Contemporary Radio Programming Strategies [antikvár]

CHAPTER 1 An Overview of the Book WHAT THE TITLE MEANS It took 3 years to come up with the title of this book-not because it is such a catchy title, but because of the content decisions it reflects. Contemi^orary Radio Proffamming Strateffes tries to be wholly descriptive of what this book is about. A brief explanation seems useful. A previous working tide for this book was The Sovereign Listener. That tide succincdy described my belief that radio works best when the listener's needs are well served by the programming. Programming that attracts listeners is the dynamo that propels radio. But today, the proliferation of media choices has put the listener in the driver's seat. Today, it is not the station manager or the program director who is caUing the shots at the successful stadon, it is the listener. The listener is the monarch. Radio has always been my first love among the media. The volume that preceded this was The Devehpnent of the Tof 40 Radio Format, a comprehensive look at how radio changed from a program medium to a station-format medium. It focused on the history of format-based radio in the 1950s and 1960s. Contem/^orary Radio Programming Strategies deals with radio as it is today, but in the light of the legacy of those format pioneers. The To/? 40 book drew its examples from the AM dial, because AM stations were dominant in the 1950s. This book draws its examples primarily from the FM band, because FM signals generally are today's dominant stations. The majority of the suggestions for new initiatives are likewise directed toward music FMs, because that is where the listeners are. Prior to the advent of Top 40, many stations played what owners or announcers decided should be played, with litde regard to what listeners actually wanted to hear. Top 40 pioneers changed that, by recognizing the primacy of the listener in