No less than 8 different people called to let me know that WBCN was going off the air. In a move calculated on a P&L sheet and nowhere else, one of Rock’s flagship stations (41 years of broadcasting …) has been running essentially on fumes for the last 5 years, and since it’s hard to sell advertising on stations with no listeners, something had to be done.
I get that. Radio stations are businesses, and like all good businesses they need revenue. But in looking at the station a bit more critically, the sad truth is that everyone knew this day was coming. So while we all feign shock and surprise, deep down there’s neither.
Like a lot of people, I grew up listening to ‘BCN. I commuted to school listening to the Big Mattress and headed home listening to Mark Parenteau. Fortunately for me, I was lucky enough to spend nearly 4 years working for Charles Laquidara when he arrived at WZLX back in ’96. I learned a lot, worked hard, and understood that radio was about creating connections with the listeners. Charles was a master at this, so was Oedipus. Those guys taught me more than they realize.
But soon important people realized that there was money to be made. And soon there were radio conglomerates who wanted to streamline operations, increase ad buys, and soon playlists got tightened. Focus groups chose the tunes, not DJs, music directors, and PDs. I heard a program director say that “we don’t want to challenge the listeners.” This was in response to me seeking permission (seriously…) to play “Five to One” by The Doors on WZLX — Boston’s Only Classic Rock!
That to me is how it all died. Folks like Charles and Mark constantly challenged the listeners to not just make a stand (Shell Oil … ), but to listen to new music. You couldn’t start your day without knowing what the color of the day was, and oh my, it’s 4:19 …
Today’s radio listeners grew complacent because the powers-that-be were too scared to take the chances that got ’em there in there in the first place. Challenging the listeners would cause ’em to press buttons. After all, they only like the music they know.
Radio’s no place to hear a new song, right?
(or)
If the creek don’t rise, and the good Lord’s willing, and there ain’t no meltdown ….
