If you programmed it, you'd have to pay for it. And right now, you don't.
Those of us who program radio LOVE music, but we also know that if we programmed for us, we'd be out of work. So we program for the masses. And we do it very well.
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Classic Rock: Evolve or Die!
- Thread starter semoochie
- Start date
If you programmed it, you'd have to pay for it. And right now, you don't.
Those of us who program radio LOVE music, but we also know that if we programmed for us, we'd be out of work. So we program for the masses. And we do it very well.
Yes, and look at Detroit, for one example. Heritage Classic rocker WCSX is tied for 3rd 6+ and WDTW has really charged ahead, as well.
I didn't notice that increased ratings in other markets.
Detroit is kind of a blue collar town. Maybe that has something to do with it.
And it's beyond obvious that the masses do not embrace music as much as we do. Good for them (sarcasm!)
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Typical costs to run a small market radio station (or LPFM). If I had the money, I would do it in a heartbeat.
Do you remember all of the "local" hearings the FCC did a few years ago, with "real" listeners queing up in line for many hours to speak... Well, nothing much came of that Dog & Pony Govt. "show".
The FCC has it's "ears" tuned to what Big Business, and Big Radio Business need the Public's Airwaves to do for them.
The listener just gets what they, Big Business, and Big Radio Business decide to play. I guess that works for the common masses.
Real music lovers must go underground, ie, to the internet to get something that is not a variant of "Just Music for the Masses".
(And Please -- I also know that means that every weird and eccentric musical gengre can be listened to on the internet).
That's all.
The FCC has it's "ears" tuned to what Big Business, and Big Radio Business need the Public's Airwaves to do for them.
The listener just gets what they, Big Business, and Big Radio Business decide to play. I guess that works for the common masses.
Real music lovers must go underground, ie, to the internet to get something that is not a variant of "Just Music for the Masses".
(And Please -- I also know that means that every weird and eccentric musical gengre can be listened to on the internet).
That's all.
Somebody has to pay for it. The government is trillions of dollars in debt, so they're not going to pay for progressive rock radio. College radio was one of the last places for what you want, and now the colleges are selling their stations to professional non-profits who change the station to news. It happened last year in Atlanta.
YOU have to step up to the plate and pay for what you want. Those hearings were like listening to the request line at a radio station for an hour. "Play my favorite song!" Everybody wants personalized service, but they all want it for free. The FCC isn't going to tell radio stations what music to play. The only way to do that is build your own personal radio station. And you're welcome to do that. Nobody is forcing you to listen or demand you change your taste in music.
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K
K.M. Richards
Guest
Do yourself a favor. Go to David Gleason's online archive of Broadcasting magazines at americanradiohistory.com and read every article in the 1970s and 1980s on WNCN in New York. It was the court battle brought on by a group of listeners who wanted the station to stay Classical which ultimately caused a ruling that the FCC should not be involved in decisions about programming format.
You, sir, are decades behind reality and history.
Which is part of the reason why nothing came out of those FCC hearings. The other reason is only two of the five Commissioners went, so they didn't represent the majority.
Here are some facts that might make you rethink your blanket condemnations:
The average McDonalds has gross sales of $2.6 million a year. The average radio station sells approximately $600 thousand.
There are 15,000 or so radio stations (I believe BIA shows 15,449 at last count, not including LPFM and translator operations) and the vast majority are owned by small companies that are the property of just one family or a few partners.
Radio stations play what they believe the listener wants to hear. In the big markets, that is verified by actually spending money to talk to the listeners and test the music. In the smaller markets, stations look to bigger stations and their own "feel" for the market.
When a format or genre is not of broad enough appeal to be either commercially successful or to generate the donations needed by a non-com, it is dropped. You are asking for the return of a format that definitely no longer works in commercial radio and which was blown away in the 70's by tighter formatted AOR stations. And even where the format held on for years on non-coms, it no longer generates support; with the declining interest in all forms of rock by 12-17 and 18-24 (as proven by the Edison youth studies in 2000 and 2010) this type of format will never return.
A music lover myself, I understand what folks are saying. Some are way off base.
We need to remember radio is a business. Any business that stays in business does so by doing what will attract the greatest number of customers. Radio does this. Many times programmers are the scapegoat for what radio stations play. The reality is ownership tells the employee what to accomplish. This is no different from your job. So, the boss says to do this and you do. In fact, you look at research, do as much local research as your station can afford and become a student of radio in general so you have the best shot at doing the owner proud and keeping your job.
As for the music choices, this has been explained many times on this board.
I hear things like that conservative talk host (insert any name here) spews what they believe. I hear things like radio doesn't play the music people want to hear. That is akin to a grocery store refusing to stock the foods you like. The reality is the talk shows are well researched and points that rate highly with the audience are stated on the show. It is not necessarily the personal views of the host because the host has to have the listeners to get the advertising buys. The same goes with music stations. The programming department might not care for some or all of the music they play but they have determined through research that by playing the songs they do they can reach the greatest number of people in their target demographic and thus, get the advertiser on board. The same can be said of Public Radio since Public Radio is mostly funded through grants, Underwriting (the same criteria for the Underwriter and Advertiser: reach the most people for the dollars spent) and then usually Listener Donations. Programming is designed to reach the greatest number of people in the target group and that is a moving target, always changing as time moves on. By the way, very few Public Radio stations can make it on Listener Donations alone.
Do some small town station owners tend to program something they can relate to and know how to market? Yes, in a very few circumstances. I worked for a guy that loved classical music and had the lowest opinion of the country music listener. His station was country and he proudly touted it and he made money. My point is that stations are businesses and they design themselves to succeed.
We music lovers might long for a longer playlist, but we tend not to be the typical music listener who chooses well known, familiar songs. I find it hard to phantom that my step mom doesn't know artists or songs and if you asked her what she listens to the best she can explain is by saying the station she likes. I on the other hand baffle her because I don't know who acted in what TV show or movie. She's a fairly typical music listener. I've tried to introduce her to some new music. It is always hit or miss, more often a miss. She prefers the same songs she hears on her station.
As for me, I'm an intense radio listener and I love exploring new music. I really do understand the comments. I'm one of you but I'm also in the radio business and have been for decades so I understand the business. It is a far cry from what I thought it was when I started in radio. I guess it is best said by quoting my former boss: how does that offer me a return on my investment? If you can't explain it, it doesn't matter and mostly, like music playlist, it's a tool to achieve the goals. The goals are always more listeners and more advertising revenue. Simply put, you can never have enough of either and you have tons of competitors breathing down your back every day. There's always the threat that while you're doing fine today you might not be tomorrow.
As for the FCC, as long as stations abide by the rules, not much else is questioned. Local in their eyes is more about a local office with local staff versus a local DJ in the booth versus Joe Blow across the country voice tracking the station or plugging in a satellite and filling the mandatory breaks. They care much more about that Sunday morning public affairs show buried at a time you're sleeping because you really don't want to hear it.
Let me add something else. It has been many moons since I was a music director. First the Program Director gave specific instructions on how you added or dropped music. You did what the Program Director outlined to retain your job. In other words, he was your immediate supervisor, if you will. We received music in the mail from the record companies and that was followed by record company reps calling to keep you on top of the trends while pushing their stuff. We had some stations in other markets we watched because their target audience was the same as ours. We did call outs and checks with clubs and retailers. All of this plus national trends were a factor in what songs were added. The key point is we received music from the labels. We had zero budget to buy music and that was out of the question. Thus, our universe of new music was only what we received. We were too busy to seek out music not sent to us and even adding a local band with a CD was a long shot because they usually had a very limited fan base. So, when it came to the music we added, it was more or less dictated by the record company more than anything else. Now in the digital age, mailing is not done and there are services that will distribute for the labels. So, the opportunity to add something outside the music mailed to us was virtually nil. We reported to a few trade publications as well.
Many here have commented but I wanted to bring it down to earth. There's research everyone mentions, but the real deal is keeping the business turning a profit. Research is just a tool to help do that.
We need to remember radio is a business. Any business that stays in business does so by doing what will attract the greatest number of customers. Radio does this. Many times programmers are the scapegoat for what radio stations play. The reality is ownership tells the employee what to accomplish. This is no different from your job. So, the boss says to do this and you do. In fact, you look at research, do as much local research as your station can afford and become a student of radio in general so you have the best shot at doing the owner proud and keeping your job.
As for the music choices, this has been explained many times on this board.
I hear things like that conservative talk host (insert any name here) spews what they believe. I hear things like radio doesn't play the music people want to hear. That is akin to a grocery store refusing to stock the foods you like. The reality is the talk shows are well researched and points that rate highly with the audience are stated on the show. It is not necessarily the personal views of the host because the host has to have the listeners to get the advertising buys. The same goes with music stations. The programming department might not care for some or all of the music they play but they have determined through research that by playing the songs they do they can reach the greatest number of people in their target demographic and thus, get the advertiser on board. The same can be said of Public Radio since Public Radio is mostly funded through grants, Underwriting (the same criteria for the Underwriter and Advertiser: reach the most people for the dollars spent) and then usually Listener Donations. Programming is designed to reach the greatest number of people in the target group and that is a moving target, always changing as time moves on. By the way, very few Public Radio stations can make it on Listener Donations alone.
Do some small town station owners tend to program something they can relate to and know how to market? Yes, in a very few circumstances. I worked for a guy that loved classical music and had the lowest opinion of the country music listener. His station was country and he proudly touted it and he made money. My point is that stations are businesses and they design themselves to succeed.
We music lovers might long for a longer playlist, but we tend not to be the typical music listener who chooses well known, familiar songs. I find it hard to phantom that my step mom doesn't know artists or songs and if you asked her what she listens to the best she can explain is by saying the station she likes. I on the other hand baffle her because I don't know who acted in what TV show or movie. She's a fairly typical music listener. I've tried to introduce her to some new music. It is always hit or miss, more often a miss. She prefers the same songs she hears on her station.
As for me, I'm an intense radio listener and I love exploring new music. I really do understand the comments. I'm one of you but I'm also in the radio business and have been for decades so I understand the business. It is a far cry from what I thought it was when I started in radio. I guess it is best said by quoting my former boss: how does that offer me a return on my investment? If you can't explain it, it doesn't matter and mostly, like music playlist, it's a tool to achieve the goals. The goals are always more listeners and more advertising revenue. Simply put, you can never have enough of either and you have tons of competitors breathing down your back every day. There's always the threat that while you're doing fine today you might not be tomorrow.
As for the FCC, as long as stations abide by the rules, not much else is questioned. Local in their eyes is more about a local office with local staff versus a local DJ in the booth versus Joe Blow across the country voice tracking the station or plugging in a satellite and filling the mandatory breaks. They care much more about that Sunday morning public affairs show buried at a time you're sleeping because you really don't want to hear it.
Let me add something else. It has been many moons since I was a music director. First the Program Director gave specific instructions on how you added or dropped music. You did what the Program Director outlined to retain your job. In other words, he was your immediate supervisor, if you will. We received music in the mail from the record companies and that was followed by record company reps calling to keep you on top of the trends while pushing their stuff. We had some stations in other markets we watched because their target audience was the same as ours. We did call outs and checks with clubs and retailers. All of this plus national trends were a factor in what songs were added. The key point is we received music from the labels. We had zero budget to buy music and that was out of the question. Thus, our universe of new music was only what we received. We were too busy to seek out music not sent to us and even adding a local band with a CD was a long shot because they usually had a very limited fan base. So, when it came to the music we added, it was more or less dictated by the record company more than anything else. Now in the digital age, mailing is not done and there are services that will distribute for the labels. So, the opportunity to add something outside the music mailed to us was virtually nil. We reported to a few trade publications as well.
Many here have commented but I wanted to bring it down to earth. There's research everyone mentions, but the real deal is keeping the business turning a profit. Research is just a tool to help do that.
"Plush" on Rock 92.
Heart's "Mistral Wind" (Live) 1980 --- Because of the singing, the words, and the music:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYBc_I6PidE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYBc_I6PidE
I was reading that Boston has a new album, but it wasn't clear anyone was playing the songs.
Probably no one. Country radio has a similar choice to make: Garth Brooks and Alabama, two monster acts of the '80s and '90s, have new material out. It's not getting played. Anywhere. Contemporary country radio won't touch it because it sounds old and the artists don't connect viscerally (largely visually) with the core demo, which is now largely young women. They don't want to look at a Randy Owen who's pushing 60, no matter how much of a hunk he was back in '85. And classic country isn't playing it because, well, the songs themselves aren't classic, only the artists, and classic country listeners, for the most part, don't want to hear unfamiliar songs by anyone.
I still enjoy listening to the album rock bands from the 70's and 80's.
But I guess I gave up on FM Rock radio playing *my* favorites from those bands and albums --30-- years ago. Yes, even back then, the station playlists were already tightened to the point that it excluded anything deeper than a band's Greatest Hits. Well, liking more than a band's "MOST commercial Hits" was what led me to FM and away from AM radio in the first place....
The reasons for this have been explained to me many times.... but, I'm hard-headed, and I'll never understand why there's *now* only room for "Hits Only" Rock radio. But it has something to do with mass ownership of stations nationally, and in one market, that drives the economy of profitability, and what playlists deliver that, to the exclusion of all other musical considerations.
But I guess I gave up on FM Rock radio playing *my* favorites from those bands and albums --30-- years ago. Yes, even back then, the station playlists were already tightened to the point that it excluded anything deeper than a band's Greatest Hits. Well, liking more than a band's "MOST commercial Hits" was what led me to FM and away from AM radio in the first place....
The reasons for this have been explained to me many times.... but, I'm hard-headed, and I'll never understand why there's *now* only room for "Hits Only" Rock radio. But it has something to do with mass ownership of stations nationally, and in one market, that drives the economy of profitability, and what playlists deliver that, to the exclusion of all other musical considerations.
Your date of "30 years ago" predates mass ownership of stations. As we've said in this thread and others, musical considerations are not the primary factor in creation of playlists. Never have been. If they were, stations wouldn't play popular music at all, and FM would still be reserved for "good music," which was defined by orchestral performances of the masters. The consideration is attraction of mass audiences, which is done by playing of the most popular songs, or the greatest hits. Radio is simply doing what it's always done.
The American system of radio was defined in 1926. Radio stations were to be owned as private businesses. Nowhere in the rules was it stated that radio was required or expected to be a music delivery system. The music industry, and musicians themselves, expect fans of music to BUY their music directly, supporting the artists they love, rather than receive it for free from radio or other free services. You, as a music fan, are ripping off the artists you love by demanding radio provide your music for free.
Music programmed for radio...
To sum up, I guess I would say, that if, by some strange series of events, --ALL-- Music was banned from airplay on radio --- I would miss NOTHING.
That's what the radio delivery of music means to me.
Like Michael said to Fredo ... "You're nothing to me now."
To sum up, I guess I would say, that if, by some strange series of events, --ALL-- Music was banned from airplay on radio --- I would miss NOTHING.
That's what the radio delivery of music means to me.
Like Michael said to Fredo ... "You're nothing to me now."
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