| Author |
Message |
Bopst (Bopst)
| | Posted on Monday, December 01, 2003 - 5:30 pm: | |
Did Thor ever make it to Millie's Sunday Nov.23rd as promised? You'd think I would have noticed.
There sure seems to be a whole lot of Jeff & Jeff fans here.
I had to drive all the way to god-forsaken New Jersey for Thanksgiving and it’s nice to know that radio sucks the proverbial big one up and down 95. Is it just me or is there no semblance of anything even remotely considered original on the commercial radio dials these days? I mean, the whole damn drive was filled with play lists already in sickening rotation (Y101, K95, Q94, etc.) in our humble Southern abode. AM didn’t fare any better either. The airwaves were filled with same tired old conservative windbags WRVA & WLEE push.
Yes, I know the dullards amongst us will say that this is done because it turns a profit, but damn if it doesn’t show how completely soulless the whole god damn industry has become; nothing but blind conformists.
I pity you radio folks. As you well know, you are easily replaceable. A machine will eventually replace you and you know it. It’s only a matter of time. |
Anonymous
| | Posted on Monday, December 01, 2003 - 6:03 pm: | |
Bopst's comments equate to nothing more than
" Japanese Bomb Pearl Harbor," and yet, shockingly to me, I agree with everything Chris says. ( shocking to me because this may be the only time I'll ever agree with anything he says or thinks )
Radio has become nothing more than a cookie cutter industry, replicating the cheapest recipie in town after town.
Almost all that once made broadcasts from each market distinctive is gone. The concept of a local identity has almost completely vanished because of this holocaust of regional talent.
That's why an alternative that offers better programming will one day change what is offered locally. In just the past few days, people I would have never even thought about XM have told me that they've got it or are getting it.
Once was a trip up and down the coast would be a joy. Hearing the cool new things that all the stations were doing made for much fun. Now, as Bopst has realized, it's just the same-old, same-old. So why not get XM?
One day the only thing left for commercial broadcasters will be to bring back what they jettisoned: locality. It will be the only thing they can do to compete with the superior content of satellite.
I think his comments about a lot of J&J fans on this board are interesting. As time goes by, it has become obvious that something we took for granted was actually almost a miracle. Those guys generated quality original local broadcasts for god knows how many years. Since they've been gone, name another morning show that's done anything even close to being like that. You can't.
Like Joni Mitchell said, " you don't know what you got till it's gone. " |
Bopst (Bopst)
| | Posted on Monday, December 01, 2003 - 6:41 pm: | |
Yes, dear anonymous, it really is stating the painfully obvious when I or anyone says that radio has been reduced to a state of banal conformity which, one day, will be commercial radio’s ultimate demise. I wonder why no one who sits in the corridors of power realizes this? Why not do something different? Is it impossible to think that by doing something, ANYTHING different could actually increase revenue?
I haven’t just now realized how much commercial radio is lacking in every conceivable way; this past trip just reinforced what I already knew. Still, while I was driving, I looked for some glimmer of audio hope that some station would offer some sort of variety. I’ve driven across this country countless times and I remember a time not too long ago when every 20 or so miles there would be real diversity and local flavor on our nation’s airwaves. Now, it’s like I never left home.
I do find it odd that this, in your words, is the only thing that possibly your nameless self and I could agree upon. Hell, I’m as nice a guy as you would ever have the profound pleasure to meet. If you were in a fox hole, you’d be thanking your lucky stars to have me, Chris Bopst, host of the Bopst Show airing Thursdays & Fridays 5-8PM on WCLM 1450 AM, covering your back.
I’m a great DJ, plain and simple. My show is like no other and, if given a chance to air on a station with a large broadcast range, dude, they’d be calling me the savior of radio. (Pause here for assorted snickering and laughter)
I don’t long for the days of Jeff & Jeff because the future is infinitely more exciting than the past. It’s where radio goes from this pathetic, conformist situation is the next step. (Plug Bopst Show hours here) |
Anonymous
| | Posted on Monday, December 01, 2003 - 8:42 pm: | |
Bopst if you were in a foxhole next to me I'd frag you for talking about yourself endlessly.
I've heard your show. If your idea of being a great dj is playing endless obscure cuts from countless obscure artists to a single digit audience, then so be it. To me, talent is being able to use your singular creative skills to reach as many people as you can via the mass medium of radio. What you do feeds and festers on being better, smarter, hipper than the other guy. That's not the nature of successful radio.
Being able to reach a large group of people by knowing what entertains and interests them is the art and true skill in being a great dj. To paraphrase Bob Dylan, " that ain't you bopst. "
The future is not with self-agrandizing geeks with large record collections. It's all about talent, and for that reason, I'll long for the likes of Jeff and Jeff, if not for the days of Jeff and Jeff.
Chris I often think that you have a larger audience on this site than you do on the air.
I won't devote another second of my future to thinking about you. There's a point where blowing your own horn gets real old. When you combine it with showing disrespect to people
who truly did scale the heights using genuine talent, it forces me to disregard your existance from this time forth. |
Thor is Thor (Thor)
| | Posted on Monday, December 01, 2003 - 9:05 pm: | |
Hey anon, Thor wonders what "Frag" means, she is now curious. Thor is amused by your comments. Thor feels sad for poor little bopst. Thor cannot pick up Mr Bopst station anymore so Thor cannot tell any difference in Bop show. Thor has spoken, Thor is wise, Thor brave, Thor is fat. |
Bopst (Bopst)
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 02, 2003 - 11:35 am: | |
Oh my, dear anonymous, aren’t we full of conceited contempt for the savior of radio. Do you want to sleep with me or something?
Yes, by all means, keep on pining for the past. Your proud, stoic longing for days gone by brings tears to my eyes.
Yes, I know, my tongue-in-cheek self-promotion continually gets your knickers in a bind, which thoroughly amuses me, Chris Bopst, host of the Bopst Show airing Thursdays & Fridays 5-8PM on solid Gold Soul, WCLM 1450 AM, The Heart & Soul of the City.
Of coarse, you want to belittle the fact that I broadcast from a small AM station. Given present circumstances, Mr. Or Mrs. Unspecified, this is the only recourse one can take to have a radio show that doesn’t take orders from the corporate office. Are you not paying attention? Surely, you are, as you too have noticed the frightening, corporate mandated homogeny that has replaced the likes of your beloved and already firmly established merits of the bygone Jeff & Jeff Show.
Reaching people has to do with bandwidth not the subjective validity of your programming. Because of the inherit limitations of a 1,000 watt signal, there are just but so many people one can hope to reach as you have taken great pains to point out the obvious. What you fail to consider in your huffy diatribe is that any radio show that isn’t solely a corporate creation, pushing pre-approved hits doesn’t have a hope in hell in being heard on the larger bandwidths. Sure, there are some glimmers of hope (Little Steven on 96.5 being one) but they are relegated to the ghost town of Sunday Nights and aren’t of any local flavor (Except for Studio B).
This situation enforced by the tyranny of Clear Channel, Viacom and Cox over our nation’s airwaves relegates those (Me) who innocently propose doing something, ANYTHING different on the airwaves to smaller, locally owned and operated bandwidths. There is simply no way of telling with any certainty if my show or any show that thought outside the box would resonate with a larger audience without actually broadcasting from a station with a powerful signal. Your wholesale dismissal that I am, how did you say it, a “self-aggrandizing geek with a large record collection” warms my heart as you have taken to feebly trying to insult me personally (impossible, by the way) instead of acknowledging the frightening monopoly of the airwaves that we both agree has reduced radio to its now pitiful state.
Oh, and to paraphrase Bob Dylan, “Don’t criticize what you can’t understand”
Thor, please don’t cry for me Argentina. |
Buddy (Buddy)
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 02, 2003 - 1:11 pm: | |
Bopst,
Will you kindly shut the hell up?
Nothing worse than a verbose self-righteous obscurist.
Corporate radio has created massive problems.
You are not one of them. You use the current situation to create the illusion that, were it not for the money-grubbing companies that now run radio and their anti-music, anti-talent policies, you'd be a popular dj.
I appreciate the amount of effort you put into your show. No amount of effort will ever disguise the fact that listening to you speak is an uncomforatable experience. Your words do not flow naturally. You may be an intelligent person but there is no trace of wit or charm in your voice when you speak on the air. Your knowledge of music is impressive but most of the music you play comes from the unused section of the record store. You mistake superiority for not being one of the crowd. I see it as a little guy all alone with a big pile of records.
In sum, you don't have the natural ability to be a great dj. Your admirable goal of giving exposure to little-known or little-heard artists would have never and will never be a popular form of radio.
You will always be found in the remainder bin of life. No matter how loudly you squawk.
From this point in my mind, this site is no longer about you and how sad it is that you can't catch a break. We were talking about people who have done great work on the air in this town and how it would be nice to get that quality of talent back on the air. The words quality and talent should have told you - that discussion was not about you.
Now flit before I frag you. |
Bopst (Bopst)
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 02, 2003 - 2:21 pm: | |
Oh yes, Buddy, thank you for your unsolicited appraisal of my vocal abilities behind the mic. You certainly put me, Chris Bopst, host of the Bopst Show airing Thursdays & Fridays on Solid Gold Soul, WCLM 1450 AM, The Heart & Soul of the City, in my place. I always, as a rule, seek the approval of strangers. Oh, and if ignorance was an aphrodisiac, Buddy, boy, I’d be pretty damn hot and bothered.
I do agree that this discussion shouldn’t be exclusively used to debate the merits of me, Chris Bopst, host of the Bopst Show airing Thursdays & Fridays on Solid Gold Soul, WCLM 1450 AM, The Heart & Soul of the City, It certainly is tiresome considering how truly revolutionary and innovative my show is as I’m sure all of you would agree. (Insert assorted laughter & giggles here)
Now, friends, let me make this clear, I am not whining about my plight. No, no, no. I believe that assessment of continual moaning should be reserved for you folks pinning for the days of yesteryear (Jeff & Jeff show, the old WRVA,etc.). Also, some of you mistakenly have come to believe that I somehow don’t show the proper respect for what we all can agree upon as a quality radio program, The Jeff & Jeff Show. Please. Having had the supreme pleasure of meeting them both, I have nothing but the deepest respect and admiration for the both of them, period. My eternal question for you kindly radio folks: Where do we go from here? The past should only be used as a stepping tone to the future.
Hell, the stations with the largest broadcast ranges aren’t even locally owned. The media is in the hands of but a few media conglomerates dictating policy with the much bemoaned Jeff & Jeff sacking being the prime example of this tyranny. YOU ARE LOCKED OUT UNLESS YOU SHILL THE PART LINE. DJ’s, if you can call them that anymore, have virtually no say over the music that is played. Do you not agree?
Also, for some unexplainable reason, I, Chris Bopst, host of the Bopst Show airing Thursdays & Fridays on Solid Gold Soul, WCLM 1450 AM, The Heart & Soul of the City, am being made out as an enemy who, to quote, “will always be found in the remainder bin of life”. Damn, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I take that as a compliment. Who are you anyway? The self appointed high priests and priestesses of mainstream opinion who alone have their precious, knowing fingers on the pulse of what the public wants? Christ, the way some of you want to lambaste me, Chris Bopst, host of the Bopst Show airing Thursdays & Fridays on Solid Gold Soul, WCLM 1450 AM, The Heart & Soul of the City, I must be the greatest DJ ever considering your painfully obvious jealousy concerning my untouchable genius. (Again, pause here for laughter. Does anyone remember laughter?)
No, seriously folks, I am banking that most of you agree with my sentiments but grow ever so tired of my shameless self-promotion. Fine. Not everyone can have as great a radio show as me, Chris Bopst, host of the Bopst Show airing Thursdays & Fridays on Solid Gold Soul, WCLM 1450 AM, The Heart & Soul of the City. We all know that in our heart of hearts.
Well, where does radio go from here, my friends? In an age of media consolidation, is there any coarse of action to fight the tyranny? Is there any hope for independent media? What is the future of radio? |
Ambulancechaser (Ambulancechaser)
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 02, 2003 - 8:09 pm: | |
Bopst, I've got no dog in this fight, and if you intend the continual plugs as a parody of the continual station mentions that interrupt whatever flow a local CC talk show has these days, well, I kinda dig it.
But honestly, I perceive you as either typing before you think or just being argumentative. You spend several paragraphs pining for the return of local radio, in essence hoping to "take back the night" from CC and assorted corporate jerk-bags and return it to the good people of Richmond---then, when a very popular local duo is pined for . . . You say [sarcasm] "Please." ???
Ostensibly, you say this because we need to "look to the future." But Jeff & Jeff were broken up, what, 3-4 years ago? What's a duo's shelf life on being able to crack topical jokes and repeat the same bits? Pretty freakin' long, if you ask me. Don & Mike have been doing it going on two decades now and (despite working for a very large corporation) they are exactly the type of local duo (in their case DC-oriented) a lot of us would love to see back here in Richmond . . . and since Jeff & Jeff were essentially that, why not want them back to give it a shot as what they once were? (Professional obligations notwithstanding, of course.)
In sum, I don't see what your complaint is. As for your show, I've flipped past it a couple of times and kind of like it, but (admittedly as very much an industry outsider) I must agree that corporate radio has a very negligible effect (if at all) on where you are on the dial.
BTW, I assume the "frag" mention is to a frag grendade---which as I understand it goes boom and then breaks up into thousands of annoying and painful fragments. |
Dan_Evans (Dan_Evans)
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 02, 2003 - 11:20 pm: | |
Chris and Chaser, I think sadly that the syndication of radio is in full swing. Chris, you are a rarity when it comes to one station one voice. Most of the DJ's are plastered on the net so if they start streaming or VTing in your area, you will know them all by heart. CC is a big part of it as well as Cox. The good old days have long gone but are not forgotten. |
Anonymous
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 03, 2003 - 12:51 am: | |
2 basic truths about entertainment apply in this discussion: # 1. Change is a constant.
Richmond is a very different media market now than it was when the Jeffs came to town. They were the catalyst of change that took Richmond radio into the modern era. I know, I was just starting in sales when they took this place by storm. We broke down their appeal in sales meetings. It was obvious that they were gifted. Somebody knew what he was doing. Their ideas where brilliant. We thought they'd fail because they were obviously 2 yankees carpet bagging in Richmond. The first thing they did diffused that issue forever and then came Councilman Chuck and that was all she wrote. It became apparent that more than anything else, they were smart. Everybody tried to bring someone in to compete but they ate up the competition.
Fast forward to me in the same building watching as corporate radio misplayed what they had. If they had simply left those guys alone, they'd still be on top. In terms of their shelf life, the truth is, they didn't go bad, they were destroyed. The Jeffs evolved with their audience. They stayed ahead of everyone until their own station stopped supporting them. It was not the first example of corporate stupidity but it was a shame to see two gifted guys that did everything right except kiss up to blockheads publicly assassinated.
So, the evolution ( or devolution ) of the medium did in the Jeffs. Change. But time marches on and the residue of that change is torpor - stagnation. Nothing can replace the carefully calcultated bonding that J&J had with their audience. What people on this page have been saying they miss is the special relationship the Jeffs crafted with each of their listeners and the city itself.
The other basic truth about entertainment is that, in times of change, the old standbys always prevail. Jeff and Jeff equaled comfort food. I’m sure if they came back on the air their show would be different but the constants would be the Jeffs and their ability to bond with their audience and be part of Richmond. In this age of syndication, the first one who realizes that what’s missing is the warmth and then supplies it, wins.
The future is always giving people what they want. In some cases it’s what they demonstrated they wanted in the past.
Greg |
Radiodxrichmond (Radiodxrichmond)
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 03, 2003 - 10:07 am: | |
And so the feces continues to be flung here...
How about Gospel 99.3? VARTV says that they've change the calls to WPZZ...hmmm |
Bopst (Bopst)
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 03, 2003 - 11:04 am: | |
Sometimes, you have to wake up and smell the feces.
In regards to Gospel 99.3 morphing into WPZZ…met the new boss, same as the old boss.
Hey, McGee…are you ever going to take your rightful place behind the mic or are you going to stay in management?
Anybody have any feelings about WRIR (Richmond Indie Radio) 97.3 FM?
http://www.wrir.org/
I saw this over at richmond.com and thought it summed up a certain state of commercial radio quite nicely…
The State of Things In The Music World
The music industry has been making some bad choices for decades now. A couple of the biggest mistakes have been a) consolidating into 4 major entities leaving the rest of the industry to be too small to be relevant and b) over exploiting acts until they are all used up.
Lets face it, when bands like Hootie & the Blowfish came out of the box selling 50 million albums in one year, it set a new trend: overexpose then kill it. The current standard has made the life expectancy of your average act about five years. Gone are the days when a label would develop a band to one day be a "mega-act", which builds loyal fans.
Now it's Sony Music presents "THE NEXT BIG THING" sponsored by the GAP, Target, Play station and Bud and beat it into your head every five minutes on MTV, FUSE, VH1, and the big corporate radio monster. But wait, you'll also hear the same song on every commercial ranging from Fritos to King of Queens. And the buck doesn’t stop there. You also get to hear it at the movies, satellite radio, direct cable and Internet.
Why do you think most acts don't tour America as much as they tour outside of the country? Poor ticket sales. Everyone has seen the band 52 million times on TV, bought the DVD's & Cd's, downloaded all the video and music.
OVEREXPOSURE is killing the music.
As for the “X” & the “Y”. When you look at it, it’s quit funny that they are named 102.1 the “X” and “Y”101. X & Y represent, mathematically, only two dimensions. Richmond “ROCK” radio is exactly that, two-dimensional. What Richmond truly needs is a radio station like FM99 at the beach. You hear everything on that station ranging from what’s new and on top of the charts like Staind & The Red Hot Chili Peppers to "Love Gun" by Kiss, "Flight of Icarus" by Iron Maiden and "Hey Jude" by the Beatles. Not to mention all the hot new stuff that you’ll never hear in Richmond.
Oh, and what happened to the Redskins. Damn. |
Anonymous
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 03, 2003 - 9:41 pm: | |
I contacted a mutual friend who gave me Jeff Beck and Jeff McKee’s email addresses.
When I told them about all the positive talk on this board about their show and their legacy, they seemed genuinely surprised. I told them if they’d like, I’d be happy to post a quick comment from them on this site.
A few minutes later, McKee sent back this response:
“ I just found out that there are a bunch of guys talking to one another anonymously about the state of Richmond radio? No offense gentlemen, but what a waste of time! Why don’t you guys go back to posing as teenage girls on chat-lines. That has to be more rewarding than radio-chat and a lot more interesting to any FBI agents who’ve been assigned to monitor your computers.
I’m sure I speak for Mr. Beck when I say we appreciate your kind words. Except for mandatory staff luncheons and any discussions we ever had with either a general manager or a corporate suit, we loved every minute of our opportunity to be on the air in Richmond and we do miss working with each other and the listeners who became important parts of our lives for all those years.
As far as getting back on the air is concerned, we’ll let you know of our plans as soon as someone contacts us. It’s been two years and it hasn’t happened yet, but then again, there haven’t been any reports of flying pigs or glaciers in hell either.
They say hitting a curve ball is the hardest thing to do in all of sports. I’ve done TV, written for newspaper and magazines and I’m here to tell you, doing consistent good radio is the hardest thing to do in all of the mass media. But, if you’re ever lucky enough to be offered the chance, go for it and swing for the fences.
Here’s what worked for me;
Know who you are, then stay true to yourself and your ideas. Be totally honest and never betray your audience. Fight like hell against anyone who would make you compromise the integrity of your instincts. Never forget that it’s always all about the listener and never about you. And savor every precious moment you’re on the air. Don’t take any of it for granted. Every moment is a gift.
All that being said, I just can’t believe that all you guys do is talk about radio. Jeez! You really do need to find something more interesting to discuss than the non-existant state of radio in 2003.
Here’s a quick list of topics that are more compelling:
Baseball cards. Shoe Polish. Cockfighting. Thimbles. Medieval plumbing. Single celled organisms, for example: Do Richmond’s pseudo pods shop for shoes at Saxons? If you were a paramecium and Jennifer Lopez were a euglena, would you want to rub your oral groove against her anterior flagellum? What has a stronger backbone, an amoebae or a radio salesperson?
Almost anything has got to be more interesting than local radio in Richmond.... too bad, it used to be a gas. "
greg |
Anonymous
| | Posted on Thursday, December 04, 2003 - 9:37 am: | |
Heroes.
Time goes by and you realize that guys like that don't come this way very often. It's close to a tragedy how cruelly those guys were mistreated by inept management. They handled it with class and good humor. I know how hard they worked to carve out their very special careers and to have myopic middle-management from another market swoope in here, take a few quick listens, check the balance book and determine that they were making more than the corporation was willing to spend without really knowing the true value of their asset is almost criminal, not only for the people involved but for the community who've been stuck with Dee Snyder and now Elliot.
What a dis-service to the community and ultimately the corporation. If the X or whatever station might be at 102.1 still had the Jeffs numbers, their war with Y would have been a closed case years ago.
I think the real issue for most of us, however is, if this is the way guys with experience, talent, an incredible relationship with listeners and the community plus good ratings are treated this way, what chance do I, a young broadcaster with dreams of one day getting a show of my own, realistically have?
Put your best face on if you wish, but being as cold and realistic as evidence like this demonstrates: slim slimmer slam - thanks for applying, we'll get back to you.
That's why I'm taking teaching courses at night while I'm working my sales accounts during the day.
Jeffs, you really are the good guys and one day when a corporation or station has run out of all other options, some bright young tyro will get the bright idea to bring you guys back and you'll kick ass and everyone will wonder why nobody thought of it before.
God, if the people who make decisions for radio corporations worked for the government, we'd all be dead.
Hang in there McKey, and tell Mr. Beck we miss him too. |
Bopst (Bopst)
| | Posted on Thursday, December 04, 2003 - 10:04 am: | |
"Know who you are, then stay true to yourself and your ideas. Be totally honest and never betray your audience. Fight like hell against anyone who would make you compromise the integrity of your instincts. Never forget that it’s always all about the listener and never about you. And savor every precious moment you’re on the air. Don’t take any of it for granted. Every moment is a gift."
Sound advice... |
Ambulancechaser (Ambulancechaser)
| | Posted on Thursday, December 04, 2003 - 3:16 pm: | |
Why don’t you guys go back to posing as teenage girls on chat-lines.
Hey, thanks for the straw man. ;-)
I really feel shamed for typing out a 3 minute post every week or two on this board. :rolleyes: |
Anonymous
| | Posted on Thursday, December 04, 2003 - 3:32 pm: | |
Relax chaser. The man was obviously trying to break the ice with some humor. I actually laughed out loud. Let's not take ourselves too seriously. You can stop rolling your eyes now. His was a strong post with plenty of character and dignity. And like none of us has ever posed as a teenaged girl on a chat-line!
Hello?
Hello?
Stop rolling eyes now: |
Ambulancechaser (Ambulancechaser)
| | Posted on Thursday, December 04, 2003 - 5:03 pm: | |
Anon, sorry...I didn't make the ;-) winking thing big enough. Nothing to relax about, no big deal. Chalk it up to an ineffective use of context in a context-free medium. |
Radiodxrichmond (Radiodxrichmond)
| | Posted on Thursday, December 04, 2003 - 5:45 pm: | |
Hey...his point was taken...while I love RIC radio, you gotta admit, a good majority of the waves that come from the metro area are poor quality and sometimes as exciting as lunch meat.
When listening to a B-103 or 96-5 type station is one's idea of "Variety", there is something wrong with the world.
I think we lost any real FM musical diversity when the Buzz was silenced. XL went as another CC "Default Rock Clone" back around the same time...Now were stuck with two Alt. rockers that might as well be simulcasts, and practically everything else is owned by large corporations that don't give a damn about a decent product, just how much money they make.
While I won't go as far as to say that RIC Radio is dead...it really needs some help. 1480 probably will never be on, and 98.9 will probably go "Default Oldies Clone".
Anyway, there's my cold, raw rant for the week... |
Anonymous
| | Posted on Thursday, December 04, 2003 - 6:32 pm: | |
Omigod Chase, why did you take that line so personally? He was so obviously goofing.
I can't believe you'd be so stuffy as to take offense.
His post displayed an infinite amount of respect for people who frequent this site. He showed us respect by opening up and sharing heartfelt, thoughtful and sincere insight from someone who's been there and done that.
Like my fellow anon said, he was just goofin around a bit to break the ice.
I'm a mass comm student at VCU ( no jokes please. ) I hope it's all right with Mr. McKee if I take his advice and share it with my fellow students.
In spite of all the horror stories about how badly corporations treat talent, even very successful, very gifted talent like Jeff, being on the air has been my dream since I was a kid and I'm going to go for it and see what happens.
The words he posted here yesterday told me more about what I need to know to survive than anything that's been offered in my college classes.
I'd like to thank Jeff for being so open and honest with us. I'd also like to thank all of you for allowing me to be part of the spirited
discussions about my passion, radio.
I thought it was interesting that even Bopst realized how profoundly perfect Jeff's advice
was. The reality of the situation seems to be, whatever kind of show you do, whatever type of personality you choose to be, McKee's truths are universal. They also seem to countermand what the corporate consulta-suits tell you to do.
I'm going to try to follow Jeff's path and take my chances.
Once again, thanks to everybody for being there and providing the only place I can go to talk about what interests me the most.
henry |
Thor is Thor (Thor)
| | Posted on Thursday, December 04, 2003 - 8:42 pm: | |
Hey Jeff and jeff, Thor knows both of you guys suck and that's why you are not working anymore. Thor has spoken, Thor is wise, Thor is brave, Thor hopes you both enjoy working at Wa Wa |
Bopst (Bopst)
| | Posted on Thursday, December 04, 2003 - 8:59 pm: | |
Leave it to the o'mighty Thor, the myth, the legend, to put things in their proper perspective. Sometimes you can't see the forest through the trees and I, Chris Bopst, host of the Bopst Show airing Thursdays & Fridays on Solid Gold Soul, WCLM 1450 AM, The Heart & Soul of the City, am forever grateful for the keen mind and superior intellect that is otherwise known as...THOR. |
Buddy (Buddy)
| | Posted on Thursday, December 04, 2003 - 9:03 pm: | |
I know that I should not dignify the last post with a response, but here goes....
Jeff Beck is working.
He's the Operations Manager for Radio Richmond.
Jeff McKee isn't working for only one reason.
Shortly after leaving XL 102, it was discovered that he was suffering from two or three different forms of cancer. ( there was a lengthy piece in the RTD awhile ago )
I'm certain that he could have any job he wanted in this market within seconds of expressing an interest.
Whoever posted that stupid comment just showed:
1. how truly out of the loop you are
2. how truly insensitive you are
3. how little you know about talent and it's value in a market suffering from an almost total lack of marquee names.
I know for a certainty that if Jeff were available, the people I work with would be all over him in seconds.
This has now gotten officially stupid and ugly
We need a break. Why don't we get back to hearing Bopbst crow about why the world needs him?
Chris, where are you when we need you man? |
Buddy (Buddy)
| | Posted on Thursday, December 04, 2003 - 9:06 pm: | |
I just read Bopst's comment. I take it back, Chris, you used to be good for some comic relief.
I didn't think you were that low.
Cancel my request for Bopst. Where's Cory Dietz when you need him? |
Ambulancechaser (Ambulancechaser)
| | Posted on Thursday, December 04, 2003 - 9:39 pm: | |
Omigod Chase, why did you take that line so personally? He was so obviously goofing.
I can't believe you'd be so stuffy as to take offense.
Anon, read my reply to the other Anon (or one of the other Anons; I can't keep track). I meant to display a little sarcasm (hence the ;-) after the straw man comment), but messed it up with an unexplained :rolleyes: . I was never good at that emoticon stuff.
IOW, there was no offense. I just did a poor job of replying. My bad.
Anyway, I didn't know Jeff McKee had cancer. That's awful. Hopefully it is under control now and/or the prognosis is good.
Well, I've hit my quota for the week/month; gotta get back to the studies, which include (interestingly enough) non-compete contracts---though not in the radio employment context necessarily. |
Ambulancechaser (Ambulancechaser)
| | Posted on Thursday, December 04, 2003 - 9:41 pm: | |
Sorry, just noticed your name is Henry.
Hey Henry, my name's Chaser. ;-) |
Buddy (Buddy)
| | Posted on Thursday, December 04, 2003 - 10:22 pm: | |
Chase, I'm sure it's no big thing. You seem like a decent guy ( strange quality for a chaser. ) It's hard to convey things like winking or smiling in print. Best of luck with your studies.
I found the past few days very interesting here. I knew McKee but we never discussed his broadcasting philosophy. After reading what he had to say and thinking about what I witnessed during the time I worked with Jeff and Jeff I can see how he actually lived by those words.
I'd love to see other strong talents emerge here in town, but the way things are structured, it's unlikely anyone will be allowed to accrue that much power, Billy Bevins notwithstanding ( and, like the Jeffs, he earned it combining hard work with the ability to relate to his audience )
I don't wish to intrude or pry, but Greg, if you'd let us know how Jeff is doing, I know more than a few of us would love to tell him we're thinking about him.
Sort of ironic that both Jeffs suffered major illness. I guess the job takes it's toll.
I too am combining work with studies. I'm taking business management courses. I figure I can't do any worse than some of the g.m.'s I've worked with.
Are you listening Linda? |
Anonymous
| | Posted on Thursday, December 04, 2003 - 10:31 pm: | |
how was jeff beck sick?
didn't hear about that.
henry, how's it going, big guy? |
Bopst (Bopst)
| | Posted on Friday, December 05, 2003 - 12:33 pm: | |
This article sums up radio nicely...
Confusion dominates local radio stations
By DAVE ADDIS, The Virginian-Pilot
© December 5, 2003
We interrupt this morning’s usual descent into the pointless and the inane for an important bulletin from the heavily fortified Marketing Strategy Bunker of the Downtown Font of Knowledge:
“Based on market analysis and an assessment of ever-shifting reader tastes, we are instituting some exciting changes in the lineup of The Virginian-Pilot.
“We are certain that this new format will delight our customers and provide important new opportunities for advertisers to reach the crucial 18- to 35-year-old male segment of our readership.
“So, beginning tomorrow, news that used to appear at the beginning of the paper — referred to charmingly, in the old days, as 'The Front Page’ — will be shifted to the section formerly known as 'Classified Ads.’
“The section now known as 'Sports’ will be shifted to the space formerly occupied by 'The Front Page.’
“What had formerly been known as the 'Top Story of the Day’ will henceforth be found in the 'Classified Ads,’ between the listings for 'Firewood’ and 'Garage Sales.’
“Additionally, for purposes of clarity, the 'Editorials’ section will trade places with 'Today’s Horoscope,’ and the popular 'Kerry Dougherty Column’ will be accompanied each day by random snapshots of Saudi Arabians beheading petty thieves in the public square.”
OK, OK, we’re not doing any of that — not that we wouldn’t, if we behaved like the radio executives in this town.
Have you tried to find your favorite FM station this week? You couldn’t cause more media confusion in River City unless Don Slater dropped a pizza on the Doppler monitor and then mistook it for a typhoon.
Go looking for a little George Jones on your car radio today and you’re likely to encounter what sounds like mutant teens clamping an amp and a tractor battery to a Chihuahua’s testicles.
Punch the button that used to give you a taste of Simon & Garfunkel and you’re more likely to hear some Hollywood hat-brim “cowboy” who got a Top 10 country hit because he figured out that he could make “Saddam Hussein” rhyme with “pain.”
Or, a cowpoke crooner who’s stumbled over the other key to modern country-music success: that you can get any sort of drivel on the airwaves these days if the lyrics say, “Thank God for the good ol’ U.S. of A.”
This is what happens when a legendary country-music station like WCMS decides, without warning, to switch to a format of pre-pimple headbanger rock, and a decent rock station like WKOC—The Coast — starts spooning out the maple syrup that passes for today’s country music.
Riding around town yesterday morning, punching the dashboard buttons, the only soothing discoveries were that Tony Macrini and Don Imus were still where they’re supposed to be, and that nobody had the gall to replace National Public Radio with a robotronic tape loop of Ozzie Osbourne’s greatest hits.
I’m fairly able with electronic devices, but I’d rather sell my car and start over than spend the time it takes to reprogram all 18 of its digital preset radio positions. And we’re about one more format change away from that event.
Those two buttons on my radio — the ones set for WCMS and WKOC — are just one button away from the one that says “CD Player.”
Do you hot-shot radio execs wanna take a poll to figure out which one I’m pushing next? |
Dan_Evans (Dan_Evans)
| | Posted on Friday, December 05, 2003 - 8:38 pm: | |
Bopst, great posting and it actually now describes how I feel about the Norfolk market, WHRO and 94.9 the point aside. Yes, I like variety in my music but what WKOC and WCMS did in the name of ratings is absolutly absurd. What happened at the Coast, as Jim Herring noted on this board a few months back, was the same deal that was done at WVGO. The airstaff was brought into a meeting, and told thanks for the memories with no jobs. In this era of big companies coming in and making changes when they feel like it serves a purpose at the last second, it shows a lack of heart for the people who work for the company. |
Radiodxrichmond (Radiodxrichmond)
| | Posted on Saturday, December 06, 2003 - 7:22 pm: | |
It happens a lot...almost all radio companies are cold-blooded...Its' all about the "bling bling" baby!! Who blames them? When you, lets say, buy a convenience store, you expect to make money (duh)...When you're not making money, you probably will figure out why you're not making money...Obviously, if customers don't like the setup of the convenience store, you will change the setup, and in the process, maybe fire some people. You will streamline the store by maybe firing some folks with high paychecks, etc, etc.
(I will say, IMHO, it's cruel to give folks a one-day notice. Oh well, Welcome to American capitalism) |
Radiodxrichmond (Radiodxrichmond)
| | Posted on Saturday, December 06, 2003 - 7:51 pm: | |
On a different note...
To follow DCRTV's yearly radio "wish list", I will issue the official Radio X RIC radio "Wish list", as well as what I expect from the RIC "suits".
Wish List
1480: Will get a permit to build and take 990's "Hot Talk" with it. Which leads me to...
990: If nobody else takes oldies, this will be the place. Otherwise, I expect a religious format
88.9: Will eventually get off their butts and air "Talk of the Nation" or some other decent talk show that deserves to be on a RIC-sized NPR affiliate. I'm a $250 contributer, WCVE. (as if that means anything)
96.9 Ok...maybe not quite a RIC station, but Free-Lance Star is probably losing money hand over fist. I could see a closer signal to F'burg and a change to CHR or Hip Hop
98.9 Ah...I guess this is a wish list, so I'll dream on...AAA, even though the recent change of WKOC probably won't help this idea. Oldies will probably be the likely format.
100.3 Once the subscription runs out for ESPN, the bell will toll for WARV. I expect a simulcast of whatever 107.3 will be putting out then
101.1 See 102.1
102.1 The Alterna-wars continue. They will continue for some time. I don't know why Y 101 would continue broadcasting if the ratings sucked, like someone earlier said. I expect 102.1 to win the wars eventually, and 101 will do something else. This, by the way, will be a good bit away
107.3 80's alt...YEAH RIGHT, as if it would happen
Probablities
1480 going being on by next year:50/50
1480 taking talk format: 90+% sure
88.9 airing a smart talk show .00000001%
96.9 actually going off air: 10%
98.9 going oldies: 75% sure
98.9 going AAA: .000000000000000000001%
98.9 being on air next year: 90+% sure
98.9 taking Star's or 93.1's format: 25%
100.3 going changing formats next year: 25%
101.1 losing alterna-wars: 90%
101.1 changing formats next year: 10%
102.1 changing their format to the same 5 alt. songs looped over...oh that's what they do already...LMAO
Alright, I'll shut up now |
Anonymous
| | Posted on Sunday, December 07, 2003 - 9:59 am: | |
Hey Bopst, the real anon is here, and I'm a real radio exec. I make tons of cash and I don't care if you don't like it, enough people do and I bring enough value to my advertisers so they make money too. Keep playing the stiffs and hanging out on this board with radio x, chaser and the idiot thor and you'll be just fine and happy. I hope you like making $100 a week.
the real anon |
Anonymous
| | Posted on Sunday, December 07, 2003 - 10:51 am: | |
real anon
no bopst-baiting
it's sort of lame to brag about being a radio exec.
#1. a real radio exec? a real genuine anybody can get a job as a radio exec, radio exec! everybody all at once -" oooooh we're impressed -a real radio exec! and he brags about it!
#2. when you bopst-bait it means we have to put up with another one of his "toothless poodle barking posts. "
in summation: anybody that brags about being a real radio exec needs to go to the store and purchase a life.
anyone who deliberately participates in bopst-baiting is a ninny.
bopst, please, i'm begging you, don't respond to this lifeless tie-wearing no-account ( cause he's got no accounts ) sales-platypus.
now, somebody who does a weekend shift in the middle of the night, your turn to boast that you're a real on-air talent.
sheesh! |
Anonymous
| | Posted on Sunday, December 07, 2003 - 5:51 pm: | |
Hey to the other anon. I like talking to bopst, he's fun to pick on. As for being a radio exec, just ask bop, he knows, I tried to hire him, to give him a real job. He even wrote about me in his lame column. I like bragging about it because I know that I make more cash than any fifty of you people who post here and I know it ticks all of you off. So thanks for posting anon, but you've got me:
the real anon |
Buddy (Buddy)
| | Posted on Sunday, December 07, 2003 - 10:03 pm: | |
real anon
the only thing you prove by boasting that you make a lot of money is that you're a shallow
loser who equates money with worth.
you represent all of the negative sterotypes of the kind of people who take the joy out of radio
you're as easy to read as a dick and jane book and just as deep.
the only thing that ticks me off is that it's people like you who give my profession it's vapid reputation.
people who think other people are fun to pick on are bullies. bullies always have self-worth issues. bullies are the bottom feeders of society. why don't you leave us alone and invest some of that heavy green on a good therapist. |
Anonymous
| | Posted on Monday, December 08, 2003 - 10:08 am: | |
I once thought this board was something more than a few folks bitching at each other... |
Anonymous
| | Posted on Monday, December 08, 2003 - 12:32 pm: | |
I'm sorry but when someone posts that they enjoy picking on an on-air personalilty...
when that same person boasts that they make 50 times the income of most of this board's readers...
when that same person claims that he makes those posts because he knows it bothers this board's regulars...
when that person claims that they're a " real radio exec " who makes " tons of cash and I don't care who doesn't like it "...
it should be pointed out that that person displays many of the characteristics of the kind of person who
a: has made radio a less and less enjoyable place to make a living
b: that person represents many of the aspects of what is wrong with the people who work in radio today
c. as an individual, that person undermines the quality of this board by displaying petty animosities and negative attitudes towards regular posters and contributers to this board
So I express my opinion that this person is essentially a " jerk " " a bully " and a " shallow " no nothing. " Exactly where did I go wrong?
we were discussing radio, some of the best on air personalities of the last decade, what happened to them and the sad state of radio today when suddenly the posts became nothing more than the look at me look at me rants of a empty suit.
sorry, but that makes the casual participant to this site think, " same old losers again " and
a certain quality control regarding abusive posts is not a bad idea. |
Anonymous
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 09, 2003 - 1:10 pm: | |
Published on Monday, May 19, 2003 by CommonDreams.org
Move Over, Right Wing Radio - the Liberals Are Coming
by Thom Hartmann
NEW YORK - A political explosion happened this weekend in New York, and it may be the big one that gives Karl Rove nightmares. It could mean the end of George W. Bush's seemingly unending ability to tell overt lies to the American people and not get called on them by the American media.
At a Saturday talk radio industry event put on by Talkers Magazine, Gabe Hobbs, Clear Channel Radio's vice president of News/Talk/Sports, announced that in the near future this corporate owner of over 1200 radio stations is considering programming some of their talk stations "in markets where there are already one or two stations doing conservative talk" with all-day back-to-back all-liberal talk show hosts.
Using the analogy of how music radio stations wouldn't run different categories of music on a single programming day, Hobbs said talk radio was similarly "all about format." This, he said, is why liberal talkers haven't succeeded when sandwiched between conservatives - radio stations shouldn't mix formats but instead should market to specific listener niches. Understanding this, it's clear that only all-liberal/all-day programming can fill the demand for liberal talk radio, Hobbs' comments suggested.
The timing of Clear Channel's bombshell is interesting. Why this particular week and month?
Back last year, I wrote an op-ed first published on Common Dreams suggesting that there was money to be made by programming talk radio for the unserved majority of American voters who cast ballots in 2000 for Al Gore and Ralph Nader ("Talking Back To Talk Radio"). It's the nature of the marketplace to abhor a vacuum, and the hunger for liberal programming - as evidenced by its explosion across the internet and its great success in the few markets where it can be found - can be a very profitable vacuum to fill.
About the time I pointed this out, a group of wealthy Democrats pulled together ten million dollars, formed AnShell Media, and began the work of raising enough cash to put together a progressive talk-radio network. At the same time, the nation's oldest and largest progressive talk-radio network, i.e. America Radio in Detroit, expanded their programming to offer an entire day, 6 am to midnight, of live progressive talk shows, which are now carried on radio stations from coast to coast, on channel 145 ("Sirius Left") of the Sirius Radio Satellite, and streamed around the world on the web. Salon.com even weighed in last week, running a feature article about one of i.e.'s stars, Mike Malloy, and how he's so popular that his show is beginning to rattle the world of internet radio and has a loyal following on the network's affiliates.
At the same time, right-wing hosts are fading. For example, Bill O'Reilly's radio failures in Limbaugh-dominated markets, documented recently by Matt Drudge, imply the obvious: right-wing talk radio has reached market saturation and is no longer a growth industry. According to Geoff Metcalf on WorldNetDaily, the O'Reilly show is even paying stations - in one case over a quarter million dollars - to continue to carry the show.
The handwriting is on the wall for right-wing talk radio: To build profits, programmers must reach beyond diehard Republicans to unserved listeners. This means bringing in the center and left of the political spectrum. Thus, we're today seeing the early fuse-fizzing of the Next Big Boom in talk radio, and many in the industry openly acknowledge it (including Fox, which just syndicated liberal Alan Colmes).
But over the past year as this became increasingly obvious to those familiar with the radio business, the big media companies seemed unmoved.
If anything, they appeared even more committed to exclusively promoting the most hard-right elements of the Republican Party. MSNBC dumped Phil Donahue even though he was the most highly rated show on the network; hard-right talker Glen Beck organized pro-war/pro-Bush events all across the nation; radio stations ran highly-publicized Dixie Chicks censorships and CD-burnings; and both Limbaugh and Hannity went into Republican hyperdrive with born-again Bush-can-do-no-wrong riffs that defied traditional conservative values by embracing the bizarre idea that somehow deficits are good, taxpayer-funded photo-ops are wonderful, and insider politicians profiting from their knowledge and access are no longer worth mentioning. (All things Clinton was savaged and/or investigated for.)
Many industry watchers were dumbfounded at the overt bias and political boosterism. Even BBC Director General Greg Dyke weighed in, saying, "I was shocked while in the United States by how unquestioning the broadcast news media was during this war." Across America and around the world, savvy media watchers wondered out loud why our giant networks and media companies would suddenly become so overtly partisan, loudly and unquestioningly kissing up to the Bush administration? And why did they ignore a multi-million-dollar audience of tens of millions of Democratic/liberal listeners - people with upscale demographics who advertisers would love to reach?
On my radio show a few weeks ago, I suggested the answer was simple - it was all about June 2nd.
That's the Cinderella date for the giants of the media business, the day when Republican activist and FCC Chairman Michael Powell will announce whether or not the FCC will allow further mergers in the media business - mergers that will help wipe out the few remaining small, local radio/TV stations and newspapers, and, most significantly, make literally billions of dollars in profits for the industry's giants.
This is all about paying forward, I said. The industry giants are ignoring markets and passing up profits over the short term in order to make bigger money over the long term. It's not politics - it's just good business. If Gore had been in office and his FCC chairman was inclined to approve further industry mergers, Gore would have suddenly found himself equally bulletproof in the media, much to his delight. At least until the mergers were approved.
Nobody in the industry was willing to publicly agree with me, but nobody denied it, either.
Now, it appears I was right, but the other shoe was dropped two weeks early in Manhattan, a block from Ground Zero.
Last week, Michael Powell announced that he was refusing to postpone the FCC vote on deregulation, and that he was personally in favor of loosening the ownership rules, making the outcome a slam-dunk. In giving the big media companies advance notice that they'd get what they want, Powell also unwittingly began the process of cutting off Republicans from an exclusive lock on hundreds of millions of dollars a year in free political advertising provided by the constant national drumbeat of right-wing talk hosts. Thus, Karl Rove's nightmare.
Now that they're past their concerns about how this administration will decide the media consolidation issue, the media giants are now breathing a bit easier, and getting back to the business of making money.
The demands of the huge unserved market of Gore voters and progressives is real, and internet empires are being built on it. For example, www.radiopower.org just last week announced they'd surpassed the 1.5 million-user mark for their progressive talk radio webstream. The webstream of www.ieamericaradio.com regularly maxxes out with numbers that make terrestrial stations catch their breath, as well as successfully syndicating their programming on terrestrial radio stations across the United States. The strongly left-leaning Democracy Now radio show has exploded in listenership, and the new liberal talk star Nancy Skinner has gone from zero to 14 stations in fewer than three weeks, syndicated by both i.e. America and Doug Stephan's network. Peter Werbe and Mike Malloy from i.e. America Radio Network are doing great, even picked up by Sirius, and Michael Horn, CEO/President of Cable Radio Network CRN Radio News (syndicated on cable systems nationwide), announced at the Talkers conference this weekend that he, too, was looking for good liberal talk show hosts.
Although the right-wingers love to claim that they simply balance NPR (the claim was raised again at the Talkers event), it's an argument that commercial programmers know is specious. NPR never has and never will run hour after hour of a single commentator ranting about the wonders of one party and the horrors of another. Centrist and left-wing talk radio is still an emerging product with a huge unserved market.
This is why Powell's announcement - once the vote is final and irrevocable on June 2 - will begin the transformation of the landscape of talk radio in America. Freed from the need to curry favor with the party in power, the multi-billion-dollar media machines will get back to the profitable core of their business: serving programming that meets the needs and desires of a wide range of listeners while delivering advertising to consumers.
Get ready for liberal/progressive talk radio, coming to a commercial station near you. After June 2, of course...
Thom Hartmann (thom at thomhartmann.com) is the award-winning, best-selling author of over a dozen books, who started his radio career in 1968 and is now the host of The Thom Hartmann Program from noon to 2 pm EST, nationally syndicated on the i.e. America Radio Network. www.thomhartmann.com |
Radiodxrichmond (Radiodxrichmond)
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 10, 2003 - 11:24 am: | |
Left-wing Radio would never make it to RIC airwaves...We can't even get an NPR talk program... |
Anonymous
| | Posted on Thursday, December 11, 2003 - 10:41 pm: | |
Hey anon, the real anon is here and I'm laughing at your post. I hope you are enjoying scrapping together your money to buy some gas for your car today. If you had only studied in school you would have a real job now instead of that part-time gig you have at CC. Way to go loser.
the real anon |
Anonymous
| | Posted on Friday, December 12, 2003 - 12:02 am: | |
I'm rubber, you're glue. What you say bounces off of me and sticks to you. |
Dan_Evans (Dan_Evans)
| | Posted on Saturday, December 13, 2003 - 2:45 pm: | |
In the spirit of the Christmas season here is my wish list for some of the local stations:
88.9: Find the funds to get another station to play straight classical music, and save this one for the NPR talk
92.1: Needs new life fast, or someone to flip formats
94.5: More retards who want to listen to American Idol and Nsync, plus the retreads of Alt, Rap and hot AC.
96.5: Don't change a thing except try to give Paul a job who just got fired from the Coast in Norfolk due to the flip to country.
98.9 and 1480: To actually see the air LOL
101.1: get a morning show to get listeners back from the X, who are knocking you off.
102.1: Finish getting the Y off the market and force them to flip to oldies
God Bless and may all of you have a Merry Christmas |
Radiodxrichmond (Radiodxrichmond)
| | Posted on Monday, December 15, 2003 - 12:09 pm: | |
Dan, the only two problems with having two NPR stations are:
no real available frequency: Sure, you could talk to WAUQ to get their station, but I think hell would freeze over before an extreme right-wing group would sell their station to NPR
now the reeeeeeallly big problem....Money. This my friends is the dilemma. WCVE-FM recently had to extend their fund drive so they could stay on the air...They also own WCVE-TV, and WCVW, and WHTJ, all cash-strapped stations. Also owns cash-crunched WNVT and WNVC in Fredericksburg. When I think about it, that's why there is no "Talk of the Nation". Kudos to 88.9 for having a 24-hour staff, though. I think just Q 94 is the only other 24-hour manned station, and that's for EAS purposes. (WRVQ is the main EAS station in VA, followed by WRXL.)
Who is the guy who is on 102.1 from 5-5:30? Why such a short shift? |
Mark (Mark)
| | Posted on Thursday, December 18, 2003 - 9:25 am: | |
The guy who does 5-5:30 is Mattstikal, and I believe he's the Elliot producer for The X. Speaking of Elliot, he's #1 M18-34 and #3 18-34 overall. The X has the upper hand because of a strong morning show. There isn't a morning I don't laugh listening to Elliot. |
Bopst (Bopst)
| | Posted on Friday, December 19, 2003 - 11:15 am: | |
This made me laugh out loud...
I'm dreaming of white-noise Christmas on the radio dial
WILLIAM BURRILL
In New York City, citizen groups have reportedly banded together in a bid to banish the "All Christmas music format" from radio as a form of cruel and unusual punishment. We're talking about the endless, relentless, unceasing stark raving, maddening #%^&$#@ drip-drip-dripping akin to water torture.
The longest-suffering victims are just-barely-pre-postal mall workers who cannot escape "Jingle Bells," which in-store systems begin playing in November and continue spewing until well after Christmas Day.
Factoid: There are exactly 362 stations in the U.S. — with no fewer than eight in the Manhattan area alone! — that have adopted the All-Xmas format this year.
We have it a little easier here in the T-Dot market because a single station — 97.3 EZ Rock — has grabbed the Toronto monopoly on the "All Santa, All The Time" format. The station was newly crowned in the fall ratings book, reported here last week, as Toronto's most-listened-to radio station.
EZ Rock programmers have been following the same format for years. They play dentist waiting room music for most of the year, then go all-out into the All Xmas mode beginning in late-November — and from there it ain't over till the Fat Man Brings.
(Hey! That was pretty prolific! I hope someone wrote that one down.)
What Xmas X-tremes does The Big EZ go to in order to remain the self-proclaimed "Toronto's Original Holiday Music Station"? Well consider this! The Standard Radio brass, which owns the station, went so far as to go out and hire a vice president and G.M. who is named — I'm not kidding — Pat Holiday! It is dismissed as coincidence.
(But there is no truth to the rumour that the summer music program director is a dude named Pat Elevator.)
We have all managed to brain-botch and mishear certain song lyrics at one time or another and the wicked twist of fate is that, once we learn the real words of the song, it always turns out that the misperceived line was waaaaaaaay better than the dull, lame, soul-destroying actual lyrics.
Such mentally mangled words even have an obscure cult-status name — "Mondegreens" — coined by writer Sylvia Wright in a 1954 Atlantic Monthly magazine article. Wright told of her childhood fascination with "Lady Mondegreen," the heroine of an old Scottish ballad that went (or so Wright thought) like this: "Ye Highlands and Ye Lowlands/Oh where hae ye been?/They hae slay the Earl of Murray/And Lady Mondegreen."
Wright didn't give a Highlander's hoot about assassins' swords turning the Earl of Murray into a tartan-covered pin cushion, but the image of Lady Mondegreen being slain while staunchly standing side-by-side with her liege moved Wright to tears.
Thus you can imagine the shock when Wright later learned that the ballad's real words were, "For they hae slay the Earl of Murray/And laid him on the green." But even if Lady Mondegreen never did exist in song, her name still lives on as the label for all sadly, madly or badly misheard song lyrics.
And for some perverse reason this "Mondegreen" mishearing syndrome seems to pop up in Christmas songs more than any other genre. So, not only are you hearing the same carols over and over on the radio, in many cases you're not even hearing them right!
They play such old favourites as "Onward Christian Soldiers, Marching Ass To War" and who could forget "He's Got The Whole World In His Pants."
The Christmas carol playlist is decked with such balls of folly as "Release the pounding boy" or "Holy Imbecile, tender and mild."
And if some radio listeners are left scratching their heads over just who the hell this "Round John Virgin" guy is, at least you'll feel better knowing that "Barney's the king of Israel."
We also hear that "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer" has a nasty wife named Olive. It's right there in the song: "Olive the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names."
These constant putdowns probably go a long way in explaining Rudolph's heavy drinking problem — he didn't get that red nose naturally! And Santa lets him lead the sleigh team. Better hope Santa's sleigh never gets bagged by a R.I.D.E. spot-check. |
Ambulancechaser (Ambulancechaser)
| | Posted on Saturday, December 20, 2003 - 3:23 pm: | |
Elliot's pretty funny, but I think Bob Edwards is funnier. And Dianne Rehm is a comedy cavalcade....I really miss her, why can't 88.9 interrupt "Performance Today" even once a week to carry her show? |
Thor is Thor (Thor)
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 23, 2003 - 8:55 am: | |
Thor wishes all of you silly little people a Merry Christmas. If any of you say Happy Holidays, then you are nothing but a politically correct dweeb. Thor has spoken, Thor is wise, Thor is brave, Thor says Ho Ho Ho. |
Dan_Evans (Dan_Evans)
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 24, 2003 - 4:20 am: | |
Wanted to wish everyone on here a very merry christmas. God Bless us all.
Oh and Elliot is having good ratings, but won't knock off JB&B. Who is funnier, Elliot by far is no contest there! |
Radiodxrichmond (Radiodxrichmond)
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 31, 2003 - 12:07 am: | |
Happy New Year...
I was at Atlanta, and notced the now world famous 99X. I would love to see something like that round here |
Radiodxrichmond (Radiodxrichmond)
| | Posted on Sunday, January 04, 2004 - 9:51 pm: | |
Little slow around here... |
Bopst (Bopst)
| | Posted on Monday, January 05, 2004 - 11:29 am: | |
When you hear the words "Clear Channel," you probably don't think "Indie." But on Christmas night, Clear Channel's Los Angeles affiliate KDL switched from a failing dance format to Indie 103-1: "Your Independent Radio Station."
Take a look at these two hourly playlists, to get a grasp of the new format. It's not college radio by any stretch of the imagination, but it's a more eclectic mix of music (e.g. Postal Service, Polyphonic Spree, Jeff Buckley, X) than any other commercial radio station in Southern California. And, even more shocking, the station will be running without on-air "personalities" or commercial interruptions for the next few weeks.
The switch seems distinctly out-of-character for "radio's big bully", known for its secretive payola schemes. Why the sudden interest in providing an outlet for new music?
In Los Angeles, the "alternative" market has long been dominated by Infinity Broadcasting's KROQ. In the last few years, it's evolved into a corporate rock nightmare without any competition. Without an adequate alternative to the non-stop stream of Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park clones, many listeners simply turned off their radios.
One of the new taglines for Indie 103-1 is "bringing the alternative back to Los Angeles," a direct jab at the new KROQ. By providing a more diverse station, Clear Channel will likely be able to profit off new bands that aren't getting exposure from KROQ, while attracting KROQ's alienated audience.
If you're interested, I highly recommend reading Los Angeles Radio-Info, a message board for local radio insiders. They're following the story closely, with tons of great commentary and speculation. It's an interesting glimpse into the feud between radio's two biggest conglomerates. If successful, Clear Channel's "Indie" experiment may have surprising consequences across the nation's radio landscape. |
Radiodxrichmond (Radiodxrichmond)
| | Posted on Monday, January 05, 2004 - 6:26 pm: | |
Sorry Bopst...CC has already has an "indie" rocker about 100 miles to the south as in 91-X...they dont just play your typical alterna-rocker stuff....CC does this for the money!!! Something like that wouldn't last a month around here...My bad, it would...WVGO did OK...but east coast "alternative" is different than west coast "alternative"
P.S....CC'S Indie 103.1 is programmed by the same guy who programmed the now defunct (and identical) Premium 92.1 in San Diego |
Thor is Thor (Thor)
| | Posted on Monday, January 05, 2004 - 8:05 pm: | |
Bopst, Thor wants to know are you ok. You sound excited. CC with an indie a station that plays music like you do, wow Bopst, looks like 2004 will be your year. But Thor is confused, if big bad CC is making a national format out of what you do, won't that be like the establishment? Has CC suddenly become cool and a possiblity for you to work for? Thor would be sad. What type of music will you now need to play to be a real true indie? Thor wonders. Thor has spoken, Thor is wise, Thor is brave, Thor has a new radio shack computer. |
Thor is Thor (Thor)
| | Posted on Monday, January 05, 2004 - 8:06 pm: | |
Hey bop, what is the LA radio address? Thor would like to know. Thor has spoken, Thor is wise, Thor is brave, Thor is no longer fat. |
Bopst (Bopst)
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 06, 2004 - 3:15 pm: | |
Thor...
I am a ok there, sister.
I found that little bit of information from somebody who posted it on the Bopst Discussion forum on richmond.com.
more later...
Hope all is well with all of you. |
Radiodxrichmond (Radiodxrichmond)
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 07, 2004 - 10:10 am: | |
www.independent.fm is Indie's address... |
Robwitham (Robwitham)
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 07, 2004 - 10:25 am: | |
Congrats to the 'Skins on getting Joe Gibbs! |
Bopst (Bopst)
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 07, 2004 - 11:59 am: | |
GO SKINS!!!!!!!!! |
Radiodxrichmond (Radiodxrichmond)
| | Posted on Friday, January 09, 2004 - 10:52 am: | |
Sorry if I burst you're bubble, Bopst...I do think, however, the Classic Alternative format in Seattle might eventually make it as a "B format" station in some places...I'm not trashing the idea of an Indie station, but c'mon, that's just a marketing idea by CC to take some of the Liberal Orange Co. alt. rock format |
Bopst (Bopst)
| | Posted on Friday, January 09, 2004 - 11:12 am: | |
That post isn't my own words, ladies and gentlemen. I thought it was an interesting development in the ongoing saga of Clear Channel though. |
Radiodxrichmond (Radiodxrichmond)
| | Posted on Friday, January 09, 2004 - 1:23 pm: | |
It is an interesting development in CC's conquest to take over the world...They try to pull the wool over people's eyes
Anyone know the status on WRFR-FM in Richmond?
Oh, and am I the only one who thinks "Indie" is an ironic name for a station owned and operated by CC? I guess not too strange...Radio Free Santa Fe at 98.1 in NM is owned by CC...anything to make a quick buck, I suppose...
If you thought your XM satellite radio was not stuffing money down CC's throat, think again!!! CC ownes 15% of XM
Uncontrolled, CC will take up small-town radio stations, ruthlessly destroying history and individuality while blanketing the country with uniformity. The FCC doesn't give a damn, Michael Powell and the rest of the Bush Administration are too worried about stuffing their pockets full of cash, not about the FCC's long-time belief of "serving the Public's interest". The sad thing too is that Bush and his buddies will more than likely be re-elected next November, giving us at least four more years of nothing but Clear Channel billboards, radio, TV...before you know it, the Pledge will have replaced the words "under God" with "under the ruthless tyranny of Clear Channel or otherwise known as God" (OK, maybe a bit extreme, but you get the idea)
I have no problem with big corporations, however, the only two things needed to control a country is the media and a leader...CC already has the media thing down pat...
OK, I'll stop B.S.ing enough for someone else to speak |
Radiodxrichmond (Radiodxrichmond)
| | Posted on Friday, January 09, 2004 - 1:26 pm: | |
Oh, on a lighter note...
Any new thoughts on 98.9 and 1480?
1480 does not even have a permit to build by Henrico Co. yet...
I'm unsure of the future of 98.9...WJMA is off the air in Orange. Their CP is for a tower near the James in Eastern Powhatan Co. Anyone have info on 98.9? |
Bopst (Bopst)
| | Posted on Friday, January 09, 2004 - 2:41 pm: | |
How about WRIR? http://www.wrir.org/
From the site...
Richmond Indie Radio a fresh new voice, slated to go on the air January 1st, 2005. We will broadcast music you DON'T hear on the radio dial. LIVE LOCAL DJ's doing REAL LIVE SHOWS, an extensive, full range of news, views, information, and local events not covered by the existing media all fill out our current start up programming plan. Currently, that plan is here.
We are also a true community radio station. That means: We are locally owned, and by charter can never be conglomerated. We are passionate about serving news views and music that is otherwise UNHEARD to our local Richmond Community. We are you - your music, your news, your community - Richmond Indie Radio. .
Our DJ's are passionate about the shows they do. Check out Our Listen Page. You may not recognize the tunes. But you will recognize the freedom of expression, the personal touch, the freedom from the need to constantly be driving sales of some product or another.
Because we are a non-profit - we are not beholden to corporate entities. We invite them to support us, and we will always mention their generosity and thank them personally on the air. And we will always want - and need - your individual support.
Think XM is worth paying for, with the same programming you can hear anywhere - and everywhere else? Maybe, if you're into that kind of thing, and sometimes we all are. But this is local. This is you. This is worth it. We're sure of that.
Thank you.
The All Volunteer staff of WRIR, Richmond Indie Radio, 97.3.
I think this is the most exciting development on the Richmond Radio front in a long time.
Hey there sports fans...you, yes you, can now hear the Bopst Show live on the Internet. The site is totally bare bones, but, if you have a windows media player, you can listen in. The connection isn't all that great but that will change in the coming weeks.
To hear the Bopst Show live (5-8PM, Thursdays & Fridays), go to http://www.wclmradio.com. |
Thor is Thor (Thor)
| | Posted on Saturday, January 10, 2004 - 9:54 pm: | |
Bopst, Thor is happy you finally bought that Radio Shack transmitter. What neighborhood do you live on so Thor can pick up the station. Thor has spoken, Thor is wise, Thor is brave, Thor is nuts |
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