Anything But A Quiet Week

Certainly an awful week for the television business! The Brian Williams scandal ought to scare anyone who is on the air ... or manages people on the air. The speed that a star can crash to Earth is scary!

This was not just a lesson for TV people but for anyone in the public eye.

Viacom stock shares were slammed $350 million worth after the Jon Stewart resignation. NBC inside has to be hurt by the Brian Williams disaster. Reputation does not have a price tag. NBC lost some of that with its lack of managerial control over what seems to be a on air personality out of control.

The music business and radio has to see some potential parallels. Look at the investment in talent and look how fast that can disappear. Faster than a speeding tweet!

The speed of life powered by cyberspace was apparent in the Grammy world this week too. Look at all the publicity Kanye got.

His actions only seem to help him. And somehow a peace conference with Taylor Swift and talk of a future recording session ... but with the Brian Williams story this week, don't you doubt a little or a lot everything you read?

Do you assume what you read and hear is true or assume everything is embellished or an out right lie? Everyone in the media got shot by Brian Williams this week. And he was my favorite news reader too ... makes the insult even greater.

But look what old-fashioned TV did for Brandy Clark that radio couldn't. The percentage of sales increase was some crazy figure. What will change now that she is been ranked among the top show performances and sales were moved? The powers that are programming radio ... you do have to wonder sometimes. The Grammys were bro-free by the way ... an accurate exhibition or are they just out of touch?

I never see anyone talk a lot about the streaming effect on radio listening. Is it a forbidden subject? Do you program to compete with it (impossible) or do you counter-program: Give the audience what they can't get from streaming?

It's the unanswerable question right now. But soon ... Radio and local TV will have to take a long hard look at what the future looks like and respond. The speed of change is almost unimaginable. Netflix and YouTube are just the surface of the broadcasters' problems. Copyright laws don't seem to have the political support. The TV networks want freedom so they can stream on their own apps. Is network radio the true savior of local radio ... or just the affordable alternate? Online listening ... how do you keep up with all that needs to be juggled?

What does move the dial these days? I saw a teen this week get excited about winning a concert ticket. Can't do that if your listening to streaming. Some things don't change. Offering something the audience wants and cant get anywhere else ... the first and last part of the secret formula of success.

Look at the pop sales charts this week. Country shows up a little in the lower second dozen. Why are there no screams of bloody murder? Are the labels satisfied with their streaming money? The money that shorts the songwriters?

This week with the Grammys and all the TV tragedy makes you think.

Did MusicRow's Country bosses maximize their Grammy moments? Why were two of the three Country performances with star only and not a true "Grammy" moment? ELO and Ed ... McCartney and friends ... Sam Smith and Mary J ... Tom Jones and Jessie.. Brandy did have Dwight ... and it was a Grammy moment for her..

Country is such a small part of Grammy night ... okay ... ACM time will put the stars in the stadium spotlight. That is going to be a huge spotlight like none other for any award show. Who will be the star of that monster show? Who will social media go crazy over? Still two months away, but the train is coming down the track ... hope the stars have material to match the venue.