I happened to see a bit of an interview with Bert Weiss essentially saying that radio is over. He spoke about walking away with two years left on his deal simply because he felt those who wanted content would go to a podcast, and others who wanted music would hear it on a streaming service.
While I certainly respect Bert and the incredible success he’s had with The Bert Show, he couldn’t be more wrong. Of course, some of the luster of this great business has diminished. But Bert worked for Cumulus. New York Mayor Mamdani treats that city’s homeless with more respect than Cumulus treats its talent. Just ask Michelle McKormick. You certainly don’t see any of the iHeart greats hanging up their headphones. iHeart has some of the biggest music station talents in America. From Elvis to Bobby to Ryan to Mojo, they were all in their studios today.
Talent That Still Believes
I felt obligated to counter Bert’s points because I see creative people working hard in radio every day, and I don’t believe they should get discouraged in their efforts. Take Radio Big Mack in New York, for example. He started on the fourth urban-based radio station in that city at the outset of the year. He’s competing against The Breakfast Club, the legendary Steve Harvey and Hot 97, which is the biggest name in hip-hop. In a different era, there may have been bus boards in the city with Mack’s face on them. Today, it’s him and producer Wayne Mayo working hard to make a difference. They are truly excited when they get a first-time caller. They believe they will win listeners over one at a time. Yes, they have a long way to go, but they believe in the magic of radio.
Abe Kanan is another who believes. His past even took him to Sirius, but he’s back doing local radio in Sacramento at KRXQ. He’s already been featured in Barrett Media, so I won’t dwell on the enthusiasm and effort he puts in with listeners, except to say the man is everywhere. From concerts to casinos to a local Arby’s, where he managed to get his listeners five roast beef sandwiches for five bucks during a live broadcast. There’s even a pizza named after him at a place called Motorhead Pizza. Abe is passionate about mayonnaise, food in general and radio.
A One-Woman Show in the Motor City
Then there’s Amanda Habrowski (Amanda in the Morning) at WDZH in Detroit. Hometown girl returns to the city she loves, and she shows that love for the Motor City every day on the air. No producer, no social media helper — it’s all her. Her second mic is a dude with a drum kit who calls in regularly and will never be on the payroll. She’s actively involved in mental health and the Detroit music scene. She is entertaining, full of emotion and not afraid to show it. She believes she can make a difference to her audience. To top it off, she’s beating established shows in her target demo in PPM.
The Future of Our Business
Sadly, none of these three people I mentioned will probably ever make in salary what Bert Weiss took home in his best year. But they all believe in the one-to-one relationship they have with each person in their audience. They are all excited to come to work every day and walk through the studio door with great content ideas. Heck, Radio Big Mack may take that too far by refusing to take a vacation. Call them dreamers if you want, but I call them the future of our business. While I just mentioned three that I’m very aware of, there are hundreds more just like Mack, Abe and Amanda. Bert Weiss may be finished with radio, but that doesn’t mean radio is finished with the next generation of talent.
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