Prove it! (0+ / 0-)
Prove what your saying! you are just a troll with no fact just opinion. There is no basis to believe you had anything to do with AAR. If you can't prove anything you say, in a separate dairy with links, then you just another rethug wing nut spewing crap. So Prove it, and shut me and others up!
by mexchewy on Tue Feb 17, 2009 at 05:08:08 PM PST
That was a response to a few comments I wrote in Ben Maisel's rant about Clear Channel this week.
I've decided to make a few stronger points in response to the above.
My way of course.
I've been working in the radio business - majority of the time in talk radio - for twenty years. I've never seen it this bad.
One of the side jobs I had was at Air America Radio/Los Angeles in it's first inception with Evan Cohen. It was a difficult time when we really didn't know if there was going to be a network - or have a steady paycheck - even after the first week. We were a skeleton staff working with way beyond antiquated equipment and studios leased from Arthur Liu and his multicultural radio empire.
Only one show originated from those studios - Marty Kaplan's "So What Else Is News". The rest of the programming - plus the news updates - came from New York. I could go into how the news updates were literally a hit or miss proposition and other AAR issues. However, that's not my point today. Maybe I'll get into my very short AAR life in another diary.
From my reading of what happened at Nova M, I believe a similar breakdown occurred there. I don't work for their company and not intimate with their details. However, it seems like AAR, they struggled to make it and flat lined in the end. The radio business is littered with radio companies that went belly up because they thought they were filling a need.
The radio business is in bad shape as we speak. It's in horrible shape for that matter.
The near fatal mix of the lack of advertising dollars coming in, Arbitron's new PPM, crushing debt - mainly Clear Channel - due to bad contracts, head scratching acquisitions and mergers, lack of audience growth and other boneheaded moves have contributed to the falling down of a once smooth running business.
A lot of radio companies are slashing payrolls and programming formats they consider safe investments for the time being - Top 40(CHR), News, Country, Sports, Adult Contemporary(AC) and Rock. Other formats that are considered not so safe - talk radio in particular - are being drawn down or flat out eliminated.
Progressive radio - stations, talent and otherwise - started with bad planning and - instead of shutting down to regroup - decided to keep themselves with duct tape. For example, Air America's plan to lease radio stations to eventually purchase them was a horrible strategy. Even worse was AAR selling to Mark Green. Worst was Nova M without concrete proof that the radio market needed or wanted Progressive talk. At the time, there was no proof in ratings or advertisers. The simple truth is that the emergence and flailing of national progressive talk seemed to be not well thought out.
Don't believe me? Check out the Progressive talk station ratings with Arbitron. Please note: Anything under a 3 to 4 share is considered under performing. Also, pay attention to the 25-54 numbers.
So could Progressive talk work eventually?
That's tough to say. If you're a talk station, you have many handicaps before you open up the microphone.
First, these days, young people - 12 to 24 - don't listen to radio of any kind. And if they are, it isn't to News/Talk.
Second, it's been shown that women at any age don't like talk radio. A lot of them think talk radio is mean spirited and combative. That's one of the reasons Greenstone Media used to start up their female leaning radio syndication company. Unfortunately, the market didn't want their brand of talk either.
Third, your average talk radio listener tend to skew 35+ in age. A lot of them are conservative.
After all that, talk stations have a very limited pool of folks to listen to them.
On the plus side, you have some things that could help the playing field.
The current RIAA backed bill to have royalties paid to music artists is gaining steam I believe. Kargo might have a better read on that. If that bill happens, it's going to deeply wound a lot of radio companies already cash strapped pockets. And if it's retroactive, that could be a knockout blow.
The Fairness Doctrine will definitely help but may have drawbacks.
The possible caps on ownership, the FCC push for more diversity ownership and simply attrition could pave the way for more Progressive talk possibilities.
Plus, from my quick read on the Mike Malloy development, a smaller and more focused company can work.
Now, if you excuse me, I have to go and produce my last talk show for my station that's changing format tomorrow.
I hope I've proved my point.
Thanks for your time.