Bicoastal Media

Thoughts?

That is a pretty big chunk of money for them...I doubt Cheap Channel would sell for cheap.

Isn't sales info listed on the FCC web site? Where on the site do you look for that sort of thing?

Bicoastal Media is much too "small market" for Eugene.

That's what I thought, too. But if it's true, considering how Bicoastal runs their existing stations, it would be really good for Cumulus. I believe Eugene and Medford would be their only rated markets.

How do they run thier current stations ? They believe in live and loca ? or bare bones operating ?

bare bones... live morning/PD then Otto.......

They have an opportunity to make an impact in several places, but the audience doesn't deserve better

If this is true, it marks a departure from their business model of only going into markets where they own the majority of signals. By the way,
I've heard it's Eugene and Albany, not Medford. This could be bad news for Eugene radio (unless you're competing against Bicoastal).
Bicoastal runs things CHEAP with little if any committment to local programming. They only
"serve" their community when they can ALSO sell
sponsorships and make money with "food drives"
or "coats for kids." Bicoastal is not a bad company to work for if you're in the sales departments, but if you're on-air, beware.
Eugene would be their largest market by far.
I suspect they'd be biting off more than they can chew. The head guy is pretty sharp, but he's surrounded by a bunch of empty suits.
If I worked at Cumulus or McKenzie, I'd be thrilled if this happens.

Aren't Eugene and Albany considered the same cluster? On the CC website, all the stations are listed as "Albany/Corvallis/Eugene".

True. But not all of their Corvallis and Albany stations actually reach Eugene. Bicoastal will have to do things MUCH differently if they want to compete in places like Medford or Eugene.

so.......anything else heard about this group yet?

I know Bicoastal runs their stations very "lean" down on the South Coast of Oregon, and the Northern California coast. Most of their stations only have a local morning show, and then run satellite from 10a on. I can't see them being able to compete well in a market where they don't own over 70% of the stations, as they do almost everywhere else.

As I mentioned in a different thread, they're not really interested in doing good local radio.
Where I worked for them, only mornings were live
and corporate would have preferred satellite
in AM Drive. Their flagship stations are 100% satellite. No comittment to serving the community unless they can also profit from
community service, like selling sponsorships
of Coats For Kids campaigns etcetera. Also big into selling bargain basement commercials in one-day
"fire sales." FYI: I left Bicoastal voluntarily, so I have no grudge against them,
and bottom line...it's their company, they're
entitled to run it their way. I just don't agree with their way of doing business. They
made no secret of the fact that they want to get up to 100 stations and then sell the company.

Who is funding the company?

There are A LOT of people involved financially.
Several people "in the shadows" who even the various GMs can't identify. Though that's the case with many corporate radio entities these days. Ken Dennis is the main man, and he's pretty sharp and highly qualified. Unfortunately
his qualifications aren't reflected (as far as I could tell) in the way the company operates.
It seems to be "all about the money" and not
quality. Again, fairly typical of this company and many others. :-(

Has anybody heard anymore. Don't think Bicoastal has the funding to pull it off. Just an opinion.

The only thing I've heard since the original rumor was your basic, "lawyers talking... nothing final."

Done deal today. Bicoastal will buy CC Eugene, Albany, and Medford.

Today's R&R:

California company Bicoastal Media has agreed to purchase Clear Channel's KIFS-FM, KLDZ-FM, KMED-AM, KRWQ-FM & KZZE-FM/Medford, Ore., and KDUK-FM, KEJO-AM, KFLY-FM, KLOO-AM & FM, KODZ-FM, KPNW-AM, KRKT-FM & KTHH-AM/Albany, Ore. Terms of the deal were undisclosed.

Bicoastal, headed by Kenneth Dennis, owns stations in Oregon, California and Washington. Kalil & Co. served as the exclusive broker for the transaction

Wow! Eugene/Springfield is huge market for Bicoastal! Hopefully, they'll keep things local, unlike their stations in Ukiah/Lakeport, Eureka, Crescent City, Coos Bay, Longview, The Dalles & Hood River.

I wouldn't count on it. I consider this sale a great thing for the other stations in those markets.

Perhaps this acquisition will signal a new modus operandi for the company. One can hope.

this is their first entry into a market with actual revenue.

Bicoastal is actually owned and operated by radio people rather than venture capitalists.

With that in mind, I imagine they'll keep the stations as they are.

They are already being run about as cheaply as possible with voice-tracking and syndication.

..."Bicoastal is actually owned and operated by radio people rather than venture capitalists."

Scary then. If "RADIO PEOPLE" have no commitment to delivering a local focus, then the cluster mentality money grab has become the norm. There seems to be a growing group of mini CCs on a regional basis. The CC model and dereg has created radios version of "mini-me".....

Buying eight stations in one market and five in another offers no real competition. They certainly won't "compete" with themselves, and going head to head with the others will be more like an undercard fight. You don't have to be great, just a better mediocre than the others.

I can't shake the belief that The five Medford stations would be forced to be more competitive with two or three owners, and A/C/E and the eight stations under three or four. One group owner replacing another does nothing to raise the bar.

With that being said, can stations only function as a cluster in todays climate? If so, then the revenue pie is too small to support so many and the answer is, strengthening local commitment and competition can only come through fewer stations.

The purchase of the groups is certainly a business achievement for BiCoastal, but in those markets, nothing has changed. One owner replaces another. The downside is that Bi now has a much bigger nut to crack than CC had. If CC was running thin, then there isn't any fat to trim to kick start the revenue stream. You can't expect them to add much in the way of additional personnel costs....

Look to their other operations to get an idea of how these latest markets will operate. No reason to do anything differently, and depending the cost and terms, maybe leaner.

Best wishes for business success, but nothing has really changed other than the letterhead.

you mean to say they still wont have a job for you.

Why did you make it about me?

The idea of building a cluster, then selling as a cluster has only been made possible since dereg. Before then a company could certainly buy a broadcast interest but a 7 station purchase might have been an AM/FM combo in a couple of different markets, and single stations in others.

Now, a company can buy multiples within the same market. It's an issue of either too many stations within a market, or too few players within a market. The difference between Bi and CC is a regional interest.... You can find it in many markets, Delmarva in the east, Keymarket and Forever in PA. Three Eagles in Nebraska, New Northwest, and many others. Similar business models, cluster oriented. Not good not bad, just business. It's what the industry has evolved into. I'm not a fan of Clusters. I am even less of a fan when a company puts five stations into a market then simulcasts them. That was the direction of my post. Any thought of what Bi Coastal will do is purely conjecture and based on what they have done in other markets.

Let me ask this. Would a market be more competitive with 3 owners and 6 stations, or 3 owners dividing up 30 stations?

So, feel free to offer a thought on the commentary, but why waste the time with a weak putdown.

(addendum)

I am feeling bad that your post doesn't relate to the thread, so I will be kind enough to validate your post. Since you want to read most of what I write as a veiled job hunt, let me humor you and make the subject about me....... No thanks necessary.

....So BiCoastal is buying 13 stations in Medford and Eugene areas, Wow, that should really open up some on air slots. We all know Clear Channel wasn't big on adding talents or truly serving their local markets. Looking forward to the new owners really committing to delivering a wide variety of a dynamic live and local focused programming. This should be a great opportunity for those looking. I can't wait to get my stuff to them.

There, satisfied?

actually roger you sound like a nice guy so i'm sorry for the put down.

that said my point was not that you are making a veiled job hunt, its that you are always on here complaining about the reality of radio when in reality you should (in my opinion) either find a way to fit into the business you love as it is or give up on it.

i'm just kinda tired of hearing how hard it is to get a gig.

i've been in the business for 29 years now and it has always been challenging getting a gig.

i came to the realization 10 years ago that being one of 10,000 people applying for 10 jobs was not a good thing.

i found an area of the business where i have skills but there are more like 10 people applying for 10 jobs.

maybe instead of lamenting the current state of the business you'd be better off finding a way that you can either fit in or look at the landscape differently.

if it is about creating and delivering content that you like then there are other venues besides radio.

if what you like is specifically talking on the radio then you've chosen a tough row to hoe.

that is your choice. you can only control your career, you can not control whether the industry goes your way or another.

if the industry presently does not favor what you have chosen then all the lamenting in the world wont change a thing.

consolidation and clusters is the reality in radio now. the problem with any cluster unless it is locally owned is that up to 40% of the gross goes to someone out of the market as profit or to service debt.

your idea of pre consolidation radio would still work if it were the reality. local owners with a few stations would not have to send all the profits out the door and could afford to hire a few people. however the price of stations has been run up by the consolidation induced buying spree. this puts the price of small and medium market stations out of reach to the average business person in such a market. especially if they have to "have investors" to buy in. then they are back to sending the profits out the door instead of investing in their operation and people.

I believe BCI in Roseburg is one of the very few locally owned clusters in the region. they actually hire staff and do very well by not having to service giant debt loads and keeping the money local.

as far as bicoastal goes, there is no record of how they may operate stations in markets where it is actually possible to make a buck. virtually every market they are presently in happens to be economically depressed and over saturated with signals.

in places like eureka, coos bay, and longview, they have no choice in running cheap. i'm sure they are still selling $5 spots in those markets.

eugene and medford will be a whole other world for them. who knows what they will do with actual income. thats why i think it's unfair to judge their way of business on how they operate in their current markets.

my 2 sheckles on you and the topic at hand.

I rarely post, however I would like to give a little insight to Bicoastal. Currently I am managing the group in Hood River and The Dalles. In addition I used to at one time own part of the group just purchased and managed for Clear Channel in Albany/Corvallis and was the regional manager over Medford until 2002.

First, I can assure that Bicoastal is well funded. Their "dry powder" is enough to do any deal that might consider. Before the purchase of the stations here, I did hear rumors concerning this. The rumors are unfounded.

As a number of the folks visiting this site know, I have 37 years in every part of the radio business. I share with a number of you a nostolgia for more live radio, more resources, etc. However today "it is what it is". Bicoastal has done nothing to take anything away from their markets. They have used all that was in place to run efficiently. I can attest that they are willing to invest in their markets. Here, we are in the process of moving the stations to new studios...not a cheap project.

The people that run Bicoastal are honorable people with a small corporate staff. The combined experience of Ken Dennis, Mike Wilson and Kevin Mostyn is much deeper that most people in Oregon would realize. The recent growth will certainly test the company, but it is not beyond the scope of the collective strength. They are supported by good managers in their markets and Larry Rogers and Susu Mahood, Managers in the new markets are no exception. I believe they are a great addition to the team.

In today's small and medium market world I believe that Bicoastal is a good place to invest one's career. I would look for more growth and continued improvements in their operation.

No talent valid points... except quit reading every post as a lament that I can't get a gig. Never came up. the last was tongue in cheek.

Gross, thanks for chiming in good to see the vewpoint from that side of the aisle.

That being said Live talent is not a "nostalgia thing" that it is made out to be. Just the current favor. I happen to believe that LIVE, ACCESSABLE talent is as important to the presentation of the station to the audience as any other department. Unfortunate that the current mindset does not recognize the fact that the talent is "SELLING" the station every time the mic is cracked. Philosophical differences.

I think owners are missing the boat in that regard. Obviously most think differently.

If you have ever gone through trying to reach a live body on the telephone for a customer service question, only to have to press various buttons on the phone or left on hold because "(all) both of our representitives are helping other customers"...you might equate that with offering the bulk of a broadcast day spewing out of a computer rather than a live voice.

With too many stations on the dial it may be an economic necessity for some stations. Unfortunate that "OTTO" is far more widespread than it needs to be. The listener and the advertiser are both shortchanged. Live radio does a better job at creating an active listener.
Passive listeners are more likely to miss the commercials, and that is where the advertiser is the loser.

Again, philosophical. I think a mix between live reads and produced spots is more effective than a block of spots after the 12 in a row. Obviously wrong, because of the number of sound alike stations that package long music sweeps of more rock no talk, spiffy sweepers telling the listener they are listening to more rock and no talk then losing them as soon as the five minutes of music free commercials start!

SO, if I listen to station A playing 56 minutes of commercial free minutes of todays best country puntuated by a VTed intro or linercard or a cute sweeper telling me I am listening to Todays best country, And station B is playing 12 in a row of todays country and my familiar favorites, puntuated by a VTed intro or linercard or a cute sweeper telling me I am listening to 12 in a row of todays country and my familiar favorites,
What does station B offer to make me switch?

If you manage station B what do you offer that makes station A's listeners switch? I think you do what station A isn't. I believe that a solid live station will beat a jukebox station....

It takes more effore and money to create than it is worth to many operators.

Unfortunate the radio business has become as much as buying and selling stations as it is selling commercial time to make a comfortable living.
Fact is too many stations have sold for far more than their actual value. At some point the debt service outweighs income potential. can't fully staff and promote a place if your operating at 105 percent of income!

I was asked by a CBC program researcher if I had find any stations in Canada doing live radio on the all-night show, especially after 1 a.m. And I was surprised how many I found with a little help from friends. Ironically, half or less were in major markets.

At a time when only AM and PM drive are the only live radio on many stations, I am constantly being amazed by other stations when I hear live radio at the oddest times -- like Sunday mid-morning. Even the largest companies here run a few of their stations with live staff from at least 5am-midnight, including music-based ones.

"Even the largest companies here run a few of their stations with live staff from at least 5am-midnight, including music-based ones."

If these stations can sell ads and be profitable with live staffs outside of AM/PM drive, then maybe you will see more. Results sell. Morons like me can harp about LIVE-LOCAL and PROFITABLE, but only someone who is implementing it successfully carries any weight.

Understandably, some station owners can not do it and be financially viable. many can, but choose not to. Just a point of view. don't get all worked up.

We were driving through Medford over the weekend--found a station at 730am. . .anyone know what it is? It was unsual because they played music (MOR Standards)for nearly 60 minutes of the hour and had little or no commercials. And the signal came in quite strong all the way thru Roseburg and into Sutherland. They never identified the call letters.
Nothing like you'd find here in the metro market.

That used to be KBOY, the Top 40 I'd listen to when driving through the area.

730AM is KEZX... used to be EZ730 playing Adult Standards. They are now News/Talk during the week and Adult Standards on the weekends.

It's unusual, since their format is talk. KEZX, 730 on the AM dial in Medford, is owned by Opus Broadcasting. It's a locally owned group. They also own Regional Mexican KRTA (610 AM), KROG (Alternative Rock, 96.9 FM) and KCNA (102.7 The Drive-Classic Hits). Plus, they also just signed on KRVC (Outlaw Country, 98.9 FM).

Wow, someone was prognostic.

A couple months ago, Opus changed "Outlaw Country" to "98.9 The Wolf" with a New Country format. This was due to "Kat Country 105" flipping to "Hank FM"...leaving room for a New Country station in the market.

www.989thewolf.com

Gross,
Moving all the stations in the Gorge to new studios? I'll bet that reads into the same building, in either Hood River or The Dalles. While the Hood River operation wasn't very visible(Located in a house in a residential district), at least they were there. The Dalles operation, on the second floor of a downtowan street corner, at least had some visibility. What will change when whatever move is happening is finally made?

Your post was well-written and appreciated. But I thnk it was just management spin and that nothing will change and none of the stations in the Gorge cluster will get any closer to live and local than they are now. BiC doesn't have a track record for upping the live and local content/operation of any station they've purchased that I've ever seen.

KACI-FM should change back to a live & local pop music format!

What license is Opus broadcasting with for "98-9 The Wolf"? I am not able to find any station in the Medford area that is on the frequency.

Radioexpert,
My bad, even in my hometown regarding the name change of Opus' attempt at a country station in a market that already has three of them (KRWQ, KAKT and KRRM).

KRVC 98.9... Hornbrook CA.

http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?list=0&facid=165983

In the Eugene Register Guard today (5/8/07)
Clear Channel to sell Eugene stations, KPNW-AM, KDUK-FM, KODZ-FM and KFLY-FM to Bicoastal Media for about $37 million.
Read all about it at:
http://www.registerguard.com/news/2007/05/08/e1.bz.radio.0508.p1.php

Could Bicoastal be planning to buy Clear Channel's properties in Yakima and the Tri-Cities?

food for thought. If the finances work I think they would seriously consider it.

All Access reports the CC-Bicoastal deal at: $37,179,000.00

I think the real issue is NOT whether BiCoastal is well-funded, but whether or not they'll add any significant amount of live and local programming to their acquired stations in the Gorge, the Valley, or anywhere, for that matter. Judging by past history, the answer is a resoundinging loud NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

yes, but they might have a live morning show at one or two of their new acquisitions

The mornings are live on KPNW, KODZ and KDUK in Eugene, and on KRWQ, KMED, KLDZ and KIFS in Medford (KZZE, I'm not sure)...then there's "Party Line" Paul on KWRO in Coquille-Coos Bay from 8:00 to 9:00. No other BiCoastal Coos Bay stations are live (KOOS is locally voicetracked). I'm sure that KRKT and KLOO AM/FM in Albany/Corvallis are live in the morning.

Correction... Mornings on KIFS haven't been live/local since last fall. They run Valentine out of LA now. KZZE carries Mancow.

What? stations can carry programs from other areas? What will they think of next!

The Eugene/Albany/Corvallis LMA starts on June 1, 2007. Shall we take a poll and bets on which station makes a drastic move in programming and or staff first ?

The BiCoastal stations in Coos Bay are indeed live. They just happen to be via Jones Radio Networks in Denver.

Sorry Peetah....that does not count. Your not going to get traffic updates/live local intractive morning show with something piped in from Denver.

Perhaps not, but we are live, taking calls, doing live contests, putting on an essentially large market show, but without the local chatter and weather. We are one half of "live & local." And if BiCoastal wants, they can insert local weather and news any time they want. In fact they may be doing just that.

"......but without the local chatter...."

Sure wouldn't want any local announcer talking about local happenings to keep the local audience informed and entertained................

Nothing like building loyalty .......

"They just happen to be via Jones Radio Networks in Denver."

And that connects to and relates to the local listener how?

Which should tell you what to expect in the recent purchase.

FOR THOSE WHINING ABOUT THE STATE OF RADIO TODAY….I might suggest that you purchase a book that was printed a few years ago called “Who Moved My Cheese?”…after you read the book then maybe you’ll come to the realization that with life comes change…I got into this business in 1980 when we had records, cart decks, and we were live 24/7 and I was able to have freedom in what to play within reason, and it was fun…it still is fun, but with computerization it’s not the same way today…GET OVER IT!

I’m still in the business and loving what I do…and yes I am a former CC employee and now a BiCoastal employee and am quite happy. We do have a lot of live, local elements to our programming. Yes we do receive satellite from Jones and ABC but you know when you make a comment about how it doesn’t relate to the audience, perhaps you better take a good listen to what these satellite feeds are giving us today. They are relatable to the audience and when you put local flavor into the programming it really isn’t any different from the days when you and I sat in front of a microphone, it’s just different in how we assemble it. In the old days the jocks on the air talked about what was happening in the community and the news director did the news. The only difference today is that we insert in a 60 second format what is happening in the area and we still have live, local news. The jocks on the air still talk about relatable information about the music and lifestyle. What is incredibly awesome is that our listeners constantly tell us how much they like what we do for them, and my clients like the results they are getting by using our radio stations.

I am proud to be a BiCoastal employee and even though they haven’t owned us for long, every indication is that they do invest in the marketplace. I don’t know where the misinformation is coming from but I will tell you that you need to know your facts before spewing how “PISSED” you are about the condition of radio today.

Make a choice…either grow with the way the business is going and figure out a way to make it better, or grow old and gray whining about “the good old days” and living your life miserably.

Albordj......very well stated...

That is indeed a cute cheerleaders outfit.

Change is indeed inevitible, but all technology is not necessarily better.

To be sure, Cool Edit allows for much more creative freedom than a marker and razorblade and a hard drive with 5000 song titles preloaded is certainly preferable to and overplayed 45 with cue burn an a scratch that may or may not skip.

But stand back and look at an understaffed cluster.

Is there someone on hand to cover a breaking local event? Take a call and respond to a listeners question? Interact on the air to a comment that struck a nerve with a listener? I missed the name of the restaurant that was the 3rd spot in a five spot block... it's after 5pm. who answers the phone? (someplaces, nobody!)

Do you have a presence at the Walk-a-thon, The street-rod fair, and the tuba-fest, even though they are going on at the same time in different parts of the area? Is the station out kissing hands and shaking babies, just to be a visible part of the community, or only when a "client" is paying for it? Creating an event, or recording the LIVE ACTION BROADCAST to insert into the sattelite fed break.

Sorry, some of the listener loss and lack of loyalty is due just to the change you find so great. Piped in programming might be a cost savings, and allow slick big city professionals broadcasting "LIVE" to Podunktown but that is just it. They broadcast to... they don't interact with. The lame attempt to sell the LOCAL angle with overproduced inserts is just an illusion. Weather and local liners with no mistakes, no breaths, and tailored to fit into that 60 second net break lacks life, and passion. What if you have 73 seconds of local content? Used to be the LOCAL STATION took a break to join the network for minute or two an hour. Now, it's the other way around. It's not compelling, and offers nothing to keep the LOCAL listener tuned in. It's not unique. I can scan the dial and find the EXACT program someplace else.....So you have PASSIVE listeners not active ones.

Glad you are happy with your situation. You should be proud. And if you joined the staff of CBS, Entercom, Salem, Three Rivers, Keymarket, MOM-n-POP LLC, or any other company, I would hope you carried the same pride with you to those situations. If it's a good fit then all the better. But don't believe for a minute that how it's done there is either the ONLY way, or the best way. It's only the way this company has chosen to go. My bet is if they took all their stations LIVE and LOCAL 24/7 tomorrow, you would be right on board with that as well. Being part of the team is great, but you can't give up your own ability to think.

BTW read the book.

And regarding the "FACTS". Fact is, the direction of radio is a case of the big players setting a policy to maximize ROI and a bunch of regional mini-me's playing follow the leader.

As a listener, it bores me, and I am being cheated. As a broadcast professional, this policy does not best utilize the medium or the available personnel to it's maximum potential, and as a possible advertiser, (your)* lack of commitment to the local market leads me to seek other options....You might be IN the community, but you aren't a PART of it!

* = meaning out of market programming.

Don't make it sound like some of us pulled records one day then woke up from a 20 year coma and found things changed.

Often used theme coming up....

McDonalds made burgers and fries easier too, Streamlined the life out of them. Made them bland and boring. Yet, there are some great burger places making a profit, doing things differently, and putting out a superior product.

Bi coastal chooses to go the McDonalds route. They are happy with their decision, but it isn't necessarily the best product that they can deliver, just the one they choose to!

Albordj,
Well, I guess your opinion is all that matters. I have printed out your post so I can always refer to it. It's great to get my lifelong career spelled out in such terms so I understand it. I bow to you and your knowledge of all markets, all formats and all stations. YOU should write the book

The 24/7 satellite formats are well-programmed. I actually wish that Brooke Communications in Roseburg still used JRN's programming for 104.3 KKMX. Roseburg's inferior local programming is sending people to XM and Sirius.

I've been listening to the WLS Big 89 Rewind for much of this afternoon, and will likely continue until it ends at 10pm PDT/MST. I've heard Jeff Davis and John "Records" Landecker play the hits from WLS' heyday and break up the newsguy, Gil Gross, on the music-to-news and news-to-music handoffs. I've always read and heard a lot about Landecker, but this is the very first time I've had the chance to *hear* him. Even though he's a little rusty, he's made me laugh out loud...repeatedly! It's personality radio at its best...

Yeah, today's business model really doesn't lend itself to those times of yesteryear...and it's a damn shame. It's amazing to hear some of what passes for entertainment on the radio today...mediocrity on the cheap. Am I whining about the state of radio today? Guilty as charged. Do I need to apologize for it? No way! I can only say that for those who never heard the *personality* of radio in the 60s, 70s and 80s, it's a shame you missed out! They simply don't make "radio" like this anymore...

Listening to the 89 Rewind, I just now heard a reference to Brant Miller...Sounds like he used to do afternoons for a time at WLS. IIRC, he was a product of Wilson High School (saw him come through KBPS as a Hi News-Music host prior to 1970)... Did he not also do an evening stint on the Mighty 91 KISN for awhile? Or was it a different Portland station?

I too do not apologize for the "good old days" when radio was FUN!...I just decided that I would work with the changes. I really do miss the old days of great showprep. I also miss the days when KISN, KGW, and KYTE were at their peak. I miss hearing Andy Barber, Ron Leonard, London and Engleman, Craig Walker, Tom Parker, Bob Anthony....it was radio at it's best...

Mark: Checked my roster of Kisn, KGON & KYMN evening DJ's during that period. Didn't find him. Did he go by Brant Miller?

Now you're talkin'!

It can STILL be done...but the budget is too steep for the Wall Street types...

Having worked as a personality on a satellite-delivered format for eight years, I had my chance to work with the changes...and I'm proud of my efforts.

And I applaud anyone making an honest effort to make things work under such budget constraints...but it's hurting the biz.

I'm REALLY lucky the weather cooperated on my driving trip to the Northwest and back to the desert last Christmas, otherwise I would have had NO local weather info on the radio from about Redding to the Cal/Ore border. That's sad...

Craig - I thought he did...but that's now over 35 years ago!!

Anyone else remember? Chime in!

Wow, lots to talk about here.

Albordj and Roger have very clearly stated opposite points of view. Unfortunately, both are right.

Almost every aspect of the radio delivery system has changed since the 70’s. Carted music was easier to load than cueing records. Pre-programmed playlists gave the DJ more time to plan what to say. Improved automation systems were introduced in much the same way as carted music was in the 70’s. “This will make it easier to focus entirely on what you’re paid to do, talk”. Then came voice-tracking, the ultimate in DJ convenience. No longer does the jock need to sit in the studio (and get paid) for four to six hours, most of the time just sitting there waiting for the song to end. Do your whole show in thirty minutes or less.

Combine improved automation, voice-tracking, the Internet and the Communications Act of 1996, and presto!

The cheese moved!

Some owners who were broadcasters used these new technologies to enhance their station’s sound, clean things up, make it easier to cut creative commercials. Others automated a shift here or there. Then two or three shifts. Somebody came up with the idea of long-distance voice-tracking, and the rest is history.

Over time, these technological advances trickled down to the smallest markets.

But automating a station’s entire broadcast day trickled UP from small to large markets. Often a necessity in the small town, automation became a financial necessity in bigger markets due to the leveraged gobbling up of stations, and the moving of Docket 80-90 FMs to larger markets.

It certainly put out to pasture a lot of good old racehorses who may still have had some miles left on them.

Satellite music delivery did the same thing to smaller markets. It started with automation services, where you could get a “big name” to intro songs for a few dollars a day, then morphed into the 24/7 music formats of today. If a small market owner was looking for a jock and was choosing between a pile of bad auditions on one hand and the talents of Peter McLaine and assoc. on the other, that owner would have to give the bird some serious consideration. Lose some programming flexability and sound good or have total control and risk sounding bad. And satellite, when done right can sound really great coming out of the speakers. It sometimes doesn’t, but it is possible to sound good, and it can sound local, provided there’s somebody home to plug stuff in.

The bad news is, some very good local staffs have been displaced by satellite outsourcing. Often the people remaining don't have anyone around to show them how to put the pieces together to make great radio.

Also all the other stuff Roger wrote. And don’t get me started on the death of the farm system. Where does a young jock start? If someone told me 30 years ago that my first job would be in the same city as the Craig Walkers or the Bruce Murdocks, or the Charlie Browns, I woulda been pretty damn good. I wasn’t that good; it took me twenty years to work at the same station as Murdock!

Albordj rightfully says we adapt or die. Roger rightfully mourns the loss.

Still looking for my lost cheese,
Ron

Brant grew up in Portland, attended Portland University, and while I don't have facts to back this up, likely he was on Portland radio for a time. After a succesful career on the air at the great WLS, he is now the chief weather guy for WMAQ NBC-5 in Chicago! (And one of the better Chicago TV weather anchors IMHO).

No local weather info on Yreka's 103.9 KSYC?

I've heard of Brant Miller but think it was on KBPS! I don't know why his name would sound familiar from there because I rarely listened but can't figure where else it could be. Speaking of KBPS alums, I'm thinking that Bruce Murdock started at KLIQ, moved to KPAM(as Bob Charles)and then KGW before being sent to Spokane for seasoning before assuming mornings back here. If all of that is correct, he started in Portland.

Wasn't Bicoastal supposed to take over today?

Bicoastal? Isn't that a coastal that goes both ways?

"...miss the days of great showprep..."

Really? I myself do 2 hours of it every day for a 4-hour midday shift...if show prep is dead, someone forgot to tell me and nearly all the jocks I've worked with at various locations in the past 5 years...

And Albordj - I also don't pine for those thrilling radio days of yesteryear when a woman couldn't get a job on the live end of a mike (whether or not she could give one is another issue entirely...)

Show prep part of the job... hope you are being paid for those two hours.....

S12dxer,
The Bi-Coastal LMA actually went into effect on May 15.

This is what I have heard from Clear Channel Eugene on 15th of August: Bicoastal Media will officaly take Clear Channel over in October
(paper work and licencee to sign over from the CC Radio station to Bicoastal Media stations on the 1st of October 2007.)
NO update on neather site of the media providers.
[From Medford to Corvallis Radio stations]

Last I heard it was Sept. 1st, but that was 2nd hand info.

Who is running things depends on who you talk to...Bi-Coastals site says they have already taken over. Other folks in the markets say CC is still running things.

Just stumbled into this thread that has been going on for months. What a great discussion. With Gary Grossman and others from the media jumping in with some commentary, it's become a very worthwhile thread.

I probably do more bitching about radio not being what it used to be than anybody, but I have to admit it's probably just not possible to do the type job we used to when there was so much less distraction for both the listener's ears and the advertiser's dollars, not to mention the ridiculous overabundance of radio signals.

That's a great point. I'm all for live and local and all that jazz. But I do have to admit that with the amazing number of signals on the FM and AM dial today, not every station can be live around the clock in every market. I've often wondered if you add up the number of live shifts that exist today in radio, and compare it with sometime in the 60's or 70's, how would it compare. For example, if we have 45 stations in Portland today, and each of them averages 2 live shifts per day, would the total number of live shifts be greater than it was 35 years ago with far fewer stations each having more live shifts. I don't have the data to figure it out, but I think it's an interesting question.

It used to be required that someone was on the premises anytime the station was on the air and I believe automatic transmitter readings are relatively new, in the scheme of things. Most stations used to go off the air around 1AM or earlier.

I did an approximate count from memory of full time Monday-Friday airstaff in the Eugene/Springfield, and Albany/Corvallis/Lebanon/Sweet Home markets combined and came up with the following estimates:

1972 - 81 staff on 19 signals.
1978 - 98 staff on 21 signals.
1986 - 101 staff on 23 signals.
Today - 54 staff on 28 signals.

The current number is difficult due to voice tracking and news people working multiple stations in a cluster, but I counted two VTed airshifts as one position, which is probably overly generous.

Part time staff and non-commercial stations not included. This survey is non-scientific and your numbers may vary.

bicoastal is a good company to work for. i worked for them back in the late 80s under divin' don danger.