Here is the PowerPoint outline for Chapter 12.  Remember to complete the application exercise at the end.

Today’s Radio Scene

•      Many stations

–  over 12,000

•      Large station groups

–  Clear Channel has revenues of $1.4 billion and owns the largest number of stations

•      People use radio because of
its portability

–  Most listening occurs outside the home

Current Programming Trends

•      Features formats

•      The four parameters of a radio format

–  Music style

–  Music time period

–  Music activity level

–  Music sophistication

•      These parameters will divide up the audience by ethnicity, age, lifestyle, etc.

Top Five Formats

•      Country

•      News/news talk

•      Oldies

•      Adult contemporary

•      Religion

Working With Formats

•      Program director is responsible for the “sound” of the station

•      The station has to balance its playlist between the old comfortable and familiar with the new and interesting

•      Therefore stations or centralized consultants create a format wheel or clock that specifies which new tunes can be played and how often, where to place news, station identifications and old hits

Drive Time Is Prime Time

•      Advertising rates are highest during the hours people drive to and from work

•      Drive time usually features
funny personalities

•      On the air personalities usually have little say over what music to play

Networks and Syndicators

•      Networks sell a schedule of programs to affiliated stations

•      Syndicators sell a show or two at a time

•      Howard Stern is distributed by a network, while Rush Limbaugh is distributed by a syndicator

•      Both networks and syndicators send the show with some advertising already edited in

–  However the shows are delivered
with gaps that the stations sell to
local advertisers

Format Networks

•      There are networks that sell the complete format program to
individual stations

•      These stations do not have anything to do but sell local advertising spots

•      Many also build in local announcements and news into the format supplied by the network

Measuring the Audience

•      Arbitron is a private company and the biggest radio surveyor

•      They generally use the diary method

•      However, it is hard to get active people to keep a diary

•      Arbitron also uses portable people meter to track radio listening

•      Arbitron breaks down listeners according to demographics
and lifestyles

Critiques of Radio Industry

•      Critics include

–  Media watchdog groups

–  Consumer groups

–  Community groups

–  Advertisers

•      Many are concerned about concentration of radio ownership

•      Clinton administration responded by favoring low power FM stations

•      However current administration seems less sympathetic

APPLICATION EXERCISE:    Ch. 12--Your favorite radio station