Aretha Franklin died on August 16, the latest music legend to leave the stage forever. Sadly such obits are appearing at a steady clip these days as aging musicians give way to cancer, heart attacks or years of alcohol and drug abuse. For terrestrial radio stations, properly honoring those artists with deep dives into their catalog poses a challenge, as does simply delivering the news.
In the analog days, when someone died, you grabbed a stack of LPs and created a tribute on the spot. There was always a jock on the air since radio was live 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. That’s not the case anymore as consolidation and technology have simultaneously shifted radio stations from live talent to automated and pooled content.
At thousands of stations, airshifts are entirely tracked, meaning there are many hours of the day – and especially overnight – when no one is in the building.
In the analog days, when someone died, you grabbed a stack of LPs and created a tribute on the spot. There was always a jock on the air since radio was live 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. That’s not the case anymore as consolidation and technology have simultaneously shifted radio stations from live talent to automated and pooled content.
At thousands of stations, airshifts are entirely tracked, meaning there are many hours of the day – and especially overnight – when no one is in the building.
- 8/20/2018
- by Vinny Marino
- Variety Film + TV
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.