Never Can Say Goodbye

Look through your song library, much time has been spent concerning the subject of goodbye. I hate goodbyes myself. But now it’s time to say good night.

All Access has been such a wonderful base station for all things radio and music, and the fastest music news site on the planet. Joel Denver had the most respected meeting place for anyone with their hat in the radio/records ring. I hope this column in some way helped you wander through this often uncharted media world.

I leave a little -- maybe a lot -- angry at those who were the generals of radio the last 30 years. How did we get to the point where a family only has a radio in the car, and not one in the house that has a battery in it?

The lack of hardware, and allowing morning TV to take over the local information have been huge for TV and radio. News and weather: how do you get it? The death of the traditional local radio show sent moms to the local TV morning show, then maybe to the radio on the way to work/school. Time has run out. TV is established in that time period like never before.

Just got off a 3,400 mile road trip: BNA/ATL/Norfolk/DC/NYC/Atlantic City/Wheeling/Pittsburgh/Indy/Louisville, and never used the radio. Used SiriusXM, YouTube … no radio. Did tune in the Grand Ole Opry for a few minutes on Saturday night.

Radio needs to reinvent itself badly. Streaming has dealt a huge blow. Why would you listen to commercial radio with four minutes of content followed by four of commercials? You get the same songs without the commercials, and it’s a better expierence. Radio voice trackers are not the same as radio live announcers. When that first tornado or big story of the year comes along and your station is playing the newest Kelsea or Leroy song, you are DEAD.

Radio has to be your guiding light … the place where fun breaks out. Your source of news.

Consolidation killed the goose that laid the golden egg. You know it, and they know it.

Streaming and the songwriter: not a good marriage. $1,000 concert tickets? Not a good concert strategy.

Greed and anti-customer decisions will come home to roost. Radio is supposed to serve the public. Is that really being done today?

Everything has its season. Radio was my first love. So many great memories we all have of those voices in the night coming out of that radio hiding in a pillow.

I hope radio can find a way home. Rush Limbaugh was the last star of AM radio. I hope some radio general will help discover the next one … the next Don Imus, the next Robert W. Morgan, the next Ralph Emery, Gerry House, Larry Lujack.

Can’t fix a problem until you admit you have one. You have more than one!

Someone will invent a new All Access. In the meantime, leave a light on for me.