http://www.nypost.com/seven/08112008...sky_123933.htm
Printable View
While the article is clearly a basher with a negative tone on just about everything, it speaks volumes that all of the insiders in radio respect Karmazin and know what a job he can do. My favorite line:
According to the Carmel Group's Jimmy Schaeffler, "An awful lot of radio stations are going to have to change considerably in order to compete and grow market share [against Karmazin]."
Priceless.
"We are completely confident that free local radio will continue to thrive," said NAB spokesman Dennis Wharton. "Given the stock-market crash of Sirius XM, the real question now is whether satellite radio can sustain a viable business."
Dennis Wharton seems optimistic to me. Free Local Radio will continue to thrive? Firstly, Free Local Radio, particularly FM stereo, is not "local". Consolidation has made a joke out of Free Local Radio. Free Local Radio = Canned music lists, canned deejays, national commercial sponsors owned by a handful of conglomerates which endeavor to dupe listeners into thinking they are listening to local programming and live deejays. Few listeners are fooled. They know what's going on when they hear Da-lie-lah or John Tesh when they go on vacation. Many remember what their local stations were like before they were bought and consolidated by Cox or Clear Channel. People wish they had them back.
Free Local Radio can survive in its current consolidated state, but in order to "thrive", it must go back to the way it used to be. Satellite radio beats Terrestrial hands down when the play the same board. Wharton knows it. That's why he has to refer to Terrestrial Radio as something it used to be.
"We are completely confident that free local radio will continue to thrive," said NAB spokesman Dennis Wharton.
CONTINUE to thrive? They are not thriving NOW. They are merely surviving. Once Satellite Radio gets rolling, "free local radio" will be dead.
Newman, I found that amazing also that even the people that are going to have to go against him, are saying they feel it is going to be a hard task. One also made is sound impossible to go against him.