Unfortunately that's how these things go in the business world.
Sure, that's life. I get it. Still ******.
Unfortunately that's how these things go in the business world.
Maybe at the end of the day the issue is how much we think could have been prevented. News media was always going to go through a dramatic shift but I think it’s been amplified by the mis management and leveraged buy outs. I think quality journalism could have remained it would have just been more niche type of stuff. For example high school sports used to have more info. Simply getting stats from schools is something simple they could have done that would have kept interest. If they would have used their resources to print stuff that wasn’t easily accessible online they would have kept readers.I do not think it is semantics -- good products and good customer experience first means a good company. I think we are converging to the same point.
I still do think local media is a special case, though, because of the effect the Internet had on advertising revenues. Here is a chart for retail/department stores, which you aptly bring up as a comparison for another industry riled by the Internet --
So department stores lost around 33% of their sales to the rise of the Internet. Even that sector did not get the 75% ding that local media got. Plus, look at all that growth for the red line that I imagine the blue line was imagining would be theirs circa 1995.
I doubt it's a question of if they were profitable. If they weren't profitable, they wouldn't have lasted as long as they did.I'm guessing this is what we'll find out shortly.
If these shows are truly profitable, then someone in Des Moines will be willing to put these shows back on the air.
Maybe at the end of the day the issue is how much we think could have been prevented. News media was always going to go through a dramatic shift but I think it’s been amplified by the mis management and leveraged buy outs. I think quality journalism could have remained it would have just been more niche type of stuff. For example high school sports used to have more info. Simply getting stats from schools is something simple they could have done that would have kept interest. If they would have used their resources to print stuff that wasn’t easily accessible online they would have kept readers.
Anymore the paper doesn’t provide anything you can’t find online quicker.
I doubt it's a question of if they were profitable. If they weren't profitable, they wouldn't have lasted as long as they did.
They're banking that the reduction of costs that they'll experience by eliminating local shows will offset the loss of listenership when they switch to national shows.
I'm sure they see a sports fan as a sports fan as a sports fan, and are hoping enough of them will listen to sports radio regardless of if it's local or national.
And they're probably not wrong in a lot of cases. There are plenty of days where I just want to listen to sports radio. I don't care if it's local or national or even about the Huskers. That doesn't mean that I don't prefer local stuff, but a lot of times I'll take my sports anyway I can get them.
I don’t think it’s controversial to evaluate how to better make money. I think it is controversial to cut out most of your product and pretend like it will bring long term success. In the short term it probably makes sense to do this but in the long term it makes no sense. They destroyed their loyal following and made everyone mad.
I'm referring to local Des Moines ownership.I doubt it's a question of if they were profitable. If they weren't profitable, they wouldn't have lasted as long as they did.
They're banking that the reduction of costs that they'll experience by eliminating local shows will offset the loss of listenership when they switch to national shows.
I'm sure they see a sports fan as a sports fan as a sports fan, and are hoping enough of them will listen to sports radio regardless of if it's local or national.
And they're probably not wrong in a lot of cases. There are plenty of days where I just want to listen to sports radio. I don't care if it's local or national or even about the Huskers. That doesn't mean that I don't prefer local stuff, but a lot of times I'll take my sports anyway I can get them.
That is a good question, but I bet they were. I have a feeling that Iheart in general was not making a profit and decided to go with the generic syndicated model for types of stations rather than looking at each individual station/show. If this was the case, it didn't matter if the show made money or not, it was going to get cut.Were The Morning Rush and Sports Fanatics financially viable? IE, were they making enough in ad revenues to cover salaries and operating expenses?
But would you pay a subscription to listen?. . . I really have no clue about the business and trying to monetize something like a Fanatics podcast independently, but I would sure as hell listen.
. . . .
Were The Morning Rush and Sports Fanatics financially viable? IE, were they making enough in ad revenues to cover salaries and operating expenses?
I used to work in radio, and admittedly, it was in smaller markets than Des Moines, but in my experience, owning a radio station is not a great investment. Not a single station anyway. It might turn a profit, but the owner isn't getting filthy rich. The Des Moines market might be different, but sort of doubt it. There's a reason why so many of the independently owned stations were willing to sellI'm referring to local Des Moines ownership.
Purely an example, but what if the Albaugh family (Jason Loutsch) decided to start up a DM radio broadcast company. Is there any reason they couldn't buy airtime and put these shows back on the air?
Again, if the shows are profitable, I don't see why someone locally won't hire Chris and Ross to keep the show going.
This is assuming there aren't any non-compete issues, etc.
I have no idea how these business operate so maybe it isn't as easy to do this.
Were The Morning Rush and Sports Fanatics financially viable? IE, were they making enough in ad revenues to cover salaries and operating expenses?
Are non-competes binding if an employee is fired without cause? That would seem hard to enforce.
I doubt it's a question of if they were profitable. If they weren't profitable, they wouldn't have lasted as long as they did.
They're banking that the reduction of costs that they'll experience by eliminating local shows will offset the loss of listenership when they switch to national shows.
I'm sure they see a sports fan as a sports fan as a sports fan, and are hoping enough of them will listen to sports radio regardless of if it's local or national.
And they're probably not wrong in a lot of cases. There are plenty of days where I just want to listen to sports radio. I don't care if it's local or national or even about the Huskers. That doesn't mean that I don't prefer local stuff, but a lot of times I'll take my sports anyway I can get them.
I'm referring to local Des Moines ownership.
Purely an example, but what if the Albaugh family (Jason Loutsch) decided to start up a DM radio broadcast company. Is there any reason they couldn't buy airtime and put these shows back on the air?
Again, if the shows are profitable, I don't see why someone locally won't hire Chris and Ross to keep the show going.
This is assuming there aren't any non-compete issues, etc.
I have no idea how these business operate so maybe it isn't as easy to do this.