Sunday, March 6, 2011

Music Fans Turning Away From FM Radio


From the time I was still in diapers, there was music in the air. Growing up in the 1960's in Tiffin, Ohio, I was introduced to Rock & Roll music by six older brothers and sisters. My father's beloved Big Band era music also became very familiar at an early age. Dad's music was simply tolerated, but the radio was tuned in to CKLW at every opportunity. The rise in popularity of the transistor radio meant that I could now carry my music wherever I went. What a wonderful thing that little handheld box was! Every kid had one.

CKLW, "The Big 8". Back in the 60's that was THE ONLY station to turn to for all of the latest hits. Millions of 45 RPM records were sold entirely on the strength of the airplay of those iconic AM stations.

As time passed by, the more serious listeners began to tire of narrow playlists, too much talk and not enough quantity and variety of new music. Recognizing this, investors created new stations and new formats over on the FM band, which also offered the advantage of a static-free environment.

As the 1970's came I was turning into my teen years, and just beginning to become a "serious listener". The FM revolution was just getting underway. A classmate told me about a great new station on 104 FM, which was WIOT. That day I made the switch from AM to FM, and my own evolution into the realm of "serious listeners" was off and running.

In my view, FM radio took off the way it did primarily because people were tiring of AM's tendancy to talk too much & not play enough of a variety, and quantity of music. People wanted more music. They wanted to hear more new music, more new songs and a lot less chatter. Remember the days when your FM station would play 4 songs back-to-back without any interuptions? Or the nights when they played an entire album that had just been released? Or better still, when the DJ had almost complete control over his playlist?

Disc jockeys are now almost a thing of the past. They are being replaced by radio personalities that are forced to follow a tightly woven corporate script. FM has become the same beast that they helped to kill off. As a result, FM radio is dying a slow but certain death. It is indeed a death of their own doing.


The XM/Sirius/Pandora's and other Internet Radio alternatives of the world are already picking up the pieces and making huge strides on an ongoing basis. To underscore my point, you need only to look at the large increase in the number of multi-platinum artists who have achieved their high sales without the benefit of any significant conventional airplay whatsoever.


Serious music fans are turning to internet radio, and pay services entirely by choice. In my own case, I pay a yearly subscription to Pandora Radio, which allows me to choose exactly the type of music that I want to hear more of. I can pipe it into my home surround sound system, or into the stereo system in my RV from my Blackberry. This new portability will cause these formats to skyrocket in popularity in the years to come.

I really do hate to see FM Radio in such a sorry state. But, as they say, time marches on. The impending death of FM Radio is truly of their own doing.

SJH

PS - The following video from 1978 is a striking example of an artist's own love for their fans and their music. 

PSS - Specific to the rise & fall of CKLW

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Preservation With a Purpose

As a history buff, it follows naturally that I am a fan of the preservation of historic buildings. But at the same time I am realistic enough to understand that any preservation project must include a specific financially viable plan, or it is doomed to failure.

There are many historic buildings in the city of Tiffin that are worthy of consideration. The most noteworthy at the present time is the Seneca County Courthouse. A group of very dedicated citizens has worked to the point that they are very close to making the preservation of the "Grand Old Lady" a reality. This only remains possible because of the fact that they are working to prove the financial viability of such a project. While the courthouse is likely to be saved, there is still a possibility that it may be deemed infeasible as the issue evolves.

The old Post Office building was repurposed as an annex for Tiffin City Schools for a number of years. After the building had outlived that purpose, a new mission was identified, and it is now being renovated as the home of the American Civil War Museum of Ohio. This is a great success story.

The most noteworthy failure of a proposed preservation project is the old Columbian/East Junior High building. The building has been spared, for the moment, but it is likely to fall victim to the wrecking ball due to the lack of any kind of specific plan.

We cannot save every historic structure. This is a reality that everyone must face. In many cases demolition will be the only remaining option. We must all understand that preservation for the sake of preservation is not a realistic approach. If a structure is worthy of preservation, then it must be saved for a specific and viable purpose, or it cannot be saved at all. This is just the natural order of things.

We save what we can, and we reluctantly let go of those things that are no longer of any reasonable use. It is then left to folks such as myself to preserve the record and memory of those things that once occupied that space. After all is said and done, that too can be a successful preservation project.

SJH

Friday, March 4, 2011

Introduction

With this blog I hope to teach as well as provoke constructive thought. Primary topics will include topics of historical interest, as well as music and related events.

Welcome aboard! You'll be hearing from me soon.

SJH