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Respect the history of radio
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Posted: Sun Apr 13th, 2008 08:27 pm |
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style="FONT-SIZE: 18px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"Below is the monday morning memo from Roy Williams.
I would imagine a lot of us radio geeks would disagree with him - but the more normal people would side with him.
Have a great week.
style="FONT-SIZE: 18px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
style="FONT-SIZE: 18px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
style="FONT-SIZE: 18px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"The Future of Radio
Ten years ago, Eric Rhoads asked me to appear on the cover of Radio Ink in a suit of armor. Since Eric is one of my closest friends and a major supporter of Wizard Academy, I agreed to do it for him.
Since 1998, my Wizard of Ads column has appeared in every issue of Radio Ink, more than 200 in all. The columns I write for Eric are never released to another outlet.
Today I’m making an exception to that rule because I believe 2008 will be a major growing-up year for radio and readers of the Monday Morning Memo need to understand what’s going on.
The following is an excerpt from my column in the current issue:
Syndication came to television 50 years ago. Networks like ABC, CBS and NBC offered local TV stations better shows than they were able to produce themselves. And these better shows were cheaper than local productions. The viewers won. The stations won. Television became much more profitable. National advertisers loved placing ads in hot, national shows.
In the past, national shows have been the exception in radio, rather than the rule.
They’re about to be the rule.
I predict that half of America’s morning drive jocks will soon be replaced by 10 or 12 syndicated morning shows beamed in from somewhere else. This will happen in other dayparts as well.
Frankly, I’m in favor of it.
Wait! I hear the voices of broadcasters clamoring, “But radio is local. Our listeners want local. Syndication is anti-radio.”
I respond, "Listen to the people of your town. Are they saying, 'We don’t want Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy, American Idol, and Lost! We want the local TV shows?'”
"Are they saying, 'We don’t want Spiderman, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Lord of the Rings in our theaters! We want the local movies?'”
"Are they saying, 'We don’t want Rush Limbaugh and Howard Stern, we want a local political pundit and a local shock jock?'”
Ten years ago, radio’s consolidators cut costs by cutting the fat. Then, when pressured for more profits, they did the only thing they knew to do; they cut deeper, but this time into muscle. Radio was crippled. Occasionally they cut arteries and radio stations began dying. Wall Street prices dropped cold and hard, icy hail on a barren landscape.
There were plenty of heroic efforts in the emergency room. Not all radio group heads were selfish. Not all were shortsighted and stupid. I’ve watched from the sidelines as good men and women did the best they could under impossible circumstances.
Now radio is going private again. Deconsolidation has begun. The age of syndication is upon us.
Don’t be afraid of it.
# # # # Now I hear the voices of Monday Memo readers, asking, "What about satellite radio? What about the iPod? Aren't these eroding radio's audience?"
Sure, these new technologies, along with online attractions like youtube, myspace and facebook, and video game platforms like the Sony Playstation and the Nintendo Wii have added to the list of attention-gobbling gadgets that began with CDs, DVDs and cell phones back in the dark ages. In short, Americans have too many gadgets and too little time to play with them all.
The net result is that media is getting trickier to buy. But make no mistake, broadcast radio remains a powerful tool for local business. As soon as I find a better value, I'll let you know.
Keep in mind that
(1.) my consulting firm doesn't work by the hour and
(2.) I don't charge according to the size of the client's ad budget, and
(3.) my income is adjusted annually according to the growth of my client.
The moment any new media has the potential to be a more efficient use of my client's ad dollars, I'll be on it like a duck on a June bug. My future depends on it.
Now chin up, eyes forward.
You're going to have a great week, I promise.
Yours,
Roy H. Williams
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Turner the burner
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Posted: Sun Apr 13th, 2008 09:50 pm |
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When did TV ever provide much local programming other than kiddie cartoon shows and local news or maybe a noontime local happy talk show? Those were always high rated, well received and locally sponsored. The children of America were much better served with local programming like Bozo, Aunt Norma, Torey Southwick, local host, although the cartoon content was hardly local. When did the movies ever originate locally? I think never.
I would not be surprised to see less local radio, that will be because of corporate greed and the lack of caring for the local market. Ron Regan put this country on the fast track of corporate greed and corporation by eliminating regulation of radio and the airline industry (look at that mess) among others. The corporate conglomerates now want even more control of radio ownership, again the greed factor, with little concern for anything but the bottom line. The article reeks of consultant speak who are only concerned about making a buck and talking big business smack. Radio consultants are equally evil with corporate greed in bringing down the quality of radio, but they (consultants) speak the language that "suits" speak and simply sale a bill of goods. A good local programmer does not need consultants...what a waste of money.
If the corporate dollar didn't control all the radio frequencies a good local programmer could come on the air and kick some comglomerate ass. Wheew, now I feel better.
Last edited on Sun Apr 13th, 2008 10:12 pm by Turner the burner
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XGM
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Posted: Mon Apr 14th, 2008 12:35 am |
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Roy Williams is best know in these parts as the guy who writes commercials for Woody Justice of Justice Jewelry and places his ads as well. Roy for a short time was the GM for KICK here in Springfield but didn't do well there. He has written several very good books on Radio Advertising and is very knowledgeable on that subject. The only problem I ever had with him is that he always wants to "buy cheap" and not necessarily the best for the client's needs. He lives and works out of Texas (Dallas as I recall).
With ref: to the subject at hand...I much prefer LOCAL opposed to network or some dude off somewhere else, he has to say..."it's 18 past the hour"...not "it's 18 past 9" with a canned weather person saying ..."high today in the 80s"...with no mention of the storm that's about to hit the listening area within minutes. In many ways Radio is killing it's self.
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