Michael Harrison, The Master Of The Tease, Delivers On His Promise

The colorful, knowledgable publisher's entire recap of the weekend's New Media Seminar '07 will definately be worth a click, but I won't keep you hanging for THE SECRET:

“The survival of AM and FM radio depends on having the best programming available anywhere. That means having the best programming by a
mile. Companies should be investing a lot of money in their product, something they’re doing the opposite of, now. There can be no cost-cutting, there can beno compromise, they have to have the best people, or they will be beaten.”

As if to try to reinforce the importance of Harrison's advice, Tom Taylor On Radio-Info has this quote today from former WFNY and WABC, New York, programmer John Mainelli – who also reveals that he’s had a “very productive meeting with four agents from William Morris, who are extremely excited about the prospect of Internet-only talk. Talk is so the future of FM, and music is so not the future of FM.”

MY two cents: Mainelli's cred as a believable soothsayer has been badly tarnished as a result of the demise of FreeFM, but he no doubt has a fascinating vantage point from which to pontificate. A talk radio conference is hardly the place to discern the future of music on the radio, no matter how dynamically the dire predictions are delivered by these brilliant talkers.

It's worth remembering that, since May 24, music is back on WXRK, much to the delight of X-Rock's former, very large, audience.