{"id":5,"date":"2022-02-23T12:59:32","date_gmt":"2022-02-23T12:59:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/kyw-radio-cleveland\/?p=5"},"modified":"2022-05-19T19:53:10","modified_gmt":"2022-05-19T19:53:10","slug":"chapter-1","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/kyw-radio-cleveland\/chapter\/chapter-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 1: New Market Challenges Facing Radio Today"},"content":{"raw":"A new challenge <\/span>known <\/span>as <\/span>digital alternatives <\/span>rocked the very <\/span>heart <\/span>of commercial radio broadcasting at the turn of th<\/span>e 21<\/span><\/span>st<\/span><\/span> <\/span>century.<\/span><\/span>[footnote]\u201c2021 Outlook: Challenges, Opportunities facing U.S. TV, Radio Stations,\u201d S&P Global Market Intelligence, <\/span><\/span>https:\/\/www.spglobal.com<\/span><\/span><\/a>. Larry S. Miller, \u201cParadigm Shift: Why Radio Must Adapt to the Rise of Digital,\u201d <\/span><\/span>Musonomics<\/span><\/span><\/em>,<\/span> <\/span><\/span>https:\/\/www,musonomics.com<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>[\/footnote]<\/span><\/span> Whether streamed through Amazon, Pandora, Spotify, You Tube or some other sources didn\u2019t matter much to radio leaders who were flabbergasted by their <\/span>breathtaking <\/span>success. From its modest beginnings, these digital alternatives <\/span>have offered <\/span>a wide <\/span>selection <\/span>of <\/span>specific <\/span>apps a<\/span>nd <\/span>streaming platforms. Th<\/span>rough numerous devices <\/span>provid<\/span>e<\/span> their subscribers<\/span> with <\/span>highly desirable, <\/span>personalized music and podcasts <\/span>on a <\/span>24\/7<\/span> basis<\/span>. <\/span>Such <\/span>dramatic <\/span>developments<\/span> <\/span>should not have <\/span>greatly <\/span>amazed <\/span>commercial radio experts. After all, signs of trouble first <\/span>emerged <\/span>in the <\/span>late <\/span>1980s when the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) sold its company owned radio outlets including its <\/span>much <\/span>prized flagship station WNBC-New York to Westwood One for $55 million.[footnote]Richard W. Stevenson, \u201cNBC to Sell Its Radio Network,\u201d <\/span><\/span>The New York Times<\/em>,<\/span><\/span> July 21, 1987.<\/span><\/span>[\/footnote] Other financial shortfalls over the next decade resulted in the Westinghouse Broadcasting Company (WBS) purchasing the Columbia Broadcasting Company (CBS) for $5.4 billion in 1995.[footnote]Geraldine Fabrikant, \u201cCBS Accepts Bid by Westinghouse; $5.4 Billion Deal,\u201d <\/span><\/span>The New\u00a0York Times<\/em>,<\/span><\/span> August 2, 1995.<\/span><\/span>[\/footnote] Fourteen years later, <\/span>the <\/span>all-<\/span>new CBS <\/span>became <\/span>a vital <\/span>part of <\/span>today\u2019s <\/span>Viacom.[footnote]\u201cCBS & Viacom Complete Merger,\u201d <\/span><\/span>https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com<\/span><\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>[\/footnote]<\/span><\/span>\r\n\r\nDisney Productions also expanded its <\/span>earlier, more <\/span>narrowly-focused broadcasting objectives in the mid-\u201890s <\/span>when <\/span>it bought Capital Cities and the <\/span>American Broadcasting Company (ABC) for a whopping $19 billion.[footnote]Steven Rosenfeld, \u201cDisney to Acquire Cap Cities\/ABC in $19 <\/span>Billion <\/span>Merger<\/span>,\u201d<\/span><\/span> https<\/span>:\/\/Apnews.com<\/span><\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/span>[\/footnote] Those mergers highlighted by <\/span>compelli<\/span>ng <\/span>new <\/span>dramas, <\/span>provocative <\/span>news-talk shows, <\/span>outrageous <\/span>reality <\/span>offerings;<\/span> <\/span>off-beat <\/span>sitcoms and <\/span>exciting <\/span>sports have <\/span>literally <\/span>changed the face of <\/span>21<\/span><\/span>st<\/span><\/span> century conventional <\/span>television. Similar merger activit<\/span>ies<\/span> <\/span>and <\/span>a<\/span> <\/span>noted <\/span>relax<\/span>ing of federal restrictions <\/span>regarding <\/span>the number of stations <\/span>an individual <\/span>broadcaster might own <\/span>with <\/span>a<\/span> <\/span>targeted <\/span>area <\/span>ha<\/span>d<\/span> <\/span>also radically altered <\/span>traditional <\/span>commercial radio<\/span> broadcasting<\/span>. From Maine to California, <\/span>more and more <\/span>local <\/span>radio stations have <\/span>deserted <\/span>their <\/span>individual <\/span>formats <\/span>for <\/span>more homogeneous <\/span>ones<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\r\n\r\nUsually owned and operated by large <\/span>regional or national <\/span>broadcasting concerns, many of those <\/span>local <\/span>outlets have <\/span>deliberately <\/span>d<\/span>iscouraged <\/span>competition. Th<\/span>ose <\/span>recent actions do not represent <\/span>a<\/span> sinister plot hatched by aliens from another planet; but rather, the logical outcome of highly <\/span>motivated<\/span> <\/span>station owners that have <\/span>purposely <\/span>chosen to <\/span>lower <\/span>their <\/span>overall costs by <\/span>streamlin<\/span>ing <\/span>their operations. <\/span>Such <\/span>measure<\/span>s<\/span> ha<\/span>ve led many radio <\/span>broadcasters to <\/span>bring together some <\/span>the latest rock and roll music with today\u2019s favorite dance music to create a new format they call the <\/span>\u201c<\/span>contemporary urban sound.\u201d<\/span> Others <\/span>have <\/span>adopted <\/span>affordable, <\/span>new program alternatives. They include <\/span>the likes of <\/span>shock jocks, politically-charged talk shows<\/span>, sports talk<\/span> or 24\/7 news as well as classical music and <\/span>contemporary <\/span>jazz. Yet, <\/span>in their <\/span>attempt to update their <\/span>programming<\/span> <\/span>few have addressed the pressing needs and wants of the post-1990 generations. Left to their own devices, those younger people have relied more and more on newer music and video streaming services and specially attuned podcasts. Some services even incorporate live games, sports, e-sports and sports betting. Those extras are not readily available through more traditional broadcasting means. These latest developments have not escaped the attention of shrewd investors that have encouraged the expansion of these new, highly profitable digital alternatives.<\/span>\r\n\r\nUnquestionably, most of today\u2019s leading recording companies fully support these latest approaches. They consider them <\/span>to be <\/span>the wave of the future. They particularly like the idea that many streaming services pay royalties on the songs they play<\/span> daily<\/span>. Th<\/span>at <\/span>pay-as-you-go arrangement did not exist earlier. Over the last decade or so, unique streaming services, rather than traditional broadcasting outlets, have <\/span>increasingly <\/span>governed the musical preferences for millions of their faithful listeners. Exceptionally high returns are out there for those who <\/span>willing<\/span>ly invest in <\/span>th<\/span>os<\/span>e latest technolog<\/span>ical advances<\/span>. As you might expect, the <\/span>general a<\/span>cceptance of high-tech digital listening devices has done <\/span>a great <\/span>more than <\/span>simply <\/span>line the pockets of <\/span>shrewd <\/span>investors. In a real <\/span>true <\/span>sense, <\/span>such devices <\/span>ha<\/span>ve<\/span> <\/span>meaningfully heightened <\/span>the <\/span>listening experience for <\/span>their <\/span>subscribers. Smart speakers, such as Amazon Echo and Home Pod Minis, <\/span>help <\/span>in this process.[footnote]Chris <\/span>Velazco<\/span>, \u201cIf You Need Your Music Everywhere, Apple Music\u2019s Voice Plan Isn\u2019t For You,\u201d <\/span><\/span>The Cleveland Plain Dealer<\/em>,<\/span><\/span> <\/span>January 9, 2022. Miller, <\/span><\/span>Musonomics<\/span><\/em>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>[\/footnote]<\/span>\r\n\r\nAlgorithmic, linear lean-backs to self-driven, on-demand have become the number one choice in our new digital alternative age. Attuned listeners are also keenly aware of the discount plans <\/span>and listening options <\/span>currentl<\/span>y <\/span>available to them. They also understand their limitations. For example, the recently <\/span>hyped <\/span>Apple Music voice plan that requires <\/span>its <\/span>subscribers to ask Siri whenever they want to hear a specific album or song m<\/span>ay <\/span>have <\/span>do<\/span>ne<\/span> away with the need to thumb through <\/span>endless <\/span>playlists or rely on music apps. However, it might <\/span>severely <\/span>restrict their song choices and listening range. Apple Music <\/span>represents only <\/span>one of a multitude of affordable <\/span>competing<\/span> <\/span>services available to the <\/span>general <\/span>public.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nCommercial radio broadcasters must stay on top of the latest technical breakthroughs if they <\/span>want <\/span>to <\/span>remain <\/span>in <\/span>the game. But<\/span>,<\/span> their obligation<\/span> to the public extends <\/span>beyond <\/span>just staying abreast of the latest developments. Extraordinary business and technical advances, made by digital alternative leaders over the last five years, may well <\/span>signal the beginning of the <\/span>end <\/span>for <\/span>traditional <\/span>commercial radio as we know it. If the radio-industry expects to endure this latest <\/span>attack <\/span>then it must be primed to gain <\/span>an <\/span>upper hand over its <\/span>many <\/span>digital rivals. That might in<\/span>clude <\/span>reaching a workable a<\/span>rrangement <\/span>with <\/span>its chief <\/span>competitors that would allow it to pursue certain aspects of <\/span>new <\/span>technology without possible piracy<\/span> from outside sources<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\r\n\r\nIn the case of the new digital alternative, working closely with today\u2019s highly flexible consumer market has inspired it to experiment with a wide assortment of audio a<\/span>s well as <\/span>music apps capabilities. The radio industry takes a much narrower perspective <\/span>when it comes to that<\/span>. The many preconditions placed on it by the feds over its <\/span>more than <\/span>one-hundred-year history has stymied its <\/span>ability <\/span>to grow freely<\/span> with the market<\/span>. Keeping that in mind, today\u2019s radio leaders are still hunting for that sweet spot where broadcasting might flourish<\/span> unmolested<\/span> from unwanted, outside <\/span>for<\/span>ces<\/span>. Many of today\u2019s traditional broadcasting companies consider automated broadcasting that sweet spot. They view it as a practical way in which to lower <\/span>their <\/span>overall <\/span>operating <\/span>expenses while keeping watchdog agencies such as the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) at a <\/span>safe <\/span>distance.<\/span>\r\n\r\nAlternative program<\/span>ming<\/span> might also <\/span>be <\/span>the key to <\/span>their <\/span>future success. Such things as personalized<\/span>,<\/span> continual community newscasts might represent an <\/span>affordable, <\/span>effective way to <\/span>ensure survival<\/span>. It might be a bonus especially to insightful listeners that want to know the latest developments <\/span>as they <\/span>unfold<\/span> with<\/span>in their communities. Of course, first hand programming is not something new to radio broadcasters. However, 24\/7 broadcasts geared towards the ever-<\/span>changing urban landscape might be exactly what <\/span>is <\/span>need<\/span>ed<\/span>. It also might end the tiresome program<\/span>ming <\/span>that ha<\/span>s<\/span> flooded the airwaves recent<\/span>ly<\/span>. Escalating consumer <\/span>costs,<\/span> a <\/span>byproduct<\/span> <\/span>of <\/span>the new alternative digital age might be another way in which to convince former radio listeners to return to the fold. Don\u2019t forget that commercial radio programs are free while apps, smart phones, platforms, podcasts and satellite radio can be very costly. Consumers might want to keep that in mind especially if inflation continues to grow.<\/span>\r\n\r\nThis new digital age is not the first time that U.S. commercial radio has faced formable business challenges. The radio-industry has been under fire countless times over its more than one-hundred-year history. In its infancy, many outlets had to <\/span>regularly <\/span>match their wits against dominate local newspapers. Those dail<\/span>ies <\/span>not only <\/span>successfully <\/span>covered regional and world events; but also, offered their readers<\/span>hip<\/span> some of the best in personal advice, comics, community features, editorials, horoscopes, sports and weather.<\/span> <\/span>Most large U.S. cities into the 1930s supported <\/span>many <\/span>news<\/span>papers. In order to survive<\/span> such fierce competition<\/span>, the majority of radio stations began broadcasting their own local<\/span>ly-<\/span>edited<\/span> shows. They varied from cooking lessons, comedies and dramas to news, soap operas and sports. Almost any program was okay as long as it attracted a reasonable following and <\/span>followed <\/span>accepted <\/span>federal guidelines. By the mid-1930s, the <\/span>rapid <\/span>increase in the number of NBC, CBS, MBS and <\/span>WBC affiliates end<\/span>ed<\/span> many <\/span>of those <\/span>local offerings. That trend <\/span>favoring <\/span>national broadcasts over local <\/span>shows <\/span>continued into the Second World War.<\/span><\/span>\r\n\r\nThe National Broadcasting Company immediate success <\/span>as a radio broadcaster <\/span>encouraged <\/span>its <\/span>owner <\/span>the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) to create two separate networks Red Dot and Blue Dot. Larger radio <\/span>affiliates <\/span>generally subscribed to Red Dot while smaller outlets mostly chose Blue Dot. Fearing that <\/span>NBC was gaining a <\/span>stranglehold<\/span> on the national <\/span>radio <\/span>market <\/span>led <\/span>the <\/span>F<\/span>ederal <\/span>C<\/span>ommunications <\/span>C<\/span>ommission (FCC) <\/span>to order <\/span>it <\/span>to rid itself of one of th<\/span>em<\/span>.[footnote]Federal Communication Commission, <\/span><\/span>Report on Chain Broadcasting,<\/em>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>May 1941, p. 92.<\/span><\/span>[\/footnote]<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span>That separation in January 1942 <\/span>resulted in <\/span>Red Dot remain<\/span>ing a part of <\/span>the parent company w<\/span>ith Blue Dot <\/span>br<\/span>eaking <\/span>off. Four years later, <\/span>the <\/span>Blue Dot <\/span>network <\/span>became the American Broadcasting Company (ABC).[footnote]\u201cEvolution of Radio Broadcasting,\u201d https:\/\/open.lib.umn.edu\/mediaandculture\/chapter\/7-2-evolution-of-radio-broadcasting\/<\/a><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>[\/footnote]<\/span> <\/span>Had commercial radio remained the primary source of entertainment, news and sports <\/span>in<\/span> <\/span>the Cold War <\/span>years <\/span>then those <\/span>same <\/span>networks would have enjoyed soaring revenues.[footnote]\u201cFrom the Birthplace of Broadcasting, California Historical Radio Society,\u201d <\/span><\/span>https:\/\/www.californiahistoricalradio.com<\/span><\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>[\/footnote] The idea that <\/span>an upstart such as <\/span>television might <\/span>overturn the <\/span>apple cart seemed <\/span>very unlikely<\/span>. However, <\/span>its many <\/span>advocates thought differently. Hoping to compete in the big leagues<\/span> ASAP<\/span>,<\/span> experimental television made its debut at the New York World\u2019s Fair in 1939. Its approval among fairgoers led NBC\u2019s President General David Sarnoff (1891-1971) to <\/span>begin to <\/span>keep files on New Yorkers who purchased television sets. In fact, NBC sent them a list of its own televis<\/span>ed <\/span>programs. Not to be outdone by the National <\/span>Broadcasting Company, <\/span>the <\/span>Philco <\/span>Corporation <\/span>debuted its own Philadelphia<\/span>-based<\/span> television station the <\/span>next <\/span>year. As we will see later, that <\/span>particular <\/span>Philly outlet was to play a critical role in the future of both NBC and WBC.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\r\n\r\nThe rapid expansion of television in the late \u201840s and early \u201850s encouraged many <\/span>eager <\/span>broadcasting companies to <\/span>exercise the<\/span>ir<\/span> option of <\/span>purchas<\/span>ing<\/span> <\/span>combined <\/span>radio and television stations <\/span>as <\/span>single packages. That generally meant that future deals <\/span>would <\/span>pertain to both <\/span>outlets <\/span>whether that was <\/span>actually <\/span>spelled out<\/span> or not<\/span> in discussions<\/span>. <\/span>Frequently<\/span>, <\/span>local <\/span>m<\/span>arket size and revenue returns determined their <\/span>individual <\/span>value. Th<\/span>at<\/span> practice of jointly buying radio and television outlets <\/span>as one <\/span>remained <\/span>popular into the 1960s. Pre-war commercial television experiments came to an abrupt end with the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Television technicians for the remainder of the war directed <\/span>the bulk of <\/span>their energies <\/span>and resources <\/span>towards <\/span>much needed <\/span>defense work. Fortunately, many of them <\/span>continued to <\/span>experiment with television during their spare moments.<\/span>\r\n\r\nFollowing the war, many of those technicians returned to their first love <\/span>which was <\/span>t<\/span>elevision. Through the help of <\/span>jointly owned <\/span>radio and television networks such as NBC, CBS and Dumont many large <\/span>U.S. <\/span>cities including Boston, Chicago, New York and Philadelphia had television stations in operation by 1947. As you might have already<\/span> <\/span>concluded, those networks <\/span>determin<\/span>ed<\/span> <\/span>pretty much <\/span>what was or wasn\u2019t shown on the tube. <\/span>Primarily<\/span>, they broadcasted homegrown shows, old movies and plenty of news. ABC joined in on the fun after merging with United Paramount Theatres in 1948. Yet, in spite of television\u2019s instant <\/span>popularity<\/span>, sparked in large measure by those same enthusiastic networks, few in the radio industry believed that that this new media posed any real threat to traditional broadcasting.[footnote]Ibid.<\/span>[\/footnote] High production costs pretty much eliminated television as a serious competitor.<\/span>\r\n\r\nHowever, the lightning speed in which telecasters improved their broadcasting capabilities while lowering production costs <\/span>soon <\/span>changed everything. By the mid-1950s, most major U.S. cities had at least two television outlets. Surprisingly, the extraordinary growth of t<\/span>his new medium <\/span>did not seem to bother most radio broadcasters who shrugged it off. Television\u2019s limited broadcasting range; fuzzy picture, poor sound quality and scant offerings all but guaranteed radio\u2019s<\/span> <\/span>dominance <\/span>at least <\/span>for the foreseeable future. <\/span>Once <\/span>television\u2019s early technical glitches were resolved<\/span> <\/span>than t<\/span>elevision networks <\/span>began <\/span>broadcast<\/span>ing<\/span> <\/span>all kinds of <\/span>comedies, dramas and news along with <\/span>entertaining <\/span>quiz shows, sports<\/span> and <\/span>local <\/span>variety specials. Recognizing that the future of broadcasting might well belong to television led many successful radio programs to <\/span>migrate<\/span> t<\/span>here<\/span>.[footnote]Ibid.[\/footnote] As you might well imagine, radio\u2019s harshest critics pointed out that <\/span>those <\/span>recent <\/span>staggering <\/span>financial <\/span>losses <\/span>could have been <\/span>pretty much <\/span>avoided<\/span> with some insight<\/span>. They strongly recommended that <\/span>the <\/span>radio <\/span>industry <\/span>develop some electrifying new program<\/span> format <\/span>quickly <\/span>if it intended to <\/span>avert<\/span> <\/span>future <\/span>disaster<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\r\n\r\nThe extraordinary success of television did <\/span>much <\/span>more tha<\/span>n undermine radio\u2019s dominance <\/span>with<\/span>in the broadcasting field. It also challenged many <\/span>long held <\/span>business practices. <\/span>Unquestionably, t<\/span>elevision <\/span>was <\/span>a byproduct of a <\/span>much larger, <\/span>very <\/span>persuasive national grassroots movement<\/span> that was gaining <\/span>tremendous <\/span>traction <\/span>throughout <\/span>the late \u201840s and early \u201850s<\/span>. That <\/span>nationwide <\/span>effort <\/span>called for <\/span>the abandonment of some of our nation\u2019s most cherished cultural and social traditions for <\/span>what many consider to be <\/span>very <\/span>questionable new <\/span>initiatives<\/span>. <\/span>Cloaked in <\/span>rebellious overtone<\/span>s, it<\/span> <\/span>was related to <\/span>the <\/span>U.S.\u2019s <\/span>emerging economic and political importance world<\/span>wide <\/span>and the emanate threat posed by the Soviet<\/span> Union <\/span>once <\/span>the Iron Curtain<\/span> <\/span>was established<\/span>.<\/span> What it failed to address <\/span>at all <\/span>was <\/span>the positive benefits equated with America\u2019s post-war prosperity.<\/span>\r\n\r\nNot directly affected by the devastation and agonizing slow recovery that had beleaguered m<\/span>uch <\/span>of Central and Western Europe in the decade following the Second World War, the U.S. had achieved unprecedented new heights of prosperity <\/span>and wealth <\/span>during that same period of time. Starting with the Servicemen\u2019s Readjustment Act of 1944, the feds provided returning <\/span>servicemen and their families excellent <\/span>new <\/span>educational and job training options. That federal response resulted in better jobs and higher wages for m<\/span>illions of <\/span>Americans.[footnote]\u201cThe Servicemen\u2019s Readjustment Act of 1944,\u201d Pub L. 78-345, 58 Stat. 284.<\/span>[\/footnote] Spending that extra cash posed no problem whatsoever once civilian production kicked into high gear<\/span> again<\/span>. By 1947, the national economy was producing a groundswell of highly desirable goods. Autos, cooking ranges, refrigerators and washers\/dryers were musts for everyone along with high quality radios and television sets.[footnote]\u201cFrom the Birthplace of Broadcasting.\u201d<\/span>[\/footnote] Most people were equally fascinated with the new broadcasting medium called television. It was not like nothing else they had seen before in that it brought quality programs into their living rooms each and every day.<\/span>\r\n\r\nIf radio hoped to survive <\/span>the advent of television <\/span>then it would have to reinvent itself <\/span>very <\/span>quickly. Of course, the radio industry was aided <\/span>in this process <\/span>by some musical icons<\/span> of the era<\/span>. <\/span>Those that helped included <\/span>Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Count Basie, Duke Ellington and Les and Larry Elgart, to name but a few. <\/span>Also, l<\/span>eading <\/span>crooners <\/span>of the day <\/span>like <\/span>Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, Frank Sinatra and Jo Stafford<\/span> <\/span>enabled commercial AM radio to <\/span>weather <\/span>this<\/span> <\/span>latest business <\/span>storm<\/span>.<\/span> Other <\/span>singing sensations <\/span>such as <\/span>Nat King Cole, Perry Como, Frankie Laine, Peggy Lee, Patti Page and Johnny Ray helped commercial radio by updating their musical scores. In spite of this groundswell of support, larger and larger numbers of record buyers began <\/span>turn<\/span>ing away from standard music<\/span>al choices <\/span>preferring to embrace more off-beat, <\/span>often <\/span>newer sounds<\/span> instead<\/span>. Those <\/span>more <\/span>adventurous <\/span>recordings ran the gamut from jazz to Latin sounds and from boogie woogie to country music.[footnote]\u201cEvolution of Radio Broadcasting.\u201d<\/span>[\/footnote] Classical music along with opera, Gospel music and R&B also rekindled the public\u2019s imagination. Some radio stations welcomed th<\/span>em <\/span>as <\/span>worthwhile <\/span>alternatives to the humdrum television shows <\/span>of that time<\/span>. Fortunately, <\/span>ground-breaking <\/span>p<\/span>rogramming was not <\/span>limi<\/span>ted <\/span>only <\/span>to big city <\/span>radio <\/span>outlets. Brilliance <\/span>seemed to be <\/span>popping up everywhere.<\/span><\/span>\r\n\r\nBig and small radio outlets<\/span> <\/span>fought long and hard to gain as many new listeners as possible. Regrettable, <\/span>with limited available resources <\/span>their <\/span>daring <\/span>efforts often r<\/span>esult<\/span>ed <\/span>in <\/span>similar <\/span>sounding <\/span>broadcasts. What that meant was that any revenue gains <\/span>those ground-breaking programmers<\/span> might have a<\/span>chieved <\/span>over their rivals initial<\/span>ly w<\/span>as quickly <\/span>lost. Also, the growing number of teen listeners posed a Catch-22 especially for traditional radio managers <\/span>many of which were still cautious <\/span>when it came to playing <\/span>large amounts of <\/span>rock and roll music. Teen\u2019s <\/span>relatively<\/span> <\/span>small allowances did not <\/span>great<\/span>ly improve their chances of hearing more rock and roll music <\/span>on those stations <\/span>at least for the <\/span>near <\/span>future. Bottom line, most radio broadcasters <\/span>still <\/span>relied on <\/span>outmoded <\/span>teen <\/span>information when determining their playlist. <\/span>L<\/span>et\u2019s explore this idea of this <\/span>slowly <\/span>emerging teen market a bit further. Prior to the Second World War, the <\/span>number of <\/span>U.S. <\/span>teenagers earning a decent week\u2019s pay remained small. In fact, pre-war studies of adolescents suggested that teen exposure to popular music was limited to either <\/span>local <\/span>playlists or the few records they <\/span>might have <\/span>purchased. Unfortunately, lack of cash and tight parental controls influenced <\/span>b<\/span>oth. All that changed during the Cold War as larger and larger numbers of teens ventured beyond their <\/span>immediate <\/span>neighborhoods. What they soon discovered was that surviving in that \u201cbrave new world\u201d was not easy.[footnote]\u201cFrom the Birthplace of Broadcasting.\u201d<\/span>[\/footnote]<\/span><\/span>\r\n\r\nFrequently alone, many of them became <\/span>very <\/span>defensive and ill-mannered. Those growing fires of discontent aimed <\/span>at <\/span>the unfair world lurking<\/span> <\/span>around the corner fueled a <\/span>heightened <\/span>cynicism among many. It terrified them that this heartless world might well determine their fate. Increasingly, <\/span>teenagers <\/span>found themselves caught between a rock and a hard place. Parental<\/span> <\/span>compassion, if it existed at all, only aggravated <\/span>it <\/span>even <\/span>more<\/span>. Was that youth rebellion a warning of worse times yet ahead? Who knew?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>But, one thing bec<\/span>ame <\/span>apparent to commercial radio <\/span>broadcasters<\/span> <\/span>by <\/span>mid-century<\/span>. T<\/span>hey would have to revise their thinking <\/span>regarding <\/span>the value of teenage audiences. The post-war surge in the number of teens and young adults required <\/span>a new approach<\/span> towards broadcasting<\/span>. As everyone kn<\/span>ew<\/span>, AM radio stations live<\/span>d<\/span> and died b<\/span>y <\/span>the <\/span>ratings. Yet, many program initiators seemed <\/span>confounded when it came <\/span>to tap<\/span>ping<\/span> into that growing market while <\/span>maintain <\/span>high ratings. The explosion <\/span>in the number of good paying <\/span>after school jobs<\/span> for <\/span>teenagers<\/span> by the mid-19<\/span>50s, held the key to radio\u2019s future success. New part-time jobs gave them lots of disposable cash which they quickly spent on <\/span>a variety of <\/span>fun things such as casual food, fashionable clothes, grooming aids, magazines and records.<\/span>\r\n\r\nSkyrocketing record sales in the late 1940s and early 1950s impressed jukebox operators, record store owners and jocks alike.[footnote]Ibid.<\/span>[\/footnote]<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span>You don\u2019t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that the U.S. radio-industry was caught in the middle of a serious bind. It had to come up with an effective new way in which to take advantage of this fast-changing market or face the grim prospects of irreparable <\/span>financial <\/span>harm. That realization prompted many conservative broadcasters to <\/span>begin to <\/span>play a<\/span>n <\/span>assortment of records. Th<\/span>ose recordings <\/span>spanned the spectrum from black inspired music and folk music to jazz and R&B. In spite of increasing evidence to the contrary, many conservative business leaders zealously opposed this new <\/span>form of <\/span>broadcasting<\/span>. They thought those radio stations were out of step<\/span> with the times<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Rebellious teenagers<\/span> <\/span>more and more protested against what they <\/span>considered to be <\/span>very <\/span>o<\/span>ld fashion thinking. <\/span>The younger generation loved this new kind of music and wanted to hear more of it<\/span> on the AM dial<\/span>. R<\/span>ecognized by its repetitive, sharp beat, the \u201ccool\u201d music of the early \u201850s comprised a host of dissimilar black and white musical genres that were blended together to create a <\/span>new and <\/span>powerful<\/span> <\/span>sound experience <\/span>they <\/span>called rock and roll. A term first coined by a Cleveland DJ named Alan Freed at the Moondog Coronation Ball on March 21, 1952, rock and roll music quickly made a name for itself.[footnote]\u201cThe Rise of Top 40 Radio,\u201d <\/span><\/span>https:\/\/www.britannica.com<\/span><\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/span>[\/footnote]<\/span><\/span>\r\n\r\nInteresting side note<\/span> here<\/span>, Alan Freed\u2019s close friend Leo Mintz first introduced him to this dra<\/span>matically <\/span>different kind of popular music in 1950. Mintz owned a favorite downtown record shop in Cleveland called \u201cRecord Rendezvous.\u201d Soaring sales in R&B or \u201cRace Music\u201d convinced WJW\u2019s Alan Freed to play it. The <\/span>Cleveland <\/span>audience <\/span>immediately <\/span>loved it. Rock and roll music got another <\/span>very <\/span>positive boost in February 1955 when WERE radio personality Bill Randle arranged for Elvis Presley to sing at Brooklyn High School in Brooklyn, OH. That was Presley\u2019s first concert outside the South.\u00a0 <\/span>Some experts in the music field have suggested that Rock and Roll referred to \u201crockin\u201d and \u201crollin\u201d <\/span>a part of <\/span>earlier race songs. Many modern-day critics often minimize the importance of the <\/span>exceptional <\/span>sound traceable to the earliest forms of rock and roll. Those early songs did much more than just set the stage for the <\/span>upcoming<\/span>,<\/span> <\/span>more sophisticated British rock invasion, Motown, the Philadelphia sound, hard rock, punk rock or disco. Early rock and roll music delivered a well-defined sound <\/span>that was <\/span>symbolized by its <\/span>very <\/span>fast, hard-driving beat. In fact, it\u2019s rhyming verses and loud repetitive drum beat definitely separated it from other popular music<\/span>al forms<\/span> of that same era.<\/span><\/span>\r\n\r\nMost importantly, the lyrics of rock and roll songs dealt with both the joys and tragedies of being a <\/span>post-war <\/span>teenager. Its unbridled passion for love and hate, as seen through the eyes of teens, was second to none. Early rock and roll music <\/span>also co<\/span>n<\/span>centrated <\/span>on love gained and lost from the <\/span>distinctive <\/span>perspective of the individual performer. Most importantly, it reflected the emotions and fears experienced by teens as they made the tough adjustment from childhood to adulthood. Rock and roll music undoubtedly furnished them a safe haven where their pent-up anxieties and <\/span>daily <\/span>frustrations could come out without fear of reprisal from <\/span>others<\/span>. <\/span>W<\/span>anting to do the right thing for the growing number of teen listeners convinced many smart broadcasters to add rock and roll music to their daily lineups. Often featured on <\/span>special <\/span>\u201cHi-Fi\u201d shows, they proudly showcased the latest 45s to their <\/span>many <\/span>excited listeners. Some programmers went so far as to integrate rock and roll music directly into their playlists. Those <\/span>newly <\/span>expanded <\/span>play<\/span>lists <\/span>also <\/span>featured \u201ccool\u201d sounding jazz, popular crooners<\/span>,<\/span> and <\/span>of course<\/span>,<\/span> <\/span>the <\/span>very <\/span>latest <\/span>in <\/span>instrumentals. But, few early <\/span>\u2018<\/span>50s<\/span> broadcaster <\/span>mothball<\/span>ed<\/span> traditional formats. That was too risky. If rock and roll music <\/span>really <\/span>set out <\/span>to become a permanent fixture in U.S. radio then its dedicated promoters had to develop some effective new marketing device to ensure <\/span>its <\/span>success. It took the genius of Gordon McLendon (1921-<\/span>1986) of Dallas, TX and Todd Storz (1924-1964) of Omaha, NB to come up with the perfect solution.[footnote]Ibid.<\/span>[\/footnote]<\/span><\/span>\r\n\r\nCalled Top 40 Radio, it ruled the com<\/span>mercial airwaves from the mid-\u2018<\/span>50s to the late-<\/span>\u2018<\/span>70s. <\/span>F<\/span>ast paced and frequently irreverent, Top 40 <\/span>c<\/span>a<\/span>refully <\/span>followed the accepted business principles of that day to their logical <\/span>conclusion<\/span>. Of course, selling large amounts of <\/span>advertising time remained <\/span>tops on their to-do list. Many writers in trying to engender nostalgia for \u201cgood old\u201d Top 40 radio often over-emphasize the role played by big city jocks in its <\/span>initial <\/span>stages<\/span>. In particular, they detail the rise and fall of well-known Top 40 celebrities and how their stations made <\/span>them <\/span>or broke them <\/span>based on the<\/span>ir novel <\/span>approach towards <\/span>broadcasting<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Although th<\/span>ose writings <\/span>are lots of fun to read, those <\/span>highly <\/span>personalized accounts rarely do justice to <\/span>early <\/span>Top 40 radio. They <\/span>often <\/span>forget that <\/span>it<\/span> was something that millions of teenagers <\/span>everywhere <\/span>enjoyed simply by turning on their <\/span>portable <\/span>radios. U<\/span>nquestionably<\/span>,<\/span> <\/span>its availability <\/span>accounted for its <\/span>initial <\/span>success, yet few modern<\/span>-day<\/span> writers acknowledge <\/span>i<\/span>t<\/span>. Instead, they claim that the sudden explosion in Top 40 broadcasters nationwide resulted from <\/span>the <\/span>ceaseless <\/span>efforts of big city stations <\/span>and their desire to mollify the growing demand placed on them by teens <\/span>for <\/span>their own outlets. That m<\/span>ight have some <\/span>valid<\/span>ity<\/span> in big <\/span>city <\/span>markets; however, Top 40 radio as a<\/span> social phenomenon <\/span>was more broad-based<\/span> than that<\/span>. It affected <\/span>nearly everyone it touched <\/span>regardless of location<\/span>. I<\/span>f in fact that was true then <\/span>over emphasizing Top 40\u2019s impact in big city markets<\/span>, at the exclusion of other <\/span>smaller <\/span>areas, <\/span>may <\/span>offer <\/span>a <\/span>somewhat <\/span>distorted view as to what actually <\/span>unfolde<\/span>d. In reality, <\/span>both mid-sized and smaller markets <\/span>played <\/span>large roles <\/span>in <\/span>shaping Top 40 broadcasting as we knew it<\/span> then<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\r\n\r\nMany of those same authors similarly assume that the Top 40 format of the \u201850s and \u201860s was an inevitable part of the future of AM radio. That they were interchangeable. Let me tell you right here and now that is <\/span>not correct<\/span>. Many broadcasters well into the \u201850s remained ske<\/span>ptical about the future <\/span>of rock and roll let alone its highly controversial new format. The fact that many stations still relied on middle-of-the-road programming well into the \u201860s says a great deal about what was really happening throughout the country. It took mushrooming advertising costs and fierce new competition generated by the ever expanding teen and young adult market before the scales finally tilted in favor of Top 40 programming over others.<\/span>\r\n\r\nFrom the start, McLendon and Storz never lost faith in their Top 40 formula. They firmly believed that it would <\/span>provide <\/span>large numbers of teens and young adults <\/span>hours of <\/span>fun<\/span>. More than anything else, their keen salesmanship persuaded their listeners to remain faithful to their new Top 40 stations. Without question, that new found success <\/span>proved to be <\/span>contagious. Listener <\/span>surveys in the mid-1950s showed that large numbers of teens wanted to listen to plenty of rock and roll music played by their favorite DJs.<\/span> G<\/span>ordon McLendon and Todd Storz began marketed their new <\/span>product <\/span>but <\/span>only after they had proven to cynics that it did <\/span>indeed <\/span>work. Soaring revenues at KLIF-Dallas and KOWH-Omaha brought that home very quickly.[footnote]Ibid.<\/span>[\/footnote] McLendon soon owned <\/span>many <\/span>stations including WNUS-Chicago, KNUS-Dallas, KOST-Los Angeles, WAKY-Louisville, KXOX-St. Louis and KABL-FM San Francisco. Storz controlled important outlets such as WHB-Kansas City, WQAM-Miami, WDGY-Minneapolis, WTIX-New Orleans and KXOK-St. Louis.<\/span>\r\n\r\nClearly identified by its fast-talking jocks and <\/span>its forty <\/span>record <\/span>playlist, Top 40<\/span>\u2019s lifeline <\/span>depended on frequent personal appearances<\/span>, <\/span>catchy <\/span>station <\/span>jingles, abundant promotions and numerous publicity stunts.[footnote]\u201cEvolution of Radio Broadcasting\u201d<\/span>[\/footnote]<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>It also <\/span>featured news, sports coverage, traffic checks and weather forecasts. Jukebox sales<\/span>, <\/span>record sales a<\/span>nd <\/span>playlists <\/span>most often <\/span>furnished through leading trade publications such as <\/span><\/span>Billboard, The Amusement Industry\u2019s Leading<\/span> <\/span>Newsweekly<\/span><\/span><\/em> determined which records received air<\/span>time <\/span>and which ones <\/span>never saw the light of day<\/span>. Not to be outdone by their <\/span>gro<\/span>w<\/span>ing number of <\/span>c<\/span>ompetitors, many record <\/span>labels <\/span>went a step further by offering local radio celebrities all kinds of <\/span>incentives in the forms of<\/span> gifts <\/span>and <\/span>money if they agreed to plug certain <\/span>recordings over others. In the early 1950s, few industry leaders considered such \u201ccourtesies\u201d wrong. As we will see later, the feds only curbed <\/span>those <\/span>practices when they <\/span>learn<\/span>ed that <\/span>some <\/span>unscrupulous DJs had illegitimately profited from <\/span>them<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\r\n\r\nThe <\/span>rapid <\/span>increase in low-cost transistor radios <\/span>set the stage <\/span>for much of Top 40<\/span>\u2019s success<\/span>. Although it became the preferred rock and roll <\/span>format<\/span>, no two <\/span>stations <\/span>sounded alike. <\/span>Although <\/span>NBC and CBS remained lukewarm <\/span>to the idea, <\/span>ABC i<\/span>nstant<\/span>ly <\/span>incorporated it<\/span>. Let\u2019s not forget that WABC in New York and WLS in Chicago remained pacesetters in Top 40 radio into the \u201870s. Local market conditions and listening habits <\/span>mostly <\/span>determined <\/span>the <\/span>formats for Westinghouse stations. In the case of KYW-Cleveland, <\/span>it <\/span>found itself caught in the middle of this controversy. Initially a middle-of-the-road music station noted for its quality programs, news, sports and weather, it\u2019s managers gradually phased out that format to embrace Top 40. How and why, they did that will be discussed later. Also, we will see how that future radio legend successfully handled the challenges confronting it. Finally, we will discover how many of the common-sense business approaches used by KYW officials during those most troubled years may still be valid in today\u2019s equally unsettling radio climate.<\/span>","rendered":"

Disney Productions also expanded its <\/span>earlier, more <\/span>narrowly-focused broadcasting objectives in the mid-\u201890s <\/span>when <\/span>it bought Capital Cities and the <\/span>American Broadcasting Company (ABC) for a whopping $19 billion.[5]<\/sup><\/a> Those mergers highlighted by <\/span>compelli<\/span>ng <\/span>new <\/span>dramas, <\/span>provocative <\/span>news-talk shows, <\/span>outrageous <\/span>reality <\/span>offerings;<\/span> <\/span>off-beat <\/span>sitcoms and <\/span>exciting <\/span>sports have <\/span>literally <\/span>changed the face of <\/span>21<\/span><\/span>st<\/span><\/span> century conventional <\/span>television. Similar merger activit<\/span>ies<\/span> <\/span>and <\/span>a<\/span> <\/span>noted <\/span>relax<\/span>ing of federal restrictions <\/span>regarding <\/span>the number of stations <\/span>an individual <\/span>broadcaster might own <\/span>with <\/span>a<\/span> <\/span>targeted <\/span>area <\/span>ha<\/span>d<\/span> <\/span>also radically altered <\/span>traditional <\/span>commercial radio<\/span> broadcasting<\/span>. From Maine to California, <\/span>more and more <\/span>local <\/span>radio stations have <\/span>deserted <\/span>their <\/span>individual <\/span>formats <\/span>for <\/span>more homogeneous <\/span>ones<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Usually owned and operated by large <\/span>regional or national <\/span>broadcasting concerns, many of those <\/span>local <\/span>outlets have <\/span>deliberately <\/span>d<\/span>iscouraged <\/span>competition. Th<\/span>ose <\/span>recent actions do not represent <\/span>a<\/span> sinister plot hatched by aliens from another planet; but rather, the logical outcome of highly <\/span>motivated<\/span> <\/span>station owners that have <\/span>purposely <\/span>chosen to <\/span>lower <\/span>their <\/span>overall costs by <\/span>streamlin<\/span>ing <\/span>their operations. <\/span>Such <\/span>measure<\/span>s<\/span> ha<\/span>ve led many radio <\/span>broadcasters to <\/span>bring together some <\/span>the latest rock and roll music with today\u2019s favorite dance music to create a new format they call the <\/span>\u201c<\/span>contemporary urban sound.\u201d<\/span> Others <\/span>have <\/span>adopted <\/span>affordable, <\/span>new program alternatives. They include <\/span>the likes of <\/span>shock jocks, politically-charged talk shows<\/span>, sports talk<\/span> or 24\/7 news as well as classical music and <\/span>contemporary <\/span>jazz. Yet, <\/span>in their <\/span>attempt to update their <\/span>programming<\/span> <\/span>few have addressed the pressing needs and wants of the post-1990 generations. Left to their own devices, those younger people have relied more and more on newer music and video streaming services and specially attuned podcasts. Some services even incorporate live games, sports, e-sports and sports betting. Those extras are not readily available through more traditional broadcasting means. These latest developments have not escaped the attention of shrewd investors that have encouraged the expansion of these new, highly profitable digital alternatives.<\/span><\/p>\n

Unquestionably, most of today\u2019s leading recording companies fully support these latest approaches. They consider them <\/span>to be <\/span>the wave of the future. They particularly like the idea that many streaming services pay royalties on the songs they play<\/span> daily<\/span>. Th<\/span>at <\/span>pay-as-you-go arrangement did not exist earlier. Over the last decade or so, unique streaming services, rather than traditional broadcasting outlets, have <\/span>increasingly <\/span>governed the musical preferences for millions of their faithful listeners. Exceptionally high returns are out there for those who <\/span>willing<\/span>ly invest in <\/span>th<\/span>os<\/span>e latest technolog<\/span>ical advances<\/span>. As you might expect, the <\/span>general a<\/span>cceptance of high-tech digital listening devices has done <\/span>a great <\/span>more than <\/span>simply <\/span>line the pockets of <\/span>shrewd <\/span>investors. In a real <\/span>true <\/span>sense, <\/span>such devices <\/span>ha<\/span>ve<\/span> <\/span>meaningfully heightened <\/span>the <\/span>listening experience for <\/span>their <\/span>subscribers. Smart speakers, such as Amazon Echo and Home Pod Minis, <\/span>help <\/span>in this process.[6]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Algorithmic, linear lean-backs to self-driven, on-demand have become the number one choice in our new digital alternative age. Attuned listeners are also keenly aware of the discount plans <\/span>and listening options <\/span>currentl<\/span>y <\/span>available to them. They also understand their limitations. For example, the recently <\/span>hyped <\/span>Apple Music voice plan that requires <\/span>its <\/span>subscribers to ask Siri whenever they want to hear a specific album or song m<\/span>ay <\/span>have <\/span>do<\/span>ne<\/span> away with the need to thumb through <\/span>endless <\/span>playlists or rely on music apps. However, it might <\/span>severely <\/span>restrict their song choices and listening range. Apple Music <\/span>represents only <\/span>one of a multitude of affordable <\/span>competing<\/span> <\/span>services available to the <\/span>general <\/span>public.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Commercial radio broadcasters must stay on top of the latest technical breakthroughs if they <\/span>want <\/span>to <\/span>remain <\/span>in <\/span>the game. But<\/span>,<\/span> their obligation<\/span> to the public extends <\/span>beyond <\/span>just staying abreast of the latest developments. Extraordinary business and technical advances, made by digital alternative leaders over the last five years, may well <\/span>signal the beginning of the <\/span>end <\/span>for <\/span>traditional <\/span>commercial radio as we know it. If the radio-industry expects to endure this latest <\/span>attack <\/span>then it must be primed to gain <\/span>an <\/span>upper hand over its <\/span>many <\/span>digital rivals. That might in<\/span>clude <\/span>reaching a workable a<\/span>rrangement <\/span>with <\/span>its chief <\/span>competitors that would allow it to pursue certain aspects of <\/span>new <\/span>technology without possible piracy<\/span> from outside sources<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In the case of the new digital alternative, working closely with today\u2019s highly flexible consumer market has inspired it to experiment with a wide assortment of audio a<\/span>s well as <\/span>music apps capabilities. The radio industry takes a much narrower perspective <\/span>when it comes to that<\/span>. The many preconditions placed on it by the feds over its <\/span>more than <\/span>one-hundred-year history has stymied its <\/span>ability <\/span>to grow freely<\/span> with the market<\/span>. Keeping that in mind, today\u2019s radio leaders are still hunting for that sweet spot where broadcasting might flourish<\/span> unmolested<\/span> from unwanted, outside <\/span>for<\/span>ces<\/span>. Many of today\u2019s traditional broadcasting companies consider automated broadcasting that sweet spot. They view it as a practical way in which to lower <\/span>their <\/span>overall <\/span>operating <\/span>expenses while keeping watchdog agencies such as the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) at a <\/span>safe <\/span>distance.<\/span><\/p>\n

Alternative program<\/span>ming<\/span> might also <\/span>be <\/span>the key to <\/span>their <\/span>future success. Such things as personalized<\/span>,<\/span> continual community newscasts might represent an <\/span>affordable, <\/span>effective way to <\/span>ensure survival<\/span>. It might be a bonus especially to insightful listeners that want to know the latest developments <\/span>as they <\/span>unfold<\/span> with<\/span>in their communities. Of course, first hand programming is not something new to radio broadcasters. However, 24\/7 broadcasts geared towards the ever-<\/span>changing urban landscape might be exactly what <\/span>is <\/span>need<\/span>ed<\/span>. It also might end the tiresome program<\/span>ming <\/span>that ha<\/span>s<\/span> flooded the airwaves recent<\/span>ly<\/span>. Escalating consumer <\/span>costs,<\/span> a <\/span>byproduct<\/span> <\/span>of <\/span>the new alternative digital age might be another way in which to convince former radio listeners to return to the fold. Don\u2019t forget that commercial radio programs are free while apps, smart phones, platforms, podcasts and satellite radio can be very costly. Consumers might want to keep that in mind especially if inflation continues to grow.<\/span><\/p>\n

This new digital age is not the first time that U.S. commercial radio has faced formable business challenges. The radio-industry has been under fire countless times over its more than one-hundred-year history. In its infancy, many outlets had to <\/span>regularly <\/span>match their wits against dominate local newspapers. Those dail<\/span>ies <\/span>not only <\/span>successfully <\/span>covered regional and world events; but also, offered their readers<\/span>hip<\/span> some of the best in personal advice, comics, community features, editorials, horoscopes, sports and weather.<\/span> <\/span>Most large U.S. cities into the 1930s supported <\/span>many <\/span>news<\/span>papers. In order to survive<\/span> such fierce competition<\/span>, the majority of radio stations began broadcasting their own local<\/span>ly-<\/span>edited<\/span> shows. They varied from cooking lessons, comedies and dramas to news, soap operas and sports. Almost any program was okay as long as it attracted a reasonable following and <\/span>followed <\/span>accepted <\/span>federal guidelines. By the mid-1930s, the <\/span>rapid <\/span>increase in the number of NBC, CBS, MBS and <\/span>WBC affiliates end<\/span>ed<\/span> many <\/span>of those <\/span>local offerings. That trend <\/span>favoring <\/span>national broadcasts over local <\/span>shows <\/span>continued into the Second World War.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The National Broadcasting Company immediate success <\/span>as a radio broadcaster <\/span>encouraged <\/span>its <\/span>owner <\/span>the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) to create two separate networks Red Dot and Blue Dot. Larger radio <\/span>affiliates <\/span>generally subscribed to Red Dot while smaller outlets mostly chose Blue Dot. Fearing that <\/span>NBC was gaining a <\/span>stranglehold<\/span> on the national <\/span>radio <\/span>market <\/span>led <\/span>the <\/span>F<\/span>ederal <\/span>C<\/span>ommunications <\/span>C<\/span>ommission (FCC) <\/span>to order <\/span>it <\/span>to rid itself of one of th<\/span>em<\/span>.[7]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span>That separation in January 1942 <\/span>resulted in <\/span>Red Dot remain<\/span>ing a part of <\/span>the parent company w<\/span>ith Blue Dot <\/span>br<\/span>eaking <\/span>off. Four years later, <\/span>the <\/span>Blue Dot <\/span>network <\/span>became the American Broadcasting Company (ABC).[8]<\/sup><\/a><\/span> <\/span>Had commercial radio remained the primary source of entertainment, news and sports <\/span>in<\/span> <\/span>the Cold War <\/span>years <\/span>then those <\/span>same <\/span>networks would have enjoyed soaring revenues.[9]<\/sup><\/a> The idea that <\/span>an upstart such as <\/span>television might <\/span>overturn the <\/span>apple cart seemed <\/span>very unlikely<\/span>. However, <\/span>its many <\/span>advocates thought differently. Hoping to compete in the big leagues<\/span> ASAP<\/span>,<\/span> experimental television made its debut at the New York World\u2019s Fair in 1939. Its approval among fairgoers led NBC\u2019s President General David Sarnoff (1891-1971) to <\/span>begin to <\/span>keep files on New Yorkers who purchased television sets. In fact, NBC sent them a list of its own televis<\/span>ed <\/span>programs. Not to be outdone by the National <\/span>Broadcasting Company, <\/span>the <\/span>Philco <\/span>Corporation <\/span>debuted its own Philadelphia<\/span>-based<\/span> television station the <\/span>next <\/span>year. As we will see later, that <\/span>particular <\/span>Philly outlet was to play a critical role in the future of both NBC and WBC.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The rapid expansion of television in the late \u201840s and early \u201850s encouraged many <\/span>eager <\/span>broadcasting companies to <\/span>exercise the<\/span>ir<\/span> option of <\/span>purchas<\/span>ing<\/span> <\/span>combined <\/span>radio and television stations <\/span>as <\/span>single packages. That generally meant that future deals <\/span>would <\/span>pertain to both <\/span>outlets <\/span>whether that was <\/span>actually <\/span>spelled out<\/span> or not<\/span> in discussions<\/span>. <\/span>Frequently<\/span>, <\/span>local <\/span>m<\/span>arket size and revenue returns determined their <\/span>individual <\/span>value. Th<\/span>at<\/span> practice of jointly buying radio and television outlets <\/span>as one <\/span>remained <\/span>popular into the 1960s. Pre-war commercial television experiments came to an abrupt end with the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Television technicians for the remainder of the war directed <\/span>the bulk of <\/span>their energies <\/span>and resources <\/span>towards <\/span>much needed <\/span>defense work. Fortunately, many of them <\/span>continued to <\/span>experiment with television during their spare moments.<\/span><\/p>\n

Following the war, many of those technicians returned to their first love <\/span>which was <\/span>t<\/span>elevision. Through the help of <\/span>jointly owned <\/span>radio and television networks such as NBC, CBS and Dumont many large <\/span>U.S. <\/span>cities including Boston, Chicago, New York and Philadelphia had television stations in operation by 1947. As you might have already<\/span> <\/span>concluded, those networks <\/span>determin<\/span>ed<\/span> <\/span>pretty much <\/span>what was or wasn\u2019t shown on the tube. <\/span>Primarily<\/span>, they broadcasted homegrown shows, old movies and plenty of news. ABC joined in on the fun after merging with United Paramount Theatres in 1948. Yet, in spite of television\u2019s instant <\/span>popularity<\/span>, sparked in large measure by those same enthusiastic networks, few in the radio industry believed that that this new media posed any real threat to traditional broadcasting.[10]<\/sup><\/a> High production costs pretty much eliminated television as a serious competitor.<\/p>\n

However, the lightning speed in which telecasters improved their broadcasting capabilities while lowering production costs <\/span>soon <\/span>changed everything. By the mid-1950s, most major U.S. cities had at least two television outlets. Surprisingly, the extraordinary growth of t<\/span>his new medium <\/span>did not seem to bother most radio broadcasters who shrugged it off. Television\u2019s limited broadcasting range; fuzzy picture, poor sound quality and scant offerings all but guaranteed radio\u2019s<\/span> <\/span>dominance <\/span>at least <\/span>for the foreseeable future. <\/span>Once <\/span>television\u2019s early technical glitches were resolved<\/span> <\/span>than t<\/span>elevision networks <\/span>began <\/span>broadcast<\/span>ing<\/span> <\/span>all kinds of <\/span>comedies, dramas and news along with <\/span>entertaining <\/span>quiz shows, sports<\/span> and <\/span>local <\/span>variety specials. Recognizing that the future of broadcasting might well belong to television led many successful radio programs to <\/span>migrate<\/span> t<\/span>here<\/span>.[11]<\/sup><\/a> As you might well imagine, radio\u2019s harshest critics pointed out that <\/span>those <\/span>recent <\/span>staggering <\/span>financial <\/span>losses <\/span>could have been <\/span>pretty much <\/span>avoided<\/span> with some insight<\/span>. They strongly recommended that <\/span>the <\/span>radio <\/span>industry <\/span>develop some electrifying new program<\/span> format <\/span>quickly <\/span>if it intended to <\/span>avert<\/span> <\/span>future <\/span>disaster<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The extraordinary success of television did <\/span>much <\/span>more tha<\/span>n undermine radio\u2019s dominance <\/span>with<\/span>in the broadcasting field. It also challenged many <\/span>long held <\/span>business practices. <\/span>Unquestionably, t<\/span>elevision <\/span>was <\/span>a byproduct of a <\/span>much larger, <\/span>very <\/span>persuasive national grassroots movement<\/span> that was gaining <\/span>tremendous <\/span>traction <\/span>throughout <\/span>the late \u201840s and early \u201850s<\/span>. That <\/span>nationwide <\/span>effort <\/span>called for <\/span>the abandonment of some of our nation\u2019s most cherished cultural and social traditions for <\/span>what many consider to be <\/span>very <\/span>questionable new <\/span>initiatives<\/span>. <\/span>Cloaked in <\/span>rebellious overtone<\/span>s, it<\/span> <\/span>was related to <\/span>the <\/span>U.S.\u2019s <\/span>emerging economic and political importance world<\/span>wide <\/span>and the emanate threat posed by the Soviet<\/span> Union <\/span>once <\/span>the Iron Curtain<\/span> <\/span>was established<\/span>.<\/span> What it failed to address <\/span>at all <\/span>was <\/span>the positive benefits equated with America\u2019s post-war prosperity.<\/span><\/p>\n

Not directly affected by the devastation and agonizing slow recovery that had beleaguered m<\/span>uch <\/span>of Central and Western Europe in the decade following the Second World War, the U.S. had achieved unprecedented new heights of prosperity <\/span>and wealth <\/span>during that same period of time. Starting with the Servicemen\u2019s Readjustment Act of 1944, the feds provided returning <\/span>servicemen and their families excellent <\/span>new <\/span>educational and job training options. That federal response resulted in better jobs and higher wages for m<\/span>illions of <\/span>Americans.[12]<\/sup><\/a> Spending that extra cash posed no problem whatsoever once civilian production kicked into high gear again<\/span>. By 1947, the national economy was producing a groundswell of highly desirable goods. Autos, cooking ranges, refrigerators and washers\/dryers were musts for everyone along with high quality radios and television sets.[13]<\/sup><\/a> Most people were equally fascinated with the new broadcasting medium called television. It was not like nothing else they had seen before in that it brought quality programs into their living rooms each and every day.<\/p>\n

If radio hoped to survive <\/span>the advent of television <\/span>then it would have to reinvent itself <\/span>very <\/span>quickly. Of course, the radio industry was aided <\/span>in this process <\/span>by some musical icons<\/span> of the era<\/span>. <\/span>Those that helped included <\/span>Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Count Basie, Duke Ellington and Les and Larry Elgart, to name but a few. <\/span>Also, l<\/span>eading <\/span>crooners <\/span>of the day <\/span>like <\/span>Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, Frank Sinatra and Jo Stafford<\/span> <\/span>enabled commercial AM radio to <\/span>weather <\/span>this<\/span> <\/span>latest business <\/span>storm<\/span>.<\/span> Other <\/span>singing sensations <\/span>such as <\/span>Nat King Cole, Perry Como, Frankie Laine, Peggy Lee, Patti Page and Johnny Ray helped commercial radio by updating their musical scores. In spite of this groundswell of support, larger and larger numbers of record buyers began <\/span>turn<\/span>ing away from standard music<\/span>al choices <\/span>preferring to embrace more off-beat, <\/span>often <\/span>newer sounds<\/span> instead<\/span>. Those <\/span>more <\/span>adventurous <\/span>recordings ran the gamut from jazz to Latin sounds and from boogie woogie to country music.[14]<\/sup><\/a> Classical music along with opera, Gospel music and R&B also rekindled the public\u2019s imagination. Some radio stations welcomed th<\/span>em <\/span>as <\/span>worthwhile <\/span>alternatives to the humdrum television shows <\/span>of that time<\/span>. Fortunately, <\/span>ground-breaking <\/span>p<\/span>rogramming was not <\/span>limi<\/span>ted <\/span>only <\/span>to big city <\/span>radio <\/span>outlets. Brilliance <\/span>seemed to be <\/span>popping up everywhere.<\/span><\/p>\n

Big and small radio outlets<\/span> <\/span>fought long and hard to gain as many new listeners as possible. Regrettable, <\/span>with limited available resources <\/span>their <\/span>daring <\/span>efforts often r<\/span>esult<\/span>ed <\/span>in <\/span>similar <\/span>sounding <\/span>broadcasts. What that meant was that any revenue gains <\/span>those ground-breaking programmers<\/span> might have a<\/span>chieved <\/span>over their rivals initial<\/span>ly w<\/span>as quickly <\/span>lost. Also, the growing number of teen listeners posed a Catch-22 especially for traditional radio managers <\/span>many of which were still cautious <\/span>when it came to playing <\/span>large amounts of <\/span>rock and roll music. Teen\u2019s <\/span>relatively<\/span> <\/span>small allowances did not <\/span>great<\/span>ly improve their chances of hearing more rock and roll music <\/span>on those stations <\/span>at least for the <\/span>near <\/span>future. Bottom line, most radio broadcasters <\/span>still <\/span>relied on <\/span>outmoded <\/span>teen <\/span>information when determining their playlist. <\/span>L<\/span>et\u2019s explore this idea of this <\/span>slowly <\/span>emerging teen market a bit further. Prior to the Second World War, the <\/span>number of <\/span>U.S. <\/span>teenagers earning a decent week\u2019s pay remained small. In fact, pre-war studies of adolescents suggested that teen exposure to popular music was limited to either <\/span>local <\/span>playlists or the few records they <\/span>might have <\/span>purchased. Unfortunately, lack of cash and tight parental controls influenced <\/span>b<\/span>oth. All that changed during the Cold War as larger and larger numbers of teens ventured beyond their <\/span>immediate <\/span>neighborhoods. What they soon discovered was that surviving in that \u201cbrave new world\u201d was not easy.[15]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Frequently alone, many of them became <\/span>very <\/span>defensive and ill-mannered. Those growing fires of discontent aimed <\/span>at <\/span>the unfair world lurking<\/span> <\/span>around the corner fueled a <\/span>heightened <\/span>cynicism among many. It terrified them that this heartless world might well determine their fate. Increasingly, <\/span>teenagers <\/span>found themselves caught between a rock and a hard place. Parental<\/span> <\/span>compassion, if it existed at all, only aggravated <\/span>it <\/span>even <\/span>more<\/span>. Was that youth rebellion a warning of worse times yet ahead? Who knew?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>But, one thing bec<\/span>ame <\/span>apparent to commercial radio <\/span>broadcasters<\/span> <\/span>by <\/span>mid-century<\/span>. T<\/span>hey would have to revise their thinking <\/span>regarding <\/span>the value of teenage audiences. The post-war surge in the number of teens and young adults required <\/span>a new approach<\/span> towards broadcasting<\/span>. As everyone kn<\/span>ew<\/span>, AM radio stations live<\/span>d<\/span> and died b<\/span>y <\/span>the <\/span>ratings. Yet, many program initiators seemed <\/span>confounded when it came <\/span>to tap<\/span>ping<\/span> into that growing market while <\/span>maintain <\/span>high ratings. The explosion <\/span>in the number of good paying <\/span>after school jobs<\/span> for <\/span>teenagers<\/span> by the mid-19<\/span>50s, held the key to radio\u2019s future success. New part-time jobs gave them lots of disposable cash which they quickly spent on <\/span>a variety of <\/span>fun things such as casual food, fashionable clothes, grooming aids, magazines and records.<\/span><\/p>\n

Skyrocketing record sales in the late 1940s and early 1950s impressed jukebox operators, record store owners and jocks alike.[16]<\/sup><\/a><\/span> <\/span><\/span>You don\u2019t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that the U.S. radio-industry was caught in the middle of a serious bind. It had to come up with an effective new way in which to take advantage of this fast-changing market or face the grim prospects of irreparable <\/span>financial <\/span>harm. That realization prompted many conservative broadcasters to <\/span>begin to <\/span>play a<\/span>n <\/span>assortment of records. Th<\/span>ose recordings <\/span>spanned the spectrum from black inspired music and folk music to jazz and R&B. In spite of increasing evidence to the contrary, many conservative business leaders zealously opposed this new <\/span>form of <\/span>broadcasting<\/span>. They thought those radio stations were out of step<\/span> with the times<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Rebellious teenagers<\/span> <\/span>more and more protested against what they <\/span>considered to be <\/span>very <\/span>o<\/span>ld fashion thinking. <\/span>The younger generation loved this new kind of music and wanted to hear more of it<\/span> on the AM dial<\/span>. R<\/span>ecognized by its repetitive, sharp beat, the \u201ccool\u201d music of the early \u201850s comprised a host of dissimilar black and white musical genres that were blended together to create a <\/span>new and <\/span>powerful<\/span> <\/span>sound experience <\/span>they <\/span>called rock and roll. A term first coined by a Cleveland DJ named Alan Freed at the Moondog Coronation Ball on March 21, 1952, rock and roll music quickly made a name for itself.[17]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Interesting side note<\/span> here<\/span>, Alan Freed\u2019s close friend Leo Mintz first introduced him to this dra<\/span>matically <\/span>different kind of popular music in 1950. Mintz owned a favorite downtown record shop in Cleveland called \u201cRecord Rendezvous.\u201d Soaring sales in R&B or \u201cRace Music\u201d convinced WJW\u2019s Alan Freed to play it. The <\/span>Cleveland <\/span>audience <\/span>immediately <\/span>loved it. Rock and roll music got another <\/span>very <\/span>positive boost in February 1955 when WERE radio personality Bill Randle arranged for Elvis Presley to sing at Brooklyn High School in Brooklyn, OH. That was Presley\u2019s first concert outside the South.\u00a0 <\/span>Some experts in the music field have suggested that Rock and Roll referred to \u201crockin\u201d and \u201crollin\u201d <\/span>a part of <\/span>earlier race songs. Many modern-day critics often minimize the importance of the <\/span>exceptional <\/span>sound traceable to the earliest forms of rock and roll. Those early songs did much more than just set the stage for the <\/span>upcoming<\/span>,<\/span> <\/span>more sophisticated British rock invasion, Motown, the Philadelphia sound, hard rock, punk rock or disco. Early rock and roll music delivered a well-defined sound <\/span>that was <\/span>symbolized by its <\/span>very <\/span>fast, hard-driving beat. In fact, it\u2019s rhyming verses and loud repetitive drum beat definitely separated it from other popular music<\/span>al forms<\/span> of that same era.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Most importantly, the lyrics of rock and roll songs dealt with both the joys and tragedies of being a <\/span>post-war <\/span>teenager. Its unbridled passion for love and hate, as seen through the eyes of teens, was second to none. Early rock and roll music <\/span>also co<\/span>n<\/span>centrated <\/span>on love gained and lost from the <\/span>distinctive <\/span>perspective of the individual performer. Most importantly, it reflected the emotions and fears experienced by teens as they made the tough adjustment from childhood to adulthood. Rock and roll music undoubtedly furnished them a safe haven where their pent-up anxieties and <\/span>daily <\/span>frustrations could come out without fear of reprisal from <\/span>others<\/span>. <\/span>W<\/span>anting to do the right thing for the growing number of teen listeners convinced many smart broadcasters to add rock and roll music to their daily lineups. Often featured on <\/span>special <\/span>\u201cHi-Fi\u201d shows, they proudly showcased the latest 45s to their <\/span>many <\/span>excited listeners. Some programmers went so far as to integrate rock and roll music directly into their playlists. Those <\/span>newly <\/span>expanded <\/span>play<\/span>lists <\/span>also <\/span>featured \u201ccool\u201d sounding jazz, popular crooners<\/span>,<\/span> and <\/span>of course<\/span>,<\/span> <\/span>the <\/span>very <\/span>latest <\/span>in <\/span>instrumentals. But, few early <\/span>\u2018<\/span>50s<\/span> broadcaster <\/span>mothball<\/span>ed<\/span> traditional formats. That was too risky. If rock and roll music <\/span>really <\/span>set out <\/span>to become a permanent fixture in U.S. radio then its dedicated promoters had to develop some effective new marketing device to ensure <\/span>its <\/span>success. It took the genius of Gordon McLendon (1921-<\/span>1986) of Dallas, TX and Todd Storz (1924-1964) of Omaha, NB to come up with the perfect solution.[18]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Called Top 40 Radio, it ruled the com<\/span>mercial airwaves from the mid-\u2018<\/span>50s to the late-<\/span>\u2018<\/span>70s. <\/span>F<\/span>ast paced and frequently irreverent, Top 40 <\/span>c<\/span>a<\/span>refully <\/span>followed the accepted business principles of that day to their logical <\/span>conclusion<\/span>. Of course, selling large amounts of <\/span>advertising time remained <\/span>tops on their to-do list. Many writers in trying to engender nostalgia for \u201cgood old\u201d Top 40 radio often over-emphasize the role played by big city jocks in its <\/span>initial <\/span>stages<\/span>. In particular, they detail the rise and fall of well-known Top 40 celebrities and how their stations made <\/span>them <\/span>or broke them <\/span>based on the<\/span>ir novel <\/span>approach towards <\/span>broadcasting<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Although th<\/span>ose writings <\/span>are lots of fun to read, those <\/span>highly <\/span>personalized accounts rarely do justice to <\/span>early <\/span>Top 40 radio. They <\/span>often <\/span>forget that <\/span>it<\/span> was something that millions of teenagers <\/span>everywhere <\/span>enjoyed simply by turning on their <\/span>portable <\/span>radios. U<\/span>nquestionably<\/span>,<\/span> <\/span>its availability <\/span>accounted for its <\/span>initial <\/span>success, yet few modern<\/span>-day<\/span> writers acknowledge <\/span>i<\/span>t<\/span>. Instead, they claim that the sudden explosion in Top 40 broadcasters nationwide resulted from <\/span>the <\/span>ceaseless <\/span>efforts of big city stations <\/span>and their desire to mollify the growing demand placed on them by teens <\/span>for <\/span>their own outlets. That m<\/span>ight have some <\/span>valid<\/span>ity<\/span> in big <\/span>city <\/span>markets; however, Top 40 radio as a<\/span> social phenomenon <\/span>was more broad-based<\/span> than that<\/span>. It affected <\/span>nearly everyone it touched <\/span>regardless of location<\/span>. I<\/span>f in fact that was true then <\/span>over emphasizing Top 40\u2019s impact in big city markets<\/span>, at the exclusion of other <\/span>smaller <\/span>areas, <\/span>may <\/span>offer <\/span>a <\/span>somewhat <\/span>distorted view as to what actually <\/span>unfolde<\/span>d. In reality, <\/span>both mid-sized and smaller markets <\/span>played <\/span>large roles <\/span>in <\/span>shaping Top 40 broadcasting as we knew it<\/span> then<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Many of those same authors similarly assume that the Top 40 format of the \u201850s and \u201860s was an inevitable part of the future of AM radio. That they were interchangeable. Let me tell you right here and now that is <\/span>not correct<\/span>. Many broadcasters well into the \u201850s remained ske<\/span>ptical about the future <\/span>of rock and roll let alone its highly controversial new format. The fact that many stations still relied on middle-of-the-road programming well into the \u201860s says a great deal about what was really happening throughout the country. It took mushrooming advertising costs and fierce new competition generated by the ever expanding teen and young adult market before the scales finally tilted in favor of Top 40 programming over others.<\/span><\/p>\n

From the start, McLendon and Storz never lost faith in their Top 40 formula. They firmly believed that it would <\/span>provide <\/span>large numbers of teens and young adults <\/span>hours of <\/span>fun<\/span>. More than anything else, their keen salesmanship persuaded their listeners to remain faithful to their new Top 40 stations. Without question, that new found success <\/span>proved to be <\/span>contagious. Listener <\/span>surveys in the mid-1950s showed that large numbers of teens wanted to listen to plenty of rock and roll music played by their favorite DJs.<\/span> G<\/span>ordon McLendon and Todd Storz began marketed their new <\/span>product <\/span>but <\/span>only after they had proven to cynics that it did <\/span>indeed <\/span>work. Soaring revenues at KLIF-Dallas and KOWH-Omaha brought that home very quickly.[19]<\/sup><\/a> McLendon soon owned many <\/span>stations including WNUS-Chicago, KNUS-Dallas, KOST-Los Angeles, WAKY-Louisville, KXOX-St. Louis and KABL-FM San Francisco. Storz controlled important outlets such as WHB-Kansas City, WQAM-Miami, WDGY-Minneapolis, WTIX-New Orleans and KXOK-St. Louis.<\/span><\/p>\n

Clearly identified by its fast-talking jocks and <\/span>its forty <\/span>record <\/span>playlist, Top 40<\/span>\u2019s lifeline <\/span>depended on frequent personal appearances<\/span>, <\/span>catchy <\/span>station <\/span>jingles, abundant promotions and numerous publicity stunts.[20]<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>It also <\/span>featured news, sports coverage, traffic checks and weather forecasts. Jukebox sales<\/span>, <\/span>record sales a<\/span>nd <\/span>playlists <\/span>most often <\/span>furnished through leading trade publications such as <\/span><\/span>Billboard, The Amusement Industry\u2019s Leading<\/span> <\/span>Newsweekly<\/span><\/span><\/em> determined which records received air<\/span>time <\/span>and which ones <\/span>never saw the light of day<\/span>. Not to be outdone by their <\/span>gro<\/span>w<\/span>ing number of <\/span>c<\/span>ompetitors, many record <\/span>labels <\/span>went a step further by offering local radio celebrities all kinds of <\/span>incentives in the forms of<\/span> gifts <\/span>and <\/span>money if they agreed to plug certain <\/span>recordings over others. In the early 1950s, few industry leaders considered such \u201ccourtesies\u201d wrong. As we will see later, the feds only curbed <\/span>those <\/span>practices when they <\/span>learn<\/span>ed that <\/span>some <\/span>unscrupulous DJs had illegitimately profited from <\/span>them<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>rapid <\/span>increase in low-cost transistor radios <\/span>set the stage <\/span>for much of Top 40<\/span>\u2019s success<\/span>. Although it became the preferred rock and roll <\/span>format<\/span>, no two <\/span>stations <\/span>sounded alike. <\/span>Although <\/span>NBC and CBS remained lukewarm <\/span>to the idea, <\/span>ABC i<\/span>nstant<\/span>ly <\/span>incorporated it<\/span>. Let\u2019s not forget that WABC in New York and WLS in Chicago remained pacesetters in Top 40 radio into the \u201870s. Local market conditions and listening habits <\/span>mostly <\/span>determined <\/span>the <\/span>formats for Westinghouse stations. In the case of KYW-Cleveland, <\/span>it <\/span>found itself caught in the middle of this controversy. Initially a middle-of-the-road music station noted for its quality programs, news, sports and weather, it\u2019s managers gradually phased out that format to embrace Top 40. How and why, they did that will be discussed later. Also, we will see how that future radio legend successfully handled the challenges confronting it. Finally, we will discover how many of the common-sense business approaches used by KYW officials during those most troubled years may still be valid in today\u2019s equally unsettling radio climate.<\/span><\/p>\n

  1. \u201c2021 Outlook: Challenges, Opportunities facing U.S. TV, Radio Stations,\u201d S&P Global Market Intelligence, <\/span><\/span>https:\/\/www.spglobal.com<\/span><\/span><\/a>. Larry S. Miller, \u201cParadigm Shift: Why Radio Must Adapt to the Rise of Digital,\u201d <\/span><\/span>Musonomics<\/span><\/span><\/em>,<\/span> <\/span><\/span>https:\/\/www,musonomics.com<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span> ↵<\/a><\/li>
  2. Richard W. Stevenson, \u201cNBC to Sell Its Radio Network,\u201d <\/span><\/span>The New York Times<\/em>,<\/span><\/span> July 21, 1987.<\/span><\/span> ↵<\/a><\/li>
  3. Geraldine Fabrikant, \u201cCBS Accepts Bid by Westinghouse; $5.4 Billion Deal,\u201d <\/span><\/span>The New\u00a0York Times<\/em>,<\/span><\/span> August 2, 1995.<\/span><\/span> ↵<\/a><\/li>
  4. \u201cCBS & Viacom Complete Merger,\u201d <\/span><\/span>https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com<\/span><\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span> ↵<\/a><\/li>
  5. Steven Rosenfeld, \u201cDisney to Acquire Cap Cities\/ABC in $19 <\/span>Billion <\/span>Merger<\/span>,\u201d<\/span><\/span> https<\/span>:\/\/Apnews.com<\/span><\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/span> ↵<\/a><\/li>
  6. Chris <\/span>Velazco<\/span>, \u201cIf You Need Your Music Everywhere, Apple Music\u2019s Voice Plan Isn\u2019t For You,\u201d <\/span><\/span>The Cleveland Plain Dealer<\/em>,<\/span><\/span> <\/span>January 9, 2022. Miller, <\/span><\/span>Musonomics<\/span><\/em>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span> ↵<\/a><\/li>
  7. Federal Communication Commission, <\/span><\/span>Report on Chain Broadcasting,<\/em>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>May 1941, p. 92.<\/span><\/span> ↵<\/a><\/li>
  8. \u201cEvolution of Radio Broadcasting,\u201d https:\/\/open.lib.umn.edu\/mediaandculture\/chapter\/7-2-evolution-of-radio-broadcasting\/<\/a><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span> ↵<\/a><\/li>
  9. \u201cFrom the Birthplace of Broadcasting, California Historical Radio Society,\u201d <\/span><\/span>https:\/\/www.californiahistoricalradio.com<\/span><\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span> ↵<\/a><\/li>
  10. Ibid.<\/span> ↵<\/a><\/li>
  11. Ibid. ↵<\/a><\/li>
  12. \u201cThe Servicemen\u2019s Readjustment Act of 1944,\u201d Pub L. 78-345, 58 Stat. 284.<\/span> ↵<\/a><\/li>
  13. \u201cFrom the Birthplace of Broadcasting.\u201d<\/span> ↵<\/a><\/li>
  14. \u201cEvolution of Radio Broadcasting.\u201d<\/span> ↵<\/a><\/li>
  15. \u201cFrom the Birthplace of Broadcasting.\u201d<\/span> ↵<\/a><\/li>
  16. Ibid.<\/span> ↵<\/a><\/li>
  17. \u201cThe Rise of Top 40 Radio,\u201d <\/span><\/span>https:\/\/www.britannica.com<\/span><\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/span> ↵<\/a><\/li>
  18. Ibid.<\/span> ↵<\/a><\/li>
  19. Ibid.<\/span> ↵<\/a><\/li>
  20. \u201cEvolution of Radio Broadcasting\u201d<\/span> ↵<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/div>","protected":false},"author":3,"menu_order":1,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[47],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-5","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry","chapter-type-standard"],"part":3,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/kyw-radio-cleveland\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/5","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/kyw-radio-cleveland\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/kyw-radio-cleveland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/kyw-radio-cleveland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/kyw-radio-cleveland\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/5\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":309,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/kyw-radio-cleveland\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/5\/revisions\/309"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/kyw-radio-cleveland\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/3"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/kyw-radio-cleveland\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/5\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/kyw-radio-cleveland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/kyw-radio-cleveland\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=5"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/kyw-radio-cleveland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=5"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/kyw-radio-cleveland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=5"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}

A new challenge <\/span>known <\/span>as <\/span>digital alternatives <\/span>rocked the very <\/span>heart <\/span>of commercial radio broadcasting at the turn of th<\/span>e 21<\/span><\/span>st<\/span><\/span> <\/span>century.<\/span><\/span>[1]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/span> Whether streamed through Amazon, Pandora, Spotify, You Tube or some other sources didn\u2019t matter much to radio leaders who were flabbergasted by their <\/span>breathtaking <\/span>success. From its modest beginnings, these digital alternatives <\/span>have offered <\/span>a wide <\/span>selection <\/span>of <\/span>specific <\/span>apps a<\/span>nd <\/span>streaming platforms. Th<\/span>rough numerous devices <\/span>provid<\/span>e<\/span> their subscribers<\/span> with <\/span>highly desirable, <\/span>personalized music and podcasts <\/span>on a <\/span>24\/7<\/span> basis<\/span>. <\/span>Such <\/span>dramatic <\/span>developments<\/span> <\/span>should not have <\/span>greatly <\/span>amazed <\/span>commercial radio experts. After all, signs of trouble first <\/span>emerged <\/span>in the <\/span>late <\/span>1980s when the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) sold its company owned radio outlets including its <\/span>much <\/span>prized flagship station WNBC-New York to Westwood One for $55 million.[2]<\/sup><\/a> Other financial shortfalls over the next decade resulted in the Westinghouse Broadcasting Company (WBS) purchasing the Columbia Broadcasting Company (CBS) for $5.4 billion in 1995.[3]<\/sup><\/a> Fourteen years later, <\/span>the <\/span>all-<\/span>new CBS <\/span>became <\/span>a vital <\/span>part of <\/span>today\u2019s <\/span>Viacom.[4]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n