What's wrong with this picture?

[secret]

In most segments, the game is just about up for CEOs who've managed to fail their way to the top. Just today, the head of Merrill Lynch got canned for paying out millions in bonuses minutes before BofA takes over. Only in radio do these guys running penny-stock companies walk around in Teflon suits while no one calls for them to account for the damage they've done.

What the f*%# will it take?!

Just a thought...

 

[DavidKaye]

Only in radio do these guys running penny-stock companies walk around in Teflon suits while no one calls for them to account for the damage they've done.

What the f*%# will it take?!

Uh, are you looking for companies such as Citadel to fail? If so, why? Wouldn't you want them to continue in business so that there might be some jobs left in radio?

Now, there is the belief that station values will come crashing down like housing prices have done and new owners will come in and buy stations for pennies on the dollar. Only problem with this scenario is that it doesn't quite match housing. In housing there is always some demand by renters. People have to live somewhere. But with stations dependent on advertising, there simply may not be enough ad revenue to go around, and thus we may actually see the marginal stations (the smaller signals) shutting down.

 

[Zeb Norris]

Only in radio do these guys running penny-stock companies walk around in Teflon suits while no one calls for them to account for the damage they've done.

What the f*%# will it take?!

Uh, are you looking for companies such as Citadel to fail? If so, why? Wouldn't you want them to continue in business so that there might be some jobs left in radio?

Now, there is the belief that station values will come crashing down like housing prices have done and new owners will come in and buy stations for pennies on the dollar. Only problem with this scenario is that it doesn't quite match housing. In housing there is always some demand by renters. People have to live somewhere. But with stations dependent on advertising, there simply may not be enough ad revenue to go around, and thus we may actually see the marginal stations (the smaller signals) shutting down.

True enough, but the beginning of many of the problems we face today was the 80/90 docket, when tons of new signals went on the air without a corresponding increase in sources of ad revenue.

I'm less concerned with the total number of jobs in the business than I am with the number of people at individual stations. Syndication and automation are the enemy of localism. Serving local communities is what stations are supposed to do in exchange for the use of the public's airwaves.

Plus, do we really need so many formats duplicated? I think not...

 

[BossRadioDJ]

I'm less concerned with the total number of jobs in the business than I am with the number of people at individual stations. Syndication and automation are the enemy of localism.

I think the greater enemy is creating your own competition in order to keep a competitor from competing with you:*

KGO and KSFO (same owner).

KNBR/680 and KNBR/1050 (same owner).

KMEL and Wild (same owner).

KNEW and KKGN (same owner).

...And so on, and so forth.

_____

* -- It actually does make sense.

 

[1069_KIFR]

COMP USA buys The Good Guys. Closes up The Good Guys then goes Bankrupt

Whitehall Jewelers buys Cresent Jewelers. Closes up Crescent then goes Bankrupt.

Buy out the competition then close em up. Then they close up!

Works in different industries as well, I guess.

 

[BossRadioDJ]

Here's another one to ponder:

It's 1969. Name the twenty best personalities on Bay Area radio under the age of 30. (Not so tough.)

It's 2009. Name the TEN best personalities on Bay Area radio under the age of 30. (A bit tougher?)

It's another result of syndication and automation: failure to develop young talent.