Jadori,

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.