Blood Bath at ABC Radio (Citadel)

[TheBigA]

From what I've heard a number of Hits & Favorites affiliates are still very upset by the changes.  It'd need to get done in a hurry.

It's not only on-air people who are available.  Lots of managers, sales people, promotions people.  Heck, there are enough radio people out of work now to form several programming companies.  All it takes is some enterprise, willingness to take risks, ability to raise money, make connections with stations, and then keep it going.  Sound like a challenge?  If you have lots of spare time, what's there to lose?

[Steve Eberhart]

...what's there to lose?....  a LOT of money...
it's not exactly a good time to be doing ANY speculating out there, even IF you could get a lending institution to finance such a grand idea...not likely.

[TheBigA]

...what's there to lose?....  a LOT of money...

Depends on who you are.  If you're a radio GM, like Bill, and you can put together a coalition of other small radio GMs to share their audiences into one big package, then the risk is minimized.  But if you're a recently fired DJ with no money in the bank, you're probably not thinking like this.  But then again, all the existing radio companies are in the hole too, so your only alternative is a new career.  Citadel has made their decision.  They're not going to change their mind because it inconvenienced some people.  But the market for what they offered appears to still be there. 

If you believe in what you do, and you think what you do is worth money, and you're willing to put the time in to deliver on what you promise, there's potential to MAKE money.  Otherwise, you're telling me that Citadel made the right decision, and we should all line up for unemployment.

[gr8oldies]

I keep hearing how the "next generation of owners" are going to pick up radio stations for a song, and put everybody back to work. Then the Lorain, Ohio auto plant will reopen......

[longtimelistener]

Citadel made their biggest mistake at the very beginning of all this. As medium-league players they thought they could play in the big leagues but they were under-capitalized and their debt-service is killing them. All else, especially with Fagreed at the helm, was predictable. The same is true with Cumulus and Dickey. Clear Channel has already had its day of reckoning and is still suffering. The day of reckoning for Citadel is only a few month away; Cumulus probably has more time.

[TheBigA]

The same is true with Cumulus and Dickey. Clear Channel has already had its day of reckoning and is still suffering. The day of reckoning for Citadel is only a few month away; Cumulus probably has more time.

Yet the Top 3 stations in Dallas now (in order) are owned by:

#1: Clear Channel
#2: Cumulus
#3: Citadel

Yep...they're really suffering.

[oldmanradio]

It's not only on-air people who are available.  Lots of managers, sales people, promotions people.  Heck, there are enough radio people out of work now to form several programming companies.  All it takes is some enterprise, willingness to take risks, ability to raise money, make connections with stations, and then keep it going.  Sound like a challenge?  If you have lots of spare time, what's there to lose?


Cash, lots of it.

But if you insist on proceeding, marry a rich woman.

[oldmanradio]

From what I've heard a number of Hits & Favorites affiliates are still very upset by the changes.  It'd need to get done in a hurry.

It's not only on-air people who are available.  Lots of managers, sales people, promotions people.  Heck, there are enough radio people out of work now to form several programming companies.  All it takes is some enterprise, willingness to take risks, ability to raise money, make connections with stations, and then keep it going.  Sound like a challenge?  If you have lots of spare time, what's there to lose?

Pardon me, an extremely rich woman. 

[oldmanradio]

Bob Leonard, Peter Stewart, Tom Kennedy, Jonathan, Lori, etc.  The list goes on and on.  The network talent in most cases was much better than we would be able to afford locally, but they are all believable to the listeners.  Most of our listeners actually thought that these talented people were part of our community in many ways.

Please be specific.  What did your listeners say that indicated to you that they thought that these "talented people were part of our community in many ways."

Because we're in the Pacific time zone and have a local morning show, we only picked up 3-6am and I didn't think too much about it until I had a professional middle-aged woman the other day tell me how disappointed she was that "Richard & Lori" were not on anymore.  She explained that she gets up at 4:30 am and listened regularly.  Yes, entertainment is entertainment, but it had a local feel to it. 

Again, how specifically would "Richard and Lori" have any more of a "local feel" to them than "JACK" and "JILL"?

[TheBigA]

Cash, lots of it.

But if you insist on proceeding, marry a rich woman.

I think you guys are misunderstanding my suggestion.  I'm not saying to buy radio stations. I'm saying you should run content companies.  Kind of like Metro.  Except (hopefully) better.