Campbell to Run Danville For Neuhoff

4-24-14

Michelle Campbell is the new GM for Neuhoff Media-Danville which operates: D102, 94.9 K-ROCK, 1490 WDAN and local news website; VermilionCountyFirst.com.  Neuhoff Communications EVP/COO Mike Hulvey said, ?Michelle has been a key part of our team for more than ten years. During that time she has served as Director of Sales for the Neuhoff cluster in Danville. She has led the efforts in developing a number of innovative promotional and sales activities while also actively involved in many community volunteer efforts." 

Neuhoff Communications CEO, Beth Neuhoff added ?Michelle Campbell embodies the core values of our company, her energy, positive attitude and understanding of the Danville and Vermilion County community will serve our listeners and advertisers well. We are thrilled to have Michelle lead the Danville market into the future.?

Neuhoff Communications, Inc operates 16 radio and television stations, along with 13 local websites across central Illinois and southern Idaho.

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BIA: Local TV Revenue To Hit $20 Billion

4-24-14

BIA/Kelsey is forecasting local television advertising will grow by nearly eight percent in 2014, after a slight decline in 2013. The firm projects combined local TV revenues (over-the-air and digital) to reach $20.7 billion. In 2013, BIA/Kelsey says local TV advertising took in $18.4 billion; $700 million was from digital. They are projecting $800 million in digital advertising to come in for local TV in 2014 and $1.2 billion by 2018.

The top four business category sources of revenue for local television in 2013, according to BIA/Kelsey's Media Ad View Plus Forecast, were automotive dealers ($3.5 billion), wireless telecommunications ($772 million), hospitals ($652.7 million), and full-service restaurants ($558.3 million).

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(COPYWRITING) Hold the Phone

4-23-2014

When was the last time you wrote down a phone number you heard on a radio commercial? I thought so. Do you really expect any other listener to do it, especially while they?re driving?

Millions of dollars in radio time are wasted each year promoting phone numbers no one responds to, and yet clients keep asking to have their numbers put in radio commercials, thinking that radio works like print. It doesn?t.

Use a phone number in a radio commercial only if a phone call is the primary (or only) response vehicle, and only if the phone number is memorable. We can?t all have 1-800-FLOWERS, but the simpler your number is to remember, the better.

First, use the spot to make listeners want to call, then make it easy for them to call. (Read that sentence again out loud).

If you have a memorable number, build the spot around it: benefit/phone number/ benefit/phone number/ benefit/phone number?

Or, challenge the listener to remember the number, or make a joke about it, or sing the number, or make it rhyme.

If you don?t have a number that?ll stick in the mind, make sure you implant the advertiser?s name, and send those listeners to the White Pages of the phone book, or, more likely, to their favorite search engine. That way, they won?t be distracted by the competitors? ads they might see in the Yellow Pages.

Above all, stop adding a phone number as an afterthought. The time spent mentioning a phone number can be used to make the commercial more compelling. If the spot is powerful enough and aired with enough frequency to get listeners to remember the name and the benefits, they?ll find the advertiser.

To get your very own free copy of ?Hedquist?s List of 328 Commercial Clich?s,? email me jeffrey@hedquist.com and I?ll send them. Guaranteed to reduce commercial effectiveness.

(4/23/2014 10:08:27 AM)
Unfortunately, there are so many poor copywriters out there that the average advertiser doesn't know any better. They have been exposed to trashy copy for so long that the stench has long since faded away. Our clients deserve better; too bad most of us can't deliver! For all your so and so needs, anyone?
(4/23/2014 9:36:53 AM)
I've often told clients that the only ones writing down phone numbers while they are driving are the idiots like us working in radio and TV looking for leads!

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SiriusXM Revenue Grows 11%

4-24-14

It was the 9th consecutive quarter of double-digit revenue growth for the satellite radio company. For the first quarter of 2014, SiriusXM generated $851 million in subscriber revenue and $22.2 million in advertising revenue. Add in equipment and other revenue and the total for Q1 was $997.7. CEO Jim Meyer said the company performed ahead of expectations in the quarter. Free cash flow grew 56 percent to $223 million, adjusted EBITDA climbed 28 percent to $335 million, and adjusted EBITDA margin was 33.5 percent in the quarter. 

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Smerconish Book Releases May 6

4-24-14

The Washington Post has a profile on the SiriusXM host about his book called, ?Talk: A Novel.? The main character in the book is a talk radio host named Stan Powers. The Post says the host "is so desperate to get a national syndication deal that he?ll say anything and trash anyone, even though every move he makes is tearing him up inside." This latest book is the 5th written by Smerconish. READ IT

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Carbonite CEO: Talk Radio Doubled My Business

4-25-14

We've all heard the personal endorsements on talk radio for Carbonite. We've also heard radio executives really pushing the return advertisers get when they choose personal endorsement as a way to reach radio's loyal listeners. We've also heard how advertisers had been running away from talk radio. Carbonite co-founder David Friend was not afraid to stick with the format. "Every year we doubled the ad spend which doubled the revenue. That?s how we got to $100 million in sales in just four or five years. Friend says once the company was ready to launch the marketing plan was to advertise with every national talk radio show host from Howard Stern to Rachel Maddow to Glenn Beck to Rush Limbaugh to pitch for Carbonite. "We found out that people who listen to talk radio, especially conservative talk radio, really trust the hosts.? Forbes has the full story on the success of Carbonite HERE

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Is KROQ Still Rocking?

4-24-14

L.A. Weekly has a lengthy piece on CBS KROQ in Los Angeles and asks the question, "Has KROQ lost its ability to, well, rock?" The piece highlights that the station is now peppered with artists such as Macklemore, Lorde, Daft Punk, and Avicii, none of whom could be considered rock. "It's quite possible that many of KROQ's fans over the years wouldn't recognize it today. In fact, KROQ now has a great deal of crossover with the pop-focused KIIS FM." READ IT (picture of DJ Ted Stryker courtesy L.A. Weekly)

(4/25/2014 9:26:47 AM)
I totally agree with Realist. What KROQ plays is today's alternative whether the haters like it or not. Radio doesn't "break" new bands anymore due to the internet but they sure as hell "make" them.
(4/25/2014 9:10:28 AM)
They are an alternative station and that is the direction of Alternative Music today. I doubt if a country listener from 30 years ago (or even 20) would recognize the new Nashville drivel as their music either but that is the direction of the format. Stupid article written by critics who have no understanding of what consumers want.

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(SOCIAL) Your Social Media Content Plan

4-23-2014

When it comes right down to it, many radio clusters and individual radio stations don?t have an effective social media plan designed to help them get results for goals they have for engaging actual local audience and for growing higher participation with their brand or brands. That?s a shame. With a little focus, effort and consistency, you could actually turn your social media into a powerful set of tools for growing social media presence, ratings, and even local-direct revenue for your cluster. Maybe it?s time for some spring cleaning and reorganizing of your true social media effort to make room for a more specific strategy that includes ?buy-in? from staff and management, and activity to drive your goals.

Here are 6 ways to refresh your social media for real results (@ Radio):

1. Start with the results you want and work your way backwards. Get with your staff and create a fun get-together (perhaps your first annual ?Social Media Rewards?)!  Pass out awards for things such as ?Best Overall Contribution,? ?Most Improved in Social Media,? ?Most Creative in Social Media? and others. Then begin asking questions about what you are currently doing individually and as a team. Ask questions about goals you feel the station should have in social media. Present the results the company would like to see in social media and ask the staff how the group could best achieve these results. When people contribute, reward them and engage them to do specific parts of the content that they are passionate about so they take some ownership of the overall plan.

2. Create an actual overall social media content strategy during the get-together. Be sure to include spotlights for each participator in your meeting that contributed so everyone feels included. And distribute the individual content parts between morning show players and others so that you have a percentage of content from each player targeted to the agreed-upon strategy elements. This gives you balance, passion, and real fire in your social media.

3. Be sure your social media content uses powerful headlines to boost participation and sharing. You?ve seen this on a variety of sites, including TMZ and Drudge Report, but your goal is to spin all content back to you, your website, and your radio station. Headlines are the second-largest element that can drive participation.

4. Be sure your team understands the use of visuals to drive clicks. You absolutely want people to see your visuals and feel they must click through to see what the picture is all about. In the ?old days,? you would say: ?A picture paints a thousand words.? These days, 140 characters are more powerful than you can imagine and pictures can be explosive to help you achieve more engagement and authentic sharing and growth in social media.

5. Make sure your content has balance between personality features, appointments for listening, local causes, passions in your community, contesting, and unique local content elements. If you always think about the audience you most want to attract and engage and craft your content based on everything you know about what they find important, you?ll be fine and grow your engagement regularly.

6. Be consistent. Most people who are beginning a social media plan will do it for a short period of time and then allow their effort to fall away. To be truly successful, you must continue to follow through to get the most out of your social media and drive listeners, and potential listeners, to the content your company owns.

You can have so much more success in your social media if you focus on the listeners you most want to attract and focus your content on them with various types of content, as well as ?encouraging? listeners to engage you on-air, in social media, and on your website (along with in-person whenever possible).

Do you have an overall social media content plan? If not, now is the time to develop one. Make sure your team sees that management feels social media is important, and definitely make sure they feel empowered to help design the plan. If you do, you may become king of social media in your local market! Congratulations!

Loyd Ford is the direct marketing, ratings and social media strategist for Americalist Direct Marketing and has programmed very successful radio brands in markets of all sizes, including KRMD AM & FM in Shreveport, and WSSL and WMYI in Greenville, WKKT in Charlotte and WBEE in Rochester, NY. Learn more about Loyd here:  http://about.me/loydford. Get his radio-social media content sent directly to your smart phone or email for free here:  www.rainmakerpathway.wordpress.com. Reach out to Loyd via e-mail HERE.  Visit his Facebook radio social media page HERE.

(4/24/2014 7:38:38 AM)
David, you are absolutely correct. People crave authenticity and it is an essential part of making social media (and your radio brand) more powerful. People can feel it, smell it and will follow it.
(4/23/2014 4:41:49 AM)
I would add a seventh - seven is such a good number!

7. Be Authentic. Authenticity builds trust and intimacy, and in turn creates brand advocates. These BAs will love & defend the brand and hopefully speak in high volumes about their brand experience on social media. Their powerful voice will resonate with you brand's audience. There's no better way to be authentic than to have the social support of your precious BAs who are always ready to step in and reaffirm your brand message.

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CCM+E Expenses Rise $26 Million

4-24-14

Clear Channel reported the $26 million -- or 6 percent -- operating expense increase was due to investments in national and digital salespeople, increased production costs for events such as the iHeartRadio Country Music Festival, and digital and streaming expenses. The company also reported it had $20.4 billion in long-term debt.

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CCM+E Q1 Revenue Up 2%

4-24-14

CCM+E includes radio and Clear Channel says the $14 million increase over Q1 2013 was primarily due to an increase in its traffic and weather business, and stronger national and digital advertising. CFO Richard Bressler says telecom, health care, and auto were the top three categories for the company. The company did blame some of the slow growth in Q1 on the harsh winter weather and Bressler did not give hope for a strong Q2. He said pacings are down 1.9 percent with core stations pacing down 3 percent.

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Pandora Nearly Doubles Price For 12 Month Sub

4-24-14

CFO Mike Herring made the announcement on the Thursday afternoon earnings call that 12 months of Pandora will now cost $4.99 per month (an increase from $3.99 per month). A Pandora One subscription allows a user to listen without commercials. At $59.88 for twelve months, that's nearly double the $36.00 annual price. Until now users could pay for one year at the $36.00 price. Pandora is eliminating the annual subscription and will now only offer the $4.99 per-month subscription. Anyone paying $3.99 will be grandfathered in.

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Not Much About Radio From Barns

4-24-14

If radio people were tuning in to the Nielsen conference call it was most likely to hear if Nielsen CEO Mitch Barns would give any insight into when digital ratings for audio would be rolled out. It didn't happen. Mobile measurement for video hits the market in July, however audio is still a work in progress. Barns did say the market wants it and needs it and there are several things clients need to do. They need to include Nielsen's code into their apps and figure out how the metrics will be reported out to the market.

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The FDA Looks to Regulate E-cigarette Marketing

4-25-14

The may be something to watch if the e-cigarette category becomes a strong advertising category at your station or cluster. The Wall Street Journal reports The Food and Drug Administration is proposing federal regulations on electronic cigarettes. Senator Richard Blumenthal told the Journal, "I am concerned about e-cigarettes because manufacturers are targeting children and using promotions with celebrities, as well as using colors and flavors that are appealing to children." READ IT

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Nissan Adds HD Radio To Murano

4-24-14

The 2015 Murano will be the first Nissan vehicle to offer HD Radio Technology according to a press release from iBiquity. The 2015 Murano is expected to arrive at Nissan dealers late in 2014. All major auto manufacturers in the U.S. now offer HD Radio Technology.

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Nielsen Revenue Up 2.8%

4-24-14

Revenues for the first quarter at Nielsen increased 12.9 percent to a little under $1.5 billion, (an increase of 15.1 percent over Q1 of 2013). However, when Nielsen excludes the impact of the Arbitron and Harris acquisitions, the increase is only 2.8 percent. Free cash flow for the first quarter increased to $13 million from $(15) million in the first quarter of 2013 and cash flow from operations increased to $90 million in the first quarter of 2014 from $54 million in the first quarter of 2013. The increases were driven by stronger operating performance and favorable interest payments. Read the Nielsen numbers HERE

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Big Radio Pow Wow Next Week in New York

4-25-14

Clear Channel CFO Richard Bressler says Nielsen has "cracked the code," regarding the challenge radio faces proving Return on Investment. And, Nielsen will be hosting a meeting next week in the New York City Clear Channel offices to share more data with executives from several radio companies. Bressler said yesterday the information in Nielsen's Catalina Solutions study has uncovered definitive proof of radio's value. "Nielsen proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that radio over-delivers." In one example, Bressler said the return for every $1 spent was $6 in return. Since Bob Pittman arrived, Clear Channel has been all about generating more data about how radio works to help boost radio revenue with advertising agencies and big national clients.

And in our recent cover story interview with Nielsen's Farshad Family (which you can read HERE), Return on Investment for Radio was a big topic. Family explained the proof of concept Nielsen did that linked the audio data with credit card transactions. "The proof of concept focused on categories like quick service restaurants or movies or retail ? essentially anywhere you could use your credit card. What we are able to show is, people who listen to a certain format, what kind of behavior they exhibit when it comes to going to the movies or when it comes to spending money at quick service restaurants. We were able to highlight which formats deliver audiences that spend more money at the movies compared to another. Our data is granular enough that we can drill down to station-level information and look at it from that perspective."

Family said Nielsen was eager to get this information out to clients for feedback. "We will be looking to productize it so they will have regular access to it on an ongoing basis. We want to give them the ability to slice and dice the information, because obviously every company, every radio station, will want to develop their own ad sales strategies and attack different categories. We really need to provide a product that has enough scale and flexibility to serve our various clients."

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CCM+E Names O'Donnell PD in Springfield

4-26-14

Clear Channel Springfield (Mass.) says Terry O?Donnell will become the new PD and Operations Manager as of May 12. O?Donnell will oversee all programming and operations for the three Clear Channel Springfield stations (WHYN-AM/FM and WRNX-FM). He will join the Springfield cluster from Clear Channel Poughkeepsie, where he was PD.

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Stock Drops After Pandora Reports

4-24-14

Despite increasing revenue 54 percent in the first quarter of 2014, Pandora was trading down as much as 9 percent in after-hour trading Thursday night. The company reported $180.1 million in Q1 revenue, 74 percent ($134.1 million) of which is now coming from mobile revenue. The company reported a loss of approximately $29 million, or about 13 cents per share. Pandora expects revenue in the range of $213 million to $218 million in Q2 and $880 million to $900 million for the full year. The company also expects EPS in the range of flat to 3 cents for the second quarter, and 14 cents to 18 cents for the full year.

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Wheeler Tries To Clear The Air

4-24-14
The blogosphere was all a-twitter the past 24 hours when it appeared the FCC was about to play favoritism with the speed of the Internet. At least that was the way some were interpreting things. FCC Chairman Thomas Wheeler is trying to put an end to what he calls misinformation regarding the upcoming Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding the Open Internet. Here's what Wheeler posted in his blog called, "Setting the Record Straight on the FCC?s Open Internet Rules."

by FCC Chairman Thomas Wheeler (as posted on his FCC Blog)
"There has been a great deal of misinformation that has recently surfaced regarding the draft Open Internet Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that we will today circulate to the Commission. The notice proposes the reinstatement of the Open Internet concepts adopted by the Commission in 2010 and subsequently remanded by the D.C. Circuit. The Notice does not change the underlying goals of transparency, no blocking of lawful content, and no unreasonable discrimination among users established by the 2010 Rule. The Notice does follow the roadmap established by the Court as to how to enforce rules of the road that protect an Open Internet and asks for further comments on the approach.

"It is my intention to conclude this proceeding and have enforceable rules by the end of the year. To be very direct, the proposal would establish that behavior harmful to consumers or competition by limiting the openness of the Internet will not be permitted.

"Incorrect accounts have reported that the earlier policies of the Commission have been abandoned. Two points are relevant here:
1. The Court of Appeals made it clear that the FCC could stop harmful conduct if it were found to not be 'commercially reasonable.' Acting within the constraints of the Court?s decision, the Notice will propose rules that establish a high bar for what is 'commercially reasonable.' In addition, the Notice will seek ideas on other approaches to achieve this important goal consistent with the Court?s decision. The Notice will also observe that the Commission believes it has the authority under Supreme Court precedent to identify behavior that is flatly illegal.
2. It should be noted that even Title II regulation (which many have sought and which remains a clear alternative) only bans 'unjust and unreasonable discrimination.'

"The allegation that it will result in anti-competitive price increases for consumers is also unfounded. That is exactly what the 'commercially unreasonable' test will protect against: harm to competition and consumers stemming from abusive market activity.

"To be clear, this is what the Notice will propose:
1. That all ISPs must transparently disclose to their subscribers and users all relevant information as to the policies that govern their network;
2. That no legal content may be blocked; and
3. That ISPs may not act in a commercially unreasonable manner to harm the Internet, including favoring the traffic from an affiliated entity."

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Boston Pirates Worse Than First Thought

4-23-14

The plight of Boston Pirate radio station Touch 106 has generated a lot of interest from broadcasters. One Boston GM tells Radio Ink the situation in and around Boston is a lot worse than anyone knows. There's even a website that keeps track of the Pirate stations, what happens to them, and what doesn't (CLICK HERE). Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick defended Touch 106, even though he knows it's illegal, after the feds shut the station down. The Boston GM Radio Ink spoke to says, "It's odd that Patrick has praised an illegal station operator who, for years, has been outwardly defiant towards towards a major government agency." He says people like Touch 106 owner Charles Clemons become community martyrs. "And, of course, it's become "monkey see, monkey do." Once the deed is done once, everyone wants to repeat it.  So a handful of stations have turned into dozens,and their operators have become heroes."

The GM who spoke to Radio Ink says the FCC has done little to nothing to prevent these Pirate stations from operating. "There were several citations and fines; none of which, I believe, were ever paid.  There have been several closures where public safety has been concerned. But never was the next step taken.  No arrests, no jail time, no one having to post bail, no public embarrassment for the perpetrators.  Just outright defiance. These stations operate without any regard to technical compliance, many are located in areas not zoned for business or broadcast operations, and many derive real revenue from a variety of sources, including, but not limited to, time brokerage and/or mainstream advertising. Of course, they impact legitimate, legally operating stations."

(4/24/2014 3:23:58 PM)
I wish that people like Eric Roads, and Ed Ryan would stop treating "Touch" like an illegal operator, and get something through their thick heads. While it is illegal, "Touch" was performing a service to a community in Boston that the licensed stations refuse to serve. Yes, there is a legal obligation to follow the law. But, sometimes, there is a moral obligation to do what is right for others in the community. "Touch" met that moral obligation nicely.
(4/23/2014 10:06:20 AM)
Touch should take the legal route now. Cite the Goldfield Nevada precedent case. Ask for an STA and waiver to return to 106.1. Try it.
You might win.
(4/23/2014 9:52:36 AM)
I don't know. The FCC were very good at shutting down Free Radio Berkeley, Berkeley Liberation Radio, Radio X, San Francisco Liberation Radio, Pirate Cat Radio, and Freak Radio Santa Cruz.
(4/23/2014 9:16:05 AM)
Guy...Can you email me a rate card from one of the stations?

Ed

(4/23/2014 9:13:41 AM)
While I don't condone the pirate operations, I think the FCC _AND_ any broadcasters in those markets need to take a long hard look at WHY they can even get a foothold, and WHAT is making them popular. What need are they filling that the mainstream isn't? And why is nobody with a license filling that need? Takes something like this to show us our shortcomings. For that, I am glad they're out there being defiant.

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Sirius Now Has 25.8 Million Subs

4-24-14

By adding 266,799 net subscribers in the first quarter, SiriusXM is close to 26 million paid subscribers. Twenty-six percent of all automobiles on the road now have a SiriusXM radio receiver. There were 2.4 million new cars and 1 million used cars that took advantage of the free SiriusXM trial. Sirius expects a total of 11 million new car trials in 2014 that they will try to convert to paid subscribers. The company expects to increase subs by 1.25 million and bring in $4 billion in revenue in 2014.

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Entercom Adds Another Live Show in Greenville

4-25-14

Starting Monday, Mark Sturgis is moving from a two-hour show on WCCP-FM in Clemson to a 3-hour 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. show on ESPN Upstate in Greenville, SC. Market Manager Steve Sinicropi said, ?Our sports coverage in terms of talent, teams and signal coverage continues to get stronger and stronger. ESPN Upstate has become the most dominant sports network in the market.

ESPN Upstate will now be live and local for six hours straight, beginning with ?In The Huddle? with Greg McKinney weekdays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sinicropi added, ?Mark has a great live and local show right now, he has a network of sports contacts and he brings a passion for sports, strong knowledge and tremendous energy to the fast-growing EPSN Upstate audience. When you have a powerful brand like ESPN and the largest portfolio of radio stations in the Upstate to cross promote, it?s no wonder listeners and talent are coming to ESPN Upstate.? 

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TALENT)Green Side Up

4-21-2014 

In a recent article, the writer singled out radio station copywriters ? whether they were actual members of an actual creative department or the forlorn and reluctant salespeople who also got saddled with the job of typing the hype. They were noted for being compelled by management to write copy that was, at best, "not offensive." Now, there?s a strategy for producing wildly successful advertising!
Besides, the issue is not one of spots being ?offensive.? It?s about their being insulting. Big difference! An advertiser can offend me all day long. My bones are hard. Although rare, I might even get emotionally involved. But, when an advertiser is continuously insulting me and audiences everywhere, we are so out of there. Our minds put up automatic blocks and our fingers go to the punch-out mode.
This is also the case for on-air presentations ? syndicated, V/T?ed or ?live & local.? As has been pointed out before, morning shows comprised of two or more presenters have the potential of immediately and continuously avoiding insulting audiences by attempting to intimately include audience members ? individually. So long as the talents are restricted to directing their comments to each other, they can bypass the immediate, destructive fiasco known to all as ?going one-to-one.?
Now, it might come as no surprise to readers that this is a practice (applying a one-to-one strategy) that is more than just expected of writers and presenters. It is mandated ? either explicitly by direct orders from Programming, or implicitly by way of tradition and dogma. That writers and presenters are also making demands-for-behavior of the same innocent, unsuspecting audience members is a totally separate, but ubiquitous radio strategy. Both are equally insulting and destructive practices.
 
I accept the ongoing reality that station owners, managers, on-air participants, and writers have yet to recognize these principles/elements as being, not just pervasive, but spectacularly counterproductive. Given the rest of the banality, pap, and useless blathering being foisted on audiences during much of the broadcast day, people working at stations can be forgiven for missing these subtle factors, particularly as they also have to deal with all the white noise that is a part of toiling around lava pits or open microphones.
But, from out here ? in orbit ? the signals are distinct, obvious, and loud. So far, radio participants are totally unaware that these ?signals? are bouncing right back to the stations as invisible death-rays that gradually consume everybody they touch.
Although I generally operate across the hall in the ?bubbles? that (supposedly) surround and protect programming departments, the people I do have an affinity for, and who are impacted ? perhaps even more harshly ? by this situation, are those straining in the sales departments. As radio has already and continues to eat its young and curtail any hope of improvement by stripping themselves of both on-air and creative talent, more of the responsibility to generate something akin to actual radio advertising falls on these same weary and anxious individuals in the sales department.
We (radio) have nobody to blame but ourselves when it comes to introducing potential advertisers to the services we render. But, even that is not fair. Over the decades, as stations have been gutted, sales staff have been whipped into generating the most base, crass, and insulting forms of electronic advertising.
From out here ? still in orbit ? it seems so obvious that a better job of sabotaging local radio enterprises couldn?t be accomplished, even by someone whose intentional mandate was to destroy or, at least, cripple radio. Are there many, I wonder, among the leadership of radio who will argue that the last 30 years or so have been about supplying the least possible programming and advertising services at the least possible cost? Those who might risk the criticism that would surely result from their putting up even a milquetoast objection would immediately be greeted by boos, hisses, and catcalls ? but only from those whose jobs weren?t on the line.
Radio salespeople are obliged to hit the streets every day. Many may have their pitches down pat. Some will be terrific closers. Others may be able to generate genuine relationships with a number of clients. If they couldn?t do these things, we wouldn?t have a business to bitch about.
The harsher reality, however, is that the majority go to the streets with no flak jackets and no ammo. Those who do make it through the minefields can count themselves as some combination of ?skilled? and/or ?lucky.? But they still won?t have the necessary messaging in their satchels to powerfully influence a broadcast audience. This is why it is that, so often, an advertiser must be preparing to drop their drawers on price before considering buying radio. This is convenient to the salesperson/writer as they can whip off a hunk of copy that, essentially, says: ?Huge deals! Store needs cash flow! Buy today in case they go out of business tomorrow! Your best-price sale is on now!? Fortunately, even the janitor or GM can write those ones.
Most will agree that many of these ?campaigns? are no more than examples of very short-term ?desperation advertising? ? hardly the stuff of which long-term, profitable marketing strategies are made. In such circumstances, the client is spending money advertising the fact that their margins are being trashed.
Indeed, radio salespeople have enough on which to be concentrating without being stuck with the creative, as well. And since the generation of powerful advertising messaging is a combination of education, acquired skills and talent, there are those ? available somewhere ? who are better suited for these tasks. Besides, the standard-issue ?grippin? & grinnin?? and acquiring a thorough understanding of the medium is more than enough to keep any salesperson engaged.
A full compliment of professional radio services cannot be supplied by unskilled labor. We don?t run sod-laying companies where managers have to continuously remind workers: ?It?s green side up!? Anything less is insulting.

Ronald T. Robinson has been involved in Canadian Radio since the '60s as a performer, writer and coach and has trained and certified as a personal counsellor. Ron makes the assertion that the most important communicative aspects of broadcasting, as they relate to Talent and Creative, have yet to be addressed. Check out his website www.voicetalentguy.com

(4/24/2014 2:47:22 AM)
"Let me repeat that for emphasis: After almost 7 months, the NextRadio platform currently services an average audience of only 119 listeners."

http://www.markramseymedia.com/2014/03/is-nextradio-growing-or-sinking/

(4/23/2014 2:33:34 PM)
As Jack London deems to chime in. I just read "Sea Wolf" again. Great work, Jack.
(4/23/2014 1:29:25 PM)
Do I get a side-order of smegma with this, dick-cheese?
(4/23/2014 12:14:18 PM)
Quite so, Ted.
Because we radio-folk live in a somewhat "closed society" it doesn't even cross the minds of owners and managers that there might be a bit of a self-imposed set of severe limitations in play - at all times.
For those who recognize the situation, it is a profoundly frustrating scenario.
(4/23/2014 9:50:08 AM)
Unfortunately, members of production departments rarely, if ever, get out to meet the clients or see their places of business. Nor do they want that task. The salesperson is actually in the best position to know the client, know about their business and to feel their pain. The problem is that the neophytes who are given a phone book and a pile of contracts and told to "go out and sell something" are not given enough training in copywriting to put together effective and engaging copy.

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Rams Renew With Hubbard

4-21-14

The St. Louis Rams have renewed their contract with 101ESPN Radio (WXOS, 101.1 FM). The terms of the multi-year contract were not disclosed. Since 2009, 101ESPN has been the Rams? flagship station. PD Chris Neupert said, ?Over the years, our team has worked diligently to bring the best of NFL football programming to the St. Louis airwaves. We are excited that we?ll continue to be the place where St. Louis? football fans can get all of the breaking news, updates from around the NFL, and in-depth interviews with Rams players, coaches, and personnel.?

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Houston Sports Talker Shuffles Lineup

4-21-14

Clear Channel's KBME in Houston has moved Fox's syndicated sports talker Jay Mohr from the 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to the 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. slot. Matt Thomas, who is a local host, will move into the 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. slot (from 2 p.m.-4 p.m.). The station is also moving Charlie Pallilo, who hosts The Drive Home, into the 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. slot. Pallilo was on from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The changes make the station live and local from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The KBME Sportstalk 790 programming line-up:
? The Proper Gentlemen with Lance Zierlein & Adam Clanton from 6-9:00 a.m.
? In the Trenches with Koch & Kalu from 9-11:00 a.m.
? The Matt Thomas Show from 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
? The Drive Home with Charlie Pallilo from 2-6:00 p.m.
? The Jay Mohr Show from 6-9:00 p.m.

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NRG Expands Relationship With Marketron

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NRG Expands Relationship With Marketron 4-22-14Marketron announced today that NRG's 45 Midwest stations have renewed and expanded their contract with Marketron. In addition to the existing use of Marketron?s traditional radio traffic system at all of their stations, NRG will supplement their capabilities with Marketron?s mobile marketing platform, SMS service, and interactive digital systems.
NRG CEO Mary Quass said, ?As a predominant media company, we chose to continue our relationship with Marketron because of their proven track record to deliver comprehensive and valuable business tools and software. The Marketron Triple Play enables us to look to the 360-degree media environment and reach our listeners on a number of platforms, while keeping the back-end business streamlined and efficient.?

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The Benevolent Pirate

4-21-14
By now you've heard about "Touch 106," a pirate radio station that was recently raided by the FCC in Boston. Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick is reportedly unhappy that Touch 106 was shut down after eight years of operation, saying it has been an important voice for the black community and that he has been interviewed on the station multiple times.

Radio consultant Donna Halper, Ph.D, associate professor of communications at Lesley University in Cambridge, MA, tells me she has mixed feelings about the story. She says, "Boston needs a live and local station that serves the minority community; on the other hand, [Touch operator Charles L.] Clemons had numerous opportunities to make his station legal and chose not to, plus he used the station to boost his own unsuccessful run for mayor."

She continues, "As a radio consultant, and one who used to consult WILD -- which at one time was the dominant voice in the black community, until it was sold and abandoned live programming -- I think the Touch 106 story speaks to a much bigger issue: the FCC's lack of interest in promoting 'live and local' programming and its willingness to allow a handful of giant conglomerates to simulcast and voicetrack rather than be a presence in the communities they are supposed to serve."

There are so many issues raised by this story. First, how is it the FCC allowed a pirate radio station to be on the air for eight years? It seems that one of the FCC's primary roles is to keep an eye on signals/frequencies and the allocations of those signals. Pirate radio stations interfere with that. Shame on the FCC for not doing its job. Perhaps the agency will say it's overloaded and underfunded, but eight years? Really? Broadcasters have to go through rigorous processes to apply for and maintain our licenses, and the FCC is not protecting broadcaster rights.

Of course, another issue concerns the use of a pirate signal to influence an election, and the governor's appearing on an illegal frequency. Perhaps he didn't know.

The central issue, however, is that historically, pirate radio stations have developed because the community has a need for the service. The success of this station seems to have been driven by the fact that it was live, local, and serving the needs of the local black community. I'm not in Boston, nor do I know how much impact this Touch 106 station really had, and I'd be curious how it would do in the Nielsen reports if compared to other local stations. That doesn't make it OK -- a broadcast license is required, period -- but it does raise the question of who is serving community needs.

I suspect this story is not over. "Touch 106" will tug at the heartstrings of the city, generate lots more publicity, and try to say the community it serves deserves to have it on the air. But that's not good enough. In fact, in my opinion, a onetime pirate operator should be prevented from ever holding a legitimate license -- just as a felon cannot own a radio station. The FCC should continue to levy serious penalties on pirate operators, and in states where operating a pirate station is a state crime (such as Florida and New Jersey), the law should be vigorously enforced.

I don't know how many pirate stations are on the air in America, but I know there is one in my town. I've been wondering how they have been getting away with it all this time. Now I know that the FCC has simply been lazy.

But another giant issue in all of this is that a pirate station has been perceived as serving the needs of Boston's black community better than legitimate radio. I'm sure local broadcasters in Boston -- and everywhere -- feel they're doing their best to serve their communities. But are cost savings through automation and voicetracking becoming the real first priority?

I honestly cannot answer that question. My gut tells me that if broadcast companies thought they could make more money by being "live and local," they would do it in a heartbeat.

But in Boston, it looks like there's a big opening for another station to step up to the plate and become what "Touch 106" was for the community.  Will anyone take advantage of that opening? I'd think one or more Boston broadcasters would be looking very closely at whether such a move would make economic sense.

As legitimate broadcasters, we cannot stand for pirates, no matter how long-running or how much they're loved in the community. And if the FCC doesn't do its job, what is to be done? I'd be curious to hear your opinions on this matter, and the pirate situation in Boston and other communities.

Eric can be reached by e-mail at bericrhoads@gmail.com

(4/21/2014 6:51:23 PM)
What is Radio? Really? Why do people operate Radio Stations? Why does the FCC allocate license to Radio Operators back during the inception? Why do they grant you a license/ Really?

Is it so that your Broadcast Company can Focus on Making as much Money as it can or is it to Serve the community in which it serves?

When these questions are answered honestly you will find a solution to any problems that may arise!

Follow the Dollar and find the Problems!

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jâcapps Wins Second DiSciTech Award

4-21-14

For the second time in the past three years, j?capps has been honored by Corp! magazine's DiSciTech awards for excellence in mobile app development. j?capps COO Bob Kernen said, "We are honored to receive recognition for the outstanding work of our app development team. Our company is proud to be a part of the growing community in the software development field in Southeast Michigan, providing innovative solutions to our clients and partners."

The awards were presented at a gathering at the VisTaTech Center at Schoolcraft College on April 17; an event that celebrated the expertise of companies located in Southeast Michigan that focus on the creation of digital, science, and technology products.

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DC Mayor Joins CBS For Big Announcement

4-21-14

DC Mayor Vincent Gray (left) joined CBS Radio Senior VP/Market Manager Steve Swenson (middle) and CBS Radio President and CEO Dan Mason, Monday, to officially announce CBS' widely reported relocation. The six CBS stations are moving to 1015 Half Street SE in one of the District?s newest up-and-coming neighborhoods ? the Capitol Riverfront. The building is two blocks from Nationals Park and just south of the U.S. Capitol. CBS signed a 15-year lease for the new building.

The new facility will include a nearly 33,000-square-foot floor plan that includes offices, a street-level studio facing L Street SE, and a performance space where artists can host live shows. Construction begins in May, with the new performance space opening this summer and the rest of the building being completed by the end of the year.

Mason said, ?Our new world-class facility will provide extraordinary interactivity with listeners, and allow our stations to develop additional programming exclusive to the local community. This is an important development as we continue to strengthen the bond local radio has with the audiences in the cities where we operate.?

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Pandora Target: 350 Salespeople by 2015

4-22-14

Crain's New York Business says a new 50,000 square foot office in New York City already has 200 Pandora employees, many of them salespeople who are radio refugees. No doubt with the recent Clear Channel sales layoffs the people pool to pluck from just increased for the Internet pure-play. The Crain's story is actually one of the few published articles that includes someone who doubts the listener numbers Pandora produces every month including that Pandora is the number one station in many markets.

Horizon Media's managing director of audio and promotions Lauren Russo says she does not buy that Pandora is one station and its claim to be number one in some markets across the country. The proof will be in the measurement numbers. And at some point in the future those numbers will be provided by Nielsen. Although Nielsen has told Radio Ink that the Pandora numbers will not be made available side-by-side with Radio's numbers so a fair comparison can be made. And, the reasoning for that is Nielsen has said Pandora is not radio. Of course, that can change by the time Nielsen produces its final product.

In the Crain's piece, Russo says she would like Pandora to be measured by Nielsen, just as the terrestrial stations are, so that all the numbers would come from one methodology instead of two. Whether Nielsen believes Pandora is radio, whether radio believes Pandora is radio or whether Pandora executives believe Pandora is radio makes no difference to the consumer. It's clear the consumer could care less what we call it. And it's clear Pandora is hiring radio salespeople and coming after radio's $17 billion in ad revenue. In 2013 Pandora lost $41 million, despite a 56% growth in revenue, to $638 million.

(4/22/2014 5:35:34 AM)
www.advancedhiring.com

So typical of radio thinkers, Eric.
"No doubt with the recent Clear Channel sales layoffs the people pool to pluck from.."

A lot of smart radio people at Clear Channel "get" that second stringer salespeople are always second stringer salespeople -- that's why they clean house.

But old radio guys still think "previous sales experience" is so critical.

Any Radio Ink readers who want a fresh approach to sales hiring?

Alan
www.advancedhiring.com

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Rizzo Receives 30-Day Jail Sentence

4-21-14

Even though Good Karma host Tony Rizzo was sentenced to 30 days, he will not spend any time in jail. Twenty-seven days of his punishment were suspended, and he received credit for the three days he did serve. Rizzo was arrested in December and charged with misdemeanor domestic violence after his wife called 911 and told the dispatcher he was irate and hurting her. Rizzo will be on probation for two years and has to pay a $250 fine. Rizzo hosts The Really Big Show on Sports Talker WKNR in Cleveland.

(4/21/2014 7:57:37 PM)
He looks like a fucking thug!

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(SALES) Does Social Media Sell?

4-21-2014

P.T. Barnum said, ?There is no such thing as bad publicity, as long as they spell my name correctly.? I wonder if US Airways feels that way this week.

I consider myself pretty ?plugged in? and aware when it comes to social media, but I freely admit I learned a new acronym today. NSFW: Not Safe For Work. I learned this over the fracas caused by a US Airways (@USAIRWAYS) tweet.

In case you missed it, US Airways had a tweet go viral in an historic way. Unfortunately it wasn?t for its positive value, it was due to the shock of the inappropriateness of the tweet. The tweet heard round the world contained a picture of a woman with a model airplane. I?m going to leave the rest to your imagination. Within an hour the tweet was removed from @USAIRWAYS feed, but it was too late. It had already received millions of retweets.

Beyond the retweeting, people started tweeting and hash-tagging US Airways in not-so-friendly ways. I have to admit, most of what I saw was double entendre, and poking fun at the company for its inappropriate sexual content. There were also people understandably disgusted and angry that US Airways would let something like this happen. As a casual observer I would say that the jokes and the funny attacks far outweighed the anger.

What is clear is that cyberspace is all-abuzz with US Airways. ?Trending? is the official term, and trending they are in ways that I don?t think any company has ever achieved. Most people will never see the photo that was published on their feed for an hour. Because of the graphic and disgusting content, most others won?t dare show it even as an example. So people hearing of this event are left to wonder what it was. What they are not left to wonder is with what company it was associated. US Airways is getting more attention in the last two days than the multi-week missing Malaysia Airlines plane saga.

It begs the question: Was P.T. Barnum right? Will this new notoriety be beneficial or harmful for US Airways? Based simply on my unscientific analysis of the tweets I?ve reviewed, I don?t think it?s going to hurt. They are clearly the butt of a lot of joking right now. Just a week ago, however, if I did a ?positioning ladder? analysis and asked you to name as many airlines as you could, I dare say US Airways would not have been on the list.

Wearing my brand marketing strategist hat, here?s the really interesting question: Does social media lead to sales? From an advertising buzz standpoint, digital (social media) is certainly the shiniest new toy. But is it driving sales? All Things D writer Jason Del Rey shared this in a November 2013 article:

Last year, IBM poured some cold water on social advertising when it said social sites like Twitter and Facebook had almost no impact on online Black Friday sales.

This year, things aren?t much better.

In tracking traffic and sales at about 800 e-commerce sites, IBM says it found that only about one percent of visits to e-commerce sites this week come from social networks, according to Jay Henderson, strategy director for IBM. And, once again, just a fraction of one percent of overall orders are made by people coming to the e-commerce site directly from a social network, he said.

?I don?t think the implication is that social isn?t important,? Henderson said earlier this week. ?But so far it hasn?t proven effective to driving traffic to the site or directly causing people to convert.?

Ouch.

People ask me all the time, ?How do I use social media to drive sales?? I submit that they are asking the wrong question. I have always viewed social media as just another ?platform? on which to help build top-of-mind awareness. What makes it attractive is that it?s largely free. However, all marketing and advertising starts with strategy. You have to know what you?re advertising and why you?re advertising it. You have to know whom you are trying to reach and what behavior you are trying to change in those you reach.

So when the dust settles, will US Airways sell more as a result of this intense exposure? Not likely. But equally unlikely is the prospect of them selling less as a result.

All we know at this point is that more people will be aware of them as a result. So was P.T. Barnum right? 

What do you think?

Jeff Schmidt is EVP and Partner with Chris Lytle at Sparque, Inc. At Sparque. You can reach Jeff at Jeff.Schmidt@Sparque.biz

Twitter: @JeffreyASchmidt
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/schmidtjeffrey

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Greater Media Detroit Grabs Pistons

4-22-14

The company announced it will hold a press conference today at 3PM to make a "major announcement," however, Crain's Detroit Business already had the details that the radio broadcasts of NBA's Detroit Pistons will move from CBS to Greater Media in 2015. For the past five years Pistons games have been heard on WXYT-FM 97.1 ?The Ticket.? Greater Media's WMGC flipped from AC to sports talk in 2013.

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(SALES) Do What You Fear

4-21-2014

Doing what you fear is easier said than done, I promise you. How many of us really take on the thing we fear the most and conquer it or continually challenge it until we overcome that fear? The sales profession has a graveyard of people who couldn?t overcome their fear of call reluctance and settled for something lesser than taking on their fears and reaching their true potential.

The other night, I watched Off Camera With Sam Jones. First time I had seen his show. Off Camera is a website, magazine, television show, and podcast hosted by photographer/director Sam Jones. Jones created the show out of his passion for the long form conversational interview, and as a way to share his conversations with a myriad of artists, actors, musicians, directors, skateboarders, photographers, and writers that pique his interest.

Jones understands that the best conversations happen ?off camera,? sometimes like your best CMPs (Customer Marketing Profiles). I?m not much of a fan of sitting down in front of the TV and watching a long-form conversation. I did the other night when he was interviewing Will Forte. Will starred with Bruce Dern in the movie Nebraska ? being from Nebraska it?s tough to admit I haven?t seen the movie yet. I will now. Many of you might know Will from SNL. He was also a staff writer on That 70s Show.

What caught me was how candid Will was about fear and his fear of doing SNL when he was a writer on That 70s Show. He initially turned down the offer from SNL because of his fear. Not that he did much else ?  he said he sat around the following year doing nothing but playing video games until SNL came back with another offer which he jumped on. Out of a 100 actors, he was offered the role of David Grant in Nebraska. His comments about fear made me think of us in sales and how much we avoid our biggest fears. Our fears of doing something a little bit different. Getting out of our complacent zone and stretching ourselves a bit. At first it scares you and makes you fearful.

For some sales reps it?s just picking up the phone and making that phone call after you?ve been rejected 10 times that afternoon; though in reality, it just leads us one step closer to the next person who will say ?yes.? The fear grips you and you just don?t want to be rejected again. It happens in our personal life also. Maybe we have settled with someone when we know we are just not happy with that person. Sometimes, we?re just not happy with ourselves because we have a lot to work on inside of ourselves so it jeopardizes our relationship and we fear exposing our own flaws. Sometimes, it?s our job we fear ? we settle versus really challenging ourselves doing something new.

What is it I say often in my seminars to business owners? If they continue to do the same thing over and over again in their advertising, what?s going to change? Nothing, except their market share might go down as the competition becomes more aggressive in their advertising. Change it up. Do something different. Take a chance.

Like many of you, I?ve been watching CNN?s coverage on the missing Malaysian jet plane. Recently, I?ve seen an author as one of their panelists named Jeff Wise, who wrote the book Extreme Fear: The science of your mind in danger. I don?t have the book yet, though I will get it. I?ve often seen sales reps over the years that let fear, anxiety, and self-doubt ruin their chances of being successful in sales. They freeze up before the sales call or look for a hundred different ways to avoid making that sales call because of fear.

If our mind can take us to a state of frenzy, then why can?t it take us to a place of high positivity where we enjoy excitement, enthusiasm, and exhilaration? If our mind can take us one place, it sure can take us to another. I think it?s how we look at it or the play-frame we create in our minds that separates the fear from feelings of success.

Most of us recall having to read Tom Sawyer in junior high school. In the first part of the book, Aunt Polly punished Tom for skipping school. As his punishment, he had to go out on a Saturday morning and whitewash a 9 by 30-foot fence. There is no way Tom could have been happy about that. While all of his friends were out playing, he had to whitewash a fence.

Initially, Tom felt embarrassed and cheated. Yet, what did he do? At that dark and hopeless moment, inspiration burst upon him. He decided to create a play-frame in his mind ? a sudden burst of positive energy. He got up on the fence and started painting as if he loved it, developing a great act. His friends came by and started laughing at him, telling him he has to paint the fence while they are out playing.

What does Tom say? ?I don?t have to, I want to.? At this, they started saying, ?Well maybe there is something in this after all.? So, suddenly they began trading their apples, kites, marbles, and firecrackers for their chance to jump into this happy state of affairs that Tom Sawyer had set up.

What happens at the end of that scenario? Tom Sawyer is sitting on the top of the fence while all of his friends are whitewashing it.

As Will said in his interview with Sam Jones, our mind has the ability to cause us great harm. If used in the right way, our mind can bring us our greatest success, if we learn how to control it and constantly reinforce it with positive self-talk and reprogram it with daily affirmations.

Sales don?t happen by accident, and the top sales performers have that one thing in common: they do the tough things first, the things they fear the most, the hard things, and then get on with being the success we know we are ? even if it?s only in our mind?s eye.

Sean Luce is the Head National Instructor for the Luce Performance Group International and can be reached at Sean@luceperformancegroup.com or www.luceperformancegroup.com. His new book The Liquid Fire can be found on Amazon.com.

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(PROGRAMMING) Who Are You Programming To?

4-21-2014

Digital, Internet, terrestrial ? no matter what the platform may be for your programming, there is one rule that still applies: ?Local content is king.?

Live and local wins every time.

I?ve said this many times over the years: Music alone is not a strong enough benchmark to make and keep your station number one. I?m addressing the money demographics, the 30-plus adults, not the millennials of 12 to 30.

Millennials don?t care about radio, don?t care about television, and don?t care about long-form radio programming. They are after instant gratification and less clutter. If you are doing Classic Hits, Adult Top 40, any gold formats, the millennials will not be attracted to your station.

For example, the top 25-54 radio station in New York City is WCBS-FM. It sounds just like a well executed Top 40/Hot AC from 1975 to 1985. Great music, great on-air talent who actually have personalities and relate to the local area, a great morning show, and overall, it?s a lot of fun to listen to. Wow, what a concept!

WCBS-FM?s great talent and personalities keep bringing listeners back because they make their listeners want more. They also give out fun and interesting facts about the music, artists, and the local community that listeners can?t find on any other New York radio station.

Remember, you must have the air talent making ?appointments? with the listeners to come back at specific times throughout the hour, on that day and on other days. That will help increase your tune-ins per hour and per day. If you can increase your tune-ins by only one per day, you can see a big ratings increase for your station each survey period.

I call these ?vertical? and ?horizontal? promos. A vertical promo is done each quarter hour, telling the listeners about something of interest that will be coming up in the next 10 to 15 minutes, like contests, features, items of interest, etc.

A horizontal promo promotes a feature and tells the listeners they can hear it again tomorrow at the same time. Keep them coming back for more.

Radio still has star power; it?s still show biz to these 30-54 listeners. We in the business may have become callous about this very important fact, but it?s something that drives your money demos to your station. These listeners grew up with this kind of radio, and they still enjoy it.

The same is true in Los Angeles. KRTH (K-Earth 101) is a Classic Hits station that grabs a huge chunk of revenue and ratings in that 10 million-plus population market. It has the same attributes as WCBS: well formatted, great music, wonderful air talent that understands how to entertain the adult audience of Southern California, and contests that are fun and relevant.

Too many group programmers and consultants say that contests on the radio are useless talk and nobody really cares about them. To a certain extent, that may be true. Research has shown us for a long time that only 5 percent or less of listeners will ever participate in a radio station contest. But the research I have seen says that if a contest is well thought out and targeted properly to the specific audience you?re after, it can work perfectly.

Contests must have a fun element, something that makes the casual listener take notice. That gets down not only to what the prize is, but how the contest copy is written and presented in promos and by the jocks.

Does it sound ?bigger than life,? or is it just another element that can pass by unnoticed? If you don?t make the contest sound big and exciting, how do you expect the audience to get excited?

The key to doing a contest is not just taking caller number 10 to win a prize. There has to be more intrigue to it than that. Trivia works great, especially with that in-car listener. Great theater of the mind makes your listeners see something in their mind?s eye, feel something (sizzle and excitement), and want to play along.

They can play along vicariously, guessing the answer, and making the contest memorable and fun, or they can call in and give it a try. The contest also becomes a benchmark for your station for the diarykeepers as well as the PPM participants

If we are going to survive iTunes, Pandora, satellite radio, and other music delivery systems, we must get back to ?what made us famous? with that 30-plus demographic who grew up with radio.

The three successful keys to any radio station are still:
? Music
? Mornings
? Marketing

Somewhere along the way we have forgotten about these simple basics. When we do them every day, 24/7, they work.

The dilemma these days among companies is ?Do we program to millennials or to baby boomers and Gen X?? The answer gets down to what your business plan is for your company. You can?t be all things to all people.

Live radio is still healthy and doing well. There are other options people can use for entertainment ? but radio will be around for a long time to come!

Tom Watson is president of A.C.C. Consulting & Marketing International, with clients in major U.S. markets as well as in Europe and Asia. Reach him at laxconsultant@gmail.com or 310.498.5990.

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AdLarge To Rep New York's PULSE 87

4-21-14

AdLarge Media has signed an agreement for exclusive digital advertising sales representation of PULSE 87 New York, the online Electronic Dance Music station that includes its on-demand and mobile platforms. The station is programmed by New York City programmer Joel Salkowitz, who has also worked at Hot 97 in New York, and SiriusXM.

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"Tanch" To Afternoons At KHTP Seattle

4-21-14

Jamie "Tanch" Tanchyk will start his new shift with the Entercom station on May 12. He also gets APD stripes. Tanch heads to HOT 103.7 from Albany, NY, where he was on the air and the PD at Albany Broadcasting's Country station WZMR. PD Mike Preston said, "Energy, enthusiasm, and creativity are all Tanch?s strong suits. The future of HOT is bright with a line-up of Candy+Potter with Jeetz, Kristin The Island Girl, and Tanch.?

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