Upstream Downstream & Eddie Cotton

 In this episode, Ric talks about the ups and downs of internet broadcasting thanks to a recent exploration into the numbers that drive the business of show business, analytics. The wild west of the internet is still very much without form or real function but the notion of content as king kind of gets turned on its end when you realize just what the real commodity of the internet is. 

The real lesson learned is this, just because you are "on demand" doesn't mean you are "in demand". Subtle, but quite accurate. Also in this episode, a conversation and music from Eddie Cotton, Jr.

NEXT WEEK: The City Champs

 

Terrestrial Zombies

In a very sad way, FM has become this weird little zombie. Still propped up by the corporate stiffs as something that is still sort of viable. This is quite sad, frankly. There was a time when traditional radio was a fantastic medium, or so we thought. Once everyone was given an actual choice as to what they could listen to, the world sort of changed.

Now, terrestrial radio is sort of a sad joke. In this episode, Ric will expand on this by telling you about a conversation he had with a couple of people. One who was in the business and now is out doing his own thing, and one who is still in the scene and how he compares the current state of terrestrial radio to Weekend at Bernie's. A very sad analogy but so true on so many levels.

Plus, Ric went to the dentist and it was quite the mouthful. Also, Ric prepares to be without adult supervision as The Immigrant leaves town for a few days.



NEXT WEEK: The Sarcastic Cynic

It Is Radio, Damnit & The Daddy Mack Blues Band

I suppose you could call it a pet peeve. The Lord knows we all have them. I may have more than others, at least it would appear as such. However, I'm a little over calling this a podcast. It's a sad term. About as sad as internet radio.

It's radio, damnit.

Plus, Jeff and I sat down with The Daddy Mack Blues band for a great time. Lots of laughs, a great conversation and some fantastic tunes.



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NEXT WEEK: Under the spell of The Memphis Snake Doctors.

Stay tuned...

An Old Young Man

Josephine (The Immigrant) and I met a lovely couple at brunch. Yes, this tends to happen. Part of the conversation was our new friends asking me about this show. You could sense the eye rolls coming from all over the place when I decided to tell it like it is.

Also, Jeff and I spent some time with Kyle Roberts. A young man who moved to Memphis to get closer to the music scene. He's one of the most improved artists I have encountered and a great conversationalist.



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NEXT WEEK: The forbidden fruit of Sean Bad Apple.

Stay tuned...

An Evolution is Coming

Over the years, From Radioland has gone from being a weird, long, rambling thing to what it is now. Rather concise and somewhat structured. Guess what? I'm gonna change things up a bit.

Don't panic.

What is currently in the show is not going anywhere. We're just going to add a few things to the production. I'll tell you about some of these changes in this episode.

Plus music from Hardaway.



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NEXT WEEK: Be Divisive. Plus music from Pengea.

Stay tuned...

Viva La Revolucion

It's happening. Everyday, there is some change in the media landscape. Television programming moving toward streaming technology. Radio stations are going off the air and their content becoming increasingly irrelevant as a flood of streaming radio stations, podcasters and broadcasters are making their presence known.

So, what does one do while this revolution is happening? Sit on the sidelines and watch... cat videos.

Plus, music from The Subteens.



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NEXT WEEK: Bill Lusk & Rick Malchow

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I Got Nuthin'

There is a question I get asked every once in a while regarding this podcast.

"How do you do what you do?"

Actually, it's not a very easy question to answer. There is no short cut and certainly no brief way to explain it. So there is this episode.

Sadly, there are so many people out there who think they have the "gift of the gab" when they don't and when they put themselves out there as one who can and fail, they never really know they fail until it dawns on them that no one cares.

Plus, music from The Incredible Hook.



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NEXT WEEK: The false bravery of being an argumentative ass online. Plus music from Dan Cunningham.

Stay tuned...

It is Not A Damned Hobby, Sir

Through the past past 5 years, I have endured a lot. Of course, running your own business will do that to you. One of the more annoying things that have been endured is the little quip or unsolicited comment from some random hump who will make the following statement, "So, how is that little hobby of yours doing? Still doing radio?"

Inside my head, I scream, "Fuck you!"

Out of my mouth is something much more polite and civil. 

Come to find out, hearing these little things is nothing new or unique. It comes from people who refuse to think you are doing anything right. Especially when it comes to stepping out on your own. Such as it is, this is the topic this week. That and something about a tuna sandwich.

Plus music from Thomas Jackson Orchestra. 

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Here's the video version (no music):



NEXT WEEK: The C Word. Censorship. Plus music from Nancy Apple & Dulaa.

Stay tuned...

Five Years In

Yup, it has been five years. Five years ago Radio Memphis hit the air... or the web... or the fan... however you would want to describe it's debut. It was a rough start. Since then, we learned a lot. We've had our setbacks and our gains. We grew a bunch and have reached into new territory. In short, it's been a hell of a ride so far and it only gets better.

Also, 125 weeks ago, this show debuted. Frankly it was originally designed to simply promote the radio station. It has certainly done that. However it has taken on a life of its own. This is a good thing and it is quite the joy (for me at least) to produce and release to everyone who has subscribed to this show.

In this episode I take a look back over those years and talk a bit about what lies ahead. Plus, music from La Pistola from the album Los Federales de Rock and Roll.



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NEXT WEEK: How to act like an adult. Plus Cheez Kees.

Stay tuned...

Communique From Radioland

This is odd. A post without an audio link. There is a reason to this madness. I just wanted to hip you folks to some coolness happening here over the next several weeks.

See, I have been a bit busy at the Radioland World HQ Desk. Several fantastic things have happened of late and just about all of them were recorded. The next post here will be the second part of the Cash McCall and Butch Mudbone appearance. Plus another great tune from those two. Following that, there is an appearance with Frank Roszak. Frank is THE promoter of the stars. He'll be bringing the words about what it takes to make it in the music business. From his point of view. And the view is remarkable.

But wait, there's more.

Llou Johnson spent some time in Radioland with us and he has some great words to add to your ears. No, that is not a typo. Big Llou spells his name like that. Anyway, Llou is a voice actor, actor, imaging guy with Sirius/XM and musician. Plus, he's an all-around great guy. His appearance is sure to please.

Since this is, in fact a communique from The World Desk, I feel I should take a moment to address an issue we have been in contention with. The simple matter of audio quality. We blew out a mic pre-amp some time ago. It happens. In fact, let me extol upon you people the fine quality of Behringer and their studio equipment. Yes, we use Behringer pre-amps and compressors in Radioland. There's a couple of reasons for that. First, they are priced just right. Second, they sound great. I can tell you this as well, NEVER in their history has their equipment been put through the extensive use put anything through.

This is not some pitch to their gear. It's your money, spend it where you like. But I can tell you even though they never designed their gear to endure what we put it through, we ran their stuff hard. And still do. Five years, powered on and running without missing a beat. For consumer grade stuff, that says a lot.

Two pre-amps ultimately had to be retired from on air service at Radio Memphis. But dig this, one of the boxes was cleaned and serviced and put into another system and runs like a champ in its new limited capacity. Perfect for its new duties.

By the way, the original compressors are still on the air and sound fantastic.

Could we do better? Sure. Are we happy with the way things are now? Absolutely.

Now, back from around the barn here. We went without a pre-amp for a bit while we awaited the delivery of the new box. This is why the first Butch Mudbone & Cash McCall episode sounded a little strange. We did some post production magic and cleaned up the audio some for part 2 and I hope you'll be happy with the improvement.

Full sails and a tail wind have graced us and you fine people are the ones to benefit.

In the meantime, please share the show to all you know on social media. That is what makes it work for us.

Since there is no audio to go with this post, I'll leave it the way I do From Radioland. Take care of yourselves and take care of one another and we'll see you next time. I'm Ric Chetter and this is from Radioland!

Stay tuned...

By the way... all the posts from here get shared virtually everywhere. This one? Nope. Because, you are special.

All Plugged In With Nowhere To Go

If you think about it, there is a fascinating question you can pose with a friend or two, as I have done. Name all the industries that has been affected by the presence of the internet. Here's a hint: All of them. But keep in mind, the overall effect has been positive, for the most part.

Change is often difficult. It happens. It is the nature of the universe. Sometimes, those changes mean people's lives are impacted. Jobs lost, careers lost, etc. You could spend a few minutes pondering all of this, OR you could simply listen to this episode and draw your own conclusions.

PLUS, new music from a Memphis band with a fantastic history. The Modifiers.



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Stay tuned...

Looking Back Before Looking Forward

This may not be such a big deal for some, but for us, having this many episodes of the show From Radioland. Sure, there are shows out there who have far more than we have. Then there are some who didn't get as far as us. No matter. For all of us (and me especially), this is kind of a big deal. Please allow me to savor the moment.

If you are new to the show, there are some references to other episodes of which you may not have heard. Make a note of them and go back and give them a listen. In the meantime. This is the last of the solo shows... at least, that is the plan.



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NEXT WEEK: Entering the decade of wisdom. Or something like that.

Being Unreasonable

Since the beginning of the show From Radioland, I have found myself in what appears to be a unique situation. The observation of society in the dominion of assholes. They are everywhere and for some strange reason, the end of the year is their time to shine.

Observing is one thing, but there may be a side effect of it all. The concept of being a product of our environment becomes rather scary if our environment is filled with assholes.

Patience is indeed a virtue, my friends.



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NEXT WEEK: A look back.

Stay tuned...

The Queens of The Nile

Okay, it's the turn of a phrase. It's all about the perspective of things. Some time ago, we talked about conspiracy theories and the people who push them. This time around, I wanted to try and get into the minds of those people and somehow make some sense of all this absurdity.

We humans are a fascinating species. For some us to put forth notions and theories, with no proof, and expect the rest of to think they are right is ridiculous. Yet, some people do. Let's find out why.



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NEXT WEEK: Declaring War... on X-mas.

Stay tuned...

The Impact of a Podcast

Don't be mistaken, I don't think From Radioland has that much of an impact. Having said that, there is a definite impact the medium has had on the broadcasting industry. That is what this episode is all about. Consider it another peek behind the curtain.

Corporate radio (for the most part) has turned its back on the world of podcasting. Even though they may offer "on demand" programming, it isn't specific to the medium of podcasting, if that makes any sense. What does make sense to me, at least, is these companies continue to ignore the impact of podcasting on the level it exists now, they are going to get bit in the ass.



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A little note on the production is warranted here. For the past 89 episodes, we have been blessed to have the work of Jaeci King as the show announcer. Jaeci is now living in Los Angeles, California and is involved in some pretty exciting projects. Jaeci will always be a member of the Pirate Radio Studios family and if he finds his way back in Memphis, he will always have a home in some capacity.

The new announcer for this show is Joel Martin. He is voice guy here Memphis and is doing some great stuff for Radio Memphis and we are glad to have him step into this very important role.

NEXT WEEK: The Queens of The Nile

Stay tuned...

Thrift Store Archeology

On occasion, Josephine and I will hit up the area thrift stores to see what shows up. You never know what you might find in these places. I had been in the market for a rather antiquated bit of technology and actually found what I was looking for at a great price.

But, the experience got me to thinking about all the things you find in these places and how at one point in time, some of these things were considered to be the latest and greatest objects to possess. Now, look at these things that are practically useless.

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NEXT WEEK: The podcast world and my thoughts on a particular movie.

Stay tuned...

Josh Robert Thompson

Josh Robert Thompson & Geoff Peterson

I have a few heroes. I have a few people I look up to (as do many of you). Josh is one of those people. I have been fascinated with his work since I discovered his work through The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. As the voice of Geoff the robot (Craig's sidekick, Geoff Peterson), I became rather curious as to who this guy is and what all he does. A quick Google search yielded everything I needed to know.

In this conversation, we talked about the business of show business, the work as a comedian and the changes that have occurred in the broadcast industry. We also  had a discussion about creativity and the dark side of comedy.

My time spent with him was brief and in that time I learned so much about what it is to do what he does and how it impacts what I do.

I can say this, he's a great guy and was very gracious with his time and my indulgences in the conversation. If you ever get the chance to meet him, I highly recommend the experience. Perhaps one day, we can sit down again and if that happens, we'll record that conversation as well.



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For more on Josh, I highly recommend his podcast. He is also on the road with Craig on the Hot and Grumpy Tour and he may be coming to a venue near you. You can find it all here and here.

Once again, my personal thanks to Josh and to Raymond for making this all possible.

NEXT WEEK: Where the hell is the money going? What it is like to sell advertising to an industry that just doesn't get it at all.

How I Built The Show

Even though we are not quite through a solid year of shows, I wanted to give you a little look into how we produce From Radioland. You can consider this a behind the scenes look at the making of what has turned out to be a rather popular little show. Over the past year, several people have asked me how the show is done and how we do the layout of the thing. Here is that look.

Over the the last year, we have had some remarkable growth. We may be hitting a little goal we set out for ourselves by having 100,000 subscribers by the end of the first year of production. That is a big thing for us. We are certainly happy about that achievement and we have some great plans as we make our way into the second year of production. There is something pretty groovy things happening with the show starting with the final episode of our production year which is next week. More on that later.

For those of you who are interested in starting your own show, you can take what I talk about here and use it to help build your podcast. For those of you who are plenty happy just listening, you will get a little glimpse into how the whole thing gets put together. Spoiler: It's not that hard.



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One thing I failed to mention during the recording of this episode was how we got all those subscribers. One thing is certain, we got a lot of you folks through iTunes. Not only that, this show is listed in a number of podcast directories all over the world. I spread this thing around like a disease and all that work finally paid off. Yeah, it was a pain in the ass to do it and the results are never "overnight" but in the amount of time we are looking at here, our growth has been nothing short of remarkable.

NEXT WEEK: Yeah, about that. My conversation with Josh Robert Thompson. Don't know him? Like he says, "Google it." Aw hell, I'll do it for you.

Board To Tears & The Value Of A Higher Education

Yes, it is a play on words. Before you grammar Nazis jump on my ass, pay attention. Jeff stopped by the studio in this episode and we finally got the new mixer up and running. We covered a lot of topics in this show and we had a good time breaking all the rules. A couple of guys running our mouths all the process of making sure the new equipment works.

Also, in this episode, the story about how the cats came to reside here and what happens when a rat enters the picture.



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Next week: Another chapter in my life in the broadcasting business and how the FCC just won't go away. What it really means to me to be from Radioland.

Stay tuned...

Ric & Jeff Chew The Fat

We have all referred to ourselves as whores in the radio business. But actual whores working out of an actual radio station is a sight to behold and an amusing story I tell in this episode From Radioland. Jeff Janovetz and I sat down to pick up where we left off from the first episode (sort of) and we get into corporate America, the Peter Principle, the ever changing world of technology, advertising and the aforementioned tale of actually running whores from a radio station.

So, grab a beverage, a sandwich and buckle up, this one get's a little wild.



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Exciting news! Although we don't really make too much of a mention in this show, From Radioland has now surpassed 3,000 subscribers! This podcast is now available on iTunes, Stitcher and Tunein. Or, you can just keep it here on this blog and enjoy each new episode as they are updated every Sunday afternoon.

Thanks for all your support and as always, stay tuned...