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Wake Up KDKA!

Thank you, Paul Harvey, but nobody is talking about brokered programming in fringe hours being used to prop up an actual format.

This is about selling blocks of time in prime hours to some quack who is going to improve your bowel movements with 100 percent herbal supplements.

It's about saying, "We don't give a rat's ass about what we put on the air, as long as we can pay the electric bill, put gas in our cars and hire a big-boobed receptionist."

And, BTW, the mid-70s were a long time ago, a virtual eternity in a business that's changed as much as radio has.
 
Maybe if the boss of some radio station could come up with some sort of new and exciting programming format instead of just plugging in clones of formats from other stations in other markets, we'd see just what alternatives to brokered time operations there are that work.

But, I suspect that instead, we'll just keep hearing more and more about why something else won't work or isn't "good radio". Or how bad Rob Pratte is.
 
Maybe if the boss of some radio station could come up with some sort of new and exciting programming format instead of just plugging in clones of formats from other stations in other markets, we'd see just what alternatives to brokered time operations there are that work. But, I suspect that instead, we'll just keep hearing more and more about why something else won't work or isn't "good radio". Or how bad Rob Pratte is

Good idea if you can find someone that's willing to do it. The problem is, it's hard for operators to take that much of a risk to give up all that time-brokered guaranteed revenue.
 
Hey "Boss", sorry to offend. Yes the '70s are gone, but the economics of the business are the same. Using brokered time to establish or preserve a station can be a viable strategy. The difference is whether the manager has a goal, or is just trying to meet payroll next month.
Here's an idea: Why don't you buy some block-time, put on a compelling presentation, sell spots to advertisers, and cut out the middleman? Surely a radio pro with your experience can create something that will excite the listeners, motivate the sponsors and serve the community.
 
I would love to see some creative minds come up with some new and innovative AM formats. We know that News/Talk, Sports and even Classic County and Adult Standards are working in some markets.

All the time and effort are being put into new FM formats like Jack, Sam, Bob, Movin etc.

It would be great to throw out ideas, even on this forum. Serious ideas!
 
grantchester said:
Hey "Boss", sorry to offend. Yes the '70s are gone, but the economics of the business are the same. Using brokered time to establish or preserve a station can be a viable strategy. The difference is whether the manager has a goal, or is just trying to meet payroll next month.
Here's an idea: Why don't you buy some block-time, put on a compelling presentation, sell spots to advertisers, and cut out the middleman? Surely a radio pro with your experience can create something that will excite the listeners, motivate the sponsors and serve the community.
Click to expand...

Sarcasm is not your forte, so maybe you should try to avoid it. Why is this my responsibility? I advocate walking away from these loser signals that have outlived their usefulness. Running some of these loser AMs makes as much sense as opening a small variety store across the street from Wal Mart.
 
I'd rather own the Dollar General across from Wal-Mart. Cheaper purchase price, and overhead, and if I do things right, a great living can be made. And I'm not in debt up to my rear end.

The Wal-Mart, Clear Channel mentality is destroying America and has destroyed radio.
 
Boss Radio said:
grantchester said:
I advocate walking away from these loser signals that have outlived their usefulness. Running some of these loser AMs makes as much sense as opening a small variety store across the street from Wal Mart.
Click to expand...

I advocate walking away from signals like 1550 in Braddock. If you want to walk away from a fulltime 50kw stick, I'll take it, and make money with it. But they have to cut overhead.

Still, there's a big gap between just lowering cost structure and turning into WEDO.
Click to expand...
 
I would love to see some creative minds come up with some new and innovative AM formats. We know that News/Talk, Sports and even Classic County and Adult Standards are working in some markets. All the time and effort are being put into new FM formats like Jack, Sam, Bob, Movin etc. It would be great to throw out ideas, even on this forum. Serious ideas!

We're two examples of that working Chris...you doing Classic Country at your station in TN and our one AM in Butler County doing Adult Standards. We even play a lot of new adult standard music...standard hits by new artists. That's about half our playlist. It's not the typical rat-pack era stuff anymore. We have Cherry Poppin' Daddies, Michael Buble and even Cyndie Lauper (not her 80's hits, but what she's doing now, and you'd be surprised once you heard her!).
 
Face the awful reality--the business model of radio as you know it is broken and no amount of "new formats" is going to change that. We are not that far away from a handful of AMs from going dark because they just aren't viable in 2006 and beyond. Radio stocks are being butchered on Wall Street because people with money don't think we're capable of making the changes that are needed. The next generation barely knows we exist. Until someone is willing to do to radio what Ted Turner did to TV news in the 80s the ship is going to keep sinking.
 
Re: Wake Up boss!

you said: Sarcasm is not your forte, so maybe you should try to avoid it. Why is this my responsibility? I advocate walking away from these loser signals that have outlived their usefulness. Running some of these loser AMs makes as much sense as opening a small variety store across the street from Wal Mart.
If you thought I was being sarcastic about challenging you to create compelling content for radio, then obviously that is something you are incapable of. Sorry about the misunderstanding. You just don't get the fundamentals of radio. It works like this: You find a need and serve it. You find a group that is under-served and you join them. The decline of AM radio makes it more affordable to reach a mass audience. Even a broken Braddock station can still reach hundreds of thousands of potential listeners. Look at the various niche formats and specialties: ethnic, business, high school football, religious... the list goes on and on.
IF YOU THINK RADIO IS NOTHING MORE THAN PLAYING RECORDS AND JABBERING BETWEEN TUNES, THEN YOU ARE THE PROBLEM- AND MAYBE YOU SHOULD GET OUT OF THE WAY.
 
Face the awful reality--the business model of radio as you know it is broken and no amount of "new formats" is going to change that. We are not that far away from a handful of AMs from going dark because they just aren't viable in 2006 and beyond.

Completely disagree. We're not even close to seeing AM's going dark as you predict. History has shown that if you have a unique format that's not available elsewhere, and there's interest, you will have listeners. The bottom line here is, there are a lot of owners out there who treat their AM stations as throwaways, because they don't want to dedicate any time or energy to creating a station with a separate identity and maybe making a few extra bucks along the way. IT'S NOT THAT HARD! For two years (until it was bought up by a corporation and paired with two FM's and another AM) I worked for an AM STANDALONE with a full-service AC format. Local news, high school and college sports, etc. We were very profitable, and that same AM is still the number one station in that market. People have to sit down and use their brains to think new innovative ways to stay competitive, rather than just throw in the towel and cry "AM isn't working...please allow us to own more FM's!" The group I work for is living proof that AM is very alive and very well. We had our 65th anniversary open house recently, and the turnout was incredible. Most of those who came to see us were our clients, and believe me, we have a LOT of them!
 
All the time and effort are being put into new FM formats like Jack, Sam, Bob, Movin etc.

What "time and effort"? One of them is Coke, the other Pepsi, the other RC Cola. The first one came along, and the others are clones altered just barely enough to not infringe the copyrights of the other. And, once invented, local stations simply subscribe and fill in the blanks.

When you come down to it, using a cookie-cutter format like any of those isn't much different from simply plugging into a satelite feed. By way of comparison, Jack, Sam, and Bob are to "live and local" or innovative programming what heating a TV dinner in the oven is to home cooking.

"We even play a lot of new adult standard music...standard hits by new artists."

How many times in here have I advocated playing new songs recorded in the styles of vintage music eras and been told that would never, ever work?

"IF YOU THINK RADIO IS NOTHING MORE THAN PLAYING RECORDS AND JABBERING BETWEEN TUNES, THEN YOU ARE THE PROBLEM- AND MAYBE YOU SHOULD GET OUT OF THE WAY."

You've just old 90% of the people working in radio to get out of the business.
 
Re: Wake Up boss!

grantchester said:
The decline of AM radio makes it more affordable to reach a mass audience. Even a broken Braddock station can still reach hundreds of thousands of potential listeners. Look at the various niche formats and specialties: ethnic, business, high school football, religious... the list goes on and on.
Click to expand...

That same theory must be why I see VHS movies on sale everywhere for 99 cents....because it's obsolete and no one wants them. Therefore, they're "affordable."

"Potentially" reach hundreds of thousands? Of course. Just like Al Martino could POTENTIALLY fill Heinz Field for a concert. But it ain't gonna happen, is it?
 
But remember that so many things have changed for the better, too. Digital equipment (generally cheaper to install, maintain and operate), use of ancillary yet related models to enhance profitability (podcasts, websites), and many other things too numerous to mention also *enhance* chances of success in radio as much as the forces that would seem to decrease this success.

Without getting into the merits of these synergies (please let's save that for another thread), I would ask that we think more broadly here...yes, there are forces that make the notion of today's 1550 AM much, much different than yesterday's WLOA 1550 AM. But there are also positive overall influences as well. And to call for the death of smaller AM stations in 2006 is an argument that may have been made in 1950 with regard to the impact of TV on radio, and in many eras with regard to the impact of various media on newspapers.

FWIW, I firmly believe that there can indeed be a useful purpose for stations that others here are calling for the death of. I don't care to elaborate here on what my specific ideas are, but will note that there are many examples throughout the country of stations that succeed despite the obstacles we have been talking about here. Any small AM wishing to turn in their license would have interest from me -- although, as I think we'd all agree, the urge of larger owners to form clusters in the 1980s and 1990s resulted in these stations (and most of the big ones) being ridiculously overpriced.
 
I'm not calling for the death of those stations -- but if they're dying, don't put on 23 hours of brokered snake oil programs and claim they're still alive.
 
Boss, Boss, Boss....
Put your chin in my hands, and let's examine the reality of radio.
First off, if you work in radio, it is to your advantage to have as many possible places to work or to place the programming you create. Let's not reduce the alternatives. Consolidation already did that, and it hurt.
Second, radio is not a zero sum game. A lot of 'BossJocks' look only at share, cause that's how they are trained to measure their competetiveness. Real broadcasters look at numbers. Fewer stations might allow a higher share for any individual show, but the economy buys listeners. The better the quality or quantity of those listeners, the more valuable they are.
Third, the station is just a conduit, a pipeline, a means of distribution. The cheaper it is to distribute your product, the more profitable it can be. Just 'cause Braddock's station isn't used to its' highest potential doesn't mean it never will be. I challenged you to do the things that would make a station like that live up to a higher potential and you accused me of sarcasm.
Think of the Manongehela River. It ran low, then it flooded. It wasn't worth anything to anyone, until John and Pat McCloskey learned to navigate it. Once they built up trade, it was improved with locks and dams. It became the conduit for coal, limestone and iron ore. That allowed Braddock, Homestead, Point Perry and some other little river towns to become the greatest creators of wealth in the country, for many decades. That's what made Pittsburgh. The conventional wisdom of the era was that the trains would shut down river trade. The trusts bought up the railroads and jacked up the rates, but the river still runs. And it can be cheaper to ship by river than by rail. Lets not blow up the dams, OK?
 
Think bigger. Much bigger.

Like it or not this business is changing and in a hurry. The choices afforded the public are growing by leaps and bounds. HD radio, satellite, MP3, Internet, Wi-Fi and even your cellphone are all now in play. They are changing consumers taste and choice in ways that never occured to anyone even five years ago. Not all of radio is going to survive that change and some of the casualities are going to be caused by the technology (or lack thereof) involved. Just like cable put TV on a path to change that it never really saw coming we are going to have to deal with the same thing and in some of the same ways. Down the road we might even find ourselves in the same position that TV is right now, being forced off the band by the government. Don't laugh, there are already industrial countries where AM radio is a distant memory.
 
You said: "HD radio, satellite, MP3, Internet, Wi-Fi and even your cellphone are all now in play."

You're on to something, Snaf... but I contend radio has the inside track. Cellphone minutes cost. Broadband internet costs. Satellite costs. Over-the air radio is free.
The big corporations, the financial managers and the consultants have given us a heavily leveraged and expensive model. But remember what happened to license values in the late 80's. They crashed. The same is happening now, as CC and CBS write down billions of dollars of lost value. AM radio could and should get cheap again. Here's the key (and my point): Content will drive the switch to cell, mp3, wifi internet, ipod or whatever comes next. Whoever can create and market something people want or need can succeed. Cost will determine long term viability.
Getting back the Monongehela... Riverboat traffic has to compete with trains trucks and planes nowadays, but you still see barges on the river, don't you?
 
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