Radio Reality Check

[TheBigA]

It depends on if you think talent is unique and distinctive, or something that could easily be duplicated in hundreds of other markets.

Well, we apparently have the corporate answer to that...

I don't understand what you mean. But here's what I know. When Sparknet came up with the Jack format a few years ago, a bunch of local stations decided they didn't want to pay for it, and instead came up with things like Ben or Bob or Fred. In other words, they did their own local versions of a syndicated format to get out of paying for Jack. Same with Delilah. I know a bunch of stations that do their own local version of what she does. But isn't she unique and distinctive talent? Doesn't replacing her with local talent diminish the nature of what she does and turns it into hamburger? Or is all of talent hamburger and it can be replicated and duplicated in hundreds of stations across the country. THat's what Bill Drake thought. He came up with the style, and just found local hamburger to fill his design. He had a sound he was looking for. If you fit that sound, he'd hire you.

 

[SirRoxalot]

The corporate answer is that syndicating a talent across the country, in various dayparts, is cheaper than hiring local talent in all those markets. In order to work in all those different markets and different dayparts, the show has to be generic. Local talent could replicate or improve the results while better serving a particular market by being more relatable, with more local content, if they have a similar amount of freedom to build and maintain an audience.

If you're going hamstring local talent by restricting their opportunity to build that relationship with the audience, you're going to have hamburger. If you hire capable people - and there are plenty of them out there - and give them the chance to entertain, they'll beat Delilah, and increase revenue more than enough to pay for the additional cost. As it is, Delilah gets more opportunity to entertain in a single break than most local talent gets for a full hour. Heck, the "voice guy" gets more airtime on many stations. That's just dumb.

 

[TheBigA]

The corporate answer is that syndicating a talent across the country, in various dayparts, is cheaper than hiring local talent in all those markets.

Corporations aren't in the business of saving money. They're in the business of MAKING it. If there is a way to make money with unique and distrinctive talent, they will do it. And there are hundreds of radio stations that prove it, including those owned by CC, Citadel, and Cumulus. In fact, most CBS, Entercom, Cox, and Townsquare stations carry NO syndication. Event 7 to midnight. When a station carries syndication, it has to split the money with the syndicator. Even if the syndicator is owned by the same company. Citadel Media syndicates lots of shows, and most Citadel stations choose not to run them. Why? Because they make more money with someone local. What changes that situation is when local talent doesn't attract local advertising money. The minute that happens, the talent becomes expendable. So it's not just having a relationship with the audience. Talent needs to have a relationship with advertisers. I recently spoke with a Citadel mid-day talent who just signed an endorsement deal. The station gets spots, and the talent gets money and a supply of the product. That talent will not get replaced by syndication.

 

[TheBigA]

If you hire capable people - and there are plenty of them out there - and give them the chance to entertain, they'll beat Delilah,

“Give them the chance?” What’s this? Charity? Are you hiring a college kid or a professional? You give a college kid a chance. A professional demonstrates what he or she can do based on a track record. This isn’t the amateur hour. If a talent has an idea that can make the station money, and presents it in a professional way, with facts and figures and a willingnes to share in the risk, that talent will get the opportunity. In competition, you don't ask for a chance. You take an opportunity. I have no time for talent who wants to be treated like a professional, and don't know what it means.

 

[SirRoxalot]

You clearly have no clue about what's going on in radio studios these days. "Treated like a professional". There are precious few managers out there who know what that means.

It's simple, pal. You do the format as it's set by a combination of the corporate PD, the local PD, and the consultant - all of whom have a vested interest in NOT making anyone indespensible, or you find yourself on the street. There are plenty of people on unemployment who'll shut up and execute the format as directed. Or, they'll VT it with talent from another market and save even more money.

Even guys who have been around long enough to build a loyal audience have been let go. Most management has little regard for what the audience response is. The corporate thinking is "it's the music & the format that make the station, not the jock". As you've indicated many times, the corporate line is that "talent is a pain in the ass". Well, losing the distinctive edge that radio relied on to differentiate itself in the past is a bigger problem than dealing with talent.

 

[TheBigA]

You clearly have no clue about what's going on in radio studios these days.

Maybe not in Buffalo, but just about everywhere else. I hope to God I never have to spend another winter in Buffalo.

Once again, you haven't addressed my point that most of the major companies don't use syndication. Including a couple based in Buffalo. For all of Citadel's faults, they haven't forced their stations to use the network talent pool based in Dallas. I can't promise that Cumulus won't change that, but at least Farid wasn't the guy who did it. He could have been a whole lot cheaper than he was.

Well, losing the distinctive edge that radio relied on to differentiate itself in the past is a bigger problem than dealing with talent.

Differentiate itself from what? What other media has distinctive talent? Or even talent that isn't distinctive? It's not the past any more. Most people today don't know what you're talking about. They don't need a DJ to tell them what music to like. Especially one older than their parents.

 

[heydaybegone]

I recently spoke with a Citadel mid-day talent who just signed an endorsement deal. The station gets spots, and the talent gets money and a supply of the product.

Oh, ok

 

[jas2525]

It depends on if you think talent is unique and distinctive, or something that could easily be duplicated in hundreds of other markets.

Are you denying that radio companies will dictate programming changes at the corporate level, for the sole purpose of saving money (cutting local for syndie), irrespective to ratings, with the expectation that the audience won't really care and will stick around regardless, only to find out they merely ruined their on-air product?

Believe me, it DOES happen, maybe more than you're aware.

 

[TheBigA]

Are you denying that radio companies will dictate programming changes at the corporate level, for the sole purpose of saving money

Some do, some don't. But the purpose of business is to MAKE money, not save it. The fact that the #1 station in Buffalo uses no syndication should say something. Doncha think? Now one could say the reason they don't use syndication is because they're #1. Not the other way around.

 

[Mike Sheridan]

Wow there are lots of ways of looking at this mess. It used to be, a guy got hired to work weekends or overnights and all he had to do was take transmitter readings, play some records, and read a few PSA's or maybe a rip and read newscast. He had the freedom to drop in some comments, maybe funny, maybe informative, hopefully interesting.

Now owners have computers to run the show, the human element might be desired (not sure about that) but it's not required. The vault plays on and never asks for a raise. If you are a talent it helps if you're established because management isn't going to give you time to develop an "act". If you want to comment on the air now it better be ultra brief and have ultra impact. Some stations don't even allow that, "just read the liner card son and play the music".

The radio audience is more fractionalized than ever. There are so many sources to choose from. Just like newspapers, radio has more competition. While radio stations are poised to make money they also don't want to spend more than necessary on people to run their station. If the computer can do it, so much the better.

 

[SirRoxalot]

"TheBigA" apparently lives in a different world than the rest of us.

People with the best ratings on a station have gotten whacked here, and replaced by an out-of-town VT at the behest of corporate. Notice I said "syndication and voice track" in my original post. Kiss replaced a highly-rated mid-day show with Seacrest, with no improvement in ratings. In fact, with the loss of avails, it may have cost Entercom money. There are more examples. People in the market know the stories, and it ain't pretty. Anybody expect that it will improve when Cumulus comes in?

You're out of your depth, "A". And we're glad you're not spending winters in Buffalo, because you clearly don't understand the area.

 

[TheBigA]

People with the best ratings on a station have gotten whacked here, and replaced by an out-of-town VT at the behest of corporate.

Ratings don't matter of the programming isn't making money. As I've said many times, if a local show is running mostly national spots, then the origination doesn't matter. The fact that changing origination of a show didn't cost the station any audience says boatloads about the desires of the public. Meantime, you haven't addressed my point that the #1 station in town uses no syndication. You live in the market, and you obviously don't listen.

 

[SirRoxalot]

The fact that the number one station in the market doesn't use syndication OR VT ought to be an object lesson to the rest of the broadcasters here. Unfortunately, that's not the case. Then again, Town Square owns both WYRK, which is predominantly live and local, and Jack, with is neither. Which one does better in the ratings? That's pretty obvious. Do you think that they'd learn something from that experience? Apparently not.

As far as "making money" is concerned, i can cite several instances where eliminating local talent actually cost the station revenue. Local management (allegedly) tried to save those jobs to no avail. In case you haven't noticed, there's a real "corporate knows best" attitude in most major groups. In one case where local management was successful, Shredd & Ragan went to PM Drive instead of out the door when corporate brought in Opie & Anthony. Guess who's still here - mostly due to much better performance in both ratings and revenue?

Buffalo is far from unique in this respect. Look at Clear Channel, Cumulus, and other Citadel markets. These practices have been repeated time after time, in market after market. You'd think that corporate would get it after a while.

 

[TheBigA]

Town Square owns both WYRK, which is predominantly live and local, and Jack, with is neither. Which one does better in the ratings? That's pretty obvious. Do you think that they'd learn something from that experience? Apparently not.

What they learned is you offer listeners choices. If they want live & local, they listen to WYRK. If not, they listen to Jack. Choice is good, and you don't want to compete against yourself. Basic programming.

You keep on wanting to focus on all the bad in radio, while ignoring all the good. You want to bring up Cumulus and Citadel, and continually ignore Townsquare, CBS, Entercom, Cox, and many more. Too bad.