Radio History

[Surfer]

I've noticed several posters who continually refer to stations, jocks, etc. in the past tense. (When Power 99 was still around...) That got me to thinking. I do NOT believe that the current owners and operators care at all about a station's historical impact on this, or any other city. It's about what they are doing NOW. I hear very few stations anymore talking about the fact that..."...we've been playing rock and roll for over 20 years!") Am I correct or am I missing something?

 

[Mike_Rafone]

Heredity and reputation was at one time a major selling point, an issue of pride with broadcasters. Now, the "corn-sultants" have mandated "Don't look back, look at what you are going to do ahead!" If tradition mattered to our current media moguls, there would still be a "WSB-TV 4th of July Parade" telecast. WSB Radio would still have an 11:00 PM "Five Star Final" newscast. There would still be gave-to-gavel coverage of political conventions. Somebody would carry the governor's "state of the state" address.

In 1964 WPLO-AM on Saturday nights had a "Vault of Treasured Music," classic R&R from the mid 1950's. So did WLS-AM. WQXI-AM carried a radio version of "American Bandstand."

And all that is a shame. Our young people are growing up not knowing about the great broaadcasts we listened to. They'll never have an appreciation for Dallas Townsend and Robert Trout's world news round-ups in the mornings and evenings. Or even Ted Koppell's 10:00 PM weeknight news summary on ABC Information. Or the annual New Year's correspondents roubdtables on international affairs.

The British still know how to throw a major spectacle and the BBC still knows how to cover one. Their coverage of the weeding two years ago was splendid; and none of our domestic radio network did anything at all like it ["Here's Anne Tenna with highlights from London…45 seconds)…Thanks, Anne. Now in the National Football League"].

Maybe I'm just an old man who wants to relive the past, but darn it, I miss it!

 

[TheBigA]

I do NOT believe that the current owners and operators care at all about a station's historical impact on this, or any other city. It's about what they are doing NOW.

Part of that may be that their audience, for the most part, doesn't care much about history. I once taught history, and I can tell you that it's not a popular subject, especially with young people.

It was intersting to read the reaction to Shirley Bassey on the Oscars last night. Hardly anyone knows who she is.

 

[Mike_Rafone]

Shirley Bassey on the Oscars

But I understand the audience response was thunderous. Must have been somebody who recognized her.

 

[TheBigA]

Shirley Bassey on the Oscars

But I understand the audience response was thunderous. Must have been somebody who recognized her.

I'm talking about the TV audience.

 

[mogreen]

The Georgia Radio Hall of Fame does a good job with this. Their website is loaded with photos and audio.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

Part of that may be that their audience, for the most part, doesn't care much about history. I once taught history, and I can tell you that it's not a popular subject, especially with young people.

I don't remember getting all excited about history in my student days. But through the years I have become quite excited about history. I notice other "mature adults" who get into some history... maybe focusing on one particular period for some reason.

Only in recent years did I take any interest in the family genealogy. I have observed that very few young people find it interesting.

Since we seem in some markets to have more broadcast stations than there are viable formats, it would seem that someone might figure out a way to tak history and make it "broadcastable" by aiming for an adult audience. That assumes someone focused enough to do that would be focused enough to identify advertisers who would want to reach history-audience.

I know. Dream on...........

 

[RhubarbFan]

If history mattered we would still have Eagle 106.7,right after the flip a promotions guy with Kicks said True Oldies would eventually get a five share,it never happened.

 

[secondchoice]

If history mattered we would still have Eagle 106.7,right after the flip a promotions guy with Kicks said True Oldies would eventually get a five share,it never happened.

Before Eagle there was Y106 and for a brief time Y104 too. I remember Rhubarb was with Commander Dave then. IIRC they messed with 101.5 ratings a little.

 

[RhubarbFan]

Before Moby Y106 beat Kicks in the ratings,then Moby came along,then ABC bought WYAY to keep other country stations out

 

[Mike_Rafone]

Okay, yeah, I csn undertand the TV audience. Mercy, they hardly remember B&W movies and mono sound …

 

[beachguy3b]

["Here's Anne Tenna with highlights from London…45 seconds)…Thanks, Anne. Now in the National Football League"]

Anne Tenna... I LOVE IT!! Should expect that from someone going by "Mike_Rafone." (Apologies for the detour.)

 

[HippieGuy]

Heredity and reputation was at one time a major selling point, an issue of pride with broadcasters. Now, the "corn-sultants" have mandated "Don't look back, look at what you are going to do ahead!" If tradition mattered to our current media moguls, there would still be a "WSB-TV 4th of July Parade" telecast. WSB Radio would still have an 11:00 PM "Five Star Final" newscast. There would still be gave-to-gavel coverage of political conventions. Somebody would carry the governor's "state of the state" address.

In 1964 WPLO-AM on Saturday nights had a "Vault of Treasured Music," classic R&R from the mid 1950's. So did WLS-AM. WQXI-AM carried a radio version of "American Bandstand."

And all that is a shame. Our young people are growing up not knowing about the great broaadcasts we listened to. They'll never have an appreciation for Dallas Townsend and Robert Trout's world news round-ups in the mornings and evenings. Or even Ted Koppell's 10:00 PM weeknight news summary on ABC Information. Or the annual New Year's correspondents roubdtables on international affairs.

The British still know how to throw a major spectacle and the BBC still knows how to cover one. Their coverage of the weeding two years ago was splendid; and none of our domestic radio network did anything at all like it ["Here's Anne Tenna with highlights from London…45 seconds)…Thanks, Anne. Now in the National Football League"].

Maybe I'm just an old man who wants to relive the past, but darn it, I miss it!

Excellent analysis.

I remember as a kid listening to commentaries by Paul Harvey...and learning so much.
Sad those times are no longer :'(

 

[bclark71.]

I remember as a kid listening to commentaries by Paul Harvey...and learning so much.
Sad those times are no longer :'(

ABC would be wise to compile and release a set of CDs of "The Best of The Rest of the Story" before all of us who remember Paul Harvey are gone.

 

[TheBigA]

ABC would be wise to compile and release a set of CDs of "The Best of The Rest of the Story" before all of us who remember Paul Harvey are gone.

CDs? What are they?

 

[amlover]

If history mattered we would still have Eagle 106.7,right after the flip a promotions guy with Kicks said True Oldies would eventually get a five share,it never happened.

Actually it did! True Oldies overall did better than Y-106 and Eagle 106. I wish the oldies were back.

 

[KFodor]

Radio, in general though, has always lived in the here and now.

Case in point: were it not for listeners who had tapes made of their favorite hometown
radio stations sent to them in places like Vietnam, and hung on to the tapes as keepsakes...
or jocks who thought enough to save their airchecks, we would not have those broadcasts
to listen back on today. Radio stations rarely think what they're doing today has any "shelf life".
Few kept their "weekly surveys"...and fewer hang onto promotional pieces. OK, maybe a
few big stations have...but at the more "local" level, that type of stuff can be very hard to
find. Especially the farther back you go, say, into the 50's and early 60's.

Don't believe me? Try to find your local station's coverage of the JFK assassination...or find
an aircheck of your local station's version of Alan Freed. Heck, trying to find newspaper articles
like that takes months of research sometimes. I'll bet most stations can't reach into a file
drawer and find their coverage of the 9-11 attacks now.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

I think you have to reach the point where you personally have a lot of "growth-rings" before it dawns on you to become a saver, a scrap-booker, etc.

My wife and I didn't get into the genealogy of our family until recent years. When we go to family gatherings on the topic, the are no YOUNG people there! (Well, if you do find one, it is because they are or were attached to a family senior citizen who got them started.)

 

[cjwest]

Its truly sad that network radio in the United States is all but gone. The BBC still carries all sorts of programs including drama and comedy. It wouldn't have to be nostalgia . Speaking of the Oscars in an earlier post , I'm ancient enough to remember when ABC radio still carried the Oscar broadcast into the 60's. WGST was the affiliate. There would be an announcer to do voice overs of visual things taking place.

 

[TheBigA]

Its truly sad that network radio in the United States is all but gone.

Really? Have you listened to Ryan Seacrest or Delilah?