November 7, 2002

Good news for fans of WRIF-FM's (101.1) Drew & (the ailing) Mike and the edgy talkers at WKRK-FM (97.1); bad news for the concept of good taste.

A new poll subsidized in part by Detroit-based rock radio consultant Jacobs Media showed an overwhelming majority of rock radio listeners believe that radio personalities should be able to say whatever they please and that if people don't want to listen, they can change stations.

So there.

But consider the source: Jacobs and Edison Media Research garnered more than 7,300 responses from visitors to more than 20 Web sites of rock radio stations -- most of them Jacobs clients -- from Oct. 14-22. While Edison said it attempted to eliminate bloc or repetitive voting in the poll, the poll was the choir preaching to the ministers of fantasy, so to speak.

Recent incidents in the past few months have turned up the spotlight. Most notable: New York personalities Opie & Anthony's cancellation over their St. Patrick's Cathedral sex stunt.

"Both the FCC and advertisers tend to make decisions regarding acceptable content in a vacuum," argued Jacobs chief Fred Jacobs.

"We aren't attempting to define what's right or wrong in this study," said Edison Media Research President Larry Rosin. "This study is important because it gives voice to the listening audience."

A summary: Listeners to rock stations espoused a libertarian approach to radio; that shock radio is no more "dirty and explicit" than TV and that 84 percent of respondents stated they are rarely or never offended by pictures of naked women on rock radio station Web sites.