Top40-Radio-Museum-Roadtrip-Bob Davis Podcast 881

Top40-Radio-Museum-Roadtrip-Bob Davis Podcast 881

Radio’s Unique Museum

I worked in radio for years. Radio is still my first love despite podcasting for ten years now. Most noteworthy in this podcast is a visit to a unique museum. Learn more in Top40-Radio-Museum-Roadtrip-Bob Davis Podcast 881.

Top 40’s Roots

Top Forty radio’s roots are in the mid south and deep south. Now there’s a shrine to top forty radio in Chattanooga Tennessee. Even more, there’s also a working radio station there visitors can tour.

Small and Medium Markets

Especially relevant to the roots of top forty radio in the south, are the many small and medium markets in this region that spawned some of America’s great radio talent.

When Radio Was The Only Game In Town

First of all in the 1950’s, 1960’s, and most of the 1970’s there was no Internet, no social media, no cable television and no way for a generation to communicate except for radio. I’ll explain in In Top40-Radio-Museum-Roadtrip-Bob Davis Podcast 881.

Building Companies and Lives

Second, operators and employees of these radio stations in growing small and medium markets across the country could build companies and lives on the profits.

All About The Music

Above all the music made top forty radio and radio itself a phenomenon.

A One Off Moment In History

The events and situations that made all of that possible will certainly never happen again.

A slice of Architectural History Too

Furthermore during that period of time some of the most successful AM top forty stations were housed near their transmitters. Many in neighborhoods and developments.

Most Are Already Gone

Low slung period brick buildings and mid century architecture and furnishings were the order of the day. Most of those old stations are gone.

This Place Remains And It’s Worth Seeing

In contrast WFLI AM and FM remain exactly as it was through the 1960’s and 70’s, in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Fun Fun Fun

Finally my friend and I took a tour and spent an afternoon remembering how much fun radio used to be. Thanks again to the National Top Forty Radio Hall of Fame and Museum.

In Top40-Radio-Museum-Roadtrip-Bob Davis Podcast 881 you’ll hear the story of the radio station and more.

Sponsored By Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul

Top40-Radio-Museum-Roadtrip-Bob Davis Podcast 881

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The Bob Davis Podcast

Podcast 231

Short Term Thinking. How reliance on formula reduces innovation. American Business is increasingly reliant on short term thinking and ‘templates’ or formulaic approaches. The least revolutionary kind of innovation – improvements in finance, procedure, cost controls and personnel – are increasingly the only kind of innovation in the corporate world. Meanwhile, innovations that create new products, new markets and revolutionize thinking are in short supply. What started as a conversation between two old radio friends about the broadcasting business sparks some ‘slash and burn’ thinking about business in general. Why do some businesses rely on formula so much? When are formula’s good. When is it best to trash the formula and let the inmates take over the asylum? (Editors Note: The best jobs I’ve ever had in radio, the best experiences as a creative person in broadcasting happened when the inmates were running the asylum. In fact, that used to be our business model!) These days it seems like formulaic thinking has invaded politics, movies, radio, music, television … really almost everything. And, we’re choking on it. Is it possible one of the reasons so many people remain out of the work force for extended periods of time is because they’re sick of implementing plans from the corporate office? Maybe what we all need is to throw the formula out and start doing whatever we want. To be sure, there will be mistakes, and failures, but there might also be some great successes. Some of the things business does, it does because of formulas developed 20, 30, 40 even 50 years ago. Back in the day, those formulas may have made sense but now they bear little resemblance to new market contours. If the United States wants to maintain its position in the world, we’re going to have to set our workers free; Free to think, free to make mistakes and free develop the kinds of new strategies that revolutionize markets. The response to almost every truly revolutionary idea has always been, ‘You can’t do that’, or ‘It sounds like crap’, or ‘Why would anyone want that?’. Or worse, ‘That’s not the way we’ve always done it’. Our strength has always been in the skunk works, the garage, the basement and backyards, and with the so called ‘crazies’. Rules are made to be broken. Why don’t we start breaking some? Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul and by Depotstar. 

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