Yes, I suspect many of us are in the 45+ demo, which is why we write about oldies, standards, classic rock, the business of radio and how much it's changed over the years.
I suspect some of us have a few years of experience. Some are still in the business, some doing quite well, while some are hanging on for dear life. A few have cashed out by choice and more than a few are victims of consolidation, right-sizing and just plain ol' "getting screwed by The Man."
Twenty to twenty five years from now when some of us are playing shuffle board and going out for the "early bird" in Boca del Vista, it's unlikely that the young men and women who are in radio today will be motivated to write and discuss the business as we do here.
Why?
By choice or chance, twenty-somethings may not last as long as some of the vets here have lasted. They don't have the "romantic relationship" with the business that's so evident here. Radio in general is far different than it was thirty years ago. "Time it was and what a time it was, it was... -Bookends Theme, Simon & Garfunkel
It was a time when top-rated radio stations played Fleetwood Mac, Boston, KC & the Sunshine Band, The Bee Gees, Bob Seger, Peter Frampton, Journey. It was a time when music was played on what now seems pre-historic devices: Turntables requiring pre-amps, tonearms and cartridges. Tape cartridges. Reel to reels. Big, bulky, heavy objects that produced a lot of heat and required substantial power to operate. Even the CD seems obsolete.
So what will today's 22 year old write about the business in 25 years when he or she is 47? This pre-supposes that there actually will be something called radio and that it will generate the interest, romance and loyalty that's evident here.
Over the last few years that I've been posting on this board, it seems the topics that bring out the most fervent posts and opinions are AM radio and format changes.
Reading the stories here and remembering the tales of woe from the few people I knew who had worked at WNIA back in the day, I was always amazed that the station actually stayed on the air and had a pretty good signal for a 500-D/250-N Class 4 AM without a ground system. And it had listeners.
Keep the WNIA stories coming. This thread has jumped the rails a few times (it hasn't yet "jumped the shark,") but as many have posted, "who cares."
It's all good. I for one, am enjoying it. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to take out the trash.
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