Saturday, March 5, 2011

Airplay: The Rise And Fall Of Rock Radio

This TV show aired the other night on the New Jersey Network.  I taped the show and watched it this afternoon.  It is very hard to detail the history of  Top 40 radio in one hour.  It featured comments by famous NYC radio personalities including:
  • Cousin Bruce Morrow
  • Dan Ingram
  • Scott Muni
  • Scott Shannon
  • Carol Miller
  • B. Mitchell Reed
  • Murray the K
  • Dennis Elsas
  • Meg Griffen
  • Jocko Henderson
There were also appearances by national personalities including
  • Dick Biondi
  • Gary Owens
  • Casey Kasem
  • Rick Shaw
  • Tom Donahue
  • Lee Abrams
  • Alan Freed
I am sure that Alan Berman will add all those that I missed since he viewed the show and ordered the DVD.  Hy Lit was mentioned but was not interviewed.

Many good points were made.  I certainly miss many of the personalities who have passed or retired.  The new generation of DJs is just not the same.  The video did not elaborate the concept of narrowcasting that happened as music moved from AM to FM.  The issue of demographics was not discussed.  I am well aware that the suits and bean counters in the radio business are trying to appeal to the 25-54 demographic.  Satellite radio was discussed very briefly while internet radio was not at all.

I recommend this show to all my radio friends.

1 comment:

Nancy Albino said...

I missed this when it was first released. I decided to work in the music biz because of WNEW-FM & all the NYC stations I used to hear in the 60's. It was an awesome time in my life. I DID make in NYC. Even Lou Reed loved NY radio: "Then one fine morning she turned on a NY station, she couldn't believe what she heard at all. She started dancing to that fine, fine music, you know her life was saved by rock n' roll."--Lou Reed, "Rock n' Roll"

 
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