rock95seven

As if life wasn’t hard enough these day’s, with lay off’s, the high cost of living and economic turmoil on the rampage. Along comes another devastating blow to the American way of life.

As if life wasn’t hard enough these day’s, with lay off’s, the high cost of living and economic turmoil on the rampage. Along comes another devastating blow to the American way of life.

The loss of radio stations across the United States.
Suddenly station owners are faced with the daunting task of firing, laying off and yes even lying to their employees just to keep the station’s on-the-air while others are forced to sign-off for a few months just to off-set the operating cost’s. A few have already turned their licenses back over to the federal communications commission because in today’s economy, no one can afford to take a risk of operating a business that is already destine to fail.

Not all the blame can go on management or the sales team’s but it is after all just a cog in a much larger machine. This machine is hell-bent on harvesting the very soul of radio.

The lack of advertisers have forced many station’s to take these drastic measure’s.
Radio stations in major markets have gone dark, some of which have been on the air for 40 + years.

Example:
http://www.rwonline.com/article/76478 (i will add more examples later)

I have witnessed this first hand and it was not a pretty sight.
The last time i worked in radio was back around 1995-96 and i had fun doing it too.
So after that job fell through i never returned to commercial radio but as my readers know i have been very active in part 15 broadcasting on AM/FM. Lucky for me, I have a very understanding wife and together we kept radio alive in our own special way.

Enter Fall 2009, a knock on the door and a conversation with a friend whom i worked with in 96 landed me another job in broadcasting. I was excited to get back into radio again.
But after a month of working then three months off-work, it became clear to me that i no longer had a job and would have to wait-and-see if things would improve. So far things have not improved.

I am no longer waiting and will return to broadcasting the only way I know how, through the services of Live365.com and “low power” radio.

Radio is not only a companion, a beacon of hope, entertainment or a medium it is the life blood of America and it should no be allowed to die like this. Not this way. Not now, not ever.
People who work in radio do it for the rush and the love of radio ( and being able to pay bills is good too) but most know the history of radio and would not want to see radio fade away.

Just my two cent’s worth, which we all know buy’s nothing these days. What is your take on the subject? Do you think part 15 could be next? Perhaps a push towards all digital radio?

It’s times like these that almost makes me want to shut my stations down and pretend i don’t have a lifelong friend called radio.

Then again, no. 🙂