Re: Article on WYAR

["\"Mike Thomas\"" <nostatic@earthlink.net>]

Terrence M. Wood wrote:

> Dan, local radio disappeared because a bunch of Yahoos came in with a lotta
> bucks and made them a deal they couldn't refuse.  It didn't disappear for
> any other reason.

That's what happened on the Seacoast, but it didn't happen that way everywhere.
Many local operators ran their stations into the ground by cutting local sports,
then news, then personalities by switching to satellite.  Others switched format
all together and went leased time ethnic or infomercial.  Local radio the way we
remember it was a very expensive format to run.  With the absence of regional
and national ad buys combined with new competition from local print, direct mail
and cable--these stations could not survive.  I programmed a full-service AM
several years ago and the station was losing $10, 000 a month.  Despite this,
the owner insisted on remaining live, local, and with a news presence.  He stuck
it out as long as he could, but he finally had to sell out--and lost a ton of
money as a result.  I'm sure the story is similar at many local stations around
the region.

>     The corporate broadcaster doesn't care if it gets ratings, he's making
> money and doesn't care about Portsmouth, Dover, Kittery etc, as long as the
> national ads are there he's happy and that he gets a pitance of the local ads
> he used to get, becasue he spreads it out over 5 to 10 stations in the
> seacoast group he owns.

For the most part, making money is the main goal of a commercial radio
station--corporate owned or not.  Local operators tried to make a go of it as
long as they could, but simply could not survive.  In addition, cable and print
picked up a lot of what local radio used to do--sports, news etc.  TV and the
internet are now the places to go for cancellations and the weather.  Local
radio the way we knew it simply isn't needed anymore.

Radio has always changed to meet the needs of a changing population and
society.  Radio of the 30's and 40's did not work in the 50's and 60's.  I'm
sure there were people complaining when radio shifted from news/drama/big band
to rock and roll.  The loss of local radio is unfortunate, but inevitable if the
medium is expected to survive into the new millenium.  AM radio still clings to
life by providing talk and ethnic programming.  Everyone thought the band would
be dead by now.  FM is providing what the listener wants--for the most part.
However, if listenership continues to erode, these big mega-corporations may
decide to get out, and we could see local and regional ownership again.


Mike Thomas
WXLO & Premiere Radio Networks

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