Why this sounds like bad news for radio’s future in Southern California

Besides penning astir what I emotion – vigor – I besides thatch precocious schoolhouse mathematics classes. This year, I thatch 2 sections of statistics, and arsenic an introductory lesson, I had my students make a acceptable of questions for a survey. There were fewer rules, arsenic it were, arsenic I wanted them to observe for themselves the basics of what makes a bully survey question.

As an example, I did my ain basal survey and asked the students — each juniors and seniors — if they perceive to the radio. To my shock, not 1 did. Two classes, with an enrollment of 39 students each, had not 1 idiosyncratic who stated that they perceive to the radio.Now, arsenic immoderate statistician knows, these 2 classes are not needfully typical of the satellite astatine large. Certainly, determination are young adults who bash so listen, but the information that nary present bash is simply a occupation nonetheless.

So I asked why, and I asked others including the guitarist of section set Law, which had conscionable travel backmost from playing a amusement successful Ventura. The responses were amazingly similar: In general, vigor stations don’t play thing that appeals to them.

This, of course, is not quality to me. You whitethorn retrieve my AM Improvement column a portion backmost successful which I would usage precocious schoolhouse and assemblage students to assistance maine programme my presumption by uncovering what they like, what they perceive to connected streaming services specified arsenic Spotify and Apple Music, on with what they find entertaining connected YouTube, TikTok, and the like. I’d adjacent prosecute teens and young adults to some consult and enactment connected the air, and get them retired into the assemblage to service arsenic presumption ambassadors.

My ideas are not caller by immoderate means … that was the crippled program for top-40 stations years ago. But someway this has each been mislaid successful the modern era, erstwhile astir section stations don’t adjacent person section DJs connected the aerial each day, if they person section DJs astatine all. And don’t get maine started connected contests that are tally nationally, specified that the accidental of anyone successful Southern California really winning are little than winning the lottery.

The occupation is, it’s not being done …  truthful young listeners – radio’s aboriginal – are being pushed distant to the competition. If thing doesn’t hap soon, it’s each over… meaning that vigor could beryllium dormant wrong 1 generation.

What tin beryllium done? Stop selling solely to aged folks similar me. Or amended yet, halt assuming that adjacent idiosyncratic arsenic aged arsenic I americium (58) lone wants to perceive the aforesaid euphony I heard successful my precocious schoolhouse days. Here’s a clue: I don’t. I similar caller music. I don’t similar knowing each opus I hear. But similar Law’s guitarist Aidan Palacios explained, “Unless you similar oldies oregon 1 benignant of pop, you are not going to find thing of involvement connected the vigor today.” Country euphony excepted.

The large happening is, young radical aren’t genuinely averse to vigor listening if they recovered thing of interest. They don’t shun vigor due to the fact that it’s aged technology, arsenic truthful galore experts say. They conscionable privation to perceive thing designed for them. So alternatively than this being a doomsday message, this is really a connection of hope. All it would instrumentality is simply a section proprietor to commencement the trend. Now to get that inclination started …

Mailbag

“I lived successful Southern California for 26 years, moving to Arizona 14 years ago. I proceed to perceive to John & Ken, John Phillips, and Frank Mottek online. I bash sojourn SoCal 4 times a year.

“AM sounds truthful tinny compared to online and KFI connected KOST-HD2 has dropouts connected the 405 astir the  Sepulveda Pass and into Ventura County and arsenic you know, connected the FM HD2 it doesn’t revert to the analog signal. I perceive to some KFI and KABC thru the iHeart app and it does a bully occupation of integrating online ads with the programme content. So adjacent if I inactive lived successful Simi Valley, I’m definite I would perceive mostly online (especially KABC).” — Bob Bartholomew, Yuma, Arizona

That’s what I’ve found. The other HD streams connected FM driblet retired mode excessively overmuch to the constituent of annoyance, portion streaming tends to enactment good successful astir areas.

“Thanks for bringing up 88.5 Not capable radical cognize astir this fantastic station. Good Job.” — William Dunaway

Thank you. I americium trying to beforehand bully radio, truthful if you cognize of thing I miss, delight fto maine know.

“I emotion speechmaking your play articles; definite brings backmost a batch of bully memories. Back successful the precocious 1960s, I retrieve my parent ever listening to a vigor programme regular and I judge it was ‘The Bill Balance Show.’ Do you retrieve that by chance?  — Randy Miera

Absolutely! In fact, I interviewed him years agone for the short-lived RadioGuide Magazine. He started successful municipality playing top-40 music, but yet became adjacent much celebrated for his Feminine Forum, which brought immense ratings and occurrence to KGBS (now KTNQ, 1020 AM) and aboriginal KFMB/San Diego. His champion segments ended up connected top-selling records, and helium adjacent released books giving narration advice. All with a comedic twist.