Google Search

eobot

Search This Blog

Saturday, May 31, 2014

Yet Another Way For Consumers to get Music

5-30-14

Everyone wants in the music delivery game. According to an exclusive at Buzzfeed, some Amazon.com customers will be able to listen to music in the next month or two while shopping on the Internet's largest retailer. We say some because you have to be an Amazon.com Prime customer, which you get for a fee. Amazon will give Prime members old and "newish" music for subscribers to stream on demand. The Prime music service, will not include new music. It will restrict its catalog to songs and albums that are 6 months old and older.

Add a Comment Send This Story To A Friend


View the original article here

Wolfe The New VP for Faith Broadcasting

5-28-14

Daniel Wolfe is the new VP/GM for WGAB-AM in Evansville, Indiana and WMTA-AM in Central City, KY.  Wolfe's began in broadcasting as an assistant to his father, Dr. David Wolfe, who pioneered the SONshine network in upstate New York. Following his father's death in 2004, Dan managed the network for another 9 years, while establishing an advertising agency called Causeway Media Group.



View the original article here

(SALES) Maybe It's Time For Her To Go

5-27-2014

A newly hired sales manager in a small market has inherited a perplexing problem. One of his senior reps, an employee at the station for decades, is consistently bringing in the lowest average rates as well as the lowest average orders. Due to her longevity, the account executive has a very large account list and is personal friends with many of her accounts.

?I know that many.... well, most of her accounts are capable of spending much more than they are currently spending,? says the manager. ?But my rep insists that she is thorough and that she is maximizing her share of her clients? advertising budgets.?

This rep is by far the biggest biller on the station and she works very hard, but the manager feels she is short-changing her clients with thin schedules and mediocre commercials:
?She churns a lot of accounts. Many will drop out for months, saying they don?t feel like our station is working for them, but they are loyal to her and eventually she convinces them to come back on. This has been a pattern for a long time.

?She came in the other day with an order for a brand-new restaurant. The schedule was very sparse and only written up for one month, which is typical for her. I was concerned that for a brand-new client on our station, the frequency level was too low. She told me that based on her experience, this was an acceptable amount of spending to introduce the restaurant to our audience.?

Another downside with this ?seasoned? veteran was her influence over the other reps. ?She mothers them,? says the sales manager. ?But I believe she is singularly responsible for the ?small order? syndrome we have in this market. She has created a ?glass ceiling? on rates and average orders, and regardless of the conversations we?ve had on this subject, she won?t budge. She loves her job, and she has no intention of ever retiring. It?s driving me crazy.?

This situation is not unique. Reps like this one are unintentionally stifling growth in markets all over the country. The question is how to effectively modify her behavior and crack that glass ceiling.

The answer to the dilemma is to lead by example. You as manager will have to prove to this salesperson (and the rest of the staff) that it is absolutely possible to bring in bigger orders at higher rates.

Insist on going with her on appointments so you can personally meet with her advertising decisionmakers. Come up with higher-frequency long-term campaign strategies, then take her and junior reps with you and sell them yourself. Take what she normally asks for a month and routinely ask for that much each week. Back up your larger budget proposals by using the client?s own numbers ? her average sale and gross margin of profit.

?Why run a commercial per hour on our station? Because we let you. Mrs. Client, your average sale is $1,500. Your gross margin is ?keystone,? or 50 percent. How many $750s would you need to justify the $2,000 a week we?re suggesting you spend with us? Three. This is what it would cost you per week to dominate your category on our station. You could easily afford it, and your calculated risk is low. This is the best way to utilize our station and get new customers.?

Once your senior rep sees that your plan works, she will either step up to the plate or she won?t. But you will succeed in breaking her spell over the rest of the staff, and you will quickly raise the bar on what is an acceptable order on your station ? and what is no longer acceptable.

Paul Weyland can be reached at 512.236.1222 or paul@paulweyland.com. Also visit www.paulweyland.com.

(5/27/2014 2:13:53 PM)
Great article Paul.

Add a Comment | View All Comments Send This Story To A Friend


View the original article here

Home Depot Crushes The Competition

5-27-14

It's now 10 weeks running as radio's number one advertiser according to Media Monitors. The Home Depot cruised into the Memorial Day weekend airing over 72,000 radio commercials, more than doubling the 34,264 aired by second-placed Macy's. Home Depot's big-box competitor Lowe's was third with 32,000. Rounding out the top five were McDonalds (27,641), and The United States Department of Transportation (27,167) which has been bombarding radio with "Click It or Ticket" ads.



View the original article here

Becker Joins the L & L programming Team

5-28-14

Phil Becker is the new Vice President of Programming at L&L Broadcasting. L&L Senior VP and Director of Programming Scott Mahalick said, "We are thrilled to have such a visionary programmer join our team with a winning track record, great passion for the art of the product, business sense and stellar leadership traits.? Becker was named one of ?America?s Top 50 Programmers? by Radio Ink in 2010

Becker is a 20-year vet having worked in Buffalo, Orlando, Fort Wayne, and Dothan. Becker was most recently co-owner and General Manager of Oasis Radio Group in Ft. Wayne, IN.



View the original article here

Friday, May 30, 2014

This American Life to Self Distribute July 1

5-28-14
As of July 1, Chicago Public Media and Ira Glass will start independently distributing the public radio show This American Life to over 500 public radio stations. Episodes will be delivered to radio stations by PRX, The Public Radio Exchange. Since 1997, the show has been distributed by Public Radio International. In March both sides announced they were parting ways after 17 years. The two sides could not come to an agreement on a new distribution deal which ends at the end of June.

Glass said, ?We?re excited and proud to be partners now with PRX. They've been a huge innovative force in public radio, inventing technologies and projects to get people on the air who?d have a much harder time without them. They?re mission-driven, they?re super-capable and apparently they?re pretty good with computers.? The show is heard weekly by 2.2 million people. Most weeks it?s also the number one podcast on iTunes, with over a million downloads per episode. It went on the air in 1995.



View the original article here

Hannity Keynotes Petroleum Conference

5-27-14
Sean Hannity was the keynote speaker at the 2014 Williston Basin Petroleum Conference in Bismarck, North Dakota, last week. Hannity has been vocal on his radio program about America?s need for energy independence. Through his ?Get America Back to Work? campaign, which he spoke in-depth about in his Radio Ink cover story, Hannity teams up with companies in oil-rich states to help promote and inform those in need of work of the openings available to them.

Speaking to thousands of attendees at the 22nd annual event, Hannity praised the oil boom in North Dakota, which has the lowest unemployment rate in the nation, and urged America to become energy independent. Hannity told the crowd: "In spite of government, you have been able to show the entire country that there is an answer out there ? the answer is oil, the answer is energy, it's the lifeblood of our economy?You have shown the country the way, I just hope that America is wise and smart enough to follow North Dakota.? 

(5/28/2014 11:05:18 AM)
Ultra right wing conservatives and big oil. Go together like soup and sandwich...
(5/27/2014 8:38:49 PM)
Hannity would sell arsenic to his mother and tell her it was imported candy if there was a buck in it. Climate change is ruining the planet and this shill is pushing petroleum. Don't you think if our economy was geared more to needs than nonsense that there just might be more jobs? And if we put those Dakotans to work on wind power or solar power development, we'd all win. But then Mr. Hannity would have to shill for truth, and he just doesn't have the experience.

Add a Comment | View All Comments Send This Story To A Friend


View the original article here

Can Radio Continue To Dominate The Dashboard?

5-27-14
You've been hearing it for a while now: The automobile dashboard will become ever more connected, and radio will need to adapt. Well, that future is NOW. Cars are rolling off assembly lines right now with Internet connectivity and streaming audio already on the dash, and AM/FM radio is just one of the options consumers have to get their entertainment and information on the road.

The dashboard and connected car are changing consumer behaviors today. Learn what Apple, Google, and others have planned for the car, the ways technology impacts how users use their radio, and how your station must adapt in order to maintain your dominance -- and your revenue edge. At Convergence, coming up June 4-5 in California's Silicon Valley, hear from a panel of experts in radio, technology, and online audio on how the connected car will impact ad dollars and how we sell.

Your Moderator:
Fred Jacobs founded Jacobs Media 30 years ago, when he had the notion that Classic Rock could become a format spinoff from Album Rock.  Since then, Classic Rock has become the most successful ?new? radio format in the last three decades, and was listed as one of the top 35 most pivotal events in radio history by Radio & Records. Today, Fred is on the forefront of connecting radio with the mobile revolution with JacAPPS, his mobile app company. Over the past five years, JacAPPS has developed 850 apps. generating more than 20 million downloads, and entered into a partnership with the Ford Motor Co. to adapt apps for compatibility in the SYNC AppLink system.This past October, Jacobs Media partnered with Radio Ink and Valerie Shuman to produce DASH, the first-ever radio and automotive ?connected car? conference.

Doug Sterne is VP of audio sales at Pandora Media. He joined Pandora in 2008 to launch the audio ad product and sales team. Since then, he has directed the company's efforts to get measured and integrated into the ad industry's most popular media buying software platforms. Today he is integrally involved in Pandora's local sales efforts, leading the company's team of people who cultivate and respond to inbound advertising inquiries. Prior to Pandora, Doug served in executive management positions for industry-leading media companies like CBS and Clear Channel Radio.

Alan Taylor, CEO of Entertainment Radio Network, is an award-winning radio and TV host, a 30-year broadcast professional, and one of the most popular automobile aficionados in the business. In 1995 he founded Benchmark Entertainment, pioneering the business of creating radio shows as an extension of the magazines they represent; Benchmark orchestrated innovative partnerships with leading publishers to replicate their content on-air. Today Taylor partners with some of the nation's largest publishing houses, including Time Inc., Bonnier, and Rodale. At ERN, he hosts the popular weekend talk shows The Drive With Alan Taylor and Popular Science Radio. He's been a featured automotive expert in both TV and radio on ABC, CBS, CNN, FOX, NBC and others.

Tobin Trevarthen is founder and CEO of Spatial Shift. He has created, managed, and sold over $1 billion worth of advertising-related programs over the course of his career. He recently formulated Spatial Shift as a high-end business-development and idea-launch company to continue his pioneering work in the connected consumer space, with a focus on the connected car. Before Spatial Shift, Trevarthen developed the monetization efforts for Aha, a revolutionizing connected radio service that is now integrated into 14 of the 30 global automakers across the world. Trevarthen developed and launched the first ever in-vehicle interactive promotion, with Quiznos in December 2013. He also pioneered the ?Signature Station?, enabling two-way interactivity between the automaker and the driver.

Roger Tsai is deputy general manager of media personalization & insights at Gracenote, driving the company's next-generation personalization and targeting initiatives, particularly in contextual and cross-media discovery. In his prior role in product strategy, Tsai expanded Gracenote's market focus to include social music data, TV content recognition, interactive program guides, and targeted advertising. Before joining Gracenote in 2009, Tsai served as a management consultant with McKinsey & Company where he served Fortune 500 clients in high-tech, retail, and health care.

Convergence 2014
REGISTER HERE
June 4-5
Hyatt Regency Santa Clara
Silicon Valley
www.radioconvergence.com



View the original article here

New York Broadcasters Move Conference to NYC

5-28-14

Traditionally, the New York State Broadcasters Association Conference and awards dinner has been held at the Sagamore Hotel on Lake George in upstate New York. This year the event will be held June 12 and 13 at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. It's the 52nd year for the conference and the 2014 theme is "Generation Competition." Kacey Musgraves will perform at the Hall of Fame awards dinner which will be hosted by Faith Jenkins. WFAN's Mike Francessa will be one of six broadcasters inducted into the New York State Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

Here is the complete list of the 2014 inductees to be honored at a luncheon on June 13th.
John Cooper ? Legendary radio broadcaster in the Capital Region and Syracuse
Nancy Duffy ? Pioneering TV reporter and journalist in Syracuse
Mike Francesa ? Legendary radio sports show host at WFAN in New York City and around the nation.
Marty Glickman ? Pioneer sportscaster in New York City
Chris Musial - Long time TV station manager at WIVB-TV in Buffalo
Marvin Scott ? The dean of TV journalists at WPIX in New York City
For a biography of each inductees visit our website at http://www.nysbroadcasters.org/ 



View the original article here

JC Penney and Nissan Pick up Spend

5-27-14

It's always nice to see automotive and retail spending increase for radio. Media Monitors also reports that two of the biggest chart jumpers last week were Nissan and JC Penney. Nissan went from number 29 to number 9 on the weekly chart airing over 18,000 commercials and JC Penney jumped from number 44 to number 10 with just under 18,000. Fox Television was also a big mover, going from 14 to 7.



View the original article here

Zinno Leaving Baltimore For Atlanta

5-27-14

The Pressbox in Baltimore is reporting that Mark Zinno will host evenings on CBS' sports talker WZGC-FM in Atlanta as of Monday. Zinno now works at 105.7 The Fan in Baltimore where he's been since 2006, most recently hosting a show called "Last Call," from 10 p.m. to midnight. Zinno was a member of the United States Special Forces deployed to Iraq from 2005 to 2006.



View the original article here

Thursday, May 29, 2014

(AUDIO) Radio is My Labor of Love

5-28-14

Cromwell CEO Bud Walters says his friend Lynn Martin is the "individual" broadcaster personified. "He's dedicated to the business and has built it all basically from scratch. A lot of small market owners can identify with all that Lynn has experienced as he has built his group one piece at a time." Lynn Martin is celebrating 30 years in the radio business. He started out running a board and listening to his father on the air. Today Martin, the founder and owner of LM Communications, celebrates 30 years of radio broadcasting success. With five stations in Lexington, two in Charleston SC, five in Charleston, WV and sales agreements with two other stations, Martin has been making great local radio for three decades. He tells Radio Ink his success is due to the fact that to this day, he absolutely loves what he does. Listen to our interview with Lynn Martin HERE and send Martin a note of congratulations at lmartin@lmcomm.com

Add a Comment Send This Story To A Friend


View the original article here

Hubbard Doubles Size of St. Louis PM Drive Show

5-28-14

Hubbard St. Louis Radio Group?s 106.5 The Arch in St. Louis has added Ricki (Genevieve Frazelle) to PM Drive. Ricki joins current PM Drive host Brando to create The Ricki & Brando Show. Ricki has worked in Gainesville, Florida, Springfield, Illinois and Decatur, Illinois in different on-air roles. Her last radio position was with Mid-West Family Broadcasting Group?s Hot AC 98.7 FM WNNS in Springfield, Illinois, as a Morning Show co-host.



View the original article here

(SALES) Be On Time For Meetings (& The Plane)

5-27-2014

If there was one thing for which I was known for as a day-to-day sales manager, it?s that I locked the door at sales meetings. I know it might seem old-fashioned in the age of high tech and work from home. But promptness counts and being on time is the most important thing you can do as the team?s leader.

I?ve had numerous arguments with reps over this one. If you can?t get out of bed in the morning, then you can?t see your customers in the proper frame of mind. If you are lazy coming to the office, then maybe you should go home and start over. It all comes down to having the desire and the motivation to excel at whatever is required of you. It all comes down to motivation. Whether you are a manager or a salesperson, motivation comes from within, not without. Motivation revolves around risk-taking, passion, drive, and commitment. It takes all of these things to reach your potential, either in the field or in the office.

Even if you?re not an American football fan, you can still appreciate the detail that Vince Lombardi, legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers, had a concise list of rules for his players. Among them was this one: ?Never be late for meetings.? To his players, ?on time? meant 15 minutes earlier than scheduled. Fifteen minutes early came to be known as ?Lombardi time.? As Coach Lombardi would say, ?I believe a man should be on time, not a minute late, not 10 seconds late. I believe a man, who?s late for a meeting or late for the bus, won?t run his pass patterns right.? Lombardi was known to have released some of his best players, even first-round draft picks, when they couldn?t make his meetings on time.

Who stands a better chance of getting the business from the customer or the prospect, the sales rep who is there five or 10 minutes early or the sales rep who is late? Getting a leg up on the competition is one thing, but something we lose sight of is that when you are early for a meeting it gives you a chance to concentrate on the task at hand. It allows you to take a few deep diaphragmatic breaths, to review your presentation, perhaps to scan their trade journals as you sit in the lobby -- and there are still trade journals in the lobby. How many times have we rushed from one appointment to the next only to lose our sharpness for the upcoming call? If we are late, what are we really saying to the customer? He or she is not important enough to warrant a little extra pre-call planning and preparation? Who gets the edge when you are on time and your competition isn?t?

You Are The Clock In The Center Of The Wall

In demonstrating getting to appointments on time, I have used the story of a physicist by the name of Hugans, who performed experiments with pendulum clocks. He wanted to find out if a number of clocks on a wall with their pendulums all swinging at different rates would become synchronized. What he found out was that by leaving the clocks on the wall by themselves, they eventually became perfectly synchronized. He also found out that the clock in the center of the wall was the one that had the greatest impact on all other clocks. It?s the same thing in your organization or sales force. When everyone is one time, everyone is synchronized. You, as a manager or salesperson, can have just the same effect as the clock in the center of the wall, whether it is in your personal life or in your business life.

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

(5/27/2014 11:57:10 PM)
"Be on time"... Really? Your thinking and the theories/thinking of most radio consultants, is as outdated as old technologies, ...Awhile back, Clear Channel fired both managers at KGGI (both had been there for almost 20 years).,, and for both of them, they micro-managed and almost used a stopwatch, chewing out anyone who was 2 minutes late, even if that person had worked well into the evening the night before. Showing up on time is a given, but being a manager with a stopwatch is not leading.

Add a Comment | View All Comments Send This Story To A Friend


View the original article here

KABC Salesperson Loses Daughter In Mass Killing

5-27-14

California University student Veronika Weiss was the daughter of KABC Account Executive Bob Weiss. Weiss was one of six students killed by gunman Elliot Rodger. Thirteen others were wounded. Weiss spoke to KABC morning hosts Doug McIntyre and Terri-Rae Elmer about how he found out his daughter was killed (LISTEN HERE). Weiss also told CNN he tracked his daughter's cell phone to the scene of the crime. He could tell she was being moved, most likely to the morgue, he said.

Add a Comment Send This Story To A Friend


View the original article here

Tovcimak Gets Evenings In The Steel City

5-27-14

Locally owned Steel City Media announced Tracie Tovcimak will take over evenings at Q92-9 WLTJ, "Pittsburgh?s 80s, 90s, 2K & Today" station. Tovcimak has over 13 years behind the mic. She's worked in Memphis, Arkansas, and in Pittsburgh. She was born and raised in Pittsburgh. Tovcimak starts immediately and can be heard from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., weekdays.



View the original article here

Zachary Resets Boston Sales Team

5-27-14

New Market Manager Phil Zachary has shuffled up his sales leadership team in Boston. Melissa Capuano (pictured) moves from National Sales Manager to the D.O.S. position. Kelly Sutton is now the sales manager for sports and talk (WEEI-FM/AM and WRKO-AM/HD). Sutton started with the company in 2002, coming over from CBS Radio. And, Dana Panepinto retains his current title as director of sports sponsorship sales, and adds additional responsibility beyond the company?s Boston Red Sox Radio Network.

Zachary said he?s proud to promote from within the organization. ?Melissa, Kelly, and Dana share a combined three decades of leadership experience at Entercom Boston. I can think of no finer, nor more deserving, group to steer our revenue-generation efforts in this new era of advertising accountability.? The Entercom Boston cluster consists of: WAAF, WEEI, WRKO, and ESPN Radio 850. 



View the original article here

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Shane Joins KISS-FM Milwaukee

5-27-14

At the end of June, "Shane" will be joining the KISS-FM Milwaukee line-up. He takes over the 7 p.m. to midnight slot, joining KISS-FM from Green Bay?s WIXX-FM where he also did nights. Entercom Milwaukee Vice President of Operations Brian Kelly said, ?After a nationwide search, we are excited that the absolute right candidate was in our own backyard and are thrilled to welcome Shane to the KISS Klubhouse."



View the original article here

Midwest Acquires South Central Properties

5-28-14

Midwest Communications and South Central Communications have agreed on a deal that, pending FCC approval, would transfer ownership of nine radio stations owned by South Central to Midwest. Included are Evansville, Indiana stations, WIKY, WSTO, WABX and WLFW, Nashville, Tennessee stations, WJXA and WCJK and Knoxville, Tennessee stations, WJXB, WVRX and WIMZ. Midwest CEO Duke Wright (pictured) said, "We feel extremely fortunate to be acquiring one of America's best run radio groups.  As both South Central and Midwest are entirely family owned with both families being in the radio business for well over 50 years we feel there is a lot of commonality between the companies.  I'm certain we will have much to share with each other."

On the planned transfer South Central CEO, JP Engelbrecht said, "We have found a great steward for our radio stations and people in Midwest Communications.  Their CEO, Duke Wright, and his family are good broadcasters who will build upon the legacy created by our outstanding team.?  

With this acquisition, Midwest Communications would add the South Central stations to their current roster of 63 radio stations in Wisconsin, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Indiana and Illinois.  Midwest Communications was formed in Wausau, Wisconsin in 1958 by the Wright family.  The company's corporate offices remain in Wausau. 

Kalil & Company was the exclusive broker for this transaction.



View the original article here

Hispanic Announcer Sues Lakers

5-27-14

The racial-discrimination suit was filed by Mexican-American Fernando Gonzalez who has worked for the Lakers for 18 years. Hollywood Reporter has the details of the $1 million lawsuit in which Gonzalez claims the team has always treated him differently in terms of wages, hours and terms of conditions of employment. The lawsuit also states that when the Lakers won the championship in 2000, "almost all" the staff members and broadcasters received a $6,000 commemorative ring, but Gonzalez had to pay $3,000 for his. READ MORE HERE



View the original article here

They Crossed The Line

5-22-14

The radio shock jock days of Howard Stern, Opie & Anthony and The Greaseman are long gone. Corporate radio has a zero tolerance for over-the-top offensive comments as an Entercom morning show duo found out yesterday. After making anit-transgender comments, the morning team of Kimberly and Beck (pictured here), heard on 98.9 The BUZZ in Rochester, are now jobless. The city of Rochester's new heath care policy will allow city employees to receive services related to gender-reassignment surgery. That didn't sit well with the hosts and they went on a 12-minute rant in opposition. They were suspended Wednesday and fired today. Entercom Rochester GM Sue Munn issued a statement about the incident.

?This morning Entercom fired Kimberly and Beck effective immediately. Their hateful comments against the transgender community do not represent our station or our company. We deeply apologize to the transgender community, the community of Rochester, and anyone else who was offended by their comments. We are proud of our past work on behalf of the local LGBT community and we remain committed to that partnership."

The pressure came on fast and furious from the gay, lesbian, and transgender community in Rochester who wanted the station to take swift action, which clearly it did. In the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, Coordinator of Outreach with the Susan B. Anthony Center for Women's Leadership and Chair of the Pride Alliance at the University of Rochester John Cullen said, "Entercom radio was very swift in their response and I think it demonstrates that the station supports and affirms the LGBT community." An online petition at change.org quickly accumulated over 4,000 signatures to have them fired.

(5/23/2014 7:01:53 PM)
We hate transgenders, Jews, sand-niggers, spics, niggers, gays, queers, homos, and lesbian rug-lickers too!
(5/23/2014 3:14:59 PM)
Joe may be right when he says,"It's two infantile, low class hacks taking cheap shots. And it wasn't even GOOD RADIO!"

So what!? That's what they hired and it's as much as they are paying for.

Meanwhile the station management cowers and heads for cover while they are kow-towing and apologizing all over themselves. No-nut whiners.

(5/23/2014 1:14:42 PM)
For all of you bemoaning the "loss" of freedom of speech, blah blah blah: have you listened to the air-check? This was not an issue of two intellectuals discussing the merits and pitfalls of legislation. It's two infantile, low class hacks taking cheap shots. And it wasn't even GOOD RADIO!

(5/23/2014 12:39:05 PM)
It's sad that in America today, the supposed land of the free and the brave, you can only have an opinion or voice your opinion if it agrees with the masses. And... if you don't agree with the masses, you are labeled a bully, racist or homophobic. They scream they are treated with intolerance when they treat anyone with a difference of opinion the same. The PC and LGBT crowd have turned into tyrants. They, and the spineless who cave to their pressure have lost my support.
(5/23/2014 12:35:48 PM)
if they didn't have anything more entertaining, interesting, enlightening or funny to talk about, then I can't imagine that they were very good jocks worth listening to anyway. just my initial thoughts as one who is not familiar with, or ever listened to, the pair.

Add a Comment | View All Comments Send This Story To A Friend


View the original article here

Rachel Smith To Emcee NABEF Awards

8-22-14

The NAB Education Foundation's 2014 Celebration of Service to America Awards, will feature ABC's Good Morning America entertainment correspondent Rachel Smith as emcee. Smith hosts the nationally syndicated entertainment show On the Red Carpet, in addition to contributing on ABC's Good Morning America. The event will be held June 17 at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., and recognizes broadcasters for outstanding service to their local communities.



View the original article here

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Radio Ads Help Woman Steal Money

5-22-14

This is probably not the kind of R.O.I. radio executives will be bragging about to ad agencies. Green Bay police are searching for a woman who ran ads on La Mas Grande Radio promising to pray over people's money and offer them spiritual guidance. Turns out the woman wound up stealing nearly $30,000 from people who were duped. Police say the woman is targeting the Hispanic community, especially people who do not speak English well. WBAY-TV in Green Bay has more details on the scam.



View the original article here

(SALES) Making It Look Like Magic

5-21-2014

There is good account servicing?and then there is exemplary account servicing. With all of the media competition out there right now, the old ?good? just isn?t good enough. Taking the client?s order and writing it up correctly, scheduling production, seeing to it that the client?s order runs as it should, making certain that the client?s invoice is sent in a timely manner, and promptly responding to client calls or complaints, are all examples of ?good? customer service.

But exemplary client service is something else entirely. Exemplary service means you are doing the client?s marketing and advertising thinking for him or her. It means that you are always thinking ahead, crafting short- and long-term communication strategies between your client and your listeners. To make better advertising campaigns means you must ask great questions and listen very carefully to how your client answers your questions. Your commercial strategies should always revolve around the client?s core messages, the things he actually says to his customers that convince them to buy from him. In other words, focus only on what?s in it for the consumer.

?Exemplary service? also means that you minimize misunderstandings and surprises by fully managing your client?s expectations about results on your station. By knowing the client?s average sale and gross margin of profit you can present realistic budget proposals based on the client?s own numbers and show them that working with you is less of a gamble and more of a good, calculated risk.

But then there is even more that you can do to help your client connect with the people he needs to reach the most. For example, what if the client has a stale, static website? When I bring up websites and a business-owner hang his head in shame, I know I can close him. ?Well, my brother-in-law did that website 10 years ago, but now he?s out of the family and we don?t know how to get into it. He has all of the codes.? That?s when I say, ?Oh, we can fix that immediately.? And get your IT person, or some other tech person from the outside, to fix the client?s website. Charge for it. He?ll love you for it.

If the client wants your audience to call him but his phone number is nondescript, go to whitepages.com for available telephone prefixes and look for easier to remember vanity numbers. A plumber for example, would really benefit from a number like 512 472 LEAK. It usually takes a little time, but eventually you?ll hear the tone and the recording, ?This number is no longer in service.? You then instruct the client to call the phone company and get that number as a redirect, so his old customers can continue to call his old number?and the new vanity number also redirects to that same old number.

Once he?s got the new number, go to godaddy.com and look for 472leak.com. If you find it, turn that into a redirect also, so the client, if he must, can still keep and use his old, harder to remember URL. Then you can say in your commercials, ?You can call us at 472 LEAK or just go to 472leak.com.? So every time you mention the phone number, you?re also teaching consumers the website?and vice-versa. This is great for the client because even a stoner can remember 472 LEAK.

Soon enough, the client recognizes that there are distinct differences between you and your competitors. Once the client recognizes for a fact that your plan for his success is better than his own, he?ll hand you the keys and say, ?You drive.?

Paul Weyland helps broadcast stations make more long-term local direct dollars. Call him at 512-236-1222 or go to paulweyland.com for services, products, and availability.

Add a Comment Send This Story To A Friend


View the original article here

Coverage Expands Today For WBUR Boston

5-21-14

The Boston Globe reports that the NPR station will flip the switch for a new tower today giving the station nearly full coverage of Cape Cod for the first time. The new Eastham signal, known as WBUH, is a 50,000-watt signal that will broadcast at 89.1. The plan is to broadcast identical programming on WBUR, WBUH, and WBUA. WBUR?s 50,000-watt signal at 90.9 FM, which serves Greater Boston, is broadcast from a radio tower in Needham.



View the original article here

Butler Signs on With MusicMaster

5-21-14

Jerry Butler has joined MusicMaster as a music scheduling consultant. Butler moves to MusicMaster with over 25 years of radio and media experience. He most recently programmed WRUF-FM, WRUF-AM, WRUF-TV, WUFT-FM, and WUFT-TV in Gainesville, Florida.

President, Joe Knapp said, ?With the blessing of a rapidly-expanding and highly successful business comes the wonderful problem of being under-staffed. The trick is finding people who will fit perfectly into the team and hit the ground running. We are very fortunate to have found Jerry Butler. His passion and enthusiasm will fit right in here. Before long, I expect he will be part of the reason for our next round of expansion!?

MusicMaster was founded by Joe Knapp in 1983 and continues to be the world?s largest Windows-based music scheduling software for radio and television stations.



View the original article here

(SALES) Key Sales Management Advice!

5-23-2014

A few months ago I was asked to be a presenter at a corporate management retreat for one of our clients. I am always enthusiastic about these opportunities and I take a great deal of pride in making sure that I deliver a quality presentation. My first step is to meet with the key principles in the organization to get a clear understanding of what exactly they hope their managers will gain by my presentation. I?ll eventually ask what topics they are most interested in me speaking about, but I have found that by beginning with the end in mind proves to deliver the best return on investment for them.

In this specific instance the goal was to challenge the sales managers to think about how they currently manage their sales operation and to offer up some ideas for them to consider how they might improve. The goal was not to give them a new initiative but rather to get them to think differently and to explore some new possibilities. We brainstormed a variety of topics and in the end decided that presenting several ideas or pieces of advice would be exactly what this group needed. The results were terrific and it sparked a tremendous amount of conversations about sales management and how they could improve. This sort of thinking helped them to have a very productive conference.

Today I am going to share with you just four of the pieces of sales management advice that I offered that day:  These are in no particular order.

1. Hire talented salespeople. The best sales departments have the best salespeople. I?ll prove it to you. Are your top performing salespeople better than your bottom performing salespeople? How much better? 100 percent, 200 percent, 300 percent? When I asked the question that day, one manager said, ?Easily, 300 percent better.? What if you had more people like your top performers and less people like your bottom performers? It all starts with talent. Find a sales interview that measures talent (not personality) and stick with it. Be relentless about hiring talent. At The Center for Sales Strategy we have a saying: Lose sleep before you hire, not after you hire. In other words, spend a great deal of time making sure you hire for talent.

2. Realize that talent is not enough. That?s right, just having the talent to be successful does not make you successful. In order to have your talented salespeople find success you need to invest in them. The best investment you can make is to spend time in the field with them, giving them coaching and feedback. Take the time to see your salespeople when they are doing their job of finding needs and presenting solutions. Watching them in the office or interacting with them in sales meetings is not same. Coaching takes place out in the field and not in the office.

3. Get some quality sales intelligence. Big data is finding its way into sales and it?s critical that you have this information at your fingertips. For the last 30-plus years, managers have managed with a sense of gut or, as one manager shared with me, ?sales management is an art.? I understand that thinking but sales managers today need to also understand the science of sales if they are going to maximize performance. Using data, you can learn how to increase win-rates, improve forecasting, speed up the sales process, determine bottlenecks, and analyze close ratios, just to name a few. Guessing this information is frustrating, but using this information when it?s accurate is brilliant and gives you a significant advantage.

4. Get rid of the ?lone wolf? sales structure. We have been talking about this one for a while and we are starting to see some broadcasters make a change. Asking a salesperson to do every single step in the sales process does not produce the best return on investment for your business. The very best activities for your highly talented salesperson are going on appointments where they find needs and present solutions. So build a structure that allows for them to do more of that and less of everything else. It might seem simple, but when studied it appears that salespeople are only spending about 4-8 hours a week (15 percent) doing that, and the rest of the time is spent on other responsibilities.

So now it?s up to you. I hope this sparks some conversations around your office. Let me know what you think.

Matt Sunshine is EVP of the Center for Sales Strategy. E-mail: mattsunshine@csscenter.com.

(5/23/2014 6:57:02 PM)
A Jew-boy with dumbo ears and the face of a jackal gets no respect!

Add a Comment | View All Comments Send This Story To A Friend


View the original article here

Bevington Gets Big Atlanta Gig

5-22-14

Rickey Bevington has been named Senior Anchor/Correspondent for Georgia Public Broadcasting. Bevington will be the afternoon drive local host for All Things Considered. Most recently, Bevington was GPB?s News Director of TV, Radio & Digital. Since joining GPB in 2006, Bevington has hosted and produced numerous television and radio programs, including Georgia Traveler, State of the Arts, Georgia Gazette, GPB News Briefs, and Consumer Call-In.



View the original article here

Monday, May 26, 2014

(SALES) Creative Shortfalls

5-21-2014

Recently, there has been a lot of discussion in Radio Ink about the powerful role of great creative in increasing sales, and of poor creative sabotaging sales.

And rightly so. At ENS Media, our ?Three R?s? formula positions creative as the ultimate multiplier of advertising success: Reach X Repetition X Relevance = R.O.I. (Return on Investment)

But here is the thing. It is ludicrous to think creative types can write relevant creative from their view in the isolation of their office.

Have you ever witnessed the exercise where you place half a dozen people in a row and whisper a story to the first person. That person is then asked to quietly whisper the story  to the next person, then that person does the same until the story reaches the person at the end of the line.

When the person at the end of the line is asked to repeat the story, everyone thinks they?ve come from another planet. The story recited by the person at the end of the line bears no resemblance to the original story.

Copywriters who try to write from information passed from clients to account executives and on to them are like that person at the end of the line.

I?ve often heard writers who visited a client, after writing several commercials for that client, say things like, ?Wow. That business is nothing like what I thought it would be.? Or, ?If I had seen this business I would never have written those spots.?

Your creative people need to meet all of your key accounts and view their locations in order to write relevant copy.
It?s even more ludicrous to think we can produce effective campaigns to differentiate our clients without knowing what our clients? competitors are doing.

When I was in the agency business, the first step in designing logos was to collect samples of all of the advertiser?s competitors? logos. We would post those logos as examples of what we could not design if we were to differentiate our client.

Radio copywriters are usually asked to create campaigns from information about the advertiser, in total isolation from the client?s competitive environment. Writers who do not research the competitive landscape cannot effectively differentiate your clients? position in that landscape.

I recently saw a spec spot that a rep was about to present to a business that sold tents and custom canvas awnings. The station developed what appeared to be a clever slogan for the prospect, ?We?ve got you covered,? because their tents and awnings provide coverage and protection.

I suggested, ?Before we present this, let?s go online and see what their competitors are doing.? As luck would have it, their biggest competitor was called Gotz Tent and Awning. Their slogan was (you guessed it) ?We?ve Gotz You Covered.?

Can you imagine how disastrous that meeting would have been had we presented that slogan to our prospect? Yet, all too often, campaigns are created without a clear understanding of the competition and the client?s competitive advantage.

I?m well aware that stations struggling to improve their bottom lines cannot afford the ?luxury? of sending their creative people into the field to create better campaigns for all of their clients.

But in the case of your key accounts and your most high-potential prospects, more research and a better understanding of each advertiser?s competitive position is a necessity, not a luxury.

It?s time for broadcasters to not think of better creative as a ?cost of sale? but, rather, as an ?investment in sales.?   

Wayne ENS is president of ENS Media Inc He can be contacted at wayne@wensmedia.com

(5/21/2014 11:57:44 AM)
I also make the argument that radio-types wouldn't know a good ad if they heard one. But, I'm always spoiling for a fight anyway.

And by the way, not having the time or expertise to develop effective and appealing ads is a lousy excuse. But, I guess it will have to do.

("Hi Ms. Jones. Wanna buy some spots!?")

(5/21/2014 11:35:34 AM)
The clients might not know a good ad, but your listeners do, and their response is measurable at the cash register.
(5/21/2014 10:30:38 AM)
But when one is being continually pushed to generate revenue, one does not have the luxury of writing compelling copy. Remember, the bottom line rules and to heck with the client! We don't need no stinking copywriter! The clients wouldn't know a good ad if they heard one! Just throw a few 'perfects' and 'needs' into the copy and voila! Typical boilerplate that does no one any good!
(5/21/2014 8:11:17 AM)
Beyond helping to establish better relationships and doing some research on the client and her competitors, I would argue the exercise needs to be wrapped up at that very point.

The fact is: Very, very few advertisers have anything that would make them unique or particularly outstanding if the audiences knew about it.
If the advertiser is unique in any way, she will know what that is and inform the rep and the writer.

All this leads right back to the rep and the writer - it's up to them to produce compelling advertising WITHOUT compelling content.

(5/21/2014 7:02:07 AM)
Your right, meeting the client is "ideal."
Second choice is searching on line, but that makes the assumption the web designer got it right, which isn't always the case either.
The biggest advantage in meeting the client is clients appreciate it! They buy into the extra effort and care of their account that meeting the people 'behind the scenes' entails.

Add a Comment | View All Comments Send This Story To A Friend


View the original article here

The Best PDs in America

The Best Program Directors in America
by Editor-in-Chief Ed Ryan

Those of you aspiring to be successful program directors, brand managers, or successful multi-taskers, you're about to go to school. Some of you will get a glimpse of how your competition may be eating your lunch. But for most, this is an opportunity to see how hard work, a love for our industry, commitment to community, and good business skills result in unquestionable success. Every year, Radio Ink identifies and interviews those individuals possessing the smartest programming brain-matter on the planet. We rank these highly skilled professionals in one tightly wrapped list and provide you with an opportunity to see how they made it to the top. You may or may not recognize the guy in this picture, he was voted the number-one program director in America. He works for CBS and he lives in Boston. You're about to meet him and the 19 other programmers who made our list from New York City (market #1) to Boston (market #10)...

1) Mike Thomas
WBZ-FM & WZLX/Boston
CBS Radio
mike.thomas@cbsradio.com
Twitter: @mikethomasmt8
Year in Radio: 31/20 as a PD


?I?m very fortunate to work with some extremely talented people, some of the best in the business,? says Mike Thomas. ?They help make what I do every day so much easier. I work for a company that is very programming-conscious. Together we?ve had a lot of victories the past several years. I?m very happy that they think of me as one of the best and took the time to nominate me.?

He goes on, ?Pay attention to details! The little things matter, and shouldn?t be overlooked. We all have a lot going on and multiple plates in the air at all times. If you start to miss some of the details, eventually it?s going to cause you to mess up the bigger things. It?s like walking into a sports bar to watch a big game. If I walk in and they have an infomercial on the TV, I walk out. They are not paying attention to details if they don?t even know what games to have on. You?re a sports bar, people go there to watch sports! Also, never stop being creative. The daily grind of this business can suck the creativity out of you. Never forget how important that is to the sound of your radio station.

?Be entertaining! We are in the entertainment industry! If I turn on one of my stations and I?m not entertained, I?m not doing my job. A good radio station is one that you turn on and you feel like, ?Boy, what did I miss?? You want to make the listeners feel like if they don?t listen, they are missing out. Also, talk about the right topics for your audience, and do it in a creative way. Anybody can talk about what happened on Fallon last night. How are you going to talk about it and relate to your audience about it in a different way? Be innovative. ?Finally, it?s about passion. If you are passionate about what you do, if you are competitive, that?s going to come through in the way your radio station sounds. Radio stations take on the personality of the PD. If you?re boring, your station is probably boring. If you?re fun, your station is probably fun. It?s just radio ? don?t take things so seriously.?


2) Sharon Dastur
WHTZ/New York
Clear Channel
sharondastur@clearchannel.com
Twitter: @zsharond
Years in Radio: 21/10 as a PD

About being successful in 2014, Dastur says the basics still hold true: ?It?s understanding the life and lifestyle of your listener. With more and more distractions competing for their time, knowing what?s important to them, and catering the programming to those things, makes a difference. Today?s program director is doing more than ever, programming music and content off-air, on-air, online, and every other way to reach the listener.?

3) Chris Conley
WLTW/New York
Clear Channel


4) Tim Scheld
WCBS-AM/New York
CBS Radio
tscheld@cbs.com
Years in Radio: 34/10 as a PD


?No PD is successful without a brand that matters and a motivated staff that believes in that brand,? Scheld observes. ?I think it?s also critical to have a welldefined mission. In our case it is to be the best, most reliable local news resource in New York and to bring our best effort every day. My job is to set the tone and provide the resources to allow it to happen. It?s also important to work on strategies to maximize listening, grow audience, and market the brand in all kinds of ways, including nontraditional. Being fluent in PPM is essential. A focus on digital streaming and social media is also a must. Finally, no programmer is successful without a partnership with the sales team. At CBS-AM, our sales managers are the best in the business, and we couldn?t do what we do without them.

?The key to being successful in any business is to deliver a quality product and to do it on a consistent basis. Radio news is no different. Over the past five decades, listeners have come to expect a certain standard from WCBS 880. We need to maintain that standard, do it every day, and find ways to expose that brand to new consumers. The formula for success is simple: Provide our listeners with a news product that they can trust and that delivers value. The information we provide also needs to be timely, interesting, and compelling. It?s important to have news professionals who can communicate, but just as important is the content. If we tell good stories, people will listen, and if we do that on a consistent basis, they?ll keep coming back.?

5) Skip Dillard
WBLS & WLIB/New York
Emmis Communications
sdillard@emmisny.com
Years in Radio: 26/21 as a PD

Today?s PD has to think like an entrepreneur, according to Dillard ? ?understanding an art that includes working with passionate people to create pre-packaged content, live content, and post-packaged content to be spread across various platforms.? He says, ?You must be involved in the process of creating revenue opportunities with content you?ve worked to create. Winning in our format requires keeping up with African-American adults, who are more likely to be digitally savvy than their general-market counterparts. Our listeners are always on the go, and very picky about who they choose to share their time with. You have to be out among them, involved in community organizations and initiatives, and engaged with their needs and shifting musical preferences.?

6) Mark Chernoff
WFAN/New York
CBS Radio
mchernoff@wfan.com
Years in Radio: 39/37 as a PD

?In 2014, a successful PD has figured out ways to grow ratings and revenue,? Chernoff points out. ?Management measures success on both! Nontraditional revenue is a hot button. The PD needs to take an active part in working with the sales team to create new revenue streams. Selling spots is not enough. Figure out what kinds of station events can become signature events. Make sure the events you do are what?s right for your format. Think about what will increase ratings and also increase revenue. Understand social media and how best to incorporate it on the radio station. This is in addition to the basics ? working with your talent, understanding the competition, playing the right music or talking about the hottest topics, understanding PPM, and of course making use of the latest social media.?

About FAN?s format in particular, Chernoff says, ?In the Sports format, you want to make sure your hosts are knowledgeable and understand their audience ? and of course are entertaining. I always try to listen to the radio station on two levels ? as the PD, but also as a listener. Drive around in the car. Do you want to keep listening as your host goes at it with a caller or blabs about a topic, or are you cringing and wanting to put something else on? I can?t say there?s a textbook way to win. Be as passionate about sports as your talent is ?and they?d better be passionate! ? and again, make sure you have the basics down pat so you can build on them.?


7) Bill Weston

WMMR/Philadelphia
Greater Media
bweston@greatermediaphiladelphia.com
Twitter: @wmmrpd
Years in Radio: 35/29 as a PD

?Hire the right people,? Weston advises. ?Point them in the right direction, and let them do their jobs. Do this while keeping your eyes on current trends to reflect consumer wants and needs. Use as many supporting digital distribution platforms as prudent while maintaining the trust and respect of the listener-station relationship.?


8) Chuck Knight

WBEB/Philadelphia
Jerry Lee Radio
Years in Radio: 25

?Love what you do,? says Knight. "Bring that passion to the radio station every day. Work hard. Be the rudder for your station. Don?t get too high during the highs, too low during the lows. Ask questions of your listeners. Respect their answers. Develop a plan to give them what they want. Pay attention to detail. Value and work with talented people. Hear the station in your mind. Coach specifics. Give your people your time. Do regular aircheck sessions. Have monthly airstaff meetings. Give your team confidence. Dream. Have fun. Be honest.?

9) Andy Bloom
CBS Radio/
Philadelphia
andy.bloom@cbsradio.com

?The job of program director is more complex than ever before,? notes Bloom. ?Program directors have always had their fingers in everything, but those prospering today are expert multi-taskers. The primary focus remains on making good radio come out of the speakers, but in 2014, the technological challenges facing the industry are more complex than ever and have to be accounted for in every decision. ?Programmers must also invest the necessary time to understand and follow new regulatory and legal issues. Additionally, any programmer who doesn?t understand the importance of their role in sales, and how powerful they can be helping the station achieve its revenue goals in addition to its ratings goals, doesn?t see the big picture. Also, a great support staff is critical, which I?m blessed to have at WIP and WPHT.?

Bloom also points to the importance of ?having, finding, and motivating great talent, then having those personalities become great storytellers and opinion leaders.? He goes on, ?Radio and television are less and less about providing information. People get the information they want pushed to them instantly on their cell phones. What they need is strong opinions and great storytellers who can help them understand what and why. Personalities who can tell them how they should feel about it or reaffirm what they already believe.

?The Sports format is men?s equivalent of soap operas for women. WIP plays into the drama and finds the storyline that the audience cares about. WPHT goes beyond the headlines and helps frame the stories in a way that enables listeners to understand how to process the news. This is done on both stations, with compelling and interesting personalities.?

10) Lee Hammer
KNBR/San Francisco
Cumulus Media
lee.hammer@cumulus.com
Years in Radio: 34

?Successful PDs need to realize that radio as we knew it when we first got into the business has changed, and is evolving every day,? Hammer points out. ?We need to accept and embrace the ways in which our audience is now consuming our product. Whether it?s over the air, online, or via a mobile device, it?s vital to remember it?s our talent, our resources and our brand that listeners are searching out.

?It?s actually a positive that our audience is able to access a podcast or get text messages from the station ? it?s a one- on-one engagement with the listener we never had access to before, and we need to build on it, because it is the future. What we need to do moving forward is be creative in how we monetize our brand over these various delivery platforms. We also need to do better in our social media interactions. It?s free marketing to our targeted listeners or fans, so why would we not want to capitalize on it? We need to use it to drive people from their mobile devices back to the radio and set up appointment listening.?


11) Laurie Cantillo

WTOP/Washington, DC
Hubbard Radio
lcantillo@wtop.com
Twitter: @lcantillowtop
Years in Radio: 33/17 as a PD

?I love my work, and it shows,? says Cantillo. ?I?m blessed with high energy, and my passion and ?can-do? attitude are infectious. While I push hard, I don?t ask people to do what I?m not willing or able to do myself. I?m innately curious, and I embrace technology. I believe the best time to evolve is when you?re on top, not when you?re in a nose dive saying, ?Pull up, pull up!?

?It?s never been more important to pay attention to social and technological trends and adapt accordingly. Change is happening at warp speed, and we have to keep up. Embrace change and question old ways of doing things. Ask yourself, ?If I were building this from scratch, how would I do it differently?? Be curious about everything. Resist the urge to hide behind e-mail all day, and spend time with people. When there?s conflict, don?t hit ?send,? have a conversation.?



12) Mary Ellen Kachinske

WTMX/Chicago
Hubbard Radio
mkachinske@wtmx.com
Years in Radio: 30/20 as a PD

?Our brands have to continually keep pace with the changing needs of our listeners? lives,? Kachinske notes. ?For today?s PD, preparation is key. We must be more of a creator and collaborator than ever, helping to find fresh new ideas to foster customer loyalty and interest. With so many entertainment choices, a radio team has to be willing to innovate and evolve the brand, keeping in step with the spirit of the marketplace. It?s not a time to play it safe. 

?It?s important to keep your pulse on the emerging musical trends, but also not be too far ahead of the curve. Add to the mix vibrant personalities that can ?tell you the world over a song intro,? and top it off with creative promotions that tap in to the emotions of your core. If you are not fortunate enough to have marketing money, forge relationships in your community to help maximize your exposure.?


13) Johnny Chiang
Cox Media Group/Houston
johnny.chiang@coxinc.com
Twitter: @jchiang68
Years in Radio: 15

Chiang says being a great PD today involves ?understanding that great programming doesn?t just entail what comes out of the speakers anymore. It?s much more than picking the right songs and writing clever liner copy these days. It?s everything! You have to embrace and be great at digital, social, nontraditional marketing, etc.?


14) Jeff Catlin

KTCK-AM & FM & KESN-FM/
Dallas
Cumulus Media
Years in Radio: 22/14 as a PD

?The ability to adapt, change, and of course multi-task!? Those are some things Catlin believes a good PD needs today. ?It?s still about great content, great talent, and entertainment value for listeners. But good programmers understand the evolving way in which consumers demand our content, the ways they use it, and how we need to keep pace with changing media overall. Not only do we have to understand it, we have to able to apply it to our station and the ratings, and explain it to air talent in a way that makes sense to them and how it relates specifically to the way they craft their show on a daily basis, so they continue to get the best results.?


15) Mike Brophey

WKLB/Boston
Greater Media
mbrophey@wklb.com
Years in Radio: 40/20 as a PD

Brophey says radio has to be a passion. ?I can remember in the fall of 1972, hearing about the campus radio station in college, and I remember being instantly intrigued,? he says. ?That intrigue quickly turned into a dedicated focus, and that has never left in all these years. I still love the business, the talent, the engineering, and the creative revenue generating plans. Look at the new platforms that allow us to create and spread our entertainment around the world. We have to be aware of and tap in to that kind of power.

?Still, we have to leave time for creativity, people skills, strategizing, etc. Ours is really a multifaceted occupation requiring experience, open minds, and good old-fashioned sweat sometimes. We have to network, observe, and lead and, most importantly, have a lot of fun with the process. That translates into excitement, which is contagious. Sometimes, I literally run to my office when I get an idea. I still get excited about what we do every day."


16) Arturo Sosa

WPAT & WSKQ/New York
Spanish Broadcasting System
asosa@sbsnewyork.com
Twitter: @arturitomega
Years in Radio: 17/16 months as a PD

?What I feel it takes to be a successful program director in 2014 is to know the importance of digital and the direction it is taking,? says Sosa. ?Be passionate, have great communication with your on-air personalities, and know the essential tools needed to win. Interact with your market and communities; without our listeners, we do not succeed. Create a fusion within the music, trends, and lifestyle within the market, and the quality and sounds that go on the air. And last but not least, there?s the quality of music we provide for our listeners. Make sure to cater to their needs.?


17) Pete Spriggs

WSB-AM & FM/Atlanta
Cox Media Group, Atlanta


18) Jeff  Kapugi

WUSN/Chicago
CBS Radio
jeff@cbsradio.com
Twitter: @jeffkapugi
Years in Radio: 34/20 as a PD

To be a successful PD in 2014, you have to be a multitasker, but you also have to understand it is about what is coming out of the speakers, along with what happens on the websites and how to help monetize them,? says Kapugi. ?That has not really changed in the last few years, but our goal is to not only grow ratings, but growing revenue is key. Make sure everyone knows the goal. If you don?t, we are all rowing, but maybe not in the same direction. Define what a win is, and create achievable goals along the way to the big one. Treat people the way you?d expect to be treated ? with respect.?


19) Shelly Easton

WXTU/Philadelphia
Beasley Broadcast Group
shelly.easton@wxtu.com
Twitter: @shellyeaston
Years in Radio: 26/19 as a PD

?First of all,? says Easton, ?I feel extremely honored. We are truly a team here at XTU. So recognition for me is a pat on the back for everyone. I work in a very supportive environment, both locally and on a corporate level. Being successful as a PD in 2014 is more than being a good boss; a successful PD strives to be a great leader and then to lead by example. A successful PD fosters an environment that encourages creativity, because you?re only as good as your team. Forgetting that is the first step toward failure.

?I enjoy programming more as an architect, not just an implementer. That takes a little courage some days, with a dash of insanity ? so be brave. Every day it?s searching for new ideas and platforms where we can meet our audience and serve our community on multiple levels. A successful PD needs to find that spot where great radio
can happen and be profitable.?


20) Jose Ricardo ?Gonzo? Otero

WNUA & WNUA-HD2/Chicago
Clear Channel
gonzo@clearchannel.com
Twitter: @ricardoelgonzo
Years in Radio: 16/5 as a PD

"Being successful goes beyond knowing what songs to play or hiring the best talent, according to Otero. ?It?s about setting clear goals for your projects and developing a mission with a solid vision,? he says. ?Respect, defend, promote, and highlight your values and brand identity. Be willing to work hard enough. It?s about focus and determination ? the rest is up to you. Understand there is no way to do radio alone. This is a teamwork activity, where you need to make sure that all members of that squad believe in the strategy and are committed and passionate. There shouldn?t be a handoff between the team and the PD when it comes to execution. They need to follow the plan and implement tactics that are aligned to the main objective. Know your budgets, know your strengths and weaknesses, and always be aware of the competition. Good luck exists,but is usually driven by showing up and working hard.

?Always fulfill people?s expectations about your brand; let them find your attributes and benefits. Whenever they tune in, visit your website, or start a  streaming session, they need to ?get it? at any given 15-minute period. Have consistency with the elements defining your story. We have our own way to present the Regional Mexican format, unique and unparalleled; we have our way to talk about sports. We are always looking to enhance our audience?s consumption experience and thus differentiate from our competitors. We build consumer-focused brands. Understand when to play defense and offense in your marketplace, identifying needs and opportunities.?



View the original article here

Leary Named Top Savannah Morning Show

5-22-14

WUBB's ?Tim Leary and the Morning Showgram? was named ?The Best Morning Radio Program in Savannah, Georgia? in the ?Best Of Savannah 2014'? Awards organized by the local publication ?Connect Savannah?. ?Tim Leary and the Morning Showgram? have been on Bob 106.9 for 3 years. Readers vote for their ?favorites? in specific categories ranging from ?Media? to ?Food? to ?Nightlife? to ?Shopping? and more.

Leary said, ?We?re totally stoked to receive this award and were completely blown away when we were told we won! We have the best fans at Bob 106.9 and every success we have is because of them." L & L Broadcasting Savannah/Hilton Head VP, Market Manager Gigi South said, "We are so proud of Tim Leary and the Morning Showgram and we appreciate the ?Connect Savannah? readers for recognizing the teams hard work."



View the original article here

(WIZARD) The Advertiser's Dilemma

3-23-2014

Retailers are asking, ?Why do people buy from my competitors without even giving us a chance?? And I reply, ?They gave you a chance. They just didn?t physically come to your store.?

Customers carry instant access to all the knowledge of the world in their pockets. They no longer have to visit stores or even call them on the phone to compare prices and research their options.

Why would a customer drive to a store to get expert guidance when better, faster, more objective guidance is instantly available online?

You can argue, if you like, that the information your advertiser provides is far superior to the information available online. And you might even be right. But customers are looking for information immediately. They?re looking for information right this second. They gave your client a chance when they went online. That website just didn?t volunteer what they wanted.

If your client?s answer to your listener?s query had been available online, Google would likely have directed them to it.

?Advertising is a tax you pay for not being remarkable.?

There are three keys to being remarkable:

1: Correctly anticipate the customer?s desire.
Is your client doing this? Are they customer-sensitive, or are they struggling to sell what they?re convinced people ought to buy ?if we could only make them understand?? If you have a client who says, ?You need to help me educate the public,? tell your client that radio can drive the customer to their website, but ?education? is best done online. I tried to educate the public until I finally realized that it was never going to work. Save yourself and your client the heartbreak. Get on board with what your customer wants.

2: Satisfy the customer?s desire. Hold nothing back.
Win big. When a client says they are ?competitive,? that means their offer is virtually indistinguishable from the offers made by their competitors. Is your client in the game to compete, or to win? It?s amazing how much better radio works when your client actually has something to say.

3: Package your offer magnetically.
A magnetic offer is impossible to ignore, even when your listener isn?t currently in the market for that product or service. A magnetic offer is sticky, repeatable, remarkable. It?s an offer that no one else has the courage to make. A magnetic offer is where word-of-mouth begins.

These are simple things, but as my friend Jeffrey Eisenberg says, ?Simple isn?t always easy.?

Particularly ?not easy? is this challenge of magnetic packaging.

Magnetic packaging begins with strategy. ?What would the customer be delighted to hear?? Answer this question resoundingly, and you have the beginnings of a radio campaign whose results are easy to measure.

Ad strategy is more difficult to teach than ad copy.

Strategy is determining what a customer would like to hear.

Copy is deciding how best to say it.

Impact in advertising is 80 percent strategy, 20 percent copy. This makes it nearly impossible for good copy to compensate for weak strategy.

We create failure when we pretend that creativity can overcome the fact that our advertiser has nothing to say.

Morris Hite said it sharply enough to pop a balloon: ?If an ad campaign is built around a weak idea ? or, as is so often the case, no idea at all ? I don?t give a damn how good the execution is, it?s going to fail. If you have a good selling idea, your secretary can write your ad for you.?

The most annoying creatures on earth are those smug little weasels who preach that the secret of successful advertising is to isolate the media that reaches the right customer. In effect, these weasels are selling a treasure map. ?The reason you haven?t found the treasure,? they say, ?is because you?ve been digging in all the wrong places.?

But the treasure isn?t buried at all. It?s in the pockets and purses of everyone you see. And if your client offers these people something they?d rather have than their treasure, they?ll hand your client that treasure with a smile and say, ?Thank you.? And then they?ll tell all their friends that they should give your client some treasure, too.

Want to know a secret? The media that delivers the message is the least important part of the advertising equation. When the message is right, any media will work. When the message is wrong, no media will.

During the decade when I lived in hotel rooms and taught advertising in 50 cities a year, my least favorite moment was when an advertiser would follow me into the bathroom during a break and casually lean over to say, ?Mr. Williams, I?m in the [INSERT CATEGORY HERE] business. How do you suggest I advertise? Is it TV? Is it radio? Is it the Internet??

This happened to me a lot more often than you might think.

How would you have answered?

Roy H. Williams is president of Wizard of Ads Inc. E-mail: roy@wizardofads.com.

Add a Comment Send This Story To A Friend


View the original article here

My Radical Vision For Change

A Radical Vision To Change The Way Radio Advertising Is Sold
(By Radio Ink Publisher B. Eric Rhoads) Think about radio's selling challenges for a minute. I've been publisher of Radio Ink for well over two decades and have proposed some outlandish ideas. People laugh and roll their eyes when they read some of my notes from Radio Ink. "There goes Eric, off on another tangent." I'm used to it. Again, I expect snickering when people hear what I'm about to propose.

Do any of these issues sound familiar?
- Hiring great sellers is one of your most difficult tasks. You're up against pharmaceutical companies and others offering great packages, cars, powerful incentives that can double income, and three solid months of training. Meanwhile, you're offering low base or straight commission, few incentives, no car, little or no training, and if they don't cut it in 90 days, they lose their job.

- Training is a nightmare. Who has time to train people properly? In the back of your mind, you're thinking, "Why bother?" because if they don't make it in 90 days, they'll be gone anyway, either by your choice, or theirs because they're not making enough money. Training takes time you don't have, and there is no effective training program in the building. Plus, the sellers want to hit the streets (and you need them to).

- Turnover is a problem because of the "make it or break it rule." There is hardly time to build relationships with clients before it's time to make a change. And the clients don't like the constant turnover either.

- Great selling is rare. How many dollars are left on the table because someone isn't following up properly? How many people even understand how to overcome objections, how to make radio work well, and how to make the cash register ring?

- The best sellers have become order takers. New business is in the hands of the younger, less experienced sellers. Those with experience have more billing and are riding the gravy train instead of bringing in new business.

- No one wants to beat the streets for new business. Cold calling isn't fun. People get tired very quickly of having doors slammed in their faces. Call reports may reflect people contacted when your sellers were at the movies. You know there is tons of new local business to be had, but it's not coming in as fast as you believe it should.

A RADICAL CONCEPT TO REINVENT THE WAY WE DO RADIO SALES

I believe I can eliminate these headaches and reinvent how we sell radio. But you'll probably laugh, because what I'm proposing is a radical concept.

OVER TWO DECADES OF HAVING RADIO PEOPLE LAUGH AT MY STRANGE IDEAS.

I've been publisher of Radio Ink for well over two decades and have proposed some outlandish ideas. People laugh and roll their eyes when they read some of my notes from Radio Ink. "There goes Eric, off on another tangent." I'm used to it. Again, I expect snickering when people hear what I'm about to propose.

You laughed when I predicted industry consolidation.

You laughed when I challenged the NAB on the Eureka system for digital radio and their ownership stake.

You laughed when I launched a conference devoted to this new thing called the Internet and told you radio stations would have these new things called websites.

You laughed when I said satellite radio and streaming would one day be embraced by consumers.

You laughed when I said one day every home will have a high-speed connection.

You laughed when I went to Silicon Valley to launch an online music service.

You laughed when I said that radio risks losing control of the car radio and that Internet radio would become standard on the dashboard of every car.

I see things that will impact our industry earlier than most. I don't know exactly why -- it's probably because I'm obsessed with learning what's new and because I read obsessively.

If you've been with me all these years, you know that I've been wrong a lot. But you also know I 've been right a lot. As Roy Williams said to me recently, "Eric, you're almost always right, you're just 10 years too early." Yes, I was 10 years early on Internet radio.

This time the timing is perfect, and my solution will increase local radio billing 30 to 50 percent within 90 to 120 days of when this is implemented, and it won't require a single new salesperson. How's that for radical?

Major Meeting With a Significant Radio CEO on Changing How Radio Is Sold
Be ready to laugh.
Recently I met with the CEO of a very large and important radio company, and I said these words:
"I believe I can change how we sell radio. I believe we can increase existing radio sales by 30 percent to 50 percent locally. We don't have a good system to pick up the lost crumbs. I believe we can automate much of the selling process."
Silence.
He looked at me as though I had six eyes.
He put his head in his hands. He was probably rolling his eyes.
"Eric, selling requires salespeople. You can never eliminate salespeople. Relationships are critical to selling."
I never intended to eliminate salespeople. I love salespeople.
What I hate are the ups and downs in business, and the excuses. It doesn't take much to miss a goal if the sales team or sales leader is a little off. What I hate is leaving money on the table and missing business we should be getting.
When I showed him what I'm going to show you, this CEO got excited and suggested we implement an immediate experiment at one of his stations.
What if we could generate business even when the sales team are not doing their job?
It can be done. In fact, it IS being done. But not in radio. My estimates of 30 to 50 percent increases are probably low. Companies using technology to supplement their sales process are seeing 200 or 300 percent increases in sales within 90 to 120 days of implementation. It works for them, and it will work for radio.
This Is Too Complicated and Sophisticated to explain in an E-mail
I recently learned what I'm about to offer you. I spent thousands of dollars and several days to learn the system for my own use. I have now seen, met, or learned of HUNDREDS of people in other industries using technology to boost their sales, and I saw examples of massive sales increases without the personal touch of a salesperson or so much as a phone call.
Best of all, there is not one radio station in the world I'm aware of that's implementing this system. You may be among the first in the world. Best of all, it's invisible, and your competitors won't know how you're adding so much revenue to the books.
Once radio figures it out, in a few years we will look back on this and wonder how we ever survived without the additional income.
Do I have your attention yet?

What I'm going to teach you is not easy. It's going to take you a few months to build out the basic plan, but it should produce immediate fruit. Best of all, after that it will bear fruit without no further change for years to come.
Only True Radical Thinkers With a Commitment to Trying Something New Will Reap the Rewards
This solution is not for the faint of heart. First, you have to be a radical thinker to believe it will work. The CEO I met with shot me down immediately, until I explained it in detail (which takes time). Suddenly he was excited and believed I actually could improve sales without additional salespeople.
To implement this system, you have to be truly committed. This is not a quick solution. It requires commitment, planning, preparation, and the creation of new content you don't currently have. It will be frustrating and challenging because you'll be taxing your brain (and those of your team members) to figure out the best way to implement what you've learned.
You'll be so excited you can hardly wait to see its impact on your radio business.
Up until now, Radio Ink's Convergence has been mostly about generating digital revenue and giving you lots of actionable ideas you can implement immediately. This is the first technology play we've highlighted at Convergence that actually impacts ad sales -- not digital ad sales, just plain old ad sales.
Though Convergence is still about digital selling and working ideas that you can implement to get digital billing to 15 or 20 percent of overall revenue, this system will see you INCREASING AD SALES IN ANY MARKET SIZE without so much as a single sales call taking place.
Sound too good to be true?
At Convergence, set for June 4-5 in California's Silicon Valley, I'm bringing in the expert who can teach you this system. He will show you what to do and how to do it. He will show you why it works, how to structure it, and what to expect in your business.
THIS IS A MIND-ALTERING, GAME-CHANGING SESSION THAT WILL ROCK THE RADIO INDUSTRY FOREVER.
That's a bold statement, but I'm convinced it's true because I'm deeply involved in this technology now, and it is being implemented in my own publishing business as we speak.
As usual, the people at Convergence will get this information first, will get a head start, and will have a giant competitive edge. Most of radio will ignore this message. Only a small, select group of people will have the guts to get on an airplane to solve their biggest problem (sales) and will believe they can alter their future by taking the risk of two days out of the office and the price of registration.

This one-hour session will feature one of the great marketing minds in technology, and he will convince you, as he did me, that your world will change forever once you follow his specific advice.
Using Technology to Dramatically Improve Advertising Sales Results
James Michelson, Keynote
What if you could increase your station's ad billing by 20, 30 or even 40 percent without hiring new salespeople and without making more client calls?
What if you could have a proven sales system, always making sales for you, in spite of staff turnover? (No, it's not some robo-caller like the politicians use.)
More than ever before, radio stations have difficulty hiring the best salespeople. Better compensation from growth industries with higher margins, fierce competition for limited talent, flight of the "good ones" to faster fields, less time to train new sellers, and clients who are leaving radio because of frequent sales turnover are all taking a drastic toll on profitability.
Technology Marketing Expert James Michelson, author of Cross Media Marketing 101 from Schooner Press, will show you revolutionary systems that are currently bringing business to other industries, in some cases increasing sales by 100 percent or more through coordinated sales efforts leading to Web-based tools and systems. James will show you how to position your station to attract advertisers so you can eliminate what he calls "cold call hell," by overcoming objections prior to the time THEY CALL YOU and are already deep into the sales cycle.

This proven process is a game-changer that will revolutionize sales in any organization, increasing demand and raising rates. These documented systems will build the base to the point that you will have to turn low-margin customers away. And best of all, it is done quietly, in stealth mode, and your competitors will never know how you're getting so much new local direct business.
This is a must-see session. When implemented, it will more than pay for your trip to the conference. Is it easy? No, but not nearly as hard as you may think. Is it worthwhile? James will give specific examples of how companies are using these exact same systems in other business-to-business sales cycles and are generating large revenues from new clients without adding salespeople.
About James Michelson
James Michelson is the founder of JFM Concepts, a software and direct-response and marketing technology firm, and the author of Cross Media Marketing 101: The concise guide to surviving in the C-Suite from Schooner Press. He is an internationally recognized cross-channel practitioner of direct marketing, cross-media, digital marketing, and sales. His personal experience spans both B2B and B2C sales and marketing leadership, direct-response marketing, advertising sales and planning, business-to-business software, consulting, services, and durable goods in various verticals to consumer products and services.
James has extensive international experience in the creation and execution of advanced direct cross-media and one-to-one (1:1) integrated digital campaigns in both traditional and new media channels in a wide variety of verticals for both direct sales and lead generation. He has personally sold, developed, and executed industry-recognized cross-media marketing strategies, beginning with radio and television promotion and transitioning prospects to the Web for the close for such firms as AAA, United Health Care, Caterpillar, Hewlett-Packard, Marriott, Hartford Insurance, California Closets, and many more.

James has appeared as the keynote at conferences, trade shows, and peer groups in a wide variety of industries. He has been engaged by the United States Postal Service, Kodak, Dscoop, PSDA, PODI, Asociacion Internacional de Ferias, the Direct Marketing Association, and many more. His case studies have been featured by PODI, the USPS, PSDA, and Kodak. James earned a BA from George Washington University and an MBA from Jacksonville University. He also served in the U.S. Navy as a commissioned officer.
CLICK HERE to register now.
PS: James Michelson's session will alter your impressions about the selling process and revolutionize the way you think about sales. You'll see dramatic sales increases, higher rates, and have the ability to turn non-productive business away, and you can watch your business grow. You'll want to be the first in your market to grab this stealth technology solution and implement it -- not to eliminate salespeople, but to supplement salespeople with significant increases within 90-120 days of full implementation.

Sign up for Radio Ink Convergence today. Grab a seat at 561-655-8778. The entire executive team at every station needs to attend, so those who plan on sending more than three attendees and sign up before 5 p.m. on May 22 can get a group discount. We think it's that important to have your team hear this system explained, because you won?t be able to explain it easily and you?ll need the full team to implement it. Sign up today.
Radio Ink Convergence
ZERO RISK GUARANTEE
If you're not satisfied with the content of Convergence, let us know by the end of day one, and we will refund 100 percent of your investment, and you can head home before day two.
Convergence 2014
June 4-5
Hyatt Regency Santa Clara
Silicon Valley
www.radioconvergence.com



View the original article here

Sunday, May 25, 2014

(ANALYSIS) Radio In The Year 2020

5-23-2014

It?s no surprise that since the consolidation of the radio industry started with the signing of the Telcom Act of 1996, that our business has undergone massive changes. But as we look forward to the 100th anniversary of radio, what can we expect the business to look like? It?s that question that led one of my broadcast students and me to do a research study on that very subject.

Funded by a FUSE Research Grant by the Vice President of Research at Western Kentucky University, my student Michael Bowlds and I decided to study the 300-plus radio stations in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. We presented our results at the Broadcasters Educational Association 2014 Conference in Las Vegas in April. In addition to presenting our findings, we also invited the President/CEO of the Kentucky Broadcasters Association, Gary White; Dan Vallie of Vallie, Richards Donovan Consulting; and Valerie Geller of Geller International to give their perspective on what we learned.

Spoiler Alert: The number one job that is needed to be filled in radio today and five years from now is that of a salesperson. Surprised? Neither was I. After a 42-year career in radio, 30 of those years spent as a market manager, I knew finding good salespeople was always mission critical. What did surprise us was how the demand for other positions was disappearing; like program directors and general managers.

In our survey of general managers and program directors in Kentucky, we found that 79 percent said sales would be the position most in demand, now and in the future. They also said there would be a need for Internet directors and content creators going forward. Broadcast engineers who understood RF were also going to be in short supply in the years ahead.

The School of Journalism and Broadcasting at WKU offers just one course in broadcast sales and I teach it. From that course, I?ve turned several students onto the opportunities that exist in this career path. Those students have graduated, landed jobs with great broadcasters that they love, and their management calls me looking for 10 more graduates just like them.

Backed up by this research study, I proposed, and the university has accepted, a course in advanced radio sales that will begin being offered in the spring of 2015. This course will include RAB professional certifications in both radio and digital marketing.

Some other things our survey discovered were that Kentucky radio stations tend to use satellite/network/syndicated types of programming versus voice-tracking.

Half of the managers in our survey say a live, local personality now only fills 25 percent or less of their program schedule.

When it comes to social media, Facebook dominates, with Twitter coming in as a strong second place. Ironically, a station?s own website, along with emails, clubs, and a variety of other methods, came in a distant third place.
More than half of those stations programming mainly music told us they do not pick the music they play by local management. Moreover they don?t survey their listeners to find new music, and a quarter say they never play music by local artists.

Talk radio stations, on the other hand, told us they feature local guests on either a daily or weekly basis.
When it comes to live and local talk show hosts, the managers in our survey said they see more of these locally produced programs being created to fill their program day in the years ahead.

The majority of the managers who participated in our survey told us they have worked in radio at least five years.
Gary White told us what we found in our study backs up the things he?s seeing and hearing as the leader of Kentucky?s broadcast association. Dan Vallie and Valerie Geller told us that what we learned wasn?t just happening in Kentucky but throughout the United States and in many places around the globe.

The results should be used as guide to future trends in radio as it approaches its 100th anniversary in the year 2020. We are grateful for the participation by top radio management in the Blue Grass State in our survey. It is our hope that, collectively, Kentucky?s radio leaders have been able to discern what the future of the radio industry will look like in the years ahead.

If you like a copy of our survey, you can email me at: Dick.Taylor@wku.edu

Dick Taylor is an Assistant Professor of Broadcasting at the School of Journalism and Broadcasting at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Radio Ink named Taylor "One of radio's best managers" in 2009.

Add a Comment Send This Story To A Friend


View the original article here