radio

[h]

Jonesy's Jukebox is on

http://indie1031.fm/listenlive.html

he's funny and he plays all sorts of stuff. my favourite internet radio show

[SaggyBalls]

i think the future of radio broadcasting is bleak.

Young people are ignoring it, and in north america programming has become homogeneous. listeners' intelligence is marginalized and the whole idea of radio being a line to new fresh music has shifted to satisfying a need for music that is less offensive to personal tastes.

the music is there to keep you around to be advertised to.

i'm glad you like the internet - it's the future of radio.

satellite radio is a paid service to get you certain kinds of music and information...if that becomes the norm, the community tie to broadcasting will be unwound - but i know i'd appreciate no commercials myself.

The only great radio seems to be the CBC...not what you always want to hear but at least it's challenging and interesting. it sounds better and less 'slick'...smart people, smart music, funny...interesting.

i hope more people get interested in the radio.

there's so much potential being marginalized for a quick buck - with the 'less profits equates to lost profits' ideology coming into play in major media outfits, the north american lifestyle will suffer in the years to come...

they won't notice any suffering, but with that same ideology, 'less thought is a loss of thought'

ya think?

[h]

traditional radio should die - i mean really... no commercials would be better yes, but hey what can you do...

so did you give him a listen? just played a ronnie lane song - he plays a lot of b sides and great music you don't always here. Yesterday he had 2 guests, i think the 'iraqi' guy from LOST but he had a very thick english accent and also juliette lewis - made for some interesting banter yesterday

ah he just signed off for the day - check him out tomorrow afternoon - i'll bump this then to remind y'all.

[SaggyBalls]

dialup...booo!

I find it curious that you think traditional radio should die...in that sentiment then the music industry as a whole should die.

how come you don't want them to rethink and retool?

why just give up?

[paisley]

the basic principle of radio is play music (or programs) people like so you can get them to listen to commercials to sell music or products for your sponsors

podcasting is home-grown stations (people at home) recording a day's worth of music (or programs) that they like and making it available to other people who have similar tastes

the big difference - podcasting has no advertisers or record company execs to please... people can put whatever they want into a program leading to some truly exceptional programming in any conceivable genre

I agree that it doesn't look good for radio... I don't feel very sorry for all the stations I've stopped listening to out of spite for having more and more crap pushed at me during the past couple of decades with the hopes of selling more and more product... I feel degraded by the way I've been treated by radio and look forward to other mediums

(but yes... long live CBC and independent college/university radio)

[SaggyBalls]

the basic principle of radio is play music (or programs) people like so you can get them to listen to commercials to sell music or products for your sponsors

originally, the sponsors were there to help the station cover costs and get the broadcasters paid, as well as to actually get new products to people. it was the other way around at first and then the mass marketing formula was invented...payola, following charts, getting shallow and easy...the 3 minute song was at the root of it all.

now the basic principle is to play music that fails to offend peoples' sensibilities so that they don't turn away...in the UK the programmers don't dumb down their listeners by playing the same old crap all the time. the radio there challenges its listeners and brings then new music and old music...

there's no reason the burties or the spades or the sadies or cuff the duke or gads of other new bands can't be on the radio. people would still be tuning in the rock radio didn't go to that stupid formula years back. now all the good new music is only on campus radio and very few people take it seriously, let alone know about it and when to tune in.

another thing that fucks things up is CanCon legislation. i admit that it helps the canadian music industry but the same old crappy songs from canadian bands are just as bad or worse than taking that 1/3 of all songs and playing deeper cuts or songs from lesser known bands...

i only heard james brown on movies and the cosby show growing up.

the radio USED to play the music that changed a generation of music listeners...jimi and joni and neil and sly were all hits played on CFRA at one time...and that was CUTTING EDGE.

rock radio used to go deeper on albums, play concert tapes, have interviews and actually make the radio an interesting thing to listen to.

there's no good reason, looking at the state of radio now, for the suits to have messed with a good thing.

rock radio got dirty and skiddy in the 80's and stayed there. pop was the opposite end and rarely did the 2 meet well...rock should have never lost its danceability.

i'm saddened. what a waste of 2 years of my life. i have a radio broadcasting diploma. shoulda went into journalism and photography before hitting up Music Industry Arts...what a better angle that would have been.

[Dr. J]

... I don't feel very sorry for all the stations I've stopped listening to out of spite for having more and more crap pushed at me during the past couple of decades with the hopes of selling more and more product... I feel degraded by the way I've been treated by radio and look forward to other mediums

(but yes... long live CBC and independent college/university radio)

know what you mean, paisley.....and just a reminder of The Rev's radio program tomorrow morning from 6:00 - 9:00 am The Reverend's Attic Click on webcast. I know it's early, but this guy knows his stuff and spins some fantastic music. it was here that i first encountered Gov't Mule and the Burt Neilson Band and the North Mississippi All-stars...I know...I know....I've been a bit of a musical recluse for the last number of years, but people like the Rev and others are re-connecting me. So yes long live independent radio!

[paisley]

i'm saddened. what a waste of 2 years of my life. i have a radio broadcasting diploma. shoulda went into journalism and photography before hitting up Music Industry Arts...what a better angle that would have been.

"take a sad song... and make it hap-py!"

why not take that knowledge and your music addiction and put out a sweet ass podcast?! if you're popular, link up to Ipod or someone and maybe get paid a couple of nickels... have another page (blog) to contain your thoughts and rambles that people can comment on (or not)

makes sense from where I'm sitting

yeah, I owe the Reverend a listen to be sure Dr. J... maybe tomorrow will be the day (my bedtime is usually about 4 - 6 am but will try to stretch it tonight)... thanks for the reminder

[guigsy]

photography?

no you shouldnt have. i bet there are just as many, if not more, out of work 'photographers' with a piece of paper that says they're qualified.

digital cameras are ruining the professional photographer (you heard it here first!), and it is only going to get worse.

besides, aside from facilities and equipment, taking photography in college or university is bullsh!t. (im talking about the instruction, and the philosophy)

that being said, i dont regret a day i spent in school, because the people i met in school, my peers, my close circle of photog friends, were some of the most inspirational people that waltzed into my life.

[paisley]

nothings a waste, at the worst its a lesson

digital photography is like podcasts, just changing the landscape... regardless of what camera you have, a true photographer has a rare eye... as well as a talent for being in the right place at the right time (like Scottography! :

[guigsy]

haha, thanks pais...

all i meant was that because of the accessibility and quality of cameras these days, coupled with seeming indifference and a lack of discernible eye, professional photographers are suffering.

i see it all the time in the industry... photographers closing up shop, labs being forced to do the same, and people buying cameras so they dont have to pay someone else to do the job for them.

[paisley]

I hear ya, but personally got chased out of piano technician school over a teacher's fears regarding digital pianos and the lack of need for piano tuners/re-builders (and it would've been to dry a job for me anyhow, not really my alley though it would've been fun for a bit)

point being that piano techs are still needed, though not in the same numbers

I think there will always be people who need and appreciate a great photograph... if you keep walking in that direction I'm sure you'll continue to find cool meaningful work (after the Kraft Dinner years come to pass :: )... a digital camera doesn't understand light and shadow or color or timing... I catch some lucky shots with my digital but would prefer to hire someone with talent and experience if I was working on a serious project (and had the budget)

now shut up and get working on that Slip podcast for me to download!

[guigsy]

a digital camera doesn't understand light and shadow or color or timing

you're exactly right! and thats what i tell the customers who believe that it SHOULD because they paid x-amount of dollars for it. right before i tell them they should hire me.

[Kaidy Mae]

my close circle of photog friends, were some of the most inspirational people that waltzed into my life.

Amen Guigsy! I'm still stunned at times how many true friends I made in that program. Even the characters I downright loathed, I still learned something from.

Being a photog right now sure is tough. Even tougher is getting the opportunity to shoot the things that truly interest and intrigue you (no more Bridezillas!). I never should have tried to turn something that I love into a career. ::

I hope we all keep inspiring each other.

[Kaidy Mae]

Even tougher is getting the opportunity to shoot the things that truly interest and intrigue you

Just to reiterate the above statement:

I was just asked to work on an O.B. tampon campaign. Business isn't booming.

[bradm]

I was just asked to work on an O.B. tampon campaign. Business isn't booming.

Kaidy Mae (to Boss): How about, "Wookettes agree: O.B. is the jamband tampon!"

Boss (to Kaidy Mae): Clean out your desk. Don't ask me for a reference.

Aloha,

Brad

[guigsy]

why you'd turn down a paying job, and then say business isnt booming is beyond me.

[Kaidy Mae]

I didn't say I turned it down. Just meant that pickins are slim. I start shooting it in May. They want "outdoorsy" stuff.

[Kaidy Mae]

jamband tampon!"

Boss (to Kaidy Mae): Clean out your desk. Don't ask me for a reference.

Ha ha haaaa! Actually bradm, there is a camping/festival theme to it. Perhaps I could throw some wooklettes in there somewhere. ::

[guigsy]

outdoorsy tampon theme?

wheels are spinnin'.....

[Kaidy Mae]

LOL

The idea so far is to have a night shot of a girl trying to get out of a tent with a flashlight. Not my concept, but I can work with that. One idea for a caption was "O.B....Yeah, it sucks." Again, not my idea. Open to suggestions though.

[AdamH]

I am not a professional photographer, broadcaster or radio jockey. I don't pretend to understand some of your perspectives on the subject since I took a Bachelor of Commerce program and am now able to do what I love...sort of.

In your own respective fields why do you feel your being shut out by unforeseen forces..technology, convergence, etc. If the photography industry is converting to digital does this threaten your livelihood or your ability to work in a favorite medium? People making a living in the Arts are subject to the same sorts of change experienced in other sectors so why would we not expect those who wish to stay in the sector NOT to shift? Just as so many admin.assistants realized the importance of computer skills, just as broad groups of workers saw a growing demand for undergraduate qualifications why would we expect artists in any medium to remain stagnant and tied only to the subject or media they know best?

Having just met a conceptual photographer who loathed digital, switched over and is now finding aspects he likes, I guess I'm wondering what the root of the lament is. Lifelong learning should be an expectation for any of us in the genX-Y contingent, we won't have the same opportunity for 30-year employment and anniversary watches that some of our parents had.

[guigsy]

personally, the medium doesnt bother me. in fact, i love digital photography, and i use a digital camera for most of my shooting.

the art itself, i dont believe, is suffering. if anything, more doors are opened for creativity and, really, the truth of the matter is with a camera, an imagination, and a computer, you can create almost anything you want. i most certainly am not an old school traditional photog.

however, from the standpoint of the professional, who is trying to put food on the table, more and more businesses that would contract out photographers are no longer doing that. many places now either do it themselves, because its so easy and accessible, or, use stock agencies as a way to purchase photos. as this side of the industry has been growing, photographers i know who have been in the business for a number of years are not getting the contracts and jobs that they used to... its making less and less sense for the people who used to hire them, and who used to buy their photos.

unfortunately, stock photography is insanely competitive (and increasingly so), and the pay-off isnt too great either.

so, im not entirely sure that the problem is people not willing to shift and change with the times, but rather, in this instance, much of the problem is just being shut out, because of what the technology shift and changing of the times allows people to do.

what can photographers do now? i think building a strong relationship with a respected stock agency, or building relationships with photo buyers, and consistently working on your own stock catalogue, keeping it up to date, and always keeping up with the technology is the first step. next, hope someone digs your work enough to keep coming back to you.

[SaggyBalls]

if there were money in a podcast i'd do it but i have no mp3's have a relatively small music collection (didn't buy any cd's for the past 5 years essentially (a few came to me but really, very little new music), and would really need to spend a lot of money on it...i'm on dialup here but someday...

If I could make a living at an internet broadcast I'd do it. I'd totally rock a media outlet. I'd do a radio show, go to shows and get interviews, do phone ins, I'd host gameshows and music history shows, I'd try some sort of gameshow or have guest hosts. the job would be tricky but worthwhile. I'd need a computer, high speed line, good sound card, mixer, microphones, telephone splitters, cbling, light soundproofing for a room...and if i were to want to have live music, i'd need a space or a good recording unit to do field recording. a nomad...

lotsa money to get things rolling properly. I'd have to get paid for what I'd be doing - recover costs from the startup and pay for rent, food, my car, entertainment, AND have enough flow to save a little for a rainy day...like the rainy day that I need to get a root canal or medical attention. If I knew how to work my camera properly I'd be able to get some key shots and include that on the website i'd have to build...so it's learn how to do that or pay for it to be done...

that being said, i have another idea that i'd rather figure out. it involves travel, nightlife, music, documentary work, and tourism.

[Kaidy Mae]

why would we expect artists in any medium to remain stagnant and tied only to the subject or media they know best?

This is a great point Polkaroo. I think one of the best things about being in such a highly competitive field is that you are required to constantly learn and challenge yourself. You can be swept by the wayside mighty quickly if you don't. Same goes for any profession, but the evolution and constant metamorphosis of photography is something I have a close love/hate relationship with. It never allows for boredom, that's for sure. Photography HAS to be a very innovative field. We are always fu©king around with new techniques/equipment/etc. Photoshop greatly allows for this. Most photogs I know are very experimental, both behind the computer and behind the lens.

I used to swear that I'd never switch to digital photography. However, after considering the many advantages (long-term cost, turnaround time, more environmental kindness) I gave it a try. I can't imagine how I could possibly work in the field now without the digital technology that has been made available. I either have high volume or commercial clients. It would be almost impossible for me to compete using conventional methods.

With any techologically based career or medium I think it is very important to remember that the equipment we use is being updated and changed on a regular basis. Photography is VERY expensive. The same goes for the equipment musicians use...high overhead. It is very difficult to ever get out from underneath your debts. There never seems to be enough memory (cards or computer), lenses, CDRs, paper, inks, etc. Digital is saving me a bundle though. When I first studied photography I was spending approx. $2000 a month US on supplies. Thank goodness those days are over!

All photographers (writers, musicians, etc.) may have to whore their talents out to some extent to pay the bills. This is generally an accepted fact. We shoot weddings (puke!) with the hope that we can make a few coins to get out and shoot more shows and festivals. The bulk of my business has been weddings, commercial advertising (so whorish) and copy work/restoration. Stock photo agencies are definitely challenging the little guy in the same way that the easy-to-use digitals are taking down the portraiture business. I end up keeping very busy with these ventures hoping that one day there will be a light at the end of the tunnel. Once upon a time I thought I was going to be a writer. Instead, I got into photography to tell stories and show people things they may never see...using the most immediate medium I could think of. To spend my day retouching wedding photos and creating more advertising pollution, I can sure understand how frustrated a musician stuck writing jingles would feel.