Someone asked about writing to the FCC. Don't bother. At best you'll get back a stale reply. Since deregulation the FCC basically went out of business. The public used to own the airwaves. The public be damned now. I don't know exactly what the FCC does these days. Go after Howard Stern? That was yesterday.
What you have today is controlled chaos. Nobody is minding the store. Mediocrity is pervasive. Wait, mediocrity in today's environment would be welcome. Everything is for sale, programming be damned. Screw the listening audience! More commercials. Less content. Content? What the hell is that?! Morning noise. Lots of noise. Traffic. Noise. 18 thousand weather reports: cloudy in the morning, sunny later, non-stop. More noise. Updates from 24 hours earlier. Commercials. You know, if they keep this up eventually they're going to make all of us crazy. I've seen it happen up close and personal. Excuse me for interrupting, we have a traffic report and weather to announce: back-up on 880 and the Bay Bridge. More clear skies until March. Sprinkles might be in the offing, first on the 5's and 8's from our staff meter-rologist. Karz4Kids jingle jingle. More noise. Sound the Sleeptrain horn. Don't forget your temperpedic and Viagra. Time for some more traffic and weather together--wait, you have a tax problem? Call Steve Moskowitz. I hear he has amazing clout with the IRS. Enjoy your coffee. Just in: might be getting fog in the Central Valley today, Live long and Thrive! Live and local too.
*Follow me on Twitter because I'm never on the red carpet.
Radio sucks. Period. Satellite is the way to go. The crap over the airwaves is just that. Crap. I just listen to KCBS because they have up-to-the-minute news. But don't listen to them for more than an hour or you'll get a live replay. But that makes sense. It's not meant for white noise.
ReplyDeleteThe morning team on KFOG this morning commented that their new studio location doesn't have any windows. Now since a lot of their audience is driving it seems that there's a major disconnect there. Yeah, I know they can get by if they don't mention it again, they can pretend how great, or bad, it is outside by reading a weather report or looking up a local webcam but a window in a local radio studio seems to be a necessity if you want to send clear "Vibes" that you're in it with your local audience, particularly those in their cars Might as well be a syndicated show out of somewhere on the East coast. Maybe that'll be next...
ReplyDelete8:03, I don't disagree, at all, with your "radio sucks" comments. As far as satellite radio goes, I'm looking into it.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I think the real tragedy is the loss of quality local programming ... for any/all market/s.
A blitz of communications to members of Congress, or a national groundswell of support for a turn-off-your radio effort might make some difference. Neither is going to happen.
Rich, you about nailed the current radio major market strategy playbook! Go easy with that stuff; you should be getting big bucks for that formula as a consultant! Just put on a Tie! Get an Atlanta Address! We'll pay you for it!
ReplyDeleteYou did leave out the handstands and backbends we're supposed to be doing for the People Meter, though; don't forget that. Make SURE that all your programming blocks are between 5 and 7 minutes long: no more and no less! We don't want to miss a cycle!
We are still being 'punished' by having that True Car woman on the air. I keep waiting for them to get rid of her, but maybe she reflects their demographic, low rent and low wattage. I will admit, she has improved just a smidgen over the past 18 months, but it still sounds as though she is speaking while wearing a belt that her husband has cinched in way too tightly. She speaks as though she has a tummy ache.
ReplyDeleteWhat's worse is that 1/2 of what little content is left is taken up by read-sponsorships and teases. If there is a bright side in any of this, it's that "Kars for Kids" is still a better jingle than any of Paulie Mac's embarrassingly idiotic man-songs.
ReplyDeleteLiberals said it would ruin radio,create monopoly's. Republicans said it would make radio better. Who was right? Cumulus owning a dozen major stations in the bay area alone...
ReplyDeleteSirius? and if not them,who? Are there a lot of competing car radio channels?
Its the ad man who killed radio.
And, I would make a complaint with the FCC over the thegames Greg Papa's vile and disgusting segments of animal abuse held up as some kind on comedy.
ReplyDeleteBut, seeing the Raider voice now saddled as a jerk..an unrepentant jerk, might be enough. Hearing him makes me want to shower 3 times a day like Radnich say's he does.
Only that might not be enough to get the 95.7 slime off of me.
Mediocrity defines American culture today. It's radio, television, politics, business, it's a race to the bottom while snagging every dollar bill that floats by.
ReplyDelete