Local radio is it a thing of the past and just holding on by the skin of it’s teeth?
I say yes and the main reason is that the Telecommunications act of 1996 has allowed the huge
conglomerates to come in and buy up most of the stations in the large to medium markets
and playing the fewest songs that appeal to the most people. Though more then 30,000
CDs are released in a year, the national play lists are getting tighter then ever and are
being influenced by big money from the big labels being brought into the stations through
independent radio promoters.
As the former manager of the Police, Miles Colpeland said in the article “What’s Wrong
With Radio?” by Greg Kot of Rolling Stone Magazine, “the Telecommunications Act of
1996, which deregulated radio and set off an unprecedented wave of media mergers. That
action “made radio more corporate, more homogeneous, and rounded out the rough edges
that make music interesting.” I can’t agree more. Back in the day the independent radio
stations use to break new bands and had all the control of their play lists as well as being
a little rough and fun to listen to.
In today’ radio markets the play lists are set by corporate management and focus groups.
The Disc Jockey we know of old who use to bring in interesting and new music is gone
and now we have a person who is told what he can play and when.
I am one of those old time radio announcers from the 80′s. I use to go into the studio with
a pile of records and cd’s and try to give the listeners a vast selection of music to listen to as
well as the hits of the time. I felt my job was to open the minds of the listeners to new types
of music and new bands. Nowadays if a band doesn’t have a contract with the big record
labels they probably won’t be getting there air time on the radio.
Another big problem with these big media mergers is that the local areas have lost their
local stations. Sure in the morning you get some local news and traffic but you don’t
have a station that is giving back to the community in one way or another. The owner is
located in another state or town so the bulk of the money spent on advertising is leaving
the community the station is in. Or worse as Gabriel Harrison said in Brian Liberatore of
the Press & Sun-Bulletin’s article BU disc jockey contends radio giants inadequate in
serving some markets. “You get these stations that advertise themselves as top 20
stations and some of them are run by machines,” Harrison said. “Some have gotten rid of
the DJs. Now they just have sales positions. Used to be when you called a radio station
they’d say, ‘Hey, what song do you want to hear?’ Now you get a secretary who says,
‘What business office can I connect you to?’ “
The listenership of radio has been dropping for a few years now..due to poor music
selection, internet radio, and satellite radio. Internet radio is giving the listener what they
want to hear variety in the music and not the same 40 songs that the local radio station is
playing.
So what can you the listener do about all this…let your voices be heard?
Every radio station in the United States gets its broadcast license from the Federal
Communications Commission for free — on the condition that the station serves “the
public interest.”
This license needs to be renewed every eight years. If the station isn’t holding up its end
of the bargain, people can file objections with the FCC during this renewal process to let
federal regulators know.
These “informal objections” establish an official record of dissatisfaction with a poorly
performing station. The more citizens who participate in the license renewal process, the
more likely it is that the FCC and the station itself will take notice.
License renewals provide a good organizing opportunity for media activists. You can use
the license renewal as a chance to analyze your broadcasters’ service and educate your
community about broadcasters’ public interest duties.
Here’s how to file an informal objection:
Step 1: Time It Right
Find out when stations in your state need to renew their licenses. Plan to submit your
comments two to four months before the license expires, though you can file any time
between when the station submits its renewal and when the renewal is granted. You can
monitor the status of a station’s application via the FCC’s Consolidated Database System.
Step 2: Get Your Information together
Every station is required to keep a public file, which includes documentation of a
station’s political, educational, children’s and community affairs programming. You are
entitled to look through this file upon request. You can also gather information on a
station by monitoring and documenting what the station is broadcasting.
In particular, you may want to examine the station’s news coverage and public affairs
programming. Does the local news programming reflect the concerns, needs and values
of the community? Does the local news provide adequate and thorough political coverage
(both local and national)? Is the station’s political coverage balanced? Or are certain
people or viewpoints being treated unfairly? How does the local news portray different
segments of the local community? Does the station air enough community affairs
programming? Is the local news actually “local”? Or is it produced and taped elsewhere?
Step 3: Sending that Letter
On the first page of the letter, include the station’s call letters, city and state, the station’s
facility number, and the station’s license renewal application file number (you can find
this info in the FCC’s database).
In the body of your letter, provide specific information about the station’s performance
and why its license should be revoked. Point out the things you found during Step 2 –
and any actions by the station that aren’t in your community’s best interests. Remember
that the FCC doesn’t monitor stations’ programming, so provide as many specifics as you
can.
For radio stations, address your letter to:
Audio Division, License Renewal Processing Team
Mailstop 1800B
FCC, Office of the Secretary
445 12th St. SW
Washington, DC 20554
You must also send a copy of your objection to the station’s general manager.
Filing an informal objection isn’t the only way to get involved in the license renewal
process; you can also file a formal “Petition to Deny,” which carries more weight but
requires more work (and usually the help of a few lawyers). See the FCC site for more
information.
In Binghamton one Dick Jockey and a handful of listeners sent a petition to the FCC
asking the agency to deny the license renewals of 11 local radio stations owned by Clear
Channel Communications. The local group contends the nationwide corporate takeover
of radio stations has limited local production, lowered the quality of broadcasting and
nearly destroyed the medium.
Remember the airwaves are in a public trust and we have handed it over to these
companies.
