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I was at the gym this morning getting a workout on the bicycle. I plugged in my headphones to listen to one of the five television channels available to those in the facility. My choices were a Wall Street news show, the Golf Channel, the Today Show, a country music video channel, and an investment program. What? No ESPN?! Unbelievable! I was too busy peddling to ask the staff to change one of the channels, plus I figured I needed to catch up on my music videos. The decision was made.
While on the stationary bike I saw five videos amongst promos and advertising. All currents and all on the charts at the moment (one may be considered a recurrent). As a fan of music and a radio listener I was incredibly disappointed. Besides each video bringing an element of over dramatization, the songs were below average radio fodder. Each single was from a major label, around mid-tempo, had unoriginal lyrics, overdone themes, and predictable melody. They also had a nice hooks in the chorus and that’s all that really matters because they probably are testing well for radio stations. The lowest common denominator typically wins and real music lovers lose because Nashville will continue to release the songs that they think will test well for radio stations across the board. And then the time will come when radio will say, “Why isn’t Nashville sending us anything extraordinary?” The industry cycle feeds itself.
What happened to edgy? What’s wrong with passion and polarizing? When did going with your gut become so passe’? Taking a chance…..what’s that? Seems like there is less and less of that going on every day for a number of reasons.
Don’t get me wrong, there is still amazing music being released from an array of strong artists by labels. We are also fortunate to have the star power of Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, George Strait, Keith Urban, Darius Rucker, and Kenny Chesney among others. Still, a substantial amount of singles are background music designed to do exactly what radio needs them to do. Be unstylish, non-offending wallpaper. Don’t turn that dial! TSL! PPM! Familiarity! It’s okay if they all sound the same.
Take the new single from Radney Foster for example. Think it’s too out of center? Maybe, but that is exactly where our format gets its energy and relevancy from. Or what about the songs and artists that are “too country”? The heck you say! Perhaps out of center the other direction, but they are the foundation and lifeblood of our format. So thanks to Lee Ann Womack and those like her.
It’s always frustrating to know that the majority of listeners will never hear ground-breaking, original, and beautiful music that is being written, performed, and recorded by immensely talented artists. Unless of course they go to one of the numerous online options that offer discovery and personal playlists. There are, thankfully, exceptions in the radio world who push the musical envelope and you stations know who you are.
I realize this is a battle that has been going on for a long time and will continue to be fought and discussed. Like the exercise bike I ride that doesn’t go anywhere. It does grow tiring to be sure and everyone has an entitled opinion, but at the end of this day I’ll take exceptional music over mass mediocrity any day.
My friend and writer extraordinaire Ken Tucker has a blog. It’s one of my favorites, so you should check it out. About a month ago he posted this piece on the deconstruction of local radio and the move toward a national format.
I don’t know why I’m surprised, but I am, at least to some extent. None of the radio industry trades have offered any analysis of yesterday’s announcements by Clear Channel regarding “Premium Choice” programming (sounds like a satellite television menu offering) and increased attention to localism. Each and everyone of them pretty much reprinted the Clear Channel press releases intact.
I take that back. Tom Taylor on Radio-Info.com does seem to view the proceedings with more than a little skepticism. “Now it’s up to the local PDs (says Clear Channel) to select ‘large portions, single pieces or none of the offered programming’,” Taylor writes. “But if a particular daypart hasn’t measured up lately – do you really think the option would be ‘none’?”
The gist of the story is this: local programmers can select from a menu of “premium choice” programming options to fill their local line-up. Morning guy not working out? Plug in Ryan Seacrest. Afternoon guy’s ratings starting to fade? Plug in Seacrest (his show apparently fits almost anywhere).
Now, I’m not a Clear Channel hater. I never have been. I have friends that work for the company and there are things I admire about it. These initiatives are not among them.
Call me old fashioned and out of touch, but when I was a teen I remember driving with a group of friends to downtown Cleveland to see the Sunday night jock on WGCL (G98) do his show through a window that faced the street. He wasn’t particularly friendly, but he was there.
I also remember calling in a request to Dancin’ Danny Wright, the morning man on that same station, and then listening for him to play it back on-air.
Not any more.
These days the country station in Cleveland, WGAR, only has two local dayparts, mornings and afternoons. Middays and nights are voice tracked out of Baltimore and overnights are syndicated. Cleveland, Ohio. Not Cleveland, Tenn.
CC is also increasing the number of PSAs stations do and making it easier for local officials to reach station management. Go figure.
Dan Miller, a longtime local television anchor here in Nashville, recently died suddenly. Thousands of viewers in the area are still mourning his loss because they saw him as a trusted friend—someone who came into their house every night. Competing stations ran stories about him, and two of those stations even covered news and answered the phones at his former station while his colleagues attended his funeral.
That’s localism. A couple more PSAs on a radio station with a few, if any, local talent is not the same thing.
I just don’t get how radio station owners can continue to fight calls for localism regulation from Capitol Hill and turn stations into satellite operations.
Gerry House on WSIX has built a large and loyal following and when the day comes that he dies (hopefully no time soon), he will be remembered in the same way as Miller: a trusted friend who was a part of our lives.Then what? The country version of Seacrest syndicated from Tampa or somewhere else?
It won’t be the same.
“PLAIN SPEAK”: A blog that aims to communicate without trying to impress. Risible, egregious, pedantic, hubris, multifarious? You won’t find those words here, unless they’re used in jest. Never use a five dollar word when a fifty-cent word will do the job.
Following is an example of one of the many ways Compassion International partners with radio and artists to help the most impoverished children and families around the world:
Nearly 1,000 Radio Stations Across the Country Join Forces with Compassion International in an Effort to Stamp Out Hunger Among the World’s Poorest
News of an economy in crisis did not stop tens of thousands of Americans from generously responding on March 11 to appeals from Compassion International and nearly 1,000 radio stations asking for help to feed the world’s poorest families during the Global Food Crisis.
From California to New York, radio stations flooded the air waves, designated as Global Food Crisis Awareness Day by Compassion, with one simple message: “Thousands of children are dying needlessly of hunger every day, and you can do something about it.” Some 27,000 listeners responded by giving $3.1 million-far exceeding the original goal of $1 million. Some highlights of the day include the following:
- The Fish (Salem Broadcasting) in Nashville featured Point of Grace on air talking about the Global Food Crisis and asking listeners to help.
- A listener going through tough times shared that he is on food stamps. Then through tears, talked about how hearing what millions of hungry people are going through opened his eyes to how much he has. He pledged to donate half of his recent twenty-five dollar raise to help feed a child.
- A listener from Missouri called to say she wanted to share a portion of a settlement she received and pledged $60,000 to help the kids affected by the Global Food Crisis.
- A deli owner pledged to donate 100% of all cash profits on March 11.
“The way in which these stations and their supporters have answered the call to care for the poor is overwhelming,” said Wess Stafford, president and CEO of Compassion International. “They have demonstrated the true meaning of the word compassion.”
Global Facts
* One person in seven goes to bed hungry every day.
* One-third of the world’s population is undernourished.
* There are 25,000 starvation-related deaths each day.
* Each night more than 300 million children go to bed hungry.
* Every day, over 12,000 children (one every 7 seconds) die from hunger-related causes.
* Approximately 146 million or 27 percent of children under age 5 in developing countries are underweight.
* Nearly 17 percent of babies in developing countries are born with a low birth weight compared with only 7 percent of babies in industrialized countries.
* More than 4.4 million children die from malnutrition each year.
* Worldwide, 161 million preschool children suffer chronic malnutrition.
Sources: www.one.org, www.bread.org, www.unicef.org, www.who.int, www.unep.org
The 40th Country Radio Seminar started off in encouraging style with Seth Godin giving an intelligent and rousing keynote. He knows his stuff when it comes to the music and radio industries and he certainly knows how to engage in discussion about the future. Mr. Godin also has a keen skill of inciting vision in those who wish to move from the broken model and into the new world. A brilliant move by the CRS agenda committee to bring him in.
I was hopeful that spirit would continue on into the panels, but unfortunately what I witnessed only took us down familiar traveled roads and led us to a big “You are here” arrow. During the three days of CRS I heard very little discussion and insight about preparing for the changes in the years to come. Part of the problem is no one really knows what is ahead, but at least we should be having conversations about the opportunities within new creative business models. Instead I sensed just a reactionary tone.
For instance, in listening to one particular panel where the guests were talking about how 85% of country retail sales come from the big boxes like Wal-Mart, Best Buy, etc. and how labels and distributors are handling the ever shrinking floor and stock space at these retailers. Yes, these giants have been critical to our past success and are obviously important to our current victories, but what about five years from now? We are still living in a Wal-Mart dominated world, but what happens if Wal-Mart continues to shrink the new music space and only increase catalog? What if Wal-Mart decides they will only carry the Top 20 or 30 selling acts? What if they ultimately conclude that selling CD’s is not part of their plan any longer because they just aren’t that profitable for the space they take up?
What I really wanted to hear was a plan that does not involve CD’s, does not include Wal-Mart or Best Buy, and embraces new technology and innovative marketing. A redefinition of our industry. The same strategic thinking that Mr. Godin touched on in his keynote. Though there were good panels, I wasn’t hearing anything remotely inspiring for the future.
Some within the music industry have made strides in getting up to speed with changes and technology, but we are still only making adjustments to what is happening to us at the moment. We are not leading the way in engaging where the consumer is going and what they will want down the road. That’s what got us in trouble to begin with.
Overall I love Country Radio Seminar. Walking around seeing old friends and making new ones. Having discussions with remarkable individuals who I can learn a great deal from. Talking with people about the partnership opportunities with Compassion International and finding them excited about the possibilities. Checking out amazing artists and songwriters. It’s a great time. I simply expected more focus and vision for the future than what I encountered.
I’m hopeful things will move in the right direction with CRS, but currently the best place to engage the new world is at the Leadership Music Digital Summit being held in Nashville at the end of March. There’s no Bridge Bar, no fans clamoring in the lobby, no free shows, no dinners at The Palm, and no labels dividing up the troops. Yes, not as much fun, but a whole lot more relevant and affordable.
I would like to be relevant in the years ahead, how about you?
Here are the Academy of Country Music Radio Winners that were announced today:
National On-Air Personality:Lon Helton, CMT Country Countdown USA
Major Market Personality: Dorsey Gang, KSCS/Dallas
Large Market Personality: JD Cannon, WFMS/Indianapolis
Medium Market Personality: Andy Ritchie, Alison West and Jimmy Holt, WIVK/Knoxville
Small Market Personality: Brent Lane and Dana Cervantes, WYCT/Pensacola, FL
Major Market Station: WSOC/Charlotte
Large Market Station: WSIX/Nashville
Medium Market Station: WIVK/Knoxville
Small Market Station: WYCT/Pensacola, FL
The ACM’s will take place on Sunday April 5th in Las Vegas. Congratulations to the radio winners and all the nominees.
The worst kept secret in the radio and record industry came to pass as Clear Channel let go of 1850 employees. I actually thought there might be a slight chance the CC brass wouldn’t do it on the same day as the inauguration as rumored, but they indeed did. The only reason anyone can think of for picking that particular date is that it wouldn’t make much noise on the mainstream news. You must figure they didn’t want bad press for firing 9% of their employees. I find irony in it happening on inauguration day since it is exactly the sort of thing politicians do in Washington. Wait for a big event, put on a parade, strike up the band, and divert the public attention away from the shifty and questionable moves being made.
I wish all of the Clear Channel casualties the best as they look to the future. It is never easy to lose a job, trust me, but invariably it works out for the best. For some of you it will be a prime opportunity to escape the trappings of radio and for others it will only inspire you further to get back in the game. Whatever your decision or calling, our thoughts and prayers are extended to you.
Onward and Upward.
The music industry goes quiet for a couple of weeks. Other than Christmas tours, there isn’t much happening on the road. Radio is in Christmas music gear and as a result label radio promotion and marketing slows. Record companies are obviously hoping for a Christmas sales miracle.
Even as recent as today there are labels closing, people getting let go from their jobs, and rumors of a massive layoff at radio. Merry Christmas everyone! Keep them all in your thoughts and prayers if you are one of the fortunate.
2008 was a tough year for both the radio and music industries. It doesn’t look much better for the beginning stages of 2009. What I’m afraid of is radio groups and record labels being short sighted as they attempt to stop the bleeding and find a quick fix for the fallout. Sadly, a quick fix is the worst thing they could possibly do.
Despite the tough economy and declining revenue, there is still hope through vision and innovation. We must all look at the larger picture and embrace the opportunities that are available to revolutionize our business models. Instead of getting out of the foxhole and attacking, I see retreat. I see companies running away and ignoring the fight that must be waged. Doing nothing, and more importantly, doing the absolute wrong thing will bring defeat and set us back for what could be an unattainable resurgence.
In 2009 will radio get more local? Will they embrace new forms of original on demand content? Will they find a creatively new way to bring in advertisers and revenue? Will they set themselves apart and distinct from other forms of entertainment and media?
Will the music industry find more creative and intelligent ways to utilize technology? Will they adjust their business model to better reflect what is happening in the culture and marketplace? Will labels still be at the mercy of big box retail?
It may be another rough year ahead, but it can be salvaged. People will always want their music, personalities, and entertainment. Our job is to find out what they want and how they want it……and bring it to them on their terms.
Will 2009 be the year radio and records start becoming completely irrelevant or will it be an industry that will reinvent itself afresh?
Radio’s Digital Blue Ocean
Why radio needs to move away from the red ocean and into the deep blue seas…
by Daniel Anstandig
Future success can be accomplished with a new way of thinking and an adjustment to radio’s business model. The most arduous obstacle between our current status and future success is our thinking. Changing philosophies is difficult, and our industry is still clearly mired in legacy systems.
Nearly forty weeks of my year are spent visiting radio stations around the world working on digital strategies. We work on multi-platform strategies (on-air, online, mobile) and training/education of programming, promotions, and sales departments.
As our team enters the walls of different radio stations around the world, we find one commonality: The most progressive and successful radio executives are clear that radio’s business model is perfectly constructed to achieve its current results. In other words, the declining results are consequent of a deteriorating business model, and they’re finding new ways to accomplish their goals.
In other words, “If the business model isn’t working, try smarter.” Look for ways to expand your business beyond the product offerings and customer base it serves today.
For more on Radio’s Digital Blue Ocean, visit: http://www.mcvaynewmedia.com/feature/features-archive/radios-digital-blue-ocean/
WHAT ARE YOU FAMOUS FOR? by Joel Burke
I was digging threw some boxes and came across a couple of school yearbooks. It was an unexpected trip down memory lane. It was a one-way trip back in time to experiences that are now just a distant memory.
As I flipped through those countless pages of classmate mug shots, some pictures seemed to just jump off the page.
Even though all of the pictures are the exact same size, certain classmate photos just seemed to be larger thanks to what I remembered them for.
The picture of one person was of a natural athlete yet never put forth the effort. He later ended up in prison for armed robbery. Another picture told a sad of story of girl, who was killed in a car accident just two weeks before graduation. The song by Kenny Chesney comes to mind- “Who’d You Be Today.”
As I continue to flip through pages, there were plenty of familiar faces yet I couldn’t remember anything about them. They weren’t famous or even infamous. In fact, I doubt I could even remember their names if it wasn’t listed.
It got to me wonder what am I famous for? What do people remember about me in the past, the present and how do I want to be remembered in the future? There’s not much I can do to repair the past, but there is something significant I can do about the present and future.
If all I’m known now for is awards, the truck I drive, the house I own and my job title, then I’m truly haven’t lived up to what I should be. If that’s all I’m known for, then I have lived a life of vanity. It’s a decision of living a life of vanity or a life of value.
It’s been said, “People will not remember what you said, but how we made them feel.” Reflect on the people you came in contact with today. How did you make them feel? Will those feelings be of someone who had their spirits lifted or just another grumpy person they would like to forget?
If I were to ask 10 people who have known you very well for at least three years, how would they describe you in two sentences? Would their answer be something about how you made a positive difference in their lives? If not, it might be time to get an attitude adjustment.
If you are radio personality, what would your listeners say about you in one sentence? If your audience can’t describe you in one sentence, then you have your work cut out for you or you might just be looking for work sometime soon! What unique quality do you bring to your show that separates you from the rest of the countless pictures?
All of us can be famous! The question is, what have you done with your life to this point to define your fame? I’m not talking about being a celebrity who is on TMZ.com everyday. Rather, it’s about being known for something that truly matters now and in the future.
Joel Burke is PD of multi-award winning country radio station KYGO in Denver.
Inside Music Media thinks HD is making its last stand on the radio frontier. Here are the reasons:
1. New People Meter numbers for the first few PPM markets (or soon to be markets) show that HD listening did not meet the minimum reporting requirements. Say what? HD has been around in one phase or the other for decades. And still, no one listens.
2. No one listens because no one wants to spend any money at all to own a radio – especially a radio that doesn’t come as standard equipment in a car. Duh! And once enough cars have them STILL nobody will want to listen to HD.
3. Group operators don’t even want to invest in special HD programming – you know, the kind that might make someone, say – buy a new radio. That speaks volumes for HD. The listeners don’t want it. The stations don’t want to program them. Poor General Struble – he’s the only one ready to fight to the finish.
4. HD is the waste can on the radio industry. Owners dropping formats have been known to send the formats they were dropping into the HD dumpster where their fans could not listen. Some also made the dropped format an Internet stream. Just brilliant. The Internet is the place for radio’s “A” material – not the ceremonial burial grounds for discarded radio formats.
5. Last week, even NPR affiliate WGCU in Naples, FL decided to drop classical music. Oh, no – they didn’t really kill it off. They did worse. They sent it to HD Siberia where their fans can’t hear it unless they want to buy an HD radio – and we’ve already covered that unlikely prospect. Radio should be ashamed of itself, anyway. You’d think you’d have one of every format in every market – and a damn good version of each format as well. Sorry if classical isn’t hip-hop but can you see why satellite has the edge here and why WiFi streaming is going to kill radio.
6. Sooner or later the HD radio proponents are going to run out of money. You can’t keep getting funding forever with promises and no results.
Read the entire article HERE.
Seth Godin gives some interesting and relevant insights and makes a good case for getting back to personalized authenticity…….
Organizations will work tirelessly to de-personalize every communication medium they encounter.
Radio ads used to be live, personal and spoken by an individual.
TV ads used to feature actual people, demonstrating something, usually live.
Phone calls involved a live speaker, talking, with permission, to another person.
Email used to be honest interactions between consenting adults.
Facebook pages (and Wikipedia, too) were built by people, not staffs.
Twits came from real people, and so did instant messages.
One by one, the mass marketers have insisted on robocalling, spamming, jingling and lying their way into our lives. The pronoun morphs from “you” to “me” to “us” to “the corporation” …
The public works tirelessly to flee to actual interactions between real people, and our organizations work even more diligently (and with more leverage) to corporatize and anonymize the interactions.
The irony, of course, is that an organization with guts can go in the opposite direction and win.
FRANK EDWARDS
PD Clear Channel KRYS/Corpus Christi
Previous Stations & Positions:
KTAI / Texas A&M-Kingsville (college radio station)
KNGV / Kingsville (Friday football board op / Sunday morning board op)
KOUL / Corpus Christi (started as weekend guy, then night guy, then APD/MD and
afternoons)
KKCN / San Angelo (Program Director / Afternoons)
KRYS / Corpus Christi (started as night guy/promotions, then PD/mornings, now
PD/Afternoon guy)
KKTX / Corpus Christi (added duties as PD of our News/Talk station in 2007)
Years in the biz: 12
Marital Status: Yep…Christina and I have been hitched for 8 ½ yrs
Kids? 1 daughter, Leighann who is 3
What is your favorite thing about Corpus? I’m 20 minutes from fishing and 90 minutes from hunting. It’s also the home and HQ of the world-famous Whataburger and of some of the best Mexican food and seafood in the world. This is home.
What are the unique challenges of programming in the Corpus Christi market? I think we face the same challenges that other stations face. We have 2 other country stations in the market. We also have a very small staff. The challenge is making sure that we are doing the best we can. I can’t change the amount of marketing money we get or our budget, but we can work together and work smarter to accomplish our goals.
How did the radio bug bite you? My mom showed me my birth announcement a while back and there was a microphone and a pair of headphones on the cover. I have wanted to do what I’m doing my whole life, but I really got interested in high school. When I was a senior, Bill Cody (now at WSM, then at KKYX/San Antonio) came to speak at a Soil & Water Conservation Association banquet in my hometown. I cornered him for about 45 minutes after it was over to talk about radio and that was the night I really knew what I wanted to do.
Are you currently utilizing, or planning to utilize: podcasts, video, texting or other digital technology in your programming and promotions? If so, in what way? Nah…it’s a passing fad. I don’t think any of it will catch on. Seriously, I podcast just about every artist interview I do. We also started a NASCAR podcast last year, and people actually listen to it. All of us have some kind of recorder to get either video or audio. It is an essential part of what we do now.
What is the most critical problem radio faces today? We need to train the next generation of broadcasters. I spoke to a college class a few months ago, and I asked the class of 25 how many of them listened to radio, and 4 raised their hand. The rest had MP3 players, satellite radio, or they recorded their own music. Sad thing was it was a radio broadcasting class. There are aspiring broadcasters out there today, but no place for them to ‘cut their teeth.’ I think I was a part of the last generation that could work overnight on the weekends. That opportunity just doesn’t exist anymore. We have to utilize internships, and recruit and train talent.
What can record labels and artists do to better serve you and your station? Come take me to lunch. Actually, I’m very thankful for all of the support from our friends at the labels. They have a tough job, and I respect what they do.
Who has had the most influence on you in your career thus far? Why? My current GM, John Richards. He’s a former country PD, and he’s a great teacher. I’ve learned more in the last couple of years from him than I have in all of my previous years. And he was also kind enough to let me add the PD duties at our news/talk station about a year ago, which has really forced me to learn to manage my time and to delegate.
What are your favorite magazines, web sites, and blogs?
Magazines: Texas Trophy Hunters, Backpacker, Readers Digest
Web sites: K99Country.com, Drudge Report, Yahoo! Buzz
Blogs: Mike Severson’s blog of course, The 9513 is good, penaddiction.blogspot.com
How do you discover new music? Play MPE emails that we get, listening to full CD’s when they come in, occasionally returning a record rep’s call, and requests from listeners.
Do you ever play local or regional country acts? If so, do you have a success story? Yes. We do a feature called the ‘Texas Spotlight’ every day a 6pm and play a song from a Texas artist. We also do a 2-hour show on Saturday nights called ‘The Texas State Line’ featuring Texas, regional, and local artists. Last year, the host of the show left us, and I didn’t want to host it each week. Now we get a bunch of Texas artists through here and I turn the show over to one of them each week to guest host…we’ve had artists like Kevin Fowler and Cory Morrow host, as well as up and coming artists and it works out really well.
What advice would you give someone wanting to get into the music business?
Can’t speak to music business, but if radio is your calling:
1. Go to college and get a degree
2. Major in something besides communication (business is a good one)
3. Work at a college radio station
4. Be prepared to work hard
5. If you don’t like coffee, then fine something similar you like
How important is it for a station to be local for their specific market? It is THE most important thing. That’s what can set you apart.
What are you looking forward to most? 2 upcoming seasons: Football and Deer.
What do you like to do when you “unplug”? I got a Wii for Father’s Day and that seems to dominate my time of late. I also discovered this thing last year called a ‘gym’ and that was good, because Jerry Springer was about to come knock a wall out of my house so they could get me out of here.
Is “Texas Music” still popular as ever? Do you notice any trend to a different type of sound or has it remained steady? It is popular and will continue to be as long as there are college kids that drink beer and listen to music. It has more of a ‘rock’ sound to it now, and there seems to be WAY more artists than there was a few years ago. I do wish there was more originality as far as the names of the bands…I’m tired of the bands being named after the lead singer. That was great for Randy Rogers to do, but it seems like every Texas CD I get is from a band named after the lead singer. If we could stop THAT, and stop real estate agents from going to Glamour Shots for their pictures, the world would be a better place.
Which Texas based artists are you most excited about? Jack Ingram and Robert Earl Keen are two of my favorite singers of all time. I think Wade Bowen is going to be the next big star out of Texas. There’s also a guy from Decatur named King Cone who is one of the most talented artists I’ve seen. There really is a lot of great music being made, and as a fan, I love it. I just wish I was 21 and had the energy to go to more shows when they’re in town.
I know you would never want to leave Texas, but what are other favorite locations of yours?
Yeah, I’m not sure if I’ll ever leave Nueces County anymore with the price of gas. My favorite 2 places to go are my grandma’s ranch just up the road from here, and Big Bend National Park. I love Colorado and New Mexico, and I really want to visit Wyoming. I’ve never been to Las Vegas, so I hope to do that this year. I’ve been pretty much everywhere else, and there is no place like Texas. Like Gary P. Nunn says “….we’ve got the prettiest women and the friendliest people you’ve ever seen.”
Thanks Frank!
We were rolling down the road in our small bus in Kigali, Rwanda when we came to a stop in traffic. Next to us was a local man who was listening to music in his car. It was rather loud and the windows were down. What did I hear? Alan Jackson.
Shortly after that in Italy I was told that Keith Urban is becoming very popular and country music is being received more readily because of the “new sound” that is appealing to them.
That got me thinking.
With brands expanding and the world shrinking, many products are making their way all around the global economy. Whatever can cross borders (including into our own) or break boundaries will experience growth. Those that cannot make a connection with other parts of the world will not experience the same growth and will be relegated as a niche or regional product.
The world of music and entertainment may also be held to this economy. Beyond the U.S. there is potential growth for a number of musical genres besides Top 40. Some, like Country, are distinctly American by birth and audience. With numbers shrinking over the past 10 years within the U.S., how can we grow a format that has not only a battle within our own borders, but strike out and be relevant to other cultures and countries? How do we effectively grow our share in the states and market to the rest of the world, while maintaining our musical integrity?
There are many ideas I’m certain, but one answer is our format must diversify. Diversify meaning welcoming talent of various colors and cultures without surrendering the validity of the genre. Country music has dabbled with it in the past by welcoming a solitary hispanic and black artist into the format. Satisfied, we patted ourselves on the back with one hand and then ushered them out the back door with the other. The musical atmosphere is currently seeing promising signs, but more must be accomplished for us to be respected and successful as a format in the years to come.
Country music is focused heavily on relatable and meaningful lyrics depicting everyday life. It’s about family, freedom, love, relationships, and faith – the fundamental core of our format. These are not just white rural American interests, but are things important to a majority of society. Even the country lifestyle group is more expansive than we make it. Certain acts have strong appeal beyond our self imposed borders and we should take advantage of that. I don’t think we fully are. I also don’t think we are inviting other cultures and ethnicities into our own backyard to participate in the future legacy of this format.
There is much opportunity.
A new survey from Rasmussen Reports was recently released on the Fairness Doctrine. I can’t even believe we are talking about government control of the airwaves (tv, radio, internet, satellite) when every view is readily available to anyone that wants to find it (as opposed to when it was originally instituted in 1949). Can government control of the airwaves, or of most anything for that matter, be a preferred choice to free press and free speech? Do we really think the government knows the meaning of “fair”?
Here’s the report from Rasmussen:
Nearly half of Americans (47%) believe the government should require all radio and television stations to offer equal amounts of conservative and liberal political commentary, but they draw the line at imposing that same requirement on the Internet. Thirty-nine percent (39%) say leave radio and TV alone, too.
At the same time, 71% say it is already possible for just about any political view to be heard in today’s media, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Twenty percent (20%) do not agree.
Fifty-seven percent (57%) say the government should not require websites and blog sites that offer political commentary to present opposing viewpoints. But 31% believe the Internet sites should be forced to balance their commentary.
This is an intriguing article from Sean Ross from Edison Media Research, but it is the comments following that take the cake. I shouldn’t be surprised of how overweight egos respond so vehemently and how many want to take credit for not just being responsible for The Wolf’s success in Dallas, but for giving them the inspiration and idea. Please. It’s just a topical article, not an in depth radio history lesson.
I appreciate most the professional comments from Jim West, Cody Alan, Dean James, and the individuals who can actually take part of the credit for the success that didn’t post anything at all.
The Wolf was well done and at its zenith was one of the best country radio station I had ever heard at the time. The branding (before branding was cool), marketing, music, and relevance was unmatched. I traveled to Dallas a great deal during its heyday, so maybe I can take some of the credit too??
Every time I hear a debate about music and the charts, without exception one person will chime in and say ”the cream always rises to the top”. Meaning that the best songs will always prevail. REALLY? Honestly, do they? Something inside me screams when I hear that blanket statement designed to end an debate about an uncomfortable reality – the cream does not always make it to the top. At least as far as music and airplay is concerned.
First we have to declare what the definition of cream is, because it it relative depending on your vantage point. Is it……
- Songs that “test” big and as a result are propelled up the chart?
- Superstar artists that deliver an adequate single and propelled up the chart by star power?
- Songs that appeal to the very lowest common denominator? (see A)
- Songs that are released by stars from a reality show, talent competition, television program, or another music format? In essence piggybacking off of previous success or awareness.
- Songs that have enough money, promotion, and marketing thrown behind it?
- Songs that drive powerful Soundscan numbers?
- Songs that are original, well crafted, and strike a passionate chord of feeling/emotion or thought with the audience?
- (insert own definition here)
There is no one size fits all answer, but my own opinion would be more closer to #7 in this multiple choice question. Of course, the answer is relevant to what you feel is a “hit”, but I am certain that the best songs don’t always win the chart game. I’ve seen it happen to artists all along Music Row. Great singles get lost in the crowd for any number of reasons and much of it has to do with an addiction to homogenization and formula. I’ve also seen stellar singles from new or mid-range artists lost in the mix of superstars releasing lame music.
The debate will always be there, but don’t think for a minute that if a song somehow makes it into the Top 10 that it must be the cream of the crop. Dig a little deeper.
BEVERLEE BRANNIGAN
Operation Director and PD Journal KFDI/Wichita
Previous Stations & Positions:
KJJY/Des Moines ’81 to ’01 (Middays/Afternoons, PD)
WOKQ/Dover-Portsmouth-Rochester ’79-’81 (PM Drive, Promotions)
Years in the biz: 29
Marital Status: Married to Scott
Kids: I forgot to have any.
What is your favorite thing about Wichita? In the middle of “Tornado Alley” you might think this is a crazy answer, but…The weather! I love the weather here. I’m happy to dodge the occasional tornado (and we get good warnings from KFDI when they’re headed our way)…in exchange for 225 sunny days a year. It gets hot here, but it’s less humid than Iowa, and spring comes early to Wichita. It’s my favorite climate I’ve ever lived in.
You have worked in several Midwestern markets. What makes that area of the U.S. unique to the country music format? Country music is very mainstream in the Midwest, so it’s like we’re all speaking the same language. The values are second nature and innately understood. It makes programming Country radio a lot of fun here.
There are an abundance of country stations in your market. What are the unique challenges of programming in Wichita and how do you set yourselves apart? Yes, I think we’re up to 101 country stations in Wichita now… Oh! Wait! There’s another one! LOL. The market is challenging. You have to take some of what you “know” about programming and throw it out the window. We’ve learned some things about operating in a country-saturated environment that fly in the face of traditional wisdom. And, no, I’m not sharing them. J.
Journal has won many awards for news coverage. How have you made priority news programming work for you and how much of an impact does it make in branding yourself locally? The KFDI News Dept. is a huge image and driver for KFDI as a whole. News at the top of the hour and, “When news breaks out, we break in.” I love to say that. It’s so….so…Les Nessman. But, that’s what people know us for…breaking news and severe weather coverage. No matter who you are, active rock listener, AC listener, country listener, when there’s a scary looking cloud in the sky, or flames on the horizon, you turn your radio to KFDI to find out what’s going on. The downside of the news brand, of course, is that we can’t play as many songs per hour as our competitor. But, in a tornado, I’m always glad we’re not the station playing “Boot Scootin’ Boogie.” (*note to Brooks & Dunn: dig the song, just not during a tornado. Love you, mean it.)
Are you currently utilizing, or planning to utilize: podcasts, video, texting or other digital technology in your programming and promotions? If so, in what way? Podcasts, Yes. Video, Yes. Texting, Yes. All of the above. We try to find an interactive link to everything we do.
What is the most pressing problem radio faces today? How do you think it should be resolved? Well, we could write a book on this, couldn’t we? We’ve done a terrible job of making radio listeners out of young people. Arbitron has done a terrible job of addressing the cell-phone-only issue soon enough, so they don’t find the young folks. The ratings suffer on the young end, advertisers aren’t buying them…and meanwhile the young guys and gals are out there consuming large amounts of music and media, spending their disposable income, and we’re on the sidelines. We need an initiative to re-engage youth.
What can record labels and artists do to better serve you and your station?
I have some really terrific label reps who really get it. There are a few stuck in the 90’s but most are working their butts off. I’ve got very little criticism here.
If money and time were no object, what would you most like to do? I love languages and would like to learn more. We have a Regional Mexican station in our cluster, and I speak some Spanish, but I’d like to get fluent in it so I can understand the jokes! Then, I’d like to learn German.
Who has had the most influence on you in your career thus far? Why? Sorry, I can’t pick just one. I have had too many mentors in my career. I’ve gotten the most from the ones who modeled great character. Those lessons you never forget. The best feeling in the world is to work in an environment where the people you work for are fans of yours. That’s my job at Journal now. I am so blessed.
What is the most ridiculous thing about the music business? I respect the need for serious discussion on performance royalties, and I’m sure there’ll be some movement on the issue. But, some of the folks arguing for it are on crack! So, let me get this straight…radio needs to pay performance royalties because Radio’s getting all the benefit and you get no benefit from radio playing your songs on the radio? And yet, you’re spending HOW MUCH a year on your Promotion Departments, whose sole reason for existence is to get radio to play your songs? Hmmm…. I’m confused.
What advice would you give someone wanting to get into the music business?
There’s a nice Dairy Queen for sale down the road.
What are your plans for the rest of 2008? Win!
What do you do to “unplug”? I blow up a big pink floating chair, insert lime slice into Corona, and bob on the lake with Scott.
What is your assessment of how the Braves are doing thus far? Oh, you had to bring that up. Look what’s happened to all our pitchers! We have been snake bit this year. Smoltzy…more surgery. Sigh…. Your prediction? They might have a chance if they get healthy in the second half of the season. But, how ‘bout Chipper? #10 was battin’ 400 for awhile!
Thanks Beverlee!!
In a Tennessean.com article, Tim DuBois and Butch Spyridon voice their comments regarding the pending XM/Sirius Satellite merger.
The proposed merger of XM and Sirius will be good for consumers, musicians and artists throughout the music industry, and especially good for Nashville.
In an era of shrinking radio playlists, it’s harder and harder for new artists and smaller labels to get played on AM and FM radio, and there is far less airplay for the many different genres of country music, whether outlaw, Americana, bluegrass or traditional. This makes satellite radio, with its remarkable programming diversity, vitally important for country music; it creates countless opportunities for Nashville musicians to reach fans from coast to coast.
XM has nine channels dedicated to country music; Sirius has five. These channels, combined with a lineup of original programming such as George Strait’s Strait Country or interview performance series Artist Confidentialon XM, have given countless hours of airplay for Nashville-based musicians, and created new fans who never otherwise would have been exposed to those artists.
Satellite radio has also put money directly into the hands of Nashville-based musicians and labels. While traditional AM and FM don’t pay a dime in performance royalties, satellite radio is the largest single contributor of performance royalties to artists and record labels, having created an entirely new revenue source for the music industry.
Satellite radio has made a major commitment to Nashville. XM has established a strong presence, building new studios in Sommet Center’s arena tower. This facility enables XM to originate its country programming directly from the city and to offer more performances and interviews to country fans.
In addition, XM airs exclusive coverage of the CMA Music Festival, broadcasting live performances every day for a week.
This kind of enhanced exposure is exactly what artists promoting their careers need and want.
Read the rest of this short article here.
What do you get when you put the NAB, RIAA, Department of Commerce, artists, attorneys, and members of Congress in the same room? A mess.
They are fighting it out in Washington D.C. regarding radio performance fees. Business Week has an update on the complicated situation.
From Coolfer:
Opposing sides will speak tomorrow before the House Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property. The issue is H.R. 4789, the Performance Rights Act, which calls for terrestrial radio to pay performance royalties for broadcasting sound recordings. The National Association of Broadcaster has backed a non-binding resolution that calls for the exemption of not only radio stations but “any business for such public performance of sound recordings” (such as bars, retail stores and other public places).
Where you stand on the matter could depend on how much you think radio play influences music sales. I think it’s a big influence on some people. Consumers discover music in various ways — print, TV, word of mouth — but radio allows for the sort of repeated listens that encourages familiarity and, thus, purchases. But how many people use radio for discovery and not as a substitute for purchases of recorded music?
Where you stand on the matter could depend on how much you think radio play influences music sales. I think it’s a big influence on some people. Consumers discover music in various ways — print, TV, word of mouth — but radio allows for the sort of repeated listens that encourages familiarity and, thus, purchases. But how many people use radio for discovery and not as a substitute for purchases of recorded music?
Read the rest of this well done article.
The demographic of country radio is skewing higher. The more we chase the demo, the higher the age keeps getting. Logic would tell us that in order to grow the format we can’t rely on the older demo, but the younger. The future. They are the shapers of media and culture who are finding more and more on demand entertainment.
It would seem wise to catch the next generation of listeners while we still have the chance. Offer them not only the latest music and content, but create innovative platforms to feed their “self broadcasting” lifestyle. Engage them with podcasts, web sites, social networks, texting, and mobile. Catch them before terrestrial radio loses its rank among their entertainment options, of which their are already too many.
It doesn’t mean the older demo needs to be tossed aside since they are key targets for advertisers, but so are the younger demos. There is a way to get the kid and their parents. Country radio can be edgy, hip and play exciting new music right along with the safe superstars. After all, we are a ”family format” right?
Give them REAL music variety within a framework of multiple platforms and we just may be able to hang on to the next generations. How can it be done with a 15 or 20 song playlist? There is no discovery or excitement in that. It’s time to move forward. The format has a wealth of young and talented new artists to lead the way if given the opportunity.
The indications are that teens and twentysomethings find themselves currently apathetic to radio and if country radio doesn’t welcome them in and create a demand then we will lose them. You think ratings and records sales are hurting now? Just wait till we let the new generation slip away as we follow the increasingly older demo up the mountain and off the cliff.
A handful of companies are trying to make it happen, but the majority still focus on the way things worked in the past and making decisions according to an outdated model. There is incredible and unprecedented opportunity if we will just seize it.
Clear Channel is streaming a couple of Pandora stations on various individual web properties.
Will this testing of the waters turn into something more long term?
Check out the Wired article here.
RUSS L. WILLIAMS
PD New South Radio WUSJ/Jackson, MS (US 96.3)
Previous Stations & Positions:
OM/PD, Clear Channel, Tuscaloosa, AL 2003-2006
PD/MD, 99.9 The Fox, Starkville, Columbus, MS 2002-2003
OM/PD, Radio South, Tuscaloosa, AL 2000-2002
PD/MD, South 107, Rome, GA 1997-2000
PD/MD, WTXT, Tuscaloosa, AL 1990-1997
GM, WWZD, Tupelo, MS 1989-1990
PD, WKOR, Starkville, MS 1985-1988
On-Air, WLCS, Baton Rouge, LA 2003-2004
PD/MD, WNSL (SL-100), Laurel-Hattiesburg, MS 1979-1983
MD, WKXY, Sarasota, FL 1978
MD, WACR-AM, Columbus, MS 1977-1978
MD, WTIB-FM, Iuka, MS 1975-1977
Night Guy, WWTX, Corinth, MS 1974-1975, as a senior in high school
Student PD, Student Manager, WALP, Corinth, MS 1973-1975
(WALP was a high school operated station)
Marital Status: Divorced, recently, still licking the wounds
Kids: 3 girls and a boy; all grown, the 2 baby girls will be juniors at Univ. of Alabama this Fall.
Years in biz: this Sept will mark 35 years.
What is your favorite thing about Jackson? It has to be the police helicopter that flies low over my apartment while keeping watch on the nearby mall parking lot. I don’t know why it’s 3 am when they do that, since the mall is closed. But seriously……Jackson has a really cool groove all its own. It’s a mix of history and modern development…….a couple of smoky old blues clubs, the Double A Mississippi Braves, the city’s namesake Andrew Jackson, who passed through on his way to the Battle of New Orleans, and, of course, the womenfolk are very pretty here.
You have extensive knowledge of history. What is your favorite history subject? Man, I read everything I get my hands, no matter the subject. Radio history still fascinates me, especially concerning how modern programming started (Gordon McLendon’s jingles, etc…).
But, over the last few years, my oldest daughter and I have been chasing down our family tree. We’ve gotten it all the way back to the 1400’s in one branch, but have really centered our efforts on a Revolutionary War ancestor (4 times great grandfather). So I’ve watched Mel Gibson’s “The Patriot” over and over, trying to glimpse what life was like.
What is something you can tell us that most people likely do not know about you? I was a serious, serious stutterer as a child. Heck, all the way up to about 21, I was plagued by it. Naturally, the thing that is furthest away from your grasp is what you want the most. So that was my mountain to climb, and it was a very difficult thing to do.
What are the unique challenges of programming in the Jackson market? Country listeners by nature are very loyal. And with a 30 year heritage station here, it’s obviously a long, hard struggle. We’ve had our successes, but the war is far from over.
Are you currently utilizing, or planning to utilize: podcasts, video, texting or other digital technology in your programming and promotions? If so, in what way? We were tripped up on streaming by the copyright board decision last year, but obviously that’s in our future. Our CHR sister station is leading the way in texting and such, since the younger Pop crowd is into it so much. But the grownups aren’t far behind!
What is the most pressing problem radio faces today? My perspective is obviously from a programmer’s viewpoint, but as our industry has been forced into downsizing, the product suffers. I don’t mean the technology revolution; that’s actually been great.
A result of all the mass layoffs is that those who remain begin to feel more like survivors than working pros. A lot of really smart, creative people have either been forced out or given up and left the business over the last 10 years.
As the brain drain continues out of our industry, there’s either no replacement or its weaker talent taking their place.
In addition, as the talented people leave the building, they take their passion and dedication with them. So where are the mentors for the younger people? Common sense tells you that’s a major issue in any industry.
What can record labels and artists do to better serve you and your station? Country music, through Country radio, has always been closer to the people than any other genre. Radio is a major pipeline to the song buying public, and therefore we earn our way into the party. The movement to try to create a revenue stream to the detriment of your partners is ill-thought and will harm the relationship more than they know. Like I said, we earn our way into the party with every song we play.
Who has had the most influence on you in your career thus far? Why? Boy, as old as I am, I’m not sure I can remember names very well. I blame Rusty Walker to some extent for me getting into this business, but only because he helped build the high school radio station before I got there.
Wesley Bradford, the high school radio teacher, had a lot of patience with me, since I stuttered so badly. He also had some great radio war stories.
WHBQ, Memphis was the daytime station of choice 90 miles away in Mississippi. George Klein, then Rick Dees. Great fun was had by all who listened. And the music was good, too.
Night time brought in the “Enormous 89, WLS,” from Chicago. Weird thing was the signal would fade during the songs, and come back just in time for Landecker’s breaks, and that’s the real reason we listened anyway. Wow, what great years those were.
1975-1978, I got off work at a station at 10 and drove 20-something miles home listening to Jeff Davis. That’s when I began to really work on how I wanted to sound. I would practice by repeating his words as he was saying them, and got so good that it was almost like an echo. So, thanks Jeff Davis, you helped me learn how to speak real good without stuttering.
But, I have to say that I’ve never worked for anyone else quite like Bill Dunnavant. Bill and his wife Mary owned WTXT in Tuscaloosa and it was a programmer’s dream. He played fair, but hard. He told me to run his station like I owned it, and then gave me the tools I needed. They made me feel like family and appreciated the 12 and 14 hour days we sometimes put in. It was a great run and only ended when he sold the station in 1997. A very smart guy and I learned a lot from him.
What are your favorite web sites and blogs? The Drudge Report is my starting place for show prep, then yahoo News, earthcalendar.net, and to get in a funny mood I still check in on theonion.com. I also read Ann Coulter’s weekly column. She may be about as far right as you can get, but she’s damn funny sometimes.
Do you ever play local or regional unsigned country acts? If so, do you have a success story?
Yes, but it’s very rare. I never had anyone go on to greater success. Closest story I have the family claim that my mother is responsible for Elvis’ weight and donut problem. In the early to mid 50’s when the family had a bakery in Memphis — before I was born — Elvis would stand in the driveway of their house in the evenings waiting for my father to return from his deliveries, and buy what was left at day-old prices. His donut problem was my mother’s fault. No joke.
What advice would you give someone wanting to get into the music business? Write songs. And write some more. And do it until you get really good at it. The odds are not your favor, but I’m a believer in the writers. They’re the ones with all the power.
How important is it for a station to be local for their specific market? It’s everything! A successful radio station MUST offer the listener something they can’t get anywhere else, and local, usable information is that key. The record shows that we as an industry do more for the public’s wellbeing than any other nationwide business in history.
You are a Crimson Tide fan. What do you think the prospects are for the 2008 season? Now we’re talking! Football! You gotta believe going into a new season that a national championship is possible. Coach Nick Saban’s second year should start to show some real progress and maybe make a run for something, maybe an SEC title. Also, we just had the number one recruiting class in the nation, and some of those younger players may play pretty quickly. And a big RooooooooLL Tide to all!
What are your plans for the rest of 2008? I like it here, and I want to keep working on the challenges we face. The cool thing about a private company like this is that I know that Clay (Holladay, owner), Gwen (Rakestraw, GM), and all the others involved want this as badly as I do. So we’ll keep working to find the combination that works. And I also plan to keep monitoring Little Bunny Foo Foo’s attempts to rid the forest of field mice.
Thanks Russ!
Edison Media Research has announced their “30 Under 30″ honorees, which is the nationwide vote for 30 promising talents under 30 years of age in the radio industry.
A special shout out to my friends Daniel Anstandig, President McVay New Media and Scott Herrold, PD SOS Radio Network in Las Vegas. Both are not only very talented, but great guys. Daniel has written guest blogs on FOR THE RECORD, which you can find right here.
1. Tazz “Daddy” Anderson: Executive Producer, Rickey Smiley Morning Show, KBFB, Dallas
2. Daniel Anstandig: President, McVay New Media
3. Rob Anthony: Program Director/Operations Manager, WMAS, Springfield, Mass.
4. Jim Bezak: Director of Support and Training/Internet Services, Saga Communications
5. Ian Bush: Reporter/Anchor/Editor, KYW, Philadelphia
6. Charlamagne: Co Host, Wendy Williams Experience, WBLS, New York
7. Justin Chase: Program Director, KMXB/KKJJ, Las Vegas
8. Tommy Chuck: Program Director, WFLZ Tampa, Fla./Gulf Coast Regional Director of Interactive Services
9. Ryan Dokke: Assistant Program Director/Music Director/Night Personality, WKKT, Charlotte, N.C
10. Jennifer Megan Dowdy: Program/Promotions Director, WCLU, Glasgow, Ky.
11. Blake Florence: Assistant Program Director/Music Director, KTWV, Los Angeles
12. Sarah Harris: Director, Community Outreach, Emmis Communications, Indianapolis
13. Scott Herrold: Program Director, SOS Radio Network, Las Vegas
14. James “Doubledown” Howard: Program Director, WXTB, Tampa, Fla./ KYRK, New Orleans / WTZB Sarasota, Fla.
15. Talya Johnson: Music Director / Internship Coordinator, WPGC, Washington, D.C.
To check out the rest of the list go to Edison Media Research.
LUKE JENSEN
PD Journal Broadcasting KVOO/Tulsa
Previous Stations & Positions:
KBEQ/ Kansas City, Mo Intern /Pt On-Air
KXBZ/Manhattan, Ks Nights/Afternoons/MD
KZKX/Lincoln, Ne Afternoons/MD
KBEQ/ Kansas City, Mo Nights/Mornings
WSOC/ Charlotte, NC Afternoons
KCKC/ Kansas City PD/Mornings
KVOO/ Tulsa PD / Afternoons
Years in the biz: 15
Marital Status: Married
Kids: Hopefully someday
How do you like Tulsa so far? Tulsa is great so far. When I started talking to the folks here about the job, I had no idea what to expect…tumbleweeds and oil wells were what I pictured. Thankfully Tulsa has much more to offer…I figured if Garth calls it home, and Mike Severson was raised here, it’s probably a decent spot!
What is your favorite restaurant in Tulsa? I’m fat, so Nutra System is my favorite…If the wife let’s me go out to eat, I’ll usually be found at a local Mexican Cantina.
There are three FM country stations in your market, two of which are Journal. What are the unique challenges of programming in the Tulsa market? Journal has KVOO and the Classic Country KXBL, and Cox has KWEN. It is definitely an interesting dynamic in the market. The Classic Country is doing well and does it’s own thing. The real battle is between KVOO and KWEN…KWEN has been consistently on top over the years and we are ready to change that.
Are you currently utilizing, or planning to utilize: podcasts, video, texting or other digital technology in your programming and promotions? If so, in what way? We are in the process of redoing all of our websites, at which point we will become more active with Podcasts, video etc. Journal leadership is very proactive in this area and has a great vision for the future so I expect us to be maximizing these efforts in the very near future.
What is the most pressing problem radio faces today? How do you think it should be resolved? Radio is becoming very good at being unremarkable. It is no longer about passion, fun, or excitement, but, how can we save money. There are many places people can go to for a jukebox. We have to get back to what made radio special. What can we do that an IPOD, Satellite, or Phone can’t…
What can record labels and artists do to better serve you and your station? We have been very fortunate in Tulsa to have great support from both the artists and record labels, which makes it easy to work together to accomplish our specific goals.
Who has had the most influence on you in your career thus far? Why? Mike Kennedy would be the one person who has turned me into the grouch that I have become. He gave me an opportunity in high school to become a part of the KBEQ family, and has given me countless opportunities since. I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to work next to the best.
What are your favorite web sites and blogs? I love Perez Hilton, and check it out daily. I am a pop culture junkie and find myself entertained by Perez…My daily list of websites consist of TMZ, CNN, All Access, NASCAR.com, Weather.com, and Airliner.net (I like planes).
What is the most ridiculous thing about the music business? Some of the people and the positions they hold.
Do you ever play local or regional country acts? If so, do you have a success story? We don’t at this time.
What advice would you give someone wanting to get into the music business? Go to college and have a backup plan. This is a fun business, but I have seen two many people get caught up in the thrill of the ride and not have a plan for when the ride ends. Unfortunately, for most folks, the ride ends sooner then they would like. If you know that going in, you’ll be alright!
How important is it for a station to be local for their specific market? It is very important. We spend a lot of time and effort finding ways to be more involved in our community. People can listen to country music form a variety of mediums, but they can’t listen to their favorite song and find out what’s happening at the Riverwalk this weekend, or the big charity walk downtown.
What are your plans for the rest of 2008? Stay employed, stay married, and have fun doing the job that I love!
THANKS LUKE!
KEVIN CHRISTOPHER
Operations Director for Tyler Media, PD KKNG / Oklahoma City, OK
How long with KKNG? 10 years
Previous stations you have been with?
KTLS Ada, OK
Marital Status? Married 18 years to Shari
Kids? Konner 13, Kloe (Chloe) 8
Years in the biz? 23
What do you like best about the OKC market? Oklahomans are fantastic people…and OKC is on the move with great growth and soon…an NBA franchise…and of course, the Sooners!
What is your favorite vacation spot with the family? We go skiing in Breckenridge most every year…great times!
What are the unique challenges of programming in the OKC market? 2 direct country competitors make this market unique and very, very challenging
KKNG just celebrated 10 years on the air. Congratulations! What has been King Country’s biggest moment in the last decade? What are the goals for the next 10 years? Starting as a Classic Country Station and winning 20 out of 21 12+ books was a thrill…now the transition to Mainstream Country and trying to grow the station younger is fun and a challenge.
Are you currently utilizing, or planning to utilize: podcasts, video, texting or other digital technology in your programming and promotions? If so, in what way? We King Pod the morning show each day with 3-4 highlights listeners can download to the Ipods and listen too…tons of video on the site from station events and artist visits…also done a couple of successful text messaging campaigns
What is the most pressing problem radio faces today? How do you think it should be resolved? If we do great radio the listeners will come and the ad dollars will follow…there’s just not enough good radio being done today…we’ve stripped it down to a point where creativity is at a minimum
What can record labels and artists do to better serve you and your station? I have no complaint from the record side…reps could do a better job of doing their homework and understanding our “sound” and seeing if there product fits that sound instead of having their own agenda
If money and time were no object, what would you most like to do? Play golf on the PGA tour.
What are the advantages of working for a smaller radio company like Tyler Media? I can have coffee with my owners every morning and find solutions to problems quickly.
What are your favorite web sites and blogs? RnR, All About Country and All Access…and National Weather Service…I know, that makes me really sound like a geek.
What is the most ridiculous thing about the music business? That could be incriminating…I’ll pass on that question.
I know you play unsigned local or regional country acts. Do you have any particular success stories? Several…spinning the CCR and Kevin Fowler and both are top 6 research for me.
What advice would you give someone wanting to get into the music business? It’s a volatile time…make sure this is really what you want to do before you choose this as a career.
How important is it for a station to be local for their specific market? Extremely, it’s the only thing that differentiates your station from other technology.
THANKS KEVIN!
Leadership Music Digital Summit is going on today in Nashville. The keynote was delivered by the CEO of iLike, Ali Partovi, who mentioned that it was the first keynote he has given.
With all of the questions, concerns and potential regarding the future of music technology, Ali made a point to say, “What I’m most excited about is the discovery and promotion of music”.
Ali compared traditional broadcast media with new media:
**Traditional media is “untargeted, focused only on hits & singles, while album development suffers”.
**Digital media is “personalized, social, syndicated, targeted and enables artists to pursue their dreams.”
Partovi went on to say that digital media “could replace or solve the problems of traditional broadcasting”.
More highlights from the Digital Summit will be posted this week.
Tim Jones
Program Director – Citadel WGKX Memphis
Previous employment:
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KBQI/KSYU Albuquerque PD
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Clear Channel HD Format Lab PD
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WDDD Marion-Carbondale, IL PD
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KEZS Cape Girardeau, MO PD
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KDXY/KDEZ Jonesboro, AR PD
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WYCQ Nashville, TN On-Air
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KFIN/KIYS Jonesboro, AR Evening Personality
Years in biz: 18
What do you miss about Albuquerque? The golf courses, my cousin Mark and various friends, the dry weather and the Sandia mountains.
What is your favorite restaurant in Memphis? Hands down… always will be the world famous Rendezvous.
What are the unique challenges of programming in the Memphis market? Memphis is a great market to program in but just like Albuquerque I find myself in an ethnic battle for the top spot. This is not only challenging but often frustrating.
Are you currently utilizing, or planning to utilize: podcasts, video, texting or other digital technology in your programming and promotions? If so, in what way? We are doing some podcasts and video. The texting is on the horizon for us as well. I am excited about the future of technology hence why I have an Iphone. I love it.
What is the most pressing problem radio faces today? How do you think it should be resolved? Shrinking budgets and audience. I believe you have to put money in to make money. I am very fortunate that Citadel still believes in this as well. I am very blessed to be in this company. As far as audience goes, people’s tastes change, we have to change with them and give them what they want or they will go somewhere else.
What can record labels and artists do to better serve you and your station? I think country does a great job. You will not find rock or pop artists doing what country will. We are very lucky.
If money and time were no object, what would you most like to do? Travel around the world on my time schedule with no cell phone and on my own personal jet with my best friends and family in tow.
I’ve never known a time where Rita did not work the front desk. How long has she been there now? 14 years and counting, she rocks.
What are your favorite web sites and blogs? I am a Perez Hilton/TMZ addict. I also check out NY times, All Access, Ebay, Mediabase and Yahoo daily. Crazy thing is my search engine is GOOGLE but my home page is Yahoo. I know, doesn’t make sense to me either.
What is the most ridiculous thing about the music business? That could turn into a novel. Do you really want me to go there?
Do you ever play local or regional country acts? If so, do you have a success story? I am a fan of a local guy here: The Brad Kessler Band. This kid has something. We’ve spun him here and there and he always opens for us when we need him.
What advice would you give someone wanting to get into the music business? This too could be another novel. Main point would be …be careful who you are getting into business with. Personally, I think some of the old blood in Nashville needs to move on because they are way behind times. Sorry, that was my inside voice.
How important is it for a station to be local for their specific market? That’s the thing that keeps us close to the listener…no matter what anyone tells you…this is the key!
THANKS TIM!
Radio Ink recently released the findings of a phone survey of 1,004 U.S. adults. Among the findings the survey showed that 53 percent of listeners said they stick with a station through commercial breaks, 35 percent change the station, and 8 percent turn off the radio. And those who change the station tend to do it quickly: Seventy-seven percent of those who tune away do it within 30 seconds after commercials begin. I‘ve seen other surveys where the numbers for losing listeners during commercial breaks are even higher.
Personally, I will punch out of a station that is playing a really bad spot, especially if the ad is poorly voiced by the owner of the company (hello Tom Shane?). I’ll also find another station if an advertisement is loud and annoying or if there are more than three or four 60 second spots back to back. Production and content of the commercial really does matter.
When I was in radio we had a full time production person and that’s all they did. Not many of those anymore with budget cuts and staff members wearing multiple hats and spreading themselves thin.
In thinking about the future, how much longer can the current advertising spot system last? Is there a better way to set up advertising and partnerships to better utilize time, money, positioning and ratings? Especially with the current battle that has emerged with other entertainment options (some of them commerical free).
The only time I find myself sticking around is if the spot is delivered with personality by the DJ or talk show host. If it is done live with improvisation, all the better. Give me authenticity and creativeness. If a host can pull that off, it is not only entertaining, but the represented company is better served. However, this can backfire when the host is delivering too many live spots and they suddenly become recorded “live” reads. Which leads us back to annoying.
An even better scenario for advertisers is the shorter and focused spots that are live or that “sponsor” an entire half hour or other segment of time. You know the type….”This half hour brought to you by insert company here…..”
Am I the only one that thinks something different should emerge in the way ads are produced, presented and scheduled? Maybe an entirely new and innovative type of advertising revenue stream will emerge through podcasting, texting, or social networking? There has to be a better way.
It will take a bold radio company to step out and set a new course.
From emarketer.com:
A January 2008 Arbitron-Edison Media Research study found that an estimated 33 million Americans had listened to online radio in the past week.
This represents 13% of the US population ages 12 and older, and is an increase over the previous year when 11% of the population (29 million) had listened to online radio in the past week.
Podcasting use is also rising and now reaches 18% of the US population, up from 13% a year ago. An estimated 23 million, or 9% of Americans had listened to a podcast in the past month.
“Traditional radio and Internet-only radio must realize that they are now part of an even broader world of online information and entertainment options and respond accordingly,” said Pierre Bouvard, president of sales and marketing at Arbitron.
“Advertisers who want to go where the trends are pointing need to be more involved with the new forms of audio media as they continue to expand,” Mr. Bouvard said.
An integration of CBS Radio’s webstreams into Last.FM is underway and includes all formats. This follows last month’s announcement of AOL and CBS Radio joining together for sharing content. Last.FM CEO Felix Miller hopes it will lead to more collaboration.
This type of integration and partnership is essential for the long term relevancy of terrestrial radio. There is still much to do, but it is a step in the right direction.
If not, why not? Radio will need to embrace aggressive podcasting and video strategies to compete for the attention of future listeners. The age of P1 demo of many country radio stations is rising because they are losing younger generations of consumers. These tech savvy “self broadcasting” demos are getting what they want when they want it. They aren’t waiting around through ad spots and countless other songs to hear their new favorite.
Creative and innovative use of podcasts, video, web sites, and mobile based activity will not only enable radio to stay in the game, but be active in the lives of listeners. This could also answer the concerns of being local and developing engaging personalities, but radio companies need to make a commitment in making it happen. Will they?
These new media outlets will not only expand the brand of the station, but also be more easily monitored and accurately measured for advertising purposes. For example, YouTube users can now better analyze the viewing patterns of videos far more easily according to this story from Media Week.
The bottom line is creating entertaining content value and connecting to the listener and consumer. The more ways radio can do that the better chance they have to compete and win in a quickly changing landscape.
The Academy of Country Music has announced the nominations for the categories, which, due to time constraints, will not be televised during the show. Congratulations to all of the radio stations and individuals up for an award. Click on the following link to see all of the nominations……. Read the rest of this entry »
Does anyone think it is interesting that Lee Abrams left XM to work for Randy Michaels? Jerry Del Calliano thinks it is not only interesting, but suspicious. Find out what he means on his blog Inside Music Media.
Lee, in his own blog, makes a comment about his new partnership with Randy: “We ARE going to re-write the future of media. He’s the kinda guy you want to do it with.”
I look forward to hearing more.
Whiskey Falls rocked the packed house at the CRS After Midnite Disco Party! Seven, Damon, Buck and Wally jammed for 30 minutes at the annual bash (only one act beside WF played that long!). The band shined with three different lead singers on songs ranging from rock to disco to one of their own originals. Following are the guys getting funky on “Thank You For Letting Me Be Myself Again” & “Rapper’s Delight”. Blair has it right when he said Whiskey Falls ”kicks butt!”.
Now that I am fully recovered and rested from Country Radio Seminar, I can get caught up on the blog and the rest of my life.
The keynote address at CRS was actually turned into a panel after the cancellation of Sean Hannity a few days before. The hot topic? Sound performance rights for music on terrestrial radio. It was a high octane discussion fueled by radio consultant Joel Raab. Unfortunately, I don’t think it went far enough into the matter and like most panel discussions, ended without any ideas toward resolution.
David Ross writes about the keynote in Music Row:
Moderator/radio consultant Joel Raab framed the session with a brief synopsis of the opposing points of view. Labels and artists want terrestrial radio to pay a sound copyright fee, something which is recognized in all but four other countries worldwide. Radio’s stance is that they expose the product and therefore already perform a service for the artists and labels, so the use is a fair exchange. Panelists included Mike Kraski of Tenacity Management, John Simpson of SoundExchange, Tom Taylor from Radio-info.com and NAB Exec. VP John David. “Radio revenues are flat,” said Taylor, “but labels are in true pain. My hunch is that this year nothing happens, but this issue won’t go away.” “I wish everyone fun at the label parties,” said David, immediately adopting an argumentative stance while intimating the labels still have lavish party budgets. “We are not impressed with the $1.25 million small station proposed exemption, either. Our intention is that the money is not going to come.”
Simpson pointed out that these artist royalties are collected overseas, but in most cases not sent to the U.S. because this country does not have a reciprocal right. SoundExchange collects performance rights in sound recordings for digital transmissions, satellite radio and cable radio. “Artists who had great records of songs they didn’t write get nothing when their music is played over and over for years,” Simpson remarked. “In some sad cases they are forced to work until they die to pay the bills.”
Kraski delivered the label point of view. “On our side it is a moral imperative,” he said. “If one side wins big while the other loses then we all fail. We need radio, and radio needs content. There has to be a middle ground.” Kraski also answered the exposure argument by saying at least 40% of radio airplay is Gold music which doesn’t need exposure and is just to the benefit of the station.
Audience questions quickly brought the emotional impact of this economic issue to a boil. Radio audience members cheered when David said, “Zero is the only acceptable number to pay.” Fortunately the crowd was small and moderator Raab wisely cut off the discussion with a fade to lunch.
Country Radio Seminar is coming up next week. Some of you radio folks are attending, but most of you are unable to make it because of budgetary reasons. For those of you in the latter category, keep coming back to “For The Record” for articles and video updates as the event kicks off on Tuesday.
I’ll try to provide you a virtual postcard from CRS 2008.
Jerry Del Colliano from Inside Music Media lists the 5 new rules for radio PD’s (addressed to consolidators or other serial abusers), so look out:
1. One PD per station. It used to be that a successful program director lived, breathed and experienced his or her one radio station 24 hours a day 7 days a week. This was an acknowledgment that the program director of a successful radio station is a specialist not a generalist. Consolidators anxious to get the most bang for the buck have spread otherwise qualified PDs beyond their core competency. If you want great radio stations that can program to the available market (which does not include the next generation), then suck it up and pay for one quarterback per station. Stop with the shortcuts and you’ll see a better return on your investment. And don’t tell me about the handful of PDs who are programming more than one station for you — imagine what they could do with one?
2. No airshift. (Does anyone know CPR for our consolidator friends?). The PD is responsible for talent, commercials, promotions, music or content, audience and community relations. Need I go on. If yours is a small market, an exception is allowed. Bigger markets — no exceptions. You don’t need your brain surgeons cleaning up the operating room at the end of the day. I know you don’t like this one but look at the results you are not getting by repurposing your PD. If you accept the suggestions so far, read on.
3. Outline goals and expectations on one page. How do you expect your content quarterback to do that which you ask him or her to do if you don’t articulate your goals and expectations on a piece of paper? I know. I know. Legal told you not to so when you fire an otherwise good PD who has achieved their goals you won’t have to lose the ensuing lawsuit. But really, put the items on a list. Make the program director sign off. Then, proceed to step four.
4. Give full authority to the PD to do his/her job. No meddling. No backseat programming. Leave your PD to either do what they promise or risk being replaced at the end of the year. Oh, no changing the rules in mid-stream. No using “corporate is making us cutback” as an excuse to stay involved. Warren Buffett, the billionaire who knows a little bit more than the Mays family about making money gives the people who run the companies he acquires full autonomy to do their jobs. Unlike the geniuses in radio, the Oracle from Omaha butts out. In fact, legend has it he only meets in person once a year for about two hours for an accounting of goals.
5. Fully fund the programming budget. Too many PDs have no real budget or the budget they have looks like Swiss cheese. If you suspect that corporate is going to ask for further givebacks during the year, under budget programming by the percentage of cutback you anticipate. You can’t expect a PD to do their job without knowing how much money they have to spend. In fact, put the amount on the goal sheet(#3 above) and make him or her sign off on it. Channel your inner Warren Buffett.
Check out the entire article here.
Inside Music Media is the blog of Jerry Del Colliano, founder of Inside Radio and current professor of Music Industry at USC. I could not decide which article to link to because they are all extremely relevant and well done, so I will just encourage you to check them all out.
Thanks to Chris Huff at KSCS/Dallas for the heads up.
Emerson Drive played a BIG show in El Paso Friday night full of amazing energy and excitement. Thanks to Marty Austin and the entire KHEY and Whiskey Dicks crew for a fantastic night! Texas did indeed show E Drive the love! We will be back and in DFW the first week of April. Here is the latest installment of ED TV with some El Paso highlights for your viewing enjoyment:
Tell Me a Story
By: Daniel Anstandig
Music legend Ray Charles once said that he “was born with music inside” himself. It could be said that the best loved songs in history are the ones that resonate and harmonize with the music inside of us.
Country music is best known for producing these songs that reach into the souls of their listeners. The stories told by many Country songs can make your heart race, put a lump in your throat, and send tears down your face. They’re the songs and stories that have turned country radio stations into empires.
The world’s most powerful and best loved radio stations aren’t without persuasive stories themselves. Case in point: KLBJ in Austin… not just another radio station. It’s the radio station that was rescued from bankruptcy in 1942 by young entrepreneur, Lady Bird Johnson. KLBJ does a terrific job of summarizing their rich history at www.590klbj.com/History. WMMS is known in Cleveland (and beyond) as a way of life for Clevelanders more than a music service. Its logo (the Buzzard) and the many bands it made famous have kept it alive in Cleveland pop culture for years. WSM in Nashville catapulted its way into music history with the Grand Ol’ Opry. Read the rest of this entry »
Arbitron and Edison Media completed a study that noted a nearly even gender split between male and female US podcast listeners, with 25- to 34-year-olds making up the largest single age bloc with 24% representation in the study.
Podcasts are becoming more of a tool in reaching those “self broadcasters” of content and this particular research shows that the podcasters aren’t as young as most thought.
Go here to check out the study and charts.
Emerson Drive visits the cast and crew of GAC Nights.
Here is an interesting follow up to yesterday’s post regarding Jim Cramer’s predictions. It is from Media Week and about the need for radio to get back to live and local personalities to compete for the future.
Personality Crisis: Will Cost Cutting Save Radio?
Paul Heine and Katy Bachman FEBRUARY 11, 2008 – “shut up and rock!” screams a message on the Web site of WEBN-FM in Cincinnati. The shut-up part of that order at the iconic Rock station is being taken quite literally.Late last year, Clear Channel canned 12-year WEBN midday host Ken “Mr. K” Glidewell and replaced him with a personality who doubles as one of several co-hosts on the station’s morning show. The dismissal was part of a massive wave of layoffs in at least 20 markets that gave a wholly different meaning to the company’s Less Is More mantra.While the numbers varied from market to market, the results were alarmingly similar: on-air jobs eliminated, positions consolidated, air shifts radically extended, personality teams split up and more dayparts yielding to voice-tracking and syndication.
What’s so shocking is that those on-air cuts may be only the beginning. Just a few weeks ago, a CC edict came down from the top to freeze all budgets—including monies set aside for research, advertising and promotion—for first quarter, and possibly longer.
When the nation’s largest radio group makes deep cuts to boost the bottom line, you know the radio business is challenged. Radio revenue, following several years of practically no growth, took a turn for the worse in fourth quarter last year, a condition that is bleeding over into first-quarter 2008. Despite radio’s efforts to stimulate a second revenue stream from digital initiatives, reluctant advertisers and a looming local recession seem to be working against a prompt turnaround.
One of the industry’s chief money savers is voice-tracking, the practice of prerecorded on-air disc jockey patter spliced together with music, commercials and other elements. Pioneered by Clear Channel in the late ’90s at the height of consolidation and widely embraced by the industry, voice-tracking sacrificed the jobs of countless overnight personalities years ago. Now the practice is spreading to nights, middays and afternoons. Often, voice-tracking is used across dozens of markets, similar to syndication.
Jim Cramer made an appearance on Wall Street Confidential on Friday and had some strong comments regarding the future of terrestrial radio. Cramer commented, ”It’s over for radio. The radio fundamentals are so poor. The industry is going away”
What is your take on his tough words regarding the future of radio? What must the broadcasting industry do to compete and be successful in a crowded media and entertainment marketplace?
Go here to check out Cramer’s video.
Chris Anderson at The Long Tail has written a piece about how he has moved from listening to the radio to customizing his listening via podcasts on his iphone. He writes about NPR specifically, but then makes it an industry wide subject. Do you agree with his predictions? Why or why not? If you do, how do you challenge or utilize the rise of “personal broadcasting”?
“Now that I get my radio via podcast, I don’t have to take the bad shows with the good. I’ve got an a la carte menu, and I assemble my own schedule with what I want and when I want it”
“But look at the arc of history here. The podcast model is getting cheaper and more ubiquitously available (who doesn’t have a cellphone?), and it serves individual needs and taste better. Meanwhile the broadcast model, which is all about one-size-fits-all taste, is based on human labor costs and costly transmission equipment and is only getting more expensive. You can see how this story ends.”
“My shifting of funding from the general (radio station) to the specific (show) tells me that radio is going to get microchunked, just like the rest of media. The more granular, the better. We’re about to find out where people’s loyalties really lie.”
The entire post is here.
