GaryAllyn's RadiOpinion

                          ARE THERE(or were there) ANY RADIO "GENIUSES" ?

I have always thought that there are few geniuses in the Radio business. Most of the time it's usually

opportunity intersecting with timing. In the case of Todd Storz and Gordon McLendon, they were

innovators and "inventors" of a format style never tried before. Think how opportunity and timing

came together for Chuck Blore, Bill Stewart and the like. They were among the first to be on hand

when Todd & Gordon started their experiment with Top 40. What fortunate timing to be at a station with good dial position, good power, good call letters, good air personalities, great owners, who bet their lives on promotion and persistence. All of the "Birth Of Top 40 Radio" was built on timing and opportunity too. Let's put the whole era in some historical context. Our country was coming off WW 2 plus the Korean Conflict(remember it was not a "war"). This was the mid 1950's. Those children born just before the start of WW 2 and during, were becoming teenagers. Servicemen were now home and getting their G I Bills to go to college, to buy their first homes. Times were good in the mid 1950's. Everything seemed to be booming with innovation. Super highways were being built, the new cars were stylish and futuristic looking, Broadway began a long stream of major musicals, Movies had Cinerama, James Dean & Marilyn Monroe. Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite were still viable, relevant and still on the air. Baseball was alive with Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio; Joe Louis and Rocky Marciano were still boxing's greatest heavyweight champions. In football Paul Brown was about to unleash Jim Brown to the gridiron as Vince Lombardi was about to become the  Green Bay Packers' coach and icon for the ages. The Atomic Bombs' ending of the war with Japan made the U.S. the World's super power. "Ike" Eisenhower was President, and all seemed right with the World...well, except for Radio. Radio's "Golden Age" was fast becoming the "Olden Age" to many teenagers. These kids were ready for something new, something exciting. These '50's kids wanted to break out and feel "free". Everyone, adults and kids alike", were ready to break out of the doldrums of war and sacrifice. It was time to LIVE! But when they turned on the radio, it was soap operas, silly shows and comedy from another decade or two. The '30's & '40's were THEN, the new jet propelled teens of the 1950's wanted NOW!  But what would Radio do? Especially now that this new thing called Television had just come on the scene. Most predicted doom for the Radio industry. How could "voice only" compete with pictures AND voice? Suddenly, another invention came out of this amazing period. It was called: The Transistor!

This breakthrough enabled portable and smaller radios to be produced to take with you wherever you

wanted to go. But what would come out of these new marvels? Well, kids being kids, and somewhat

rebellious by nature, would find a station like WLAC in Nashville with a guy on the air who played what was called "race music". Rhythm and Blues it was. Others found Country stations which aired shows that featured what was described as "Rockabilly". Most of these shows were on at night, and why couldn't anyone get them in the day time, all the time?  Then jukeboxes started getting some new songs and records with a strong back beat to them. Teens of the day flocked to hear these 78 & 45 RPM records by the thousands, only to spend their parents' allowance money to buy these songs to play at home. So it's now, we re-enter Todd Storz and Gordon McLendon back into this backdrop. After watching people feed the jukeboxes to hear mostly the same several songs over and over, the idea came to fruition that maybe this is what the people now want. Storz and McLendon saw opportunity...and the timing seemed right. Let's give people what they want: Music, News and Sports. Throw in a little creative fun, some hip disc jockeys, and Voila! Top 40(or mass appeal) radio was born.

 No question, The 1st "Golden Era" of Radio was about 1935-1955. This was Radio's first entertainment and information "Star". It was LIVE, and for the most part, they got it right. 

Now, it was time for The "2nd Golden Era"-1955-1975! I think they got it almost right again. And when Elvis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis invaded the airwaves it was all over for the "1st Golden Era" of Radio.

Yeah, it was opportunity intersecting with timing alright...but when given that opportunity, Radio and

it's effect on the public awareness, was forever changed. All of the radio stations and formats since

are mere clones of that perfect timing back in the mid 1950's. Genius? Perhaps. The REAL genius is in the "People"...they made it happen. All it took was a couple of guys with radio stations, to recognize and understand...it's the people...listen to the people...they'll tell if it's right or not. 

That's MY RadiOpinion...what's yours?