Internet Radio, WTF Is It?

Since the July 1st launch of Radio Memphis, we have learned a great deal about the business that is Internet Radio.  A lot of really good things have happened and thankfully, a very small bad thing has raised its ugly head.  We have found ourselves deep in a world filled with choices.  More choices than one might even consider at the outset.  Certainly, when first I conceived the idea of this radio station, there were natural hurdles to overcome.  That just comes with the territory.  Namely, engaging a relatively new technology and making the connection with our listeners.  Not a small task.

Sure, you could simply get a computer and some software, some generous server space and a little software.  But, there was so much that went into its creation.  Primarily, you need to know how a radio station should sound.  The feel of the music, the transitions, the personalities involved and all the little trappings that go into this sort of endeavor.  Thankfully, I was able to rely on several factors which would ultimately shape the overall final product.  First, my experience in the business of radio.  I'd been knocking about in this crazy circus of a field for 23 years.  More than half of that time spent in Memphis.  That's a good thing.  If you were to put together a radio station for Memphis, it helps to know what the Memphis listener wants to hear, right?  Filling the niche was actually rather easy. 

The big box corporate radio machines created the niche.  Trust me, I am very thankful for the inept individuals calling the shots on the corporate level.  From my vantage point, it looks like they have managed to make FM radio rather irrelevant.  Which can be a sad thing in the scheme of things.  Massive operations which are designed to do one thing... make money.  And they are not really good at that either.  Sadly, the big radio corporations are not run by radio people.  Lawyers and accountants rule the roost.  Now, look what happened.  They basically killed the industry off.  It forced people like me to find other ways of taking it back.  Using the available technology to do what we should have been doing years ago.  Creating a relevant source of entertainment. 

That's all part of the good stuff we have encountered along the way.  Another great thing was surrounding myself with trusted allies who can help carry the load.  Coming to the realization that as much as I wanted to do it all, I simply cannot.  Arriving at that moment was a sort of a eureka moment for me and became rather refreshing.  Being able to rely on great people like Leon Griffin who is Radio Memphis' Marketing Manager (and mentor) was the defining moment with us.  Finding him in my foxhole during this time has certainly presented me with a feeling of not having to panic.  Not to tell on Leon, but he's been in the business since 1969.  He knows what works and what does not.  That is priceless information as we begin to grow.

Part of the bad things we have had to encounter involved individuals and organizations who are largely afraid of the power we suddenly wield.  One of the early concerns we all had was the perception that Radio Memphis would not be taken seriously.  I think to a certain extent, we will never get fully past that stigma no matter what we accomplish.  Despite this, Radio Memphis managed to legitimize itself by forming a partnership with the Mississippi RiverKings Hockey Club to carry some 41 of their games which includes their entire away schedule.  But watch, there will be people who will still say, "Meh, it's still internet radio."  Yeah, well, screw you.  We're here and we ain't going away.

Internet radio has a funny stink to it.  Not that that's a bad thing.  Generally speaking, people are afraid of what they don't know about.  In response to that theory, we have been pretty busy educating people on how to listen to us.  It seems to be working since our numbers are reflecting that.  Internet radio is a common thing on the east and west coasts.  Our numbers reflect that fact as well.  But the good thing is we are not the only ones doing it.  There are countless internet radio stations around the globe.  Most are, quite frankly, amateurish.  There are some that sound quite well.  Look for some of the internet stations in Europe as an example of this full spectrum of what internet radio has to offer.  When you consider these other stations, Radio Memphis becomes a mere dot in the big picture.  The nice thing about that, is we can be a significant dot with the right amount of work and some luck.  As a quick aside here, if you are handy with a soldering iron, you can make a really cool desktop internet radio that can get as many stations as you want.  Check out this cool article in Popular Science.

Then there are the naysayers we deal with.  Check the comments of the next post down and you will see what I mean.  There are those people out there who feel that we are cheating the Memphis musicians by not paying royalty money to the artists.  To answer that little nagging issue, we merely point out the simple fact of net neutrality.  Look it up.  Internet radio stations do not ever have to pay royalty money to any collection agency.  It is a busted system that benefits everyone BUT the musicians and the radio stations. 

Far too often, there are those ill-informed individuals who think they know the laws and regulations regarding the broadcasting of music.  When these people speak their mind, they do nothing but rile the tempers of the musicians who have submitted to Radio Memphis.  They know they aren't having their music exposed for the radio stations to pay them.  They know the money they make comes from the sale of their music and the sale of tickets to their events.  It's just that simple. 

We created Radio Memphis to be a way to take back the industry from the idiots who now control the radio industry.  And it seems to be working.

These "media mastodons" (thanks Richard Alley) are reacting to internet radio with things like programs mimicking Pandora in that there is now more than one soulless way to deliver content.  Bill Gates said it once, "Content is king."  Boy, was he right.  You would think, of all people, a big corporation would know this.  But the reality is that neither do they know this nor do they give a shit.

The new thing in radio is a thing called "Denise".  Denise is an artificial intelligence program that mimics a DJ.  It reads the song titles in the play list and regurgitates lines to the audience that have been programmed into its system.  What's more, it has the ability to change voices throughout the day to give the impression of there being a "different" jock on the air.  What a sham... and a shame.  Now these dinosaurs don't have to pay anyone to work at a radio station. 

We live in a scary world.  The new economy has redefined how business is to be done.  To answer that, these massive corporations are resorting to dehumanizing the industry to further rape the business.  For my answer, I simply refer the reader to Radio Memphis.  It's where real radio is headed.  In the next few years, don't expect satellite radio to survive and the traditional FM and AM broadcasts will be virtually unrecognizable.  A smoldering heap of what was once a great medium.  Thank God for the internet.  It became the next frontier for people like us.  Good and bad, this is going to be fun.

Stay Tuned...

The Return of Radio

Saturday night, the 23rd of July, 2011 was a big night for me and the city of Memphis.  Radio Memphis got it's official launch party.  We were all at Neil's.  Funny how this all came about.  What started as a benefit for the Tommy Ruble Brass Note Fund, turned into a packed house, three music acts, a "comedian" and yours truly. 

The great Leon Griffin went on stage and had a nice little talk to the crowd about Memphis music and what it means to be a part of something that is going to be so huge.  Setting the stage, if you will, he introduced me and I went on to talk about the ills of corporate driven America.  Not to tout the material, but it was decent monologue.  Now, I won't go into what all was said since it was one of those things where you would have been better off there to hear it in person.  That, and me trying to put into writing the spirit of the speech would ultimately be lost.  I can tell you this, I do know that it was video taped.  I haven't seen it but I am quite sure it will surface at some point. 

Anyway, Radio Memphis sort of hijacked the event.  The end result was that the Tommy Ruble Fund got a nice bit of cash, Neil's was packed and from what I was told, everyone was entertained.  Tori Tollison and J. W. Williams had a great set.  The Fast Mothers blew the roof off the joint and The Mondophonics was awesome.  Great Memphis music from today. 

As a result, the crowd got to meet the staff of Radio Memphis.  We met some really great people and I heard nothing but good things and support from all that was there.  A fantastic night.  When we brought on stage all those who were responsible in part for the creation and existence of Radio Memphis, there was a great applause.  I ended my bit with the following:

"We built Radio Memphis for the Memphis Musician.  We built Radio Memphis for the Memphis music lover.  We built Radio Memphis for you.  Please support the station and enjoy it for what it is... yours."

Not a bad start.

Stay tuned...

Radio Memphis

What a strange trip it has been, eh?  Since February 25th to today (July 1) I have felt a bit like Tarzan swinging from vine to vine working on various things with various people and like Victor Frankenstein, gave life to an idea that who knows what impact will have on the villagers.

Radio Memphis came from a simple thought.  The radio business isn't run by radio people anymore.  The big corporations (lawyers and bankers) have destroyed what we all came to love.  It is ruled by consultants, those people who have never stood in a radio station much less tell a pro what the audience wants.  Scary stuff.  And it only gets worse.  But those tales we'll save for later. 

So what is this thing, you ask?  The internet is where everything is headed.  You and I use it so much for everything from shopping, watching TV shows, movies, looking at boobies and listening to radio stations all over the globe. 

My initial approach to this was to make sure it didn't sound like a couple of kids working out of mom's basement in the middle of the night playing punk records.  It had to be big and it has to sound big.  (Bad Dog would love that last line... inside joke, sorry.)  We're still playing some punk records and many other things.  But it wasn't all at my hands.  There were quite a few people who made this happen and I want to make sure everyone gets listed here.

First of all I would have to thank my former employers for a few things.  The experience I got and the kick in the ass out the door that ultimately freed me up to do just this.  There were a lot of casualties along the way and a lot of good people lost their jobs as a result.  They are still getting thrown under the bus for no damn reason.  Just recently, the gentleman who hired me and fired me saw the end of a 30 year career here.  What a shame.  But, I digress.  Those people helped make Radio Memphis whether they like to know it or not.  So, thanks.

Now, onto to those who were much more active in their participation.  Josephine.  My wife who has stood by me through thick and thin.  She carried the belief of this project since it was conceived and kept me from going totally insane.  Charlie Hodum.  Legal counsel to the stars.  Brian McMurry.  He's the genius behind the skull you see at the top of this post.  Leon Griffin.  The coolest man in Memphis.  He's the voice behind the station.  When you hear a guy telling you what the station is, it's him.  The best set of pipes in town.  Dave Thorn.  Vexar Dave to you and me.  Daniel Brown.  Web design at Company Zero.  Benjamin Deming.  App designer.  Shon Gale at Emanon Group, Eugene, Oregon.  All the kids at Direttore in Italy.  Claesson Edwards Audio in California.  Emily Bishop and Barb Elder at The Lamplighter for the great article.  Charles Stanford.  CPA to the stars.  Dianna Fryer.  Promotions and all around fire putter-outer.  David James.  Construction and protector of the generator.  Neely James.  Wife of David and fan number 1.  John "Bubba" Bonds.  Music gatherer and liaison to Memphis musicians.  Tim Mullins.  Justin Jaggers.  Rick Cail.  Paul "Pablo the pool boy" Daniels.  All of the Memphis musicians who made the library possible.  This is built for you.  To all those who remained faithful to the cause and remained a fan of mine throughout all that has happened.  This is built for you.

There are others that should be mentioned here, however if I did, it would cost them their jobs.  You know who you are and I love you for your support and love.

 I'm sure we'll be making some mistakes from time to time.  Please pardon as we go through some growth pains.  We're working on stuff all the time with this thing.  As a matter of fact the iPhone app is out now and Ben is working on the app for the droid phones.  Yes, there is a BlackBerry app in the works, too. 

As for me, I'll officially join the crew August 1 at noon.  It would be sooner, but there is this little unfinished business with my former employers.  In the meantime, July 23 at 3PM the first live showe on the station will happen.  It will be Vexar Dave (God help us all).  He'll be on 'till 7 and then we'll all meet at Neil's on Madison at McLean for our kick off party with The Fast Mothers.  It'll be a blast.  Come meet all of us.  Doors open at 9PM.

So, here it is.  http://www.radio-memphis.com  Enjoy it.  We built this for all those who want radio back they way it's supposed to be. 

Stay tuned... please.

The Theater Experience

I'm talking movie theaters here.  One of the problems theaters are facing these days are the mobile phone users.  God help us all.  There is nothing more irritating to me as a paying customer than going to a movie theater to see a film I have been psyched up for only to have the whole experience negated by the inconsiderate individual sitting a few rows in front of me sending out text messages during the movie.

Part of me wants to reach down and slap the back of their head and snatch the phone.  But I remember the story about the guy who said something to someone who was using their phone during a movie.  The phone user ultimately stabbed the complainer in the neck with a meat thermometer.  People certainly get touchy about these things and reacting with that sort of violence can be a turn off.  Sadly, to the benefit of the individual being the distraction.

So, it was with great joy I came across this bit of fun.  A movie theater in Austin, Texas called the Alamo Drafthouse has a policy, "we see you using your phone, we throw you out."  I rather like that rule.  And they enforce it.

But, before you get all pissed off with me for liking this sort of activity, keep in mind there was a time when one could go to the theater without these distractions.  "But, my babysitter might be calling." Or, "My house might be on fire and someone may be trying to call me."  Or, "I'm a doctor and I am on call."  We have heard them all.  Look, parents went childless on dates before there were mobile phones.  Seriously, what are the odds that your house will catch fire while you are at the theater?  Besides, what are you going to be able to do about anyway?  And if you are on call, don't you think you should keep that in consideration before going to the theater in the first place?

Back to The Alamo Drafthouse.  A patron gets caught using her phone and she get's thrown out.  She takes that very same phone and leaves a nasty message to the theater.  The theater, sensing a fine opportunity, takes the message and creates a public service message they run before the movie.  Bad language and all.  I absolutely love this.



Now, THAT is a great example of getting your message across.  Don't you just love it when people do wrong and think THEY are the victim?

There is something in that PSA that reaches down deep into my soul for some serious satisfaction.  Since we can't legally shoot the stupid (in most cases), there is a real bit of justice to this and I hope you all enjoyed that as much as I did.

Discuss amongst yourselves, I'm headed back to the movie.

Stay Tuned...

How About a Beer?

If it's one thing I am rather sensitive to, it's advertising.  Sensitive meaning that I am fully aware of it.  It's one of the side effects of being employed in the commercial broadcasting industry most of my life.  So, naturally, I am one of those people who are not all that phased about the messages that are constantly bombarding my TV, radio, film, internet or everywhere they exist.  So, it comes as a little surprise when one ad or another gets through my rather narrow filter.

This one did. So I did some research.  But here's the rub.  The ad I am talking about is a beer ad.  You have seen it.  Heineken.  The ad shows the grand entrance to a party by some man about town with a groovy band playing on this stage.  No, I don't care for Heineken.  Even if it is the number one selling beer in Ireland (after Budweiser... no joke).  What got my attention was the band.

The Asteroids Galaxy Tour.  Never heard of them?  Me neither.  But they figured out how to sell records by putting hit songs on certain commercials.  Turns out they did it for an Apple iPhone or one their other "i" products.  Anyway, after doing a little research, I found this, the full version of the Heineken song with the accompanying video that tells the whole story of the party.  The actual commercial must have been edited from this piece.  The film is called The Entrance and that it is.  The song is called The Golden Age.

Dig it...





The band is Danish and the girl singing is Mette Lindberg and judging by her command of the English language, she seems to be singing this phonetically.  Not that there is any thing wrong with that.  She's good and I assume that is her real voice. 

An interesting side not about this band.  They were sort of discovered by Amy Winehouse.  They opened for her at a show in Copenhagen.  That turned out to be their first big gig. 

So, does this spot make me want a Heineken? Not really. But, I could certainly go for some fried chicken.  Figure that out, advertising consultant.

Stay Tuned...