The R I B Cage

Radio and Records Closes

2009-06-03T16:01:00.001-04:00

The news of Radio and Records, or R&R as it has come to be known, was not surprising but not expected either. Radio and Records opened it's doors in 1973. It became an industry beacon over the years and each issue was anticipated with great interest and excitement. I've read some managers had to lock the current issue up until they had read it before lending it out to other staff. However, the proliferation of radio industry websites in recent years has made it more competitive to get news and information out. Consolidation of the radio industry also has removed much of the healthy competition not only for listener market share, but also for the businesses that served the radio industry. Broadcast equipment companies, jingle production companies, etc have fewer customers to sell to. Yes, the number of radio stations to service are still there, but the number of (potential) clients has dropped. This affects the revenue to the related industries. As revenue drops, many companies suffering cut their ad budgets. This really is the last thing a company should cut, and radio sales executives face that challenge everyday. When these budgets are cut, the industry trade publications that offer you great resources of information also lose revenue. And so decisions need to be made. The economy hasn't helped either. With a bittersweet sentiment, the internet has made it more and more difficult for print publications to survive. But Radio and Records is indicative of how the radio industry is slow to adapt to change, and slow to embrace a progressive business model that caters to an internet/digital media audience. If the radio industry continues to be ignorant of this it will suffer the same fate as radio's customers (the advertisers) are becoming part of the internet/digital media audience (the listeners).

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Staying True to Local

2009-05-30T13:42:00.001-04:00

I read this with interest:

Local stations' best hope may be to focus on what Internet radio can't do well, but which they themselves have largely neglected -- catering to the interests and tastes of their neighbors. If FM outlets can do that, they don't have to get left off the dial. If they can't, they won't be missed.

Rob Pegoraro - Fast Forward: Web Radio Hits the Road - washingtonpost.com

Many of us in the industry, whether we are sitting on the sidelines watching or some that are in the game have been saying for many years: If radio would focus on being local, it will thrive. Too many large groups have missed the mark. Being local isn't just about news, weather and traffic. And it is also not about a Saturday remote at the car dealership handing out t-shirts and bumper stickers. It is about listening to your audience and playing what they want, not what a small focus group likes. One station I worked at, we were required to write down every request that we took. Every one. Why? Because it gave the programming department a better idea of what the listeners wanted. Yes, there were a handful (literally a few) listeners that called in regularly with the same song requests, however it did not cause any great issue in creating a playlist the majority of listeners wanted. Does your station do this now?

Radio has such a better opportunity and is in such a better position than some other media to really help its local businesses using texting applications. Imagine this: Telling your listeners to text their location to you, using an app like BriteKite.com, when they get to the local grocery store. And when you get that update from them (because you follow your listeners back on the prefered social media network), you send them a coupon code for a free 2 litre soda that they can use right on the spot. You do this randomly. "Stay tuned, later this hour I have a coupon code that I will text to your cell phone for ABC Grocery on Main Street. But you have to tell me you are there using Google Latitude or BriteKite". Why use these location apps? So you know, or have a better idea of how many people are really at your customers store.

This is just another suggestion on how local radio can still survive, thrive and win!

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Social Media 101

2009-04-21T02:17:00.002-04:00

Let's get one thing straight. If your station does not have a FaceBook (FB) presence, you need to get on it now. And I'll do what I can to help you figure FB and every other Social Media website out, if you stick around and subscribe. But I have to tell you, some stations that are signing up for FB are going about it the wrong way. They have signed up with a regular user account! Why is this bad? For a several reasons...

FB frowns on users having multiple accounts
FB intentionally created Fan Pages for businesses
Advertising your Fan Page is more professional than advertising your Personal Profile page
Fan Pages have analytics! Helloooo! Don't you want to know the demographics visiting your page?
You can manage multiple Fan Pages with one account
You can import your Announcer Blogs into a Fan Page through RSS feeds
You can send a message to all your Fans with one click

Let's take these one by one. FB has strict Terms of Service and will shut down anyone with multiple accounts. So, if you have assigned the FB account to an intern, and they get caught, you lose your FB presence. Then you have to go through a bunch of rigamoro with FB to get it reinstated. So, best to play by the rules and limit the surprizes.

Face Book anticipated people creating multiple accounts; one for personal, one for business, one for hobby, etc. So FB came up with an alternative solution: Fan Pages. Fan Pages are for businesses, public figures and anything people can be a fan of, like radio! They are similar to a regular profile account, but there are differences.

When you advertise your FB page anywhere, it is more professional for a business to have a Fan Page, rather than a regular account. It's similar to the ideology that it is better to have a Top Level Domain name for your website, rather than using a Geocities website. Also, on FB you can target your ads to members in your listening area! By having a Fan Page, you can then analyze the demographics of people visiting. If you are a station that targets 18-24 females in Scranton, PA, you can target your FB ads to reach that demo! The analytics is one reason to have a Fan Page over a Group too.

If you have a cluster of stations, it is easier to manage all the Fan Pages with one log in, rather than having multiple log ins for multiple accounts. This saves time and effort. All analytics are measured from one log in, for each fan Page you have. And it is easier to remove people you have given admin privileges to.

Since the Fan Page is similar to a regular user profile, you can add applications such as an RSS reader that allows you to pull in your Announcer's blogs. You are probably already doing this on your station's website (or you should be), but the advantage here is that when a blog is updated, it can post to the Fan Page status, which in turn will show up on your fan's profile page. And, should a fan decide to leave a comment to that status, your fan's friends will get a link in reference to that comment, which will entice them to also see your station's Fan Page. This is set up in your favor! It is made to help you get more "followers" which will in turn create more loyal listeners.

And finally, you can send a message to your fans with a simple click. So, you can send out contest remonders, sever weather alerts, and special offers from your advertisers to your Fans. And that can be appealing to your advertisers. You can also use FB Connect on your website to connect your listeners to your Fan Page. At a minimum you should include a standardized FB logo and link to your Fan Page to make it easy for your listeners to connect with you on FB.

One final word on setting up your Fan Page, which actually applies to all Social Media sites you set up: Make sure there are multiple "administrators" for your communities. Seriously, your business manager should have access, just in case you need to change the personelle in your programming and/or promotions department. But, you probably knew that already.

Stick around and subscribe! Next we'll talk about Twitter!

Follow me and if you need any help with your Social Media integration, fee free to conact me at 860-506-3768.

Free Music!

2009-04-13T12:23:00.001-04:00

I read Holland Cooke's article that was published today on Inside Radio. Holland shared the link through Face Book. You can read it here. This got me thinking, and ranting in my own mind! We've been hearing about the labels desire to tax radio stations for many years. After all, as Holland points out, that's what they do in other Countries. But will it really come to that here in the USA? Are the labels that hungry, to bite the hand that feeds them?

Well, we see what they are doing to Internet radio with royalty fees. It is really frustrating to see bands like Metallica on this band wagon too. After all, the ONLY reason for their rise in popularity in the late 80's and early 90's was due to "file sharing"; fans made copies of Metallica's music and shared it with their friends, and so on. That's how I was introduced to Metallica! (Sorry I won't link to them. They don't like to be shared.) But I digress.

The issue at hand is whether radio stations should pay the record labels for each song that is played. This is a model that seems to work in other Countries, so from the labels perspective why not here too? The problem with the label's theory is that we live in a different world now than we did 50, 25, 10 even 5 years ago! The proliferation of sharing information through the Internet is a different way of thinking and doing business. If you think about it, Radio is an anologous file sharing system. People get their news, weather and traffic information "shared" with them for free. And listeners get to hear "content" for free, whether it be music, talk, theater, etc. It has been with Radio's "file sharing" help that so many musical artists have been successful.

The Internet makes it so easy now to gain an audience, and a following. If I were a musical artist, I would self publish. And I think there are enough good independent artists to keep music alive on the radio without the need for record labels. It is a matter of radio managers being smart and putting more self publishing acts on their stations. With Social Networking, a station could easily find and add thousands of songs by independent artists to the play list and slowly weed off the dependence of the record labels.

It has to be said that Radio stations are just as guilty for allowing this dependence on record labels too. By eliminating music directors positions, and taking away the Program Directors ability to add music that the local audience wants, in lieu of some corporate mandated playlist! Some stations do have a Home Grown show. Why not put more of these local musicians in regular rotation? Radio has set itself up for this scenerio from the record labels. But threatening to switch to all Talk is not the answer. I think making an effort to find and play more independant artists is a more productive and more cost effective solution. Radio needs to understand that people now have a choice of what to listen to via the Internet, via iPods. But if you put your play list in their hands, and allow (enlist) them to find independent artists you will once again beat the odds.

Social Networking for Radio

2009-03-20T15:11:00.001-04:00

I had to do it. I couldn't let the idea sit on my desk any longer. I have been toying with the idea of creating a Social Network for Radio Professionals. A place for radio people to congregate, collaborate and create. A place of mutual respect and admiration for each others successes, no matter how big or small the successes might seem. A place to support each others growth in this medium and to share resources and ideas for the betterment of the radio community as a whole. It's like "open source" for IT professionals, but this is "open source for radio". A place to learn or advance your knowledge about programming, promotions and production. Or, learn what it takes to move up the radio ladder into the position of your dreams. In this Social Network for Radio Professionals, you can learn how to navigate your way around radio in the new world, especially with new media sites like Twitter and FaceBook. Learn how to use these tools and help your radio brand (whether that be you as a personality, or your station) grow. In this place you can keep up with industry news and even stay connected with your state's broadcasting association! Radio professionals have been seeking THIS type of community, but no one is building it. Well now, I am.

You now can witness the birth and growth of Radio x, if you get invited (sorry, I can't give you the name of it yet either). Yes, it's exclusive right now. It's not about quantity, it's about quality. A lesson many radio executives need to learn. For the first 100 days, it will be limited to 100 people. Once we get 100 people, membership will be locked until June 28th. During this 100 days, if you get invited, you will get to participate in the development of what it will become. You might even get to rub elbows with some of the Industry's movers and shakers. You will also lock in your free lifetime membership at premium levels. The basic site will always be free, but we will be adding premium levels of membership. Hey, there will be valuable stuff from industry experts here, well worth a premium upgrade at some point. But if you are one of the first 100, you will not have to worry about it!

To request your invitation, contact me by going to this page and send me an email: http://contact.charlieprofit.com (you can even chat with me if I am online!) If you are serious about making a difference in radio (during these times when one of radio best companies to work for at one time, is headed for bankruptcy due to mismanagement at the executive level) then now is the time to act. Once you contact me, I will send you an invite to Radio x, if I still have them to send out. Otherwise, I will let you know membership is full and I will send you an invitation on June 28th, 2009. Keep in mind I want serious radio professionals only.

Technorati Tags: radio, social media

Neilson Hired for Radio Research in 51 Markets

2009-03-06T16:29:00.001-05:00

This recent article in AdAge tells readers that Nielson, the television ratings company, is now testing radio audience measurement "at participating Clear Channel and Cumulus stations".

Nielsen: Young Adults Do Listen to Radio - Advertising Age - MediaWorks

Results from the leading media-measurement company's first U.S. pilot study of radio listening, in Lexington, Ky., indicate a potential reversal of a trend that has been working against radio for the past decade: a supposed decline in radio listening among adults 18 to 34.

Am I glad to hear that the 18-34 year old's are returning to radio? I would be if it were true. And maybe in Lexington, Kentucky that is the case. Who am I to argue when I don't have any counter evidence myself? The problem with these surveys is that people know they are surveys! Sometimes people will tell you want you want to hear, just like how one can make statistics say what they want, with the proper manipulation of the results. I don't know about you but I get queasy whenever I hear of companies hired to do market research for radio, by radio. What a waste of resources.

The next test of Nielsen's radio measurement will be an eight-week spring survey that begins this week in 51 small to midsize markets at participating Clear Channel and Cumulus stations.

Jess Hanson, Clear Channel Radio's senior VP-research, declared the Lexington findings a confirmation of what the radio company has been struggling to prove to advertisers about its young audience. One problem has been that studies done by phone don't measure listeners without landlines. "We've known it's harder to reach certain groups, and the random, digital-dial telephone sample doesn't pull in certain groups, one of the biggest being cell-only households. Now radio is going to be able to say that younger group is still very radio-friendly, and probably in greater numbers."

We already know listenership is down in younger demographics. It's a waste of money to hire yet another company to find out otherwise, even if the trend is reversing. Take that money you are wasting on these "audience measurement companies" and put it toward your product! Hire live jocks back to entertain the remaining audience, and the audience will reciprocate it's gratitude by TELLING THEIR FRIENDS. The audience will naturally grow! You will know because your advertisiers will be thanking you for the increase in their revenue with renewals. Then you can use the advertiser testimonials (which would be free) to sell other advertisers on the idea of advertising with you. Too simple? For someone with an MBA or PHD, probably!

In this day and age, only ad agencies are interested in who is number one (and everyone is number one in something!). Your clients only want to see a return on their investment with you. Stop pandering to agencies (who should be paying for this research ANYWAY), and start servicing your clients by giving them a better product and sell them on THAT, not on numbers that can be manipulated to say anything.

Remembering Paul Harvey

2009-03-02T10:14:00.001-05:00

Radio Pioneer, Legend and Icon, Paul Harvey, famous for his line "and now you know, the rest of the story" passed away on Saturday February 28, 2009 at the age of 90. It was a sad day for broadcasters and listeners alike around the world to learn of his passing. I followed many comments about him on the famous Social Networking site Twitter via their search page. Of course people were sharing memories, and passing on condolences.

Naturally I started thinking about my own memories of listening to Paul. Unfortunately I don't have many, but he did have an influence on my life. My earliest memory is when my dad would listen. Dad would even record the broadcasts just in case it was one he would want to listen to again when he couldn't find anything else as entertaining to listen to. Back then I didn't understand what was so appealing. But dad was 3 years younger than Paul, and so he related very well. I would sit and listen from time to time with dad to see if I could "get it" but I was a teen more interested in music. When my dad passed away in 1989 I remember going through his effects and seeing several cassettes with Paul Harvey's "Rest of the Story" on them. I don't know what happened to them. I wish I did.

It wasn't until I was about 22 that I gained a true appreciation for Paul Harvey and Talk Radio. I was working a roofing job and the guys had on the local Talk Station. Of course, the station carried Paul's News and Commentary. It was mesmerizing to listen to Paul tell his stories. I remember thinking how cool that these "construction" guys were into it too! I always associated the rock genre with construction, so that had been an enlightening experience for me.

In 1996 I got a job working for a radio group in Salt Lake City. The AM station in the cluster also carried Paul's programs. At times I was asked to make sure it aired as the station recorded the feed from ABC Radio on reel to reel for playback at noon. So I would go sit in the AM studio and listen while it played. The stories were always entertaining. I never came away disappointed!

Paul Harvey must have touched 98 percent of American's lives. That is not a hard fact or statistic I am presenting, I am just suggesting that he had a serious influence. And if he didn't touch someone directly, he most certainly has has an indirect effect. And it has been a positive one because he believed in God, Country and Family. Not only from a broadcasters point of view, but as an American and as a human, Paul has led a life of example we should all live by.

My legacy in radio will not be anywhere near as great as Paul's. But I certainly aspire to be able to influence lives in the same fashion as he did with honesty, integrity, moral character and a wholesomeness that is withering away just to earn a buck. In a day of shock talk and celebrity gossip that most broadcasters call entertainment, I hope to provide listeners the same caliber of entertainment as Paul Harvey did.

Paul Harvey, I stand as one counted whose life you touched and had influence on, not only as a broadcaster but as an American and a human. I am honored to have had the opportunity as many of us had, to have listened to you and we could always count on you to tell us the rest of the story.

The Relevance of Radio

2009-02-21T02:48:00.003-05:00

Sorry. I fell asleep talking about radio with a couple friends. There really isn't much to discuss so I had a nice snooze dreaming about the "good ol' days". We all know today's radio, in general, sounds horrible. Well, let's clarify: Most stations sound horrible. We should give props to those owners that do care, and didn't buy the cookie cutter formula. Listening to major market talent is always fun, but not when they are reduced to reading liners. It's so bad you can virtually predict when the stop set starts. And so much voice tracking leaves little to be desired. Add to that short playlists, you may as well put in for favorite compilation CD and put it on replay shuffle (wait, that's what people are doing with their iPods!).

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

But even Sirius XM, under Mel's leadership, get's it. I have heard several jocks on various Sirius XM stations that TALK to the LISTENER! What a concept. Anyway, I took a break right after starting this blog. Quite frankly I got bored with the industry I love because there isn't much to write about. I would be rehashing what you are already reading elsewhere.

However, I got a message today from a radio friend. He said "I just told 3,000 people about your blog. Two wrote back and told me it hasn't been updated since August." That was my queue, you know, in life we wait for our queue to do something we've wanted to do. So, I'm back.

Which leads me to today's topic: The relevance of radio. However, there is a twist. I don't mean relevance to the listener. I mean relevance to us, in the industry. How relevant is radio to you?

Some of you know I was a moderator for Radio-Info when the founder Doug Fleming was alive. And I accepted a larger role when his parents regained their rightful control over the site. I was very interested in discussing radio with other "radiophiles". I was very interested in the daily news. I was very interested in hearing of format changes and personnel changes. Reading about rumors that became reality was fun. It created many great discussions and friendships were formed. I was very hyped about the industry. All I did was eat, drink and breath radio.

However, I'm not much interested anymore. I still check out the major radio sites such as AllAccess, Radio Ink, and Radio and Records from time to time. Every now and then I'll check up on some of the more prolific radio blogs, many of which I link to on this blog. But I don't really visit the message boards anymore; Not as often as reading what notable professionals have to say. There is just rarely anything new or exciting to discuss about terrestrial radio. For me, it's like watching a beached whale die. There isn't anything I personally can do to help fix it, get it floating again, or breath some life into it. Since most stations will only hire cheap talent and with some of the experiences I've had in radio, quite frankly, I'm picky about who I would work for too.

Terrestrial Radio as we know it now is becoming irrelevant to me. I still love it. I still want to take a station from 0 to 100 in 10 seconds. But I'm finding it harder and harder to find a quality position at a quality station. That's not to say they don't exist, because they do. But there are so few of them anymore, and generally speaking, when you know you have the best job out there, would you leave it? Only for a better one, and better jobs are getting harder to find too!

So what am I passionate about then, you wonder? Internet and Satellite Radio, New Media, Social Networks and my own Internet radio show. There is so much to discover on the Internet as far as radio is concerned. There are hundreds of thousands, if not millions of radio shows on the Internet. Many are done by newbies, and sound horrible. But there are good ones out there. Some are better than what you hear over-the-air! Satellite radio, or more specifically Sirius XM has some good talent. I had an opportunity to listen to a couple channels (the 80's Channel, Classic Rewind, Hair Nation and Lithium to name a few) and I heard some notable DJ's/Announcers doing a bang up job. I was listening to real radio! Yes, I admit the localism was missing but that was eclipsed by the good content.

But now, in major markets localism means "appearances" or "remotes" and that's it. And who goes to a remote to see the station staff anyway? They should be going to see the customer, not the announcer! And I'm sorry, but I don't listen to the radio for traffic updates. As a matter of fact, I think traffic clutters up the hour with useless information. On most stations, the weather is usually done by the TV weather guy/gal which I can get from the TV! Or, if I really need to know the weather, I will check Weather.com (don't tell me you don't). In smaller markets, there is either voice-tracking or syndication so that the localism is limited to poorly produced spots.

New Media and Social Networking will eventually replace radio as we know it. While I can romanticize about the golden days of radio, they have come and gone. It is time to accept the future and apply some of the newest tools to the industry we love in order for it to even survive it's evolution! "Radio" will continue to exist, just not as we know it now. It will be more "social". More "open source". It will be created by the listeners for the listeners.

In the coming blogs, I will review a different social network each week, it's pros and cons, and will reveal how radio can best use it to reach it's listeners. In the mean time, why not check out Radio Twit, my Radio Professionals Guid to Twitter. It's free. You can also check out my radio show at http://www.charlieprofitradio.com.

Internet Talk Radio

2008-08-20T17:14:00.001-04:00

Have you listened to any Internet only based Talk Shows? I've listened to a couple shows recently on the BlogTalkRadio.com Network, and was not impressed. I found all I was listening to were conference calls, [yawn]. Now keep in mind this is not a dig on BlogTalkRadio.com at all. I have an account there and plan on launching my own show with the network. They actually have an awesome application for "anyone" to do a Talk Show. That is the problem: "anyone" can have a show. I'm not dogging people who are interested in being Talk Hosts either. But there needs to be accountability and structure in order to grow and become better.

If you are a novice and know it, this could be a great training opportunity for you to "bust your chops", as we say in the industry. But if you consider yourself a "pro", your show better have production elements, structure and be entertaining. Radio (Internet radio) is so much more than a media to share information. It is supposed to be entertaining as well. Conference calls are not entertaining!

The problem is that these hosts have no one to tell them what they are doing wrong, or what they could do better. There is no Program Director to hold the Hosts accountable for their foibles or to offer instruction on improvement. For example on BlogTalkRadio.com hosts often fumble the task of bringing on a guest interview. I keep hearing "Let me see if I can find him". And when I hear that I wonder how organized the Host is? And that really is a big factor in a successful show: being organized. I've had my share of disorganized shows myself, and it really reflects bad on you as a Host! I learned my lesson the hard way.

I also don't hear any structure on some Internet Talk Shows. There is this idea that since it is Internet radio, there are no rules. Well, are there no marketing rules on the Internet? Is there no proper etiquette when emailing or chatting? Maybe not with your friends. And if you are only broadcasting to your group of friends then more power to you. But most people are looking to grow their audience and promote their businesses. I can't say I am any more impressed with some Hosts I have listened to and not any more likely to buy their product or service! If you want to be a dancer, you learn how. If you want to be a painter, you learn how. If you want to be an electrician, you learn how AND get licensed! So, if you want to be a Host, learn how. To be a great Talk Host, follow basic things: 1. Be Organized. 2. Have Structure 3. Be Entertaining. 4. Hire a Program Director to keep you accountable.

To answer the problem that face many of these BlogTalkRadio.com and other Internet radio networks, I am offering a Teleclass on "How To Be A Great Talk Host". If you are one of these hosts looking for guidance, or maybe you have wanted to start a show and want help, then sign up for the class! Contact me via email at charlieprofit <at> cabradio <dot> com (replace <at> with @ and <dot> with . )

Secret Lovers?

2008-04-18T06:00:00.003-04:00

It's true. Many radio executives secretly love Satellite Radio. Are you going to deny having an XM or Sirius subscription? Okay, maybe many of you haven't signed up yet. I did say "yet". I'm quite positive many radio executives have a secret love affair with Satellite Radio. You are ashamed to admit that you either have it, or want it. You might even get around the subscription issue by tuning in to XM via AOL. Am I right? [all replies will be held in the strictest of confidence]

But some of you are saying to me right now, "Why would I pay for radio, when I can get it free over the air?" Have you listened to your station(s) lately? I have to wonder just who you are programming to. You have heard radio listenership is declining. Do you not get it? On most of your stations the number of songs you have in rotation is at a bare minimum. I don't know about you, but I get tired of hearing the same song every time I turn the radio on. If I want to hear the same song over and over, I'll buy the cd (or download the mp3). What really irks me is when I hear a song I don't want to hear, so I change the dial, and hear that same song on another station! And consolidation was supposed to encourage more "variety". Well, where's the beef? And in many cases, the "talent" you have in place is not talented (you fired the talented jocks for making too much money). These are reasons why I have a subscription to both XM and Sirius. I am not ashamed to admit my love affair with Satellite Radio. It fulfills a need I have as a man: A need for "variety" in my music.

The NAB and many programmers speak out against the XM and Sirius merger citing that Satellite Radio has a competitive advantage. What is that advantage exactly? All the conglomerates that the NAB panders to is making every terrestrial station in a given format sound the same no matter what market you are in. How does XM or Sirius have the advantage on that? Plus, you have to pay for XM and Sirius. Your terrestrial stations are free (of course, you get what you pay for, right?). What you fail to understand is that every form of entertainment has a competitive advantage over terrestrial radio right now, especially when reaching the younger demos. One thing, as the General Manager of a station, that I would tell many of my potential advertisers is that they have to think outside of the box when thinking about their competition. Take for example a donut shop. Their competition isn't only another donut shop. It's competition is also every other fast food place open for breakfast, it's every other coffee shop (whether or not they sell donuts), it's also the ice cream shop, and it's also the grocery store! Anywhere food is sold, the donut shop has competition.

And so it is with radio. Anywhere people can get entertainment and/or news, there is competition. That includes, TV, the newspaper, the movies, books, the Internet, iPods and other mp3 players, cds, cassettes, concerts, the high school play and even the guy in the subway strumming his guitar singing his version of Stairway to Heaven. As a side note, have you ever noticed that people don't stop and listen when those guys in the subway are singing "the hits", but you'll find a crowd around someone singing original, or less known music. Think about it.

Getting back on topic, competition for the consumer abounds everywhere. We are just lucky, that people have diverse tastes and need to stimulate the various senses. But terrestrial radio is losing out because it's catering to the least common denominator. Satellite Radio is filling a void!

Why are you afraid of something you may have even romanticized about as a kid; remember thinking how cool it would be to hear your favorite station anywhere in the Country or even the world! I used to think that, especially when we were traveling. But back then it wasn't possible (except for DXing, but that's a different issue), and so I did enjoy listening to all the various stations and their unique personalities across the Country. However now, it's not possible to listen to local variety because so many terrestrial stations (owned by just a few groups) are all sounding the same. The problem is, you are programming them so poorly I would prefer to listen to Satellite because there is more variety; more variety of formats, and more variety of songs within the formats. I actually get to listen to my all time favorite station on the Internet, CHOM-FM in Montreal.

Stop fighting the XM and Sirius merger. It will actually be healthy for competition (yes, because it will force you to broaden your playlists) and be better for the consumer too. Focus on your own content to bring listeners back. Stop blaming everything else for your loss of listeners and please stop pandering to the record labels playing what they want you to play, just so they can sell records. Play what your listeners want to hear (hey, there's a concept!). That is what will get more people listening. Radio listenership has declined because radio stopped listening to it's audience. (Like you haven't heard that one before) And I don't think a focus group can be considered "the audience". They are more like rats in a lab experiment that will do or say what they think you want them to so they can get their treats.

But like I said, you get what you pay for, and you didn't pay anything to read what I have to say about it! So, go about your business and keep telling yourself everything is all right in "radioland". I'll still have my Satellite subscriptions and Internet radio getting my need for variety fulfilled.

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Cumulus Takes a Stand

2008-04-15T02:44:00.006-04:00

Cumulus is not renewing its contract with Arbitron for its stations in markets 100 and below. As a result, Cumulus is calling for a request for proposals (RFP) for an Audience Measurement Solution for Small and Medium Sized Markets. The second largest broadcaster in the US is acknowledging that Arbitron isn't getting the job done and has decided it will lead the charge for change. In a report posted by AllAccess, Cumulus says "As the underwriter of this effort, we will take the leadership role in solution design and vendor selection." Apparently Clear Channel is supporting this move by Cumulus. How exactly, has not yet been reported. Arbitron has had what seems to be a monopoly on the radio ratings market since 1991 when it's major competitor, Birch Radio, ceased operations. Arbitron indirectly bought Birch Radio out, by contracting with Birch Radio's parent company VNU to market the Scarborough report. Since then, there have been small companies that have sprouted up in the radio ratings game, but none have been able to truly provide competition to Arbitron. One most notedly is Solutions Broadcast, which I think may benefit from this develoment.

Correct me if I am wrong here, but doesn't Arbitron provide it's "research" for free to advertising agencies? How is it that the radio industry got scammed into paying for this research? There is a conflict for Arbitron when stations (or groups) each make their own deal to buy the information. There must be a simple formula that Arbitron follows: whoever pays more, gets more listeners. So now there are disgruntled radio executives because they are paying a premium and not "winning" in every market! Even if Arbitron was completely transparent, it is still wrong that radio pay for research that the advertising agencies need to satisfy their client's request.

The best way for the radio industry to see a fair representation is for the ad agencies to pick up the tab for the research. They are the one's that actually use the information. Sure the argument may be that it is the radio stations that benefit. But who truly benefits in the end, is actually the advertisers. It is information that the ad agencies require in order to perform the task they have been paid to do by their clients, the advertisers. They place their ad dollars on the radio stations that have the largest segment of the demo they want, which in turn drives listeners to the advertisers. Radio is merely one conduit businesses use to drive traffic to their stores.

Let's look at a scenario that creates an inaccurate measurement of the market, which in turn hurts the advertiser. Under current Arbitron rules, if someone at a radio station shares the book with a non-subscriber, and Arbitron finds out, that station gets embargoed. Essentially they don't get counted in the next book (or even longer). How is that an accurate measurement of the market? How can an ad agency properly represent its clients (the advertisers) when the book is not truly representative of the market? I'm surprised the DOJ has not looked into how this game is played!

We have to ask, why are radio stations willing to spend millions of dollars for such flawed reporting? And, why is it okay to buy bad, miscalculated information, (and use it) while cutting back on staff just so you can pay for such garbage? Radio stations themselves should not be selling on "numbers", but on the product they deliver. If a radio station is going to use the Arbitron ratings system as a crutch to get business, the broken limb will not heal. And businesses should not be buying a station just because it has the "most" listeners, it should buy a station based on the fact that the radio station can provide a response based on the frequency (number of times) the ad placed will run! That's a whole different topic altogether.

While I do understand that my sole, and lonely opinion does not matter, I do applaud Cumulus for taking the first steps to find a better more affordable audience measurement system. However, I believe the industry as a whole would benefit more by dumping their Arbitron subscriptions, and hire back local talent with the money saved! Let the ad agencies take the responsibility to pay for the research and thus get an unbiased measurement of the market. If the agencies don't want to pay for the research, let them create real relationships with the radio stations directly to service the needs of the advertisers. Create better partnerships for longer term strategies and growth for everyone. Cut the real fat, put the meat back.

Social What?

2008-04-10T09:14:00.006-04:00

Social media, social networking, it's all about being social. Remember how exciting it was for your favorite dj to give you a "shout out". You would tell all your friends that you were on the radio! You probably delivered that message through a "party line" telephone line, or simply one friend calling another, who called another. Then the next day at school, it might have even been a topic of discussion in your circle of friends. Radio was a social medium for us!

Fast forward to today: kids don't need radio to be social. All this talk of social networking has radio executives wondering what happened, and how to claim their stake. But kids aren't just connecting with their own friends through Myspace, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter, they are building up their own audiences. They don't need radio to entertain them. They entertain each other. I think that is where the radio executives fall short in understanding why the radio audience is shrinking. We think WE should be the entertainers, instead of just being a part of the entertainment. This goes back to my first point about the Shout Outs. Radio used to make the listeners the star, not the dj. I know, "we still do shout outs". But see, for the younger listeners, that's not enough anymore. With todays Social Networking, anyone can be a "star". Anyone can have an Internet radio station, or video channel. You have to do more than play music for this generation.

What can be done to get the younger demo to come back? Be a part of their Social Network! I think many stations have tried to be a part of it by setting up a MySpace page. The problem is that most stations just use MySpace as a "web page". A MySpace page should not just be another "web page". It should be used as an interactive function. But as has been mentioned in many places, MySpace is losing its appeal. However, if you have not set up a MySpace page for your station [even if your demo is 35-54!] you should set one up now. After all it's free! You know how us radio folk like free stuff! The next thing to do is set up a Fan Page on FaceBook. FaceBook is gaining momentum right now. Setting up a Fan Page is easy to do, but if you need a little help, let me know. I have my own fan page at http://facebookfan.charlieprofit.com. You can become my fan if you'd like! Again, this should be used as an interactive function with your listeners. Post bulletins, upload and share photos and videos. If you have listeners that attended a concert, invite them to upload the photos they took with their cell phones! Give the listeners some of the glory! Reward them for listening by allowing them to participate in your web community. Yes, you still need to have staff patrol the activity, but it will generate a buzz.

And we shall take this one step further. Get a Twitter account for your station. What is Twitter? Twitter is an application that allows "mini blogs". Take a look at mine at http://twitter.charlieprofit.com. [I use redirects, as it is easier for me to remember the url. If you don't understand those terms, don't worry, just click the link]. With these "mini blogs" people are able to update others in their network with what they are doing, thinking or experiencing at that moment. But if you think outside-the-box, you can not only use Twitter to give Shout Outs to your listeners, you can announce contest winners and live remotes! Imagine being able to tell your listeners where your station is at, even when they are not listening!. This is just one application that can bring back that interactivity that radio has lost over the past several years. If your station doesn't set up a main account, your jocks should set up their own individual accounts (if they haven't already)! There is also a way to have several individual accounts post to one main account. Again, just email me at charlieprofit@cabradio.com and I'll explain how.

So now you know how you can get GenY to incorporate your station into their lifestyle because you are doing what they are doing. And you will be sharing in their experiences too, because as you add your listeners to your station's Social Network, you will be able to know what they are thinking, doing, listening to as it happens. You won't need research anymore, because you will have it right there in your Social Network. Now take that money you saved on research and hire an overnight jock!

Welcome

2008-04-07T18:43:00.004-04:00

This is a new project I am undertaking to not only express my own point of view on the radio industry, but also inform and educate with an outside-the-box approach. There are many issues of concern for radiophiles and I will try to explore each one and offer my two cents. Don't be shocked if you find yourself disagreeing, I don't expect to pander to the masses. There are many voices in the radio jungle. I hope you will find mine to be a lion's roar that causes all creatures to stop and listen. I also welcome your comments, and hope the dialog will be engaging and thought provoking.

Some of the issues I'll be RIBing about include the XM/Sirius proposed merger, the FCC's role of content management, localism, competition, listenership, revenue, copy writing and the quality of production. There are many other issues I will discuss over time, in addition to these I've just listed. Of course we will break from our outline to RIB about breaking news as well. Oh, if I lost you on the term RIBbing, it means doing a Radio Industry Blog, as the title of this blog suggests.

I would also like to encourage you to send me a link to your blog, and I'll include in the blog roll. I have never professed to know everything, but I do think everything there is to think about has already been thought! In other words, there are no more original thoughts. So there is nothing wrong with sharing our thoughts, as they might not have been ours to begin with. I'm sure we could debate that idea in another forum!

This is just the introduction to the blog that is to come. Don't get your hopes up. After all, it is "just another blog".

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