Boy, has this industry veered off course! More like a shipwreck at this point. It seems so much attention is being paid to maximizing radio profits using the internet. Let’s sell web advertising to our sponsors , and sell music downloads to our listeners. I’m amazed at all the crap they cram on the stations websites. Now we have dj blogs (for the 2 or 3 jocks that are actually live), video clips to view that have nothing to do with the radio station, and so it goes. The internet should be used as a marketing tool to retain listeners. You first need a great product on the air, then they come to your website.
I’m always reading on this site how great radio was back in the 70’s. I agree it was an incredible time in broadcast history. We had programmers that understood what was needed to capture and retain an audience. Programmers that actually developed air talent. There were station owners that had properties in various sized markets where they could groom talent at the smaller stations and move them to larger markets. It was a wonderful time to be in the business!
So, looking around, what do we have today? Not much, really. Overall a pretty boring industry where creativity has been all but eliminated. Commercial sets that go on forever. Voice-tracking, which really never connects with the community and the audience. Syndicated programming , which was a fill-in for a few hours on the weekend, is becoming a replacement for local talent. It’s hard to find anyone on the air in this market that is live, and allowed to relate to the audience and community. That was the beauty of radio in the past. It was great tuning in to WLS or WCFL in the 60’s and 70’s and getting a picture in your mind of what Chicago was like, by listening to the radio. Try that today in any market. It just doesn’t work. Localization of stations has given way to VT, syndication and board operators.
I think there is hope for the industry. You will see large broadcast companies selling off properties in the next few years. Those that were attracted to the industry that created these large companies will steer clear of radio. The new buyer will be aware of past mistakes and be in it for the right reasons. You may even see the FCC changing how many stations can be owned, and limiting ownership to just 2 or 3 properties per market. Let’s look at this current financial state the country is in, as a corrective measure that has been long overdue. Everything has been so over-priced and over-leveraged, it had to break down, eventually.
I wish the best for those that have lost their jobs through all of this. We will all survive, and become stronger. And a new era in radio will once again appear, and it will be great!

You're right Big89. The business will survive the idiots, and even now there are some outposts of good programming and websites. Try looking at WGN's website. They do a wonderful job of humanizing their people and being part of Chicago.

Big89-

Although I do agree with much of what you have stated let me just give you an example from my broadcasting career currently.

My wife and I voice track a morning show in Coos Bay. One of the bits we do weekly is called "What's on the Bedside Table." A fancy name for a book review. My wife, who is my co-host, is a veracious reader, she reads and book then gives a book report every Thursday morning at our 8:40am break.

This past week we received an email from a listener who responded to my wife's latest book report and stated how much she enjoys listening each week.

As I have said numerous times in the past, VTing is not the best, however you can make it entertaining and localized and still connect with your audience and be relevant.

As Mike Sakellarides formerly of KOST FM once said, "[On voicetracking his Saturday show]...it’s either come in and do it live or produce it automated by doing the tracks. I have told co-workers and students alike: ‘A live radio show is like performing on the stage in real time before a live audience with all its potential for brilliance or disaster. An automated or ‘Prophetized’ show is like acting in the movies. It is produced out of sequence, but hopefully, with the very best takes and editing...when they are done well, *both* should satisfy the audience.’

I agree with this.

Frankly, I don't see tracking being a problem. Given all the cool tech we have now, it's a given and should be part of the process. It might actually help on the content creation side, as anybody with some talent and desire, can be capable of a pro quality production in their home studio.

Given we see things pick up to the point where innovation can happen again, don't count out the VT. It won't ever be like the 70's again. It will be something new. That's good, and I can't wait because I really like radio!

The thing that is harming radio today is the consolidation, and seriously mis-managed expectations all around, both listeners and radio professionals.

That's a management problem.

I bring this back up because I think it bears mentioning and contemplating here among industry people who have lost objectivity on the product of radio because it's their job:

Does today's average listener care? Poll one hundred average radio listeners from all different demographics. What do they care about? Music? News? Weather? Traffic? Do most really care about listening to a local talking head telling them about their community? Would any of them really recognize "Voice Tracking" if they weren't told what it was? Do most care if the spots between songs and commercials is hosted by a local guy or a national guy?

I'm guessing that across the board, most of the answers would be NO. The minority of radio listeners that listen for that local flair of Barney Keep, Craig Walker, etc. are dying of old age. Younger people have many, many options available to them when it comes to music and entertainment, and radio is just something they listen to in the car when they are going somewhere, or to Talk Radio when they want to vent.

No offense to anyone reading this, but radio is dying. In some ways, Television is dying, too. The Internet has signed each one's death certificate. The big corporations that we all hate are doing anything they can to put the industry on life support, and unfortunately that means syndication and voice tracking. But even they see the writing on the wall. All of the radio old-timers on here can bitch and complain about how radio is changing and not for the better, and while you are right, there's nothing you can do to stop it.

Both Chris and Big89 make very valid points, however where I disagree with Chris is that radio is dying. We are in a time of economic peril. Mind you, just like every other recession- we will come out of this. “We’ve” ( as in all of us 45+) all been through it before, and I think that the “ big” shock about it is that the Gen x’ers/ “ Me” generation never really had to deal with a sizeable recession, and lord forbid actually have to make sacrifices.
With that being said, the radio is ***FREE***, whereas the internet and cable isn’t! This is a time where broadcast companies can create a sentimental bond with listeners.
The net is a GREAT thing, and we as an industry should embrace it, but to say that radio is dying is a bit far fetched. Remember, Chris, that people at one point thought that TV would kill radio. It didn’t, because radio adapted. We are still several years off from every car having an internet receiver, and every driver having a car with an internet receiver in their car. As a matter of fact, I believe that technology will be on hold, as consumers have seemed to have for right now anyways, put fuel efficiency and alternative fuels in front of luxury and gadgets. You can’t beat free. And terrestrial radio is free. And FREE right now is a very good word!

No, most all listeners won't hear a tracked show, until a mistake is made. Even then, it's not a worry as the show for the next day can just own up to it and spin it positive!

No offense taken here.

I honestly think piping content from all over the place is one of the better models. It's not live, but it is an awful fresh memorex. Mix in some interrupt capability, and live can be done in an instant, if need be.

That same net, that is supposedly gonna kill radio, is an absolutely wonderful tool, when used to either help produce it, or enhance the value of it.

Didn't the HD Radio guys cite a 2 billion dollar market for replacement radios? It was something like that. No worries, the point is BIG.

Even little kids know what radios are and how they work. You get one in your hands, power it, and twiddle the dial until you hear some cool stuff! We found one on our last beach trip. It had a winder too! Total freebie! It was great to crank it, and tune the dial by the fire...

Compare and contrast this with the Internet and related IP technologies. It takes a veritable army to bring us the net each day. The number of enabling technologies necessary to power the net, and extend it is quite a bit higher than those required for radio to work well.

Radio can be done by TWO people, if you have to. One guy to actually be the broadcaster, and the other one in case he tips over!

(And I'm serious about the low head count bit, not the tipping over.)

Radio is a very lean technology, compared to the others. It's also robust compared to the others. Finally, it's dead simple to use compared to the others.

Those things have not changed, and they are seriously good differentiators, no matter what anybody says. (Probably sour grapes over potentially losing their ass because they failed to grok the medium before going all in.)

All of it adds up to one hell of a value proposition.

So what has changed?

Well, when radio was doing really well, it's ownership was well distributed.

Now we've got big ass companies literally bleeding the infrastructure dry! Radio is lean. Always has been lean. Always will be lean.

The current management structure that dominates most of radio isn't lean, and there is the rub.

Truth is, we either have too many stations or we don't, or we have the wrong kinds of owners or we don't, and the content is being innovated on, or it isn't.

That's all there is to the decision tree for radio!

It's not much.

In the end, the industry will do what it does, the dust will settle, and work will get done, and the people will still pick up the radios and twiddle the dial until they hear cool stuff.

The infrastructure isn't good for anything else, that isn't easily done other ways. The ton of radios just sitting around means there is a lot of value on both ends too.

Like fax machines. You know, one of them is worthless. Two of them is pretty cool. Lots of them is like gold.

Radio works like that, and there is gold in them there hills!

Just needs an experienced prospector, with a lean operation, to get at it. The ore isn't in big chunks where you can tool up and score, then sell.

It's in little pieces everywhere. Tool up slowly, investing profits into better machines, and soon you have one hell of an operation, with a great yield.

Radio has no core indicators on the technical level that would even come close to it dying.

Before we talk about that, could we at least wait until the production of radios is in trouble, like we did for VHS?

I don't think radio will get back to basics until the present owners, who paid insane amounts for their properties, get crushed to death by the debt they can't service. After that dust cloud settles there might be some hope of some good basic radio again under new ownership. Maybe...

I'd like to tell you about my wife's new cell phone. Well, it isn't really a cell phone; it just looks like one. What it really is, is a fully functional laptop computer with free wireless internet access. It didn't exactly cost a fortune either. Actually, it really is a cell phone.

Just heard from a friend, says he's standing on the beach in Miami and he's listening to my Internet radio station on his mobile device! Seems like something is up!

Semoochie...I think that I've got the same cell phone. In fact, I think that your wife may have stolen mine.

No, we've got a receipt.

The one thing voice tracking can not be is immediate.

When the floodwaters rise, why do people turn to the TV or internet? Not because it's easier. As usual, Missing_kskd is right on...there's nothing easier to operate than a radio.

The reason is that one day they turned on their easy-to-use radios and the info they wanted wasn't there. Why wasn't the DJ talking about it?
Try another station. Automated syndicated talk. And on and on...

And one opinion about music radio. The day the musicradio died was the day owners and programmers started believing their own hype that it's "all about the music". PD's started picking records to play like employees picking funds for their 401K. You know, looking over shoulders to see what others are picking, instead of using your own gut and local research.

Now one person picks the songs heard on hundreds of stations.

When radio relied on deejays to build the audience, stations would get 40 shares. When radio started relying on the music alone to build audience, they got 4 shares.

A station didn't get those huge numbers by playing "more music, less talk".

The only way to get a 40 share today is to own eight stations in a market.

And the only way to operate eight stations in a lean way is to track.

Voice tracking is here to stay. It has been around for 30 years or more. I did my first tracking in 1982 in Coos Bay. Tracking can be done well and sound great and even be topical. But much of it isn't and doesn't.

And, by its own definition, none of it is immediate.

One last thought. Yes radio is free to the end user, that is, buy a radio, turn it on, and get free audio. But of course radio is not free. Never was or will be. Somebody pays and there lies the question. Who is able or willing to pay?

IMHO, building in the business arrangements for immediate is a matter of lunch for some people.

Technically, I'm sure it's possible there too.

The rest can be combinations of tracked programming, live, and themed shows of all kinds.

"all about the music" -- sets of tunes, played in a rotation is worthless now. Anybody can do that, on any device. Hell, the music is largely worthless now, as anybody can obtain about anything on any device now. And options range from free and legal (via sampling or trials, or other kinds of business models) to pay per track or album.

So that's over.

Who can pay? The answer is who always pays, advertizers.

The problem is radio is not currently LEAN. It needs to be. If you fatten it up with too much corporate cruft, there are too many bodies to pay for, and that means more spots than the average person is willing to tolerate.

(that is the number one reason I hear when people talk about not using ordinary radio)

Tracking is lean. Distributed ownership is lean. Technology can be lean. All good things, from my point of view.

Make it lean, and it will be viable, period.

The other half of it, that I personally am missing these days, is the "twiddle the dial and hear cool stuff!" part!

It's there on some stations, some of the time, and that's cool. That's where I listen.

But, it's not really there on most stations most of the time.

Tracking has zero to do with it. The not LEAN element has everything to do with it.

If there are too many bodies, then costs come from somewhere. That somewhere is content creation and innovation. It's also in the form of diluting the medium with too many spots.

When print rags experience this problem, they cut pages, or eliminate publications, and or restructure to scale back to viability. They have the exact same content problem radio does; namely, most all of it is available in other venues.

For those guys, I maintain going lean is good, and offering content not easily obtained elsewhere is good.

Same for radio.

Talk is doing great! Why? There is a reason to listen every day, and that's drama, embodied in our absolutely rich political environment! You can't make that stuff up! Seriously! It's great, and I enjoy it for the drama, and because it's meaningful in that my life is impacted.

On music radio, where is the drama? We've a morning show or two that's getting it done. We've also a radio drama, old school style, maybe getting it done! (I think it's cool anyway)

But we are missing it elsewhere! If the music has little value, the arrangements of it have little value, spots have little value, where the hell is the value add then?

Drama --> which produces daily relevance. Also context can do this too. In that scenario, it's not so much daily relevance as it is "what's new?" and "why it's cool!".

Talk radio gives us conversations that happen each day, and food for thought. (and the better talk does that, so let's just not go to bottom feeders right now, that's another topic)

With music, we should be hearing a bit about WHY that music is being aired! What's the context of it? Who is listening, where is it being played live, what influences brought it to us, what is the band doing, how does it relate to portland, what good memories are associated with it, and so on.

Think of music as news. (just bear with me) The facts are of the least value these days, just as hearing a track is. What does have value? Commentary and analysis of the news has HUGE value, as does the DRAMA of it.

So then, put the music into context. Tell us some stories! We like stories! People always have. It's one of the primary forms of drama, and we haven't changed, meaning the appeal of it hasn't changed.

Corporate radio doesn't want to go there, but the people on the radio matter. We can get to know them, they can bring us drama of various kinds, and they can put music into context.

That's the value add!

Eg: KNRK -- Gustav. I know a bit about him. Not much, but some. I know something about the listeners, because he brings them on some times. He brings us the local DJ scene at 6, and if he's got time, he will answer to an IM or quick phone in.

Now here's another thing. It's not necessary to actually phone it in, or do that IM, for the drama to work! It only has to be POSSIBLE. From there, people can connect and relate to the story, whatever it is.

Track it, do it live, maybe combine, with the track running, but the IM active! Ever think of that?

The key to that is connecting one mind to another, or indirectly by listening in to two minds exchanging something. That's drama.

It does not come from machines. Shuffle how ever much you want to, at the other end of that is a machine, and behind that is a mind. Very weak connection. No good. Live is the strongest, tracked can be the next strongest, other communication follows that, and combination reinforce one another.

That's value.

We won't see the 70's again. We can see new forms now though. And a lot of that stuff that has worked will work, but it's got to be LEAN.

BTW: I mean absolutely no slam on "mis-managed expectations", and "Radio professionals". What I should have wrote above is "radio management".

Sorry about that. It should clarify the post.

(I got a coupla heated e-mails!!)

The expectation is that they can just bundle up a gob of stations, then milk them for cash. What they miss is that like any sales engine (and radio is selling stuff), it takes time to build, and that building happens through relationships and context (just like good selling does), and that happens between people.

Take out the people and you lose the relationship and the context, and with that the value.

And the selling is either "the cool", or "the drama" which can be cool, or "the ideas" or "the meaning of the news", or "the scene". Those kinds of things are connecting things that people can latch on to and enjoy.

That's what is being sold. The daily relevance is the hook that gets people to tolerate the spots. Without it, the spots are pretty ugly, and they go to a pod, or cell phone, or laptop, or sat radio, or just do without and seek other entertainment.

BTW: Getting profit from the Internet is a GOOD thing. It's another sales channel! And it's not geographically limited like a tower is.

So, there is this other sales channel. Great!

What is being sold?

That's the problem. Sort that out, and the Internet is nothing but a value add.

I'll step up and buy a modest podcast subscription, just like I'll listen to AD spots. What am I getting for that? What's the product!

Sure as heck isn't all about the music. Can get that anywhere. That podcast has got to matter some how. It's got to have some drama that I can be entertained with.

If you have a successful podcast, you have a successful track. Both work equally well, both have their weaknesses too. Either can be a source. If it happens on air, then podcast it for bonus points. If it happens to be produced as a podcast, air it for bonus points!

With a LEAN model, where ownership is distributed, the more of these sources we have, the better it is for everybody!

Some markets have lots of local stuff going on, they are sources. Others have nothing. They are drains. The Internet makes leveraging that totally possible, and attractive, frankly.

And god forbid something does happen! Interrupt the thing, and tell people all about it! That's the lunches and tech arrangements, right?

It's not too difficult to imagine somebody producing material for various places, with a standing retainer to get out there and after it when warranted.

That solves your immediate problem.

The only thing getting in the way of this kind of stuff is larger corporations, and their poorly aligned expectations for what returns are possible and how to get at them.

(sorry it's sunday....)

One other thing. There are a ton of available radios. Say only a small fraction of the people pick them up and twiddle the dial.

Say they actually find something cool!

They could tell their friends, and they will have radios.

And that means, despite all the damage, the thing can build like no other, given some momentum.

Ron-

Great points about voice tracking. For sure when 9/11 happened we were screwed. But then again I don't believe people were turning into a smooth jazz station in Coos Bay for the latest information that day.

We have found that our audience is pretty passive. It's really about the music anyway. However since we've been in the Bay Area market for nearly 8 years we have learned some things about the place that we can reference. We have found web sites that can gives us good local content.

We've done giveaways on the air. It's a bit tricky and means rising a bit earlier in the day to voice track a day of contest winner but we can do it and make it sound immediate. The average isn't aware what is live and what is not.

None of us are "average" radio listeners by virtue of the fact that we joined this message board.

Having said that, I find it a tragedy that professionalism seems to be at an all time low, at a time when it is really dangerous for things to be that way. A lot of the "new media" like audio blogs and hobbyist-produced podcasts and streaming radio stations are very amateurish-sounding because the people creating them don't have the training and experience necessary to produce a better sounding product. If commercial media outlets would shell out the money to hire the right people, they could easily differentiate themselves from the amateurs. Unfortunately, this opportunity is largely being missed because it would cost too much. Thus, we largely hear automation on the commercial stations while DJs, with moderate to low skill levels are spinning the music on KBPS, KBOO, and KMHD*. As such, most radio listeners today outside of talk radio have almost no concept of what quality radio personalities sound like.

The discussion of live vs. remote voice tracked radio is almost like a religious discussion, and I doubt that there will be a consensus. Practically speaking, I think that this needs to be looked at as a form of telecommuting, in the same way that Dr. Bill Wattenberg (who I am listening to now) and other talk show hosts now do their shows from home studios. There are going to be some who say that they work better from the comfort of home while others will claim that having to go into the radio station is a ritual that they have to perform in order to become mentally prepared to go on the air. All I can say is that the only radio work that I have ever done has been live, at the radio station.

*KMHD tends to have better-sounding personalities, in my opinion, than the other two stations.

IN the last couple of years KMHD went from a collage sounding station. To where they are giving the big boys a run for there money. Good for them. Sad for radio. IMO.

Alfredo-

This message board IS skewed away from the "average" listener.

I can't tell how many people I have met in my nearly 30 years in broadcasting who think they can be a DJ or personality because it looks just so easy and anybody can do it. The same can be said about the voice over work and or the mobile DJ industry that I am apart of.

There is also a subjective nature in our business that you can't ignore.

So many people on this board just absolutely rank on quality professionals who do their jobs quite well, but because they personally don't find them funny, or their delivery isn't what they like they accuse them of being horrible broadcasters.

Those posts really bring down this board to the gutter. Such pettiness. It seems everyone has an opinion but in many cases its uneducated. Those who take the time to define and defend their opinion I can respect even though I may come to a different conclusion.

My wife and I have tossed around the idea of doing a podcast. However I want to make money doing it and truly want to broadcast something I have an interest in and then hopefully present it in a way others find entertaining and informative. Then again I have to find the time too.

Alfredo -- I admit that many of the kids we have on the air have moderate to low skill levels. THEY'RE STUDENTS LEARNING THE BUSINESS!! I am grateful to everyone who tunes in to 1450, but frankly I would not care if no one listened. That's not the point. Our entire focus is to try and get some kids interested in this crazy business of radio in hopes that somewhere down the line they can provide the spark that will reinvigorate the industry.

I'm not trying to attack the student air personalities who are trying to learn their craft. I apologize if my post came across that way. I was on the air at a university student radio station years ago, myself. The tragedy, I think, is that seasoned professionals working at the conglomerate-owned stations are being let go because they are being deemed too expensive to keep on the payroll.

Bill Cooper...even after all these years "I'm still learning the business."

Had an interesting experience yesterday 3/7! Went down to Pioneer Square in downtown Portland for the open house KGW had for their new studio. I was just curious and thought I'd take the opportunity to see the new remote broadcast location. The experience kinda turned on me and ended up reminding me much about what radio used to be. As we walked in the door there were two of the top managers of KGW news, happily explaining the new studio and welcoming us, it seemed very sincere. As we continued into the actual studio up stepped Dave Salesky and Brenda Braxton offering to shake hands with me, just a nobody viewer. Stephanie Stricklen, Joe Smith, Drew Carney and other air people were there just hangin' out being friendly with fans/viewers. The studio is very techie, with robotic cameras and a cool set. It still surprised me how much it reminded me of radio's past. Air personalities actually working the audience in a very professional sincere way. Pretty amazing!

Most on air tv talent are just ordinary people who happen to be on tv, I have found. There are a few exceptions, however.

I had a radio timewarp myself. I was driving north on I-5. While flipping through the dial, I noticed that KLOG (Kelso) and KGY (Olympia) were running full-service formats with real live DJs. One of them even commented on the snowfall that was being captured by one of the ODOT traffic cameras in the area.

Ya,

About how easy some people think broadcasting is ...One time I was doing one of those off site car remotes and I had to switch around to 3 different dealers , 3 breaks an hour. Well I was set up in front of the convention center part of the remote site and of course they were running our station over the PA in the building. This battleax white trash woman comes out of the place and runs up to me and says loudly to her friends " well look who has the EASY JOB around here "...." all he has to do is talk , he doesnt really have to sell anything" ...

I just smiled at her and turned around...

Good call. There is no winning that one.

There is a saying that is used in some performing sports...
The good make the difficult look easy.

.... it's "all about the music".

GAWD I HATE THAT COMMENT...

Heard it a hundred times....

No different than "because I said so"

Not a real answer, just a dismissive comment by someone with no passion, no understanding of communication, no answers, and no convictions...

Really, it isn't and that is a problem easily solved.

It's about.... what's coming out of the speakers. Always has been, always will be.

You're right Joe, but I think some of you guys are missing the point about what is happening to Radio. The voice-tracking and staff layoffs and automation are only the symptoms. The CAUSE is that most of the big broadcast companies, in the rush to consolidate, paid too much for too many stations, and now that big debt is coming back to haunt them. And, there have been some real bone-head decisions made by people without enough Radio experience. Bankruptcy for some of these companies will be difficult, but I believe in the long run it will be our friend.