Many years ago, a fellow by the name of Newton
Minow made a public statement that television was a "vast wasteland." In my humble opinion, he should have included broadcast radio in that statement as well. However, when he made that statement, radio was still broadcasting music for everyone, rather than targeting the younger generation. With only few exceptions,
Minow was right on the money. Today, more than ever we are seeing, hearing and subjected to some of the most tasteless, vulgar, anti social programming in history. Sadly, much of this garbage is being watched and assimilated into the minds of our children and grandchildren. Senior citizens are depicted as complete buffoons. (Check out the old gentleman trying to play basketball with those younger guys; bony knees, bald head, gray hair, completely and hopelessly inept. Thank heavens for the
Hallmark Channel. Their programming is spiritually uplifting, no sex, or vile language. Their nightly Christmas movies are as refreshing as an icy oasis in a very dry desert.
Radio? forget it! Unless you are within the "demographic target area" of 18 to 49 years of age, you can tune across the A.M. and F.M. band and find only talk radio, rock music in all categories from "soft" to acid, and everything that the younger generation prefers. Below is an article I wrote in one of my Times of Trenton "Sentimental Journey" columns a few years ago. It was well received by those of us in the "mature listener" demographic domain.
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SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY
Tom Glover, Trenton Times
I spent a very absorbing hour or so recently watching an interesting discussion on C-Span3. The subject was "The Future of Radio." One of the topics was a discussion of the numerous high-tech alternatives to broadcast radio. The featured guest was Mark Mays, president and CEO of Clear Channel broadcasting. During the conversation, Mays was asked about what impact high-tech advances have had on broadcast radio. I wish I could have put my two cents into the conversation, but it was taped and re-broadcast from an earlier time. I was probably one of the most loyal listeners to broadcast radio until the industry began to cater to their "target" audience. I think it's the 18-to-45 age group, but whatever it is, I'm too old to be eligible to listen. If you tune your radio to the lower range of the FM band around 88 megahertz and dial through the spectrum to 108 megahertz, you will hear the music of the "target" audience; nary a mellow sound to be heard. Don't try to find the music of Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Patti Page, Rosemary Clooney, Perry Como, Andy Williams, Bing Crosby or other vocalists from the 1940s and early '50s. They, and their contemporaries were dropped when those of us who loved that music reached the age of 60, 70 and older. Today, the oldies are the music of the '60s and '70s. I smiled a sad smile when Mays took a question from the audience. "Mr. Mays, some of the lyrics to the `music' on the radio is crude and even borders on the obscene . . ." The young lady went on to ask if it was necessary to play that type of music. Mays answered, "We focus on what listeners want to hear." I wondered to myself why I, and countless others in their 60s and 70s can't find the music WE want to hear.
The answer is painfully simple: the target audience. Frank Sinatra's music is heard on a couple of radio stations, and has been for years. I have always loved the music of Sinatra, and frequently listen to my favorite old-time disc jockey, Jack Pinto, on WBUD while having breakfast or dinner with Frank. I find myself wondering why love songs, beautiful ballads, and the other uplifting music of Don Cornell, Eddie Fisher, Julie Andrews and literally hundreds of Sinatra's contemporary vocalists are gathering dust on the studio shelves. Why not breakfast with Joni James and Patti Page? Or perhaps dinner with Eddie Fisher and Bing Crosby?
When broadcast radio closed the door on me, another very exciting door opened - satellite radio. Along came a medium that has rendered the target audience of broadcast radio irrelevant. No more straining to hear a far-off AM station playing the easy-listening music. My son gave me a satellite radio for my birthday, and for a minuscule monthly fee, I can listen to the stations geared to my generation. The antenna on the amazing little receiver is the size of a 50-cent piece. There are more than 100 commercial-free outlets broadcasting classical, jazz, Broadway and country. I can listen to the music we listened to before commercial broadcast radio abandoned us. Channel 4 is music of the '40s; Channel 5 is the '50s, and on to the '90s.
My personal interest is on channels 4 and 5, with the wonderful music of Sammy Kaye, Dick Haymes, The Platters, Gogi Grant, Julius LaRosa, Frankie Laine, Guy Lombardo, and yes, even Lawrence Welk! There even is a station devoted to old-time radio 24 hours a day where we can hear all the radio programs from the golden age. That's when the target audience catered to boys, girls, teenagers and adults. I really do miss it, and I'm willing to bet my Lone Ranger Silver Bullet key chain that I'm not the only one who feels abandoned by broadcast radio. Hey, I have to go now. Channel 5 is playing my favorite Joni James song, "Why Don't You Believe Me?"
How well I recall the Wetzel Field of my youth. Don Slabicki and I spent many evenings over on that field at Morris and Chambers Street watching the guys from the Industrial League who had a game there nearly every afternoon. The field has an interesting history. On November 9, 1906, the field was established for the use of the students at Trenton High School, which at the time was located on Hamiltn and Chestnut Avenues. It was known as Morris Field, and later changed to Wetzel Field, in honor of Dr. William Wetzel, Principal of Trenton High School.
