Just Like Aging Golfers, Radio Isn’t Dying, It’s Just Losing Its Balls

So, radio's dead right? Or will be soon? Anybody who has paid attention has heard the theories before; new technologies, new services, what-have-you. An opinion article posted at detnews.com today got me thinking about the industry I work in, and what lies ahead in this tumultuous, ever-changing field. Check it out here to get an inside look at life in radio, and why it's likely to stick around due to a narrowing focus.

I've been asked many times why I chose the career path I did. Well, a little nerdiness, a little obsessiveness, and a whole lot of insanity made me fall in love with radio at a very young age. Much like the Queen tune Radio Ga-Ga depicts, it was my friend, my trusted companion, and most entertaining play date. Those of us that grew up in Lansing through the 1980's and 1990's were especially spoiled by a powerhouse Top 40 station that once donned our very 94.9MhZ frequency. That station perfectly blended classic rock and pop hits with the latest sounds during a dark and dull time for music. You know, when rock as the mainstream genre was giving way to over-produced, synth-pop and hip-hop crap. MTV meant nothing to me when I could play video games, shoot hoops, or create a Hot Wheels metropolis alongside the likes of radio gods Danny Stewart, John Robinson, and Hollywood Hendrix. Man, those guys were cool! United Cable allowed us, in the 80's, to pipe in out-of-market stations through a coax cable and receiver. This is how I was introduced to the likes of J.J. and The Morning Crew, Arthur Penhollow, and Ken Calvert. I knew that I wanted to do exactly what those cats all did. Hell, I've even been lucky enough to meet and work alongside a lot of these same people. But, those were surely different times for a still powerful medium. I promise to always do my part to see that radio never dies...even if we all get philosophically castrated on the way!