Blog Summary

This year in RTVF 131 I learned some new things, expanded my knowledge on a few subjects I wasn't really up to knowledge on and learned some brand new stuff altogether. I came into this class thinking I really knew the subject and it wound up really kicking me in the ass and it made me really research everything and come away a much smarter student at the subject when it was all said and done.

When I signed up for this class, I figured I knew a lot about the subject. It was just talking about radio. I know TV very, very well and I knew a enough about radio that I thought it could get me by. When I actually took the first class I realized that while I knew a solid amount, the rest of the class were experts. If I were to hold my own in this class, I would really have to put the pedal to the metal and really crack down and read a ton of information just so I could discuss things in class and not sound like I had no idea what I was talking about. I thank my fellow classmates for indirectly motivating me to become more well-versed in the subject.

One of my favorite things about this class has been the weekly blog posts. I feel that this was a much more effective way of gaging our knowledge of the subject as opposed to any other method I've seen in a class I've taken. It allows us to be ourselves and regurgitate what we know about the subject without having to be too formal about it. I feel the ability to be informal allows us as students to use language we would not otherwise use on an academic level and therefore have an easier time getting our thoughts from head to computer. I also was a fan of the length each entry was required to be. While most teachers would say to put 2-3 pages per entry, you allowed us to put enough that would allow us to make a commentary on the subject that was thorough and well thought out, which could be 1-2 paragraphs or 1-2 pages. The flexibility there allowed me to stay away from the bullshitting that happens on so many levels in college and just stick to the facts.

I feel I really got what I was supposed to get out of this class and I feel I'm coming out of this class a smarter person not only on the subject but as a whole because I was exposed to this new "system" that helped push aside the bullshit and get straight to the facts.

SiriusXM Announce Lineup Changes

SiriusXM announced changes to their lineup that will take place May 4th.

Sirius XM Satellite Radio has announced it is reorganizing and reordering many of its channels. A statement from the satcaster says the changes "will make it simpler to navigate through the lineup so you'll spend less time searching and more time listening to what you like the most." The new changes take effect next Wednesday, May 4. Sirius XM subscribers' receivers will download and update the new channel information on May 4 once they are turned on that day.

Among the changes to Sirius XM's channel lineup: XM radios will now receive "SiriusXM Hits 1," which was previously available only on Sirius radios and XM Radio Online. "20 on 20," previously only available on XM radios and Sirius Internet Radio, will be available on Sirius radios beginning May 20th (Channel 3). For Sirius and XM radios, "SiriusXM Limited Engagements" on Channel 18 will be the new, dedicated home for our unique and exclusive 'pop-up' channels featuring music, comedy, talk and more.

Sirius XM has also combined "Sirius Left" and "American Left" to create "SiriusXM Left" (Channel 127). "Willie's Place" has joined forces with "The Roadhouse" to become "Willie's Roadhouse," on Sirius XM Channel 56, featuring music from Willie Nelson, along with other classic country artists.

Despite being merged for years, Sirius and XM have remained drastically different over the years, both relucting to take on many of their partner's channels. This move signals one of the first real changes in that stance since the two sides merged back in 2007. How this plans to affect future lineup changes and channel realignment is yet to be seen but it shows that the two sides are becoming more open to each other's content.

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Nick Cannon: The Next Big Radio Mogul?

Move over Ryan Seacrest, there could be a new king of top 40 radio. CBS Radio announced that Nick Cannon will be getting his own nationally syndicated talk show within the month.

CBS Radio announces that actor, comedian, TV and WXRK (92.3 NOW)/New York morning host Nick Cannon will host of a new weekly countdown show to be broadcast on CBS stations and syndicated by Citadel Media. Cannon's Countdown will be available for both CHR Pop/Rhythmic and Urban stations, featuring a mix of music and celebrity interviews. The four-hour and three-hour shows, respectively, will debut in two dozen markets including New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Houston, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Detroit, Phoenix, Oklahoma City, New Orleans and Little Rock the weekend of April 23.

Launching in conjunction with Cannon's Countdown is cannonscountdown.com, an online destination showcasing the program’s weekly list of the most popular Urban or CHR Pop/Rhythmic songs. The show will be available for streaming online at cannonscountdown.com and through the Radio.com mobile application. National over-the-air advertising and syndication will be managed by Citadel Media. Dom Theodore, Vice President of CHR/Top 40 Programming for CBS Radio, will serve as executive producer of the programs.

"CBS Radio has been an incredible partner," says Cannon. "With the success that we’ve had together with my morning show on 92.3 NOW in the New York City tri-state I am thrilled to now have the opportunity to reach radio listeners nationwide with my new Cannon’s Countdown show."

CBS Radio SVP of Programming Chris Oliviero added, "Nick is a unique personality who is a trusted source when it comes to music and pop culture for this generation. His uncanny sense of humor and engaging style will bring a new and modern twist to the countdown format and allows him to speak candidly while interviewing guests and breaking down celebrity gossip. With the launch of www.cannonscountdown, Nick will give his audience a 360-degree experience on-air and online while sharing his latest interests and insights via the web."

"Nick Cannon represents a dynamic brand and provides an ideal vehicle for advertisers wanting to reach the young-end consumer," said Ed Rivera, SVP of Sales for Citadel Media. "He has demonstrated his ability to attract top level advertisers and seamlessly integrate their messaging while affording them a connection to his loyal fans. Cannon’s Countdown will offer significant opportunities for sponsorships and product integration and our team is looking forward to leading the national sales effort."

Cannon, who currently hosts the morning show on WXRK in New York, will have his show featured on more then 20 stations around the country in markets such as NYC, Chicago and San Francisco. That show will be picked up by CBS Radio as well as Citadel Broadcasting, giving the show a large listener base right off the bat.

Cannon, is an actor and musician as well as being a radio host. His show on WXRK is the station's highest rated show and 2nd in it's time slot to z100's Elvis Duran Morning Show.

Clear Channel To Acquire Playlist.com?

According to reports, Clear Channel is interested in purchasing the popular website Playlist.com

Clear Channel is reportedly interested in the assets of Playlist.com, a digital music service that filed for bankruptcy protection in 2010. A source tells CNet that Clear Channel is interested in Playlist's user interface and some other technology assets belonging the the service, which allowed users to create and share music playlists with their friends.

I fail to see how the addition of Playlist.com would help Clear Channel. The only way I could see it making an impact would be to completely alter the way the website functions. The way it works now, you put a song or artists into a search engine and it finds the URL of the song on the internet and adds it to your playlist. There are no restrictions at all, just as long as your song is on the internet you can add it to a playlist. What I feel could possibly happen is that Clear Channel could replace that option and make it exclusive to songs that are on the Clear Channel playlist or that have been green-lit by the channel, holding other record companies hostage and allowing them to get the deal they want so they can not only get their music on the site but on the Clear Channel affiliates as well.

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Atlanta Producer Fired For Tweets; Delta Comes Off As Scumbags

A producer of a popular radio show in Atlanta has been fired because of tweets he made about one of the station's sponsors, Delta Airlines.

"I was upset my flight was delayed an hour, then two," Chadd Scott (@ChaddScott) said Wednesday.

It was not the way Scott wanted to end a weekend visit with his twin brother and his family in Saint Louis, Missouri. But there he sat Monday morning, stranded at the airport. "I had an 8:52 a.m. flight, and it was waiting and waiting and waiting," he said.

Scott needed to get back to Atlanta, to his job at 680 The Fan radio station. He helped produce the popular Chuck and Chernoff show and anchored the sports updates several times an hour.

Scott says he watched as other airlines took off the from the airport. Then a Delta employee told him and other passengers why they were delayed. "They were out of de-icing fluid and they were hoping to get a delivery sometime in the next two hours," he said.

Scott was among the 2,000 passengers affected and as the hours ticked by, he began firing off ticked-off tweets.

The first one said, "The bean counter who saved Delta a few bucks in st. lou hoping he wouldn't need more de-icing fluid this year screwed a lot of people today."

The next one said, "Not a big quote tweeter, but #delta should remember 'when you fail 2 prepare, you prepare 2 fail.'"

Another tweet later read, "New #delta strategy on de-icing planes in st. louis: wait 'til it melts. well, the company is based in atlanta."

What Scott didn't know was that while he was tweeting from St. Louis, tempers were flaring in Atlanta.

Before his plane took off Scott says he received a text message from a boss at 680 The Fan that said, "The client, Delta, was causing a big stink over what I had said and to knock it off and be careful," Scott said.

But it was too late. By 6:30 that night, after Scott landed in Atlanta, he was fired, eight hours after the tweets began. Scott says his bosses told him Delta threatened to pull its advertising from the station.

Calls from 11Alive to 680 The Fan were not returned. Calls to Delta were not returned either.

Scott says he's shocked by the airline's sensitivity. "How it got as far up in the Delta boardroom as it did and that they would take their time to involve themselves in this insignificant of a matter, puzzles me still."

Scott will have time to think about it. He's now out of a job.

When asked if he regretted his tweets he replied, "Obviously. They're funny, and they got me a lot of twitter followers but I'd rather be at work, then talking to you right now,no offense," Scott said.

I am obviously not a fan of this move at all. Now, I do not listen to the station so I cannot comment on Scott's talent and contribution to the station, but the fact that Delta airlines in the first place would complain and take it to the point where they would threaten to pull their sponsorship with a station because an employee with just over 1,000 followers posted two negative tweets is ridiculous. It shows that Delta is weak and considers a negative tweet from someone who, in the grand scheme of things, is quite insignificant could make an entire corporation lose their shit. I also think it shows that the station is not a strong station to the fact that they did not back up one of their own. I know it could have cost the station a lot of money but the way in which they handled this was terrible and now a man is out of a job in this terrible economy. Very odd situation all around.

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NFL Broadcasts

Considering the NFL might be going through a labor stoppage that could knock out a chunk of the football season, I thought it would be appropriate to discuss the state of the NFL on the Radio. Currently, games are carrier Nationally through CBS Radio & Westwood One and distributed to their affiliates. The regional games, instead of being broadcast by a Broadcast network and simulcast to both cities involved in the game, each team has their own set of announcers who call each game and are paid by the team.

Now, in a work stoppage, it could potentially open the way for the current TV/Radio deals to become voided and get force a restructuring or possible change in the landscape of the whole thing. This could be a potentially huge switch for the NFL, as ESPN's somewhat-recent foray into the radio business has gotten them up to par with WWO and can compete for the most lucrative contract in radio. If ESPN were to win, it would be a huge blow to the WWO stations that have carried the NFL since they acquired the package back in the 90s. It also could potentially backfire on ESPN, as some of their stations in big markets such as New York & Miami for example, have weak signals that might not be able to reach faraway stations while the WWO stations could have done with ease, thus essentially blacking out some listeners.

In the end of the day, the money from ESPN might be too good to pass up, but by doing so the NFL could be shooting itself in the foot. We shall see.

Top 40 Radio Gets a Bad Rap

I feel there is a lot of unfair bashing of the content that is played on Top 40 radio stations. Over the course of the last century, music has evolved every 10-20 years. The difference in style of music from the 50s to the 60s in huge, let alone the 90s and today. That would obviously mean that the general public's perception of music will change. Music that was popular at one point will give way to another type of music that has come along to take the reigns as the new "it" music. As an example, a lot of people in our class bashed top 40 radio because they "feel like people aren't smart enough to know what they like so the station is telling them what to like". I feel that is a very ignorant and elitist comment. While someone who may not be a music fan might have trouble deciding certain things due to the fact that they don't know music, but 99.9% of people who listen to radio know a pretty good deal at what they are listening to, heck, why'd they even stop the dial unless it sounded good? It was a broad generalization that painted the top 40 listening audience as an incompetent group of morons that was similar in style to saying all protestors (either party) are a largely irrational bunch cause they compare their opposition to Hitler. While there are a few bad apples, they obviously don't represent the majority of the group, who are intelligent people. I also feel the comment was elitest due to the fact that music is subjective, not something defined by fact. Now while the main pulse of the music industry is through the internet and blogs, where snarky comments and ripping on the establishment is not only common but encouraged, people have been able to label all different kinds of music with descriptions that can be damaging to the industry as well as ones that can be helpful. Someone was able to label hip-hop as "uneducated black men talking about cars, money and woman", something that scares off middle america. Dance music is labeled as something meant for guidos and is girly to an extent. Indie rock also seemed to be turned into "real music" by the apparent ministry of music. Now, I don't want to come off as someone who knocks the internet for its freedom of speech I'm a firm believer in it, but before the internet came around people seemed to like the popular music. I mean, its not like it becomes popular because someone said it's popular, its popular because its demanded by the people. We're the ones going out and buying their music. If we're being "brainwashed", as one student put it, to like popular music, then why isn't any of this "real music" thats out there in the pop charts? We always see people complain about the quality of music but if the music everyone seems to be ripping is still in the charts and this other music is nowhere to be seen, I think America has spoken.

Yankees On The Move In 2012?

As far as we know, the Yankees aren't changing cities anytime soon, but they very well could be changing radio stations. NY daily News reporter Bob Raissman reports that the Yankees, who are looking for a deal similar to the $18 million a season deal the Red Sox have, could be a potential fit for WEPN ESPN 1050 AM. He also notes that despite WEPN's head of the leaderboard status, that the station's lack of a strong signal, which Raissman equates to "Two Dixie Cups attached by a string is a powerhouse by comparison" to WFAN 660 AM, the home of the Mets. Other potential suitors include current broadcast rights holder WCBS 880 AM, former broadcast rights holder WABC 770 AM, WFAN 660 AM and WRXP 101.9, the dark horse of the group.

As someone who lives out in Suffolk county and cannot even pick up WEPN's signal, I would hope the Yankees would not sign with the station. As a kid I used to listen to a lot of Knick and Ranger games on WFAN before I went to bed and it helped me turn into a huge fan of those teams, although once they left for WEPN and their weak signal, I could no longer follow my teams. As a young kid it was very discouraging and I would hope that the Yankees would rather hit a broader audience and re-up with WCBS.

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Stephen A Smith Returns To ESPN

He's baaaaacccckkk!

ESPN has announced that they are bringing back controversial "expert" Stephen A. Smith to the ESPN family. Smith will return to ESPN for the third second time, twice being driven out of Bristol due to strong anti-Smith feedback from viewers and listeners alike. Smith will reportedly return as a columnist for ESPN's New York & Los Angeles websites as well as host a nighttime radio show on ESPN Radio cities in those two cities.

Smith, although knowledgable about basketball, has been widely criticized for his style, which is often described as "over the top" and "unnecessary". He has even nicknamed "Screamin' A" by media critics and viewers due to his style, which is often mocked on popular sports blogs such as Deadspin and has been the target of a series of YouTube videos from the NBA Draft.

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