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What is wrong?

J

jboyd

I hesitate to post this, as I have been accused of pontificating in the past. But here goes, and shoot me if you see fit:

1. Radio has lost it's localism:
No more trading posts....no more obituaries...no more lost doggies...no more appeals for the cancer victims. Just play the HITS...non stop!

2, Most stations are owned from afar, by people that have no clue about the local
market:
Here is the promo of the month...a sleigh ride in Alaska, even tho you are in Florida, and this is running on 1,000 stations, so your chance of winning is one
in 50,000. BUT...You can be a finalist!

3.Heaven forbid that you take requests and REALLY try to fill them.

4. AND. how long since you called a station and a REAL person answered the phone, and actually could answer your question or connect you to the correct person?

If radio is dying, the problem is ours...corporate or not. If you re in the business,
address these problems and other similar ones and watch what happens....it could be amazing. (BTW my number is 662-563-4664...6AM till 4 PM M-F). After that
Pls call later,,, at least we are doing our part. Thanks JBI
 
I couldn't agree with you more.

With XM, cell phones that can stream, iPods, radios with USB ports, and other devices I think radio should be doing just the opposite. Super Local! XM can't send a shout out to every listener. Narvel Felts may fit on a station in the Boot heel of Missouri or N. Mississippi but not in Nebraska maybe. In the day of narrow playlists. Everyone plays the same thing everywhere on every media. I think this may in the end loose people to their own devices and music choices.

I get excited when I travel and scan stops on a small town station where you can actually hear the local news and feel the pulse of that city through the radio.
There seems to be fewer and fewer stations like this on the dial.

950 KXJK in Forrest City, AR is always one station I love for this reason. The music is unique and the station is about as local as it gets.

JBoyd keep fighting the good fight!
 
1. Agree--But there are exceptions to the rule..K106 McComb has a swap shop and is 100% local.
2. Same station owned by Mississippi company.
3. Dont know if they take requests.
4. Eagle 98.1 answers the phone in the daytime.


Radio is not completely dead. Not in most small markets. Like Amite, Thibidoux , Hammond and Mccomb.
 
JBI... I'm going to sit on your side of the playing field, and I'm gonna' root for your team. That doesn't mean I give up the privilege of being a grand stand coach and chewing a bit on you at a Tuesday Rotary luncheon or something.

Early in the days when I was doing radio, I worked on the West side of the river in the land called Arkansas where the economy, the farming, the lifestyle probably had a lot in common with your area. And we did radio that probably had a lot in common with what you do and have done.

The following is a take-off on something I recently posted on another thread on R-I where the conversation was dealing with "how are we going to do radio today?".

There are some shallow thinkers among us. About as deep as they get is "Live and Local, Live and Local, Live and local."

That's nice. In the 21st century what does that mean? I don't think it means that if we think of the radio station as a farm that we sell all the tractors and join the Amish faith and start walking behind an old fashioned plow like the early 1800s. I don't think it means that if we think of the radio station as being a carpenter we shun the electric circular saw and use only hand saws, that we shun the cordless drill and use only a brace and bit.

Back when a lot of rural people didn't have phones and back when long distance started just down the road aways and long distance was very expensive, people depended on us to tell them what cattle were bringing at the auctions that served our area. They needed us to tell them what the elevator was paying for rice today, and what the cottom buyers were offering today for "fair to middlin". Our listeners today may get that off the internet before they turn on the radio. Here is where we need some young geniuses to listen to the tales of the old timers and then these geniuses need to get creative and figure out what the equivalent is today. What can radio dig out the IS NOT on the Internet. What can radio do that the iPod cannot do. What can radio do that the streaming cellphone cannot do? We need to identify the modern day currency of information that becomes the equivalent of reading the school lunch menu in the past. Medical privacy laws (and just common courtesy) don't allow us to dial the hospital any more and get the receptionist to tell us that "Miss Ruth was admitted today for an appendectomy."

I don't read anywhere on these boards where people are sharing the "nuggets of gold" they found when they turned over some rocks where we used to set the old console radio.

I got tired of listening to Rush finally, but I remember that he used to same something rather profound: "Thinking is HARD WORK and most people don't do it." Let me see the hands of all the radio people and radio enthusiasts who have done some heavy, creative, hard-work thinking about radio lately.

JBI... you are right, we need to go back to the maps, the patterns, the battle plans we used to use, but we need to upgrade to slightly newer weapons.

Foir anyone interested: like the kids in the back yard used to say... you show me yours and I'll show you mine. I must have 3 or 4, maybe half a dozen creative ideas. Anybody who wants to do some sharing and conversing, send me a R-I Private Mail... or write to <[email protected]>

If being in radio is the equivalent of being a carpenter, what's the radio equivalent of the power miter-saw?
 
JBoyd: After reading your post I opened my daily email from Jerry Del Colliano. Passing along Jerry's comment, thinking that you might appreciate this. . . . "When you don't know the business that you bought and your top management is John Hogan and Mark Mays, you're screwed."

Jerry probably could have inserted numerous other conglomerates and their version of Hogan and Mays. Recently saying NAB=Judas for lobbying in favor of consolidation. Which of course has ultimately led us to today and to your observations.
 
Preach on, JBI!

Ironically, the only station I have worked for in the last 3 decades where I was actually free to take a call and play a request was Sirius Elvis Radio. One former employer of mine which featured an all-request lunch hour pre-programmed the music. Problem is, I'm sure you aren't surprised in the least.
 
Hello, Rob...No, not surprised. What some operators will do in the name of efficency is astounding. Then, you have the Farmer Jim Neals of old WSLI,
who maintained a top rated program in AM prime time, with nothing more than his imaginary" feist dog" and down home ramblings...They decided
he was too "old fashioned" and as a result they
slowly,solidy, slid into the cellar! JBI
 
I made the observation once (and trot it out more than necessary, I'm sure), but for those who researched and consulted radio to death... focus groups don't give you Dewey Phillips, they give you Ryan Seacrest.
 
JBI,

You and I would get along just fine!

When I was growing up I'd always listen for the small town AM radio stations. I found them in
such locations as Thomasville, Ga; Perry, Fl; Port St. Joe, Fl; and other places. I especially liked
the stations that were primarily country but would also have trading post or swap shop; some had
a few preachers; but they were generally being run by a live person on the board.

Two weeks ago my family and I went on a nearly 800-mile road trip. Not once did we ever turn on the radio.
And I'm sure we didn't miss anything!

I worked in the biz for 24 years before being told "we won't be needing you." A satellite receiver
was installed, a TBA was put in place and all of us were out of work. With no stations to go to,
I just retired at age 46. Never have found anything else substantial to do.

I can't make a living out of it apparently, but my Internet station seems to have found a niche
with the older audience that remembers radio like we do. I'm rebuilding the studios now in a small
building, and once that's done will probably do more live shows. Right now I'm live on Sunday nights doing a southern gospel show. A number of folks have donated some classic country music and some of these artists/titles are rarely heard anymore, even on classic country stations.

Alan
radio industry veteran 1979-2004
Tallahassee, Fla.
 
Alan, you are right...we would get along fine.
If you ever find yourself in N. Mississippi, please pay us a visit in Batesville, On I-55.
I will even spring for lunch at the mom and pop restaurant in town...with a name like PawPaw's, how can it not be good?
Thanks for your input and good luck! JBI
 
Couldn't have said it better myself, JB. I'm just too tired to make those points myself. Our industry has been taken over by people who would be wonderful restaruant operators. Build the same store in every town and offer the same menu. And when the bean counters demand, we'll make the quarter pounder with a little less meat. We'll recycle the fry oil one more day. And we'll fire 2 more counter people until the drive thru backs all the way to Tunica.
I'm not sure which will die first, me or the industry. But I kind of think I'd like to go first, since seeing the industry that I love sputter it's last breath right before my eyes. That would be too much to bear.

On a lighter note, the stock market is down again....
 
"Let not thine heart be troubled " There are still some of the old timers on the front line, Douglas B. (Count yourself among the few!)
The sad part, really, is that the dedicated managers, owners, engineers. programmers, etc, have been over run by Corporate greed. This list bears evidence of the disappointed, forlorn,and frustrated ones who have given up.
I guess you and I and a few others have not gotten the message. I am approaching 69, and I guess that day may never come for me. So be it...I try to be at work answering the phone before 7 each morning...don't know what I would do otherwise. Call me crazy, or I prefer J Boyd! All the best to you and the others
similarily situated . The pontificator. JBI
 
I agree with everything you've said, J boyd. I'm 54 and have never been more than a part timer in radio. I couldn't make a living working local, small town radio full time but I loved it too much to stop. I think a lot of owners are afraid of being, shall we say, as Bill Anderson said it, "too country." They think they have to sound like the other guy or they somehow aren't quite as good as them. But go downtown and stop at every convenience store. How many have a Tradewinds rack on the counter. They're there because people buy them. It will still work on radio.
 
Here we go. I agree that things ain't what they used to be,I agree with ya JBoyd. Keep at it. But I wonder, with alot of naysayers going on and on on how bad things are,how do they expect it to get better? I see on this board some bitter folks that aren't in the business, and there's a bit of piling on the "corporate greed" thing,and blaming "the suits",etc.,but too many seem to want SOMEBODY ELSE to fix it. I ask of the guys and gals that are bemoaning the state of radio,"what are YOU doing to try to make it better?" We've got Mr. Boyd there putting his sweat into his investment,someone mentioned the Blakeneys in Hattiesburg-Laurel,who work around the clock,the Dowdy's doing their thing,and it's their money,ya know. Too many people in this country,at least in the last few months it seems,have been sitting and waiting for someone to fix their problems. I'm not naive to think it's simple,and I'm not trying to pick on anybody's comments,but let's start doing something instead of wringing our hands and blaming other people. And about now,there's a GM in Alabama thinking "so,why aren't you out selling something instead of posting on a website?" I'm workin' on it bro,I'm workin' on it.
 
I gotta mostly agree with Tim there - we're doing great at my station, and if I never read these boards and the national trade magazines, then I'd be unaware that there was much of any problem with radio at all. In fact, I wouldn't want to do anything else.

I always remember the following: "the harder you work, the luckier you get." It's true.

--- Casual Observer
 
Hello, Casual...Great quote! Here is it's brother...."When the going gets tough..the tough get going". And if I may, this one for the former Bernie clients..."Figures DO
Not lie,,,BUT, liars figure!"
Cheers. JBI
 
jboyd said:
Hello, Casual...Great quote! Here is it's brother...."When the going gets tough..the tough get going". And if I may, this one for the former Bernie clients..."Figures DO
Not lie,,,BUT, liars figure!"
Cheers. JBI
Click to expand...
JB,
Assume those are WorldCom reminders. Amazing how easily 4000 shares of stock becomes toilet paper. Ah,misty-colored memories.....
 
TZ...Makes you wonder, doesn't it. Here we are with the confidence level of Uncle Sam under 50% and some wonder why...consider the DTV transition.....somebody failed to calculate the number of coupons needed for the converter purchases
( He/She/It/ They/ will remain unidentified)...so they extend the conversion date.
Bad enough...but the question arises...are these the same people running the "economic stimilus" plan. Meanwhile, 1,000's of TV and Radio outlets have egg on their collective faces because the much taunted date has been slipped!

Brings up another axiom:
There is one search that is always successful....the search for some one to blame!
(BUT, it ain't ME!) Have a good weekend and peace...JBI
 
I've heard the kind of radio you guys are talking about… And I gotta say. It's boring!

I mean… Boring to listen to, not boring to do. One of my fondest childhood memories was listening to the radio on the way down to Gulf Shores each year. I knew I was getting close to the beach when WHEP 1300 in Foley (ALA) boomed in with calls on the swap shop show. Talk about making a guy sleepy! Even today, that sort of thing is a quick channel-changer after I'm through giggling at the 'countryness' of it all.

It's a great idea to do live news, weather, farm and swap shops if you're catering to old folks, but they aren't the future of radio from what I've been told. And frankly, once I swap over to NPR or XM, I ain't going back for a long time. So how does one inform the old folks while keeping the younger generation interested? Can it even be done? I brought up the idea that a station should try to please the listener first and advertisers second in a discussion about WSM-AM going back to Gaylord finally, but that idea went over like a lead balloon. "You can do radio like it was in the 50's," they said, referring to fully staffed buildings and news rooms. "The dynamics aren't the same anymore and it just can't be done."

I'll second KXJK in Forrest City as a good example of great local radio. When they play music I like, I listen. And I stick through the news and commercials because it's so well done and well paced. (And well processed!) But even they lose me when they drop contemporary music for country, for example. Or drop a music period for the coach's show or high school basketball.

Furthermore, radio isn't just in small towns, although that is where's usually most interesting. How many swap shops can Memphis support? Will being truly live and local 24/7 really make a difference in the ratings of the 40-something stations on the dial there?

I guess the moral of this rambling is that you can't please everyone, but do a good job anyway? ;)

So JBI — how much of your AM and FM are live and local? I think I was caught by surprise at a local sounding fellow in the AM on your FM a few weeks back.
 
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