What do You want n Ft. Wayne Radio?

The_Dude · Post by **The_Dude** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 11:00 am

Get rid of the horrible, horrible, HORRIBLE morning shows. They're all played out. Play some damn music. I don't want to hear you guess how big a chick's rack is.

Drew Cage · Post by **Drew Cage** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 11:01 am

The_Dude wrote:Get rid of the horrible, horrible, HORRIBLE morning shows. They're all played out. Play some damn music. I don't want to hear you guess how big a chick's rack is.

I Hate to tell you but those are usually the highest rated part of the day so most people don't share your sentiment

Oliver's Army · Post by **Oliver's Army** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 11:04 am

The Internet, Ipods, cell phones, video games, satellite radio... blahblahblah.

Radio is dying because the slice of its pie is smaller and shrinking as we speak.

Soon it will be gone as technology exceeds radio's usefulness and 'music' will come from other sources.

I am with Silencio on this.

This format (radio) is a self fulfilling prophecy.

You will see more stations being sold or closing and *I* feel it will be the small stations that are Zigging as other Zag, that will rise from corporate demise.

Somewhere a station owner HAS to be thinking about this, the long-term survival of their station.

Find a specific niche...feed the masses...or offer diversity.

I vote diversity. GIVE me a reason to tune in.

Television will be next.

Silencio · Post by **Silencio** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 11:11 am

Well said, Meester Ollie, sir. You're always more tactful than I.

A bold statement, but I agree that TV is next. All you have to do is watch the media habits of people in their early 20s to see what's coming.

The_Dude · Post by **The_Dude** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 11:20 am

Drew Cage wrote:
The_Dude wrote:Get rid of the horrible, horrible, HORRIBLE morning shows. They're all played out. Play some damn music. I don't want to hear you guess how big a chick's rack is.
I Hate to tell you but those are usually the highest rated part of the day so most people don't share your sentiment

That's a damn shame, too.

Thank God for ESPN Radio.

Trojan · Post by **Trojan** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 11:22 am

We do, we play a lot of songs that you don't really hear on other stations throughout the country. A prime example is Egypt Central. They were an unsigned band out of Nashville that was getting some play on a local station down there and one of the DJ's there was friends with Stiller and we got some of their stuff and played it. Now they are a top band for us, but a nobody to the rest of the country. The same things goes for a band like Ra, granted they are a big name. But, truth be told they have not done much on the national scene since their first single. Not knocking the band, I love them and they are firends of mine and the station. Hinder is another band that we got behind before others. The first time they ever heard their song on any radio station was here in Ft. Wayne.

We do take a lot of chances with bands that we thing are good, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. We don't go around blowing our own whistle about it.

And I would never say that any local band isn't or won't be a big "radio" star in the future, I have nothing but respect for any artist who is willing to put their work on public display like that, but there are several reasons why we don't do it with local bands. Not saying that we wouldn't but it opens up a whole big can of worms that most people don't realize.

Thank You for you reply, Yes you have valid points but here is an example from another station that has gone by the wayside. X102 would spin cuts off of ther "local disc" that they felt were ready for radio a few of those bands got some looks from major labels because they were popping up on station play lists. Now granted only one band that I am aware of got signed and then fizzled out due to bad timeing and bad luck. but I really think it can be done. I am infact listing to you station right now and I find it funny that you run a spot the says "Live and Local" then goes right into a Limp Fred Durst song. Would it kill the station to spin a radio worthy unsigned cut in that spot?

How sad is that? The numbers say it all. Fort Wayne doesn't give a sh*t about you.

This is a true statement! But for the most part people are sheep they go where the radio station tells them to go and they listen to what the radio station force feeds them and they like it. So if the radio station tells them to like this hip new band that is playing at Columbis Street or Piere's they will flock.

Oliver's Army · Post by **Oliver's Army** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 11:27 am

I am a PD's worse nightmare.

A short attention span.

A twitchy dial finger.

No patience.

Specific tastes not (fully) represented by local stations.

An Mp3 Player.

A crap-load of CD's

How do you compete with this?

Trojan · Post by **Trojan** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 11:29 am

The Internet, Ipods, cell phones, video games, satellite radio... blahblahblah.

Radio is dying because the slice of its pie is smaller and shrinking as we speak.

I listen to alot of satellite radio mostly because I can pick my own music nitch. But I often hear a song form a band that I have never heard of that is really great. Then a few weeks later I hear it on public radio.

tiny · Post by **tiny** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 11:31 am

Silencio,

Two points of order.
1. A station that plays Robert Earl Keen, Al Green, John Lee Hooker, and David Gray is, while certainly diverse, not a 'rock' station. Americana, maybe....diverse, to be sure....but not 'rock.'

2. And all of your points are legitimate, and were never disputed by me as being otherwise. Feasible? Maybe, maybe not....but legitimate? Certainly. Perhaps lunch is in order one of these days, so we can discuss this like gentlemen, without disrupting someone elses thread. I think you'd find, as I've said to others with similar views on these boards, that we have MUCH more in common than you might think.

Ollie, (and to a certain point Silencio, too...)

I agree with a certain part of your theory of shrinking audiences and dark stations....but only to a point. The best case scenario, from you guys' point of view, is for the big corporate dinosaurs to die....and many stations to leave the landscape.....bringing the scenario I've been espousing throughout this thread....that with fewer commercial stations comes a better opportunity to diversify, without regard to the competition....and at no true expense to the bottom line. Think of it as a return to the days of six stations in the market, and WOWO's broad playlist. But again, as I've also noted, those conditions don't favor that currently. And the lack of allotments for non-coms means that that part of the spectrum CAN'T fill the void, either.

Mark, I've met you, and understand some of your music sensibilities. Silencio, I don't believe we've had the pleasure, so I can't say the same about you. I think you'd be hard pressed to find someone that enjoys a more diverse playlist than I do. But gentlemen, we are in the VAST minority musically. Any commercial venture built on such a small percentage of potential interest would most certainly fail. Hence the current offerings....designed for the masses.

Oliver's Army · Post by **Oliver's Army** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 11:36 am

No... "if you build it..." hopes, then?

I did however get to hear the Kings 'Switchin to Glide/This Beat Goes On' this morning on A-Z.

There's hope.

hehehehehe

Garr · Post by **Garr** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 11:37 am

I guess it comes down to this, real, good, true, entrepreneurial business men find a way to make their money in the way that they choose.

While in no way criticizing the businessmen of FedMed, I will say that if there was a stronger ability from the money mongers, then they could make it work.

People make fortunes off of breaking new ground and innovation, not following the status quo.

tiny · Post by **tiny** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 11:44 am

'If you build it?" If we COULD.....There's yet another facet to this debate. It's not like you can just slap up a tower and do it. Radio isn't exactly free enterprise, as you both well know. There IS no way to be entrepreneurial in broadcasting...Radio OR TV. Government regulation prevents that from ever happening.

And Garr, those fortunes are made by people who bring a new idea to the marketplace--that is EMBRACED BY THE MASSES. Not the few.

Dammit, Ollie....Get me a 80-90 dropin or a LPFM license, or anything on the non-com band, and let me build a college radio station for our college. Any college. THEN we can do what you ask.

If you'll recall, Fort Wayne (in the guise of IPFW) was so apathetic towards the plight of the eclectic listener that they actually HAD a radio station, and wanted to let it go dark. Hence Northeast Indiana Public Broadcasting. What little eclectic programming we have around here (i.e., not driven by profit) is due to the volunteers that saved what is now WBOI.

Like so many things in Fort Wayne, we had an opportunity...and blew it. And the government doesn't seem inclined to bend the rules of allotment to give us another chance.

Oliver's Army · Post by **Oliver's Army** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 11:54 am

hehehehe... Tiny.

Dude. I have like TENS of dollars burning a hole in my pocket RIGHT now.

I say we hit up Radio Shack TONIGHT.

We could be on the air, by what?....Saturday, tops.

traumaqueen · Post by **traumaqueen** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 11:57 am

now we're really getting somewhere....
a PIRATE station.
that's the way to go!
heh.

tiny · Post by **tiny** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 1:34 pm

Ollie.....

A pirate costs maybe a hundred fifty bucks. But the $100,000 fine for getting caught is a bytch. Still game?

Plus, we'll need a mascot for our pirate radio station.

Maybe a smelly pirate hooker wombat?!??