Radio Station/Network with Guts would clean up

[morefaves]

If a Hot Talk/Comedy Talk station(unfortunately 92.3, and the CBS Radio Group is doomed for continuosly caving) billed themselves as Free Speech radio, and they REALLY were, i.e. didn't cave in to every PC bandit that comes calling, marketed themselves strongly in that way, and got their advertisers to be on board with the concept, they would quickly see a ratings boom, IMO. There is such a backlash out there against what happenned to Imus, JV & Elvis, possibly O & A, that at least initially, the ratings would soar. Then they'd have to do good, funny, edgy radio, with FULL station/network backing to keep those ratings, but the potential is stronger than the next music format dujour, and listener loyalty would be through the roof.

 

[TheGreenskeeper]

I wish you were right, but it looks like big radio sees 'hot talk' listeners as a small demo that isn't worth loosing advertisers over.

I like juvenile humor and fart jokes for an hour or so while I'm stuck in traffic. What's the problem here? Can't anybody take a joke?

 

[LinoNYC]

billed themselves as Free Speech radio, and they REALLY were

First off, I'am not trying to embarrass or confront you , but let's look a reality here.

This 'hot talk" format has been tried twice 1999-02 and Jan '06 -present. In both cases, overall it has flopped in ratings save for one or two shows, this time around it hasn't really achieved one success.

The recent wave of self-censorship is not responsible for this failure, that has only been a factor in the last month. reality is, that in both attempts at this format the wider audience just isn't there.

Second; It seems that everyone has their own concept of "free speech" But the recent Imus and and Free FM make a very weak case to defend.

The fact is that the vast majority of Americans do not think that it is acceotable to make a buck telling jokes about rape, making fun of people that are not public figures (Imus case).

Even if you could fortress a radio network against public anger at this sort of "humor" there would still be only a few sponsors willing to get involved, and inspite of what you might believe, the audience would still be small.

This sort of blue material had a long run, people like Stern got very wealthy over the last 20 years, but remember, the vast majority of people did not listen to these shows and now that the media has focused on what has been going on, there isn't alot of sympathy for these characters.When the fines increased ten-fold, stern what that would do to his syndication deal and bailed.

Some people may think it's funny to have a blindfolded woman crawling around on a studio floor full of mousetraps (O&A ) most would consider it an awful way to make a buck.

Lino

 

[TowerBuzz]

If a Hot Talk/Comedy Talk station(unfortunately 92.3, and the CBS Radio Group is doomed for continuosly caving) billed themselves as Free Speech radio, and they REALLY were, i.e. didn't cave in to every PC bandit that comes calling, marketed themselves strongly in that way, and got their advertisers to be on board with the concept, they would quickly see a ratings boom, IMO. There is such a backlash out there against what happenned to Imus, JV & Elvis, possibly O & A, that at least initially, the ratings would soar. Then they'd have to do good, funny, edgy radio, with FULL station/network backing to keep those ratings, but the potential is stronger than the next music format dujour, and listener loyalty would be through the roof.

That idea has so many holes in it

As for the backlash some people are trying to say exists, there really isn't one. Mgirk tried to tell Sharpton on Hannity and Colmes about the huge backlash about Imus's firing and how angry people are at Sharpton, we're also insulated radio people who talk to other radio people etc. Reality on the "backlash"; people really do not care, they have lives and may sya it sucks that they're gone but that is the end of it. Yes people get on this board and howl and scream "free speech free speech" but in the end nobody(listeners etc) care about JV and ELvis, Imus etc. as they have their own lives O and A got fired a few years ago and life went on. Jv and Elvis's "rally" to support them Saturday afternoon in Union Square drew 100 people, ONE HUNDRED PEOPLE, in short NO ONE. "free Speech radio" doesnt sound like edgy comedy if you actually put that format on and you DELIVER the promise of free speech radio that means you have to BELIEVE in the premise of free speech, you dont becuase you think that those who were in opposition of Imus, JV and ELvis, etc didnt have the right to express their freedom of speech becuase it resulted in the firing of Imus and Jv and Elvis. If you say this is free speech radio then you have to provide equal time, so that means those whose opinions you dont care for or agree with would have to be given a forum or you're not "free speech radio" now are you? So Sharpton's Soapbox will be followed by the KKK dance party and the NAMBLA dating game, you want free speech? that is what it entails. You just thought of a catchy name "Free speech radio" I described what it would actually entail, but what you were trying to describe and what I explained to you that in actuality it would be are two different things. You seem to be describing it would be one step BEYOND shock radio,...ok......who would advertise on a station that the was even more shock talk than we have now even though it is cloaked as Oh no no we're not shock radio, we're "free speech radio".

For the record I still think this is not "free speech" as the issue at hand, there is no such thing as "free speech" on "public" airwaves that are not even really public, they are controlled by interests. Not the minority groups that so many seem to want to blame for standing up for themselves when they feel offended but the airwaves are controlled by corproate interests of the companies that operate the stations. CBS, Clear Channel, ABC, Emmis, etc and the corporate interests of the corproations that advertise. Be honest; WHo is actually naive enough to believe that there is "freedom of speech on the public airwaves" the airwaves are neither public nor are theey open to free speech. There have always been guidlines but mostly they were dictated by advertisers and the corproate owners and the FCC a distant third. Now the consumers have started to speak and you dont like it?.

O and A were on the air today making a really solid point that TV is divded into different categories, news, drama, comedy, etc. Whereas radio is only seen as the collective, radio with no differentiation between shows. I agree, but there is a difference between Imus who for the past fifteen years has been perceived as a news whow intereviewing opinion makers, news people, politicians both running and currently serving, and JV and ELvis, a comedy show, period. There is a difference and while they were screaming about how wrong it was for Imus to get fired a few weeks ago they just proved why he should have been. Imus doing a news show was out of line and out of character by making the comments that he did, Jv and ELvis being a comedy show were clearly doing something in te spirit of comedy (which was deemed offensive by some) but they're not presenting themselves as anything but a comedy show. So I think Imus should have been fired for his situation, JV and ELvis werre mishandled for theirs.

It's not really about "guts". It's so easy for everyone to point the finger at CBs and say "they did not stand behind their talent" "They sold out their talent" but what really could they do if there is a public outcry that pressures advertisers to bail? Who then pays for the show if there is no one to sponsor it?. People foret this is a business, period. They are all there to make money and NOTHING ELSE< NOTHING.

 

[morefaves]

That's the point though. There is NO public outcry. It's all artificial and is equivilent to one guy shouting in a small room. It sounds loud, in that room, but in the context of a whole building, it's silent. It's a few activists, who contact sponsors, who bail initially. They will come back when the initial furor dies down, if the ratings warrant it. But the public at large would fully support sponsors that are not afraid of their shadows.

If a Hot Talk/Comedy Talk station(unfortunately 92.3, and the CBS Radio Group is doomed for continuosly caving) billed themselves as Free Speech radio, and they REALLY were, i.e. didn't cave in to every PC bandit that comes calling, marketed themselves strongly in that way, and got their advertisers to be on board with the concept, they would quickly see a ratings boom, IMO. There is such a backlash out there against what happenned to Imus, JV & Elvis, possibly O & A, that at least initially, the ratings would soar. Then they'd have to do good, funny, edgy radio, with FULL station/network backing to keep those ratings, but the potential is stronger than the next music format dujour, and listener loyalty would be through the roof.

That idea has so many holes in it

As for the backlash some people are trying to say exists, there really isn't one. Mgirk tried to tell Sharpton on Hannity and Colmes about the huge backlash about Imus's firing and how angry people are at Sharpton, we're also insulated radio people who talk to other radio people etc. Reality on the "backlash"; people really do not care, they have lives and may sya it sucks that they're gone but that is the end of it. Yes people get on this board and howl and scream "free speech free speech" but in the end nobody(listeners etc) care about JV and ELvis, Imus etc. as they have their own lives O and A got fired a few years ago and life went on. Jv and Elvis's "rally" to support them Saturday afternoon in Union Square drew 100 people, ONE HUNDRED PEOPLE, in short NO ONE. "free Speech radio" doesnt sound like edgy comedy if you actually put that format on and you DELIVER the promise of free speech radio that means you have to BELIEVE in the premise of free speech, you dont becuase you think that those who were in opposition of Imus, JV and ELvis, etc didnt have the right to express their freedom of speech becuase it resulted in the firing of Imus and Jv and Elvis. If you say this is free speech radio then you have to provide equal time, so that means those whose opinions you dont care for or agree with would have to be given a forum or you're not "free speech radio" now are you? So Sharpton's Soapbox will be followed by the KKK dance party and the NAMBLA dating game, you want free speech? that is what it entails. You just thought of a catchy name "Free speech radio" I described what it would actually entail, but what you were trying to describe and what I explained to you that in actuality it would be are two different things. You seem to be describing it would be one step BEYOND shock radio,...ok......who would advertise on a station that the was even more shock talk than we have now even though it is cloaked as Oh no no we're not shock radio, we're "free speech radio".

For the record I still think this is not "free speech" as the issue at hand, there is no such thing as "free speech" on "public" airwaves that are not even really public, they are controlled by interests. Not the minority groups that so many seem to want to blame for standing up for themselves when they feel offended but the airwaves are controlled by corproate interests of the companies that operate the stations. CBS, Clear Channel, ABC, Emmis, etc and the corporate interests of the corproations that advertise. Be honest; WHo is actually naive enough to believe that there is "freedom of speech on the public airwaves" the airwaves are neither public nor are theey open to free speech. There have always been guidlines but mostly they were dictated by advertisers and the corproate owners and the FCC a distant third. Now the consumers have started to speak and you dont like it?.

O and A were on the air today making a really solid point that TV is divded into different categories, news, drama, comedy, etc. Whereas radio is only seen as the collective, radio with no differentiation between shows. I agree, but there is a difference between Imus who for the past fifteen years has been perceived as a news whow intereviewing opinion makers, news people, politicians both running and currently serving, and JV and ELvis, a comedy show, period. There is a difference and while they were screaming about how wrong it was for Imus to get fired a few weeks ago they just proved why he should have been. Imus doing a news show was out of line and out of character by making the comments that he did, Jv and ELvis being a comedy show were clearly doing something in te spirit of comedy (which was deemed offensive by some) but they're not presenting themselves as anything but a comedy show. So I think Imus should have been fired for his situation, JV and ELvis werre mishandled for theirs.

It's not really about "guts". It's so easy for everyone to point the finger at CBs and say "they did not stand behind their talent" "They sold out their talent" but what really could they do if there is a public outcry that pressures advertisers to bail? Who then pays for the show if there is no one to sponsor it?. People foret this is a business, period. They are all there to make money and NOTHING ELSE< NOTHING.

 

[tomservo]

Kind of like when one person on a message board keeps repeating the same "they need to be fired now" mantra for every stupid controversy. It seems like there's a lot of anger but it's coming from one little source.

One person beating a drum loudly can drown out 100 sighs.

 

[mostb1]

Kind of like when one person on a message board keeps repeating the same "they need to be fired now" mantra for every stupid controversy. It seems like there's a lot of anger but it's coming from one little source.

One person beating a drum loudly can drown out 100 sighs.

Tell it to Don Imus. Or JV & Elvis.

Are you people really in the radio business? You sure could fool me. Not many of you really have a clue of what is going on in the streets. You don't have an ear to the ground or know what is going on outside of your little studio or office cubicle. It's no wonder so many of you thought nothing was going to happen to Imus. That his remarks were no big deal while I was posting the story was HUGE (no gloating, just look at my posting history during the week prior to Imus firing). Same goes, on a smaller scale, for JV and Elvis and now O&A. You all need learn this is a diverse nation with many different cultures and ethnicities and sexual preferences (plus women) who are demanding respect and equality. Many of them are your future bosses. Radio isn't a place where just white men are going to be making the decisions or have the power anymore. Get a clue ("vision") since this will drive what content is no longer appropriate.

 

[LinoNYC]

This will probably send you into full foaming mode but,,WTF...

It's no wonder so many of you thought nothing was going to happen to Imus.

Do you think anything would have come of this, had it happened the week of April 16th. Even Al Sharpton would have known better than to try and demogoge at a time such as this.

The fact is that some stories "click' and other don't, its usually a matter of timing.

2002 Started with the Janet Jackson 'titty" incident, that sensitized the media, Congress started hearings and the process of increasing indecency fines. We had about 9 months of hyper-scrutiny, all of the "shock' hosts were complaining about how much they were being monitored. it contributed to the snuffing of the dumb-talk format that Infinity had pinned so much hopes on. Then what, a few years later all the culprits and the format were back.

Don Imus and Stern were much moreovert in the years before they were syndicated, you would not have heard this since you're not in the NY area.

You all need learn this is a diverse nation with many different cultures and ethnicities and sexual preferences (plus women) who are demanding respect and equality

Do you understand Spanish, if not, ask someone who does to tell you what goes on during some of the 'morning blast" type shows. None of my Mexican friends with young children will let them listen to these shows. If there are any hip-hop stations in your area (I know there are) give them a listen, Imus wasn't first with "hos" on the radio. Don't even get started about "sexual preferences" racism amongst Gays is nortorious and widespread.

If any of these groups are going to start "demanding respect and equality" in radio atleast they'll need to clean up their own houses before being taken seriously.

Foam on brother.....

Lino

 

[its time w (your name)]

I think "Free Speech Radio" is a dandy idea. I'd tinker with the name a little, so it doesnt sound like some liberal utopian goofiness.

I'm rather amazed at the reactions here. Nobody said anything about "shock radio." It doesnt have to be Howard Stern or any other such garbage. Its just the simple premise of, "dont bother calling and protesting and whining. Just change the channel and get a life." The content could be cooking, or child rearing, or the history of Doo-Wap. It doesnt matter. Simply stating on air your station's unconditional support for the host in the way I describe above would project the desired image.

Al Sharpton set the "civil rights movement" back 10 years with the Imus deal. The average person today only knows segregation from a history book, or whatever propaganda some pony tailed professor shoved down their throat. Then they go out and see reality on the street. "Civil rights" has gone from a few brave defenders of right, 40 years later to a whining word police. Racism is now a million dollar industry, benefiting only a few "ministers," and needlessly dividing the rest of us. And this is just ONE of the groups trying to tell us what we can or cant say. So yeah, there's going to be a backlash.

Anyone who cant see the simmering resentment and growing nationwide backlash against the PC Police must be living in a cave. I dont know if I'd actually call it "Free Speech Radio," but if your target demo is average working Joes, and reasonable people from all areas of life, your concept absolutely will clean up, even in San Francisco.

 

[its time w (your name)]

This is beyond funny... This website's filter edited (in my above post) out what I meant to say as "Doo-whaaap," (I altered the spelling here to get it in) meaning the 50s/60s bubblegum type of music. Apparently it was trying to filter out the slang term used for Italians.

I didnt even know it was still a word. Or that anyone ever says anything bad about Italian people anymore.

The cybergods prove my point!

 

[LKellerIII]

"This is beyond funny... This website's filter edited (in my above post) out what I meant to say as "Doo-whaaap," (I altered the spelling here to get it in) meaning the 50s/60s bubblegum type of music. Apparently it was trying to filter out the slang term used for Italians."

You have to admit - it's ironic that we are talking about sensitivity and censorship issues while the mindless editing software is censoring us. The funniest I can think of is when Radio-Info censored my post that included the name of a famous West Coast and Texas Top 40 DJ named Charlie Van D_ _ e, because it's also a crude perjorative for lesbian.

 

[TowerBuzz]

I think "Free Speech Radio" is a dandy idea. I'd tinker with the name a little, so it doesnt sound like some liberal utopian goofiness.

I'm rather amazed at the reactions here. Nobody said anything about "shock radio." It doesnt have to be Howard Stern or any other such garbage. Its just the simple premise of, "dont bother calling and protesting and whining. Just change the channel and get a life." The content could be cooking, or child rearing, or the history of Doo-------. It doesnt matter. Simply stating on air your station's unconditional support for the host in the way I describe above would project the desired image.

Al Sharpton set the "civil rights movement" back 10 years with the Imus deal. The average person today only knows segregation from a history book, or whatever propaganda some pony tailed professor shoved down their throat. Then they go out and see reality on the street. "Civil rights" has gone from a few brave defenders of right, 40 years later to a whining word police. Racism is now a million dollar industry, benefiting only a few "ministers," and needlessly dividing the rest of us. And this is just ONE of the groups trying to tell us what we can or cant say. So yeah, there's going to be a backlash.

Anyone who cant see the simmering resentment and growing nationwide backlash against the PC Police must be living in a cave. I dont know if I'd actually call it "Free Speech Radio," but if your target demo is average working Joes, and reasonable people from all areas of life, your concept absolutely will clean up, even in San Francisco.

OH come on that is exactly what he is talking about "free speech radio" or the concept is another way of presenting shock radio, and Im fine with that but you can tell by the tenor of his post he is just mad that the shock guys got nailed. SO if you dont think it has to be stricly "shock" radio, please see my earlier post about the equal time required to live up to the premise, cant wait for the KKK dance Party remote from some red neck bar in south Jersey!. By the way "free speech radio" is a pretty corny name and this is really all this idea has, a name.

 

[morefaves]

I rarely listenned to Imus or JV/Elvis so their firing doesn't change my listenning habits in any way. But the message those events, along with the O & A "apology" sent should be chilling to any broadcaster who does any kind of talk radio for a living, and any listener that enjoys comedy/goofy/"shock" type shows, as well the the future ramificatioons for anyone who enjoys talk radio of any kind. My main point is there are a large majoroty of people in the latter camps, far, far more than the special interests groups that are objecting to this nonsense. A station/network catering to thiis majority, letting it be known they won't cave in to the noisy few, would position themselves well in this climate.

I think "Free Speech Radio" is a dandy idea. I'd tinker with the name a little, so it doesnt sound like some liberal utopian goofiness.

I'm rather amazed at the reactions here. Nobody said anything about "shock radio." It doesnt have to be Howard Stern or any other such garbage. Its just the simple premise of, "dont bother calling and protesting and whining. Just change the channel and get a life." The content could be cooking, or child rearing, or the history of Doo-------. It doesnt matter. Simply stating on air your station's unconditional support for the host in the way I describe above would project the desired image.

Al Sharpton set the "civil rights movement" back 10 years with the Imus deal. The average person today only knows segregation from a history book, or whatever propaganda some pony tailed professor shoved down their throat. Then they go out and see reality on the street. "Civil rights" has gone from a few brave defenders of right, 40 years later to a whining word police. Racism is now a million dollar industry, benefiting only a few "ministers," and needlessly dividing the rest of us. And this is just ONE of the groups trying to tell us what we can or cant say. So yeah, there's going to be a backlash.

Anyone who cant see the simmering resentment and growing nationwide backlash against the PC Police must be living in a cave. I dont know if I'd actually call it "Free Speech Radio," but if your target demo is average working Joes, and reasonable people from all areas of life, your concept absolutely will clean up, even in San Francisco.

OH come on that is exactly what he is talking about "free speech radio" or the concept is another way of presenting shock radio, and Im fine with that but you can tell by the tenor of his post he is just mad that the shock guys got nailed. SO if you dont think it has to be stricly "shock" radio, please see my earlier post about the equal time required to live up to the premise, cant wait for the KKK dance Party remote from some red neck bar in south Jersey!. By the way "free speech radio" is a pretty corny name and this is really all this idea has, a name.

 

[its time w (your name)]

I think "Free Speech Radio" is a dandy idea. I'd tinker with the name a little, so it doesnt sound like some liberal utopian goofiness.

I'm rather amazed at the reactions here. Nobody said anything about "shock radio." It doesnt have to be Howard Stern or any other such garbage. Its just the simple premise of, "dont bother calling and protesting and whining. Just change the channel and get a life." The content could be cooking, or child rearing, or the history of Doo-------. It doesnt matter. Simply stating on air your station's unconditional support for the host in the way I describe above would project the desired image.

Al Sharpton set the "civil rights movement" back 10 years with the Imus deal. The average person today only knows segregation from a history book, or whatever propaganda some pony tailed professor shoved down their throat. Then they go out and see reality on the street. "Civil rights" has gone from a few brave defenders of right, 40 years later to a whining word police. Racism is now a million dollar industry, benefiting only a few "ministers," and needlessly dividing the rest of us. And this is just ONE of the groups trying to tell us what we can or cant say. So yeah, there's going to be a backlash.

Anyone who cant see the simmering resentment and growing nationwide backlash against the PC Police must be living in a cave. I dont know if I'd actually call it "Free Speech Radio," but if your target demo is average working Joes, and reasonable people from all areas of life, your concept absolutely will clean up, even in San Francisco.

OH come on that is exactly what he is talking about "free speech radio" or the concept is another way of presenting shock radio, and Im fine with that but you can tell by the tenor of his post he is just mad that the shock guys got nailed. SO if you dont think it has to be stricly "shock" radio, please see my earlier post about the equal time required to live up to the premise, cant wait for the KKK dance Party remote from some red neck bar in south Jersey!. By the way "free speech radio" is a pretty corny name and this is really all this idea has, a name.

Hold on, cowboy, where did you get this "equal time" business. There's no such rule, unless our Democrat friends have snuck one over while I was sleeping. Where did you come up with that? Btw, there's nothing wrong with rednecks... I find that offensive. Im calling Jeff Foxworthy, and we're gonna protest.

 

[tomservo]

One person beating a drum loudly can drown out 100 sighs.

Tell it to Don Imus. Or JV & Elvis.

Are you people really in the radio business? You sure could fool me. Not many of you really have a clue of what is going on in the streets. You don't have an ear to the ground or know what is going on outside of your little studio or office cubicle. It's no wonder so many of you thought nothing was going to happen to Imus. That his remarks were no big deal while I was posting the story was HUGE (no gloating, just look at my posting history during the week prior to Imus firing). Same goes, on a smaller scale, for JV and Elvis and now O&A. You all need learn this is a diverse nation with many different cultures and ethnicities and sexual preferences (plus women) who are demanding respect and equality. Many of them are your future bosses. Radio isn't a place where just white men are going to be making the decisions or have the power anymore. Get a clue ("vision") since this will drive what content is no longer appropriate.

Don Imus and JV & Elvis - they know it better than anyone else. "One person beating a drum loudly can drown out 100 sighs." The hundreds who sighed, "So?" were drown out by a few loud drummers like Al Sharpton. CBS, MSNBC and to a lesser extent, the advertisers - they all bought into the drumming hype.

mostb1, you ought to know to not make assumtions on here. I'm not in the radio biz - just a casual fan of the business. Maybe that's why I feel so helpless at seeing this fringe* entertainment under attack.

This is a diverse land, and I love it to no end. But where's the diversity of thought? We may disagree on what 'crosses the line' but isn't that part and parcel of living in a free society? This, BTW, is a paper tiger. The real problem here is that people, who are organized and should continue to protest that which they think is wrong, are in my opinion weilding too much influence on spineless 'entertainment' companies.

Oh, one last thing. Where I come from, women and minorities (like myself, ahem) earn respect, it isn't handed to them.

* - I understand the kind of entertainment that guys like JV/Elvis, O&A and Stern do aren't for the mainstream majority. You can't appeal to everyone. Period. Some of us have differing tastes - that should be respected.