Re: FCC (was: Re: clear channel buys amfm)

["Bill O'Neill" <billo@erols.com>]

Rob Landry writes:

When WCRB was
> strapped for cash four or five years ago, the management of the day
> considered using a satellite service such as WFMT's for weekends and
> overnights, but in the end they opted to install Boston's first
> music-on-hard-disk system and to keep programming WCRB locally.

I've actually gone 180 on hard-disk systems for music (for some day
parts) and about 150 on live bird-talk.  The latter is the fact that
when one local station in the market flipped to talk, mostly from the
bird, with mostly live (real-time) shows with 800# for "local"
listeners to participate through, the other local station was staying
with music.  Music translates to 2-5 minutes of previously produced
product, chained together, with occasional "local" voices talking
about the previously produced product.  Take that local voice out of
real time and go with ones and zeros, and then the bird-talker looks
even better from the local service perspective.  At least there, you
have real-time conversations that the affiliate's listeners can
contribute to.  Kind of a stretch, but in these lean radio times, you
have to look at the small stuff.  That's all that's left.

Bill O'Neill

Bill O'Neill