Re: Dick Clark-owned syndicator buys stake in Portland'sBroadcastAmerica.com

[Chuckigo@aol.com]

In a message dated 12/10/99 2:55:40 AM Eastern Standard Time, 
chrisbeckwith@bigfoot.com writes:

<< Question: what do you guys think about the web undermining
 territorial exclusivity in syndicated programming? >>

don't blame the web.  blame the syndicator, who, for years, has required 
exclusivity and prime clearance for their spots, as well as the occasional 
cash stipend in exchange for their product.
  by streaming the content over the web to everyone, the syndicator is buying 
into the myth that is currently the internet.  i can honestly admit that i 
have, and do, watch and listen to commercial announcements on tv and radio, 
and do occasionally take time to read an advertisement in the newspaper.  
i've even, on occasion, made consumer choices based on the information 
therein contained.  i have not, however, ever "clicked" on an ad banner, and 
i find the 30 second spots that precede some broadcast programming annoying, 
and don't really pay any attention to them at all.   i've also disabled the 
pop-up ads on AOL that were becoming more than a frequent annoyance.  (note 
to AOL subscribers:  time to "renew" your marketing preferences.  if you 
don't renew your choices, you'll start getting pop-ups and mailers ad 
infinitum)  
     additionally, when the syndicators and their advertisers notice a 
drop-off in the number of stations because of the program's ready 
availability on the web, the syndicators will scramble to get everyone in 
radio back on board.  unfortunately for them, the finite number of original 
ideas will have been tapped, leaving no really "original" programming to be 
syndicated.  
    with the larger broadcast companies mere moments away from having bought 
up all of the available properties, it will make more sense for them to use 
their vast, in-house talent bank to provide programming for the others in 
their chain.  i'm sure all of the major players right now have at least one 
huge, well-known talent on board at one of their stations.  need a countdown 
show?  have the morning guy in LA track it and then send it to all of the 
other stations in the "family".  the morning guy gets national exposure, and 
a nice little extra in the paycheck every week.  the other stations get the 
big-name host on their station, and the group/corporate owner reaps all of 
the advertising money from the "national" sale of time...  they win, the 
syndicator loses.
    that thought may be what has the syndicator(s) thinking of ways to get 
their product out there before the stations gradually dwindle away to nothing 
on their own.  i'm sure someone at (fill in the blank with the name of your 
favorite, huge, corporate radio group) will realize that they can do their 
own in-house programming and reap the big dollars, instead of "trading it 
away".

- -Chuck Igo