How Radio is Killing the Radio Star
Saturday, August 18, 2012 at 11:35AM
Radio is going through a series of quiet crises right now, one of which is the acquisition of new talent. Where is the next generation of radio stars going to come from?
Learning how to do properly radio is hard. VERY hard. Just ask anyone who has ever had to speak in public. It requires a certain number of skill sets that require coaching, nurturing and time.
In the old days--the era in which I enterted the business--you honed your skills by working your way up through small market stations. Dues were paid working weekends, overnights and holidays. It was ugly, hard and extremely low-paying. But I wouldn't have had it any other way.
Working these shit shifts at shit stations was how radio announcers got better and developed as personalities. You figured out who you were on the air. You learned to talk about things that engaged your audience. You learned technical skills in both the on-air and production studio. You made friends with like-minded radio obsessives and you fed off each other's enthusiasm and ambition.
The weenies were weeded out and the true professionals emerged. And with the right amount of time in the minors, a proper amount of coaching and just a little luck you'd make it to a major market. You could have a career in radio.
Things, however, are vastly different today. In an effort to keep margins growing (or at least stable), there have been drastic cuts to on-air line-ups.
Thanks to the cost-cutting glories of automation and voice-tracking, there aren't as many entry-level opportunities at small stations anymore. For example, when I worked at KX-96 in Brandon, Manitoba, in the early 80s, we had seven full-time announcers. Automation and voice-tracking has apparently cut that down to three. THREE announcers for 168 hours of programming.
Hell, there are now stations in markets as big as Vancouver where they have that many live bodies in the control room.
Budgets are forcing program directors to hire as cheaply as possible. "Find someone for $10 an hour!" the GM barks. "How hard can it be? Get a student! What about that intern that's driving the station van?"
(When I was a PD, I had many battles with bosses who wanted to voicetrack or automate certain dayparts. I'm proud to say that I won more of those battles than I lost. But the losses still eat at me.)
The upshot is that you end up with rookies on the air, unseasoned announcers not fit to open a microphone at a medium and large market stations. Understandably, they make rookie errors. It's not always their fault, either. Because they haven't struggled up through the ranks, they don't know any better.
Bottom line, though, is a sub-standard on-air product. Learning to be on the radio while being on the air in big cities is a hideous situation for everyone involved. Listeners tune out. Program directors, sales managers and GMs freak out. More restrictions are made on talk. And the station is irretrievable set on the road to being nothing more than a non-programmable jukebox with commercials.
Meanwhile, the wannabe noob announcers have their confidence crushed and forever have a warped view what it's like to have the privilege of being able to crack open a mic. Nobody wins.
My recollection is that devaluation of on-air talent began at the end of the 1970s. A brutal recession forced all businesses to re-evaluate their costs. Some big-name radio stars from the 60s and 70s were given the boot because they were too expensive. The mantra became "more music, less talk."
The same happened in the early 90s during that recession. Lots of bodies were lost. Meanwhile, many radio stations morphed into jukeboxes with commercials. "Shut up and play the records," came the instructions. "Audiences don't like talk!"
"But wait!" I'd sputter, "Don't you mean that audiences don't want meaningless talk? What about talk that is engaging and entertaining and enlightening and informative? Isn't that what we as radio professionals should be doing? And should the staff be encouraged and coached to do just that?"
"NO!" came the thundering response. "SHUT UP AND PLAY THE RECORDS"
(Amidst all this though, I was miraculously assigned to do an hour-long documentary called The Ongoing History of New Music where I played unfamiliar music, never gave the call letters and talked a LOT. Funny how the show was a success, innit?)
Another change came towards the end of the 90s when stations moved away from playing actual CDs and carts (the cartridges that contained commercials) to hard drive playback systems where all the music and spots were played by a computer. From there, it was an easy jump to eliminating the announcer altogether and just letting the machine do all the work.
Now with radio facing more competition from other media choices, radio management is freaking out by a lack of new talent. At conferences and in private conversations, I've heard so much talk about the difficulty in acquiring and retaining talent.
Much of this talk is complete and utter bullshit. It's a problem of their own making.
First, they decimated the farm system where they used to grow new announcers. Second, they insist on showing the door to established talent. "Budget concerns," they say. "You've come to make more than the position is worth." What?
(Okay, okay. I'll admit to some bias here because of, um, personal circumstances. But I'm hardly alone. How many times can you remember one of your favourite announcers suddenly disappearing?)
Now, I do have sympathy for program directors today. In the old days, the PD only had to worry about what was his/her station was pumping out through the speakers. One station, one on-air staff, one playlist, one sales department.
Today, though, many PDs have to manage two or more stations. Two might be in the same building and six more might be hundreds of miles away. Some also double as the promotions person. They might have to pull an airshift. They have to work with sales and clients. Plus they're being told that they have to take care of the website--which, as any Internet user knows, is a completely different mountain to climb. All this weighs on their minds 24/7.
Where in the day does the PD have a chance to coach and aircheck announcers? It has to be done, but it's harder than ever.
And just to talk out of the other side of my mouth for a second, I also sympathize with general managers who are under pressure to deliver revenue by their bosses. Shareholders demand value and if it isn't delivered, then heads roll.
What I'm saying is that ratings and revenues can go up if time and money is invested in making sure the on-air product is massively appealing to audiences--and that includes making sure that the people you have on the air are top-notch.
I believe that radio needs true personalities more than ever. In an era when anyone can get any song they want anytime they want it on a multitude of different devices--all without commercials--radio has to have something that nothing else can deliver. And the only thing that can deliver that USP is people.
Entertainers! Provocateurs! People with opinions! Those who know how to deliver fascinating and engaging material! People who know how to keep listeners from going to their iPods and the Internet! Humour! Intelligence! Relevance! And while we're at it, how about allowing qualified and experienced PDs to spend more time coaching, training and encouraging the on-air talent? (Oh, and let's make sure that everyone is paid properly. But that's another conversation.)
But sadly, the pool has become very shallow for all of the reasons I've just mentioned. Check out this sobering article in The Hollywood Reporter. If you're in the business--or if you just have a love for radio--give it a look. Go ahead. I'll wait.
* * *
Back with me? What did you think?
Keep in mind that I'm speaking in generalities here. I know of several radio companies (big ones, too) that still understand that radio's strength is people--the talent on the air. I also know of many program directors who want to do the right thing but can't because of the orders they're given. I get that.
And I bring all this up not because of any sour grapes or bitterness. I've devoted more than half my life to this industry and I plan to keep fighting for the medium in all forms for--well, until the end, whatever that means. If you look around this website, you can still that I'm still deeply, deeply involved in traditional terrestrial radio on a daily basis for stations across Canada. And I hope I can be a part of it for years to come.
I just hope that there are more like me out there--people willing to speak about what radio needs to survive and thrive in an increasingly on-demand digital world.
Video didn't kill the radio star. Radio is doing a fine job of that on its own. Please make it stop.
NOTE: I wrote this rant on a Saturday morning in sort of a stream-of-consciousness thing. I reserve the right go back and tinker with things if I feel I need to make my point a little more coherently. Meanwhile,
I fully expect to get flamed by people who think they know what I did, didn't do, said, thought, believed and experienced as an announcer and PD. They know jack shit. Fuck 'em.
Ask anyone who worked with me or for me. I'm pretty sure most of them will tell you that I fought the good fight as best as I could. I know where I succeeded and I know where I failed. And if another similar opportunity presents itself, at least I'll have learned from my experience.
Reader Comments (24)
I agree with the sentiments as I volunteer my time as a campus-community radio station in Ottawa. I host a weekly show as well. I feel like one of the dying breeds of radio listeners who enjoy having a radio DJ/host/presenter on a radio show. Although, I don't have a Journalism degree, I enjoy what goes on the radio and wish to be in the industry. :)
Well said Al. As corporations converged, and business experts replaced entertainment experts, the focus drifted from making a product for the listener, to finding efficiencies that allowed the product to sound almost-as-good at a lower cost. Today's radio company sees product as not what's on the air, but rather the mass of listeners that fall within desired age and income demographics and who listen to the many stations the company owns, and who can be sold as a block of potential consumers to advertisers.
All I want to hear is an on-air person who wants to talk to me. To relate to me. To tell me interesting stuff. To piss me off. To sound like he/she really knows this music. Anything but the pre-recorded bland liner-reading that is demanded of the people on-air now.
Your article gives me hope. Radio needs people who know how to get the listener back, keep them, and still return some profit to the owners. Perhaps it also needs owners who can see that they do know a lot about how to run a business, but they don't know sh** about how to run a radio station.
Alan, I wouldn't change a thing in your rant. Anyone in radio knows you are 100% right. So do the listeners. Like you, I fought the good fight while programming talk radio stations. Like you I won some and lost some and ultimately was shown the door. But there is life after radio. I continue to speak out about the problems you raise online, on my blog, in my book and at two Toronto colleges where I teach broadcast students.
Now as a consultant I work was broadcasters who hire me to coach them because they don't get any feedback from their PD. Lets face it, if you aren't in morning or afternoon drive, the PD has no time to aircheck you or coach you. They're too busy doing all the other things you say and only have time for their morning or afternoon drive show talent.
There is no training ground anymore because overnights and weekends are filled with syndicated US programming or voiced tracked shows by local talent.
It is why when I appeared before the CRTC in both Montreal and Toronto I committed my clients to open up weekends and overnights for developing new talent during our application hearings for two talk stations in Montreal and one FM talk station in Toronto
We won the French license and in September we'll be awarded the English license. In Toronto, we're still waiting for the CRTC decision on who gets 88.1 FM.
But it's a start and hopefully other broadcasters will follow our lead to return overnights and weekends to devloping new talent.
Good opinion piece. Right now in the GTA I can honestly only think of two on air personalities I would go out of my way to listen to. What makes them good...like mentioned above, they have found their voice , and everything (positive) flows from there.
Learning how to do properly radio is hard. VERY hard. Just ask anyone who has ever had to speak in public. It requires a certain number of skill sets that require coaching, nurturing and time.
Alan, your work as a PD and the on-air product you made from that is what made me become interested in joining the world of broadcasting and what constantly drives me to keep my show fresh and entertaining. PDs like you are who keep the magic in radio. I still hold the deepest, most sincere hope that one day our paths with cross and I'll be able to milk your brain on a daily basis for broadcasting wisdoms!
Great piece.
Even when I am in my car driving today I may ask my daughter to hold on for a second not because I want to hear the song, I want to hear what the on air personality is saying. Like you said you can get songs 24x7 in many formats.
I listen to and download a couple of podcasts including one by a couple of your former co-workers. Why? Because they are entertaining. They seem to have the same beef as you with terrestrial radio.
Gone are the days where when growing up you and your friends would share the same taste in music, listen to the same stations and talk about what and who was on the radio. Come on haven't many teenage boys had a crush on the female on air personality with the hot voice. Wait that is gone now to because you look up her picture on the internet.
Point is with so many mediums to get music, radio needs to reinvent itself as not only somewhere to listen to music but to get entertained as a whole.
Bruce Springsteen is right in song Radio Nowhere. Is there anybody alive out there?
OMG!!! The Loopey''s is on FIRE!!!!! hahahhaha
and I absolutely LOVE Josie dye... My crush got worse when I looked her pic on the net....lol
Fearless fred Is great too, with all the weird shit he says... but it is quite entertaining!!!
The edge is my station and I rarely turn the dial.. unless that new green day comes on... or linkin park.. or that stupid Chad Kruger-Head...hahah
Till 3 1/2 years ago, I had 48 years in the business, 29 years at the same place (WHAM, Rochester,NY) and was part of a news talk team consistently first or second in the market. I was let go in the CC Bloodbath on Obama's inauguration day. Since then, several others who were also part of that team were let go. I totally agree that the business is ruining itself. We old dinosaurs who learned the trade at one-lung stations in East Overshoe can hold our heads high for having been part of radio's glory days. But the chase for bigger profits and non-broadcast owners of massive numbers of stations have taken away all that we had built. It would be nice if somebody had the common sense to bring back radio the way it is supposed to be done. I personally will not hold my breath on that one.
Very very good. You know how we feel about content and the people that provide it. A couple of years ago I spoke at CMW about something I called the "75 dollar solution!" Basically saying that if you give a couple of kids 75 bucks to staff the all night shift and let them hang around the rest of the time you'd give them opportunity and the reps that come with developing announcers and personalities. Kind of the way most of us got started. Automation and budgest are squeezing the younger broadcasters out of the business and one day the suits will look around and wonder where all the good people have gone. They've retired. And there's been no legacy contingency and that's why no one knows how to do the job anymore. We are podcast/broadcasters now and not only is that future but the present as well. You want content? Download it cause you aren't going to get it between 11 songs an hour anymore. Love ya Al.
best,
H
HumbleandFredradio.com
Radio died with Martin Streek. He was the best! Now all that's left are voices...no personalities!
I really miss him. He made me feel like I was listening *with* a friend.
As you mentioned, it's easy to find the music I want to hear. If I want the element of surprise, I use the "shuffle" feature. But there is no one who can influence my choices like he did.
If I bother to turn the radio on, I now gravitate to talk radio. Radio has become so impersonal and lacks spontaneity. It feels the same as watching clothes go round in a front loading dryer.
Speaking as a fan of radio, I can honestly say that in my opinion there are no good DJ's anymore.
I truely loved You, Martin Streek & Humble & Fred.
All of you entertained me, gave me a voice as a fan/listener & opened up my musical boundries.
These days, I find it difficult to listen to radio because none of the current crop do what y'all did.
The higher up's need to change what their doing or DJ's like the ones mentioned above will become legend.
Love you Mr. Cross
This is the reason I left radio in 2010. Life is better on the outside.
Brilliant piece, as well as the comments with it. I can't do any better, so I'll add these familiar words, this time as a lament. Maybe they always were.
Begin the day with a friendly voice
A companion unobtrusive.
Who plays that song that's so elusive
And the magic music makes my morning move.
Alan, People miss that relationship that was built. It takes time and trust and is counter to this Wall St. mindset of delivering more every quarter. In todays music world with the floodgates open, people also really need that filter that a great DJ/MD provided. It's a shame so much emphasis is placed on foreign industry derived playlists instead of good ears...
Looking forward to more posts
Stuart
I remember the days as a kid when I heard great tunes, great conversation and best of all, I could be part of it without being only given 30 seconds. I remember on music stations where you could call and talk to a real person and they cared about the listeners.
I loved radio so much as a kid, I had my own station recording to cassette tapes [remember those? lol] It was a regular thing, even on school nights and I'd play whatever I had in my own and family collection. No one was listening, I didn't care, I was enjoying the music, the heart of radio to me.
There was a station here in Kitchener where, as a twelve year old boy, I was given the opportunity, on many occasions, to go shadow the overnight jock. He'd even let me read the weather on air. It is one of my fondest memories. I never pursued it back then because I was told the money was bad.
Many, many years later, I realized that money wasnt everything and that passion meant more. I still had that urge to be part of the elite group of entertainers known as a radio broadcaster. At the age of 31, I started contacting stations trying to get my foot in the door and bring to life my childhood dream of being on air.
I had no education and the only experience I had was being a wedding dj but i had something that many only claimed to have; passion. I had a goal and I was going for it. A local station gave me a chance as a technical producer; a board op. Great, I was on my way.
Four of us got hired at the same time and it seemed, to me at least, that only two of us got it. I was one of them. I understood the technical side, I understood the bigger picture with the commercials driving the business and the programming being the tool. It wasn't long however, before my PD said I was too enthusiastic, where the only feedback I heard was negative. There was no nurturing towards my goals, towards harnessing my passion into something that is unique in the industry, or seems to be today. It wasn't about the money for me, it was about obtaining my goals. That beat up morale however, coupled with real life situations, led to my declining performance and an almost care-free attitude.
I still have the thirst but it needs to be in an environment that can be harnessed, nurtured and formed into its full potential; whatever that is. I've tried big market, small market, markets all over the country and it's hard to even get constructive criticism anymore. That spirit inside, is slowly dying without anyone knowing it was truly there.
I started my own internet station and Facebook in attempts to use my creativeness to convey messages of motivation and inspiration; just as much for myself as for everyone else. The music is great, bringing back a ton of memories, but the talk keeps getting less and less. Partially because of low listener counts, a handfull or two at most [although increasing], but more from a bit of my spirit dying due to neglect.
I hear many in the station I work for feeling the same way and one, an extremely talented, freshly out of school newscaster who sounds great on air, has a great personality and is better suited for music jocking, even leaving the industry to pursue another career path. Not because he couldn't hack it but because of the low morale, lack of team atmosphere and general positivity.
It saddens me to see the most intimate form of media die without the most obvious steps being taken as you stated Mr Cross. There's still a faint heartbeat, perhaps one day, the dawn will break as the easiest answer hits people straight in the face and it can once again be born.
Alan your comments are bang on, I wouldn't change a thing! For those of us who had the opportunity to work with you - we know you always fought the good fight, and we know you were always a true champion for what radio "should be".
The on air product is suffering at the majority of stations in an effort to increase profits, as it would seem in some cases the product comes second to quarterly profits.
But some day, and that day will be here before we know it, there won't be any talent to draw on - not only because we don't have any second string or back up bench strength now, but because we have to ask... will we need it? Or will radio eventually be voice tracked 24/7 anyway creating an even bigger tune out factor.
You hit the nail on the head, well said - keep the comments coming - maybe someone will finally listen!
Awesome Alan,
I agree 100%, was in sales for over 8 years. I wish more was invested beyond music and the music played was always relevant to the listener.
But one point I would add, is AM & FM technology... I think it's time to take traditional terrestrial radio to some sort of HD format if possible. HD Radio quality, combined with better talent would allow radio to evolve to its next stage and integrate properly in the new 21st century media mix, instead of dying a slow death.
Greetings Alan,
I would agree with your assessment. I took radio broadcasting in college almost 20 years ago. Technology changed everything. In the first year, my class went from editing on reel to reel decks and recording on to carts. In the next year, your told here's the computers they will replace you all, go learn them. So what happens when students are told that radio stations are more interested in automation then talent. They begin to find other careers alternatives beacause the job prospects were grim.
I guess the one thing that has saved me is that I host a show on campus/community radio in Hamilton and have for fifteen plus years. I get to play anything I want musically and do things that most on-air talent could never do or would be allowed to do. It's the most rewarding three hours of my week. For some reason, I'm glad I didn't get a job at a radio station. Simply because it would have destroyed the romanticism I still have with a radio.
Unfortunately the days of the on- air host becoming a "star" in their city/town or region have been replaced with on-air hosts who have been replaced by a Mac or a Dell
I just want to thank Alan for validation of what I have thought for years. I've been out of the industry for 10 or so years, and really don't love the industry at its current state.Too many people seems to be just going through the motions and not sure where they are going. Just let the computer run everything, shut up, play the hits and no one gets hurt. Yeah Right.
This is a critical time for the radio industry. How do you make yourself relevant in a sea of media choices? By making compelling/entertaining content that is exclusive. You'd think this is rocket science for some stations. Maybe it is, not the idea mind you, but trying to pitch that idea to the corporate bean counters to get them to loose the purse strings as a long term investment in their property and their brand.
If anything, community radio seems to be fulling a niche the way commerical radio is currently headed.. You have a lot of veterans passionate about the medium, myself included, turning up at that level. Less BS, more interesting, diverse programming and going back to what the medium is about, connecting with people.
Allan,
This is so refreshing. I was an intern at the Edge and only briefly got to know you. Now I'm on the air full-time, thanks to the hard work that came with interning, working reception, doing overnights, and doing every other odd job I could to get the chance...
Everything that you have said above validates what I attempt to do day in and day out on the radio. I always THOUGHT these things and believed instinctively that personality was key. I believed having a fun, informative and different show was important, but then I'd take a look around at some of the many other DJ's, only to second guess myself. It would concern me, make me think that perhaps I should stick to the basics, the liners, the promotions, and the music chatter because that seems to be what everyone else is doing.
But everything you've mentioned above has given me the faith that what I'm doing isn't "outrageous". Having a personality, being relevant, having fun, and trying different things to capture attention and distract people from their often mundane jobs (as I do a midday show), IS important.
Thank you.
-seanna
Like everyone else here, I completely agree. It's part fo the reason I've given up being a listener of regular radio. Since 2008 I've been a satelitte radio listener. I don't have to sit through dj's or loads of commercials to hear the music I want.
In the Edmonton market, there appears to be two kinds of djs on rock radio. THere's the typical "shock jock" style of dj, who really aren't that shocking, they just talk about poop and balls and try ot appeal to the lowest common denominator. Then there's the hipster doofus style of dj, which are guys trying to sound like the average Joe sitting in their room talking about music. Comes across as unprofessional. The afternoon guy just steals comedic ideas from Howard Stern, and the morning guy just tries to come up with conversations about sandwiches or bacon or some other non-music related drivel.
Radio is terrible.
I really wonder what will happen to all these stations in a few years when internet radio really takes off. Once it become sreadily available in cars, I think we'll see a lot of radio stations shutting the doors. Hopefully.
You got it right Alan. A couple of comments. The first is with the reduction of bodies comes the loss of years of experience. Think back to when you had 7 people on air. How many years of experience all tolled did those 7 people have? Fast forward to today and there are 3 "junior" people doing it. We are talking about the loss of probably decades of industry, technical, and artistic experience! I feel bad for young people entering the business. There are fewer and fewer veterans to mentor them. I used to work for a label and the same thing happened there. Through the downturn and mass layoffs, they lost literally centuries of experience.
The other point is that radio needs to understand they are competing with so many new outlets. I can get global news from 100 different sources. What is going to make me tune in and get my global news from you? How about a "local" personality telling me the local news along with it? Local is the new niche of terrestrial radio in my opinion and the stations that understand that first are going to be the winners. Local personalities and local news are their true edge in information age.
As a former university station programer your points are well founded. However, there is some hope, albeit some...........hope. Tom Allen on CBC is a shining exception to the degradation of our beloved medium.
Vicar