What is local radio?

[videokilledtheradiostar]

I was in CT radio for 20 years. It was local from 1980-1995. Now it's all corporate. When local stations were first started the idea was to focus
on community. WELI is local when?????????? From Imus to whenever it's all
piped in garbage. I worked for a small Middletown/Old Saybrook station and the owner bragged about his commitment to the community. He couldn't give a rats
a hole abouot the local community. Morning show 6-10 local. Rest of the day piped in garbage. These owners are so full of horse excrement it's coming out their ears. It's all about the bucks! The bottom line baby! To heck with quality programming!

 

[MarcB]

There's an old ad on all the Clear Channel owned stations from back in January that they're looking for a local host for 4PM-7PM weekdays. They have a few hours of local talk on the weekends.

1150/1420 in Middletown/Old Saybrook is local 5AM-10AM, 12PM-1PM, and 5PM-7PM Monday-Friday. (well technically 6PM-630 is NEWSCHANNEL 8, despite what it says on their website). And they have local specialty ethnic shows on the Weekend and a small handful of local talk shows on the weekend as well.

 

[Ozman]

The Rock 106.9 WCCC!!!! Live, Local, Ass-kicking and Live 24/7/365

 

[kms575]

The Rock 106.9 WCCC!!!! Live, Local, Ass-kicking and Live 24/7/365

Too bad it sounds like crap though. Honestly, they could do so much better. Give the '80's hair bands a rest.

 

[HiTop]

There are local jocks on 96.5 TIC, even during the overnight.

 

[videokilledtheradiostar]

Actually, I should have mentioned local talent. People that were born and raised in CT and know all about the state. Those people who worked in the CT markets were great cause they could relate stories and humor based on the fact that they lived here.

 

[uncleDJ]

I could not agree more about the absence of 'local' in radio. Been at this 30+ years on and off air, and can tell you that there are a few places out there that actually DO local radio on the dial in New London County - maybe not quite all day and night like the good old days, but they are there when you call most of the time:

WINY/Putnam 1350AM: Gary Osbrey (co-owns with wife Karen ) does weekday mornings live, talk 9-11 (a great local show and host), afternoon drive, lots of sports and remotes, and my show (Juke Box Gold, Sundays 6-11am). Local news with local newspeople too. Been a tradition at this station for 50+ years.

Hall Communications stations: Kool-101 WKNL, WICH, WCTY, The Sound WNLC, and recent add WILI-FM/Willimantic all have local programming, although not 24 hrs. to my knowledge except maybe for CTY. Gotta say that Kool 101's oldies are sounding more and more like what I do, which means more and more of you are getting great tunes brought back to your ears. Jim Reed is one truly 'in tune' dude and has been for years; a great person indeed and very in touch with community as are his announcers - all of them involved.

Kevin O'Connor at Citidel/New London deserves some kudos too...they've beefed up news reports and mix things up with talk and music in their group here; he's also had guest forums connected with state of CT agencies (including a great session with Rob Simmons who is heavily involved at the state level with firing up things here for business and employment).

And John Fuller's stations employ locals, in fact, I think it goes without saying that WBMW is 'KING OF THE REMOTES', and both 106.5 and 107.7 reach their audiences on live stints all over the area.

...And, lest we forget, one Long Island station of note:

WLNG-FM, THE oldies authority and fortress of the Oldies flank. Personality radio and oldies radio owe a great debt of gratitude to the gang there who prove that this stuff still works, and they get the ratings every time to prove it.

I know this success can be duplicated anywhere, but where oh where are the station owners savvy enough to realize that personality plus pay plus participating audience means WIN-WIN-WIN every time????

They have been the catalyst by which Steve Jobs and IPod materialized, steering almost all of us away from brick and mortar radio while raking in monster fortunes. And where is typical station owner revenue????

Oh how I would salivate at the opportunity to take any underperforming relic and some cash to reinvent it into legitimate, local, lively and beloved listening again (AM or FM). For every one of us who know the state of radio these days there are thousands of listeners who don't listen anymore that would come back, given that they felt a station was once again the hub of community life, by being relevant, reliable and responsible to the communities they are supposed to represent and serve. (Yeah, so I still uphold the tenets of the Communications Act of 1934, if more owners did radio wouldn't be in near ruins!)

To bring 'local' truly back one other point must be stressed: multiple ownership rules should revert to pre-1979 levels, that would help in most cases. Groups owning whole metro areas are strangling the business and bleeding revenue dry. The day will come (oh, in fact it did, 9/11/01 - where people scrambled for news and stations hurriedly started up their non-existent news networks) when another catastrophe will mark the conglomerate as 'obsolete, unresponsive and useless' by one and all in every neighborhood. On that great and terrible day all that will remain are bloggers for news and and the 'dreaded' internet. Heck, I get a daily dose of both to satisfy my need for news and music, more than ever before, and that's with a few good choices around here!

Imaging those poor folks in Providence, Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport, New York...Boston...and beyond...shouted at to the eardrum with 95% crap for airwaves. What an opportunity exists to win them back; what cowardice remains in the halls of the broadcast magnates a plenty who won't admit they are staring right into the eyes of the grim reaper. And we all lose in the end our beloved business, our freedom, our ability to entertain and inform, our listeners, our neighborhoods.

I say emphatically, greed, agenda and neglect are the culprits here, and without sweeping changes from the FCC on down and the political, moral and collective will to change, radio and America is headed down a road to democratic disaster. Local radio is 100% American, 100% in touch with community, 100% service and is the reflection and voice of real people; anything else is prone to silencing the listener and pandering to agenda and whims.

-Bill

 

[bigmax]

Actually, I should have mentioned local talent. People that were born and raised in CT and know all about the state. Those people who worked in the CT markets were great cause they could relate stories and humor based on the fact that they lived here.

Why do you have to be born and raised here to do great local radio? Doesn't just living, raising a family and paying taxes in CT qualify one to be local? That's why you have stations that sound as crappy as CCC. Doesn't have to sound good - as long as it's "local"... and their version of local is that everyone that works there is born and raised in CT. Really? That's a big deal?

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

Actually, I should have mentioned local talent. People that were born and raised in CT and know all about the state. Those people who worked in the CT markets were great cause they could relate stories and humor based on the fact that they lived here.

Can an outsider throw a contribution into this thread? Home grown staff, whether they are on the air, or sweeping the floor, keeping the books or out selling ALL have contributions to make to the personality of the station.

HOWEVER... as a person who has lived in nine different states through the years, let me suggest that seasoning the staff with some people from somewhere else also has value. They can see what makes your community unique. They see the good traditions. They see the really dumb traditions. They can help the home grown talent see what is unique about themselves because of their heritage.

You have to observe the people who populate the hollows of Eastern Kentucky, the people who herd cattle from their pick-up trucks in Kentucky, the people who captain airliners out of Georgia for Delta, and those who make the futures market function in Chicago. THEN you are ready to look and CT and say: Oh, now I know who YOU folks are.

Do you have box-canyon mountain hollows in CT? ;D

(Written from where I can see the Appalachian Trail and it's southern terminus.)

 

[uncleDJ]

Good point about the 'outsider'...and it's always been the beauty (and the butt of a few jokes) of having a transplant or two (or a whole staff) brought in to run a station outside their familiar territory.

First of all, perspective they have will be different: they notice things we take for granted and miss the obvious...which if humble enough the locals will tell you the obvious lavishingly.

Second, a good station by its very nature is welcoming of the new talent as its audience is also welcoming. I have made friends whether or not the station was particularly good though, despite the usual hangups, by association. Was in the running recently for a PD gig in Bath NY, just missed out...but oh what a grand time I had up there with the people and the places visited. Friends and I got to know the lay of the land, the real estate (literally), where was what and what was where...just in case that phone call was a YES. Connections were in place! I found these folks quite accommodating, friendly and eager to see more of me (and hear me as well).

Personality is the key to local radio, and any good personality walking into a new scene has the choice of connecting or diverting listeners. It may be more perceived of us New England folk that we're anti-local talent in some stations and markets, can't argue there; but those that aren't are more in tune with reality and people, and even we know the difference between warm blooded and cold blooded. And I must give kudos to beyond these here parts; have chatted with folks in a number of markets and often wanted to transplant myself; there are still some great stations and places a broadcaster can call home out there. Who knows, I may even be in your home town someday getting you hooked on great music and a good belly laugh.

-Bill

 

[videokilledtheradiostar]

CT has always been like a rest area on the Radio super highway. Talent from all over the country makes a pit stop here to fine tune and then it's off to Fla, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Chicago, San Fran or some other higher ranking market.
Most people figure it's a great place to visit but you can't afford to live here.
Once in while some people who shall remain nameless decide to nail their heels
to the floorboards or Krazy Glue their buttocks to the anchor chairs. But thankfully those are but a few. Giving hope to other media transients. 8) ;D