I have always been annoyed that you hear the same songs again and again on the radio, because they are on the "safe list". When I listen to radio I like to discover some new artists and songs, while still having some of the current hits/classics mixed in.
I gave up on radio when I couldn't take hearing the same 12 songs over & over again until I hated them. Classic rock radio completely ruined "Hotel California" and "Sweet Home Alabama" forever for me. I can't listen to even 1 second more of either 1 of those songs. It also annoys me when DJs insert their political views between songs. If I want 2 hear that I can listen to talk radio. Best 4 me is local FM college radio - that's where I get turned on to good new REAL artists. Another good vid!
Thank god it isnt like that in the netherlands.. Except a part of the midnight they play a 1 hour tape, it playes very hour the same lol.. But they start again at 6am..
The passion for making radio is gone.. Thats why I always loved listening to Pirate radio.. you hear how they enjoyed making good radio.. They provide very nice news messages good music, no or rare commercials.. I wonder if there are still pirate radio stations in the US.. Because I am from the Netherlands
I used to love listening to the radio, now I really hate listening to radio these days, the only radio network I can stand listening to now is our Australian Government broadcaster the ABC, it's not commercial radio, thank God, oh how I hate commercial radio.
I feel ya man. I really do feel ya. 10 years here. Production Director, mainly. They've made it impossible for me to enjoy my job. I can't even type about it too much or i'll run out to the closest station and start blowing people away with a shotgun.
The smaller radio stations get bought up by these larger radio stations that is what happened here then the radio format turned all country. The original station was a mix of rock and everything else from 70s on up.
I'm so pleased my MP3 player doesn't have a radio in it as a lot of them do, my MP3 player is my favourite radio station, because it plays what I want to hear when I want to hear it, if I want to listen to U2 I can, if I want to listen to New Order, it's right there on my SD card, if I want to listen to the Pet Shop Boys, no problem, if I want to listen to Monsoon all I have to do is find the files and press the play button, if I want to listen to a book I just have to select it.
Clear Channel, Citadel, and Infinity; that's all radio is about anymore. Really stinks too, because radio is where I got my start, but now it's a dead end. Now I have to find a new career because there seems to be no future in radio anymore.
@mbtfeedback I spent 20 plus years in radio and worked my way up from part time jock to OM. It's sad to see where it's gone in the last decade. My advice to anyone in the business now is to look for a way out before they get pushed out like I did. The landing sucks! :) JC
@BadEditPro Thanks for the response, you've confirmed what I feared. After radio I made the mistake of moving into television as a news producer, which paid a little better, but was 10x the stress level. I just wondered if you could expand on your opinion of the EAS system? I'm familiar with it (obviously) but would like to know and understand the issues with it.
@mbtfeedback I worked close enough to TV to know it was not something I really wanted to do full time. However, I do enjoy doing VO's for TV. Unlike radio, TV spots don't have to try and cram everything into 30 seconds so it's a more relaxed read. :) JC
@mbtfeedback Radio is a wasteland. If a ratings agency called and asked, I could honestly say I do not listen to terrestrial radio. I even took the antenna off my car and have Sirius Satellite radio, instead. Yes, even Sirius isn't perfect, but the content is much more diverse than that on the local stations. It's possible that radio can come back. Once Clear Channel, etc have raped the industry as much as they can, they'll start to divest themselves of "assets" to local owners.
There's strong interest from the community for a local station. As irrelevant as it may be in current days, both stations licensed to our city are in the Spanish language. However, it would have to be a commercial venture as funding for a local station would be too weak for a LPFM here. Even the closest LPFM to our area is running ads. My guess is that donations are not what they should be to run the day-to-day operations of the station. Perhaps they should get rid of the translator. :)
@CenTexVideo Since both local stations are Spanish language, you could very easily get a construction permit from the FCC on the grounds that the community is not being well served locally. Funding for a project like that is hard to find, though. You'd need to generate interest in the business community and form a group of investors. It's not easy but it can be done. :) JC
@BadEditPro That's what I had in mind, since both stations are in Spanish. The only issue, other than the money, is trying to fit a station in a over crowded area and conform to spacing requirements. I haven't tried to see if I could work a station in using a directional to null out a problem spot, though. There's a few stations that do community radio and they manage to keep the station on the air, although for most of the day, the station is in the closet.
@BadEditPro I'm not ruling out medium wave, although I doubt if I can be granted a unlimited operation without going to flea power at night. The coverage for a station with a few watts, even on MW, is pretty dismal.
Can you talk a little bit about college radio at some point please? I don't know too much about it, but I'm currently likening it to community radio here in Australia. I'll send you a personal message with the URL for the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia just in case you're interested.
@Lachlant1984 college radio used to be very local but now it's just as automated as commercial radio. We have public radio here but it's going the same way, too. :) JC
Do you have community radio in the US? Here in Australia the major capital cities have radio stations that are owned and usually run by the community that broadcast within local councils. They are volunteer staffed and run, they usually don't have much of any automation, and they say and play what they want within reason of course. 3WBC is my local radio station, I hardly listen to them now because I don't listen to the radio much these days, but 3WBC are pretty good.
I can't really speak too much to how radio works here in Australia, but I do know that in Melbourne at least where I live, the big 3 companies not including the ABC own at least 2 radio station each on the FM band at least, and as far as I know multiple radio stations often run from one building, but I may be wrong on some point. The ABC is not a commercial broadcaster, it's Government owned, but they run quite a few radio stations, I generally prefer the ABC when I listen to the radio.
I agree 100%. Another reason that the internet argument for radio stations is weak is where radio is listened to the majority of the time is in the car. Apart from NPR, radio is just unlistenable now. I blame the current state of radio for the condition of the record industry, not downloading. There is no longer the opportunity for the music minded dj to give life to a record. It's all up to the record industry execs who currently seem to know nothing about music.
@thatmuse76 Both industries are run by people who don't understand the product. All they see is numbers and they don't have any respect for the artists and craftsman who make the product. They've pushed out anyone who tries to stand up for quality and now you have idiots in positions of power who don't know what they're doing at all. :) JC
What happened to the local radio station sales rep (Herb on WKRP) who’d go out and knock on doors to bring new advertisers/revenue to the station. Where did they go? I think he too was outsourced to the failing ad agency.
JC, it anyone can come up with a new business idea, it has to be you. I bet if you take the time to objectively look at where we are, what emerging technology is available, you can anticipate a new yet undiscovered business opportunity in radio. Sorry for the rant!
@ThePhonoJack The problem is finding anyone interested in investing in radio. The industry has been run so far into the ground that the smart money stays away. I'd just about have to win the lottery and buy my own station with cash to do anything positive. Still, that's only one station and that's not enough to start a trend. The mainstream industry will continue doing the same things until personality can be shown to be profitable again. :) JC
I believe he was ultimately fired from radio for saying, “today there will be high winds, followed by high skirts, followed by me”. Can radio be be renewed given some of the new technology available. Some stations have on line ‘subscribers’ who can text, and tweet to the DJ or radio personality. Could we make an ‘internet appliance’ that would capture content “music” broadcast from stereo AM and or FM radio? Royalty sharing by the station, musician(s) & provider might encourage this.
And of course George Carlin aka “The Hippie Dippie Weatherman” who broadcast ‘shocking’ words on WVDA before it became WEZE, Boston. People listened because you never knew what George Carlin would say. It’s reported that George was fired for driving the local radio station truck to New York to buy pot. Locally, who could forget Henry Morgan, later a successful comedian and TV personality who announced, “today will be Muggy, followed by Tueggy, Weggy and Thurgy”?
@ThePhonoJack Love your handle! Anyway, I grew up listening to great people in Norfolk like WTAR's Tom Looney and Dale Parsons, who later became PD for WNBC, Joe Hopple at WCMS and George Crawford at WGH. Those guys were my idols and inspiration. Now, you can't find anyone like that on the radio except for maybe in NYC. It's sad. :) JC
JC, nice job! You struck a nerve, just look at the number of hits here. It’s no secret that radio station owners have depersonalized the content. Where have the great personalities gone? In the local market, we had people like Arnie Ginsburg aka “Woo Woo Ginsburg” of WMEX, Boston, brought to you by Adventure Car Hop. It was not only the ’content’, the music he selected, it was his personality that made you want to listen. He seemed to pick the right tunes.
i live in 4 different radio broadcast markets well i mean i can listen to like 5 different markets like akron canton markets even youngstown ohio markets and of coure pittsburgh pa market just to name a few markets theer are also a few mom pop station that are actuly local run and ownd ststions that are dj operated until like 12am til like 5 or 6 am that during that time frame go into automation mode no djs or remote programing all programming is done at the station
As for FM radio blaming the internet, they are right but in a way that coincides with your point: competition.
As you say, FM stations haven't given people a reason to tune in, so FM gives way to stronger contenders that give people what they want, including AM stations that broadcast content in talk radio format.
Right now, a future I see with terrestrial radio, AM and FM, is informational, taking advantage of the ability to broadcast what you need to know, local, live and hot.
2. The music choices are paltry, uninspired and repetitive.
Sat. radio sound quality sucks.
All I have to say is "thank god for iPod (and hi-fi)." I listen to what I want, when I want it. If I come across a song I want, I buy it by trying to get it on a physical medium (usually CD and vinyl with strong fair use rights and superior audio fidelity) or, if I'm in a pinch, download it off iTunes or Amazon.
the future of radio ..............come on ithe only saving grace of radio now is pay radio xm....so much better than local radio...,,,i will never listen to local radio again
I do notice a lot of stations play stuff that isn't that great. But there is an excellent station close to where I live: KABF 88.3, not the average run-of-the-mill station! You can do some looking up about it if you want. They actually have someone come at certain times and they play neat music.
I work midnight to 8, and the a single radio station is played over a intercom for most of the night. I would hear the same 5-8 songs, 4 to 5 times before I leave work. Not much variety, but at least it somewhat keeps me sane.
Two of my favorite stations are WBGO, Newark (public radio) and WKCR (Columbia University). I noticed that in recent years, the amount of advertising on most commercial stations has increased to the point that you cannot listen to them for more that a few minutes. I think we can expect a rise of public radio and college radio. BTW, is HD radio any good or more of the same crap?
here in sweden we have 4 state own radio stations wich are quite good (exept station 2 that only brodcast classical music and prgograms for old people)
but the thing with those stations is that they have very diferent contet for example channel 1 is a talk and news channal and channel 3 is a music channel that have all kinds of music mostly pop and rock but some jazz and blues and folk music.
Radio in many other countries thrives on a balance between non-commercial government run stations and privately owned commercial stations. For example, both the BBC and the commercial stations in the U.K. offer excellent, top-notch programming with strong listener engagement. Here in the USA, NPR and its member stations still work very hard to serve the public, but unfortunately in many markets that isn't enough to foster marketplace demand for commercial radio to match that quality standard.
@vwestlife No to be argumentative, but NPR stations are more heavily automated than many commercial stations... The level of quality depends a great deal on regional standards, too. Some parts of the country are horrible while others actually have radio worth listening to. You're lucky because you live in one of the better served areas. I'm jealous! :) JC
@BadEditPro It depends heavily on the market. The major market public stations have the funding to provide much more local content (including a full news dept.), and even produce many of the shows which end up getting carried on NPR. But in a small town, the funding usually just isn't there for a member station to do much more than carry what comes "off the bird". The federal government isn't much help either, as it contributes only a very small amount to the budget of public broadcasting.
Great commentary/critique. Most people listen to their radio while driving/commuting. How high is the unemployment rate now? Advertisers pay to have their product/service pitched to listeners. It's no wonder the majority of the radio industry is in the toilet. Low revenue = low pay. Keep operating costs down.The web is cheaper. Wireless/satellite technology is growing. Terrestrial radio is a dinosaur waiting to become extinct. Sad, but true.
Seeing you put this out makes me hope that enough people will see this, so that us young folk can reverse this downward spiral that the radio, and the music industry, is currently going through.
I used to listen to KSLX, a Classic Rock station that broadcasts in the Phoenix, AZ area. The stuff they play now is so disappointing, I've been playing strictly CD's in the car.
I bet that this bad trend will end at some point. I'm just hoping that the people of my generation can fix this.
@ToastmachineIdiot I hold on to the hope that the big companies will move on now that most of the easy money has been rung out of radio. That would leave it up to small, local companies to back to basics and rebuild. I just hope there enough talented people interested in radio left to make that happen. :) JC
Very informative video! we do have some local stations here in upstate NY but alot of the playlists are so repetitive, there are live DJ's but i'm not sure if they're controlling the songs, they do say the song titles sometimes and talk about upcoming songs etc, and they have weather reports and take requests. I have participated in radio ratings more than twice and I always gave the stations that played my kind of music as well as the AM stations that had the best programming my ratings.
@coolbluelights You're lucky to have some real radio in your part of the world. In some regions, like where I am now, the radio is an automated wasteland that's not worth turning on at all. :) JC
@BadEditPro I think the only automated radio station around here is the one at Siena college, and even there there are people sometimes. all the other ones have someone there, I wouldn't listen to radio at all if it was all automated like you said some areas are
@courttube3 You don't want to hear a mix. Didn't you know that? Just ask any radio consultant and they will tell you! They have it all figured out and innovative ideas like real music variety and so forth just won't work. (wink, wink) LOL :) JC
@courttube3 the main reason? I worked in FM broadcasting back in the mid 80's and he's telling us NOT ONLY the music that they play nowadays, but also the format (if you know what it means in broadcasting) but also the programming as a whole including the public service, including the ownership (business) of radio stations. A comparison generation by generation.
...continuing. The enormous rise in competing entertainment mediums, from video, DVD, video games, computers, cell phones; the failure of our economies during the past 30 years. There are so many factors. I'm in Canada but the worst thing that I've seen in US radio has been the rise of radical political formatting, especially that on the far right of the social and polictical spectrum. We don't have to put up with that crap up here.
I must say that the music on the radio actually sounds pretty bad now. I think the music is compressed because it sounds distorted and the vu meters on my radio stay at about the same spot continuously. And this is on a station that gets good reception in my area. The sad thing is, it sounds even worse with the poorly recorded music today!
Great video.
Oh and I saw a thing once where a guy was using a cassette tape to broadcast radio in the 90's. I did not think they were used for radio.
@0UT3RL1M1T5 Cassettes were not used much for music but some talk based shows were distributed on cassette. Radio is compressed. It has to be to get the audio through the transmitter legally. Of coarse, how much processing is needed is a matter of opinion. The loudness war was going in radio long before it came to CD. :) JC
JC, I couldn't fit on one page my complaints about the music industry or radio. I worked in the record biz for 10 years, '73 to '83. I'll list a few of the huge mistakes that have lead up to the present. Drake-Chenault syndication and the downsizing of station playlists; FM radio's adoption of AM style restricted playlists in the 70's; the Disco fad of the late 70's that killed classic rock; Punk Rock and other nihilist content; Grunge, Rap, and Diva music; replacing vinyl with the CD.
@bluenazz We can only hope that it hits bottom sometime soon and something new evolves from the present malaise. I still hold out hope that a pocket of quality will grow and catch on forcing the idiots to start listening to the artisans who built the radio and music industry into what it is today. If they don't it will all just fade away. We shall see. :) JC
really like the picture in the background,i've definitely learned a lot from you over the last year or so.i miss the old days calling a request line and getting to know certain DJ's,but i am kinda old fashioned! i wonder how long it will take for things to calm down and people realize the value of older equipment and methods more and the follies of the digital age.for me it's plain to see.i guess that's why i like your channel so much! you speak the truth.
@dimebagdave77 Thank You! I just call it like I see it and let the rest go... It's all about economics so it will have to shake out. We'll see what lasts and what doesn't in time. :) JC
Also I think there is infinite possibility with net radio and podcasts that can be produced for next to nothing, it provides us with the capability for many alternatives voices to be heard that would not get near a mainstream radio broadcast. This is perhaps the real future of radio
I remember just before Christmas in 2009, there was a terrible snow storm in my area. I was stuck in traffic with my dad in traffic. I noticed that all radio stations owned by one group were broadcasting dead air.
I'm sure if someone was there, these like 7 stations could have been broadcasting news ect.
But we do have community radio...I spose the local equivalent of what you would have with college radio, people work there mostly for nothing because they want to be there, and yeah it usually has the best content and is live
A lot of what you talk about happening in America happened here too, local sttations becoming part of networks, people screwing about with formats they considered were more profitable, still happening like they don't have a clue so you end up with10 classic rock station or 5 adult contemporary or whatever that all sound the bloody same. The only decent live content comes from talkback which has now been syndicated so there's less local focus.
@dpsinoh I some cases that's true but in almost every case you can trace that back to a time when some really bad programing decisions were made. It's very complicated and the reasons why some stations succeed and other fail are hard to pinpoint. :) JC
@BadEditPro Oh I'm sure the genesis of the problem in the radio industry does originate with bad programming and management decisions that were made 20 years ago. But today the money is not there and nobody is willing to risk what money they do have.
@dpsinoh You hit on a very important point. The money is gone now. Radio could have invested in better programming a decade ago and we could be talking about how cool the new generation of radio is. It would take a big investment to attempt to rebuild the product and investors just aren't interested. It will take small, local companies that are willing to hold out for a return to start turning things around. :) JC
I meant to add, I read a book about Clear Channel, so I see what you mean totally...but I've had xm radio for 4 or 5 years and I don't have much desire to listen to fm...there's plenty of good new music to play, they just have to play it...
I said it before and I'll say it again-satelitte radio is the way to go. heck, i'd pay for just 2 channels alone-deep tracks and little steven's underground garage. w/ youtube, music blogs, myspace, etc-who needs fm radio?
@KOSMICKEN09 Your point is well taken but local radio can provide something xm can't and that is local content. This is more important to some than others but when it's presented correctly, local will trump national and be very successful. :) JC
anyone who says that is either too old or doesn't pay much attention. good lord, all you have to do is read Q or Mojo or Classic Rock magazine to keep up on things, there's lots of great music out there. just cause it's not played in heavy rotation on fm radio doesn't mean it isn't good...and even if you don't like 'new' music, just look at blogs online and you'll find loads of great records that are put of print to download. ok that's it for now haha.
There has always been a "core" list of currents that were played across the country..What I mean by "core" is the current top 10 on the singles chart.. Thats the only thing that has'nt changed..Everything else has changed for the worse. On most music oriented stations you'll have a morning/afternoon slot live DJ, after that it's automated with the occasional canned voice over to give a live illusion.
@rare12inchsingles The live DJ in mornings and afternoons is becoming rare now. Big city stations generally do more live than in smaller markets but many stations don't have anybody live content at all these days. I've even heard of this kind of thing happening in major markets. Most of these stations that claim to play anything, the Jack/Bob/Alice type formats, are totally automated... It's sad. :) JC
@BadEditPro I live in a large market and the majority are live in the mornings..You do make a point about smaller markets..Just look at staions up until the late 80's, Even the airchecks I've posted,,Top 40 radio had overnight jocks..24 hours a day there was a live body on the other side of the mic. Even non-current formatted stations are a joke. It seems 70's and 80's hits are segued into their own niche station by (R&B,rock). Which in turn leads to cookie cutter playlists.
@rare12inchsingles You speak the truth. Many of the 'oldies' stations are totally automated. You'd think the powers that be would want to capitalize on the memory of fun radio but they are nothing more than jukeboxes. Usually, if you have 5 stations in one building, one gets the bulk of the resources and the others just barely get enough to keep going. :) JC
I have always been annoyed that you hear the same songs again and again on the radio, because they are on the "safe list". When I listen to radio I like to discover some new artists and songs, while still having some of the current hits/classics mixed in.
j4r3du 1 day ago
I gave up on radio when I couldn't take hearing the same 12 songs over & over again until I hated them. Classic rock radio completely ruined "Hotel California" and "Sweet Home Alabama" forever for me. I can't listen to even 1 second more of either 1 of those songs. It also annoys me when DJs insert their political views between songs. If I want 2 hear that I can listen to talk radio. Best 4 me is local FM college radio - that's where I get turned on to good new REAL artists. Another good vid!
TwinMillMC 2 days ago
@TwinMillMC Thanks :) JC
BadEditPro 2 days ago
Why Radio Sucks:
Because BadEditPro is not currently broadcasting on it.
djs259 2 days ago
@djs259 :) JC
BadEditPro 2 days ago
Thank god it isnt like that in the netherlands.. Except a part of the midnight they play a 1 hour tape, it playes very hour the same lol.. But they start again at 6am..
MrDemilord 3 days ago
The passion for making radio is gone.. Thats why I always loved listening to Pirate radio.. you hear how they enjoyed making good radio.. They provide very nice news messages good music, no or rare commercials.. I wonder if there are still pirate radio stations in the US.. Because I am from the Netherlands
MrDemilord 3 days ago
I used to love listening to the radio, now I really hate listening to radio these days, the only radio network I can stand listening to now is our Australian Government broadcaster the ABC, it's not commercial radio, thank God, oh how I hate commercial radio.
Lachlant1984 3 days ago
@Lachlant1984 I don't turn it on at all... I find it frustrating to listen to these days. :) JC
BadEditPro 3 days ago
As James Lileks once noted, "Radio isn't going anywhere - and that's what's wrong with it."
shesnailie 1 month ago
It's so true what you're saying. Radio will never be what it used to be. Owners just want to make profit. Not only in the USA, also here in Europe.
dekoninckisonair 2 months ago
I feel ya man. I really do feel ya. 10 years here. Production Director, mainly. They've made it impossible for me to enjoy my job. I can't even type about it too much or i'll run out to the closest station and start blowing people away with a shotgun.
reptilicus975 3 months ago
I used to love listen to radio.. I listened till 8 years ago.. When it went down like a train here...
It is all BS here now.. I talk about the Netherlands
MrDemilord 3 months ago
The smaller radio stations get bought up by these larger radio stations that is what happened here then the radio format turned all country. The original station was a mix of rock and everything else from 70s on up.
Comptekhs 5 months ago
I'm so pleased my MP3 player doesn't have a radio in it as a lot of them do, my MP3 player is my favourite radio station, because it plays what I want to hear when I want to hear it, if I want to listen to U2 I can, if I want to listen to New Order, it's right there on my SD card, if I want to listen to the Pet Shop Boys, no problem, if I want to listen to Monsoon all I have to do is find the files and press the play button, if I want to listen to a book I just have to select it.
Lachlant1984 5 months ago
Clear Channel, Citadel, and Infinity; that's all radio is about anymore. Really stinks too, because radio is where I got my start, but now it's a dead end. Now I have to find a new career because there seems to be no future in radio anymore.
mbtfeedback 11 months ago
@mbtfeedback I spent 20 plus years in radio and worked my way up from part time jock to OM. It's sad to see where it's gone in the last decade. My advice to anyone in the business now is to look for a way out before they get pushed out like I did. The landing sucks! :) JC
BadEditPro 11 months ago
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mbtfeedback 11 months ago
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mbtfeedback 11 months ago
@BadEditPro Thanks for the response, you've confirmed what I feared. After radio I made the mistake of moving into television as a news producer, which paid a little better, but was 10x the stress level. I just wondered if you could expand on your opinion of the EAS system? I'm familiar with it (obviously) but would like to know and understand the issues with it.
mbtfeedback 11 months ago
@mbtfeedback I worked close enough to TV to know it was not something I really wanted to do full time. However, I do enjoy doing VO's for TV. Unlike radio, TV spots don't have to try and cram everything into 30 seconds so it's a more relaxed read. :) JC
BadEditPro 11 months ago
@mbtfeedback Radio is a wasteland. If a ratings agency called and asked, I could honestly say I do not listen to terrestrial radio. I even took the antenna off my car and have Sirius Satellite radio, instead. Yes, even Sirius isn't perfect, but the content is much more diverse than that on the local stations. It's possible that radio can come back. Once Clear Channel, etc have raped the industry as much as they can, they'll start to divest themselves of "assets" to local owners.
warrenweiss 7 months ago
There's strong interest from the community for a local station. As irrelevant as it may be in current days, both stations licensed to our city are in the Spanish language. However, it would have to be a commercial venture as funding for a local station would be too weak for a LPFM here. Even the closest LPFM to our area is running ads. My guess is that donations are not what they should be to run the day-to-day operations of the station. Perhaps they should get rid of the translator. :)
CenTexVideo 11 months ago
@CenTexVideo Since both local stations are Spanish language, you could very easily get a construction permit from the FCC on the grounds that the community is not being well served locally. Funding for a project like that is hard to find, though. You'd need to generate interest in the business community and form a group of investors. It's not easy but it can be done. :) JC
BadEditPro 11 months ago
@BadEditPro That's what I had in mind, since both stations are in Spanish. The only issue, other than the money, is trying to fit a station in a over crowded area and conform to spacing requirements. I haven't tried to see if I could work a station in using a directional to null out a problem spot, though. There's a few stations that do community radio and they manage to keep the station on the air, although for most of the day, the station is in the closet.
CenTexVideo 11 months ago
@BadEditPro I'm not ruling out medium wave, although I doubt if I can be granted a unlimited operation without going to flea power at night. The coverage for a station with a few watts, even on MW, is pretty dismal.
CenTexVideo 11 months ago
WTAB AM 1370 IN TABOR CITY,NC IS A COMMUNITY RADIO STATION
wtbsfan 11 months ago
@wtbsfan That's cool but you don't need to shout about it... ALL CAPS MEANS YOU'RE SHOUTING!!! LOL :) JC
BadEditPro 11 months ago
Can you talk a little bit about college radio at some point please? I don't know too much about it, but I'm currently likening it to community radio here in Australia. I'll send you a personal message with the URL for the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia just in case you're interested.
Lachlant1984 1 year ago
@Lachlant1984 college radio used to be very local but now it's just as automated as commercial radio. We have public radio here but it's going the same way, too. :) JC
BadEditPro 1 year ago
Do you have community radio in the US? Here in Australia the major capital cities have radio stations that are owned and usually run by the community that broadcast within local councils. They are volunteer staffed and run, they usually don't have much of any automation, and they say and play what they want within reason of course. 3WBC is my local radio station, I hardly listen to them now because I don't listen to the radio much these days, but 3WBC are pretty good.
Lachlant1984 1 year ago
I can't really speak too much to how radio works here in Australia, but I do know that in Melbourne at least where I live, the big 3 companies not including the ABC own at least 2 radio station each on the FM band at least, and as far as I know multiple radio stations often run from one building, but I may be wrong on some point. The ABC is not a commercial broadcaster, it's Government owned, but they run quite a few radio stations, I generally prefer the ABC when I listen to the radio.
Lachlant1984 1 year ago
I agree 100%. Another reason that the internet argument for radio stations is weak is where radio is listened to the majority of the time is in the car. Apart from NPR, radio is just unlistenable now. I blame the current state of radio for the condition of the record industry, not downloading. There is no longer the opportunity for the music minded dj to give life to a record. It's all up to the record industry execs who currently seem to know nothing about music.
thatmuse76 1 year ago
@thatmuse76 Both industries are run by people who don't understand the product. All they see is numbers and they don't have any respect for the artists and craftsman who make the product. They've pushed out anyone who tries to stand up for quality and now you have idiots in positions of power who don't know what they're doing at all. :) JC
BadEditPro 1 year ago
What happened to the local radio station sales rep (Herb on WKRP) who’d go out and knock on doors to bring new advertisers/revenue to the station. Where did they go? I think he too was outsourced to the failing ad agency.
JC, it anyone can come up with a new business idea, it has to be you. I bet if you take the time to objectively look at where we are, what emerging technology is available, you can anticipate a new yet undiscovered business opportunity in radio. Sorry for the rant!
ThePhonoJack 1 year ago
@ThePhonoJack The problem is finding anyone interested in investing in radio. The industry has been run so far into the ground that the smart money stays away. I'd just about have to win the lottery and buy my own station with cash to do anything positive. Still, that's only one station and that's not enough to start a trend. The mainstream industry will continue doing the same things until personality can be shown to be profitable again. :) JC
BadEditPro 1 year ago
I believe he was ultimately fired from radio for saying, “today there will be high winds, followed by high skirts, followed by me”. Can radio be be renewed given some of the new technology available. Some stations have on line ‘subscribers’ who can text, and tweet to the DJ or radio personality. Could we make an ‘internet appliance’ that would capture content “music” broadcast from stereo AM and or FM radio? Royalty sharing by the station, musician(s) & provider might encourage this.
ThePhonoJack 1 year ago
And of course George Carlin aka “The Hippie Dippie Weatherman” who broadcast ‘shocking’ words on WVDA before it became WEZE, Boston. People listened because you never knew what George Carlin would say. It’s reported that George was fired for driving the local radio station truck to New York to buy pot. Locally, who could forget Henry Morgan, later a successful comedian and TV personality who announced, “today will be Muggy, followed by Tueggy, Weggy and Thurgy”?
ThePhonoJack 1 year ago
@ThePhonoJack Love your handle! Anyway, I grew up listening to great people in Norfolk like WTAR's Tom Looney and Dale Parsons, who later became PD for WNBC, Joe Hopple at WCMS and George Crawford at WGH. Those guys were my idols and inspiration. Now, you can't find anyone like that on the radio except for maybe in NYC. It's sad. :) JC
BadEditPro 1 year ago
JC, nice job! You struck a nerve, just look at the number of hits here. It’s no secret that radio station owners have depersonalized the content. Where have the great personalities gone? In the local market, we had people like Arnie Ginsburg aka “Woo Woo Ginsburg” of WMEX, Boston, brought to you by Adventure Car Hop. It was not only the ’content’, the music he selected, it was his personality that made you want to listen. He seemed to pick the right tunes.
ThePhonoJack 1 year ago
i live in 4 different radio broadcast markets well i mean i can listen to like 5 different markets like akron canton markets even youngstown ohio markets and of coure pittsburgh pa market just to name a few markets theer are also a few mom pop station that are actuly local run and ownd ststions that are dj operated until like 12am til like 5 or 6 am that during that time frame go into automation mode no djs or remote programing all programming is done at the station
compwiz878 1 year ago
As for FM radio blaming the internet, they are right but in a way that coincides with your point: competition.
As you say, FM stations haven't given people a reason to tune in, so FM gives way to stronger contenders that give people what they want, including AM stations that broadcast content in talk radio format.
Right now, a future I see with terrestrial radio, AM and FM, is informational, taking advantage of the ability to broadcast what you need to know, local, live and hot.
Watcher3223 1 year ago
@Watcher3223 You'd think they would see that and do something to innovate localized programming... :) JC
BadEditPro 1 year ago
For me, terrestrial radio sucks today because:
1. The ads play for longer than the music.
2. The music choices are paltry, uninspired and repetitive.
Sat. radio sound quality sucks.
All I have to say is "thank god for iPod (and hi-fi)." I listen to what I want, when I want it. If I come across a song I want, I buy it by trying to get it on a physical medium (usually CD and vinyl with strong fair use rights and superior audio fidelity) or, if I'm in a pinch, download it off iTunes or Amazon.
Watcher3223 1 year ago
the future of radio ..............come on ithe only saving grace of radio now is pay radio xm....so much better than local radio...,,,i will never listen to local radio again
graflex16mm 1 year ago
I do notice a lot of stations play stuff that isn't that great. But there is an excellent station close to where I live: KABF 88.3, not the average run-of-the-mill station! You can do some looking up about it if you want. They actually have someone come at certain times and they play neat music.
CassetteMaster 1 year ago
@CassetteMaster I did look it up and that sounds like a really neat station. I wish there were more like it. :) CJ
BadEditPro 1 year ago
I work midnight to 8, and the a single radio station is played over a intercom for most of the night. I would hear the same 5-8 songs, 4 to 5 times before I leave work. Not much variety, but at least it somewhat keeps me sane.
DJBear 1 year ago
Two of my favorite stations are WBGO, Newark (public radio) and WKCR (Columbia University). I noticed that in recent years, the amount of advertising on most commercial stations has increased to the point that you cannot listen to them for more that a few minutes. I think we can expect a rise of public radio and college radio. BTW, is HD radio any good or more of the same crap?
margaretsville 1 year ago
here in sweden we have 4 state own radio stations wich are quite good (exept station 2 that only brodcast classical music and prgograms for old people)
but the thing with those stations is that they have very diferent contet for example channel 1 is a talk and news channal and channel 3 is a music channel that have all kinds of music mostly pop and rock but some jazz and blues and folk music.
continues on my next comment
agfamatic91 1 year ago
@agfamatic91
we also have some commercial radio stations and they is a bit more close to what you was talking abote.
but i think they actully still have real DJs that talk live and plays music, even if the music almost only is the hits of the week.
but i think they propobly use prerecorded material for the night time brodcasts.
but the state ownd radio channel 3 actully have some night time live music programs where they take phone calls and play reqests
agfamatic91 1 year ago
@agfamatic91 Thanks for the insight. :) JC
BadEditPro 1 year ago
Good video JC.
My idea of radio, at least what I was taught, was to service the public. It isn't close to that now. What a shame.
pcwalker 1 year ago
@pcwalker That's what I was taught, too... It seems they have forgotten that completely these days. :) JC
BadEditPro 1 year ago
Radio in many other countries thrives on a balance between non-commercial government run stations and privately owned commercial stations. For example, both the BBC and the commercial stations in the U.K. offer excellent, top-notch programming with strong listener engagement. Here in the USA, NPR and its member stations still work very hard to serve the public, but unfortunately in many markets that isn't enough to foster marketplace demand for commercial radio to match that quality standard.
vwestlife 1 year ago
@vwestlife No to be argumentative, but NPR stations are more heavily automated than many commercial stations... The level of quality depends a great deal on regional standards, too. Some parts of the country are horrible while others actually have radio worth listening to. You're lucky because you live in one of the better served areas. I'm jealous! :) JC
BadEditPro 1 year ago
@BadEditPro It depends heavily on the market. The major market public stations have the funding to provide much more local content (including a full news dept.), and even produce many of the shows which end up getting carried on NPR. But in a small town, the funding usually just isn't there for a member station to do much more than carry what comes "off the bird". The federal government isn't much help either, as it contributes only a very small amount to the budget of public broadcasting.
vwestlife 1 year ago
Great commentary/critique. Most people listen to their radio while driving/commuting. How high is the unemployment rate now? Advertisers pay to have their product/service pitched to listeners. It's no wonder the majority of the radio industry is in the toilet. Low revenue = low pay. Keep operating costs down.The web is cheaper. Wireless/satellite technology is growing. Terrestrial radio is a dinosaur waiting to become extinct. Sad, but true.
PutSome5tankOnIt 1 year ago
@PutSome5tankOnIt We shall see... :) JC
BadEditPro 1 year ago
Seeing you put this out makes me hope that enough people will see this, so that us young folk can reverse this downward spiral that the radio, and the music industry, is currently going through.
I used to listen to KSLX, a Classic Rock station that broadcasts in the Phoenix, AZ area. The stuff they play now is so disappointing, I've been playing strictly CD's in the car.
I bet that this bad trend will end at some point. I'm just hoping that the people of my generation can fix this.
ToastmachineIdiot 1 year ago
@ToastmachineIdiot I hold on to the hope that the big companies will move on now that most of the easy money has been rung out of radio. That would leave it up to small, local companies to back to basics and rebuild. I just hope there enough talented people interested in radio left to make that happen. :) JC
BadEditPro 1 year ago
Very informative video! we do have some local stations here in upstate NY but alot of the playlists are so repetitive, there are live DJ's but i'm not sure if they're controlling the songs, they do say the song titles sometimes and talk about upcoming songs etc, and they have weather reports and take requests. I have participated in radio ratings more than twice and I always gave the stations that played my kind of music as well as the AM stations that had the best programming my ratings.
coolbluelights 1 year ago
@coolbluelights You're lucky to have some real radio in your part of the world. In some regions, like where I am now, the radio is an automated wasteland that's not worth turning on at all. :) JC
BadEditPro 1 year ago
@BadEditPro I think the only automated radio station around here is the one at Siena college, and even there there are people sometimes. all the other ones have someone there, I wouldn't listen to radio at all if it was all automated like you said some areas are
coolbluelights 1 year ago
the main reason rado sucks is they do not play the old along with the new... They would rather go with "Flavors of the month,"
courttube3 1 year ago
@courttube3 You don't want to hear a mix. Didn't you know that? Just ask any radio consultant and they will tell you! They have it all figured out and innovative ideas like real music variety and so forth just won't work. (wink, wink) LOL :) JC
BadEditPro 1 year ago
@courttube3 the main reason? I worked in FM broadcasting back in the mid 80's and he's telling us NOT ONLY the music that they play nowadays, but also the format (if you know what it means in broadcasting) but also the programming as a whole including the public service, including the ownership (business) of radio stations. A comparison generation by generation.
classicmixes 1 year ago
I agree what you said and your observation. West Michigan radio stations alone, sucks...
classicmixes 1 year ago
@classicmixes Thanks! :) JC
BadEditPro 1 year ago
I'm glad we still have public radio, including a nationwide news radio station, I live in the Netherlands.
legOldtimer 1 year ago
...continuing. The enormous rise in competing entertainment mediums, from video, DVD, video games, computers, cell phones; the failure of our economies during the past 30 years. There are so many factors. I'm in Canada but the worst thing that I've seen in US radio has been the rise of radical political formatting, especially that on the far right of the social and polictical spectrum. We don't have to put up with that crap up here.
bluenazz 1 year ago
I must say that the music on the radio actually sounds pretty bad now. I think the music is compressed because it sounds distorted and the vu meters on my radio stay at about the same spot continuously. And this is on a station that gets good reception in my area. The sad thing is, it sounds even worse with the poorly recorded music today!
Great video.
Oh and I saw a thing once where a guy was using a cassette tape to broadcast radio in the 90's. I did not think they were used for radio.
0UT3RL1M1T5 1 year ago
@0UT3RL1M1T5 Cassettes were not used much for music but some talk based shows were distributed on cassette. Radio is compressed. It has to be to get the audio through the transmitter legally. Of coarse, how much processing is needed is a matter of opinion. The loudness war was going in radio long before it came to CD. :) JC
BadEditPro 1 year ago
You nailed it JC. All without a script.
remitrom007 1 year ago
JC, I couldn't fit on one page my complaints about the music industry or radio. I worked in the record biz for 10 years, '73 to '83. I'll list a few of the huge mistakes that have lead up to the present. Drake-Chenault syndication and the downsizing of station playlists; FM radio's adoption of AM style restricted playlists in the 70's; the Disco fad of the late 70's that killed classic rock; Punk Rock and other nihilist content; Grunge, Rap, and Diva music; replacing vinyl with the CD.
bluenazz 1 year ago
@bluenazz We can only hope that it hits bottom sometime soon and something new evolves from the present malaise. I still hold out hope that a pocket of quality will grow and catch on forcing the idiots to start listening to the artisans who built the radio and music industry into what it is today. If they don't it will all just fade away. We shall see. :) JC
BadEditPro 1 year ago
really like the picture in the background,i've definitely learned a lot from you over the last year or so.i miss the old days calling a request line and getting to know certain DJ's,but i am kinda old fashioned! i wonder how long it will take for things to calm down and people realize the value of older equipment and methods more and the follies of the digital age.for me it's plain to see.i guess that's why i like your channel so much! you speak the truth.
dimebagdave77 1 year ago
@dimebagdave77 Thank You! I just call it like I see it and let the rest go... It's all about economics so it will have to shake out. We'll see what lasts and what doesn't in time. :) JC
BadEditPro 1 year ago
Also I think there is infinite possibility with net radio and podcasts that can be produced for next to nothing, it provides us with the capability for many alternatives voices to be heard that would not get near a mainstream radio broadcast. This is perhaps the real future of radio
KingFahtah 1 year ago
I remember just before Christmas in 2009, there was a terrible snow storm in my area. I was stuck in traffic with my dad in traffic. I noticed that all radio stations owned by one group were broadcasting dead air.
I'm sure if someone was there, these like 7 stations could have been broadcasting news ect.
jefferyb304 1 year ago
@jefferyb304 That sort of thing happens all the time... Sad but true. :) JC
BadEditPro 1 year ago
But we do have community radio...I spose the local equivalent of what you would have with college radio, people work there mostly for nothing because they want to be there, and yeah it usually has the best content and is live
KingFahtah 1 year ago
A lot of what you talk about happening in America happened here too, local sttations becoming part of networks, people screwing about with formats they considered were more profitable, still happening like they don't have a clue so you end up with10 classic rock station or 5 adult contemporary or whatever that all sound the bloody same. The only decent live content comes from talkback which has now been syndicated so there's less local focus.
KingFahtah 1 year ago
@KingFahtah Thanks for the insight! It does not surprise me at all, though. Greed is a worldwide phenomenon these days. :) JC
BadEditPro 1 year ago
@BadEditPro I think the problem is that the local radio stations can't make any money, ad revenue is so low they can barley keep the power on
dpsinoh 1 year ago
@dpsinoh I some cases that's true but in almost every case you can trace that back to a time when some really bad programing decisions were made. It's very complicated and the reasons why some stations succeed and other fail are hard to pinpoint. :) JC
BadEditPro 1 year ago
@BadEditPro Oh I'm sure the genesis of the problem in the radio industry does originate with bad programming and management decisions that were made 20 years ago. But today the money is not there and nobody is willing to risk what money they do have.
dpsinoh 1 year ago
@dpsinoh You hit on a very important point. The money is gone now. Radio could have invested in better programming a decade ago and we could be talking about how cool the new generation of radio is. It would take a big investment to attempt to rebuild the product and investors just aren't interested. It will take small, local companies that are willing to hold out for a return to start turning things around. :) JC
BadEditPro 1 year ago
I meant to add, I read a book about Clear Channel, so I see what you mean totally...but I've had xm radio for 4 or 5 years and I don't have much desire to listen to fm...there's plenty of good new music to play, they just have to play it...
KOSMICKEN09 1 year ago
I said it before and I'll say it again-satelitte radio is the way to go. heck, i'd pay for just 2 channels alone-deep tracks and little steven's underground garage. w/ youtube, music blogs, myspace, etc-who needs fm radio?
KOSMICKEN09 1 year ago
@KOSMICKEN09 Your point is well taken but local radio can provide something xm can't and that is local content. This is more important to some than others but when it's presented correctly, local will trump national and be very successful. :) JC
BadEditPro 1 year ago
it's not only radio that sucks, music in general too.
lz2k7 1 year ago
@lz2k7 Yes, and for many of the same reasons. It all is going to hell. :) JC
BadEditPro 1 year ago
@BadEditPro This is why we are all buying records. :)
UnchainTheNight1 1 year ago
anyone who says that is either too old or doesn't pay much attention. good lord, all you have to do is read Q or Mojo or Classic Rock magazine to keep up on things, there's lots of great music out there. just cause it's not played in heavy rotation on fm radio doesn't mean it isn't good...and even if you don't like 'new' music, just look at blogs online and you'll find loads of great records that are put of print to download. ok that's it for now haha.
KOSMICKEN09 1 year ago
There has always been a "core" list of currents that were played across the country..What I mean by "core" is the current top 10 on the singles chart.. Thats the only thing that has'nt changed..Everything else has changed for the worse. On most music oriented stations you'll have a morning/afternoon slot live DJ, after that it's automated with the occasional canned voice over to give a live illusion.
rare12inchsingles 1 year ago
@rare12inchsingles The live DJ in mornings and afternoons is becoming rare now. Big city stations generally do more live than in smaller markets but many stations don't have anybody live content at all these days. I've even heard of this kind of thing happening in major markets. Most of these stations that claim to play anything, the Jack/Bob/Alice type formats, are totally automated... It's sad. :) JC
BadEditPro 1 year ago
@BadEditPro I live in a large market and the majority are live in the mornings..You do make a point about smaller markets..Just look at staions up until the late 80's, Even the airchecks I've posted,,Top 40 radio had overnight jocks..24 hours a day there was a live body on the other side of the mic. Even non-current formatted stations are a joke. It seems 70's and 80's hits are segued into their own niche station by (R&B,rock). Which in turn leads to cookie cutter playlists.
rare12inchsingles 1 year ago
@rare12inchsingles You speak the truth. Many of the 'oldies' stations are totally automated. You'd think the powers that be would want to capitalize on the memory of fun radio but they are nothing more than jukeboxes. Usually, if you have 5 stations in one building, one gets the bulk of the resources and the others just barely get enough to keep going. :) JC
BadEditPro 1 year ago
i agree with you man
aisback1990 1 year ago
@aisback1990 Thanks! :) JC
BadEditPro 1 year ago