And, in reality, I hope that you get your wish and you don't have to wait long to get it.
However...
In Jacksonville, who's going to make those wishes come true? We've been on a so-so plateau for quite a long time now. And, without naming owners (because we all know who they are), one doesn't do a lot of advertising, one has been "doing away with a lot of office positions" and another has already let a lot of their on-air staff go. And, perhaps they are all doing the furlough thing.
I know what you are saying about things going so well in other markets. It's fun to listen to. It involves you. And, there's nothing better than hearing an on-air guy or team make you laugh and play the songs you want to hear. But, in recent years, we see a station making a change that has all the appearances of being a good thing... and, as you have mentioned before.... it wasn't. It was left flat.. half-hearted.. never got out of the box.
Where are the people that want to make radio fun again? Are the managers here in town wanting to make these changes? Are they required to just carry out the decisions of the higher-ups instead? While I want to believe that they will realize this "plateau" is a mistake and they will wake up and make changes, I just don't see it happening. In fact, I fear that the changes they might make will not show the promise of making a "go-to" station out of any of them.
I guess I do sound negative. But, after all of the years of possibilities that never happened, I just don't want to get my hopes up again. I'll just be surprised.
However...
In Jacksonville, who's going to make those wishes come true? We've been on a so-so plateau for quite a long time now. And, without naming owners (because we all know who they are), one doesn't do a lot of advertising, one has been "doing away with a lot of office positions" and another has already let a lot of their on-air staff go. And, perhaps they are all doing the furlough thing.
I know what you are saying about things going so well in other markets. It's fun to listen to. It involves you. And, there's nothing better than hearing an on-air guy or team make you laugh and play the songs you want to hear. But, in recent years, we see a station making a change that has all the appearances of being a good thing... and, as you have mentioned before.... it wasn't. It was left flat.. half-hearted.. never got out of the box.
Where are the people that want to make radio fun again? Are the managers here in town wanting to make these changes? Are they required to just carry out the decisions of the higher-ups instead? While I want to believe that they will realize this "plateau" is a mistake and they will wake up and make changes, I just don't see it happening. In fact, I fear that the changes they might make will not show the promise of making a "go-to" station out of any of them.
I guess I do sound negative. But, after all of the years of possibilities that never happened, I just don't want to get my hopes up again. I'll just be surprised.
TAMA mismanaged that station incredibly. There were local people with a lot of background in the market who had been getting strong ratings playing that music and TAMA wouldn't let them in the Bldg. Their manager was incredibly rude to advertisers, concert promoters and listeners. They allowed a musician she was doing projects for to come in and do a totally self-indulgent PM drive shift in which he played such things as 8 minute straightahead jazz solos into old school funk but did not play any big name SJ artists who were not personal friends of his. (the ratings dropped immensely during this period..like they lost 3/4 of their audience.) After that debacle they dropped Jones radio, the network that actually played smooth jazz which had them getting really solid numbers when they started up. They affiliated with Broadcast Architecture's Smooth Jazz Network, which is about 70% oldies or covers of oldies. Jax is not an oldies market and did not have enough males 55plus to support an oldies station whether it is instrumental or vocal. They never had a presence at concerts and often did not show up for events they had said on-air that they would be present for. There were also incidents where they never ran or awarded prizes for contests they promoted. During the entire time they were in the format they did not update their website but once and the link to sign up for their listener club was broken and never repaired.
I'm sure the Cherry brothers are great at their original professions, Vet and Lawyer, and they were obviously skilled enough to line up the financing for these stations and charismatic enough to get a lot of media coverage. They should have taken the role of overseeing the operation and allowed some people who knew what they were doing to run the management, programming and sales sides of the operation. If you want to win you have to have some knowlege and you have to care enough to execute and follow up.
The tragic demise of Michael Jackson this past week sadly illustrates how the decisions made in Jax radio over the past several years have resulted in a product with diminished appeal. Sadly too is that those in charge put forth so little effort on behalf of the listeners and that became so very evident this past week when radio was on a world stage. As we continue to discuss the subject of this string regarding furloughs and the virtual silencing of whatever talent remains, it has become obvious that while cost-cutting is a goal in virtually every business including radio, it has been taken to such an extreme here that the scale has been tipped too far.
For the naysayers who believe radio is on life-support have been proven dead wrong. Whenever a huge news story breaks that impacts virtually everybody, listeners tune in seeking information and they also have the need to hear someone who can reassure them and listen to them. Folks, TV is not always available especially at someone's job or in the car but radio is and now with internet streaming radio has been given a B12 shot. The streaming numbers have gone through the roof this week bringing tons of listeners to the station(s).
I discussed streaming in another post as I believe it to be a lifeblood of a station giving them another source of advertising revenue. But, there has to be an incentive to listen. The listener wants something in return for their time and it ain't a jukebox or voicetracking, especially when something big happens. And you know, a lot of things were unfolding after 7PM. The world doesn't close down at 7 just because a bean counter thinks it does.
After getting my fill Thursday night with TV news, I got curious about what has happening on some of my favorite internet stations. On one I talk about a lot, the jock mentioned the PD was still at the station working on Michael Jackson programming and it was after 10. The first thing I thought was that's it's just so good to see dedication in action with the focus on the listener. The staton was talking calls from listeners and playing wall-to-wall Michael Jackson. Listener impressions were made and expectations were exceeded and this happened across our country. Radio shined and thank God there are those fighting and working hard to keep radio viable.
I wondered if a star such as Elton John suddenly passed away on a weekend or overnight and if we would see a station like Eagle do special programming or have the jocks take calls and really go out to work hard to make a difference. I think we know the answer. There would be a mention here and there and little else. No effort. But this is how things are done here. It's only about the monthly revenue goals. To hell with creative programming, empowering the talent or giving the listener an opportunity to hear music they want to hear or that no one else plays.
Don't you find it wacky that we don't even have an adult mainstream radio station that even plays a lot of Michael Jackson music? Yet we have stations tripping over each other playing the same thing and having a very narrow music scope. Remember the Point? They burned out the same songs over and over and it didn't have to be. The 80s is a lot more than alternative and listeners appreciate a wide variety of music. It can be done without muddling the sound or the format. Their sister station, the Coast did it in Miami. Eagle will eventually face the same fate because they are terminal and are burning out. It's a costly way of doing business if you ask me.
I keep wondering when the hell someone in this town will wake up from the coma they are in and take a differerent course. I wonder too if they listen to their own stations or if they listen to radio outside of our market where even Yeehaw Junction has more exciting radio.
Let's put forth a little more effort folks. Achieving monthly revenue targets is a worthy goal but just going through the motions will just get you predictable numbers, it will not solidify your standing with the listeners. These are your customers. You need them now and you will need them tomorrow.
.
For the naysayers who believe radio is on life-support have been proven dead wrong. Whenever a huge news story breaks that impacts virtually everybody, listeners tune in seeking information and they also have the need to hear someone who can reassure them and listen to them. Folks, TV is not always available especially at someone's job or in the car but radio is and now with internet streaming radio has been given a B12 shot. The streaming numbers have gone through the roof this week bringing tons of listeners to the station(s).
I discussed streaming in another post as I believe it to be a lifeblood of a station giving them another source of advertising revenue. But, there has to be an incentive to listen. The listener wants something in return for their time and it ain't a jukebox or voicetracking, especially when something big happens. And you know, a lot of things were unfolding after 7PM. The world doesn't close down at 7 just because a bean counter thinks it does.
After getting my fill Thursday night with TV news, I got curious about what has happening on some of my favorite internet stations. On one I talk about a lot, the jock mentioned the PD was still at the station working on Michael Jackson programming and it was after 10. The first thing I thought was that's it's just so good to see dedication in action with the focus on the listener. The staton was talking calls from listeners and playing wall-to-wall Michael Jackson. Listener impressions were made and expectations were exceeded and this happened across our country. Radio shined and thank God there are those fighting and working hard to keep radio viable.
I wondered if a star such as Elton John suddenly passed away on a weekend or overnight and if we would see a station like Eagle do special programming or have the jocks take calls and really go out to work hard to make a difference. I think we know the answer. There would be a mention here and there and little else. No effort. But this is how things are done here. It's only about the monthly revenue goals. To hell with creative programming, empowering the talent or giving the listener an opportunity to hear music they want to hear or that no one else plays.
Don't you find it wacky that we don't even have an adult mainstream radio station that even plays a lot of Michael Jackson music? Yet we have stations tripping over each other playing the same thing and having a very narrow music scope. Remember the Point? They burned out the same songs over and over and it didn't have to be. The 80s is a lot more than alternative and listeners appreciate a wide variety of music. It can be done without muddling the sound or the format. Their sister station, the Coast did it in Miami. Eagle will eventually face the same fate because they are terminal and are burning out. It's a costly way of doing business if you ask me.
I keep wondering when the hell someone in this town will wake up from the coma they are in and take a differerent course. I wonder too if they listen to their own stations or if they listen to radio outside of our market where even Yeehaw Junction has more exciting radio.
Let's put forth a little more effort folks. Achieving monthly revenue targets is a worthy goal but just going through the motions will just get you predictable numbers, it will not solidify your standing with the listeners. These are your customers. You need them now and you will need them tomorrow.
.
- Status