It is a complicated matter that has been ongoing for a very long time, by which I mean even when the ship was still at sea. At times when a weak signal was being sent and when wages ceased to be available, people were allowed on air who never would have got on air previously.
Post shipwreck when we had nothing, the only way to have even a token presence on air was via dire 28 day RSL's and to fill the hours, anyone would do. On a service with a tiny and temporary coverage area and few listeners, I watched these ' anyone's ' fight tooth and nail about music policy.
As time passed and we kept expanding we did sell on air time to get some money to fund the rest of the time hence Hard Country, Calvary Chapel, Americana. Elvis Hour and Good Rockin. Loyalty to these broadcasters was needed as they had paid us even when we were broadcasting to a tiny audience.
The decision was to take no more of these programmes. To hope that we may lose those we had by natural wastage and not to replace them. Those we still have were moved to Flashback where we transmit them for free to acknowledge their previous help.
The mix of presenters now includes some who are very competent but may have simply come to the end of their previous careers or may have lost their paid employment due to cutbacks elsewhere. Some feel that they are still celebrities, but of course if that was true they would not be on Caroline. Some are ' OK ' and some are left over from when ' it didn't much matter ' but these peole may have put in decades of effort additional to being on air.
It is difficult to say ' I still want your time, but I am taking your programme away '.
We are of course talking about sensitive souls and to take Alan Watts as an example, I asked him not to compete with our advertisers who were paying us to promote events and venues by having him compile his own gig guide of his favourite bands, promoting them for free.
He was so outraged that he quit on the spot. However, it is an ill wind that blows nobody any good. I recruited Johnnie Reece who I enjoy much more.
I think a time will come when Caroline is really going places and I can say to the presenters ( I like them all by the way ) ' how much do you want to continue to be part of the success story ? '.
This argument will carry more weight when there are plenty of capable people waiting to fill any gaps that may appear.
Then they may take notice about music policy and presentation without at once spitting the dummy.
PM.
You talked in your initial post about what you want for your customers. Surely if you are not satisfied with the product that you advertise on then you should take that up directly with station management. In my experience in commercial radio, that would be the normal process.
No Ian these are my views as a supporter and "fan" of the station, I would probably be in the group of I would listen to almost anything.....but that is not the view of non anoraks. I have no more right to tell anyone how to do things this is a free radio forum where we all can share views
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