The Bone's "Three-Fer-Thursday"

[argytunes]

Re: "Three-Fer-Thursday"...most likely explanation

> > I don't know who your profesor is...but I'll bet his
> "radio
> > diet" consists of MPBN and perhaps "the classical
> station?"
> > With all due respects, competition isn't based on sounding
>
> > like everybody else....it's a radio station, group (or
> > syndicated programming service) that offers A BETTER
> > ALTERNATIVE! Satellite radio ISN'T (NOR WASN'T) EXCLUSIVE
>
> > to this sort of idea. But lately, the "local
> conglomerates"
> > have already been programmed to NOT THINK BEYOND THE BOX!
>
> > WHY? Because it's easier (and cheaper) not to!
>
> Actually, I live in Texas and down here, it's a lot easier
> to do what everyone else is doing and get away with it
> because the biggest competition for your format (outside of
> Hispanic, C&W and talk...) is at least 2 hours away. Most
> cities resort to niche programming down here, so there's
> little incentive to think outside the box. I interviewed
> for a position at the Nassau group in Portland and during
> the 90ish-minute drive from the airport in Manchester (to
> which I got a cheaper flight than to Portland) to Portland,
> I was amazed that I could find no less than EIGHT classic
> rock stations. You guys are packed in tight up there! AMEN! AND YET THERE ARE SOME DUMB CONSULTANTS WHO ARE CONVINCED THAT "CLASSIC ROCK" WILL SAVE EVERY RADIO STATION FROM GOING UNDER???


So
> I'm not surprised at all by your comments. Someone up there
> could stand to stick their neck out a little and dig a
> *little* bit deeper into the music bin.

THAT HAS BEEN MY POINT ALL ALONG. BUT "DIGGING DEEPER" REQUIRES A PROGRAM DIRECTOR WHO KNOWS HIS MUSIC, UNDERSTANDS THE AUDIENCE, AND ISN'T AFRAID TO TELL A GM OR SALES MANAGER...."LET ME DO WHAT YOU HIRED ME FOR....WHICH IS...TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF LISTENERS TO OUR STATION(S)!"


But judging from
> the books in Portland that I've seen over the last couple
> years, it doesn't look as though there's a market-wide need
> for it.

I THINK IT'S MORE ALONG THE LINES OF...."WHY SHOULD WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME AND MONEY TO IMPROVE OUR PRODUCT...WHEN THE 'AVERAGE LISTENER' WILL ACCEPT WHATEVER CRAP WE PUMP INTO THEIR RADIOS? WE CAN HIRE A CONSULTANT (OR A COLLEGE KID) FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS A MONTH TO DO THE JOB INSTEAD!"
>
> Here's my basic point: Industry-wide, there is definitely
> room for a shake-up of "the box". People bitch about Clear
> Channel and "McRadio", etc. and you would think that enough
> of them are now at a point where they can hire enough
> creative and marketing people to be able to sit down and
> come up with the next great thing for music-based broadcast
> radio.
>
> Obviously, it won't be me because that was an awful run-on
> sentence. :

YOU'RE FORGIVEN....BECAUSE YOU MADE YOUR POINT LOUD & CLEAR...AND EXTREMELY WELL! HOPEFULLY, SOMEBODY UP IN THE "NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND RADIO MANAGEMENT SECTOR" WILL HAVE THE CHANCE TO READ IT??? WHETHER HE OR SHE TAKES OUR COMMENTS SERIOUSLY OR NOT WILL BE REFLECTED IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF RATING BOOKS?

argytunes
>

 

[gallen]

Re: "Three-Fer-Thursday"...most likely explanation

> > Here's my basic point: Industry-wide, there is definitely
> > room for a shake-up of "the box". People bitch about
> > Clear Channel and "McRadio", etc. and you would think that
> enough
> > of them are now at a point where they can hire enough
> > creative and marketing people to be able to sit down and
> > come up with the next great thing for music-based broadcast
> > radio.
> >
> > Obviously, it won't be me because that was an awful run-on
> > sentence. :
>
> YOU'RE FORGIVEN....BECAUSE YOU MADE YOUR POINT LOUD &
> CLEAR...AND EXTREMELY WELL! HOPEFULLY, SOMEBODY UP IN THE
> "NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND RADIO MANAGEMENT SECTOR" WILL HAVE THE
> CHANCE TO READ IT??? WHETHER HE OR SHE TAKES OUR COMMENTS
> SERIOUSLY OR NOT WILL BE REFLECTED IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF
> RATING BOOKS?

You realize, of course, I risk shunning and scorn here for agreeing with you to a certain extent, don't you?

Yeah, the industry was much different years ago, but broadcasting has become a lowest-common-denominator consumer market like the restaurant business and the airlines (remember when they actually served meals??). It's not likely that anything is going to change any time soon, but it could.

Pukers will always be around. Advertising styles will change. But, I think broadcast radio is at the point where companies have come close to finding that balance between providing competitive, affordable rates and lower overhead in operations. It's meant some ugly things like voice tracking and hours with large spot loads, but it's a business, not an art. The art still lives on places like Live365.com and as long as you subscribe, you can keep it alive...