What do You want n Ft. Wayne Radio?

[beav]

i agree about the morning shows, i always hated turning on the radio in the mornings and not being able to hear any music.

the advisory panel thing is a good idea, i've been on it for... i dont know how long exactly, but i think a couple years. i personally think the bear has improved alot over the last few years. keep it up.

[=^-..-^=]

What do I want in local radio?

I want local dj's to come on forums like this, ask what kind of changes we'd like to see on their stations.

Then I want them to make excuses for why they can't follow ANY of the suggestions, because it doesn't pay the bills.

Then I want them to just continue what they are doing, while I just listen to 91.5.

[tiny]

Merry Christmas!

It's always nice to see someone get what they want!

Hope you like the color!


Drew asked....some answered. He listened.

The shyttiest band in the area is the odds-on favorite to be the one that will DEMAND that they get played on the air. Should they? Will they?

The formats that you espouse can't make money in any of the top 50 markets in America, and therefore are unrepresented in, say, 47 of those markets. But YOU want it. Does that mean that someone should shyt away their multi-million dollar investment, in the hopes of placating you?

The only people that truly want local music on the radio....are the local musicians that make it. To the general public, it's a neutral experience at best....or a turn off at worst. And many of the artists on 91.5 would fit into that same general category, albeit with a wider distribution channel. Does that mean that radio should play artists that no one cares about, or likes?

The playlist at 91.5 FM is unsustainable as a for-profit product, or even as a product staffed by volunteers. I need only point to the apathy and lack of participation in the content of this board alone as sustainable proof that lots of people will b*tch about something, but few will step up and work to make a change. Who would staff this no-money, work for free station? And for how long, before interest wanes, and it was abandoned--like WIPB before it?

Drew asked for your opinion, not your vote. You've given both. Now go listen to 91.5. If you're not a Bear listener, and have no intention of BECOMING one, your opinion is not really a concern of theirs, now, is it?

Just my .02.

Happy Holidays. Drive safely.

[=^-..-^=]

I totally agree that something like 91.5 is financially unsustainable for a commercial station, and I fully understand why. Most of the listening public doesn't a rat's derrier about new, innovative, or creative music - let alone local bands. They would rather listen to Bob & Tom laugh at their own jokes.

What I don't understand is any of you would come on a forum like this and try to make us think we have the ILLUSION OF CONTROL over the situation. Radio is what it is, the listening public is what it is, and mp3 players are becoming people's radio station of choice because of it.

[Oliver's Army]

So every one's default answer is that they want a station that sounds like "My Ipod".

With my sensibilities, tastes, moods and memories.


Now.




I remember back in the prehistoric days when I DJ'ed parties and clubs with *real* vinyl records.

No matter what I played *someone* was ALWAYS pissed.

"Why dya gotta play this crap?"

What crap would you prefer?

"I dunno....not THIS tho."

Can you wait 4 minutes?...It'll change.

"Ya got country music?"

Sure. I have America, England, A few odd European, and Canada....what country would you like?

"You suck."

Try the buffet.

[=^-..-^=]

Well OA, to a certain extent, that's true, and that's why ipods are so dang popular.

But there was a time when radio stations had a bigger catalog than anyone had at home, and introduced all of us to new music and new groups.

I get tired of my home collection and want to hear what is coming out, and radio was once good at that. But if they play a hundred Metallica / Nickleback clones and call it 'new' music, who cares?

[antihero999]

mary jane nekkid

[The Hammer]

Oh yeah. . .and another thing. . .I've been saying for 10 years now that it's the people's fault that the music scene is so dead here. I've also been told that it's the same almost anywhere you go. There are approximately 250,000 people in Fort Wayne. I'd say that maybe 1/3 of those are in the age range to get out to shows. That's about 83,000 people. If you added up all the people who go see local artists' shows in Fort Wayne, I bet that it would be less than 800 total. That's less than ONE PER CENT here folks. . .

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

Credentials:
I have been a musician for 47 years. I am classically trained, play multiple instruments (but bass is my first love), and have played in bands all over the USA. I have people calling me from places like Houston, Texas and Branson, MO, asking me to play, that I turn down on a regular basis, primarily because I am taking care of my Mother who is ill, or I would be out on the road. I have seen many hundreds of bands in as many venues.

Observations:
If you are trying to sell a product and it is not moving, it is not the peoples fault. It is because there is nothing of value in the product to attract them. The local population in any area could not give a big rats *ss about the local band scene.

When people go to a bar or club, they are going to escape the other parts of their life. They want their minds taken away from the stress of daily life. Some just go to drink and socialize, in which case a LOUD band only gets in the way. Here is a tip people… keep your overall db level at or below 80 db; you should be able to hear the buzz of conversation when out in the audience. This is easily done if your sound man has a clue as to what he is doing. Keep in mind your demographic. You are not playing to 13 year olds. Others go because of the often forlorn hope of being entertained. They go to dance, hear good music, see some show on stage, and to hear the music that ‘They Want To Hear’. Not what some group thinks they ‘should’ hear or what is HOT in your small circle of friends. People want to see (especially when they are paying for it), a mature acting, seasoned, professional act. Not some group that thinks they are the next big thing and think that the audience owes them respect. There are way too many bands in Ft. Wayne and everywhere else with this attitude and they are the ones killing the market for local bands. Why do you think karaoke is so big? It is entertaining to non-musicians. Very few bands are. Wear some good clothes. Don’t look like you just got off work at the foundry. You don't impress anyone with your starving artist persona.

Anyway, I could write a book on this. My point is… don’t blame the market for any lack of acceptance of your product. They don’t care about you or your music, because they have seen and heard the same thing, over and over, in most of the places they go. Figure out what they want and give it to them in a creative way.. Then you will start to see success.

As far as the radio thing… to appeal to the broadest market, you have to play to the lowest common denominator. This is what the advertisers demand. Radio stations are tacitly owned by the advertisers. They pay for it. Advertisers want the broadest base of listeners possible to sell as much product as they can. That is how most stations select the play list. They don’t look at it that way. There are surveys, focus groups, etc., etc. But it still comes down to the same thing. You either play for a smaller, more select demographic, in which case the selections are more focused, or you play to the broadest base possible and go for the bigger ratings and more advertising dollars. To play to this base requires that the selections be tedious to most musicians.

[deek]

How much does it annually cost to broadcast in an area that would cover Fort Wayne? Just curious?

[Garr]

I see what you're saying and I agree with a lot of your points, as they are articulately provided, intelligent, and follow a train of thought. Bravo.

Despite that, there are plenty of bands and musicians providing precisely what you suggest who still get no attention. Unfortunately there are three sides to every coin and the market itself and the musicians/artists both bear blame for a dead scene musically. The third side of this coin is factors that cannot be foreseen. To place all the blame on one side or the other (as I have come to realize) is bad form.

You're responding to an old post of mine, but I've never had problem with attendance or monetary "success" in Fort Wayne. You can't deny numbers though. People in this town just don't go out to see bands.

[The Hammer]

I see what you're saying and I agree with a lot of your points, as they are articulately provided, intelligent, and follow a train of thought. Bravo.

Despite that, there are plenty of bands and musicians providing precisely what you suggest who still get no attention. Unfortunately there are three sides to every coin and the market itself and the musicians/artists both bear blame for a dead scene musically. The third side of this coin is factors that cannot be foreseen. To place all the blame on one side or the other (as I have come to realize) is bad form.

You're responding to an old post of mine, but I've never had problem with attendance or monetary "success" in Fort Wayne. You can't deny numbers though. People in this town just don't go out to see bands.

There are always exceptions to the rule, and there are always mitigating factors. The .08 law, market saturation (number of competing bands and venues), etc. Some bands are more successful than others. However, if a product has good enough appeal, it will sell. I am saying not to blame the consumer for a generally over marketed, oversaturated, low quality product.

[deek]

I'd like to reiterate one of the points above, as I think it is extremely important...and that is the sound level.

Being in a band for a year or two, I can wholly admit to wanting to "blast" our music. I think many bands like to do that. I know for us it was partly not being able to turn up all that much during practices and being on stage, we just wanted to "feel" it. Granted, a lot of times we had little control of volume...point is, I understand the feeling of wanting to play loud...

But, I'm now on the flip side, and when I do go out, I don't want some band, even if they are really frickin' good, drowning out conversation. I normally will go to a bar to hang out and talk with friends, throw some steel and occaisionally drop some quarters in the pool table...and I really hate the fact that we normally have zero conversation during a set...it would be nice to be able to talk and hear people relatively well without having to scream into someone's ear.

And honestly, I don't follow local bands around...I basically am going someplace to hang out and if there is a band, cool. If they don't suck, even better.

[Bjart Sod]

This.

[Silencio]

If that's what you want from a local radio station, you're going to have to do something drastic.

Specifically, move to LA.

[subgenius88]

I'm asking seriously, what do you want? I work for "The Bear" and since we are the only "active" rock station still in town we understand some of the responsibilities that we have, we are slowly trying to diversify our playlist and not be AC/DC Metallica all the time, its a slow process because thats what has been working for us in the past.

So seriously. what would you like to see done?

I'd just like to hear things I haven't heard before.