12-21-2012
Recently, Clear Channel CEO Bob Pittman was featured in the Wall Street Journal. Pittman has been using every speaking opportunity to promote radio, tout its strengths and convince advertisers radio is still very relevant in the lives of consumers. Whether Clear Channel pitched the story to the Journal or they came knocking on his door doesn't really matter. He was featured. Radio was the topic. And Pittman stayed on point, letting the writer know listeners never deserted radio. The WSJ headline "Pittman Envisions New Life For Radio" apparently did not sit particularly well with everyone in the industry, including Northern Broadcast General Manager Charlie Ferguson who says radio doesn't need a makeover. We'll let you decide what to make of Ferguson's points.
by Charlie Ferguson
When he appointed himself ?the Keeper of Cool for Radio,? (Clear Channel CEO) Bob Pittman showed more hubris than most of us could take. Bob seems to think he?s the only one in the world with a jar of ?cool? hidden next to the big can of Whup Ass under his desk. It also sounds like he, alone, has access to what?s inside. What?s bothering me about all this self promotion is it has nothing to do with what we do on free, over-the-air radio! You can?t make radio ?cool? again by putting a Pandora copycat service on the Internet. They don?t call TV on the Internet TV, they call it video. Radio on the Internet isn?t radio, it?s audio. Only terrestrial radio is radio, and it doesn?t get cooler because you put another program stream on iHeartRadio.
Clear Channel isn?t getting ?cooler? because you got rid of the entire species known as ?Program Director? in the local markets. It isn?t ?cooler? to run the same program on 300 stations at the same time when 299 of those audiences won?t ever even see a picture of the personality, let alone meet them and shake their hand. While CC is able to aggregate their online audience and cross-promote national things (i.e. Taylor Swift?s ?Red? launch) it?s the power of the terrestrial signals that make it all happen. A lot of local broadcasters were stunned to find out the world wasn?t holding their breath waiting to listen to their radio stations as soon as they went online. But we?re not ?un-cool? because our streaming doesn?t generate vast numbers of listeners.
We?re taking a cautious approach because the revenue model just doesn?t work ? and we know we?re not alone. Our station websites are contest entry portals, information delivery outlets, and fun places for our audience community with us and each other ? so we?re ?cool? there too. The road to success for radio isn?t moving our audience online. It?s serving them with live, local content they like ? over the air.
Our little group of radio stations makes radio ?cool? every single day. We?re on the air live and local, interacting with the audiences and having fun! Two of our FM stations racked up a total of over 200 live remote broadcasts and appearances over the past 12 months. We?re ?cool? because we take part in every charity fundraising event we possibly can ? and we sell third-party sponsorships to help our area businesses ?wear the white hat? and be a part of successful events. We?re also ?cool? because we take an entirely different approach to covering local high school sports on our ESPN Radio affiliates ? and there are 56 high schools spread out across our 17-county coverage area. The audience is responding and it?s profitable.
If you?re not doing it on the air using your radio transmitters, stop saying you?re making radio ?cool? again. Bob didn?t ask me, but if he did I?d say that if you want to make radio ?cool? again, bring back real, local personalities. Get them out doing live remote broadcasts and appearances. Meet the audience face to face, thank them for listening to your radio stations, ask how they?re doing, entertain them, make them smile and shake their hands.
Then last but not least, sell radio advertising on a ?dollar for dollar ? time for time? basis ? because if the dollars spent and the timeframe are equal, radio will get results equal to, or better than, any other medium. We reach 93% of Americans every week on free, over-the-air radio and have the ability to fill the stores, shops, and showrooms of our advertisers with customers every day. We don?t need Bob Pittman telling everyone that radio sucks and only he can make us ?cool? again. Radio broadcasters need to stop worshiping at the digital altar and keep pounding on what radio does ? and can do ? every day for both our listeners and clients.
Editor's Note: For clarification purposes, there's no record Bob Pittman has ever said "Radio sucks and only he can make us cool again." That may be how Mr. Ferguson perceives the Wall Street Journal article, however it is not a factual statement from anything we have seen or read.
Charlie Ferguson is General Manager of Northern Broadcast, Inc. (WKLT/WKLZ ? WFCX/WFDX ? WSRT/WSRJ FM) in Traverse City, Michigan (www.wklt.com and www.wklt.mobi) and can be reached at charlie@wklt.com
(10/23/2012 4:44:44 PM)
We all know Charlie is right. We had the pleasure of being entertained by Charlie’s excellent stations while traveling in his beautiful market area and exploring the U.P. He speaks the truth about radio, and about his group. He’s doing the best radio I’ve heard in this millenium.
We indies can take the extra care required to focus on continuing to do great radio, But in soulless media conglomerates where everyone from the corporate CEO to the regional manager to the platform manager to the SM, salesmen, and group PD is under tremendous pressure to focus only on feeding the beast created by avarice at the top, it ain’t going to happen no matter how times we see the picture of the smiling, self-satisfied golden boy du jour.
I don’t see the point of using a hilarious pseudonym to denigrate a passionate and successful local broadcast team that proves every day how there’s much more to the achievement of greatness in radio than the superficial as measured by Arbitron BIA. Such negativity is cheap and easy, and probably incorrect.
These broadcasters are important to the people of their communities. They actually stand for something beyond taking money out of the local economy and sending it away to corporate headquarters.
"Andy" is either a CC troll or a major market lifer who somehow wound up in a large market right off the bat by kissing the proper behind.
As one who has worked in a small and top 25 market, I can assure you that there are many Andys out there who have never left the ivory tower, and assume that they know everything. On a level playing field they would get killed. Deep down inside they know they are fakes. Thats why they rip others.
That article must have really hit a nerve. The truth hurts.
I have not spoken with or worked with Charlie for decades...and I've never met clear channel's mr. pittman. However, on a level playing field, Charlie will kick mr. pittman's ass...because the Charlie I knew would eat, sleep and breathe radio 24/7...and his commitment was to his EMPLOYEES and his ADVERTISERS FIRST, and not some corporate suits and shareholders who can barely spell radio. I really don't think technology is what's right or wrong with radio...it's greed and Wall Street.
(10/23/2012 1:09:39 PM)
There are some small & mid-sized market stations/groups that can continue to survive for a few more years while still living in the past... but those markets are becoming fewer & fewer. I'm in a county of 100,000 with 4 high schools and 2 local AM's... on Friday night if the game is good you might have 2,000 listeners between the 2 stations combined. The only way the morning or drive local shows can generate any listeners is to give away stuff every 5 minutes. The percentage of people under 40 who still listen to terrestrial radio continues to declines. I'm 52 and have gone from being a lifetime radio junkie listening 5+ hours a day to not having listened to a terrestial station in over 3 years. There may be a way for terrestrial to pull a rabit out of its hat, but I haven't heard a plan yet that will work... and staying with the old tried & true of radio's heyday surely ain't it.
(10/23/2012 12:14:50 PM)
Nice to see "Andy Travis" has found work again. :)
Meanwhile, Charlie's point is well-taken. However, if he doesn't believe radio needs a total makeover, he is mistaken. Although I can appreciate how those who are making comfortable livings - and more - are less willing to shake things up... even on the off-chance that improvements would be made all around. There are, after all, no guarantees. Those who want guarantees are urged to buy toaster ovens.
Add a Comment | View All Comments Send This Story To A Friend
