The Rise and Fall of AM Radio

[sparks]

In this Sunday's Post-Gazette you will find an article about AM radio written by Adrian McCoy and Maria Sciullo. This is the link to the article:

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/ae/tv-radio/the-rise-and-fall-of-am-radio-707433/

I wished they had talked to Clarke about his view on keeping AM stations alive.

Ed

 

[Boss Radio]

People used to listen to AM because they had no real alternative.

They left AM when better alternatives were available.

The way to keep AM alive: Program something that's not available on those better alternatives, keep overhead as low as possible and hope some advertiser is interested in the niche audience you're attracting.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

Very interesting article. Thanks for the link. Interesting to those of us outside the reach of Pittsburgh.

There are corporations that have instituted "succession planning". They look at key players in the management team, recognize by their age that by such-and-such year, even in good health and good mental capacity, they are going to retire. So they scour through the ranks looking for candidates to be replacements. People are groomed to move up. If there is a "hole" in the current crop of underlings they may recruit someone from another company to come and be the heir apparent. This process may moved down several layers through the staff making sure that the time does not come when candidates for big tasks are lacking.

Technology does not an organization or constituency doing such a task. No one in the auto industry looked at the carburetor and said: You are getting old, but you also don't have the background and qualifications to keep your present job. No one said, You need to move over and make room for the fuel injector so here is your new task. Have a happy life!

There is no group, authority or person who had the task of grabbing radio, staring it in the face and saying: You can no longer be the same star that you have been. Other technology has come along that is better at doing what you have done. But we have good news: We have planned a new lesser career for you and your new task begins January 1st. We think you will enjoy your new task.

Not on this planet!!!

 

[klutch00]

People used to listen to AM because they had no real alternative.

They left AM when better alternatives were available.

The way to keep AM alive: Program something that's not available on those better alternatives, keep overhead as low as possible and hope some advertiser is interested in the niche audience you're attracting.

I agree with all points with the possible exception of the last. I feel that some advertisers are too reluctant to do business with those who broadcast a niche format. Under such a scenario, I would suggest one of two options: either go to a hybrid revenue model, in which the station survives on both advertisement AND donations OR go to a total non-commercial model altogether.

 

[Avid Listener]

I agree with all points with the possible exception of the last. I feel that some advertisers are too reluctant to do business with those who broadcast a niche format. Under such a scenario, I would suggest one of two options: either go to a hybrid revenue model, in which the station survives on both advertisement AND donations OR go to a total non-commercial model altogether.

I tend to think that the same principles that radio air-time salesmen preach to potential commercial air-time buyers who are looking for customers also applies to radio station operators looking for new listeners. Whether it's AM, FM, or internet Podcasts, if you want people to listen to what you're broadcasting, then you have to let people know what you're putting out. If I know a program that I would enjoy hearing will be on AM radio, then I'll flip my radio over to AM and tune the station in. Otherwise, I'm not going to surf the AM dial looking for something I like. Anyone attempting to revive an AM station by depending on nothing but what he's sending out the transmitter, plus maybe a little word-of-mouth, is doomed to fail.

 

[TheBigA]

I agree with all points with the possible exception of the last. I feel that some advertisers are too reluctant to do business with those who broadcast a niche format. Under such a scenario, I would suggest one of two options: either go to a hybrid revenue model, in which the station survives on both advertisement AND donations OR go to a total non-commercial model altogether.

If you study where that has been done, it really hasn't changed the fortunes of the AM station. In Buffalo, a non-profit bought a 5K AM station, went all-news, and still determined they were better off buying an FM and giving up the AM. The reality is that AM radio has become the trolley of the 21st century. It's not a programming problem. It's a technology problem.

 

[Avid Listener]

If you study where that has been done, it really hasn't changed the fortunes of the AM station. In Buffalo, a non-profit bought a 5K AM station, went all-news, and still determined they were better off buying an FM and giving up the AM. The reality is that AM radio has become the trolley of the 21st century. It's not a programming problem. It's a technology problem.

I still believe that if a trolley can take some people from where they are to where they want to be, and they know about it, and it's not too expensive, they'll take the trolley. I totally agree with you that the technological problems of AM make it very unsuitable for music programming. It's mono with limited fidelity and too much static. But I don't think its technical limitations make it totally unsuited to spoken word programming. I am convinced that people will make the effort to turn their radios to the AM band if two conditions are met. But those two conditions are ironclad. There must be programming being broadcast that they want to hear. And they must know about the programming in advance, because they won't stumble across it by accident.

 

[Phil Harmonic]

Another thing about AM... about it not being ok for music any more. It's amazing how the audio quality has changed for music fans, we've gone from AM to FM to CD quality... down to MP3s and even worse... MP3 that are being streamed... Satellite music that sounds very squished, almost beyond recognition... is music quality de-volving? Have you looked at the speakers you're using these days? Where's the bass?

 

[BCBDX]

Here's my take...

If the product (music) is the same then what has changed is how people listen to it. 50 years ago I used to listen to KMOX when the Cardinals played the Pirates just to hear their side of the game. I used to listen to CKLW, WCFL, WOWO, and the big three New York stations as well as Boston and Philadelphia. Anyone remember WAPE, the "Big Ape" out of Florida? Heck, even Starbuck mentions BCBDX with their "I play the radio on Southern stations" on "Moonlight Feels Right". If you tuned around you were rewarded with music that KDKA, KQV, and later on WIXZ didn't play.

So today, I tune around the band and the programming is expectedly bland; Disney, talk radio, the Clear Channel wannabee at 620, and the vintage Motown at 1550. Don't make fun of that four-watt night time signal; WCOL used to be gone outside the I-270 beltway on winter nights.

There have been a steady stream of letters to the editor at the Post-Gazette lamenting the format change at WJAS. Myself, I don't like the WWSW copycat music list at 620. A lot of people like the Carpenters along with the others that got shuffled to the back of the bus, only to be played upon request (for now).

I am 59, my wife 60. We recently bought a new Jeep with Sirius XM. My wife listens to that pretty much exclusively, preferring Hits One, 70s on 7, 80s on 8, the Bridge, Love, and Margaritaville. Why? You hear songs that don't get played on Clear Channel stations and you can't set your watch by the next Skynyrd song.

AM has its well-known limitations, but listeners will work around these limitations if the content makes it worth it. Having an FM translator helps make up the difference but filling it with Clear Channel-style programming is a waste. WWSW has a far better signal than WKHB or WKFB or any of the 10 watt translators so why shouldn't I listen to the best signal if the content is all the same?

And yes, I have my own "radio station". It cost me $20 at Auto Zone, and I plug my mp3 player in it on my way home. I "discovered" these one morning when death metal began playing on 94.1 at a stoplight.

Yes, it's a business that has to pay the bills, but terrestrial radio is losing out because of content, at least in my house. My wife will gladly pay the Sirius fee because the variety and content make it worth the cost.