Starter of this subject: J.Cooper
Last post in this subject: 7/19/2000
Messages in this subject: 8
| J.Cooper | 7/19/2000 8 replies |
| I was one of the first to collect OTR, write about it in my own publication, in the meantime work full-time in broadcasting. There will be fewer and fewer radio stations airing OTR in the future.....very few Owners have any regard to serving their community with what may really be wanted by listeners with their radio signal, as it was first set up by the FCC. Now, as we realize.. there are many stations that bring in satellite programs,and canned music with only local taped breaks for commercials..and NO--live DJ or network programs as we knew it. It will have to be only collectors and fans that keep OTR alive. I am affraid radio station owners look at the $$$ bottom line, and have no interest in anything else. Since twenty years ago the flood of new stations, the competition makes it very difficult for any station to stay on the air. Cutting back live DJ/,s ... those wonderful high cost net live-productions and anything but the juke-box broadcasting as is now done...will be the future of Radio. If 10-years from now, ANY station is broadcasting OTR, it will be a miracle! |
| Robert Flood | 7/20/2000 3 replies |
|
Miracles do happen and I believe that the future for OTR/NTR will be bright; but certainly not on commecial radio stations. (Their loss... older audiences have and spend the money!)
I believe the future for radio station listeners to non-format based radio is one of pre-recorded shows, subscriber based satellite radio and National Public Radio. I believe individuals that treasure radio will make the effort to keep this medium alive and growing. That is why I make my own choices in listening and, except for Paul Harvey, Imagination Theater, and some sports broadcasts, the commecial laddened side of radio is silent.
|
| Ted Davenport | 7/20/2000 2 replies |
| John, Things may not be as bad as they seem. The state newspaper did a feature on me recently and I have received a letter from one of the major radio ststions here. They want to get together with me. I am assuming to talk about some way to get some OTR on the air. I see more interest in OTR now than in the 30 years I have been involved with the hobby. This I attribute to the internet. There are so many people aware that the shows are available that didn't know before. One person we need to credit for exposure to is Carl Amari. We may not want to admit it, but he has done more to alert new people to this than anyone else I know of. No matter what else he has done, he will always have my gratitude for that. |
| J.Cooper | 7/21/2000 1 replies |
| Ted:(and one of the great guys in OTR collecting)..I hope you let us know how things go as mentioned of your State Inquiry of your OTR interests..AND.. I agree with everyone else, today's radio stations are a juke-box. Other then some sports, they offer very little to the local general public. The kids, young-audience "demographics" is who stations play to now. Yes, there will be a group that will apprciate OTR for what it was, some great quality entertainment,that no longer is available except on the Internet.Thank-godness....And there will always be those that are in it for the pure enjoyment and not what they can gain $$ from it. I do believe that. I am yet involved with doing live radio play-by-play sports after all of these years collecting OTR. I call it like I see it in the radio broadcasting business today. As I am a member of that business...today. |
| Jim Stokes | 7/21/2000 0 replies |
| Every message had truth in it! The Twin Cities radio market has multiple station ownership. Much of the programming is junk. So-called country/western stations play music that is far from the roots of real country music. No Hank Snow, Ernest Tubb, Hank Thompson, and the likes of those. Distorted, unlistenable high-tech music is the rest, along with ad naseum sophomoric sports shows, and talk radio. One shining example is KLBB, which runs When Radio Was Mon-Friday at 10 pm. Comes on a little late for this old country boy. But there it is. Yes indeed, Carl Amari deserves a big pat on the back. Then Sunday night at 11 or Midnight, WCCO runs Imagination Theater. Alas, they are recycling the shows. But still very well done. High caliber acting, writing, and production. As to the future of OTR, I wonder myself. I keep those cards coming in. And I am trying to buy or trade as many old shows as I can. I fear the bottom line is more than ever. I was in the biz for some 15 years. And I can tell you as an insider that it IS a bottom-line business! Hard as heck to sell radio time. I did that! Hard to keep your job for over a few years. I averaged about three years per station, when the format changed, or new owners came in and told us "there will be not changes in air staff." Been there. Done that. But never again! It was bottom line then, and it IS getting worse. Jim Stokes |
| Robert Flood | 7/21/2000 0 replies |
| Carl Amari helped bring OTR to a mass audience and I for one am grateful to him for keeping OTR on the air with "When Radio Was". |
| Janet | 7/22/2000 2 replies |
| While living in Chicago some time ago, there were two radio treats: 1.WMAQ with a very young Carl Amari hosting "When Radio Was and 2.WNIB with O.T. radio guru Chuck Schaden. Now, it's unfortunate that #1 is going off the air, but there's good news about #2! Now in California, I have found that WNIB from Chicago is live over the internet, WNIB.com on Saturday's from 11AM to 3PM Pacific Time, 1PM to 5PM Chicago time. Host Chuck Schaden, still in operation there, puts together an interesting selection of shows each week. There are commercials during the four hours, but the OTR programs themselves are run without interruption; the commercials come before and after. Hope some of you are able to access and enjoy our favorite past-time there! |
| Joe Andolina | 8/1/2000 1 replies |
|
I'm also one who's glad to see some OTR available on radio, also some NTR such as Imagination Theater (Formely KIRO Mystery Playhouse). I've been fortunate to have a radio station locally here in Everett WA who broadcasts NTR from the BBC and other independant productions. Unfortunetly The re-syndicated CBS Mystery Theater has once again kicked the bucket on NPR, KUOW in Seattle just stopped it as of July 31st. I understand NPR will stop it completely as of September.
But getting back to OTR on radio, aside from Carl Amari (since he owns rights to a chunk of OTR series) how do the other folks get away with airing OTR without running into cease & desist letters. What's frustrating for me is, every time I approach my local non-commercial station (a mere 5,000 watt sation) out here to do my own program broadcasting OTR, they're always so paranoid about copyright infrigemnts. And yet, WBAI in NY has been doing it for years as well as a few Canadian stations I pick up over here, and all the others mentioned in ealier posts. So I just don't get it.... Joe |
| J.Cooper | 8/1/2000 0 replies |
| This is not a slap to those that say they own the rights of the OTR shows they say they do, but I am a little in the dark also as so many other collectors and fans how they got the rights to them, when so much is in poublic domain. We know The Shadow, Lone Ranger,etc....names are owned by you know who, as well as Captain Midnight and Jack Armstrong,etc...but not all shows have out and out owners. Many are public domain. ..which brings me to a case when 16mm movie prints were being sold and bought by collectors and fans in the 1950's....since there were no VHS at the time, you had to have the actual film. Major movie studios started using the FBI to raid collections such as one=time-kid movie star..Roddy McDowell and other collectors and confiscated their collections. I had a local friend that was an FBI agent that called me and asked about what I had in my colletion and where I got the prints? I told him openly to come to my house and I would show him and explain to him what I thought about all of this, that agents should attend and speak at OTR/movie conventions,etc..and openly get all of this out with the sincere fans/collectors co-operating 100% that way. We met & talked at a local hotel lobby and he said they were looking for stolen prints from airlines,etc,and bootleg prints of current movies,nothing--much more. ..Then a collector fan that was very rich...fought all of this..and wrote to me for letters about ROBIN HOOD and MEET JOHN DOE and CASABLANCA prints that were offered by a major studio film rental company for "life of the print to collectors" from major studios. I sent these lists they had sent me in a large mailing.. to him while the film companies stated they NEVER sold any of their movies in any way--which was false. The collector WON his case..and the FBI/Studios backed off from harrasing collectors/fans ..also doing exactly what I suggested.... sending FBI agents to OTR/Movie conventions asking for cooperation. I dont think OTR collectors want to have anything that is not lawful, but at the same time, those that say they OWN something, and don't.. but threaten a lawsuite as the Big Movie Studios did with FBI backing.., thinking no one would fight them all the way because of the big expense........is not fair either |