The Impact of Consolidation

[Call Me Sherlock]

I missed this. On August 9th, The "Future Of Music Coalition" issued a study on the impact of consolidation on localism, radio employment and wages. No surprises to those in the business.

Future of Music Coalition, Newspaper Guild-Communications Workers of America and Consumers Union Urge FCC to Take Employment Effects of Their Policies into Account During Upcoming Review of Media Ownership Rules

A study from The Future of Music Coalition (FMC) found that the vast majority of major U.S. cities has experienced both layoffs and lower wage growth within the radio profession, associated with the unprecedented consolidation of radio station ownership over the last decade. The study also shows that the job losses in radio impede federal policy mandates to promote localism and diversity in media.

“Consolidation in radio ownership hasn’t just homogenized music formats,” said Jenny Toomey, musician and executive director of the Future of Music Coalition, “it has devastated the broadcast profession and virtually eliminated the ability of radio stations to provide unique coverage of local news, music and community issues. Before the FCC moves forward to further loosen already weak ownership limits, it should understand the impact that deregulation has had on jobs and communities.”

Read more here...

http://www.futureofmusic.org/news/PRemploymenteffects06.cfm

 

[Mark_Giardina]

I missed this. On August 9th, The "Future Of Music Coalition" issued a study on the impact of consolidation on localism, radio employment and wages. No surprises to those in the business.

Future of Music Coalition, Newspaper Guild-Communications Workers of America and Consumers Union Urge FCC to Take Employment Effects of Their Policies into Account During Upcoming Review of Media Ownership Rules

A study from The Future of Music Coalition (FMC) found that the vast majority of major U.S. cities has experienced both layoffs and lower wage growth within the radio profession, associated with the unprecedented consolidation of radio station ownership over the last decade. The study also shows that the job losses in radio impede federal policy mandates to promote localism and diversity in media.

“Consolidation in radio ownership hasn’t just homogenized music formats,” said Jenny Toomey, musician and executive director of the Future of Music Coalition, “it has devastated the broadcast profession and virtually eliminated the ability of radio stations to provide unique coverage of local news, music and community issues. Before the FCC moves forward to further loosen already weak ownership limits, it should understand the impact that deregulation has had on jobs and communities.”

Read more here...

http://www.futureofmusic.org/news/PRemploymenteffects06.cfm

Hell I've been on my soapbox about this for years. Just look at the most recent ratings as proof. Those stations which offer local programming are the ones that do much better than those stations that are 100% automated or run syndicated programming all day long.

Radio as a career for many young people graduating from college is about as popular as trying to make a living working in a horse and buggy factory. These kids aren't stupid. Why spend all of their time, and parent’s money going through four years of college for a degree in journalism or communications just to end up working as some board operator at a radio station in Podunk for $17k a year.

Sure there are still some top paying announcing and news jobs out there, but most of them are filled with veterans who don't plan on leaving at least for another 10 to 15 years at least. And for those who do get out of the business, do you think their replacements get the same money as those individuals who left?

The only way you are going to see major and much needed changes in radio is when a number of those media corporations, which some are already in debt up to their eyeballs, or their stock is sliding, start to realize that unless they start nurturing local talent their ratings will continue to drop, which will eventually impact their bottom line. Outsourcing talent from another city is not the answer and never has been.

Going after younger audiences today is really a waste of time when you think of it. How many of you have teenagers or children in their 20s? I have two in their 20s and I can tell you neither one of them, or their friends listen to the radio. They either play CD's in their cars or download music from their I-Pods or listen to I Tunes.

Management and owners of existing radio stations will have to come to the realization that it's our generation that still listens to the radio and many of us are starting to turn off the switch because we are growing tired of the repetitious music formats and constants overload of commercials. At some stations local news and traffic is reading out of the local newspaper or worse nothing at all. Hell even local traffic reports might take a serious hit when Metro Traffic goes dark next month.

Maybe in a sense its good that these stations do fail for if the domino effect takes place someone in corporate will wise-up and start moving radio in the right direction. Either that or the business will just up and die; the victim of greed and short-sightedness.

 

[x13thfloorrand]

I posted that info on August 10th....

 

[SirRoxalot]

It has also been discussed on the "Business of Radio" board.

 

[Call Me Sherlock]

Sorry, Boys! Like I said, I missed it.

 

[ThePickleReport]

[/quote]

Why spend all of their time, and parent’s money going through four years of college for a degree in journalism or communications just to end up working as some board operator at a radio station in Podunk for $17k a year.

[/quote]

Where were you when I needed you 15 years ago! ;D