Number of Full-Time Journalists Drops

From laradio.com:

The number of full-time journalists in the United States has dropped sharply over the last decade, particularly those working for daily newspapers and radio stations. A new book by faculty in the Indiana University School of Journalism offers some revealing statistics.

Despite cuts in employment at many news organizations, the average journalist is older. Baby boomers are largely remaining in the profession. The largest increase in the number of reporters was the 45-to-54 age group. Nearly two-thirds of all full-time journalists are over age 35.

The number of television journalists has grown every time the research was conducted. The number of television journalists grew from 7,000 to 17,784, between 1971 and 1992, and was 20,288 in 2002.

The number of radio journalists grew from 7,000 in 1971 to 19,583 in 1982, but has declined since reaching that peak. Weaver said there are fewer than 14,000 journalists working in radio today.Interestingly, online journalists tend to share the same characteristics of other reporters.

For example, the media age of online journalists is 39, compared to 41 among print reporters and 40 among those in broadcast media. The Online News Association cooperated with the study.

Mayor Villaraigosa Calls KFI-AM Hosts John & Ken ‘Hate Mongers’

From LARadio.com

(Excerpts from the story)

September 15, 2006: Eleven Latino djs and personalities were honored yesterday for their support of the march for immigrant rights this past spring. The National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) hosted the luncheon to honor individuals on tv and radio for their support of the Latino communities. The eleven radio personalities were commended for providing a concerted voice and publicizing the March 25, 2006 march in Downtown Los Angeles that drew about half-a-million protestors. But the big story from yesterday’s luncheon was the Mayor of Los Angeles calling out KFI’s John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou as ‘hate mongers’ for their ongoing rants about illegal immigration.”


...The Mayor talked about how [the rally that happened on] March 25 has changed the community...

...And then the Mayor seemed to divert from his prepared speech. “Don’t let the hate mongers – and let me just take a moment with the cameras rolling – John & Ken, two people who get on the radio every day who share a commitment of dividing America, who demonize our immigrants, who single out people like [KTTV reporter] Tony Valdez because he has the courage to talk about immigration, a duty to stand up and speak out fairly on the issue. Let us say to that – shame on you. Shame on you for dividing America.”

...John & Ken blasted back. The KFI hosts quickly responded to the Mayor’s charges. John and Ken were doing a remote broadcast from the Lido Theater in Newport Beach, to discuss and then screen a new documentary film entitled Border War: The Battle Over Illegal Immigration. The pair were interviewed on KTLA/Channel 5 after watching a tape of the Mayor’s remarks and the piece aired near the top of the Channel 5 10 p.m. news.

...John didn’t refute the Mayor’s premise. “He’s saying we’re dividing? He’s exactly right – we are dividing. It’s American citizens versus those who are breaking the law and costing us tens of millions of dollars.”

...Ken had more choice words for the Mayor. “It was like a declaration of war. There was emotion, and passion, and anger in his voice. He did the same thing that all politicians do.” Rolling his eyes, Ken said that the Mayor “refers to the United States as a ‘nation of immigrants.’ And he completely only talks about immigration, never dividing it into the categories you have to divide, there are legal immigrants, and there are illegal immigrants.”


(Read the entire story at http://www.laradio.com)

Radio Listening Remains Strong

Radio Listening Remains Strong Despite iPod Inroads
Radio World Online

Despite various new media available for consumers to receive music and news, only a little more than one in four Americans (27 percent) said they are now listening to the radio less than they did five years ago.

That’s according to a survey commissioned by American Media Services, in which about half of participants (51 percent) said their radio listening hasn’t changed during the past five years, and 21 percent said they are now listening more.

When asked to look ahead five years, only 11 percent said they expect to be listening to the radio less than they do now. Nearly three out of four (74 percent) said they expect to listen about the same, and 13 percent said they expect to listen more.

Asked how they learn about new music, 63 percent said by listening to the radio. In comparison, 43 percent said it can be through talking with friends, 41 percent cited watching television, 24 percent cited reviews in newspapers or magazines and 16 percent cited the internet.

Forty percent of men, compared with 32 percent of women, said they have listened to the radio over the Internet. Forty-two percent of men and 41 percent of women described themselves as likely to listen to radio over the Internet in the future.

American Media Services commissioned the telephone survey of approximately 1,000 adults, conducted by Omnitel in August.