tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6999078.post2175952631647491074..comments2024-03-16T07:40:45.216-04:00Comments on Southwest Florida Online News: Phil Hendrie Rants About Radio's Low PayDon Brownehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03406935288146655615noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6999078.post-76454083462665894672015-12-26T19:35:45.779-05:002015-12-26T19:35:45.779-05:00I couldn't agree more w/Phil. It's deplora...I couldn't agree more w/Phil. It's deplorable what the marketing mavens have done to traditional radio. I made a very nice living while I was on the air in San Francisco, LA and New York. But w/the turn of the century, you could see what was happening. Consolidation of the least expensive (for management) stuff available. Their thinking was why should some guy who sits in a windowless room, talking into a microphone and doing creative radio--why should he get paid so much money? Of course, none of these a'holes have ever tried doing it themselves. They'd bust a nut trying it for one week, if they lasted that long. Look, I know I sound like some old guy, like my dad used to sound when he'd make statements like "the big bands are coming back." No, Dad, they're not. And neither is traditional, creative local broadcasting occurring any more. If you have a favorite radio personality in your area, someone who's not pumping out cheap political bullshit about what they believe in--and it's always what's wrong w/things, never what's right--if you've got a guy, or a man-woman comedy team doing daily radio, trust me, they're not going to be around for much longer. Phil Hendrie keeps the standards as high as anyone around these days. Or I should say, "left around these days." Say what you want about Howard Stern, but there's a radio personality who has never put up with money-grubbing, tight-assed management. On the contrary, he had Mel Karmazin behind him. Mel is, or was, one of the most successful radio managers who ever lived. One of his basic beliefs was that it is the guy who's on the air, up at 0-dark-thirty, in the trenches in front of that microphone, getting ratings, that's the guy who's putting money in everybody's pocket. Why fuck w/him. That's right, there was a time when it was the personalities who got the ratings. But when it was discovered that you could do a handful of shows for an entire country from one central source, wow, bye-bye high-paid jocks. And yes, it pissed me off, not just because it's no longer available to me--I had a great run w/some fantastic radio managers--but it's no longer available to kids coming up who want to produce that kind of radio. I seldom get through a day w/out someone coming up to me and saying, "Shit, Terry, I used to listen to you on the radio. God, radio was fun then. What happened?" What happened? It was cannibalized by people who know nothing about entertainment, about what it takes to produce a funny outgoing show, directed at a person's need to be entertained. Sadly, this cannot be undone. They've burned all the bridges that used to connect people to that little magical box, the radio. You go, Phil! Keep leading the way. As for me, maybe, if I'm lucky enough, I'll find a home on internet radio, doing what I used to be paid a very nice salary doing. You cannot respect, love and dedicate yourself to a format. It takes a personality.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03728890805929930840noreply@blogger.com