Alrighty people, this is it....

We have loved being here, we believed in what we set out to do and for the most part, achieved, but the end is nigh.
Here are the last few emails that have rolled in, thanks again, goodnight and goodbye, we will miss you.......




...I love you Airhead Eds...

...goodbye.

I've enjoyed this site for many years, reading the criticisms of announcers, managers, networks, etc etc etc … but for all the bluster and gnashing of teeth over the loss of localism, lack of originality, lowest common denominator audience targeting, voice-tracking and just about every other criticism of commercial radio you could possibly come up with, your correspondents have failed over the years to single out the one and only culprit for the demise of the great medium – The Federal Government!

As soon as the government changed the way radio licenses were allocated, from the merit system to the "price-based allocation system" the rot set in.

It ensured a pretty much closed shop business for the major networks. Australia surely has the least number of commercial radio stations per capita in the developed world. The extremely tight spectrum allocation is nothing more than a caving in of successive governments to major networks' demands for no new competitors. Instead, spectrum that could be allocated to new viable, vibrant commercial players is tied up in useless narrowcast operations that have no chance of delivering a quality service due to them having their hands tied behind their backs with specialist community of interest format restrictions.

In the US and Canada communities with populations as little as 6,000 people have fully functioning, fully staffed, completely local and highly profitable commercial radio stations. In Australia, cities even the size of Maitland (over 60,000 people) are denied their own local commercial radio station.

Until the government goes back to merit based allocation, there will be no real competition in Australian commercial radio – no real diversity, no real service of community interests. But it won't happen – the latest lobbying from the major networks is to relax the 2 station per market restriction. So when the government decides to free up spectrum, the same old players will have control.

So don't blame the managers, don't blame the sales reps and sure as hell don't blame the announcers. Hell, you can't even blame the CEO's, board members and owners - who can blame them for pursuing the best results for their share-holders. You can only blame the government - that's where the buck stops - they are in charge of ensuring the objects of the act are met. HAVE THEY DONE A GOOD JOB???

Thank you, good luck and goodbye.

Another thoughtful review, thanks for it all - EDs

Dead Man Walking


It is indeed sad to see the end of Airhead.

Over the years it has provided a sounding board for all those bitter, twisted but sometimes screwed and used employees of radio in Perth.
You have to assume these were the only ones using this outlet, as over the years there were very little positive comments posted.

However, the end had to come as the industry continues to contract.

When I joined the industry regional stations like Merredin were stocked with eager newbies wanting to make their mark in a regional market so they could progress into a city station. Merredin was running LIVE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with a host of staff in all key roles - Management, Sales, Production, Announcers and Administration.

.......And then came...... The Profit Evolution Revolution!

It started in a very crude mechanical way. Although at the time it was cutting edge technology. The Automated Cart Wall.
Mid-dawns could now run without an Announcer. Weekend afternoons and evenings could also be loaded into the clunker of a machine.

Anyone that worked there would tell you that it was never reliable and as such I don't think they saved a lot in the end. In fact the only one to ever make any money from the machines was Murray Dickson who moved them into the
Sheraton Hotel in Bali (I think it was) and programmed his own in- house radio station with them.

With the introduction of the ISDN lines, major regional stations were able to then network programs, nights, mid-dawns, in fact whole days to local smaller stations.
Collie lost it's identity and in turn so did Bridgetown, Narrogin and Katanning to the all powering 6TZ in Bunbury.

Of course with the advances in computer technology it has become very easy to eliminate the need for an Announcer on any shift and it also eliminated any mistakes or dropped commercials enabling maximum revenue for minimal expense.

Now, of course, the majority of regional stations have no or very limited staff on the ground.

I remember a time when we stood around the water cooler and contemplated the extent of automation and networking and clearly recall comments like;
"it'll never happen in a major cap city market".

How wrong we were!

The fact is, there is only one station in Perth at the moment that is, as they say, "Live and Local" and that's 6PR. (Although guys football broadcasts from Melbourne does constitute a network broadcast)

So as I now sit in my office listening to "My Perth Digital" off my laptop, which has absolutely no Announcers but still all the commercial content that would be on any normal station, I reflect upon how many people were once employed within this industry and how over recent decades those numbers have dwindled.

The numbers continue to slide and when you hear nearly all stations in the Perth city market networking from the east together with major regional stations (6TZ in point) networking from the east, you do wonder how long it will be before one or all stations in Perth simply become a relay from an eastern states network?

I hear you say it will never happen. Look at how many Perth digital stations there are now and how many are actually located and broadcast from Perth.

Look at the costs involved in running those unmanned stations. Take into consideration the reach and potential audience of those stations and look at how many programs are networked into our major stations now. Christ even 6IX - has Donny Osmond out of the U.S. !! Give us a break !

A once wonderful, personal, warm, comforting, intimate, informative, immediate medium that we all loved being involved in, I am sorry to say, is now nothing more than

A Dead Man Walking.

But that's just my thoughts and that's what Airhead was all about.
Good Bye, Good Luck and Thanks Airhead !

Wow, what an awesome email, from someone who obviously still cares deeply for an industry which is to some degreee, is just 3 grubby shags short of being a professional Hooker.

Our beef all along has been with lazy programming, stupid ideas (or no idea at all!) and the advancement of Networking which is solely to blame for fucking up an industry that was a good one for so many (and now to a lesser degree to so few) - our sincere thanks for the effort shown in this inciteful post and to all who have helped bring about this less than desirable change - Fuck You...!

Love, the EDs

Unfortunately, for the last time, my breakdown of the survey figures before The Airhead pulls the pin on 11 years of insight in the inner workings of Perth radio.

Over the five shifts of the day the following stations are ranked like this

Breakfast:

Number 1: 94.5

Number 2: ABC 720

Number 3: Nova

Number 4: 92.9

Number 5: 6PR

Number 6: 96fm

Number 7: Triple J

Mornings:

Number 1: 94.5

Number 2: 96fm

Number 3: Nova

Number 4: ABC 720

Number 5: 6PR

Number 6: 92.9

Number 7: Triple J

Afternoons:

Number 1: 94.5

Number 2: 96fm

Number 3: Nova

Number: = 92.9

Number 4: Triple J

Number 5: ABC 720

Number: = 6PR

Drive:

Number 1: 92.9

Number 2: 94.5

Number 3: ABC 720

Number 4: Triple J

Number 5: Nova

Number : = 96fm

Number 6: 6PR

Nights:

Number 1: ABC 720

Number 2: 92.9

Number 3: 6PR

Number 4: 94.5

Number 5: Nova

Number 6: 6IX

Number 7: Triple J

So, what does this all mean?

Let's start at the top and work our way to the bottom.

94.5: As predicted 94.5 continue their dominance of Perth radio with another brilliant effort. Number one in 3 of the 5 shifts with a number 2 in Drive (only 2.4 away from the Hamish and Andy juggernaut), and a disappointing number four at nights where at one stage they were number one, or close to it. Down in breakfast by 0.3, the team at 94.5 have lost some of survey three's dominance and next survey could see the breakfast crown head over to ABC 720 who're only 0.4 behind 94.5. Strong consistent management that rewards and encourages staff has paid dividends yet again, and it's hard to see anyone contest 94.5 for the rest of 2010.

ABC 720: A strong performance at both ends of the day is the key that has got ABC 720 into the number 2 position for survey 4. Not one shift returned a negative growth for the public national broadcaster this survey, and the figure at nights is 4.3 above their next competitor (if it can be argued that ABC 720 has a competitor). Aunty is the sleeper this survey and continues to put the young'uns in their place.

92.9: Thank god for Hamish and Andy, for without them, 92.9 wouldn't be sitting in the number three position for survey 4, in fact they'd be nowhere near it. The very popular Drive show has increased its figures putting a halt to the slide seen in survey 2 and 3. The 1.2 rise is an increase in its share over 94.5's The Big Couch. The nearest competitor after that is 8.1 points away. That's what I call dominance.

96FM: As much as 92.9 can't do without Hamish and Andy, 96fm couldn't do without figures it's receiving from the Morning and early Afternoon shifts. Despite negative growth in both shifts, they both maintain their respective number two positions. Still fourth in their target demographic of 25-39 can't be pleasing management who must be wondering what to do with a breakfast show, that despite huge amounts of external advertising, has failed to put the runs on the board. Surely Gary Shannon can't go on for another year. Drive is also failing to achieve what was surely expected, when Gavin Miller was replaced last year by Steve Fitton. Nights is down yet again to 6.5! It's being beaten by 6IX, need I say more?

Nova: Only 0.2 behind 96fm, and with a much more respected management, Nova was also expected to do better this year, but still flounders despite some reasonable gains throughout the day. A 5.0 point gain in the 18-24 demographic will please the sales people as it lifts Nova into the second most listened to radio station for that demo. Still not doing very well at night, but better than 96fm, who are now 8th at nights.

6PR: Have been doing pretty well of late, and have a bit of momentum behind them. Their "AM" breakfast show is beating an "FM" breakfast show which is a little embarrassing, but being sister stations (6PR-96FM), I don't think that's much of a problem. They only went up 0.3 overall, but they've recorded growths in the last few surveys.

Triple J: Bringing up the rear for survey 4 2010, is the national youth network station Triple J, (who's average audience age is above 30!). For such a station to be beating local FM stations in some shifts (leading Nova and 96FM in Drive and leading 96fm in Nights) says a lot.

That's it for survey 4, survey 5 is out in August.

Awesome round-up, thanks for the insights....? - EDs

The Worst kept secret at Austereo oh why did Joss leave The Bunch so soon ?

Heard he is very good at sending e-mails and photography so don't think he will be out of work for too long.

...and Steve Fitton. Always solid performers, nice and smooth, easy to listen to.

And Segale's alright too, he sounds ok. Yeah, only 2 hours, but big fuckin deal, he sounds like he knows what he's doin, which is the important thing.

WSe thinks they should storm HR and demand to be the highest paid in the Station.
What, Breakfast still has that honour...????? - EDs

is that Darren Marshmellow?, yes hahahahahahahahahahaha.... (cough, cough).

Gag line, then: Ha ha ha ha he hee he har har he he he har ha ha ha hee hee he hae tee hee he hee har *scoffs* he hee har har he haa *chuckle* ha he hee har har *snort* he hee har ha ha ha ha he har tee hee hee he hee *slaps back* he har har har tee hee har har ha ha ha ha.....

Sound like your breakfast team?

Paychecks.....? - EDs

What's so fucking funny?


A few people slagging off 96fm at the moment, and most of it deserved. But I feel sorry for people like Darren De Mello who is the only announcer there that I like. He's a solid performer and always sounds good.

Who's going to "keep the bastards honest" after Airhead ceases?

11 brilliant years of service. Known and read across Australia. Most will miss you, but a few will not.

Congratulations Airhead, I'll miss you, and you'll be greatly missed by those people who need to vent, articulate, explain, complain and theorise. A true outlet; a bastion amongst a crumbling and dying industry being raped from the top down by some chronic managerial incompetence, narcissism, shortsightedness and truly baffling decisions.

The Airhead may be going, but people will still talk, people will still discuss, and people will hopefully continue to keep the bastards honest.

GOODBYE AIRHEAD AND GOOD LUCK

XXX OOO

We appreciate the ....appreciation.....!! - EDs

agree with the post below. who wants to sit through 10 ads in a row all the time. was listening to 96 the other day (around 2 sounded fucking awful!), and it seemed like they played 20 ads in a row.

they don't give a fuck about the product anymore and it sounds like it. the music is shit, ratings are way down, very little to like about that station these days....... but as long as the general manager can afford to fill his luxury sports car or 4WD, and put his kids through school, that's all that matters. cd player, ipod and triple J getting my vote. and whats with the trafiic reports every 5 fricken minutes.

do you really think people listen and give a shit?

Come on who seriously listens to Perth radio these days. Take some time to listen for an hour or so you will be lucky to hear 4-5 songs in 1 hour of radio, so radio to me these days is purely for advertising and lots of it, its no longer about the listeners.

What happened to a radio station playing music and not bashing us with ads, ad promos and a traffic reports every 15 bloody minutes, I cringe at Alisha droney voice.

I was listening back when Bob Stewart broadcast the first time and loved it, I dont even remember ads back then, they were so in the background I actually listened, Now I change stations until i find a song. Even that is a problem sometimes.

Bring on PAY-RADIO. my 2 cents worth.

Good luck Airhead we will miss you.