Posted by Bob Schappert on June 14, 2006 at 10:19:01:
In Reply to: The Dumbing Down Of Radio posted by Allan Sniffen on June 13, 2006 at 21:51:12:
I don't think " Dumbing Down " applies to only Radio as it seems to have become quite common in many things. Corporations that buy out or take over businesses they are not fully familiar with often try to apply common corporate practices they may have felt worked for them elsewhere and this practice many times will bring less than desireable results.
Employers are so concerned with lowering payroll and benefit costs they will many times accept a porduct of less quality, more errors and other faults just to keep overhead down. I have seen this in businesses I am familiar with. They don't seem to notice until it is too late how downgraded things have become in general.
There are too many people around now that never heard what real Top 40 Radio or a real music & Personality show sound like on radio. The here's 50 in a row concept has pretty well covered the music and personality type of programming in many areas so the so called " younger Demo's don't know any different.
When Radio was a prime source of introducing new music, artists etc and there was little other choice of course radio flourished. It is a totally different world today. Who ever thought you would be able to get the latest hits and new artists on your Cell Phone ( which was non-existant in the top 40 AM days ). I believe Radio is also way behind the game in exposing new artists and musical styles. The Internet seems to be the " IN Thing " for that.
As I continue to discover the use of these newer technologies myself, I have found how the internet makes holes in the music distribution business. Why cut or burn demo's anymore, just put it up on the internet and let people download and burn their own copy of a Demo and have it instantly, no shipping or mailing ! It's a far cry from individually cutting Acetates, putting them in mailers or promoting them in parson. It is like the Internet is the shortcut to the latest music, no waiting get it instantly !
I feel Broadcast Radio is slowly choking itself to death by disposing of so many things that once made it the great medium that it was. Instead of competing for Demo's it might be worthwhile to consider competing with the other music and entertainment technology we have available today.
I consider HD Radio just another delivery system. If it is just going to deliver the same 50 in a row mentality that FM is doing what is the big deal about that ? The primary sales factor of Digital Audio Broadcasting ( DAB ) in the UK is the " Programming " not the delivery medium that is making it sell. Programming that is not available on conventional broadcast.
Desireable programming costs money, it seems major broadcast corporations don't want to pay for that. Some of the newer entertainment delivery systems such as Satellite Radio do appear they will pay for desireable or original programming to give an incentive for listeners.
It is not just other Broadcast Stations Radio has to compete with now, it's the alternative delivery systems. If radio can not provide what someone wants, now listeners really do have an assortment of other places to go and many of them don't care if they have to pay for it or not. Yes, I consider Internet as much as a pay service as Satellite Radio and premium channels ( including the MTV type channels ) as pay services. There seems to be no shortage of subscribers to any of these.
Is it time for Broadcast radio to " Wake Up and smell the coffee " ?