If there is one thing that (is not) lacking in Rochester it is news. We have news up the wing-wang. Yet I see post after post saying that if this station or that station had news it would be better, 20 years ago Yes! today we have so many instant news sources its silly to expect every station to have news every 30 to 60 min. In this city if you want news you know where to tune, if you want sports you know where to listen, it is their full time calling, they do it best always have always will. Why not ask the news stations to toss in a song or two every hour so they are real radio. its the same thing as asking music stations to add news or be considered a bad station. People are looking for escape from all the bad news by listing to music. They are well aware of the state of things that make up the news (99%) a downer. Why is it that some posters insist on news to make a broadcast station for real. Why when we go to a movie they don't stop the film every 60 min for a news brief? People are at the movie for an escape from the real world to reset their over loaded system and just get lost in the plot, or music. Some say news is the way a broadcast station (serves the public interest) the prime directive of the FCC. not so! Serving the public interest is done between 5 & 9am sunday mornings. This is where all the public interest stuff is played as not clutter the rest of the week with tune-outs. There are some stations that do news non-stop 24-7 same stories over and over in a different order. This city has a limited amount of stories daily at best, it is hard to justify all this news rehash unless we check the bottom line ($) spots cost more during news blocks. That is what is euphemisticly known as (serving the public interest) Same with traffic reports open--close--sponsorship is longer than actual traffic report ($) Well enough for now got yo go check CNN.
-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
what is the big deal with news
- Thread starter outch
- Start date
After reading your post I agree that news is not as important as it was 20 years ago. That’s not because a majority of listeners don’t desire news coverage, but it is because owners and managers can save money by not carrying news.
But take into consideration please that it was local news departments, working in tandem with music formats years ago which allowed a number of radio stations to be successful. In fact if you look at most of those stations today you will find the vast majority of them who dropped news hardly register a blip when it comes to generating an audience, at least according to Arbitron. ( I’m aware what some broadcasters think of that system of counting listeners)
A bit of local history for you: At one time there were eight radio stations in the Rochester market that had their own local news departments. Those departments were staffed with people, some of which went on to careers in television, who were very competitive and creative. In many cases radio news was more competitive than the newspaper and television news.
Today there are just two radio stations (one commercial, the other non-commercial) that staff their own news departments, and the commercial station has news on the hour and half-hour while the non-commercial station has local news just during morning and afternoon drive.
You stated in your post if people want news they know where to go. I disagree! Young people don’t listen to the radio anymore. Baby boomers do listen and want to be informed as to what is going on; thus the popularity of talk radio on the AM dial. As for FM stations, I will agree that audience could care less about news and are more interested in the music.
But let’s put the scenario on the table. In this day where terrorism is still a major threat to this country and say, God forbid, your community, or mine, is hit by a terrorist attack, and you are no where near a TV set; where are you going to get your information from?
Remember back to 9-11 when a number of radio stations without news departments had to scramble to update their listeners about the attacks. Having no wire service or professional news people on staff, instead announcers had to rely on either other radio stations, or cable news. Voice-tracked or automated stations kept on playing music, despite an EAS alert; if such an alert was even sent.
You may disagree, but I see the decline of radio news as the continuing “dumbing down of America.”
But take into consideration please that it was local news departments, working in tandem with music formats years ago which allowed a number of radio stations to be successful. In fact if you look at most of those stations today you will find the vast majority of them who dropped news hardly register a blip when it comes to generating an audience, at least according to Arbitron. ( I’m aware what some broadcasters think of that system of counting listeners)
A bit of local history for you: At one time there were eight radio stations in the Rochester market that had their own local news departments. Those departments were staffed with people, some of which went on to careers in television, who were very competitive and creative. In many cases radio news was more competitive than the newspaper and television news.
Today there are just two radio stations (one commercial, the other non-commercial) that staff their own news departments, and the commercial station has news on the hour and half-hour while the non-commercial station has local news just during morning and afternoon drive.
You stated in your post if people want news they know where to go. I disagree! Young people don’t listen to the radio anymore. Baby boomers do listen and want to be informed as to what is going on; thus the popularity of talk radio on the AM dial. As for FM stations, I will agree that audience could care less about news and are more interested in the music.
But let’s put the scenario on the table. In this day where terrorism is still a major threat to this country and say, God forbid, your community, or mine, is hit by a terrorist attack, and you are no where near a TV set; where are you going to get your information from?
Remember back to 9-11 when a number of radio stations without news departments had to scramble to update their listeners about the attacks. Having no wire service or professional news people on staff, instead announcers had to rely on either other radio stations, or cable news. Voice-tracked or automated stations kept on playing music, despite an EAS alert; if such an alert was even sent.
You may disagree, but I see the decline of radio news as the continuing “dumbing down of America.”
I agree! 100% You are on the money! Going with the 9 11 worst event in America since Pearl Harbor. On that date more than radio stations were caught with their pants down, The World Was!! My point is that When a person gets hit by a bus their first thought is not what #bus it was. TV news is the best example of that . How many times do we see a reporter standing there with all the emergency lights behind them and say we don't know what happened, have no idea to whom etc. But, we are hear first, blocking traffic, getting in the way of people that do really need to be here now, and can hardly wait to see some one covered in blood or having just lost a loved one to ask them how they feel? Its not the lack of radio or print or TV news that is Dumbing down America, its all the stuff broadcast (before and after) the news cast they "tune out" I said that I agree with you and I do! This industry has lost a great deal over the years all in the name of progress and cost cutting its really too bad they could not see the rael cost that todays modern broadcasting is costing everyone
Ahem.
News was historically one instance of an important facet of radio programming that established our industry as the most universal, ubiquitous form of mass entertainment - a little thing called, CONTENT.
You know, the thing about radio which - at least in the past - differentiated it from mass-delivered music vehicles such as satellite and internet downloads.
If you believe in this industry, you've got to believe that we're not about a string of songs, followed by a gob of commercials and the inescapable angry-voiced liner guy.
People want to be entertained and informed. That's why talk radio is arguably the most successful format today. It's because talk features (whether or not you agree with the politics espoused by individual hosts) live human beings interacting with other live human beings, saying something that at least SOME segment of the audience believes in and identifies with. Humans are social. They want to hear and learn from others. When radio featured live announcers with engaging personalities, news, weather and other content, it was consumed universally with specific formats like Top 40 simultaneously appealing to all members of the family (albeit thanks to skillful dayparting and professional coaching of the air staff.)
This is a fundamental tenet, and a major reason why today's jockless, newsless, content-less music formats attract a disinterested, detached, disloyal audience - when they have one at all.
Want more people in your store? Try putting things on the shelves they might want to buy.
News was historically one instance of an important facet of radio programming that established our industry as the most universal, ubiquitous form of mass entertainment - a little thing called, CONTENT.
You know, the thing about radio which - at least in the past - differentiated it from mass-delivered music vehicles such as satellite and internet downloads.
If you believe in this industry, you've got to believe that we're not about a string of songs, followed by a gob of commercials and the inescapable angry-voiced liner guy.
People want to be entertained and informed. That's why talk radio is arguably the most successful format today. It's because talk features (whether or not you agree with the politics espoused by individual hosts) live human beings interacting with other live human beings, saying something that at least SOME segment of the audience believes in and identifies with. Humans are social. They want to hear and learn from others. When radio featured live announcers with engaging personalities, news, weather and other content, it was consumed universally with specific formats like Top 40 simultaneously appealing to all members of the family (albeit thanks to skillful dayparting and professional coaching of the air staff.)
This is a fundamental tenet, and a major reason why today's jockless, newsless, content-less music formats attract a disinterested, detached, disloyal audience - when they have one at all.
Want more people in your store? Try putting things on the shelves they might want to buy.
Nuts on!! Didn't pick this board name randomly from Webster's. If history repeats itself (someday), this medium could become a force to be reckoned with (if the labels provide some worthwhile product). Problem is, through attrition, there are no "engaging personalities" around to provide the "seeds" some of us grew up with. Who would spend several hours dissecting the formulas of the "hey day" to be the best at content? Heck, you can do that in about 15 minutes now - and still get nowhere. Good post, and it's good to see you have keyboard skills too!! (I figure that might just be Chapter 3)
Okay, seems everytime I enter this board I have to admit that I get my question answered in spades, I have worked with some of the best newsfolks ever in Rochester, Dick Tobias, Dean Close, Mike Morgan and yes even one of radioinfo best and most eloquent posters, Mark. Maybe if these folks were still on air I would look forward to the news again. They were and in some cases still are the pros we all could learn from. As for the talk radio syndicated shows Please don't be me going, if the same monitors that watch this board were in charge of talk radio talent they all would be cut off years ago ( I can only hope)
J
JustPastBuffalo
Guest
Savage used the word "differentiation" in his post and it's one that I've long used to denote the (rare) quality required to make a radio station stand out or cut through the noise. Whether we're discussing the validity of news content and presentation or music rotations and libraries, "differentiation" is a critical component, especially in a media jungle where one station often sounds like a cut and paste copy of its competitor(s).
That's the big deal with news.
Yes, outch, you are correct. News can be found in a myriad of places these days. The irony is, most of those places aren't radio stations. As much as I'm a radio professional, I'm also a radio consumer who "buys" NPR. I also "buy" music stations and would welcome a qualified jock or newsman who could relate the news of the hour to this "consumer."
A few threads ago, a poster to this board opined that jocks were incapable of relating and delivering news. To that bromide, I say "Horsespit!" Long ago, some consultant whispered in a GM's ear that news was a tune-out. But it wasn't the news that was a tune-out as much as the presentation and content. It could very well be that the presentation wasn't compatible with the listeners' news needs and expectations. And don't think by content it's meant that news should be no more than stories about the octuplets and J-Lo's marital bliss (or lack thereof.)
Remember NBC's The Source on album rock stations? Superb presentation (almost a forerunner of todays NPR) and content. In another thread, Tom Teuber recalled that Progressive rock WPHD aired Paul Harvey at noon every day to great reviews, ratings and revenue gain. News makes money. Even for music stations. Even with the Internet and a bajillion news sites, there's a need for news on the radio after morning drive in music formats. Star 102.5 is Buffalo's leading AC radio station and offers hourly local news capsules from the WBEN news room. That's seen as an asset, not a detriment. It's also smart programming and broadcasting in the public interest, reaping generous dividends in the ratings.
That's the big deal with news.
Yes, outch, you are correct. News can be found in a myriad of places these days. The irony is, most of those places aren't radio stations. As much as I'm a radio professional, I'm also a radio consumer who "buys" NPR. I also "buy" music stations and would welcome a qualified jock or newsman who could relate the news of the hour to this "consumer."
A few threads ago, a poster to this board opined that jocks were incapable of relating and delivering news. To that bromide, I say "Horsespit!" Long ago, some consultant whispered in a GM's ear that news was a tune-out. But it wasn't the news that was a tune-out as much as the presentation and content. It could very well be that the presentation wasn't compatible with the listeners' news needs and expectations. And don't think by content it's meant that news should be no more than stories about the octuplets and J-Lo's marital bliss (or lack thereof.)
Remember NBC's The Source on album rock stations? Superb presentation (almost a forerunner of todays NPR) and content. In another thread, Tom Teuber recalled that Progressive rock WPHD aired Paul Harvey at noon every day to great reviews, ratings and revenue gain. News makes money. Even for music stations. Even with the Internet and a bajillion news sites, there's a need for news on the radio after morning drive in music formats. Star 102.5 is Buffalo's leading AC radio station and offers hourly local news capsules from the WBEN news room. That's seen as an asset, not a detriment. It's also smart programming and broadcasting in the public interest, reaping generous dividends in the ratings.
Ok, ouch,cudos to you also. You've named some of the best at what they did (there are MANY more). It is a lost art, a testament to my point that there are no mentors to carry it forward, and no formats to accept it. At the moment, those of us that miss it most are relegated to finding our own path.
JPB - "The Source" - OMG i forgot that was news! A creative (someone forgot how to do that) way to bring content to their core. Thanks for the "memories"
JPB - "The Source" - OMG i forgot that was news! A creative (someone forgot how to do that) way to bring content to their core. Thanks for the "memories"
I sense some irony here, as there's quite a lot of empirical evidence that NPR listeners prefer the "McDLT" method of NPR programming: keep your news station on news, and your music station on music. Don't try and do both on the same station - it just annoys everyone.
I don't know if this is as true for commercial radio as it is for NPR, but our ratings at WEOS lend credence to the idea. There is HUGE tune in AND tune out at 10am every morning when World Cafe begins*.
That's why if we ever get WITH and WVWA on the air, those two stations will be largely music with some artsy/culture shows, too...and WEOS will become the "hard news" station.
* This was true across several books when we had World Cafe at 10am, right after Democracy Now...and you'd rather expect the two shows would have very different audiences. We've only had one book since we added OnPoint and moved World Cafe to 11am, and come to think of it, I don't remember if the sample period was before or after the switch. Either way, there's still a lot of tune in AND tune out at 11am, but I'm not gonna base too much on just one book.
I don't know if this is as true for commercial radio as it is for NPR, but our ratings at WEOS lend credence to the idea. There is HUGE tune in AND tune out at 10am every morning when World Cafe begins*.
That's why if we ever get WITH and WVWA on the air, those two stations will be largely music with some artsy/culture shows, too...and WEOS will become the "hard news" station.
* This was true across several books when we had World Cafe at 10am, right after Democracy Now...and you'd rather expect the two shows would have very different audiences. We've only had one book since we added OnPoint and moved World Cafe to 11am, and come to think of it, I don't remember if the sample period was before or after the switch. Either way, there's still a lot of tune in AND tune out at 11am, but I'm not gonna base too much on just one book.
I still like to believe that top hour (60 second) news headlines are good with the music formats durring morning and afternoon drive.
Quick refrence other times to a sister "news leader" is always handy, or, if the music station is not owned by the "news leader", a reminder that visiting their website for news and information is always an option.
Quick refrence other times to a sister "news leader" is always handy, or, if the music station is not owned by the "news leader", a reminder that visiting their website for news and information is always an option.
In the heyday of the AM Top-40s, news was a part of broadening the demo out from the teens and W18-34 who were drawn to the music format. To be fair, that was a day when many major markets had only a handful of contenders in younger demos. Today, the dial is littered with stations, and they all feel the need to be specialists.
But the problem comes when a music station has no plan to deal with a major breaking story. If your music station doesn't alert you to the fact that a chlorine gas leak is taking down pedestrians in Niagara Falls, or an unforeseen lake effect winter storm is developing at 2pm, how will you know to switch to "the news station?"
But the problem comes when a music station has no plan to deal with a major breaking story. If your music station doesn't alert you to the fact that a chlorine gas leak is taking down pedestrians in Niagara Falls, or an unforeseen lake effect winter storm is developing at 2pm, how will you know to switch to "the news station?"
B
Bob1370
Guest
Mark Giardina remarked that in the Rochester market, "Today there are just two radio stations (one commercial, the other non-commercial) that staff their own news departments..."
And the most salient point is this...it's no accident that those are the two stations with the highest listenership among all the AMs in the market, book after book. It's also no accident that the one other station that's showing significant growth on the AM band market-wide (WYSL) is also a news-talker which includes local news on its programming menu.
IMHO there's a lesson there...
And the most salient point is this...it's no accident that those are the two stations with the highest listenership among all the AMs in the market, book after book. It's also no accident that the one other station that's showing significant growth on the AM band market-wide (WYSL) is also a news-talker which includes local news on its programming menu.
IMHO there's a lesson there...
Well I started this topic I will put it to bed. All post valid to a point, that point being that News is just one of the many things to go from THE DAY, Live people, a phone that gets answered, decent pay, experience they no longer matter. ($) Most references were to AM pea shooters with news that will appeal to older and I mean older folks that are no longer in any demo. I you want eggs you go the market, not a gas station You want news you know where to get it. Gas stations these days do sell eggs twice the cost of real markets and for the most part at least a week past their sell by date, Its a sideline. No matter what area of radio your interest is based as a radio person you have taken a hit and it is a bitter pill, its progress so they say. What it really is ($) Most of the good replys from the post came from ex-news people, hurts don"t it. I can tell they are ex-news folks because of the use of vocabulary, damn! I do not consider myself stupid but, some of those words lost me and I will admit it. I love this business and please do not read any other motive in my post. I was in it for the love of it, not the money, or the ego boost. It was fun. operative word (was) Thanks for all the replys
Time marches on :'(
Time marches on :'(
- Status
- This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.