[BC] Top Ten reasons why IBOC won't make much difference...

[Alan Kline]

Donning my environmentally-friendly, non-asbestos-containing
flame-retardent suit, I herewith present, in no particular order, my list
of Top Ten reasons why IBOC won't make a difference (Paul, drumroll
please...)

1. Bob Collins
2. The Real Don Steele
3. Wally Phillips
4. Rick Sklar
5. Robert W. Morgan
6. Todd Storz
7. Gordon McClendon
8. The old, pre-12/83 KSFO, San Francisco
9. Anyone who believe that broadcasting works best when it serves its
   community...
10. ...well, you get the idea.

What these people (in the case of KSFO, a whole lot of people) have in
common is that they gave people reasons to *want to listen to the
radio*...reasons to plan to tune in at a certain time and dial place.

How many people like that are in the business today?  Yes, I know that
guys like Cousin Brucie, Don Imus, and Larry Lujack are still in the
business, but they're all very near the age where they may just go and
enjoy a well-earned leisure. And the ones who really care about their
audiences are probably going looney with frustration.

And to be fair, I can say the same thing about TV these days, too.

How many times need it be said?  It's not *technology* that drives people
to radios or TV's, it's *people and ideas*.  Develop that new generation
of talent (and better to do it quickly) and the retailers won't be able to
keep the IBOC radios and DTV's on the shelves.  Ibiquity will be rich
beyond their wildest hopes.

The argument that "IBOC is here, it's staying, and that's the end of it"
doesn't impress me in the least.  If the programming doesn't change for
the better, all it will do for me is make me hang on to my analog radios
until the last analog station goes dark, and then fire up my mp8 player
(they've gotta have something better than mp3 by then...)

We could have the greatest sounding and looking stations anywhere, and if
no one's paying attention, it...won't...matter...

ak