Why the President of Clear Channel radio, John Hogan needs to resign...

[doublecashkgb]

I was at a conferencea few years ago which featured among other things Littlejohn touting HD Radio several years ago. Randy Michaels was in the audience, and mentioned privately to me that HD will never work. I have to give him credit for telling the truth.

 

[Tibbs4]

I believe even David would agree that the real truth is that CC vastly overpaid for their properties
from the beginning and is really having to face that reality now.

All the cost cutting in the world can not make up for the stupid prices they paid. Same is true for
most any radio company with a C in their first name.

 

[Nate Wesley]

LAGuy that was a great great post! Don't worry about the Eduardo dude cause anyone that calls us loser types that can't make it or something like that is someone who is gainfully employed and holding on to his stake in the business. He can't stand the thought of us so called losers having a say and expressing our viewpoints without tearing them down. Notice he he does it like it's almost his job to do it. He is tireless and relentless. He seems to know the things a higher up would know so you know we just irritate the mess out of him. But keep on posting your thoughts. He'll get his soon and maybe he can spend more time on his yacht and away from his computer. Until then losers unite!

As someone who long ago used to question Mr. Eduardo--his opinions/speculations really are based with the best of knowledge. You can disagree if you like, but he's not pulling stuff out of thin air. Don't take being corrected/countered so personally. I have yet to read any post where he's resorted to insults--that should tell you something.

 

[TheRover]

LA guy should be nominated for a "Best Poster" award. David...well that is another story.

I too worked for CC companies during this almost 40 years in broadcasting. I rmember when they first started out with 10 stations. "Less is More" was their operating philosophy back in the 80's. They came in, fired just about everyone that wasn't absolutely necessary (looking back the fact that we had a news department is now a "luxury" by their standards)...sold anything that wasn't bolted down and reduced all costs, human and otherwise to the bare minimum.

To those who spend hours discussing radio as a P/E statement a quick reminder: this is broadcasting. this is not the 7-Eleven or your local IHOP. Those owneers got the chance to make bushels of money by agreeing to follow certain rules and regulations. One was that they serve the public interest and necessity. It was and is a simple trade: owners get the right to make LOTS of money assuming they do certain things.

CC does none. They have emptied radio stations of staff and thereby relegated their signals to nothing more than a repeater. They have violated the terms of the agreement and one can only hope that as their stations come up for license renewal there are local companies or individuals that can find enough money to rip the license out of CC's greedy little hands.

As laughable: Lowry Mays is the winner of a "Distinguished Service Award" from the NAB. For what? Reducing hundreds of stations to the broadcast equivalent of an empty gas station located on the middle of a Texas state highway? No one works there anymore and they are out of gas...but the pump is still there.

The Mays legacy is they killed an industry.

Mr. Hogan says radio today for consumers is a terrific medium.

Which "consumers" though ???

The "consumers" he refers to are not Music Lovers. They are soccer moms, and teenage alcoholics and the like, and, those who just need some crass/blue humor to get their beautiful day started.

CC's definiton of consumers unfortunately does not include music lovers. There's a heritage of radio community service with other than songs from the "hit" music Factory, that just doesn't cut it in today's delregulated big business enviroment.

The Goal of Maximum profits contines to warp Rock radio in to --nothing-- but a "hits" format, regardless of genre....Oh Yes...we have more "hit" genres.... They're so proud of more genres, than there were... But look at what CC has taken away... to make this possible.

When you can't afford to play good music (that is, something other than the most commerical hits)for the community....you've lost something....
I only wish the station licenses would be ripped away. But this Govt./FCC only cares about Big Business, and whatever Big Business brings. And so, what ever Big Business doesn't bring...Is not Important. Corporate efficiency leaves no room for "other" voices. Homoginization is "efficient".

CC does not have any idea of how to get it right for Music Lovers. Anyone who wants more than the "hits" of yesterday and today is sore out of luck. They've even got all of this HD-2 channel space available to deliver, but their "Format Labs" and "Content Development Teams" come up short. It's not Rocket Science.... to play good music, other than Hit Factory Music.... CC's vision for Music outside of playing Hits is absent. They could service this issue with HD-2, and they have not, and perhaps, are not able to do so under the current regime.

 

[adma]

Mr. Hogan says radio today for consumers is a terrific medium.

Which "consumers" though ???

The "consumers" he refers to are not Music Lovers. They are soccer moms,

correction: middle-aged crazy ladies who wish they were soccer moms

and teenage alcoholics

correction: middle-aged alcoholics who think they're still teenagers

and the like, and, those who just need some crass/blue humor to get their beautiful day started.

ibid.

Actually, it's consumers of radio advertising. Y'know, infomercialish stuff, quack cures for baldness and sexual dysfunction, etc etc.

If you're prone to responding to popups and spam (that is, providing you have an internet connection in the first place), then radio's for you.

 

[davideduardo]

LAGuy that was a great great post! Don't worry about the Eduardo dude cause anyone that calls us loser types that can't make it or something like that is someone who is gainfully employed and holding on to his stake in the business. He can't stand the thought of us so called losers having a say and expressing our viewpoints without tearing them down. Notice he he does it like it's almost his job to do it. He is tireless and relentless. He seems to know the things a higher up would know so you know we just irritate the mess out of him. But keep on posting your thoughts. He'll get his soon and maybe he can spend more time on his yacht and away from his computer. Until then losers unite!

I sold my yacht the same time I sold my house in Puerto Rico, but thanks for caring.

 

[justareporter]

and any of us should care why?

 

[beefjerky]

The emperor has no clothes!

 

[TheRover]

Mr. Hogan says radio today for consumers is a terrific medium.

Which "consumers" though ???

The "consumers" he refers to are not Music Lovers. They are soccer moms,

correction: middle-aged crazy ladies who wish they were soccer moms

and teenage alcoholics

correction: middle-aged alcoholics who think they're still teenagers

and the like, and, those who just need some crass/blue humor to get their beautiful day started.

ibid.

Actually, it's consumers of radio advertising. Y'know, infomercialish stuff, quack cures for baldness and sexual dysfunction, etc etc.

If you're prone to responding to popups and spam (that is, providing you have an internet connection in the first place), then radio's for you.

All Points Wll Taken Adma . . .

 

[DashRiprock]

Putting all business and high level management related issues aside, as a listener I'm very unhappy with cc programming moves in Atlanta. Their management team drove me from being a loyal listener of two cc stations to paying for satellite.

 

[RadioFixerCLE]

Putting all business and high level management related issues aside, as a listener I'm very unhappy with cc programming moves in Atlanta. Their management team drove me from being a loyal listener of two cc stations to paying for satellite.

And not to mention the puzzling programming and airstaff moves at New York's Lite FM. JJ Kennedy, Bill Buchner, Valerie Smaldone, Al Bernstein......good-sounding, solid, professional announcers. All gone. :-[

 

[pocket-radio]

Wow great post. Radio revanues for the past year have been and trending down. Any growth has been minimul 1%-2%

Actually, Clear Channel, Cox Radio, Citadel, Emmis and want to be's.
It's a matter of time before the FCC and our bumbling congress forces all stations to turn off their analog frequencies and go 100% digital. Or maybe radio is a dying industry. By 2020 radio as we know it will be irrelevant and replaced by other technologies Like cassette, 8 track tape 45's and dial-up have become. FM jukeboxes cannot compete with the technologies we currently have never mind the future gadgets. Once cheap wireless internet become available everywhere radio is done. Once cheap wireless internet finds cars.. it's not good for radio. Radio should bet on content not towers or frequencies. The time for HD was 10 years ago. where the were you? HD feels like Am stereo.. it sounded great. But with two competing flawed technologies nobody cared enough to go out and buy receivers. Static and Am stereo.. what was radio thinking? Hear the same thing on HD that you can hear on an analog radio that I already own? mmmm I'm not sure what are you guys are really thinking? I'll give you a hint.. It's not working..

Thanks to your leadership and greed. Total radio listening is trending down slowly. Radio ad revenues are flat and declining. And because you've fired everybody. radio employment has declined sharply. The current crop of management "your flunkies" are struggling to make the Internet a profitable and viable solution to the problems you've created. But they simply don't have a clue. Oh well you might as well fire them too. I'll give you a another clue.. Advertisers want accountability. Hype, and an intangible radio ad schedule won't due, thanks to the internet and Googles point and click.. I'm witting in Mr. Google for president!

Radio must go back to it's roots.. Serve it's communities and bring personalities back to radio. Hello Mcfly...What's missing is creativity, personality heart and sole. Thanks to your leadership radio isn't grooming it's future stars, if anything it's doing the exact opposite and killings it's future. The bottom line is important, but when the bottom line is more important than the art you end up killing the very things that made radio great!.. Hey it's ok... it's before your time. so you're forgiven..

Before you guys ran evil empires, and were children....Wait were you children? I'll save that for another time. Could you even imagine an ipod, computer or internet? I couldn't.. Yet, today children by the age of five, "radio's future" are already tapping on the key board. And by the age of 8, they're downloading music from the web to their ipod. Music lovers want to hear what they want, when they want it.. not what you want to play! And some day we'll be downloading music from a wireless internet connection right to our automobiles.. I personally can't wait..

To the great one, Clear Channel .. I'd dump Clear Channel to any sucker who can still pass a credit check And for the CC Clones. Cox, Emmis, Citadel and want to be's Its time to sell radio while they still make suckers. It's over boys..and time to pack the golden parachutes. Screw the employees...Oh I'm sorry.. I forgot you already did. Hey have you thought of running a mortgage company? I hear you can screw customers, kill an industry and get huge bonuses..I think all of you are qualified and pefect for the job.. It's great work if you can find it..

 

[davideduardo]

Wow great post. Radio revanues for the past year have been and trending down. Any growth has been minimul 1%-2%

Dsepends on the company and the market. Large market non-ethnic stations are down. Smaller market stations are up, and ethnic stations are up; Univision Radio was is up 14% in the 4th quarter of last year!

Once cheap wireless internet become available everywhere radio is done.

Actually, what we will get is a lot of terrestrial radio content. Since the breakup of Clearwire and Sprint, it looks like WiMax is set back at least 2 years more.

Once cheap wireless internet finds cars.. it's not good for radio. Radio should bet on content not towers or frequencies.

It already does with the most successful stations.

Thanks to your leadership and greed. Total radio listening is trending down slowly.

Very slowly.

Radio ad revenues are flat and declining. And because you've fired everybody. radio employment has declined sharply.

Not really. There has been a reallocation from programming to sales, but total employment is the same. In some growing companies, emplyment has increased a lot.

The current crop of management "your flunkies" are struggling to make the Internet a profitable and viable solution to the problems you've created. But they simply don't have a clue. Oh well you might as well fire them too. I'll give you a another clue.. Advertisers want accountability. Hype, and an intangible radio ad schedule won't due,

PPM allows posting. How about asking a question or two that has not been answered or talk about something that is not already being done.

Radio must go back to it's roots.. Serve it's communities and bring personalities back to radio. Hello Mcfly...What's missing is creativity, personality heart and sole. Thanks to your leadership radio isn't grooming it's future stars, if anything it's doing the exact opposite and killings it's future.

That is such a generalization that it is absurd. Just where I work we do personality in most dayparts, and grow new talent. Some companies do not do this, and will suffer due to that, and market forces will send them back in the right direction.

 

[justareporter]

"There's been a reallocation from programming to sales..."

You're kidding right? Listen to the blasted thing across the US and you'll hear hours of voice tracking and syndicatd programming.

The Clear channel, Cox, citadel make-money-at-all-cost dragon has eaten its young.

In most (but not all) cases what laughingly passes for talent in most markets outside of the top 20 (and even there too) would not have passed for interns 20 years ago.

Sales people can't sell dead air. Stations need talent and there are a lot less of them now.