The other board

[FredLeonard]

Suggestions from an outside perspective can be quite useful to managers with an open mind.

Gee, I don't think there is such a thing.

Radio in the 70s (and before) had something today's radio lacks. Call it "showmanship." It's a quality that would manifest itself differently today but we can't know what showmanship today would sound like because it's gone - completely. Also missing - and closely related to the open mind - is creativity and originality.

 

[TheBigA]

Radio in the 70s (and before) had something today's radio lacks. Call it "showmanship."

I think you're having a case of selective memory. Lots of extremely boring radio stations in the 70s. Some got great ratings. One example was WRFM. No showmanship there. But great ratings. I think "showmanship" was evident in about 10-15% of the stations then, and it is about the same percentage today, mainly in morning drive, but also in a lot of ways that didn't exist 40 years ago.

 

[jmtillery]

http://musicradio77.com/wwwboard/

Thank you, David.

 

[Small Market Guy]

I'm not so sure being in the business is a necessary requisite for expressing an opinion ... provided the opinion is well founded and articulately expressed. There are plenty of people in the business who probably shouldn't be. If every insider knew everything and did everything right every station would be #1. ;-) Radio insiders might do well to listen to the opinions of outsiders on boards like these.

When people who haven't the slightest idea how the business works try to tell people who have done it for decades how to program stations, it just looks silly. Sure, they have a right to an opinion, and we all have things we like and don't like about radio, but there's a reason Person A is the PD at a New York radio station, and Person B is a bus driver or accountant that likes to play PD.

 

[Small Market Guy]

What I've found in reading opinions from people not in the business is they want radio to serve their personal taste.

Bingo.

 

[wadio]

Until they cease being suggestions, and become demands.

But not all do. You're generalizing again. I think you need to take each post on its own merits.

 

[TTalkradio1]

Allan probably is right about FM music radio, but I think he's wrong about AM radio.

 

[FredLeonard]

I think you're having a case of selective memory. Lots of extremely boring radio stations in the 70s. Some got great ratings. One example was WRFM. No showmanship there. But great ratings. I think "showmanship" was evident in about 10-15% of the stations then, and it is about the same percentage today, mainly in morning drive, but also in a lot of ways that didn't exist 40 years ago.

Gee, you pick an elevator music station to make your case? Great ratings? By what standard? More like barely on the radar.
Even you acknowledge that few attempts at local-live "showmanship" exist - anywhere - outside of morning drive. But you consider that comparable top a time when stations offered real personalities throughout the broadcast day.

Denial: A River in Egypt.

 

[Silkie]

I perceive that sometimes vindication is its own reward. Thanks for the thread.

 

[Unregistered]

Face the facts, the guys a downright nasty Schmuck, if you don't agree with him, he will either delete your post or ridicule you. He is so anti-Rock and makes no bones about letting his feelings show. Its the typical pompous, bull headed jargon, its my board and I control it. What gets me is all these suck ups that kiss his butt and think he is a god on that board. I cannot wait for a good Rock or Alternative format to bill well in the Apple, then lets see him spew his anti-Rock venom. FTR he is not a good dentist, my friend had his wisdom tooth removed by him years back and he is still numb and in pain...

 

[YoYoGo]

Like him or hate him, but you have to respect The Dentist. The rest of the radio broadcasting world does.

Take a long hard look at the radio professionals who post on that board - Carol Miller, Pete Tauriello, Andy Fisher, Herb Barry, Tom Carton, Ellis Bromberg, Larry Berger, Mitch Lebe, Jimmy Fink, Ken Lamb, John Mainelli, Charlie Menut, Stephen E. Roy, Mike McCann, Peter Schacknow, Perri Appolo, Carol Mason, Todd Glickman, Scott Fybush, Famous Amos, Glenn (Bumper) Morgan, Jay Sorenson, Jack Kratoville, Rafe Gomez, Ken Dashow, Bob Marrone, just to name a few.

There must be a reason why so many radio professionals gravitate to the NYRMB.

It's interesting to note that people like The Dentist and Lance Venta spend A LOT of time, energy and their own money running these boards. Why? because they love the broadcasting industry in their own way. And since these are their boards, they get to set the rules which is only fair.

No matter which board you read and post to, each one serves its own audience and niche and personally I appreciate them all.

 

[TheBigA]

Great ratings? By what standard? More like barely on the radar.

Do a search for NYC radio ratings in the 70s. You'll find that WRFM was a Top 5 station. Not only that, but WPAT and WVNJ were ALSO in the Top 10. They got great ratings with boring programming. That's why I chose that specific example.

 

[TheBigA]

It's interesting to note that people like The Dentist and Lance Venta spend A LOT of time, energy and their own money running these boards. Why? because they love the broadcasting industry in their own way. And since these are their boards, they get to set the rules which is only fair.

I agree with everything in your post. These folks fill a need, and the need exists because actual radio professionals don't have the wherewithal to create and maintain such a site.

 

[TTalkradio1]

I remember someone posted that this board was back up, and Allan deleted the thread.

 

[cspence]

Do a search for NYC radio ratings in the 70s. You'll find that WRFM was a Top 5 station. Not only that, but WPAT and WVNJ were ALSO in the Top 10. They got great ratings with boring programming. That's why I chose that specific example.

There was one book where WPAT am and fm combined would have been #1 but the 2 signals were not 100% simulcast.

 

[davideduardo]

Gee, you pick an elevator music station to make your case? Great ratings? By what standard? More like barely on the radar.

I picked a random book from 1976 and found WPAT, WPAT FM and WRFM all in the top 10.

Those stations show several things. First, a "good station" need not be "entertaining" in the traditional sense of the word. It may be "relaxing" or "informational" or whatever the mood and need of the listener may be. Second, a "boring station" to some is a "pleasant" station to others... a station that relieves stress or is nice company or whatever.

In other words, there could have been as much genius in a segue from Roger Whittaker to Caravelli on WRFM as in Dan Ingram's show on WABC or in a well balanced "20 minutes and we'll give you the world" segment on WINS.

 

[davideduardo]

There was one book where WPAT am and fm combined would have been #1 but the 2 signals were not 100% simulcast.

Several, in fact. I believe Spring of 76 was one of them.

 

[wadio]

There must be a reason why so many radio professionals gravitate to the NYRMB.

Maybe because its been there so long (wasn't it the first?) The software which now is very long in the tooth was quite friendly to the old, slow machines of 10 or 15 years ago.

Just as radio listeners are slow to change their habits, so are message board users perhaps.

 

[YoYoGo]

Just as radio listeners are slow to change their habits, so are message board users perhaps.

Your focus needs to be more on the content and credibility of the boards and not the software that makes the boards run.

 

[wadio]

Your focus needs to be more on the content and credibility of the boards and not the software that makes the boards run.

Correct. But in the old days speed mattered a lot. This board was slow and clunky back then while the NYRMB was fast and snappy.

For whatever reason, the pros latched onto the other board and -- partly out of habit I believe -- they're still there. Also I'll bet Alan treats the pros very nicely.