You know the expression, “What goes around, comes around.” It may be in play right now when it comes to music discovery.
Depending on your outlook, you might even say it was hijacked by Spotify and the algorithmic process. For much of the 2000s, it’s been all about techie recommendations (“if you like this, you might like this”), the same model video streaming networks and podcasting platforms use to hook into something else to watch or listen to.
And somehow over the years, the humanity of it all has been mostly lost. That thought wasn’t lost on Angela Tyler who recently wrote a post on her Substack, republished by our friends from Hypebot. In her post, the title poses the key question:
“Are We Witnessing the Second Coming of the Music Blog?”
Angela’s post celebrates the return of Wild Honey Pie, a music blog she loved. In her article, she pondered, “Can we ever get that 2009 feeling back?” Just to clarify, Spotify launched two years earlier (Pandora preceded it by two years), but the question is a valid one. Spotify didn’t just become the #1 music streamer in the world – they changed the way the world listens to and discovers music. None of this is lost on an old radio guy who remembers the old processes.
As Angela pondered whether Wild Honey’s return is a sign of an emerging trend or a one-off, she posed these germane questions revolving around whether this development is just another retro mirage or whether there’s a there there.
“Why are we turning to the nostalgic past?”
“Why are we going backwards in pursuit of progress?”
That got me thinking about the lost art of supporting and staging of music discovery on the radio. And
then I saw the news yesterday that Boston legend, Carter Alan (pictured), will be calling it a radio career in mid-December. He’ll be putting the wraps on a 47-year career, mostly on the airwaves of the iconic WBCN, and the station where he and I met, WZLX.
I was fortunate enough to work with the extraordinary Buzz Knight, and watching him build a Marconi Award-quality Classic Rock station in one of the nation’s most competitive rock radio markets. Carter was the on-air linchpin in middays, as important to ZLX as the point guard is to the Celtics.
Carter was a tremendous storyteller whose professionalism showed up in his
preparation and his dedication to his craft. Early on, he “majored” in U2, whose work he recognized early on.
Carter is credited with being the first American DJ to play U2 on the radio. Over the years, Carter has written four books, two of which are all about that Irish band that rocked the world.
Carter is a talent who’s the polar opposite of an algorithm or a bot. He’s never been predictable or mundane. And he’s one of those rare hosts that can breathe life into format radio.
On top of his skills and accomplishments, Carter Alan is truly a great guy – ask anyone who’s worked with him.
His last day on the air is December 18, so he’ll be able to run a victory lap or two. Except that he won’t.
These last two months will be a chance for us to stream his final shows on ZLX, at least as a full-time air talent. Carter is among the last of that rare breed of on-air sherpas who have become a rarity in recent years. Bob Stroud on the Drive, Lin Brehmer on XRT, Ken Calvert on WRIF (and others), and of course, Pierre Robert on MMR have all retired or passed away in recent years.
Along with Carter Alan, they are hosts who Angela Tyler would have liked, respected, and admired because they turned radio listening into an adventure for discovering new music or learning new things about the artists and songs you didn’t know. Their medium may not have been the blogosphere, but they made their mark connecting fans with great music, entertaining them along the way – on the radio.
And to her question, “Why are we going backwards in pursuit of progress?” I would submit that like a classic car or iconic film, there’s a lot to be said for media and entertainment that emphasize quality over efficiency, surprise and delight over predictability, and humanity over scalability.
Those are the qualities we miss in media today, especially for those of us who grew up working in broadcast radio. It’s not the least bit surprising that Apple and Spotify’s attempts to humanize their “radio-like” products have attempted to emulate many of these qualities, mostly failing in the process.
Wild Honey Pie’s bloggers, as well as today’s rock radio on-air hosts, could learn a thing or two from Carter Alan. I’m told he’s running an 8-week course, starting today on WZLX at 10am ET. You can enroll here.
President & Founder at Jacobs Media
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched – a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created – a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the “connected car” and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media’s commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
