> I agree with you. After all, how good does a station have
> to be when its competition is its own company? I wouldn't
> mind 2 AM's and 2 FM's per market.
>
> Everyone was asleep when this was being pushed through
> Congress in the 1990's. And keep in mind it wasn't the FCC;
> it was the Telecommunications Act.
>
I thought at the time it would bring more formats to the airwaves and bring more move-ins of wasted "All-Country" rural signals to larger markets. Few were trying new formats, because local or regional owners didn't want to take any chances. They wanted to take on the high dollar Country station. The result was a market of Country Clones. It seemed like everything was Country. In small towns, everything was Country and some larger Southern markets were under-served and could use some of those wasted signals in their markets for new formats. That would also open more positions in larger markets. If you had experience in Country it was a great time in Southern and Midwestern radio. A large national owner of 7 stations would not program all 7 as Country. The passing of that bill did bring more formats to Southern markets and more move-ins, but it also cut radio staff by 90%, sending most of us into other careers. Playlists were also cut 50% and national research into what (they think) listeners want, became the way to go. Radio was destroyed, but we do have a lot more variety to listen to. It's also fun to hear VT'ed talent mis-pronounce streets and broadcast live from events that were cancelled. (lol) Didn't Wild 96.7 do that once? I think the event wasn't until the next day, but they were broadcasting live from it. (lol)
I think a requirement to hire more staff and provide more hours of local programing would improve the current system we have in place. That is a very realistic idea that could work. A requirement for a set number of time in an hour for commericals would also improve radio, but isn't likely to happen. A ban on these national research companies and Arbitron would also improve radio and reduce age discrimination (of formats) on the radio, but that isn't likely to happen. Another idea is to have the FCC define and approve formats for radio stations. Then require each property to have a different format and only when all defined are taken can someone use a taken format in that market. That would bring AM radio back to life! I see them likely using their AM's to fill some of those unpopular formats, unless the defined can only be used on FM and have some, like talk, for AM and FM. Those of you who like Standards and Oldies would love this! It could also weaken the product if a station has a monopoly on a popular format in a market. This isn't likely to happen. It would be a mess for many years and getting the government to approve new formats could be a problem that takes a year or more.
I also miss Fox 97. I miss the days when Big John Weatherbee was at Fox. That man was born for Oldies Radio. The only way Oldies can return is on AM or a low power rimshot and the odds of 96.7, 97.5, 102.3 or 105.7 trying it are not very good right now. It could work at 99.3 and 107.1? Rick, what's the latest on that move-in? 107.1 would work great? If you live in North Atlanta, you always have Sunny 100 and Magic 102-9. I think 88.9 to the south is also Oldies. I heard them last month with Oldies and it sounded good.
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