Radio K! said:
What you explained, though, is the old formulas. The new formulas are what the corporations have brought to radio, blaming iPods and satellite radio for their demise. That's not the problem. The problem is that, even in other industries, that the people have become a liability instead of a resourceful entity. I know I'm preaching to the choir on this, but we, as listeners, turn to a radio station in the first place because of the genre of music appeals to us. We stay there because we enjoy the personalities, people who relate to the listener and vice-versa. People that make us feel we're not alone while we're stuck in traffic, or working in our office, or trying to stay up at night at work, or if we can't sleep.
Yeah, my last sentence is directed to one of the most neglected shifts in radio: overnights. One of my fondest memories on air (on the overnight shift) is having my listeners call in and have a good chat. I kept them awake during their overnight shifts at work. I was their friend they called when they couldn't get to sleep and needed someone to talk to. It's a great shift to groom new talent, to give them much needed experience to interact with some of the most interesting kinds of people (yeah, Whodini was right that "The Freaks Come Out At Night" too), yet that shift is neglected by the higher ups since Arby doesn't rate it.