"In all of art it's the singer not the song" Penn Jillette

The legendary Pat O'Day has written a fine review of radio today. Via blatherWatch...

MUSIC RADIO UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF GEEKY, unqualified, non-creative, clueless program directors is gradually handing its audience over to iPods, and satellite programming.

Without great performers, without solid, gripping, electrifying personalities with the ability to reach through the speaker and grab you by the ears, talk radio is just another boring diversion in a world packed with excitement.

Blame should be placed on stations that rely only on research for direction. Blame should be placed on GM’s and PD’s who haven’t the ability to listen and truly understand the difference between sensational communication and mundane jabber. If a GM or PD has to wait for the book to come out to know how their station is doing, they were miscast in their positions.

The guiding light in great radio, and to great news talk radio can be reduced to three things: Great showbiz, great theater, great imagination, all engineered with common sense.

Read the entire post in Part One here and check out Part Two here. Bravo Pat, well said!

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