Award-winning executive airs fears about the future of broadcasting
Steve Robinson has seen the future of radio, and he's not happy. Robinson was recently honored for excellence in radio broadcasting by the Association of Composers, Authors, and Publishers. Accepting the ASCAP-Deems Taylor award, at a ceremony in New York City, gave him a forum to talk about the medium.
He used the speech to draw a fairly grim picture. The present state of radio, particularly on the commercial side, is bleak, said Robinson, who began his career in Boston at WBUR-FM (90.9) before going on to WCRB-FM (102.5) and WGBH-FM (89.7). These days, he's vice president for radio at Chicago's WFMT-FM and the WFMT Radio Network.
"We all know that one company [Clear Channel] owns one out of every nine stations in the country," he told an assembly of radio, music, and journalism professionals. "They've managed to segment the demographics of the audience, but it's hardly any more diverse."
While he blamed this near-monopoly for the blandness of commercial programming, he did not completely excuse public radio. "We're still afraid to take risks," he pointed out. His own station is a nonprofit -- supported by members -- so in many ways it functions like a public radio station, complete with fund drives. The associated network produces and distributes programs such as "Jazz With Bob Parlocha" (which WGBH airs midnight to 5 a.m., Tuesdays through Fridays).
"As the radio industry continues to consolidate, our responsibility to program challenging music and public affairs programs becomes that much greater," he said. .
Speaking after the ceremony, Robinson (who was a host of WGBH's "Morning Pro Musica" for a short time before station legend Robert J. Lurtsema took over) does admit to some hope.
"There's a definite trend toward news" among public stations, he notes. As the developer of such programs as "Exploring Music With Bill McLaughlin," which airs cutting-edge composers, he cites the trend (heard locally in WBUR's switch to an all-information format) as a disappointment. "But increasingly, public stations are finding money to purchase a second or third station, which they are turning into music stations," he says. "There's still a chance for classical music to be heard out there."
Plus, he believes that the rise of satellite radio will help the industry, though it may take a few years. WFMT provides some programming for XM satellite radio, and he notes the slow but steady increase in subscribers to the service and its rival, Sirius. "Satellite radio is getting stronger, and that could impact the cause of serious music in a positive way," he says.
For Robinson, these little signs of life offer hope enough for now. "While I'm critical of the industry and sometimes a bit pessimistic, it's really not in my nature to stay that way for very long," he says. "I always see a silver lining."
Spinning the dial "From the Top," the showcase for young people involved with classical music, will be taping a show in New England Conservatory's Jordan Hall on Jan. 18 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for students and seniors. The show airs on WGBH-FM Sundays at 6 p.m. Call 617-585-1260 or visit www.fromthetop.org.
