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Why (FM, Not XM) Radio Sucks
wemmick writes "The Washington Post has an article "Can XM Put Radio Back Together Again?" which discusses the history of marketing FM radio, how XM could be different, and about Lee Abrams -- "the man who shackled FM radio to the tyranny of mass market research" and is now program director for XM."
I don't know.... it just doesn't work to have one station that you can listen to all the time. You miss locality... and people like that. ClearChannel is trying to do an XM like setup but with FM. They own tons of radio stations which they run all under one roof.. and they are all computer run. But, while the music may be there the localities.. and personalities are not. In addition, with XM you don't have the localness that you do with DJ Bob and the morning show talking about something that happened 1 town over the previous evening.
Sooner or later ClearM (Clear Channel Radio) is going to fail as well... due to the fact that they are not marketing to the locals but the masses... they have tons of stations that all play the same ads.. and different music... just doesn't work that way.
We saw something similar happen with cable stations. As channels begin to mature, they will try to go to the widest possible audience. Remember TNN? (The Nashville Network)? it used to have country stuff, now it's all wrestling and star trek. Remember Sci Fi? it used to be THE PLACE for geeks like us. Now their canceling Farscape and such. All niche markets will go mainstream for money. It will only take a few years until the people at XM decide to axe the stations with less popularity... after all they bring in far less profit than the average Brittany Spears station. Why oh Why won't she die? (or at least do some real porn?)
Reel Big Fish made a good point in their song "sellout"
the radio plays what they want you to hear...
they tell me its cool...
i just don't believe it...
FM radio is horrible. Around here, DJs have stopped taking request (probably because they are owned by clear channel). Music selection is poor, and they over play the good song to the point that you would rather go deaf than hear that song again. I can just burn a cd with the songs i want to hear as opposed to sitting through a crappy creed song in hopes that the next song will be one that i want to listen to
Hopefully XM can save radio, before it is gone for good
[echelon]
We have already trashed one commercial band, namely, AM, when we could have easily fixed and extended it with AM stereo. (Which has some very nice qualities BTW.)
Now are we going to give up on FM as well?
I can see a lot of advantages to the satellite radio systems particularly in rural areas where you find little or no radio. So these systems have their place. However we still need local radio. Not the clear channel kind, but real local radio.
Here in the Portland area we had a nice station in the early 80's called KSKD. They were innovative. Dolby FM (Which we all should be using today.), very low key DJ's, well defined commercial blocks, and an interesting playlist were all part of this local station. Many of my early musical tastes were formed while listening to the music played on KSKD and when they went off the air, I missed them.
Listening to the radio while on trips used to be pretty interesting. As you went from place to place, the music was different. Each city seemed to have a station or two, like KSKD, that played what they thought was cool. Their listeners became loyal because the combination of music and its presentation was not to be found elsewhere.
Companies like Clear Channel have done the public a dis-service in that they have ruined local programming in all station except community and educational ones.
So for now, satellite radio is a new medium that shines right now. But will it go the way AM and FM did?
Blogging because I can...
I was called by a ratings service over the Xmas holidays to track my (and my mythical family's) listening habits.
Lie.
Find out the progressive rock stations (not the phony ones that say "leading edge" and then end up playing M&M). Find out the classical stations, the jazz stations, the ones that have oddball formats, bluegrass.
And swear you listen to them. That's what I did.
And in the comments section at the end of the week write "I hate most of FM...it all sounds alike".
And keep doing it, urge your family and friends to to the same.
Take the ratings out of the loser stations.
I finally heard M&M today, BTW. He sounds like he would be popular with 14 year old girls.
Radio is the number one media period. More people are listening to radio at any given moment than all other media combined.
How do you back up a statement like that?
Noone I know listens to radio unless there's no other option... radio has been fully relegated to cars, and even then it's usually for playing CDs or cassettes, rather than listening to the shite that gets broadcast.
So, are you wrong, or am I wrong, and how exactly do you KNOW?
AFAIK, there are many, many different people in charge of the various formats available on XM radio. I'm a subscriber, and the true joy of it is the variety you can find in the channels, you can find some of the most obscure pre-grunge alternative on stations like Fred, to bluegrass, and of course they've gotta have a Top 20 station to keep the kiddies happy. Basically, they'd be shooting themselves in the foot by trying to homogenize their programming, because there's no incentive for any one station to have the largest listener share.
I've read that Sirius has three satellites, where XM has two. Additionally Sirius' satellites are in higher orbits. The result is that Sirius has a more reliable signal and fewer loses of signal.
I'd like to add another point that is probably splitting hairs. Most of the subscribers of these satellite radio services aren't even going to hear it from a direct satellite source. XM and the like had to erect antennas in the major cities to get around that whole skyscraper problem of blocking the signal.
Technology aside, how long do you think it is going to take to introduce 24 minutes of commercials every hour into this format once stockholders realize how much more money they can make? Not long. In fact, they've probably already started boiling the frog.
The only people I can see getting excited about this product are those that live beyond the broadcast range of FM stations. If lived at such a location and had an interest in radio as a medium I'd be all over it. However, I don't and I would imagine that the majority of the millions of subscribers they need to be profitable do live in FM range.
Let's see, crappy reception for commercial filled pop channels with no local news/content for $10/month plus >$200 entry fee versus crappy reception for commercial filled pop channels with local news/content for free. If I had to turn on a radio, I think I'd use FM way before XM. Then again, I don't listen to radio or watch TV so I don't have this dilemma.
Speak truth to power.
That is preposterous. The FCC has determined that your tastes are better served by the media cartel of ClearChannel, CBS/Infinity and Viacom. If you're an urban radio fan, you have Radio One.
You're simply un-American and a terrorist sympathizer if all you want is information about your local community, or music that isn't getting airplay because of elaborate plug-n-play schemes or being pulled from the dusty archives because the station ownership is promoting the concert in the next town.
The FCC has your interests at heart. They realize that more common ownership is a good thing and is willing to take this a step further by again reducing ownership rules and even permitting television stations to own radio and newspapers.
Think of the bargains that advertisers will see when they have a one-stop-shop for all of their advertising. Imagine the benefits of unbiased uniformed reporting that you'll get from radio, TV and newsprint. Why, there won't be nary any discrepancies to the news since it'll come from the same copy writer no matter the source of your news.
The FCC knows best, trust them and you will see.
Of course, the above is sarcasm. I spent over 13 years in the broadcasting industry. I'm still taking three showers a day in an attempt to get rid of the stench.
NPR is the best thing in radio today, as far as I'm concerned. I know that most of the public radio stations in existence are classical programming, but out of Peoria and Bloomington, IL I can get a superb jazz station. Five days a week I get news during rush hour and jazz in the morning and most of the evenings, plus blues and a little more variety on the weekends. The classical NPR station nearby plays jazz programming on the weekends as well. And except during their biannual fundraising drives, they're commercial-free. It's not like XM where I have dozens of choices of formats, but at least it's the one format I enjoy the most. I'd much rather pay them my $10/month than XM, if only because they're that much more likely to be around three years from now.
Hell, I don't even know why I pay for cable TV and am forced to watch ads on top of it
You're paying for the delivery mechanism (the cable company's network and associated resources). Your bill does not pay for the actual content; this is obtained free through the use of advertising. It's like paying for an internet connection and having to view ads on a web site; you're paying for the delivery mechanism, but since you aren't paying for the actual content, you get to see some ads instead.
I pledge allegiance to the flag...
of the Corporate States of America...
Radio's nice for finding out new about bands, and music. Plus XM transmits the title and artist information, so I know what the heck I'm listening to, and some recivers will even let you save the information for later. Must get boring listening to the same albums over and over agian.
"Radio is dead because I can rip all my CDs and store them on my MP3 player of choice. All my songs. I can put it on random and how is that different from commerical free, babble free, excellent reception radio?"
So.. how do you find new music?
"Who wants to be TOLD what to watch or listen to, and when?"
I'm not a big fan of radio, but I find that comment misleading. Radio's something you monitor. You don't get blasted with info about what time a song will play like TV does. And since everything on the radio's purchasable at some point (unlike TV), then this particular argument fades away.
It works great for TV, but I'm not sure you're doing much more than oversimplifying and twisting details around.
Radio tries to break things down into Genres. Which is fine and dandy I guess...but...but...lets face it..it just doesn't work for me. Whatever genre you like, you have favorites and not-so favorites. In fact, you more than likely have things you downright HATE. In even more detail, you may like some songs by an artist, but not others, even within the same album. The fact is the only programming that is truely satisfactory is that you do yourself. Furthermore, I want more than the singles. I want the album tracks, I want b-sides, I want LIVE music god damnit. That is what I want. The only way to get this is through doing it yourself. I use a MP3 CD player hooked up through one of those CD-Tape converters. With CDs filled with MP3s of my favorite acts divided into Eras with both b-sides and live songs, that is the way to ensure the programming I want.
I'm thinking market forces won't ever provide that anywhere near as well as "stations" run by people who simply love music.
Build stuff. Stuff that walks, stuff that rolls, whatever.
The semantics of what consists of popular music aside*, my problem with satellite radio is the subscription model and the requirement of specific reception/decoding hardware that resides in a single vehicle (unless you purchase another receiver).
Satellite radio would be something I'd be interested in if it was more feature-rich and Internet enabled. Imagine a service with a Tivo-like reciever that is capable of storing songs, seeking new songs you might be interested in based on your past preferences and allowing you to build your own playlist.
Imagine you can also access this service through the Internet and stream your music on your computer so inside your home or at work you can enjoy your music as well.
Imagine the hardware isn't an in-dash reciever but a portable iPod-sized device. You can bring it with you if you happen to own more than one vehicle (which I do), or carry it with you like a Walkman(TM).
That is a product and service I'd be happy to pay money for.
* I enjoy a large percentage of current popular music. If you do not enjoy so-called mainstream radio, YMMV.
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DRM is like antifreeze, to the MPAA/RIAA it's sweet, to the consumers it's poison.
Hopefully, XM will be able to kill off FM completely and switch to a cheaper than cheap brand of "good" music stations.
Uh, no.
Let's take a few of your examples:
103.5 - "dance"
That's WKTU. The US's #1 dance station. This is where all new dance music that comes over from Europe premiers. No kidding. If it's hot in the UK, you'll hear it first. Best rhythm-format station in the country, period.
97.1 - old skool r&b
That's Hot 97. Hot 97 is the premier Hip Hop radio station in America. It's where most of the hot new hip-hop artists today got their first airplay.
92.3 - "current rock"
WXRK - K-Rock. Used to be classic rock, back in the day. What makes this station special? The home of Howard Stern. Overall #1 morning show in the country, and still #1 in NY for the middle age male demographic, period.
When "XM kills off" (as you say) Howard Stern completely in the morning drive, I'll personally be happy to drop a 50 pound brick onto my genitals. Why? Cause I'm 100% sure that'll never happen.
During college, I spent two of my years as a minor DJ at the campus radio station, which was probably the most bizzare part of its history. College radio, as we all know, is the music snobs paradise. The students play off the wall bizzare shit, and the format is whatever the current DJ feels like playing. However, at KSU, right before I started, a graduate student took over control of the station and the first thing she did was organize it into a "modern rock" format station. For the most part, it was good. In the time I was there, the station became very highly regarded by the students, to the point that the old guard rock station in town changed formats to match us. They were stuck in the 80's rock (constant Poison!) and then suddenly started playing new bands to try and get some of their market back.
Ok, fine great. The problem was, in an effort to make the station more like a real station, the graduate student controlling this mess enforced a series of strict rules and a rigid playlist. The station is now no better than the Clear channel crap that dominates the airwaves.
Reading this article made me laugh because I witnessed this entire history of FM radio they describe over the course of my five years at school. It went from the playground of the stoners, to the perfect mix of a format guideline, but free dj's to the utter crap you hear on every station now.
Strictly formatted radio, mostly brought on by Clear channel type monoliths, is the evil that is ruining, not just radio, but all of music in america. Have a guideline for the DJ's, but let them expand out of it. Expose the listeners to something different. Play something that they haven't heard in a very long time. Throw on the Smiths just to play with someone's head.
The first thing I always did at the start of my shift was go down my playlist for the day and cross out everything by the Kottonmouth Kings. IMHO the worst thing to hit the radio in the last 5 years. I tried to fill in the crap I hated with listener requests, but on slow days, I had to fill in my own stuff.
On the off days, when students weren't around, the station would go to an automated playlist (a computer with a giant database of mp3s). Immediately, our listenership dropped like a rock. There was no life to the station, and this is why I don't see XM taking off.
Where am I going? DJ's are what's important. The listeners like having someone familiar on the air. Each DJ used to have their own flavor. Mine was a little broader, but my selection leaned to harder rocking songs. People liked the interaction with the DJ, and it got listeners. Calling in made them feel like part of it. Dj's are your friend who introduce you to this crazy new band who has a different sound. You should see them live!
I love music. I go see small live shows whenever I can (unemployment has killed this pastime unfortunately). Radio today has me very pissed off because nobody is introducing me to new stuff. I'm completely on my own.
And right now I'm listening to RL Burnside - Ass Pocket of Whiskey
Not necessarily *all* FM radio sucks. Let's not forget college radio! If you think it sucks, then at least it's something *different* that sucks, and you had the chance to hear something new.
And now, a shameless plug for the station I am involved with, where you don't often hear something that ClearChannel would play: KWUR 90.3FM. Since you probably aren't within our rather small broadcast radius (10 watt transmitter) you can listen to our MP3 streams.
It's time you learned that the USA supports just about every country in the world. We pay for food, roads, schools, nuclear waste clean-up for others all over the world.
Remember, everyone runs to the USA whenever a earthquake, hurricane or dicator causes problems.
Most of the countries that "hate" us, also speak English, use American electronics or hardware, drive on the right-side of the road, drink Starbucks coffee or Coke and would probably imigrate here in a heartbeat.
Anyone ever listen to your local college radio station? I work/DJ for a central minnesota college station that plays everything nobody else will play. Underground techno, punk, prog/indie rock, classic rock (not hendrix), world music for the world fans out there, et al. College radio sometimes sucks (i personally hate indie rock) but there's some bands out there who wouldn't get dick for airplay if college radio didn't exist.
Food for thought, i talked to a local top40 station, and asked them how they pick their new hot artists, they said "we just look at the top ten college charts, and pick 3 off of there". Go figure...
Anyway, I hope that the death of FM will mean that reserving a band will become cheaper, and so more weird and interesting shit will start happening on FM. I want like 3 channels of NPR, because though most of their original content is awesome, some of the filler is too dumb to listen to. And really, how expensive is it to record and rebroadcast interviews with interesting people? That's the sort of stuff NPR does well, and they are the only reason why I would ever turn on the radio at home. I hope that some non-publically-funded radio would try to compete with NPR for this sort of turf (like the Discovery and History Channels on cable compete with PBS) but before that happens, the barriers to entry have to be lower. That's why I'm praying for the day that music gets removed from FM and space opens up for real interesting stuff.
Until then, at least there's college radio!
Formatted. Prepackaged. Spam on a toothpick. Ingenuity is gone for these people. Infact, if I may expound a little, it's exactly what's happening to the record companies. It's the total, complete and utter lack of ingenuity that keep people from caring if they live or die.
You need a FREE iPod Nano
I can't say that the Radio stations described in the article are similar to British radio. It sounds like just day-time radio; money making capatalist greed fuelled sheep tripe. Is all US FM radio bad even at night?
There's a feedback circle with Day-time commercial radio at the moment - everyone expects it to be bad so it is, only the BBC is worth considering imho.
BBC Radio 4 (talk, very, very popular) , Radio2 (anything proven to be popular, and stuff everyone's parent seems 2 listen 2) and BBC1 (new) also very popular, all without any from of ads at all. In my area there's also one called Wave that uses local based ads and sponsers, Classic FM, Jazz FM, a Sports and commetry Only Radio and Dance/Trance too, 2CR=new, too many commercials and losing 2 Wave. There's even a seasonal radio that operates to our small town.
Although `The Radio Still Sucks` it seems to be better here than elsewhere I've stayed.
Radio is impossible, you can't please everyone. for example, I don't even know what I want when I turn on radio in terms of artists, i'm often hoping for inspiration - or localised info.
A blog I run for the wealth
I know this is just one comment buried in a pile of hundreds, repeating the same thing as many on here, but its worth saying. If you find yourself wondering why someone would pay $13 a month to listen to the radio, I bet you're the same person who asks why someone would pay $13 a month for Tivo since all they're getting is a program guide.
I'll tell you, when the bills come due at the end of the month, the only two I have no issues at all paying are Tivo and XM.
Ok no one would read this because it's too far down, but the killer app for XM would be for sports fans. I'm a Seattle Mariners fan. I'd pay $10 a month to know that wherever I was in the country, I could pick up the game... and if it's boring I could switch to see how other games were going. The sports market is huge and I bet this would sell more XM boxes than anything else.
I don't care about the comercials, what really pisses me of is DJs who feel the need to talk all the time, and try and make jokes that really arn't funny! Just SHUT UP and play music. I guess that's why I got the CD changer in the car; because all the do all morning is talk, and nothing they say is at all interesting or funny.