It sure is quiet in here - what happened?

[Tom Jeffries]

I have appreciated the work RadioFan and Russ and the other folks have put into radiowest.ca - it's a fun place to connect, with peers.

Lately, I wonder if there is anyone out there! There are a few excellent posts by pave and Jon, and RadioFan - but gee, does anyone have anything to say?

Is it that quiet in radio?

I wonder.

Today - reading that ad revenue in Newspapers, in the US, is down 50% in the last year and 100 newspapers have sold in the last few months, but many big old properties are not selling, at any price.

Remember when the Real Estate Classifieds, and the weekend news, were about the same size? OVER.

Magazines? A disaster. No one reads 'em - it's all on-line and next- watch as traditional shopping in big stores ends - as people buy more and more on line.

TV is feeling pinch and you will see many of those cable channels were stuck paying for, disappear now that CRTC regs have changed.

Rogers stock? Good luck with that - any media stock is going to be under pressure.

Mr Casady at CORUS must be going bananas, as he sees his stock fall off the table - just before he retires.

This from the Globe:
Corus Entertainment Inc has a net profit margin of -4.45%. Besides being negative, it is also below the industry average and implies that this company is not effective at turning revenues into bottom line profit.

The times have changed and maybe the stillness here is a reflection of this change.

Cheers.

[Jim Walters]

I have appreciated the work RadioFan and Russ and the other folks have put into radiowest.ca - it's a fun place to connect, with peers.

Lately, I wonder if there is anyone out there! There are a few excellent posts by pave and Jon, and RadioFan - but gee, does anyone have anything to say?

Is it that quiet in radio?

I wonder.

Today - reading that ad revenue in Newspapers, in the US, is down 50% in the last year and 100 newspapers have sold in the last few months, but many big old properties are not selling, at any price.

Remember when the Real Estate Classifieds, and the weekend news, were about the same size? OVER.

Magazines? A disaster. No one reads 'em - it's all on-line and next- watch as traditional shopping in big stores ends - as people buy more and more on line.

TV is feeling pinch and you will see many of those cable channels were stuck paying for, disappear now that CRTC regs have changed.

Rogers stock? Good luck with that - any media stock is going to be under pressure.

Mr Casady at CORUS must be going bananas, as he sees his stock fall off the table - just before he retires.

This from the Globe:
Corus Entertainment Inc has a net profit margin of -4.45%. Besides being negative, it is also below the industry average and implies that this company is not effective at turning revenues into bottom line profit.

The times have changed and maybe the stillness here is a reflection of this change.

Cheers.

I'd say it's quiet here and elsewhere because there's nothing going on in radio anywhere in North America than anyone really cares about.

Thanks to advertising agencies telling radio not to cater to those over 50, we've been shut out. As we know, most under 25 don't even know what a radio is, they don't have the money we have, but they're being catered to while those of us who grew up on radio are being snuffed.

When they day comes that these greedy bean counters realize they fucked up big time, it'll be too late. We'll have found new avenues for entertainment and we won't be back.

As for your quote from the Globe about Corus, a link to the full story would be appreciated. Dangling carrots frustrates me.

[Tom Jeffries]

It's on the Globeandmail.com page - search CORUS and CASADY. They don't have an adjunct url displayed.

Sorry to give you the yips.

You and i are on the same page.

It's DEAD, because no one cares.

Thx.

[Tape Splicer]

Perhaps this is just a quiet time here and on other message boards ... Since I have signed on to RadioWest, I have noticed that the site seems quieter in the spring and summer months ...The weather is fantastic the last few days here in the eastern valley. My wife and I try to be out at least part of each day. ...Enjoy the sun, rain, wind and other elements as they come...BC is a great place to live,,. And aside from the fertilizer odor that hangs in the air occasionally here, it is beautiful.

[Neumann Sennheiser]

...aside from the fertilizer odor that hangs in the air occasionally here, it is beautiful.

One might state precisely the same regarding the experience of our beloved RadioWest board itself.

[kal]

Here are a few observations that may generate some discussion...

Best news duo: Andy Walsh, Brian Brenn at News 1130

Best airborne traffic reports, albeit short ones on Global TV: Trish Jewison

Smoothest voice and best ad libber: Jim Bennie at News 1130

Best morning news anchor: Tammy Moyer at News 1130

Best interviewer: Rick Cluff at CBC 690/88.1

--Runner-up, especially for extended interviews: Jill Bennett at CKNW

Smoothest sports caster(s): Rich Brown and Rick Dhaliwal at News 1130

Best weekday newscaster: Terry Schinz at CKNW

Best local AM signal: can't name one ... AM just gets noisier by the year

Best FM signal: CFMI, Rock 101, and 104.3 is right up there as well
(I'm no expert on signals, compression and the like)

Best local TV news anchor: Mike Killeen at CTV 9

Best local radio reporter: Marcella Bernardo at CKNW

Best recurring talk show segment: Moe Sihota/Colin Hansen with Rick Cluff on CBC Radio


I could come up with other categories but this will have to do for now.

[Tape Splicer]

NS; You aren't suggesting that there are "stinkers" who visit RadioWest are you?

[Ross Ewage]

NS; You aren't suggesting that there are "stinkers" who visit RadioWest are you?

I certainly hope he's not suggesting that. There may be a few bitter old farts hanging about, but no real stinkers!

[Dan Sys]

Tape Splicer said:

And aside from the fertilizer odor that hangs in the air occasionally here, it is beautiful.

LOL. I can sure relate to that living in Aldergrove. It has been especially pungent the past few days

[crs]

The one thing that's been VERY noticeable over the last few months is the absence of anyone coming to the DEFENCE of the industry. What's to defend? My biggest beef with radio is they're focussed too much on discussing reality TV and not focussed enough on what's happening in their community. Don't give a rats who was punted off Survivor last night, pretty weak show prep if that's the best you can do. Alas the jocks hands are tied by the corporate hacks who zapped the local, live and relevant out of radio LONG AGO. Way to wreck a once proud industry!

[Tape Splicer]

....not focussed enough on what's happening in their community.....

I am finding that the "most local" station here CHWK 89.5MH/z FM does a good job - They plug into local community by interviewing people who are active in community events. The mayor is on the morning show twice a month to discuss questions submitted by listeners. The only thing lacking is a newscast at the top of any given hour, how erever the morning hosts do highlight local news items that are posted on "My Chilliwack News" which is an online "news paper".

STAR-FM is more like "QM' in its sound, with WX news providing it's services to the station... They have the "who was kicked off the island type of banter between songs. .....
Then there is CBC radio 1 and Radio 2 along with the UFV radio station.

There is something for almost every taste out there. ... It is easier to "live and let live than "tilt at wind mils"... It is easier on the headaches, blood presure and one will not acquire an ulcer....

[serrebi]

Meh: Can't really get FM at all in my basement suite accept for CBC radio1 and sonic/star abbotsford. Maybe that's part of the problem? Also the competition: People jump to services like pandora , and call them competition to radio: I don't know any md/pd types, but everyone I talk to kinda puts up their hands when it comes to competing with Pandora, as if it wasn't possible ever, even though they are technically not in Canada. Regardless what happens with our cable lineup, tv is weathering the storm of the internet a lot better than radio, maybe kicking and screaming to other third party, but they are adjusting better than radio has. I still listen to stations around the world which I consider good: For my tastes : sunshine live, radio 538, sky plus: You know, places that have a decent sounding internet stream, but I think no matter how large of a library they got, radio could compete with automated services: They just have to want to/bring something to keep listeners. Not my problem if money is to much of a priority for these companies. Buh bye radio then. Honestly I think 30% canadian is like our biggest mistake ever, cutting out formats because of a stupid minimum Canadian law. Seemed like the right thing to do in the 70's when there was no competition for anyone's listening, but not now.

[cart_machine]

Here are a few observations that may generate some discussion...

Thanks for something positive, Kal.

When I started out, I had tremendous respect for a lot of people who were in the business. They were really talented and I enjoyed listening to them. I later got to work with a few of them. It's a career highlight. Today, I work with people less than half my age and, maybe they don't realise it, I learn things from them.

By and large, the people in the radio business—those who stay around for any length of time, anyway—are decent people. I've met very few jerks, certainly among those of us in the trenches. Such it always was, I suspect. Someone like RadioFan or Neumann could probably write full books of funny things they saw and people they worked with, though I don't know if they could say they worked with someone who constantly bragged about his SpiderMan underwear.

If I had to your list, I would laud Mike Lloyd of 'WX as one of cleverest writers out there. In feature pieces, he comes up with turns of phrases that I'd never begin to think of because they're brilliant.

cArtie

Note: My apologies for any spelling mistakes in this post. Perhaps after more experience in the business, I'll get everything correct.

[pave]

This is an old saw - coming from me. However the facts tend to speak for themselves.

The overwhelming evidence demonstrates the following: Radio owners and managers absolutely have no clue as to what to do next to get their outfits off the skids! They find themselves lost in the wilderness.

Yet, as I have also mentioned before - Radio could become The Prime Medium. It is, however, highly unlikely - so long as these guys refuse to 'fess up and admit they are in way over their heads and are desperately in need of help - from the outside.

[kal]

A couple more additions to my best-of list ...

Best business reporter: Richard Dettman at News 1130

Best talk show host at the moment: Sean Leslie at CKNW

Best morning DJ: Willy Percy at CFMI/Rock 101



It's easy to post negative content about local media. Hopefully this shows that there are positives, program and brand directors not withstanding. I'm a frequent dial changer. My AM band is programmed to: 650/690/730/810/980/1040/1130/1530. 650/730 are seldom tuned though.