The Only Constant Is Change

Taken a drive down Lower Broadway in downtown Nashville lately? It’s a calmer event at 8 a.m. than at 8 p.m., trust me!

The new Eric Church place, Chief’s, is in the build-out phase. Garth Brooks’ Friends in Low Places is under construction too. Late afternoon, and at sunset for sure, it’s an “ant bed stepped on” thing going on. People in every direction -- in the street, on the street, on open-air vehicles dancing like a portable drinker’s disco.

They built it and people came. A field of dreams for thousands. A drunk’s Disneyland!

The places are making the owners flush with cash. Some professional musicians are getting jobs. No signs of this slowing down. The scene closest to this is Las Vegas Blvd., where all the big hotels stand up one after another.

Nash Vegas is just not something many long time Nashvillians ever imagined. Is it making the city better? Jury’s out on that one.

The friendly, family-owned bars, restaurants, cleaners, drug stores around Vanderbilt or Berry Hill are going or gone. (My favorite cafeteria is now an appliance showroom.)

16th Ave is barely a music street these days. Several historic recording studios are just gone. The Soundshop? Not even a plaque. The original RCA office on McGavock is now a parking lot. No marker. No nothing.

The point is, things change, and not always in a predicted way. But change happens. Only a few familiar faces on Nashville local TV remain.

The recording industry has changed 100% in any way you want to measure. It has adapted from physical sales only, and it was a difficult transition.

Radio is another matter. Streaming is not going anywhere. The train has left the station with a big crowd on board. AM/FM radio has changed, mainly with downsizing and voice tracking.

Rush Limbaugh died, and may have taken AM radio with him. FM is still free and savable, but these mega owners need a huge reboot.

What is working today? The mostly absent Howard Stern on satellite radio is working. Talk of all kinds still has a loyal audience. The big work goal is to give a local audience a reason to tolerate a reasonable number of commercials in order to get some entertaining content.

Music is NOT going to save FM radio. Content around music might be able to. Entertainment is not a faceless, voice tracking thing. Look at podcasts, they talk, talk, talk!

Communication with music that is useful to the listener has been and is great, a roller coaster of fun and benefit.

Great morning shows that you used to listen to had it all: friendly atmosphere, fun, informative, they made you smile, made you lean in to listen. Gerry House and Carl P. Mayfield did that for years on Nashville’s WSIX.

Give away money, market better, but give people something they can feel a part of.

The latest wannabe star is not your meal ticket. New music discovery can be an exciting element. It’s not going to be the big thing.

No way is present day broadcasting going to survive on its current trajectory. The NFL is starting their streaming. Direct to consumer without the middleman is coming very soon.

I just see media people getting awards and having meetings, and nothing changes.

Go to downtown Nashville at 8 on a Friday night. What do these people do for radio and TV? A great place to do audience research. Remember when broadcasters did that?

Research is a TOOL, a guide, not the gospel. With $100 concert tickets and 25 minutes of commercials in an hour, we need some big time Bill Gates/Steve Jobs kind of thinking. More bottom up thinking not top down. Can’t force trends and styles. HELP!