iHeart Layoffs

[Gogar]

This is kinda interesting but not really a surprise. Affecting a lot of folks I know this week!

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/general/iheartmedia-begins-fresh-round-of-layoffs-in-radio-business/ar-AA26osau


It got me to thinking about -

What if these DJs in their contracts had a T&C section about how their words spoken over the airwaves were the property of iHeart Media and as such the company collected their words and created a language model and AI "virtual DJ" based on the voice characteristics of their past DJs?

Sure, maybe the contracts had a NIL agreement but at that point would they just bank on the definitions of "Image" and "Likeness" and try to hum-haw around it?


The public would neither care nor remember after about 6 months, IMO.



Too much coffee today

[911 Rod]

I thought iHeart radio was just regular radio stations available on the internet?
I didn't realize they had their own DJ's spinning tunes.

[Zeke]

Quoted from the link:
"...while leveraging technology to deliver stronger products for listeners and advertisers.

The executives acknowledged that some positions are being eliminated as part of the transition, while new roles would be created to support future business needs."

If that doesn't say AI IDK what does. Just more doublespeak.

[Gogar]

iHeart Media is a broadcasting company that owns right around 900 radio stations in the USA. the largest single collection of radio stations in the country. in Denver alone iHeart owns 56 radio stations.

If you use the iHeart app or site on your intereweb machine you're listening to an iHeart station. Or if your favorite isn't there it's not likely owned by iHeart.

IHeart is also "Clear Channel", which is a seperate component of the business that owns a lot of outdoor advertising, billboards, etc. you will often see a Clear Channel logo on the botom of a billboard.

Anyway, lots of layoffs this week at all those radio stations, including a ton of popular DJs.

They already gutted the rest of the staff quite a few times. The iHeart building here used to have hundreds of people in it and now it's basically empty and there's a few people trying to do 8 jobs each and a few more people in the ad sales dept. And a guy to fix all the computers.

[LWJ]

I just did a little reading on Iheart Media. LBO. Bankrupt in 2017. Not super solid over time. Too much debt?

[Gogar]

It's OTA radio. They're selling toilet paper in a japanese-toilet economy. Not so much like they've acquired any debt but more that it's bleeding out.

[911 Rod]

Corus Entertainment (Owned by Shaw company) owns most of the radio stations around here and they are on iHeart radio. So iHeart does not own all the stations it broadcasts.

[Gogar]

Originally Posted by 911 Rod

Corus Entertainment (Owned by Shaw company) owns most of the radio stations around here and they are on iHeart radio. So iHeart does not own all the stations it broadcasts.

Ok cool thanks for the correction!

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Gogar

This is kinda interesting but not really a surprise. Affecting a lot of folks I know this week!

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/general/iheartmedia-begins-fresh-round-of-layoffs-in-radio-business/ar-AA26osau


It got me to thinking about -

What if these DJs in their contracts had a T&C section about how their words spoken over the airwaves were the property of iHeart Media and as such the company collected their words and created a language model and AI "virtual DJ" based on the voice characteristics of their past DJs?

Sure, maybe the contracts had a NIL agreement but at that point would they just bank on the definitions of "Image" and "Likeness" and try to hum-haw around it?


The public would neither care nor remember after about 6 months, IMO.



Too much coffee today

Interesting thought. I believe I've seen an article about Denmark creating a law that said that every citizen owns a copyright of their own likeness and voice, but of course, that won't do squat for folks in the US. But I think it's a cool move. Law is, I suspect WAY behind on the AI thing, and I suspect over the next 5-10 years A LOT of stuff will come up in court.

I've previously read about Spotify having/playing AI generated music. I have had a pandora account for years and listen on my commute and while at work. One of my channels got a new "band" that started showing up. The music wasn't bad. But it seemed "off" somehow. I did a little research and determined that it was AI generated. So I gave it the old thumbs down. I don't want to support AI generated art.

[wilnj]

Originally Posted by masraum

I've previously read about Spotify having/playing AI generated music. I have had a pandora account for years and listen on my commute and while at work. One of my channels got a new "band" that started showing up. The music wasn't bad. But it seemed "off" somehow. I did a little research and determined that it was AI generated. So I gave it the old thumbs down. I don't want to support AI generated art.

Yes, very frustrating when a new playlist is suggested based on something I’ve listened to. After a couple tracks, I realize it’s songs and bands I’ve never heard of because they’re not real. They just fit the vibe of the recognizable music.

[JavaBrewer]

I stopped listening to OTA since Covid and have moved to Apple music over bluetooth in my vehicle.

[GH85Carrera]

I gave up on all radio years ago. I don't need a DJ to tell me the song coming up next, and endless commercials.

I listen to Pandora at home on my computer, and even in my car on a recent 3,800 mile round trip. I have my collection of 150 CDs ripped to MP3 at minimum compression on thumb drives so I can listen to them whenever.

I guess none of that is news, but there is very little news that is not slanted a lot. I don't care to listen to other people chat. I tried iHeart radio once, and deleted that app within minutes.

[Randolph]

It will be 2+ months until we see if AI has affected college graduate employment. I think it would be interesting to see jobs by major taking into account further education like bio majors moving on to med school instead of a job.

Also extreme granularity, which grads got jobs and kept them for 6 months, 1 year before being let go vs stay vs promotion

[rcooled]

Originally Posted by masraum

I've previously read about Spotify having/playing AI generated music.

I recently read about some enterprising guy who created a song track with ai and then had a distributor upload it to Spotify. He then created an army of bots to stream the song continuously and get him some serious royalties. The scam was eventually uncovered and the guy was busted. Don't remember any more details than that...

[masraum]

Originally Posted by rcooled

I recently read about some enterprising guy who created a song track with ai and then had a distributor upload it to Spotify. He then created an army of bots to stream the song continuously and get him some serious royalties. The scam was eventually uncovered and the guy was busted. Don't remember any more details than that...

Yep, that was posted about here a while back.
< edit >
LOL! Apparently, I posted about it here (although there weren't many responses).
https://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/1188691-use-ai-create-songs-use-bots-stream-songs-make-millions.html
< /edit >

[craigster59]

Saw this posted today....

[onewhippedpuppy]

Think people lamented being laid off by the telegraph company when the telephone was invented?

I honestly can’t recall the last time I turned on the radio.

[JavaBrewer]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

Think people lamented being laid off by the telegraph company when the telephone was invented?

I honestly can’t recall the last time I turned on the radio.

Most of the radio stations here in San Diego play a limited play list. I have a 12 minute commute to work and guarantee I will hear the same 5 songs. So as I said I am on apple music, channels or a random playlist I created. I have a “ride all day” playlist downloaded to me phone when on the MC, 250 songs or so.

[JavaBrewer]

Originally Posted by JavaBrewer

Most of the radio stations here in San Diego play a limited play list. I have a 12 minute commute to work and guarantee I will hear the same 5 songs. So as I said I am on apple music, channels or a random playlist I created. I have a “ride all day” playlist downloaded to me phone when on the MC, 250 songs or so.

I have zero time for a radio DJ

[masraum]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

Think people lamented being laid off by the telegraph company when the telephone was invented?

I honestly can’t recall the last time I turned on the radio.

I haven’t listened to the radio in nearly 15 years unless I had no other alternative. And in most of the cases where I turned it on, I turned it back off and chose silence as the better alternative.