Wanted: A Few Good Foul Mouths

What about just playing music? I know it's a new idea in the age of MTV and VH1 doing more reality shows and countdowns with less music. I find it interesting, why it is that satellite radio is taking off or Yahoo Radio is used, no commercials/no talking.

Oh boy. Here we go again. I've been in the industry (currently creative director for a group of stations in Portland, Oregon) for over a decade...and have been very lucky to work in many capacities whilst learning from some very smart people.

The idea of talent development is one of the more challenging aspects of radio. In the age of compression and consolidation, the ages-old practice of mentoring and coaching have virtually disappeared. As I was getting my headphones wet as a (horrible) DJ, my first mentor taught me the craft through constant coaching with very constructive feedback.

There are a number of talented program directors in this industry. The challenge is that of time: most young people entering this industry are challenged by the fact that, at times, they need to figure things out on their own because program directors are stretched very thin these days. Hardly a great recipe for molding...and it is, most certainly, not the fault of the programmers.

I suppose the best analogy would be that of any young person entering any industry...but especially one like radio that is closer to being "entertainment" than "media." In an ego-fueled envdeavor such as radio, brash and a feeling of omniscience, combined with youth and lack of experience, can be a sure-fire way to an unsuccesful career in this industry.

To wit, I have a (very expensive) college degree in International Studies. I spent 5 years on an international career path. Then, I began writing scripts...and voicing commercials. It turned into the weekend overnight shift (midnight to 6) at a radio station ranked 19 out of 23...making $8 an hour. I may be a bit unique in my career path, but I endured some real hardships (including the death of my mentor) to get where I am today. Sacrifice still counts...and talent with perserverance doesn't hurt either. Youth are so enamored with the quick fix. Don't forget, that Howard Stern had a path...and it wasn't instant.

As an industry person, I need to address the satellite/Yahoo thing. As of now, there are some 250 million radio listeners in the US. Satellite (not sure of the online numbers, sorry) accounts for 1% of the listening audience. Wall Street predicts that satellite will grow at a rate of .5% each year...half a percent. Throw in the fact that HD radio technology is close to mainstream presentation, and that number could change.

HD radio is a very interesting prospect. AM signals will sound like FM...and FM signals will sound like CDs. Plus, each frequency can program up to 6 "side-channels" or "sub-channels." An example: an oldies station could program it's own "main" station, then have up to six stations that could highlight/focus on one sub-genre of the main format such as: doo-wop, big band, 50s, 40s, etc. It's quite exciting, and it means that our industry must be prepared to find and develop the talent to move it forward.

This is where coaching and talent comes in.

It's great to see that there have been recent postings about radio. We've been mired in as pattern of irrelevence for a long time. Radio brings out real passion in people (as evidenced by the format change in NYC) and, if you dig deeper, you'll find that it is the premier one-on-one medium that people have a true emotional connection.

I agree with Dawn, that we're moved too far away from music. We have a station here in Portland, 94/7 Alternative Portland, that is very music intensive, with on-air talent who are very knowledgable about the music (our morning guy runs a record label). It's great that the "product" (read: music in the format) has improved and the presentation has as well. This station takes an NPR approach but spins it with great music and a refreshing lack of lasers and wacky sound effects (I produced a morning show for 4 years...had rather my fill of that stuff). If you'd like to try it out...we always love feedback and comments.

If you are interested, the Radio Advertising Effectiveness Lab (www.radioadlab.com), has published an extensive study that shows the relevance of radio and its importance in being part of a media strategy. I won't go into specifics, but I would encourage a look at what they found.

Until then...thanks for listening.

Radio has suffered lately. Bob Edwards, the former national morning host on NPR, spoke on Wall Street Week a few months back about radio's increasing loss in listenership. Part of the problem is that they've gotten greedy. Large ad revenues have given radio huge profit margins, which haven't been ignored by Wall Street. This has contributed to the consolidation of station ownership by Clear Channel and others. It's also led to more time devoted to on-air advertisements.

As well, content has been narrowly constrained. Most popular radio stations play a limited selection of music within specific genres. There have been some exceptions to this, but many of the alternative stations are disappearing, leaving a narrower range of choices.

I love music and am frustrated by this. And I think others share this feeling. So the emergence of satellite radio is no surprise. It's the product of consumer choice, emerging technology, and free markets. You gotta love it!

As for Howard Stern, why would anyone want to duplicate him?

I agree that Howard Stern can not be replaced. I have been a fan for over 20 years and will be going with him to Sirius, in fact I just set up my service two weeks ago. I currently listen to Howard in the morning and then generally switch to Sirius. Once Howard moves, Sirius will be on full time. As stated above by someone else music may be the morning solution for most stations since you can't top an original........