What Doesn't Kill You

Not a good time to be in the broadcast business. Like waves that erode coastline, people keep being swept away. More this week. On-air, sales, promotions. No departments are immune. Yet, I'm still standing. In fact, as more people are cut loose, my opportunities are expanding. And it's not like I'm taking someone's job. I'm merely filling an already existing vacancy. People haven't lost their jobs based on any decisions that I have made.

If I'm still in the broadcasting business two years from now, it will be interesting to see its reaction when the economy turns around. What exactly will they be selling? Personalities sell radio, not music, and now that's true more than ever. Lots of talent has been let go. More people are doing different jobs and that's hurting the overall quality and the ability to service the listeners. This has been going on for awhile, and I don't think it's just a coincidence that radio revenues have fallen with the advent of voice-tracking and rent-a-jock services. It's like going to any other place with customer service. When the quality of the service starts to drop, you'll go elsewhere. We're seeing that in radio.

What do you sell when you have nothing left to sell? That'll be interesting to see, if I'm still around to see it.