Radio AM to FM: August 12, 2005
Too Little Too Late
AllAccess.com has reported that FCC Chairman Kevin Martin has ordered a review
of the radio payola settlement between Sony/BMG and New York Attorney General
Eliot Spritzer.
Nice try, Kevin. But where were you and the FCC while all of this was going on
over the past five years or so? Why was it the Attorney General from New York
who exposed this illegal ongoing pay-for-play system instead of the commission
charged with enforcing such laws? Admit it, Kevin, you and your fellow commissioners
blew it, big time. You were so busy lining your own pockets under deregulation
and fake censorship that you missed what was staring you in the face.
Now that youve been caught sleeping with the enemy, you are trying to save
yourself with an investigation. Well Im not buying it. You
and your cronies have destroyed radio, and have become the fox watching the chicken
coop. This investigation does nothing to change my mind that the
FCC has so damaged broadcasting that the entire commission should be disbanded.
In fact it cements that opinion. Admit it: the FCC has become so ineffective
that it no longer serves a purpose in the public interest.
Play Thing
L. A. Theater Works The Plays the Thing airs In Real Life tomorrow
at 10:00 PM on KPCC (89.3 FM). This is the final play in an autobiographical
trilogy by Charlayne Woodard, and recounts her days as a struggling New York
actress. The play is written and performed by Woodard herself, and concludes
with an interview of the actress.
I Told You So
For years, I have been critical of commercial loads on radio stations, especially
when it came to huge numbers of commercials on a particular break. Imagine being
the last advertiser in a ten or 15 minute block of commercials as has become
common on many stations ... no one would hear your ad.
So Clear Channel, one of the worst offenders, trots out their Less
is More campaign, essentially cutting down the number of commercial minutes
on their stations each hour (although unlike my plan they do not necessarily
cut the number of actual commercials, they just cut many down in length) with
the hope of making up the loss in advertising revenue minutes by charging more
for each minute that continues to run. Not as good as my plan, but a start.
Well, turns out it works. Time spent listening at Clear Channel stations across
the country and across all formats is up. As high as 18 percent at certain stations
in certain demographics. And ad revenue is also up. in spite of the ad minute
decrease. All this at a time when listening habits and revenue at non-Clear Channel
stations (both of them) is essentially flat.
Im telling you, I should get a consulting fee from Clear Channel for giving
them the idea. Or at least have them change the name of the campaign from Less
is More to the more accurate Wagoner was Right.
Driven
Final numbers were not in by press time, but the 24th annual KLOS Blood
Drive almost set a record for first day collections -- 2,850 units, more than
any other single day since the record was set by KLOS in 2002. All involved expect
the drive donation total to exceed the record total set last year, when 6,250
units were collected.
The station has run a blood drive every year since 1981, back when it was known
as ninety-five and a half rather than ninety five point five KLOS.
Station personalities and staff are rightfully proud of the annual drive, and
promote it more than all of their other events. A nice tradition, and a job well
done.
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Copyright © 2005 Richard Wagoner and The Copley Press.
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