KNOCK KNOCK.....ANYBODY THERE?


Well, the 2015 figures are in, and once again, the number of people listening 
to Radio in the United States is up...a stunning 245 million. That's per week!!
Nielsen reports that this number is an all time high. My question, among many
is, what is being done by the Radio media to utilize these listeners? What is
being offered to keep and sustain this audience? The NAB does little it seems.
If you do see or hear any promotional material, it's usually dull or poorly
produced. Not since Stan Freberg's award winning Radio promos of the 1960's
has there been any advertising extolling our virtues or advantages over other
forms of media competitors. Radio has been usually very good at selling air time
to advertisers, but it does a lackluster job at selling itself. Nielsen also points out
that Hispanics and Blacks listen more than any other group. I wonder why it is
that they find Radio more enjoyable than other groups?  And why doesn't Radio,
the NAB or other pro Radio associations do more to attract and keep more of 
these so called "other groups"?  Once again, Radio in general, has abdicated
it's responsibility as a media leader, and allowed the internet to take that role..
slowly but surely. Radio in many markets today do little advertising to attract 
listeners as in years past. I know in my area of Southern California, I see little,
if any; billboards, bus signage, television spots or newspaper ads like was seen 
in years/decades past. As my Mother used to say: "if you don't knock, nobody
will answer. How true Mother.  So, here they are...245 million people wanting
to listen, now it's Radio's turn to steer them in the right direction-YOUR
direction. Here's my new version of the old "knock-knock" joke:

#1   "Knock Knock!"
#2   "Who's there?" 
#1   "Radio."
#2   "Radio who?"
 That's what I want to know.  And That's my RadiOpinion..what's yours?

                               LAST RITES OR LAST STAND FOR AM RADIO?

I read recently an article online by Bobby Owsinski dealing with what many have
 been thinking that sadly, the days of AM radio may be coming to a close. Here's 
some of what Owsinski said:

"One of the reasons is that electric cars like the Tesla Model X or BMW i3 don't 
install them since the AM reception is impossible due to the internal electrical noise
 of the car. That said, the demand for AM has been way down as almost everywhere
in the country AM stations are almost always at the bottom of the Arbitron ratings. 
It's now the place for news, talk radio and sports, but not music. In fact, even sports
is abandoning the band for FM.

In Europe, AM stations are being rapidly shut down on a national scale. Norway and
Germany have discontinued all AM broadcasting, and even perennial heavyweights 
like Radio Luxembourg and Armed Forces Radio have shut down their AM signals.

In some cases, even FM may go dark as many countries opt for  
Digital Audio Broadcasting instead."

Yes, how sad, that the medium that used to play the hit music, 
and break the hit music-AM Radio-is on Life Support. It didn't
(or doesn't) have to be this way or this certain. In my view, 
programmers, and radio people gave up trying to resuscitate a 
dying entity. It just was "accepted" that AM could only survive on a diet of news, talk 
or sports. Radio gave up on it's local viability that AM used to provide. 
As Bobby Owsinski went on to say in his article for www.hypebot.com... 
"losing the local musical flavor of radio is a sad twist of fate that will ultimately be bad 
for musicians, artists and bands everywhere. The cultivation of local talent and the 
ability to give them that first break will be sorely missed".

 Why is it we always seem to want to discard the old and/or the out of date?   
AM radio CAN be restored to it's near original form just like a '55 Chevy or a 
Les Paul guitar. So, before that last gasp of air (time) for AM Radio comes, someone 
step forward-maybe you-pinch it's nose, then breathe some air into it's electronic lungs..
.to let those "hits keep on a comin'" again. 
Yes, the new technology is here, but it can't replace history. Technology has not 
changed the shape of a clarinet, a trumpet, a violin or most guitars; or the great music 
and sounds they produce.
Likewise, a radio station can't be changed by gigabytes or digital devices. 
High tech also can not replace the special sound of live radio stations-AM or FM-and 
the sounds they produce. 
Best of all, listening to radio is FREE! No data to buy, no long contracts to sign. 
In America, that's the best price of all...to be FREE. Hold off radio's requiem for now. 
Stop the Last Rites! It's time to make AM radio's Last Stand.  
That's my RadiOpinion...what's yours?    

 

                          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?

                                      "HEAVEN'S TO MURGATROYD !"
                                          ( or, the words we left behind )



This expression "hit me" over the holidays when an old friend exclaimed it while watching a
spectacular play in a football game. This led me to try and find out who, where or what indeed
"Murgatroyd" was. Would you believe the online spell checker didn't even recognize the word?
I then started to think how obsolete some words and/or phrases have become since my childhood. I assume this because of the inexorable march of technology. Some of these "lost 
words" include: "don't touch that dial", "carbon copy", "hung out to dry", "you sound like a
broken record"...and that's just the start of a bevy of faded linguistics. Back in the olden days
we'd put on our best "bib and tucker" and "straighten up &and  fly right"."Hubba Hubba"! We'd"cut a rug in some juke joint" then go "petting, or necking while billing & cooing or.. pitching woo in hot rods or jalopies in some passion pit or lover's lane". Heavens to Betsy!
"Gee whillikers!" "Jumpin' Jeshosaphat!" "Holy Moley!". We were "in like Flynn" and "living the life of Riley", and not even a "regular guy" could accuse us of being a "knucklehead or nincompoop or a pill". Not for "all the tea in China!". Yes, back in the day, things were "swell"
which hasn't been used in decades. "Swell" has gone way of pageboys, spats, knickers & poodle skirts. "Oh, my aching back". "Kilroy was here"...but he wasn't. We have become unstuck in time. 
We wake up from what has surely been a short nap, and before we can say: "I'll be a
monkey's uncle" or "this is a fine kettle of fish", we discover that the words we grew up with,
the words that were as omnipresent as oxygen, have vanished! Poof! Gone! The words we left
behind...erased from the landscape and wordscape of our perception, like Mickey Mouse
watches, Hula Hoops and little wax bottles. Where have all those phrases gone? Long time
passing. Ahh "Pshaw"! Were they "banned in Boston"? Were they "bigger than a breadbox?"
The very idea! "It's your nickel". "Knee high to a grasshopper". "Turn-of-the-century". "You
look like the wreck of the Hesperus". "Fiddlesticks!" "Cooties". "Don't take any wooden
nickels". "See ya in the funny papers" and Awaa-aa-y we go!". Oh my "Stars and garters!"
It turns out there are more of these lost words and phrases than "Carter has liver pills!"
Disturbing stuff, this winking out of the words of our youth...words that lodge in our heart's
deep core. We of a certain age have been blessed to live in changeful times. Now we have the
perspective of time to look back and have the advantage of remembering that there were once
words which "strutted their stuff" on the Earthly stage and now are heard no more...except
in our collective memory. It's one of the greatest advantages of aging. We can  "have
archaic and eat it too".  So, go "put another nickel in the nickelodeon" we'll "see ya later
alligator"!   

-These words left behind by Gary Allyn

                       I'M DREAMING OF......

Here we are at the end of another year. A time to reflect on all that has passed before us

these previous 350 plus days. I always inwardly ask myself if I, or the World I live in, is any

better than previous times. Not for me. No. I'm dreaming not  of White Christmases, but

for and end to political correctness. I'm dreaming of a time when maybe there will be no

one fired in Radio at Christmas(dream on). I keep dreaming that one day someone will

wake up in Broadcasting and realize you really need real people on the air LIVE to really

achieve anything meaningful. I'm also dreaming that the FCC will realize one day that the

Deregulation Ruling was absurd, and that no one entity needs to own hundreds of Radio

stations. I also dream that sanity will return to this World before there is no more World.

All-in-all, 2015 was not a terrific year, nor was it totally without it's good moments, but I'd

trade a few of 2015's for any one of the years from 1955 through 1970. Yeah. That's my

best dream I can dream as of now. To you, good and dear reader, may all of your dreams

come true and bring you the joy, wealth, health and happiness you seek in the New Year.

That's my Radi-ho-ho-Opinion, what's yours? 


 

              *Following is reprint from my 2013 Opinions:
                                
                                     Brenda, Bobby, Burl..enough already!!

Now, I love a good Christmas carol or song as much as anybody. But after 60 years,

I'm getting a little tired of "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree"and "a rump-a-pum-pum" 

with "The Little Drummer Boy". If that's not long enough, we now have stations starting 

their All Christmas music formats November 1st!  Joy to the World and Feliz to your Navy 

Dad.  Yep, there's less than 65 days of a "Holly Jolly Christmas" and The Chipmunks. 

I know, this usually gets some decent rating points for these "brave" but tedious stations.  

I know, I'll be able to hear this again in Target and Sears while shopping. Just can't get

 enough of those badly segued Christmas Classics...like The Singing Dogs barking their way 

through "Jingle Bells"and deftly merging into "Mary's Boy Child" by Harry Belafonte or 

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir!  I cringe.

Oh! I know, there's always a 5, 6,or 7 year old coming along who's never heard these "ripe"

holiday "chestnuts" before. I worry that they're now sentenced to hear them the rest of their 

lives! Before you scold me and call me a programming "Scrooge", I love the Holidays. Perhaps

we should just throw common sense and programming philosophy out in the snow with

"Frosty" and enjoy it all. But I fear some group or dogmatic person will come along and

picket these stations for having too many songs with Christmas in the lyrics! It's only a matter

of time. If the lawsuits then prevail, that'll cut the Holiday song list down by over 80%! 

We'll have to get Brenda Lee to re-record "Rockin' Around The HOLIDAY Tree" I guess.

I can't even imagine Bing Crosby ever singing "White Holiday" can you? And Mel Torme 

would never have written "The Holiday Song" today. Somehow hearing Sinatra sing: "I'll

Be Home For The Winter Solstice" won't cut it either. While I wait for political correctness

to offer some new songs...Little Drummer Boy...you're safe.  For now!.." a rump-a-pum-pum...

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

By the way, Stan Freberg's "Green Christmas" is still funny after 55 years. A CLASSIC!

Listen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5IXlfJSEi4

                             THE RADIO TREADMILL...IS IT TIME TO GET OFF?


Recently, there was a 30 year celebration of the release of "Back To The Future". For some reason
that got me to thinking about the direction to where Radio was heading. It seems that most Radio
execs today are missing a most important direction, and that would, could, or should be:
Back To The Future. Radio, like a lot of industries, have always copied what was/is successful.
Scores of stations copied the early McLendon, Storz and Bartell formats. Later arose all those
"Fake Drake" or "Boss" stations. Why? Because they were winners. They were damned good.
They were winners...both in ratings and revenue. Today's "Deregulation Darlings" and their
corporate hierarchy, haven't even contemplated trying what has already worked. There has been
no consideration or thought of listening to tapes or recordings of what ingredients made those
stations of yesteryear so highly successful. Programmers today are afraid to take any creative
chances. The corporate overlords want to "play it safe". The format is one cleansed of any human
connection. Don't play or say anything that hasn't already been "scrubbed" first by research or
focus groups. What this leads to is banality, sterility and predictability. After all, just keep
something on the air that can produce the necessary revenue to pay off  the debt service on those
over-priced loans used to purchase that corporate armada of radio properties. It's hard enough to
run ONE radio station...running hundreds is close to insane! There's little thought about the
"product" on the air. There IS a lot of thought...usually the only thought... THE BOTTOM LINE.
These Bottom Line thinkers seldom think of people. Fewer people, less payroll. Less people,
more duties. Quite simple. One person can voice track for dozens of stations, right? Also, a
central music department can put the same music on a myriad of stations in many markets.
Voila! Radio has become a digital automation system, not too unlike the pre-programmed Shafer,
IGM or Shulke systems of the 1960's. Many of us feared then, these machines would someday
lead to our inevitable replacement. In the ensuing 40 years, not that much is different. If those
in control of broadcast operations today are searching for something "new", maybe they should
listen to Peter Allen's song lyrics and be reminded that "Everything Old Is New Again". Try
something! This treadmill radio has been on just isn't very good anymore. Time to get off!
That Fall day back in 1955 when I first hopped on board the Radio treadmill and uttered my first words on the air, I was 17 years old, naive, and full of excitement in joining this magical World
called RADIO. Somewhere along the way, the "magic" left, but the treadmill kept monotonously moving to a new software laden place where humans can be replaced quickly... just hit the "delete" button. That's MY RadiOpinion, what's yours?