Stern Show to Start at 7AM

12-15-14

In 2015 Howard Stern gets to sleep in another hour. Stern announced on SiriusXM that in 2015 his program will run from 7AM to 11AM. Stern explained that the show runs 24 hours on his channel so it really doesn't matter when he starts, people can listen at any time. Stern's second contract expires at the end of 2015 and there has been no indication from the King of All Media what he plans to do on the radio after that contract is up. Sirius executives have publicly stated they want to sign Stern to another contract. 

(12/15/2014 7:40:45 PM)
Stand aside Imus your relief pitcher has taken the mound.

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Murphy and Richards Start Internet Show

8-15-14

B.J. Murphy and Keith Richards were a popular morning team team in the Charlotte market back in the 1990's. They were known as The ?Breakfast Brothas? on WPEG (Power 98) in Charlotte. As many an air talent discovers, things change in the radio business, and nothing lasts forever. The Charlotte Observer says, "With traditional radio now attracting fewer listeners, FM stations that once employed local talent now rely more heavily on cheaper, syndicated content. And for DJs like Murphy and Richards, that has spelled career change. They hope their digital audience grows to 40,000 which is where they say they will start making money. Read the entire feature on Murphy and Richards HERE. (Picture courtesy Charlotte Observer)

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They Start Them Young In Arkansas

This is Trey Stafford at age 10 reading school news on KPCA-AM in Marked Tree, Arkansas, where he grew up. Stafford started reading school news, later doing his own shows and hanging around the local station. He says he continued to hang around the station until he was 14 and that he never got paid a dime -- something called ?child labor laws,? which he thought always sounded suspect. Having worked the mic at age 9, even if it was for free, we wondered if Stafford stuck it out in the rough-and-tumble business of broadcasting. 

Trey's radio story does get even better. At 14, Stafford went to work at KTMN-AM in Trumann, Arkansas, where the manager, L.D. Hoover, actually paid him. So he stayed there until he graduated high school. Stafford went on to become the GM at KPCA-AM after high school, at age 18. He stayed until he was 23, then he and Bill Little bought KDXY-FM in Paragould in 1984 and formed the present Jonesboro cluster with Kevin Neathery and Bill and Bob Pressly in 1993. He sold to Ed Christian in 2002 with the understanding that ?my assets go home at night, you guys will stay and run it for me, right??

Stafford has been there ever since. He's currently the president and general manager of the Jonesboro Radio Group (formerly Triple FM Radio Group) in Jonesboro, AR. And occasionaly they allow him around the microphones.

Send your Blast From The Past and Classic Radio Story to edryantheeditor@gmail.com

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How Two-Station Host Bill Carroll Got His Start

10-11-2013

I?m ordinarily not a jealous person, but I find myself envious of my friend and colleague Eric Weiss who has the distinct honor of representing Bill Carroll. Bill has the unique task of working both in Los Angeles at KFI in middays, and in afternoons at 640 Talk Radio in Toronto. It?s not a matter of how does he do it, it?s more about, ?How can you afford to miss Bill?s show?? A loving husband and father, a man of ethics and morals, a guy who you would be lucky to have as a friend, and above all, a guy who gives great radio to his listeners.

Now, in his own words, is how this "Man of Two Stations" got into radio?

Like most broadcasters featured in this space in the past, I stumbled into radio. Unlike most, I stumbled into it at age 14. Since that first week at a Toronto high school, I was focused on one day making a living doing what I knew I loved. Yes, I was laser focused on achieving a radio career since ninth grade.

My fascination with radio goes back even further. I still remember, vividly, staring into the acoustic grill of my parent?s vacuum tube radio in the small town where I was born near Glasgow, Scotland. I would spend hours tuning the dial and hearing the voices and languages coming in from far off lands like France and Germany. The lights from the tubes seemed like the skylines of those exotic places. I also loved the music that turned our damp little public housing living room into a concert hall. Music and voices from all over the world were right there in that little box. It was awesome.

Years later in Canada, I was this incredibly shy kid at a brand new school in a brand new country. Terrified to be left alone in the halls for my first high school lunch break, I latched onto a guy I?d just met. Jamie Anderson. Jamie had heard on the morning announcement from the principal?s office that the school radio club was looking for new members. There was no chance I was going to talk into that microphone in the school?s brand new TV and radio studio. I would, however, be glad to mix the music.

Show number one and Jamie wasn?t so sure. I told him it was easy. ?Here in the basement where no one can see you, you can be anyone you want.? I marched into the sound booth and showed him. I?ve wanted to be in that little room alone with a mic ever since.

A few years later, I was finished with school and sending out audition tapes to every small town in the country. I had some help with my search. My television production teacher was a part-time newscaster at a legendary Toronto AM station. That station?s morning anchor was running a small talent agency. A meeting was arranged.
I went to his office overlooking the city skyline and toured a real station for the first time. If I had any doubts about deciding to skip college and heading straight into radio, they were quickly destroyed. My wise father had insisted I get a real job while waiting for this radio miracle to arrive, so I started work at the local building store and waited every day for the phone to ring.

Months passed. There was a long train ride to an interview for a late-night DJ opening in some forsaken town whose name you wouldn?t know. They liked me but wanted someone with a diploma. I went back to the building store and waited by the phone again. It did ring one more time.

A little town of five thousand people in Northern Canada had an opening for a morning news anchor. ?Of course I can write? I lied and took the job. A week later, I was in a cheap motel room reading a broadcast journalism textbook and waiting for my first professional news shift the next morning.

A few hundred easy steps and thousands of hours of airtime later and you can stumble into mid-days at KFI in Los Angeles; and only a few decades too late to be heard by a little boy staring into the lights of a vacuum tube radio.

Reach out to Bill at bill@billcarroll.ca

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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An Early Start on Holiday Music

8-9-13

It's always a winning format and Envinsion Radio Networks wants to take advantage of the early. Envision is getting in the holiday spirit early with The 100 Greatest Christmas Hits of All Time, a ten-hour radio special hosted by TV game show host Wink Martindale. Available on a cash basis, this special holiday programming will count down everyone?s favorite Yuletide hits from 100 to number one.

The song list is based on data compiled by Billboard Magazine and listings of the Christmas tracks most played on radio over the past decade.  This compilation includes hit singles as well as classic tracks from the most-loved and best-selling Christmas albums of all time. 

Augmenting each hour is a handful of ?bonus tracks? ? other beloved Yuletide gems guaranteed to make you laugh, move your heart and rekindle your life?s fondest memories. Wink Martindale supplies the story and fun facts throughout the 10-hour broadcast. Stations interested in more information about The 100 Greatest Christmas Hits of All Time should visit envisionradio.com or contact Hannah Rosenthal at hannahr@envisionradio.com or 216-831-3761.

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Where Do I Start? Who Do I Call? BHAG!

3-29-13

There I was in the moment of having made a big decision. I felt called to make it public. To make, in the words of one of my favorite writers Jim Collins, a BHAG?A Big Hairy Audacious Goal. I decided to post it on Facebook.  ?I?m making a BHAG! Within three years, I will own a radio station!? That was in November of last year. 
In that next moment, I experience fear. I thought, ?What in the hell do I know about buying a radio station?? I didn?t know where to start. Heck, I didn?t even know what an STL was. (I found this out later. I know, I know. Laugh it up!) I didn?t even know what I didn?t know, but I knew it was a lot! 

Coming from my sales background, I decided to address this as if it were my biggest client of all time. I needed to do some serious CNAs to figure out what I didn?t know. I needed to build the best proposal of all time?my business plan. And, I needed to ask a bunch of questions, first from a bunch of people that I didn?t know. 

My first step was to reach out to the circle of people that I did know that had knowledge in this area. Upon discussing my goals with friends Mark and Holly Levy, they directed me to have conversations with a couple of brokers and owners about the process. And from there the circle continued to grow. I spoke with engineers, business consultants, station owners, programmers, programming consultants, prior station owners, bankers, lawyers, and of course my ladies in the MIW.  

I remembered being smitten by a panelist at the Radio Show in Dallas that owned and operated Ohana Media Group which holds stations in Washington and Alaska, Trila Bumstead. She was exactly what I wanted to be?a woman owner/operator who had a healthy group of stations and a family. I found her on LinkedIn and asked her if she would be willing to visit with me. Trila graciously agreed, and we had a great conversation. The biggest piece of advice from her was that I submit an application to the NAB?s Broadcast Leadership Training Program. 

I compiled pages and pages of notes, each meeting presented me with a term I didn?t know or an issue that I needed to solve. Google became my best research buddy. As I was talking to someone, if I didn?t recognize a term, I would Google it. It is amazing what you can find out at your fingertips! 

What I learned from this phase was that, without fail, everyone I talked to either had the heart of a teacher and was excited about passing on wisdom or was a connector and wanted to help me by sending me on to someone else they knew that could help. This was increasingly encouraging and confidence building to me in what could otherwise have been an intimidating and scary process. 

The surprising thing to them was that a young broadcaster was even interested enough to ask. The thought seems to predominate that there is a lackluster next generation of broadcasters where any talent has been sucked up by the big companies, leaving little to keep the foundation of independent broadcasters strong and healthy. I hope they are proven wrong. 

While this process continues to be challenging, and at times scary, my hope is that those of my generation who are reading along have the courage to start asking the questions you have. Ask someone you respect to mentor you and connect you. Ask someone you don?t know to mentor you or connect you. It?s just one LinkedIn or Twitter message away. Explore what it might take to make that nagging dream on the far horizon of your future become closer and more achievable. Who knows? If you do, it might lead you in to a banker?s office as it did me. 

Next week, I?ll tell you all about the search for said banker. 

Erica started her radio career in 2003 working for Zimmer Radio Group. She began as a sales assistant and worked up the ranks to AE then D.O.S. in 2010. She started her own consulting company, The Ruckus Group, in 2012 and now works with other radio companies helping them to grow their sales teams. She's pursuing her dream of radio ownership and she'll be chronicling her journey - in real time - every Friday.

Have any advice for Erica? You can reach her at erica@theruckusgroup.com
Follow her on twitter @epeff
Or leave your comments about your ownership journey below.

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Alabama Broadcasters Start Engineering Academy

12-16-2011

The Alabama Broadcasters Association has established a Broadcast Engineering Academy in Hoover, AL. The association says the new academy is in response to the growing need for engineers across Alabama and the entire country. The ABA Broadcast Engineering Academy will create apprenticeship and internship programs to place students at Alabama stations to gain more practical experience. The training facility will be completed and curriculum established in time to conduct the first classes in late May, 2012.

Alabama Broadcasters Association President Sharon Tinsley said, ?this exciting opportunity is a perfect example of the ABA listening to the needs of its members and the industry as a whole and then creating solutions for those needs.?  The Association is working with the Society of Broadcast Engineers to ensure that the ABA?s Academy will be an eligible SBE certified training institute.  In addition, the ABA is partnering with a local career college to establish a pilot program with their Network and Electrical Engineering students.  Alabama member radio and TV stations will be encouraged to send employees to the Academy for additional training.  Other state broadcast associations will also be invited to send students to the Academy.

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How to Start Your Own Podcast - Part Two

How to Start Your Own Podcast - Part Two
by Brian Baltosiewich

So, you?ve rediscovered your voice, found your passion again and you?re ready to podcast! What next? Chances are you have some gear in your closet or basement and you?re already good to go. Basic setup- you need a mic and a computer to record on- but you?re a pro, and you?re looking for a high quality sound. There are several different ways you can go from here.

At www.radioexiles.com we have nearly 20 different podcasts, and they?re recorded in very nearly 20 different ways. Let?s start with the shows I produce myself. Several years ago I got a part-time gig calling college hockey games. The equipment provided by the  radio station was, let?s say, sub-optimal. Putting the headphones on was like putting my head in a vice.

So over the first few seasons, I slowly took the money I made calling those games and bought a piece or two of equipment, starting with headset mics that were more comfortable-  more like putting my head in a cloud. That process left me with two Sennheiser headsets, an 8-input portable Mackie mixer and assorted cables and handheld mics. I didn?t know it then, as podcasts didn?t exist, but I had assembled my podcast kit six years before I would need it.The only thing missing was the ability to go from the Mackie into my laptop. A $50 investment at Guitar Center solved that problem:  a connector that converts from XLR to USB. Bang. Podcast kit completed.

Today www.BSWusa.com sells, effectively, what I assembled during my hockey years in one package. A podcast kit, small mixer with USB outs, mic, cables, and audio software. Retail price about $250. You?d need to augment with another mic or two depending on your podcast, but this is a  great way to start if you?re missing the pieces out of the gate. At Radio Exiles, many of our podcasters have their own studios, already set up for voiceover businesses, etc. Maybe our most unique recording method comes from Bob Cady and Doug Ray (Bob and Doug Coast 2 Coast.) Bob is in Florida. Doug is in California. Take a listen to their show and you would never know.

Here?s how they pull it off, without an ISDN line: Bob records his side of the show. Doug records his side. Separate tracks. They connect through a video call on Skype so they can see and hear each other during the recording. When they are done, Doug emails his track to Bob who combines the two tracks into one seamless track that sounds very much like they are in the same room, rather than nearly 3,000 miles apart. Edmonds and Foster, at Radioexiles.com, actually record their show using Skype. Skype is also a great way to incorporate guests into your podcast without springing for an ISDN line. It is much more reliable now than it once was, especially for audio only.

Other Radio Exiles podcasters (The Brad and Schu Experience, Bookmarks)  use the one mic method, with a high-end twist.  Blue is a company that has podcasters very much in mind, and they have several single-mic/omni-directional products that work very well.  www.bluemic.com. As an aside, these mics look really cool. Next week- post-production, distribution, and the necessary evil that is iTunes.

Brian Baltosiewich has been a broadcast professional for more than 20 years.  His podcast website, www.radioexiles.com features professionally-produced podcasts from radio pro?s who have lost their gigs.
Reach out to him at brian@radioexiles.com or through their twitter account @radioexiles and on Facebook at radioexiles.com

(6/23/2011 8:02:01 PM)

P.S. - The latest Yeti model of the Blue Microphones is the Yeti Pro (http://www.bluemic.com/yetipro/) which I have not yet received to review. I have posted a review of the Yeti...let me know (slick@radioexiles.com) if you are interested in it, and I will send the link to you. (6/23/2011 7:40:49 PM)
The way Bob and Doug do it is NEAT! I gotta steal that...

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Scotty McCreery Makes Historic Start, Lauren Alaina Bows On Country Songs

by Gary Trust  |   May 30, 2011 11:05 EDT

After winning the 10th season of "American Idol" Wednesday (May 25), Scotty McCreery blasts onto Billboard's Nielsen BDS-based Country Songs chart at No. 32 with coronation track "I Love You This Big."

McCreery performed the song after hearing host Ryan Seacrest announce his victory, as well as the night before (May 24), on "Idol."

Scotty McCreery Wins 'American Idol' Season 10

The bow marks the highest for a brand new artist's first single since the chart converted to BDS data the week of Jan. 20, 1990.

Among new artists (unaccompanied by established acts), another musical reality program champion previously held the mark for highest Country Songs launch on an initial try. Brad Cotter, winner of the second season of "Nashville Star," charged in at No. 42 with "I Meant To" the week of May 22, 2004. The song peaked at No. 35 that August.

(Counting new artists arriving with previously-charted acts, Toby Keith's daughter Krystal debuted at No. 41 with her father on their duet "Mockingbird" on the Nov. 27, 2004, chart. The song reached No. 27. Like McCreery, the younger Keith was 17 at the time of her bow).

'Idol' Q&A: Scotty McCreery on His 'Crazy Ride,' Debut Album

"Big" begins with 3.2 million audience impressions on 76 of the 127 stations that report to Country Songs. Unsurprisingly, WQDR in Raleigh, N.C. - six miles north of McCreery's hometown of Garner, N.C. - led all panelists with 24 plays in the chart's tracking week. In the aftermath of its local hero's victory, the station has dubbed itself "Scotty 94.7" (complete with an "Idol"-inspired logo).

McCreery isn't the only "Idol" finalist from this season to translate four months of exposure on the series to a Country Songs appearance. Runner-up Lauren Alaina likewise bows at No. 49 with "Like My Mother Does." The 16-year-old also premiered her ballad on last Tuesday's finale showdown against McCreery.

'American Idol' Finale: The 10 Best Performances (Video)

The airplay for "Big" and "Like" will further fuel the songs' expected debuts on the Billboard Hot 100 to be released Thursday (June 2) on Billboard.com. As previously reported, McCreery's song could flirt with a top 10 entrance, while Alaina's could arrive in the top 20, thanks primarily to strong first-week digital sales sums.

All charts will be refreshed Thursday (June 2) on Billboard.com.

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