is broadcasting broken beyond repair?

[Doug Drown]

Kevin, I think everything you're saying is right on target:
<what is happening at WBZ is no different than what we are seeing at the 
Globe and with radio.>

Not long ago in this forum, I voiced an observation that I wondered how 
broadcasting schools will fare in the long run, given that there are very 
few openings in broadcasting nowadays.   The whole face of the industry has 
changed.  I suspect the situation is much the same for journalism majors.

. . . And yet, I would offer a prediction: it will be the small-town 
stations and the small-town newspapers that will survive the longest.  They 
fulfill the unique role of providing local news, sports and weather coverage 
that aren't covered --- or adequately covered --- by other media.  It's 
worthy of note that the number of weekly newspapers in Maine has grown in 
recent years, while the Blethens are selling their three Maine dailies 
because they're bleeding money.  The Bangor Daily News has also suffered 
layoffs in recent years, but remains relatively strong because it serves 
such an enormous rural area.

As for radio in metro areas, I stand by an earlier contention I made some 
time ago: part of the problem, though by no means all, is that there are 
simply too many radio stations.

-Doug



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kevin Vahey" <kvahey@comcast.net>
To: "(newsgroup) Boston-Radio-Interest" 
<boston-radio-interest@bostonradio.org>
Sent: Wednesday, April 02, 2008 9:25 AM
Subject: is broadcasting broken beyond repair?


> The cuts at 1170 SFR are devastating to both the staff and what
> remaining viewers the station has.
>
> I still watched 4 in most part because of Lobel and Jack Williams.
> Lobel may have gone downhill the past few years and had far less air
> time but if something broke he was still the best source in the city.
> Joyce opened the arts to all and will be missed as well. It's funny 20
> years ago I was dating a woman who didn't own a TV and she screamed
> when she saw Joyce on TV because she was her english teacher at
> Brookline High a decade before. Joyce was local.
>
> Still the TV financial model is broken. There is something wrong when
> NESN brings in more revenue through cable fees than the VHF's can
> generate through ads.
>
> what is happening at WBZ is no different than what we are seeing at
> the Globe and with radio.
>
> Back in 1981 Chuck Scarboro who years ago was an anchor at channel 7
> wrote a novel and the premise was that MIT had developed a computer
> program to make the perfect virtual anchorman. It seemed laughable at
> the time but now I see a day when we will get our news from avatars
> instead of humans. Same will apply to radio.....who needs humans.