FCC Working Group on the Information Needs of Communities

...It effectively tells media companies that the government can’t do much to help them, and the companies had better start adapting.

One of the biggest trends that the FCC flags as important in the report is the loss of what it calls “accountability” journalism, in which news outlets on a local and/or national level cover the government and thereby act as a check on power...

And what does the FCC think can be done to fill it? Not much. As the report notes, it’s not clear how that kind of journalism — which doesn’t tend to attract much advertising interest — is supposed to pay for itself on an ongoing basis...

...media companies need to adapt to the new shape of the industry, and try to learn from alternative models and businesses. Probably the biggest move it recommends is that the government shift some of the $1 billion or so it spends on advertising its own services to smaller and/or alternative news sources, as a way of helping media outlets on the revenue side.

...the report more or less leaves media companies on their own to evolve and adapt without any help from the broadcast regulator...

http://gigaom.com/2011/06/10/fcc-to-media-dont-look-to-us-we-cant-help-you/

FCC report on media warns of decline in quality local news

Local TV is singled out in the report for not covering important issues enough. Alhough the number of hours of local news has increased over the last few years, too few stations "are investing in more reporting on critical local issues," the report said. Furthermore, the report said that although stations may be adding newscasts, they are doing it with fewer reporters.

Even with the additional newscasts, the stories often focus on crime and the reason for that has more to do with with how cheap it is to cover crime stories than it does viewer demand.

"As technology offered consumers new choices, it upended traditional news industry business models, resulting in massive job losses," the FCC said.

The result has been "gaps in coverage that even the fast-growing digital world has yet to fill." Although the digital media may someday can fill the void left by diminishing traditional media, "at this moment the media deficits in many communities are consequential."

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2011/06/fcc-report-on-media-warns-of-decline-in-quality-local-news-.html

FCC Report Recommends Moving Government National Ad Spending to Local

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/469464-FCC_Report_Recommends_Moving_Government_National_Ad_Spending_to_Local.php

http://www.fcc.gov/info-needs-communities

radio (broadcasting) formatics

As a listener, and as a broadcaster, I've always preferred (what I consider to be) a balancing of the elements.

No long commerical breaks...I don't like to have more than three commercials in a break.  And, I like to have something quick between the second and third commericial:  promo something that's upcoming, whether it's somthing that ahead within a few minutes or a few hours...

No long breaks with too many elements (promos, commercials, bits, etcetera)...

And try to play two or three songs before stopping for an exented period of time ("break").

I have no problem with the "song, commercial, song, commercial & programming element, song, commercial" format...it just needs to be properly, and comfortably, executed.

Being a fan of radio is what made me want to work in radio...these are the things that seemed to be great and attractive formatics and procedures.

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"...if you’re 75 years old and love oldies, but you walk past an encoded signal wearing a meter (the Portable People Meter) that picks up an r&b/hip-hop station, then you are Ludacris listener whether you really are or are not.


"...25% of all women who listen to the demographic’s core adult contemporary or CHR stations feel that the stations do not understand them..."

radio stations need REAL music directors

Buzz Out Loud 753: "RIAA killed the radio star" was about the RIAA seeking money from radio stations for playing music...

If I were a radio station that could not afford to pay, I wouldn't. Hire a music director to obtain music from those who will allow it to be aired for free. There's LOTS of better music available than that which is distributed by major record labels. You'll lose the gripings from the record companies representatives, and gain the ears of your community.

In my career, before corporate edicts and computers, I listened to ENTIRE ALBUMS to decide what to play. Incoming music was shared amongst the staff for their opinions and recommendations. We had jock meetings, and "listener panels". We, humans, mixed records together so that the change from one song to another was an art (instead of computers assembling songs based on programmed marks in the files and programs). It was a lot of work, and the final product showed the care put into the choices and selections...as well as in the on-air atmosphere.

Music is not the only prized content we, as broadcasters, have to deliver to listeners. If you can only keep listeners by playing music, pay the ("protection") money to the RIAA.

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