From Variety:
Traditional Radio Faces a Grim Future, New Study SaysQuoteA new study published today by the head of New York University's Steinhart Music Business Program casts a sobering outlook on the future of terrestrial radio. (Not surprisingly, the National Association of Broadcasters and Nielsen responded to the report; see their responses here.)
In the 30-page report, Larry Miller argues that traditional radio has failed to engage with Generation Z – people born after 1995 – and that its influence and relevance will continue to be subsumed by digital services unless it upgrades.
FULL ARTICLE HERE (http://'http://markholtz.info/1os')
Radio is dead. The industry self-destructed.
Quote from: bandit957 on September 07, 2017, 05:33:40 PMThe industry self-destructed.
That's not what I heard - I heard it was murdered by video.
There's only two reasons to even listen to "traditional" over-the-air radio: (1) traffic reports, primarily on network or local AM news stations, and (2) the availability, particularly in urban areas, of college radio stations -- about the only source of good real alternative music (often accompanied by appropriately sarcastic or smarmy DJ's/"broadcasters"). Trouble is you can't pick up most of these without either a cable system that doesn't "trap & sink" FM broadcasts, or a decent outside antenna! (I'm an admitted luddite about such things, so I use the latter!).
The death of AM radio has been predicted for longer than I have been alive. It, and FM whose death predictions started about 10 years ago, will still be going strong long after I am gone.
Radio keeps reinventing itself. It seems that mainstream music, the primary but by no means only format that radio, particularly FM, has been in its current (since c. 1970) era is going away. Other things (sports, talk, politics, Spanish, paid religion, free religion, tourist information, business, non-mainsteam music, who knows) will come along and replace it.
In my area (which is somewhat atypical because Spanish formats are unviable here) recently we have seen migration of traditional AM genres like sports and talk to FM, tourist information, and "urban" stations. Even have seen some places add a station aimed at children.
All is if no well, far from awful.
Broadcast radio is nearly irrelevant outside of disaster situations, but amateur radio is still alive (if admittedly either on life support or transitioning to something new).
I haven't listened at all in years. About the last 15 minutes of each hour was nothing but commercials, across all of the local stations I listened to. The ability to carry a massive collection of music, with no commercials or talk in between, makes radio obsolete to me.
Quote from: MikeTheActuary on September 08, 2017, 09:53:51 AM
Broadcast radio is nearly irrelevant outside of disaster situations, but amateur radio is still alive (if admittedly either on life support or transitioning to something new).
The amount of licensed amateur radio operators in the US is at an all time high. That number is close to 750K. Japan is the only nation with more operators and comes in a bit over 1 million. This is a niche hobby but it is far from dead. Today is all about niches than masses in any case.
Rick
Quote from: sparker on September 08, 2017, 02:36:03 AM
There's only two reasons to even listen to "traditional" over-the-air radio: (1) traffic reports, primarily on network or local AM news stations
I'm not so sure about that. Waze covers that for many people. Plus the reports aren't all that accurate to begin with. I've had cases where they've said "really busy" in a location that was practically free-flow, areas with problems missed, etc. Around here, if they say "traffic slowing down from exit 4 to the twins", it's safe to assume it's actually stop and go as far south as exits 1 or 2. Even the Thruway advisory radio misses stuff a large amount of the time.
Quote from: vdeane on September 08, 2017, 12:51:00 PM
Quote from: sparker on September 08, 2017, 02:36:03 AM
There's only two reasons to even listen to "traditional" over-the-air radio: (1) traffic reports, primarily on network or local AM news stations
I'm not so sure about that. Waze covers that for many people. Plus the reports aren't all that accurate to begin with. I've had cases where they've said "really busy" in a location that was practically free-flow, areas with problems missed, etc. Around here, if they say "traffic slowing down from exit 4 to the twins", it's safe to assume it's actually stop and go as far south as exits 1 or 2. Even the Thruway advisory radio misses stuff a large amount of the time.
Ours (WBBM, AM 780/FM 105.9) is pretty good about that as they get their information pretty much directly from IDOT, ISTHA, and the other agencies in the region. Just this morning, they had a report about a car versus light pole crash on I-80 just before I-57 just after it was reported to IDOT. That one stopped up traffic for about 6 miles.
I'll listen to radio more often than not. Even on iHeartRadio I listen to the radio stations there which are broadcasting throughout the country.
Radio in itself isn't going anywhere. It doesn't have the ratings it used to, they may switch formats on occasion, but it's nearly impossible to find radio stations that have simply been wiped off the dial.
However, I gave up trying to get good traffic reports on the radio. There's too limited of a time to report on traffic conditions so there's a lot not reported, and what is reported isn't very precise. A backup of 5 miles could take 10 minutes or 30 minutes to get thru, depending on why that backup exists. And they're not going to report on minor stuff, such as a traffic light that may take me 4 light cycles to go thru, but by going a few blocks over I can save a few minutes of time.
I've given up on terrestrial radio a few years ago. The signal-to-noise ratio is bad with less than 40 minutes of actual content per hour, and a little more than 20 minutes of commercials and fluff. Plus there is a distinct lack-of-variety of stations in Sacramento (http://markholtz.info/7o). The sole classical station only broadcasts classical music during the daytime hours, and there is no local stations that plays 40s or 50s music. The "news reports" on one of the news/talk stations barely has any content. One of the games that the broadcasters play is (for lack of a term) a "Super Commercial" when the same commercial is broadcast at the exact same time on multiple stations, providing almost no escape from that goddamn ad.
When I purchased a new car in 2014, one of the things that I required is a Bluetooth connection, and SiriusXM was a bonus. I only have three Sacramento stations programmed in, and almost never listen to them. Most of the time, I'm listening to XM, pre-recorded music (like movie and game soundtracks) that won't even get airplay, and audiobooks. In other words, content that I control, not some selections that some marketing person thinks I should like.
Traffic reports? Kinda irrelevant to me since there is hardly any alternatives to my route to work, especially since I have to cross over a river as part of my commute. Any alternative routes take too much time. I also rely on my GPS app.
It should be noted that two of the major stations groups, Cumulus Media (currently trading at 39 cents a share) and iHeartMedia (currently trading at $1.32 per share) are currently hovering above bankruptcy having high amount of debt from accumulating too many stations. KGO (AM), when the ownership was changed from ABC to Cumulus, has been decimated over the past few years, and the ratings have tanked.
In most of Europe (except the UK, southern and eastern parts) as well Russia, AM/ MW & LW are off the air or will be between 2020 and 2023. There was a thread in AA roads on Norway has no FM, they converted to strictly satellite and online streaming. Shortwave is going to disappear, I mean the once globally renowned BBC hasn't been on for awhile.
Radio will still remain the norm for remote and rural areas where technology (DSL/4G internet) have yet to make a footprint: where pertinent information is still reliant on radio. Think moreso farmers, who are out in the fields with no internet connection all day. Weather, and even farm reports matter to them, along with the local news. Or even mountainous areas, where people live "off the grid": radio is their only window to the outside world.
One of the millions of reasons why radio sucks now is that back a generation or so, radio looked "up" to their listeners -- treating them like a VIP customer at a restaurant because the listeners could easily go elsewhere. They seemed to speak directly to them as if they were their only listener, they did contests and promotions that were designed to make the listener stay tuned in all day long, they took their calls and responded to requests. The dj's would do public appearances where listeners would line up to speak/meet/get autographs from them.
Now all you have are stations and jocks (those who remain) who look down on their listeners, reading generic liners with a "phoning-it-in/who really gives a rat's ass" attitude. If you don't like their station and punch in another one, chances are you're still listening to another station from that same company who owns half the stations in town. Contests are uncreative or non-existent. Nobody (outside of talk radio) takes their calls after the morning show since it's all voicetracked, automated or syndicated after 10AM. If the DJ's that are left do an appearance, people walk past them as if they are selling and demo-ing AS SEEN ON TV products.
And, although the "payola" scandals of the 50s hit radio pretty hard, it is back in a different form where most of the music that sits in their 100-, 200-, or 300-song "playlists" is from record label bigwigs who "subsidize" some of the station owner's bills (royalties, concert promotions, commercials,...). Pretty much it is just "invisible" money that goes back and forth between the label and the stations on a daily basis.
But you know that radio is in dire straits when the top of the hour national network news reports' 1st commercial break at 12 Noon ET is for boner pills more times than not.
The only radio I ever listen to anymore is NPR, and even that's taking a hit. My local affiliate is in their fall pledge drive week and the last hour was just about half programming and half pledge drive crap. Ugh. X-(
Quote from: wxfree on September 08, 2017, 11:34:38 AM
I haven't listened at all in years. About the last 15 minutes of each hour was nothing but commercials, across all of the local stations I listened to. The ability to carry a massive collection of music, with no commercials or talk in between, makes radio obsolete to me.
On the US side, the rate of growth in amateur licensees has declined to 1%, with less than half of new licensees estimated to ever get on the air. The Japanese 1.3 million number is somewhat inflated because operators get multiple licenses (a person who upgraded from Fourth to Third class is counted twice) and stations are licensed separately from operators.
That being said...amateur radio is potentially transitioning rather than dying. While HOAs and increased noise levels are strangling traditional "make contacts on HF" ham radio, there is a lot of cool stuff happening with makers getting ham tickets to play with remote control, and some interesting experimentation with WiFi like communications happening up in microwave spectrum.
But back to broadcast domestic radio... I think I've listened to a few minutes of local broadcast radio here and there in rental cars when I wanted background noise but didn't want to bother getting my phone hooked up to the car. Beyond that, I think I last listened to a local broadcast a few years ago during "Snowtober", when much of northern Connecticut was knocked off the grid for a week or two. Even then, I was listening to WTIC-AM's "media feed" on VHF, rather than their actual broadcast frequency.
https://www.theverge.com/2017/9/9/16271110/radio-cellular-technology-emergency-broadcasts-storms-hurricane-explained
Update an editorial is out on why we need radio during a disaster.
As long as the dominant print media outlets in the United States retain their liberal slant, radio will remain viable because that's where the conservative alternative is.
Quote from: thenetwork on September 09, 2017, 11:01:32 AM
... 12 Noon ET is for boner pills more times than not.
Lots of money in boner pills..people will gladly pay out of pocket foe boner pills, weight loss pills, cosmetic procedures etc when they can "afford" health insurance.
When you look at the ingredients in non pharmaceutical boner pills they are the same as energy and brain/focus pills.. But boner pills cost more
LGMS428
Quote from: hbelkins on September 09, 2017, 02:02:40 PM
As long as the dominant print media outlets in the United States retain their liberal slant, radio will remain viable because that's where the conservative alternative is.
Yeah but how viable is print media nowadays?
Quote from: hbelkins on September 09, 2017, 02:02:40 PM
As long as the dominant print media outlets in the United States retain their liberal slant, radio will remain viable because that's where the conservative alternative is.
There's six public radio stations in the Seattle area, all of which are predominantly liberal (
public radio, after all). The two primary FM talk outlets that aren't public are 97.3 KIRO and 97.7 KOMO. The latter is far more news/weather/traffic than talk, whereas the former is dominated by DJs. The morning crew are split liberal/conservative. The afternoon host is extremely conservative. The late-afternoon/evening drive has two personalities that lean more liberal. Most of the 100% conservative talk is on AM (KTTH-770, and KVI-570). I'm not sure the number of listeners could support either of those two switching to FM, especially in light of the move away from traditional radio. Without [at least AM] radio, their best bet would be podcasts.
tl;dr -- depends on the region. There's far more liberal radio talk up here than conservative talk (and yes, the print media here also leans liberal, but that's been the norm for some time).
The only 2 situations I ever listen to terrestrial radio anymore are when I want to listen to a specific sporting contest and it's not on SiriusXM and when I am stuck in a drive-thru that faces west (IOW, the building is to the south, which is not optimal for SiriusXM). I suppose there is also the drive thru car wash. I suppose if I were to ever take an interest in the local high school sports scene, that would be a reason, too.
Quote from: jakeroot on September 10, 2017, 04:10:43 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on September 09, 2017, 02:02:40 PM
As long as the dominant print media outlets in the United States retain their liberal slant, radio will remain viable because that's where the conservative alternative is.
There's six public radio stations in the Seattle area, all of which are predominantly liberal (public radio, after all). The two primary FM talk outlets that aren't public are 97.3 KIRO and 97.7 KOMO. The latter is far more news/weather/traffic than talk, whereas the former is dominated by DJs. The morning crew are split liberal/conservative. The afternoon host is extremely conservative. The late-afternoon/evening drive has two personalities that lean more liberal. Most of the 100% conservative talk is on AM (KTTH-770, and KVI-570). I'm not sure the number of listeners could support either of those two switching to FM, especially in light of the move away from traditional radio. Without [at least AM] radio, their best bet would be podcasts.
tl;dr -- depends on the region. There's far more liberal radio talk up here than conservative talk (and yes, the print media here also leans liberal, but that's been the norm for some time).
I'll also add that some local newspapers hold a right wing bend, I grew up in a county where this was the case. With the rise of the internet though, I feel like you could find easily the media of your political persuasion online.
Quote from: nexus73 on September 08, 2017, 12:09:13 PM
Quote from: MikeTheActuary on September 08, 2017, 09:53:51 AM
Broadcast radio is nearly irrelevant outside of disaster situations, but amateur radio is still alive (if admittedly either on life support or transitioning to something new).
The amount of licensed amateur radio operators in the US is at an all time high. That number is close to 750K. Japan is the only nation with more operators and comes in a bit over 1 million. This is a niche hobby but it is far from dead. Today is all about niches than masses in any case.
Rick
Ham radio is far from dead. Granted, it's considered an old man's hobby for the most part, but that was the case almost 50 years ago when I was first licensed (I'm WW7KE). With all these new digital modes appearing over the last few years, I think ham radio has gotten a new lease on life, at least on the HF bands, which are in no danger of being taken over by the cellphone companies.
Quote from: The Nature Boy on September 10, 2017, 08:26:10 PM
I'll also add that some local newspapers hold a right wing bend, I grew up in a county where this was the case. With the rise of the internet though, I feel like you could find easily the media of your political persuasion online.
I remember both of the daily newspapers in Cincinnati being very, very right-wing. Now there's only one paper remaining.
A lot of radio stations don't know their audience. Why was a local station running cosmetic dentistry ads during 'American Top 40' shows from the '80s?
Newspapers are like your crazy old uncle, who knew who was getting married, who died and when was her funeral, what was on at the movies, who won the ball game in more detal than you could posibably need, what the weather was, and who was puting what in that new construction on route 46. But to get that information, you had to listen to his crazy rants about politics.
People found on the internet ways to find out needed information without supporting newspapers' bias. The level of insularity of newspaper owners in their limosine liberal world is such that they still do not understand that pretty much no one was buying it because they cared what they said about the way the world should be run, but rather despite it.
Newspapers, at least serious newspapers making an actual effort to produce a legitimate product, will be long dead while AM radio will live on for centuries to come.
Quote from: The Nature Boy on September 10, 2017, 01:55:10 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on September 09, 2017, 02:02:40 PM
As long as the dominant print media outlets in the United States retain their liberal slant, radio will remain viable because that's where the conservative alternative is.
Yeah but how viable is print media nowadays?
Most if not all of print media now have website versions of their media where one can download their available news.
Quote from: PHLBOS on September 11, 2017, 09:22:06 AM
Quote from: The Nature Boy on September 10, 2017, 01:55:10 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on September 09, 2017, 02:02:40 PM
As long as the dominant print media outlets in the United States retain their liberal slant, radio will remain viable because that's where the conservative alternative is.
Yeah but how viable is print media nowadays?
Most if not all of print media now have website versions of their media where one can download their available news.
And in that medium, WaPo and the NY Times are just as accessible as Breitbart or Drudge. The latter two are probably MORE accessible since they don't have paywalls.
Quote from: bandit957 on September 10, 2017, 09:18:19 PM
A lot of radio stations don't know their audience. Why was a local station running cosmetic dentistry ads during 'American Top 40' shows from the '80s?
Because that's who their version of Herb Tarlek could get to advertise and pay the bills.
Quote from: ZLoth on September 09, 2017, 01:12:33 AM
It should be noted that two of the major stations groups, Cumulus Media (currently trading at 39 cents a share) and iHeartMedia (currently trading at $1.32 per share) are currently hovering above bankruptcy having high amount of debt from accumulating too many stations. KGO (AM), when the ownership was changed from ABC to Cumulus, has been decimated over the past few years, and the ratings have tanked.
This. The problem isn't that radio isn't viable. It is. The problem is the gobbling up of most stations by Cumulus Media and iHeartMedia. They make every station into a cookie-cutter image of every other station out there. No variety, no individuality, no personality. They, by themselves, are responsible for the presumed death of radio as a medium. Get rid of them, and radio might actually be revived.
Quote from: The Nature Boy on September 11, 2017, 10:12:10 AM
Quote from: PHLBOS on September 11, 2017, 09:22:06 AM
Quote from: The Nature Boy on September 10, 2017, 01:55:10 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on September 09, 2017, 02:02:40 PM
As long as the dominant print media outlets in the United States retain their liberal slant, radio will remain viable because that's where the conservative alternative is.
Yeah but how viable is print media nowadays?
Most if not all of print media now have website versions of their media where one can download their available news.
And in that medium, WaPo and the NY Times are just as accessible as Breitbart or Drudge. The latter two are probably MORE accessible since they don't have paywalls.
Philly.com just went to a paywall system, although I think it has to do with the commenting. I jumped on using a browser without logging in, and I could view things just fine.
The commenting though is way, way down. For a Philadelphia Eagles story for example, hundreds of comments would've been posted in the early morning. When I looked today, it was something like 38 comments.
The comments on most newspaper websites are garbage.
Quote from: Brandon on September 11, 2017, 11:56:28 AM
Quote from: ZLoth on September 09, 2017, 01:12:33 AM
It should be noted that two of the major stations groups, Cumulus Media (currently trading at 39 cents a share) and iHeartMedia (currently trading at $1.32 per share) are currently hovering above bankruptcy having high amount of debt from accumulating too many stations. KGO (AM), when the ownership was changed from ABC to Cumulus, has been decimated over the past few years, and the ratings have tanked.
This. The problem isn't that radio isn't viable. It is. The problem is the gobbling up of most stations by Cumulus Media and iHeartMedia. They make every station into a cookie-cutter image of every other station out there. No variety, no individuality, no personality. They, by themselves, are responsible for the presumed death of radio as a medium. Get rid of them, and radio might actually be revived.
Bruce Springsteen did a song called "Radio Nowhere" during the last decade. How ironic there were no radio stations playing modern rock since modern rock had basically ceased to exist!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nSwjZY9wf0
Rick
Quote from: Desert Man on September 09, 2017, 09:08:51 AMShortwave is going to disappear, I mean the once globally renowned BBC hasn't been on for awhile.
While the World Service does make use of shortwave (along with other things - mostly internet these days, though FM/MW radio too), it's the BBC's longwave that you have to worry about stopping. Longwave can penetrate the waves, and if Radio 4 stops broadcasting on Longwave, then Britain's nuclear submarine captains have evidence that orders must be executed, and it might be that shortwave radio quickly becomes all we have got...
Of course, the LW signal for Radio 4 won't be going anywhere what with the 150-year old Shipping Forecast needing LW to reach North Utsire, German Bight, FitzRoy and Southwest Ireland. And even in this modern age, the Greenwich Time Signal (broadcast by radio since 1924) not being broadcast on LW and able to be received anywhere in the UK, Ireland, surrounding waters and the continent, would be deeply controversial.
Quote from: The Nature Boy on September 10, 2017, 08:26:10 PMI'll also add that some local newspapers hold a right wing bend, I grew up in a county where this was the case. With the rise of the internet though, I feel like you could find easily the media of your political persuasion online.
The local paper here (in an area that would vote in whatever is wearing the Tory rosette - a pint of beer, a head of cabbage, whatever. And Labour are basically nowhere, with the LibDems typically being the opposition) is owned by The Mirror Group, whose national offering is a virulent Labour supporting gutter press rag (that, because Right Wing people tend to be less hateful of political opponents doesn't get the same hate that
The Sun or
The Daily Mail do. It hacked more phones than anyone, but came out of the controversy without much negativity about it, and Piers Morgan didn't even get charged for lying under oath when he said that his paper never hacked) so, in between the shoddy journalism that one not well paid journalist who has to write two papers will inevitably create, is all sorts of stuff designed to push a Labour agenda without looking blatantly partisan - eg votes for 16 year olds.
Now, votes for 16 year olds has merits, and blocking it is somewhat cynical by the Tories, however the main reason why the left want it is openly a political "they'll vote for us, we want them" (despite the left raising the smoking and lottery ages from 16 to 18 about 10 years ago). A couple of weeks ago an MP tweeted "A 16 year old can have sex with their MP, but not vote for them. How is this right?" - this MP then had to delete the tweet as it was pointed out that MPs cannot legally have sex with under-18s (ditto teachers, etc) due to their position of power - this MP is a lawyer, and IIRC even voted for this recentish law - and got laughed at for this error. Of course, my local paper put it as 'tweet of the week' without any irony or conception of the controversy, because the brainless Mirror Group told them too.
"Traditional Radio" is all but gone. Most local stations subscribe to a satellite feed that they try to pass off as local. One station here has about 6 hours of true local programming a week.
Quote from: SP Cook on September 11, 2017, 09:13:44 AMlimosine liberal world
Quit pretending that the prophets of fear and rage are "just like you and me": they're mouthpieces for their advertisers, and toe whatever line that's fed to them until they offend an sponsor.
Radio will probably survive for a few more years; there's lots of reasons it will (it's essentially "free", well-established, and infrastructure is relatively solid), and won't (limited playlists/genre, average sound quality at best, loss of local color, limited to broadcast region, repetitive, additional chatter). Someone always buys an existing station and changes up the the format, so there
must be an audience, even if it isn't for me.
I go to repair shops frequently around the country, and most techs opt for online radio or their own music playlists. Admittedly, the ability to skip unwanted songs online is tough to beat, and it's currently impossible for radio to perform that task.
Quote from: Brandon on September 11, 2017, 11:56:28 AM
Quote from: ZLoth on September 09, 2017, 01:12:33 AM
It should be noted that two of the major stations groups, Cumulus Media (currently trading at 39 cents a share) and iHeartMedia (currently trading at $1.32 per share) are currently hovering above bankruptcy having high amount of debt from accumulating too many stations. KGO (AM), when the ownership was changed from ABC to Cumulus, has been decimated over the past few years, and the ratings have tanked.
This. The problem isn't that radio isn't viable. It is. The problem is the gobbling up of most stations by Cumulus Media and iHeartMedia. They make every station into a cookie-cutter image of every other station out there. No variety, no individuality, no personality. They, by themselves, are responsible for the presumed death of radio as a medium. Get rid of them, and radio might actually be revived.
What about Sirius-XM?
Quote from: US71 on September 13, 2017, 10:38:18 AM
"Traditional Radio" is all but gone. Most local stations subscribe to a satellite feed that they try to pass off as local. One station here has about 6 hours of true local programming a week.
I think that depends on the market. At least here in Seattle, most of the top radio stations have their own DJs that broadcast from Seattle-based studios. The two main talk stations receive national news from the major networks every half hour (CBS and ABC), but otherwise, it's just locals talking on the radio. Overnight, they both subscribe to national broadcasts however.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYJqi0TIaRY
Well this was an example when commercial talk radio was great though. Today if one wants to listen to talk radio that's sane they would have to go to their local NPR affiliate for that.
Quote from: jakeroot on September 13, 2017, 02:40:41 PM
Quote from: US71 on September 13, 2017, 10:38:18 AM
"Traditional Radio" is all but gone. Most local stations subscribe to a satellite feed that they try to pass off as local. One station here has about 6 hours of true local programming a week.
Arkansas is heavily Cumulus.
I think that depends on the market. At least here in Seattle, most of the top radio stations have their own DJs that broadcast from Seattle-based studios. The two main talk stations receive national news from the major networks every half hour (CBS and ABC), but otherwise, it's just locals talking on the radio. Overnight, they both subscribe to national broadcasts however.
Quote from: Brandon on September 11, 2017, 11:56:28 AMThe problem is the gobbling up of most stations by Cumulus Media and iHeartMedia.
Not even close. Cumulus owns 447 stations, iHeart owns 850.
As of June 30, 2017, there are 15,512 radio stations (4646 AM's, 6755 commercial FM's, 4111 non-commercial FM's).
Quote from: Brandon on September 11, 2017, 11:56:28 AMGet rid of them, and radio might actually be revived.
What guarantee do you have that a new owner would be any better?
Quote from: US71 on September 13, 2017, 11:17:22 AMWhat about Sirius-XM?
Not a significant factor.
As of Q2/2017, SiriusXM has about 32 million subscribers, spread out over about 175 radio channels and at least that many online channels. About 35 million listeners use satellite radio over a typical seven-day period. The top-rated all-news station in New York, WINS, reaches that many people every 36 hours.
Radio listening in cars is 66% of the total audience. Satellite radio is at 10% in cars, which is where most satellite radios are.
SiriusXM makes enough from subscriptions to be profitable, but their figures aren't growing that fast to make them a significant factor.
Quote from: SidS1045 on September 21, 2017, 03:41:43 PM
Quote from: Brandon on September 11, 2017, 11:56:28 AMThe problem is the gobbling up of most stations by Cumulus Media and iHeartMedia.
Not even close. Cumulus owns 447 stations, iHeart owns 850.
As of June 30, 2017, there are 15,512 radio stations (4646 AM's, 6755 commercial FM's, 4111 non-commercial FM's).
That may be true if we're looking strictly at the number of licensed stations and treating each one as an equal citizen of the broadcast media landscape.
But if we weighted the relative "value" of those stations based on the number of listeners or the radiated power of their transmitters, I think we'd get a figure that shows a much tighter grip on the airwaves by a relative few owners (iHeart, Cumulus, etc.).
For example, here are the top 10 FM stations for New York (based on the most current list I could find quickly):
1. WLTW-FM — 5,013,600 - iHeart
2. WHTZ-FM — 4,388,300 - iHeart
3. WKTU-FM — 4,136,500 - iHeart
4. WCBS-FM — 3,591,800 - CBS, being sold to Entercom
5. WBMP-FM — 3,000,500 - CBS, being sold to Entercom
6. WNEW-FM — 2,838,700 - CBS, being sold to Entercom
7. WAXQ-FM — 2,761,900 - iHeart
8. WQHT-FM — 2,666,100 - Emmis
9. WWPR-FM — 2,577,600 - iHeart
10. WPLJ-FM — 2,299,900 - Cumulus
iHeart (the #1 owner of radio stations in the country) alone owns half of the top 10 FMs in a single market–and Cumulus and Entercom own the #2 and #4 largest U.S. radio station portfolios, respectively.
Quote from: briantroutman on September 21, 2017, 04:46:07 PM
Quote from: SidS1045 on September 21, 2017, 03:41:43 PM
Quote from: Brandon on September 11, 2017, 11:56:28 AMThe problem is the gobbling up of most stations by Cumulus Media and iHeartMedia.
Not even close. Cumulus owns 447 stations, iHeart owns 850.
As of June 30, 2017, there are 15,512 radio stations (4646 AM's, 6755 commercial FM's, 4111 non-commercial FM's).
That may be true if we’re looking strictly at the number of licensed stations and treating each one as an equal citizen of the broadcast media landscape.
But if we weighted the relative “value” of those stations based on the number of listeners or the radiated power of their transmitters, I think we’d get a figure that shows a much tighter grip on the airwaves by a relative few owners (iHeart, Cumulus, etc.).
For example, here are the top 10 FM stations for New York (based on the most current list I could find quickly):
1. WLTW-FM – 5,013,600 - iHeart
2. WHTZ-FM – 4,388,300 - iHeart
3. WKTU-FM – 4,136,500 - iHeart
4. WCBS-FM – 3,591,800 - CBS, being sold to Entercom
5. WBMP-FM – 3,000,500 - CBS, being sold to Entercom
6. WNEW-FM – 2,838,700 - CBS, being sold to Entercom
7. WAXQ-FM – 2,761,900 - iHeart
8. WQHT-FM – 2,666,100 - Emmis
9. WWPR-FM – 2,577,600 - iHeart
10. WPLJ-FM – 2,299,900 - Cumulus
iHeart (the #1 owner of radio stations in the country) alone owns half of the top 10 FMs in a single market—and Cumulus and Entercom own the #2 and #4 largest U.S. radio station portfolios, respectively.
If you add up the listenership figures you quoted (the "cume," which no one in the broadcasting business uses except in self-promotion), you get a number (33,274,900) which is higher than the New York metro population, which leads to the conclusion that there is substantial overlap in cumulative listenership, making this comparison meaningless. Further, the value of a station comes not from its listenership, but from its revenue, EBITDA and other financial factors. iHeart and Cumulus are both in serious financial trouble. Both companies have been threatened over the last 18 months with delisting from the stock exchanges. CBS, as you noted, is in the process of selling its radio division to Entercom, which would make Entercom the #2 owner of radio stations in the US...and neither CBS or Entercom are in any sort of financial trouble.
Lastly, you cited ownership in the New York metro, which is a meaningless comparison to the country as a whole, since the larger media companies have always concentrated their owned stations in the larger markets. In fact, iHeart downsized considerably over the last decade, shedding stations almost exclusively in small markets.
(Radiated power is also meaningless as a comparison, because radiated power is subject to limits which have nothing to do with who owns the stations.)
I worked for the StarRadio company in Kankakee, Illinois for 9 years. I basically ran commercials for NASCAR, the sunday morning religious shows, and commercials for live events. When I left, I was making $9.00 / hr. I only got the job because I went to college for broadcasting, and I felt I was wasting what little education I had.
When I started there, the station's motto was "LIVE AND LOCAL." With the exception of the morning and drive slots,the rest of the programming was dayparted from a corporation out of Omaha. Interesting that the company that was doing the dayparting had a slogan of "LIVE AND LOCAL." One time a local Kankakee area tornado warning was broadcast from Omaha.
Eventually, thy got away from that, but they had five or six on-air people (two who were the morning show hosts,) and they did all the dayparting in house. And some sales. And some maintenance. (I believe there also was one newsman, one local sports reporter, one full time union radio engineer, and a receptionist as well) And this was divided between the three stations that were housed in the same small facility. Literally the studios for the three different stations were right next to each other.
I tried applying for work with the radio station in the town I live in now. Again, most of the stuff, save news, isn't local. Small town radio is basically not thriving.
Quote from: SidS1045 on September 21, 2017, 03:55:33 PM
Quote from: US71 on September 13, 2017, 11:17:22 AMWhat about Sirius-XM?
Not a significant factor.
As of Q2/2017, SiriusXM has about 32 million subscribers, spread out over about 175 radio channels and at least that many online channels. About 35 million listeners use satellite radio over a typical seven-day period. The top-rated all-news station in New York, WINS, reaches that many people every 36 hours.
Radio listening in cars is 66% of the total audience. Satellite radio is at 10% in cars, which is where most satellite radios are.
SiriusXM makes enough from subscriptions to be profitable, but their figures aren't growing that fast to make them a significant factor.
FWIW, those who use Dish Network satellite service, also get many of the XM/Sirius stations. That should add...a million subscribers?
Quote from: Hot Rod Hootenanny on September 27, 2017, 01:01:29 AM
Quote from: SidS1045 on September 21, 2017, 03:55:33 PM
Quote from: US71 on September 13, 2017, 11:17:22 AMWhat about Sirius-XM?
Not a significant factor.
As of Q2/2017, SiriusXM has about 32 million subscribers, spread out over about 175 radio channels and at least that many online channels. About 35 million listeners use satellite radio over a typical seven-day period. The top-rated all-news station in New York, WINS, reaches that many people every 36 hours.
Radio listening in cars is 66% of the total audience. Satellite radio is at 10% in cars, which is where most satellite radios are.
SiriusXM makes enough from subscriptions to be profitable, but their figures aren't growing that fast to make them a significant factor.
FWIW, those who use Dish Network satellite service, also get many of the XM/Sirius stations. That should add...a million subscribers?
The figures I found and quoted include listeners from Dish Network subscriptions.
Quote from: hbelkins on September 09, 2017, 02:02:40 PM
As long as the dominant print media outlets in the United States retain their liberal slant, radio will remain viable because that's where the conservative alternative is.
True indeed. Radio AM and FM is also a good source of Christian programming such as preaching and teaching and music and politics from that perspective. The Bible Broadcasting Network (BBN) and American Family Radio (AFR) are two of the most prominent networks.
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/120766/entercom-divestiture-notes/
Here is an update on the Entercom/CBS Radio deal.
http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/entercom-cbs-radio-justice-department-1202604449/
And yes Entercom had to divest 13 stations specifically in places like Sacramento, San Francisco, Boston and Seattle to get the deal approved.
http://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/cbs-news-radio-unveils-new-shows-at-first-upfront-presentation/346640
Also CBS News Radio the network is moving from Westwood one to Skyview on January 1st, 2018. Note its uncertain if Entercom stations will sign a deal with the new CBS News Radio though.
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/11/03/wbz-would-owners-tells-employees-apply-for-their-jobs/Q8ZIoWcVH5bEPSN1Yy1kvM/story.html
Update WBZ Radio Boston will get changes soon.
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/120729/looking-ramifications-todays-three-entercom-divestiture-deals/
Another update the fallout of the CBS Radio/Entercom deal.
Quote from: bing101 on November 04, 2017, 12:31:38 PM
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/11/03/wbz-would-owners-tells-employees-apply-for-their-jobs/Q8ZIoWcVH5bEPSN1Yy1kvM/story.html
Update WBZ Radio Boston will get changes soon.
How is shit like that even legal?
Also: Boston Globe no longer allows using incognito to bypass the paywall.
Quote from: vdeane on November 04, 2017, 06:11:34 PM
Quote from: bing101 on November 04, 2017, 12:31:38 PM
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/11/03/wbz-would-owners-tells-employees-apply-for-their-jobs/Q8ZIoWcVH5bEPSN1Yy1kvM/story.html
Update WBZ Radio Boston will get changes soon.
How is shit like that even legal?
Also: Boston Globe no longer allows using incognito to bypass the paywall.
Well Entercom was required by the DOJ, FCC and SEC to divest radio stations in Boston, Sacramento and San Francisco to get the deal with CBS radio through and the deal is subject to approval on November 17th.
Actually 100% legal.
http://www.boston.com/jobs/globe/job_doc/archives/111305.shtml
As in most states, even far-left Mass. protects the law of contract. These job creators will decide who will work there. The rest, who seem to think they are doing the world a favor by working, can apply elsewhere.
Quote from: SP Cook on November 05, 2017, 12:09:18 PMThe rest, who seem to think they are doing the world a favor by working, can apply elsewhere.
So would they be doing the world a favor if they sat around and loafed instead?
While traditional radio might be dying, localized stations and online broadcasts are gaining in popularity.
The Seattle area has several low-power "hyper local" stations that have started up recently and are enjoying some success. One of them even hosted a mayoral debate.
Quote from: Bruce on November 05, 2017, 05:03:07 PM
The Seattle area has several low-power "hyper local" stations that have started up recently and are enjoying some success. One of them even hosted a mayoral debate.
Which ones? Besides the four-thousand NPR stations, there's KOMO and KIRO, and then the various afternoon drive stations. There's more than a few AM stations, but I generally avoid them because I hate the quality.
Quote from: jakeroot on November 05, 2017, 07:19:22 PM
Quote from: Bruce on November 05, 2017, 05:03:07 PM
The Seattle area has several low-power "hyper local" stations that have started up recently and are enjoying some success. One of them even hosted a mayoral debate.
Which ones? Besides the four-thousand NPR stations, there's KOMO and KIRO, and then the various afternoon drive stations. There's more than a few AM stations, but I generally avoid them because I hate the quality.
Generally in the FM band, near 100/105/107. http://www.thestranger.com/blogs/slog/2015/08/21/22737096/seattle-to-get-seven-new-hyperlocal-low-power-radio-stations
Quote from: Bruce on November 05, 2017, 07:34:53 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on November 05, 2017, 07:19:22 PM
Quote from: Bruce on November 05, 2017, 05:03:07 PM
The Seattle area has several low-power "hyper local" stations that have started up recently and are enjoying some success. One of them even hosted a mayoral debate.
Which ones? Besides the four-thousand NPR stations, there's KOMO and KIRO, and then the various afternoon drive stations. There's more than a few AM stations, but I generally avoid them because I hate the quality.
Generally in the FM band, near 100/105/107. http://www.thestranger.com/blogs/slog/2015/08/21/22737096/seattle-to-get-seven-new-hyperlocal-low-power-radio-stations
Oh, you mean like
really local. I thought you meant "Puget Sound Region" (although you do, if you include online radio).
Didn't see that story, though. So no doubt that radio is anything but dead in Seattle!
http://savewbz1030.com/
Update someone has put up a petition about WBZ Radio going to Iheart inc.
http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/talking-points/2017/11/07/new-owner-keep-the-sports-hub-team-field/gM3hiEQW1wvOyWXLBJULbO/story.html
Beasley Media will keep WBZ-FM sports/talk according to this article.
http://www.expressnews.com/business/local/article/iHeartMedia-s-3Q-loss-widens-to-248-million-as-12340779.php
Update on Iheart.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-cbs-radio-m-a-entercom/fcc-approves-cbs-radio-entercom-merger-idUSKBN1D92IB?il=0
Update the FCC has approved Entercom's move to get the CBS Radio stations.
20-25 years from now, we don't need an AM/FM terrestrial radio set, as well a TV set if the home computer will provide you all the TV, radio/audio, news "paper" and cinema movies we need. This is an issue for these industries not yet converted to the internet. What can they do to survive? evolve, adapt and compromise, so their businesses and the medium continues in the next decade/21st century/new millennia/"Aquarian age".
Locally, the first radio station is (gone) KCMJ 970, began in 1940. By the end of the 1970s, the Palm Springs area had 12-14 AM wave stations and 5-7 FM wave (including transmitters from Riverside or Imperial). In the 1980s FM boom, FM from Los Angeles and San Diego put up translators or repeaters to reach Palm Springs (not always audible in Coachella or Indio), while Palm Springs' stations are clearly audible in Banning or Beaumont, sometimes Hemet or San Jacinto, and pretty much Yucca Valley or 29 Palms. By the end of the 1990s, we had 15-16 commercial and 8-9 public FM stations. Today, it's grown to a total of 45 (25 commercial, 8 religious and 10 public on FM, plus a news/talk station on 94.3-also 104.7) in the Palm Springs area, excluding Morongo Basin and San Gorgonio pass-only stations. The number of AM wave stations decreased to 7 or 8 and they're switching (or already have) to FM.
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/121072/entercom-completes-cbs-radio-merger/
Now CBS Radio is defunct and Entercom has taken over the CBS Radio division.
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/121076/alternative-returns-to-new-york-as-wbmp-becomes-alt-92-3/
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/121086/and-now-entercom-launches-alt-103-7-dallas/
From my wife's home region: San Francisco Bay area - 680 KNBR (San Francisco), 740 KCBS (San Jose) and similarly strong enough to "fry" your FM specific radio at night: 1530 KFBK (Sacramento). Here in Southern CA, the 3 real big ones are 640 KFI, 930 KHJ (changed to Spanish music in 1990 and now Catholic talk) and 1070 KNX from L.A., 600 KOGO and 760 KFMB from San Diego, 560 KBLU and 1230 KXO from Yuma, and 620 KTAR Phoenix. I have memories of 580 KFXM from Riverside-San Bernardino and 720 KDWN Las Vegas (Coast-to-Coast AM with Art Bell in Pahrump).
The Big Three TV networks are no longer involved in radio, which is indeed a sad time but has been expected since NBC got out of the business back in the 80s, and ABC sold off its stations to Citadel a decade ago (who, in turn, would be acquired by Cumulus).
Quote from: Henry on November 20, 2017, 09:26:27 AM
NBC got out of the business back in the 80s
https://youtu.be/ZiLs2kEZ8CA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOd3tan59BE
The last DJ by Tom Petty.
http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Arbitron/Market-Maps/Arb_US_Metro_Map_17.pdf
Here are the current radio market maps.
At night hours in the late 1980s, WNBC 660 from NYC in Palm Springs! I believe this is by a repeater or satellite service to reach the west coast. 660 is now WFAN sports radio, but in CA 660 is 2 directions: to the west a Punjabi station in Bakersfield and to the east with a stronger signal a Navajo language station in Arizona. 101.1 KHWY (former 660 AM) "the Highway" had its antennae in Amboy, technically a ghost town today, to serve truckers on I-40 as well I-15 and maybe I-10, but the nearest town it serves is 29 Palms. KHWY is country, co-owns KViBE 98.1 classic rock, but their nearest town is Barstow.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KRXV - also 98.9 and 99.7 in the Las Vegas, NV area.
I know KOGO 600 San Diego in early mornings reached Redding CA, and KSTN 1420 Stockton heard down to Kern county. The former KMPH 1260 AM owned by a TV station in Tulare/Fresno was based in Modesto to serve Stockton and Merced (the Sacramento region), as well down south to Bakersfield and Arvin (might reached the Los Angeles metro area in evening hours). In the 1990s, 990 AM from Mexicali and 1400 AM in Indio (both Spanish language) had higher wattage (esp. at night) than it does today - they have internet audio streaming - global coverage, a reality in this century or millennia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XECL-AM - Spanish classic rock and pop oldies (not on FM).
As of 2017 the major owners of radio stations are Iheart, Cumulus, Entercom, Alpha media and Salem.
Amazing to think that these are the major OTA radio owners now that CBS is out of the picture last week.
Quote from: Henry on November 20, 2017, 09:26:27 AM
The Big Three TV networks are no longer involved in radio, which is indeed a sad time but has been expected since NBC got out of the business back in the 80s, and ABC sold off its stations to Citadel a decade ago (who, in turn, would be acquired by Cumulus).
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/89657/abc-radio-to-expand-operations/ (https://radioinsight.com/headlines/89657/abc-radio-to-expand-operations/)
http://www.slacker.com/station/abc-news
And Cumulus back in 2015 ended the contract with ABC Radio. This move made historically ABC Radio affiliates like KABC 790 AM and KGO 810 AM become Westwood One affiliates back in 2015.
Note ABC Radio exists as a Podcast only brand in places like San Francisco and Los Angeles though where they previously had OTA affiliates.
http://www.slacker.com/artist/abc-news (http://www.slacker.com/artist/abc-news)
Mainly ABC Radio news could only be found on Slacker Radio apps though.
I think Cumulus Media got delisted by NASDAQ because it failed to meet the $1.00 minimum pricing requirement and other financial performance issues (http://www.golocalprov.com/business/cumulus-parent-company-of-wpro-delisted-by-nasdaq-and-stock-drops-34). Current price of CMLS stock on the Other OTC... $0.1601 per share.
Quote from: jakeroot on November 21, 2017, 12:40:51 AM
Quote from: Henry on November 20, 2017, 09:26:27 AM
NBC got out of the business back in the 80s
https://youtu.be/ZiLs2kEZ8CA
Wow that GM who told Howard Stern over WNBC stuff was running the Cumulus San Francisco studios at the time of his death.
From Atlanta Business Chronicle, confirmed through Reuters:
Radio giant Cumulus Media files Chapter 11QuoteTroubled radio giant Cumulus Media Inc. said late Wednesday that it filed to reorganize in Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
The Atlanta-based company (Nasdaq: CMLS), which is burdened with $2.4 billion in debt, owns and operates 446 radio stations broadcasting in 90 U.S. media markets.
Cumulus said it has entered a restructuring agreement with lenders to reduce the company's debt by more than $1 billion. The company filed for Chapter 11 in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.
FULL ARTICLE HERE (http://markholtz.info/1qf)
Quote from: ZLoth on November 30, 2017, 12:14:46 AM
From Atlanta Business Chronicle, confirmed through Reuters:
Radio giant Cumulus Media files Chapter 11QuoteTroubled radio giant Cumulus Media Inc. said late Wednesday that it filed to reorganize in Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
The Atlanta-based company (Nasdaq: CMLS), which is burdened with $2.4 billion in debt, owns and operates 446 radio stations broadcasting in 90 U.S. media markets.
Cumulus said it has entered a restructuring agreement with lenders to reduce the company’s debt by more than $1 billion. The company filed for Chapter 11 in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.
FULL ARTICLE HERE (http://markholtz.info/1qf)
Which is why there really is no such thing as too big to fail. Look what happened to GM a few years back.
https://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/171970/iheartmedia-tries-again-for-deal-with-creditors-bu
Update Iheartradio will face a similar situation like Cumulus over their debt restructuring efforts for Chapter 11.
http://mobile.radio-online.com/cgi-bin/rolmobi.exe/dnheadline_id=b15274
Here is an update.
iHeart radio, formerly ClearChannel, is infamous and controversial. They're blamed for killing the radio star more than the internet ever did. ClearChannel is known for "the 3 or 4 C's": country (most common music genre), conservative (talk or news) and "Christian" (public radio is a separate entity), but they well served the "red states" the most. The 4th C is "Caucasian", which isn't a market genre like "ethnic" (esp. Spanish-speaking Latinos).
Locally, the former 3 radio networks: ABC had KPSI 920 and KESQ 1400 (both off air), CBS had KCMJ 1010 and KWXY 1340 (also off air), and NBC had KCLB 970 (remains on air with new name and format). CNN and FOX news each used to be on KNWZ 1140 and KDES 1450 (dial off air), as well KGUY 1270 (indeed, off air). The stations are subject to constant change, call letter switches, genre swaps (sometimes to ethnic in Spanish) and ownership acquisitions. And their slow, but sure movement to clearer-sounding FM quality.
Quote from: Henry on November 20, 2017, 09:26:27 AM
The Big Three TV networks are no longer involved in radio, which is indeed a sad time but has been expected since NBC got out of the business back in the 80s, and ABC sold off its stations to Citadel a decade ago (who, in turn, would be acquired by Cumulus).
Times changed NBC, CBS, and ABC don't see radio as important as in the past. Sure its all about the app age. These media companies have to adapt to the current trends like podcasts', Video on demand, and figuring out how to fight against Amazon and Nexflix.
As people here may or may not be aware, I co host a podcast about arcade video gaming called Pie Factory Podcast (http://piefactorypodcast.com). Well, as a special bonus Christmas episode, we sat down for two hours and talked about our radio industry memories. I hope you all enjoy!
Episode 68. Radio Memories. (http://fab4it.com/piefactory/audio/PFP_BonusEpisode2017.mp3)
This grim future is despite certain radio hosts exploding in popularity but their parent companies don't survive as well as the show hosts do, unfortunately.
http://www.expressnews.com/business/local/article/iHeartMedia-announces-possible-sale-of-billboard-12422593.php
Update Iheart considers selling the billboard division.
http://triblive.com/local/allegheny/13078377-74/kqv-pittsburghs-oldest-all-news-station-to-go-off-air-jan-1
KQV Radio to go off the air Jan 1st.
Quote from: bing101 on December 15, 2017, 05:20:14 PM
http://triblive.com/local/allegheny/13078377-74/kqv-pittsburghs-oldest-all-news-station-to-go-off-air-jan-1
KQV Radio to go off the air Jan 1st.
Sad to hear. KQV is one of the oldest stations in the country. IIRC, only KCBS San Francisco (1909, originally KQW), WHA Madison (1917), and WWJ Detroit (1919) are older. I believe they were on the air in Pittsburgh before KDKA by a few months.
Quote from: Henry on November 20, 2017, 09:26:27 AM
The Big Three TV networks are no longer involved in radio, which is indeed a sad time but has been expected since NBC got out of the business back in the 80s, and ABC sold off its stations to Citadel a decade ago (who, in turn, would be acquired by Cumulus).
Not quite. CBS still owns its radio network, now called CBS News Radio. And much of the content of the other two is still provided by the news divisions of ABC and NBC.
Quote from: KeithE4Phx on December 15, 2017, 06:23:22 PM
Quote from: bing101 on December 15, 2017, 05:20:14 PM
http://triblive.com/local/allegheny/13078377-74/kqv-pittsburghs-oldest-all-news-station-to-go-off-air-jan-1
KQV Radio to go off the air Jan 1st.
Sad to hear. KQV is one of the oldest stations in the country. IIRC, only KCBS San Francisco (1909, originally KQW), WHA Madison (1917), and WWJ Detroit (1919) are older. I believe they were on the air in Pittsburgh before KDKA by a few months.
Listened to the final broadcast from them. :( They kinda signed off like how several TV stations signed off their analog feeds. And then right @ Midnight, went to static. :(
https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/01/04/berkeley-based-pacifica-radio-faces-financial-crisis/
An update Pacifica Radio the owners of KPFA and WBAI are facing a crisis.
Some more details at http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/article/NE/20180104/NEWS/180109857 . Quoting from the article (possible out of context quotes):
QuotePacifica's $8 million in debt approaches the equivalent of its $10.17 million in annual receipts. And its debt is more than double its entire assets of $3.97 million, according to the Guidestar database.
(text deleted)
But it has lost about half of its listeners since 2000. (KPFA has lost fewer, an estimated 20 percent.) And it struggles to compete for attention with the internet's vast menu of progressive blogs, podcasts, Facebook and Twitter posts.
"Younger people don't listen to radio as much," Crosier said. "We need to provide more web streams and other formats so they listen to what they want and when they want it."
Pacifica hasn't funded its employee retirement plan since 2015, and now owes the plan $750,000. It is delinquent in its audits, both for financial statements and retirement plans. Because book-keeping and reporting is deficient, it hasn't produced a balance sheet in two years, he wrote.
A few stations do not have working capital to sustain their operations or make critical payments in a timely manner. Some do not have qualified accounting staff, he wrote.
Meanwhile, its sprawling, disorganized, opinionated and ideological governing structure – "something akin to the late Ottoman Empire of public broadcasting" – led to uncontrolled spending costs, Masar said.
(text deleted)
After the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in 2001, rents on the Empire State Building transmission antennas soared because so many of New York City's antennas were atop the Twin Towers. WBAI pays $60,000 a month – about $700,000 a year – for a signal. That's more than half the station's total annual budget.
As I read it, WBAI was behind on it's payments for it's transmitters on the
World Trade Center Empire State Building, but hasn't fund-raised aggressively. ("Although KPFA is financially healthy ... WBAI is raising very little money." ) Because all of the stations are owned by the same group, you can guess what happens next... possible Chapter 11 Debt Restructuring.
WBAI is on Empire, not WTC, and is so far behind on its rent (almost $2 million) that the Empire State Realty Trust is threatening to pull the plug on their 40-year-old transmitter (way beyond an FM transmitter's normal useful life).
Meanwhile, Pacifica is suing the ESRT, claiming that, as a non-commercial station, they should be entitled to free rent on Empire's master antenna. They've supposedly talked to Durst about relocating the transmitter site to the master antenna at 4 Times Square. Talk about being divorced from reality. Pacifica clearly has no idea how to run a business, and the fact that they've been on the air this long can only be attributed to luck.
Broadcast radio is only good for two things:
NPR and the Dave Ramsey Show.
Other than that, you don't really need it. Don't even really need it for civil defense since those alerts get pushed to smartphones.
Quote from: SidS1045 on January 13, 2018, 09:56:49 PMWBAI is on Empire, not WTC, and is so far behind on its rent (almost $2 million) that the Empire State Realty Trust is threatening to pull the plug on their 40-year-old transmitter (way beyond an FM transmitter's normal useful life).
Whoops... my error. The original post has been corrected.
Quote from: SidS1045 on January 13, 2018, 09:56:49 PMMeanwhile, Pacifica is suing the ESRT, claiming that, as a non-commercial station, they should be entitled to free rent on Empire's master antenna. They've supposedly talked to Durst about relocating the transmitter site to the master antenna at 4 Times Square. Talk about being divorced from reality. Pacifica clearly has no idea how to run a business, and the fact that they've been on the air this long can only be attributed to luck.
Why am I not surprised by this statement. :rolleyes:
Quote from: RobbieL2415 on January 13, 2018, 10:42:18 PMBroadcast radio is only good for two things:
NPR and the Dave Ramsey Show.
Other than that, you don't really need it. Don't even really need it for civil defense since those alerts get pushed to smartphones.
I disagree on the civil defense part, and it's in the design on the network. Cell phone networks are extremely low power, and only have an effective range of a few miles (this is by design). Network load can delay messages.
Broadcast radio and television, in comparison, has an effective range range of dozens, if not a hundred or two hundred miles, depending on terrain and transmitter power. For quick dissemination of information, broadcast media can't be beat.
Quote from: RobbieL2415 on January 13, 2018, 10:42:18 PM
Broadcast radio is only good for two things:
NPR and the Dave Ramsey Show.
Other than that, you don't really need it. Don't even really need it for civil defense since those alerts get pushed to smartphones.
Not a fan of NPR for multiple reasons.
Does Ramsey have an app or offer podcasts?
I don't listen to actual over-the-air broadcast radio unless I am in an area with a strong signal for the stations carrying the shows I want to listen to when I am traveling. I use the iHeartRadio app to listen to the stream from my preferred broadcast stations (especially since I can't pick them up where I work).
And often, even if I'm traveling, I'll use the iHeart app and listen to the stream (if I have a cell signal) instead of trying to find a station that I can pick up on the car radio.
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/122420/kgo-sets-new-lineup-ronn-owens-moves-commentator-role/
KGO-AM Cumulus will make changes as Ronn Owens becomes a "Contributor" to the station and he is leaving the main host seat.
Quote from: hbelkins on January 14, 2018, 03:20:12 PM
Quote from: RobbieL2415 on January 13, 2018, 10:42:18 PM
Broadcast radio is only good for two things:
NPR and the Dave Ramsey Show.
Other than that, you don't really need it. Don't even really need it for civil defense since those alerts get pushed to smartphones.
Not a fan of NPR for multiple reasons.
Truth can be scary. :D
Quote from: Rothman on January 15, 2018, 12:08:26 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on January 14, 2018, 03:20:12 PM
Quote from: RobbieL2415 on January 13, 2018, 10:42:18 PM
Broadcast radio is only good for two things:
NPR and the Dave Ramsey Show.
Other than that, you don't really need it. Don't even really need it for civil defense since those alerts get pushed to smartphones.
Not a fan of NPR for multiple reasons.
Truth can be scary. :D
Fake News is to be avoided.
Quote from: Beltway on January 15, 2018, 12:22:17 AM
Quote from: Rothman on January 15, 2018, 12:08:26 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on January 14, 2018, 03:20:12 PM
Quote from: RobbieL2415 on January 13, 2018, 10:42:18 PM
Broadcast radio is only good for two things:
NPR and the Dave Ramsey Show.
Other than that, you don't really need it. Don't even really need it for civil defense since those alerts get pushed to smartphones.
Not a fan of NPR for multiple reasons.
Truth can be scary. :D
Fake News is to be avoided.
It’s all spin, though some of us have figured out which one is State Run Media on this lap.
With the exception of weather radio, it can all take a final chance to be Icarus and I wouldn’t notice the difference.
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/122447/redding-joins-ranks-going-off-air/
Here is an update now a Redding station could go off the air.
https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/news/city-desk/blog/20989471/former-wtop-reporter-files-sexual-harassment-lawsuit-against-station
Now Washington DC's top rated radio station WTOP has been hit by Harassment allegations.
https://www.reuters.com/article/scripps-restructuring/scripps-to-sell-all-its-34-radio-stations-idUSL4N1PK4UC
Today Scripps sell their Radio station division. Note WTMJ-AM is one of their affected stations here.
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/122620/cumulus-takes-missouri-station-dark/
Also a Missouri Station went dark due to the Cumulus restructuring from Chapter 11.
https://news.radio-online.com/cgi-bin/rol.exe/headline_id=n35125
E.W. Scripps Sells 34 radio stations
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/2018/01/25/scripps-plans-sell-all-34-radio-stations-including-four-knoxville/1067925001/
http://www.wbir.com/article/news/local/scripps-to-sell-all-its-radio-stations-including-4-in-knoxville/51-511622290
QuoteE.W. Scripps Co. plans to sell its 34 radio stations – including four in Knoxville – as it pares down its operations.
The Cincinnati-based company announced the decision Thursday as part of a restructuring process "expected to yield more than $30 million in annual cost savings," according to a Scripps news release.
Scripps has retained Kalil & Co., Inc. to find a buyer for the radio stations, which include the Knoxville stations WNOX (93.1 FM), WCYQ (100.3), WWST (102.1), and WKHT (104.5).
The company took on $2.4 million in restructuring charges in the third quarter of 2017 and will take on $2 million for the fourth quarter. Scripps estimates charges of $4 million in the first quarter of this year and smaller quarterly charges into 2019, according to the release.
The cost savings "are driven by reductions in head count and operating expenses over the next 12-18 months," the release reads.
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/122831/iheartmedia-triggers-30-day-clock-restructuring-bankruptcy/
Here is an update on Iheart's debt issues.
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/122746/taylor-swift-groper-david-mueller-returns-radio-moorhead-ms/
Well Heres Radio facing a grim future and its specifically to Delta Radio Networks inc. They have to explain their recent questionable hire. Its a former Denver area radio host David Mueller. He was sued for harassment by Taylor Swift's group in Colorado. Note now a Mississippi Radio group had gotten Mueller for one of their stations. Radio Insight is saying that the move could end in investor boycotts/backlash though.
I Heart (formerly Clear Channel, which was a better name, I Heart is just stupid) over-paid for pretty much any radio station it could. At least in my area, the other radio companies just run rings around them because they know the market better and what works and what doesn't and know how to do sales and when it is better to take what they can get and not hold a price. I Heart uses its syndication power to boost its AM talker, but the rest of its stations trail competitors of the same format; and they just cannot do sales properly.
Since we have strayed over to newspapers in this thread a little, I am happy to report my local paper, have been sued by everyone it defrauded, which is to say about everyone, finally filed for bankruptcy and will be sold to honest people. A great day.
I blame the Telecommunications Act of 1996.
Quote from: SP Cook on February 01, 2018, 03:28:05 PM
I Heart (formerly Clear Channel, which was a better name, I Heart is just stupid)
I too like the former name better, but the name as they use it is "iHeart".
The other small "i" leading names such as iMac, iPod, iTunes, iPhone, iPad, the "i" stands for "internet". I suppose that may be the case with those radio stations as most are accessible thru internet streaming.
The bigger they are, the longer the fall from Mount Olympus.
Quote from: SP Cook on February 01, 2018, 03:28:05 PM
Since we have strayed over to newspapers in this thread a little, I am happy to report my local paper, have been sued by everyone it defrauded, which is to say about everyone, finally filed for bankruptcy and will be sold to honest people. A great day.
Yes, and the meltdown of upset left-wingers who are afraid that (gasp) the paper might actually become a conservative paper, more in line with the way West Virginia politics seems to be trending, is a joy to watch.
Didn't the Gazette-Mail have Don Surber as a token conservative columnist and they finally axed him after he skewered one too many liberal sacred cows?
Quote from: Beltway on February 01, 2018, 05:34:20 PM
Quote from: SP Cook on February 01, 2018, 03:28:05 PM
I Heart (formerly Clear Channel, which was a better name, I Heart is just stupid)
I too like the former name better, but the name as they use it is "iHeart".
The other small "i" leading names such as iMac, iPod, iTunes, iPhone, iPad, the "i" stands for "internet". I suppose that may be the case with those radio stations as most are accessible thru internet streaming.
I found it odd that the company renamed itself after its streaming app.
Quote from: hbelkins on February 01, 2018, 09:08:08 PM
Quote from: SP Cook on February 01, 2018, 03:28:05 PM
Since we have strayed over to newspapers in this thread a little, I am happy to report my local paper, have been sued by everyone it defrauded, which is to say about everyone, finally filed for bankruptcy and will be sold to honest people. A great day.
Yes, and the meltdown of upset left-wingers who are afraid that (gasp) the paper might actually become a conservative paper, more in line with the way West Virginia politics seems to be trending, is a joy to watch.
Didn't the Gazette-Mail have Don Surber as a token conservative columnist and they finally axed him after he skewered one too many liberal sacred cows?
I notice how on some conservative blogs posters have analyzed and defined writers such as George Will and David Brooks as "decorative conservatives". As in "Ooohh lookie here we have a conservative writer on our staff!"
The Richmond Slimes-Dispatch used to be a conservative newspaper, but that changed starting about 2005.
The Cincinnati Enquirer is still very, very, very conservative.
Quote from: hbelkins on February 01, 2018, 09:08:08 PM
Yes, and the meltdown of upset left-wingers who are afraid that (gasp) the paper might actually become a conservative paper, more in line with the way West Virginia politics seems to be trending, is a joy to watch.
Didn't the Gazette-Mail have Don Surber as a token conservative columnist and they finally axed him after he skewered one too many liberal sacred cows?
Yes. The buyer is Ogden Newspapers, which is the Nutting family, publishers of 40-odd newspapers around the country, mostly smaller towns (Charleston will be their second largest market, after Fort Wayne) and owners of the Pittsburgh baseball team. Along with the publishers of the Las Vegas Review-Journal (the best big city newspaper in the country, IMHO), they are about the only fair and balanced company in that generally leftist business.
The previous owners did indeed fire Surber. That was what the whole scam was really about. The ultra rich far-left Chilton family borrowed themselves into bankruptcy to buy the town's other newspaper just so they could shut it down, not as a business decision. They were forced by court order to keep a few people, including Surber, around until they could find a subtrafuge to fire them. They could not accept that someone else might have an opinion different from their own.
Don't worry about the Chiltons though, the deal include nearly a half million dollar golden parachute for them. Their workers, however, have already lost 75% of the pensions, as they did not pay their pension deposits for years. You and me taxpayer will cover the 25% they do get.
https://news.radio-online.com/cgi-bin/rol.exe/headline_id=b15351 (https://news.radio-online.com/cgi-bin/rol.exe/headline_id=b15351)
Here is an update on Cumulus
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-01/iheart-is-said-to-prepare-for-bankruptcy-as-soon-as-this-weekend
Here is an update on Iheart
https://news.radio-online.com/cgi-bin/rol.exe/headline_id=b15371
https://news.radio-online.com/cgi-bin/rol.exe/headline_id=b15369
Here are two updates on how Iheart and Cumulus are handling their debt issues.
WLUP went away on Saturday morning, replaced with a Christian contemporary station. It's probably apocryphal but the story goes that the last song they played was Highway to Hell.
Quote from: abefroman329 on March 12, 2018, 12:24:48 PM
WLUP went away on Saturday morning, replaced with a Christian contemporary station. It's probably apocryphal but the story goes that the last song they played was Highway to Hell.
I didn't hear that, but I heard it suggested by people on facebook.
I hope they did.
I was never a huge fan of WLUP, but I recognize the mark they made on the Chicago radio landscape.
Quote from: inkyatari on March 12, 2018, 12:48:48 PM
I was never a huge fan of WLUP, but I recognize the mark they made on the Chicago radio landscape.
That's about how I felt.
This is the closest I've gotten to getting satellite radio. Unfortunately, our car is not satellite radio ready, and I'm not interested in having a separate receiver/tuner installed in the car.
My only real experience with The Loop was back in the late 80's when you could hear Kevin Matthews doing the night show on WLUP-AM 1000 and their 50,000-watt blowtorch station throughout the midwest. I was a Kev-Head.
Quote from: abefroman329 on March 12, 2018, 12:24:48 PM
WLUP went away on Saturday morning, replaced with a Christian contemporary station. It's probably apocryphal but the story goes that the last song they played was Highway to Hell.
Quote
the last three songs played before the station nicknamed "the Loop" signed off were Motley Crue's "Shout at the Devil," Iron Maiden's "The Number of the Beast" and AC/DC's "Highway to Hell."
Source: http://ultimateclassicrock.com/wlup-last-songs-devil/
Quote from: abefroman329 on March 13, 2018, 09:44:58 AM
Quote from: inkyatari on March 12, 2018, 12:48:48 PM
I was never a huge fan of WLUP, but I recognize the mark they made on the Chicago radio landscape.
That's about how I felt.
This is the closest I've gotten to getting satellite radio. Unfortunately, our car is not satellite radio ready, and I'm not interested in having a separate receiver/tuner installed in the car.
Don't they still make little docking stations that allow you to use a portable head unit that can be used in a car and in a building?
Quote from: hbelkins on March 13, 2018, 02:10:37 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on March 13, 2018, 09:44:58 AM
Quote from: inkyatari on March 12, 2018, 12:48:48 PM
I was never a huge fan of WLUP, but I recognize the mark they made on the Chicago radio landscape.
That's about how I felt.
This is the closest I've gotten to getting satellite radio. Unfortunately, our car is not satellite radio ready, and I'm not interested in having a separate receiver/tuner installed in the car.
Don't they still make little docking stations that allow you to use a portable head unit that can be used in a car and in a building?
I think so, that's what my parents had in their early-2000s Honda Civic. I found it really hard to tune while driving, and I'd frequently snap it out of its docking station and have to pull over and reconnect it, or take my eyes off the road far longer than they needed to be. I would really rather just be able to tune it with the car radio. But I also don't spend that much time in the car, since I commute by train and bus. If I ever start commuting by car, I'll probably buy a second car that's SiriusXM-ready.
Quote from: thenetwork on March 13, 2018, 11:01:49 AM
My only real experience with The Loop was back in the late 80's when you could hear Kevin Matthews doing the night show on WLUP-AM 1000 and their 50,000-watt blowtorch station throughout the midwest. I was a Kev-Head.
Kevin Matthews now lives in Grand Rapids and does a podcast from there that sounds exactly like his old radio program. Jim Shortz is still with him.
Quote from: US71 on March 13, 2018, 11:36:37 AM
Quote from: abefroman329 on March 12, 2018, 12:24:48 PM
WLUP went away on Saturday morning, replaced with a Christian contemporary station. It's probably apocryphal but the story goes that the last song they played was Highway to Hell.
Quote
the last three songs played before the station nicknamed "the Loop" signed off were Motley Crue's "Shout at the Devil," Iron Maiden's "The Number of the Beast" and AC/DC's "Highway to Hell."
Source: http://ultimateclassicrock.com/wlup-last-songs-devil/
Thanks, it sounded too good to be true.
On a related note, IHeart Radio has just filed for bankruptcy
http://variety.com/2018/biz/news/iheartmedia-chapter-11-bankruptcy-1202715566/
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/167202/entercom-ceo-david-field-pens-open-letter-on-iheartmedia-bankruptcy-state-of-radio/
Update Entercom Leader does an op-ed over why Iheart and Cumulus went the way they did.
Quote from: abefroman329 on March 12, 2018, 12:24:48 PM
WLUP went away on Saturday morning, replaced with a Christian contemporary station. It's probably apocryphal but the story goes that the last song they played was Highway to Hell.
:-D
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/167243/steel-city-media-kansas-city-files-for-chapter-11-bankruptcy/ (https://radioinsight.com/headlines/167243/steel-city-media-kansas-city-files-for-chapter-11-bankruptcy/)
Update Steel City Media files for Chapter 11
https://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/175058/steel-city-media-s-bankruptcy-includes-pittsburgh- here is another update on Steel city.
R.I.P. to 97.9 The Loop; even though I never was a frequent listener, I knew a lot of people who were, and I share their sentiments about its sad demise, although the way it ended was fitting, considering that it's now a Christian station of all things.
https://news.radio-online.com/cgi-bin/rol.exe/headline_id=b15387
https://www.forbes.com/sites/geneely/2018/03/20/in-the-iheartmedia-bankruptcy-expect-a-major-selloff-of-radio-stations/#6eb508e312bd
Here is an update on Iheart and Chapter 11.
http://portlandtribune.com/ht/117-hillsboro-tribune-news/390339-281853-kuik-to-cease-operation-march-31 (http://portlandtribune.com/ht/117-hillsboro-tribune-news/390339-281853-kuik-to-cease-operation-march-31)
http://www.oregonlive.com/tv/2018/03/kuik-am_1360_radio_in_hillsbor.html (http://www.oregonlive.com/tv/2018/03/kuik-am_1360_radio_in_hillsbor.html)
Update KWIK in Washington County, Oregon will cease broadcasts on March 31st. But new owners might restart the station in May.
https://www.twincities.com/2018/03/24/after-a-half-century-on-the-air-stan-turner-is-signing-off-from-klbb-for-now/
And A legend on KLBB is retiring.
http://themusic.com.au/news/all/2018/03/21/new-research-proves-australian-commercial-fm-radio-stations-arent-supporting-local-acts/
http://www.adnews.com.au/news/does-radio-have-a-marketing-problem
https://dailyreview.com.au/radio-is-the/72931/
Yes Even in Australia there is a similar discussion why Radio is facing a grim future in three links.
I'm not sure how common it is to drive across Australia, either vertically or horizontally, but with most of the population clustered on the coast, if ever there was a place where satellite radio would be popular, it would be Australia.
https://news.radio-online.com/cgi-bin/rol.exe/headline_id=b15392 (https://news.radio-online.com/cgi-bin/rol.exe/headline_id=b15392)
Here is an update on Cumulus
Quote
The stations that Cumulus wants to divest include Sports WTOD-FM (106.5 The Ticket)/Toledo OH, Country WPCK-FM (Nash FM 104.9)/Green Bay WI, Oldies KJMO-FM (Cool 97.5)/Columbia MO and Country WNUQ-FM (102.1 FM Nash Icon)/Albany GA. All will be placed into the newly-created Mainstay Station Trust headed by San Francisco-based media broker Elliot Evers of MVP Capital.
Cumulus also told the Commission that it had revised two of it local marketing agreements (LMA). The company is now paying $15,000 per month to Merlin Media to continue operating Alternative WKQX-FM/Chicago. It was paying a whopping $600,000 per month. The filing also reveals that it's paying $583,333 per month to operate Sports KESN-FM (ESPN 103.3) Dallas under a lease agreement with Disney/ESPN Radio.
Meanwhile, UCC and Cross Holders have filed objections to the company's Plan of Reorganization under Chapter 11. In a statement, a Cumulus spokesperson said, "Today's objections to our Plan of Reorganization by the UCC and the Cross Holders were anticipated -- they are normal parts of the restructuring process and will not impact our restructuring timeline."
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/167457/station-sales-week-of-3-30-matrix-broadcasting-files-for-bankruptcy/
Update Matrix Broadcasting files for Chapter 11.
https://news.radio-online.com/cgi-bin/rol.exe/headline_id=b15425
Update on Cumulus and Chapter 11 fallout
De-tinyed:
Quote from: bing101 on May 01, 2018, 07:19:38 PM
https://news.radio-online.com/cgi-bin/rol.exe/headline_id=b15425
Update on Cumulus and Chapter 11 fallout
Quote from: briantroutman on May 01, 2018, 07:33:00 PM
De-tinyed:
Quote from: bing101 on May 01, 2018, 07:19:38 PM
https://news.radio-online.com/cgi-bin/rol.exe/headline_id=b15425
Update on Cumulus and Chapter 11 fallout
Now corrected
https://radioinsight.com/alert/168778/cumulus-exits-bankruptcy-unveils-new-logo-branding/
Update on Cumulus and its exit from Bankruptcy.
For those who say the FCC can't ensure that a station keeps its format, the FCC actually did get involved in a format decision once. Read about the KCBI/KNON controversy in Dallas.
Quote from: bandit957 on June 05, 2018, 12:03:50 AM
For those who say the FCC can't ensure that a station keeps its format, the FCC actually did get involved in a format decision once. Read about the KCBI/KNON controversy in Dallas.
I thought the only format issue there that impacted the FCC was the fact that the format of one of the stations at the time was essentially "off the air".
KNON was licensed for 100kW, but was either silent or running at limited power. KCBI wanted to increase power, but couldn't do so on its original frequency. It sued to get access to KNON's un/under-used frequency and power assignment. KCBI won, and the two stations swapped authorizations.
At least, that's how the published history reads.
Spotify and Podcasts are my commutes now. The only time I listen to radio is for specific shows (Steve Dahl Show on 890AM or late night on 99.9 FM), when I'm running low on data and can't stream music on the road, or when SiriusXM does their free weekends. Other than that, radio is pretty much dead
I finally broke down and listened to Pandora in the car on the way to work this morning (I commute to work by car maybe once a month, if that, and that's almost always because I have a doctor's appointment before work). The only station on my presets that doesn't have some inane Madman and the Bear-esque morning-drive show is MeTV-FM, and I don't like every song they play.
I'm one who actually listens to terrestial radio. I don'rt have a smart phone and my CD player has a CD stuck in it. (Otherwise, I'd listen to a lot of audiobooks.) Fortunately, there's plenty of jazz and classical on college and NPR stations during my commute.
BTW, I've regressed over time. BITD, when I had my own office, I'd play Pandora when I worked or a mix I created by uploading my CDs.
I even had satellite radio for a while. The last decade has not been kind to my wallet.
Quote from: jon daly on June 05, 2018, 10:43:54 AM
I even had satellite radio for a while. The last decade has not been kind to my wallet.
Wallet issues caused me to drop satellite radio a couple of years ago. I only miss it when I'm driving home from work and can't listen to the last hour of Sean Hannity, or when I'm traveling and can't listen to NASCAR races or Kentucky football/basketball games. The iHeart Radio app and the MRN/PRN apps help with those issues, except when I'm in an area with poor cell phone reception -- which is about 20 miles of my 30-mile commute. :banghead:
I minimized my satellite radio subscription several months ago, after realizing I hadn't listened to almost nothing other than my smartphone (audiobooks, podcasts, downloaded music).
I have made a point to listen to it "for variety" / to justify keeping the subscription, but in all likelihood I'll pull the plug before too much longer.
My driving is mostly limited to errands and a once-a-month trip up to the office in Montréal...so it's not like my original reasoning for subscribing (entertainment during the hour-plus I was spending in the car each day) still applies, even before considering the advance of technology.
Quote from: MikeTheActuary on June 05, 2018, 05:49:41 PM
I minimized my satellite radio subscription several months ago, after realizing I hadn't listened to almost nothing other than my smartphone (audiobooks, podcasts, downloaded music).
I have made a point to listen to it "for variety" / to justify keeping the subscription, but in all likelihood I'll pull the plug before too much longer.
My driving is mostly limited to errands and a once-a-month trip up to the office in Montréal...so it's not like my original reasoning for subscribing (entertainment during the hour-plus I was spending in the car each day) still applies, even before considering the advance of technology.
Satellite radio comes in very handy for my long drives from Seattle to Chicago (or San Diego) and back, but due to the ever-increasing prices, I may be forced to forgo it completely when I purchase my next car.
Quote from: Henry on June 07, 2018, 09:18:00 AM
Quote from: MikeTheActuary on June 05, 2018, 05:49:41 PM
I minimized my satellite radio subscription several months ago, after realizing I hadn't listened to almost nothing other than my smartphone (audiobooks, podcasts, downloaded music).
I have made a point to listen to it "for variety" / to justify keeping the subscription, but in all likelihood I'll pull the plug before too much longer.
My driving is mostly limited to errands and a once-a-month trip up to the office in Montréal...so it's not like my original reasoning for subscribing (entertainment during the hour-plus I was spending in the car each day) still applies, even before considering the advance of technology.
Satellite radio comes in very handy for my long drives from Seattle to Chicago (or San Diego) and back, but due to the ever-increasing prices, I may be forced to forgo it completely when I purchase my next car.
I got it "free" when I bought my van. When the subscription expired, I was already addicted. But yeah, for long trips it's handy when I'm not using my MP3 player.
Quote from: Henry on June 07, 2018, 09:18:00 AM
Quote from: MikeTheActuary on June 05, 2018, 05:49:41 PM
I minimized my satellite radio subscription several months ago, after realizing I hadn't listened to almost nothing other than my smartphone (audiobooks, podcasts, downloaded music).
I have made a point to listen to it "for variety" / to justify keeping the subscription, but in all likelihood I'll pull the plug before too much longer.
My driving is mostly limited to errands and a once-a-month trip up to the office in Montréal...so it's not like my original reasoning for subscribing (entertainment during the hour-plus I was spending in the car each day) still applies, even before considering the advance of technology.
Satellite radio comes in very handy for my long drives from Seattle to Chicago (or San Diego) and back, but due to the ever-increasing prices, I may be forced to forgo it completely when I purchase my next car.
I've only renewed at the lowest possible rate. In fact, I did that today with my account: $33 for 6 months ($41 w/taxes). Unfortunately my previous contract had ended, so I had to pay about 3 weeks at the general rate, which was another $20 alone.
It's mostly my wife that uses it, but it does come in handy on trips when you can go a thousand miles and never lose the station.
http://www.deadlinedetroit.com/articles/20125/are_you_notorious_in_detroit_when_does_your_show_on_910_start
Yes 910am Detroit is mentioned for very controversial reasons here.
Reports of radio's demise are greatly exaggerated...
https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/am-fm-accounted-for-47-of-listening-in-q1-2018
I can not see how Radio or even Television will ever go away.
While The Internet can be very useful, and even better compared to Radio & Television, it can not possibly shut down Radio & Television.
I understand that with The Internet, there is fewer censorship for example cuss words. I hate how they are censored in Radio & Television and even worse, they put the Bleep sound in them. Also, The Internet has provided original content for example Anime before Dubbed (and usually changed the story and characters, while leaving the original source uncredited) and as a result they have dubbed them properly. I am a fan of (1972 - 1974) Gatchaman and Lolo The Penguin. Both were changed drastically when dubbed into English language, but have since been restored. And there are other important topics that are discussed on The Internet that Radio and Television is either afraid or angry to talk about.
But there is major problems with The Internet. The Internet has been around almost as long as Radio and Television, through the use of Teleprinters. This used a type of land line, which are not free.
Radio and Television have always been free. Even today there are free options. I do not know of any free options for The Internet. Public Wifi provided by a major business does not count. Public Libraries do not count either. With Radio and Television you can simply provide your own devices and antennas of your choice to get the signal. With the use of various Outdoor Antennas (and also giant moveable Satellite Dishes), you can get many Radio & Telvision channels even for free.
But I can never see The Internet taking the place of Radio & Television. The Internet is not free; actually it is very expensive. If you have home based Internet, Cell Phone Internet, or both. These are unusually expensive bills to have. They either charge for every amount of usage, slow down the Internet speed, or both.
After paying The Internet Bill, there are many otherwise free options with Radio & Television transmitted on The Internet. Even with terrestrial Radio & Television now can be broadcast globally with The Internet. And also there are many traffic cameras. But I usually cannot even listen nor watch any live streams. The Internet is almost always too slow. It is best to save the videos, and it also means that terrestrial Radio & Television with my own antennas and satellite dishes are not obsolete.
I do not like to listen to any of those Radio & Television any more. I hate commercials. As said earlier, I also hate Bleep. And with Public Radio & Public Television, they always want Pledge. Even University Radio also wants Pledge. Some thing annoying about Pledge stations is that they are not "advertisement free" be cause of the even more annoying Public Service Announcements (and also Pledge) And there are annoying people on the University Radio. The only thing I can think of enjoy Radio is when ever I hear a song that I like, have not heard before, I check the web site and see the what they have Currently Playing. Some times they also speak it on the radio itself.
Other benefits are to enjoy the C.B. and the Short Wave radios.
And finally, the original purpose of these Free Radio & Free Television: to have emergency alerts. (Actually, these are annoying.) But they are important be cause they provide information about weather. You can even have your own Weather Radio device. The device beeps instead of that eerie buzzing sound, and turns on by itself to play the message. Unfortunately, the station robot voice was replaced by a strange sounding one. I used to keep these Weather Radio on constantly. It provided an Extended Forecast which is useful. It also provided the time be cause clocks are annoying. If they are not on a computer, and if they are not Automatically Programmed By A Radio Frequency, that means that you have to change the time your self. There was a time in my life that I listened to it, even asleep, be cause the Weather Radio provided the time. But I stopped listening to Weather Radio regularly be cause they changed the voice to an annoying one.
And I just mentioned yet another reason to keep Radio & Television (in this case Radio, but you can do the same on Television) ... It helps people sleep, and it helps people wake up. No need to open my eyes to see the time if the time is spoken on a Weather Radio.
And those are all the reasons why Radio & Television should stay for ever.
In my area, over the last two or so years, most of the serious AM stations have been given "FM translators" which are lower powered stations which technically have call letters like W56AQ or such, although they use that for ID and now market themselves as like WCHS - 104.5 and the smallest of letters "and AM 580" even though the AM is legally the lead station. It does make listening easier.
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/169673/good-karma-acquires-wtmj-wkti-milwaukee-from-scripps/
Good Karma gets WTMJ Radio from Scripps.
https://news.radio-online.com/cgi-bin/rol.exe/headline_id=b15515
Cumulus is now listed on NASDAQ.
https://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/178631/larry-wilson-stepping-down-as-alpha-media-chairman
Larry Wilson to leave as Alpha Media Chairman.
http://www.insideradio.com/summitmedia-expands-beyond-southeast-with-m-scripps-deal/article_9377a640-a11e-11e8-9c63-23581933e8c6.html
Summit Media gets the Scripps radio stations.
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/170393/cumulus-sells-blacksburg-cluster-to-monticello-media/ (https://radioinsight.com/headlines/170393/cumulus-sells-blacksburg-cluster-to-monticello-media/)
Cumulus Sells Blacksburg, VA Cluster To Monticello Media
The Affiliates affected in this deal are WNMX Hot AC "Mix 100.7 (http://www.mix100fm.com/)" WNMX Christiansburg, Sports "CBS Sports Radio 101.7 (http://www.cbssportsblacksburg.com/)" WWBU Radford, Rock "105.3 The Bear (http://www.1053thebear.com/)" WBRW Blacksburg, Country "Nash-FM 107.1 (http://www.nashfm1071.com/) WPSK-FM Pulaski, News/Talk 710 WFNR (http://www.710wfnr.com/)/103.5 W278AJ Blacksburg, and Oldies 1460 WRAD (http://www.1460wrad.com/)/107.9 W300DT Radford.
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/170436/station-sales-week-of-9-7-kdsn-gets-divested-soon-after-its-acquisition/
KDSN is divested according to this article
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/171126/powell-broadcasting-to-cease-panama-city-operations/
Update Radio Insight is reporting that Powell Broadcasting has ended their Panama City Radio Operations due to Hurricane Michael.
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/01/apple-considering-iheartmedia-tie-up-financial-times-reports.html
https://www.ft.com/content/f9e8ccc2-dd84-11e8-9f04-38d397e6661c
Wow you know things are crazy when Apple Inc is in talks to invest in Iheartradio.
With respect, this is the most interesting news to grace this thread for at least six months.
I have six radio presets in my car, and I use all six of them regularly. Three Christian stations, two pop stations (BOB FM and iHeart), and public radio. On road trips, we flip through the local stations wherever we are to keep ourselves awake.
Quote from: kphoger on November 02, 2018, 02:09:39 PM
I have six radio presets in my car, and I use all six of them regularly. Three Christian stations, two pop stations (BOB FM and iHeart), and public radio. On road trips, we flip through the local stations wherever we are to keep ourselves awake.
BOB-FM?
Quote from: inkyatari on November 02, 2018, 02:20:41 PM
Quote from: kphoger on November 02, 2018, 02:09:39 PM
I have six radio presets in my car, and I use all six of them regularly. Three Christian stations, two pop stations (BOB FM and iHeart), and public radio. On road trips, we flip through the local stations wherever we are to keep ourselves awake.
BOB-FM?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_FM (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_FM)
Quote from: kphoger on November 02, 2018, 02:29:11 PM
Quote from: inkyatari on November 02, 2018, 02:20:41 PM
Quote from: kphoger on November 02, 2018, 02:09:39 PM
I have six radio presets in my car, and I use all six of them regularly. Three Christian stations, two pop stations (BOB FM and iHeart), and public radio. On road trips, we flip through the local stations wherever we are to keep ourselves awake.
BOB-FM?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_FM (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_FM)
I just wanted to have an excuse to use the "Turn Your Crank to Frank" clip.
I can't promise that I personally will be turning my crank to Frank, but...
The weird thing about those Jack/Dave/Ben/Bob/Mordecai FM stations is that their tagline is inevitably "we play whatever we want," but they play utter shite.
Well, they're one of my presets, so you know I disagree with you on that.
I hate advertising in all forms, so I can't stick with just one radio station. When the ads come on, I just gotta flip to another station.
I always know I'm up north when the radio stations are tagged "The Bear/The Wolf/The Fox" FM.
Quote from: abefroman329 on November 02, 2018, 03:22:49 PM
The weird thing about those Jack/Dave/Ben/Bob/Mordecai FM stations is that their tagline is inevitably "we play whatever we want," but they play utter shite.
Disagree. Jack FM here in Seattle has a great playlist. Their last three songs as of 0139/3rd Nov 2018 were "Panama", "Smooth Criminal" (Michael Jackson), and "Into the Great Wide Open". That's my kind of playlist!
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on November 03, 2018, 02:27:41 AM
I always know I'm up north when the radio stations are tagged "The Bear/The Wolf/The Fox" FM.
Wichita has a
Spanish-language FM radio station (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KYQQ) called "Radio Lobo."
Quote from: jakeroot on November 03, 2018, 04:40:34 AM
Quote from: abefroman329 on November 02, 2018, 03:22:49 PM
The weird thing about those Jack/Dave/Ben/Bob/Mordecai FM stations is that their tagline is inevitably "we play whatever we want," but they play utter shite.
Disagree. Jack FM here in Seattle has a great playlist. Their last three songs as of 0139/3rd Nov 2018 were "Panama", "Smooth Criminal" (Michael Jackson), and "Into the Great Wide Open". That's my kind of playlist!
OK, those are three good songs.
Quote from: abefroman329 on November 03, 2018, 12:38:13 PM
OK, those are three good songs.
Three songs that are indicative of their overall playlist. The last four artists just played were MC Hammer, Journey, Pat Benetar, and Kenny Loggins. Another great lineup.
I was looking at a review of a Volkswagen on an EU-based website, and I noticed on the screen image of the radio's touchscreen that it was tuned to "RADIO BOB!" in Germany. Of course this thread came to mind. I had no idea that other countries were afflicted with the Jack/Dave/Frank/Bob format.
(https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7909/45852171455_53130d8b9b_c.jpg)
^^^^^^
Yeah, it looks like the UK has Jack-FM, Sam-FM, and Bob-FM.
I hope Bob-FM's bumpers include Rowan Atkinson saying "Bob" from the Blackadder TV series.
(https://memegenerator.net/img/instances/80807563/-bob.jpg)
Quote from: Mr_Northside on January 16, 2019, 03:58:42 PM
(https://memegenerator.net/img/instances/80807563/-bob.jpg)
Yep, just like that.
What happened to english si? Haven't seen him around here since before Christmas.
https://radioink.com/2019/06/27/cumulus-sells-wabc-for-12-5-million/?fbclid=IwAR3L_ffOmcFs_Jh6-TQvB_KfNFrs-9HUgWAKt2vmwiLX7AS5nuNeUxdItZk (https://radioink.com/2019/06/27/cumulus-sells-wabc-for-12-5-million/?fbclid=IwAR3L_ffOmcFs_Jh6-TQvB_KfNFrs-9HUgWAKt2vmwiLX7AS5nuNeUxdItZk)
Cumulus has sold WABC-AM New York to Red Apple.
Quote from: bing101 on June 27, 2019, 01:42:43 PM
https://radioink.com/2019/06/27/cumulus-sells-wabc-for-12-5-million/?fbclid=IwAR3L_ffOmcFs_Jh6-TQvB_KfNFrs-9HUgWAKt2vmwiLX7AS5nuNeUxdItZk (https://radioink.com/2019/06/27/cumulus-sells-wabc-for-12-5-million/?fbclid=IwAR3L_ffOmcFs_Jh6-TQvB_KfNFrs-9HUgWAKt2vmwiLX7AS5nuNeUxdItZk)
Cumulus has sold WABC-AM New York to Red Apple.
Thanks for the news bite ;)
$12.5 Million for an AM that is currently 24th overall in its market; 8th among non-music stations.
Grim future, indeed.
Radio can come back if the Telecommunications Act of 1996 could be abolished. There was a time when one could own only one FM and one AM in a single market. Behemoths like Cumulus and iHeartRadio/Clear Channel were born out of this. They sacrificed local content and now, you can hear stations in the same format play the same songs in the same order.
Quote from: golden eagle on June 28, 2019, 09:01:10 PM
Radio can come back if the Telecommunications Act of 1996 could be abolished. There was a time when one could own only one FM and one AM in a single market. Behemoths like Cumulus and iHeartRadio/Clear Channel were born out of this. They sacrificed local content and now, you can hear stations in the same format play the same songs in the same order.
Unfortunately that can't easily happen due to the interests in Silicon Valley and elsewhere.
Quote from: bing101 on June 27, 2019, 01:42:43 PM
Cumulus has sold WABC-AM New York to Red Apple.[/size]
Note that buyer "Red Apple" is the company primarily known for Kwik Fill gas stations (with their Red Apple convenience stores) and Gristedes grocery stores in New York City. For the company's billionaire founder, John Catsimatidis, who has hosted a vanity radio show on a lesser New York talk station in his spare time, the purchase of WABC at a fire sale price translates to a mere 1/2500th of his net worth–equivalent to a middle class American worth $500,000 buying a $200 toy.
Quote from: briantroutman on June 29, 2019, 06:07:47 PM
Quote from: bing101 on June 27, 2019, 01:42:43 PM
Cumulus has sold WABC-AM New York to Red Apple.
Note that buyer "Red Apple" is the company primarily known for Kwik Fill gas stations (with their Red Apple convenience stores) and Gristedes grocery stores in New York City. For the company's billionaire founder, John Catsimatidis, who has hosted a vanity radio show on a lesser New York talk station in his spare time, the purchase of WABC at a fire sale price translates to a mere 1/2500th of his net worth–equivalent to a middle class American worth $500,000 buying a $200 toy.
I was wondering how I seemed familiar with the naming of that company. Now it all makes sense to me.
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/178504/stephens-media-group-acquires-37-stations-from-mapleton-communications/ (https://radioinsight.com/headlines/178504/stephens-media-group-acquires-37-stations-from-mapleton-communications/)
Stephens Media Group to get 37 stations from Mapleton communications.
https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/KNBR-Sports-Radio-Expands-to-FM-at-the-Expense-of-KFOG-558365091.html
http://www.knbr.com/2019/08/26/knbr-680-to-be-simulcast-on-104-5-fm-starting-september-6/
Cumulus has announced on September 6th that San Francisco's KFOG-FM will Simulcast Sports/Talk KNBR Radio.
KFOG was once known for Rock for 37 years and is now going away for Sports/Talk.
Quote from: bing101 on August 27, 2019, 12:19:24 PM
https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/KNBR-Sports-Radio-Expands-to-FM-at-the-Expense-of-KFOG-558365091.html
http://www.knbr.com/2019/08/26/knbr-680-to-be-simulcast-on-104-5-fm-starting-september-6/
Cumulus has announced on September 6th that San Francisco's KFOG-FM will Simulcast Sports/Talk KNBR Radio.
KFOG was once known for Rock for 37 years and is now going away for Sports/Talk.
Just more proof that radio is dead. Dead from self-inflicted wounds.
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/183270/ongoing-list-of-those-affected-by-iheartmedia-cuts/ (https://radioinsight.com/headlines/183270/ongoing-list-of-those-affected-by-iheartmedia-cuts/)
Iheart is facing nationwide layoffs/ cuts as of January 2020 for "restructuring'" reasons.
Quote from: bing101 on January 15, 2020, 01:05:08 PM
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/183270/ongoing-list-of-those-affected-by-iheartmedia-cuts/ (https://radioinsight.com/headlines/183270/ongoing-list-of-those-affected-by-iheartmedia-cuts/)
Iheart is facing nationwide layoffs/ cuts as of January 2020 for "restructuring'" reasons.
Betcha they go to a satellite feed ala Sirius XM.
Quote from: bing101 on January 15, 2020, 01:05:08 PM
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/183270/ongoing-list-of-those-affected-by-iheartmedia-cuts/ (https://radioinsight.com/headlines/183270/ongoing-list-of-those-affected-by-iheartmedia-cuts/)
Iheart is facing nationwide layoffs/ cuts as of January 2020 for "restructuring'" reasons.
Probably because iHateRadio sucks and is what's wrong with terrestrial radio at this point.
Celebrities and other creative elements (Car Pool Karaoke, etc...) are what make late-night talk shows popular and profitable on TV.
Spending money on good athletes to lead your team into playoff contention is what makes sports teams profitable and popular.
Eliminating talent and large music libraries (on non-current hit stations) while airing 5-10 minutes of straight commercials is NOT going to make your radio stations profitable nor popular.
iHeart, Cumulus and Entercom don't get it.
There was a radio station when I was in college that preached "less talk" but it often felt like 5-10 minutes where they preached "less talk".
Less talk, less talk, less talk...did we mention less talk ?
Radio is suffering because there are better alternatives out there and people have gotten annoyed at the media. Think about it. When radio first became popular in the 1920s and 1930s, the alternative that was available was the record player, but the cost of the player and the media weren't affordable to many families. (The great depression didn't help) Compare that with the alternatives that available today, with subscription satellite radio and media delivered via the smart phones, and no wonder broadcast radio is hurting. In addition, it doesn't help when the average hour of radio consists of 40 minutes of content and 20 minutes of filler (commercials, promos), and yes, I'm being generous.
Satellite killed the Radio Star? ;)
In northern lower Michigan, there are at least nine silent or moribund stations (this doesn't include 100kW 88.7 WIAA, which is currently off due to technical issues with both its main and backup sites). Notably, three of them run 100kW!
They are:
750 WARD Petoskey
92.3 WBNZ Frankfort (moribund)
92.5 WFDX Atlanta (moribund; 100kW; its simulcast partner, 94.3 WFCX, has a sale pending to Central Michigan University)
99.3 WQAN Beulah
100.1 WOUF Bear Lake
101.9 WLDR Traverse City (100kW)
102.7 WMOM Pentwater
105.5 WSRJ Honor (was simulcast with WSRT)
106.7 WSRT Gaylord (100kW; was simulcast with WSRJ)
With license renewal season coming along, I could see at least one of these stations having their license cancelled.
Quote from: US71 on January 20, 2020, 12:39:41 PM
Satellite killed the Radio Star? ;)
It's practically nothing that video wasn't able to do back in the day and here we are again.
Quote from: US71 on January 20, 2020, 12:39:41 PMSatellite killed the Radio Star? ;)
Satellite, streaming media, audiobooks, stored MP3 files....
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/183509/cumulus-cuts-in-oklahoma-city-include-wild-104-9-morning-show/
https://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article/129705/cumulus-layoffs-claim-4-central-arkansas-radio-voices
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/183676/mac-daniels-exits-as-kplx-kscs-program-director/
Cumulus Reporting cuts in Dallas, Oklahoma City and Little Rock.
Quote from: bing101 on January 21, 2020, 08:39:52 PM
Cumulus Reporting cuts in Dallas, Oklahoma City and Little Rock.
What you are seeing here is just part of the nationalization of radio that has been going on for a long time. Decades ago, the cost efficient way to do a music format was to have different DJs in every town. Satellites and the internet have made that not be the cost efficient manner any more. There is no real difference between Top 40 in Little Rock and Top 40 in Portland, nor between Modern Country in Dallas and Modern Country in Reno. So you have a couple of the very best DJs in each format heard on 100s of stations, where in the past you had 100s of DJs on one station each.
The same can be said for national sports talk and national political talk, both formats and that hardly existed before satellites. Which leaves the only local radio formats left, which are local sports, which mostly revolves around one particular college in a rural state, or around a truly big city's pro teams; and local politics, which requires a quality host, lest it just become the same 20 pissed off callers, and a handful of conspiracy theorists wanting to take the matter off-topic into national politics.
It used to be that most American cities had more than one top 40 station, and they were different from each other. But now they're the same even in different cities.
In my day, nobody would mistake Q-102 with WCLU. There was just no ambiguity about which was which. None whatsoever. They were broadly the same format, but I don't think they even shared too many listeners, or at least not many that cited both stations as favorites. I loved WCLU, but I thought of Q-102 as being musically too stodgy and repetitive.
What's worse.... because of national distribution and multiple station ownership, an advertiser can purchase a "super-commercial" which airs at the same time across multiple stations, thus your escape by changing the station is made harder. :banghead:
I hardly listen to ota radio stations anymore, and barely watch television beyond the football games. Having moved to North Dallas, I would be looking at you with a blank stare if you ask me what the radio stations were now. I would only care if there was a severe weather outbreak though.
One of the biggest negatives with the nationalization of formats, DJs, and personalities is that you lose the local factor of different types of music. If you ever remember movies such as Coal Miner's Daughter, and some of those that showed the 50s and 60s artists trying to break in to radio, they would visit a bunch of small local stations to try to get their record played on the station. Some songs and groups became hits in their regional area, sometimes would get picked up and spread across the country. I remember when I worked in a small town radio station in the 80s, we had a few locals that still paid visits. It was neat to get a chance to meet and talk to the people that actually were trying to get a foot in the door. Now that's done at clubs, and the benefits are that people can buy their song over the internet. But my point was, you could go to Atlanta and your top 40 would have a lot of the same songs, but there would be heavy play songs that you might not hear in Nashville or St. Louis.
Quote from: Life in Paradise on January 25, 2020, 02:48:12 PM
One of the biggest negatives with the nationalization of formats, DJs, and personalities is that you lose the local factor of different types of music. If you ever remember movies such as Coal Miner's Daughter, and some of those that showed the 50s and 60s artists trying to break in to radio, they would visit a bunch of small local stations to try to get their record played on the station. Some songs and groups became hits in their regional area, sometimes would get picked up and spread across the country. I remember when I worked in a small town radio station in the 80s, we had a few locals that still paid visits. It was neat to get a chance to meet and talk to the people that actually were trying to get a foot in the door. Now that's done at clubs, and the benefits are that people can buy their song over the internet. But my point was, you could go to Atlanta and your top 40 would have a lot of the same songs, but there would be heavy play songs that you might not hear in Nashville or St. Louis.
I do a bi-weekly radio show where during one hour of the show, I find an old radio station survey from that day, count down that stations top 15 hits, while seeing where they stood nationally on the Billboard chart.
What usually stands out is how some songs can be local hits well before or after they appeare(ed) on the national charts; or if they were big local hits, but never appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
That was the appeal of local radio back in the day. unfortunately, that will never be replicated because of corporate ownership.
My "local" oldies station has been on a satellite feed for several years with spots to drop in local advertising, which timing-wise don't line up to the programming spaces.
Quote from: thenetwork on January 26, 2020, 10:04:31 AM
Quote from: Life in Paradise on January 25, 2020, 02:48:12 PM
One of the biggest negatives with the nationalization of formats, DJs, and personalities is that you lose the local factor of different types of music. If you ever remember movies such as Coal Miner's Daughter, and some of those that showed the 50s and 60s artists trying to break in to radio, they would visit a bunch of small local stations to try to get their record played on the station. Some songs and groups became hits in their regional area, sometimes would get picked up and spread across the country. I remember when I worked in a small town radio station in the 80s, we had a few locals that still paid visits. It was neat to get a chance to meet and talk to the people that actually were trying to get a foot in the door. Now that's done at clubs, and the benefits are that people can buy their song over the internet. But my point was, you could go to Atlanta and your top 40 would have a lot of the same songs, but there would be heavy play songs that you might not hear in Nashville or St. Louis.
I do a bi-weekly radio show where during one hour of the show, I find an old radio station survey from that day, count down that stations top 15 hits, while seeing where they stood nationally on the Billboard chart.
What usually stands out is how some songs can be local hits well before or after they appeare(ed) on the national charts; or if they were big local hits, but never appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
That was the appeal of local radio back in the day. unfortunately, that will never be replicated because of corporate ownership.
Sounds like a neat show. Local on-air (outside of local TV news) media is changing just like newspapers. There are fewer and fewer local news reporters in most areas now. Gannett has purchased so many regional newspapers it appears that each as been "USA Todayed" into a format. Radio is just about there with some of the smaller still local based stations fighting tooth and nail for ad dollars to stay afloat.
Update Senator Sherrod Brown wants to investigate the Iheart layoffs.
https://news.radio-online.com/cgi-bin/rol.exe/headline_id=n38179 (https://news.radio-online.com/cgi-bin/rol.exe/headline_id=n38179)
https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/following-mass-layoffs-in-ohio-brown-presses-iheartmedia-executive-for-answers (https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/following-mass-layoffs-in-ohio-brown-presses-iheartmedia-executive-for-answers)
Quote from: bing101 on January 27, 2020, 10:53:47 AM
Update Senator Sherrod Brown wants to investigate the Iheart layoffs.
https://news.radio-online.com/cgi-bin/rol.exe/headline_id=n38179 (https://news.radio-online.com/cgi-bin/rol.exe/headline_id=n38179)
https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/following-mass-layoffs-in-ohio-brown-presses-iheartmedia-executive-for-answers (https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/following-mass-layoffs-in-ohio-brown-presses-iheartmedia-executive-for-answers)
Sherrod is a career politician that goes through the motions making people think he's actually doing something for his constituents. He's just there to collect the salary and benefits.
I was in high school civics class in 1982 when he came to visit. Enuff' said.
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/183894/kfmb-san-diego-staffers-to-exit-february-7/ (https://radioinsight.com/headlines/183894/kfmb-san-diego-staffers-to-exit-february-7/)
KFMB Radio San Diego to layoff the majority of their staff on February 7th.
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/jan/29/bbc-announces-450-jobs-will-go-in-newsroom-shake-up
Now BBC has announced that 450 people will be removed from the newsroom and Radio5 is affected.