Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Radio Waves Podcast #106

Sound Visit

Dave Beasing, programmer of The Sound (100.3 FM), took some time last Friday to speak at San Pedro High School’s Career Day. Speaking to two different classes for about 30 minutes each, Beasing told of radio’s challenges and how programming, promotion and marketing all work together.

“When I first started in radio, social media didn’t even exist,” he told the classes. Now it’s one of our marketing tools.” He showed video clips of material from Mark in the Morning as a demonstration of how to attract an audience, and told of how some bits that at first seem to fall flat can be saved through creativity.

“Media is changing,” Beasing explained. “All of the traditional so-called legacy media now involve very high-tech modern skills. You might ask yourself ‘what  does this video have to do with radio?’ A lot ... if you do it right.

“Someone going into radio today should be great at shooting and editing video, web design, social media, all of this. Because as a radio station we need to be part of our listeners lives 24-7. If somebody is your friend, they are always with you -- not just when they want something from you. So we need to be part of their lives even when they're not listening ... when they're on Facebook, when they're on Instagram, when they're on Twitter, we want to be there.”

Changes at KABC

Last week’s mention of Art Bell’s return to local radio via KABC (790 AM) neglected to mention the other changes at the heritage talker.

Leo Terrell had been holding down the KABC morning courtroom since Judge Christina Perez left the station in May. Now Terrell’s version of the program is gone as well, a victim of the station’s ongoing ratings problems. Terrell remains with KABC in a fill-in capacity.
In its place is the Peter Tilden Show every weekday morning from 10 a.m. until 12 noon; Tilden had been heard previously on the station at night.

But wait - Tilden is still on at night, albeit earlier than his former 9 to midnight slot. Supposedly live at 6 p.m. as well as his morning duties, Tilden must have the longest working day in talk radio. Maybe that’s why his shifts sound like a taped podcast, made using bad equipment (can someone buy him a real microphone so it doesn’t sound like he’s talking through a wall?) ...
At 7 p.m. is the Best of KABC, whatever that means, followed at 8:00 by two hours of Jonathon Brandmeier’s syndicated program, Art Bell comes on at 10:00, as mentioned last week.

Death Watch

On December 31, 1999, Cumulus Media stock was at an all-time high of $50.75. November 6th at the closing bell, it was worth 29 cents. That’s a loss in value of more than 99 percent ... how much longer can the company survive, especially if the stock ends up delisted on the NASDAQ exchange as it has been warned may happen by May, 2016?
A Lot Like Christmas

SiriusXM has beaten KOST (103.5 FM) to the punch, with the launch of two all-holiday music channels November 2 and more to come as the season gets closer. Get details at blog.siriusxm.com.

I’m betting KOST will jump in, perhaps as soon as Monday.
 
Healy Recordings

Reader Richard Campos asks, “Any idea how we can hear the old Jim Healy sports broadcasts?” As a matter of fact: yes. YouTube has quite a few, posted by fans of the legendary broadcaster who retired from KMPC (now KSPN, 710 AM) in late April, 1999. Amazing what you can find there. If you’ve never heard Healy or you want to hear him again, do a search on YouTube.

Funding Reel Radio

Richard Irwin’s top-40 radio museum known as Reel Radio (reelradio.com) is the reason I wanted a fast modem back in the days of dial-up internet. I love listening to the old recordings of classic radio.

In an effort to pay down some bills from licensing fees, streaming costs and more, the nonprofit organization has set up a Go Fund Me page at GoFundMe.Com/Reelradio, where fans can donate to help pay down debt and help keep the site alive.


Or just go to the main site for ReelRadio and donate there ... and listen to how radio used to sound.

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