Comments on: Record Exchange owner: radio consolidation hurts music

By: The

The — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 08:00:02 +0000

“You mean aside from offering a distinct local connection to your community and events?”

Yup, that’s pretty important, too, but I think I was including that under the heading of “personality.”

To be more accurate, I should say that personality and localization are the things that radio can offer that an iPod can’t.

The problem is, you have to EMPLOY PEOPLE to do those things and God knows American business doesn’t want to do THAT.

By: tim johnstone

tim johnstone — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 11:14:41 +0000

You mean aside from offering a distinct local connection to your community and events?

By: The

The — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 07:50:34 +0000

Clarification:

By “you guys,” I was referring to station and group owners. That wasn’t a crack at anyone here.

By: The

The — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 07:45:38 +0000

“There’s a reason audiences are shrinking.”

Yup. Last time I saw numbers, the audience was shrinking by something like 9%/year. Not good.

Yes, the iPod, etc, are a big part of the problem. You would think, though, that owners, with a BIG stake in keeping radio going, would look at that situation and say, “OK, what can we offer that iPods can’t?”

The obvious answer, at least to me, is PERSONALITIES. The trouble is that the current business paradigm in America is “Employ as few people as possible.”

OK, you guys are multi-millionaires; you must know more than me, right? I’d LOVE for you to show me what else radio can offer that an MP3 player can’t do better.

By: tim johnstone

tim johnstone — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 00:43:37 +0000

Michael and I discuss this all the time. He knows how I feel and I know how he feels. Blanket statements aside, I feel pretty good about the amount of new and local music we get to play.

By: Don@IdahoRadio

Don@IdahoRadio — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 17:18:29 +0000

I was actually quite surprised at how absolute his comment was – he is surely aware of KRVB, and almost would have expected him to mention it as an exception to the rule.

By: ken bass

ken bass — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 17:08:16 +0000

have him listen to KRVB(94.9). we inroduce new music every monday, and tim johnstone and michael deeds go off the beaten path on sunday nites. plus, we have a special feature every morning @ 8:50 called the Rivers Edge which usually features something you haven’t heard before, or in a long time. The last two features brought to you by the Record Exchange, by the way.
theres a shameless plug, just like the KINK ad.

By: Idaho Radio Buff

Idaho Radio Buff — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 16:46:34 +0000

Hey, I already said it once, but I have to agree. I am a temp. so I am exposed to a lot of different people- the office I’m in now, everyone has (again) rejected radio. There’s no radio on in the workplace. The youngest co-worker plays a CD of dance hits, the older co-workers (who wanted to know about the biz from me) listened to AM radio but didn’t trust FM to introduce them to anything but repetitive playlists – the only station he listened to? KINK.fm.

By: Bob

Bob — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 16:42:47 +0000

“The Communications Act of 1996 was one of the worst things ever to happen to broadcasting.”

Absolutely! I couldn’t agree more! There’s a reason audiences are shrinking.

By: The

The — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 07:26:02 +0000

Perfectly said, Michael Bunnell. You nailed it, Buddy.

I’m always amused how when a new company enters into an industry they tout how competition is healthy for business and the consumer.

Then, they become big and try to keep others from entering the industry and trumpet the “benefits” of monopoly (although they don’t CAL it monopoly, of course). Suddenly, bigger is better.

I’m a consumer. I vote for competition almost every time.

The Communications Act of 1996 was one of the worst things ever to happen to broadcasting.