Telling The Radio Story

11-3-14
(SCBA's Thom Callahan with President of Univision Radio Jose Valle)
It was standing-room only. And that room was filled with advertisers. Nearly 400 of them. The Southern California Broadcasters Association and Nielsen Audio held a research event last Thursday at the iHeartRadio Theater in Burbank. The content focused on the value of radio. It's been a story Nielsen has been helping radio spread after recent research showed radio returns $6 for every $1 an advertiser spends on radio advertising. 
SCBA President Thom Callahan (pictured here with Nielsen's Matt O'Grady) said, ?This event was about creating a new value model for broadcast radio; one that is based on actual consumer purchases, radio?s effectiveness to influence that purchase, and the empirical data to overwhelming prove radio?s enormous return on an advertiser?s investment.?
Radio Group CEOs and COOs offered their thoughts on radio?s ROI, including Jeff Smulyan, CEO of Emmis Communications; Patrick Walsh, EVP, CFO and COO of Emmis Communications; Jose Valle, president of Univision Radio; and Miles Sexton, COO of Point Broadcasting. Nielsen Local Media EVP Managing Director Matt O'Grady said, ?We are pleased that so many advertisers, agencies and broadcasters were interested in the power of radio in Southern California and its unique ability to drive sales and marketing results.? Callahan added, ?Our goal was to have this singular event resonate within the advertising community and bring a new urgent value to broadcast radio. Based on all the initial feedback, we believe we achieved our goal.?
Here's the Nielsen Catalina study that was first presented to radio groups back in April.
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Radio Has Got to Tell a Better Story

9-9-2014

We've heard that line many times before, from some very familiar faces in the radio industry. Now, we're hearing it from an increasingly visible face on the radio stage: Darren Davis, the recently appointed president of the networks group at Clear Channel. And, watching him tout the strengths of radio and digital, it's easy to understand why Clear Channel corporate has moved him up the chain and pushed him out on the speaking circuit. He points out a few very specific radio R.O.I. success stories that the industry can do a better job selling. Success stories that dwarf the success Facebook is having.

Davis started out as an intern and a station van driver, has held just about every position in radio, and today is one of the 40 Most Powerful People in Radio. He made some very powerful arguments for radio -- some that leave you scratching your head as to why radio revenue does not grow by leaps and bounds.

Davis noted that while Facebook is bragging about how it provides advertisers with a 2-to-1 return on investment for advertisers, research from the recent Nielsen/Catalina study showed a soda company receiving a return of 5-to-1 using ROS. And, he said that when a more targeted, premium buy was made -- an iHeartRadio sponsorship -- that return jumped to 10-to-1.  Davis pointed out, ?Radio averages 6-to-1, but we need to do a better job selling that.?

Davis went on to talk about the connection radio personalities have with listeners: ?People have a bind with their favorite radio personalities. Personalities are the key to radio's future. It?s our key defense against music services.? He said compelling storytelling forms an emotional bond with listeners and he went on to do his best Paul Harvey impression, starting started with a story and ending with a Bose Wave Radio commercial, just as he heard it growing up listening to radio in his dad?s bakery.

Davis conclusion: We need to fix our image problem. The challenge: Nobody's been able to figure out how to do that yet.

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Radio's New Story?

4-29-14

With TV's instant ratings and advertisers believing for the longest time they needed pictures (newspapers) to move product, radio salespeople were at an immediate disadvantage when they walked through the door of a client or prospect. Radio has never really had hard data to prove return on investment. For the most part, in small and medium markets the majority of radio sales are built on strong relationships and trust between an advertiser and a seasoned radio seller. In larger markets sales are also the result of relationships, but they are also transactional, where advertisers and their ad agencies want data, ratings and proof that what they spend with radio results in cash registers ringing. Was yesterday the first step toward major change for radio?

Clear Channel CEO Bob Pittman is following through on his word to help the radio industry tell a better story about how radio generates business for advertisers. For several years nearly every high-level radio executive has echoed Pittman's mantra, that radio's flat performance in recent years was due to its inability to get to high level decision-makers and tell radio's R.O.I story. That was a little surprising being that most of the people saying we needed to tell a better story were in positions to do so, and they've been around for quite some time. When the NAB/RAB Radio Show rolls around in September, what took place in New York City yesterday, will probably result in the new talking points from Radio executives when they gather in Indianapolis. Here's why...

The CEO's from Clear Channel, CBS, Cumulus, Entercom and others got together in New York City Monday with a goal of taking a first step in changing the perception of how radio works for advertisers. Radio has always needed a better way to prove Return on Investment to advertisers. Radio executives say the comprehensive study, commissioned by Clear Channel and conducted by Nielsen Catalina Solutions, determined how radio advertising influences actual retail sales and measures return on investment. The study found that for every dollar spent on advertising, there was a sales return of six dollars on average for those exposed to the ads in the prior 28 day period. The sales impact was measured for the specific media buys of 10 brands, each of which had different combinations of radio networks. The study also concluded, something radio managers and sales managers have been talking about for decades, that radio delivers a strong consumer sales response close to the time of purchase.

Yesterday, two panels were held in the offices of Clear Channel. One was moderated by Michael Kassan, Chairman & CEO of MediaLink. It focused on the power of radio for marketers and how radio should be used in a comprehensive mix of media. Panelists included: Gayle Fuguitt, President & CEO, The ARF; Matt MacDonald, BBDO; John Nitti, ZenithOptimedia; Ritu Trivedi, MediaVest and Mary Ellen Johnson Jalenek, American Express.

The second panel was moderated by Pittman and included CBS Radio President and CEO Dan Mason, Cumulus CEO Lew Dickey and Entercom CEO David Field. The group discussed Nielsen's study and how they believe it will improve the perception of radio within the ad community.

Now all eyes will be watching to see how the information will be used and shared with the entire industry and if it nets any revenue results when the groups report to Wall Street and the RAB reports quarterly numbers.

(4/29/2014 10:28:14 AM)
Perhaps radio's "stealth factor" keeps its strength as a medium for the delivery of ad impressions undiminished in spite of the ever growing cacophony around it. We now stand out even more, so Bring It On!

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The Story of How Norm Feuer Started in Radio

10-4-2013

Somehow, I think I?ve always known Norm Feuer. He?s a wonderful man with a warm and winning smile, and a personality.  But the memory of Norm that?s engraved in my mind is the photo I have of him from the mid-1980s lined up with Jeff Smylan, Norm Pattiz, Carl Hirsch, and a couple other owners celebrating the expansion of their respective companies and the growth of radio at an NAB. These men, who looked like teenage boys grinning from ear to ear, had just brought forth a new generation of owners who grew up with transistor radios under their pillows. Norm has always made radio fun and reminds you of all the reasons why radio is the best business in the world.

Now, in his own words, Norm tells us how he got into radio?

The first 10 years of my business career were at New York ad agencies all in media and media documentation. I moved to Life magazine (a weekly at the time) and was a marketing associate, when one day John Crandel, the Ad Director of Life, walked into my office and introduced me to a young kid and said, ?We hired this MBA graduate and he?s going to save the magazine?teach him everything you know." So I taught him everything I knew and then we went to lunch. We?ve been best friends and partners in business ever since. That ?kid? was Herb McCord.

Herb got hired away to CBS Radio spot sales by Charlie Warner. Herb set up an interview for me with Charlie. Charlie and I hit it off. There were no openings at spot sales, but Charlie set me up with the CBS TV guys and the CBS FM guys.

Coming off an interview with TV, I bumped into Charlie in the hallway and he asked me to come into his office. Unbeknownst to me, an opening had occurred at spot sales so Charlie began to interview me like we had never met. I was caught off guard and blew the interview. Herb called me and asked what happened. I said, "I just blew it...he caught me off guard." ?What are you going to do??  "I?m going to call Charlie and do it again." So I called Charlie the next day, a Friday, and asked him if I could see him on Monday. He said he was going to be traveling Monday but he could see me that afternoon.

There I was in the same wrinkled suit I wore the day before, I needed a haircut, my shirt was frayed, and I was wearing an ugly tie, and in desperate need of a shoe shine. There was a cleaner on 43rd Street, where you literally stood in a barrel, gave the cleaner your pants and jacket that he pressed while you stood in your underwear. I bought a new shirt and tie, got a haircut and a shoe shine. I showed up at Charlie?s office and my first job in radio was the result of a switch pitch. Charlie taught me that, as a national rep, a switch pitch was worth 10 orders to the station guys, so from time to time I would lose an order just to switch pitch it.

Reach out to Norm at nfeuer@bcaradio.com

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.

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(RADIO'S STORY) The World-Changing Power Of Radio

9-16-2013

I have never understood why, when we talk about radio, we rarely mention the changes in the world affected by the use of radio? Whether it be the Berlin Wall, Apartheid, Communism, Cuba, or a myriad of other world changing events, it was radio that made the difference. We know that the world is a different place today because of the Internet and television, but we may forget about the great changes due to the use of radio.

In the early 1980s, when I worked for McCann Erickson, I was asked to host a group of dignitaries from South Africa who wanted to study commercial radio in America. I was asked to arrange meetings with representatives from a cosmopolitan radio station, a rural radio station, and a political radio station. In the early 80s there were no political stations, only talk radio; and at that time Americans weren?t quite as angry as they have been recently.

I was torn emotionally by this request, as I was not a supporter of Apartheid and was not inclined to help people who promoted a political agenda to which I was deeply opposed. But, as a professional we are not given the choice of imposing our own views on the work we are asked to perform. I sat uncharacteristically still in the meetings, and never spoke or did anything except make the introductions and thanked everyone for their time.

As I listened to these men speak, it became apparent what their mission was. Radio was playing havoc with Apartheid and was changing a world thousands of miles away for the better.

Radio stations were popping up all over the borders of South Africa, radio stations that were sending messages to the people, messages that said ?you can be free,? ?you don?t have to be in a corral at 8 at night,? and ?you have rights.? I listened intently as I heard these men describe the competitive position their ?state-run? radio stations were facing for the first time in their recent history. They came to America to learn how to run their radio stations in a competitive environment. I was listening to history in the making, our world was changing and it was changing for the better; and it was all because of radio. Radio, a simple piece of equipment to build, a piece of equipment so many in our industry built as teenagers in order to play "disc jockey" and play rock and roll music. But, this piece of equipment, the radio, was making the difference in people?s lives and changing the world in front of my eyes.

So, why don?t we tell this story when we talk about radio? Why don?t we tell the world ?Radio makes a difference?? Why don?t we show the advertisers the effect radio has on the listener? We need to tell the story of Apartheid, Communism, the Berlin Wall, and the important world-changing events that were implemented, affected, or altered significantly by radio and radio?s ability to put communication in the hands of the common man.

I am proud to be in the business of radio, it makes a difference and in a good way. Let?s start telling the true story people need to hear, the world is a better place because of radio.

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.

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The Kevin Rolston Story

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.
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The Story of Sarah Frazier

8-16-2013

In our industry, we often work closely with people we have never physically met. We develop telephone, e-mail, fax, and sometimes Facebook relationships with these people, yet, the opportunity never presents itself for us to sit across a table from each other or even shake hands. Although we have met in a business setting, if we are very lucky we grow to consider these people our friends; and that?s how it is with Sarah Frazier and me. Her background in Kansas City provided the connection -- the stations where she worked were stations where I bought time or later placed clients. We know many of the same people, and as two women in a primarily male industry we have experienced the same growing pains. But the best part is that we like each other and that means our friendship will continue to grow. And for those of you who don?t know Sarah, find a way to meet her by phone or in person. You will find a sharp, caring, and charismatic professional whom you'll always look forward to speaking with, and like me excited to meet.

Now, in her own words, here's how SVP/MM CBS Radio Houston Sarah Frazier got into radio?

Growing up in Grandview, Missouri, I would listen (like every other kid in America!) to Casey Kasum?s American Top 40 each weekend. I would lie underneath the dining room table with my dual cassette boom box and record each song manually in order to make my mix tapes for the week. Coincidentally, we had a place in Kansas City called Exchange City where every 6th grader went to practice being what they wanted to be when they grew up. The competition for police, firefighters, and teachers was big, but I wanted so badly to be the radio station general manager for the fictitious ECLX radio. I got the job and I loved it. I guess that was technically my first job in radio, and I never looked back.

I?m one of the odd ones -- I actually have an undergraduate degree in Broadcast Sales and Management from the William Allen White School of Journalism at the University of Kansas. Going through school, I interned anywhere that would have me, logging hundreds of free hours learning the ropes at Lazer 105 in Lawrence as a sales intern while simultaneously working as the Traffic Director and Sales Manager (SOX violation!) for KJHK, the KU campus radio station.

I smiled and dialed, cold calling all of Lawrence. My first sale was for $500 bucks to Free State Brewery and I closed him by saying he could use a Grateful Dead song as the music bed. Oops. I moved back to Kansas City, and started working for KYYS. I had cold-calling competitions with the other rookie on our staff, Chris Cuezze, and delighted in racing her to the Protect Book each morning. I eventually built a fairly good book of business that gave me some currency in town, and Chris Long recruited me to CBS to sell KFKF/KBEQ.

I spent many very long nights trying to outwork him to prove I was management material (note:  if you?re going to try to outwork someone, don?t pick Chris Long).  Eventually I got my wish when he moved to Dallas as a DOS and needed a GSM, so he and our GM Brian Purdy -- who gave me my first management offer on a ripped-off piece of the paper table cloth -- gave me a shot and has mentored me ever since. I feel terrifically lucky to have worked for such great leaders.

Over 20 years into this career, I love radio as much as I did when I was the kid dubbing someone?s long-distance dedication. There is nothing more real than what we?re able to do for our communities, how many people we?re able to touch every day, how much product we can move for our clients. Every day is different, every challenge unique, but nothing I?ve seen is stronger than the power of radio.

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.
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The Story Behind Brian "Big Bear" Davis

8-9-2013

As a tall and handsome man with a voice that sounds like a warm summer night, Brian ?Big Bear? Davis puts Barry White to shame. As the man entrusted with seven stations, overseeing 23, Brian can implement almost any format with intelligence, confidence, clarity, creativity, and competence. His stations compete at the highest level, and Brian will not rest until each station is a finely tuned machine. He is truly a man of a thousand talents. Whether as a programmer or on-air talent, Brian?s abilities go well beyond what is expected in our industry. He can dominate the room with his presence but is the sweetest, warmest, kindest person. For those of us in the radio industry, we are fortunate to have Brian Davis? influence and leadership.

Now, in his own words, here is how Executive VP, Chief of Programming Operations Point Broadcasting LLC Brian "Big Bear" Davis got into radio?

I have always had a love for music and was intrigued by radio at an early age, but I never thought that it would be my career. The way I actually ?got into radio? was a complete accident.

While in college, I was majoring in agricultural business (yes, I wanted to be a farmer and live off the land, kind of), a friend of mine who was a communications/drama major, asked me if I could ??fill in for his show?? because he had something to do that night that was really important. Being a good friend, I said yes before I even knew what his job was. I didn?t know if this guy was a stage actor, street performer, or what. I had NO IDEA what ?fill In for his show" meant. So, I called back for clarification, and it turns out it was a radio show. Specifically, R&B Slow Jams, Tuesday night from 10 p.m. to midnight on our college radio station.

That was the beginning. The show was in five days, and I grabbed every CD I had, borrowed a few pieces of vinyl from my Dad?s collection, and proceeded to tell everyone on campus and anyone I could get on the phone to make sure to tune in Tuesday at 10 p.m.

As I continued my street promotion campaign, I realized that I had to narrow down my playlist. I had amassed a ton of music, however it hit me that it was only a two-hour show. That?s when I figured out that I needed to consult a pro. At the time, I was taking one communications course, and my professor, Jim Wilson, was a great guy. He let me pick his brain, calmed me down, told me where I was waaaaaay off base, and basically helped me assemble the foundation for what is now my career. From there I comprised the most incredible playlist for two hours of radio ever assembled. It consisted of everything from Faith Evans and Jodeci to the Isley Brothers and Mtume. (Look them up, classic love triangle ballad of all time ?You, Me and He?)?

After all of that, the time had come: Tuesday night 10 p.m., I was on. It was INCREDIBLE!!!!!! After the 10 minutes of phone calls from family and friends, I realized something: People were calling me because they loved the music (that I loved), and were enjoying listening to it. It was great!

And then ?IT? happened. I remember it like it was yesterday. I had just given out the number to the studio line, and talked into the Isley Brother?s ?Between the Sheets.? The break was perfect -- a 23-second intro, flowed perfectly, got out right in time, hit the post? perfect. I just sat there for a minute grooving to the song; the speaker was directly in front me. I was basking in the moment. In my head I?m thinking, ?I AM THE MAN RIGHT NOW? I AM KILLING IT!? After a minute of getting over my own ego, I heard a little voice inside say ?Hey man, isn?t the small speaker in front of you for cuing music, and what plays on the air comes through over the big speakers up on the walls?? 

Sure enough, my perfect delivery and perfect track were not what was airing on the station. Pure terror ran through me. You know those moments when you get nervous, and your underarms feel like they?re on fire for a split second? I had all those types of feelings. All I could do was open the mic, and start it over.
After my fumble recovery, I proceeded to take calls, let people make dedications and requests, share stories etc. I had a ball, and then the two hours was over. The phone kept ringing with people commenting on the music and the show, so I stayed there talking to people for another hour as we switched to bluegrass music (gotta love college radio).

After I left the studio that night, and walked back to my dorm, that was it, I was hooked. I had just had one of the greatest moments of my life (up to that point), and one my greatest blunders (up to that point). All at the same time. Radio is GREAT!

My friend asked that I continue his Tuesday night show, which later evolved into a longer form Sunday afternoon show, which further evolved into me becoming music director of our college station, creating other opportunities to expose different types of music, interning at our local commercial station, and continuing through a typical radio career path of multiple jobs, multiple cities, multiple call letters. To this day I still approach radio with the same passion, eagerness, and uncertainty of my first day taking over that show.

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.
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"Piolin" Story Takes Disturbing Turn

July 30, 2013

The Los Angeles Times reports that Eddie "Piolin" Sotelo's abrupt departure from radio last week came after a co-host on his show accused him of sexual harassment. Alberto "Beto" Cortez alleges that Sotelo was "physically, sexually, and emotionally harassing" him for three years. That claim was sent by Cortez's attorney Robert Clayton in April to Univision executives Roberto Llamas and Jose Valle. Univision syndicated the program. According to the paper, Sotelo's attorney, Jeffrey Spitz, said the allegations were false and motivated by money. 

Spitz said in a statement, "A disgruntled, troubled employee has made malicious and false claims about Eddie Sotelo. This was done as part of a demand for money ... The employee worked with Eddie for more than a decade. The employee's allegations of harassment and falsification of immigration letters are pure fiction intended to gain a financial settlement."
In the documents obtained by The Times, Cortez claimed that Sotelo repeatedly made aggressive and unwanted sexual advances, including grabbing Cortez's buttocks and genitals when Cortez would arrive at work in the morning at the Glendale studio. Cortez alleged that Sotelo taunted him during staff meetings, calling him by a derogatory term for a homosexual, and telling him to say that he was gay. Sotelo also asked vulgar questions about Cortez's girlfriend, according to the documents.
In addition to the claim of sexual harassment, Cortez alleged that Sotelo ordered members of his radio production team to falsify letters in support of a high-profile campaign for congressional immigration reform, an issue that Sotelo championed on his program.
Read the full Times story HERE

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(COPYWRITING) Seven Critical Story Questions

6-26-2013

Let?s say you?ve unearthed lots of stories from your memories or from your clients' recollections. You?ve turned the best of them into story commercials, but they could still use some tweaking.

Here are Seven Questions to ask yourself to help you find the focus in your stories. These are variations on the ones I got from my friend Andy Goodman www.agoodmanonline.com.

1. Who?s the protagonist?

Just as a car needs a driver to get it where it?s going, stories need someone, a main character, to drive the action. This person (or group of people) is called the protagonist, and traditionally structured stories follow protagonists in pursuit of clearly defined goals. Ideally, make the protagonist the audience member or someone with whom your audience will identify.

2. What?s the hook?

Want to draw in listeners? Begin the story where the audience is. This is your story?s ?hook?? the description of a place, circumstance, or premise that everyone understands and with which they readily identify.

3. Have you kept it interesting?

Predictable stories and predictable radio commercials are boring. If the audience members get bored, they?re gone. Have your characters change or evolve during the commercial. Let your dialogue demonstrate the transitions. Don?t describe them.

4. Where?s the conflict?
 
There is no drama without conflict or contrast, and comedy, for that matter, also falls flat without it. Unfortunately, most ads have no conflict, and lose listeners.

5. Have you included telling details?
 
Good stories have enough detail in the music, sound effects, dialogue, and delivery to set the scene and bring life to the commercial. Specifics are more powerful than generalities.

6. What?s the emotional hook?
 
What emotional need(s) does the advertiser solve for the listener?

Your audience subconsciously enters into a contract with the storyteller. They want an emotional experience that makes their time worthwhile. An emotional story will imprint more strongly in the listener?s memory.

7. Is the meaning clear?

Finally, your story should have a crystal clear reason for taking this particular journey. Listeners don?t need more information, they need to know what it means. Your commercial story should make listeners feel like they fit in there somewhere and make it clear what they can do to benefit.

Wouldn?t it be nice if you could apply seven questions and find focus in your life? Thankfully, you can at least do it with your radio commercials.

Jeffrey Hedquist has used these questions to find focus in commercials and in life at Hedquist Productions, Inc. Got a question, challenge or comment about commercial creative? Email jeffrey@hedquist.com. http://www.hedquist.com

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How To Cover a Story Like Boston

4-21-13

Some of the best radio coverage of the events in Boston over the past week were provided by WBZ in Boston, 1010 WINS in New York and WTOP in Washington DC. With reporters on the ground and vast resources that dedicated news stations invest in, nearly around the clock coverage was being provided to address this rapidly changing event, from the bomb blasts to the chase for the suspects. WTOP Vice President of News and Programming Jim Farley has been in the position of supervising a news staff during a fluid major news story before, the DC Sniper. We spoke to Farley to get his view on covering big stories like these.

RI: Last week, CNN reported somebody was in custody. That turned out to be totally incorrect. How do you make sure your team avoids mistakes like this?
Jim Farley: We have a motto that everybody in the newsroom can tell you. It is, "First get it right, then get it fast." I have drummed into folks heads that the public doesn't remember who got a story first. Only those of us who are journalists care. We care because we keep score. The public doesn't. But, the public will always remember who got it wrong. So, our people, as competitive as they are, know that we would rather miss a story than get it wrong. So, we did not go with the story on Wednesday that a suspect was under arrest, that they had a suspect in custody. It turns out that not only did they not have a suspect in custody, they didn't have a suspect. They just identified two people that they wanted to talk to. That said, I would say there has been more good reporting than bad. This is just such an unbelievable story. If you wrote this as a novel, people would say it is far-fetched. This is an absolutely incredible story. We have been all over it, but in a responsible way. I put out a reminder yesterday to my troops. Two words we never use on the radio: rumor or speculation. We don't report rumors or speculate. We certainly ask questions. "Well, if they're from Chechnya, what might that mean?" It's more fascinating than any novel someone could write. That's why being in the news business is just so important.

RI: When something like that happens in your town, what's your goal?
Farley: What I told people during the DC sniper was that our job is to be the calm voice during troubled times. Get people the information they need in a calm, sensitive way. But, we were giving valuable tips from the police like if you are walking into a parking lot, zig zag. If you are gassing up your car, stand on the side of the pump away from the street. That was a really scary story. In 2001, we had 9/11, the bombings in New York City and the Pentagon, and the planes crashing into the Trade Centers, we had the DC sniper, and we had the anthrax attacks. Those anthrax attacks, I remind you, five people died and 17 others were affected. That was scary. My boss, Joel Oxley, and I remember it well. Nobody here wanted to touch the mail. So, he and I were handling all the mail with rubber gloves on, sorting the mail, and throwing out as much junk mail as we could. After 9/11, we got a really good voice coach, by the name of Dr. Ann Utterbach to come in. She gave a talk specifically on the topic "Calm Voices in Tough Times." While she was talking to the on-air people, the anchors and the reporters about what they had to do to take care of themselves during an event like this: hydrate, don't do too much caffeine, which is counter-intuitive to news guys, and get some relaxation. We brought in some masseuses and we were giving back massages during this. We were trying to de-stress, decompress people."

RI: Let's say a mistake as big as the one CNN happens on your staff. How do you deal with that?
Farley: We would apologize for it. We would day "We got the story wrong. We apologize for that." You have to admit your mistakes. Otherwise, you lose credibility. It takes years for an organization to build credibility. It takes just seconds to destroy that credibility.

(4/22/2013 9:20:48 PM)
Get an erection, so Eric will shill for you and give you a hand-job!

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The Exact AM/FM Dash Story

Dear Readers:

My Editorial about AM/FM removal from cars has caused great concern in the radio industry. My mistake is that I put something in quotes from my recollections of the panel and the discussions afterward and my quote was inaccurate. Furthermore, my mistake was that I did not verify what was said by contacting the car companies directly for confirmation before running the story. As I received concerns from within the industry I looked at the video and learned my quote was inaccurate. My editorial stated two inaccuracies: I quoted, "AM and FM are being eliminated from the dash of two car companies within two years and will be eliminated from the dash of all cars within five years." The fact is, my recollection was incorrect and this was not said on stage as I reported.

So that I can abide by my history of journalistic integrity, here is exact and explicit documentation of what was said, where I thought I heard that quote, which I pulled from the video of the session.

Specifically, Thilo Koslowski, Gartner Research's VP and Practice Leader, Automotive, Car, ICT, Mobility stated:

"The changes we are talking about, they will actually really happen over the next couple of years. They are beginning to now, kind of bloom in certain areas where you have technology readily available like the Bay Area, but eventually you will see this everywhere. The challenge that I see is radio listening in the car consuming content is not going away but the way you do this and the platform that you use, platform meaning the technology that I use in order to get to that content will be very different."
Rhoads: "So what I want to know is if I own a radio station, and I'm not trying to put you guys on the spot, I really love what you're saying?"
Kowslowski: "Please do, please do."
Rhoads: "But if I own a radio station and I've got a lot of money invested in transmitters, or HD Radio or otherwise, and everything's gonna go to IP and you'rre gonna pull that AM and FM receiver to save twelve cents out of each car, I want to know it. Do you think that's likely to happen?"
Koslowski: "Absolutely. I think you will see that happening."
Rhoads: "When will that happen?"
Koslowski: "That will not happen over the next five to ten years, but past that absolutely."
Rhoads turns to audience: "Five to ten years, gang."
Koslowski: "No, but you will see already some changes happening over the next couple of years. Before it goes away completely that will take a little bit longer but think about it, how many cars can you buy today that have a cassette player? How many cars will you buy going forward that have a CD player? Not that many anymore. There are companies that actually are designing radios that don't have AM."
Rhoads: "Who are they?"
Koslowski: Shakes head.
Rhoads: "No no, who are they? You can?t bring it up without telling us who they are."
Koslowski: Shakes head.
Rhoads: "You can?t say it, it's confidential?"
Though I honestly believed I was accurately reporting what was said, the video reflects that I did indeed misquote what was said and that I clearly thought Mr. Koslowski has stated that the changes would occur within five to ten years when he actually said that it would not happen within that time from but sometime thereafter. His statement about changes happening over the next couple of years was also not as clear as I believed it to be.

My quote referencing two companies in two years was not an exact quote, and my reference to five years was inaccurate. What I wrote was based on my recollection of the session and conversations after the session. In hindsight, I should have waited until I could view the video and put the exact quotes and also should have not just assumed Mr. Koslowski was representing the automotive companies, which is why I should have contacted them.

Furthermore I made this statement based on my recollections from the panel and the behind the scenes discussion: "according to the Convergence panel, radio will be gone from new cars within five years." It was my opinion and was inaccurate.

My editorial has caused many within the radio industry much grief and therefore, I feel it best to rescind my original quote and issue an official apology. I care deeply about this industry. I've been a radio advocate for over four decades and I have always had radio's best interest at heart. My intent in the editorial was to give the industry a heads up about possible looming threats. I was deeply concerned because of my passion and concern for an industry and improperly measured the impact it would have. I truly regret any confusion or misinformation that resulted, and I sincerely apologize for the error.

There is good news in all of this, which is support from one major carmaker. GM issued a statement that they intend to keep AM/FM in their cars. See statement. Furthermore, Ford spoke to Editor Ed Ryan stating their support for radio. Both are a silver lining to this cloud.

Again, I apologize if I created problems or issues for anyone in this industry, which I dearly love.

Sincerely,

Eric

(3/16/2013 2:56:51 AM)
As a radio station owner I found his comments a few days ago to be reckless, irresponsible and has done a great disservice to his staff and our industry as a whole. The sad thing is that several other station owners that I spoke with were not surprised by this and for them was the last straw. I was reminded by a few other owners that this isn't the first time we've read nonsense writing from him but this was by far the worst. I've join them in no longer supporting this website
(3/15/2013 9:00:56 PM)
Hey readers...Eric made mistake,give the guy a break. And kudos to you Eric, for clarifying everything. And i think your original piece still served a very good purpose- it got all of us thinking, and realizing, that AM and FM must stay relevant, if radio is to survive beyond the next few years.
(3/15/2013 6:23:50 PM)
Eric's comment caused great concern only for the people that no longer believe in radio and use Radio Ink or Mark Ramsey as their industry news source.

It's just like watching Fox News on election night waiting for that Romney landslide victory.

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Clear Channel Helps Radio Tell Story

2-12-2013

The fancy radio group head catch phrase in 2012 was that radio "needed to tell a better story," in order to prove to advertisers radio was still a viable medium in an age of fancy new devices producing super-targeted ads. The argument needed to be emphasized that radio is still strong, and, despite not having an easy way to describe R.O.I. to advertisers, radio can bring you customers and increase your business. Clear Channel's Research and Analytics division, Insights, has released data it conducted that the entire industry can now use to help sales reps make a stronger pitch for radio when they hit the streets. No doubt, this is part of what Clear Channel CEO Bob Pittman says radio needs to do more of, tell the radio story. The data highlights how much more effective radio can be for advertisers while pulling ad money from Television.

And, sales reps who take the data to the street can make the pitch without actually bashing TV. The study, conducted by Insights EVP by Radha Subramanyam (pictured right), and the Media Behavior Institute, showed that even a small reallocation of advertising dollars from television to radio significantly increased brands? reach, receptivity and frequency.

The study across several sectors, including automotive, quick-service restaurant, home improvement, and financial services, showed that when advertisers reallocated up to 15% of their ad spend from TV to radio, they increased their brand?s total reach up to 28%, with no negative impact on TV reach. The study also showed that these advertisers reached a more receptive audience, since radio use corresponds more directly to key times in consumers? lives when they may be open and responsive to marketing ideas or suggestions.

One example Clear Channel cites in the study comes from the restaurant category. "When a quick-service restaurant brand shifted 15% of its TV dollars to radio, audience reach increased 12% and receptivity to its ad messages jumped 84%. Additional information can be found in the three charts below.

(2/12/2013 4:43:31 PM)
Can you see the TV guys pitching, "Hey, take 10% of your Radio buy and use it to buy TV and we'll..."

Didn't think so.

Is this what the largest radio company in the world believes we're reduced to, begging for scraps?

Not in my market. Not with my advertisers.

(2/12/2013 3:21:35 PM)
To all blind TV advocates: Conventional wisdom is a tired tactic in suggesting that Radio, which has thrived despite the surge and then fragmentation of TV, has reached its limitations. Technology has propelled Radio to be able to do more, particularly with the extension of radio brands and personalities in social media, as well as provide options for listeners to create their own digital radio stations. By contrast, technology has gotten in the way of TV, with DVRs creating such a stir that networks have had to fight the argument that their audiences have disappeared.

Deflecting the point that Radio REACH can be good for a client by pointing to old arguments against Radio AT ALL suggests archaic methods of selling TV are in place. It's hard to accept that's the case.

It's interesting that the point of the article--illustrating the concept of a client's ability to extend REACH to a larger audience by varying their media spend--can only be argued with faint points that don't argue Radio's ability to provide great reach.

EVERY medium has its benefits, challenges, supporters, and detractors. Most of the time, a medium's detractors tend to have a background in another medium and--as evidenced--a problem with "yet another" position that suggests that their medium isn't the salvation it used to be. Or should be. Or believe one day, somehow, will be.

I have clients who find great ROI when combining various media. Sometimes Radio and/or TV are part of this successful recipe, sometimes not. In any case, ignoring any competitive medium's strengths is underestimating a competitor's ability to build a client's business in a dynamic way. And that's not the way to win. Ever.

(2/12/2013 3:12:25 PM)
In fairness, we all have stories about how radio has had explosives results. Further, most of us have an intuition that radio can be a devastatingly effective medium.
However, we have gone out of our ways to gut the very factors that provide the messaging necessary to accomplish those goals - the on-air and writing talent.
Today, we are left with not much more than... potential.
(2/12/2013 2:58:42 PM)
We could also get together, hold hands and belt out a rousing chorus of "Home On The Range". ("....where never is heard a discouraging....")
But, it won't address our self-inflicted issues - the ones that keep the advertisers away.
(2/12/2013 1:46:27 PM)
Does the reaction to the story seem a little counterintuitive to the concept behind the exercise... to improve radio's self-image a bit so that others will see the glimmer in our eye and feel good about doing business with us again? I myself am feelin' pretty good today. Make your day great!

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Here's How to Tell Your Story

12-10-2012

by Melissa Kunde

"To thine own self be true" were famous words from Shakespear'?s Hamlet, and ?Differentiate or Die? are the echoing raw words from respected marketing strategist Jack Trout. While each of these quotes stand alon,e they are dynamic co-conspirators in the mindset of businesses that grow.  As an industry, radio has spent the majority of its years after "the golden age" justifying its worth in the marketplace.

Now, we face our relevance in the digital age. Our battle is with new seductive suitors (Google, Facebook, Youtube and even worse, Pandora and Spotify) who boldly position themselves as necessary advertising vehicles in the Age of the Internet. They claim daily and persistently, in advertising conferences, digital conferences, colleges, press releases, whitepapers, advertising organizations, blogs, and webinars that they are the new models of connection and brand development. Your clients and prospective advertising decision makers believe what they hear and read. They want to feel smart, relevant and cutting edge so they seek knowledge through all those venues and Radio is not there. They are converted with the ?story? way before anyone sells them anything. 

I asked Jack Trout what Radio needed to do to grow its business when I interviewed him in 2010. This is what he said, ?Reposition Radio as a primary medium and the reason you can do that is because of the power of sounds? you have to explain to people that sound is more powerful, even more powerful than pictures.?
This is what I have done. I have repositioned Radio.

Superpowers Are Hard to Ignore.
Radio in the 21st century is a primary entertainment, information and advertising media and the only superpower of sound and story. It is these qualities, sound and story, that profoundly set Radio apart from our competitors. Neuroscientists, social scientists and sound experts have our back. These kinetic and humanistic assets amplified are the key to changing perceptions from ?Radio is dead? to ?Radio is necessary.?

Norman Corwin, the poet laureate of Radio said, "Sound itself attracts. Ask any eavesdropper? Sounds have a romance. The sound of a cricket at night to establish a mood in a radio drama?There is no sound on the moon because it takes air to support it; the vibrations of air create the sound. And Radio was a medium which employ(s) that magic.? Sound is irresistible and when linked with story the combination is even more magical.

Braithwaite Communications explains the leverage that story possesses. ?Human beings are wired for narrative. That?s why stories work. Information in story form outperforms any tactic and transcends any media. Audiences retain up to seven times the information shared via a story versus statistics. More than recall, stories create ownership. Stories work to create movies in the mind ? engaging more of the person with more of the message. Stories have greater impact on key metrics, including awareness, recall, understanding, persuasion and loyalty. When people own information, they tend to act on it and share it. And isn?t that what you want your marketing efforts to do??

This is what we do. Best-in-class Radio campaigns increase recall, understanding, persuasion and loyalty. Radio engages and connects with humans so uniquely that even listening passively doesn?t escape the mind?s attention: You can?t shut your ear lids.

Results
What results has this new position accomplished? I co-wrote and produced this video ?An Audio Explosion in a Digital World? with the ?sound and story position? for a Radio Summit in 2010, hosted by the Portland Area Radio Council (PARC), for advertising prospects and non-radio users. When asked in our survey did the video and the summit contents change their perception of Radio 95% said, ?It changed their perspective and gave them a excited feeling about Radio.?  KXL, a Portland news talk station, currently hosts the aforementioned video on their ?Advertise on KXL? web page, the GSM says that the video has been a persuasive asset for new advertisers.

Another example, PARC brought in Tim Miles, a partner of the Wizard of Ads, to speak to 300 small businesses. I chose Tim because he fully embraced my ?sound and story? strategy and held true to his intent to be a strategist advocate for small businesses. PARC surveyed all the attendee?s after his very informative seminars: 54% responded and 99% said his presentation change their perception of Radio for the better and they would consider Radio in their advertising strategy. (I should note not one classic radio statistic was used in Tim?s presentation.)

And one last insight, I was asked to create a pro-radio presentation for a big agency that represents two big automotive brands. My gut told me to only present sound and story content but I questioned myself and compromised only dedicating four slides to sound and story and completed the rest with expected statistics. The presentation went well but a day later my gut was confirmed the VP of this agency sent me an email expressing her gratitude and also added that she would have really like more information on the neuroscience of sound and story. 

United We Grow Radio?s strength and renaissance starts with you. It is essential we speak with a unified voice. Join me as ambassadors and supporters in every aspect this new story. Let?s gather great storytellers and movement makers inside and out of our industry to support our new position. Helen Keller was once asked, if she had to choose between sight and sound, which would, she pick? She said sound because the lack of sight only separates a person from things while the lack of sound separates a person from people.

Radio is the peoples? media and the superpower of sound and story.

Melissa Kunde is the Executive Director of the Seattle Area Radio Association (SARA) Sound. Action. Result. Advertising. http://www.seattleradio.org
E-mail Melissa directly mkunde@comcast.net

(12/10/2012 8:07:53 PM)
Melissa - Do your feet smell?
(12/10/2012 1:38:01 PM)
Great article, Melissa and I could not agree more with your position! Also, Tim Miles is an excellent choice for anyone trying to move prospects/customers through the Communication Process/Buying Funnel on the value of telling great stories and radio as a powerful vehicle to deliver them. The Mind truly does work by EAR!
(12/10/2012 1:05:51 PM)
Nice piece, Melissa! Deserves widespread publication.
- Rod Schwartz - Radio Sales Cafe(12/10/2012 12:30:14 PM)
Unfortunately differentiaion doesn't stop there. Competing individual groups in a market with overlapping formats default to rate discounting as the primary share building tool.
(12/10/2012 11:33:02 AM)
Really excellent article and audio/video presentation....should be the "flag" all radio stations should be waving.

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Enough "We Need A New Story" Talk

Your piece on 12/4 about the radio industry needing someone to tell its story compelled me to chime in. Every time I hear some radio executive say ?Radio needs to reinvent itself,? I just want to hurl. Radio needs to sell what it is proudly, and keep the emphasis on our audience and what they can buy.

Let?s get over being a hat-in-hand backup media and sell radio as a primary media. Since 1978, I?ve sold radio on that basis with one little phrase ? ?Dollar for dollar and time for time ? if those two are equal, radio gets results equal to ? OR BETTER THAN ? any other media.?

To solve a problem, you must first identify what?s causing it. In radio?s case, we?re famous for these five things:
1)      Stations battling each other for a ?share? of every ad buy.
2)      Telling clients competing station?s audiences are ?bad? ? but theirs are ?good.?
3)      Selling radio to ?back up? TV and print campaigns to help them work better.
4)      Owners and managers near total failure to understand the importance of pricing integrity.
5)      Buying into the ?Zero Sum Game? ? if the client buys my station, I win and my competitor loses.

Social media is the new darling of the ad world and a new Pew Research study says 50 percent of U.S. adults are on Facebook, MySpace or Linkedin, while Arbitron research tells us that 92 percent of U.S. adults use radio every week ? and something like 87 percent use radio every day! 

For an advertiser, the real difference between social media and radio, besides radio?s huge audience advantage, is people HATE ads on social media, while they welcome ads on the radio! The problem we have is agencies and clients are drinking the Kool-Aid of ?proven delivery? and ?intangible results? being pandered to them with online, as opposed to mass reach and frequency that?s available every day using radio.

Somebody call the RAB. If they?re the ones charged with telling radio?s story, they need to replace ?the Optimum Effective Schedule? with ?dollar for dollar? before it?s too late!

Charlie Ferguson is the General Manager of Northern Broadcast and can be reached at charlie@wklt.com

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Who is Going to Tell Radio's Story?

By Ed Ryan

More stunningly high listening numbers were released by Arbitron yesterday, giving radio's "storytellers" more evidence that the listening public loves us like a brother. Radio remains the companion of the people, the place they go to discover music, the go-to device when Mother Nature pays an angry visit. Over 241 million red, white and blue-blooded Americans listen to radio every week, according to Arbitron. That's 92 percent of the population. It's been a consistent number from Arbitron if nothing else.

What has also been consistent is, despite those high numbers, radio's stuck-in-the-mud revenue. And the industry's inability to translate those extraordinary numbers into a $35 billion business as Clear Channel CEO Bob Pittman said it should be. For well over a year we've heard the same story...we just need to tell a better story. Can we get a date on when the story will be ready? And, will there be a designated spokesperson?

Not only do the people love you, people with money really love you. If you believe the Arbitron numbers, it's hard to fathom why every advertiser walking planet earth, that desires to stay in business, isn't salivating to get his message out using your station. More than 95 percent of adults in the coveted 25 to 54 age range, with a household income of $75K or more, and a college degree, tune in to radio every week. That's 26 million people in that demo. And, Arbitron says, nearly 70 million, or 94 percent, of adults 18 to 49 making $75K or more, tune into radio on a weekly basis. 

Clear Channel CEO Bob Pittman, in his Forecast 2013 keynote address last week said, "Radio is one of the three big media. It actually always has been even when the third was newspaper not Internet. We need to act like one of the three big and we need to get paid like one of the three big."  Throughout the day at Forecast 2013, there weren't too many speakers willing to go out on a limb and predict revenue growth for radio in 2013. And in 2012, despite high expecations for political advertising dollars, radio revenue, as reported by the RAB, was flat to up a trickle.

Let's correct the record. There was one prediction about radio's revenue future at Forecast last week. It came from Media economist Jack Meyers who said from 2013-2015 expect to see radio's legacy advertising decline 2.2% And from 2016-2020 another 2.1% decline. That would take radio from $16 Billion to $13.4 billion industry. Myers believes that "legacy" advertising will shift to digital (he predicts $5.5 billion by 2020). Perhaps, but there is also the unanswered question of how much of that is really digital or would it have come in on the spot side anyway. The numbers today are very fuzzy. Myers also called Bob Pittman the "$3 Billion man" stating he is "making a significant impact on digital revenue increases."

We have heard a lot of radio's leaders talk about telling a story last week. But we also heard that back at the Radio show in Dallas and the NAB show in Vegas in April. What's the deadline for this story anyway? Horizon Media CEO Bill Koenigsberg explained to everyone exactly what needed to be done. "Your story has to be reinvented. I don't think you are telling it the right way. Engagement factor with listeners is not being told to advertising agencies the right way. With the story being reinvented, you can win." Thanks Bill. Do we need to write that up in an essay, bullet points, or a nice outline?"

So, what is radio's story? And enough about how consolidation killed the cash cow or local is the ONLY way to generate significant revenue. Despite all those changes to the outside world, if you believe the Arbitron numbers, the people still love you. Is radio doomed to be a low-single percentage growth business from here on out as Radio One CEO Alfred Liggins has said on several occasions? Can radio only grow when the economy is soaring and the transactional business flows across your fax machines? We ask all of you, those of you in that mud every day calling on clients, putting together presentations, taking the rejection from clients, writing the orders for your station...what should radio's story be?

(12/4/2012 2:22:48 AM)
Ronald Robinson is correct. ...Radio SHOULD be dynamic, LIVELY (note that LIVE is literally part of that word) and CREATIVE. For the most part, radio is none of those anymore. Ed, you said don't talk about consolidation...but consolidation is PRECISELY why radio has seen its allure and value, both commoditized and compromised-- the big cost-cutting corporate owners, KILLED the creativity and up and coming radio talent. Deal with it, people.
(12/4/2012 12:40:26 AM)
And now for some content....
Because radio is ubiquitous, Ed, doesn't necessarily mean it has any particular significance or impact on an audience that may or may not be truly engaged.

Radio doesn't have a "story" because the one that can be told is that of a shabby, systematic and conscious destruction of the elements required to make of it a significant part of the media landscape.

We can include the "live" and therefore spontaneous (which I think is key) on-air presentations of legitimate talent across all dayparts and the creation of appealing and influential commercial content. They're mostly all gone now.

Indeed, 100% of the audience breaths air, and a lot of that air has radio station signals in there. But nobody notices either one unless it becomes exasperatingly foul or refreshingly invigorating.

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Readers React to Our "No Respect" Story

11-8-2012

Readers posted a lot of feedback on our story from Thursday about David Field's comments from the recent Wells Fargo Media Conference. When answering a question about whether radio was even relevant anymore, Field said there's "a lack of respect for what radio is and has accomplished" out there. Check out what the radio rank-and-file thinks about the respect radio should get.

Entercom CEO David Field got the hair on his back up a little bit yesterday when speaking at a Wells Fargo Media Conference yesterday. When answering a question about whether radio was relevant anymore, Field said there's "a lack of respect for what radio is and has accomplished" out there. "More people listen to radio than ever before. When you aggregate all the other listening of audio, it's still less than 10%. Radio is still over 90%. Go compare that to TV. They never have to answer about their relevance."

That question could have been prompted by what's turning out to be an anemic performance by most radio groups in the 3rd quarter of 2012. In a year political advertising spending - and easy comps from 2011 - should have given radio a boost, it has not. Political is coming in weaker than expected, their have been complaints about national and local has been sluggish. Saga reported a 19% decline in national for Q3. Clear channel revenue was up 3%. Cumulus declined 3.7%. Field reported a revenue increase of 2% to the street on October 26th. Back to yesterday's conference. Field said it's helpful to put the relevance question in context.

"Our product is not just a music service. I'm not denigrating the other services. We have companionship. We have local content. These are the reasons we've been able to stay successful. We are not giving up on distribution either. Wherever consumers want audio, we will be there." Entercom stations can be heard on TuneIn.

During his time on the stage yesterday, Field had a lot of praise for Clear Channel's industry leadership. He cited iHeartradio and in what Katz has been doing to market the industry. He emphasized the need for everyone in the radio industry to "leverage" the value of radio more than it has in the past.

(11/9/2012 3:25:48 PM)
I lost all respect when radio got involved in the iBiquity scam, trying to make a quick buck. Hopefully, the ad skipping will skip Struble's silly coupons and other glossy paint.
(11/9/2012 7:28:09 AM)
Lisa Adbuyer, it looks like a federal court judge in California has decided that Dish Hopper's spot skipping technology is constitutional - the decision is currently sealed, but the plaintiffs (amongst them, Fox TV) are none to happy). When SCOTUS rules Dish Hopper technology is legal, are still going to buy tv with the same fervor that you currently do?
(11/8/2012 4:00:37 PM)
"Respect ourselves", indeed.
First of all, let's do something worthy of respect rather than just having access to a pretty (potentially) whizzy medium.
(11/8/2012 2:23:40 PM)
For the moment, it remains the only ubiquitous audio medium. It may feature less sizzle and ego gratification than TV for clients and agencies, but repetition of an audio message is very effective, so radio plays a unique and important role in almost any smart, efficient media campaign.

In many markets it's easy to beat radio down because spots are a commodity and other audio media are growing... growing from zero, that is. And it's much easier to attract attention under that circumstance than to maintain the perception of stature in the face of periodic predictions of radio's demise, even after a century during which TV, CB, MTV, IPods, Pandora, and other phenomena du jour have had little effect.

Radio is what it is, and of that we can be proud.

(11/8/2012 2:02:23 PM)
Respect begins at home. We have to learn to respect ourselves first so we may command respect from buyers.
When we are willing and continue to aggresively fight for 7-8% amongst ourselves rather than unite and go after the rest of the $$ available we will continue to find ourselevs where we are.
I was told by a MAJOR National Brand Decision maker "you radio people: we give you an RFP with 10 Added Value items on the list. You bring us 9 things and feel like you got away with something and we were only hoping for one of those things".
Respect ourselves by training our sellers....... I am stunned by the lack of support and training for our front line people who are out there every day trying to bring it home with no support from management/ownership.
"Respect yourself" to quote The Staple singers.

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My Problem With Your Rate Hike Story

8-8-2012

Over the last two days our inbox and comments section has been brimming with your feedback on our two stories featuring Cumulus Co-COO John Dickey's call to raise rates. Everyone has an opinion on why radio is stuck in the 7% quicksand. This letter somes from a Radio Ink subscriber who says part of the challenge on the street is when radio is battling for share of the radio buy and not focusing on increasing the entire revenue pie. 

Dear Ed:

I?ve been selling radio advertising for 20 years (17 in sales management) and I?ve hated negotiating the entire time. I would love to eliminate agency CPP battles, promotion requests and required freebies with every buy!

Problem part one is that media advertising organizations have trained their buyers. We?ve taught them that we are indeed negotiable! This is true for TV, Cable, Newspaper, Billboards and, out of category, the auto industry. Unfortunately, like the auto industry, without a top-down, industry-wide initiative, it might be difficult to get that cat back in the bag.

It?s all well and good to pontificate on high, but there is a serious issue where the rubber meets the road at the market level. When Group A drops rate or bundles in (for free) under-performing stations to grab share it?s definitely tougher for Group B to compete for the business without doing something similar. I've let multiple deals go due to this mentality of our cross-town competitors. I just couldn?t compete.

Part two is company leaders demanding that markets ?price for share.? I?ve heard this from our competitors and from our own company leadership! ?Listen up sales managers! Price for share! Don?t lose that buy, but keep your damn rates up!? WTH? This mixed message is infuriating and shows a disconnect at the top of an organization.

Part three is the supply and demand issue. Yes, I know...if sales people would get off their butts and sell, there would only be demand and little supply. The reality is that radio is more perishable than bananas and I personally have ?cut/signed last minute deals? to fill unsold inventory. I?ve grimaced and taken a low-rate deal in the last week of the month to hit budget. BUT, I?ve also (recently) raised rates mid-month and walked from everything that wasn?t at an inflated rate when avails allowed it. So, maybe I?m part of the problem. Please understand that I would rather be part of a global solution.

Part four is commissioned sales people. Someone replied that commissions are to blame. NOT SO! Almost every sales team in every industry has some form of commission structure. It?s a wonderful way to compensate and motivate salespeople...and managers. Every seller on my team understands that XX% of $100 is more than XX% of $80. BUT they also understand that XX% of $80 is better than XX% of $0. This puts the sales people in a position to do more selling to their managers than to the accounts! Managers also understand that a creatively structured buy is better than a non-negotiated loss. As long as our competitors are pricing for share, and our buyers know we?ll negotiate, the gloves must come off when necessary.

This is an industry (all media) problem that will not be fixed by one Big-C Radio Group alone. I?m not talking about price fixing, I?m talking about fixing price.

(8/9/2012 7:40:21 PM)
If you are a value illustrator and really know motivation beyond the CCP of local consumers and have taken the time and effort to establish a client bond rather than just taking a 25 year old agency buyer's order for your rated station. You will get higher rates. Unfortunately, for all too long, we in radio, have been lazy and taken the easy way. Make it cheap and throw in free stuff
(8/9/2012 1:42:05 PM)
If John Dickey is serious about addressing this out-of-control problem, I give him lots of credit. Radio really cannot ever attain it's revenue potential while salespeople are empowered to price it's only product. Only ownership can determine pricing since only ownership has all the factors involved in determining the company's profit picture. John, do this:
Have a rate card for each Cumulus station. Issue a directive to all managers that deviation from each card is no longer allowed as of Monday. Have all managers schedule a Saturday morning meeting with their sales staff to explain the policy. Order each manager to fire the first person to violate this written corporate policy. Fire the first person and allow the remaining staff to be aware of the dismissal. It's goos for survivors to see a corpse, occasionally. John, one further thought: A lot of Cumulus stockholders read this publication and are counting on you.
(8/9/2012 10:30:43 AM)
Unfortunately, radio changed forever when the business of radio became a commodity. When LMGs came into being the game was over. Stations lost sight of the fact that a radio station's best asset was it's position in a market driven by its personalities and format.
Stations became over the top cost conscious and began looking for ways to make radio a commodity. GRPs were all that mattered and the industry became a quantity rather than quality product.
(8/9/2012 9:47:50 AM)
No one has mentioned program content. People will gladly purchase worthwhile program content.
(8/9/2012 8:41:15 AM)
Not much to add here. In a supply and demand game, when supply out-strips demand, it's a buyer's market. Most of the time, most stations operate in a buyer's market. From my earliest days in the business, it's been clear that the share is the metric that makes the corporate suits foam at the mouth. If I had a dollar for every group conference call or management team meeting I've sat in where the BIG GUY said, "we've gotta get our share up". I'd be retired in Costa Rica by now.

I won't name names, but I actually sat in a manager's meeting in Charlotte where a very respected group head told us that rate integrity was bull&$%@ and that we needed to price for share. When you put that kind of message out there at the local manager level, what other result can we expect?

The horses are out of the corral. While it's definitely possible to drive rate and share together (been there and done that) in isolated situations, at this stage of the media game, all the talk about driving rate as an industry is wishful thinking. With rare exception, ratings, supply, demand and pricing are permanently married to each other. Your secret sauce--the perceived value you bring to a buying scenario is the only differentiator that can get you some breathing room on those buying parameters we all loathe.

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Pittman on Being Most Powerful: "Let's Tell Our Story"

"I think the radio industry has a powerful story to tell. We're one of the big three media--tv, radio and internet--in terms of reach, usage and engagement. And we all belong in the mix media in a major way. However, radio is the only one of the three that gets far less of the advertising pie than it deserves. The good news is that all we really have to do is tell the story to the decision makers--it's a story the key decision makers don't know and won't know unless we tell it and tell it often."

"We also have to be marketing partners--figuring out how to help our advertisers achieve marketing goals that are essential to them. We're not going to reach our potential if we just respond to rfp's and "sell spots."

"And finally, harnessing the full power of radio means we have to engage every part of our companies and our talent. John Hogan and I both dedicate a part of our time to personally meet with advertisers to understand their plans and needs and develop solutions. And john uses our programmers--our chief creative people-- to help develop plans and creative solutions for our advertisers. Our on air talent even has a big role to play with ideas and execution. It's about team work--at all levels in our companies and among all the radio companies. All the radio companies are  fierce competitors with each other, but we also need to be strong collaborators working together to sell the power and unique benefits of radio to marketers who under-use radio, or don't use it. And when we convince them to try it, we'll definitely get a thanks--because we always make their marketing more effective, and always more efficient."

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Your Comments on Monday's Bill Koenigsberg Story

1-30-2012

Bill Koenigsberg is the President, CEO and Founder of Horizon Media, one of the largest independent media agencies in the world. With offices in New York, Los Angeles, San Diego and Amsterdam Horizon has 650 employees and annual billings of $3 billion. Koenigsberg is also Chairman of the 4As Media Committee and has played a vital role in getting advertising agencies to adopt policies to abolish the No Urban/No Hispanic dictates the media industry has been dealing with for so many years. Advertising Age Magazine just named Koenigsberg Advertising Executive of the Year and this past Friday we spoke to Koenigsberg to get his take on radio.

For so many years, despite all the radio friendly stats Arbitron throws out stating the number of radios per household, the percentage of people who listen to radio and consumers listen through long stopsets none of those statistics have helped radio increase (as an industry) its revenue share with advertisers. For what seems like decades, radio has only been able to muster up about 7% of an advertiser's budget. So we asked Koenigsberg what it was going to take for radio to increase that number. Not surprisingly, his answer had nothing to do with the typical radio research which, to an advertiser, really means nothing.

"I think multiple things. One is, and I have been very vocal about this, proving cause and effect, return on investment...is the golden goose, the holy grail. Radio needs to do a better job of proving attribution, if I spend a dollar in radio, my return is "X" vs. a dollar somewhere else. That's one. Two, and I think that Bob Pittman is trying very hard to reinvent radio at Clear Channel. I think radio has become a bit static and needs to reinvent itself. Now, how it reinvents itself, I'm not quite sure. Radio has got to become more of an engagement vehicle. Engagement is critical for advertisers today. A lot of people listen to radio in the background and it's not intrusive, and it's not engaging. It is more passive. How do you make radio more engaging? So, I think return of investment proof and engagement proof is critical. If you can prove that, they will be buying radio all day long."

(1/30/2012 8:41:48 PM)
Although Steve inquires: "What am I missing?", the answer is still "Not much - if anything."
However, the more difficult generalization about radio listeners is their inability to RECALL the content of ads.
There is an explanation-of-sorts offered in a recent Radio Ink article: http://www.radioink.com/Article.asp?id=2342813&spid=41252
Meanwhile, Steve's other comments about closing those loops, I believe, also have significant credibility.
Fact is: demonstrating efficacy of our services is something that is definitely on the "Honey Do"-list.
(1/30/2012 3:59:36 PM)
I don't see radio's 'trackability' as a huge challenge to overcome? Maybe I'm not clear on what the expectations are with tracking, but with things like SMS, unique URL's, data base opt-ins, QR Codes, and the like, we should be able to close that loop and move forward delivering what marketers are looking for - more trackable campaigns. What am I missing?
(1/30/2012 12:13:36 PM)
Nice to see some smart guys coming out of the woodwork.
Still, I wonder about how many executives would continue rearing up with the demand to "Stop telling me how to run my business!"
(This would be the same business, by the way, that has been around longer than any other electronic media and still can't pick up more than 7% of the available revenues.)
Gosh-a-rooties! How can that be...? This is definitely stuff that makes me go, "Hmmmm".
(1/30/2012 11:27:43 AM)
No need to reinvent the wheel. Everything that you need to know about radio success is available by studying what was successful in the past.

Here's a bit of my radio philosophy that you can either take or leave, as you wish.

First, times change, but people don't. We may think that we do, but we really don't.

What's old or very old is new to someone that hasn't seen it before. So, feel free to steal ideas from your predecessors. They don't, won't, or can't care if you do.

And lastly, programming is King. If your listeners don't care for what you're broadcasting, find something they do like and care about. It may take quite a lot of your time digging for real golden content, but it will pay off in a big way.

(1/30/2012 11:19:39 AM)
Yes, radio needs to re-invent itself; it also needs to re-inVEST in itself.

The trend, since deregulation, has been away from live and local talent, and outside of CC's Prophet system (which, in and of itself is a bit dated), the automation platforms have been rather stale, themselves.

A club DJ can do what today's contemporary radio stations SHOULD be doing - mixing mp4s (videos) streaming on their website and potentially a local cable channel (for another revenue source) heard on their FM.

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