Where will you go?

The other day, (oh yes, it was inauguration day) the happy folks at Clear Channel blew away 1,850 employees. Some of whom had been at their stations for over 15 years. Why?....to save a buck! I can't believe the business that paid my mortgage for over 20 years is now eating itself alive! It breaks my heart. When radio should be more local that ever, great personalities and news folks are being replaced by network and syndicated programming. You've got the ubiquitous Ryan Seacrest, Rush Limbaugh, Neal Boortz, Sean Hannity, John Tesh, John Boy and Billy, Opie and Anthony, Laura Ingraham, Delilah, and (heaven help us), Bubba the Love Sponge, just to name a few. Seems like everyone who can see lightning and hear thunder has their own radio show.

Back in the day when we were doing focus groups one of the questions that was always asked was, "where would you go first to get the latest information if a disaster struck your community?" The answer would tell us who had the news image in a particular market...who was a trusted source of accurate information, who KNEW the market inside and out. NOW where will you go? Do you think that show that originates in Los Angeles is going to tell you about the 16 mile backup on your local interstate? Do you think you can get the in-depth info you're looking for on your cell phone? From some satellite radio station? The point is the answer to that "where will you go" question invariably was a local radio station. Not TV, not newspapers, LOCAL RADIO.

When everything you hear on the radio is network and syndicated programming, where will YOU go?

New Years Resolutions

This is the time of year when people make resolutions. You know, lose weight, quit smoking, stop robbing 7-11's. Most of these resolutions will last about as long as a politician's promise. But I am going to make a resolution that I plan to keep, and that is to stop wondering about things like:

-Why people leave you voice mails without a phone number and ask you to return their call. Of, if they DO leave you a number why do they have to recite it with all the speed of a tobacco auctioneer?

-Why people who KNOW they are going to pay by check at the supermarket, wait until the very last item is rung up before they even start LOOKING for their check book.

-Why people use a credit card to by a bag of popcorn at the movies.

-Why people waiting to get ON and elevator, can't wait for the other people to get OFF the elevator before they try and stampede ON the elevator.

-Why you can put three wire hangers in a closet, come back a week later and there are 49 wire hangers. Do they mate in there?

So those are the things I plan to stop wondering about in 2009. That's so I can start worrying about little stuff like the economy, my 401 (k), the war in Iraq, and Iran with nuclear weapons.

That's a load off my shoulders!