Re: Bad Air: the Death of Local Radio ...

[Donna Halper <dlh@donnahalper.com>]

>Rob wrote--
>
>Sounds like the newspaper pot is calling the radio kettle black.
>townonline.com is owned by the Herald if I remember right, and they just
>bought about a zillion suburban papers, including two are in my home town
>(both the Needham Times and the Needham Tab (ex-Chronicle) are now owned
>by the same company). If they're honestly concerned about media
>consolidation they've a strange way of showing it.

Interestingly enough, working for Pat Purcell and the Herald has its 
moments of true autonomy.  Dean Johnson has told me he has had NO 
interference from the editors or the publisher on whatever subjects he 
wishes to discuss. The woman who is the head of the editorial page (Shelly 
Cohen) at the Herald has taken stands that directly contradict the 
conservative and right-wing stand the Herald usually has, and to my 
knowledge, she still works there.   And while the Tab is now a part of a 
conglomerate, the writer of the article told me his job hasn't changed at 
all, and he still can pursue whatever story ideas seem 
important.   Regarding media consolidation, I too feel badly that bigger 
corporations are buying up the smaller local papers, but if the smaller 
local papers can still maintain a local focus (only time will tell if they 
can), so much the better.  My dealings with Pat have shown me that he comes 
from the Mel Karmazin school of management-- if your newspaper (or radio 
station) makes a profit, he won't interfere or make suggestions or give 
orders about content.

Historically, newspapers have always felt it's okay to beat up on 
radio.  And, radio sales departments put out endless materials about why 
advertising in newspapers is a waste of time.  It's a battle that has raged 
since the 1920s.

>Rob wrote--
>The Boston radio dial has a good deal more diversity than Mr. Ortiz would
>care to admit. There are the public stations: WBUR, WGBH, and WUMB; there
>are numerous college stations,

Alas, many of the college stations are now under a mandate to be profitable 
or have been taken in a more conservative direction.  We discussed that a 
while back.  But as the story was explained to me, the author wanted mainly 
to explore what had happened to commercial radio.  Dan Kennedy of the 
Phoenix is working on a story about Public Radio, I believe.  But Mr Ortiz 
did not have that particular focus-- we were discussing Kiss 108 and Jam'n 
and that's how we got off on the discussion.  I believe the story idea 
began with a conversation he had with Steve Provizer about what entry level 
radio jobs are available for young broadcasters today...

Rob wrote--
>and there are ethnic broadcasters like Mega (I
>visted the Mega studios some months ago; Mega is a class act, with live,
>locally-produced programming and its own news staff).

Umm, I know several of their announcers and that's not what they told 
me.  Nice equipment, maybe, but much lower pay than at, let's say Kiss 108 
or Magic 106.7, and the air staff is expected to work longer hours 
too.  (And at the risk of opening a can of worms, I hear rumours that women 
announcers there are paid less than men... but since I haven't seen the 
payroll, my information is anecdotal...I wouldn't call companies that 
underpay their talent "class acts", no matter how nice their equipment is.)

Anyway, Rob's point is well taken about the other stations Mr Ortiz could 
have discussed, but let's be honest-- isn't it true that radio in Boston is 
much different now than it was even five years ago?  And can you honestly 
say it's better?