HD is a TV thing

"HD radio was always about what the industry wants, not about what consumers want"

- Mark Ramsey

Reminds me of:

• AM Stereo (still faded out when you went under a bridge)



• FM Quadrophinc (how do you justify that in a 73 Maverick?)



• New Coke (Pepsi?)



• The IBM PC Jr (take everything cool out of a PC and try to sell it ...)



• The USFL (please ... the Pittsburg Maulers?)



• Ford Edsel (the granddaddy of them all)



• Atari's E.T. home video game (even Girdie was embarrased)



• Euro Disney (zoot alore!)



• The Betamax (no movies in the format!)



• The Metric System (don't tell American's what to do)



• The "Baseball Network" (one painful year only)

I remember when we used to sit and brainstorm cool new things that would make our product even bigger. When we were right - we all cashed in. Even when we were wrong - the consumer still recognized that we were trying.

Now a-days before we can even meet, the bean counters want a detail of our revenue plan. Then the decide whether or not we can proceed.

I think every bean counter should have to buy an HD radio and keep it on their desk.

Another Lesson from Elliot

I'm sure that out of work PD wearing the "I'm so thirsty I could add a record" beer t-shirt to a convention last year is finally getting the last laugh.

But there is a bigger lesson in Elliot Spitzer's story today - one that radio should absorb.

The public hates hyprocracy.

They never saw it in Elliot's radio crusade. They never wondered why Elliot wasn't going after the big drug companies - who continue to use 'payola' tactics to move their product.

The public's distaste for corporate radio made Elliot's crusade a cake-walk.

But the moral majority corruption guy ... and a prostitution ring? That pisses off average people.

You see - Bill Clinton never came out and said that using one's position of influence to seduce young interns was wrong. It would be easy to argue hypocracy as Bill was asking for feminist support - - - but the public didn't see that. They forgave him.

Not Elliot. He was preaching morality in a condescening way ... while gettin' some on the side (and paying a hefty sum too!).

Back to us ...

Is there blatant hypocracy on your air-staff?

Face it - we all cast roles and ask talent to sometimes be something that is a stretch.

• Is your loveable dad guy on the show hitting strip clubs on Friday night?


• Is your paid spokesperson for the American Cancer Society a closet smoker? (actually happened to me once ...)


• If you "aveage working guy" morning host living in a mansion?

I'm not saying any of these things will kill you. But if the air bullies about their cause - they had better be living the life 100%.

Right Rush?

Right Kathie-Lee?

Two Trucks

Two trucks in our driveway today: both box trucks.

1. FIRST TRUCK was here to collect all of our plants. Our parent company must have cut plants out of the budget. (Honestly - I never realized they were rented!).


2. SECOND TRUCK was here to deliver a big screen TV to the business office. Guess CNBC looks better in a plasma.

Seriously - If I was going to get a big screen TV ... I would at least have the smarts to have it delivered on the weekend so what's left of the staff didn't see it come in - - - while the plants were being repossesed.

I miss the plants. I honestly took them for granted.