"Words are made for a certain exactness of thought, as tears are for a certain degree of pain. What is least distinct cannot be named; what is clearest is unutterable." Rene Daumal
"The true leader is always led." Carl Jung
"The honest man must be a perpetual renegade." Charles Peguy
Today's image: About love in Rome by nebe. Beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
Radio programming ace Phil Hall has joined the conversation and started a blog. We can all learn something from this exceptionally bright gentleman. Phil writes...
"Its the content. Its about the content. No where is that addressed except in the broadest of terms like diversified formats.
Content is why FM dominated AM. Content is why Howard Stern got and deserved the great Sirius deal, and its why people remember the colorful Harry Carey, Jack Buck, and Vin Scully while disregarding competent but less colorful game callers like Eric Nadel. One of radio’s premiere times was(is) a Vin or Harry or Jack called game. You could see the players, the horizon, and the field. In color! The magic of those broadcasts was the understanding they had for the way the fans felt about the team and viewed the game itself. They understand their audience...If we’re in this for the long haul we better get back to the basics of understanding the audience. Maybe even better understand who the audience isn’t. The audience isn’t one single person who does not live in your market."
Bravos, Phil! Well said. Put Phil's blog Have A Fine Broadcast Day! in your reader; read his entire post - Radio Heard Here!
Video: Ron Chapman toasts 103.7 KVIL. Kudos, Ron.
Buzz: Presdo (Blog). CBS Radio's play.it (now in private beta) Woman's World, fiction by Graham Rawle (vsl review)
Bonus: Terry Heaton - A Reasonable View of Tomorrow
Yochai Benkler @ TED. Information, knowledge and culture. Well worth the bandwidth. Have a great weekend.
2 comments:
I appreciate Phil Hall's use of legendary sports voices to make his point about content. The live play-by-play sports men and women are the most pure form of reporter in that they have to recall critical vision in real time, much like a translator at the U.N. who is without a script.
I have had the great opportunity to work with some of the best radio play-by-play guys including Greg Papa and Bill King.
Neither Papa or King are as well known as Vin, Harry or Jack, but still have a lasting reputation for vivid instant imaging. When you think of it, the legends of television have had their best moments when they'e had the advantage of knowing what's coming. and almost everyone we recall in today's nostalgia is a television talking head rather than a nationally heard radio voice.
As much as I admire Howard Stern for the niche he's carved for himself, he should not be the icon of 21st Century radio except by default. "At any price" is not a valid excuse for success. That's like declaring Mike Tyson a sporting idol in the category of conflict resolution.
As I said at the top, thanks to Phil for singling out the greats in radio's play-by-play world.
Ron Fell
I started producing Oakland Raiders Football broadcasts 41 years ago and though it has not been 41 consecutive years, I have none the less completed 22 of those seasons with Greg Papa and the late great Bill King as my point men.
Bravos, Ron! Well said. Thanks for the favor of your comment.
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