Another 600 radio folks bit the employment bullet yesterday as Clear Channel Communications Conglomerate took more target practice at their radio properties. To the average radio listener it's a subtle but irritating change in what they'll hear, but it's more of what's being served up this decade; national programming from the satellite homogenizing each community.
While the industry debate will continue about whether Clear Channel understands the impact of losing the local link to it's communities one thing is certain. Listeners don't care. When all of radio serves up slop on a plate it seems that we as listeners just keep chowing down. McDonald's knows that only too well. It's not about quality of the food, it's all about fast and cheap. Radio's the same way: we don't need hearty, nutritional, nourishing programming-just cram that crap into our ears.
And for every radio professional that's spending his day today at the unemployment office it's probably a good bet that you didn't get it either. You were raised on the mantra "it's all about the listener." But you made the mistake in thinking the listener cared. They didn't.
But give Clear Channel credit. They made allot of money for shareholders by jumping into an industry and sucking it dry. With profitability tapped out they're bailing on radio, blaming it on the economy and dwindling listenership. But there is always a new frontier just waiting for that CC business model to work its margin magic.
Yeah, listeners don't care. But did I mention Clear Channel doesn't either.
