The fall convention solution
Sep 1, 2004 12:00 PM
I have read several comments in trade publications that advocate making changes to the location or structure of the Radio/Audio hall at the Spring NAB convention in Las Vegas. One credible idea came from Neil Glassman.
While I understand and appreciate what Neil wants to accomplish by moving the Radio/Audio (R/A) Hall into what is now the South Hall, I feel that it is a bandage on a hemorrhage.
When the R/A section was located in the South Hall, many exhibitors in the R/A section complained that it was not big enough to efficiently house all of the vendors who wanted to exhibit there.
In time, the R/A section was bounced around the convention center and even reduced in size � despite the desire of more R/A manufactures wanting to exhibit � because of the demands of the large TV exhibitors.
We complained to deaf ears. It was obvious that those with the gold would rule this show; the gold of the huge prices the TV folks were willing to pay.
More often than not, small R/A companies were pushed into the fringes and found themselves like desert islands, drowning in an ocean of huge TV displays, being passed by the masses of TV attendees marching through. Foot traffic yes; foot traffic of quality, no!
Dealing with the problem
While it is an option to take a space equal in size to the present R/A hall in the middle of the South Hall as Neil suggests, the move would most likely alienate the NAB’s largest exhibitors. It would force some out of the TV conclave and into the North Hall.
And the change wouldn’t solve the R/A Hall problem. We would continue to bleed as the R/A-related domestic attendance continues to shrink.
There would be no room to grow, with again the great potential to be shrunk back to the North Hall or drowned by the huge TV exhibits.
The NAB’s Radio Committee needs to face the reality of the changing marketplace. They need to allow the convention department to eliminate the Fall Radio Show and consolidate it with the Spring Show making a single Radio Show a part of the spring convention.
Eliminating the fall show would infuse the R/A hall with more qualified attendees, as this would combine the large international attendee base of the spring show with all of the potential domestic radio attendees in Las Vegas.
The NAB would double the floor traffic in the R/A hall, which would help the R/A exhibitors not only justify the huge expense of attending the show, but it would also help the radio industry by getting the best and most creative minds together at one show.
These opinions are my own and do not in any way reflect the position or opinion of my employer or fellow employees at Armstrong Transmitter.
Ernie Belanger
sales and marketing manager
Armstrong Transmitter
Watching big brother
Chriss’ August Viewpoint on logging requirements takes us down another slippery slope. During Watergate President Nixon believed the tapes would exonerate him, but instead had the opposite effect.
I believe it places a burden on some if not all broadcasters who will (if enacted) have to maintain another function of their broadcast outlet.
If it’s a violation of community indecency values, let the petitions begin. Maybe the recordings would justify a broadcaster’s position, but why would it allow such an incriminating device in a case. Public outcry over the incidency at last year’s Super Bowl showed the indignation of viewers. Radio has the same watch dog.
Our satellite friends at XM and Sirius have a loophole because they are not affected by the potential rulemaking. Case in point: Opie and Anthony begin on XM in October.
Dick Tyler
retired ABC Radio network engineer
Burlington, NJ
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