Reporting Radio Conformity as Increased Diversity

Analysis:

This story of a format change at a local radio station made it into the evening news broadcasts of all three local TV stations. This particular piece from WOOD 8 was the longest piece with the most contextual information. The News 8 piece does include some useful information about the Grand Rapids Radio landscape, such as the number of local radio stations owned by particular companies. The piece also briefly describes the upcoming conversion to HD radio.

This information about the radio ownership and HD radio is presented without much context or background. The viewer is told that Clear Channel owns sixteen stations locally but not that Clear Channel is the largest radio conglomerate in the country owning nearly 1200 stations nationally. The news story frames the issue of the local radio personalities at WVTI being replaced by pre-recorded actors as simply one of a business decision based on listener share. Not addressed in the story are issues of homogenization and diminishment of localism” in radio. The story is framed as one of greater radio diversity, stating that the new format has a much larger play list. What is not told to the viewer is how will this station be different than other Clear Channel station of similar format in other parts of the country. While the song list may be longer, it could conceivably be the same song list and on-air voice heard around the entire country given the national footprint of Clear Channel corporation.

Another fact not reported with any context is that HD radio will allow current broadcasters to broadcast multiple simultaneous programs using the same amount of bandwidth that they currently use. This is framed in the piece as a move toward greater diversity of programming and a positive development for listeners. However media critics such as freepress.org have noted that this actually represents a move away from diversity in that the new bandwidths created by HD technology were essentially given away to existing radio companies without making them available to other entities, either commercial or community based.

Story:

Newsreader – Listeners got a surprise when they tuned in today. The former WVTI is now the first station in West Michigan to switch to a new everything but the kitchen sink type format. 24 hour news 8’s Joe LaFurgey is here with more on the changing technology of radio.

Reporter – Well Suzie, it is called MAX, close to two thousand songs are on the stations playlist , but it’s just the first in a number of changes headed to a radio near you. The format change began at noon, the local announce staff is gone. The former I-96 WVTI FM is maxed out of the market, literally, and replaced by 96.1 The MAX.

Skip Essick ( Clear Channel executive) – This station’s all about the music.
Reporter – It’s a new format, developed by a Canadian radio executive, that’s showing up in many radio markets across the U.S. They call it Jack in some markets; Dan, Bob, Ed and other names are used in other markets. The difference is an over 1,900-song play list. In one 96.1 segment Tuesday afternoon, listeners heard the rock band T-Rex’s “Bang the Gong” one minute, to Three Doors Down’s “Let Me Go” the next. There’s another difference – the voice behind the mike. While an engineer sits at the controls, the voice of MAX is an actor on tape. No more calling your favorite DJ with a request on MAX.

Essick – We have radio stations in our cluster that accomplish that. This is a radio station that is designed to musically have that kind of relationship.

Reporter – But will listeners hear more MAX type formats in West Michigan? Not likely say other local radio executives.

Phil Catlett (Regent executive) – It’s a format that’s worked really well in some markets. And in other places, such as New York, it’s not worked as well as its predecessor.

Reporter – But that doesn’t mean we won’t see other big changes. Local radio leaders say iPods, satellite radio and various other sources are driving changes in the way traditional radio is done. And the answer is more technology. Many stations are in the process of launching high definition stations. Like the TV counterpart, HD, radio gives stations more bands to send out their signal. So, one station can program more frequencies with music and other offerings not available in the market, beating the technology that’s hurting them now at their own game.

Catlett – Once HD radio takes over and people have purchased HD radios so they can listen, they’re going to have a very wide variety, and frankly, not have a reason to go to satellite or other options.

Reporter – Clear Channel’s Skip Essick says the former that WVTI usually made it into the top ten, but the station didn’t hold its audience hour to hour. He hopes a MAX play list keeps those listeners tuned in. Live from the newsroom, Joe LaFurgey, 24 hours news 8.

Newsreader – Alright Joe, thank you. Here are the players in West Michigan dozens of companies own radio stations all over Michigan, but only a few own a number in our fourteen county viewing area. In the Grand Rapids area, Clear Channel, Citadel and Regent own the most stations, they own sixteen, ten and five, respectively in all of West Michigan. Now in the Southern counties, Midwest Communications, Midwest Family Broadcasting, Fairfield and Cumulus own the most. Some of those stations have a couple of dial spots in other local cities as well. If you want to see who owns radio stations in your listening area, we found a great website. First of all go to woodtv.com and go to the news links tab for help.