Radio Museum and Hall of Fame..GONE

[1069_KIFR]

According to Ben Fong-Torres in his Radio Waves, Radio Hall of Fame and Museum shuts down. Just couldn't maintain as a one man operation. Sad but true.

 

[LKellerIII]

According to Ben Fong-Torres in his Radio Waves, Radio Hall of Fame and Museum shuts down. Just couldn't maintain as a one man operation. Sad but true.

That is very sad. It like to say thanks to David Jackson for all he's done - it was a herculean and worthwhile effort.

It's too bad the website couldn't be maintained as a subscription site, like Reelradio,com. I know I'd sign up in a heartbeat. But whether or not he could find enough local radio nerds and history buffs to keep it viable - I don't know. I know that Reelradio has struggled to stay afloat, and RR's air checks cover the entire country (but with an LA and west coast focus). I'm sure David has considered all the options.

 

[TheBigA]

Part of a bigger problem. There's a book on the subject written by Bill Ivey, former head of the NEA and the Country Music Foundation: "Arts, Inc.: How Greed and Neglect Have Destroyed Our Cultural Rights."

There's a lot of great culture that is simply being lost because it no longer makes money. Ivey sees it as a role for the government, but I'm not so sure. Last time I checked, they're broke too.

 

[radio dx]

It's very sad to hear about the radio museum David did one hell of a job!
I thought it was one of the best sites for radio on the web.

How about a corporate sponsor? (I can handle a few ads) becouse we just can't afford to loose such a valuable resource.

The "museum" was so rich in history not only for the "radio buff" but for "the average Joe" as well. To be able to hear not only radio programs and jingles but commercials that never left our hearts and memories and to think that these memories would be lost forever if not for the dedication and talent of folks like David Jackson.

We need to do wht ever it takes to preserve, protect and support such a valuable web site.
Hats off to you Mr. Jackson for a job well done and we hope the future will keep the museum "on the air".

Anthony J. Gallardo "Radio DX"

 

[Starbucks]

Are you guys referring to the Bay area aircheck site or the The hall of Fame building in Berkeley that was the oold KRE building.

 

[djj]

Are you guys referring to the Bay area aircheck site or the The hall of Fame building in Berkeley that was the old KRE building.

The old K R E building is maintained by a seperate entity, though CHRS and Bay Area Radio
worked hand in hand at times, particularly during the CHRS-fund-raiser in July:
< http://www.californiahistoricalradio.com >

I also say "Thanks" to David for doing what he did - not easy being a staff of one
and have other important things going in his life...
--jay

 

[DavidKaye]

How about a corporate sponsor? (I can handle a few ads) becouse we just can't afford to loose such a valuable resource.

If you had a business, would you even consider advertising on the museum or hall of fame websites? What kind of company is a match? As someone who spends ad money each month I can say that the only way for advertising to work (especially in this day and age) is to target to specific demographics. But who looks at the HOF or museum websites?

The "museum" was so rich in history not only for the "radio buff" but for "the average Joe" as well.

Most people simply don't care about the past, and I think this is especially true for radio and TV. HOWEVER, probably the best fit for a group to take over the radio museum archives is archive.org more than anyone else: http://www.archive.org

 

[michael hagerty]

Most people simply don't care about the past, and I think this is especially true for radio and TV.

Bingo. Very hard for us radio guys of a certain age to hear and accept, but absolutely true.

---Michael Hagerty

 

[radio dx]

Gee DavidKaye how about a radio station (sponsor) lets not pick this apart too much and get too deep on my statement.

 

[skyrocker]

The Problems stated as a questions were
1. "If you had a business, would you even consider advertising
on the museum or hall of fame websites?
2. "What kind of company is a match? (Questioner points
out that he spends ad money each month, then suggests)...in
this day and age...to (do it properly) target to specific demographics.
3. "who looks at the HOF or museum websites?"

There was never any indication the questioner wanted answers. He seems OK with things as they are. Also - cool archive website.
[BTW, The answers, respectively, are: 1-Yes; 2-Music related, compelling, fun, easily interactive, targeted demographically according to music choices; 3- You do, I do, enough do, to consider this venture financially viable.]

Maybe a more appropriate question might be - how could those who want to enjoy and honor radio programs and show hosts put up a self-sustaining website (in this day and age)? The museum motif wasn't strong enough to keep an online address, the online radio station, in spite of excellent talent, did not survive. How, then, could either of these sites have made money?

Radio professionals have been dealing with these questions since they got bitten by the bug. I know how both sites could have thrived. Do you?

If so, don't tell for free. Make 'em at least foot the grocery bills. You're the industry's new "e-Guides" (consultants) to online entrepreneurs.

 

[SFStatic]

Having had a business that ran ads on a public station which never in 10 years scored me a single customer, the answer is "yes." Some businesspeople...amazingly, considering some of the terrible stewards some large radio groups are...actually like to give back to the community. You can call it a donation, or whatever, but not all advertising is purchased just to target customers.

 

[DavidKaye]

Gee DavidKaye how about a radio station (sponsor) lets not pick this apart too much and get too deep on my statement.

A radio station sponsor? Are you serious? Most of the people interested in a radio museum are museum pieces themselves. I've been to a couple of the KRE events and I was one of the youngest people there. Well, that's perfectly okay, but what radio station besides KGO wants to reach those people? None I can think of.

I mean, heck, I'm all in favor of radio history. I'm a radio geek, as most of us here are. But we're a minority of a minority. And who would want to reach us with advertising anyway? I still say that if anybody takes over the radio museum it should probably be archive.org as they appear to have the financial backing (and bandwidth) to carry on such projects.

 

[DavidKaye]

Having had a business that ran ads on a public station which never in 10 years scored me a single customer, the answer is "yes."

Perhaps then you should contact DFJ and offer your support. Seriously.

 

[DavidKaye]

There was never any indication the questioner wanted answers. He seems OK with things as they are.

I'm sad that it's out of action. I commend David F. Jackson and all the work he's put into the project, especially his vigilance in reaching out to some very unlikely sources of airchecks and memorabilia. He's done a fantastic job.

He's also spent $50,000 of his own money to do it. That's the problem. While I like airchecks and old radio logs and radio station histories I'm not sure I like them enough to spend $50k of my own money to support such a project.

As to the question of HOW exactly to keep such a project going, I reiterate that it's time to partner with an organization that has experience doing such things. I notice that Rick Prelinger (Prelinger Library) connected his industrial films and other video artifacts with archive.org. That organization seems to have the bandwidth, the financial resources, and the volunteer help to carry on the goal of the Radio Museum.

Sometimes you can't do it all alone. Sometimes you need to hook up with someone who's already done something similar and has a track record.

 

[michael hagerty]

There was never any indication the questioner wanted answers. He seems OK with things as they are.

I'm sad that it's out of action. I commend David F. Jackson and all the work he's put into the project, especially his vigilance in reaching out to some very unlikely sources of airchecks and memorabilia. He's done a fantastic job.

He's also spent $50,000 of his own money to do it. That's the problem. While I like airchecks and old radio logs and radio station histories I'm not sure I like them enough to spend $50k of my own money to support such a project.

As to the question of HOW exactly to keep such a project going, I reiterate that it's time to partner with an organization that has experience doing such things. I notice that Rick Prelinger (Prelinger Library) connected his industrial films and other video artifacts with archive.org. That organization seems to have the bandwidth, the financial resources, and the volunteer help to carry on the goal of the Radio Museum.

Sometimes you can't do it all alone. Sometimes you need to hook up with someone who's already done something similar and has a track record.

Or maybe it's time for the Museum of Television and Radio to add San Francisco to its New York and Los Angeles locations.

 

[radio dx]

Calm down your taking my comment way to serious!