:Radio News Flash:
Thinking of podcasting? It's easier than you'd think.
WTOP Internet Operations Manager Steve Dolge tells Inside Radio that most stations already have everything they need - a website and audio editing software. While bandwidth costs have come down since the early days of streaming.
...DURRRRR....
Podcasting users may
hit 60 million by 2010
According to new forecasts from The Diffusion Group, a leading consumer technology research consultancy, demand for time-shifted digital audio files or "podcasts" is expected to grow from less than 15% of portable digital music player owners in 2004 to 75% by 2010.
Interesting stats in a press release from TDG dated June 15th.
"Three reasons why
Jack is working"
...Not-so much
Today's Inside Radio top headline is titled "Consultant Guy Zapoleon identifies 'three reasons why Jack is working.'" -- but the intro paragraph I read (the one that's *supposed* to draw you into reading the rest of the article) seemed more like a warning to managers of the format.
Zapolean says: "(the format) will be successful for at least 18 months, with good marketing support and if the necessary course corrections are made." AND he goes on to say "Jack is not a quick fix to the ills that plague radio right now."
In my opinion, those could be the most important points in the article -- right out there on the front page. Too bad the walking dead can't hear so good... Appreantly they can't read so well, either.
The March of the Dead continues...
I think I need to hang out my shingle as a fortune teller.
Sirius just scooped up Cousin Brucie of the now defunct WCBS Oldies station. Think that will help convince fans of the station to consider switching to satellite radio so they can keep tuning in to hear their favorite on-air personality?
Not sure? Let me ask ya this: Do zombies smell bad?
Sometimes I Scare Myself
Man! Did I call it yesterday or WHAT?
In response to WCBS-FM's "Doo Wop Format Flip-Flop" I predicted satellite radio would JUMP at the chance to sign up all the pissed-off ex-listeners of the formerly Oldies-station's now pop-trendy Jack format.
I didn't know how right I was...
I stated that although the Oldies listeners would have been the LAST folks to switch from Terrestrial Radio to a Satellite or iPod player, that Infinity had just DRIVEN them into the arms of the new technology, but cutting off their access to a station and format they'd loved for over 30-years.
I also said that even though the listeners themselves might not know a lot about Satellite or iPods, that their children and grandchildren would be providing orientations to these new devices now that grammy & gramps can't hear Dean and Frank anymore.
The final shovel of dirt on this grave format fiasco is that (like any good broadband company looking to grow their market) XM and Sirius would be offer discount rates for multiple users on the same account (think family cell phones plans) -- Damn, I'm smart!
Here's the top headline from Inside Radio this morning...
XM seizes the "oldies" opening in New York and Chicago with big newspaper ads today. Simple message - "The oldies are alive and well and living on XM Satellite Radio." And the timing jives perfectly with XM's big Father's Day/Graduation "buy one, get a second radio free" marketing push.
Gawd, someone needs to shoot these Zombie Radio stations in the head -- it's the only way to kill them. Otherwise, they're just gonna keep stumblin' around in their search for braaaaiiins....
NOTE: Excellent article up on Radio Ink about Les Monves shooting himself in the foot on this format change.
The Doo-Wop Flip-Flop
Just another nail in the coffin...
I love this article from June 5th's Newsday website. They are basically proving that the honchos at WCBS-FM don't know "Jack" about their listenership.
The Radio Zombies at WCBS (an Infinity owned station) flip their format virtually over night from class top-40 music (Beatles, Beach Boys, Buddy Holly, etc.) to the very Zombie-like 'latest/greatest' programming idea to save radio -- the eclectic modern rock/pop "Jack" format.
For 33 years, WCBS grew a loyal listener base. Legendary DJs worked their broadcast booth, and the listeners invited their on-air personalities and classic hit format into their homes, cars, and workplaces. That's more than listener loyalty -- that's friendship.
But last Friday at 5pm, their old friend gave them the brush-off. With a flip of a switch, WCBS changed from one format to an almost polar opposite. I'm betting the listeners thought someone had been messing with their radio preset buttons. Imagine tuning in to hear Frank Sinatra and getting Coldplay. Expecting to hear Connie Francis and hearing Britney Spears. You're dealing with a slightly older demographic here -- they could have given some of 'em heart attacks!
With the flip of a switch, WCBS basically lost THE most loyal listener base possible. A generation of listeners that grew up on radio. A demographic with money to spend and increasing leisure time as they move into retirement. A group that will be the slowest to switch to satellite radio or buy iPods -- until now.
What do you think happens to them if they can't find their favorite music on their local radio stations now, you brain-dead dolts?
Their children or grandchildren are going to introduce them to the wonderful world of unlimited and custom content. Their adult children are going to buy them satellite receivers for their home and automobile. (I'm certain XM and Sirius will be happy to do what Cable and Cellular has always done -- second and third subscription plans are always a small monetary add-on.) And their grandkids are gonna share their iPods with them. "Look at all the Dean Martin MP3s I found for you, Grammy and Gramps!."
And to what end do you make the switch to the ridiculous "Jack" format?
To appeal to a bunch of early adopter younger listeners that are already tired of the crap that finally made it to your airwaves. The group that is FIRST to adopt new technology, already own MP3 players, and are downloading their music from Napster, Yahoo Launch, and iTunes.
That loud sucking sound isn't just your decision to flip the format -- it's the grave pulling your dead zombie asses down into the ground.
PS: If Arbitron is right, and trends can be determined by one person counting for 1,000 opinions -- Newsday's impromptu poll on their website just counted 1,135,000 people who miss the old WCBS programming. By comparison, only 108,000 people said they didn't care (and that spread has probably grown by the time I finally post this entry and you have a chance to read it.)
All content (C) Copyright 2005 by ZombieRadio.com, Ross Gaylen, and Don The Idea Guy
Where's The Love?
Great article in the Washington Post about on-demand audio and control over content.
Favorite piece of info in the article:
"Arbitron/Edison survey finds that iPod listeners already use less broadcast radio than do others. Perhaps the more telling finding comes in the percentage of people who say they "love" their iPod (35 percent) or their satellite radio (40 percent) versus those who "love" over-the-air radio (19 percent)."
While I'm not big fan of Arbitron's arbitrary rating systems, the internet survey's from Edison have proven reliable in the past. I think it's important to digest that word "LOVE" -- 35 & 40% of iPod owners and Satellite subscribers LOVE the product.
They LOVE it so much they'll pay subscription fees to Satellite and pay for music downloads from iTunes. They LOVE it so much that they don't care if they can't hear the broadcasts on generic devices (you have to have a satellite receiver for XM or Sirius, and iPod uses a proprietary file format.)
Terrestrial Radio is FREE and you can tune it in on any five-buck portable radio -- but only 19% of the people LOVE it.
Think about the products people LOVE --
Starbucks, Harley-Davidson, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche...
Radio is touting Free as the answer! One consultant to the industry asks "How hard do you have to sell 'Free'?" But (again!) they're wrong.
It's CONTENT not COST.
You've got consumers who will pay upwards of $4 for a cup of coffee and 20-grand for a motorcycle because they are passionately in-LOVE with the product.
While the article gives further voice to Radio's favorite mantra of the moment -- 95% of the country regularly listens to radio, while only 20 percent of Americans own an iPod, subscribe to satellite radio or listen to Internet radio -- They also temper it with the fact that the 95% will NOT remain static, but merely gives Radio a chance to evolve before they become extinct. The slower Radio is to change, the fewer of those 95% will be around to witness it.
Twenty-two percent of Howard Stern listeners say they'll follow Howard to Satellite radio. Howard only has six months left on his contract with Terrestrial Radio.
What would happen to any other business if 22% of their customers stopped doing business with them? How will THAT affect Radio's stat of 95%?
Radiooohmygod
you're a bunch of idiots.
Straight from InsideRadio.com's morning headlines:
Radio could use some good news --
for Wall Street's sake.
Summer's not usually a season that generates much good news for any industry. As stock prices stagnate Wall Street's waiting to see what happens with the Q2 revenue numbers in July.
Yes, radio needs some good news for investors. How about the news you'll abandon your idiotic notion of HD Radio and embrace a technology (I don't care which one; podcasting, cellular technology, etc.) that puts more content and more control in the hands of more listeners?
When ClearChannel's stock couldn't go any higher, they announced intentions to develop more online/on-demand content. Good plan. Wanna see a BAD plan? Read below for headline #2...
Here's an idea worth emulating - a $10,000 prize for the best pro-radio, anti-satellite ads. Credit the New York State Broadcasters Association with this idea - and they'll distribute the winning spots across the state.
Nooooo!
You don't get positive press or investor reaction by creating negative ads.
You're going to run a contest to bash satellite radio?
One of the fastest growing audiences of new technology in years, and you're going to spend time and money to bash the product AND, by default, the people who embrace.
Brilliant guys, simply brilliant.
If I needed another example to convince people you're a bunch of brain-dead zombies -- this was it. Thanks for making my job easier.
By The Way...
The ChangeThis.com ZombieRadio proposal is still in the top 10, but it's fallen a few places to #4. How about a little link-love in helping spread the word (and get some more votes!) for this project that could help bring radio back to life?
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Brraaaaainnssss...
Focusing
primarily on terrestrial radio broadcasting, ZombieRadio.com is
dedicated to pointing out the mindless and brain-dead actions of the
mainstream media industry in general.
Don't
get too comfortable satellite, television, cable, and internet -- we
all know from seeing zombie movies that the contagion spreads quickly.
"They're
coming to get you..."
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