A short while ago I shared my view of the local radio here in Jacksonville, Fl. At the time I lamented the programming on both the FM and AM band. As a quick review the FM band is so tightly programmed that a ‘Now That’s What I Call Music’ CD is all anyone is allowed to play, and the AM band is so clogged with homers and hate mongers you’ll go cross-eyed if you listen for too long(true story, try it). I also mentioned that because of my wife I’m now listening to more and more of the radio, and I’ve noticed something: it’s a dead medium.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not going away, but the days of it making a difference, of people caring what’s on, are over. Bye bye. Sayonara. Adios. Etc. Etc. Why do I say this? I’m glad you asked.
Over Programming
I mentioned this in my last blog about radio. Top 40 is too cliché, constantly repeating the same songs week after week, which are themselves derivative of the same songs from the year before. Originality has been all but illegalized in favor of a ‘guaranteed’ hit as dictated by some formula David Geffen discovered and used to become Midas. Even if you like a song, aren’t you ready to drive off a cliff the seventh time you hear it in a 2-hour span? Other formats are not much better. Glam/Pop/Neo-Punk rock bleeds into Top 40, making it very difficult for the Alternative Rock stations, and many times I’ll notice them claiming to play “new” music, while simply relying on 90’s standouts Nirvana, Bush, Soundgarden, et all. These should be the new “Classic” rock, but the ‘Classic’ stations are playing the same songs over and over again as well, because, by definition, they’re in the business of old songs. Songs, which keep getting older as the gap between the heyday’s of the 60’s and 70’s and bubble gum factory music, widens. Light jazz may be playing new music, but it all sounds the same to me; which is to say a nap in an elevator stuck between floors. Spanish stations? I’m not sure what they’re playing, but they’re all VERY excited about it. Terrifyingly so. Sometimes I land on their frequency and I get a little worried the Mexican-American war is starting up again and they’re the mouthpieces of the revolution. No joke.
On Air “Talent”
I add the quotes because the notion that some of these individuals are talented is dubious, at best. The polarization is so intense over targeted demographics that there is literally no middle ground. It’s either insultingly stereotypical male driven talk, which always centers on sports, bathroom humor, and/or strippers(why this is so popular in a medium devoid of imagery boggles the mind), or vapid and useless celebrity obsessed gossip presumably aimed at women. Despite the fact that men between 18 and 50 supposedly have the most buying power, these shows are almost always aimed at the lower end of that demo, often times below it.
There are notable exceptions; Tony Kornheiser’s radio show out of Washington, D.C. is a near perfect amalgam of current affairs, politics, and sports sprinkled liberally with self deprecating humor and an air of self awareness while not being overly narcissistic. Radio shows like his however, are not as common as they used to be, and by that I don’t mean 10-20 years ago. A little over a year and a half ago WJFK out of Virginia flipped formats to all sports, displacing a lineup that while male-centric, was not exclusionary to women, or people of different age groups.
Commercials
The nasty fact about radio is that the radio stations that are doing really good, aren’t playing much of what you really want to hear. Like all businesses, they’re out to make money. If a show or timeslot is highly rated, i.e. high in listeners, it’s highly sought after for advertisers. Listen closely, and notice that the highest rated shows feature more commercials than content. Ever wonder why? It’s because the advertising revenue garnered during these programs can pay for all other programming. This is why talk shows at late hours are always more content heavy; no one’s listening, so no one’s paying. The next time a new radio station attacks another with the same format for playing twice the commercials, remember: it’s not that the new guy wouldn’t play those same advertisements; it’s just no one’s made the offer yet.
Location, Location, Location
The only place people listen to the radio is in their cars. While there may be an isolated individual here and there who listens at home or at work, the majority of people listen in their cars on the way to work, while out to lunch, and on their way home. Again, this means that the window of available listenership is narrow at best. Why aren’t people listening elsewhere, and how long will this bastion of radio dominion persist?
Programmable Technology
While all the above reasons are frustrating, they aren’t anything new. This started in earnest long ago, and will likely continue into the future. The real reason that radio is dead is this: on demand content and players. With the advent of the Internet, music and other content has become more and more accessible to people anywhere at any time. No longer are people forced to turn to the local DJ for what’s new and hot in music. No longer do people need to wait for the local news/sports station to get updates. People are getting their content when they want it, often times meaning RIGHT NOW. In addition to this, iPods and other such devices are so prevalent, that nearly ever person can program their music before they start their day. They can download podcasts of their favorite news/sports/entertainment show and listen to them at their leisure. Rather than suffer through the inanity of commercials, people can simply download the program without the advertisements, listen to the parts they want, and leave the rest. I mentioned 2 shows/stations out of the D.C. area, I live in Jacksonville, FL…did you think I had a really big antenna?
Radio personalities know this. Adam Corolla, one of the most sought after talkers in the business, has left the traditional radio route, and now records a podcast from his home, publishes it to iTunes, and any profits are his alone. Mike O’Meara, formerly of WJFK, now records a podcast out of his home, distributes it on the Internet using Facebook and Twitter to promote. There are others, many others, who know the best way to reach their audience is to eliminate the middleman.
Car audio is also providing other options. I just bought a new Pioneer AVIC-Z120BT headunit. In addition to the AM/FM radio sources, Satellite Radio (the very definition of too little, too late) it features a direct connection to my iPhone allowing me to access all my songs and podcasts at the touch of a button. It also features another nail in the radio coffin: Pandora radio. For those of you who don’t know, Pandora is a free online service where you specify an artist/song/genre you like, and a customized “station” is created for you. It streams over your cell phone, letting you enjoy content of your choosing while still exposing you to songs, both old and new, you may not have known about but may enjoy. Why would I ever listen to local radio again for music?
In conclusion, the march of technology has made another important technological innovation irrelevant. Like newspapers, record shops, and soon libraries and bookstores, radio has ceased to be an important part of our culture. It’s odd and more than a bit sad. I remember in middle school sitting in my room, waiting for my favorite songs to come on so I could rush over to my stereo to record and make my own mix tapes. While my iPod is so much better, there was something satisfying and exciting about that time that the instant gratification of on demand just can’t match. I didn’t leave radio though, it left me, and sadly it’s not coming back.
