WHY RADIO IS LAME

Joe Hipperson here. I’ve been trying to update this blog here and there…not trying to OVER do it—that’s why you don’t get the same type of update over and over again.

On day I’ll be telling you why Jessica Simpson is an anti-woman self loving attention whore. The day after that I could be exposing my soul, showing everyone how pissed off I am at the lack of time Hipp Nights gets on St. Louis airwaves. And then there are the updates that involve my personal life.

Today?

Well, today I’m going to tell you why the radio industry drives me crazy. Don’t worry, I’m not going on a rant about my persecution. I’m no hero and I don’t deserve to be a martyr. J.C. CORCORAN?

That guy deserves your passionate resolve to fight for a way to get him (after his sweet ass contract deal expires) BACK on the local airwaves. Ya know, now that I think about it…how cool would it be to have J.C. CORCORAN & JOE HIPPERSON do a morning show together? Jesus. Talk about two polar opposites colliding. Roll your eyes all you want.

Here’s something NO ONE has figured out yet:

Given the RIGHT platform…the right time-slot…the right opportunity—I would be the most listened to talk show host in this city.

There are multiple reasons why…but that isn't the point of this blog entry.

(don't over-analyze the picture...it's just a rough draft of a tattoo I might get)

Back to my point...

I was visiting Mike Anderson's blog. www.stlmediastuff.blogspot.com . I read a post that made me remember just how backwards radio programming can be.

Here is, word for word, what was posted on Mike Anderson's site:

Hatch Research is conducting a paid market research study on Music.
Qualified individuals must be MALES, between the ages of 34 – 41 years old.
Qualified participants must listen to 96.3 K-HITS AS THEIR NUMBER #1 RADIO STATION.
Participants will receive $90 for their time and participation in this 3-hour group interview at our Maplewood, MO location.

Did you REALLY read that? How lame is THAT!? They need to run a market research study and SPEND MONEY to do so--just to figure out how to get the right programming on the radio--in order to get people to listen!?



Christ!



Here we are, in ST. LOUIS! Sure, we're not New York or LA or Chicago...but it's still a decent market for radio...right? I work in radio. You all know that. I've known SO many GREAT talk show hosts/on-air personalities that are not on the air anymore--and you want to know the #1 reason they get told as the pink slip falls into their lap?



They get told that there isn't enough money in the budget to keep them on. Not enough money? Not enough money to pay the people responsible for giving your station PERSONALITY? But they find enough money to throw at consultants and market research teams to get told what they should be doing--instead of thinking for themselves!


Ok, I know you probably think that I'm just "bitching and moaning." I'm not. Listen up, because I have solutions. Some of them I'm going to give out on this blog, for free. The others? Well I guess you'll just have to hire me to be your program director. That is, if you want a station with integrity and a station with balls.

You want to know how smart I am? I'm going to tell you. Almost EVERYONE has some form of MP3 player. That means that the music they love is always on shuffle and giving them exactly what they want: A spontaneous Soundtrack To Their Lives.



So what do they go to the RADIO for???



Personality.



The hosts. The DJ's. Whether TALK or MUSIC format--it's all personality. 10 years ago? Yeah, maybe you could get away with saying that the music was more important than the voices the audience hears--but not today. Not in the climate of 2010.



I've always hated it when radio stations hire out of town consultants who come INTO town, talk to "real people" and determine, for a HUGE FEE, the right direction the station needs to head.



Let me ask you this--WHO gets remembered more? The people that had to get their ideas from others or the innovators that make up their own minds and pick a direction--and move FORWARD--THEIR WAY.



Here's a little experiment...How many radio stations have a program director or programming staff that could listen to Frank Sinatra's "MY WAY," and not get pissed that they are complete hacks?


So my bottom line is simple--if you run a radio station and you want to find out what people want to hear--SELL YOUR STATION. Sell it. Seriously. Or hire someone full-time, not some market research team, and have that someone in a position to have the guts to give your station direction.


You want to figure out what the people like or don't like? Try something radically different in this overly soft, PC smothered society--STAND ALONE! Make your station whatever the hell YOU want.


Hell, if you are THAT powerful that you can hire consultants or market research teams then I'll bet my left nut that you have the authority to make the choice to stand on YOUR OWN IDEAS. YOUR OWN DIRECTION.


Guess what--if people tune in and LIKE IT--You now have something that no one else does! AN ORIGINAL RADIO STATION WITH INTEGRITY!