Main Studio Rule

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Let's face it. the Main Studio Rule is toast. If you can't get a business friendly thing like that through a Trump FCC before he gets thrown out of office, what can you get?

So let's just assume that it's gone next week.

We know these things to be true:

1. The storefront "main studio" in Bugtussle that consists of a small board, CD player, and feed from the "remote" studio in Phoenix used by many rimshot stations to stay legal is gone the day this passes.
2. The companies who have expanded the most will be first in line to set up regional brands and turn their local studios into sales offices.

So how local will local radio be after this is through? Will Phoenix originate a lot of programming and end up operating a bunch of little stations across the Southwest? Does everything get assimilated out of LA? Or does everything pretty much remain the same considering how many stations are only live for a daypart or two anyway?

Everything you have on your list could happen now even WITH a main studio rule. The current rule doesn't require the local studio to originate anything. Just that it's there. Radio stations have been airing programming from other areas since the days of network radio in the 1920s. People call it the Golden Age of Radio.

TheBigA said:

Everything you have on your list could happen now even WITH a main studio rule. The current rule doesn't require the local studio to originate anything. Just that it's there. Radio stations have been airing programming from other areas since the days of network radio in the 1920s. People call it the Golden Age of Radio.

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The curious thing to me is why national/regional branding never took off over the past 20-odd years. CC/I Heart seemed to be on a roll of creating a Kiss brand for CHR across the country (even blowing up KZZP for Kiss branding in Phoenix) but seemed to hit the brakes in recent years. Nash never took off for Cumulus. All of the major groups have enough of a footprint where they could create national/regional brands as in other countries, but it's never really happened here.

Well it will be one less thing Barna gets fined by the FCC for - if they keep him on the air. KSWG is Arizona's only PIRATE RADIO 96.3 is a PIRATE

I could imagine iHeartMedia initiating the biggest round of talent cuts in corporate history as a direct result of the potential elimination of the Main Studio Rule. Every single personality (other than iHeart's well-known personalities) will lose their jobs and the majority on content on any iHeartRadio station (e.g. Premium Choice, Premiere, etc.) will be completely nationalized, although those stations will still have to do traffic and weather reports for the market that station serves.

Here's an article I found that could indicate the future for iHeartMedia (and possibly every radio station):
https://web.archive.org/web/2014040...tionalization-will-mean-to-american-radio.php

Here are some of my thoughts of the article:

Elvis Duran wouldn't likely take over as the morning show host on every iHeartRadio Top 40 station, since there are other syndicated Top 40-centric morning show rivals that run on iHeartMedia's stations (e.g. The Kane Show, Johnjay and Rich, Ace and TJ, Brooke and Jubal, Kidd Kraddick, Mojo, etc.).

Likewise, Ryan Seacrest can't possibly be on middays on every iHeartRadio Top 40 station, since his show ACTUALLY serves as the morning show on 102.7 KIIS in Los Angeles. I know many iHeartRadio stations that DON'T run Ryan Seacrest during the middays and play a lot more music then. In fact, I actually listen to some of iHeartRadio's stations that run a commercial-free block of music, usually starting around 10 AM up until noon.

On the country side (no pun intended), Bobby Bones' morning show could possibly be heard on every so-called "iHeartCountry" station, since I don't know any potential rivals to Bobby Bones' nationally syndicated country morning show.

Other formats? I can think of The Breakfast Club (even there many radio shows that are called "The Breakfast Club", I'm referring to the Urban-centric morning show featuring DJ Envy, Angela Yee, and Charlemagne tha God) being possibly run on all Mainstream Urban and/or Rhythmic stations.

iHeartMedia caters to me very well, and I can name many good programs I found on radio stations across the iHeartRadio app that suit my needs.

miketheradioguy said:

I could imagine iHeartMedia initiating the biggest round of talent cuts in corporate history as a direct result of the potential elimination of the Main Studio Rule. Every single personality (other than iHeart's well-known personalities) will lose their jobs and the majority on content on any iHeartRadio station (e.g. Premium Choice, Premiere, etc.) will be completely nationalized, although those stations will still have to do traffic and weather reports for the market that station serves.

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That was what everyone expected 15 years ago when Clear Channel started buying radio stations. But it never happened.

As I said earlier in this thread: Requiring a main studio doesn't mean you have to use it. It doesn't require local programming. We've had a main studio rule for a long time, and it didn't stop radio stations from carrying satellite-delivered formats. It didn't prevent stations from replacing local shows with national ones This has been going on for 50 years.

The reason why iHeart and other big radio companies haven't replaced all of their local programs is very simple: They make money. If you're a local talent, you need to find ways to help your station make money, and do it in the way a national talent can't. There are ways to do it, but it requires creative thinking.

iHeart instituted a studio sponsorship program over 10 years ago. Most of the iHeart stations have a room in their building where they do concerts or events for their loyal listeners. The room is branded with a sponsor, and the sponsor gets a number of mentions on air. "We're broadcasting today from the Geico studio." THIS is how you retain a main studio. Not by federal regulation.

DavidEduardo said:

All the "main studio" rule required was some kind of presence (a semi-pro mixer and a mike would do) in the community of license. For decades and decades, stations were allowed to have their main studio at the transmitter site or, with a relatively easy waiver, elsewhere in the coverage area.

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Actually, in the context of this rule, the main studio is the office, not a technical facility. That's really what this is about. Not programming at all. Here's a quote from the FCC about why they're proposing eliminating the main studio rule:

"Today, however, widespread availability of electronic communication enables stations to participate in their communities of license, and members of the community to contact broadcast radio and television stations, without the physical presence of a local broadcast studio. In addition, because the Commission has adopted online public inspection file requirements for AM, FM, and television broadcast stations, community members no longer will need to visit a station’s main studio to access its public inspection file."

So the primary reason the rule existed was for the public to come to a local building and access the public inspection file, which is now online. Once the FCC eliminated the physical file requirement, the studio rule became superfluous.

A station I know of has a couple of CD decks, a mini disc, microphone and Behringer mixer in a cubicle at the main office where the receptionist gets dual paychecks, one from the business there and one from the station. The station leases to a group that has its own office and studios. The result is the main studio in the city of license needs to be dusted from time to time. Most of what this station does for work happens from home where the station can be monitored and transmitter is accessed via computer. The tower site gets many more visits from employees than the main studio that is seen as simply a silly requirement. Oh, and the programming that station carries is live and local, provided by the purchaser of the airtime. In essence the station serves an otherwise unserved portion of the market where they're located. The main studio is not needed and never has been needed to have this live and local station serving its target minority audience.

With a main studio rule or without a main studio rule, nothing will change. They'll likely move the equipment to the tower site and likely quit paying the receptionist, saving a few hundred bucks a month. The programming won't change and the community they target will still have their live and local radio station that caters to them.

I'm amazed at how people think this main studio thing will somehow change things. All I can assume is those comments must be coming from those who haven't a full understanding of a radio station operation (I'm talking from all sides: sales, programming and management). Remember, you don't fix the kitchen sink when it doesn't need it. And the main studio rule isn't going to break the sink. All it will do, at best, is save a station a few dollars by saving the station from having to upkeep a location that really has nothing to do with the actual station in the first place. In fact main studios are a receptionist looking like a lonely Maytag repairman and some rag tag equipment to show the FCC they're abiding by the rules. And if that receptionist gets a call she gives them the main office number. This is the REAL situation today with the Main Studio rule.

b-turner said:

This is the REAL situation today with the Main Studio rule.

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As I often say, you can't regulate a company into losing money. There comes a point where the regulations cost more than the station makes. At that point, it's no longer worth operating. I think for most companies, that's where we are now in owning radio stations. I read an interesting article today about Spotify, and apparently they're discovering the same thing in terms of streaming radio. If you can't make money, what's the point?

DavidEduardo said:

All the "main studio" rule required was some kind of presence (a semi-pro mixer and a mike would do) in the community of license. For decades and decades, stations were allowed to have their main studio at the transmitter site or, with a relatively easy waiver, elsewhere in the coverage area.

The current change would just eliminate the paperwork and the rather useless regulations. Even now, programming can come from anywhere the station wants. As mentioned, syndicated programming and formats have essentially moved the origination point for programming for the last 30 years. Heck, even back in the 30's and 40's network affiliates depended on originations from NY, Chicago, LA, San Francisco and even Detroit to fill most of the day's schedule.



The reason why there are lots of shows has to do with regional tastes originally, but today it is more due to having lots of content for new media. Companies like iHeart know that we are going through a gradual transition from terrestrial distribution (steel in the sky) to new platforms. There, content rules and the names you have mentioned are what brings in money.

(Note: it's the Kidd Kraddick SHOW, as Kidd passed away several years ago)



And it is on mornings in many other places, even on AC stations. It's not even a "Show" but a menu driven set of bits that can be inserted in any format with any music where they think Seacrest, as a personality, works. In fact, Seacrest is not even in the studio most days his show airs, and seldom at the same time as it is being broadcast.



And what does the main studio rule have to do with adding more Bones affiliates? If they wanted him on more country stations, they would have done it already. Nothing in the studio rules says what morning show you need to run.

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You make some good points about the Main Studio rule. I thought the elimination of the Main Studio rule would open the floodgates to eliminate all live and local talent, and create a monopoly for iHeartMedia's syndicated programs.

Another point I would like to make regarding iHeartMedia's syndicated shows is that iHeartMedia ordered their stations to dump Open House Party, which lead to the creation of #MostRequestedLive (then known as Saturday Night Online) and Club Kane. I use my iHeartRadio app to find other radio stations that don't run #MostRequestedLive, since I prefer to listen to Club Kane on Sundays due to his locality. Ironically, Kane was the Sunday night host on Open House Party from 2004-2007.

I also would like to see iHeartMedia replacing Laurie DeYoung's morning show on 93.1 WPOC in Baltimore with Bobby Bones. His show is already on 98.7 WMZQ in Washington D.C., so it would be nice to see iHeartMedia/Premiere bring a Bobby Bones affiliate to the Baltimore market. Similar to the Kane Show, Bobby Bones would be heard in BOTH the Baltimore and Washington markets.

miketheradioguy said:

I also would like to see iHeartMedia replacing Laurie DeYoung's morning show on 93.1 WPOC in Baltimore with Bobby Bones.

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Laurie is a heritage talent, and a member of the Hall of Fame. They gain a lot by leaving her alone. However, if she were to retire, she will likely be replaced by BB.

The thing about adding syndicated shows, especially in morning drive, is it cannibalizes the local station in favor of the company, because the station has fewer spots to sell during that time, and has to share revenues with corporate. Not always the best thing to do strategically. Especially if the national spots are highly discounted, which they often are.

TheBigA said:

The thing about adding syndicated shows, especially in morning drive, is it cannibalizes the local station in favor of the company, because the station has fewer spots to sell during that time, and has to share revenues with corporate. Not always the best thing to do strategically. Especially if the national spots are highly discounted, which they often are.

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Whomever has the biggest desk wins.

Even in a market the size of Yuma, that GM will gladly keep all of the avails for herself if given the opportunity, because giving a couple of minutes an hour to Premiere costs money.

If one were to look up the STL transmit location of Ted Tucker's (legendary) KCDX/Florence, one will discover that the computer/public file, etc. are co-located with KJAA (AM) in Globe. But KCDX continues to be commercial-free, so what matters?

The main studio rules are pretty much outdated, its easy to skirt the intent of the rules.

That said, those who program locally and let the large groups program "drones" in markets will benefit. You can't largely ignore a community and profit from it at the same time.

EDwalker said:

That said, those who program locally and let the large groups program "drones" in markets will benefit. You can't largely ignore a community and profit from it at the same time.

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That pretty much is the philosophy of Ed Christian's Saga Communications. He avoids large markets, believes in local service and has a small amount of long term debt. Saga has recently invested in some smaller market clusters and is a firm believer in "urban" translators. Ed runs a tight ship out of suburban Detroit, where he has no stations!

Actually, the KCDX facilities at KJAA-AM where removed several years ago after KJAA was purchased by KQSS Miami. The studio could be at the transmitter site now for all we know.

Outlaw said:

Actually, the KCDX facilities at KJAA-AM where removed several years ago after KJAA was purchased by KQSS Miami. The studio could be at the transmitter site now for all we know.

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Isn't that what got Ted Tucker in trouble in Omaha?

If there's one operator cheering the demise of this rule it's him.

The more I think about it, I don't see much changes in the major groups. It's the guys who buy up sticks in the middle of nowhere and hop them into metros that win with getting rid of a studio requirement. They just want to keep the needles moving until they can make it attractive for someone else to buy.