Now:
Music stations apply the 'no news is good news' theory for its news coverage. However, if you're a news station doing the same old news, you're in trouble. Zogby just conducted a poll which shows the Web as the primary source of news and information with 48% of its respondents. Demographically, 55% of those responding favorably to the Internet were 18 to 29 compared with 35% of those aged 65 and up...
And here's another red flag - two-thirds of respondents said that traditional journalism was out of touch with what Americans wanted from their news, 64% were dissatisfied with the quality of journalism in their communities...
And where else besides the Internet are people getting their news? Television was the main source of news for 29% of respondents, followed by radio (11%) and newspapers (10%)...
There was a time that radio tailored its news to fit its audience. If you were a Top 40 station your news was more concise. We used the 20/20 format successfully at the RKO stations and you included some entertainment news for your core audience. I can remember WBCN in Boston and other so-called 'progressive AOR' stations using news service information tailored to fit their younger demographics along with local news headlines. The point is, it can be done. The point is, if you still do news - it needs to be done...
Then:
10 Timeline Memories:
- 1774] Banned - Boston: The British close the port of Boston to all commerce (3/7). Revenge is just two years away...
- 1876] Can you hear me now?: Alexander Graham Bell receives U.S. Patent no. 174,465 for something called the telephone (3/7). Here's your lesson on Bell 101: http://youtube.com/watch?v=rerNEK2wWts&feature=related ... 1926] 50 years later the first successful trans-Atlantic radio-telephone conversation takes place between New York City and London (3/7)...
- 1954] TV's finest hour: On "See It Now" Edward R. Murrow takes a stand against Senator Joseph McCarthy and his communist witch hunt with a hard-hitting interview of the Wisconsin Senator (3/9). This documentary shows a clip of that show: http://youtube.com/watch?v=X_uTbVfDtgI ...Probably not TV's finest hour: 1954] WNBT (now WNBC-4) New York runs the first local color TV commercial for Castro Convertible as Bernadette Castro makes the couch into a bed for the first time (3/9)...
- 1967] "D-I-V-O-R-C-E": Sandra Dee receives a divorce from Bobby Darin. America's favorite couple were married in 1960 (3/7)...
- 1971] A sports trilogy is started: Muhammad Ali loses a decision to undefeated heavyweight champ Joe Frazier (3/8). This is the first of 3 fights between the 2 legendary fighters. I saw this great fight at a theater in Boston with Sal Ingeme but didn't add any Columbia product for fear of being accused of payola. We were there as friends, right Sal? Here's round 15 without blow-by-blow: http://youtube.com/watch?v=7hAhzhHUdps ...
- 1981] Rather: Dan Rather makes his debut as principal anchorman on "The CBS Evening News" (3/9)...Not: 2005] Dan Rather signs off for the last time as principal anchorman of 'The CBS Evening News' (3/9)...
- 1983] The Evil Empire: It's neither the Yankees or Red Sox, it's the Soviet Union. President Ronald Reagan calls the USSR an "Evil Empire" (3/8)...
- 1987] So Young: 20-year old Mike Tyson becomes the youngest heavyweight champion after decisioning James "Bonecrusher" Smith in a 12-round bout in Las Vegas (3/7)...
- 1992] 'Happy Trails': Former Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin who had a history of heart trouble, dies at 78 from natural causes (3/9)...1996] Legendary comedian George Burns joins Gracie at age 100 (3/9)...1999] Baseball Hall of Famer, Joe DiMaggio, the 'Yankee Clipper', dies at 84 after not fully recovering from lung cancer surgery in the fall of 1998 (3/8)...2007] Boston lead singer Brad Delp is found dead at home in Atkinson (NH) at 55. The official cause of death was listed as carbon monoxide poisoning (3/9)...
- 2006] Patent no longer pending: Apple Inc. is granted the patent to the iPod (3/7)...
Music Memories:
- 1965] DC 5 debut: The Dave Clark Five make their first appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" (3/8). Follow the bouncing ball for 'Glad All Over', the song they did: http://youtube.com/watch?v=MTXwZ8o8TAM&feature=related ...
- 1966] Recorded on this date: "God Only Knows" - Beach Boys, seen here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=BC_UILNwWrc ...
- 1968] Go East young man: Bill Graham opens the Fillmore East on Second avenue in the East Village (3/8). In this clip, Neil Young is seen with engineers synching his live performance to film: http://youtube.com/watch?v=e1CCXRwTnzo ...
- 1970] O Solo Mio: Diana Ross appears solo for the first time in Framingham (MA) (3/8)...
Commentary:
Overnight jocks love this Saturday Night when two o'clock becomes three o'clock as we 'move forward' one hour to Daylight time. Although we lose an hour of sleep, we get longer daylight by an hour. The same jocks who complained for an extra hour in the fall, get even. No extra pay then, no less pay now...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
(3/7) Rachel Weisz (37), Wanda Sykes (44), Taylor Dayne (46), Ernie (the youngest Isley Brother) Isley (56), Steeler teammates Lynn Swann and Franco Harris (both 56), Peter Wolf (62), Michael Eisner (66), Daniel Travanti (68) and Williard Scott (74)...
(3/8) Freddie Prinze Jr. (32), Camryn Manheim (47), Jim Rice (55), Peggy March (60), Carole Bayer Sager (61), Randy Meisner (62), Mickey Dolenz (63), Lynn Redgrave (65), Jim Bouton (69) and Cyd Charisse (87)...
(3/9) Emanuel Lewis (37), Jeffrey Osborne (60), Charlie Gibson (65), Mark Lindsay (66), Marty Ingels (72), Mickey Gilley (72), Lloyd Price (75) and Keely Smith (76)...
Timeline Countdown: 2 days until Daylight time, 13 days until the first day of spring, 16 days until Easter, 18 days until opening day and 43 days until Passover...
