All Access. In four weeks, it’s no more.
Did you see it coming? I didn’t. And outside of its founder and publisher, Joel Denver, I don’t think too many others in the radio and music business did either.
As I’ve discussed in this blog a lot this year, we are at a moment in time in our business where there’s a lot up for grabs. Technology is rapidly changing the rules and how the game is played. The way content is being created, distributed, and monetized is undergoing tectonic shifts. It’s no wonder that many business are looking at cash flow, employee count, and what’s in the pipeline with renewed scrutiny.
I’m not going to name names, but there are companies we all know that could announce their demise or declare bankruptcy this week – and we wouldn’t be surprised in the least. For some, their downward trajectories have been visible for some time, punctuated perhaps by questionable decisions and shaky strategies.
But All Access? It’s been in business for 28 years, dependably reporting on airplay, formats, and the news of the industry for its entire run. Led by the always positive, ebullient Joel Denver, All
Access has always been the epitome of consistency. It may be the last trade publication to successfully walk that line between radio and records. And it’s been the most successful at eschewing the printing press, and committing exclusively to online publishing and delivery.
Joel enjoyed innovation, and brought that spirit to All Access. When we launched jacApps in 2008, he was among the first to call and inquire about how long it would take for us to build an app for All Access. It wasn’t a conversation about “Should we?” – it was about how long would it take for us to develop it so All Access could be the first industry trade to have one. (They were.)
Many also don’t remember the original several Techsurveys were limited to Rock, Classic Rock, and Alternative stations – the nucleus of our client base in the early 2000s. Joel approached me in 2011 with the idea of opening the survey to all music and spoken word formats. And with his and All Access’ support and connections – along with the help and urging of their many editors – Techsurvey transitioned into the study it is today, representing fans of many different formats, including Country, News/Talk, Hot AC, and Sports Radio. For us, it’s been a true game-changer.
Each year at Joel’s conferences (originally partnered with Sat Bisla for the Worldwide Radio Summit), I’ve had the good fortune of a prime slot to present the highlights of each year’s Techsurvey, a true honor and a privilege for me. The All Access Audio Summit stage has helped showcase our research, also allowing me to sharpen my presentation skills. Again, thanks to Joel for having the vision to put me and this study out there.
During the COVID years, the conference went virtual, continuing to provide top-notch industry guests, panels, and food for thought. Joel confided in me a number of years ago that while his Summits were financially successful, they lacked the presence of radio’s CEOs. Joel worked it hard, eventually nailing down Bob Pittman for a “fireside chat.” At this year’s Summit, I watched him masterfully interview Ginny Morris, thinking about how far he and the Summit had come.
Over the years, I’ve gotten to know Joel well – his highs and lows, personal and professional. In good times and bad, Joel has always been about relationships…and friendships. That’s his superpower, and it is what has allowed him to thread the needle between the music and radio businesses. Joel is first and foremost a radio guy, but has never been afraid to call out stupidity and shortsightedness that has hampered radio’s growth.
I’ll let him explain the economics behind “what happened?” But suffice it to say, radio is playing less new music than ever, and record labels believe they can find more effective sources and investments for their marketing dollars. We’ve seen this movie where radio slowly but surely hits the iceberg, where the dreaded ratings reward conservatism while punishing risk. As part of that, the industry keeping its distance from young people has made new music more and more of a liability.
Cutting back their advertising in a world of music where brand influencers now dominate is affecting many other industries and marketing plans. It was just a matter of time before this marketing wave exacted its toll on radio.
Funerals are a mandatory attendance experience where we mourn the departed, while also considering our own mortality. We think about the deceased and try to rationalize that he/she was older than us, in worse health, had questionable lifestyle habits, or had some undesirable traits and flaws. And we rationalize that their sorrowful outcome will surely not be ours.
But in fact, it is hard to disassociate All Access’ fate from our own. This isn’t just about what befell Joel and his staff – it is a referendum on radio and all of us who work in it.
Joel and his great team (more on them in an upcoming blog post) provided a great and valuable service to all of us for the better part of three decades. Thanks to All Access, thousands of people found employment, every format under the sun has received fair coverage, and the staff worked hard to get out the “breaking news” stories and alerts we often take for granted. I personally use their industry directory every week, and love to read those “10 Questions With…” features that are always insightful because they focus on people. Their Net News is an essential way of keeping up. During its 28 years in business, All Access has become a beacon of information and pride for both radio and music people.
Their loss is our loss.
But the death of All Access is also troublesome for what it symbolizes about radio and the denial that has dogged us for decades.
This is not just about the loss of a trade publication. One of the industry’s most vibrant voices has been silenced by a series of business model fails that make commerce no longer practical nor workable.
A few weeks ago, Joel Denver heard the doorbell, looked out the viewer, and saw that hooded figure carrying a scythe on his front porch. If there were other options, you know Joel would’ve pursued them.
Sadly, that Reaper dude has more house calls to make.
If it can happen to them…
Thanks to Dave Beasing, Keith Cunningham, and Lori Lewis.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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Well said Fred. I was so sorry to read about this. As a civilian now, All Access has kept me in touch with my old profession and all the emotions connected to it and my former colleagues. I observe the dying embers from away. I am sad for a business I loved and gave my entire adult life to – and it is near death – mostly from self inflicted wounds and selfish decision making.
A huge thank you to Joel and his team. Condolences too.
I go way back to the old R&R days and this is a tough blow.
Indeed it is, Phil. As an industry, we need to look for ways to stay in touch and social media isn’t going to get it down. The team at All Access was dedicated to reporting the goings-on of radio and the music industries. You can just feel the approaching silence.
Hit the nail right on the head Fred. An excellent but sad analysis.
Brent, I wish I didn’t have to write it. Thanks for the check in.
Joel Denver was thought to be crazy when he launched the first ever online trade publication. He built it into an amazing business. The changes in our industry, both music and radio, are at the root of this change. Joel’s faith & support in Music and Media has never lessened. I accidentally ran into a radio senior executive at an airport on Friday. He had not seen the news. I shared. His first response “How will I know what’s going on in the industry now?” That’s how many of us feel … that and sad.
Thanks for sharing this, Mike. That’s how I felt. The industry just lost its compass, its megaphone. It is truly a(nother) sad day.
A major loss to both radio and the music industry in my opinion. All Access has been a clearing house for professionals and people involved in both industries, and had far more influence than “influencers.” You’re right, however, that the corporate suites are far more interesting in extracting every possible dollar from existing audiences than they are building new or more diverse audiences. In the back room I’m sure that there are influences that see analog radio signals as archaic and a waste of bandwidth. They think that maybe if they have enough digital channels, they can make that bandwidth actually make money, but only if they don’t have to pay for content creation. In the meantime, the idea is to grab the cash and get out before the collapse of the industry as they know it. People in the industry, and companies like All Access that service the industry as we know it, are seen as costs, not assets, which creates an inevitable downward spiral.
Brian, your last line is spot on. As an industry, we have to think of our people as contributors, not expenses. Looking for any opportunity to RIF the staff only furthers the weakening of brands and the medium itself.
I was in shock on Friday when I saw the news. When AllAccess came on the scene, I was an early adopter. I love technology and the internet was just coming into its own. AllAccess was my “go to” for anything radio and music related, while my friends waited for the printed music weeklies arrived with late news.
I landed many a job because of it and found many amazing talent through it. It never failed that they would sing the praises of my station/cluster and personal successes in the headlines.
My favorite was when the numbers were released. Sure it was 12+ (or + in the PPM markets), but you got a great idea of what a market that you may have never been to could sound like. The station links allowed me to listen as a voyeur and helped to get format adjustment ideas…and again find amazing talent.
I can’t tell you how many times I would find new music through them and read the columns that allowed people to pontificate.
I will miss AllAccess, and mourn its loss to our industry. This was a labor of love for Joel. It brought radio together. I allowed us to see the good things we do in this industry. It also gave us a view a of the bad things as they happened, as well. There was no bias. It was what it was.
This just plain sucks. Thank you Fred for giving a Eulogy for this trusted source and advocate. I certainly hope that Joel is able to reinvent himself again and spread his passion for the Radio and music industry…just as he did when he went from R&R to building AllAccess. I, also hope, the AllAccess staff will carry on Joel’s vision in whatever they do next. Goodbye good friend. (Weird to say about a website, but it just shows that you should never take ANYTHING for granted)
As you pointed out, Steve, never assume that organizations and institutions will last forever. And thanks for adding to the All Access narrative.
Well said Fred. A heartfelt tribute that impressed me as if it were a eulogy. Weak operators plunging headlong into the latest cost saving fad continue to destroy careers and you are right about predicting there are more unsettling developments over the horizon.
Thank you to Joel Denver for his decades of service to the music and radio industries. All Access going dark leaves us with little access to know what may befall us in months and years to come!
Listening and viewing has gone in a million different directions. The shared experience that created Top 40 and AOR is no longer with us. You can see and hear the difference in the way news and information is disseminated. Mass audiences used to tune in nightly to three networks and get depth from daily newspapers. There was, at one time enough viewing capacity to include cable networks, but that is fading too.
As listeners customize their experiences with streaming and social media, the shared experience that leads to a consensus is disappearing.
I think your comment, Kim, really touches at the heart of the matter. We simply live in an age now where we can have all of our preferences custom tailored to us personally. That’s a good thing. But it comes with a price…especially to those whose existence depends on mass consumption. But what about “community”? Don’t we all need community? Yes, but the same technology that made it possible to personalize our preferences, also made it possible to connect with like-minded people anywhere in the world. We may connect and engage with people on the other side of the world, whose values and interests we share, more than our next door neighbor. And unfortunately for the local radio station, whether those people in our new, “worldwide community” number 10 or 10,000, none of them outside my physical community will show up in their ratings books. I’m not suggesting we give up. We should keep swinging as long as we can. You never know when that “next big thing no one saw coming” is going to show up. And you’re certainly not going to be part of it if you turn out the lights and go home. But in the end, as you said, the consensus is the consensus is disappearing.
Fred you nailed it, A hole absolutely!! All Access was always in a tab in my browser, News, Music, Charts, Jobs….man….a very sad day. Like everyone else in the industry I was in shock on Friday, I feel like I lost a friend. Joel and your staff thank you doesn’t cover it, but I will say it Thank You for everything and congratulations on an amazing 28 year run.
Extremely well written Fred. A wonderful tribute to a great man and a great publication. You hit the nail right on the head with this post. Especially the part about rationalizing our own demise. For the past 20 years I’ve started every morning reading 2 things, your blog and allaccess.com. I was an advertiser on All Access for many years because it’s the best. And as a radio guy, there’s no better thrill than seeing your name on All Access. It’s heartbreaking to see it come to an end. I want Joel to know how much he is appreciated and how brought joy to the lives of so many radio guys like me.
I thought somebody spiked my drink when I first saw the news on Friday. This is an incredible loss for the radio and record communities. All Access will be greatly missed.
I quite literally do not know what we are going to do without All Access. While blogs like yours, Fred, are great insight on whatever the topic du jour is (because you know how to blog properly!) Joel did indeed, as you and many of the commenters said, bridge the gap between the two interrelated industries. I mean, what else would you expect from him after his years at R&R? And — again, as you pointed out — he was magnanimous in his approach, covering both industries, across all genres and formats. I think he was the only site that reported my flagship station KRKE added a second edition of our New Wave-focused “Flashback Weekend” program each week … did Radio Ink or Inside Radio? Nope.
Personally, even though a lot of the content was not relevant to what I am doing here, I did often read items that caught my eye, about some station in a market I normally wouldn’t pay attention to, doing a promotion that sounded interesting and which I thought might be tweakable and replicateable. WHERE THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO FIND IDEAS LIKE THOSE NOW?
As you said in your blog, Fred, there was nothing online like AA when Joel launched it, and its demise means that there probably never will again, because just like radio when a format becomes less viable in a market and the plug is pulled, you can bet no one is going to try it again. (Possibly for good reason … remember when CBS tried to resurrect the “mellow rock” KNX-FM format in 1986?)
I don’t want my comment to end up longer than the blog, so I think I will stop here. But I would like to dedicate a song to Joel before I go:
“All I Need Is A Miracle” by Mike + the Mechanics.
And I pray that one happens.
Something I forgot to say that I should have above:
I have lost count of the number of times that I referred stations to a programmer or air talent when my own experience and ability wasn’t a good fit … to someone I first read about on AA.
To paraphrase myself: WHERE THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO FIND THOSE PEOPLE NOW?
Great read Fred. Just heartbreaking news about All Access. Joel and his team were one of my wingmen through my career just like you and Jacobs media.
It truly is a “look in the mirror” moment for Radio right now!
Sad to hear. All Access was a way to stay connected to the business I loved so much. I’m honored that Joel noted my retirement since the company I worked for had a “policy” against press releases for such things. Sad loss for radio.
I’m very bummed that they are goin down. It’s an incredible loss to those looking for radio jobs and better situations elsewhere. BUT, the website was not user-friendly and the App is hot garbage. The mobile browser site is even worse. The social media was greatly lacking. Huh. This just sounds like me whining about a radio station. So I guess we should see it as the harbinger of the end of the medium. I visited the site usually twice a week. I am sad to see it go. It IS a loss. But the user experience was geared to a population that rivals that of the dinosaurs.
Peter, there are always lots of ways to look at assets. Let me put it this way I know of brands and platforms with stellar UXs, but their content is utter crap.
I’m tired of starting my responses with “Damn!”…but…here we go again and in a most telling manner and, hitting the nail on the head as you do…this is Cassandra talking to the citizens of Troy.,,,heads up. I’ve already commented on Seth’s post and sincerely but sadly echo yours. Joel and all the folks and services of All Access will be missed. Hopefully we can find a path that leads us to positivity for this game we all love so much…will keep working towards that…
Well said Fred…. if anything, once this news settles in and we are able to fully grasp and comprehend the news about Joel and his team at All Access, it’s important to note that the very people who benefited the most (the major record labels) are likely the reason this happened. Not to point fingers, we’re just in a very tough time where the business of radio AND records are not advancing or monetizing in the way we once knew. Are those days over? Maybe, and if so, it only means more consolidation, transformation, and reinvention for the NEXT ‘ALL ACCESS’. If you remember, it was shortly after the demise of The Gavin Report, Hitmakers, Network 40/Album Network, FMQB and Radio and Records that All Access was born from the new digital age… let’s hope that after taking some well deserved time off, Joel and Kym reinvent themselves one more time and continue their vision for the future of the music and radio business, God bless Joel.
Greg, your comment causes me to send a special dedication of Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi” to all of those music execs who will eventually wake up and realize how important AA was to the promotion of their artists.
But by the time they do, it will be too late. Hence my choice of dedications.
In the late 80’s we used to broadcast Joel Denver’s ‘Future Hits’ program on Veracruz Estéreo, Medellín, Colombia.
I liked his fast and concise way of presenting the songs and all the information he delivered in such a short time.
I learned a lot about music at that time thanks to him, but above all I learned from him the techniques of voice management and presentation, especially since I translated into Spanish what he said. In this way I discovered some of his secrets and assimilated his style in an easier way.
As soon as I found out that he had opened his Allaccess.com portal, I signed up, and it was a constant source of information for me, both because of its columnists and for information on music and the world of radio. I could watch radio ratings in the different cities and learn from the great people who wrote their blogs there, one of my favorites being the Research Dr. (Roger Wimmer)
Thank you Joel. Its a big lost. I’ll be very aware of your next ‘future hits’!
Fred, your words about Joel and All Access are great. It’s true that “nothing lasts forever,” as you mentioned. Music has gone through various fads over the decades, but technology and exposure to different genres have shattered those trends, except for Taylor Swift. The collective experience we had may never return. Icons like Sinatra, Bill Haley, Elvis, Beatles, Eagles, and Springsteen won’t save the music industry like before. It’s sad that All Access is going away, and someday, even Fred, Paul, and Seth’s daily blogs might end. Let’s learn to appreciate what we have now because, as you rightly said, “nothing lasts forever”—except, perhaps, Taylor Swift.
In Taylor we trust. Thanks for the encouraging words, Dave.
Not much I can add to what others have already said. Probably looked at allaccess 10-20 x’s a week in my long career. I’ve gotten jobs and clients. I’ve moved across the country for jobs that I found on allaccess. Safe to say my life has changed dramatically because of this publication. And Joel and Perry have always been big fans of our work. And I, of theirs. So totally bummed out about this! I wish them only the best in whatever the future holds. Hopefully some bright-eyed youngster will see fit to take the reins. Until then carryon!
Lesley, coming up on one week later, the industry is still reeling from this news. We will miss All Access.
I have been out of the industry since around 2015. Life is and will never be the same. We had some great times in that business. I am now in marketing and buy media and when I was looking to buy audio/streaming in the last six months, I was told by a Top 20 Market AE that radio is just an “add on” now to digital. That sealed it for me that it’s over. It’s hard to let go and I don’t think I ever will be able to. I love podcasts but it’s just not the same.
As far as All Access goes. This is a tough one. There was no better crew and place to go find what you needed in one place. Kudos to Joel for hanging in as long as he could.
JT, you speak for a lot of people who left radio in recent years, disappointed with where the industry has gravitated. Thanks for the comment, and yes, we’ll miss All Access.