A Shock to the System

It didn't have to be this way.

Of course, every time something happens to any of the remnants of what used to be called "guy talk" or "shock jocks" (and we can all agree to despise that term), some people declare the whole idea dead, others say good riddance, fans complain and then fade away, and those who, like me, once worked that side of the radio aisle will point out that the demise of youth-oriented spoken word radio wasn't inevitable. The official announcement of Opie's firing by SiriusXM is one of those occasions. The retirement, less nationally reported, of WTKS/Orlando's Jim Philips is another. And, again, I'm going to openly wonder why things didn't take a different course while pointing out that the essential elements of what made the format work, when it did, are not what everyone assumed them to be.

First, the one thing that drove me crazy when I was programming "FM Talk" and crazier when I saw attempt after attempt to replicate Howard Stern's success repeat the same mistakes: It was never about the strippers and the stunts and the sex. It was the personality. It came from hosts being relatable and honest and funny and fearless. It was about ignoring rules and restrictions and instead communicating in a way that other radio personalities never would. It was about -- well, it's not dissimilar to a good music morning show in that audiences could connect with and identify with the "characters" on the show, but in a more personal, seemingly honest way. Whether it was Howard fuming at his GM and complaining about his home life, or Neil Rogers going off on an hour-long tirade about something he saw in the Miami Herald that annoyed him, it was that unique glimpse of the host's real personality and thoughts that connected them with their audiences. The other stuff was secondary, just benchmarks, in the currently appropriate research parlance. Whip 'em Out Wednesdays and Flash Fridays crudely drew attention and reminded listeners what show they were listening to; family annoyances, battles with management, and having on-air discussions of why a guest blew the show off were why those fans became fans in the first place.

That lesson never really registered with a lot of radio management, because all they saw were ratings and sales and the stunts. So many of the stabs at the format missed the point. It's weird: Real Radio 104.1 in Orlando has continued in the genre since the early '90s and is still a success, and so is the one in West Palm Beach, yet the rest of radio still doesn't really understand WHY those stations have survived and what it is about them that differs from the image of FCC-fine-in-the-making third-rail programming that comes to mind when you think of "shock jocks." There's nothing particularly shocking about most of the "shock jock" programming that's survived on terrestrial radio; even on satellite, apart from being allowed to swear, it's mostly interviews these days (Stern, for one, having become even more masterful at getting celebrities to open up about everything).

And there was one other element that I've mentioned in my videos that could have helped keep this kind of radio alive: strong producers. The unfortunate events that led to the end of some of these shows had a lot to do with nobody in the room being able to keep things under control. You always need an adult in the room to say no when necessary, or, preferably, to guide the host so that he or she can do a bit yet remain employable. I'm a lousy judge of how good a Program Director I was, but I always went down the route of "let's see if we can find a way to do that and make it work better" if that was possible. You don't want to always just say no. But you do need someone to help steer that ship, and too many shows are without someone strong enough to exert that influence.

There are pundits who will declare this the end of "that kind of radio," as they did at so many other points, from Anthony Cumia getting fired all the way back to Stern leaving broadcast radio to, what, Bill Ballance's "Feminine Forum" getting in trouble? Way back. The idea of talk that appeals to young men has been buried many times before, but the corpse is still kicking. That's because you can hear a lot of what made the format and the best of the shows work is still being done, only as podcasts. You can hear the best elements of "guy talk" -- not really just for guys -- in many of the comedy podcasts. Whether it's Bill Burr on a rant, or Marc Maron turning a celebrity interview into an exploration of his own neuroses, or... you get the idea. And, look, there's Adam Carolla sounding better as a podcast, where he doesn't have to worry about language or program directors, then he did on Free FM, and Tom Leykis and Don Geronimo streaming and still drawing substantial audiences without the benefit of an antenna and transmitter. Plus, there's a bonus: The hosts are far, far more diverse in every way than radio ever managed. It should be even more so, but there's no management barrier to it. You want to start a podcast? You can, whomever you may be.

Broadcast radio could have done it. Despite the demise of O&A, satellite radio still does it, but it's increasingly the province of podcasts and streaming. Soon, that might be the only place for someone under the age of 50 to go for relevant non-political talk, and maybe even political talk, too. Yeah, it didn't have to be this way... but if broadcast radio would rather throw on cookie-cutter music formats, save salaries, and keep the Market Manager from having to deal with occasional angry emails, so be it. The torch is being carried by someone else, and that isn't necessarily a bad thing.

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I should mention that I'll be attending the Conclave in Minneapolis, or St. Louis Park, Minnesota, or wherever that place is, July 26-28. Just head for the Costco and it's across the street. I won't be on a panel, because they didn't ask me. But I might ask some typically impertinent questions of the panelists, so there's that. And you should go, because a lot of really good people to know in this business will be there, all in one place. Click here for all the information and to register. See you there, I hope.... Oh, and thanks for all the birthday wishes. It's nice to be reminded that radio is populated with a lot of good people. I'm talking about you. You're good people. Thank you!

Perry Michael Simon
Vice President/Editor, News-Talk-Sports and Podcast
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