I’m sure you’ve read the media trades where consultants and experts say listeners, viewers and readers want authenticity, they want “real.” The unbelievable claims of being “the best” or “the most” doesn’t cut it with media savvy consumers anymore. But, radio? It just keeps on keeping on, ignoring consumer needs, wants and demands and continues…
In reality I’m a humble sort and “not that kind of guy.” So… Today’s talk radio, as we know it, is fast fading into the sunset because of a format stuck with 1990’s rhetoric, each day addressing topics few care about. A constant right-wing political drumbeat that no longer resonates. A format where its practitioners…
We find ourselves living through another crisis to America’s confidence. “Deflate-gate.” Listening to sports talk radio the past week I was struck by the faux outrage of poorly prepared talk hosts and their disbelief that an NFL head coach and quarterback may have cheated. Shockingly stretching the rules to gain a unfair advantage. With billions…
There was a regular caller on 700WLW back in the day, so regular we created a jingle for him: “He hates blacks. He hates Jews. Here come some more of his Aryan views. It’s Ken!” Ken reads this blog and while I don’t agree with the majority of his views (few would), I respect him…
Sometime in late 2005 or early 2006, I held a staff meeting with the programming staff at 700WLW in Cincinnati. The purpose was to start laying out longterm plans for what radio, talk radio and media would be 10 years in the future. The first iPhone hadn’t been sold yet, YouTube had only been live…
I had a conversation with a radio station general manager once…my boss. He wasn’t comfortable with the changes I was making to better our station. The station had a big, high powered signal and a modest four share. I said to him, “Given the power and size of the signal, I’ll need to think about…
Have you ever noticed when something is charted and it’s on an upward or downward trajectory, there are always lots of peaks and valleys to the trend average? You see it with the stock markets, in the stats of professional football players and in TV and radio ratings. Whatever is being graphed will have slight…
I picture this scene, something like you would see in the “Godfather,” as the family is gathered together for business. The room is dimly lit and decorated with dark wood walls. The carpet is thick and the paintings are oils from the Italian Renaissance era. The furniture is hand crafted 19th Century Gilded Age. Grouped…
I now know people are worried about the future of talk radio. The two blogs I wrote (Ratings Disaster) (Why Nothing Changes) about the format’s dismal June PPM Nielsen ratings went viral and I was contacted “off line” by numerous industry leaders. One station group owner told me his stations can no longer sell…
I guess I hit close to home with my prior blog post on the Ratings Disaster that is today’s talk radio. The June PPM’s suck for talk radio. Hell. The diary markets coming in are bringing little joy. And many in the talk radio industry just sit back and continue on autopilot with the same…
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