Tuesday, April 22, 2008

"A man's accomplishments in life are the cumulative effect of his attention to detail." John Foster Dulles

"You know what charm is: a way of getting the answer yes without having asked any clear question." Camus

"Experience is not what happens to you. It is what you do with what happens to you." Aldous Huxley


Today's image: the sine by PETERFOTO. Beautiful. Thank you for sharing.

Each day seems to bring another wave of email that includes links to negative rants about broadcast. The DTV transition is a train wreck, HD Radio is a failure, the Radio 2020 campaign is a non-starter, broadcast journalism has become a joke, the NAB is worthless, TvB and RAB are increasingly irrelevant. Broadcast conventions are no longer worth attending. Sales are off and things are not going to get better anytime soon. Arbitron's PPM is junk science. Nielsen's C3 rankings are worthless. The thirty second TV spot is no longer effective. There's nobody out there, the talent pool has become the talent puddle. Gen Y not only doesn't listen to radio or watch TV, they have no interest in a career in broadcast. There's no leadership in broadcasting, we have become an industry without heroes. The thrill is gone, working in broadcast is no longer fun. The bean counters and suits have destroyed our once great business. Pure and simple the broadcast trade we knew and loved is dead.

It would be one thing to start one of these arguments and present some possible solutions, get a serious and honest discussion going, after all these are important topics. The trend seems to be against any such discussion. Most of what's out there are rants by the anonymous and in the few cases of those with the courage to put their name on their opinions too many are being just plain rude. Too many fronting an all or nothing attitude "if you're not with me then you're against me, you're wrong, you're stupid and don't get it." Discourse devoid of civility. Which brings to mind the words of Eric Hoffer "Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength."

Readers of this blog are familiar with my pov. There has never been a time of greater opportunity than today. We are living in an age where the quality, quantity and diversity of audio and video is reaching new, unprecedented levels. There's a lot of really good stuff happening out there, folks playing at the top of their game producing truly remarkable work. Yes, we live in disruptive times. Yes, the rule sets are changing. No, the business as usual of today is not producing the results of yesterday. We can complain, scream at the rising tide, get involved in rants bashing how things are without suggesting alternatives or we can get involved. We can stay engaged in the futile efforts of getting better at playing defense or we can get different, get proactive and serious about game-changing innovation. Gordon R. Sullivan wrote "If you are not attacking, you are defending; while there can sometimes be good reasons to defend, in the end you will win only by seizing the initiative and attacking." The former Army Chief of Staff was right when he taught "Hope is not a method." Let me add one more thought. This from George S. Patton, Jr. who said "One does not plan and then try to make circumstances fit those plans. One tries to make plans fit the circumstances." Get involved. Make something happen. Focus on results. Remember and learn from what used to be, dream about and work on creating what could be. Forget getting better, get on with getting different.

Congrats & cheers: Charlie Rose on his simply wonderful conversation with retailing genius Mickey Drexler (posting the video here when available). Brian Lamb and team C-SPAN on bringing us the brilliant Professor Stephen Hawking on "Why we should go into space."

Bonus: Kevin Kelly
writes about the making money in the long tail...

"A creator, such as an artist, musician, photographer, craftsperson, performer, animator, designer, videomaker, or author - in other words, anyone producing works of art - needs to acquire only 1,000 True Fans to make a living."

The entire post here, follow-on post here. Kudos, Kevin. Interesting thesis, fine presentation. My sense is (and he'll no doubt correct me should I be in error) Seth Godin has already done this, already created the proof for Kevin's thesis. Seth not only has more than 1,000 true fans but has done an exemplary job of leading that fan base. If any person could make a living with 1,000 true fans my bet would be Seth could. Sorry Seth, my choice of words is not what it should be here, meaning no disrespect to you nor your fans in using the verb "leading." Leading your fans would be a good thing, no?

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Criticism is a study by which men grow important and formidable at very small expense. He whom nature has made weak, and idleness keeps ignorant, may yet support his vanity by the name of a critic." - Samuel Johnson

Bravo.

Anonymous said...

Damn good post, 100% on the money!

Anonymous said...

Jeeezzz, David - you sound like one angry dude! You flamed me on Jacob's Media (oh, the first HD Radio sold in January of 2004 and stations started broadcasting in HD around 2002) - sure got me on that one! Of course, that IBOC-shill Jacobs, who consults to HD automotive, would not publish my reply to you, about the number of HD radios sold:

HD Radio spinners claim a breakthrough year: Pulling a fast one"

"According to a press release from the Alliance 330,000 HD receivers were sold last year. This is a 725 per cent increase from the 40,000 sets purchased a year earlier and therefore 2007 was a 'breakthrough year' for the technology. In 2008 they will sell a million of the things."

http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/02/08/hd-radio-spinners-attempt-fast

With many returned as "defective", because HD Radio simply doesn't work, count on many less than 100,000 in the hands of consumers!

Dan Kelley said...

Dave-

Excellent words of inspiration in your post today; one I'll share with others.

As always...thank you.

David Martin said...

pocketradio,

Ok, I cleared your comment, again.

Stop being a coward and hiding behind an anonymous screen name. Sign your work, let all come to know your credentials.

Stop the personal attacks.

Stop the same old negative spin.

Your own comment says some number of HD Radio receivers are in the hands of consumers. While you are free to judge the number sold and in use to be a failure you need to come to appreciate the reality of the situation. HD Radio sets are being manufactured, sold and used. Yes, there are issues, it's a first generation product.

Anonymous said...

inspiring and very well said. cheers!

Anonymous said...

any blind person can see through your crap. your cheerleading for the hd radio alliance is exactly what they are paying you to do. your reputation as one of mel's cabal of empty suits is well documented. you are the one that needs to stop the spinning cause it ain't working dude. we know that truth because its out there your blog is nothing but company line propaganda.

David Martin said...

For the record, I have never been paid in any way whatsoever by the HD Radio Alliance.

Anonymous said...

David,

Working at my second TV job making a good living and having a great time. Your post tells it like it is we can be a part of the problem or a part of the solution. I choose to win and control my own destiny. I and not others define myself. Your blog has become a must read for this broadcaster. Rock on!

Anonymous said...

you said

"Each day seems to bring another wave of email that includes links to negative rants about broadcast. The DTV transition is a train wreck, HD Radio is a failure, the Radio 2020 campaign is a non-starter, broadcast journalism has become a joke, the NAB is worthless, TvB and RAB are increasingly irrelevant. Broadcast conventions are no longer worth attending. Sales are off and things are not going to get better anytime soon. Arbitron's PPM is junk science. Nielsen's C3 rankings are worthless. The thirty second TV spot is no longer effective. There's nobody out there, the talent pool has become the talent puddle. Gen Y not only doesn't listen to radio or watch TV, they have no interest in a career in broadcast. There's no leadership in broadcasting, we have become an industry without heroes. The thrill is gone, working in broadcast is no longer fun. The bean counters and suits have destroyed our once great business. Pure and simple the broadcast trade we knew and loved is dead."

Dave, I was wrong about you being a paid shill for iBiquity, I agree with everything you said in the above paragraph except for DTV being a trainwreck, I just believe it shouldn't have been shoved down our throats. But isn't it nice that we can all agree on something for once?

Robert D Young jr
33 S Main St #2B
Millbury, MA
KB1OKL