Sunday Driving with CMR's Tony and Kris

Meet Tony Randall & Kris Rochester of the Tony and Kris Show. They have been in the radio business since they were teens. Both began in 1986, Tony at 18, Kris at 16. The guys worked at several different small stations in the Gadsden-Anniston area of Alabama before meeting in 1991.

They immediately hit it off & decided to put together a morning show. Shortly thereafter, they got a job at WHMA-FM where the two completely inexperienced morning men had great success. Ten months later they were offered the morning job at country monster KSON-FM in San Diego, CA. Tony & Kris spent a fantastic 10 years there, where they won the ACM award for Major Market Broadcast Personalities of the Year & were nominated for a CMA for the same. They spent 5 more years at a cross-town station.
All the while, their dream was to one day bring their show to a nationwide audience & as owners of Tony & Kris Productions, LLC, initially partnering with Cumulus Broadcasting & under the watchful eyes of Jan Jeffries, they are doing just that!

Also you can join Tony and Kris tonight when they a host a LIVE Tweetcasting/Facebook party in honor of the ACM Awards. To participate just use the hashtag #TKACM on Twitter or you can go to Facebook.com/TonyandKrisShow.  For more details visit http://bit.ly/TKacmTweetFBparty

Favorite thing about your job?
TONY: Allows me to be creative & funny & I don't have to sit behind a desk all day.
KRIS:  Working with best friend/fun
Where are you answering these questions from?
TONY: Our beautiful Music Row studios.
KRIS: Music Row
What are you wearing?
TONY: Jeans, a t-shirt & Chuck Taylors.
KRIS: Jeans and Sweatshirt
How did you get started in Broadcasting? 
TONY: I was a theatre/music major in college. Thought it would be fun to be on the college radio station so I changed major to theatre/communications & the rest is history.
KRIS: Decided when I was 12 that I could/wanted to do what Mark and Brian were doing.  Started hanging out at WQEN and went from there
What are 3 items you CAN NOT live without?TONY: 1. iPod 2. Television 3. Computer
KRIS: iPhone, iPhone, iPhone
Favorite item of clothing/jewelry/accessory?
TONY: I'm 42. I don't wear jewelry or accessorize. Fav item is probably any number of t-shirts I own.
KRIS: ear Buds, cause you can keep people from talking to you at the gym when wearing them.. LOL
Have you ever been in a fight?
TONY: Punches thrown? No. I always talk my way out of it.
KRIS: Yes, I'm a redneck
What is the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning?
TONY: How tired I still am. Every weekday. How hungover I am. Every weekend day.
KRIS: Check twitter to see what happened while I was asleep
Is there anything that you regret?TONY: I have a lot. I had a really great childhood. Fishing with my dad. Playing games with my mom. TONS of great high
school memories as well.
KRIS: Oh yeah, everybody has those
What are your fondest childhood memories?
TONY: Maybe I should, but no. Life is too short. Learn the lesson & move forward.
KRIS: Too many to mention
What current event has your eyes and ears?TONY: ACM Awards. Lots of show content & we'll be Live Tweeting during the show Sunday night. Also, the Libya situation. What am I doing about that? Not going to Libya.
KRIS: CMA Music Festival, planning shows to bring tourist to Nashville and push country even more to the forefront
How do you use Social Media in your industry for productivity?
TONY: Two biggest uses are as a sounding board for show topics & for promotion of the show itself.
KRIS: Another way to communicate what's happening on the show
What is your favorite website?
TONY: Huffingtonpost.com
KRIS: www.tonyandkris.com :)
If you had a Super Power what would it be?
TONY: Teleportation. I hate being stuck in traffic.
KRIS: Invisible
Which famous people do you admire?
TONY: A general admiration for any leader in the free world. Immense power, immense responsibility, immense scrutiny. An impossible situation for anyone.
KRIS:  Paul Shaffer, he has played with every great artist ever.  I mean name someone he has not played with
What is your favorite movie?
TONY: I'm a HUGE movie buff. I can't pick one "favorite." Godfather I & II would rank in the top group though.
KRIS: Jaws, here is a guy that can't swim, nobody is supporting and he's on a sinking boat being circled by a shark.  Pretty intense
Favorite snack?
TONY: Ice Cream. Beacuse it's delicious!
KRIS: I love a Hershey bar.  Love chocolate
How do you balance your work with other obligations - mate, children, hobbies?
TONY: I'm lucky in that I have a career that allows me to stir in healthy doses of my real life to my job. It makes it a little easier. I'm able to spend more time at home than a lot of men. Still, years of missed mornings with the family are challenging. Balance is required but I don't always succeed. I just do the best I can.
KRIS: Did not do a good job and that's why I'm divorced.  Now I just have a schedule and surround myself with people that understand that sometimes I have obligations
Do you get nervous about anything?
TONY: As a theatre major & working actor for many years, I've never been bothered when singing in a show. However, if I'm singing as "me", like at a wedding or bar or other performance, it's a little nerve-racking.
KRIS: Not really.
If you could meet anyone in the world dead or alive who would it be, and what would say to them?
TONY: I honestly can't think of anyone. Meeting "famous" or "infamous" people holds no interest for me. Kris & I have skipped more chances to meet people than most folks will ever have. I don't say that to sound snotty, it's just the way we are. I believe that's why we get along so well with artists, etc. We treat & talk to them as normal people, as opposed to "famous" ones.
KRIS: John Lennon or Johnny Cash.  Love to hear the storys they could tell
What is your hobby or do you collect anything?TONY: Music, reading, cooking & movies are my top interests. They're all a different escape that allow me to turn off my brain for a while & just enjoy something for the simple pleasure of it.
KRIS: Watch Alabama Football, cause I'm a Bama Boy and that's what we do.
What chore to you hate?
TONY: Folding laundry. Slow, tedious work. Ugh.
KRIS: Laundry
Do you have an animal/s?
TONY: We have 2 dogs. Mia (Yorkie) & Bentley (Maltipoo). I'm a huge dog lover. When the kids were younger, we had a zoo. Dogs, cats, lizards, snake, chinchilla, rabbit, hamster. It was ridiculous!
KRIS: Nope
Mac or PC?
TONY: Mac!
KRIS: Mac
Ginger or Mary Ann?
TONY: Mary Ann. Not sure who I'm more like, but she seems less high-maintenance.
KRIS: Mary Ann
Craziest thing you have ever done?
TONY: I exercise my 5th Amendment rights on this one. Not sure about the statute of limitations on it.
KRIS: Can't print

Meet Blake Shelton: Newest Opry Member & Pretty Freaking Funny Guy!

Recently I was a panelist/speaker at the #BrandsConf in New York addressing the Humanization of Brands as they exist on the cyber plain. As Larry Pareigis CEO/President of Nine North Records and I discussed what creates a Social Media presence that draws others in, we paid kudos to Blake Shelton for his enigmatic use of Twitter, as a vehicle to connect, engage and entertain followers.

Shelton who made his Country Music debut in 2001 with single "Austin"  has charted seventeen singles, including seven Number One hits but caught my eye when he started using Twitter as a way to express his "Socialality".....and that he does: Going to battle with PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) in his anecdotal way and making outrageously funny comments to followers, including dialog with his "family jewels"!

In an amazing achievement, Shelton was inducted to the Grand Ole Opry just before claiming 2010 CMA Male Vocalist of the Year.

-MORE-

The New Twitter

It occurred to me that Twitter has weaved its way into the very fabric of Multi Media content thus becoming content. It is evident now more than ever with new TV shows popping about popular Twitter pages like "$#*! My Dad Says" and "Shh Don't Tell Steve" that Twitter has found it's niche.

From Twitters Blog:

"Look at segments like Jimmy Fallon's Late Night hashtags, where Tweets from viewers aren't a gimmick; they're great content. Look at sites like the Huffington Post, where Tweets underscore and amplify the headlines whenever there's a big story brewing. Look at live shows like the VMAs, where Twitter came alive on a 95-foot-wide screen."

"With the launch of the new Twitter, the ways that media fits into Twitter.com are just as important. Whenever there's a new movie release, a TV show premiere, a big football game, or a breaking news story, people are talking about it on Twitter. With the new Twitter, they're seeing glimpses of it, too, because photos and videos are now presented as part of the core Twitter experience"

Twitter is a great place to uncover and discover new things and even test the water on new ideas. I have about 5 fledgling dot coms that I am working with and through Twitter I am able to determine level of interest and know where I should spend more time developing.

Earlier this month, Kevin Thau, Twitter's Vice President of business and corporate development made the distinction during a presentation at Nokia World 2010. According to Thau, Twitter is not a social network. It's for news, content and information.

In my humble opinion, Twitter is getting its second wind with the New Twitter. I am so blown away with the functionality and new experience that it provides. The New version has not been released to everyone, I have only had in a couple days. My friend Anita Nelson owner of ModelSupplies.com did a really nice blog post featuring the "New Twitter" and kindly agreed to let me share it in my Finger Candy Friday post.



THE NEW TWITTER by Anita Nelson

But like all new things, New Twitter is going to take a little getting used to. It’s kind of like rolling up on a new app for Twitter, you look around, reaching for the familiar areas. There are no familiar areas in the New Twitter. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, I’ve had it for so short a time, I’ve yet to form an opinion, but I did take some screenshots to share since I know everyone is not so lucky to have it yet. Here is what we will be working with from now on…

MORE

Twitter Followers Better Than Facebook Fans?

Twitter Followers are more likely to induce advocacy and future purchases than Facebook Fans who often become fans or "like" a brand on Facebook because they already use your product or service and already a fan in real life and according to eMarketer.com,  it may be more difficult for them to actually increase their spending or advocate for the brand more than they did before “liking.”

Daily Twitter users who followed a brand were more than twice as likely as daily Facebook users who “liked” a brand to say they were more likely to purchase from the brand after becoming a social media follower. What’s more, Facebook fans were the most likely group to actively disagree with the question. Subscribers to opt-in marketing emails fell in the middle.

Marketers looking to push out the most effective messages to opt-in recipients must understand how audiences differ across channels and what causes them to connect with brands. Marketing venues that seem similar may differ strongly if their users have different needs and motivations.

READ MORE

Why Twitter Is A Great Place to Influence People

by Jessica Northey
I talk about Twitter ALOT as one of the greatest Social Media Platforms out there. I always knew why but sometimes fell short articulating the statistics, see my brain works creatively and I have had GREAT results from Twitter so I don't always think about the math. It is always amazing when you read something and have one of those "A-HA" moments.

Sunday Driving on Full Throttle County with Country Music's Larry Pareigis

by Jessica Northey

How do you describe Larry Pareigis, President, Nine North Records/Turnpike Music? He’s tall, I mean he’s really tall, standing at 6 foot 5, he’s as nice as the day is long, smarter than anyone I have ever met, loves to go to the gym and passionate about all things music, especially country music.

 Larry is responsible for breaking acts like the Dixie Chicks, Gretchen Wilson, Montgomery Gentry, Van Zant, Miranda Lambert, Buddy Jewell & many more.
 If you are on Twitter he is also known as @NineNorthLP. He has over 22,000 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."

A Tale of Two Tweets: The Power of Listening to Others

Once upon a time there was a girl and a Guy, seriously, a guy named Guy and a girl, named Amy.

About a week ago, I read a tweet from Amy Jo Martin aka @DigitalRoyalty that she left her iPad on a US Airways Plane.
"Please help, @USAirways! Left my iPad in seat 15A on flight 544 - Vancouver to Phoenix. Plane is headed to DFW now. :("

Twitter Usage In America & Social Media MAYhem

If you haven't checked out the latest study from Edison Research/Arbitron Internet and Multimedia Research you can download here:
Twitter Usage In America: 2010
Hope you get plenty of use out of this report!

As you know Social Media has the power to take your communication one step further – to the listener’s turf. With this power...comes great responsibility...just kidding but seriously you now have the power to FIND them where THEY are....and bring them BACK to YOU!

FINGER CANDY FRIDAY: Combining the Power of Mobile Marketing & Social Media

Combining the Power of Mobile Marketing & Social Media

Mobile marketing is a natural extension of social media. If you are successful in promoting your business and spreading word of mouth advertising by “creating apostles” to your business with social media then mobile marketing is the next step to take to increase your customer interaction, frequency and sales.

These platforms from Twitter, Facebook, mobile marketing and now new sites that are showing huge promise such as Groupon and FourSquare can all be used effectively alone. Where we see the big difference and missed opportunity for small business owners is the question how to run multiple social/mobile marketing platforms together and integrated with each other.

FINGER CANDY FRIDAY - THIS WEEK: Twitter vs. SMS Text Messaging

TWITTER VS. SMS TEXT MESSAGE MARKETING

If you ask 100 people whether you should use Twitter for you business your likely to get split answers. Twitter is undoubtedly very popular and it can provide sales and a new level of customer interaction for your business. There are several benefits and weaknesses to using Twitter for your small business, lets take a look at them when compared to SMS text message marketing.

FINGER CANDY FRIDAY: Social Media Trifeca-Part I

"The right message, to the right people, the right amount of times."

This is the Holy Grail of  Advertising: Getting the message you want, transmitted to the ideal audience and having it hit right when you want it.
You can have a great commercial but buy a very small schedule or maybe you put a commercial that speaks to Women fifty plus on the alternative rock station.

Easy to see how those scenarios wouldn't work. The same rules apply to Social Media Marketing efforts. Understanding how your target audience (as defined by gender, age, and geography) uses Social Media will determine your goals and strategy.
SO....What is the "right message"?  Who are the "right people"? And what exactly is the "right amount" of times?

Finger Candy Friday: Meet KNIX's Matt McAllister(@BenAndMatt)

GET SOCIAL with @JessicaNorthey
THIS WEEK I caught up with KNIX Country's Matt McAllister and am excited for you to get to know someone I really admire.   I have followed the career of Phoenix's KNIX Morning Show Co-Host for awhile now.  He is dedicated to putting the highest quality programming on the air. Matt is a very talented On-Air Personality who is in tune with the Country Music audience.  I was really excited about reading his submission for SocialMediology.com.  He really has a great understanding of how to integrate Social Media into Traditional Media and enhance the relationship with listeners. I expect more great things to come from Matt! - @JessicaNorthey

HOW KNIX USES SOCIAL MEDIA

with KNIX's Morning Show Co-Host Matt McAllister

Using social networking to promote your show isn’t just something that you “can” do, it’s something that you must do! The whole face of the radio game has completely changed in the last 10 years and we are seeing the marquis shows that couldn’t adapt to this new world get phased out. It’s unreal but you look at a market like San Diego, and every big name show has disappeared in the last few years…shows that have been around for 20 years or more, and dominated the market.

Part of that is a result of the economy with radio companies no longer willing or able to spend millions of dollars on one show anymore. But I firmly believe that another component of these old school shows leaving the ring is the fact that some of them didn’t adapt to the way listeners want to interact with their radio talent nowadays. The old days of “listen from 6-10am” are over. In fact, the on-air part of our show is now about 1/3 of our total presence in our listeners lives. The other 2 moving parts to the equation are live appearances and social networking. These days people are so used to getting what they want instantly! You have to provide it or they will find it somewhere else. They want and expect total access and we, as talent should feel honored they want to share our lives with theirs.

We post quizzes on Facebook and Twitter every morning to compliment what we are doing on the air. We also make use of an in-studio webcam and post daily blogs and updates on our website. In fact, as I sit here writing this article I’m having 5 to 6 conversations in Facebook IM with listeners who want to know what I’m doing right now. I handle most of the communication online for our show, and it’s a full time job. My iPhone blows up all day and I’m always posting updates and pictures to keep our audience engaged.

Nowadays it’s not uncommon for me to watch tv shows with our listeners and share observations the night before we talk about the show on the air. It’s a great way to gather material and lines from our audience, there is also something comforting about staying connected all the time.

Or maybe it’s just a sick addiction and I need help. Either way…it’s the industry standard for us now-so we better embrace it or find ourselves on the sideline…

Matt McAllister

mattmcallister@clearchannel.com
102.5 KNIX
Phoenix, AZ

MORE INFO ABOUT BEN & MATT

http://www.knixcountry.com

http://twitter.com/benandmatt

on Facebook

twitter.com/FTCtweets
facebook.com/FullThrottleCountry

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FINGER CANDY FRIDAY: 15 Reasons You Should Be Blogging

15 Reasons You Should Be Blogging from Jessica Northey
TUCSON,AZ-Microblogging sites like Twitter and Facebook are popular because they are easy.  Easy to setup, easy to post links and pictures, takes less than a minute to use, requires no organized thought, prep or investigation.  It’s just 140 characters.  However, if you are serious about sharing your ideas, beliefs and building a stronger relationship with others, than you need to add full-on blogging to your marketing tools. You can also use blogging to provide more content to your Tweeting, Linking and FeeBing (Facebooking).

“Are You Being Followed?” Finger Candy Friday from @JessicaNorthey

Are you being followed? I am, by more than 40,000 people and am often asked how I do it. Honestly, it's not rocket science. However I do refer to myself as a SocialMediologist. "Social" meaning a "friendly gathering," "media" meaning "a form of communication," and "ologist" means "one who studies a subject." I get results because: a) have a follow strategy and b) let my Socialality shine. Just like your Personality, your Socialality should reflect you or your brands unique attributes including behavioral, temperamental, emotional and mental that give you character! For a Radio station this will be closely tied to your format!

Finger Candy Friday: Goodbye 09 and Hello 2010!

This time last year, I don’t think anyone was thinking about Social Media the way they are now.  My grandparents have a blog, my Mom is addicted to Facebook and my 25 year-old Sister is a Tweet-a-holic.  The world is a-changing and either you grow or you get left behind!  I try to help stay ahead, let you know what is out there and how with a few simple tricks you can tame and master your Social Media presence.

Finger Candy Friday (err Thursday) on Pepsi, Happy New Year and Social Media in 2010

Happy New Years Eve and Welcome to 2010-almost.
I recently saw this headline, “Pepsi drops Super Bowl for Social Media.”  In case you didn’t hear, last week Pepsi announced that for the First time in 23 years, Pepsi's millions for advertising will go elsewhere.

Saturday Morning and Some Helpful Social Media Suggestions for Job Seekers

It was a very long week! I am glad to just sit down at the computer and free-think for awhile.  It is amazing how the meaning of Christmas changes as well get older.  I remember gathering around the tree and being so excited to open presents.  I remember asking for whimsical gifts rather than tires for my car, like this year!

I enjoyed the true meaning of spending Christmas with my family and the religious beliefs I have that go with that! It was wonderful!  I also took Sissy with me to my Dad's parents and she worked the room like a Socialite but for food.  She only weighs 4 and half pounds but I think she is an even 5lbs today! It's hard to say no to those big browns

Finger Candy Friday on Thursday: Social Media in 2010...Predictions, Observations, Ideas.

I started this thought collection the other week and have gathered such great information. I find it interesting to hear your thoughts, ideas and predictions about Social Media in 2010.  I wonder what it would have looked like if I said 2020? Another  time....it is my greatest hope that you are enjoying the festivities of the season!  I have been spending time with American family visiting from the Middle East.  They use Social Media the same as us, but for them it is even more important, it is a tool to break away from the shackles of censorship. As we sit safely behind our desk, or in our homes the thought of the powerful ability to transfer our messages to the world is not what we are generally thinking.  We just want to be heard and feel important in society or maybe we are looking to sort through our own observations and diary them for future generations.  As we grow towards the future it is very evident to me how we search less for information as it seems to find us! Anytime I turn on my computer I am instantly greeted with local and National news.  I remember having to wait for the traffic report on the radio or the local news on the 10’s.  I can text, click or call to find out anything I want or need now. So we know how our audience uses media, what are we doing to be there with them as they consume?

Merry Christmas Eve and ENJOY!

Social Media in 2010-Predictions, Observations and Opinions PART I

FINGER CANDY FRIDAY with Jessica Northey

With the first decade of the 21st century under our belt, we are all wondering what to expect during the next ten?  As we look forward to the future of Social Media I draw from my own network of friends and colleagues for their thoughts, ideas and expert opinions.  Over the next few weeks we will present you with Social Media options, predictions and opportunities. This is a work in progress and if you have any suggestions and/or predictions they are welcome!

Whats Happening? Whats On Your Mind? What Are You Doing? from @JessicaNorthey

How do you answer these questions? It’s not polite or good SocialMediquette to divulge your bathroom practices, and unless you are looking for some menu ideas, discussing eating habits can be pretty lame as well. One of the questions people ask me the most is: “what should I tweet or post about?”


This is a question that can make or break you in Social Media.  I refer to it as, “Your Socialality.”
What does that mean you ask? Just like your Personality, your Socialality should reflect you or your brands unique attributes including behavioral, temperamental, emotional and mental that give you character!