Red's Latest Reditorial

Radio News from British Columbia

Postby Jack Bennest » Sun Aug 13, 2006 8:55 am

"To survive in the rat race, you cannot afford to be a mouse ? you have to be a rat too." - red robinson




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Jack Bennest
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Postby tuned » Sun Aug 13, 2006 10:25 am

I agree with Red's editorial but the villians aren't the corporations. We just have to look in the collective mirror to see the root of the problem. The consolidation and subsequent destruction of the radio industry was only possible because the people that we elected made it possible. Do you own a mutual fund? Well I guarantee you that the same conglomerates that have ruined broadcasting are being financed by your retirement savings. It's easy to blame Corus for ruining radio but they are just doing what corporations do. Foresty companies used to be able to clearcut on public land and leave a big mess behind until the public started demanding otherwise. President Clinton and Prime Minster Chretien are the ones responsible for the "deregulation" of radio and television that allowed the massive consolidation. The public said nothing and quite frankly is still saying nothing. Clear Channel is trying to get the caps raised even further in the US as is Corus in Canada. What have you done to stop them other than whinging on a message board?
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Postby Glen Livingstone » Sun Aug 13, 2006 5:41 pm

I too, agree with Red's Editorial, but in the end, will it change anything?

I think not.

For radio to ever be relevant and fun again, these corporations are either going to have to disappear completely, or start losing a lot of money on their investments - enough to make them want to begin unloading them and look for other businesses to ruin.

Then maybe the people who know and love radio will be able to regain control and fix it.

The only thing that could possibly bring about change would be if the public started to raise a major stink about the horrible state of Canadian broadcasting and make their concerns known to the CRTC.

I think we can all agree that this is never going to happen. And even if it did, would the CRTC pay any attention anyway? Don't bother answering that last one - it was a rhetorical question.

Sadly, the public either doesn't care, or is just too plain stupid to realize what has been stolen from it.

If this consolidation/downsizing scenario had occurred a few earlier, things might have been different.

But radio no longer has the stranglehold on the distribution of music and information that it once did. Today there are many other ways to find what we need, and terrestrial radio as a source of entertainment or news is far down the list.

We just have to face it: There is no such thing as a program director in today's broadcasting landscape. In fact there is nobody in a management position at any radio station in this country who has the power to make any kind of programming decision whatsoever.

In the end, everything - from day-to-day programming decisions to staffing - is determined by the shareholders.

So if you or your company pension plans ( if you're fortunate enough to have one ) hold shares in Rogers, Corus, Shaw, CHUM, or Standard, then you're part of the problem.

I think the majority of people who take the time to read this stuff would agree with most of the points mentioned - but in the end - it doesn't make a blind bit of difference, the snake has long since escaped its cage.

So thanks Red, for taking the time to editorialize on this subject, I enjoyed reading it and it's good to have my own opinions reinforced, but really, in the end, it's just pissing in the wind.

We're just venting.

That, and two bucks will buy you a cup of Starbucks coffee.
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Postby johnsykes » Sun Aug 13, 2006 7:36 pm

As usual Red is right on the button.....but the real culprit(s) is(are) the CRTC and its members. How to totally screw up an industry in 30 seconds....that's our CRTC.
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