8-29-13
Dan Patrick's mid-morning (9:00am to 12:00 pm) show will begin airing on the all-sports talk channel Mad Dog Sports Radio, SiriusXM channel 86. SiriusXM's President and Chief Content Officer Scott Greenstein said, "Dan is one of this country's most prominent sports voices and his show has been engaging sports fans with entertaining and insightful commentary and newsmaking interviews for well over a decade. The Dan Patrick Show is an all-star addition to the Mad Dog Sports Radio lineup."
8-29-13
The Philadelphia Eagles and SportsRadio 94WIP announced the annual Eagles Radiothon will air Tuesday, starting at 6 a.m. Through this two-day auction, listeners will be able to bid on unique sports and entertainment prizes involving their favorite Eagles players and SportsRadio 94WIP radio personalities. All proceeds will benefit Eagles Youth Partnership and its various programs that serve over 50,000 children in the Philadelphia community every year.
8-29-13
Norm Pattiz founded Westwood One. The company provided news, sports, entertainment, talk, and traffic programming. Westwood One owned, managed, or distributed NBC radio networks, CBS News, CNN radio, the Mutual Broadcasting System, NFL Football, NCAA Basketball plus March Madness, the Super Bowl, and the Winter and Summer Olympic Games. Under his stewardship Westwood became a very recognizable brand on radio stations all over America. And when the company was dissolved into Dial Global, all that branding and the name Westwood One were gone. New Dial Global CEO Paul Caine seems to recognize how important the Westwood One name was. Dial Global is expected to go back to the Westwood name any day now. We spoke to the former Westwood CEO about the name change, the big deal about to be announced and the network business. And we asked him the big question. If he were still in charge would he make this deal with Cumulus? LISTEN HERE
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8-30-2013
Often, when we?re stuck for words when writing a commercial, we need to step back and forget the script, and think about the idea. What about the product, the service, the store, or the people inspires us? Often, tasting, touching, researching, or using a product or service will help us discover the most powerful point to make.
What?s the most surprising way you can make that point? Often it?s by exaggerating. Take the most salient benefits and play the exaggeration game with each of them. If you have kids or can find someone else?s children willing to play with an adult, engage them in this exercise. They have great imaginations and will be much less inhibited than we are in coming up with exaggerations.
Start with the benefit: ?Getting a new auto loan from our bank is so quick that??
Now list as many possibilities as you can think of:
?you?ll have an answer before you can hang up the phone
?we?ll call you on your cell phone while you?re on your way out of our parking lot
?your nails won?t have a chance to dry
?you won?t even have time for fast food
You get the idea.
You can also develop the idea from exaggerating problems that can be solved by the advertiser:
?You?re so tired of waiting in line that?? ?You?re so fed up with high prices for bottled water that?? ?You?re so frustrated with complex cell phone plans that?? ?If I could just find a reliable blacksmith around here??
?Create-It-Yourself Pasta Bar has so many combinations of noodles, veggies, condiments, and toppings that?? "?you?ll feel like the Leonardo DaVinci of dining, the Picasso of pasta, the Michelangelo of meals?"
Now, don?t just state the exaggeration as you?ve written it; use it to develop stories about people your target audience can relate to. Try to keep your stories focused on making one powerful benefit per commercial.
Exaggeration offers lots of opportunities to lighten up and if the image you create is distinctive enough, it will stick in the minds of your audience members and may inspire them to quote it to your client.
Exaggeration is a powerful way to bring a big idea to life. ?It can make writing a good commercial so easy?your friends won?t believe you did it yourself?you?ll have to exaggerate how much time it took you to write it?it?ll make gravity seem like work?you?ll be making more money than you know what to do with??
Using Virtual Creative Department is like having a huge creative staff on call that you don?t have to pay salaries to. Ask Jeffrey Hedquist at Hedquist Productions, Inc. email jeffrey@hedquist.com for the outrageous details.
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8-30-2013
I was the top biller. I was so good at selling it was natural to me that they wanted me to be the manager. (Ego, Ego) I was caught in the classic paradox of sales management. I was getting paid for doing less of what I got promoted for doing more of. I was a great seller. I was not a great manager. I figured since I was a great seller, if I could just get everyone to sell like me, I?d have a great team. Then reality slapped me in the face, like it does with so many other young managers.
Over the years I?ve worked with some great sellers. None of them sold exactly like me. They had their own style, their own personality, and they were incredibly successful. What I learned quickly as a manager was that my job was not to get people to sell like me. My job was to get them to be their very best.
I learned that sales training doesn?t always work. Naturally I blamed myself. I must not be a good trainer; I must not be inspiring them. What confused me was that it was working very well with some, and not at all with others. Then I read an article from Tom Stanfill at ASLAN Training and it all made sense. There are four types of people on your team:
1. Independents: Sellers who are meeting or exceeding performance levels, but show little or no interest in changing. They show up to sales training because they have to, but they will not change behavior as a result because they don?t think they need to.
2. Detractors: Sellers who have substandard performance and lack the willingness to change.
3. Strivers: Sellers who have a very strong desire to improve and grow, but are not currently meeting performance levels.
4. Achievers: Sellers who have a strong desire to improve and grow and are meeting and exceeding performance expectations.
Once you determine the make-up of your team, you can customize your training and coaching. My issue was I was overly concerned with fairness. To me that meant I had to give equal time to all the sellers on my team or I would be accused of playing favorites. Equal time is a myth. I focused instead on these ?time investment? strategies:
Achievers - the strategy is to reward, retain and challenge. You reward them with your time and attention. You focus primarily on them; challenging them to try new things. Utilize them as ?mentors? to others or to lead training discussions.
Strivers - the strategy is to ?show them the way.? Help them develop a personal development plan. Keep them accountable to their plan. You provide frequent feedback and course corrections as necessary. Share with them ?how you did it? and how others do it, to give them options as they find their own way. Role play is a great tool with Strivers.
Detractors ? don?t waste time. Spend that time on recruiting.
Independents will come to you when they are stuck and need help. It won?t be often. As long as they are hitting their goals they will be satisfied. And as long as they meet the company goal assigned to them they are pretty much good to go.
To identify who?s who, you have to create a fork in the road; a decision time. In coaching, that decision comes when you give an ?assignment.? Most ?coaching sessions? amount to little more than a discussion of what went wrong on the previous call.
Here is an example of how to create the fork in the road:
A rep is having a difficult time with cold-call conversion. People aren?t taking the call. If they take the call, they aren?t staying on the call long and certainly aren?t booking appointments. In your coaching you might ask, ?What could be done to warm up those cold calls?? The seller could come back with a suggestion of ?seeding.? (Seeding is sending relevant business information such as an article, prior to making the call.) You would then create the fork in the road and set an expectation. For instance, ?How about if we send a seed piece to five of the clients you will be calling next week? That way we can see if warming up the cold call will get better results.?
When you review the following week it?s simple: Did they do the five seed pieces? If they did, they are demonstrating ?coach-ability.? If they didn?t, they?re demonstrating a lack of desire to change their behavior.
Training doesn?t work if you train the wrong people. Train the right people and your stress and frustration go down, and the team performance goes up.
Jeff Schmidt is EVP/Partner with Chris Lytle at Sparque, inc. He can be reached at Jeff.Schmidt@Sparque.biz
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8-29-13
The changes go into effect Tuesday, after the Labor Day holiday as new GM Jimmy de Castro tries to remake and rebuild the legendary station. Steve Cochran will return to WGN Radio full time, hosting mornings replacing Jonathon Brandmeier. Cochran has worked for deCastro in Chicago before. It was at the Loop and AM 1000back in the '90s when deCastro ran Evergreen, Chancellor Media, and AMFM. Cochran's been working the Chicago radio scene since 1993.
Here is how the rest of the day and weekends will look on the station.
The mid-morning timeslot becomes a radio reunion for Bill Leff & Wendy Snyder. The Bill & Wendy Show will air and stream from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m, followed by husband-and-wife duo Bob Sirott and Marianne Murciano from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Garry Meier will continue to host the afternoon drive show from 3-7 p.m, with the David Kaplan Show airing from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Pete McMurray expands his role with the station as the 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. host, and WGN veteran Nick Digilio moves to the 2 a.m. to 5 a.m. timeslot.
The return of Kathy O?Malley and Judy Markey to the station on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. highlights the weekend lineup changes, effective Saturday, September 14. Other changes include The Design Dude with Frank Fontana, airing from 6 a.m to 7 a.m., followed by Mr. Fix-it with Lou Manfredini from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. When not affected by sports preemptions, Bill Moller will follow Kathy and Judy from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., and Sports Central will remain in the 3 p.m. to 6 p.m timeslot.
The Sunday lineup will introduce a new show dedicated to the discussion of the Chicago political landscape. Chicago Tribune writer Rick Pearson will host ?Chicago Way: Politics with Pearson? on Sundays from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. The Dean Richards Sunday Special will follow at 9 a.m., extending an additional two hours until 1 p.m. In addition to his Saturday show, Bill Moller will air from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Brian Noonan remains in the 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. timeslot, followed by the return of Chicago treasure Rick Kogan, from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. Comedian and media personality Patti Vasquez will air from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Playing a feature role in the future of WGN-AM?s new lineup will be 720 Snackables. These spotlight segments will live online and on-air as interviews, video shorts, and podcasts. They?ll feature the WGN family of experts including Dean Richards? ?A-List Interviews,? ?Legally Speaking with Karen Conti,? ?Bertrand on Books? with Steve Bertrand, ?Flavor HD? with Hannah Stanley and Dane Neal, ?Steve Dale?s Pet World,? Paul Green?s ?Paul & The Politicians,? ?Good Cents With Ilyce Glink,? and more.
(8/29/2013 9:12:00 PM)
Cochran needs to be back, as does the girls. JB did not ever fit, ditto mcconnell.
(8/29/2013 8:55:29 PM)
Love Steve glad he's back. JB is a hoot but sometimes I wondered how long he would last with WGN. Been listening to WGN for 50 years. Wish JB nothing but the best.
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8-26-2013
There is nothing that brings a team closer together than having a team-building event. And it doesn't have to be a once-a-year thing.
In the market I was in last week, we held our annual Castanet.net and TheTango.net 6th Annual Olympics. Last year was quite the show and this year was even better. If focus follows fun, then we should have another revenue record-setting year at this $4 million annual revenue hyper-local Internet juggernaut.
TheTango.net was newly added to the mix, and it is topping 25,000 unique visitors weekly after just six months. Castanet.net, of course, is ?King Kong? relative to other local websites throughout the world, in a market of 200,000 people with 300,000 unique visitors per week. It reaches the entire province of British Columbia and then some.
It really is true that the team that plays together works together -- and works harder for each other to accomplish the company goals. It?s a unique bond that is created if done properly. Following are some of the things we did last Thursday in our all-day Olympics ? some that you might want to try and some you just might want to leave in the water, depending on your market and how freely your people roll.
I could tell things were going to quickly get competitive when the ?Ryder Hard? team, co-captained by Troy Ryder and named after him, had drawn a rather questionable slogan on the back of their uniforms -- and they were real uniforms! This had totally broken all Olympic committee by-laws and a formal protest was filed with the Olympic committee to no avail. The games had to go on. The ?Ryder Hard? team was in red and Rob Balsdon, who co-captained the white team, came up with the name ?Deliverance? in paying homage to the movie and to the people of the Ozarks. Don?t ask me how that happened. I was out in the field making sales calls with reps when that name came down. The Deliverance team had cut-off shorts and cut-off tank tops, hats, war paint, boots, and just about any other clothing item you could put on that didn?t hinder movements. Oh yeah, we had physical games.
Each team had nine members. The office turned into a co-ed lockerroom starting at 9 a.m. as everybody changed into their uniforms and then the writing and taunting started on the uniforms themselves.
We had five events with a break for lunch. Our first event of the day was dodge ball. If you want to get some people's frustration out early, then this is the team-building event for that. We played the best out of three and Ryder Hard swept us (I was on team Deliverance). We played all of our games outside at Waterfront Park in downtown Kelowna, B.C. with a fenced-in area for the dodge ball. We used semi-big, covered, nerf dodge balls because we didn?t want anybody to lose an eye or anything. Fortunately, Deliverance came out unscathed except for our egos.
We then played PIG basketball where each team had to line up two people to play a game of basketball to PIG. Not as exciting as me having to catch a little pig (not kidding) at last year?s Ozark Games, though exciting enough. Oh, did I forget to mention there was a mental-challenge contest? It seems one team was not involved and lost points ? hmmm, I wonder what happened here?
We had a great team/group lunch and then played a form of miniature golf on concrete stairs. Because we were in Canada, we had to play the national sport of hockey in one form or another, so we played on the basketball court with sticks and nets balls -- each member played to sudden death. Oh, did I mention the liquor was flowing pretty heavy at lunch, so things kind of loosened up a bit (no pun intended) and you might see a video go viral by Rob Balsdon in front of the big white sail in downtown Kelowna -- it?s called the money dance. Something tells me he has done that dance before. Just saying.
The score was tied up going into the final event which was sand volleyball on the water?s edge of Lake Okanagan. Best out of three and team Ryder Hard won. There was then a victory celebration in the water and it seemed like what some people didn't come out of the water quite as they were attired when they went in.
We handed out gold and silver medals and real money to the winning ($200.00) and runner-up ($100.00) teams. We gave out $500.00 cash and a trophy to the MVP player, and $250.00 and a trophy to the most dedicated player. We, for fun, we played a game of wet-sand volleyball for some. Group pictures were shot.
What came out of it? Our new fiscal year starts in September at this property. It was a great way to clean the slate and bring everybody together. And we had some new team members we'd hired in the past year and the day helped blend them into our culture. Needless to say, the next day the office looked like an infirmary ward, but we survived. It?s going to be hard to top this one!
Always remember, focus follows fun! If you and your group are having fun, they will work together and make money together. That?s just the way it works.
Sean Luce is the Head National Instructor for the Luce Performance Group International and can be reached at sean@luceperofmrnacegroup.com or www.luceperformancegroup.com.
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8-28-13
WBLS in New York City is making a change to afternoon drive. Comedian Earthquake joins D?j? Vu, Monday-Friday 3pm to 7pm, replacing market veteran Jeff Foxx who moves to weekends. WBLS Operations Manager, Skip Dillard said, "Earthquake's been on his grind for quite some time! He loves radio and I can't wait to help him realize his dream of becoming an afternoon star in New York City Radio.?
Comedian Earthquake is no stranger to radio. He?s been a regular contributor every Tuesday and Thursday on The Steve Harvey Morning Show and has been known to fill-in for Steve Harvey when Steve?s out on vacation. He?s also no stranger to New York media receiving nods from New York based radio icon Howard Stern and ?The View?s?, Whoopi Goldberg appearing several times with Howard Stern on his acclaimed radio show and as Whoopi Goldberg?s hand-selected guest this year on ABC?s The View, both labeling Earthquake as personal favorites.
D?j? Vu has served the Tri-State Community for over 15 years and was a central part of the original air-staff that launched Power 105.1. Listeners have grown up with Deja affording her a loving and loyal following. The station is looking forward to her newly established collaboration and is happy to have her as part of the WBLS family.
8-28-13
Eastern Airwaves, an affiliate of Curtis Media, has agreed to purchase the CP for FM Translator W228CM in Greensboro, NC, from Wake Forest University for $125,000. Earlier this year, Eastern purchased W249CN in Fairfield, NC. Curtis has three AM stations and one FM translator in the area. WCOG-AM in Greensboro is all sports; WSJS-AM in Winston-Salem is News/Talk; and WPCM-AM in Alamance County is oldies and beach music and already has an FM translator.
Bob Heymann of the Chicago office of Media Services Group served as the exclusive broker representing the buyer in this transaction.
8-28-13
L&L and Alpha Broadcasting CEO Larry Wilson has crashed back onto the radio scene with wads of investor money in his pockets and a goal of creating a $50 million company as soon as he can find the right deals. Wilson's friend Dick Ferguson tells Radio Ink it's good to have Wilson back in the mix. "Larry is just what radio needs right now. He's smart, experienced, a people guy and a cheerleader not just for his team but for the industry." Beasley CEO George Beasley adds, ?Larry possesses old school attributes; he is an astute businessman who is fair in his dealings and whose word is his bond. He is one of those people with whom you feel comfortable to conduct business on a handshake. He is a man of character who knows how to operate radio stations!? Pictures of Wilson will be scattered all over the Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel at the RAB/NAB Radio show next month as he graces our next cover. In our interview next month Wilson shares his views on today's radio industry, Lowry Mays and yes, Farid Suleman.
Wilson plans to use his goodwill and reputation as a people-person operator to pick up some of the radio industry's strongest people who are disenfranchised with how radio is going. And, he's heard from may of them as they wait for him to make deals. The right deals, according to Wilson, are markets he can insert his special team of operators into to enhance the cash flow of a cluster, and, owners that are realistic enough to realize radio is only worth about 6X cash flow these days. There was a time owners would have scoffed at that number and laughed a buyer right out the door. That time was certainly 2001 when Wilson made one of the biggest radio deals on record, selling Citadel Communications to Wall Street investment firm, Forstmann Little & Co., for $2.1 billion. Then, he sat on the sideline and watched the economy and the industry crater.
Dick Ferguson talks about Wilson now getting back in the game. "Every now and then you see someone who has deep experience in an industry, a knack for timing, and an eye for a good deal buck "conventional wisdom" and make a move that goes against the trend. Larry's reentry into the business demonstrates his belief that there is a lot of life ( and money to be made ) in the radio business if you buy right and know how to operate. And he's got skin in the game which sends a strong message to his people and fellow investors. I wouldn't bet against him."
Here's more from our upcoming interview.
RI: Take us back to 2001. Why did you decide to sell Citadel?
Wilson: Well, it was a great offer. I would like to say I was a genius and saw everything coming, but I didn't. I saw that business had slowed down. But it really slowed down, mostly after we made the deal in January of 2001. I just felt it was a good offer. I did think that multiples were awfully high. I didn't see any way they were going up. The only thing I saw that could happen was they could go down. But, I never dreamed that they could go down as much as they did.
RI: For somebody that loves radio the way you do, yet you see those high multiples, how do you separate the two and say "I have to do this business deal?
Wilson: Probably just as important, or maybe more important, I loved the people. I hated to leave the people. My wife was ill, so that was another factor. Right after the deal was done, she had a fifth brain surgery, and that was really awful. That's when I really had to leave. I just told Ted Forstmann that I couldn't do it anymore. I had to stay home and take care of her. It did hurt a little bit. But, when you are a public company, even if you are a private company, you still usually have shareholders. I'm not rich enough to just make my own deal. So, you have to think of the shareholders. Ted Forstman's offer presented us with a tremendous opportunity.
RI: Is there any way to be prepared for a recession like the one that took place after you sold?
Wilson: Well, the only way to be prepared for that was to not have a bunch of debt. And all of us had debt. That was what was feeding everybody, the debt. Myself included at Citadel. My last deal I did was $290 million for Dick Broadcasting. It was a great deal, as long as multiples stayed up. But, you had to borrow the money to do deals of that size. That's what everybody did. The Clear Channel deal is history. That's what happened there. They borrowed so much money to do that deal. Of course, Cumulus has just borrowed and borrowed and borrowed. The only way you could've been prepared to weather it, and a good reason why (Saga CEO Ed) Christian is still around, is he has been very judicious on his debt. He didn't do a lot of acquisitions. And he's still out there operating.
To order an annual digital subscription to Radio Ink for only $49.00 - that automatically downloads to your digital device - before the Orlando Radio Show and in time to receive this special issue GO HERE.
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Our "Blast From The Past" page in Radio Ink is our most popular page. We love your old photos.Jack Reeves from Streets of Gold Radio sends in this not-so-modern piece of automation equipmet. It was used at KFIA-FM in the early 90's. Send your favorite radio memory to edryantheeditor@gmail.com.
8-28-13
After eight years, morning show host Helen Glover has been fired by Clear Channel Talker WHJJ-AM in Providence, according to The Providence Journal. Glover told the paper her replacement would be Ron St. Pierre, who was laid off by rival WPRO-AM in February. Glover was a 2002 finalist on the reality show "Survivor."
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8-28-13
KBOS B95, Fresno's Hip-Hop Station, announced today that Chris "CK" Hall has joined The Juice Crew Morning Show as co-host alongside Carmen weekday mornings from 5:30 ? 10:00 a.m. PST. Hall was most recently on the air in Stockton. He's hosted mornings in Portland and Tucson with other Clear Channel stations. Earlier in his career Hall worked part-time at B95 and has also worked in San Francisco and Sacramento.
8-27-13
Tim (Hattrick) and Willy (Loon) have signed a deal with Skyview Networks to distribute their morning show one year after being fired from KMLE-FM in Phoenix. The Tim and Willy Show will soft-launch September 2 by Web stream at timandwilly.com. The official debut goes live on six radio affiliates and Web stream on September 16. Skyview will provide the studio, radio satellite distribution, and production of the show?s live Web stream.
Hattrick said, ?We?ve worked with some excellent people in our career. None better than Skyview! They told us: Dream the dream. We did, and together we?ve created the Tim and Willy Show we?ve always wanted."
The six Phoenix-area stations that will carry the show include KRDE 94.1 FM, KDAP 96.5 FM, KJJJ 102.3 FM, KZUZ 95.5 FM, KINO 1230 AM, and KZUA 92.1 FM. For more information visit timandwilly.com. Stations interested in airing the Tim and Willy Show may contact Diana Chamberlain at diana@skyviewsat.com.
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8-28-13
Cox's The Bone (WHPT-FM) in Tampa has fired two of its longtime personalities, according to Eric Deggans at the Tampa Bay Times. Matt ?Spice? Loyd, host of The Spice Show on WHPT weeknights at 7 p.m. and Chris Fisher were both let go. Fisher was on from 3 a.m to 5 a.m weekdays. Fisher told the paper this was his fourth radio firing.?I knew overnights were just a placeholder until they could figure out what to do with me. It wasn?t about performance...I just realized this is part of the business."
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8-28-13
Christy Wilson is a 13-year radio veteran with Cromwell Radio in Nashville. Now, as a Senior Account Executive with the company, she has a very ambitious goal. "The main goal is to be known as the marketing specialist (in all media) for my current or prospective clients. I want my name to be the first name thought of when a client is looking to advertise or market their product or service." Wilson is a 2013 Radio Ink Radio Wayne finalist thanks to her hard work and dedication to the radio industry. Her selling successes have landed her in the company of other elite radio sellers from around the company. How did she get here?
Cromwell Market Manager Tincy Crouse says, "Christy consistently develops multi-platform marketing plans for clients to incorporate all of our assets: commercials, promos, on site, and digital. She sells our Rock, Sports, and Gospel stations to provide our customers with the best opportunity to grow their business. She has the ability to partner several clients together to maximize success for all. As a million-plus biller she is a true rockstar and a leader on our sales team."
Wilson adds, "I strive to go the extra mile to make sure that I am over delivering in customer service for my clients. I want to be seen as a knowledgeable and helpful coworker to not only the other sellers in the company, but also to the other departments.
What is the key to being a successful seller today?
1.) Work for the client, not for yourself!
2.) Be completely honest to your clients, yourself, and your coworkers.
3.) Continually educate yourself about the ever-changing radio (and marketing) industry.
4.) Know your clients' needs and expectations when presenting a campaign.
5.) Don?t let a ?bad? day deflate or defeat you!
What are the challenges of being in radio sales?
The ever-changing realm of radio is the most challenging. We do not just sell ?air? but multi-platform campaigns that include digital media and creative programs. If a seller can offer a client a strategy that will help them overcome their objectives, then ratings and quantitative become irrelevant.
What is your philosophy on dealing with clients?
Clients should receive the highest quality of customer service and an over-the-top experience throughout the sale, not just before the sale. We should listen to the client?s suggestions, but have the confidence to advise them on other marketing options based on our expertise, knowledge, successes, and failure.
Give us an example of a success story you had selling radio recently.
Yuengling partnered nationally with Harley Davidson for a motorcycle giveaway. I brought in a local Harley dealer and Yuengling offered the Nashville market a motorcycle. The local dealer added $5,000 in prizing. The local dealer gets to keep all the local entries, giving the dealer a great lead source.
Who do you admire (outside your family) and why?
I admire Bayard (Bud) Walters, the owner of Cromwell Radio. Bud balances his family life with ownership, membership in many radio associations and boards, and his involvement with radio advocacy. Bud knows every employee personally and is appreciative of the work that we all do.
Email Christy and congratulate her on her selling successes at cwilson@cromwellradio.com
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8-28-2013
Your local-direct advertisers know they can?t pay their mortgage with Facebook "likes" and they can?t send their kids to college with page views. They can only achieve their goals with sales.
Yet they are delighted with responses or likes on the Internet while they demand that their cash registers ring when they invest in radio campaigns.
Why? In part, because over-zealous radio sellers create unrealistic expectations and in part because of simple math. The simple math is: low investment = low expectation; high investment = high expectation.
Along with low investment comes a willingness to take more risks with the message; risks that can result in more effective messages than so-called call-to-action commercials.
Last week, I met a local hardware store owner who was ?amazed? with her responses on social media. She said her Facebook likes jumped from 6,000 to 18,000 with one simple post. The social media "gurus" would promote this response as "going viral" and claim a 300 percent increase.
During the early August heat wave, the store owner heard all of the publicity about people leaving their dogs in their cars. She simply posted a "dogs welcome" sign on the front door of her store, took a picture of it, and posted it on her Facebook page, inviting shoppers to take man?s best friend out of the heat.
Think about this "amazing" response. The appeal was emotional. It cost the advertiser nothing. It had no call-to-action and didn?t try to sell anything. And it won the hearts of dog lovers.
More importantly, it cost the Facebook friends nothing to share it and respond. It?s easy to get a response when you?re not asking consumers to open their wallets today.
There is no denying the Internet has changed the way consumers buy and the way sellers sell. In the pre-Internet world, many marketers practiced the ABC of selling: Always Be Closing??come in today, these savings won?t last.? And broadcasters got sucked into the old ABC trap with their commercials.
Marketers have learned that the ABC of selling today is Always Be Connecting, and the "dogs welcome" message certainly connected emotionally with pet owners.
I doubt the message would have gone viral had that store owner posted a one-day special on paint on her Facebook page.
As we continued our conversation, I asked the hardware store owner, ?Can you imagine the impact had you told that same story to 100,000 or more radio listeners in addition to 6,000 Facebook friends? And how your commercial would have stood out amidst all of the other "buy today" messages on the air?? She said ?Wow, I never thought of not asking for the sale in my paid ads.?
Broadcasters are just as guilty of embracing so-called "earned media" versus paid media as my hardware store friend. We hail it as a success when we capture a few followers on free social media, but question our investment when no one has ever said, ?Boy I love that billboard you paid for.?
In our eagerness to make the sale, many local broadcast salespeople have created unrealistic expectations, promising immediate results to clients rather than positioning the power of branding to Always Be Connecting.
And it?s those unrealistic expectations which cause advertiser dissatisfaction and high account attrition rates.
Advertisers who are happy winning hearts online can be even happier with their paid campaigns if we persuade them that we can win hearts and win wallets by combining powerful branding messages with a call to action.
It?s time to train your account executives about the power of branding at the local level.
Local marketers have a distinct branding advantage over larger national companies, and local broadcasters can exploit that advantage.
Local businesses can move quickly in response to local situations, like a local heat wave. Large national marketers cannot move that quickly, nor would the "dogs welcome" message resonate in some of their markets which might not be experiencing the heat wave.
There is no better way to Always Be Connecting than with heartfelt stories delivered by a human voice. Add to that the inspiring emotional impact of music and the other tools available to broadcasters, and radio can quickly become the fuel that drives an advertiser?s total media mix.
Wayne Ens, wayne@wensmedia.com, is president of ENS Media Inc. ENS Media?s "Winning in the New Media Economy" seminars persuade local advertisers to reduce their print advertising in favour of a new media mix with a strong radio component.
(8/28/2013 1:10:08 AM)
As Wayne sez: "It’s time to train your account executives about the power of branding at the local level."
Why stop there. The ones who also really need the training are the GM's, the PD's, the Creative Department and the on-air staff. They are still operating as if some dopey sale price was important and a "call to action" wasn't, in reality, a slap to the listener's face.
And no, I'm not kidding. Wayne swung and he connected. I doubt he realizes he has hit one out of the park and into the next county. :)
8-23-13
Mike Marino has programmed KHHT in L.A., KJHM in Denver, and KMRJ in Palm Springs. And now he's developed a format called "The Finest," which is a mix of Old School and Smooth R&B. The Finest blends classic and contemporary R&B from the 70s to the 2000s aimed at 25-54 females. Marino said, ?The Finest super-serves a segment of the audience that feels ignored by their local radio outlets. A crucial ingredient of our secret sauce is the music flow and message. Sure, other stations may play some of the same artists, but it`s what we DON?T play that makes the difference."
8-28-2013
Through the years of slaving over a hot microphone or toiling at typing the hype, most of the intelligent, clever, thoughtful, and outrageously funny people I have met have been in radio. Many of those were in management! (ba-dup-bum!) So, what is it that stops these folks from clearly recognizing the state of our business -- and stepping up to bust down walls and fix it?
What follows is not an exclusive belief of mine. Radio Ink publisher Eric Rhoads also identified it in an earlier editorial. I can, however, muse on how pervasive this particular position really is in radio. My experience suggests that it is dangerously so. This state is hardly ever considered, as a position that can and still does have a crippling, long-term effect. That being indifference/complacency.
Most of us have learned some knee-jerk responses when we are presented with affection or derision. It?s when we run up against indifference that we scramble about for behaviors that are appropriate and useful. It?s safe to project that where complacency resides, innovation is the first element that gets kicked over the side. Music radio is especially rife with this scenario, where the (alleged) innovators suddenly find themselves treading water where there be unsympathetic and indifferent sharks.
I face an irony, depending on which hat I am wearing. If it?s my H/R hat, I get to challenge -- with impunity -- any position a client presents. My clients may not enjoy the experience, but we have already negotiated a deal where they have agreed to participate fully.
With radio management, it?s a different story. They have no qualms about delivering, subtly or straight out, the following messages, whether challenged or not:
1. ?You?re here to sell me something and I don?t care what it is -- I?m not buying!?
2. ?There is nothing about this business you know that I don?t already know.?
3. ?I?ve got mine and you?re not going to mess with it. Notice my boat in the photograph facing you on my desk. I?m getting a bigger one.?
4. ?I have all the influence here and I am unwilling to give any of it up, particularly to somebody I don?t know and over whom I don?t have absolute control.?
5. ?I am, already, a busy person. Whatever it is you are pushing at me, I would have to put even more time, effort, and resources toward it. That ain?t happening.?
Those are not examples of statements that reveal an individual who is so ensconced in indifference and complacency that any consideration of development, improvement, or innovation is perceived as counterproductive. They are statements from a person whose personal position is being challenged. Indifference and complacency are still, however, the baseline positions. The personal position, however, does impact on the corporate results. One need not read the tealeaves or consult the stars to predict an eventual, if not imminent, demise in the enterprises these individuals are leading. Like large, crippled ships, many of them with already-blown boilers, they only seem to be underway -- because of accumulated momentum. (see: Isaac Newton.)
Barbed criticisms notwithstanding, I remind myself that we all -- in some contexts -- are as guilty of indifference and complacency. An admission, however, still doesn?t grant a free pass. To the contrary, these attitudes have been slowly wrecking our business for decades. It may not be long before we talk about radio having passed from a death of a thousand cuts, mostly self-administered. Blood trails are everywhere.
Meanwhile, as I write this, it?s a chilly evening for baseball in Oakland. The TV coverage flickers on low volume behind me. The ?A?s? are playing the ?Blue Jays? who are all hustling for a chance at securing a spot on the roster for next year. Still, all the regular support-staff are there: the coaches, trainers, medical staff, and the bus driver. He hunches over slightly beside his coach, cupping his hands in practiced fashion after flipping up the collar of his jacket to break the wind, and fires up a filtered Camel -- grateful for honest work with a trustworthy organization. If radio?s general managers were running ball clubs, none of that support staff would be employed, and the athletes would be responsible for arranging their own rides home. ?But, we don?t have their budgets!? say station managers. That regrettable circumstance is because we?re not so good at what we do!
What is also unfortunate is that a radio manager under the influence of indifference and/or complacency may not even notice the distinctions being drawn here. Anybody who prefers the status quo over, say, a poke in the eye from a pointy stick can be forgiven for wanting to avoid the latter. That many are applying their own tools to sharpening such a stick may not even occur.
Even as radio?s talent-base continues to be among those who have yet to realize there is so much more to learn about communicating through an electronic medium, I believe. In the meantime, I can identify the ?choke point?. It is not, especially in corporate radio, with the local PDs or GMs or the on-air and creative talent. The most restrictive choke point is in the executive suites -- the executive PDs and top management. Are they not somewhat insulated by their relatively high levels of income? Are they not complacent and indifferent about considering the needs of the audiences and the advertisers in order to maintain their own positions? Are they not equally, and most importantly, indifferent to the wails for support, assistance, or some freedom-to-innovate from below?
Indeed, indifference and complacency are the invisible, tasteless, odorless gasses that may choke out an otherwise undeserving, but still extremely vulnerable, sub-species -- those of us in radio!
Ronald T. Robinson has been involved in Canadian Radio since the '60s as a performer, writer and coach and has trained and certified as a personal counsellor. Ron makes the assertion that the most important communicative aspects of broadcasting, as they relate to Talent and Creative, have yet to be addressed. Check out his website www.voicetalentguy.com
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8-26-13
Today at Noon, Cumulus will flip 98.9-FM THE WALK to TRUE OLDIES which is distributed by Cumulus Media Networks. The Walk is currently airing Country/Christian AC format. The change to True Oldies is a return to Atlanta for Scott Shannon. True Oldies is a format programmed and hosted by Shannon focusing on music from the 50's to the 70's. The Radio Ink Radio Discussion Board talks about the change HERE
8-27-13
Mac Edwards has been with Beasley Broadcasting as a PD or manager since 1988, that's quite a run. Since 2007 he's the market manager for the company in Fayetteville, NC running six stations. Edwards is a 2013 Radio Ink Radio Wayne finalist. The awards will be presented at the Radio Show in Orlando next month. What makes a 39 year radio veteran and Radio Wayne Award Finalist tick? Let's find out.
25 year Beasley GSM Terry Ratliff says, "Edwards is the consummate team leader. He's a planner and challenges his staff to think strategically. The most important trait Mac possesses is the ability to empower his management team to lead and be responsible for their own destiny while being there for support and guidance.
Here are 5 Questions for Mac Edwards
What attracted you to management?
I?ve always had the desire to grow. As program director, I reached out to the sales department, the engineers, and the business office to offer assistance and acquire a better understanding of their duties and the challenges they faced. When Beasley gave me the opportunity in 1996 to move from PD of WKML-FM to become GM of newly acquired WFLB-FM, I jumped at the chance.
What is the key to being a successful market manager today?
Knowing and growing your team. As the industry takes major evolutionary steps, it is imperative that you rally your talent (on-air, sales, engineering) to embrace the changes and see the opportunities that are on the horizon for their stations, their clients, and their audience. It is a huge change in mind-set for many, and often requires individual coaching for maximum understanding and achievement.
What are the challenges of being a Market Manager?
Time. Time to comprehend new digital technologies and opportunities. Time to integrate these opportunities with traditional marketing plans for our advertisers and listeners. Time to give each member of our staff the attention they deserve to help them grow ? therefore growing our stations. More time in front of our clients. And, time to look forward with an eye on being at the forefront of the next wave of changes in our business.
What is your philosophy on dealing with and leading people?
It?s very old school ? treat your staff the way you expect to be treated. Be direct when setting expectations or when disciplining ? but be respectful. Be quick to cheer a job well-done ? and do it loudly ? watch ?em smile! Quietly and privately correct performance issues ? no one wants to be embarrassed. Don?t be afraid to show or tell members of your team that you believe in them. (You may be the only source of such encouragement in their life!) Take time to listen to your people ? you?ll learn something! Don?t let personnel problems simmer -- they only get worse----always.
Who do you admire (outside your family) and why?
George Beasley who is the perfect example of how to believe in yourself, work hard, be daring, and achieve the American dream! Former GM?s Ron Brown and Danny Highsmith who encouraged and cajoled a young programmer to embrace sales & clients, get involved in my community, and learn how to construct a budget! And, the late Jeff Brock (partner in Graham-Brock Engineering Consultants ? deceased October 2012) who was brilliant, engaging, funny, and dedicated to success in everything from his business to his kid?s softball games! A good man ? a best friend ? and deeply missed by many in our industry.
Reach out to make to congratulate him on his nearly four decades of radio success mac@bbgi.com
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8-23-2013
Need ideas? Techniques? Inspiration? Entertainment?
Go to your audio library. You know, that reference library of sounds, commercials, talent tapes, radio shows, humor, and audio theatre that you (or someone you know) has been collecting over the years?
It may be a completely organized, categorized, and cross-indexed digital audio folder or just a big box of outdated media stacked on a shelf, but it?s (or could be) one of your main sources of writer?s block breakers.
Let?s see, here are episodes from the BBC?s Goon Show, some stuff by Flanders and Swan, of course Monty Python. Oh look, some cuts from the Adventures of Chickenman, The Tooth Fairy, and tons of recordings of the old radio dramas, mysteries, comedy, adventure shows, variety shows, serials, and soap operas.
Aha! Here?s that old Lord Buckley record, right next to some of Doctor Who, Hitchhiker?s Guide to the Galaxy, and comics like Shelly Berman, Bob Newhart, Bill Cosby, Mort Sahl, Lenny Bruce, Woody Allen, Steve Martin, Robin Williams, Jerry Seinfeld, Steven Wright, Jeff Foxworthy?boy, aren?t you glad you kept these things?
Of course you are! You?re a radio writer. You go here to refresh your ears. Now you make notes as you listen. You find applications for each style of delivery. It?s a good place to learn timing, techniques, and fresh approaches to audio storytelling.
Oh, sometimes you wish you had all the Firesign Theatre, the best of Stan Freberg, the National Lampoon Radio Hour, Bob & Ray, Jean Shepherd?s radio shows, Stiller & Meara, and Nichols & May. No problem. Most of this is now available digitally and much of it is even waiting for you at your local public library.
By now you probably read Audiofile regularly and get the catalogs from the ZBS Foundation, Lodestone, Audio Partners, and Radio Works from Sue Media. You?ve collected gems from regional audio theatre companies like Great Northern Audio and the Atlanta Radio Theatre Company.
You keep all this next to your samples from advertising award shows like the Radio Mercury, CLIOs, IBA, and maybe even some regional award shows, as well as recordings you?ve gotten from the RAB.
And you know that if you ever wanted to replenish your stash of ear candy, you could just go to the Web, click on your favorite search engine, and check out general categories like storytellers, old-time radio, audio theatre, radio commercials, or any of the names you might find in an article (ahem) on building an audio reference library.
Even listening to a sample from any of these genres for a few minutes can be enough to put you in a different space where you can find interpolations that will spark the imaginations of the audience that hears the commercials you?ve created. You are pretty darn clever.
To learn How To Sell More On the Radio Using Stories, visit http://www.hedquist.com/stories
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8-28-13
The Inc. 5000 list is a listing of fastest-growing private companies in America. WideOrbit makes the list for the fifth consecutive year. CEO Eric Mathewson said, ?We?re honored to be named to the Inc. 5000 list for the fifth consecutive year. The advertising software industry is constantly evolving and we?ve got a great team that works hard to stay ahead of the technology needs while maintaining a high level of service to our clients. I?m very proud of our team for their commitment and for making us a five-time Inc. 5000 honoree.?
8-23-13
Clear Channel Denver announced today that Tim Hager has been named Vice President of Sales, effective September 3, 2013. Hager will oversee all sales operations for the eight-station cluster. Most recently he served as General Sales Manager of CBS Radio's 1120 AM KMOX in St. Louis. Hager also has past experience with Clear Channel Media and Entertainment, previously serving as Account Executive, Sports Sales Manager, and General Sales Manager.
8-28-13
Amy Tardiff has become the first woman in public radio to head a global association of broadcast and digital journalists.The WGCU News Director will be responsible for chairing the 2014 RTNDA conference in Nashville after being elected chair-elect at the organization's annual meeting. WGCU GM Rick Johnson told Radio Ink, "We're very proud of Amy and very excited for her. This recognition from her peers underscores what we?ve known all along about Amy?s passion and dedication for her work."
RTDNA represents local and network journalists in broadcasting, cable, and digital media in more than 30 countries. WGCU is Southwest Florida?s NPR affiliate and broadcasts from the Florida Gulf Coast University?s campus.
8-26-13
With the NAB/RAB Radio Show in Orlando less than one month away, and Sprint rolling out the new NextRadio app on phones, Emmis' Paul Brenner and his team are letting stations know exactly what to expect from the app and what they need to do to keep consumers interested. Brenner tells Radio Ink, while it's still early, consumers are showing interest in the app already. Brenner is able to see, in real time, how listeners are interacting with the app as they use it on their Sprint Devices. Here's our full interview with Brenner
8-28-13
Luis Diaz-Albertini will oversee all revenue functions and sales growth for Stardome in both the U.S. and Latin America. Stardome CEO Anthony Hernandez said, ?Luis is a natural add-on to our executive management team. His background in leading revenue efforts is second to none. I have known him for many years and can say with full confidence that every media business operation that he gets involved in becomes a market leader in revenues."
Diaz-Albertini said, ?The producing and syndicating of Hispanic audio content is a terrific business and few people, if any, do it better than the Stardome management team. Stardome's roster of strategic partners reads like a who?s who of the broadcasting industry, including, but not limited to, CNN, Fox Deportes, AP News, and affiliate groups such as Univision, Clear Channel, SBS, Lotus, and hundreds of independent owner-operators that look to us to power their programming. Expectations for continued growth are extremely high and the ceiling and visibility are unlimited. I couldn't be prouder or happier."
8-26-13
The recently retired NFL executive says he doesn't want to sit at home watering flowers so Mik Holmgren will analyze the play of the Seattle Seahawks, a team he coached for ten years. KJR-AM Morning man Mitch Levy told the Bellingham Herald, ?He brings two things immediately to our show and our station. The first is credibility. I mean, who else in this town can speak about the National Football League and the Seahawks, and grab people?s attention with just the mention of his name??
8-28-13
After more than three decades, NAB Deputy General Counsel Valerie Schulte is retiring from the organization on Friday. Since joining NAB in 1980, Valerie has worked on many of the most important issues before the FCC ? including children's television regulations, the digital TV transition, digital radio issues, and legal issues related to satellite radio.
8-25-13
That's the question author Bob Greene asks in a piece written at CNN.com and it's one radio stations have to ponder. How many ads are too many before listeners and fans decide the game they love to listen to on radio has become nothing more than three hours worth of advertiser drop-ins. As play-by-play broadcast rights to professional sports teams skyrocket, stations are now selling everything from the umpires reviewing lineup cards, to the first pitch of the game, to the first relief pitcher coming in from the bullpen (think Rolaids). Entercom's Weezie Kramer sounds like she understands there's a line that cannot be crossed. ?Our philosophy is to run a cleaner broadcast and produce the best listener experience.? WEEI in Boston carries the Boston Red Sox. Kramer was quoted in THIS New York Times story on the subject.
Phillies announce Scott Frankle said in the Times piece, ?You realize that they?re there to pay for the broadcast. So I?m certainly not begrudging that. But you still want some integrity in the broadcast.? The Times did some research and discovered that on July 4, WCBS had 61 drop-ins during a Yankees-Twins game and a Mets-Pirates game had 21. Former CBS GM in New York Joel Hollander said, "The quantity of WCBS?s in-game advertising on Yankee games was directly related to the rights fee it paid. The bottom line is WCBS writes the check and, like the rest of sports, it?s a huge money grab. They?re paying $13 million or $14 million a year for the Yankees. It?s hard to recoup that.?
Greene says baseball on radio creates a special bond with the locals. "Baseball on the radio remains free. Unlike viewers of cable TV or subscribers to satellite radio, fans of home-team games on their hometown radio stations don't have to pay a cent to listen. The sound of it all is very much what the sound has been forever. Because the pace of the game is leisurely, local play-by-play announcers, over a 162-game season, develop a relationship with their listeners unique in sports. They have to talk a lot, even when there's not much going on down on the field, and the audience grows accustomed to, and comfortable with, their relaxed voices and their heard-but-not-seen personalities. And that's just during routine games. At certain moments, radio broadcasts of ballgames can become part of the very fabric of a town -- the authentication of how sports can help define the meaning of community."
Greene writes about the relationship a baseball radio announcer can have with a fan. "I remember talking once with a woman in her 80s. She was residing in an assisted-living facility; her husband had died the year before, and the end of their lifetime of long conversations in the evenings had left a void. She told me that, even though she had never been much of a baseball fan, she found herself tuning in, each evening, to the strong-signal of WLW Radio out of Cincinnati. For three hours, she said, she would listen to Marty Brennaman and Joe Nuxhall broadcast the Reds' games. Their voices -- reliable, unhurried -- became her companions. A part of life she could count on."
Much like how many spots is too many spots during an hour of music, another unknown is how many drop-in sponsor ads is too many before the listener hits the snooze button. "That foul ball was sponsored by Purdue chicken."
(8/25/2013 8:12:02 PM)
When a poorly disguised gnad-scratch is sponsored - it's too much.
(8/25/2013 7:07:43 PM)
I think this musical satire heard on NPR captures the moment: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sczpnXUDsmE
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8-26-13
Ann Marie Cumming has been promoted to Senior Vice President at the National Association of Broadcasters. Cumming gets additional responsibilities tacked on to her role overseeing the NAB's communication with reporters. She will also continue to run the NAB's newsrooms at both the Radio Show and the NAB Show in Las Vegas where over 1,700 reporters from all over the country converge.
Cumming joined the NAB Government Relations staff in 1994 following a stint on Capitol Hill with Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT). She later moved to the Communications department where she worked for five years and was promoted to director, Media Relations.
In addition, Shermaze Ingram was promoted to Senior Vice President at the NAB late last week. Ingram is in the NAB Marketing department where she reports to Executive VP Michelle Lehman. Shermaze does a lot of work marketing the Radio Show.
8-23-13
That's according to a piece in Forbes Magazine. The article says Newspaper was a $38.6 billion industry in 2012 and there are promising shifts in the newspaper business model. This past year circulation revenue rose by 5% -- from $10 billion to $10.5 billion -- as digital subscriptions grew dramatically, marking the first gain in this category for the newspaper industry since 2003. Forbes says its research has found that what's driving circulation growth is increasing digital and print-digital bundled subscription rates. Read the Full Article HERE
8-23-13
John Crenshaw becomes Regional PD/Michigan and PD of WTNR in Grand Rapids. He'll be responsible for 32 Michigan properties that are outside of Detroit. He will also serve as Operations Manager for the companies Grand Rapids cluster and as PD for WTNR/Grand Rapids. Crenshaw said "When Mike McVay introduced me to Cumulus CEO Lew Dickey at the most recent Country Radio Seminar, he invited me to join their company. I couldn't be happier to lead the Cumulus team in Grand Rapids and across Michigan."
8-23-13
As Radio Ink reported Monday, Rush Limbaugh and Cumulus have worked out an agreement for three more years. Rush stated on his show today that there will not be any changes on the Cumulus stations. "I will continue to be on their radio stations for the next three years. It was really never in doubt and I don't want to do my own version of negotiating here. The only change is that as of January 1st, we are going to leave WABC and move to WOR.
8-24-13
The death was sudden, according to Des Moines media reports. The morning news anchor (pictured right) was on the air Friday. News Director Jim Boyd writes, "There is a hole right now in the WHO Radio Family...a hole that won't close easily; and there is a chair in our newsroom that will be very, very difficult to fill. That's what happens when you have a man the caliber of Dick Layman on your team. Our prayers go out to his wife, Janet, and daughter Meredith."
"Dick Layman has been known throughout central Iowa for 16 years for that deep resonant voice that brought you the overnight developments and stories that you needed to know about to get your day started. Dick was also from the old school of broadcast journalism. The school that said 'confirm and reconfirm the facts' before they would be put into a story for you to hear. He cared about content and quality. But he also was someone who could take the most complicated of stories and boil them down to the bare fact so you could understand it...and to do so at times in 20 seconds or less."
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8-23-13
There's been no word about the radio rights to the Boston Celtics after Entercom's WEEI decided to leave the negotiating table. The Boston Globe is reporting that a likely landing spot would be 98.5 The Sports Hub, owned by CBS. The station already carries Bruins hockey and might have conflicting game nights. However, with four other stations in the market, the paper speculates that CBS could probably juggle games using other signals. FULL STORY HERE
8-23-13
Greater Media New Jersey announces 1450 WCTC-AM will launch a new lineup starting Monday. PD and On Air Personality Bert Baron will segue to mornings from middays with the launch of ?Jersey Central with Bert Baron? from 6 to 9 AM. Laura Ingraham will move up one hour from 9 AM to 12 Noon. Former New Jersey 101.5FM late night host Tommy G. will be heard from 12 Noon to 3PM.
In addition, the ?Steve Malzberg Show,? featuring the former New York TV and radio host, will return to the market, along with ?BTN Live,? a sports talk show that will air from 6 to 7 PM that focuses on the Big Ten conference that Rutgers University will move into next year. WCTC-AM is the long-time Voice of Rutgers University Athletics.
8-26-13
Effective immediately, John Olsen is the new National Program Director for SummitMedia. Olsen will assist Senior Vice President of Programming Bill Tanner. Tanner said, ?This is a confirmation of the job John is already doing as my right arm and trusted assistant. Over 10 years of working together, he?s proven himself as a talented programmer over a variety of formats.?
8-23-13
Mike Marino has programmed KHHT in L.A., KJHM in Denver and KMRJ in Palm Springs. And now he's developed a format called "The Finest," which is a mix of old school and smooth R&B. The Finest blends classic and contemporary R&B from the 70s to the 2000s aimed at 25-54 females. Marino said, ?The Finest super-serves a segment of the audience that feels ignored by their local radio outlets. A crucial ingredient of our secret sauce is the music flow and message. Sure, other stations may play some of the same artists, but it`s what we DON?T play that makes the difference."
8-21-13
Beth Coughlin is the VP of Sales for Ed Levine's Galaxy Communications. Luckily for Radio, after 14 years in Television, Coughlin decided radio was the place to be. "Radio was definitely more creative and offered more value for my local client base than television. Creating local promotions/events was definitely a hot button for me and radio was the best place for execution of those types of successful marketing campaigns." Coughlin is one of Radio Ink's Radio Wayne finalists and is competing against several Sales Executives across the country to be named the top D.O.S. in the country. The Radio Wayne awards will take place next month in Orlando at the NAB/RAB Radio Show.
Galaxy CFO Michael Lucarelli says in a short period of time Coughlin has taken the best of what she learned in the television business, inventory management and growing a client base, and merged it with the inherent creativity of radio. "She has truly become a radio professional that wonders now how she ever did it in TV without the creative aspect. When Beth took over the DOS job in 2008, the sales staff was in need of make over. She managed to make the necessary changes, without disrupting a successful sales operation. The net result is that the five year CAGR is 8.2% for net revenue and through the first half of 2013, the local revenue has grown 12.7%. Beth has an incredible knack for being able to see the entire playing field in front of her, while drilling down to the smallest client account. She holds herself accountable everyday, every week, every month, to her staff and her clients. This never wavering attitude resonates with her staff. She is a "do as I do" leader, who leads by example."
Here are our five questions for Galaxy VP of Sales Beth Coughlin
What is the most important quality you look for in your sales team?
Honesty, personal integrity are important qualities. When our stations started out, we were #1 ? when you turned the ratings book upside down! That start up mentality hasn?t changed. I understand that our ratings have improved since then, however, since we don?t subscribe to the ?big? ratings service, I can only confirm those increases in our Eastlan results.
How do you encourage seasoned reps to aggressively go after new business?
This year, we developed a new innovative combined monthly sales incentive. With combined budget hit, everyone shares a pot of money over $15k. Sellers away from the ?me? mentality; ?well, I?m at budget?. This teamwork has led to budget delivery ytd +4.2%.
What characteristics do you look for in hiring a sales manager or account manager?
They have to be creative. Being an entrepreneurial company, a Galaxy employee is creative, thinks beyond what?s been done, and has a sense of humor. Our motto, ?Have fun, make money!?
Beyond media, are there any professions you look to for fresh faces?
We look to bar/restaurant wait staff. A waitress or bartender is on the front line of customer service and has to deal with demanding, drunk customers. We figure, if they can handle them, they can handle our radio clients who are typically sober.
How many client visits do you attend with your sales team on a weekly basis, and what is your objective in doing so? I see clients every day. My objective is simple: Enthusiasm is contagious. From the top down, we have fun in our company and celebrate the wins. With net local revenue up 13%, on average, over the last five years, there?s a lot to celebrate!
Reach out to Beth and wish her good luck in the upcoming Radio Wayne competition. bcoughlin@galaxycommunications.com
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8-21-13
Calling it the tip of the spear driving growth, audio revenue now makes up 60 percent of total revenue at Pandora. The company took in $116 million in mobile revenue in the quarter and the company is extremely pleased with how local salespeople are performing in the 29 markets they are now selling in. CFO Mike Herring said there's a lot of room to penetrate radio's $15 billion ad market, adding local is the fastest growing revenue stream for the company. "That's exactly why we're stepping up investment. Salespeople are executing well. We are getting a tremendous return on our sales and marketing."
When asked about why Pandora isn't getting a premium for its low-clutter geo-targeting, Herring said, "We think our service does deserve a premium. We are not discounting. We drive additional revenue through calls to action or digital revenue paired with audio revenue giving the advertiser a better experience with the consumer. We offer things traditional radio never has and never will be able to put out there." Herring also said testing back-to-back ads has produced positive results. Pandora is always analyzing how many ads is too many before the listener gets agitated.
For the quarter, Pandora reported Q2 revenue of $157.4 million, a 55 percent year-over-year increase. The company also reported that Q3 revenue is expected to be in the range of $174 million to $179 million. The cost to aquire content dropped from 59 percent to 51 percent.
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8-22-13
WCBS and WINS in New York City are iconic call letters, so well known to the residents of that huge community. So what's it like to be the sales manager of two outstanding brands. Chad Lopez can answer that question because he's the person who occupies that chair. And, his success at his craft has earned him a spot as a 2013 Radio Wayne finalist.
CBS New York D.O.S. Jenn Donohue says Chad is one of the best sales executives I have ever worked with. He has a natural ability to manage and motivate sellers and clients. Chad gets in front of clients and agencies and continues to discuss big ideas and opportunities. He makes radio relevant and never presents the same old information. He also manages a huge sales force made up of nearly 50 sellers for both All News properties in New York and Yankees play by play. Chad is great at taking the ball and not only running with it, but bringing all players along with him. He makes our team better and he makes his sellers better every day." That is a huge compliment coming from one of Radio's Most Influential Women.
What is the key to being a successful sales manager today?
A manager?s success is measured by the attitude and success of his team. My team is a reflection of me. I make sure to impart ethics and business strategies that I have used and continue to use in my career.
What are the challenges of being a Sales Manager in 2013?
Radio as a medium is constantly evolving. We don?t just sell ?spots?. It is challenging trying to keep up with the evolution of radio. Radio in 2013 is much different from radio in past years. I make sure to be the Sales Manager of 2013 and beyond with my creativity and leadership.
What is your philosophy on dealing with and leading people?
I believe the key is to listen. Listening is one of the most effective tools in business whether you?re listening to a client or an employee. You learn much more when you listen. I also lead by example. If I ask my employees to be in the office at 8am daily I am in the office at 7:30am. It is important for them to know that I am equally as committed.
Give an example of a success story regarding you and one of your salespeople you are most proud of.
One of my AE?s calls on Cancer Treatment Centers of America. They consistently spend moderately on our station. Even so, this AE came to me with an idea of expanding their message on our property. We flew to Chicago to CTCA headquarters to meet with the CEO and VP of Marketing. It was a brilliant conversation not just about radio but about the industry as a whole and the direction in which it was headed. We pitched an ?Ask the Expert Takeover? feature in which the top doctors at CTCA would deliver informational tips related to research and the treatment of Cancer. This was a weekend only campaign which netted $425,000 over the course of eight (8) weeks. Knowledge of our brand and their industry certainly helped close this deal. I was proud of my AE for thinking outside of the box to secure untapped dollars from a consistent client.
Who do you admire (outside your family) and why?
I admire Dom Camera. He has been my mentor since we met in 1995. I worked as a buyer for Dom Camera Associates for five years during which Dom took me under his wing and taught me how to be a respectable businessman. I learned how to be a man of integrity in business while getting the job done from Dom Camera. He is a family man who managed to make both his personal and his profession his priorities. That was a valuable lesson that I certainly try to pass on to others.
Reach out to Chad and congratulate him on a job well done at WCBS and WINS in The Big Apple at chad.lopez@cbsradio.com
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3-23-2013
I'm always amazed at the number of talents who envision their audience as a group of avid fans who listen to their show in its entirety. Morning talents who say ?I did that in the 6 a.m. hour? don?t understand how many different audience groups rotate through their show.
You can do a bit or feature in the 6:00 a.m. hour, then recycle it again in the 8:00 a.m. The people who heard it at 6 are gone. Ratings reviews show us that a typical four-hour show may have four to eight audience groups. The audience really turns over that many times, and this impacts the packaging of the show.
Knowing your audience?s commute times provides a way to package on-air information and even commercial breaks.
In Arbitron diary hard-copy book markets, look to the turnover report to see how many audience groups you have in a daypart. You can compute turnover by dividing daily cume by daily AQH.
Talk formats operate on a 10-minute cycle that restarts the show constantly. That helps avoid recent tune-ins being left out of the program.
PPM-metered ratings show the audience arrives and leaves every minute. As you listen to your stations, regardless of format, how long does it take a random tune-in to become familiar and ?invited??
Know what your competitor is up to on their morning show. Monitor your top morning show competitors and understand what they do, and why.
Programming Crisis: Slow the Audience Turnover?
Common comment from GM: The morning show doesn?t work ? not local, not fun, not funny, not entertaining.
If the morning show doesn?t relate, fix it now before the fall ratings sweep begins in less than a month (September 12). If you?re not sounding local with lots of relatable content, you?re no better than XM. Stations need more than a jukebox. It's about being live, local, relevant, and part of the community 24/7.
Reach out to Tom Watson at 310 - 498-5990 or Jtwatson225@yahoo.com
(8/24/2013 11:42:08 AM)
Tom's comments - like so many other PD's and consultants - presumes the talent is speaking directly TO an audience member or a segment of the overall audience. (This, logically, also EXCLUDES a lot of folks during any given break.)
Not only is this not true, it will never be true. Not in a one-on-unspecified medium like radio.
Further, presuming that such a position is accurate will accomplish only one thing: It will make the talent and the programmers stone-cold nuts.
While Tom's generalizations about improvement are pertinent, I believe any attempts to go beyond those by using the traditional approaches and strategies radio now applies are behaviors that will only guarantee fittings for "rubber room" garb.
8-23-2013
Meeting Kevin Rolston reminded me of all that radio is and what I love about what I do for a living. His popularity in South Florida is that kind of success where bus drivers stop mid-route to say hello and shake your hand and people stop you on the street and start a conversation as if they are old friends with whom you share memories.
Dining with Kevin at a local restaurant involves the server knowing his and your preferences, even if it?s your first time dining at their establishment, and other diners stop by your table to remind him of something funny he did on the show that morning. It?s amazing to watch Kevin as he takes time with each and every person, because he genuinely enjoys getting to know them and appreciates their loyalty. As the host of the KVJ Show, Kevin is beloved by his listeners who consider him family and treat him as a friend.
Now, in his own words, this is how AMD Host WFLC-FM Miami Kevin Rolston got into radio?
My career in radio began after receiving a devastating elbow to the chest by a massive 6?4? tall, blonde German named Hans during a Tae Kwon Do sparring session in college. That elbow collapsed one of my lung?s completely and the other one partially. Though it almost killed me, the Ivan Drago lookalike had just saved my life. Before my injury, I felt it my ?duty? to serve in the military and pursue a path that led into politics or law. Despite being a screw-off in high school, college was going be the time that I was going to ?get my life together.? Looking back on life now, the ?crushing blow from above? truly saved me from making a huge career mistake.
With lots of free time and little direction in life, I started hanging out at the college radio station with a dorm friend. Initially, I was hesitant to go because he was a white guy with a wispy mustache who would constantly quote Mary J. Blige lyrics. I also never thought that you could make a hobby a career; but after ?playing radio? for a while, I decided to give it a shot. The station was broadcast through cable, which gave me lots of freedoms, since no one, including the PD, could really pick up the station. This allowed me to pull off stunts that you really can?t do anywhere else today, and I guess, technically, couldn?t even do back then. I once ran commercial free for two hours as I confronted my girlfriend on-air for cheating on me. Then, I began my final show on college radio with a personal challenge ? I wanted to see how quickly I could chug six beers. This ill-advised stunt bought me a nice five-hour nap during my shift and a swift kick out the door. Thankfully, the Top 40 commercial station in town thought I?d be perfect for nights!
Like on the college station, though, the PD of the Top 40 station didn?t listen to my show. He also did the morning show and had to be in bed every night by the time I started my shift. Without much direction, I looked at music as a distraction to the nighttime talk show I had established on a top 40 station. Luckily, there was never a ratings book to tell station management that I was doing the wrong thing. This experience I credit with preparing me for what I do today. I was blessed to have such a training ground.
Strained relations with management over a failed format flip at the Top 40 forced me off to New York, where I took on a promotions internship at Z100. I had worked for quite some time to save enough money for this experience and was greeted in my interview by Steve Kingston, who was the PD of Z100 at the time. He asked me for my autograph, which confused the heck out of me, until I later realized that it was the first of many times he would mess with the small town boy from southeastern Ohio.
On day two of my internship, I naively hit the Rangers Stanley Cup victory parade in Manhattan with a wallet full of all the money I had saved for this experience. I?m sure any seasoned urbanite knows how that all ended. Not wanting to give up on my dream with no money, I lived in my car. To keep from looking and smelling homeless, I would sneak into the swanky GM?s office at Z100 after hours to take a shower. For food, I swiped bagels from the DJ kitchen when John Lander and the Z Morning Zoo had big guests on. My hunger led to unexpected bagel parties with Steve Perry, Tony Bennett, and the spiritual advisor from the band Arrested Development. There?s nothing better than a tasty smear accompanied with spiritual advice you can?t understand.
The power of the name Z100 landed me my next radio gig. It was in Fresno with a brilliant up-and-coming PD named Jon Zellner. Between two jobs in two cities (I followed him to KMXV in Kansas City) Jon showed me how a PD can and should manage talent. There was no need to yell or belittle. We are all our own toughest critics. Guidance and positivity got us in the right frame of mind to do our best. And if anyone had the right to yell, it was Jon . . . our show trailed well behind the rest of the station.
Leaving Jon Zellner for West Palm Beach was one of my toughest career decisions. Leaving Clear Channel and West Palm Beach after 14 years, at the top of the ratings that whole time, was the absolute toughest. But I believe that none of us can become complacent and get comfortable with where we are in this industry. Miami has opened the door for me to live out my dream of doing radio throughout South Florida. The exciting part for me is that I have no idea where it will all go from here. But isn?t that the beautiful thing about life? And isn?t that what great radio embodies? We don?t know exactly where a great show will sometimes go . . . but we do know that it will be exciting!
Lisa Miller is the President of Miller Broadcast Management in Chicago. She's also one of Radio Ink's Most Influential Women in Radio. Miller can be reached at Lisa@millerbroadcast.com or 312-454-1111.
So, how did you get into radio? We'd love to hear the story about why you're passionate about radio.
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8-23-2013
One of the most time consuming things in preparing for my radio show each and every single day, is writing good teasers. The tease is the most important thing a radio host can do on his show because it not only carries the audience from segment to segment but it also makes the transition bridge sound smoother as you go to commercial break.
I have always believed in trying to take my audience as close to the break as possible and sometimes even trying to "trick" my listeners with hard breaks so I maximize every second of a segment to try and get as many PPM meters and repeat visitors to the show I can. I'm a huge fan of the hard break because it allows me to take my listener to the edge and through the break. Remember, we are trying to break away from all the old Arbitron habits many hosts ? and sometimes even program directors ? have to this day.
I have an issue with some stations still using music going into breaks. We have been trained our entire lives as radio listeners to listen to radio "mechanisms." When I hear music, I know it's commercial time, so I'm going to change the station and look for either another sportstalk show or find a hit song.
Another bad habit for a host to say "coming up next" or "after the break." When a listener hears that, he or she is out of there. I hate to use the word "trick" because it sounds sneaky, as in trying to trick my audience but ? but the truth is you are. The more you can maximize the segment, the more chance you have of getting better ratings.
I spend so much time every night writing teasers for my show ? they are so important to a radio host's success today vis-a-vis how you carry your audience from segment to segment. I love watching all those TV magazine shows like "Entertainment Tonight" or "E" because the writers do such a great job of trying to keep their audience using amazing teasers. "Is Travolta Gay?" or "Lindsey Lohan is going to jail?NEXT" Those are awesome teases that I love to imitate: "Is Manti Teo Gay?" or "Does the NFL want more knee injuries over head injuries now?" Since those shows do a great job at teasing, I use them as guides to formulate my teasers each day.
Get with your PD and discuss ideas for teasers. This is an area that both host and PD can work together on. With both working on this part of the show, a great relationship will develop without the host feeling the PD is trying to influence the content. Joe Maddon, the manager of the Tampa Bay Rays, told me that for him to be critical of a player's performance he has to be invested in the player with a constructive, not destructive, relationship. And that's how both will win the ratings wars in radio.
So remember....Teasing Equals Ratings!!
Footnote: My show on 640 AM SPORTS from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. here in Miami is going GREAT!
Dan Sileo, also known as "The Bonecrusher," is a sports talk show host who has worked at KGO & KNBR-WDAE and WQAM. He can be reached at Umiam93@yahoo.com and on Twitter at @dansileoshow
(8/23/2013 9:27:28 AM)
Guiding the listener into a break as you do also helps your sponsor get their message heard for at least a few seconds. If you have a writer on staff- called Creative Services Director usually,include their input in your teaser quest. A Thesaurus is a tool writers use for finding the perfect word, and available online along with the Dictionary. Happy Teasing.
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8-21-13
The Kansas Association of Broadcasters recently announced its annual awards which included KNSS Wichita's Dan Oneal taking home 1st place for his work on the MDA Radio-Thon. Steve McIntosh, received two 2nd place awards. One was for his editorial/commentary for The McIntosh Report ?Remembering Fred White? and one for Public Affairs Program Issues 2013 ?Cancer is Not Hopeless.? It was the 13th time McIntosh has won an award for The McIntosh Report.
Another 2nd place award went to Jennifer Lane and the entire KNSS staff for the station's website. This is the second year in a row Knssradio.com was awarded the 2nd place prize for Station Website. Tony Duesing, program director for KNSS said, ?I?m very proud to work with the great news staff at KNSS Radio. They not only have a great deal of experience, but also the talent to win awards year after year.?
3-23-2013
I'm always amazed at the number of talents who envision their audience as a group of avid fans who listen to their show in its entirety. Morning talents who say ?I did that in the 6 a.m. hour? don?t understand how many different audience groups rotate through their show.
You can do a bit or feature in the 6:00 a.m. hour, then recycle it again in the 8:00 a.m. The people who heard it at 6 are gone. Ratings reviews show us that a typical four-hour show may have four to eight audience groups. The audience really turns over that many times, and this impacts the packaging of the show.
Knowing your audience?s commute times provides a way to package on-air information and even commercial breaks.
In Arbitron diary hard-copy book markets, look to the turnover report to see how many audience groups you have in a daypart. You can compute turnover by dividing daily cume by daily AQH.
Talk formats operate on a 10-minute cycle that restarts the show constantly. That helps avoid recent tune-ins being left out of the program.
PPM-metered ratings show the audience arrives and leaves every minute. As you listen to your stations, regardless of format, how long does it take a random tune-in to become familiar and ?invited??
Know what your competitor is up to on their morning show. Monitor your top morning show competitors and understand what they do, and why.
Programming Crisis: Slow the Audience Turnover?
Common comment from GM: The morning show doesn?t work ? not local, not fun, not funny, not entertaining.
If the morning show doesn?t relate, fix it now before the fall ratings sweep begins in less than a month (September 12). If you?re not sounding local with lots of relatable content, you?re no better than XM. Stations need more than a jukebox. It's about being live, local, relevant, and part of the community 24/7.
Reach out to Tom Watson at 310 - 498-5990 or Jtwatson225@yahoo.com
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8-21-13
Beth Coughlin is the VP of Sales for Ed Levine's Galaxy Communications. Luckily for Radio, after 14 years in Television, Coughlin decided radio was the place to be. "Radio was definitely more creative and offered more value for my local client base than television. Creating local promotions/events was definitely a hot button for me and radio was the best place for execution of those types of successful marketing campaigns." Coughlin is one of Radio Ink's Radio Wayne finalists and is competing against several Sales Executives across the country to be named the top D.O.S. in the country. The Radio Wayne awards will take place next month in Orlando at the NAB/RAB Radio Show.
Galaxy CFO Michael Lucarelli says in a short period of time Coughlin has taken the best of what she learned in the television business, inventory management and growing a client base, and merged it with the inherent creativity of radio. "She has truly become a radio professional that wonders now how she ever did it in TV without the creative aspect. When Beth took over the DOS job in 2008, the sales staff was in need of make over. She managed to make the necessary changes, without disrupting a successful sales operation. The net result is that the five year CAGR is 8.2% for net revenue and through the first half of 2013, the local revenue has grown 12.7%. Beth has an incredible knack for being able to see the entire playing field in front of her, while drilling down to the smallest client account. She holds herself accountable everyday, every week, every month, to her staff and her clients. This never wavering attitude resonates with her staff. She is a "do as I do" leader, who leads by example."
Here are our five questions for Galaxy VP of Sales Beth Coughlin
What is the most important quality you look for in your sales team?
Honesty, personal integrity are important qualities. When our stations started out, we were #1 ? when you turned the ratings book upside down! That start up mentality hasn?t changed. I understand that our ratings have improved since then, however, since we don?t subscribe to the ?big? ratings service, I can only confirm those increases in our Eastlan results.
How do you encourage seasoned reps to aggressively go after new business?
This year, we developed a new innovative combined monthly sales incentive. With combined budget hit, everyone shares a pot of money over $15k. Sellers away from the ?me? mentality; ?well, I?m at budget?. This teamwork has led to budget delivery ytd +4.2%.
What characteristics do you look for in hiring a sales manager or account manager?
They have to be creative. Being an entrepreneurial company, a Galaxy employee is creative, thinks beyond what?s been done, and has a sense of humor. Our motto, ?Have fun, make money!?
Beyond media, are there any professions you look to for fresh faces?
We look to bar/restaurant wait staff. A waitress or bartender is on the front line of customer service and has to deal with demanding, drunk customers. We figure, if they can handle them, they can handle our radio clients who are typically sober.
How many client visits do you attend with your sales team on a weekly basis, and what is your objective in doing so? I see clients every day. My objective is simple: Enthusiasm is contagious. From the top down, we have fun in our company and celebrate the wins. With net local revenue up 13%, on average, over the last five years, there?s a lot to celebrate!
Reach out to Beth and wish her good luck in the upcoming Radio Wayne competition. bcoughlin@galaxycommunications.com
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