Bear's Blog
Sunday, September 17, 2006
If it could happen to Gonzo...
Lotsa love on the street from people who are sad that I am no longer on Mega. I think you are owed an explanation why one day I'm on-the-air, and the next I'm gone. Really, only Michael Mallace and Rod Carillo of Mega can fully explain their "change of direction" but I will take a shot at doing so in their absence. Some of the answer might be found in recent Arizona sports headlines.
Luis Gonzales, Arizona's World Series hero, was recently told he doesn't figure in the team's rebuilding. The D'backs bosses exercised their right to make a "business decision" and cut him loose, notwithstanding how much loyalty Gonzo's fans feel the D'backs owe him because of his contributions to the team's history. After all, the game of baseball is much bigger than one aging player, right? So as the D'backs strive to make the team better and find more success an unpopular decision had to be made.
The bosses also decided that losing the Gonzo fans who might vote on this decision by choosing not to support a Gonzo-less D'backs team was an "acceptable loss." After all, the bottom line is that everyone likes a winner, right? Field a winning team and the Gonzo fans will be back to watch the next great D'backs left fielder.
Gonzo made a business decision too. He played it all with class. That's probably why you love Gonzo - he is a classy guy, so you knew he wasn't going to go out noisily. He let the move his bosses made speak for itself while he kept his eye on the ball - representing his fans and friends well and protecting the image he hopes another team might want to add to their roster.
Gonzo made a business decision too. He played it all with class. That's probably why you love Gonzo - he is a classy guy, so you knew he wasn't going to go out noisily. He let the move his bosses made speak for itself while he kept his eye on the ball - representing his fans and friends well and protecting the image he hopes another team might want to add to their roster.
One difference between Gonzo's situation and mine is that while his baseball stats have been on a "decline", I have had consistently much more success in Phoenix radio ratings than all of the people who are in the new lineup at Mega (by the way I've even been the "clean-up hitter" raising the ratings up after certain cats drove listeners away...). I looked forward to reaching a bigger audience and bringing greater success to Mega.
Soon Mega is changing their antenna location to try and reach more Phoenix-area radio listeners. With that move pending, the Mega bosses want to field a team that gives them a better shot at attracting Hispanic listeners, who make up a large chunk of Phoenix radio listening. So, since I am not Hispanic I couldn't possibly be as successful in reaching those listeners the way a Latino deejay could, right? Of course that wasn't said to me, but it has been in backroom discussions long before I left and since I've been gone.
Because there is so much to gain when the antenna is moved, losing people who liked listening to me is an acceptable loss in the game of Phoenix radio, where perception is the greater part of reality. When they "perceive" me, the Mega bosses just don't perceive "appeals to Latinos". In the past the bosses at Mega have insinuated their concern that my (only) appeal was among Black listeners, "an audience we already get by default because we play Black music." So letting me go really was Good Business, after all, having a Black deejay on a station that plays Black music - isn't that overkill? Or kind of like double jeopardy maybe?
Oops, sorry - no sarcasm allowed if I indeed take my lead from Gonzo and continue to take the high road. Have people told me they will vote their heart and no longer support Mega? Yes. Do I encourage it? No - because some of the people I leave behind at Mega have been friends of mine for a long time. Their families depend on them being successful. So I wish them the best. Do I think the logic behind the move stinks? Of course. But I wasn't in a position to contest it.
I'll go quietly - and "break for the woods" on the Internet. Here on the Web I hope to continue entertaining the people who like the way I do what I do - people who can judge me not by the color of my skin but by the content of my show. If you are reading this, you have obviously chosen to come along for the ride. You have no idea how much that means to me. THANKS for listening to TonyBear.com.
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Internet radio - who cares?
The phenomenon of Internet radio is really taking off. Every day my listeners, and the number of people who visit my Web site grows a little more. But it just occurred to me recently that I am targeting the segment of the population that is least likely to own or even use a computer. Of course that means I have to make a broad, sweeping generalization, but whattheheck! Yes R&B is the music of choice of Urbanites(that word "urban" I have opinions about it... but that's in another blog article).
Bottom line is that it's usually "minorities" and particularly Black people who are the biggest fans of R&B music. It was recently impressed upon me that there is much one just can't take for granted: 1) the person I am talking to about my Internet radio station would have access to the Internet or even a computer for that matter... 2) lets say the person with whom I am speaking has access to a computer, there is no guarantee they even use it much, or enough to be "comfortable" with looking up my site, and opening up my stream. We all know someone who is learning about computers and the Internet from their kids (that might be you??) or someone who if not for using a computer at work they would have no computer at all, and if work puts restrictions on their Internet use well...
That means my task is doubly hard, yet doubly rewarding. If I can be entertaining enough to attract someone to the computer, to the Internet who might never have tried it before, then perhaps I could even say it is my destiny to "bring people along". At the end of the day, perhaps I can be measured with some of history's greatest people who have lead others in to the light of progress. Pretty lofty goal!
Meanwhile, I'll try to stay grounded in the fact that I have to build this Internet radio thing one person at a time. Grounded in the fact that the only way my business can grow is when I inspire other people to tell other people about what I am doing.
Bottom line is that it's usually "minorities" and particularly Black people who are the biggest fans of R&B music. It was recently impressed upon me that there is much one just can't take for granted: 1) the person I am talking to about my Internet radio station would have access to the Internet or even a computer for that matter... 2) lets say the person with whom I am speaking has access to a computer, there is no guarantee they even use it much, or enough to be "comfortable" with looking up my site, and opening up my stream. We all know someone who is learning about computers and the Internet from their kids (that might be you??) or someone who if not for using a computer at work they would have no computer at all, and if work puts restrictions on their Internet use well...
That means my task is doubly hard, yet doubly rewarding. If I can be entertaining enough to attract someone to the computer, to the Internet who might never have tried it before, then perhaps I could even say it is my destiny to "bring people along". At the end of the day, perhaps I can be measured with some of history's greatest people who have lead others in to the light of progress. Pretty lofty goal!
Meanwhile, I'll try to stay grounded in the fact that I have to build this Internet radio thing one person at a time. Grounded in the fact that the only way my business can grow is when I inspire other people to tell other people about what I am doing.
Getting started!
Hey! Here I am stepping all the way in to cyberspace! I will be using this space to share my thoughts about a variety of subjects - some of which might be important to you, some not. But I promise to call it like I see it! If you have some time to kill I hope you will check back on my posts here, and maybe even weigh-in on my topics.
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