As a power user of streaming, I agree with all of his observations. While many of the problems are out of a PD’s control, a good programmer can eliminate this one:

“Streaming more has made me very conscious, by the way, that six- and seven-minute stopsets very much still exist. And because some owners have made a greater recent effort to cover them with music (many Clear Channel stations) or at least fill them with real spots (simulcast with the FM signal or otherwise), one becomes very conscious of those streaming stopsets that are still cobbled together from hardsell PSAs, multiple morning show promos, and inducements to buy stream-only advertising.

“It often seems to be the case that the longer a station’s stopset, the less likely it will be covered in a listenable way online.”

When is the last time you listened closely to your stream?  Is it studded with stale promos, spots that play back-to-back-to-back, and dead air?

Based on my experience, it might well be.

IDEA: Do you have an APD, or an up-and-coming staffer who wants to learn the art of programming?  Put that person in charge of your stream. Let her own it, and hold her responsible for how it sounds and performs.

SAN DIEGO, March 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Slacker, Inc. today announced that ESPN Audio content will be available on Slacker Personal Radio, providing listeners with customizable content from the country’s largest sports radio network.

Slacker listeners will have access to an interactive dedicated station covering all facets of sports entertainment, with the option to include ESPN SportsCenter headlines for hourly updates on any Slacker music station, and the ability to create custom sports stations with ESPN Radio programming.

ESPN on Slacker Radio will feature up-to-the-minute coverage of all major sporting events and top news stories on both a national and regional level. The interactive ESPN Radio station will also offer access to content from multiple ESPN programs and platforms, including Mike & Mike in the Morning, SportsCenter, The Herd with Colin Cowherd and more.

“It has long been our mission to provide listeners with the ability to experience ESPN Audio content wherever they are and through whichever medium fits best into their busy lifestyle,” said Traug Keller, senior vice president, Production Business Divisions, ESPN, Inc. “This new relationship will add unique value to the Slacker listening experience by showcasing customizable ESPN sports news and award-winning ESPN Radio programming.”
The Slacker Radio experience includes expert-programmed music stations, ABC news, comedy, custom artist-hosted showcase stations and leading music festival stations along with the ability for consumers to create their own radio stations. With the addition of sports coverage to this line-up, Slacker Radio will offer a fully customizable and personal online radio experience that includes the most varied and compelling range of content offered by any Internet radio service.

“ESPN Audio is the authoritative voice of sports news and original programming, which is key to Slacker’s goal to offer our listeners access to the most diverse content and programming possible,” said Jonathan Sasse, senior vice president of marketing at Slacker. “The ability to offer news, shows and updates from the biggest brand in sports further positions Slacker as the leader in Internet radio content.”

Listeners to the free Slacker Basic Radio service will have access to the interactive programmed ESPN station. Slacker Radio subscribers will have unlimited access to the ESPN Radio integration including the ad-free programmed station with unlimited skips, the ability to create a highly personalized, custom sports station based on a number of preferences including specific sports, regions and teams, and the choice to add top of the hour SportsCenter updates in English or Spanish to any Slacker station.
Slacker Personal Radio, available online at www.Slacker.com, on all leading smartphones and Slacker-enabled home entertainment devices, enables listeners to create their own Personal Radio stations based on any artist or mix of artists, or listen to and personalize over 130 expert-programmed genre stations ranging from Today’s Hits to Instrumental Jazz. Slacker also offers music festival coverage including unique stations based on performances and artist interviews from events such as Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits and artist showcase stations with one-of-a-kind content from chart-topping bands including Far East Movement, Plain White T’s and more.

Pricing and Availability

ESPN Radio integration into the Slacker Radio service is coming soon to www.Slacker.com and the Slacker Radio service on supported devices. The ESPN station will be available to all Slacker listeners for free and Slacker Radio Plus subscribers will have access to the full ESPN experience. Slacker Radio Plus is available for as low as $3.99 per month and can be purchased by visiting www.Slacker.com or selecting the “upgrade” button from within a mobile application.

About Slacker, Inc.

Slacker is the world’s first Personal Radio company offering “Your Radio Everywhere.” Slacker enables music lovers to play highly personalized radio online at the Slacker web site or on the go with Slacker Personal Radio players and mobile phones. Slacker mobile applications are currently available for Windows Phone 7, Windows Mobile, Palm webOS, Android, iPhone and BlackBerry smartphones. For more information visit http://www.Slacker.com/everywhere.

Read it and heed it.

Denny Schaffer

When veteran personality Denny Schaffer was released from WGST/Atlanta in late 2006 he figured it was just another turn of the radio career wheel.  Sooner or later, he thought, he’d be back on the radio.  And he was right. Schaffer is currently the evening host on Salem talker WGKA/Atlanta. But his path back to terrestrial radio was anything but typical.

A few months after his exit from WGST, Schaffer began to grow frustrated with the lack of job opportunities.  His former producer, Crystal Lake Johnson, suggested that he start an Internet radio show. Schaffer rejected the idea as defeatist.

“It felt like giving up,” he says.

But in June 2007, after much prodding and assistance from Johnson, Schaffer launched “Denny Radio” on the Live365.com streaming platform using the home studio he built to accommodate his occasional fill-in work.  Schaffer says it cost him about $500 a month to host Denny Radio on Live 365.  In retrospect, he says, he probably should have simply done the show as a podcast on his DennyRadio website.

While Denny Radio didn’t attract a huge audience, doing the show every weekday paid many dividends for Schaffer.  ”I got better on the Internet,” he says. “It was just me.  No calls, no commercials. It kept me sharp for when an opportunity opened.”  It also gave  him the freedom to talk openly about  his deep religious faith, a subject his WGST bosses (including me) had asked him to downplay. And, Denny Radio kept Denny Schaffer visible in the radio community, which ultimately lead to his hiring at WGKA; first to do short-form commentary, and then as host of a 9p-11p show focusing heavily on local issues.  (Yep.  It’s a full-time job — with benefits!)

Schaffer is realistic but grateful about his current place in the radio food chain.  ”It’s a small voice, but I have a voice again in [Atlanta],” he says. As for Denny Radio, it continues to serve Schaffer well, streaming his WGKA show and providing a platform for live listener feedback.  According to Schaffer, the site attracts about 1500 unique visitors a month and brings WGKA listeners from across the country.