[BC] stamping opinions

[Rich Wood]

------ At 04:01 AM 7/26/2006, Phil Alexander wrote: -------

>I will not disagree that IBOC hybrid has many downsides. Digital, OTOH,
>has none of those especially if the digital is not the property of
>Ibiquity. If their brand works too poorly, let's find out now before
>that trickle of receivers turns into millions. If we find the problems
>in the next two or three years, there is still time to change horses.
>At worst, a station hauls in a couple of new computers and begins
>broadcasting a better form of digital.

I agree that some form of digital is inevitable, even if it's just to 
say it's digital. I really don't care what system it is, so long as 
it does no harm. I've made yet another "Where in the world is Carmen 
IBUZ" tours. It's going on 5 months since they took delivery of the 
BA Receptor. So far, three have been sold to radio stations. I think 
the trickle is going to remain a trickle until the Keystone Kops 
Marketing Corps at the HD Dominion get off their butts and let 
someone know the system, bad as it is, exists.

>So, Rich, I agree with you. Let's move out and move on to better things.

When I see something that's likely to be tremendously damaging to an 
industry in which I've spent my life it's very tough to just flap my 
arms and say "OK, let's just let it happen." I've already traumatized 
a former employee with that approach. He's in therapy.

I think the day I stop commenting on IBUZ will be the day I get out 
of the business because the technology makes radio broadcasting a 
lost art. Loster than it already is.

The clue that people are scared to death of this is the fact that 
several questions I've asked have gone unanswered. One: If you could, 
would you run AM IBUZ 24/7 right now. Two: where will the advertising 
money come from to support nearly 7000 new radio stations?

Cold, dead silence (OK. a few nasty retorts) sweeps over the list. 
Not a single answer.

Also very important: I've spent about 20 years at major stations and 
networks. The rest of my career has been as a jock and music 
programmer.I've made calls to former affiliates. I have no idea who 
will or won't succumb to this system, so I can't stack the deck. So 
far about 73% of the people (General Managers) I've talked to have no 
intention of going IBUZ. It's not the cost of the downgrade, it's the 
weakness of the system, according to them.

The General Managers and Program Directors who know anything about 
the system are very concerned about the potential drop in Time Spent 
Listening which translates to lower ratings which translates directly 
into a drop in income. Oh, and adding 20 or more stations to their 
markets is a little unsettling to them, as well. Medium and small 
market stations rely more on retail sales than national. Forget 
network. That's pennies on the dollar.

Spend money to lose money is their budgetary concern when you own 
fewer than 1200 stations.

Rich