The Perfect Antidote to Commercial Radio

For a while I thought listening to BBC Radio 4 was the answer to CRF (Commercial Radio Fatigue). Then one day my car radio, for no apparent reason, said it needed it’s code number put in. I’ve been meaning to rummage in my drawers and find the little card with the number on, but you know, weeks have passed and I have come to enjoy, even relish the silence of my morning drive to the station. Do I miss the music? A bit I suppose, even though it’s the same old songs round and round. Do I miss the inane banter of Breakfast Crews, Zoos and sad lonely DJ’s? Let me think…

Sometimes, especially on the way home, the silence becomes a bit oppressive. When this happens I just sing a rude song at the top of my voice and my spirits soar once more. It’s the Yellow Bird song if you want to know, and I learned in years ago in the Territorials (before I became a pacifist obviously).

No bare ladies this week. The class was cancelled because of the snow and let’s face it, it was too darned cold to ask anyone to get naked.

The decline of Commercial Radio in the UK

bland unchallenging

research driven corporate

format radio

Two haiku about the business of radio. The one above was written some years ago when radio began to go badly wrong. The self-indulgent one below just came to me as I was writing this post. I dedicate them both to everyone who worked with me in commercial radio over the last couple of decades, plus the RAB and the Radio Authority (now Ofcom), various govenment ministers and civil servants, and all those Americans and Australians (you know who you are!) who did so much to help the whole industry nosedive into the ground at full power. Thanks guys, for my increased leisure time and the chance to explore new career opportunities.

I played my part in

radio’s rise and demise

but did not survive

Has anyone noticed how, when GCap were desperate to make their radio empire look like a going concern so they could sell it, they told the truth about how the cost of DAB (digital radio) is unviable to the point of insanity. They started closing down or selling off their digital stations. DAB is in fact a total farce which has crippled the industry, and most of the problems are nowhere near being solved despite years of development and £millions flushed away. Now the new owners, Global, are desperate to renew their licence for Classic FM so they are saying DAB is the way forward, best thing since sliced bread…

Never mind the Boat That Rocked, radio is a ship that is sinking.