[BC] The future of broadcasting...

[Larry Bloomfield]

As Mike says: The sole purpose of commercial broadcasting is to deliver eyes 
and/or ears to potential advertisers. Anything else is frosting on the cake. 
It is coincidental that this thread is running right as that what I say at 
everyone of my Road Show presentations just in case we loose site of what's 
what. I also add that our job, as technicians and engineers, is to make that 
deliverance the best in technical excellence possible considering what we 
are given to work with. (notice the condition there at the end.) Format, 
program content, subject matter, etc. is only important to achieve the goad 
of delivering those eyes and/or ears. An example of how important this is, 
is in the determination of market size. It is obvious the larger markets can 
and do charge more for commercial time. To this end, it is imperative that 
stations reach their entire market area. These are the reasons that out of 
market signals are a no-no via cable, satellite or whatever. Translators are 
one way of achieving this extended coverage. I believe this is one reason 
why the FCC may be considering permitting AM stations FM translators. I do 
know that in some places that if the TV translators make a huge difference, 
like in Albuquerque, NM, which is TV market #49. If those translators were 
to go away, they'd be market #99.  The same is true of their FM translators.

So much for my contribution to this thread.  Thanks.

-- 
Larry Bloomfield - KA6UTC
(541) 902-2424 (My Everything Phone #)
See you next year on the Tech-Notes
Taste of NAB 2007 Road Show


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike McCarthy" <Towers at mre.com>
To: "Broadcasters' Mailing List" <broadcast at radiolists.net>
Sent: Sunday, September 03, 2006 5:34 PM
Subject: RE: [BC] The future of broadcasting...


> Broadcasting 101... We are there to deliver an audience to advertisers. 
> That's the business model as driven into our minds the first day of 
> classes.  It's not about formats or other things creative.  Content is a 
> means to en end.  That's how Wall Street see's it and most every sales 
> turned into manager see it. Those who have mixed the two well have done 
> well regardless of format.
>
> We're on the declining side of the curve following the hey-day of 
> sub-format refinements done without auditorium testing and qualitative as 
> well as quantitative research.  Format managers at the large groups have 
> their vision and that's how it's done across their respective groups. 
> It's unfortunate that many of them never were exposed to real auditorium 
> tests.  The tests show not only the rating of the songs, but the visual 
> cues/expressions of the attendees were also factored highly in how content 
> was added or deleted.  Numbers can only tell so much.  How a program 
> element is really analyzed is by the expression of the participants' 
> faces.
>
> That's no longer done.  It costs too much money to objectively research 
> important customized items through those means.  Problem is, research is 
> the first to go when the belt get tightened...and the spiral downward 
> starts.  We're in that initial spiral now...
>
> MM
>
>
> At 07:53 PM 9/3/2006 -0400, Dan Kelley wrote
>> >Creativity does not have anything to do with playlists or their size.
>>
>>Couldn't agree more!
>>
>> >Is radio entertainment for making profit, or profit masquerading as
>> >entertainment?
>>
>>Hasn't radio been a business for most of its existence?  No audience=
>>no revenue.  No revenue=no station.  This even applies to most non-comms.
>>
>>Yes, there are exceptions.
>>
>>If someone can run a little class A out in the stix, do your "own thing"..
>>however creative (or not) - make enough to pay the bills and live a good
>>life, then do it.  I'm sure there's many stories of those who have done 
>>so.
>>And I admire those who do.
>>
>>Enjoyed the exchange of thoughts...
>>
>>dan in lansing
>>
>>
>>
>>
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