Here's the problem with radio today

Radio News from British Columbia

Postby GrumpyOldMan » Mon May 15, 2006 7:29 am

You may have read the article in Sunday's Province that featured the home of Z95 drive home guy Buzz Bishop, his wife and two kids (two rat dogs).

Here's my beef. Number 1, if Buzz Bishop is considered a "celebrity" in the eyes of the article writer, we're all in serious trouble. Buzz is doing the same show he did 10 years ago. Bland, vanilla, predictable boring radio.

Then you factor in a radio guy showing off his 4 by 6 Chanel poster that he bought in Paris, and as a listener (the average Jill trying to make enough to afford a bottle of Chanel) and you see the disconnect between DJ and listener.

I have the same beef about Willy Percy's spread not too long ago, where he toured the Province around his million dollar West Van home. Who can relate to that? Not the average Jack listener.

Now, did the Province seek out Buzz, or did Buzz seek out the Province? My guess is the latter. You have to give him credit for promoting himself at every opportunity...but I think he should save his energy promoting himself, and instead work on creating a dynamic, interesting radio show instead.
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Postby Glen Livingstone » Mon May 15, 2006 10:55 am

GrumpyOldMan wrote:You may have read the article in Sunday's Province that featured the home of Z95 drive home guy Buzz Bishop, his wife and two kids (two rat dogs).

Here's my beef.  Number 1, if Buzz Bishop is considered a "celebrity" in the eyes of the article writer, we're all in serious trouble. 

I think that what you're forgetting GrumpyOldMan, is that for the past several years Vancouver has been experiencing a serious celebrity shortage.

In fact when Michael Buble is out of town, we have none.

As a result, civic-minded citizens like Buzz Bishop have stepped up to the plate and - like volunteer search-and-rescue teams - are on standby 24 hours a day whenever the local media requires a celebrity-based story.

Other Vancouver celebrities voulunteering their services on a standby basis include Bruce Allen, Pamela Martin and Zack Spencer.

Please keep in mind that these stories are in no way meant to replace items about genuine celebrities such as Paris Hilton or Tom Cruise but only serve as stop-gap measures until a real celebrity does something noteworthy.

Of course outside the Vancouver market the value of The Province's Buzz Bishop story in yesterday's edition drops dramatically and, once it reaches the Aldergrove-Langley border, is virtually worthless.

Instead of criticizing these people, we should thank them for helping to ensure that Vancouver never runs out of fascinating celebrity news.
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Postby joonyer » Mon May 15, 2006 1:00 pm

I think...um...about a half year ago...I might have been a 'celebrity', for at least 4 minutes.
It was awesome. I was doing a remote on location thingie...and this fantastic woman whom I'm sure missed her previous medication alottment, came by to where JACK was. She stops right in front of me, and while I am live on air doing said cut-in, proceeds to look me up and down, and after noticing my "joonyer" button on my shirt...(I know, I'm shameless)...at the top of her lungs yell out: "Your HIM"?!?!
It was just awesome.
I think.
...hmmm...wait a sec.....now that I think about it....maybe that was a bad thing...
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Postby tuned » Mon May 15, 2006 9:46 pm

Your first mistake grumpy guy was reading The Province. I mean what were you thinking? If you want to be less of a grumpy guy I suggest you don't bother reading/subscribing to anything published or produced by Canwest. Your grumpiness will decrease almost immediately. I mean who needs to read another Bob Rennie condo story? Take the 25 bucks that you would be putting in Lenny and Squiggys pockets and buy yourself a nice bottle of wine instead.
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Postby buzzbishop » Mon May 15, 2006 10:23 pm

Thanks for reading the piece, Grumpy. I'm sure you expected me to pop in and settle up a few things, so here it goes...

For the record, they asked us. Specifically? They asked my wife, lord knows if I was on my own I wouldn't have my place shot, it's all the style of my wife.

Am I a celebrity?? Hmmm .. I guess we all are, a little bit anyway. We certainly are famous, for lack of a better word. I've been at Z for 13+ years now, you'd think my name would have found its way around town a little bit by now. I'd hope anyway.

And what is a celebrity? Someone who is celebrated? What makes movie people celebs and not radio people? Is Ryan Seacrest only a celeb cause he's on Idol?

Anyhow, I believe the term used in these types of cases is "local celebrity" and I would argue prime time radio people in Vancouver are. Steve Darling, Wayne Cox, Tamara, Mark Madryga .. are they any more celeb-ish than the radio fraternity?

As for relating to my audience? Who's to say all the people listening are minimum wage earners? There are people making waaayy more than me and wayyy less, for sure. I am not flaunting anything in that article other than I managed to marry a woman who has a great eye for style.

And who cares that Willy lives in a million dollar West Van house? The guy has worked hard, is one of the best in the country at his job and brings a smile to tens of thousands of people everyday. Should he live in a rundown shack to be humble before his audience? Should people be ashamed to be successful?? Whatever happened to trying to do better, live better and be better? Have you no ambition?

That Chanel print was bought on the internet for a couple hundred bucks. Not exactly a collection of Rembrandts, is it?

As for the "ratty dogs"?? They happened to be very beautiful chihuahuas. They're quiet, friendly, gorgeous and don't drool in my slippers, gotta like that in a dog.

BTW, next week it's Tamara Taggart in the piece. She was supposed to be this week, but cancelled at the last minute because of a conflict with the interior decorator she's hiring to stage her house. We were a very last minute replacement to fill the piece. We did the decorating ourselves, we didn't hire anyone.

Again, they asked us. But I would see absolutely nothing wrong if I had asked to be in the piece myself. I have sent many notices to media for exposure over my 16 yrs and I would argue that's how I've managed to stay in one place for so long. What's wrong with getting your name out there? If we as jocks dont look at ourselves as a brand that has to be marketed, who will?

Why do we mc events? To meet people, show we care and to have a more personal relationship with the audience. It's called self promotion, and if you're not doing it, you're just gonna end up doing nothing.

I'll leave you to your discussion, now that you have a few more of the facts.
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Postby joonyer » Tue May 16, 2006 3:17 pm

Buzz...you made me cry.
Awesome post.
Quote: "What's wrong with getting your name out there? If we as jocks dont look at ourselves as a brand that has to be marketed, who will?
Why do we mc events? To meet people, show we care and to have a more personal relationship with the audience. It's called self promotion, and if you're not doing it, you're just gonna end up doing nothing."
EXACTLY.
BTW, remember 7 years ago, you were on location giving away hot dogs...I came up to you...said "Hi. I'm joonyer". You must be Buzz. It says so on your name tag".
You laughed.
I cried.
It was the worst hot dog I ever had.
Anyway, I'm off to work now to relay Britney jokes.
I hope someone listens.
That'd be awesome.
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Postby tuned » Wed May 17, 2006 9:05 am

The weather chickie from CTV must have a hard time getting her swelled melon through the front door these days. Getting her shack "staged"? WTF does she think she is? Thanks for that nugget Buzz...lol....btw I don't think there's anything wrong with anyone in this business going out and promoting themselves BUT Frosty had it right. He realized that radio is theatre of the mind. Do you think he'd have been caught dead draped over a couch in the Province? I think not. When I still subscribed to the Province I remember being nauseated by the Willy spread. I mean a guy that makes a living spinning rock'n'roll putting on "airs" in his metrosexual pad? After thirty years in broadcasting I've realized that ego is inversely proportional with ability.
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