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Post by Chris on May 13, 2011 12:35:09 GMT -5
Mr. Fisher,
I am writing my final for my Mass Comm/Radio class and came across you in a Google search. Can you tell me what you think the future of radio is and which formats have been your favorite and least favorite to work in and why? I am contacting 10 people with a long history in radio and comping everyone's answers in a report on the "Past, present, and future of Radio".
Thank you for your help.
Sincerely, Chris Markowski
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Post by Rich Fisher on May 14, 2011 16:07:57 GMT -5
Hi Chris,
That's a tough question - the future of radio... My best guess is that once nationwide Wi-Fi is happening (and it's coming), the future will be web radio with a local appeal. FM took off when it was available in cars, and that will be web radio soon. Web streams are already showing up in ratings, but it's mostly stations that are already popular in their market. National radio hasn't ever really worked. Satellite fed (Westwood One) radio in the old days never worked, simulcasting an out of market signal rarely works (WNEW-FM on Eastern LI for example), and satellite radio (Serius/XM) isn't a factor now. Local radio will always be king and that will be the same on the web, maybe expanding to regional at best.
My favorite formats to work in is a tough question. Since Arbitron adopted the PPM (Personal People Meter) ratings system, delivery has really changed - so my favorite formats are run entirely different than when I worked in them in some cases. Unfortunately programmers don't really know how to deal with PPM and in most cases think that jocks now should barely say anything. I can name stations that don't follow this and are doing well, so clearly it's too early to tell how to play to the PPM's.
Personally, country was the hardest format for me simply because I can't stand the music. Classic Rock was disappointing because I know so much about the music and can relate to the listeners, but due to the flawed PPM mentality, it's 'no talking' and the same few songs repeated way too often. Very boring format now. Hot AC was fun and allowed me to develop a personality, and Active Rock is very fun. Small market radio is the most fun because it allowed me to develop a personality and just run with it. Big market radio is more controlled and can be rough due to all of the rules. Problem is the pay sucks in small market radio, so you have to find a happy medium if you want to make money. There are big market stations that are run correctly, it's just very hard to get a job at them, so you may have to settle for a crappy one and suck it up until you can get in to a good one. Going from a small market station with freedom, to a poorly run large market station with zero freedom was a rough one for me. I'll never forget the program director at a large market station telling me that "a good classic rock jock is completely monotone". That's how I knew right away that I was going to have a tough time there...
Hope this helps!
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