Take a look at this - and - what do you think?

[Radio55]

This is from Radio and Records.com today. Would like to know your thoughts about the expansion of "consolidated" radio. This is not to pick on CC, there are many radio companies who would benefit from this. But the issue for me is that people who work in the industry would only find themselves in a bigger mess. Most companies who own clusters of stations - say six in a market - find themselves with 2, maybe 3, strong stations and the rest are dogs. Or they have a couple of players in their cluster and station 3 or 4 is only there to back up the primary/stronger station. It is getting harder and harder for new talent to actually "learn" the business by being on the air live, making mistakes and learning how to be "good". There is no "night shift" or overnight shift to learn the craft of broadcasting. Cutting voice-tracks is not "being on the air" - it is no different than cutting carts in the old automated days of the late 60s and early 70s. Those of you who may have been in the business for a number of years may recall the old IGM automation machines with the carousel cart decks. Big old clunky monsters yes, but they were the early years of what is now voice-tracking. I have been out of the business for a little while now, but I long for the days when radio really reached people. If you travel a lot, you might get a kick out of listening to the local stations along the way. Here they are doing their obit announcements and swapshops/tradio programs. You might try tuning in AM 1290 some time. It is out of Siloam Springs, ARK., and it is a great little station. Ah, the good old days.

I have always believed that the biggest issue for people working in radio is jobs. Continued consolidation and voice-tracking eliminates the opportunity for jobs in radio. There was a time when if you lost your radio job, all you had to do was make a few calls and there would be something at another station across town. Now you might be doing overnights for a few months, but you could pay the rent. No longer. Those jobs don't even exist anymore. And the 7 to mid jobs are pretty much gone too. Middays are about to fall away as well. The jobs are thinning fast and the issue for people working in radio today will be the very job they risk losing tomorrow because of voice-tracking and consolidation.

Just some thoughts... would like to hear yours.

Thanks.



Report: Clear Channel Wants Bigger Piece Of The Pie
Aug. 07, 2006
By Ken Tucker


Despite the certainty of another high-profile battle with opponents of media consolidation, Clear Channel has quietly floated a plan that would allow the radio giant and other station owners to boost their holdings in the largest U.S. markets, according to the Deal.

The company is considering filing a formal petition with the FCC seeking to raise the caps limiting how many stations one company can own in the largest individual U.S. markets, according to the story.

While current rules specify that a company may own no more than eight radio stations in the largest U.S. markets, such as Los Angeles, New York and Chicago, where at least 45 full-power radio stations operate, it’s believed that Clear Channel is seeking approval from the FCC to own 10 stations in markets with 60 radio stations and 12 radio outlets in the largest U.S. markets that have 75 radio stations or more.

"Easing the ownership restrictions will help level the playing field and let free radio compete with iPods, online music services and satellite radio," a Clear Channel spokeswoman told the Deal. "Certainly, seeing that satellite radio has 150 unregulated stations in every market and free radio is limited to just eight shows the apparent disparity."

In June, the commission launched its congressionally-mandated review of FCC rules, which it must conduct every four years.

 

[BlaineMcDaniel]

Pretty soon it's going to be only live mornings in any given market.

Thank God I have something to fall back on.

Here's a plan.

1. Get into programming and make a name for yourself now while you've still got a chance.

2. Get into sales and build a list and a reputation so strong that you'll always be able to find work somewhere.

3. Or get out altogether and go into something where you'll always be needed. Maybe be a geriatrician. The baby boomers are getting old. And there are more of them that are going to need their diapers changed in the next few years.

Or, you could "off" yourself and not have to worry about it at all. But make sure and leave a nice note.

 

[DougD]

Going into related fields such as PR, corporate communications, news writing for newspapers or trade publications, would also be a good bet.

I recall workiing at the local radio station while in high school in 1980. A local full-service AM with beautiful music on FM.

The station did everything. It wasn't a top market and didn't sound like it, but it didn't sound bad either.

Another station I used to listen to in another small market, but bigger city (a university town in a midwestern state) had a full-service AM that carried Rush, Dr. Laura, etc., but had a local am news show. The stories they covered were like a substitute for reading the local newspaper.
Wish more stations were like this.

Something like this could work with adult standards with a twist of 50s-60s oldies. Could help the AM band that is so overloaded with conservative NT.