The Straight Skinny

 

 

Outcry, Strokes & Loving Kindness

 

Readers pull no punches

 

 

By Carol Archer

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Last week, Broadcast Architecture President Allen Kepler elaborated on how about a dozen major market Smooth Jazz outlets have abandoned the format since 2003, and their programmers displaced. He said, "My point is not that these PD's were at fault, but rather stations that have gone by the wayside were primarily programmed by strong local PD's, not by BA." The following is a sample of feedback fit for print that I received about those remarks, which disavow BA of responsibility for those flips.

 

One former PD among those on Kepler's list states: "If these stations were still on the air and doing well, you would not be seeing a nod to the 'strong local PD's,' but a press release about the success of Broadcast Architecture as a visionary consulting firm. It was so easy to take the credit three or four years ago, but now 'none of these stations were programmed by BA.'

"Let's go back and clip all those bottom-of-the-SJ-hotfax ads shining glorious light on BA for the success of KXXX and WYYY. Now that most are gone, 'Oh no, they weren't programmed by BA.' You can't have it both ways.

"It is impossible not to feel the influence of BA, even at non-client stations, because the rest of the nation is under the spell -- affecting airplay, release schedules, the kind of music being produced, etc."