The rumor mill is a-churning

[SonoSational18]

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[armchairqb]

I'm sorry OMW, but you've missed my point. I've worked for my share of cheap private owners. But there has been nothing in the past like the wholesale slash-and-burn for the margin that the stock market has brought to radio. It's a fact that overall broadcast radio employment, and there are at least two independent studies to confirm this, has declined by almost 40 percent. While I might agree that some of the job losses were necessary (as in there's no reason to have seven receptionists for seven radio stations in one building), the staff cuts have gone far beyond what was necessary, or even what was prudent. As a result, may local radio staitons have lost their most precious asset: The intimate connection with the listener that made our profession so unique. In fact, radio would not be facing the serious difficulties it faces now had the ridiculous lust for profit margin been curbed at least somewhat. There is no excuse for it, and I feel it should not just be dismissed as water under the bridge. I also understand that the old days are not coming back, at least not on any large scale, nor do I waste my time wishing for them. What is fact is that our business has reached a fundamental crossroads. Those companies that re connect with listeners will survive, and those that don't will not.
The sad part of all this is that most of the struggles that the large radio companies are going through are self induced
by their own greed. But that greed and incompetence has affected everyone.
Like you, I don't gnash my teeth about it, I just adapt. In the last ten years, I have survived 5 ownership changes and countless budget cuts by proving my value, biting the bullet, and making do. Not because I like it, but because I take a great deal of pride in my work and I continue to work in this business because it's my craft and my profession.
The horses may have left the barn, but that doesn't mean we should forget how they got out.
I don't think you're a "tool" of big radio at all. In fact, you seem to be realistic about the current climate.
But I believe there WILL be changes in our business, simply becaue these giant radio companies are running out of time.
They will not be able to continue as they are, because the advertising community and Wall Street simply don't believe in them anymore. Radio stocks are at the lowest since 2000, and there is no earnings spike on the horizon to bring them back up. Therefore, those stocks will continue to lose value until they are forced to divest at least some of their stations. CBS is doing it, and I believe others like Cumulus and to a lesser extent Clear Channel will be forced to follow.
So while I'm angry about the current sad state of affairs, I believe a "loosening" is coming.

Well, here's the thing.

Horse. Barn. Long gone.

There's a lot of gnashing of teeth on these boards about how bad the giant radio companies are, and how they've "ruined radio".

You know what? On the whole, I can't disagree with the general point.

I wouldn't use that same wording, but I'd have to be silly to disagree that as a rule, dynamic, locally-oriented radio was much better X number of years ago.

It wasn't perfect. There were poorly-funded local owners with their own agendas. There were small "mom and pop" companies which ran stations off of the bird or with then-huge automation systems. It wasn't all The Golden Age. (Trust me on this - I've lived some of it.)

But...yes, I miss the days where companies didn't own 8 stations in a cluster, programmed by one or two people and voicetracked much of the time.

You know what?

For all the complaining about it here, THE OLD DAYS ARE NOT COMING BACK. Too much would have to happen in this world for a return to the Way Things Were in radio, and those things are just not happening.

Long ago, I figured that complaining and complaining about "the state of radio" meant nothing, either here or out in the real world.

I adjust. I do whatever job I think I can do in today's New Radio World. If it gets to the point that I can't deal with it anymore, I move on and do something else.

Even from OMW, which is read by approximately 1000-ish people a day, what good does it do to complain about "Big Radio"? What effect will it have? People with far more reach and influence than me print articles all the time about "Big Radio". The regulatory and political climate is NOT changing, and in fact, it's probably going to "get worse".

So, I'm considered a "tool" of "Big Radio" if I don't get up on the high horse and whine about how they've "ruined radio". Anyone who doesn't automatically decry Clear Channel, CBS, Cumulus, Citadel or any of the major companies is not considered a "freedom fighter" and is attacked.

Horse. Barn. Long gone.

Read it again.

Just my opinion.

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

So while I'm angry about the current sad state of affairs, I believe a "loosening" is coming.

I don't disagree with much of what you say, and many of us who had a foot in the "old days" would probably agree with much of it as well.

I just get sick of reading all the "Clear Channel (or insert name of large company here) is evil!" stuff, frankly. It means nothing. It gets some anger out, as you note, but it doesn't change anything, and it also means that if CC or CBS or whoever as a company actually does anything good, it gets ignored because of The Bigger Picture.

I can't change The Bigger Picture. At some point, you give up yelling about it. There's one group of stations in this region that I used to rail on about, and at some point, it became just the same old complaints.

Maybe you're right. Maybe the massive debt and such will unravel a lot of the large companies that seem mostly built on debt and more debt. But only that, and other such things far beyond the purview of these message boards, will make a difference.

Ranting for days on how "bad" the big radio companies are - that makes no difference. You might as well complain about Wal-Mart killing a thousand downtowns, for it gets you about as far.

I think we agree more than we disagree here...I just felt unfairly taken to task because of one person's perception of what we've put up, and his/her feelings about a certain company or other large radio owners.

And that's all I have to say on this. Feel free to take me apart, but...I'm starting to repeat myself.

 

[Johnny Morgan]

Know what never gets old?

Railing on about the World's Greatest Program Director. If for no other reason than he gives us so much material...

Especially since the ESPN loss at 850, Mickey's been sounding like Baghdad Bob: "Sports Talk 850 is in perfect shape and won't be going anywhere. We're as strong as ever. The infidels will wallow in their misery when confronting the might of 850. Why all this hate?"