AM Radio & Networks

["Tim Davisson" <timdav@bright.net>]

Several of the topics in particular have caught my
interest of late: a seemingly growing trend of radio stations dropping
various network programs (Rush,
Dr. Laura, etc.).  I'd like to think (hope??) the public
is tiring of nationally-based radio shows.  We in the
business like to say radio is a "local" medium.
Maybe it's more "local" than we realize...and the
public is letting us know that, huh????
       I am in the processing of dubbing 5 or 6 
cassettes of scoped airchecks from the early 70's for a radio buddy of
mine. On those tapes
there's all kinds of different jocks/stations in NE
Ohio & the 50kw clears from Chicago .
 And, a few breaks from smaller AM stations
in little towns in Ohio.  The jocks in the tiny towns
weren't always the best, but it was nice to remember the day when a real
person was live
and on the air. Local news/weather, or simple
chit chat mixed in with the songs was fun. I'd
forgotten how much I liked it.


And the 2nd topic...is FM's "superior" technical
aspects the reason less than 25% of the public
(may be less than that) listen to AM?   Just my
2-cents-worth....sure, you've gotta be able to
hear the station to listen to it, granted.  But, 
how much in-car or in-home/in-store listening
is done in an audiophile-type setting using top-
notch audiophile equipment so that the listener
could hear the technical superiority??  AM 
radio blew it in the 70's with too many spots,
too much talk, and took it's listeners (and thus
their advetisers) for granted. FM was new and
struggling, had very limited commercials, and
the rest was "history".   I don't think the average
listener is that picky about whether the station
they listen to is in hight-quality FM stereo or
a strong AM mono.  Most people just got out of
the habit of flipping that swich from FM to AM
and tuning around the AM band. That's AM's
challenge.....those with quality programming have to invest promotional
dollars to try to 
induce people to try their AM stations. And, that's not just running
audience recycling promos on their own stations.  AM needs new
cume.  There's my semi-educated opinion.

Comments please? TD

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