August 19, 2022
What issue would you like to see radio address with more urgency?
 Jana Sutter, WXXL: It would be great to reinstate some support staff roles. A team focused on a common goal can cast a bigger net than just one individual doing it all.
Rich Davis, KDWB: I think we’re doing a little better job of identifying young talent, but I still think it’s still a major issue to address. Big Rob, KKPL/KMAX: Finding ways to make our stations sound and be more local content-wise and in the communities we serve. Way too much plug-and-play in our industry anymore.
Lee Abrams, mediavisions: Insane commercial loads!
Drew Heyman, WHYI: 1) Monetize jocks social media. 2) Let the stations / programmers pick the jocks they want, and know their worth, when it comes to voice tracking. |
Brian Mack, iHeartMedia: Shifting to the platforms our consumers are shifting to.
Toby Knapp, WASH: Providing more robust mental health coverage when it comes to our insurance plans *and* creating a bank of mental health days which employees can take which will not count against sick leave. Bob Patrick, WXLK: Cultivating young talent. It’s a disgrace that there is nowhere for up and coming talent to be groomed.
Guy Zapoleon, Zapoleon Consulting: The most pressing need our industry has is one that has our very democracy on the edge. I’d like to see the FCC reinstall the Fairness Doctrine but expand it to ALL media with the help of congress. Our country is so divided now because opinions and spins are being showcased as the truth with close to a hundred million Americans buying into it. People will say you’re encroaching on the on free speech, but I don’t think anyone wants to defend hate-speech and speech that creates a violent response. Jeff Hurley, iHeartMedia: Developing a stronger pipeline for upcoming talent and programmers. |
 Rick Vaughn, KENZ: We must address our measurement system and the reliability of the panel. It’s a volatile way to make a living and it’s having an adverse effect on our medium and the way we program.
Josh Wolff, WAEB: Given the critical mass of our industry’s reach, getting more teens and 20-somethings to the party would be a sensible goal. Joey Brooks, WKSS: Pop radio needs to find the room to play all the great songs out there. It’s taking songs forever to become powers.
Adam Rivers, WKCI: Talent. We have gotten too far away from legitimate talent coaching. We need to bring back some live overnights somewhere to let the next generation have fun and screw up, and make radio cool to their peers. I was 16 on the air overnights on WKSS and had my friends staying up and driving around listening and calling in. That can still happen. We need to realize the importance of the future. Kobe, WURV: Positions where we can give the new blood a chance on air. Some part timers and even full timers today have never done a LIVE shift…ever. Elise, WPLW: There’s needs to be more spontaneity with trending music. When a song has a TikTok moment, we should be playing it, even if it’s for a short period of time. |
Jagger, KCHZ: Most of our listeners have been raised in an on-demand entertainment world, so we have to be prepared to move on music more quickly than we have in the past. Especially those obvious songs from other platforms that are screaming at us to play, like “Running Up That Hill” which we would have never played hadn’t it been for the viral reaction from Stranger Things and TikTok.
Jon Zellner, iHeartMedia: Ensuring that our brands are focused on our biggest points of differentiation from streaming services and creating content that’s relevant for the next generation of audio entertainment fans.
Orlando Davis, WLLD: Addressing remaining radio. However, delivered, radio needs to remain what “radio” is, to the local community.
Fish, WKRZ: Being more local and stop cutting staff.
Next Week’s Question Of The Week:
Given the ongoing fascination with space, who would accompany you on your flight and why?
e-Mail your responses to: jodorisio@deanemediasolutions.com or bburke@deanemediasolutions.com
