The Radio Blog

What's Wrong with Radio? YOU.

2008-05-13T22:20:00.001-04:00

Just who that applies to and a long explanation of why I do what I do, all right here.

iBiquity serenades the FCC: "How will I make it on my own?"

2007-12-23T12:44:00.001-05:00

According to Satellite Radio TechWorld, iBiquity is looking for some help with getting IB(A)C into vehicles, especially seeing the SatRad merger as a major threat. Read all about it here. Here's an excerpt.

As a remedy to the merger, iBiquity recommends that the Commission imposed the following two conditions:

1. Require that HD Radio be included in all satellite radio receivers.

2. Require tha tthe merged entity terminate all exclusive agreeements and to prohibit all such agreements with suppliers, retailers, and the OEMs.

I can just imagine that voicemail message. Let's listen in, shall we?

The Very First Radio Blog Audio Post!

2007-08-03T19:07:00.001-04:00

In this post: Listen up Josh Strickland! Plus, new news from SAU Radio and advice for the new GM.

What My Generation Wants and Radio Isn't Giving To Them.

2007-07-25T16:54:00.000-04:00

Please forgive the long absence. Lots of stuff happening around here, so I've been extremely busy. It's just now slowing down, so I actually have time to post!

The return-to-posting post is a bit of a doozy. I just completed a survey of 250 Facebook users asking the following question: if you owned a radio station, what would you do differently to get teens and young adults to listen to it? The response method was a text field, specifically so that the participants could generate their own answers and not simply click a pre-determined option. This means that A) no options were suggested to the participants, so they came up with these responses entirely on their own; and B) despite that there were 250 participants, each participant may have given as many different ideas in their response as they chose to. If I really wanted to, I could break this list down into several common categories, but you should read through them yourself and come to your own conclusions. No matter what you draw from this, there's one common theme that resounds clearly: play more, better music. Here are the results.

the bizzare
i would sing on it with my dog
mix the music
poop
have celebrity guests
give aways
Contests
sex talks
less bullshit/add..good music, good subjects.
Party
give the listeners more choice of material
smoke dope
not go with the norm..
have no commercials
sponsor lots of free outdoor concerts
Play all different music, and only play songs that had been requested, so like a request line.
louder music
more music
play non stop music
play there music
have lots of requests
Everything and anything cool and not over played
uhh play good songs not gay ones!
have better advertisement
i would get your mom to sponsor it.
?????????????????????????????????????
play good music
commercials
i'm not sure
dont know
blank
you mom
use new songs that don't have explicit lyrics
contests
put actual music on
i dont know
less commercials
dance
promote current events that relate to that age group
Give out money
less rap which promote violence
oldies music
variety is the key
just music
uncensored music
LESS TALK MORE MUSIC
I don't know
offer lots of prizes
better give aways
nothing
cut out all commercials
not repeat songs within the day
play good music and dont repeat it all the time
different ads
call in show
nothing. i think they are doing fine.
put on porn
no requests
JOKES, CALL OUT AND TALK TO THE PEOPLE AND PLAY JOKES ON THEM
play music...
i don't know
id get preston maryland and steve back
be less repeatitive
Have a day where they could pick the programing..
I wouldn't play the same song 5 million times per day
play less commercials
play a wide range
lots of contests
less commercials
Free stuff
Less commercials
have more music and less talk
better music
More giveaways and contests
get younger dj's more in touch with that generation
not have any commercials
make sure it what they like
better music
Have crazy topics with outsider input
play music with no commericials
play more hair metal!
I would have all requests all the time baby!
Less ads..more music
everything
ask them what they want to hear
play "in" music
of course
not play the same 5 songs over, &over&over&over&over&over
no idea
how the heck do I know, I'm a scientist
live feeds fr. various hangouts
More 80's music
would gear to ppl in area not specific age group
play music
i just want my money
play decent music
NOT SURE
more free offeres
play good music
nothing
ksjdkdjsj
play everything they want to hear, nonstop
chocolate
play more jam bands
no talking, just music
JUST PLAY MUSIC NO ADVERTS
I don't Know
ihnc
give out a free car every month...!
kiss 100
i don't think like today's teens, so i don't know
i don't know
advertise in teen magazines
asdf
give them ownership
give out free tickets to concerts constantly
comedy
live sex chat
who cares
less news and comercials
Have a daily "info hour" where I or invited celebrity guests or victims can inform youths about daily depressions we face in life. Eg:AIDS,Domestic Violence,Self Esteem issues etc.
bcmv
understand my demographics
i don't know
A hour program were teens can call in and ask questions,tell strories etc.
jazz
contests
dunno
nothing
no commericals
Play lots of gangster songs
nothing
talk show targetted towards their age group
play more music
no idea
play more music
tshirts
Give away free stuff.
advertise
teens
i dont know
less commercials
dunno
why would I want teens ?
music
play good music
nothing
not play the same song over and over and over
play a better variety of music
I really dont know that is a tough one
dirty porn talks
Play good music
play good music
Have a call in advice hour!
Play popular music
penis
play good music
b myself
put good music on the air
HAve two sessions and a great 80's music
123456699
less commercials
talk less
nothing
nothing
say "khek" more often
dfadfaga
dfadfaga
freebies
its all been done
not sure
offer alcohol as an incentive to call
play good music... less commercials, play a wider range, go out on a limb, have good hosts.
not overplay songs
I don't know
i answered this question like 5 times already
play more music nd less talkin about stuff like that
offer prizes, git certificates, concert tickets etc for calling in
ID PLAY A HUGE ASSORTMENT OF TUNES, NOT JUST ONE GENRE.. ID HAVE LOTS OF COOL CONTESTS AND GIVEAWAYS.. AND ID HAVE COOL DJ'S THAT CAN RELATE TO THE TEENS.. NOT SOME OLD STUFFY ASSHOLE.
i don't know
less advertising
nothing
nothing
dcfj;kafasdfsfsfdfcgsgfg
cut down on the commercials (not financially possible, I know)
give out free beer
less comercials, more contests, request shows, and concert ticket giveaways
yes I would
no commericals
77 dollars
play good music
I'd play good music
awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwgain
host at a different high school every week
POLL TO FIND OUT WHATTHEY LIKE
Lots of hip hop and giveaways
variety
Street Interviews
stop censoring music, and cutting off the end of songs for airplay
Play only 60's & 70's Rock music
i dont know
noting
stop asking me the same question
arrange frre street concerts of top muscial acts
play awesome music
have contest
not talk so damn much
play all requests
play more dance remixes
Nothing
i have no clue
Play good Music
advertise free stuff
i dono?
less talking and more music
play better music
better quality music
hahaha
no.commercials
contests
not play the same songs over & over
let them decide the music
take suggestions from them
have a tv station
less commercials
I would have games that they can play and win prizes like concet tickets, trips, and etc.
none
blow it up then bitch about it for 6 years
no commercials
put some old people on it
bring up topics that teens want to hear
play more music less commercials
Let them help run it.
more guest hosts and fewer commericals
more contests
contests
talk about real issues
no talking
rock an roll
mix up the music
asdf
don't play the same thing over and over
nudity
pay their nkinda music and offer concert tickets
poll the listeners on what music they want
good music
more music we like
Talk about teen issues
offer more free prizes and play what the listner's want...less talk more music
Play good music.
play real music
Play some #@%&* music

The BEST radio station TV spot EVER.

2007-06-13T18:25:00.001-04:00

Remember Mix 98.3? This one's the SUPERIOR spot.

BIG win.

2007-06-04T19:18:00.001-04:00

The news seems to be picking up again.

Say goodbye to "indecency". No, not that we'll return to a state of not being able to say the seven dirty words. The FCC has just been given a slap in the face... and P.U.B.E. (People for the Use of Broadcast media Ethically, my name for the collective "decency watchdog" groups) will be the ones to feel it most.

Read and revel in the goodness of a court system that actually upholds the law.

More news to come, including an overdue update on the state of WJIM-FM... and what new PD Josh Strickland has done wrong already.

HAAAAAAAAAAhahahahahahaha!!!

2007-05-23T21:31:00.000-04:00

I'm not fan of Paul & Young Ron, but this is too funny!

It's causing quite a commotion in the city of Hollywood, too.

``We just felt that it's not appropriate to have that right next to where the kids' area is,'' City Manager Cameron Benson said.
``We just want them to consider removing the billboard.''

EXACTLY the WRONG frame of mind.

2007-05-09T01:49:00.000-04:00

We all knew it was true... apparently TV executives are no better than radio executives when it comes to accepting new technology .

The funny thing is that they think they're going to win. Meanwhile their numbers are dropping like rocks, Internet usage continues to surge, and more and more content is being made available online; more than the traditional media could ever hope to provide.

Welcome to the new world. Who are those people with their heads in the sand? Oh, those are just the old media executives who refuse to adapt to change.

Anyone seen my cheese?

The Horrors of MySpace: WJIM-FM Edition Redux

2007-04-29T23:36:00.000-04:00

Why does this not surprise me? Because I figured, "new PD, new policy," perhaps? I mean, if the company is going to decide to take a turn for the worse, why not just go full-bore with it?

What was it that I've said from the day I first heard WJIM had a MySpace page (before the station had even launched their own web site)? Use your own domain name. Don't rely on a separate social network, don't follow the online fads to the extent that your station's following is going anywhere else for the content you provide; USE YOUR OWN DOMAIN NAME. It wasn't long after I brought this up that Dan Kelley contacted and informed me that the page wasn't official and they had no actual connection to it other than the name and a couple of mentions on-air. Not too long after that, the page was gone. Now Dan's gone and the page is back... and we're starting all over again.

In addition, "The" Anne is gone. That disappoints me... she was doing well. I heard her make quite a bit of progress on the air, and I was impressed. Unfortunately, speculation is that she was let go to make room for Josh Strickland, the new PD. I've never heard Strickland, and I'm not saying he's any worse or better than Anne, but she was a local writer-turned-radio personality who had, from what I could tell, gained a good following in the area, and they've apparently bumped her in favor of the new guy.

A new guy, who, by the way, comes from Grand Rapids, which is a cluster that has seen more criticism from radio fans than I've seen come out of a whole group of people for a given group of stations ever before. A new guy who is also the programmer of WHTS, "Hot 105.3" which, according to the vast majority of posters on the Buzzboard, is anything but hot. A new guy who, if my thinking is right, brought back the 97-5 MySpace page.

Incidentally, if you are going to be a radio station that has a MySpace page, is it really a good idea to not only commit "Internet terrorism" but also cause a dueling audio situation with your own audio stream by playing a song through the MySpace Flash player the moment your page loads? Because if someone's listening to something (say, WJIM's stream) and they happen to load the MySpace page, all of a sudden they've got a mix of whatever they're listening to (say, WJIM's stream) and Maroon 5. Nobody likes it when two things play at once like that, and if it's their own stream that an Internaut is listening to at the moment, doesn't having "Makes Me Wonder" all of a sudden blast over it a bit off-putting? Doesn't make me wonder, I simply know the answer: YES, IT'S FREAKIN' ANNOYING!

I made the comment on the Buzzboard when it'd first been announced that Dan Kelley was being let go that I would not be happy if whoever ended up running the station ruined it.

Any Broadcaster's Worst Nightmare

2007-04-20T07:48:00.001-04:00

This is why, after I set up any console, I tell everyone working around it DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING.

WARNING: explicit language. Not (necessarily) safe for work.

BT's Studio Theft

2007-04-19T22:50:00.000-04:00

I'd heard the news about Brian Transeau's studio being robbed, but I didn't take the opportunity to visit his web site until now. It's always interesting seeing the positive things that come out of something negative, and this situation is no exception. I like his idea for a non-profit organization to help musicians in two ways. Very cool.

THIS took a pair...

2007-04-18T09:47:00.001-04:00

"FM middle-management types are failed radio people. And they're now owned by people who bought them as real estate. That's why 99% of radio you hear is awful. FM radio is managed by failures."
-- Erich "Mancow" Muller

I can't say I necessarily disagree with him, but you gotta admit; that's gutsy talk!

The signature of the man who would kill radio.

2007-04-17T21:59:00.000-04:00

This could very well go down in history as the day the music died. Literally. Should this ruling and today's decision to not consider appeals stand, today's date will be marked on calendars everywhere as the day the slaughter of the radio medium became unstoppable. This is what we have to thank for that.

What could very well turn out to be the certificate of death can be found here.

The fight for life isn't over yet, but I'm quickly losing my optimism. If this isn't changed NOW, radio as a whole is doomed.

My Letter to the Copyright Royalty Board

2007-04-17T16:37:00.000-04:00

I know, I know, if a tree falls in the forest... I did it anyway.

Subject: Internet Radio Rate Ruling

Question/Comment:

Dear Sirs,

Congratulations. You've successfully killed radio outright. No, not Internet radio alone, radio as a whole.

You see, radio cannot survive as-is, and those who have quite obviously paid you off refuse to see that. Listeners are leaving the medium and moving to the Internet. If the RIAA's music doesn't get played there, they will only have traditional radio to turn to. If nobody is listening to traditional radio, nobody involved gets paid and the medium will shrivel up and die. All because you were convinced by some greedy businessmen with a failing business model that you should hike royalty rates on a part of the industry that they don't like.

Again, congratulations. I hope you're happy. The blood of an already wounded industry is now on your hands.

Sincerely,

Josh Colletta,
Producer, Air Personality and writer of "The Radio Blog" (http://theradioblog.blogspot.com)

You can send your own here.

MOBILIZE NOW!!!

2007-04-17T13:47:00.001-04:00

If the jackballs on the Copyright Royalty Board (and the RIAA behind them) aren't reigned in soon, the radio industry... ALL OF IT... is doomed.

Today the CRB determined that the arguments Clear Channel, NPR and the webcasters recently brought before them (after the initial webcasting rates ruling that proved just how much the RIAA wanted to screw us all over) didn't present any new evidence and, therefore, determined a re-hearing was unnecessary. Which, as we all know, is complete and total bullshit.

More on the story here, here and here.

Write. Call. Flood your Congresscritters' fax lines and mailboxes with letters telling them in no uncertain terms you want this overturned NOW. This has already gone too far, there's no good reason to let this pass any further without your attention.

Further Proof That I Know What I'm Talking About

2007-04-08T06:16:00.001-04:00

A follow up to this post.

Spring Arbor University continues to distance itself from WSAE. While the drop-down menu link from the university's front page has been fixed to redirect to a page devoted to SAU Radio, the page is largely biased against WSAE. Take note of the menu on the left. The items are as follows:

The Vibe & SAU Radio
The Vibe
Program Guide
Events
Cougar Talk
Music Charts
Music News
Listen Live

All links pertain to WJKN-FM. The only mention of WSAE is the section on the program's front page (which really is more of a gateway for the WJKN-FM section of the university's site). Before you say it, no. This has nothing to do with WSAE having it's own, external web site. They could easily integrate the Home.FM pages with the university's section on the radio program. The fact that they haven't says quite a bit.

This just proves to me that SAU is increasingly realizing the insane mistake they made in Home.FM . Meanwhile I'm just sitting back in my chair, laughing my head off because I predicted this before the flip even happened. Don't get me wrong; I'd love to see them fix the problems and turn things around, but I don't see them doing that. I don't see them doing that for a long time to come. Them distancing themselves from the station is a recognition that they screwed themselves over, yes, but it's also a step in the entirely wrong direction, and it's not the first.

Decision Points One and Two: Acquiring WJKN and WJKN-FM.

The Storyline: WJKN, a dark daytimer that had been unable to make it as a local talk station, was donated to the university in 2001. In 2002, the university re-acquired the 89.3 allotment (which had formerly belonged to WSAE before the station moved to 106.9 in 1991) and the WJKN-FM call letters.
The Right Decision Would Have Been To: Determine how to best format both stations, WJKN as soon as possible (doing so before sign-on would have been impossible as the station had to sign on to prevent license revocation due the length of time it had been off the air) and WJKN-FM before it signed on (March of 2005, over a year since the construction permit was granted). The best programming option would have been to put a Christian CHR format on WJKN-FM and a Christian News/Talk format on WJKN.
Spring Arbor University's Very Wrong Decision Was To: Sit back and do nothing, even after the stations signed on. A couple of meetings were held about WJKN-FM while I was there, but the students felt that their input wasn't considered as the university simply sat on the stations, perfectly content to simulcast KTGG on WJKN and WSAE on WJKN-FM.
Where It Got Them: Although the ultimate result was WJKN-FM becoming a Christian CHR as many students had hoped, it came with the taint of rejection due to the fact that the change came as a result of Carl Fletcher's plan. The student staff felt that they had been abandoned when they were pushed out of WSAE (they were right), and getting the format they wanted on WJKN-FM wouldn't have changed that.

Decision Point Three: In late 2004, Carl Fletcher, newly hired SAU Radio general manager, proposes a format flip and the removal of students from WSAE.

The Storyline: Fletcher comes up with a brand-new format called Home.FM, a combination of the secular and Christian AC formats. Taking into consideration that WKHM (across town in one direction) holds a lock on the secular AC audience, while WUFN (across town in the other direction) directly competes with WSAE as the station then stood, the idea was that WSAE would combine the best of both worlds to bridge the gap between the two formats in a family-friendly way. In addition to the format flip, all students would be removed from the station and moved to WJKN-FM, which would become a Christian CHR station (after having simulcast WSAE since it's then-recent sign-on). A new professional staff would be brought onboard to man the station. Financially, the station was to be a monetarily successful non-comm without the use of pledge drives.
The Right Decision Would Have Been To: Tell Fletcher no, flat-out. WSAE exists for and because of the student staff. In addition, the station had just had it's most successful pledge drive ever, proving it had a very large audience all across the southern half of the Lower Peninsula... an audience who would not take kindly to any format change that added secular music to the station's playlist.
Spring Arbor University's Very Wrong Decision Was To: Give Fletcher permission to enact his plan.
Where It Got Them: The station lost the vast majority of it's listenership and many people became disillusioned with the university as a whole. The student staff portion plays into this as well as the next point...

Decision Point Four: The station's programming flounders.

The Storyline: Throughout 2005, Fletcher was unable to come up with a personality lineup that meshed with the new format he had invented. While he manned the morning show with a new co-host that no one had heard of (and no one seems to even know where she came from), he brought on station secretary Rachel Ryder to do middays and voice-tracked Bill DeWees for afternoon drive. The rest of the evening and overnight hours were purely automated. That changed soon, however, as Ryder and DeWees' shows were moved all over the place. At one point Ryder did afternoon drive and DeWees took on middays. That didn't work. At another point DeWees took over afternoon drive again and Ryder did evenings. That didn't work. The John Tesh Show was added to the lineup, but the game of daypart hopscotch continued, with all three voices jumping all over the place. The only daypart at which any listener the station may have had left would have known who would be on the air was the morning show.
The Right Decision Would Have Been To: Tell Fletcher, after the second lineup switch, to get it together. This whole cockamamie format was his idea; if he required more than three attempts to get it right, he should have been shown the door. As Michelle Dawson (the station's previous manager) used to say, "We are not an electronic playground."
Spring Arbor University's Very Wrong Decision Was To: Let him continue to fiddle and toy with the lineup at every whim. It lasted nearly a year, and while the daypart hopscotch has ended, Ryder was moved again recently to Sunday mornings for a show called "Worship at Home," which tells me that Fletcher still has yet to get it right.
Where It Got Them: Very few mentally stable listeners would have put up with all the switching back and forth, which lasted almost a solid year... a very important year as it was the new format's first full 365 days on the air. If they had any listeners left after the format flip, they certainly lost them during 2005's insanity.

Decision Point Five: Share-A-Thon 2006 happens.

The Storyline: Remember how Home.FM was supposed to be a monetarily successful non-comm without pledge drives? Didn't happen. Due to the massive loss of listeners and corporate sponsors who believed in the message WSAE broadcast as a purely Christian station, Fletcher found himself running a group of stations (WSAE and, at that time, four translators) with lack of a way to fund them (which I'm thinking was pretty severe). The fact alone that he had to have a Share-A-Thon was proof that his plan had, ultimately, failed.
The Right Decision Would Have Been To: Part ways. At that point, Fletcher had proven he was not only incapable of programming the station in a reasonable amount of time, but was also unable to make his financial plan for the station work. Those are the two key aspects of a station manager's job description, and he was unable to fulfill them.
Spring Arbor University's Very Wrong Decision Was To: Keep him on.
Where It Got Them: Read below.

Decision Point Six: Share-A-Thon 2006 FLOPS. IMMENSELY.

The Storyline: The pledge drive that, theoretically, never should have occurred to begin with, managed to raise only $18, 458.58. The goal was $50,000. That came after the station had raised well over $100,000 in 2004... which, no doubt, went a long way in helping to keep the station on the air without a pledge drive throughout 2005. In all actuality, the number I have is probably larger than the amount they raised in the duration of the pledge drive, as I took that number from the station's web site the day after the drive ended and later discovered that they were updating the figure as more donations came in. Nevertheless, the drive still failed to meet it's ultimate goal by a very wide margin.
The Right Decision Would Have Been To: Again, part ways. Not only had Fletcher proven himself incapable of programming the station and making it monetarily successful without a pledge drive as he'd planned, his last-ditch effort to raise the finds needed to run the station came up horribly short.
Spring Arbor University's Very Wrong Decision Was To: Keep him on.
Where It Got Them: As it stands, my sources inform me that in his last months as University president (and even for a while before then), Gayle Beebe was not pleased with Fletcher and the direction SAU Radio had headed in (the same direction it's headed in today). From what I've been told, the university's board of directors feel the same way.

Where is the station now? Well, for starters, at least two students are on the air (Marla Sanford as his cohost in the mornings and Katie Grove doing the Retro Remix on Saturday nights) and have been for about a year now, which is an improvement. However, that doesn't tell me that Fletcher has seen the error of his ways... it seems more likely that, after the massive failure that was Share-A-Thon 2006, he probably didn't have the money to further expand the station's professional staff (and likely not enough to keep the staff he had then, which is probably part of why Rachel Ryder was moved to Sundays) and saw students as a less expensive way of running the place. Secondly, while the station has developed a listenership, it's nowhere near what it used to be. The flip in 2004 drove most of the audience to WUFN or other Christian stations available in their area, and any audience they have now have either been gained from WKHM or other stations available around the current five translators the station operates, as well as some who have found the station through iTunes.

Unfortunately, even with the continually growing discontent that just becomes more apparent with the new web site, I haven't heard anything about SAU taking any actions to fix the situation. Meanwhile their two most prominent stations are lackluster and stagnant with little listenership, showing almost no signs of improvement, and the two AM stations not only are set up for failure by continuing to simulcast an Inspo format, they're not even mentioned on the radio program's web page.

They knew there would be room for change when they acquired WJKN-AM. They knew there'd be even more room for change when they re-acquired the 89.3 allotment and a license for WJKN-FM. They had well over a year to figure out what they would do with the stations, and they did nothing. Then they allowed a new station manager to launch a new format that failed to connect with the established and loyal audience (by nature, it couldn't have connected with them). They allowed that same manager to force the students, the main reason why the station exists in the first place, to another, less powerful and smaller signal. They kept that manager through a highly unsuccessful pledge drive, one he thought wouldn't be necessary to begin with. At some point, you'd think the board would take a few steps back and think, "what's going on here?"

Note to Spring Arbor University: you did this to yourselves, and you only have yourselves to blame. You could have avoided all of these problems before they even happened, and yet you did nothing. Now it's up to you to fix them, and if you don't fix them NOW, more will come... and trust me, you'll have much bigger problems on your hands at that point than you do now.

No one believed me while I was a student there. I saw this coming... they could ask any student, past or present, who knows me and be reminded of that. They could ask Rachel Ryder or Dave Benson. They could call Michelle Dawson over at WUFN, she'd tell them I had numerous discussions with her on the topic. I'm not kidding around... this was all easily avoidable. Worse problems yet to come are still avoidable now if they make the effort. The question is: will they?

I have my doubts.

My Second High School May Suck... But My FIRST High School ROCKS!

2007-04-03T19:26:00.001-04:00

Cooper City High School is doing one of the coolest things ever. Something that I actually thought up ages ago (but, hey, when I was there, I was just a punk kid who didn't know what he was doing... what would I have known?). They're calling it WCHR . I'm guessing that's for " Cooper City High School Radio," though it's apt to reflect the format as well.

Essentially, it's a "radio show" that's pumped over loudspeakers behind the auditorium ("under the red awning" which wasn't there when I was) during lunch. It's a CHR format, but also is Full Service, including school announcements and such. It's similar to what Pioneer Middle, the school that feeds into Cooper, does (or at least used to do... I don't know if it's still running or not) with their Part 15 station before and after school. In fact, if Pioneer still runs their station, students involved at the middle school level probably see WCHR as a natural progression.

One of the biggest questions facing our industry today is this: where will the new talent come from? Back in '96, when we consolidated, we obliterated all our "farm team" stations. Today, voice tracking isn't the wave of the future, it's the present norm, and we now have no smaller markets from which to cull new personalities.

So where do we look? Places like Cooper City High School. Places like Nathan Hale High School in Seattle. Places like the Brandywine School District of Delaware, the three high schools in which share WMPH in Wilmington. If students in those places aren't ready for prime time by the time they're out of high school, encourage and possibly even sponsor them through college at schools where we know they're going to get the education they need to be ready for prime time.

These are our future jocks. This is where we need to be looking.

And let me close by adding that WCHR makes me prouder than ever to be a Cooper City Cowboy!

Hmm...

2007-04-02T22:59:00.001-04:00

Interesting. I don't see a single mention of SAU Radio, WSAE, WJKN-FM or KTGG/WJKN-AM on Spring Arbor's brand-spankin'-new front page. The old page had a link to the program right at the top of the page.

An oversight? Or disillusionment with the failed gameplan? You decide. I already have, and I think you know my answer.

EDIT: After hunting all through the web site and finding nary a mention of the stations, I managed to find the single link to the broadcasting program in the "Quick Links" drop-down menu. However, it doesn't go anywhere, neither in Internet Explorer nor in Firefox. I realize this is the first day this layout has been online, but something that basic should have been taken care of before launch... which still leads me to believe it wasn't a mistake.

"Listeners of tomorrow are online today."

2007-04-02T14:16:00.001-04:00

I just found this while running through Technorati (I like to keep track of what my readers are looking at in addition to my blog). What can I say? Jerry Del Colliano is one smart man.

Thanks to Ben Roe, whose blog I found Del Colliano's post through.

Listeners DO Care!

2007-04-02T11:04:00.001-04:00

I'm sick and tired of my fellow radio people saying "listeners don't care."

There's a thread over on Radio-Info's CHR/Mainstream Pop board where we're discussing Kiss Chicago (WKSC 103.5) and their use of produced sweepers over the intros of songs. The users participating in the thread have posted that they can understand dry liners being used, or even somewhat wet sweepers over the intros of certain songs, but that the use of fully-produced sweepers over the intros of any song is just stupid.

Of course the thread, like most message boards on any subject, has to have it's token one-point poster, and the point this thread's token one-point poster tried to make was the one that strikes a nerve with me every time: "Listeners don't care."

Let's make one thing clear, and this goes for everyone who thinks that point is true: listeners do care, people! The fact that you don't think so only proves how blind and ill-equipped to run a radio station you are!

Here's the deal: my generation realizes how bad radio is today, and it's not because they've heard the radio broadcasts of the past. They know it's bad because it simply is. Just because they don't compare the state of radio today to the state of radio in the past doesn't mean they're ignorant. Look at the TSL numbers... they're falling, and they've already fallen so much so that the average 12-34 listener doesn't even stay tuned to one station for a full 15-minute block. That tells me the industry is doing something wrong, because we're failing to compete with other modes of broadcasting ( i.e. Internet-only radio... and Arbitron needs to start taking traditional radio's streams into account when they calculate the numbers, as that's where a lot of listeners are going), we're failing to compete with new technology such as iPods and other portable music players, and we're failing to even compete with ourselves (ratings today for stations across the board simply aren't what they used to be).

So what's the problem? It's that the industry thinks listeners don't care. They let the little things like the wet sweepers on WKSC go out over the air because they think listeners won't notice or, if they do notice, simply don't care.

The fact of the matter is that they do notice, and they think it sounds like crap (and they're right). And yes, it is only a little thing, but as I made the point on the Radio-Info board...

The little things accumulate into a larger problem , and it's that larger problem that becomes the complaint of the average listener.

I think this "listeners don't care" mentality (which is one part of why the industry is in the crapper right now) is currently a mainstream line of thought because those who think they know what they're doing (which, unfortunately, comprises most people in positions of power at the moment) are spending too much energy trying to re-reinvent the wheel (they did it once before during consolidation) and not enough energy to stop and realize, "you know, what we did in the past used to work, and it would probably still work now if we tweaked it to fit today's culture... why aren't we doing that?"

You take a look back at what radio used to be, and you realize that, HEY! That would still work today! It doesn't take a genius to realize that. It just takes someone with common sense. These people who go around claiming that listeners don't care obviously don't have common sense. Unfortunately, they're the ones running the industry. So here's my message to them:

WAKE UP!

At least they're using a tested, proven technology.

2007-03-28T13:04:00.001-04:00

Australia is starting it's conversion to digital radio. The good news: it's DAB. The better news: it's not IB(A)C. The bad news:

...um, there isn't any, really. They're actually doing it right.

Ah geez, here we go...

2007-03-28T12:51:00.001-04:00

I realize this is quickly turning from "The Radio Blog" to "The RIAA Blog," but believe me when I say this will ultimately have an effect on our industry, and you need to know everything about what's going on in this legal battle as you possibly can.

The latest? Apparently the RIAA is taking their message to the streets, and they're starting at Arizona State University . "Carnival of Jeopardy," indeed.

Would that, in the RIAA's eyes, make ASU students the "sad clowns"?

The RIAA: Failing Left and Right

2007-03-28T12:36:00.001-04:00

It just keeps getting better! This time, we have a middle-aged couple who have complete evidence that they didn't illegally download or distribute copyrighted music. Not only does the RIAA decide to go after them anyway, they A) file suit in the wrong district, B) attempt to use evidence that was proven inconclusive in previous cases, and C) have absolutely no evidence to positively back up their claim.

Then, the defendants' lawyer sends the RIAA's law firm this letter, upoen receipt of which the RIAA immediately drops the case!

A little unsure of ourselves now, are we, RIAA?

If I were any person involved in the conglomerate's side of this case, right about now I'd be thinking, "How the heck did we even manage to file this suit in the first place?!"

I'm telling you right now, if these snakes don't slither back into the slimy holes they came from, pretty soon they'll be trampled. Or, worse yet, burned to death. And we all know what snakes look like when they burn. It ain't pretty.

Go, Judge Ashmanskas, Go!

2007-03-27T22:00:00.001-04:00

The RIAA just keeps losing this case no matter how hard they try to screw this poor family over.

On the Horizon

2007-03-27T21:56:00.001-04:00

Now here's some cool news: Kevin Martin has decided wireless broadband should be classified as an information service, and the FCC agreed. Therefore, it now is.

What does this have to do with radio? Well, combine this news with the story I linked to below, and you realize that, should the broadband-via-TV device work properly (or should any similar long-range wireless broadband device come into play), wireless broadband will be available everywhere, and once that's the case, Internet radio will be available everywhere.

It's all coming together...

I've heard of TV-over-Broadband, but vice-versa?

2007-03-27T21:19:00.001-04:00

Anyone have any details on this thing? It sounds like a great idea... if it works.

New York Times Covers IB(A)C

2007-03-27T00:34:00.001-04:00

Just because I'm in a generous mood (and because I have nothing better to do with my free time), I'll run through this article like I did the one below. The article, written by John Quain and published in yesterday NY Times, is titled:

Local Radio Is Cutting the Static and Going Digital, Finally

As drivers pick their way down the West Side Highway of Manhattan, the noise is often more annoying than the traffic — and it's not just the honking.

It's the gunshots and screamed obscenities as well.

What's so irksome is the static from the car's sound system, a result of congestion in the radio frequency spectrum in an area packed with AM and FM stations. But that analog annoyance may fade away as radio broadcasters, carmakers and consumer electronics companies make the transition to digital radio.

Or so we're told, we still can't find any well-known brand name other than Boston Accoustics who actually makes an HD radio.

While satellite radio customers have enjoyed the clean, crisp sound of digital reception, most people tuned to local stations are listening to analog broadcasts based on technology little changed in the last half-century. But more and more broadcasters are pushing a digital format called HD Radio, which rivals satellite radio quality and promises to eliminate the static.

Bringing you the same crappy programming with a crisper, cleaner sound!

Introduced three years ago, HD Radio is the brand name for a technology developed by the iBiquity Digital Corporation of Columbia, Md. (HD is not an abbreviation for high definition, as it is used by television broadcasters).

Let's just imagine how that might have gone down had the topic come up at the end of the interview, shall we?

QUAIN: So, HD, that stands for "high definition," right?

FERRARA: No, not really.

QUAIN: Oh... okay, uh... what does it stand for, then?

FERRARA: Mmm... nothing, really.

QUAIN: Soooooo you named it "HD Radio," but "HD" doesn't really mean anything?

FERRARA: Yeah, pretty much.

QUAIN: Alright, well, it's been a pleasure talking with you, you're a real jackass.

FERRARA: Well, thank you, I-- HEY, WAIT A MIN--

CLICK.

The HD system digitizes and compresses a station's signal; the digital stream is then broadcast in the same frequency range...

(And beyond.)

used for the station's analog AM and FM transmissions. The digital broadcast is sent alongside the analog signal, so you can listen to either analog or digital versions of the same content...

No, actually, you'll be listening to both at the same time... unless what Quain was trying to say was that there are additional subchannels, in which case he could have phrased that part of the sentence this way:

The digital broadcast is sent alongside the analog signal, so you can listen to either the station's primary programming or additional, secondary programming.

See? Geez, if I can do a better job at editing The New York Times than The New Yorks Times editors can, you know something's wrong at 1 Times Square.

...and more important, there is no subscription charge.

(Yet.)

The HD signal also carries artist and title information that can be shown on the radio's display panel.

Which is what RDS is supposed to do, but given the lack of support most radio manufacturers have shown for the technology, it hasn't really taken off. (Yes, I realize it's out there in large numbers, but is it on your new Walkman? Is it on your new boombox? Is it on that new home theater receiver you just bought? I rest my case.) In any event, given the lack of support manufacturers are showing for IB(A)C, I'd say it's probably going to go the way of RDS... if not the way of AM Stereo altogether.

The sound improves over a conventional AM station by delivering a better dynamic range — the difference between quiet and loud sounds.

Strange... I'd think that with all the horns, guns and expletives outside the car, you'd want less dynamic range so you can hear more of what's coming through your radio and less "Get the **** off my ****ing car ya ****ing ****er!"

In addition, HD is better at reproducing the high notes of music...

Well, not really. HD just adds them where they previously were absent. If FM radio didn't have to roll off at 15kHz to protect the stereo pilot and AM didn't have to roll off at 10kHz to protect adjacent stations, they'd actually sound better than IB(A)C. IB(A)C isn't actually all that great when it comes to reproducing those highs. I've heard it. It ain't pretty.

HD is capable of highs up to 15 KHz, compared with the current top end for analog AM of 10 KHz, making it sound as good as a traditional FM station.

No, it really doesn't. It sounds like total garbage. The highs are highly digitized and warbly. It rivals a low-bitrate Internet stream at best.

Better yet, HD FM stations can deliver audio that is nearly as good as a CD in quality, with a frequency response of up to 20 KHz, comparable to satellite radio.

I find it interesting that they're feeding us the line "nearly as good as CD-quality" now. Three years ago they were telling us it was as good as CD-quality. But in reality, it doesn't even come close to nearly as good as CD-quality. It's more comparable with a 64k AAC+ stream... which, in actuality, it is an AAC+ stream, run at 96k nominally if there isn't a subchannel on the station. However, given that a single subchannel is nominally 32k, and also given that most IB(A)C stations are running one, if not two subchannels, the highest you're going to get out of an average primary HD stream is likely only 64k (96-32=64 for those of you who aren't mathematically inclined), and since even 128k AAC+ Internet streams just barely scratch CD-quality audio (I'd say it's just above 256k MP3 quality), I'd hardly call a 64k IB(A)C stream "nearly as good as a CD in quality."

To get this higher fidelity of HD broadcasts you don't need a new antenna. But you will need a new radio tuner that can detect and decode the digital transmissions.

For which you'll currently have to drop around $250. That's for the low-end models.

"There was the proverbial chicken-and-egg problem," said Peter Ferrara, chief executive of the HD Digital Radio Alliance, a consortium of broadcasters including ABC Radio and Clear Channel Communications. "Consumer electronics people didn't want to make radios until there was content available, and broadcasters didn't want to invest in putting out the content until radios were available."

That was never the primary problem, and Ferrara knows it. The problem always was and still remains that manufacturers don't want to spend the money on the licensing fees (which are ridiculously high, not to mention the fact that they exist to begin with... there's no licensing fee for analogue radio!). Not to mention that if they do spend the money, they'll have to pass that cost down to customers, and the average customer doesn't want to pay the one-time extra cost on each radio they buy. That's the risk that the companies who are making IB(A)C receivers are taking: how much are they going to spend until they figure out the public isn't interested in the technology? Most companies don't want to play that game.

But broadcasters decided to take the plunge at the end of 2005, according to Mr. Ferrara, by forming the alliance to promote digital radio and by committing to introduce HD Radio stations in the nation's top 100 markets. That rollout is nearly completed, with 1,204 stations broadcasting in HD Radio as of last month, reaching a potential audience of 235 million listeners.

No, right now they're reaching a potential audience of about 3. 235 million listeners do not have HD radios.

The alliance expects there to be about 2,000 stations broadcasting in the digital format by the end of the year. (A list of stations that broadcast HD is available at hdradioalliance.com.)

And in the future, those stations will be known as "dupes."

Satellite radio initially gained traction by adopting a marketing approach similar to that used by cellphone companies. XM and Sirius entice listeners with relatively inexpensive tuners, often less than $100, but then charge buyers a monthly fee of $10 or more. HD Radio took the opposite approach: tuning in was free, but early HD-compatible radios were nearly $1,000.

Now they're just less over-priced.

But prices have dropped, with tuners costing half that much or less. JVC's in-dash HD-W10 Mobile HD Radio, for example, costs $188 and includes a CD player. Wal-Mart began selling the JVC model at about 2,000 stores this month.

And it will be off the shelves in two months. You watch.

Carmakers have been much slower to adopt HD Radio. Among the major auto companies, only BMW, which had previously limited HD as an option on some premium models, will offer the HD Radio option on all of its vehicles this spring.

But if you want an affordable car with HD standard, you're SOL.

Add-on HD Radio tuners are also available. The Directed Car Connect HD Radio, for example, is $199 and connects to jacks on the back of existing in-dash head units using connectors known as RCA plugs. The model includes a display that can be mounted in or on the dash, but the company recommends having a professional install the tuner.
Visteon, the automotive electronics supplier, will also offer a similar product called the HD Jump for $249 next month. The HD Jump will include a cradle so that it can be used not only in a car, but also at home as a tabletop HD Radio.

Because we weren't innovative enough ourselves, so we just ripped the idea off'a XM.

While HD Radio does not offer a breadth of programming for different tastes comparable to XM or Sirius, it has thrown a new ingredient into the mix: multicasting. Also called HD2, multicables...

"Multicables?" I think that was supposed to read "multicasting enables," but one can never be sure. Again, editors? Where were you on that one? (By the way, here's the link to the original story so you can see that it really was written that way and that I'm not just trying to make the New York Times look bad. They're doing a pretty good job of that on their own so far.)

...individual HD stations to divide the digital stream into as many as eight separate channels within their existing frequency.

I certainly hope he means eight separate channels as in, "eight separate channels allowing for four different programming options; the primary signal and three different sub-stations. " Otherwise, I could go sit on the toilet right now and make noises that would sound better than the audio coming out of a stereo tuned to a station that broadcasts seven subchannels in addition to their primary signal. Though, for that matter, the bathroom noises would probably sound marginally better than a station broadcasting three additional subchannels as well.

For example, about 500 stations offer a second HD programming channel, enabling them to appeal to smaller audiences in niche markets. WKTU-FM in New York uses its second channel to broadcast country music. In Dallas, a Clear Channel station, KHKS-FM, offers Pride Radio for a gay audience on its second HD channel.

Which is really just a dance station, and I frankly find that rather sexist of Clear Channel to assume that A) only gay people listen to dance and B) all gay people listen to dance. I'm straight, and I listen to dance. I also have gay friends who don't listen to dance. See how that works, Clear Channel? Geez...

By the way, I can't be the only one who noticed Quain didn't specify KTU as a Clear Channel station. I doubt there's any meaning behind that fact, I just found it odd that he mentioned Kiss 106.1 as such and didn't add that KTU is as well.

Nationwide coverage and acceptance of HD Radio is probably years away.

If ever, God forbid.

One impediment is that the average cost for a station to add HD is about $100,000, according to iBiquity and the HD Alliance.

Another is the fact that it will obliterate the AM band, home to some of the most successful stations (and, in some cases, the most successful station) in most larger markets.

And although several automakers have said they would offer HD Radio as an option, none besides BMW have made any announcement.

Good! Let's keep it that way!

"It's the last medium that hasn't converted from analog to digital," said Rob Lopez, national marketing manager at Panasonic, which has offered an in-dash HD Radio unit for several years. "So I'd like to think we'd see HD Radio as a standard feature in cars in the next five years."

"Though I'm most likely wrong in that line of thought," he added.

William Scully, a BMW spokesman, pointed out that listeners didn't necessarily have to choose between satellite and HD Radio.
"It's not an either-or kind of thing," he said. "Our Logic 7 combo models come with satellite and HD radios."

So not only can you get better programming, you can get additional crappy programming as well, all for three times the price! Whatadeal, whatadeal!

So ultimately, one way or another, car radios will enter the digital era.

But only with the addition of WiFi connectability.

And that will bring better sound into autos, so that the only static you get in the city is from other drivers — not from the radio.

Just try to dodge the bullets.

Recording Industry Applauds Royalty Increase... or they... wait... yes? Kinda? Is that, um... who? Maybe?

2007-03-26T22:12:00.001-04:00

Found this interesting article on AllAccess today. I'm going to break my thoughts on it down piece-by-piece to give you just as close a look at this BS as I possibly can.

SOUNDEXCHANGE today said that recording artists from across the country announced their "enthusiastic support" for the new digital royalty rates announced on MARCH 2 by the COPYRIGHT ROYALTY BOARD.

Any time a royalty collection agency sends out a press release stating that their artists support a royalty rate increase, you can pretty much bet it's not the artists who support it, it's the agency.

Here's a sampling:

"If music adds commercial value to someone's site, then there is a monetary value due the writers and recording artists," said JODY STEPHENS of BIG STAR and GOLDEN SMOG. "The decision by the CRB helps us afford to continue to add this value of music."

Big Star and Golden Smog? Who? I'm sorry, just who are you again? What singles of yours have I heard? Yeah, didn't think so. I agree with the general principle of what Ms. (or Mrs., I honestly don't know who the heck she is, let alone if she's married or not) Stephens is saying, but to be frank, she hasn't the slightest clue what she's talking about. The hundreds (and beyond) of legitimate webcasters currently in operation do pay royalty fees... so do those entities legitimately using music on their web sites. Ms. (or Mrs.) Stephens makes it sound as if they aren't, and that's simply not the case. In addition, if she realized what these rate increases are going to do to the industry as a whole, she'd also realize that she and the rest of the music industry are going to be making less money, as those who are unable to pay the increased fee will no longer be using the music in question on their websites and in their streams.

Jody, I'm afraid you're ignorant of the facts, therefore you have no room to talk.

MICHELLE SHOCKED...

Again, who ?

...said, "A lot of Internet users think of music as a product created and generated by major labels with corporate megadollars...

(And they'd be right.)

...and so think nothing of taking or paying very little to use this music.

However, that's not a reason to punish those who do legitimately use music online. So not only do we have another artist who's ignorant of the facts behind this move, she's commenting on Internet piracy, not the royalty rate increase! Someone didn't get the memo!

"But the evidence shows that a large majority of music is now created by independent artists with very small margins trying earn a living...

IT IS?! REALLY?! Is that what you're hearing on your radio? Because it sure as heck isn't what I'm hearing on mine! I'm hearing multi-million-dollar-selling artists who are making so much money from their recording contracts that one is even in the process of bringing a certain major-league sports team back to New York City, many more than several who are well above the defining line of wealth, and the majority of whom are certainly above middle class when it comes to earnings brackets. "Very small margins," huh? I'd certainly like to be in a position where I could consider those margins to be "small."

"...and it's in that context that the recent decision to raise the Internet broadcasting rates are seen as an encouragement to creativity and independence."

If she's as poor as she claims most recording artists are, I hope she's saving every penny she's got, because the very increase she's praising (for the wrong reasons... again, this is not an Internet piracy issue as she sees it to be) is going to bankrupt the online broadcasting industry, and any money she's hoping to make from that sector will vaporize before her very keyboard.

Said COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME inductee HAROLD RAY BRADLEY...

Oh, finally... an industry veteran and someone who knows what they're talk... um... wait. How long has it been since music he's been involved in has been in the mainstream? How much airplay does his music receive these days? I smell the pungent stench of bias...

"I've been a recording musician for 61 years, and although a lot of people don't know my name, they've heard me playing on their favorite recordings by ELVIS PRESLEY, WILLIE NELSON, PATSY CLINE, ROY ORBISON, TAMMY WYNETTE, JIMMY DEAN, LORETTTA LYNN, BRENDA LEE, HENRY MANCINI, JOAN BAEZ and many others."

Hooray for credentials! Or is that name-dropping? I can't tell which...

"I know just how hard musicians work, just how valuable our creativity is to the businesses that play our recordings...

Oh, good! So then you realize this decision will bankrupt them and, in turn, you!

...and just how important it is to musicians to be paid fairly so we can continue to make music. The COPYRIGHT ROYALTY BOARD got it right."

Okay, well, scratch that.

And TWISTED SISTER's JAY JAY FRENCH...

HAAAAAAAAAAhahahahahahahahaha!!! Hooray for today's most popular genre!

...opined, "With the shrinking royalties from the usual sources...

Ahem. Crow T. Robot voice, please.

...we decided it was time to crush the little guy, too!

Thank you.

"...the ever-expanding digital universe is apparently becoming the future...

Ahem. Tom Servo voice, please.

...therefore it must be destroyed!

Thank you.

"...and, before our very eyes, it is here now. I wholeheartedly support all organizations that endeavor to collect and account to all the hard-working artists...

Um, excuse me, but, uh... your nose is brown.

...whose material is exploited.

Ah, so legitimate use now falls under the term "exploitation!" What a delightfully twisted (no pun intended) view of reality!

"I applaud these new royalty increases as they scratch the surface of the new world order."

That's right, fight new technology! So what if the old technology doesn't sell anymore and it's failing us? Let's beat a dead horse!

Don't get me wrong here. I'm all for artists getting paid. That's exactly why I'm against this rate increase. These sorry fools have followed the RIAA's mantra of "new is evil" for so long that they don't realize they're killing themselves off. If I may speak to them directly for a moment...

YOU FOOLS! Can't you see the forest for the trees? Don't you realize that this rate increase will result in you making less money? Wake up and take a look around you... the webcasters aren't protesting the move for nothing! If they can't survive the rate increase, they can't play your music. If they can't play your music, you don't get paid. Once that dawns on you, you'll look back and it'll hit you: "Hey! I was a real MORON for supporting that! Because now I'm not getting paid as much as I could have been if the change hadn't happened! Boy, hindsight sure is 20/20, ain't it?" Maybe then you'll finally understand that all of us who were opposed to the increase were on your side all along!

Weekend Update

2007-03-25T16:37:00.001-04:00

I'm probably violating some 32-year-old copyright by using that title (sorry Chevy, Lorne and NBC).

Anyway, here's some reading for you to do on the topic of the copyright ruling . It's all basically the same stuff I've said already, but Wil Wheaton went so far as to include snippets of other posts (which are good reading in and of themselves) and encourages you to call, e-mail, fax and write letters to, as he puts it, "your congressmorons" (but don't call them morons).

Blogger and Nevada Appeal (Carson City) tech writer Tasha Costa brings us an editorial about Debbie Foster, the Oklahoma mother who took the RIAA to court for legal fees (and won) after they backed out of an illegal-downloading lawsuit that, by their own admission, was unfounded to begin with. Based on RIAA president Cary Sherman's 2005 comment that the only thing he knew about the downloading lawsuits the organization files is that the defendants have Internet access, Costa makes an excellent point of likening the RIAA to schoolyard bullies... and points to the fact that the tactics used are riding the line of extortion.

But, of course, there will always be fools out there. In yet another case of people ignoring the wisdom of the plea, "Don't encourage them; they'll just get more obnoxious," Business Week reports that 116 out of 400 college students recently accepted discounted out-of-court settlements in the mass John Doe lawsuits the RIAA filed over downloading through college computer networks. Not that I'm advocating ignoring a lawsuit, but every once in a while you've got to stop and think, "Do I really have to part with enormous amounts of cash over this?"

Which brings me to another point: since when was hacking legal? Because last I knew, it wasn't, and as far as I've seen or heard, the RIAA doesn't have the authority to A) be granted a warrant or B) act on one if they did have that authority. Now, by the Sherman admission above, we can assume they don't have law enforcement agencies acting on warrants because they don't even know who they're suing or if the people they're suing are even guilty of what they're dragging them into court over in the first place. But let's say for the sake of argument that the average person doesn't realize this (and, given the third story, that's a pretty safe assumption). What is it going to take for an innocent defendant in one of these lawsuits to file a countersuit against the RIAA and claim not only legal fees but time lost from work and defamation of character as well? Just sue the living crap out of them!

I'm sure I'm not the only one who would just love to see it happen!

Oh, and in OTHER news today...

2007-03-23T02:24:00.001-04:00

The Citadel/ABC merger was approved. Whoop. Hoot. Yay.

More consolidation, that's just what we need. Especially being led by a company that, in my local market, recently "released" a PD who successfully launched the first decent CHR the market had seen in years and put the PD of a failing cluster in a neighboring market in charge... in addition to the duties that person still holds in the neighboring market.

Yep... this is great news for the industry.

Say goodbye to AM radio.

2007-03-23T00:50:00.001-04:00

Morons.

Hypothetical (even if highly unlikely) situation:
- A major disaster occurs (natural or attack) overnight.
- All the FM's are VT'd overnight (that's not that far a stretch of the imagination, is it?).
- The Internet is completely congested due to everyone trying to find out what's going on (remember that happening on 9/11? It did.).
- Cable TV gets knocked out and most people don't have an antenna capable of picking up a digital signal.
- The only other source of information, AM radio, has been destroyed by our own government (in all their wisdom) with digital hash.

We're SOL.

They did this without further consideration of anything... no fact checking, no engineering studies, no common sense... nothing . Your tax dollars at work, folks.

If this doesn't spark a rush to Internet radio, at least for overnight talk show fans (such as myself), I don't know what will. Otherwise, they're pretty much screwed too.

I like 9 FM even MORE!... and why that means Internet radio will survive.

2007-03-21T02:37:00.001-04:00

In light of the recent CRB ruling (which proved to us that the RIAA simply has nothing better to do with their time than screw us all over), Chicago's 9 FM has decided to halt all CD giveaways... and is even asking listeners to return CDs they've won from 9 and other stations in order to send them back to the RIAA who so desperately needs the money!

This comes on the heels of news that NPR and Cheap Channel (whoa... they are capable of doing something right!) teamed up to petition the CRB for a re-hearing on the ruling. That's in addition to all of the previous petitions filed by small and large webcasters, mom-and-pop stations with streams and the like. Hmm... Radio vs. The RIAA. It seems not all of the industry is in agreement!

What makes this even better is that this move has streamers, who generally aren't fans of the Big Boys, pulling for corporate radio in it's fight to protect their own streams! As most of us have seen over recent years, the money Clear Channel waves in front of the faces of decision makers gets things done, and if they want to save Internet radio, it will be saved. Amazingly, this means that at least on some level, they're acknowledging Internet radio's capability of competing with them... despite all that they've said in the past about the new medium being a non-factor.

Even more interesting is the fact that this proves traditional radio, as it exists now, is moving online, something I've been questioned on by others numerous times. I've been saying for years that Internet radio is going to overtake traditional broadcast radio, and that if traditional radio is to survive, it has to have a presence online. I've been called everything from an ignoramus to an imbecile to a liar (the latter being in the case of someone claiming I didn't truly believe what I was saying) on this topic, but I've stood by what I've said over the years, and it's happening.

Once again, folks, it's time to wake up. As of this posting, it's 2:30 AM. Do you know where your potential audience is?

Radio Goldfield: Illegal.

2007-03-20T20:53:00.001-04:00

As most of you come from the various message boards I post to, I'm sure you already know my position on the pirate station in Goldfield, NV. It's wrong, illegal, sets a bad precedent, and quite frankly ought to result in each person involved in that decision being fined and, in my opinion, fired.

Apparently, RadioWorld's editors agree with me. At least on the part of this being illegal and wrong. As for the FCC suffering repercussions from this mess, who knows? They don't bring it up in the editorial.

It's been a long time. I shouldn't have left you.

2007-03-20T18:20:00.001-04:00

Sorry for the posting drought... employment-related issues came up and lasted quite some time. I'm back though, and I have a question: just what the heck is up with this ?

Clear Channel
VISION, must NOT, be SOLD.

lovedaddy, 3/20/2007 11:19:14 AM
Message #202987

Found that on the job listings page at AllAccess. Disgruntled former employee or just someone who wants to make a point?

As Spock would say, "Curious."

Anyway, I'll be posting a lot more often now, and you'll see me playing a little catch-up here too, as I comment on some past issues (or ones that started while I was gone and are still continuing) as well as the new ones that come along.

Josh's Grammy Notes

2007-02-12T04:53:00.001-05:00

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are the Police and we are back!"

'Nuff said. Now watch for Genesis to make a comeback. It's just around the corner.

----------

The Dixie Chicks won huge for Taking The Long Way and Not Ready To Make Nice, as well as the song of the same title. That fuels the fire for the belief of many that radio banned singles from the album. I initially believed the explanation that there wasn't enough demand for airplay, but the more and more I see and hear about it, the more and more I lean toward the ban theory.

----------

This is just plain funny! Ludacris thanked Oprah and O'Reilly! On the same token, he asked, "So y'all telling me, all I had to do was cut my hair to win a best rap album? Is that what y'all telling me?"

Congrats, Chris, it's about time!

----------

Mary J. Blige won big, including R&B Album of the Year and Best Female R&B Vocal. No surprise there. This year has marked a stellar comeback for her. She still has the best female voice in R&B, and her music hasn't lost it's value over the years.

----------

So just how long did John Mayer practice saying "She is very beautiful and you are the last to know" in Japanese?

----------

Glad to hear Randy Jackson defend Idol. Honestly, if you think about it, some of the people on that show need to hear some mean things because they've been (incorrectly) coddled by friends and family all the way there. In the short time they audition, if the judges see fit to breaking the news to them and they're defiant about it, let the judges get a little mean. You can only let un-talent get so far. They'll thank the judges later on in life after they've discovered their true calling.

----------

Poor Mark Lee. I'm a big fan of Third Day, and it's unfortunate he missed out on accepting their award for Pop-Contemporary Gospel Album for Wherever You Are . Congrats to Third Day, though! They are truly one of the best, most legendary Christian rock bands of all time (and they've been doing it since day 1... just listen through "The Bus Album"), and they deserve every award they get.

----------

Wow... add two people to the list of those who get it: John Mayer and John Legend. From the AP:

"It's a funky time for the record industry," said double-winner John Legend. "But the music industry is bigger than the record industry. ... Records aren't the only way to make money. It was the way (companies) made money, now they've got to figure that out."

Fellow double-winner John Mayer said talk of digital rights doesn't belong in rock.
"The answer lies in the simplicity of saying Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, rock 'n' roll, Fender Stratocaster, loud music, volume, feedback. Now let's go to the next word: digital rights management," Mayer said before Sunday night's show. "There's one thing in there that's not like the others."

Smart People: 300-some-thousand, RIAA: zero.

----------

Other CHR and notable highlights:

Christina Aguilera's "Ain't No Other Man" won Female Pop Vocal Performance.

John Mayer's "Waiting On The World To Change" won Male Pop Vocal Performance.

The Black Eyed Peas "My Humps" won Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal (I would've given it to "Don't Lie").

Another song about California from some rock group won Rock Song and Rock Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal.

Gnarls Barkley's St. Elsewhere won Alternative Music Album (though "Crazy" could've won in just about any single-track category you put it in, including country if it'd been performed by country artist... and, actually, if you listen to A Prairie Home Companion, you'd already know someone did).

"Sexy Back" won Dance Recording. Anyone surprised?

Madonna's Confessions On a Dance Floor won Electronic/Dance Album. Considering most EDM artists released singles and not full albums last year (and Madonna was about the only one who did release a full album), that's not a big surprise, though the album does deserve it. It's a good disc.

T.I. won Rap Solo Performance for "What You Know." I love the song, but I preferred "Why You Wanna."

Chamillionaire and Krayzie Bone won Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for "Ridin'." Huge track, huge win.

Rap/Sung Collaboration went to Justin Timberlake and T.I. for "My Love," which deserves every award it gets... and that goes for all of FutureSex/LoveSounds.

Ludacris and Pharrell won Rap Song for "Money Maker." I'm not sure I would've given it the award. It was a good song, but it wasn't one of the best I've ever heard (which is what I'd reserve Grammy votes for were I ever given the opportunity to vote). Still, though, it's all about what came out last year, and other than the previously mentioned "Why You Wanna" ( T.I.), I can't think of any other song that came out last year that deserves a win in the category.

Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" won Urban/Alternative Performance. Again, anyone surprised?

R&B Song went to Mary J. Blige for "Be Without You," the song she performed at the show. It's was the key to her comeback.

Beyoncé's B'Day won Contemporary R&B Album. I would've given it to The Breakthrough (Mary J. Blige).

The soundtrack from "Walk The Line" won Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media. Awesome.

----------

All around, it wasn't the best year ever for the Grammy's, but it was far, far from being the worst. Congratulations to all the winners!

Oh, dear sweet Lord, no!

2007-02-02T09:35:00.000-05:00

Here's K-Fed's Nationwide ad for the Super Bowl.

I'm not objecting to the ad... I love it. What I am upset about is the fact that I just found myself sitting at my computer actually thinking, "that track sounds kinda hot." I think if it were any other vocalist over the beat, that song would have a pretty good run on the charts. I can hear maybe Chingy or J-Kwon's voice... or perhaps Diddy (if he was actually rapping these days).

On the other side of that coin, however, "Popozao" wouldn't have been any good no matter who was spittin' it.

Why I Like Simon Cowell

2007-01-23T05:56:00.001-05:00

Fox News' Mike Straka hits the nail on the head in this week's Grrr! article.

I Just Died (Laughing) In Your Arms Tonight

2007-01-22T05:46:00.001-05:00

A little radio humor from the good folks at somethingawful.com.

Seriously, I di d laugh hysterically while reading this. Probably something my neighbors in the apartments upstairs and behind me didn't appreciate at 5 AM.

My favorite part of the whole article:

One of the most recent instances of a radio promotion gone horrifically wrong occurred in 1997 in Ellington Quay, Florida. Radio station XCTL 102.7 "The Xochtl" and their morning drive time show "The Laff Canticle" held a contest called "Valves for Verve Beatoff".
DJs Thornton Goober, Big Puzz, Jenna and Ol' Stinker offered tickets to an upcoming Verve Pipe concert. In exchange for six tickets to the concert contestants were asked to see who could survive on the greatest number of implanted artificial heart valves. Bids for the tickets were placed blind so that contestants were not actually competing with one another. Most chose two to three valves. To ensure a victory, Tom Trent age 19 wrote on his entry card that he would accept 850,000 artificial heart valves in exchange for six tickets to the Verve Pipe.
The tissue of his heart could only accommodate approximately 40 artificial valves. At the urgings of Big Puzz and Thornton Goober, Doctor Isaac Salk of Ellington Cardiac Center installed artificial valves throughout the entirety of Tom Trent's body. The 72-hour long surgery was broadcast live on the air with Big Puzz providing remote coverage during the drive time hours. After completing the surgery Trent's heart beat once and expelled all of his blood from the 50,000 valves on the outside of his body. This was followed by several honking horns and a sound clip of Casey Kasem getting angry about playing an up-tempo song after a death announcement.
Trent had no surviving family so no lawsuit was ever filed. However, Doctor Salk billed the station nearly a billion dollars in medical fees and the station was fined $25,000 by the FCC for making frequent references to masturbation whenever heartbeats or the name of the contest were discussed.

Morning radio. Not for the weak.

I want to see this song shoot straight to the top.

2007-01-16T09:58:00.001-05:00

Maybe it'll help make up for the piece of crap that Hinder's "Lips of an Angel" is.

Face Down
Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

Hey girl you know you drive me crazy
One look puts the rhythm in my head
Still I'll never understand why you hang around
I see what's going down

Cover up with make up in the mirror
Tell yourself it's never gonna happen again
You cry alone and then he swears he loves you

Do you feel like a man
When you push her around?
Do you feel better now
As she falls to the ground?
Well I'll tell you my friend,
One day this world's going to end
As your lies crumble down,
A new life she has found.

A pebble in the water makes a ripple effect
Every action in this world will bear a consequence
If you wade around forever you will surely drown
I see what's going down

I see the way you go and say your right again,
Say your right again
Heed my lecture

Do you feel like a man
When you push her around?
Do you feel better now
As she falls to the ground?
Well I'll tell you my friend,
One day this world's going to end
As your lies crumble down,
A new life she has found

Face down in the dirt
She said, "This doesn't hurt"
She said, "I've finally had enough."
(repeat)

One day she will tell you that she has had enough
It's coming round again

Do you feel like a man
When you push her around?
Do you feel better now
As she falls to the ground?
Well I'll tell you my friend,
One day this world's going to end
As your lies crumble down,
A new life she has found
(repeat)

Face down in the dirt
She said, "This doesn't hurt,"
She said, "I've finally had enough."

Why do we need a song to make up for "Lips of an Angel"? The whole glorifying men as man-whores idea. I've already run into this with several people... mostly of the female persuasion. They all seem to think "Lips of an Angel" is the greatest song ever. Meanwhile every time I hear it I want to gouge my eardrums out with a Q-Tip.

And I know what your next question is going to be: why do you feel that way about this song and not every hip-hop song made in the last 20 years? Well, quite frankly, I do hate the same idea in hip-hop, but I also understand that most people enjoy those songs because of the music behind the lyrics, not the lyrics themselves. Everyone I've talked to who enjoys "Lips of an Angel" has specifically told me that they like the song because of what it says, not the sound of the music (though they usually find it catchy... it is a "jingle song" after all).

Now we've got a song going for mainstream adds that holds up a man for being a true man and standing up to some a-hole who beats his girlfriend. I would much rather see music that holds men up as real men, not guys or dogs, but men.

Thank you, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. I'll be pulling for you.

2007-01-09T09:00:00.001-05:00

Anyone who knows me knows I'm no UF fan, but...

GOD BLESS YOU GATORS FOR MAULING THE BUCKEYES!

Let's now sing together in celebration of last night's 41-14 destruction of Ohio State!

(Thanks to Buzzboard user Charlie and good 'ol Dick Purtan for the audio.)

Note to Lauren Grover: It's Called Research.

2007-01-08T07:47:00.001-05:00

I was simply curious: what does Google say about WCSR? I typed in "WCSR Hillsdale" for this search, and the results included a November 30th, 2006 article from the Hillsdale Collegian, entitled "All things considered, no NPR for campus" with the byline "Local tower impedes 'liberal' radio reception, colleges seek 'on-air' time."

The article, written by the Collegian's news editor Lauren Grover, is full of so many erroneous uses of technological terms and completely incorrect statements that it had me shouting at my computer monitor after reading the first two paragraphs alone.

The rest of this post is directed to her.

Lauren, maybe it's the stresses of school. Maybe you were misinformed. Maybe you just rushed to get this done and didn't double-check your information. Whatever it is, though, it's no excuse for these errors. This is journalism, my friend. Research is mandatory, and a couple of calls to WCSR does not research make.

I'll now go through and point out every error in the article. I want you to take notes. This will be on the exam.

It isn't a protective bubble over the college that's kept National Public Radio off local airwaves...

No, it's the fact that no one in Hillsdale has seriously taken the time and effort to put an NPR station on the air here. On top of that, Hillsdale College is, by design, a conservative school and, as such, doesn't particularly find publicly-funded broadcasting to be the best use of our tax dollars.

...but simple, practical barriers of location and weather. The closest stations to carry the NPR feed— WKAR 90.5 FM out of East Lansing and WUOM 91.7 FM out of Ann Arbor—are both more than 60 miles from Hillsdale...

Correct: 69.5 and 70.2 miles, respectively, between each station's tower and Hillsdale College's Central Hall.

...a distance that inhibits reception...

Funny, I have no problem picking up WKAR or WUOM here on West Street. Then again, I'm using my dipole antenna connected to a stereo (a dipole antenna could just as easily be connected to a boombox). Additionally, distance from the tower isn't the only factor here, which is where you go with the article next.

...despite each station's 60,000-watt towers.

Lauren, Lauren, Lauren... that's a hugely incorrect statement!

First let's deal with the most obvious error. The towers don't put out 60,000 watts, the transmitters do. The tower is simply there to hold the antenna, which broadcasts the signal coming from the transmitter, in the air. FM signals are received in a line-of-sight fashion, so the taller the tower, the further the signal will travel, assuming the transmitter is running at the same power at each time the antenna sits at one of the two different heights.

Now let's go into the incorrect information. Technically speaking, both WKAR and WUOM are actually grandfathered Class B stations which means that, due to the fact that they were licensed before the current class system was put into place, they actually operate above the power and tower height other stations in their class are limited to (50,000 watts, 492.13 feet HAAT, or height above average terrain). WKAR-FM operates with 86,000 watts horizontal effective radiated power and 57,000 watts vertical effective radiated power at a HAAT of 896 feet. At the same time, WUOM operates at 93,000 watts horizontal-only... which is only 7,000 watts away from the class C1 legal limit of 100,000 watts for a tower of it's height (778 feet HAAT).

The height of WKAR and WUOM's respective antennae, combined with their power, give each of the stations a rather large service area. So long as you know what you're doing with a dipole antenna (and it's not that hard to learn simply by trial and error), you should have no trouble at all pulling either station in from campus.

All of this information could have been found by doing a total of two Google searches.

In addition, both call numbers are too close in proximity to WCSR's 92.1 FM, whose 6,000-watt tower overrides neighboring call numbers for listeners in town.

Firstly, the term you're looking for is frequency. 92.1 megahertz is the frequency at which WCSR operates. Their call letters are WCSR. However, the basic idea of what you're trying to say is correct in the case of WUOM: 91.7 does get a run for it's money from 92.1 when you're closer to 92.1 than you are 91.7, depending on your radio and antenna. I've already explained the antenna part of that... the radio part is coming up right now.

Local broadcast engineer of 43 years, Michael Bradford, said this function—called front-end overload— is standard to all radios.

Actually, front-end overload is what the technology behind the effect you're witnessing is trying to prevent from happening. The effect itself is not actually a function, it's a side effect, and I'll explain why it happens after Bradford gives one half of the explanation.

"The amplifier on the front of the radio has what is called AGC, or automatic gain control built in," Bradford said. "That means that if you're nearby a radio station, it automatically turns the gain down so that you don't overload the receiver. Unfortunately, if you're nearby a station you don't want to listen to, it turns down the gain anyway."

Now that's not actually the cause of the issue, it's an unintentional result. The actual problem lies in what's called selectivity. Different radios are built with different amounts of selectivity between stations, meaning that some radios are better than others at separating the signals of stations that are close together on the dial. Unfortunately, it's a relatively expensive problem to deal with (and is one that most radio listeners don't worry about), so many radios sold to the average consumer don't feature very high selectivity. This is why Bradford referred to the AGC: when a radio with low selectivity detects a stronger signal than the one you're trying to listen to, even .4 megahertz away, the AGC will kick in and reduce the gain of that station in favor of the stronger one.

It sounds like he didn't actually explain that part of it to you, so I can't fault you for that much, however, once again, a simple Google search would have turned up this information.

Bradford—who monitors 11 local stations including Hillsdale's WCSR— said atmospheric conditions are another important variable in a radio's reception quality, especially for FM frequency waves that run through the ionosphere.

At nighttime or in adverse weather conditions the ionosphere— a layer of charged gas particles—moves closer to the earth. For FM frequency this can work "like a mirror—signals bouncing off and traveling hundreds of miles further than expected," he said.

Actually, Brafford was referring to AM frequencies (WCSR also operates at 1340 kilohertz) on this one. I'll let it slide this time... you could have just misunderstood what he was saying. But if you turn on your AM radio at night, you'll hear stations from half a continent away. Some of the most receivable stations here in Hillsdale are 830 WCCO Minneapolis, 880 WCBS New York, 1000 WMVP Chicago, 1040 WHO Des Moines, 1060 KYW Philadelphia, 1100 WTAM Cleveland (which probably comes in the strongest) and 1140 WRVA Richmond, Virginia. Get out of the city, away from all the electrical noise, and you can pick up even more. The most distant station I've heard under normal conditions out in the rural areas of Hillsdale County is 850 KOA in Denver, over 1,100 miles away!

"Somebody in Toledo could be listening to WCSR; somebody in Hillsdale might be listening to a station in Missouri," Bradford said.

It's very possible on the AM side... though WCSR's AM station is on what's considered a "graveyard" frequency, a location on the dial where there are literally hundreds of lower-powered stations across the country. The interference that environment creates, not to mention the very low-power 250 watts WCSR runs at night, makes it difficult to hear the station's AM side at night, even as close to the station as Waterworks Drive. Stranger things have happened, though, so I wouldn't be entirely surprised if WCSR had heard from an AM listener in Toledo (I'm not knocking WCSR's technical capabilities, just pointing out the facts of the situation).

On the other hand, WCSR's FM signal gets out freakishly well to the east-southeast, and I know for a fact they've heard from listeners in Toledo on several occasions. My parents have similarly dragged it all the way out to Cabellas in Dundee. No one's really been able to figure out why that happens, though, other than a simple lack of interference.

Other factors include "skip"—a phase in either spring or winter when the ionosphere can act strangely...

Actually, "skip" isn't a time of the year, it's simply another term for the phenomenon of radio signals traveling long distances. What you're probably referring to is "E-skip," which is named such because the ionosphere is often referred to as the "E layer" of the atmosphere according to it's order. Very dense particle clouds in the ionosphere bounce FM and VHF TV (channels 2-13) signals, much like the ionosphere normally does with AM signals. It has to do with the density of the ionized particles as to why it affects the FM and TV range of the electromagnetic spectrum, though why that is and what causes the ion clouds to form is still a mystery to scientists. The occurrence of E-skip is actually relatively rare compared to other forms, though it's much more common in the winter and spring.

This could have been a simple misunderstanding as well, but yet again, this could have been found by doing a Google search.

—fog, temperature drops and thermal inversion—when cold air and warm air layers crash into one another.

This is what's known as "tropospheric skip" or "tropo" for short, named such because of the conditions in the troposphere. Not an error, just pointing it out for future reference.

One thing that he didn't mention that also causes interference is the Aurora Borealis. When a CME (coronal mass ejection), or solar flare, hits the ionosphere, it wreaks absolute havoc on just about all of the broadcast bands... AM, FM and TV. I've even noticed it affecting my WiFi connection recently. On FM, it reduces a signal's service area and results in loud bursts of static. On TV, it will have essentially the same effect as a strong nearby lightning strike. On AM, you'll hear lightning-like static as well, but the really interesting effect is that it completely silences the 50,000-watt clear channel stations (such as WCCO, WTAM, etc.) and brings low-powered stations in clear as a bell. I picked up my third-longest skip catch ever in the Fall aurora of 2004: WPCF Panama City Beach (which, at a mere 55 watts night power, isn't even a pea-shooter), Florida from Horton, Michigan, a distance of 964 miles. If it weren't for the aurora, I probably never would have heard that station in a million years unless I flew down there with the specific intent of listening to it.

That's a big one that you could've found on Google, so I'm docking points for it.

"God had a sense of humor when it came to things like that," he said.

That and the platypus, yes.

WKAR and WUOM—both non-commercial educational stations affiliated with Michigan state universities—chose to carry the NPR feed and its programming.

Part-time WCSR radio personality and Hillsdale resident Juli Wahtola said it is up to a station to pick which feed they want to run in addition to their local programs.

"Like any other network, it's the station's discretion whether or not to take a feed, one like NPR," she said.

Wahtola said some broadcast houses have multiple stations they run from one place, allowing them to broadcast simultaneous feeds of different kinds. WCSR runs one such network program during the night through a barter—an agreement allowing that network to play its own commercials and programs together.

Jones Radio Networks out of Denver. That's where they pick up Heart to Heart, the majority of the afternoon programming on the weekends and a good chuck of the national commercials you hear on the station.

Bradford said commercial stations can choose to run certain NPR programs—such as a presidential debate—for a fee.

"There is production cost involved," he said. "It is public radio, but remember that public radio stations pay NPR a fee for every one of the programs they carry."

It never comes free. Radio doesn't work that way.

Twenty-six million listeners tune into NPR weekly from more than 800 independently operated, noncommercial stations across the nation. NPR's Morning Edition is the country's most listened to morning news program, posting 12.8 million listeners, according to Arbitron Nationwide Spring 2006 statistics.

And yes, I'll be the one to say it: NPR holds a lock on the majority of news/talk listeners who lean politically liberal. That's why you won't find an NPR station popping up here in Hillsdale anytime soon. We're a red county. Even if Hillsdale County turned blue (and it slowly is doing so), Hillsdale College would certainly never fund an NPR station. As I pointed out before, it's a conservative school by design, and not only would they not support liberal programming, they certainly wouldn't support a station that receives partial funding from the government, as they do all they can to remain separate from the government.

Colleges Opening the Airwaves

Some colleges and universities help to open the radio airwaves on their campuses through community antennas, ones capable of picking up signals of distant stations.

"If enough students, say, want to listen to a particular station, whether TV or radio, sometimes colleges will install directional antenna and feed it into a universal TV system, so students can tune into a station through cable TV," he said.

Other schools have started their own noncommercial, educational radio stations on campus. Michigan State University's WUOM 91.7 FM is one such example.

Bradford said Hillsdale College could follow suit.

"You students could produce your own programs—the station could carry NPR," he said. "It could be a great service to the college community and the Hillsdale community at large."

Hillsdale might start it's own station for the students, but again, that station would not carry NPR programming.

Bradford said expenses—from buying equipment and a tower to maintaining the station— can easily rack up to $300,000 "at a snap of a finger."

Likely much more than that.

On the other hand, benefactors and alumni of the college could contribute to special fundraising events put on by the station, such as the week-long fundraiser WUOM holds once a year.

However, as I said before, it's a red county. Raising funds for an NPR station here would likely be impossible, and you'd certainly never see any money for one coming from the college's donation base.

Bradford said the Federal Communication Commission makes allotments for noncommercial stations to file radio applications for no fee.

Another possibility would be to start a Part 15 station that rebroadcasts WUOM or WKAR across campus, possibly even from the Internet stream of either station. Part 15 refers to Part 15 of the Communications Act of 1934, the act that founded the FCC. It states that, with certain very low-power limitations and restrictions on antenna length and signal coverage, one can operate an AM or FM transmitter without a license. It's the rule that allows you to use those FM transmitters for your iPod or satellite radio in your car. There are many people and organizations who use the AM side of that rule to operate small community-based radio stations (and Part 15-compliant AM signals travel at least twice as far as Part 15 FM signals do). With a Part 15 AM station, you could easily cover the majority of the campus with one transmitter.

However, as I've been trying to make this point for the past eleven years, Internet radio is where the entire industry is going to be within the next five to fifteen years. Spending money on a transmitter may not be the wisest long-term investment at this point for the college. Portable WiFi devices are becoming more and more numerous and available every day (and Ford is even putting them in all of their vehicles starting this year), so all you need is a series of hot spots around campus. I know several already exist. All you need to do is tune into the stream of the station you want to listen to... even an NPR station from California if that's you're choice.

So, to sum up, there were a lot of things missed in this article, a lot of things that were flat-out wrong, and a lot of things that could have been thought out a lot more thoroughly than they had been. The key word here is research. It seems not a whole lot went into this article.

GREAT POST! I couldn't have said it better myself!

2007-01-07T23:39:00.001-05:00

A Radio-Info member calling themself "dumber than a box of hair" has pointed out exactly why HD Radio is failing and will ultimately die the horribly painful death it deserves.

I work for one of the major radio groups which is part of the HD Alliance, and I am appalled at the lack of marketing savvy. The extent of the marketing on the two FMs in our group which are running HD is ten-second promos and a tag on the legal IDs ("now broadcasting in HD"). No explanation of what it is. No explanation that you need a new radio to hear it. Worst of all, no commercials from one of the local tech chains (Tweeter) which sells the BA Receptor. They're trying to create a buzz with buzz-words, but if no one understands the buzz-words, it's a wasted effort.

I've been a broadcast engineer for close to 40 years, and I've never seen anything remotely resembling this utter travesty being foisted upon the public. The FCC has abdicated its responsibility and its charter, and has essentially handed over a broadcasting standard to a private company, to which users of this tech have to pay licensing fees. (Cliff's Notes: We have the best government money can buy.) The standard causes massive interference on the AM band to stations within their (formerly) interference-free contours, and increases the number of signals available on the FM band without any economic basis whatsoever (remember when applicants for stations had to prove they had a sound business plan for their first license term?). Small radio stations, most of which are just getting by if at all, will not be able to afford the fees and will be left behind if this new tech takes hold...or will be driven out of business by interference from other stations if they're on the AM band. Every conceivable way of screwing this up has been found out and implemented...and all for the sake of fixing something that wasn't broken in the first place.

Worst of all, the radio business never seems to understand that whatever ails it is NOT...has NEVER been...fixed by changing its technology. It's content, content and more content that will determine whether they keep the listeners they have, get new ones...or continue to lose them to other media. They thought AM stereo would be the AM band's salvation, too, and look how far that got them.

Why is it that us "little guys" in the industry can figure this out and our superiors can't?

"Fresh", "Carbon-Copied" or "Stolen"?

2007-01-06T09:57:00.001-05:00

It's just been brought to my attention (thanks to MWmetalhead over at the Buzzboard) that Gary Berkowitz, who is based in Detroit, is consulting the new "Fresh 102.7" in New York, which just flipped calls from the heritage WNEW to WWFS this week as they adopted their new format. As I said before, the station bears striking resemblance to Spring Arbor University's own WSAE.

That leads me to wonder: should this station actually be called "Fresh" (obviously not), "Carbon-Copied" (meaning, did Berkowitz consult WSAE?) or "Stolen" (perhaps Berkowitz just happened to like the idea of Home.fm so much that he sold it to CBS Radio New York)?

I don't recall WSAE having hired a consultant (though perhaps I'm wrong), and if I recall correctly, Home.fm was all Carl Fletcher's idea, so I don't think the second option is a possibility. So that would lead me to believe that Berkowitz did, in fact, swipe the Home.fm idea (minus the Christian music) and put it into place on the former WNEW.

Again, if this format is failing in it's market of origin, how well is it going to fare in The Big Apple?

He's BACK!

2007-01-04T21:18:00.001-05:00

According to AllAccess, J.J. McCain is now doing weekends at The Wolf in Greensboro (the former Oldies 93).

I believe they stream. I'll have to listen.

Broadcast Standards of the Future

2007-01-04T21:11:00.001-05:00

There's an interesting new device slated to be premiered at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this year. It's a WiFi router for your car that connects to the Internet via a 3G cellular connection (which is available across most of the country already). This means that you would be able to use any WiFi device in your car (including, say, a WiFi or WiMax-capable car radio) without having to worry about losing the connection when you drive out of a hotspot.

The only downside I see to this is the cost. The unit alone costs $399, and service is expected to cost $49 per month Definitely beyond my range of affordability, and I'm sure most people will determine the same thing for themselves. It's pretty hard to justify that price simply for the luxury of having an always-on WiFi connection available in your vehicle of choice. And, more important to our industry, it's well beyond the cost of satellite radio.

My opinion on which technology will bring us better wireless broadband and which will proliferate across the country faster has been a toss-up for some time. It seems that every couple of weeks or so there's some new tidbit of information that makes me lean in favor of one side, then another morsel that changes my mind. There's still no doubt in my mind that Internet radio is where we're headed, but if the price for cellular broadband connections doesn't come down, WiMax will be the winner. I'd take a guess that the majority of people who go after vehicular WiFi first are most likely people who are already paying anywhere from $30-$90 a month for home-based broadband connections, and they most likely aren't going to lay down nearly the same amount for them same connection in their car.

According to the formula, join me next week when I reneg on that statement and explain why cellular broadband will win out.

FCC Studies

2007-01-02T15:09:00.001-05:00

The FCC just released a boatload of previously unreleased broadcast industry studies. I've downloaded them, I'll be reading through them over the next week or so, and I'll intermittently be posting my opinions and observations about them throughout that time. Just wanted to give you a heads-up so you'll know what to expect.

WiFi/Max in Vehicles: Not Just for the Luxury Models Anymore

2007-01-02T15:03:00.001-05:00

AllAccess send this one out:

With the advancements in wireless broadband in WiFi, and the new, more powerful WiMax services being developed that will theoretically let you listen to anything on the Internet in your car, FORD and MICROSOFT are teaming up on a new technology called "SYNC," according to the DETROIT FREE PRESS (12/30), "allowing consumers to use their vehicles as computers in key ways, such as hands-free cell phone calls or downloading music or receiving e-mail."

Or listening to any one of your favorite online radio stations wherever you drive.

"FORD and MICROSOFT are expected to reveal the project during media days at the NORTH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW in DETROIT, which begins JANUARY 7, and the CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW in LAS VEGAS, which opens to the press a day earlier." Sources in the article point to availability as early as 2007 or by 2008 in all FORD vehicles.

This is huge news. Previously the only manufacturers to have announced wireless broadband capability had planned on rolling them out in their high-end models. The fact that Ford is announcing the roll-out in all of their models is a giant leap for Internet radio (which, as if I have to point it out for the bajillionth time, is where the radio industry is headed whether the like it or not).

What does this mean for terrestrial radio? It means an amazing opportunity to continue to grow and be part of the future, as long as the programming that's on the air and being streamed to be heard in cars is compelling and meets listener expectations.

I couldn't have put it better myself, though I wouldn't have put it as positively. Truth be told, most radio corporations hate this technology. They see it as something to defeat, to quash, rather than something to work with. In fact, there's a thread going on right now over at Radio-Info about the low quality of broadcast stations' streams, the author asking why that's the case. The simple answer is that those streams are merely there because those stations want to make it seem as if they actually want to adopt the technology. The fact of the matter is that they think that by simply having a stream they're somehow competing with the Internet-only stations. Of course, they aren't; because their product (the programming, not just the audio quality), in more cases than they'd care to admit, is by and large inferior to the wide variety of offerings online. If it weren't for their delusions of grandeur, those streams wouldn't be there at all.

I could possibly see that mentality changing with this news... or not long after the new models launch and the terrestrial broadcasters realize, "Holy crap! We're losing droves of listeners to these Internet stations! We've gotta do something!" Unfortunately for those that aren't already on the bandwagon, I see two different possibilities as to how they'll plan on "fixing" the problem.

A) They'll simply stream at a higher bitrate without fixing their programming, or...
B) They'll fix their programming but won't even think of bumping up their stream's bitrate.

Of course, there's also the possibility of many stations (and, in all likelihood, this would mean Clear Channel) just sitting on their behinds and not doing anything.

It's 2007. Most of the terrestrial stations are using the exact same streaming quality they were using in 1997. After ten years and many leaps and advances in the technology, I wonder where they find the sense in their decision to do so.

It's time to jump into the pool. What'sa matter, afraid of getting your feet wet?

Home.fm launches in... New York City?

2007-01-02T08:37:00.001-05:00

Someone get on the horn with SAU Radio and tell them to file suit against CBS Radio for this.

(No, I'm not serious. But the resemblance is eerie, don't you think?)

Did I miss something here?

2006-12-30T08:53:00.001-05:00

I'd like to introduce a new term to this blog: PUBE. It's an acronym for People for the Use of Broadcast media Ethically , and I'll now be using it to collectively refer to organizations such as the Parents Television Council, Morality in Media, the American Decency Association, etc.

EDIT: By the way, I'm pronouncing that "P-U-B-E", not the more obvious interpretation. But the reference is obvious (similar to Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories' Consider Our Kids Every Day anti-drug organization).

Apparently they all caught something I didn't. Every search I've run has turned up nothing, and I don't recall any huge "indecency" happenings late this year, but for some odd reason...

The FCC has released its quarterly report on informal consumer inquiries and complaints for third quarter 2006, and radio and TV complaints rose from second quarter's 53,352 to 194,468, led by indecency issues, which generated 193,504 complaints (163,553 of which came in SEPTEMBER). The report does not indicate how many of the complaints were generated by organized campaigns, as most have been in the past.

That report coming from AllAccess.

What triggered that massive onslaught? Well over a 100% jump in complaints from last quarter... and I can't think of a single thing that happened in September. There's no way on Earth that I'm that tuned-out (believe me, it's just the opposite).

Anyone care to explain this?

Merry Christmas!

2006-12-25T22:00:00.001-05:00

I thought this up before work the other night and figured you might enjoy it! Presenting...

The Twelve Days of Christmas
(As Experienced by CHR DJ's)

On the first day of Christmas my PD gave to me
One track to rip from CD.

On the second day of Christmas my PD gave to me
Two VT sessions
And one track to rip from CD

On the third day of Christmas my PD gave to me
Three remotes
Two VT sessions
And one track to rip from CD

On the fourth day of Christmas my PD gave to me
Four liner cards
Three remotes
Two VT sessions
And one track to rip from CD

On the fifth day of Christmas my PD gave to me
Five caller lines!...
Four liner cards
Three remotes
Two VT sessions
And one track to rip from CD

On the sixth day of Christmas my PD gave to me
Six thousand watts
Five caller lines!...
Four liner cards
Three remotes
Two VT sessions
And one track to rip from CD

On the seventh day of Christmas my PD gave to me
Seven sheets of copy
Six thousand watts
Five caller lines!...
Four liner cards
Three remotes
Two VT sessions
And one track to rip from CD

On the eighth day of Christmas my PD gave to me
Eight mixing buses
Seven sheets of copy
Six thousand watts
Five caller lines!...
Four liner cards
Three remotes
Two VT sessions
And one track to rip from CD

On the ninth day of Christmas my PD gave to me
Nine screaming preteens
Eight mixing buses
Seven sheets of copy
Six thousand watts
Five caller lines!...
Four liner cards
Three remotes
Two VT sessions
And one track to rip from CD

On the tenth day of Christmas my PD gave to me
Ten-song sets
Nine screaming preteens
Eight mixing buses
Seven sheets of copy
Six thousand watts
Five caller lines!...
Four liner cards
Three remotes
Two VT sessions
And on track to rip from CD

On the eleventh day of Christmas my PD gave to me
Eleven spots to mix down
Ten-song sets
Nine screaming preteens
Eight mixing buses
Seven sheets of copy
Six thousand watts
Five caller lines!...
Four liner cards
Three remotes
Two VT sessions
And one track to rip from CD

On the twelfth day of Christmas my PD gave to me
Twelve EAS tests...
Eleven spots to mix down
Ten-song sets
Nine screaming preteens
Eight mixing buses
Seven sheets of copy
Six thousand watts
Five... caller... lines!!!...
Four liner cards
Three remotes
Two VT sessions
And one track to rip from CD!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

If You've Ever Done Voice Work...

2006-12-22T16:15:00.001-05:00

You know the pure torture this is.

Then again, if you've been the producer, you know how necessary it might be.

It's All About the Spins

2006-12-22T08:14:00.001-05:00

I should start off this post by saying thank you to everyone who has waited and waited for me to get back online. It's been to long since I've had a chance to actually sit down and write something out in one shot, and I know a lot of you have been wondering if I was ever coming back. Today's the day. I bought myself a brand-spankin'-new computer and I'm ready to get going again. Hold on tight... it'll be quite a ride!

Let's get back into it with a little talk about why radio still (seemingly despite it's best efforts) remains relevent.

Drudge posted a Variety article yesterday about the #2 debut of Taylor Hicks' self-titled album. The article explains how previous Idol winners have run the gamut from superstars (i.e. Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood) to one-album wonders (Ruben Studdard) and near-flops (Fantasia Barrino), but it fails to point out the real reason why Hicks didn't hit the 300,000 mark in his first week. The closest it comes is the following:

Yet a single from his self-titled Arista/19 debut has yet to chart in the top 50 -- a key reason Hicks didn't storm the chart last week. It wasn't for lack of promotion as Hicks has been making the TV rounds for nearly a month, appearing on "20/20," the American Music Awards, "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," "Good Morning America" and "Live With Regis and Kelly." Since the album's release, he has been making the rounds in syndication and cable, appearing on "The View," MTV's "TRL," "The Martha Stewart Show," "Dr. Phil" and "The Megan Mullally Show."

And therein lies the problem. How many radio stations do you see on that list? How many stations have you heard spinning any of his singles, or even giving any of them a chance? Can you find any of his music on the Yes.com station charts (I only show two stations airing "Do I Make You Proud": WWZW in Roanoke and WEKZ in Madison)?

Radio is still the foremost medium for presenting the public with new music. Television is not. I don't care if you hit every television talk show in the world on your promotion tour; if you don't get the spins, your album isn't going to be that #1 hit you want it to be.

That's not to say he didn't try. I've seen the ads on All Access. There's no doubt in my mind that his label sent copies of the first single to radio stations worldwide. But for whatever reason (and I won't speculate about that in this post, though I've often done so... I just don't feel like it today), MDs and PDs just haven't been turned on to Hicks music. The fact that he's gotten next to no airplay whatsoever has definitely impacted his debut.

Radio still has the power to make and break careers. It all depends on the spins.

Just as an aside, Hicks is extremely talented, and I don't think we'll see him quitting anytime soon. I have no doubt the album will grow in popularity and radio will eventually be forced (dragged kicking and screaming though the case may be) to play his music. Take a look at Beyonce's "Irreplaceable." Everyone in the industry thought it was too slow to catch on and passed it over, yet it became her next big hit. It just goes to show you that even in this world of corporate-mandated playlists and whim-of-the-consultant decisions, listeners do still have a say in what gets airplay... but only when they choose to take the opportunity to speak out.

Items of Notice

2006-12-11T14:50:00.000-05:00

Item 1: There are now all of four (count 'em) ways to show love for your favorite blog over at the CafePress Radio Blog Shopping Center! There is, of course, the women's cap sleeve T-shirt (which I've always happened to find attractive on the ladies), a plain white T-shirt and a golf shirt. And what Radio Blog-branded apparel line would be complete without a hat? A trucker hat, to be exact, which is a style I've always found to be more comfortable and breathable while doing remote broadcasts in the hot sun. Hint hint.

Item 2: In the words Dave Barry gave us, "I swear I am NOT making this up." When I loaded up the ol' blog today to make sure my last post went through correctly, I stumbled upon this ad in that little Google ad box up there. Again, this has not been altered in any way.

I think Borat have little too much of the time on hands, no?

Ah, the joys of working third shift!

2006-12-11T08:50:00.000-05:00

Some of you have been wondering, "Hey, Josh! Did you fall off the face of the planet?! Where the heck are ya?!" The answer is either one of two possible responses deending on the time at which you ask me. If you ask between the hours of 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM, the answer is "I'm asleep." If you ask between the hours of 5:00 PM and 7:00 AM, the answer is "I'm at work." The free time? Usually spent getting ready for work.

Yes, I'm gainfully employed (going on four months now) at WLR. No, that's not a radio station. I'm sure you can figure it out. But because of the time I work and the fact that I don't have an Internet connection at home (yet), that's made things difficult for me in terms of keeping this blog up-to-date. Despite the fact that my posts may from time to time appear to be the nonsensical ravings of a lunatic mind (thank you, Gene Wilder), I do take the time to sit down and think them out before posting them. The problem? That time is spent sitting at a computer, typing and revising as I go. Since my current computer is neither Internet-connected nor actually functional for the time being, that makes thing rather hard. Until starting my third shift job, I had the ability to go to the local library, get on a computer and go. Unfortunately, the library is only open between 10 AM and 5 PM... the hours I'm now asleep.

"But Josh," you're saying, "This post is marked for Monday morning... shouldn't you be asleep?" Actually, Monday is one of my days off. I usually spend most of the day online catching up... I just haven't posted anything because I've been working on other things that have demanded the majority of my time. What little time that hasn't been spent on those things has been spent roaming the various message boards I frequent (three of which are linked on your right).

I would like to write a catch-up post now, but (surprise, surprise!), I don't have the time to do so just yet.

HOWEVER!

One is in the works, I assure you. I'm actually writing it out on paper for the time being, and I'm buying a new computer, complete with a Wi-Fi receiver (thankfully there are several public hotspots that reach my apartment), this Thursday. Once I get it all set up, you can be comforted by the fact that I'll be back online regularly, giving you the news, my perspective on it and, of course, the reasons why I'm right and everyone who disagrees with me is wrong.

Believe me, I have no intention of giving that habit up anytime soon!

New Music... Said Right.

2006-10-19T15:50:00.000-04:00

The Players

Goo Goo Dolls - Let Love In
From the very beginning this song had my ear. It's musically beautiful and the lyrics are powerful. A+++... at least in my book. If it doesn't do so well on the charts, I'll be disappointed. I'll admit, when it comes to rock tracks, I've never been able to guage what will and won't work in the mainstream. That said, though, I think this will fly fairly high.

JC Chasez - Until Yesterday
The scariest part about why I like this track? It reminds me a lot of dc Talk circa Jesus Freak. Not that the feel of the song is what scares me... what scares me is hearing the lyrics of this song being sung by Toby McKeehan, Kevin Max and Michael Tait in my head as it's playing. I could sit here and chronical who sings what line just so you could sit here, read along while playing the song yourself and say, "Whoa, yeah, that does sound like him!" but I won't because... well, I'm lazy. I'm not sure how well this will do on the charts... JC hasn't had a whole lot of staying power when it comes to his solo singles. I can only hope, though, that the rest of the country hears this in as positive a light as I do... if for nothing else than nostalgic purposes.

Nelly Furtado - Say It Right
I love this song! I get a late 80's / early 90's pop mixed with late 90's Enya and early 00's Earthsuit vibe from it. It reminds me of cruising two different places in two different eras: northern Miami from 1986 to 1992 and Toledo (and, oddly, Camden, Michigan) from 1998 to 2001. Really descriptive? That's what it takes to explain it to you exactly the way I feel it. I love music that gives me the feeling of those times in my life, and this song has been added to the short list of tracks that do just that. Now, I can't say for sure how well this will do, but given the popularity of the late 80's sound right now (which seems to be fading somewhat, but is still strong), I think it stands a good chance of getting within the top 15.

Omarion - Ice Box
It's a good song... not to detract anything from it. It's just not my favorite. It will definitely be a hit, though.

The Wallflowers

Lady Sovereign - Love Me Or Hate Me
It's a cool beat, but the lyrics are akin to Kelis's lyrics. They make me think, "So?"

The Posers

Kevin Federline - Priveledge
There is no emoticon large and/or obnoxious enough nor any Internet slang effective enough to describe how loud I'm laughing right now. This is one of the most pathetic attempts at rap I've ever heard. If this gets any airplay at all, I'll lose a good chunk of faith in the human race.

Sumner Redstone is The Man.

2006-10-17T15:42:00.000-04:00

I have to quote this article from AllAccess in full because... well, quite frankly, it's just that dead-on.

CBS CORP. and VIACOM Chairman SUMNER REDSTONE ripped the government's indecency crackdown as putting the news and entertainment industries in "a great deal of fear" in remarks to the MEDIA INSTITUTE MONDAY night. REDSTONE, who was given the organization's First Amendment Award, said that "increasingly and alarmingly, a couple thousand form complaints from people condemning shows that they have never watched can result in an indecency fine 10 times higher than a year ago. In a world where these same form complaints can lead regulators to dictate business models that ultimately do more harm than good."

Damn straight.

Recommending letting consumers make their own choices by choosing to watch and listen to what they want and turn off what they don't, and admitting that he "never did get" his own MTV network's "BEAVIS AND BUTT-HEAD" and PARAMOUNT/MTV's "JACKASS NUMBER TWO," REDSTONE remarked, "Give the government the tools to punish those it doesn't like or silence what it doesn't want to hear, and you undermine democracy. Give people the tools to choose what they see and hear, and you enhance democracy."

I'll drink to that! On a live television broadcast, no less!

REDSTONE's remarks came as new FCC Commissioner ROBERT MCDOWELL, keynoting the event, warned the industry that "government is going to fill the vacuum" if private industry "solutions" to indecency aren't reached.

Um... might I ask what they've been doing in the past three years? Seems to me they've been doing a pretty good job of filling that vacuum... even though it doesn't actually exist.

PayolaGate 2006: NO Soup For You!

2006-10-17T15:38:00.000-04:00

Judge Ira Gammerman has effectively told Entercom they're not getting off as easy as they'd hoped. The judge has denied the company's motion for dismissal in New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer's payola suit, an action which allows the suit to move forward after being stalled for some time while the company tried to finagle it's way out of the proceedings. Says an Entercom spokesman,

"While we are disappointed by the court's decision to permit this case to proceed beyond this early stage, we continue to believe that the evidence will show that the Attorney General's case is without merit. This ruling was not an assessment of the merits of the case, but rather of whether the allegations were sufficient to avoid dismissal at the outset of the case. ENTERCOM continues to comply with federal sponsor identification rules, and we continue to enforce our policies prohibiting payola."

What is it Rush Limbaugh always says? "It's not the truth behind the claims, it's the seriousness of the charge," or something like that? Looks like that's the route Entercom wanted to take. This spokesman is essentially saying the company's attitude toward this ordeal is that there are more important things to worry about. "Pay no attention to the act of rape I'm committing, there's a quadruple homicide going on across the street!"

It's a good thing Judge Gammerman blocked Entercom's attempt to squirm out of this one. Now it's on to the business of going through the evidence... of which, I hear, there's a lot.

The New Music Report

2006-10-10T13:59:00.000-04:00

Yes!

Eminem feat. 50 Cent, Ca$his and Lloyd Banks - You Don't Know
Hard, hot and sizzling with energy, this track is a long-needed smack upside the head that hip-hop has needed for a couple years. That being said, it probably won't be. It's a move in the right direction, and it'll probably do well, but it's not going to be the track that puts an end to the "crunk" sound that's dominated long past it's prime. That aside, I love the instrumental behind this track! The lyrics pack a punch, and 50 stands out big time.

Gia Farrell - Hit Me Up
Being featured in the much-anticipated movie "Happy Feet" will definitely boost the popularity of this song, but it's a boost that probably isn't necessary... this song is hot! It's uptempo, happy and musically fascinating. Watch for this to make a big impact.

Jay-Z - Show Me
As ususal, J brings out the big guns... which leaves us wondering (as Carson Daly put it on Last Call last week), is he retired or what? With blaring horns on the instrumental track and an actual drum set (which is something we haven't heard in mainstream hip-hop in ages), it's a great beat. The lyrics are about the same as what we've heard from J since about 2001... I'm the best, no one stands up to me, I still rule the rhyme game. To be honest, that's all he needs to say... because it's true. While the song is basically a vehicle he uses to show off his skill, it's still a good song.

Pussycat Dolls feat. Timbaland - Wait A Minute
I'm afraid the only reason this song is any good is that Timbaland produced it. If anyone else had been behind it, it would've been a lame track... there's no substance to it whatsoever. So why do I have it in the "Yes!" section to shine a positive light on it? It sounds good. It's light, it has a good pop feel, and the harmony sounds great.

Smash Mouth - So Insane
This is the Smash Mouth I remember! It's about time they came out with something that returns to the style they seemed to have left behind since "All Star". Not that "All Star" or anything else they've done since was bad, but I like this feel for them. It fits them well.

I want the last three and a half minutes of my life back.

Baby Boy da Prince - The Way I Live
Pure and utter crap. This is the way I tune out.

DJ Unk - Walk It Out
Uh-huh, great. Another "Lean Wit It, Rock Wit It" re-write. Just what we need.

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Tell Me Baby
Yes, tell me, baby. Tell me when the Peppers turned into Maroon 5. What is this? It's like emo with a late-80's rap beat feel. No thanks.

Shakira feat. Carlos Santana - Illegal
Boring.

Oh THIS is just CLASSIC!!!

2006-10-10T13:13:00.000-04:00

Recently in The Triangle (Raleigh/Durham, NC), WRDU, a long-time Classic Rock station, flipped to Country with the name Rooster 106.1. WRDU had been underperforming for some time, and Clear Channel apparently decided it was time to do something. Whether or not it'll work is debatable.

Here's what's hilarious about it. WQDR, the top dog in the market, is a Country station owned by Curtis Media Group, a Raleigh-based company that, at least in this case, knows exactly what they're doing.

Check out 1061therooster.com and therooster1061.com.

I don't care who you are, that's funny right there!

You just KNEW it was gonna happen sooner than later!

2006-10-09T15:28:00.000-04:00

From AllAccess:

SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO HOWARD 101 personality BUBBA THE LOVE SPONGE is getting sued by a porn model over an on-air stunt on JUNE 12.

The TAMPA TRIBUNE reports that HOPE MILLER (aka BROOKE SKYE) is suing BUBBA, SIRIUS, other cast members, and adult model MELISSA "MIDWEST" HARRINGTON for $150,000 in damages over an on-air incident involving HARRINGTON using a too-big sex toy on MILLER, who also alleges that BUBBA berated her and threatened to stop promoting her website if she backed out.

Welcome back, Bubba!

Big News Stories

2006-10-06T16:55:00.000-04:00

...and there are a ton of them!

"Oldies 93 is dead."

One of the best Oldies stations in the country, WMQX Winston-Salem, flipped formats Tuesday. Matt Smith, station manager of WGSR-TV in Reidsville, gave this account of the morning's events on Radio-Info.

Oldies 93 - WMQX was officially blown up at 9:00am this morning.

At about 8:52, Max McGann gave the Triad traffic report, then into commercials. Nothing more was heard from him. The last song played on Oldies 93 was "Let it Be" by the Beatles. For those who care about such things, it wasn't even the classic Phil Spector-engineered version, but the newly-released version.

At 9:00am, there was no station ID...just the computer voice stating that "Oldies 93 is dead" and beginning a countdown interspersed with "Jack-like" statements.

This was a big surprise to everyone. There had been rumors for some time that a station in the market with a solid history and good ratings and billing would be blown up, but while some speculated it would be WMQX, few actually believed it would be, myself included.

As of 3:00 PM the next day (Oct. 4th), WMQX officially became 93-1 The Wolf, a Country station.

Now THIS could get exciting. This means that, for the first time since WSMW (then WKSI) flipped from Country more than a decade ago, WTQR has an in-market competitor. Previously their only competition had been sister station (and, technically speaking, a Charlotte-market station, though the station never really served either market... it was a 100kW stick serving the western-central portions of the state) WFMX, which also just recently went through a few changes (which I'll mention later).

Many have said (and I agree strongly) that WTQR is a weak station. While they still maintain their #1 12+ position and bill very strongly, in every other aspect they are a very lame station. Their music is stale, their jocks have zero personality, and their presence in the market is on the dial alone (aside from a few NASCAR-related appearances). For a market with as massive a country-listening audience as The Triad has, WTQR is basically only #1 by default. With the loss of the only other Country station in the area, WMQX's move could prove to be a smart one.

The issue that they have to prove themselves on, though, is promotions. While Oldies 93 had a strong street presence in Greensboro, their presence in Winston-Salem and even High Point was desperately lacking. If they want to position themselves to become the new top dogs, 93-1 The Wolf is going to have to hit the streets hard, and do so in every town in the market. Greensboro, Winston, High Point, Thomasville, Archdale, Pleasant Garden, Randleman, Liberty, Ramseur, Asheboro, Kernersville, Stokesdale, Oak Ridge, Reidsville, Walkertown, Rural Hall, Tobaccoville, Lewisville, Clemmons, Bermuda Run, Davie, Welcome, Lexington... even Burlington, Graham and Alamance. The whole Triad needs to see The Wolf out and about in their town. Entercom better be ready to win this fight; otherwise The Wolf is going to be running home with it's tail between it's legs.

----------

It's "The Beat" All Over Again

And that brings us to the other big story in the Triad. While it's an older one, it's still important because it proves two cliches correct: "stupid is as stupid does" and "history repeats itself."

As Triad listeners are well aware by now, the long-time western-state Country station WFMX (105.7) moved into the Triad market by changing calls to WMKS and moving the city of license to Clemmons. Clear Channel flipped the station to a sort of Urban/Urban AC hybrid, choosing to compete with not just one, but, two stations this time around: WJMH (Urban) and WQMG (Urban AC)... both of which, by the way, are owned by Entercom who also happens to own WMQX (interesting little tussle between Entercom and Clear Channel going on in The Triad here, huh?).

First the "history repeats itself" part. Clear Channel has tried this before in this market: taking on a well-established station with a loyal audience in the market with the same format. Anyone remember the little experiment known as 94-5 The Beat? This time they're taking on two well-established stations with two different but very loyal audiences in two different but very important formats in the market. This time, they're doing so with one station.

Now the "stupid is as stupid does" part. That little 94-5 The Beat experiment quickly turned out to be a fiasco. While WGBT pulled a few shares from WKZL 12+, they got absolutely creamed by WJMH. WGBT never pulled anything above a 4 share... in fact, they never even got to a 4 share. WJMH, on the other hand, consistently pulled (and still does) upwards of 7 shares. You'd think Clear Channel would have learned their lesson the first time around. But, again, this time they're putting themselves in position to be slaughtered by not just WJMH but WQMG as well.

Do something stupid, get labeled as...

----------

Q106 goes... Classic Rock?

Not quite... but the changes to the playlist after the departure of PD Bob Olson have left many people wondering. In fact, one thread in the Mid Michigan section of the Buzzboard was titled "Boston on Q106?" AllAccess had been running ads for a while for the then-available PD position (which has since been filled by former WIOT mid-dayer Sheri Vegas) that pushed experience in both active and classic rock as a prerequisite, so it wasn't 100% a surprise to those who were paying attention. Still, though, this is big news. The once-great active rocker is sounding more and more like the lame-duck rocker WRKR to the southwest more and more every day. It's truly a sad situation. Once again RCRG finds a way to ruin everything.

----------

Happy Birthday to The New 97-5!

It's a little late in coming (the actual date is September 28th... which also happens to be my sister's birthday, so it's kinda hard for me to forget), but I would like to wish a happy first birthday to Mid Michigan's CHR. They held a party at Maggie's in Lansing that I'd love to have gone to, but I sadly had to work that night. Plus, none of my friends got back to me about going (because I probably would have taken the night off to go had anyone else gone with me). But despite the fact that I couldn't make the party, rest assured that I celebrate the existence of the station every day when I tune in. I come home from work every morning to the madness and insanity of Dave and Lisa D. and I wake up every night to the voice of Madison Rally. When I have the day off, 97-5 is locked on my radio... at least when I'm not working on my own productions. So let it be known that even though I wasn't there to celebrate with the station, I would have been if I could have and I appreciate WJIM very, very much!

----------

And back home in South Florida...

Things seem to have settled down a bit. Elvis Duran and the Morning Zoo seem to be doing very well on Y-100, and jingles have made their way back to the station thanks to Dan Mason and the very talented people at N2Effect. A pirate that was interfering with WKIS was shut down by the state, leaving the many country fans in South Florida very thankful. Otherwise, things on the South Florida radio scene have been fairly uneventful.

MIRACULOUS: Something on which I actually AGREE with the PTC!

2006-09-23T10:58:00.000-04:00

WARNING: for those of you reading this on The Radio Blog (this post is also displayed over on Josh's Uncommon Sense) who take offense at my religious and/or political views, you know I don't generally express them here, but they are very much integrated into the fiber of this story. As I mention below, there is no right to no be offended, so if you think you may have a problem with this post, don't bother reading it. If you do decide to read it, and you're offended by it, don't bother complaining to me. I warned you ahead of time.

"And now, uh, back to the saga." -- John Cleese

When I first saw that VeggieTales was coming to NBC, I thought exactly what Rebecca Marks hoped I would: "VeggieTales on network television? Cool!" I happen to love VeggieTales. It's right up there with two of my other favorite Christian series, "McGee and Me" and the old TBN staple "SuperBook." Not to mention, of course, some of the other Christian video and television series I enjoyed watching as I grew up... stuff like "Colby's Clubhouse," "Davey and Goliath" (didn't everyone watch "Davey and Goliath"? It sure seems like it...), "Flying House," "Gospel Bill" and Canadian-produced show, "Circle Square."

But apparently, NBC has seen fit to do a bit of editing. It seems Christian values and moral lessons aren't politically correct (and who would've guessed that?), so NBC's Censorship Kommission (otherwise known as the network's "Broadcast Standards" department) decided to, as Brent Bozell so aptly puts it in the article, rip "the heart and soul out of a successful product[...]". He goes on to say (better than I could've put it myself), "The series is successful because of its biblical world view, not in spite of it. That's the signature to 'VeggieTales.'"

Truth be told, I'm not so much disturbed by the fact that the censorship took place to begin with, though that is disturbing in and of itself. I'm more disturbed by the reason as to why NBC felt the need to censor the show. In our anti-offensive culture, it seems the only religion that the media thinks could possibly be offensive to anyone is Christianity. I guarantee you that if the show taught Muslim, Buddhist or even Native American religious values, no censorship would take place. Judeo-Christian values, on the other hand, are for some reason automatically assumed to be offensive.

The idea is, of course, ridiculous.

As I've made the argument so many times before, both on Josh's Uncommon Sense and The Radio Blog in relation to various topics, you do not have the right to not be offended. I, for one, happen to find the existence of the city of Jacksonville, Florida offensive ("biggest city in the state"... hmph! They'd still be the size of TAMPA if they hadn't incorporated all of Duvall County, damnit!), but that fact doesn't require the city to cease to exist. It also doesn't give me the right to tell everyone that they can't make any mention of the city at any time simply because I might hear or see it and take offense.

The same is true of Christianity.

No, I don't think VeggieTales sold out. NBC did. And they sold out big time. They are my favorite network. They always have been, and they always will be. But this time around, they really eff'd up, and more people than they think are going to be very unhappy about it. Once again, unnecessary censorship destroys something good.

Way to go, NBC. You may now kiss the gunners daughter. Take them below for the makings.

I FRICKIN' WANT KISSVILLE!!!

2006-09-22T15:18:00.000-04:00

This is, quite possibly, the best idea in jingles since the inception of the Z-100 logo.

Clicky.

DISCLAIMER: No, they're not paying me. No, I'm not receiving any kickback from them for posting this. I just really like the idea. And on top of that, the jingles rule.

CommissionGate 2006 (or should it be 2003/2004?) just keeps getting better!

2006-09-20T12:30:00.000-04:00

Direct from AllAccess:

Sen. BARBARA BOXER (D-CA) says she's uncovered another report that the FCC allegedly suppressed, this one on radio ownership. BOXER has sent a letter to FCC Chairman KEVIN MARTIN telling him that she has been sent a copy of a draft version of the 2003 "Review of the Radio Industry" which shows a 5.9% increase in the overall number of stations between MARCH 1996 and MARCH 2003 but a 35% decrease in the number of station owners.

BOXER notes that the report was never finalized despite similar reports being released in previous years and no radio ownership report had been finalized since 2002. "This is in spite of the fact that this information would be highly relevant to the Commission's ongoing proceedings on localism and media ownership," BOXER notes.

Calling on MARTIN to release the report, BOXER adds that she will ask the Commission's Inspector General to "examine whether it was then or is now the practice of the FCC to suppress facts that are contrary to a desired outcome."

Regardless of what you think of Barbara Boxer's politics, you've just gotta love the dirt she's digging up here! This could quite possibly be the biggest scandal to hit radio in ages. PayolaGate 2006 fizzled out thanks to the major players settling out of court... which didn't fix anything, and the feds just weren't (and still don't seem to be) interested. This, on the other hand... well, it's just the opposite. The Senate is investigating the FCC to confirm Kevin Martin's reappointment... and these happenings (the discovery of these "supressed documents") are turning more heads than the retro Mustang. The public isn't happy about this... at least not those who have heard about it.

Which brings up a bit of "uncommon sense": it amazes me (and that's sarcasm, folks) how TV and radio aren't reporting a thing about this mess. Here's the FCC, blatantly covering up study results that are proof positive that the Commission knew consolidation wouldn't work, yet they ignored it... even hid it from the public ... in order to appease the gods they serve: those almighty dollar bills pouring in from lobbyist groups and the major networks and owners. And the media outlets owned by those owners and represented to the FCC by those lobbyist groups aren't mentioning a thing.

Note to my critics: now do you want to tell me I'm wrong? Go ahead. Make my day.

SUUUUUUUUUuuuuuuuuuuure...

2006-09-18T10:12:00.000-04:00

Just in off the wires of the Associated Press:

Former Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael K. Powell said he never saw a study that suggested that greater concentration of media ownership would hurt local TV news coverage.

Powell, now a consultant, said through his assistant Judy Mann that "he never saw the report, he never heard of the report until yesterday and he certainly never ordered anything destroyed or stopped."

Reality? I doubt it. CYA? Absolutely.

Is the "Praise Craze" finally over?

2006-09-14T11:05:00.000-04:00

Music is being released that makes it seem Christian music is finally coming back to the CHR sound it should never have left. I agreed 100% with WAYG's Mike Couchman when he told AllAccess that the format had become boring. Could we be hearing the return to the pop-friendly sound Christian CHR should have? Check out the following:

Jeremy Camp - What It Means
It's pop. It's rock. It's awesome. It's Jeremy Camp at what he does best. It's a perfect medium-tempo track for Christian CHR and will fit beautifully in Christian AC as well.

Jars of Clay - Work
This is Jars of Clay all the way. Reminds me a lot of what I consider to be their best album to date, "If I Left The Zoo." AllAccess's Jackie Chapman writes that the new disc, "Good Monsters," is being "Acclaimed as the band's best work to date[...]" and while I'll have to hear the whole thing to judge that for myself, if this song is any indication, I might very well agree.

Nevertheless - The Real
Rock is where Christian CHR has always been the strongest, and Nevertheless proves that true once again.

Newsboys - Wherever We Go
The 'Boys are back! This is the sound that made them popular, and it's about time they returned to it!

Starflyer 59 - I Win
Retro, and yet modern enough to fit in beautifully with a little sass to make it fun.

Keep in mind, there's still a lot of praise and worship on the air, and the fad hasn't entirely died out yet. I'm just wondering if we're starting to see it go. All I can say for sure at this point is that I hope so. As I've said before, there's nothing wrong with the genre... it has it's time and place. But I can't sit and listen to it 24/7/365. It's left me alienated from the format (aside from WAYG, WMKL and Air1).

THEY STOLE HIS NUMBER!

2006-09-11T14:33:00.000-04:00

Anyone who is anyone ought to know who the number 1-800-449-8686 belongs to. Anyone else who uses it can go straight to the hot place.

This message brought to you by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

(Blatantly stolen from the 'gloids over at sweetfeatheryjesus.com .)

Two HOT new songs!

2006-09-07T13:34:00.000-04:00

1) Justin Timberlake - My Love
A not to PD's/MD's/whoever makes up the playlist at your station: slam him for being a former member of N*Sync. Slam him for being a nearly-falcetto-voiced male singer. Slam him for being Justin Timberlake. Whatever you choose to slam him for, it can't be this song. I know firsthand what some of you had to say about SexyBack (which was equally as good a song as this one), and you failed to see just what attracted your listeners to it. I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of you fail to realize what attracts your listeners to this one, as well, and I'll tell you right now: you need to grow a pair of ears. Timbaland strikes again (he's on fire this year!) on the production side of things, brining in a beautiful chorus of synth strings, a strong beat reminiscent of "Cry Me A River" (and listen carefully... you'll hear that same tongue-clicking loop Tim used in Aaliyah's "Are You That Somebody?") and a tune that's bittersweet and fits perfectly with the lyrics. And on those lyrics, Timberlake writes a true love song... not "let's hook up," "let's dance a little then go back to my place" or anything like that. This is 100% a proposal of marriage, and an extremely well-written one at that. T.I. also adds a verse, and while he isn't so specific about feelings of love as Justin is in the rest of the song, he's asking for commitment to him and only him, which is, in today's music industry, not exactly something you hear every day. All in all, the song is very positive, has a great track behind it (with three great talents working together, I wouldn't expect any less) and is bound to be a chartbreaker not too long from now.

2) Bowling For Soup - High School Never Ends
It's catchy, it's sassy, and it's all 100% true. Believe me, I'm glad it's true. Otherwise I'd have a lot less material for show prep. In any case, I'd say this will likely be BFS's biggest radio single since "1985" (the song, not the year).

BREAKING NEWS: Adelstein Says FCC Shot Themselves In The Foot

2006-08-25T16:03:00.000-04:00

From AllAccess just moments ago:

FCC Commissioner JONATHAN ADELSTEIN, the only Commissioner to dissent in part from the indecency rulings earlier this year, told the PROGRESS AND FREEDOM FOUNDATION in ASPEN earlier this week that the flurry of rulings "dangerously expands the scope of indecency and profanity law without first attempting to determine whether we are applying the appropriate contemporary community standards."

He's absolutely right on that comment. What he doesn't come out and say outright, but you just know he was thinking at the time, is that if the commission had looked into just what today's community standards are, they would have ruled much differently in just about every indecency case they've decided in the past few years. That includes BoobGate (and, geez, even Monty Python episodes that aired here back in the 70's were showing bare breasts for comedic value... does anyone think we've become more conservative in that regard through the 80's and 90's?).

BROADCASTING AND CABLE reports that ADELSTEIN, who agreed with the rest of the Commissioners that "the government has a legitimate interest in protecting children from indecent and overly commercial content," fretted that the Omnibus order does not provide broadcasters with a "coherent and principled framework"...

Let's be frank here: broadcasters have never had a "coherent and principled framework" from which to determine what is and isn't indecent. Why would the commission willingly decide on giving them one now?

...and that the overreaching may jeopardize the ability of the FCC to do any regulation of indecency ("We may forever lose the ability to prevent the airing of indecent material, barring an unlikely constitutional amendment setting limits on the First Amendment").

So what the article would lead us to believe is that Adelstein is more concerned about retaining the commission's ability to govern indecency rather than limiting the commission's power. On one hand, I can understand that... Adelstein is a commissioner, and lately it seems the only reasons the FCC remains in existence are A) fining broadcasters for "indecent" (and I use the term loosely) material, B) pushing IB(A)C on behalf of iNiquity and the NAB, and C) going along with the NAB in several ventures to destroy any potential various alternative methods of radio broadcasting may have to overtake terrestrial broadcast radio as the dominant medium. On the other hand, Adelstein seems to at least have some concern for "community standards", as well he should, and I'm therefore more inclined to believe that he's more concerned with the commission having overstepped their bounds (repeatedly) in the past several years. I get the feeling he sees the commission loosing it's ability to wave their magic indecency wand as a side effect of this whole mess, not the primary problem that came out of it.

An FCC commissioner with remorse for what the commission has done wrong? My God... it is possible!

What Exactly is Going On Between Detroit and Ann Arbor?

2006-08-12T12:47:00.000-04:00

Rumor has it that Clear Channel has officially changed the call letters of Detroit's (licensed to Dearborn) WDTW-AM 1310 to WWWW-AM, borrowing the calls from Ann Arbor's famed country legend WWWW "W-4 Country" 102.9 . The AM station is still positioning themselves as WDTW.

I did a little research on this myself, and sure enough: 1310 kHz, Dearborn, Michigan is in fact now licensed under the call letters WWWW. That brings up three questions:

1) Where are Detroit's heritage WDTW call letters going to end up?
Clear Channel is well-known for parking call letters they already own the rights to on stations in other markets when they decide to change the call letters of the original station. Will we see the WDTW calls pop up halfway across the country? According to the FCC, it hasn't happened yet, and it might not... since they still retain WDTW-FM, anyone who wants WDTW- AM would have to ask Clear Channel, who could (and probably would) simply refuse. But I still wouldn't rule out the calls being parked on another CC station elsewhere just yet. It's a distinct possibility.

2) What changes are in store for the new WWWW-AM?
CC generally doesn't change call letters around unless there's a format flip in the works. Just what will we soon hear on 1310? I haven't seen much speculation to that end at this point. Currently, they're Detroit's only liberal talk station... if you don't count Ann Arbor's WLBY (1290), which somewhat makes it into the western 'burbs. In all honesty, I don't think any changes are going to be made to the format... despit the fact that the station is only pulling in a 0.4 12+ (and don't talk to me about demographics... if they're getting a meager 0.4 12+, they ain't doing well in their target demo, trust me!). What else are they going to do with it, flip to an all-rainforest sounds format? Detroit has pretty much every other format covered... except, of course, dance.

3) What does this mean for WDTW-FM and WWWW-FM?
As most people familiar with Detroit radio know, the original W-4 Country was WWWW-FM located at 106.7... the current WDTW, which just happens to have flipped back to country after several failed attempts at classic rock. The station is currently known as "The Fox"... which many across the country will recognize as the station that began their format flip with the www.1067needshelp.com domain name being registered. What people in the area are wondering, and have been wondering ever since it was announced that the station was going back to it's country format, is if the station would once again be known as "W-4 Country", either on it's own or simulcasting WWWW in Ann Arbor.

Personally, I see this as an easy call to make. This has simulcast written all over it. WWWW-FM would continue to be the originator of the signal, and WDTW would rebroadcast it in the Detroit market, most of which WWWW isn't able to reach on their own. I can see it now: " 102.9 and 106.7: W-4 Country!"... with, of course, the "WWWW-FM Ann Arbor, WDTW Detroit" station ID being buried under a ton of sound effects and twanging steel guitars.

Then again, I could be wrong. It wouldn't be the first time Clear Channel's gone in an entirely opposite direction from logic. And why they would have to, or even want to, change WDTW-AM to WWWW-AM to accomplish it doesn't quite make sense. But again, this is Clear Channel we're talking about.

"John Bertino keyed my car!"

2006-08-11T13:12:00.000-04:00

"This time he's gone way too far!"

Yes, a South Florida radio host's parody of The Beatles' "Drive My Car" is causing a political storm of sorts in Dania Beach, according to the Miami Herald. Vader voice, please...

Never underestimate the power of radio!

Read the article here.

Caller number seven gets two tickets RIGHT NOW!

2006-08-09T18:09:00.000-04:00

Great seats, too!

Somerset Translator WILL Be Home.fm

2006-08-07T19:56:00.000-04:00

According to the latest Home.fm e-mail newsletter, the new translator W227BY at 92.9 FM in Somerset, Michigan is going to be retransmitting the WSAE signal.

This seems like quite a waste to me. The area the signal covers is mostly inside WSAE's coverage area, and while 106.9 is occasionally spotty in the Irish Hills area, it's not enough interference to warrant a translator. On top of that, the translator is literally just 11 miles from the WSAE tower!

This translator would be much better suited for Home's sister station, The Vibe (WJKN-FM, 89.3). WJKN-FM has about half the coverage area of WSAE, and it's format is one that listeners in the region have been screaming for (as I've pointed out here many times before, the Christian rock show "Breakaway" was the most popular daypart on WSAE during the "Power Praise FM" years).

Otherwise, SAU Radio would be better off just scrapping this translator altogether. Yes, Carl, we know Home.fm is your baby, but this is just plain overkill.

Perhaps some funds could be put to better use by implementing another idea of mine (SAU Radio has already used several... coming to the decisions to do so long after I left): flipping the call letters between KTGG and WJKN-AM (gotta flaunt those K calls with more than 450 watts!) and debuting Jackson's Newsradio 1510 KTGG.

So you want to know how I feel about today's Top 40?

2006-08-07T18:28:00.000-04:00

I love it! But...

David Bauder of the AP sums things up pretty nicely... and this is coming from someone who hasn't been listening to the Top 40 for several years.

The best quote: "Is there a more grating lead singer on the charts than Chad Kroeger? He's like that guy in Crash Test Dummies, if he gargled with gravel."

Clickey.

The Radio Blog featured in the South Florida Radio Pages!

2006-08-07T11:22:00.000-04:00

I had the honor of being interviewed for David Citron's South Florida Radio Pages over the weekend! The August edition covers Adam Bomb's departure from Y-100, the just-announced Miami Dolphins Radio Network affiliates, WIOD being named Broward County's official emergency station and, as always, Ed Bell's South Florida Arts Beat. I read it for the news from my hometown. You should read it because I said so.

new music...

2006-08-02T16:01:00.000-04:00

NOW!

The Hot Ish

Nelly Furtado - Maneater
I've been waiting for this to drop since I saw her sing it as her second performance on SNL this season. Say what you will (and keep in mind that I tend to gravitate more toward songs that aren't so minimalistic) about this style, but this song is awesome. It's the combination of the overall beat with the vocal melodies and harmonies and synths in the chorus that make this such a hot track. I'll forgive her for being so nasal on the track just for the fact that she's put out yet another summer smash. I can't say that it'll do so well here in the States, but overseas this has been getting some great airplay. In fact, it was the first release from the album overseas as opposed to "Promiscuous" here, and it blew up big time. I can only hope it'll do the same here. I don't have any doubts about this making at least the top 15.

Cherish - Unappreciated
Thank goodness this song isn't a complete re-write of something else (i.e. "Do It To It" as compared to Ciara's "Oh"). It's an upbeat R&B ballad with great harnonies, no cheesy-sounding overzealous attempts at the pop sound (a la Christina Aguilera's annoying vocal "OoooOOOOohhh"-ing), and a great instrumental track as the backdrop for powerful lyrics. Given my propensity for not particularly favoring artists that debuted with songs I didn't like for one reason or another, I'm sure it'll surprise everyone when I say I really like this song! If this doesn't make it above 20, I'll be surprised.

Fergie - London Bridge (Oh Snap! Radio Edit)
Many of the friends I've played this song for have agreed with me: this is Fergie's version of Kelis' "Milkshake". In fact, I mentioned on one of the message boards I frequent (see the links to your right) that I plan on making a mash-up mix of the two... if I can ever find a copy of the vocal track from "London Bridge". Some have said they don't like the mish-mash of melodies between the two main sounds in the song's instrumental track (one's a sample of a couple saxes, the other is a synthesizer). To them, I say "poo on you." Mature, yes, I know. But quite honestly, there's something interesting and almost rebelious about having two parts of a song not quite match up, and strangely enough, people (myself included) like it. It jumped from 45 to 27 this week (debuted at 29 locally here in the Lansing area), and I'd be looking for the song to make it to at least #15.

Diddy feat. Nicole Scherzinger (of The Pussycat Dolls) - Come To Me
Don't be fooled: the song starts out sounding like it's going to be a straight-crunk club-banger. It's not... though it's bound to blow up in the clubs if it's not already. Despite the beat misleading you, you have to give the whole song a listen, because if you give it a chance, you'll end up liking it. It's not typical Diddy. He's let Scherzinger do a little more than half of the vocal work on this one, and (I'm not trying to start a "is Diddy really that talented" fight here, so don't turn it into one) the song is better for it. Plus, the synths that accompany her singing are so light and bittersweet that the combination of the two factors really gives the track a rare sense of beauty. It's a type of beauty that will send chills down your spine... in the middle of a track that's sure to be a street-cruising track for a while to come. I'm not sure how well this will do in the mainstream, though. It seems the format is still too focused on "crunk" to give more melodic (and, in my opinion, more worthy) songs like "Come To Me" a chance. If the song does make it above 40, I can only hope it will skyrocket. But I can't guarantee either will happen.

Justin Timberlake - SexyBack
Yes, I like it. You can stop laughing now. No, seriously, you can stop laughing now. It's not the Justin Timberlake of the past, and while many say it's not the Justin Timberlake anyone wants either, I have to disagree. It's getting huge (yes, positive) responses from my audiences. It's easy to dance to, and while it's (again) minimalistic (what is it with me lately?), it has a beat that just screams "GET UP AND MOVE!" So go ahead, everyone that's been bashing the track. Keep bashing it. It's up to 16 this week, jumping from 25. Apparently someone likes it, and I agree with whoever that someone is.

Ludacris feat. Pharrell - Moneymaker
A good radio track from Luda... not his best, but still well worthy of some decent airtime. The one kvetch I have about the track is that the horns never go up an octave where that little trumpet blare plays. I just keep waiting for it to go "duhhhh-UHHHHHH!" And I realize that doesn't really describe things very well unless you hear the song, but if you listen to it, you'll hear what I'm talking about. Those are those little complaints that make my mother tell me "you really should go into music production, not radio!" But I digress. I'll say it'll get within the top 30.

Lamer Than Lame

Kimberly Locke - Supawoman (DHM Remix)
All I needed to hear was the opening bars to put it in this category. And before you jump on me, yes, I listened to the entire song. I don't judge books by their covers. But there are two major problems this song is going to have on the charts: 1) the track is stuck in 2002. This sounds like 95% of the R&B I was listening to on WJMH four years ago. Mainstream audiences have had enough of that sound. We've moved on. 2) Nothing about this song stands out. The premise has been done, the lyrics aren't all that unique, and the beat was sampled from an 80's rap track (which is the hot thing right now, but that's not going to be enough to save this song). All in all, it's not really a bad song... it's actually somewhat decent. But again, it's all been done before. I'll call it within the top 25 at best.

Jibbs - Chain Hang Low
Dear God in Heaven, am I really hearing this? Even for an Urban club-oriented track, this is incredibly pointless and pathetic. At least Nelly's Air Force Ones had a cool beat to back it up. This song doesn't even have that. It's so dark and crunk that's it's not even fun, and the incorporation of the "Do Your Ears Hange Low?" to just pushes the cheese level to the maximum. If this goes anywhere on the charts, I'm seriously going to have to reconsider my faith in mainstream CHR audiences. Thankfully, I have every faith this song is going to bomb big time.

Cobra Starship - Snakes On A Plane (Bring It)
For a song with a pretty cool chorus, the rest of this song is pretty lacking. Lacking in a solid point, lacking in a tune (other than the strings that seem to represent an action sequence... despite the fact that it's a B-studio action sequence), and lacking in a real sense of direction. The style seems to be making a comeback to the mainstream, so I wouldn't be surprised to see this song in a fairly decent position on the charts... maybe up to 27 or so... but based on the reasons I've given, I don't see it making strides much further than that.

Monica feat. Dem Franchize Boyz - Everytime Tha Beat Drop
Monica goes crunk? No thank you. No sir, no sir, no sir. It's the exact same beat (and tempo) as "Lean Wit' It, Rock Wit' It". Lame.

That is all.

Two HUGE Ratings Stories in the Triad!

2006-08-01T19:48:00.000-04:00

First: WTQR, the station that used to be on top for quite some time, has sunk to third in this book with an 8.2... a whole 3.1 points down from the same quarter last year. Now quite obviously, given the timing, the recent format flip of long-time country giant WFMX to Urban AC with a signal move closer to the market can't be taken into account here, as the switch was thrown only last week. However, the question that will be answered in the next couple of books is obvious: will the gain of WFMX's audience be enough to propel WTQR back to the dominating position they once held?

Second: WKZL is back in play, moving up to a 5.2 (which is a tie with WMAG) from a very lagging 3.7 in the last book. Apparently, the staff shake-up paid off! Will we see them continue to climb the ratings ladder? Only time will tell.

WCSR and The Round-Up

2006-08-01T19:45:00.000-04:00

It's been brought to my attention by a third party that the management at WCSR is not too pleased with me. Apparently some of the things I've posted here have been taken by them as mean-spirited and harmful, and while nothing I've ever written about them has been typed with those attitudes in mind, I can understand how some people might interpret my motivation as such.

Let me point out ahead of time that many of the things I post here are liberally laced with sarcastic comments. Take, for example, the post " David Rehr Can Kiss My Hindquarters."

Additionally, I am, on occasion (despite my jokingly egotistical "I'm always right" motto), mistaken. For example, read the editing I had to do in this summer's Round-Up, and this post, wherein I admit that I was wrong about WJIM's control over the former MySpace page dedicated to them.

That said, I'd like to point out something that I was apparently wrong about in my WCSR commentary in this past edition of the Round-Up: the new MARTI antenna evidently replaced one that had been there on the tower since 1964. Where I got the idea that the previous antenna had been behind the studio, I'm not entirely sure. I thought I'd heard that at some point, but I was obviously mistaken.

On top of that, some are of the opinion that a couple of things I mentioned in my review bordered on being slanderous. While I strongly disagree with that, I do understand that they were a little harsh, and if I've offended anyone, I sincerely apologize. As I've said many times before, it's not my intent to offend, it's my intent to point out issues so that people can improve upon them. My sarcasm doesn't come across very well in print, and I probably should have learned that lesson long before now. Not learning it hasn't helped me this situation.

In conclusion, I've removed and edited some of the content in the WCSR commentary. This isn't to say my opinion has changed, nor have I been forced into this by any legal action or threatening of such. I would simply rather sustain a good relationship with the owners, management and staff of WCSR than let some petty complaints I have ruin everything.

Again, this proves I admit when I'm wrong.

Have They Nothing Better To Do?

2006-07-31T19:39:00.000-04:00

From AllAccess:

NAB To FCC: Recall Satellite Receivers
Continuing its attack on satellite radio, the NAB, through Pres./CEO DAVID REHR, sent a letter to FCC Chairman KEVIN MARTIN on FRIDAY urging that all sales and distribution of satellite radio receivers and other FM transmission devices that do not comply with Part 15 emissions standards be halted and receivers already in consumers' hands be recalled.

"Action is necessary to prevent even more disruption to listeners' use and enjoyment of free over-the-air radio services," REHR writes, "including new digital services, and the Commission has clear authority to vigorously enforce its rules regarding noncompliant devices." The letter does not address disruption of subscribers' use of satellite radio if a recall is ordered.

On one hand, I firmly agree with the idea that the FCC should enforce the Part 15 transmission rules. On the other hand, I completely disagree with Rehr's reasons for bringing it up. His and the NAB's incessant attacks on satellite, Internet, low-power and Part 15 radio are insane and childish, and the lot of them need to grow up and get over it.

Brilliant. Purely... brilliant.

2006-07-27T04:29:00.000-04:00

Dave King is one smart, smart man. I couldn't have put what he says here into any better words.

PD's and GM's take heed: if you haven't opened your eyes to the facts pointed out in the above-linked write-up by now, you've got a lot of catching up to do.

(I was thinking of pulling another "This means you, WCSR" thing here, but I can't. They've made a lot of strides... awkward as those strides may have been... toward adapting to the "new world" mode of operation. Taking the Internet aspect as an example [as surprising as this may be to some], they actually incorporate their web site into daily operations in some fairly decent ways, such as item submission forms for Pet Rescue and The Sell and Swap Shop and online promotions relating to Bob & Juli at the Movies. Yes, WCSR is actually finding ways to bring listeners to their web site. Scary. Good, but scary.)

UNDER CONSTRUCTION: 7fm

2006-07-25T19:02:00.000-04:00

I was so inspired by Jordo's write-up about "99.7 The Mullet" (the inspiration coming after the nausea over having yet another classic rocker in town settled) that I decided to move forward with phase two of a plot to dominate the local radio dial. Ladies and gentlemen, say hello to 7fm. It's not a Jack format (despite the similarity in name to Chicago's 9FM), nor is it in any way AC-leaning. This is pure CHR the way it should be done (which is exactly the opposite of what we have around here, save for WJIM).

Props to Jordo for coming up with the name. Why 7fm? Simple... the station is a simulcast between two LPFM licenses; WSEV-LPFM Coldwater on 92.7 (which would sign on once WJZL flips the switch and moves up the dial to 92.9) and WSVN-LPFM Hillsdale on 95.7 (and obviously the rights to the calls would have to be obtained from Sunbeam Television).

This would be real Top 40 radio... everything that made the format great in the first place with a modern twist. Listener involvement, programming based on the market (not on a consultant's word), jocks with personality... all are just a handful of things that would make 7fm Southern Michigan's number one CHR station.

Want a taste? It's coming. I've still got a bit of production work to do on it, but rest assured that you'll get to hear a little preview of 7fm sometime in the very, very near future.

The Second Bi-Annual Mid-Michigan Radio Round-Up

2006-07-07T12:30:00.000-04:00

There are two reasons why I haven't posted much in a while. One, work has been keeping me very busy. Two, I've been working on this post. I decided to do this halfway through the year instead of waiting until the year's end for one simple reason: the first annual Mid-Michigan Radio Round-Up is the second most-read page on this blog, second only to the front page. That means most people have nothing else of my opinion to go on other than my past ideas that WJIM is merely mediocre, Keith Curry has completely turned WKFR around and WSAE is failing miserably.

As I've pointed out many times before, I'm one of those mean, nasty, cold-hearted people who doesn't believe in patting everyone on the back for every little thing they do right. However, there are many things that have changed and improved on the area's radio dial that I haven't pointed out, and many people are under the impression that I either don't know about them or are simply just ignoring them so I can continue to be negative. That, of course, is not at all the case. This is the hear-all, know-all Josh C. we're talking about here!

By the way, there are a few inside references to things you probably won't understand throughout this edition, so if you come across a station you don't recognize or a station that doesn't look real, chances are it's probably a joke. Or an evil plan to conquer the Mid-Michigan radio dial, one of the two.

Also, I'm only doing FM this time around, as the only things that have changed on the AM side are the following:

There was apparently a shake up in news sources for the various Clear Channel Cincinatti AM's. As I understand it, at some point, WKRC dropped Fox News for CBS, then went back to Fox. At the corresponding times, WLW dropped ABC News and picked Fox News up from sister station WKRC when they flipped back to CBS. Then when WKRC returned to Fox News, WLW returned to ABC, and sister station WCKY picked up CBS (I'm not sure what they had previously been using). It's all really confusing, and why the change happened to begin with, no one seems to know. The interesting thing is that it all ended up back the way it was when WKRC originally picked up Fox back in 2004.

WJR has turned on IBOC, and they are now literally inaudible. The sidebands are so loud that they drown out the analogue audio. Locals have begun calling them "The Great Noise of the Great Lakes."

And then there's WKHM who have, after being caught with their pants down when the first string of severe storms rolled through this year, begun airing live weather updates when severe weather is even thinking of heading this way. Regular weather updates and newscasts, however, remain pre-recorded.

Other than that, the AM dial remains unchanged. So without further ado, let's get it started!

88.5 WYSA Wauseon, OH ["Yes! FM" Christian CHR]
Or at least they're supposed to be a CHR. As I pointed out in the Winter, they sound much more like a Christian hardcore rock station right now. Not exactly my favorite genre of music, but it does have it's audience, and that audience is large in northwest Ohio (and, indeed, throughout much of Ohio, as further evidenced by the presence of RadioU in the southern portions of the state).
WARNING: SLIGHTLY OFF-TOPIC RAMBLING AHEAD.
Aside from the regional popularity of the format, I think part of the reason they've turned more and more in that direction has been the fact that there's absolutely no new CHR-fitting Christian music out there right now. It's just as WAYG's station manager and music director (and frequent reader of this blog) Mike Couchman told AllAccess not too long ago: there's no excitement in the format right now.
I personally attribute that to two factors. Firstly, pop music started to fade out of the mainstream in favor of hip-hop and R&B between '02 and '04, and Christian radio was forced to follow suit because, let's face it, the Christian contemporary music industry is nothing else than an answer to the secular music industry (not that that's a bad thing, it's just the reality of the matter). Additionally, the urban sound has never been Christian music's strong suit, so stations were forced to turn elsewhere in terms of formatics. Secondly, what I like to call the "Praise Craze", otherwise not known by any specific term other than the long-winded "growth in the popularity of praise and worship music", hit around the same time, providing most Christian stations with that "elsewhere" to turn to (and I get the distinct, noxious feeling that the record labels were influencing stations to jump on that bandwagon so sales would skyrocket). Christian radio never fully recovered from either change.
RAMBLING OVER.
Aside from the discussion of formatics, Yes! FM remains one of the best Christian stations I've ever heard (yes, Mike, WAYG is on the list, too!). The production work there, done by my friend Chris Shannon, is superb (although I think the whispering Chris does in most of his voice work is starting to get a little worn out). I haven't had a chance to tune into any live broadcasts from The Mill recently, so I don't know if they've resolved the feedback (doubtful) and volume (quite possible) issues yet. I should listen in soon and give you a report.
89.3 WJKN-FM Spring Arbor ["The Vibe" Christian CHR]
It's moving along slower than a snail, but the improvement is happening at The Vibe. The imaging is getting better (thank you Steven Hudson), the playlists are getting more cohesive (thank you Marla Sanford), and overall the station is sounding more and more professional.
There are still some major things they need to work out, though. For one, they still need a regular schedule of jocks on the air, and they need to VT the overnights. One thing they still aren't doing (and I've been told it's directly due to a mandate from cluster manager Carl Fletcher) is using music beds under DJ breaks, which confounds me. If you're trying to run a Christian CHR, you want the station to sound as high-energy as possible, and talkover beds are one of the most basic ways of doing that. The decision not to use them makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. And they still haven't seemed to catch onto the late placement of the outcues on all of the audio files. It's causing dead air in between everything. Again, they need to sound as high-energy as possible, and tightness in the playlist is key.
Getting on the topic of formatics and music again, The Vibe has one thing going for it and one thing dragging it down… and the interesting thing is that they're intertwined. The bad thing is that there is an overabundance of stale music in the library. The good thing is that the majority of it is older pop from the late 90's and early 00's, and that makes the station sound more like a CHR than anything else.
90.5 WKAR-FM East Lansing [NPR/Classical]
Again, as with the last time, I really don't listen to the station all that much except for the weekends to hear "Car Talk", "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me", "What Do You Know" and "A Prairie Home Companion", so I really can't say much about the music or presentation.
91.7 WUOM Ann Arbor ["Michigan Radio" NPR/Talk]
From time to time, I enjoy tuning in to listen to the BBC World Service at night or other talk programming… just because I like hearing what the left-wing point of view has to say about current issues without having to put up with all the vitriol I'd hear on, say, Air America. And yes, the right-wing perspective does get some time on public radio as well; I'm not debating that here. In any case, though, I'll echo what I said the last time around: WUOM's talent actually exhibit personality on the air, unlike the people at many, many other NPR stations across the country. Now if I can just get Mike Bradford to build me a filter that will keep WCSR from bleeding over WUOM…
92.1 WQTX St. Johns ["Oldies 92.1" Oldies]
The station recently flipped from sports to fill in the gap left by WJIM when they flipped to Top 40. Unfortunately, the realities of radio being what they are, Mid Michigan Radio Group can really only afford to run this straight off the bird. However, if you look at my review of WVIC (one of WQTX's sister stations), you'll see I lay out a plan as to how this can be changed.
92.1 WCSR Hillsdale ["Radio Hillsdale" Full Service/AC]
Not much has changed since I last wrote about WCSR. They're still the only local station in Hillsdale County (no, satellite-fed WBZV doesn't count). Everything you could possibly want to know about Hillsdale County's local news can be heard on WCSR.
My friend Jordo over at Michigan Radio News + Views pondered what would happen to some of his open DX frequencies if WCSR were to ever go "HD". I can assure him and everyone else that unless Mike Flynn decides to sell the station (which doesn't look to be anywhere near the horizon), there's no way on Earth, or anywhere else for that matter, that WCSR will ever go IBOC... which I'm extremely thankful for. I can just hear Mike's voice now. "Hell, I had to install that damn RDB? RDS? Whatever. I had to put that stupid thing in a few years back, and now I have to spend more money on a new transmitter, a new processor and trash six frequencies surrounding my station? Screw that!"
No, wait, that sounds more like something I'd say!
In even further good news, there's been a great improvement in the station's capability for remote broadcasts. Just a couple of months ago, WCSR installed a new generator, and while they were off the air to allow for the installation, they also installed a new MARTI antenna just below the AM antenna on the southwest side of the tower, where the previous antenna that had been there since 1964 had been located. This has greatly improved the distance from which they can broadcast in near-full-quality audio (I believe the MARTI systems only have a 12 kHz audio frequency range), making the number of locations at which they have to find a telephone line much lower. In fact, just about a month ago, Mike Flynn did a remote broadcast from Clorr's Outpost, a golf shop and driving range about ten miles away from the studios. It used to be that the MARTI would start losing coverage only three miles out. They used to have to do the Hillsdale Chrysler/Dodge remotes, just four miles away, over the phone. Even broadcasting from other municipalities as close as Jonesville was absolutely out of the question. Now I'd wager they can pick up the MARTI all the way from Litchfield if they tried. I know we used to do the remote broadcast from the Jackson County Hot Air Jubilee with our MARTI at WSAE (a distance of about six miles), and our antenna was only about 20 feet up. WCSR's is now about 180 feet up. It sounds great!
All in all, with several improvements, they still hold the title for being Hillsdale County's first and most reliable source for news and information.
92.5 WVKS Toledo, OH ["Kiss FM" CHR/Mainstream]
Even in the short time between now and the last Round-Up, Kiss has really gone downhill. I should point out that they were sliding downward even at the point that I wrote the previous installment, and had been for some time. However, things haven't improved a bit, and they're getting worse and worse every day.
Firstly, the playlist is stale. Sure they add new music here and there, but what they do add doesn't really fit the Toledo market, and the recurrents and golds are bogging them down even further. I mentioned J-Kwon's "Tipsy" last time. This time, you can add a whole slew of tracks to that list of overplayed older songs that I'm not going to get into here (because if you printed it, that paragraph alone would probably take about three pages).
Secondly, and I hit on this in the Winter, Andrew Z just doesn't get the job done. I made this point in a thread on the Out of State section of the Buzzboard: neither of the morning shows on Toledo's two CHR's (the other being Tower 98) are doing anything that's going to get anyone excited. There's no new material being used, there's nothing new being done formatically, and there's no sense of excitement. As I recently told someone on the RadioInsight message boards, Andrew Z's show (and this goes for Johnny D.'s as well) sounds about as exciting as foam rubber. The liners Kiss has been using for their prized new morning show end with "Toledo's talking about Andrew Z. in the Morning!" And Toledo is talking about the show… they're just talking about how badly it sucks.
Thirdly, even with a morning show that's just as lame as Andrew Z.'s, Tower has jumped up in the ratings and is about [-><-] this close to overtaking Kiss 12+. Why? A few reasons. The music is better. They have more mixshows. They've been hitting the streets hard. They've taken every advantage they possibly can to catch up with their competition. And the biggest reason of all: Kiss has let them do it.
And to top it all off, Kramer, the most original and talented CHR jock in all of Toledo, just jumped out of the market for a job at Clear Channel's CHR in New Haven, Connecticut – which I should mention that I wish him all the best on the move… it's a bigger market, it's a great point from which to jump into an even bigger market, and a location that close to The Big Apple could potentially lead to some swing duties at the #1 CHR in the country. Unfortunately, that leaves Kiss and all of Toledo without it's best jock, which means Cheap Channel Toledo is probably going to fill the slot with some no-talent nothing who hasn't worked behind the board a day in their lives, as that seems to be the amount of motivation they have in making any changes at the station.
All in all, if they don't make some serious improvements, you're going to be hearing the name "Kiss Country" in the not-too-distant future.
92.7 WJZL Charlotte ["Lansing's Smooth Jazz 92.7" Smooth Jazz]
Another MMRG station that's satellite-fed. Again, with the economics behind what they're doing, I can understand the need for that. And again (again), see the WVIC review for how I envision MMRG rearranging things for maximum profitablility.
92.7 WSEV-LPFM Coldwater ["Seven FM" CHR/Rhythmic]
It'll happen one of these days…
92.9 WNDV South Bend, IN ["U93" CHR/Mainstream]
Still the best mainstream CHR in the area! Unfortunately, though, my reception of them has become less and less frequent thanks to someone's IBOC interference… I don't know if it's theirs or someone else's. It could possibly be coming from WDRQ, because the noise seems to be coming from 93.1 the strongest, and it trashes 93.3 as well. But again, I don't know. Thank God the U is streaming again.
94.1 WVIC Jackson [Classic Hits]
Supposedly. The station has basically turned into another classic rocker (and Lord knows we need more of that format around here! Geez…). That surprises me, because I'd think Mid Michigan Radio Group would want to try to make the station sound more like an oldies station after WJIM flipped. They even advertised specifically to the former Oldies 97.5 audience after the shake-up, so you'd think they'd modify their product to cater to the audience they tried so hard to pick up. Of course, sister station WQTX is filling that void in Lansing, but for both the reasons I mentioned in my review of the station above and the fact that it's only a 3,000-watt station that only reaches the Lansing area, you would think that they'd put more oldies on their second-largest signal (their first being 50kW active rocker WJXQ; WVIC is just 2000 watts shy of the same).
The problem is basically this: the market is so full of stations of the same type that there's no wiggle room… and part of that is MMRG's own fault. There are three stations WVIC has to compete with, one of which is their own sister station. WQTX is tugging at the ratings on the oldies front, while MacDonald's WHZZ and Citadel's WMMQ are pulling on the classic rock ratings… more WMMQ than WHZZ, but 'HZZ certainly isn't helping, either.
There's a solution to this, albeit a somewhat complicated one, and it comes with the upgrade and frequency change of WJZL, which will make the station MMRG's third-largest in coverage area. First, tweak WVIC into what it should have been all along... the variety hits/"Jack" format. That will move it in place to directly compete with WHZZ, because, quite frankly, they really aren't making any inroads in taking on WMMQ (mostly because of their apparent refusal to stick with one format). Move the format, staff and name – with the WQTX calls (or something new, for that matter) – to what will soon be 4.6kW WJZL on 92.9. Move the jazz format and the WJZL calls to what's currently WQTX on 92.1. Then, move oldies to WVIC with the current live and local airstaff that's already there.
When I originally posted this, mistakenly writing up WHZZ as an MMRG station, I noted that this idea leaves WHZZ open for a new format altogether. As I mention below, the station actually belongs to MacDonald Broadcasting, so I had to change the shake-up plan around slightly. However, should one of the two variety hits stations no tbe able to take the competition, where would the format wheel stop next? Maybe hot talk? In a college town that's also the state capital, there's got to be a market for it.
But getting back to WVIC, if MMRG really wants to make it a solid station, they need to take it down the oldies route. WJIM, as an oldies station, was an extremely strong #1 both in it's target and 12+ (how many oldies stations can you think of that are #1 12+ with an easy 12 points in their market?). There's quite obviously a huge demand for the format in the area, and not just in Lansing. Having full market coverage (which means everywhere from Hillsdale to Alma, as the Buzzboard describes it) is one thing, using it wisely is another. Right now, WVIC isn't exactly doing all that it can.
94.7 WCVM Bronson ["RadioX" Christian CHR]
A split in Calvary Chapel, the church that owns WCVM's parent network, caused a bit of a shake-up both in the church itself and in the church's broadcasting ministry. Therefore, the network and it's stations have been re-branded as RadioX. This frees up the name "The Effect" so that I can take it and use it for my own personal gain (he says with that evil grin he's famous among friends for).
Other than the name and slogan, not much has changed. The station is still a sort of rock/hip-hop hybrid, and the same problems that plagued the format before are still there. Again, that's no fault of the station itself… it's just as I said in my commentary in the WYSA review: the Christian music industry has never been a very strong producer of urban-leaning music.
All in all, I still find this to be a good station, even for a most-time satellator (they do originate local programming from time to time; mostly local school sports broadcasts and the like).
94.9 WMMQ Lansing ["94-9 MMQ" Classic Rock]
The change to the name "94-9 MMQ" as opposed to the former "94.9 WMMQ" came about with the "Great Format Shake-Up of 2005". The station brought Rich Michaels in from the former Oldies 97.5 to do mornings, as was mentioned in the last Round-Up.
Aside from the name tweak, not much has changed. It's still a strong player in the market, and is still one of the better classic rock stations I know of.
95.5 WKQI Detroit ["Channel 9-5-5" CHR/Rhythmic]
Yes, technically they report to Arbitron as mainstream, but let's call it what it is for the sake of my sanity.
This is my favorite CHR right now. As I've said in the past, it's the closest thing to what a modern-day WPOW should sound like (although, again, WNDV comes close). They kill in the ratings, they work their rears off maintaining their dominance in the market (and with a work ethic like that, it's no wonder they killed DRQ off), and they overall put out the best CHR product in the eastern half of the state (the title in West Michigan goes to WSNX).
I mentioned that we should call it what it is for one reason: after I posted something about the station on Radio-Info, someone (you know who you are) commented that WKQI wasn't really a rhythmic station, that it was a mainstream that played some rhythmic material. Obviously the person in question hasn't listened in the past… um… entire period WKQI has been a CHR. Tune in at any time of the day and you'll hear more rhythmic tracks than a mainstream station would even think to touch. The station is just the opposite: a rhythmic that works in a few mainstream tracks here and there. Take a look at the playlist; you'll see what I'm talking about. If you played any less rhythmic material in Detroit, you'd get killed by any newcomer that cares to come along. Ask anyone who worked at DRQ.
95.7 WSVN-LPFM Hillsdale ["Seven FM" CHR/Rhythmic]
I can just hear the response from 80% of Hillsdale County residents now: "Why the hell are they playin' that nigra music?"
Um… because the 20% of the county that aren't in some way associated with the KKK enjoy it.
Yes, Vicki, I like my chicken spicy.
96.7 WUFN Albion ["96.7 FLR" Christian AC]
"I thought this was Hillsdale, not Al-be-on!"
Sorry. Chicago City Limits moment there. Nothing to do with FLR other than the COL.
WUFN has somewhat picked up the slack WSAE left when the Spring Arbor station flipped formats. However, there's still quite a gap between what WSAE was and what WUFN is. That's probably a good thing, though. It leaves that hole open for UComm to fill when they realize "we screwed up big time!"
WUFN still is the best choice among Christian AC's in the area. They don't lean as far toward the "brain death" side of the scale as most other Christian AC's in the area do (WBCL, anyone?), and they certainly aren't afraid to add newer music that has elements of musical genres other Christian stations would consider, as my good high school friend John Owen once put it, "eeeee-villlllllll" (here's lookin' at you, WFUR).
All in all, the station is currently the best choice for Christian adult contemporary music in the area, and again, they remind me of my first station, WMCU in Miami. Both are great at what they do.
97.5 WJIM-FM Lansing ["The New 97-5" CHR/Mainstream]
All I can say to start this off is… wow. This station is the kick in the pants Lansing needed.
Let me add to that that I still think they'd be better going with an even more in-your-face approach. The imaging, while definitely better now than it was when the station first launched, is still lackluster. The crew is constantly hitting the streets, and that's exactly what they need to be doing, but more needs to be done. Live club broadcasts (again, not just remotes… broadcast the party live on the radio) need to be arranged, and hopefully they're working on that… I know that's not the easiest thing to get up and running.
On the other side of the same coin, the Fourth of July broadcast was a brilliant idea! For anyone who doesn't know, the official City of Lansing fireworks show this year was choreographed to music that was played on 97-5 during the show. It was absolutely genious… a great way to not only present yourself to the public on the street, but also get everyone there to tune into your station! I don't know who all collaborated on the idea, but everyone involved gets one giant pat on the back from me (and by now everyone at Citadel of Lansing knows I don't give those out very often)!
In terms of imaging, I have a praise and a complaint about the same thing. First, the praise: I love the pop-tags. At first I had my doubts… I thought, "this is something the jocks should be doing. There's no reason they can't front-sell and back-sell properly." While I still think more stations should be front-selling and back-selling tracks to satisfy the listeners' urge to know "who does that?" and "what's that called?", the pop-tags are a sufficient answer to that problem. It took a while for me to get used to it, but it's grown on me.
Now the complaint: I love the pop-tags. Not only that, they're friggin' stuck in my head! J It's gotten to a point that when I hear a song in my mind, at the end of it, I hear a pop-tag! And we're not just talking about songs the station plays, either. This happens with every song in my "mental music library". I'll hear the fading sounds of "Get down, get down, get down, get down, get down tonight, babe…", and all of a sudden… pop! Whoosh! "K.C. and the Sunshine Band: Get Down Tonight." Am I crazy? Probably. But I find it strangely enjoyable J
As far as jocks go, things have improved drastically. Dave and Lisa D. in the morning have turned what was a music-intensive show into a morning show with a typical format… and yet entirely atypical in content. How Dave manages to hold back his ridicule throughout the good majority of the interviews he conducts is beyond me, and I can imagine he probably has to turn off the feed from his microphone into the hybrid fairly often to keep the guest from hearing him snicker! His song parodies (and the custom "remixes", such as his entire reproduction of James Blunt's "Beautiful") are mostly a great addition to the morning, and those that aren't part of that "most" are… well, hard to listen to, quite frankly, but that's what makes them fun (and I think he probably realizes that).
One thing I would point out to the morning crew if you're reading this (and yes, for those of you who want to be smart about it, people in the building do read this blog on a regular basis) is that he best advice I can give you for further improvement would be to work Lisa and Sam into the content of the show a bit more. Probably the best point of reference I can give as an example of what I'm talking about is Murphy in the Morning on WKZL in Greensboro, North Carolina. Jack Murphy is the show's lead man, but he finds ways to work co-host Josie and intern Josh into just about everything… bits, parodies, interviews and beyond. Take a listen to some of the clips on Murphy's web site to hear what I'm talking about. I'm not saying you should do more material like what Murphy does… do your own stuff. I just think that if you worked everyone into the meat and potatoes of the show a bit more, it would help both the sound and the image of the show.
"The" Anne has really grown into her show as well. She's not as high-pitched as often as she used to be, and she's done a lot of work on her presentation to the point that she's not blowing through breaks like she used to. As far as content goes, I think she's on the right track for the daypart she's in. She's firing on all cylinders when it comes to targeting the at-work audience.
Domingo still needs a bit of work. He's gotten a bit better about how often he does longer breaks, but when those breaks come around, he still drags them out longer than they should be. As I said last time, that's not the tempo at which you want to play in PM drive. People are getting off work, and as opposed to older audiences, CHR listeners want to party when they leave the office. Content is also still an issue, and I think the lack of it is probably what causes him to draw those breaks out as long as he does. Listener involvement doesn't seem to be a large part of his show, and that's probably the biggest problem. He's live and local, and he has a potential audience of over a million people. There's no reason he can't take more calls and get the listeners more involved. But in order to do that, he also needs to speed things up, because when he does take calls, he seems to drag those out as well. I hate to single one person out like this, but it seems like Domingo is the one person who has made the least amount of progress since he first went on the air.
Madison Rally, on the other hand, is starting to sound nicely polished. She's slowed her speech down a bit, and it's nice to actually be able to understand what she's saying! I can laugh about that because I used to have the same problem. ("Oh my God!" my critics are gasping, "He actually admitted one of his faults?!" Yes, I do that from time to time. Keeps me humble.) She's also worked more listeners into the show, which is great. It still bothers me, though, that "Madison's Mangled Music" is so easy to figure out, but that's a minor complaint. One thing that is also a minor complaint, but I think is a bit more of an issue than the ease with which one can win a game, is that the 9:00 countdown needs to have a more creative name. There are too many "Hot 5@9" and "Top 5@9" countdowns out there. One that I've personally always wanted to use was "The Download". It's creative and current, and unlike many of the other attempts I've heard stations try to get away from the "5@9 syndrome" (as I like to call it), it's not cheesy at all. Also with the countdown, I'd suggest asking guest DJ's to call in about an hour or so in advance so song #3 isn't the first track with a guest DJ in front of it. I've noticed Madison generally waits until 15 minutes before the countdown goes on the air to start asking people to call in, and there have been a few times when songs 4 and 5 don't have anyone other than her to introduce them. An earlier call to action would probably solve that problem.
The addition of Sean Kelley to the weekends is great… and he has proven that at least someone other than myself in Mid-Michigan knows that weekenders can have personality on the air. One of the things that I first noticed about him is that he didn't take long at all to get acclimated to the station. He sounded great pretty much right out of the gate. There's always room for improvement, and Kelley is no exception, but most of the things that I would point out about him are very minor technical details that go completely unnoticed by 99.999% of listeners. I'll say this: he's not going to be doing weekends forever. He's got a good future in store.
To sum things up, WJIM is growing into their proper role in Lansing radio very well. Did I wish at some point in time that they'd been this good before the launch? Yes. Am I over that? Absolutely. Am I thankful for a CHR that actually plays CHR music? You'd better believe it!
98.1 WDFM Defiance, OH ["Mix 98-1" Hot AC]
I don't believe I had this station in the last Round-Up. For some reason I skipped over it… I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because I don't listen to the station too terribly often. I'm a bit more passionate about mainstream and rhythmic CHRs than anything else, and if it took me telling you so for you to figure that out at this point, you need a check-up from the neck-up.
For a Hot AC, though, as MWMetalHead pointed out on the Buzzboard, "WDFM is a neat station." They sound younger than most Hot ACs, and that's probably due to the fact that Defiance is a college town. The station also targets Fort Wayne, which probably has just as much to do with it, if not more, as The Fort has no mainstream CHRs itself.
Like I said, I don't listen to the station very often, but I do try to make it a point to tune in for "Club Mix", the station's massive Friday night mixshow, which features a ton of dance music. And we're not just talking about dance remixes of hot top 40 songs, either. The mixes feature a lot of current dance tracks. For example, I've heard Stunt's "Raindrops" (which is a fantastic song, by the way… reminds me a lot of "Insomnia" by Faithless), Cascada's "Miracle" and "Get Together" by Madonna. As no DJ is named (and there are no personalities at the station after 7:00), I'm guessing the mixes come from a service such as ZeoRadio or one of the other various sources available. What's really cool is that the mixshows aren't the only times you'll hear dance on the station. Dance currents, recurrents and golds get regular airplay throughout the day.
Two things I do have complaints about, though. One: the way the music is cut off to air a liner at the end of a mix segment sounds really unprofessional. It sounds jagged and incomplete. Two: the processing needs work, specifically distortion on the low end. I like the way it's equalized, but it sounds like they're running their AGC module behind the multiband processor as opposed to in front of it. Because of the fact that they're running the low end louder than anything else, this results in distortion any time a bass drum or low bass line kicks in after the absence of low-end sound. It could also be that they are running the AGC in front of the processor, they just have the processor's lower band running too high. Whatever the case, it should be fixed. It sounds sloppy.
98.5 WNWN Coldwater ["Win 98-5" Country]
The only real change here is that it seems Amy has left the morning show, so they're looking for a new morning co-host. Some of us on the Buzzboard and some of my friends and I offline were wondering just how many morning show changes that makes for the station in the past few years.
99.1 WFMK Lansing [AC]
Not much to say here, either. The station still has a more upbeat presentation than most other ACs in the area, they still have good personalities, and they maintain a good slice of the ratings pie in the market to reflect their great product.
99.7 WMUL Jackson ["99.7 The Mullet" Classic Rock]
Made you look.
100.3 WLKI Angola, IN ["FM 100" Full Service/AC]
This is another station I don't think I covered in the last Round-Up. This time around, I know why… it's because they're highly local to Angola and Steuben County, and I wanted to stick with stations that either focused specifically on Mid-Michigan or were available in the area from other markets in-state.
WLKI is sort of like WCSR… only WLKI sounds like a radio station. Yes, I know, that's a huge slap in the face to WCSR, but let's be honest: they're not winning any MAB's.
Let's start over without the snarkiness. J WLKI is, like WCSR, a full service station with adult contemporary music. They both offer local news and sports in a way that other stations seem to be unwilling to match, and they both have jocks that have their own style and personality on the air (something that radio seems to be killing off). Where 'LKI and 'CSR separate is on just about every other angle. Whereas WCSR repeatedly uses a jingle that was a free demo sent to them several years ago, WLKI has a full jingle package. WCSR uses a hodgepodge of TM Century production music from 1994, another music library from a company I'd otherwise never heard of (and can't currently recall the name of) that dates back to 1987 if memory serves, and Jones Radio Networks production elements that are sent to them on a regular basis. I don't know what WLKI uses, but it sounds a lot more consistent… not exactly modern, but more professional. And when it comes to presentation… let's just say there aren't any college students on WLKI.
The one and only thing I take issue with at the station is the processing, which is completely and totally flat. I'm not saying the audio is completely unchanged… it's changed quite a bit. The problem is that the processor is set to take every ounce of excitement out of the sound. There's no bass. At all. None whatsoever. I can turn my equalizer's low end all the way up and still not get anywhere near the level of bass there should be. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the highs are dull. The treble doesn't have that "sparkle" factor to it. It doesn't even have a "shiny" factor. It's just… "eh." The midrange is about the only thing that's left, and even that set of frequencies doesn't go untouched. There doesn't seem to be any low-end midrange, and what's left is so dulled down that it has practically no dynamic range. I don't know what kind of sound they're trying to achieve, but what they're airing leaves a lot to be desired.
100.7 WITL Lansing ["Whittle 100.7" Country]
As with other stations, not much has changed at WITL. One good thing to note is that they've started advertising on TV, which is one of the things I recommended they do in order to retain their dominance in the market. I don't think WBCT or WWWW are pulling at the ratings too terribly much, but this is one good way to help make sure that they don't.
101.7 WHZZ Lansing ["Mike FM" Variety Hits]
Mike still isn't the best variety hits station in the world, but they're improving. The return of Tim Barron to the Mid-Michigan airwaves was probably one of the wisest things MacDonald could have done with the station. Putting him in mornings at Mike, to much fanfare, was a great move and, I'm sure, brought a lot of listeners onboard.
102.5 WBZV Hudson ["Buzz 102.5" Classic Rock]
You know, I have to share this story. I just find it too funny to keep to myself. I was in a job interview at a local radio station (which shall remain nameless), and the person conducting the interview (who shall also remain nameless) asked me what I knew about his career. I told him I knew he was a local guy, and that I remembered hearing him on WBZV in years past. He gave me an odd look, and asked, "WBZV?" I replied, "Back when it was WMXE." "Oh, Mix," he said, not realizing the call letters had changed. The best part was what he said next: "I hear they're not much worth listening to these days."
I think I summed things up about good ol' 'BZV pretty well the last time around. The station is worthless. It serves no purpose in the community. What purpose it does serve is to make money for Friends Communications. It's strictly a transmitter on which to sell advertising in a city other than Adrian. Unfortunately, it apparently serves that purpose well.
If I could just get my hands on this station… can you say "FM Talk 102.5"?
102.9 WWWW Ann Arbor ["W-4 Country" Country]
Still the best country station I've ever heard.
103.3 WKFR Battle Creek ["103.3 KFR" CHR/Mainstream]
Several months after the firing of Keith Curry, the station has pretty much gone right back down the toilet again. Some updates in the sound did remain, but for the most part, it's once again a Hot AC in CHR clothing.
Some things have been changed for the better, though. For one, the night show is a true CHR night show, and it's the one time of the day that the station sounds the way it should. Ray and the rest of the "Pig Pen" as they're now called have done some great work on the show, and it sounds great. They now fill up the time that I used to spend listening to Phil Hendrie, and although nothing (as I've said before) will ever replace The Phil Hendrie Show (my God, it's like there's a void in my soul now that he's off the air!), the Pig Pen is an entertaining CHR night show, and I look forward to tuning in every night.
Another positive change was a very, very simple one, and that was using the legal ID ramp to (*gasp!*) actually allow the jocks to ramp up to the hour's first song! I never understood why they didn't use it for that purpose in the first place. The pre-produced ramps they had been using sounded stale… why use the same ones over and over again when the jocks can spontaneously do it themselves and liven things up every time? Apparently someone over there at Cumulus of Kalamazoo realized the same thing.
And finally, the one thing that I've probably harped on more than anything else has finally been fixed. Computer, please set the text size and weight to express great elation.

THE STEREO-SEPARATED ECHO IS FINALLY GONE FOR GOOD!!!

I cannot possibly explain to you in words how happy that makes me! Okay, so yeah, I was overzealous about it, but it used to drive me nuts! KFR was the only station I'd ever heard with that problem, and it was so annoying to listen to (though I tried to because I enjoy the music).
The things they still need to work on? Well, aside from the things I pointed out as being fixed here, pretty much everything else I mentioned in the last Round-Up still hasn't been dealt with. Once again, the music needs to change… but that's going to take Cumulus realizing that the way they do things (mandating playlists from corporate headquarters in Atlanta) doesn't work, and the likelihood of that happening is slim to none.
I've noticed that the processing has changed again, this time some for the better, some for the worse. They added more high end, which is good. It sounded kind of flat for a while there. However, in doing so, they also took a lot of low end out, and that was stupid. The lower frequencies have never been a strong point in KFR's processing, and lowering them even further just makes things worse. What should be noted is that they haven't touched the midrange at all, and they're still pumping a ton of lower midrange into the sound, which makes it sound muddy. I know they're trying to make it sound loud, but that's not the way to go about it. They could pull massive amounts of midrange out of the signal and use about half of the bandwidth that frees up to add more bass. That would just about even all the bands out with the perfect sound, and it would leave plenty of room to amplify the volume before the audio goes out to the transmitter, which would give them the loud sound they want. But again, this is one of the things Cumulus corporate controls. There's a better chance of me winning the lottery within the month than there is of Cumulus taking my advice.
103.9 WLEN Adrian [Full Service/AC]
This is how Full Service should be done. I can't think of a single bad thing to say about this station. There just aren't any bad things to say about it. WCSR can learn a lesson or five million on presentation from WLEN, and WLKI could learn a thing or two about audio processing from… well, just about anyone actually, but WLEN wouldn't be a bad choice. J
By the way, I knew that my college buddy and former coworker Tanya Lightner worked at WLEN, but I didn't realize until I looked through the station's web site a couple weeks ago that she was the production director! Pretty cool!
104.9 WWKN Marshall ["SuperRock 104-9" Classic Rock]
There's still not much to say about this station. Like I said last time, every once in a while I'll listen to Alice Cooper, but other than that, I don't spend much time tuned in. The imaging still sounds like it could use a lot more high end, I'll say that much.
105.3 WKHM-FM Brooklyn ["K-105.3" Hot AC]
I'm officially dubbing the station a Hot AC now. They've been working their way in that direction for a while now, and it's improving the station quite a bit. I think the reason for the change is that they're feeling some pull in listenership from two places: the younger listeners from WJIM, and the older listeners from WSAE. Serving the middle ground between the two seems to me like the most logical step, and apparently Jamie McKibbin, Bruce Goldsen and the crew see things the same way.
Aside from the progress in choosing a format (which, I believe I opened the review in the last Round-Up telling them to do exactly that), there's still a lot of work to be done. The imaging still needs a massive overhaul (WSAE is handing their rears to them in that department). The jocks still need a lot of improvement… though I will say this: J-Rod has started turning his show around and making some good progress.
One thing I don't believe I mentioned last time was the K-105.3 web site. That thing needs to be completely redesigned. I've even offered to Jamie my services to create a new one, to which I believe his response was, "yeah, it sucks right now, doesn't it?" I told him I've seen worse… which I have, believe me. But it does need a major makeover. In fact, you know what would be a cool idea? Doing what WHYI in Miami has done with their web site: they registered the domain name 7miami.com, and they created a subdomain on it called y100, which blindly redirects (meaning the address in the address bar stays the same) to the site's front page. That way, you type in www.y100.7miami.com, and voila! I think www.k105.3.com would be pretty cool… although I bet 3.com is quite spoken for.
106.1 WJXQ Jackson ["Q106" Active Rock]
Nothing has changed here. Still the best damn rock station on the planet.
106.9 WSAE Spring Arbor ["Home.fm" Variety Hits with a Christian twist]
I'm not sure anyone has really figured out what to otherwise call this format.
Despite the odd name, the odd format, the fact that the station alienated it's massive listener base for no good reason and the fact that they came up embarrassingly short in their first Share-A-Thon since the format flip… (*deep breath*) …they're making progress. They did manage to raise at least some money during the fundraiser… just over $18,000. Nevermind that the goal was $50,000. But at least they're starting to develop a new audience.
As I pointed out in the WKHM review, WSAE is doing some good imaging work. I actually downplayed it there. Here, I'll call it what it is: outstandingly stellar. Let me put it this way: this is the best imaging I've heard on any Mid-Michigan station in the entire 11 years that I've been listening. As I pointed out in the WJKN review, my close, personal friend (why do I feel like a politician when I say that?) Steven Hudson is the production director at SAU's radio stations, and he's done and continues to do an absolutely amazing job. He won't say much about it because he doesn't like to brag – too much – but he's won several awards for his work, and he's beginning to be noticed all over the region for his skills.
It sounds like the station is returning to students as their primary staff, which I will say this about:

You realized taking the students off the air was a stupid mistake, didn't you?

I'm glad. The students are the reason WSAE even exists. Pushing them back to WJKN-FM alone was one of the worst decisions they could have made, and I was adamant about pointing that out. I'm glad they got the message.
The music still seems to clash though. I still don't like the idea of a Christian school putting out a combined product of Christian and secular music. The whole mixed message thing turns me off, and I think ultimately it turns most people off. It's like saying, "yes, we absolutely condemn smoking marijuana. By the way, don't mind that burning blunt sitting in the ashtray."
107.7 WRKR Portage ["107-7 RKR: The Rocker" Rock]
RKR is progressively moving more and more toward being a classic rock station. Again, the more of those we have around here, the better. Excuse me while I twitch violently. I'm OD'ing on Skynard.

In the words of Austin Powers, "…And I'm spent."

EDITS: First of all, thanks to Dan Kelley for pointing these out. As I told him, my hands tend to get ahead of my mind when I type, and even when I go back and re-read things, occasionally I'll miss something. Or two. Or thirty-seven.

First of all, I originally posted that WJZL was going to become a 10,000-watt station when they move to 92.9. They are actually going to be a 4.6kW station, which is still an upgrade of 3,100 watts, and will greatly improve their coverage in the area. As I told Dan, I have no clue where that 10kW figure came from.

Secondly I said that WHZZ was owned by Mid-Michigan Radio Group. They're actually owned by MacDonald Broadcasting, which slightly changes my idea for the MMRG stations, and I've updated the original post accordingly.

Music Downloads, WiFi Radio and Portable Music Players: What It All Means for YOU.

2006-07-06T16:16:00.000-04:00

The story at 11.

Oh, wait, this is the Internet. Instant access and all that.

From the AllAccess article:

Download-to-own sales accounted for 25% of music on portable devices, unauthorized file sharing accounted for 19%, and 6% stemmed from users "ripping" CDs owned by others.

Legal digital music sales tripled in 2005, climbing up to represent 6% of global music receipts.

And here's some good news for us radio folks:

Nearly 1 in 2 people aged 12 to 24 were interested in FM radio capabilities being integrated into portable music players.

Combined with the information about an upcoming product roll-out found in this AllAccess article here:

BLOOMBERG is reporting that MICROSOFT is preparing to roll out a portable music player that will feature wireless download capability via built-in WI-FI. Designed to compete with APPLE's iPOD, the new device will also reportedly have a sharper screen.

MICROSOFT execs ROBBIE BACH and J. ALLARD from the company's XBOX division are heading up development of the new device. Additionally, former HOUSE OF BLUES SVP/Entertainment CHRIS STEPHENSON has joined MICROSOFT, and he is one of a group of execs who has met with content companies to seek licenses.

Look for the new device to hit the shelves in time for this year's holiday shopping season.

All of this tells me two things.

Firstly, it tells me that terrestrial radio listenership is declining due to portable music players and downloads. At the same time, it also means that it won't decline as much as the doom-and-gloomers are predicting, as long as existing stations stay on top of their game with new technology.

Secondly, it tells me that even with all of these options, there's still a huge demand for terrestrial radio even when coupled with the new technologies, and that stations' listenership doesn't have to drop much at all. Now this may sound like a drastic jump in trains of thought, but bear with me here:

This means every radio station needs to start a high-quality Internet stream immediately!

And no, it's not a change in my train of thought. Here's the reasoning behind that statement (and the reason why I posted the Microsoft player article): Internet radio is where we're headed. I keep hitting that point over and over again, but I can't stress it enough. With more and more devices like the Microsoft player on the way, Internet streams will quickly become the most popular form of radio. Combined with the revelation that those who own portable players want the availability of terrestrial radio stations, this means that if existing terrestrial stations don't start streaming, they will lose listenership. More devices are going to be available with Internet capabilities than there will be with FM radio reception, that's just a given. If stations start streaming now, they'll be well-prepared for the transition. If they don't, they're going to be left in the dust (WCSR, this means you. I told you guys when I was your webmaster that you should get on this, and that was back in 1998.)

Besides, it lets local listeners hear their favorite station no matter where they are in the world on a portable device. How cool is that?! I've been saying since the late 90's that I'd love to be able to do that! But again, if stations don't start moving in that direction...

This also validates my point that time and time again, if you give people the choice between local content and non-local content, they're going to favor localism. It's a time-honored truth.

Holy Crap! I Think I Actually Got THROUGH To Someone!

2006-07-06T15:46:00.000-04:00

Remember that little idea I posted a while back? You know, the one about creating a network of back-up stations in various cities across the country that would be used to broadcast to cities ravaged by disasters? Well, it appears that someone at Clear Channel (probably whoever it is in San Antonio that's been reading this blog) took my idea and ran with it!

From AllAccess:

CLEAR CHANNEL has expanded its emergency preparedness capability with a new system of "hub cities" with backup equipment and a network of alternate studio sites. The "Disaster Assistance and Response Team" (D.A.R.T.) plan has been partially set up focusing on hurricane-prone areas, with remaining hub cities expected on line by the end of the year. Established hubs include include TULSA, PHILADELPHIA, ORLANDO, SAN DIEGO, ATLANTA, and SACRAMENTO, with emergency backup satellite systems already deployed in the GULF COAST states.

Not exactly the same thing as what I had in mind (what are they going to do if the transmitter sites in the cities they're remotely broadcasting to are destroyed?), but it's close, and it's a move in the right direction! For once, I can actually praise Clear Channel for doing something right!

Where's a calendar when you need one?

Oh. Right. These posts are time-stamped!

The Morning Guy

2006-06-28T17:21:00.000-04:00

This is absolutely classic!

He probably realizes that when Britney finally wakes up and divorces him, he's going to need every last one he can get his hands on.

2006-06-23T16:14:00.000-04:00

Kevin Federline wants to save the penny. To quote Dave Barry, I am not making this up.

Say Goodbye to Mid-Michigan's Most Unique Logo

2006-06-20T15:37:00.000-04:00

WSYM has dumped their old logo in favor of Fox's newest logo set.

I have to say right off the bat that I've never particularly liked this logo. It's gaudy, it looks like something out of the late 80's (it probably is), and it isn't exactly easy on the eyes. However, I'll say this for it: it's unique. It has set the station apart for years. Of course, so did the station's previous -- and just as gaudy -- news set (remember the cartoon-drawing Lansing skyline backdrop and the analogue clock in front of the anchor desk to further the "It's About Time" slogan?). "It's About Time" for a change, and this thankfully provides one for the station.

The Fox 47 site is in the process of being updated, but the new logo has already popped up on the Journal Broadcasting (WSYM's owners) web site and has already been superimposed over the old logo on all of the station's promotional spots on the air. The new graphics set for promoting station programming is stunning! It reminds me a lot of WHTV's graphics set (the red background with the translucent UPN logo)... only a lot better thought-out and implemented. The new logo...

...while not really offering any unique attributes to set the station apart from other Fox affiliates, is much easier to look at and is a very welcome change. I still have yet to see the station's newscast with the graphics change, and I'm looking forward to that tonight (which means I'll have to watch the 5:30 newscast today, as I plan to

during the 10:00 hour!). I'll report my opinions on that (the graphics, not the Heat/Mavs game... that I'll save for my personal blog) tomorrow.

EDIT: By the way, I realize this post screwed up the whole layout. I can't stand the way Blogger does that, and I would have edited the logo at the top of the post had I access to the Internet from my home computer, which has Paint Shop Pro installed on it, but alas, I do not.

A follow-up to the post below.

2006-06-06T15:18:00.000-04:00

EDIT: This post was a follow-up to this post.

I knew I was forgetting something before I hit the send button.

This whole idea of regulating satellite radio because free-of-charge trials are offered brings up another upcoming regulatory issue:

Will the FCC attempt to regulate Internet radio as car manufacturers begin to install wireless broadband-capable stereos in their vehicles?

What's to say they will or won't? This satellite radio issue, that's what. This debate and the FCC's subsequent decision, if one is made, could potentially set a dangerous precedent. The Internet is to be free of regulation. The government, including the FCC, has already made that clear, despite the fact that many today in and out of the government would like to change that.

So what does that have to do with this issue? Well, as wireless broadband is generally provided free of charge, and most towns and metropolitan areas in this country are planning on deploying area-wide free wireless broadband networks in the near future, any decision made in the satellite radio case (going by the idea that free-of-charge broadcast offerings must be regulated) will become the standard against which the case for regulation of Internet broadcasts will be judged.

Now, what makes that so important, you ask? Quite simply put, the Internet is the last bastion of true free speech. I'm not getting political here... just follow me on this one. Where else can you write, record or act out something for all the world to see, free of censorship? Where else can your opinions be expressed without the "may not be the views of" disclaimer? Where else can you broadcast George Carlin's "Seven Dirty Words..." routine 24/7 without fear of multi-million-dollar fines?

See what I mean?

This is going to be a landmark technological case. A landmark case decided by the FCC. An FCC who generally makes the wrong decisions. You do the math.

David Rehr can kiss my hindquarters.

2006-06-06T14:54:00.000-04:00

As AllAccess reports:

The NAB's President/CEO DAVID REHR has sent a letter to FCC Chairman KEVIN MARTIN asking for the Commission to investigate whether "free access" to satellite radio -- free trials for car buyers and the inadvertent "leaking" of receivers' FM transmitter signals to nearby cars -- should subject satellite radio to indecency regulations.

Like Hell they should. The satellite channels these broadcasts occupy are privately-held frequencies as determined by the FCC, and as such are not subject to content regulation. Just because they may be offered free of charge for a brief period of time doesn't mean the situation should be any different.

Once again complaining about "the unequal regulatory treatment between free over-the-air and satellite radio,"

Unequal for one reason: they aren't the same thing!

REHR asserts that "to the extent that satellite radio service is now received free by nonsubscribers, this undermines the frequently-made argument that satellite radio should be regulated very differently than traditional broadcast radio simply because satellite is a subscription service."

That may be the case, however that's not the only argument that's been made. See my interjection two paragraphs above.

" Given that satellite radio content is in fact available to and received by nonsubscribers, NAB requests that the FCC consider the issues raised by free access to satellite radio programming."

What issues? I don't see or hear any issues, do you? Has anyone had any complaints about the content on free-for-X-months satellite radio subscriptions? Because last I heard, you can choose to opt out of them if you wish to do so. You don't have to have satellite radio in your vehicle.

This is just more NAB bullcrap over controlling every broadcast band. When are they going to mature past the three-year-old, infantile mentality that the universe revolves around them? It makes me want to reach through my computer monitor and punch Rehr in the face.

[LEGAL NOTICE: this does not imply that I wish to inflict harm or pain on David Rehr. It's a figure of speech, and if you didn't comprehend that before I told you so, you deserve to be punched in the face.]