I would like to disagree to a certain exception. For example, I know some people in the radio industry who have tired to be innovative and are nice as well but because of the people in control they want all of their personalities to fit into a certain stereotype. There are some indie stations who play different genres of music and care about the community but I will have to agree that community radio is greatly dissolving.
I would like to be able to balance in both worlds because I love being on the radio as well as a being a podcaster. The more that I learn the longer career I will be able to have.
Just to be clear, my issue with the traditional media is NOT with the front line techs and talent as I know many of them are hard working people, it is with the people that run the stations and make the decisions as they are getting greedy in pushing for more Ad's. Also, many of them really do not get the new social and interactive world that us Internet Broadcasters are using to build loyal followers.
At this time, for many traditional broadcasters, it does make sense to be in both camps so that they do not need to give up their paychecks that they are getting from the traditional media, but they can start to build their own independent brand in the Internet Broadcasters space along with do shows that they really do want to do but would not be allowed to do on the old media. As an example of how this can work, there is obviously Leo Laporte, He does his weekend radio show and then he has other shows he does on his own TWiT network that may not have enough of an audience for the radio. I am sure that the money he gets from doing the radio show lets him have the freedom to try things in the Internet Broadcasting space.
I understand what you are saying, however for some of the people who run the station and make the decisions it is out of their control. For some of them they do not want to make those choices but because of certain pressures within the system they do not have a choice. Trust me, I know how you feel. I have been trying to get into the Internet broadcasting market for some time and I have worked with the people that you have described. Even in the traditional market, you have to conform in a sense in order to create an image that makes profit. I hate to say it but I feel that is most of the industry. Because I don't I know it will be hard for me to get into this industry. The concern that I have is that no one cares about the younger generation of broadcasters. There are some in the older generation that have the knowledge and experience to share with the younger talents and choose not to. That has been one of the challenges that I have faced. I also think that it is selfish for some of the older broadcasters to think that way.
As for Leo Laporte, he was already established in the TV and radio world so of course it would be easier for him to transition into the Internet world. He had the connections. But for most podcasters starting off Leo's story is unrealistic. I can't just walk up to him and some of the other famous podcasters and get connections. I know that I would have to do the networking and prove my show to be worthy before they would even be interested in the first place. If they even care to be interested in the first place. Media is all about who you know and what you can do for them. If you can't do anything that they are interested in then they don't care about you. What I am learning quickly about this business is that you have to look out for yourself and build your business and have others work for you. I would love to get to his status someday but I know I will have to work harder than him to make the proper media connections. However, I would help people and give younger broadcasters advice because a lot of them have talent that is being wasted.
Sense I have not worked in the industry, I do not know if it is the people running the station or if it is the people that own the whole lot but ultimately for the ones who are in control who make the decisions, they are the ones who are responsible for the mess that the TV and radio industry is in. I do know that for the companies that are publicly traded companies they have to maximise shareholder value and that means more AD's. The thing is that they also have to be aware of the fact that many people are tuning out of the traditional media and looking at alternatives. This is not only because of the number and quality of ADs but of the programming too. Many people can tolerate annoying AD's if they are getting compelling and entertaining shows to watch. But if the programs that they put on are only interesting to 1/2 of the population then they have a problem. On TV it is sea of reality TV shows, infomercials, celebrity gossip, fashion and shows like American Idol that many guys are not in to. Where as on the radio you have a lot of the top rated shows are political talk shows that guys are in to. Both TV and Radio have a large untapped markets that I can totally see where Internet Broadcasting can reach everyone and not just one market or one gender or even one country. I do enjoy programming that does come out of the UK but I am here in the USA. As long as they are speaking the same language and the content is good people will watch and/or listen.
There is no question that Leo Laporte has a leg up as he is a transplant from the traditional media and he is brining a massive address book of quality people he can call on to be on his shows and that is not something that is easy to replicate if you are starting from ground zero.
I totally agree that the traditional media is about who you know more than what you know. Even for people who are working on the tech side of the industry. Getting jobs can be tough. I also agree that those older broadcasters should be looking to mentor the younger ones so that the industry can continue. However there are many I am sure that have become selfish and do not want to give back and are only looking out for themselves. My hope is that with the free exchange of ideas on the IAIB some of that can change.
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