Radio: Will it ever be what it once was?

[lilburncommunityradio]

Will radio ever be what it once was? Will it ever be truly listenable again?
Do we just have to continue to watch as it becomes more and more boring?
Radio does not have a personality anymore! Its either a computer voice tracking,
or a station like B98.5 that says the same things in its breaks,reading liner cards
Its almost like a hospital , STERILE ! So Milk Toast like that it makes one either
want to yak, or suscribe to a sat radio service. What happened to original programming? If you are old enough to remember, stations like WQXI, WABC,
WLS and e.t.c. these were radio stations that really cared what thier air
product said about them. Now we have companies like Clear Channel who program
a station in a market and duplicate it over many others! Even Cox Radio is the same way they give you a station like The River and it sounds so soft, and boring,
I would love to hear a radio station that had some real personality and sparkle
a station that would make you never want to turn off the radio, I really miss
that type of broadcasting. Sorry I just had to voice an opnion... If you don't agree
Im sorry, but if you really think about it, the only thing thats missing is a casket,
because at this point in the game, I think Atlanta Radio is DEAD on Arrival

 

[caller10]

I dunno. One morning when Kelly or Alpha (I couldn't tell you which is which) signed off saying "... be good and kind to one another." Wow, thanks for the tip! I wouldn't know to do that otherwise!

 

[smedge2006]

Remember, the QXI's and WABC's were usually one to a market. The rest of the radio dial in the 70's was full of mediocrity. Remember beautiful music stations and their repetitive nature?

 

[sduncan]

Will radio ever be what it once was? Will it ever be truly listenable again?
Do we just have to continue to watch as it becomes more and more boring?


Lilburn,

I hate to say it, but I agree with you. Would the music stations be better
off without so much of the consultants and research that goes into it? Why not
let the jocks loose and let them adjust the playlists to suit their show? Now, I
am still pretty new to this business so I am approaching this subject as a listener but
it seems to me if that were to happen a jock has an opportunity to make a show unique
and make the station stand out and be really a local station as opposed to listening to a station here in Atlanta and you go to another town and hear the same thing. Plus, it would really push the talent of the jock. As it is right now, it seems the jocks are there to basically follow a script and give time and temp. I remember
about reading how some artists would have their biggest hit because the DJ flipped the record and played side b.

 

[BIGSTICK]

I am 46, and yes Radio as I knew it is DEAD. :'( :'( :-\ :-X

 

[littlejohn]

Remember, ladies and germs, the media reflects the marketplace. Fill it with superficial "Me! Me!" types who demand instant gratification, and you will get superficial media which attempts to satisfy the demand for instant gratification. A country whose choice of leaders is between Dubya and Owlgore as representative of the population isn't likely going to have top of the line media, now is it? (Not a political statement, rather a lament that "they were the best we had to offer?") Here in Atlanta, a society in which a 14 year old kid thinks it justifiable to take a life because he was 'disrespected' isn't a society which leads to excellence in entertainment. And, it's reflective of much or most of the country.

 

[FMDawg]

In order to survive, it will turn back the clock

Radio as delivery system for music is declining. The convenience. portability, and customization of Mp3's makes "more music more often" obsolete. Why settle for 12 in a row when you can have 1200 in a row.
Radio will have to revert back to the old days.

Where the hosts were entertaining, relevant, and larger than life. Where local news, weather, etc and community were a part of the station, not just obligatory fill ins to meet govt regs. Stations who do this will survive and thrive.

Why do you think that V 103 continues to stay at the top of the ratings even though other stations like the late Jamz harped about how much talking V did? Because people wanted more than just music. They wanted a connection with the airstaff and their community. V103 provided that. WSB provides services of news/wx/traffic. That along with entertaining and relevant personalities keeps it up there with V.

Will radio ever be the same? No. But stations who go back to the basics will thrive.

 

[taylorengineer]

Littlejohn places the blame correctly.....on ourselves! And his summation of our cultural "de-volution" does explain the sad shape of radio, and our media in general.
I went to Blockbuster last night to rent a movie. Look at the twisted garbage in there!!! 8 out of 10 movies are about serial murderers, supernatural non-sense, or just plain ol' "blood & guts" slasher puke. The others are "yellow light" soft porn with absolutely no purpose except to stimulate teen age boys. Not a Bogart movie to be found!
We are a hedonistic society which spends precious little time on anything outside of physical (i.e. sexual)stimulation. And our media reflects the intellectual laziness run rampant.
So we get.....Howard Stern, Opie and Anthony......Regis and Kathy Lee....Katie Couric is a "real" newsguy....and "Survivor" is important national programming. Our radio board discusses,mostly, the morning show on 99X vs 96 Rock(like there's a difference....or it really matters.)
I would like to be an optimist but the "Steve and Vickie" mentality will be the death of us....literally.
Pass the Ketchup please!

 

[Tibbs4]

The answer is simple :_____NO ___

It will never be what it was when radio stations had heart & soul, personality and were appreciated by listeners who didn't
have 60000 other choices somewhere. The programmers of today have either grown up with no memory or connection or
respect or appreciation for radio's "good ole days" or they have been forced to cut costs by the devil's themselves the
bean counters from hell who couldn't have enough imagination or forethought to realize the better the product the better
the listenership and the better the ratings and revenue.

Funny how just 10 years a single owner of one AM & one FM could put out a better product with a full staff, rent, vehicles,
equipment, tower and fighting 3 other similar formats than today where everything is under one roof with minimal overhead.

Not a chance. And the road ahead is worse. Sad and such a joke. Remember full-service gas stations? Of course you don't.
Corporate death machines.

 

[seabass]

Will radio ever be what it once was? Will it ever be truly listenable again?
Do we just have to continue to watch as it becomes more and more boring?
Radio does not have a personality anymore! Its either a computer voice tracking,
or a station like B98.5 that says the same things in its breaks,reading liner cards
Its almost like a hospital , STERILE ! So Milk Toast like that it makes one either
want to yak, or suscribe to a sat radio service. What happened to original programming? If you are old enough to remember, stations like WQXI, WABC,
WLS and e.t.c. these were radio stations that really cared what thier air
product said about them. Now we have companies like Clear Channel who program
a station in a market and duplicate it over many others! Even Cox Radio is the same way they give you a station like The River and it sounds so soft, and boring,

Sorry to hear about the coma you've been in since 1975. Lots has gone on in the world. Have you heard about this internet yet? Fax machines? USA Today? Get to know them. Oh, and Rock Hudson died in 1984. Hope you catch up with the rest of us. Welcome back!

 

[X-14]

I have worked in and out of radio since 1975. Yes, that makes me old and out of touch, despite the fact that I still work in radio today. At least the young guns who are just getting their feet wet in the business think anyone over 30 is braindead regarding the industry.
Nonetheless, my main source of music is .mp3s and online streaming. Soon also to own XM satellite.
Many of us remember when there was a cardboard playclock stuck on the wall. We knew to play an instrumental at :10 after, followed by a male artist, followed by a classic hit, yadda yadda. We were free to pick the album/cd and the song, as long as it came close to the play clock. We grabbed 4-track spot carts off the revolving stand and piled them up for the next break, and watched the analog clock on the wall count down so we could backtime (you new guys wouldn't know about that) up to the network news feed. It was a blast. You never got bored and 'liner cards' were limited to PSAs. (Remember PSAs???). You were allowed to chat, within reason, and you connected with your audience. You actually took, and played, requests!
Yes, life has changed, but much is NOT for the better. My kids sit inside glued to the playstation instead of riding bikes or shooting baskets. We sit and type messages on internet forums instead of playing board games with the family or taking a walk.
But thanks to .mp3s, the 'net, satellite radio, etc., we DO have other viable choices, although the way of the dj as we knew it is becoming extinct.
Cable tv didn't kill network television, it made it struggle harder to survive, but it lost huge shares. I can NOT imagine that traditional radio can go on much longer as it has. XM, Sirius, iTunes and others will eat it alive if it doesn't do something to come alive again.

 

[glock509]

im with you x14.i remember the days of calling 96rock with a request and talking to the dj.now djs are a thing of the past.corperate radio is killing radio not sattalites or mp3s. i now have a sirius and use it 90% of the time.

 

[lilburncommunityradio]

I have to agree with X... I remember My first radio job: WACX Austell. (Taylorengineer)remembers me I know... I had more fun on this gig, and to top it off we did have some freedom of choice. We got a music director who arranged all the music, NO A COMPUTER didnt do the work. We had a Program Director who decided where and when the elements of the day would happen. Even though we were only at that time a 1000 watt daytimer, It was a fun time to be in the biz. I will also never forget what happened the first time I encountered a computer doing MY JOB.
This was so depressing. Now radio is not even a shadow of its once former glory.
At 17 years old I had listeners who listened to my show each and every day. I had winners of contests, and folks with whom I connected in the audience. I will forever miss those days... I did radio for another 15 yrs after, then decided that other things needed my attention,like my family.. Now off to be an outside salesman again
thanks for all the replies to this post.. I do fondly remember REAL LIVE RADIO. I will forever miss it.

 

[LaGrangeRadio]

So Milk Toast like that it makes one either want to yak, or subscribe to a sat radio service.

Sorry, but I'm a stickler for using the language correctly, especially in this business.

milquetoast: a person who is timid or meek, unassertive. Such people may appear apathetic or unmotivated.

Music can not be milquetoast. A person may be milquetoast and as a result program a boring radio station.

Class dimissed.

 

[littlejohn]

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Milk toast is a breakfast food consisting mainly, though not entirely, of toasted bread dipped in or covered in hot milk into which a small amount of butter has been melted.

Uh, don't let being wrong slow ya down any, LaGrange.
The gent referred to milk toast. You gave a nice dissertation on something else. D-

 

[lilburncommunityradio]

Here we go again... Milk toast, Milquetoast, or whatever! Who cares.... It was simply a radio post LaGrange! Geez, Sorry I forgot there are some out there because of whatever reason they have to critique any and all written posts..
Sorry I will get permission before I write here again.. Thank LaGrange for the
Language, and grammor lesson....By the way, what do you think of the current state of radio LAGRANGE? Do you have anything to add LAGRANGE?

 

[WhatDoIKnow]

Here we go again... Milk toast, Milquetoast, or whatever! Who cares....

Well . . . Respectfully, are we talking about behavior or food? (smilie thingie) It do make a difference!

 

[LaGrangeRadio]

By the way, what do you think of the current state of radio LAGRANGE? Do you have anything to add LAGRANGE?

I think it serves the LOCAL public less and less, and people are tuning it out more and more.