ON SUBJECT might make a good name for a WBFO local news talk show, much like ON POINT, the NPR syndicated show which WBFO also airs. It's one of the best talk shows on radio, although I do miss Tom Ashbrooke. Too bad he was a bit heavy handed with his staff. Perhaps WBFO new News Directors will consider such local talk show option.
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WBFO has its new news director
- Thread starter ckg279
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They also don't say "Let's wait for the newspaper to show up." The process has changed. But amazingly radio is still a big part of the process because it's easy, it's there, and for many people, it does the job.
When they hop in the car in the morning, chances are pretty good that when they start the car, the radio turns on automatically.
But most commercial stations that are strongest with under-65s have no newscasts outside of a few rip-and-read headlines in morning drive -- or maybe only celebrity/pop culture news or no newscasts at any time. I've been in the newspaper business all my adult life and I'll admit that the first thing I do each morning is not go out and buy a paper or turn on the radio or even watch one of the TV news networks. I check Google News, and I have a feeling I'm far from alone in that. The radio in my car is almost always playing music or sports talk/play-by-play.
Because that's the station you've chosen. If it did something else, you'd probably turn it off. If hearing news is your priority, there are stations for that.
Radio and the internet are not then same thing, and people don't use them the same way. If you want a specific thing, you search for it. If you don't, the radio works just fine.
See, that's the way it seems to me. I'm not saying that newspaper news and/or radio news is crap and has no place in the world. it seems, however, that in 2018 radio is not thought of as a go-to general news source. Other than music, I think of radio as a fine & dandy source for, say, traffic issues. If I'm stuck in an unexpected stand-still backup on 290, I'll absolutely go to local radio.
I just don't think radio is a news thing anymore.
For you, it's not. For others, it is. That's why stations like WBFO stay in business, and why they chose to de-emphasize jazz & blues, and refocus on news.
I hear this all the time about music too. People say if I want to hear one particular song, I don't go to the radio. I seek it out online. Yet for millions of people, radio works fine for the casual playing of songs in a genre that a user likes.
We're talking about two different processes: Push vs. Pull media. One gives you the exact thing you want when you want it, but you have to search for it. The other just dumps it in your lap with no work required. TSL has been dropping for 25 years. The reason is that for 25 years, people have had personal devices that can provide what they want when they want it. Radio is a mass medium, and doesn't work that way. It's not a one-or-the-other thing. It's both. This is why radio stations are investing in online services using their on-air content.
According to Nielsen data, radio news is primarily used by the 50+ demographic. In Q4 2016, only 1 in 6 millennials ever tuned a news station; 36% of boomers did.
Only 1 in 6 millennials have any interest in what's going on outside of their own personal space. The only news they get comes from social media and snarky comedy shows.
At the risk of getting too far into the weeds, what exactly does "primarily used" mean? Does that mean that radio is the out-front first choice? Does it mean that 50+ finds "value" in radio news? Does it mean that they get news exclusively from radio? What does "used" mean?
To me, phrases like that reek of potential convoluted interpretations and twisted sales pitches.
It means that the audience for news on radio is primarily composed of those 50+, meaning that younger groups use many fewer hours of radio news.
Radio is usually a 2nd choice, as far as time spent, to Cable TV for this group. Keeping in mind that lots of retired folks watch CNN/FOX News/MSNBC a whole lot of hours each day, so if I had a breakout for 50-64 it might look a little different.
Radio is usually a 2nd choice, as far as time spent, to Cable TV for this group. Keeping in mind that lots of retired folks watch CNN/FOX News/MSNBC a whole lot of hours each day, so if I had a breakout for 50-64 it might look a little different.
I am in the age group you are discussing.
I used to listen to the radio, AM & FM, all the time.
In the past month, I have listened for exactly ZERO hours to either AM or FM.
Seems the only time I ever tune in these days, is to talkradio, just to hear exactly how far down the rabbit hole they've traveled. It's pathetic.
FBN, for somebody who doesn't listen to radio, you sure have a lot of opinions - particularly about a station (WBFO) that you say you don't listen to.
I see. Do you think that younger people are more likely or less likely than you to shun AM & FM radio?
FB Night was probably talking about WBEN being "down the rabbit hole" with their "Far Right Lunatic Talk".
WBFO is listener supported and is fundraising. They seem to growing their membership base in recent years. Many of their members are in the 40-60 demo.
Any type of News Talk is not going to attract many 18-35 year olds...
WBFO is listener supported and is fundraising. They seem to growing their membership base in recent years. Many of their members are in the 40-60 demo.
Any type of News Talk is not going to attract many 18-35 year olds...
Now a member of the 50+ crowd, I've been listening to sports talk for years, but only in the last few years have I listened to WBFO or WBEN, which must be a sign of old age. The Edge and 97 Rock still appeal to me, but I don't think people under maybe 45 have any interest in the big picture world that's going down. They're mostly interested in what's going on in their own back yard like raising their kids and paying the bills. Others spend too much time on facebook, snapchat or instagram and couldn't tell you who their senators are. Then you get old and wind up wasting time on message boards arguing about radio, and stuff people under 45 don't care about. On the other side of the coin, most people on WBEN and WBFO don't realize how old and out of it they sound.
How much of any popular culture do you watch? Such at prime time TV, movies, concerts, music, live events? Probably the same amount. That's what happens when you reach a certain age. It's not just you. Pop culture is aimed at a certain demo. That includes popular music. They're not singing about subjects you're interested in any more. Their songs aren't as good as the ones you remember. This isn't a radio problem. It's not a media problem. It's not a cultural problem. It's not a problem at all. It's just what happens when you get old. Ask your friends of the same age. They probably feel the same way. If they listen to radio, it's likely a station that plays older music or some form of talk. If they watch TV, it might be TV Land or talk TV. This is not uncommon.
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This thread has wandered far off the original subject. At the request of a few people, I'm closing it.
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