CLUSTER F#&K
Imagine going to a car dealership to purchase a full-size sedan for your family, but are told that you can have two subcompacts instead. What would you choose? Unless your 7 year old can drive one of them, the answer is: another dealership.
Flash forward to Monday of this week...
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
TIM MOORE ON SOLVING PROBLEMS
Rookie managers and many experienced ones are by nature "take-charge" people, labeled as such because they want to assert leadership. The more experienced, the more savvy, and the more horizontal competency you develop beyond your original core specialty, the more you will uncover problems to be solved, and situations to be exploited.
Monday, March 29, 2010
VOTING
No, this isn’t a civics lesson. Instead, I’d like to offer some thoughts on the current state of Radio’s health as it is driven by Arbitron.
In diary markets, stations are still campaigning for votes. Change or create the person’s perception and you’re likely to get their vote in a diary.
However, that’s not the case in metered markets. You have to affect actual usage of your station in order to get a vote.
Notice I continued to call it a “vote.” Anytime someone raises their hand in support of you or anything you stand for or are selling, they are casting their “vote” for you. They are offering their support for your cause. They have gained enough confidence in you or have grown to like you well enough that they feel comfortable standing up for you.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
FTC SUGGESTED SPRING 2010 LIBRARY FROM MEDIABASE
With less reliance on vast categories of gold, we need to spin only the hits. Hit based gold
titles should be used: Power 2 X hour, Medium 2 X hour and Light 1 X or FILL OPTION
titles should be used: Power 2 X hour, Medium 2 X hour and Light 1 X or FILL OPTION
Rank | Artist | Title | Year | Category |
| 1 | ALAN JACKSON & JIMMY BUFFETT | It's Five O'Clock Somewhere | 2003 | POWER |
| 2 | MCGRAW, TIM | Something Like That | 1999 | POWER |
| 3 | URBAN, KEITH | Somebody Like You | 2002 | POWER |
| 4 | MCGRAW, TIM | Where The Green Grass Grows | 1997 | POWER |
| 5 | BENTLEY, DIERKS | What Was I Thinkin' | 2003 | POWER |
Saturday, March 27, 2010
FROM THE JAYE ALBRIGHT BREAKFAST BLOG
Trust The Listener
I have been recommending "co-creation" techniques as a part of launches and repositioning ever since I first heard PD Garrett Michaels and the entire Lincoln Financial Media (Jefferson-Pilot at the time) team use listener input eight years ago to very believably remake KBZT, San Diego, into FM94/9, committing to its audience that "It's All About The Music" and ultimately stand out from the five rock stations in the market at the time.Friday, March 26, 2010
NEXT ON A VERY SPECIAL PPM.....
| FTC FEB PPM | |||||
| 6+ 6a-Mid Mon-Sun | |||||
| Market | Station | Hol | Jan | Feb | |
| Los Angeles | KKGO | 1.7 | 2.1 | 2.1 | |
| San Francisco | KBWF | 1.8 | 2.1 | 2.1 | |
| Chicago | WUSN | 3.8 | 4.3 | 4.2 | |
| Dallas | KSCS | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.6 |
Finger Candy Friday: Spotlight on Larry Pareigis
Spotlight on Larry Pareigis (Country Music and Social Media Super Star)Nine North Records/Turnpike Music's handpicked staff brings over 150 years of combined experience in radio and records to the table, starting with the company President/Owner Larry Pareigis. If you are on Twitter he is also known as @NineNorthLP. He has almost 14,000 followers.....why.....to quote Kidd Redd, "for one thing, he’s interesting about 10 times a day. He dedicates time to it. If you’re in the country radio, record or artist biz, @NineNorthLP is worth following. He’s inspiring, fun, enthusiastic, and joyous about his artists."
ABOUT LARRYAfter graduating with honors from Middle Tennessee State University’s School Of Mass Communications, Pareigis continued the radio career he’d started in Savannah, GA. at 14 with stops at WKDA-AM/WKDF-FM Nashville, WSM-AM-FM/TNN/CMT Nashville, KRST Albuquerque, KNCI/KRAK/KHTK Sacramento & KYCY San Francisco, winning a Gavin program director of the year award on the way.
Post-radio, after a brief stop at Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss’ ALMO Sounds, Pareigis went to work for the newly-rejuvenated Monument Records label under the Sony Nashville umbrella. During his decade with the company that would be Sony BMG Nashville, he ran promotion for each label – at some points ALL the labels – under that umbrella, including the aforementioned Monument, Columbia, Epic & Lucky Dog.
During that decade, he was responsible for breaking acts like Dixie Chicks, Gretchen Wilson, Montgomery Gentry, Van Zant, Miranda Lambert, Buddy Jewell & many more.
Upon leaving SBMG in 2007, Pareigis founded Nine North Records, Nashville's first "virtual" record label, providing promotion and marketing services to country artists.
NNR concentrates on the established artist that believes in extending their brand independently and the new artist that wants to get their music out there and not wait 18-24 months for their shot with a major.In addition, the network of people that work with NNR can provide all the same services, on an a la carte basis, that a major would provide - in a much more financially realistic model for all parties involved.
Pareigis also worked with Rocky Comfort Records to guide Tracy Lawrence’s FIND OUT WHO YOUR FRIENDS ARE to a multi-week #1 as part of his True North consultancy. He continues to work with Laney & Tracy Lawrence as a part of Rocky Comfort.
In addition, he and the Nine North team are responsible for the promotion and social networking elements for the ACM-winning Duo Of The Year, Joey+Rory, and their hit single CHEATER CHEATER. The CD/download that CHEATER is featured on, THE LIFE OF A SONG, is well past 200K units in physical sales & 400K in digital sales already.
Recently working with Cold River's amazingly talented Katie Armiger on her first BDS/Mediabase reporting radio charting single KISS ME NOW.
Pareigis looks forward to bringing his years of experience in both the radio and music industries to bear for the artists that are a part of the Nine North Records/Turnpike Music family.
facebook.com/FullThrottleCountry
Share
Thursday, March 25, 2010
SOME FOLKS ARE REALLY UP
Country #1 in Motown - Denver, Seattle and St. Louis up!
Baltimore WPOC 5.6 7.1 7.7
Boston WKLB 4.4 4.5 4.5
Denver-Boulder KYGO 5.3 4.6 5.5
Denver-Boulder KWLI 1.7 1.4 1.5
Detroit WYCD 4.7 5.7 6 #1
Miami-Hollywqood WKIS 3.5 3.7 4
Mineeapolis-St. Paul KEEY 6.2 7.2 7.2
Phoenix KMLE 2.7 3.2 3.7
Phoenix KNIX 3.7 4.2 3.9
Pittsburgh WDSY 6.4 6.2 6.7
Pittsburgh WOGG 1.5 1.9 2.1
Seattle-Tacoma KMPS 4.1 4.1 4.2
Seattle-Tacoma KKWF 3.6 4.1 4.4 nice
St. Louis KSD-FM 2.8 3.1 3.5
St. Louis WIL 5.2 5.3 5.9
Tampa WFUS 3.7 4.1 5 winner
Tampa WQYK 6.1 5.3 4.8
San Diego KSON 4 4 4.1
San Diego KUSS 2 2.2 2.1
FLAT WORLD OF FEB COUNTRY
Extra points for knowing the picture was HEAD EAST "FLAT AS A PANCAKE" in yesterday's ratings flash. Pretty flat, we are starting to see the division point between entertainment based Country stations and music oriented Country stations. Flat performances in markets where personalities were down sized and replaced with out of market talent, not making a local connection. Big morning shows make Country radio - Not name, but presentation skills.
In 6 months or less, you will see a distinct ratings difference between entertainment driven and music - Country radio presentations. The more contemporary, but relates to the life group, with a sprinkling of redneck will win. Winning morning shows will be live and local. One of the best lessons I learned was, when you go non-local, you lose the connection and the chance to promote what you do.
twitter.com/FTCtweets
facebook.com/FullThrottleCountry
Share
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
GET EM WHILE THEIR FLAT!
twitter.com/FTCtweets
facebook.com/FullThrottleCountry
Share
Wednesday Morning Meeting for March 24, 2010:
Tiger finally has been getting some sound PR advice. As he prepares for his return to golf, it's appropriate to revisit some PR advice that was dished out here during the Christmas holidays (when you weren't reading this blog). Check it...
Damage Control: What to do when your top talent gets chased with a nine iron
Hot topic for GMs, GSMs, LSMs, and PDs this morning. With so much recent focus on the Tiger Woods saga, it’s timely to discuss what to do when your station’s top talent gets into hot water. Through the years, we’ve all lived through talent getting arrested with prostitutes, personalities charged with DUI, and even petty theft. In the olden days, management simply dealt with these digressions by firing the personality. But in today’s business climate, where the public is more forgiving of “mistakes,” and top talent is tied to significant client endorsement deals, we’re often forced to make delicate decisions.
Both David Letterman and Tiger Woods have admitted to recent infidelity, but Letterman’s story was contained to a few days and Tiger’s was, well… The difference was how each camp reacted to the crisis.
So, here’s a basic list of some of what to do in a high-profile matter:
- Determine if the infraction is worthy of termination or other disciplinary action; consult the station’s attorney and appropriate HR folks. Designate a spokesperson. Order the rest of your staff to not comment on the matter.
- If termination is your decision, issue a statement (best if it is a written statement) with the proper HR language, but be sympathetic, too. One or two sentences will be fine; it’s better to say less than more. Often, it’s best not to comment on “personnel issues.” (And the public will read between the lines.)
- It becomes a little bit of a dance if you decided to stick with the talent. You’ll have three goals with your following actions: Protect your brand, protect your revenues, and calm the media/public frenzy. (Notice I didn’t say protect the talent—that’s their job).
- Immediately issue a statement stating how shocked WXXX is, then condemn the inappropriate action. Let the public know that your thoughts are with the talent’s family (or anyone who he/she hurt). Now, here’s how you start turning it around: WXXX will work with [talent] to ensure he/she gets the help they need. (Here’s where you pay for a small stint at rehab, etc…) At this point, the station can focus on the advertisers.
- Directly after the station has released its statement, have your talent issue a written statement. It should say how deeply sorry they feel about making the mistake; the talent should apologize to their family, colleagues and sponsors at WXXX, and the listeners. The talent also should ask for forgiveness, acknowledge the long road ahead of gaining trust back, and accept any resources the station will provide. At this point, the talent should focus on a comeback and keep out of the spotlight.
- Have an open and honest conversation with sponsors. Talk about the rehabilitation process for the talent and sell the dream of what’s ahead. Do this fast!
Speed is of the essence when it comes to damage control (think Letterman vs. Woods). It’s important to remember that the media needs pictures and new information to move a story. If you only issue a written statement (don’t appear on camera) and refuse further comment, you won’t fuel your own story. It’s also important to note that your HR staff is trained in HR policies and not in dealing with public perception. If retaining naughty talent, your statement will need to go beyond the standard HR “no comment.” (The stress of this decision may cause your HR person to rapidly gain weight and have immediate hair loss—sorry.)
Please contact my office if you need further assistance with a complex issue like damage control, and as always, I welcome your thoughts. Please e-mail me: bknight@harrison-edwardspr.com or follow me on Twitter@BobKnightAdMan
twitter.com/FTCtweets
facebook.com/FullThrottleCountry
Share
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
TOP TEN LIST FOR SPRING 2010
1.) IMAGING - Make sure you freshen your imaging with branding, localized, listener-based and entertaining imaging components. Make sure you do more than write a page full of sweepers. Spell out the material so it changes in your clocks from quarter hour to quarter hour. Jingles, artist drops, listener sweepers, morning show topicals, image sweepers, short sweepers and more. Use male and female voices.
2.) MORNING SHOW - Be aware of the new concepts for morning shows in the PPM world. Shorter, but entertaining. Seamless transitions between news, traffic and weather information. The show has got to be talking to the life group. Take the low-ride out methodology. Take out what doesn't work and add some fresh new ideas. STRAIT AT 8, 90'S AT 9, SALUTE TO THE TROOPS.
3.) TALENT - Does the talent know the vibe and feel of the station? Are they saying something? Make sure the talent is relating to the listeners and not delivering break after break of nonsense (music breaks). Do they relate to social media and use it? Air check the talent and work with them now and through the ratings period. Remember in the PPM world, seamless, entertaining programming will help with your consumption.
4.) ENGINEERING - How's the audio? - If your competitor is banging away and you sound like a home stereo, you need to talk to your engineer. Competitive audio will help you in the loudness game. Decide if you have a great at work signal or not. You can pimp "listen live" if you don't. Comb your digital playback system for mistakes and improper coding or labeling of elements that cause errors.
5.) PROMOTIONS - Create fun video spots to play on social media sites. Find a new and inventive, memorable and entertaining way to giveaway concert tickets and new CD's. Work with the account executives to find life group and listener targeted promotions that will work well with customers. Morning shows need to be on TV several times a month for community service, heavy local and emotional campaigns. Community service campaigns every weekend will help you relate to the real people in the life group working for a better community.
6.) SOCIAL MEDIA/WEB - The talent or a morning show team member needs to man the fort here. You need to make a connection with social media user's of your station. Simply telling everyone you have Taylor Swift concert tickets is not enough. Look at what they write in the comments when you post this. "Can I win", "Give them to me". When you bring more to the social media sites, like trivia, local impact stories, funny, comedic incident and more - The comments lines expand. Change the look of your web site. If it looks like a Holiday Inn or Best Buy web site, change it. The dynamics should look like a social media site without the hype.
7.) SALES - I defer to Glasco Media's 3-22 blog from Bob: We all know the best kind of business is repeat business. A Radio station that is working for the client results in a client that will talk about your station to other people about their success. The more the sales person and copywriter know about the product and its target, the more able they will be to generate a copy strategy that produces positive results worth talking about. Here’s a quick test you can give to anyone responsible for writing sales copy. Have them write a promo for the morning show or whatever contest that you’re currently running. Maybe even a music promo. You’ll quickly learn how much they know about the station, and how well they can communicate to the target. It will give you a good starting point to begin their education. Nuture, guide and help propel the account executives in the right direction.
8.) PRODUCTION - Programmer's need to work with production people to drag them into the 21st century. We need to cease mundane phrases and copy points. The WGN memo would work well here. Located at 3rd and Main needs to be replaces with "Call or Click" or "On retail row, Main St, downtown Oildale". Bob says in the blog this week: Does your sales staff write their own copy? In all but the largest markets, this is often the case. Regardless of who writes the copy, they must have a thorough understanding of who the target is and what the hot buttons are that will pique their interest and cause them to take action. The programmer is the “keeper of the strategic flame.” One of his or her responsibilities is to insure that sales copy also goes through the target filter.
9.) STATIONALITY - Is your station more than a music machine? Does it reflect the community and the spirit of the life group in every thing it does? A generic sounding Country station will make no mark with P-2 and P-3 user's of the station and consumers of other formats that likely cume Country. Showbiz, attitude and entertainment creates distinction between you and your competitor.
10.) MUSIC - The best road to take is a mainstream Country approach that involves contemporary Country sounding powers from the 90's and 2000's, mixed with a stable of new Country from now. www.ksks.com is a perfect example of how to balance the world of new and not so new. A balancing act is what I refer to it. Like a teeter totter and it goes both up and down, from median to lower and lower to median and higher in the demographic appeal of the song titles.
twitter.com/FTCtweets
facebook.com/FullThrottleCountry
Share
Monday, March 22, 2010
RADIO REVENUES ON THE REBOUND?
Every morning, in almost every trade, we are greeted with a story on radio revenue being up. Today INSIDE RADIO reported that revenues are up for the third straight month. Based on thirty one months of decline ahead of the return.
Did this happen because expenses and talent wages were cut so low, any forward movement shows an increase? The forward movement is happening in medium to larger markets and smaller markets are still waiting for the return.
At the first of the year, some smaller markets were still down by nine percent and looking for the light at the end of the tunnel. The bigger question is how did this happen? Was it so much of a business as usual attitude that we just let the income advantages slip away?
twitter.com/FTCtweets
facebook.com/FullThrottleCountry
Share
Did this happen because expenses and talent wages were cut so low, any forward movement shows an increase? The forward movement is happening in medium to larger markets and smaller markets are still waiting for the return.
At the first of the year, some smaller markets were still down by nine percent and looking for the light at the end of the tunnel. The bigger question is how did this happen? Was it so much of a business as usual attitude that we just let the income advantages slip away?
twitter.com/FTCtweets
facebook.com/FullThrottleCountry
Share
Sunday, March 21, 2010
WHAT THE REGULAR FOLKS SAY ABOUT ARBITRON
When you get a telemarketing call or solicitor, you can search the number and leave comments on the web site. Here's what the regular folks say about Arbitron:
please list Arbitron's owner's PERSONAL PHONE NUMBERS so we can call them and see how they like it. Hopefully they will get the point of what their "business" really does - harass people at home.
When I get their numbers my call is going to go like this:
"Hello, I'm calling to do a survey on people's thoughts on receiving phone calls on surveys. Do you
A: Welcome the survery calls - love talking to strangers on the phone
B: Find them annoying
C: Too busy to talk - call again later
Thank you for your time - I will call again in a few days to see if you changed your answer.
Have a great day."
Please people are a ROYAL pain in the butt. They had called many times until I finally answered to see who this was. They said that they wanted to do a survey on radio station. I told them that I didn't want to do it and please not to call again. I also pointed out that we are on the National Do Not Call List. The guy said that surveys were exempt from that. I said that I knew that but proceeded to say, "Now that I have asked you not to call me, you have to honor that". He them responsed in a very snarky tone, "Is that so, mamm"? I said, that it was and that I NEVER do surveys and that my time was valuable. Then he had the balls to ask me if there was anyone else at home will to do his survey. I told him that I was the homeowner along with my husband and NO you can't talk to anyone else. The following day someone who referred to himself as a supervisor called and said that he wanted to explain why they wanted me to do the survey since it is so important to the local media. At this point, I BLEW A GASKET! I told him that I could care less about the radio stations getting this info and that this was their last chance to stop calling me or I'd report them. This fellow was more nasty than the first guy and said,"Oh, yeally, is that how it works"? I said that it does work that way, that he was invading my home and if they called again that I would indeed report them so someone. At that point he said, "Well, I guess we can't count on you to help us"! What a jerk! They haven't called again, YET. If they do, I have friends both at the local offices of Clear Channel and another more local group called Leighton Broadcasting. I say that my time is valuable and it is, but I am so irritated at this point that I will take as much of what I perceive asmy valuable time to cause these idiots some serious grief! Well, that's my rant for410 312-8222 = Arbitron
Caller: Arbitron - Columbia, MD | Verizon this morning! Thanks for reading and good luck to all you lucky folks who must deal with these people!
twitter.com/FTCtweets
facebook.com/FullThrottleCountry
Share
please list Arbitron's owner's PERSONAL PHONE NUMBERS so we can call them and see how they like it. Hopefully they will get the point of what their "business" really does - harass people at home.
When I get their numbers my call is going to go like this:
"Hello, I'm calling to do a survey on people's thoughts on receiving phone calls on surveys. Do you
A: Welcome the survery calls - love talking to strangers on the phone
B: Find them annoying
C: Too busy to talk - call again later
Thank you for your time - I will call again in a few days to see if you changed your answer.
Have a great day."
Please people are a ROYAL pain in the butt. They had called many times until I finally answered to see who this was. They said that they wanted to do a survey on radio station. I told them that I didn't want to do it and please not to call again. I also pointed out that we are on the National Do Not Call List. The guy said that surveys were exempt from that. I said that I knew that but proceeded to say, "Now that I have asked you not to call me, you have to honor that". He them responsed in a very snarky tone, "Is that so, mamm"? I said, that it was and that I NEVER do surveys and that my time was valuable. Then he had the balls to ask me if there was anyone else at home will to do his survey. I told him that I was the homeowner along with my husband and NO you can't talk to anyone else. The following day someone who referred to himself as a supervisor called and said that he wanted to explain why they wanted me to do the survey since it is so important to the local media. At this point, I BLEW A GASKET! I told him that I could care less about the radio stations getting this info and that this was their last chance to stop calling me or I'd report them. This fellow was more nasty than the first guy and said,"Oh, yeally, is that how it works"? I said that it does work that way, that he was invading my home and if they called again that I would indeed report them so someone. At that point he said, "Well, I guess we can't count on you to help us"! What a jerk! They haven't called again, YET. If they do, I have friends both at the local offices of Clear Channel and another more local group called Leighton Broadcasting. I say that my time is valuable and it is, but I am so irritated at this point that I will take as much of what I perceive asmy valuable time to cause these idiots some serious grief! Well, that's my rant for410 312-8222 = Arbitron
Caller ID: 410 312-8222 Arbitron
twitter.com/FTCtweets
facebook.com/FullThrottleCountry
Share
Saturday, March 20, 2010
THE WOLF EATS THE FACE OFF OF FACEBOOK WITH NEW MORNING SHOW
Great example of two-way communication at 104.3 The Wolf in Peoria
with Facebook comments on morning show thoughts and quips, instead
week long bonding on social media with a new morning co-host being
introduced into the market and station. There were a few "what happened
to" earlier and as the personality spectrum of the morning show moves
forward, the social media and on air recognition of new personality is
critical to build the show. The video is a prime example of a new media
weekend promo. Good stuff!
twitter.com/FTCtweets
facebook.com/FullThrottleCountry
Share
with Facebook comments on morning show thoughts and quips, instead
week long bonding on social media with a new morning co-host being
introduced into the market and station. There were a few "what happened
to" earlier and as the personality spectrum of the morning show moves
forward, the social media and on air recognition of new personality is
critical to build the show. The video is a prime example of a new media
weekend promo. Good stuff!
104.9 The Wolf You heard it this morning we were discussing whose cars are messier? Is it guys or girls? Here is video of John and Jaymies cars... Figure out and post which car you think Johns is. Car #1 or #2... Hear the results Monday morning on The Wolf.
Length:2:24
twitter.com/FTCtweets
facebook.com/FullThrottleCountry
Share
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)