…

We can blame a lot of things…

The “corporate mentality” that pushes caution over brilliance.

Lack of good leadership and coaching.

Lack of talent.

Even research, since the job of research is fundamentally opposed to “the new,” the disorientation something totally original brings.

Whatever we blame, we have to acknowledge that Consolidated Radio is, and has been for decades, on a long, relentless slide into mediocrity.

Radio programming has been “averaged” out so that every station in every town sounds like every station in every other town.

If that’s not the definition of mediocre, I don’t know what is.

There was a time when you could hear air talent like Dr. Don Rose, the Greaseman, Howard Stern, Wolfman Jack, Don Imus, Ron Chapman, John Landecker and Shotgun Tom Kelly.

They sounded like no one else, and no one else came close to sounding like them. They were incomparable.

There’s a reason almost all best selling books are surprise best sellers.

They’re not predictable. They’re not like other books you’ve just read.

We know why Consolidated Radio has squelched creativity, especially in on-air talent.

Same old-same old is safer, easier to find, less expensive and less trouble managing and motivating.

But until we get back to hearing someone great, someone completely novel and irreplaceable in every big city in America, we’re not going to grow our audience.

We’re not going to compel anyone to listen until we re-commit to finding and spotlighting remarkable originals.