what is missing from Indy radio

[Mid West Clubber]

I always thought Indy had a step ahead of alot of bigger radio markets, but we need oldies from the 60s to 70s, and rhythmic from the 80s and 90s that Jack wont play, and The track is just a button pusher station, so there it be...... do your math..... track can go oldies or rhythmic ac... yeah...

 

[Ann Tenna]

You need to get out more. Indy has NEVER been a step ahead of anyone in the radio industry.

 

[mobilene]

It seems like it if you're used to listening to Terre Haute or South Bend. It's all a matter of perspective!

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

I lived in Indy for years. We at times had some pleasant and palatable radio. But as the others have said, I don't remember anything that was way out ahead of the parade. We had some very good personalities from time to time, but I don't know that we had anything that caused other broadcasters to jump on the plane, fly to Indy, and slum around the industry looking for a diary full of fresh new ideas to take home and implement.

(Depending on how you view Bob and Tom, you may or may not consider their show proof that my premise is wrong.)



So, what did I do? I moved south. Down here under the shadow of what I believe is maybe market #5. My... I am probably exposed daily to all kinds of innovative, step-ahead-of-the-industry radio. I don't think so. I guess I would like to hear someone who can convince me there is a market ANYWHERE that has innovative, step-ahead-of-the-industry radio.

Heck. All I am looking for is radio in-step-with-the-LISTENER. That can be pretty hard to find.... since we all expect our own personalized style these days.

 

[Timewarp]

Today radio stations live and die by the book. It is fear of doing badly in ratings that has caused
all stations to play it safe. Everyone is afraid to try anything new for fear of failure. just buy some
cookie cutter idea that has made it somewhere else and give the listener the same old same old.

 

[bigtime]

Radio follows popular culture. When the Beatles broke in the 60s there were suddenly a lot of top 40 stations. When "album rock" came into vogue, radio followed. When country got hot you saw a lot of country stations pop up. The same could be said with hip-hop.
It's true that radio did make these genres really big, but radio didn't start them. Being too far in front of the parade usually means there will nobody watching (listening).

 

[Timewarp]

True. after those four white boys got off the boat from England, it was safe to play Rock & Roll.
Pop music was now vanilla coated. Top 40 stations sprang up all over Indiana and the USA.
Before this a jock named Wolfman Jack was on XERF with a quarter million watts from Mexico. He
had become famous playing the great black artists who created the music in the first place. The
Wolfman came along to early to make a fortune like Howard Stern. So, how do we measure success
in the radio business? Is it he who made the most money? Is it he who has the biggest name?
I say your name is the only thing that's worth a damn.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

I think maybe this thing called Top 40 Radio was well on it's way several years before the four guys with funny haircuts got off the boat. I won't argue with you if you want to say that they accelerated a movement that was already at least ten years old already.

Maybe historians will tell us that what happened circa the Beatles and the English Invasion was that the hold-out stations.... the grand old traditional stations with transmitter power and night-time hours who had clung to their network affiliations, their dominant morning show, finally threw in the towel and told the hot-rod day-timers who had been a big part of the change in radio programming following the arrival of television to move over... we have the experience and we have the capital... we will show you how to do Top 40. Thanks for breaking the ice for us. We will take over now.

Elvis and Chuck Berry and Fats Domino had already done what you guys are trying to give credit to the Fab Four.

 

[1316wwood]

What's wrong? I got together with some former radio co-worker/buddies a month ago. Something we do a few times a year because we have remained friends and when we all worked together it was a family atmosphere. Four or five of us who have been in or were in the business for 20+ years for some. Some are still in the business and some are not.

The general consensus was: Radio is only as good as the music that is being released. What's being released these days, sucks. Artists are fed up with record companies and are releasing music on their own. Pd.s and md.s are no longer given the freedom to choose what goes on the air. They are told what to play by consultants who have no idea what their particular market wants or needs. The other point which was even more on the mark: The alternatives to radio. iPods, iTunes, podcasts, satellite radio etc.. Why bother with local radio when it provides no local content. When it comes to news, weather, sports, the staffs have been so depleted that you have to dial up the Weather Channel, ESPN or CNN or whomever you agree with to tell you what you want to hear.

It's a different ballgame now. We all hate to see local radio go to the wayside but those are the facts. Station owners are for the most part non-broadcasters. It's about $. It's not fun anymore and the listener picks up on that. We all wish it was a different story.

 

[dwiener]

Sooooo, what are my old buddies from WGLM 106.7FM doing these days? Radio is not fun anymore blah...blah....blah

 

[fwmw]

Today radio stations live and die by the book.

Please permit me to disagree.

I'm aware of at least one (non-national) radio group that sells the audience that listens. NOT the Arbitron numbers. Those stations do very well, sales-wise. In that group, I can think of two stations that have stayed with the same format for over ten years. That heritage may also be a factor.

It's my belief that if the non-national radio group were selling "flawed data" (about listenership), they would have fewer advertisers.

Now I mean this all from a "local business" standpoint. It's my impression that "national buys" are made primarily (but not exclusively) on Arbitron data.

The logic in my disagreement, belief, and impression may be flawed. I welcome contrary opinions with factual basis.

 

[justalurker]

It is hard to counter with facts vague claims with no facts. Is this non-national radio group a secret?

 

[Radio Dav]

The Greatest Hit's is missing.

The Jack calls there self classic hit's but in my term it's classic rock hit's.
So if another station did classic dance hit's I would use the name Greatest Hits.

The problem with radio here is someone takes on another station and not strong enough to knock them off, so they don't change there format, then you have 2 weaker stations.

Another thing I noticed college students sometimes listen to oldies, alternative, then the college stations play them. Many college towns around Indiana have a station that plays oldies. I think if I had a oldies station I would try to slide in songs from George Strais, Taylor Swift, another song I would try to slide in on a oldies station is Kid Rock Sweet Home Alabama occasionally just to add a little flavor. I think songs like that could be a good fit on a oldies station. I consider Hanna Montana bubble gum music, not 1 of my favorites.

I think oldies may target a old audience but some of us being younger may also listen at times, depending on our mood.

I like oldies at times, then I like hip hop, some rock, and some country if it's popular. Can you guess my age is in the 30's...

These advertisers might think they know everything then they must not, there is some people that think they know everything, then people out of college, running a business saying I don't know everything. When someone thinks they know everything then it's about like the guy on tv saying it will be 60 or 70 the next day and it stays in the 50's. Then this global warming might be a joke, maybe earth is going through a cycle that it does, and know 1 would know because humans didn't exist when our planet was made.

Sense people said advertisers won't advertise on stations with good ratings on people over 54, if I owned a station I would file a law suit against the advertiser, then maybe things would change.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

Quite a rant, my friend. Start suing your advertisers and see how long it takes for you to slide right into bankruptcy court.

Now that you have that out of your system, take a deep breath and respond to the topic of the thread: What is missing from Indy radio?

 

[Radio Dav]

Quite a rant, my friend. Start suing your advertisers and see how long it takes for you to slide right into bankruptcy court.

Now that you have that out of your system, take a deep breath and respond to the topic of the thread: What is missing from Indy radio?

Another smart move I would do before I filled a lawsuit against a advertiser is do like several companies, make it hard to know who owns what station by using different ownership names, that way it would not affect all my stations, then while the lawsuit is going on I would just sit back and wait for the lump sum of money headed my way.

These advertisers need to be taught, this might be the only way to teach them is not let them get a way with it...


I would say the Beatles helped to improve the music industry, but I wouldn't leave out The Beach Boys, and other artists that also improved the music standards.

 

[tomkean]

What is missing from Indy radio is probably the same thing that is missing nationwide (for the most part).

Local air talent who are allowed to display their personality.

I think if you look back far enough (mid to late 60s) the Indy radio market might have actually been a step or two ahead of much larger markets. The major players back then would have been WIBC, WIFE, WNAP and WIRE.

When you turned the radio on, you knew you were listening to someone who was actually sitting in Indianapolis, and probably was really interested in what was going on, and was attempting to establish rapport with the local audience.

There is still great music around today, but great radio is quickly disappearing from the media landscape.

 

[DouglasB]

"Out To Lunch" Quote of the Week

Sense people said advertisers won't advertise on stations with good ratings on people over 54, if I owned a station I would file a law suit against the advertiser, then maybe things would change.

I almost spit out my coffee on this one. SUE people who don't do business with you. Imagine, being sued by McDonalds because you didn't like their food. Apparently the idea of personal choice (whether flawed or not) no longer exists........

 

[gr8oldies]

You don't have a "right" to someone's advertising dollars. The advertiser chooses what demographic to buy, whether we like it or not. See how quickly the judge throws your butt out of court.

 

[Tired-Old-Dog]

polka

 

[Radio Dav]

Re: "Out To Lunch" Quote of the Week

Sense people said advertisers won't advertise on stations with good ratings on people over 54, if I owned a station I would file a law suit against the advertiser, then maybe things would change.

I almost spit out my coffee on this one. SUE people who don't do business with you. Imagine, being sued byMcDonalds because you didn't like their food. Apparently the idea of personal choice (whether flawed or not) no longer exists........

While they can advertise to what audience they want the judge would ask them in court if there discriminating against the older audience. They would have a hard time proving there not discriminating against them or discriminating against them.

I would do this so they would get national attention, then older folks may not buy from this company that advertises.