Radio Recordings

Radio station format changes....Jan. 3rd

2011-01-03T14:14:00.000-08:00

The new year means a new format for several stations around the country, separate from the many stations which returned to their "regular" format after weeks of only holiday music.

One other thing. Too many stations not doing holiday music wound up playing too much holiday music as if they would actually keep people who really wanted holiday music to tune away. All that did, for the most part, was drive some listeners further away. Another instance of management of AM and FM stations overlooking how their listeners have internet and satellite radio available to them.

Back to the recent format changes.

WNIC Detroit 100.3 FM is now "Fresh 100.3", while St. Louis KEZK is now "Fresh 102". These titles don't tell the listeners anything, since the vast majority of radio listeners don't read radio columns or keep track of formats in other markets. Generally speaking, "fresh" format stations are really "light music" stations geared toward a female audience.

Also in St. Louis, WSDD changes from "The Sound" to "GenX Radio". So, yes, you could say this radio station starts the year without "The Sound".

KMVA Phoenix is now Hot 97.5, although syndicated shows including Elvis Duran's morning show don't exactly fire up the locals.

KQXT San Antonio is now "The Variety Station". Upon further investigation, they play music of some sort.

Miami's 93.1 is taking it 'easy' as of the new year, now WFEZ Easy 93.1, getting rid of WHDR "93 Rock" in the process.

Two changes hit the Seattle market for the new year. KJR-FM 95.7 has gone ahead with its rumored change, moving back a few years as they have gone from Classic Hits to "Oldies 95.7". That is generally adding more 1955-65 songs and dropping some 80's tunes. The former Smooth Jazz KWJZ is now clicking along as "Click 98.9". If you are wondering, they now play modern adult contemporary, which figures to easily do better than the previous jazz format.

Fresno CA also has one less Classic Hits station. But it's a more significant change than in Seattle. Now the Fresno station is playing Spanish music.

Round and round she goes. Happy New Year!

Format changes - Nov. 30th update................

2010-11-30T10:39:00.001-08:00

Well, not all of the radio format changes are just to add to the endless list of stations airing only holiday music after all.

In Atlanta, WYAY has dropped 'True Oldies', but in a slight format change has gone to 'Greatest Hits'. It's really less talking and changing out 50's and early 60's music for more 80's, but it is considered a format change. Somehow other radio experts consider "classic hits" to be different from "oldies" on the format wheel.

In Chattanooga, the 'classic hits' format has come to WOGT 107.9, in this instance replacing the country format which aired for just over 5 years. By the way, the station was "oldies" prior to the 2005 change to country.

And in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, WMYF 1380 dropped its adult standards format last week and picked up ESPN Radio to go all sports. The station also carries Boston Bruins hockey.

Radio's own turkeys for holiday weekend

2010-11-29T11:00:00.000-08:00

Another note to the radio executives while they continue to wonder why the AM and FM radio audiences continue to vanish.

This may come as a shock, but millions of people are at home or in the car with more time than usual to listen to local radio stations on Thanksgiving weekend. This SHOULD have been a time for local stations to showcase their programming and talent in hopes of increasing their audiences.

Instead, us listeners were slapped in the face (or the ear) with reruns of talk shows, substitute hosts, and part-time staff.

I can possibly accept some degree of substitutions on Thanksgiving Day itself. Yet, moreso than past years, it seems that radio has made the entire weekend to be like a holiday and thrown away a chance to impress potential listeners.

Airing a "Best Of" talk show which is outdated is not a way to keep a listener's attention when he or she has more time than usual to listen and perhaps sample a show he/she would not normally have an opportunity to hear. This past weekend should have been the chance to give people more and more reasons to CHOOSE "your" station.

This was not a holiday for PPM's, diaries, or other ratings measurement tools.

True, on-air talent deserves some time off just like anyone else. But at least prepare something ahead of time. Make an effort. Listeners have too many other options.

My MP3 player wasn't playing music I don't normally listen to instead of my favorite songs. Many of the TV networks were showing marathons, special movie presentations, or some form of themed programming designed to attract and keep viewers for hours, knowing that more viewers than usual would be available. Check the movie box office figures for the weekend. Obviously, a lot of people seeing a lot of movies.

Other forms of 'entertainment' were clearly ready for the long holiday weekend.

Many smaller retailers, open for extended hours on the year's busiest shopping weekend, had local radio stations on. How annoying it must have been for their customers to have to listen to replays of talk shows or part-time hosts introducing music instead of the station's top guns.

All except, of course, the stations in every city already burning us out on the same few hours of holiday music titles weeks before the next set of holidays gets here.

I guess we will all have to adjust to the wishes of AM and FM Radio management. We should only listen to local stations between 6 AM and Midnight on working weekdays. Then we wouldn't have these issues.

Stealing listeners is one thing........

2010-11-10T19:25:00.001-08:00

As much as we yearn for competition among local stations, this takes it a bit too far.

It's really not funny, but it fits in as an "only in radio" story.......

http://cbs13.com/local/radio.dj.burglary.2.2003579.html

New York Oldies Lunch coming up

2010-11-02T12:43:00.000-07:00

Oldies radio fans in the NYC area might wish to consider the "Oldies Lunch", scheduled for Saturday Nov. 13th at Ben's Deli on West 38th Street in Manhattan from 2 - 4 PM. Russ "Famous Amos" Di Bello and former WNBC and WCBS-FM's Big Jay Sorensen are two of the special guests, with WAXQ's Jim Kerr also expected to attend.

There is no extra cost to attend other than lunch at Ben's. (If only they would go back to 60's prices!!) Reservations are requested by calling (908) 403-8962. I wonder who is bringing the reverb chamber!

(Actually, this sounds like fun, and I wish I could make it.)

Format Changes Update - Nov. 2nd

2010-11-02T12:28:00.000-07:00

It's been rather quiet on the format change front, which is usually the case for November and December until the format switching heats up again in January.

KVI 570 Seattle will be switching back to oldies. The "back" is not about the music. This station stops its current talk format after this week to turn to oldies for the second time in its history. Simply put, this format change is "getting old".

Of course, there are format changes a-plenty coming up across the country over the next 6 weeks, as more and more stations abandon the rest of the year and go with holiday music. But I'm not going to bore you with those after this week.

Here it is November 2, and we already have some stations roasting chestnuts by the open fire all day long. Upstate New York seems to be leading the holiday spirit, for whatever reason.

Believe it or not, Albany NY already has not one but TWO stations on holiday. WTRY-FM 98.3 and Buzz 105.7 have changed over, while Syracuse has WZUN Sunny 102.1 jingling bells and Utica's WUMX Mix 102.5 is doing the same. Everything is up to date in Kansas City as Star 102 is holiday, and Grand Rapids has River 100.5 flowing with the snowy sounds of December already.

Nothing like hearing about the World Series during another hour of holiday music..........

Format change update - Oct. 12th......

2010-10-12T14:09:00.000-07:00

Bob jacks classic rock. No, it's not a new radio station slogan, although it probably will be one of these days. Instead, it's what happened this week in Biloxi. Classic rock WHGO 105.9 has changed to "Bob FM". At least they are starting off by playing 10,000 songs in a row without commercials, and some of what they are playing are actually classic rock songs. Not sure how Bob differs from Jack, but we'll see what the Biloxi listeners think.

Norfolk VA has 3 times the fun this week, as 3 of the market's stations have done the switcheroo. Kiss-FM 105.3 has puckered for the last time, as the former urban contemporary station has become Magic 105.3 and gone further back in time to feature classic hits.

Ah, but that's not the end of urban programming in the market. Cool 92.1 has gone from light rock oldies to Urban Adult Contemporary, and 107.7 has dropped smooth jazz to also go Urban. These 2 stations are now in addition to 103 Jamz, which plays "urban pop". There will be a quiz on this later.

In Gainesville FL, the University of Florida owned WRUF will stop the rock music programming this weekend after years of being "Rock 104". Not for talk or sports, mind you. The school seems to think that music tastes are changing, and as a result, on will come "Country 103.7".

In Terre Haute IN, WSDM 92.7 has just dumped its "country rock" format. As of now, the station is simulcasting sports radio WSDX-AM. Yet, in this case there is something to it. The AM signal is 500 watts during the day and even less at night. The station hopes that since people can now actually hear the ESPN Radio station it will make a difference for the audience.

Stay tuned...............

Format change update - October 8th

2010-10-08T11:28:00.000-07:00

This one is getting a lot of local media attention in Fresno. KRZR had been active rock for more than 20 years, and now has changed to "103.7 The Beat" (R & B oldies format). That's geared toward a different age group and audience.

The next one is technically not a complete format change. How about this? A station changes everything except morning drive. Killeen-Temple TX changes 101.7 from "The Eagle" (a rock station) to sports radio, yet keeps its syndicated Walton & Johnson morning show. We'll count it as a format change, but it sure will be interesting to see if or how much morning drive moves on the ratings scale over the next few months.

Finally, this one is almost too small to count. WDRD in Newburg KY (technically considered part of the Louisville market) has gone ESPN Radio sports in order to get ESPN back into that market. However, the station is only 1,000 watts during the day and barely 450 watts at night. Not to mention this move takes place as we close in on the least amount of "daytime" hours during the entire year.

Who decides which commercials should air?

2010-09-28T14:13:00.000-07:00

It's one time when a radio station or network listens to some of its audience, and the reason is merely a fuss about a commercial?

In case you missed the story, the Buffalo Bills Radio Network decided to pull a commercial from one of its sponsors after 2 weeks based on fans protest. Say what?

Granted the commercial was from a web dating site which is designed to be for those who are currently married or in a relationship and might be seeking something "extra".

This is not to say that I agree that such a web site is an ideal thing, but it's not up to me. I have seen and heard commercials for the organization in question via other sources, and simply exercise my right not to participate, as is the case with the majority of commercials I take in during the course of a day.

Yet, these people don't complain about erectile dysfunction and female hygiene commercials. Or if they do, the station doesn't pull them.

Radio stations should listen more to what the listeners have to say. But about the programming and NOT the commercials. Heck, if no one uses the "service" in question, the commercials won't be effective, and they'll go away.

http://www.philly.com/dailynews/sports/20100922_Station_divorces_ads.html

Format change update - Sept. 21st...........

2010-09-21T13:15:00.000-07:00

Active rock goes inactive in Albany NY. And not even for a different format for the market. The WHRL is gone and now simulcasts News/Talk WGY as WGY-FM.

In Burlington VT 96.7 FM has moved up more than 30 years, dropping its oldies format in favor of playing the hits of today as Planet 96.7.

This is the sort of innovation that has AM/FM radio where it is today. One less music station to be replaced by something already on the air, and a station changing paths to now play the hits of the day.

Format changes update.....Sept. 17th

2010-09-17T14:18:00.000-07:00

WQFM Nanticoke PA has taken off its oldies format and sped ahead to a 90's alternative format. Now it will be known as WFUZ. I would have thought that "fuzzy" would have been better suited for oldies, but they didn't ask me.

Charleston SC area now has a third country station, and one less playing classic hits. WIOP 95.9 reportedly started the change by playing Alan Jackson's song "Gone Country".

Another attempt at "Mojo Radio" is working in Fargo ND. KMJO (get it?) 104.7 started working earlier this month.

Format changes - Sept. 7th update

2010-09-07T14:17:00.000-07:00

Thanks to "reader" Jeff for the suggestion that we report on as many of the radio station format change announcements as possible around the country. He makes a good point that there hasn't been another good resource which consistently offers such info.

A new format is coming any minute now in Atlanta, as "Legend 96.7" and its country music format have been replaced. For now, the station is simulcasting "Groove 105.7", but that shouldn't last long. I do mean "shouldn't". There are 2 sides to this coin. I'm sure station officials figure that people will keep tuning over to 96.7 while awaiting whatever new format, and that it is a good way to hype the "Groove" format.

On one hand, there will be some people picking up on The Groove format, but won't realize they have to change over to 105.7 for it to continue. They could wind up thinking "The Groove" is gone when the station changes over to whatever it is going to do.

On the other hand, not tipping what the new format will do keeps any possible competitors in the local market from getting a jump, while curious radio listeners will monitor from time to time to see if and when the new format kicks off.

My feeling is they should have waited and gone to the new format within 24 hours. They forget that FM and AM Radio have so much competition and that listeners are no longer hanging around helplessly dependening upon radio. The question is whether or not people will break away from their MP3 players, portable phones, satellite radios, and other technology just to sample a "new" FM station.

Near Denver, KTNI Strasburg dumped its talk format and went R & B with Jammin' 101.5. Unlike the Atlanta story, KTNI pulled the switch right after a syndicated talk show (that it now used to carry) ended and rolled out the music. Since the station is actually located east of Denver, the station is already streaming, supposedly to enhance their "coverage" of the Denver market.

I'm not sure that going for the Denver market is going to work for the bottom line in this instance. They need to spend in order to promote the online "coverage" in Denver, as if people will be interested in a regional station over a true Denver station. And that's provided they are not distracted by the hundreds of online channels they could or may already be listening to.

More format change stories later in the week............

Remembering KCBQ San Diego

2010-08-26T12:17:00.000-07:00

Fans of San Diego's Top 40 KCBQ from the late 50's into the mid-70's have a major treat coming up this Saturday, August 28th, when many of its former air personalities and other officials will gather to honor this once great station by dedicating a monument to be displayed on the site of the studios back in the day.

Here is the information:

http://www.falconvalleygroup.com/newsroom.php?id=129

For those who don't have your memories to listen to, keep in mind that airchecks are available today at:

http://www.MajorLeaguePrograms.com

So, yes, you can have the best of both worlds!

Mandatory radio for cell phones? Are you kidding?

2010-08-18T09:04:00.000-07:00

I have loved radio since I can remember. It got me interested in music and sports as a kid and that never stopped, and inspired early career decisions to make a living working for radio stations and networks.

Over the past few years, I have observed helplessly as radio lost its competitive edge (primarily due to the drastic change in ownership restrictions), reduced its music playlists, started reporting sports rumors and speculations as if they were "news", and began to cluster more commercial time into a single break than they used to air during a full hour. During that same time, I have noticed how millions of others feel the same way, and thus the success of MP3 players, satellite radio (20 million subscriptons paying for a lot of content we used to get free), and online channels.

Just when you think the current radio industry can't make it worse, along comes this bit of news:

http://www.fmqb.com/article.asp?id=1919285

Are you kidding? The National Association of Broadcasters wants to make radio "mandatory" in cell phones?

First question. At who's expense?

Second question. How often can the police pull over a driver, bike rider, or even a power walker about listening on ear buds while on the road?

If it's up to me, we should all demand that the members of the NAB pay for the 20 million satellite radio subscriptions and the millions of "replacement" cell phones for everyone in America who currently owns one. That's the one way their proposal has any merit.

Whoever thought up this ploy should be sentenced to listen to his or her own station 24 hours a day for 10 years. It would save prison space, and probably have the same effect.

This story had better be a hoax.

Why are there "invented oldies"?

2010-07-08T13:39:00.000-07:00

While the majority of over-the-air radio music playlists continue to shrink or hold steady at a few hundred, this makes what I term "invented oldies" even more of a shame.

After all these years, and the onslaught of MP3 players and music by download, most music stations still maintain rather restricted playlists.

As a "classic rock" and earlier "album rock" listener, I have long found it a disappointment that hundreds of tracks that used to be played within this format (going back to when the albums originally came out) have long since vanished from playlists.

It gets even more frustrating when it is a station which has been around for more than 25 years playing pretty much the same music. Stations like KSHE in St. Louis, WLUP in Chicago, and KLOS in Los Angeles come to mind in this category.

Yet, a listener not around in the 70's to listen to these stations, and ones like them, probably thinks that Aerosmith only released about 10 songs. That's about the number we hear. Yet, when their LP's would be released each year, these stations (and their likes in all markets) would generally play at least 3 or 4 selected tracks from each new album. My contention is that if these songs were good enough to be played on the stations then, they should be good enough to be played now.

Same thing with oldies stations. With most "oldies" stations now regularly playing songs through the 70's, I find it upsetting that most oldies stations continue to play only a few hundred songs.

Stations such as KRTH-FM in Los Angeles, which have been oldies or classic hits for the better of the past 25 years, started out playing a lot more songs from the 50's and early 60's than they do now.

Sure, I understand their argument that the age of the audience has something to do with not going back as far as often.

But what makes this all more aggravating is what I call "invented oldies". On the album or classic rock side, one example is "Moving In Stereo" by The Cars. It is from their first album, and it's a good song. However, I don't recall it being played at all when the LP first came out and for years after that. It seems to have become a classic rock "staple" within the past 15 years. It's as though we are being told it has always been a popular track. It wasn't. Same with Red Rider and "Lunatic Fringe". Many a classic rock station didn't play it when it was first issued, but now it plays as often as if it were a major part of their rotation the entire time.

The biggest example of an artist with "invented oldies" has to be KISS. Come on, people. When "Rock & Roll All Night" and "Shout It Out Loud" and others came out in the mid and late '70s, the album rock stations wouldn't even touch KISS or their songs. No way. Those were "teen" songs heard only on the top 40 stations. Yet, they are heard on classic rock stations and channels today as if they were always held in the same esteem as BTO or Bad Company.

From an oldies standpoint, I can't figure how Louis Armstrong's "Wonderful World" gets so much airplay. I even looked this one up. The song didn't even crack the national "Top 100" in the United States when it was first released in 1968. Yet, for the past few years, it has been played hundreds of times more than "Hello Dolly", which was a 1964 Top 10 hit for Armstrong. But I double dare you to show me any oldies station or channel that plays more than the Top 100 hits of any month from the 60's and 70's.

Another "invented oldie" is "You Got It" by Roy Orbison. Sure, it's a decent song, but it doesn't fit. It was released in 1988.

Again, I like every song named here. It's not that I don't enjoy these songs. What I don't understand is how these are among the songs "manufactured" within the respective format, while literally hundreds of songs that used to be a part of these formats haven't been played in years.

If I had the time, I would go through my personal MP3 player and count a total of the songs that I never hear on the radio any more, even though that is where I first heard and liked them enough to own them.

Then again, I shouldn't have to do that. The music directors of these classic rock and oldies stations are the ones who should have done so. Years ago. Instead, they wonder why so many people like me are listening to MP3 players instead of their stations. At least they can't "manufacture" an audience.

American Top 40 charts for 40 years

2010-07-01T13:26:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe it was 40 years ago that Casey Kasem first told us to "keep reaching for the stars" at the end of his American Top 40 Radio Show. But it was. He took such a simple concept and yet made a successful national radio show out of doing nationally what top 40 radio stations had been doing locally for years. Just counting down (or should we say up) the hits week after week, and giving us faithful listeners an education about some of the songs and artists on the charts.

This very weekend (July 4th) marks the 40 year anniversary. The show still exists, although barely a shadow of its former self, and hosted by Ryan Seacrest. (Then again, that could be said about many radio and TV shows!)

To give you an idea of how far back AT 40 goes, the entire show for the coming week was actually mailed through the Post Office to each radio station. On vinyl records. With grooves between the segments of the show. Once a segment ended and the tech who was operating the radio station went into commercial, he or she (and it was mostly "he" back then) would simply cue up the next track on the album to be ready for the next segment of the show. It was the same as if he/she was getting the next song ready for airplay.

I remember it well. It was part of my responsibilities while running the board of a Chicago radio station on Sunday mornings, when Casey would "count 'em down" right after the religious and public affairs programming the station was required to air. Yes, in those days, radio stations had FCC requirements to run a certain amount of news, public affairs, and religious programming hours in order to have their broadcast license renewed. Many radio stations would cluster public affairs interviews and religious programming during the Sunday morning 4 AM to 10 AM (or less) time frame, when the audience was likely at its lowest available point.

Yet, I remember answering the station's phone line during the show, and people asking if they could talk to "Crazy Kasem" and variations, as if he was really in the studio playing the national hits. Never mind that he would have "a letter here from Joe in Tallahassee who wants to know......".

Of course, not all of the national hits were big in Chicago. The best example was in 1976 when the Miracles' "Love Machine" was in the national top 3, even "making it all the way to number one!" on American Top 40.....while Chicago stations were barely playing it.

Here's hoping that long-time radio listeners will "keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars" in honor of American Top 40, after 40 years.

Just who are we listening to?

2010-06-23T14:18:00.000-07:00

At Rock WCCC/Hartford, night talent Slater departs. As a result, overnighter Craig The Pornstar moves up to nights.

One more reason why what remains of truly "local" radio is starting to lose its identity. There I was this afternoon reading up on radio news from an industry source, as usual.

There was a story about WCCC Hartford losing its night personality and moving up its overnight host to replace him. At least that's what it should have been. Maybe I'm too old school for today, but I seem to like personalities that have names. Even if they aren't the real names, I can accept "Tom Jones" or "Bill Scott", etc.

Well, not anymore. The night personality who departed - "Slater". Sorry, but I can't identify with that. Male? Female? First name? Last name? Name of a movie? If it is "Bill Scott", my mind is comforted because I can listen to or read about a man and his program, even if I have no idea what he looks like or what his "real" name might be.

It didn't stop there. The all night personality moving up to nights to replace Slater? According to the story from an official industry source, the new night personality on WCCC will be......

"Craig the Pornstar"

Now, I would get it if I were listening to his show and he used that once or twice as a fun bit or a joke. However, unless the station is totally in existence to serve teenage boys, using this as a regular moniker doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

How is a longtime Hartford area resident supposed to identify with Craig the Pornstar? Could you tell your friends that you listen to him? Would you really go to an appearance? So you might like the music and the station, but now this sort of a name takes away the identity of the person.

It's either that or listen to "Bill Scott" on a national show or satellite playing the music, with no references to your local community. Some choices.

And they wonder why the AM and FM audiences are not what they used to be?

PPM measurement and all that jazz

2010-06-14T13:22:00.000-07:00

A recent article in the Columbus Dispatch caught my attention, given its partial focus on the death of jazz radio stations.

I have nothing against jazz stations, but have long believed that these stations really attracted a small niche audience while many others found it hip to act as though they listen. Back in the early 80's, I was a partner in an upstart radio ratings service in the Midwest which reported specifically on in-car radio listening. That research confirmed my belief, even then, that people sometimes reported what they considered "hip" stations to make it appear they were listening.

There was one survey of more than 3,000 drivers showing what they were listening to at the moment of the interview, and it showed a grand total of one person listening to a jazz station. That was among the findings which were NOT in line with the diary system also in use.

Since the PPM method has been introduced, and as the article points out, several jazz radio stations have bitten the dust. It doesn't surprise me one bit.

Considering that audience measurement is primarily for advertisers and potential radio advertisers, finding the truth about listening habits is the most important gain.

Stations should not be concerned about the jazz format, especially with satellite and online channels playing jazz for the small and niche audience that wants it. Rather, they should be concerned with getting the audiences to return to radio. With the trend of tighter and tighter playlists, endless clusters of commercials, and reduced local programming, this is where the stations should be concerned.

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2010/06/13/why-radios-changing-its-tune.html?sid=101

Where for are thou, local radio?

2010-06-04T14:32:00.000-07:00

Another example of looking at this week's bottom line as opposed to months down the road. WWWQ Atlanta's morning show "The Bert Show" will be simulcast starting next week.

What's the big deal? The station that will also air it happens to be WNFN, which is in Nashville.

Don't these station manager's look at the possible consequences? Sure, this week they are giddy because they are paying for one morning show production and now airing it on 2 stations.

However, in Atlanta, listeners could either hear about Nashville, which is of no use to them in the morning, if that is the direction The Bert Show takes. If the show does include Nashville related content, it will totally bore the established Atlanta audience, which could scan the dial in search of more local content, and put the current success at risk. If the show does not include Nashville related content, then there is much less of an appeal to Nashville listeners. Instead they could compare The Bert Show to other syndicated content or stick with a truly local show.

Either way, this decision, albeit to save money now, could hurt the ratings for one or both in the long run.

Look before you leap.

Citadel Broadcasting files for bankruptcy

2009-12-20T12:21:00.000-08:00

Word is that Citadel Broadcasting isn't going to make the January 15, 2010 deadline for its unsecured creditors and has filed for bankruptcy today. Yes, today, Sunday December 20. The filing reportedly lists a debt of $2.5 billion, while the Wall Street Journal reports that Citadel would emerge from this filing with a debt of $762 million.

how to spread HD Radio

2009-11-10T10:33:00.000-08:00

It continues to amaze me how radio expects other media and outside companies to help the industry push HD Radio on consumers.

At least this year there have been some HD Radio stations worth listening to in the form of true niche programming which is current. That is a big improvement from the earlier days when many of the channels were merely an extension of a current format, or a place to put a struggling music format that hardly attracted an audience of people that could easily hear it.

Now, the radio honchos continue to push to have HD Radio in MP3 players and now in some of the more advanced phone systems. I just read about a new application for the Ipod Touch to add HD Radio channels. Yet, this application, if I understand right, costs $80.

You have got to be kidding!

Do they really think someone is going to pay $80 for HD Radio channels? Isn't the reason they own an MP3 player to hear the music they WANT? Consumers can each purchase hours and hours of songs for that same $80 and continue to have a choice.

I have also raised the point numerous times that if radio had continued to expand its playlists in the various formats over the years and treat the music like they used to, there wouldn't have been the demand for MP3 players to the point where the majority of people seem to have them now.

Between the 500 song playlists and clusters of commercials every half hour, it's no wonder people shell out for MP3 players. But asking us to shell out for HD Radio is a bit overboard.

The radio stations which are struggling to maintain decent audience levels as it is are, understandably, looking for additional revenue. They see HD channels as eventually being additional opportunities to sell commercial time. Yet, at this time, there is far too small of an HD Radio audience for that to happen.

If the radio stations launching HD channels truly want HD Radio to succeed, they should take matters into their own hands. Give away HD Radios. If I have more and better choices at no additional cost, maybe I won't need my MP3 player as much. Maybe consumers could think twice about paying for satellite radio.

Instead, these radio stations and companies think that consumers will actually shell out $80 to over $100 to sample HD Radio - in today's economy. No wonder they gave a channel and no one heard.

Here is one solution. Radio stations continue to do trade-outs and barter. I have to believe that some electronics store or chain would like to have extensive air time. Suppose that "Joe's Electronics at 1234 Main Street gives a brand new HD Radio to the 10th caller at 555-1111" every hour from 6 AM to 6 PM. Get a chain of stations involved and give out literally hundreds of HD Radios per week.

Here are the likely results. Listeners continue to hear about HD Radio and the channels that are out there, while hearing excited callers "win" them all day long. Now, from a marketing standpoint, consumers can get a "free" item delivering hours and hours of music and information they are not currently getting. Compare that to spending $100 or more for an MP3 player!

The stations are getting hundreds and eventually thousands of HD Radios into the ears of their listeners. They'll be showing and telling their friends, co-workers, and relatives about this new device they got from the station. And they'll have SAVED money vs. buying songs and devices to do the same.

The electronics retailer gets plenty of air time. On some stations the promotion time alone for the giveaway easily would exceed $80 (and that's retail) for giving away the device.

Everybody wins. And for once, radio wouldn't lose.

For that matter, it doesn't have to be only electronics outfits giving away the HD Radios. For example, a university bookstore could be the only commercials heard on an HD channel featuring independent alternative rock bands which appeal to students. The more they give away, the bigger the audience that constantly hears "their" message, while saving money by not having to spend for doing so.

You see, HD Radio actually can happen, and can make a difference. It could save me, and other listeners, money, and hold my interest, by outperforming the programming and music from satellite radio and MP3 players.

However, the radio decision makers continue to sit around wondering when other companies are going to sell enough HD Radios to make what they are doing viable. While the clock is ticking.

Gotta go now. My MP3 player has finished recharging.

Oh baby - stations promote the competition's news??

2009-10-13T11:07:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, air personalities and reporters would get disciplined for even mentioning the competition. These days it is becoming more commonplace.

In Chicago this morning, a WLS-TV news anchor gave birth to a baby on one of Chicago's expressways.

Yet - here is the story about it on a site that is part of WGN-TV and CLTV (the Chicago cable news outlet), as well as WGN Radio. Adding to this insanity is the link (included as of press time) right to the WLS-TV web site for the story.

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/10/wls-ch-7-anchor-judy-hsu-gives-birth-on-the-ike.html

So why call this site "ChicagoBreakingNews.com", when it refers you to the competition, which obviously broke the story first??

I'll bet management was sitting in a meeting wondering why WGN-TV News is losing viewers of late and why WLS-TV News remains a solid #1 in the market.

It is bad enough how many media stories report what some other media news source is reporting instead of looking to break a story themselves, but this might be a new low.

I'm reporting that my own blog, RadioRecordings.blogspot.com, is complaining about this. I'd rather not credit anyone else, competition or not.

The end of an era in St. Louis

2009-10-09T11:08:00.000-07:00

Wow. It almost seems un-American. To see the latest radio ratings for St. Louis and not see KMOX in the top spot. First time in more than 40 years that has happened.

http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/dailyrft/2009/10/the_mighty_mox_has_fallen_kmox_out_as_no_1_station_in_st_louis.php

Now it will be interesting to see if or how the station rebounds from this.

But I have to tell you. I think this is the start of the decline of KMOX. Just like WGN in Chicago, the one-time "full service" stations have gone the more typical "radio way" and stopped caring about continuity and programming. Listeners, especially the older audience who grew up with these stations, are smart enough to notice that the effort just isn't what it used to be.

Radio "sadness" from Los Angeles

2009-10-05T12:06:00.000-07:00

Two radio stories in the news over the past few days each bringing a different form of sadness.

First, sorry to learn of the health struggles of Bob Coburn, now even more limited in his ability to do even a weekend shift on KLOS Radio. Coburn has been a fixture on KLOS going back more than 20 years, and is also remembered fondly in Chicago from his days on WLUP around 1980. He was the first to put "Ma Nugent" (Ted's mother) on the radio and discuss the issues with her. This was in the days when album rock stations didn't do any phone bits other than the morning show, and back then most morning shows were music driven.

Next, a great memory brought back in the Los Angeles Times story about KRLA, KFWB, and KHJ and its personalities.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-then4-2009oct04,0,3720458.story

It is great to read the memories this story brings back, but sad in the sense that it reminds us how local personalities continue to go away in practically every market.

While this is not intended to be a plug for the RadioRecordings airchecks, it might help to know that many of the Los Angeles personalities mentioned in the story are available via airchecks at http://www.MajorLeaguePrograms.com

I would be delighted to share memories that you have of these great personalities.

The dumbest radio contest so far

2009-09-08T12:08:00.000-07:00

Like many of you, I have seen my share of radio station contests over the years, even if I haven’t gone along with very many. The purpose is supposed to be to increase listening, whether for a specific show or broadcast event, time of day, to promote the music or format being played, and/or in support of a sponsor.

But X-103.9 in Southern California may have hit a new low with their latest contest. An expensive new low. A possible $25,000 giveaway is a great prize for a local radio station. Any of us supposedly could “win”. Yet, I’m 2,000 miles away and don’t even have to listen to the station.

http://www.x1039.com/

The prize goes to the first person who can produce a $1 bill with the serial number on it they have designated for the contest. If I have read the contest right, I would have to show up with this $1 bill by this Friday and win their prize. I don’t have to listen or even have any idea of what this station does on the air.

At first, I had the fantasy that anybody would, of finding the “winning” bill and hopping on a plane and spending $1,000 of that prize money as a result of an “emergency trip” to California.

However, my marketing expertise took over. Not only is no listening required, or nothing having to do with the radio station (other than knowing the serial number for the $1 bill), but this giveaway probably has nothing to do with the local market. After all, how honest would this “contest” be if the dollar bill happened to be in that marketplace? Memories of “the last contest” and the keys to a new car but not the car itself come to mind.

I’m not saying this contest is not on the level. But I have to ask the obvious questions. How does this contest help listenership? What does it have to do with the local market? How does management justify a possible (but not likely) $25,000 giveaway based on the first two questions?

Even if someone does “win”, chances are they would come from out of the area. The publicity generated would be positive, but the publicity would go national. National publicity would not guarantee an increased audience for the station online, since the giveaway has nothing to do with the station format. And not everyone learning of this story would be compelled to listen to the station. Even for the remote possibility of winning $25,000 on a fluke.

It will be interesting to see what happens after this coming Friday (Sept. 11). If someone wins, and it is a local person, I have to believe there would be an investigation into how a specific $1 bill winds up within a specified territory for a contest. If no one wins, will the station continue the contest? Do they “really” want to give away the money?

To put a real marketing touch into this, one more question. I saw the serial number they are using for the contest. Why does it NOT include 1039 (for 103.9) anywhere in the sequence?

There is a question to ponder while trying to find a radio station worth listening to.

Tuna still has good taste

2009-08-12T12:37:00.000-07:00

It was great to learn that Charlie Tuna continues to attract a large following of radio listeners in Los Angeles to this day. Literally.

The latest radio ratings for L. A. show that Charlie's weekend shows on K-EARTH 101 came in first in the market in every important demographic. It is a reflection of both him and the station, but mostly him since these numbers on weekends are better than KRTH does at some points during the week.

His friendly approach has come across as sincere for almost 40 years in Los Angeles. He never was the on-air character like Real Don Steele, but has always done a solid job.

Simply put, it is great to see that after all these years at least one personality isn't being replaced , toned down, or reduced to a shadow of his or herself. Congrats to Charlie on this one.

Those of you that would like to enjoy Charlie from years gone by should check out our airchecks "store" at RadioRecordings.com. We have some from his KHJ days going back as far as 1965 and then into the 70's.

KFWB Los Angeles - less news more talk ??

2009-08-10T11:54:00.000-07:00

The Lovin' Spoonful song "Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind?" might wind up as the station's jingle at this rate.

KFWB 980 Los Angeles seems to be changing their mind - again. So much for the "Hollywood news" approach they have been trying as if to differentiate from sister news station KNX of late. In a sudden twist, the station is looking to add a block of talk shows to its weekday lineup starting Sept. 8th, which is the day after Labor Day.

These will reportedly include Dr. Laura from Noon to 3 PM and east coast based Michael Smerconish from 6 to 9 PM. It could be an "all Laura" midday as Laura Ingraham is reportedly in line for 9 AM to Noon.

As of now, 6 to 9 AM will remain local news and traffic with Phil Hulett and Penny Griego, with local news and traffic from 3 to 6 PM.

This is still another chapter in the damage that consolidation has done to radio over the past 10 years. Until the zeroes, KFWB and KNX were competing for the news and information audience 24 hours a day. KNX used its CBS News affiliation to have more of a regional and national news presence, to which KFWB balanced by focusing more on local matters.

Even when it came to sports, which both stations aired at the same time, they each went for a competitive edge. KNX would concentrate more on the sports headlines of the day and focus on the local teams, while KFWB would emphasize the scoreboard after 4:00 PM every day when the games would start. The stations each had competition, and listeners had choices.

Since both stations went to the same ownership, the need to scoop and "out cover" the other station has gone bye-bye. It has gotten to the point where some of the same reporters would turn up on either station. Orange County "bureaus" opened and closed periodically. But the stations became interchangeable. The magic was gone.

Now, so is an all-news format on KFWB. And for what? Talk shows with news blocks during weekday drive times is hardly an innovation. Just ask KFI from years gone by.

Changing format to add Dr. Laura? I'll be surprised if very many listeners give them 22 minutes after Labor Day.

Your comments are welcome!

Legendary music stations start talking...........

2009-07-16T11:10:00.001-07:00

Legendary radio stations are falling and/or changing this week around the country and in some respects this week is unlike any other during the modern radio era.

Two of the longest tenured and pioneer “album rock” stations have been declared dead within a matter of hours. WBCN Boston and its 40 year history of playing rock music are grinding to a halt within the next month. It began playing “album rock” when it was known as “underground rock” back in 1968 and in the early 70’s evolved into playing album tracks and appropriate current hits, adding new tracks each week as new releases came onto the market.

In later years, WBCN developed some popular shows and personalities, yet stayed with their core music format with the (noteworthy) exception of carrying Howard Stern for several years from the late 90’s until the end of 2005.

Meanwhile, in Louisville, WLRS began in the 70’s as that city’s album rock station. Like WBCN, it played “classic rock” before it became known as classic rock. Heck, a portion of its playlist this month has remained the same for 30+ years.

Yet, this week brings the sad news that both of these radio icons are leaving us. Mind you, not for other music. Instead, for still more talk. The Boston station is being indirectly replaced (due to related frequency moves) by a new Sports Radio station for Boston, even though WEEI Boston has been the dominant sports radio station for a few years. In Louisville, the station will change to syndicated talk shows in hopes of competing with WHAS-AM and its mostly local talk shows that have reached solid audiences for years.

It will be interesting to see if either move pays off in the long run. For now, we should all remember the “long run” that WBCN and WLRS brought to each market for generations.

94.7 KMET Los Angeles remembered - twice

2009-07-08T13:21:00.000-07:00

After years of being forgotten on the air, all of a sudden two Los Angeles radio stations decide to honor the memory of 94.7 KMET and its days as an album rock leader in radio. Relative newcomer KSWD 100.3 in L.A. announced that this coming Friday July 10 will be “KMET Friday” with (current) host Jeff Gonzer to handle the day long collection of old airchecks and features, and on-air promos were done by Dr. Demento, who will do a one hour shift on Friday playing some of the novelty songs he aired back in the day.

Not to be outdone, the station which benefitted the most over the years from the demise of KMET, KLOS 95.5 jumped the gun this past weekend.

KLOS “just happened” to have a “Legends” weekend with memories of KMET, its former rival. Rachael Donahue shared memories on the air, and special guests included Paraquat Kelley, while comedian Frazer Smith filled in for Mark & Brian. Smith had success with his “Saturday Night Fraze” radio show with comedy and album rock back in the 80’s before winding up on a small suburban Chicago radio station years later where his past success was basically washed away.

KMET was one of the few Los Angeles radio stations in the mid-80’s to do a good job with the format and it was disappointing to many when the format was dropped in favor of “The Wave” KTWV and its near jazz format. (Or “the Grave” as many called it.) I still remember the last set of music as KMET, with Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changing”, followed by Bob Seger’s “Rock & Roll Never Forgets” and then ending with The Beatles “Golden Slumbers” and “The End”. Whoo-yah!

It is great that the legendary station is finally being remembered, even if twice in the same week as only today’s radio stations would.

Radio losses................

2009-07-06T11:26:00.000-07:00

Sorry to see the recent radio “losses” which have nothing to do with cash flow and bottom line. One way or another, radio has lost 3 major contributors within the past week. Unfortunately, 2 are due to deaths.

Earl Finckle, the radio weather voice of several radio stations around the country who probably enjoyed his biggest success on Milwaukee radio for more than 30 years, passed away over the weekend. He will be remembered for his hard work of personally predicting local weather forecasts accurately enough to make his living from it year after year as much as, or even more than, his easy going radio demeanor.

We also lost long time radio and TV game show host and voice Ken Roberts over the past weekend.

Yet, the “loss” that will generate the most talk was not from a death, but from the 4th of July marking the end of a radio institution. There will probably always be a “countdown” of the top hits of the day as well as oldies lists and songs to fit whatever the format. But there will always have been only one “American Top 40”. As of this week, that is past tense.

Casey Kasem quietly aired his final “Casey’s Top 40” show this past weekend after 39 years of “counting ‘em down all the way to number one” and reaching for the stars every single week. The only good part of this is that Casey says he is not retiring and will continue working on other projects even at the age of 77. For a while, maybe we can forget about Casey losing the “American Top 40” show to another host and basically having to compete against himself, along with all of the typical radio “stuff” that was thrown his way over the past 15 years. We should remember Casey taking such a simple idea and making millions with it.

Every radio market had a “top 40” station and a survey of music sales and requests which it updated every week and caught the attention of the 12 – 34 audience around the country wondering what would be the next number 1 song. In the early 70’s, Casey managed to get a countdown show broadcast around the country, usually on a weekend shift such as Saturday night or Sunday morning.

American Top 40 was recorded early in the week and literally mailed to all of the participating radio stations on vinyl records throughout the 70’s. Each segment would be separated by grooves, just like album tracks used to be. As a result, stations could program as few or as many commercials as they could sell. Designed to be a 3 hour program, the show might end in under that time, or run 10 or 15 minutes “over”, depending on how local stations would handle it.

Somehow, the records themselves were of high enough quality not to skip or stick, as so many of our consumer LP’s would when we would play them at home. As a result, there are probably some people who just read the previous paragraph and had no idea that the show was not some sort of a live feed every weekend at the same time.

That’s the way to remember Casey. The simple idea, and making it seem dramatic as “we count down the hits until we reach the top” as if even he wasn’t sure what was coming. Add in his extras, and an occasional oldie or dedication and you had the radio show for all time. Taken from the most simple idea anyone has come up with.

I’ll admit that I probably haven’t heard a fresh “Casey’s Top 40” in at least 2 years, and didn’t even know which station aired it locally. But upon learning that he has finished doing the show, I can tell you that now there is still another void on AM/FM radio as we knew it. Thanks, Casey, and keep reaching for the stars………………

PPM ratings are the talk of the music stations

2009-06-22T11:58:00.001-07:00

As the latest set of monthly radio ratings come out for the larger markets being measured by the PPM system, the reaction to the changes in trends across the country is becoming more widespread. Many within and outside of the industry are putting blame on the new audience measurement system (devices worn by participants which automatically detect signals and length of time listened compared with writing down stations listened to in a diary). The other school of thought is that this method is “righting a wrong” and the differences may have been the real case all along.

Having been a broadcaster, radio advertiser, and radio ad salesman over the years, along with having worked for a radio research service for a couple years, I’m going to weigh in somewhere in the middle on this one.

Music stations are way up across the country, while talk and news/talk stations have generally dropped. Based on observation, my feeling is that talk (including news and sports) stations may no longer be getting the ratings status they used to enjoy, but probably remain the better buy for advertisers seeking that audience. Even if or as talk stations show a reduced audience in comparison, they remain more aggressively listened to than music stations.

If you are listening for news headlines, an interview, or a live report, chances are that station will have your full attention more often than when music is playing. It is human nature. Talk is less likely to be a background. On the other hand, music stations are often playing while people are talking with each other, working, doing household chores, walking, driving, or some form of activity requiring at least a portion of their attention.

My theory on this goes as follows. When people (participating in the ratings via whichever method) are listening to news, talk, or sports, they are paying close attention, even if for 5 to 15 minutes. The commercials they hear stand a better chance of reaching an attentive listener. But when those same people switch back to a music station, they stop listening as attentively (or aggressively, as I call it) and may sing along to a good song while doing the task at hand.

With a ratings diary, they are/were more apt to remember listening to 15 minutes of news. But they may have written down they listened to ½ hour of music when in fact a radio station playing music within their range might have been on around them for 2 hours. With the PPM measurement, that 15 minutes of aggressive listening to the news counts as a negative toward the news station compared with the 2 hours of the music station on nearby showing up on the PPM measurements.

Los Angeles provides the best example of this point. AMP 97.1 FM dropped its talk format (after its ratings had doubled since the first of THIS year) and went to a Contemporary Top 40 format a few weeks ago to compete with KIIS-FM among others. The just announced May ratings for Los Angeles, using the PPM measurement, show the new AMP 97.1 as 4th overall in the market with ratings well above anything the previous KLSX got in years. KIIS-FM came in at number 1 in the market.

The same ratings report shows all-news (for more than 35 years) KNX-AM at 17th overall, and it easily beat out sister news station KFWB overall. KNX used to be a regular in the top 10 in its target audience during most dayparts. Struggling sports radio KLAC has now doubled its ratings from 1 year ago – when it was still diary measurement.

No, it is not just Los Angeles. Chicago’s WGN Radio, which has ranked no lower than 3rd for something like 25 years under the diary system, now fails to make the Top 10 in some dayparts and is in the process of shuffling its entire morning and midday lineup. It’s afternoon shift changed earlier this year.

I may be one of the few who does understand how the change to PPM measurements are impacting the radio marketplace. But what I don’t understand is how the radio stations that play music continue to focus on “the same 500 songs” and 5 minute and longer commercial clusters all day and all week long. They should be focused on getting the listeners to listen more closely. THAT is when the PPM measurement will make a difference for advertisers.

I'm supposed to pay for what??

2009-06-03T18:59:00.000-07:00

Orbitcast has reported that Sirius XM Satellite subscribers may be asked to pay an additional $2 per month due to the proposed royalty rate increase. Say what?

The story went on to claim that the FCC allowed Sirius XM to pass these royalty fees along to the consumer as part of last year's merger.

Let me get this straight. First the merger wasn't supposed to raise the fees for subscribers yet offer additional combined programming. Yet, as a Sirius subscriber for more than 3 years, I now would have to pay additional to get baseball and other XM programming. Even though I personally was looking forward to having the baseball broadcasts available, I'm not paying anything extra for it. It was not my understanding that I would have had to, or I would have written in opposition of the merger from which I am not benefitting.

Now, I may be FORCED to pay additional for music royalties? I rarely listen to their music channels. Even if I did, I don't listen to all of them. I doubt that people who enjoy classical music also listen to heavy metal. But they expect me to pay so they can play songs I don't like? After they have eliminated channels because of the merger and some duplication?

Yet some people wonder why satellite radio has been struggling the past few months. It is not because of the drop in new car sales. If the offering was good enough, and was what was promised to us consumers, new subscriptions would be happening. Hardly anyone is buying HD Radios, which even with a few recent improvements, doesn't offer enough of an incentive even to those who understand what HD Radio is and does.

Now I might be "forced" to pay for music that I don't even like????

Yes, I agree that performers should be compensated for their music being played in a public forum. But if I am supposed to pay for it, I should have the choice over which songs and artists I hear.

Come to think of it, I already do. Looks like my MP3 player will get an even longer daily use before too long.

If only AM and FM stations would have kept up quality live and local programming like they used to do. We wouldn't know HD or satellite radio because we wouldn't have needed it.

hough Sirius XM is unable to officially raise its rates yet, as a condition of the satellite radio merger, Orbitcast reports that subscribers could see some additionally fees starting this summer. Subscribers will likely see their bill go up approximately $2 a month, as satellite radio music royalty rate increases will be passed along to the consumer.

According to Orbitcast's sources, the increase in costs will take effect on July 29 and according to a leaked document, Sirius XM "can no longer absorb these increased costs" in performance royalties. In 2007, the Copyright Royalty Board instituted increased performance royalty rates for satellite radio, which have gone up every year and will continue to increase into 2012. The rate increased from six percent of gross revenue in '07 and '08 to 6.5 percent this year. It will reach seven percent in 2010, 7.5 percent in 2011 and eight percent in 2012.

As part of the Sirius and XM merger, the FCC allowed the combined satcaster to pass along the royalty fees, effective July 29, 2009, whereas the company was required to absorb the fees itself before this date. According to Orbitcast's information, most subscribers will be charged an extra $1.98/month, while those with multiple radio plans with be charged another 97 cents/month and "Mostly Music" subscribers will pay $1.53/month. However, "Best Of Sirius" and "Best Of XM" subscribers are exempt, as are subscribers who renew a long-term plan before July 29.

Talk stations go to FM - what a waste

2009-06-02T14:00:00.000-07:00

I don't even like hip-hop, but I'm all for it in this instance. It is becoming more commonplace within the past few weeks for "non-music" formats to move to or start up on the FM side.

Now comes word from San Antonio that KPWT 106.7 FM has let go of its air personalities and is abandoning its hip-hop format. And for what, you ask?

KPWT just became that city's only FM talk station. And with mostly syndicated shows. And this serves the local market how????

It's all about money. Syndicated shows don't cost nearly as much as local personalities. Pretty soon, not playing music will likely save stations money by not having to pay performance royalties.

My http://MajorLeaguePrograms.blogspot.com blog gives a few more examples of sports stations going to FM.

Sure, save a few bucks here and there. But what about the audience?

Here are station executives sitting there getting paid to wonder why their audience isn't as large as it once was, so they change to a cheaper method.

I've been saying this for months, but it bears saying again. During the course of my day I listen to satellite radio and to my MP3 player. In both cases, it is to hear something that I USED TO easily get, and "free" on my AM/FM Radio. (That being Howard Stern and my favorite music, respectively.)

Now, I pay a monthly fee for satellite radio, and have spent over a hundred dollars on an MP3 player plus the time involved with getting my favorite music on there.

The music stations I used to love hour after hour have narrowed their playlists down to a few hundred songs. I own more songs that I like than they play, including the ones they program that I don't like. So why bother listening to their music programming?

Now some AM/FM stations respond by taking away music.

The audience and the advertisers suffer because of it.

As if the Zune would make people notice HD Radio?

2009-05-27T13:48:00.000-07:00

This morning I saw the articles about how Microsoft is planning to come out with an upgraded version of the Zune player this fall, which will include an HD Radio.

Later on I saw a story about how some broadcasters are pleased about this. Say what?

Let me get this straight. I could have my entire music collection with hundreds of my favorite songs in the palm of my hand, and could choose the specific songs I want to hear immediately in any order. Yet, there are people with Microsoft and at radio stations that think I would CHOOSE to listen to a radio station instead?

I have been saying this regularly for the past 3 years, and this is occasion to say it again. If the radio broadcasters had not gone to limited playlists, clusters of commercials after commercials, recorded and syndicated programming, and fewer promotions, then MP3 players and all of the other technical "distractions" from radio would not have made such a major dent in the consumer marketplace.

Here I am paying a monthly fee for satellite radio and carrying an MP3 player in my pocket which cost me over $150. Once upon a time, I didn't need these things, since my radio brought me all of the music I enjoyed along with news and sports. In other words, I'm basically paying to avoid AM and FM radio as it is now, and I live in a large market with more radio choices than a lot of other people have.

Why would the Zune make the effort to have an HD Radio, and why would people pay more to get it? Give me a break.

Person to Person Radio? For a price.........

2009-05-15T11:00:00.000-07:00

An unemployed software engineer took an unconventional tactic in hopes of landing a new job during these challenging times. For that, he is to be congratulated. A Hopkinton MA area man got so frustrated in his job search that he personally spent $1,500 on a local radio campaign to convince an employer to hire him. I don't know yet whether or not this effort was successful.

Since I comment about radio and marketing (and for that matter have done my share of the unconventional over the years), I find the need to think this through from all sides.

From a radio standpoint, I understand why a station would accept this. They need the money and all this guy needs is for one employer to hire him, and they have a true success story from an advertiser. Yet, accepting a "one person" commercial could make the station sound "small time" when aired along with spots for local and multi-million dollar businesses. Granted, WCRB-FM (the classical music station airing the spots) serves a small marketplace.

Yet, from a marketing standpoint, the radio station could have done better than this. Sorry, but airing a "one person" ad makes them seem desparate to sell air time. If I were the sales rep there or Sales Manager, here is what I would have done instead.

I would have checked my list of current and past advertisers in search of an employment agency or temp service. If I found one, I would contact them and tell them I have a candidate in need of work to the point of wanting to buy time on the station. I would tell that employment agency contact that it would make a great testimonial for us (the station) and the agency if the agency could find him a position without this guy having to buy the time on the station. And then the agency buy that air time to promote specifically how WCRB helps find local jobs.

The result would be the station creates a market exclusive advertising campaign, retains or recaptures another advertiser (which could go long term, not a few days), and the station and employment agency generate favorable publicity. While that guy becomes the station's most loyal listener for life and tells everyone he can what they did for him. The employment agency gets a commission for placing the guy (which I'm guessing covers their radio campaign cost!!), and they all live happily ever after.

What employment agency or temp firm is going to advertise on that station after hearing an individual advertising because he can't find a job?

Meanwhile, I realize the guy buying the spots also did it for the publicity of calling attention to his need for a job (which is how I found out about this), so in some respects he got more than $1,500 in publicity for his money. On the other hand, I'm 1,000 miles away so I can't help him, and that is probably the case with a lot of the publicity he generated.

While I admire his creativity, I would think it could have been put to better use. For $1,500 he could have used some other approaches. He could have invited several identified employers to a lunch presentation, started a web site to feature the software he has designed and worked on in the past, created and printed brochures for distribution, and the list goes on.

And if he doesn't get a job from his $1,500 local radio campaign, he has nothing to show for his efforts.

And hopefully that radio station, and others, will be able to do better than this for creativity.

All that jazz about nothing

2009-05-04T11:22:00.000-07:00

If it really is big news that 3 more FM stations across the country have dumped a jazz music format then over-the-air radio is in more trouble than even I thought.

Radio trades and internet boards are making a big deal because the jazz format has also been recently dropped from Dayton, Fresno, and Albuquerque. Rather, I'd be more interested in finding out how even one market of that size (in terms of total stations available) went to and stuck with a jazz music format for however long.

Even as jazz formats have faded from top 10 markets such as Chicago, at least a large population base would allow for perhaps a few thousand loyal listeners to keep the format around and be supported by smaller and very local advertisers which couldn't afford the larger audience stations.

I have nothing against jazz music, although I am among the majority which doesn't enjoy it very much. (And, yes, I have given it quite the chance, having hosted a jazz show on a Chicago radio station for more than 3 years many moon ago.) My point is that jazz has never been among the best sellers of albums and later CD's, which to me spells little consumer interest.

The lack of general popularity of jazz would seem to make the radio format unappealing for advertisers looking for a growing audience. And that is why I can't see why this is such a big deal. Especially now, radio stations are hurting for advertising dollars, and have zero reason to keep a station with a limited reach format on the air.

Now that more stations seem to have wised up, why is treated as big news?

It keeps getting worse??

2009-05-01T12:48:00.000-07:00

More radio "thinking" this week across the board. Don't think of selling the station(s) and getting out if finances aren't up to par. Keep making cuts from the programming that needs MORE listeners to survive, yet has less local appeal than ever. Ya, right.

As you probably know by now, Clearance Channel was at it again earlier this week with cutbacks on still more local personalities across the country. There are hundreds of examples.

Houston sports radio felt the pain as Brad Davies and Craig Roberts are now gone from morning drive on KBME 790. Typical of the Clearance Channel hodge-podge left in its wake is the revised KBME weekday schedule. They now carry Dan Patrick's syndicated show live (which at least is better than those stations which delay it for several hours and air it after previewed games on the show have been played) from 8 to 11 AM. Surviving hosts Ted DeLuca and John Lopez now regularly work a split shift all week, airing from 6 to 8 AM and then coming back from 11 AM to 3 PM. KTRK-TV Channel 13 laid off Sports Executive Producer Robert Leake.

CINCINNATI - More from Clearance Channel. Sports blogger C. Trent Rosecrans and 3 producers are gone. On the air, WCKY morning host Alan Cutler is gone. At least Cutler still has a position to keep him busy, as he continues in his Sports Director role for nearby WLEX-TV in Lexington.The adding of still more syndicated programming on WCKY means that only Lance McAlister will be the only local host, handling 3 to 6 PM some weekdays. Of course, with Clearance Channel involved, Lance will share duties among 2 stations, instead hosting the 6 to 9 PM sports talk show on WLW on nights when the Reds do not play. When that happens, Mo Egger will handle the afternoon spot on WCKY. More sports adjustments will be made, as Cutler is also reportedly out as Bengals Radio Network host after 8 seasons. Scott Sloan remains on WLW, but will now handle the "Extra Innings" Reds post-game call-in show.

At this rate, I suppose if a Reds game gets rained out after the scheduled start time, Clearance Channel will probably air a voice tracked sports talk show from another market talking about an American League team for 3 hours.

U2 or not U2 for radio? That is the question....

2009-04-22T21:16:00.000-07:00

A program director was quoted on one of the radio boards earlier this week complaining about how his station supposedly spent thousands of dollars to promote the new CD by U2 only to have (group leader) Bono make public statements about he (Bono) feels that radio stations should pay royalties to the performers of the music they play.

My first reaction was to wonder who "forced" this P.D. to air the special about the CD and upcoming tour and play their new tracks.

My next reaction was to write this note to the administrator of that internet board:

"Dear Anonymous Program Director:

No one required you to air anything relative to U2's new CD. You could have done nothing but recycle the same U2 songs from the 80's, like many of your colleagues do, and treat them like an oldies act. Since you ran all of this U2 related programming you wrote about, I'm going to guess that sponsors paid for commercial time to be a part of those shows. Had it been just another hour of a few of the same 500 songs in between clusters of commercials, your station might not have had as big of an audience.

This, while there is a chance that your market has a "Jack-FM" or "Fresh" or at least one station with no live hosts some, most, or all of the day. The "free" music you seem to expect is saving you thousands of dollars of programming costs since these stations can play all music and not pay personalities.

It so happens that one of the major artists suggests that the source of your programming and your income receive some form of compensation. And YOU are offended?

Fine. Drop all of your music. Hire more air personalities to take phone calls all day and night. Hire a news staff to keep your audience informed and to give your hosts a few minutes to rest each hour.

Then check those profit sheets at the end of the month.

There - you would sure show Bono!!"

That comment actually provoked more emotion from me than the stories about how some radio stations might be cutting back on or stopping some or all of their HD channels. Probably started from the same program director who made the comments above.

Let me get this straight. Some radio stations and owners fought against the XM and Sirius merger fearing additional listener and advertising dollar competition for their stations by having an even larger subscriber base for satellite radio with millions of subscribers combined into one total.

Most stations put content on their HD channels that, obviously, is or was not strong enough to attract the audiences to purchase and use an HD radio.

So now they might pull the plug on it? I'm now even more glad I didn't spend money on an HD Radio. It could become obsolete before I had gotten used to it.

Well, maybe they couldn't think of enough quality programming to put on HD. They are too busy complaining about what they are putting on their AM and FM airwaves and what it costs to pay attention to HD.

And they still wonder why sales of MP3 players continue to skyrocket.

Legends on the move

2009-04-12T12:47:00.000-07:00

This Monday and Tuesday (April 13 + 14) mark a coming and a going for Los Angeles area radio listeners involving nationally known names. Rick Dees does his final show on 93.9 FM on Tuesday due to that station going over to Spanish language programming. Dees currently does not have another L.A. radio gig lined up after the better part of the last 20+ years on KIIS-FM and others in the Southland. Of course, Rick has enough to keep him busy on the national level.

Meanwhile, Hollywood Hamilton begins a dual presence on Monday, hosting daily shows in both New York and Los Angeles each weekday. He will continue to handle afternoon drive on WKTU-FM in New York, but starting this Monday will also be heard from 3 - 7 PM on MyFM 104.3 in Los Angeles each afternoon.

However, the L.A. show will be mostly recorded earlier in the day. Hamilton will be voice tracking the show from the NYC studios prior to going on the air in New York. Word is that the L.A. station will forward the request lines to Hamilton in NY for some of the show. Due to the 3 hour time difference, Hamilton would have the ability to record phone calls and add anything timely for the current afternoon's show.

While I understand that Hamilton is popular in both markets and is an important cog with both stations, I'm not liking this move. Los Angeles deserves a live afternoon drive personality over and above one who is literally thousands of miles away and not live.

Meanwhile, for those who wish to remember the dance music days of WKTU in the early 80's, our RadioRecordings.com airchecks series can help you remember them. See the list at RadioRecordings.com.

The passing of Howard Clark

2009-04-08T13:48:00.001-07:00

Sorry to learn of the passing of Howard Clark earlier this week at the age of 70. Clark was most remembered for his Bay Area stints with KFRC and KYA, along with WWDJ New York (New Jersey if you must).

Clark was also one of the pioneers of southern radio during his nearly 50 years on the air. His resume also included WKY Oklahoma City and WTIX New Orleans along with several others in and near Shreveport LA over the last 25+ years of his career.

So far, we have not found any airchecks of him, but we do have some more KYA and KFRC to go through, so hopefully something will turn up soon. Clark will be missed.

Remembering Beaker Street show

2009-04-01T12:48:00.000-07:00

Isn't amazing how you can go for years without remembering something, and then once you hear a name, it all comes back to you?

This seems to be happening with our Radio Recordings Series when people find out that we have added a few airchecks of " Beaker Street " from KAAY Little Rock from nearly 40 years ago. During the 60's and early 70's, KAAY was a powerhouse station covering a wide area of the country at night.

Their late night program, called " Beaker Street " (and I still don't know where that name came from) and its host Clyde Clifford helped to pioneer the 'underground radio' sound of the day. Actually, some FM stations were doing this at night, taking advantage of the stereo sound that FM had to offer. But KAAY was perhaps the first station of any significance to air this on the AM dial.

Complete with background sounds and a playlist which was extremely varied, Clyde would feature album tracks not generally played on any radio station, let alone a Top 40 style one. He would play some tracks which were more than 7 minutes in length all the way through. Heck, there are stations today that still won't do that. One of the airchecks we feature has Clyde playing a 14 minute track all the way through.

Yet, all these years later, fans of the radio stations and the music of the late 60's and early 70's, including many who listened to KAAY, had completely forgotten about this landmark radio show. Until they hear the name " Beaker Street " and then Clyde Clifford.

This has quickly become among the more popular airchecks available through MajorLeaguePrograms.com.

But the point is how it is forgotten one minute, and an "oh yeah! I remember that!" within a matter of seconds - every time.

As if we care about online radio commercials?

2009-03-31T12:40:00.000-07:00

The case could be made that sales and marketing are becoming separate categories at CBS Radio, at least based on Monday's (Mar. 30) announcement. If this story had come out on Wednesday (4/1) I would have taken it for a dud of an April Fool's joke. As it goes with the current state of radio, I wish it was.

CBS Radio actually made it a story that it will have live reads by station personalities of commercials for its online and mobile streams. I must have missed the statistics about the number of CBS Radio listeners who tune in when commercials are read by the station announcers.

Once upon a time, music stations would promote things like "We play the most music". Now it comes down to promoting "We have the best commercials"????

To me it is hard to believe the quote in the story release from their "President of Digital Media and Integrated Marketing" about how this "will result in deeper online and mobile engagement, and listener satisfaction".

This being announced by CBS really did happen. It is not a joke. I wanted to be sure this post is dated before April 1st.

I can see it now. Their JACK-FM stations will probably have a "Playing the commercials we want!" promo on the air within the week.

Hopefully the rush of consumers logging in to hear CBS stations online and their live reads of commercials won't shut down the internet for very long.

What ever happened to Saturdays on the radio?

2009-03-12T12:14:00.000-07:00

Even as radio stations continue to eliminate the high priced talent and scale back local programming like there is no tomorrow (and in some cases there may not be), I was reminded of times years ago when the leading personalities worked a 6 day week on the air with no questions asked. But you wouldn't know that today, even with all of the cutbacks.

What reminded me is some feedback we received from one of our RadioRecordings.com airchecks which has been a good seller. Houston area residents over the age of 35 most certainly remember the morning team of Hudson & Harrigan and their (then) unique blend of humor and how well they blended together on the air.

A compilaton of 2 of the airchecks from the 1970's has been very well received. What makes this more interesting is that one of the segments was from a Saturday morning. Yet, the Hudson & Harrigan are on doing some "bits" and entertaining like any other morning. The only difference is more music and less news and traffic. Most personalities, including morning drive, worked a 6 day week back then.

Now, the morning personalities are the highest paid on most stations and have gone on over the years to be on air the least. Sure, I can understand how bringing in the audience and consequently the ad revenue deserves some reward. But those were different econonmic times.

Yet, these days, stations are paying weekend "fill-in" talent to do the same shifts the high powered drive-time talent used to as part of their deal. Radio executives now use the argument that "the Saturday morning audience isn't as large as the weekday audience". While they have a point, there is also a listener "argument".

"The talent level isn't there on the weekends like it is during the week." If these stations are going to throw us a bone on the weekends, then us listeners have fewer reasons to get excited about our favorite stations. In a time when there are generally fewer reasons for us to get excited about our favorite stations as it is.

At this rate, the great rememberances of Hudson & Harrigan are as much to enjoy what Saturday radio USED TO BE as they are to recall what a great morning team they were.

It's what you do with a radio that counts.........

2009-03-06T13:48:00.000-08:00

Typical radio industry attempt at publicity these days. There was a story earlier this week that White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs revealed that he doesn't own a radio.

Then a story about how the HD Radio Alliance and Clearance Channel in D.C. "sprung into action". The story is that WIHT Washington had one of their air personalities deliver a new HD Radio and FM adapter to the White House for Gibbs use.

I guess they consider this a publicity stunt. I don't. They would have been better off to let the story get buried. Face it. If the guy is on the White House staff he is probably too busy to know what HD Radio is. He sees the AM and FM stations and networks all the time. HD Radio doesn't offer separate or original news. My hunch is that Gibbs is like a lot of others these days. Maybe he got tired of the clusters of endless commercials, lack of competition in radio newsrooms to actually investigate and break a story, and music playlists limited to a few hundred songs. I'm sure if he really "wanted" a radio, he would have one.

The fact that Gibbs appearantly was getting along without one speaks more volume than the "on/off" button.

Some people just don't get it.

Remembering Paul Harvey

2009-03-01T11:16:00.000-08:00

The death of Paul Harvey on Saturday truly marks the end of an era in radio. Like many baby boomers, this sad news took me back to being a child and my parents making it a point to listen to Paul Harvey News & Comment when we were in the car or all together.

Yet, as much as I tried not to like something that my parents wanted to listen to, I couldn't help but develop an early fascination for the style and delivery of this great announcer. It was as though these news stories happened only because Paul Harvey said they did.

A style that never will be matched for capturing and holding the listeners' attention. Anything from political to the offbeat, and all points in between. One could think that the "man bites dog" story he delivered happened because the dog couldn't listen to Paul.

I never admitted it at the time, but there were a few times that I changed my radio dial over to the "old people's station" to hear Paul Harvey on my own.

A lot of people seem to remember Paul Harvey more for his "The Rest of the Story", and that certainly was an interesting show. To me, it was nowhere near what "News and Comment" was. I reasoned that Harvey had as much time as needed to write and produce "The Rest of the Story", especially as good as it was.

But "News and Comment" was 15 minutes every weekday. That meant coming up with fresh and timely stories, and putting them into his unique writing and delivery style on a deadline. Truly incredible.

He could read as fast or faster than anyone. Yet every word was clearly understood. He was able to put significant inflection in his voice. Whether it was sad and serious, funny, or any point in between, Paul Harvey could deliver the goods. Day after day, week after week, and year after year after year.

Paul Harvey WAS the rest of the story.

how WCBS Radio could make a difference.........

2009-02-25T12:32:00.000-08:00

I was totally underwhelmed at the "news" that WCBS-AM in NYC actually bothered to announce that its Yankees broadcasts would be "simulcast" on WCBS-FM HD-3.

Another typical corporate radio announcement. As if that would make people, at least those who understand what HD Radio really is, run right out and buy one to hear the same thing they already get on 880 AM.

Yet, to me, WCBS actually could make this newsworthy. For that matter, they could also do the same with the Chicago White Sox broadcasts (which are on CBS' WSCR Chicago). What could they do?

They could use these HD channels to replay the broadcasts. I've said this for months. HD Radio could bring innovation to over-the-air radio if only they would.

WCBS and WSCR (and other CBS stations with sports rights) should devote an HD channel to strategic replays of their teams broadcasts, or even to part of them.

Part of them? Let me explain.

Weeknight sports events run too late for many in the workforce who have to get up early on a weekday morning and can't always stay up to watch or listen to their team's games. This is especially true for the Yankees and east coast sports fans, where many road games don't begin until after 8:00.

When the Yankees play at the Angels or A's, the games don't even start until after 10:00 on a weeknight and often run until 1:00 AM.

Here is my point. The HD channel could and should serve as a way for WCBS to serve the Yankees fans. (This is the example for other teams and stations) My idea is for them to replay the entire game after it ends, and then replay the final hour of the game until about Noon the next morning. Why the last hour?

This way, fans would be able to get up in the morning and hear the last couple of innings and get a recap of the details of the game. From a New York standpoint, this could keep Yankees fans from tuning into WINS in the morning to get the final score - or to a non-CBS station. Even if they would tune into WFAN or a CBS station, their tuning into the HD channel keeps them in the family and on their "Yankees station".

In Chicago, WGN Radio, not a CBS station, has been the dominant morning station for the past 30 years. Replaying the last hour of a late White Sox game could keep listeners away from the CBS Radio competition, while better serving the team's fans.

Just to complete the day, I would replay the entire game starting at Noon, and then again around 3 PM. Some could listen on their way home, too. I would have to think the game advertisers would like the additional exposure that replaying their commercials would bring.

Let's make this happen. THAT would be a news announcement!

Change format - change language?

2009-02-18T14:11:00.000-08:00

Format changes with no warning are one thing. I'm sure it has happened to all of us at some point. You tune "back in" to a favorite station and then wonder "What the x%$# is this?" and discover the format you enjoyed is now history. Many times a station will air a song or even a varied format to have a transition between formats and keep the audience and the competition guessing.

But this one takes the cake, even in the state of over-the-air radio today. KMVK 107.5 in Dallas, known as "Movin' 107.5" did a different sort of "Movin'" on Tuesday. They not only suddenly made a format change, they changed languages.

The R & B station was in the middle of a song ("Vogue" by Madonna) when it suddenly cut off. After a moment of silence (and how literal of a term is that for a radio station these days?), on came another song - in Spanish. "Mega 107.5" was born.

Given that nearly 25% of the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex population is Spanish, the move itself is not that surprising. How abruptly it took place is.

Within minutes, the station also flipped its web site over to reflect "Mega1075.com". The "Movin'" air staff, including the morning personality Chris Shine, appear to have been let go. Or should I say, told adios.

Classic recorded rock radio

2009-02-12T12:49:00.000-08:00

Who needs reality TV when even successful radio stations provide the drama? Days after another monthly ratings success comes out for Milwaukee's classic rocker WKLH, especially for their long running morning show, here come some schedule changes that only a radio station could bring us.

The station is returning popular Patti Genko to its airwaves. Sort of a "back by popular demand". However, the popular demand was not for a voice tracked show on weeknights from 9 until midnight. Why voice tracked? Because Patti continues her midday jazz show on sister station WJZX-FM from 10 AM to 2 PM each weekday.

So let's get this straight. Her show on one of the market's highest rated station will be voice tracked so that her show on the jazz station can continue to be done live.

To make room for the 9 to midnight voice tracked show, KLH is moving the syndicated Alice Cooper radio show out of that slot. And right into the almighty Midnight to 3 AM slot. I'm sure the syndication company is jumping for joy about that.

That move would leave only 3 to 5 AM for an overnight host. So we can't have that. The station now fills that time with a replay of Steve Palec and his "Legends of Rock" show. Not a replay from weeks or months gone by. A replay of the same show which aired from 7 until 9 PM, as a lead in to Patti Genko's voice tracked show. Yes, in stealing a chapter from cable TV, it's a case of exactly the same programming airing 8 hours later on a regular basis.

No wonder the morning show is so popular. For now, it is done live and is fresh every day. With some perserverance, that concept could make it in over-the-air radio.

Personalities? It's the commercial clusters!!

2009-02-04T13:10:00.000-08:00

I have read several articles, even more than usual, over the past couple of weeks with understandably negative comments about the drastic reduction in truly local programming in seemingly every radio market. And I understand that.

People like the local touch that radio used to bring. Heck, I remember hearing "lost dog" announcements on smaller and even medium market stations even into the late 70's. Before there were search engines, people would sometimes call a local radio station for community information. The music stations would talk about appearances by the station's personalities, many of which were within a few miles of home. You would sometimes be able to think "I know where that is! Let me see if I can get over there.....". And, yes, that is missing and non-existent in some markets.

But I don't see that as being the most pressing problem with radio. Personally, I'm not listening because the local touch has been lost. That is further down on the list of reasons.

I will tell you what is first. Sure, there needs to be commercials. I have always understood that somebody has to pay the bills. But over the past few days, I have been hit hard with the realization of how much more commercial time is sold on almost every station. Therein lies the problem. The number one problem, in my opinion.

Part of my job is to review and help produce the radio airchecks from the 60's, 70's, and 80's, which are available from RadioRecordings.com via http://MajorLeaguePrograms.com . In listening to many of them, I was overwhelmed at the number of times I would listen through commercial breaks and think "that was quick!" when the music started up again. It finally hit me. Back in the day, it wasn't "quick". A commercial break very rarerly went more than 2 minutes. And I could easily live with that. But no more.

Hearing Tom Jones on KSTP Minneapolis in the early 70's saying "and this hour you will hear 56 minutes of music!!" constantly summed it up. He would have 3 or 4 stops for commercials that hour, and get right back into the music. The format flowed. Now, each stop for commercials goes at least 3 or 4 minutes, and that is way more than once per hour. That is the real killer for the listeners.

Frankly, it doesn't matter if the program comes from across the street or 2,000 miles away. If the commercial breaks are going to be 5 minutes long twice an hour, and the same 500 songs keep playing over and over and over again, it could be anybody.

I stopped wondering why advertisers are reducing if not dropping radio time. If yours isn't the first or second spot, it doesn't matter anymore. People aren't sticking around to hear it.

Is it really promoting the competition?

2009-01-28T13:04:00.000-08:00

It seems that what's left of the CBS Radio empire has gone back to some level of cross-promotion among its cluster of stations. It has been going on in Chicago off and on over the past couple of years. The news station will run a spot for a music station, and occasionally cross promote sports broadcasts with the all-sports station in the cluster.

Yet, in New York, I saw the story that WFAN's Mike Francesa was "annoyed" to hear a promo air during this afternoon drive show for sister FM station WXRK's afternoon show, now hosted by Chris Booker.

Years ago, I felt the same way. There was always the "Why send any listener elsewhere at any time?" vibe felt throughout the station. I remember being stunned back in the 70's when a Chicago "beautiful music" station (oops - showing my age again) traded out with Newsradio 78. Each did a "When you want the news........." or "When you want to hear beautiful music...." type spot. I understood they were not competition, but was still opposed to it because it could send listeners in another direction. What if they can't find their way back? They could stop on another station before they get to yours on the return.

But just as my views on certain things have done a 180 over the years, I would have to say I have done that here. It has nothing to do with clusters doing what is now cross promotion. (The 70's incident I referred to was with different ownership, back in the day when one owner could only have a maximum of one AM and one FM in a single market.)

Now, it is radio competing against the alternatives which have come along. The playing field is way different. The idea is to keep people listening to the radio, moreso than one station vs. the next. I get it.

This is a way to try and combat my point that if radio had maintained a strong level of programming there wouldn't be this much "competition" for my ears.

So if one AM or FM station can point out a program that could be of interest and keep my attention on the radio, I see the purpose. It is no longer "which station?" but a matter of if I, or others, would be willing to turn on the "regular" radio.

Personally, I was born and bred on radio. Back to my days in grammar school of having a 20 foot transmitter kit in my bedroom and putting the microphone up against my turntable speakers to host "my" radio show every weekend. Coming home at lunch to listen to a few songs. The whole story, while knowing at the time I wanted to work in the industry.

But I fast forward 40 years. As I write this, it is mid-afternoon of a typical weekday to my ears.
I woke up this morning to a classic rock FM station, and listened for 15 minutes while I shaved, showered, and got dressed to start my day. I get the weather and a couple of headlines and a set of 3 or 4 songs every morning.

Since then, I listened to satellite radio for 45 minutes on my way in (Howard Stern, if you need to know what), and I have since listened to over 6 hours of an internet music channel online at my desk. When I went out for lunch and to run an errand, I heard about 45 minutes of tunes on my MP3 player.

Stern is gone from over-the-air and successfully taken his show to a better venue. He is the majority of the reason I pay for satellite radio. The songs I heard over the hours online and, of course, on my MP3 player, are mostly songs I don't hear anymore (if at all) on the radio, but did when they first came out.

Years ago those 7 hours of my day would have easily been spent on a couple of radio stations with no questions asked, and back the next day for more. No more. Yet, if radio had maintained the true local personality and more thorough playlists, along with shorter and more reasonable commercial breaks, I wouldn't have thought of spending money on satellite and an MP3 player and music I want to hear on it.

As a result, I understand completely that if I'm listening to WFAN for sports talk, maybe I'd want to hear Chris Booker and his knowledge on K-Rock (or whatever they are calling it with this week's format) when I'm done listening to sports talk. It would keep me away from the "competition", which is no longer AM and FM radio.

more Radio Recordings on the way

2009-01-28T12:59:00.000-08:00

Thanks to those of you who noticed that we are re-structuring our RadioRecordings airchecks series. I'm pleased to say that we are on target for our Feb. 1st "re-launch", so please do check back next week!!

We have a few more from Chicago, Los Angeles, and St. Louis in particular that I think you will find interesting.

More bad publicity for the radio industry

2009-01-16T13:15:00.000-08:00

Just as the radio industry needs all the strength and help it can get in order to survive in this economy come two stories which will not only impact the lives of a lot of people around the country, but will also have (another) negative impact on radio advertising and revenue.

Now comes word that The Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB) announces it is laying off ten percent of its staff, with a hiring and salary freeze as well.

So let me get this straight. Does this mean that the radio stations, which need all of the favorable publicity and image they can get in front of potential advertisers, can no longer afford to keep their collective publicity machine alive? Some message this sends to ad agencies and local advertisers. The organization responsible for materials and publicity about what makes radio a potentially good source for advertising is having financial problems. This makes a tough job even tougher, at the worst possible time. Ouch.

Meanwhile, the word is that on Tuesday, while the nation is focused on Inauguration Day, that "Clearance Channel" (as I call it) will announce significant employee and air talent reductions across the country. Considering they already use voice tracking in markets as large as Detroit and Chicago, I'm afraid to think of how much worse things will turn within the next week.

I suppose when you have one executive running 5 stations in the same market, each station only gets 1/5 of the effort. But the wrong people suffer on this. And that includes the listeners.

another station format change

2009-01-16T11:38:00.000-08:00

The Los Angeles station known for years as "Indie 103.1" has bailed, but at least some of the air staff had the opportunity to say goodbye on the air. This station has been plagued by signal problems for years, going back to its "Mars 103" days of what I called the "weird rock" format in the late 80's.

Yet, station management is supposedly blaming the PPM audience measurement as a reason for its demise. As if that station ever made an impact in the market. It had a small but steady core of listeners, with little variation. At best, long term advertisers had a reinforcement outlet. For my money, this is the type of "hip" station that people would purposely overstate under the diary system and PPM is more of a reality.

At any rate, the word is the station will go Spanish within the month.

first radio format change of 2009.........

2009-01-15T12:57:00.000-08:00

Well, we made it almost 2 weeks into 2009 before a major market radio format change. Not bad.

Even though it happened in Atlanta, it is merely a jazz station (107.5 FM) being pulled for a new format that has yet to be unveiled. Jazz stations have vanished within the past year and a half in New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Miami, and Memphis, that I know of. Some analysts say it is to cut expenses since perhaps the new format will allow for fewer or no air personalities. I contend that the audience for jazz was never sizable enough to sustain anything above a minor audience rating, and even the smaller, local, and niche advertisers have cut back to the point of no immediate return.

just how beautiful?

2009-01-07T13:14:00.000-08:00

For those wondering why radio stations are struggling so much these days and losing out to services and technology that consumers are willing to PAY for instead of turing on the radio, here is one more example.

Granted, this could be poor journalism too. This story is about a station changing its format to "beautiful music" but it doesn't give one example or clue as to any songs or artists the station is now playing.

Personally, I associate "beautiful music" with the elevator music FM's in the 70's and early 80's in large markets. Those have been gone for 20 years or longer. If there was a demand, believe me those stations would still be around and in the radio format wheel today.

I'm not going guess what this station is now playing. And there is no reason to tune away from whatever else I'm listening to just to find out.

http://www.bizjournals.com/albany/stories/2008/12/29/daily3.html?ana=from_rss

The joke going around the office is that the writer of this story will be hired as News Director at this "beautiful music" station.

more Chicago and L.A. Radio Recordings

2008-12-23T12:45:00.001-08:00

RadioRecordings.com continues to make more memories available via its expanding series of classic radio air checks. Just added are Chicago radio classics, including Larry Lujack on WLS from a 1971 morning show and his final WLS show from August 1987. The '71 recording includes the famous Lujack quip after reading a news teaser about a potential disaster and saying "and if the world comes to end, you'll hear about it first on W L S", as only he can.

In addition, recordings of WLS legends Joel Sebastian, Kris Eric Stevens, and J.J. Jeffrey, are now available.

Fans of Los Angeles radio may be interested in a recording of Ted Quillen recreating KFWB Color Radio from April 1958, which he produced for KRLA in April of 1988 30 years later.

Listeners in both cities in the 60's (and up until today in Chicago) can find an air check of Dick Biondi from Super CFL in Chicago from his afternoon show in 1971.

RadioRecordings.com plans to add more vintage air checks from around the country over the coming weeks.

From this current batch, we, as always, recommend the Larry Lujack recordings.

Have a great holiday!!

A Radio Fantasy? League that is...........

2008-12-16T12:52:00.000-08:00

It's as though the world of sports has taken over the radio industry over just the past few days. The story of CBS Radio and Clear Channel literally trading some stations sounds like it was concocted at the baseball winter meetings instead of the boardrooms of the two largest radio station ownership groups in the country. And a playlist to be named later.

At almost the same time, two Chicago powerhouse stations were involved in major management changes. The story broke that Bob Shomper has left WGN Radio as Program Director to move literally down the street (less than a mile away, physically) to become PD at news/talk rival WLS-AM. And, presto, WGN brings in Kevin Metheny from Cleveland to replace Shomper.

As an aside, Shomper's timing is impeccable. WLS-AM is enjoying ratings success of late and seems to be holding its own under the PPM audience measurement, which not all talk shows and stations are doing. WGN has seen a dip in its large audience. Some say it is because the Cubs baseball season ended in October, and others say it is a reflection of the PPM system. Others say it is both. Nonetheless, Shomper departs with a dip in overall audience, and within hours of the retirement of morning market leader Spike O'Dell. WGN will be hard pressed to maintain its morning numbers, and Metheny might just be starting under more pressure than one might expect for joining WGN Radio.

Here we are within a matter of days seeing a trade of major market radio stations and a change of Program Directors involving major market stations. In the past, these would be "once in a lifetime" stories, and here they both happen at the same time with less fanfare than many would expect.

Could this be the start of things to come? If so, I'd like to propose starting a "Fantasy League" for radio fans. Just as baseball and football fantasy leagues are rampant as a means to maintain fan interest in games even though we are priced out of the market to attend them in person, maybe a Fantasy Radio League will give some folks a reason to still pay attention to local radio stations.

After all, a CBS + Clear Channel trade is like the Red Sox and Yankees doing a swap. As a fantasy general manager, we could draft the radio markets we think will increase billing the most for 2009, and then draft and trade the stations within that market to maximize the profit potential.

For example, when the NBA Playoffs are about to start, I would draft KLAC Radio because the Lakers post-season games will probably increase their audience. For this week, with the cold and snow storm sweeping the northern part of the country, I would bid for KOA in Denver and WCCO Minneapolis, figuring their audiences will rise as people seek weather coverage. And so it goes.

Some of the radio publications would then start publishing the dates that the leading air personalities' contracts will end so that we can ponder their free agency. If we think that the top rated morning man will change stations next summer, we might not draft his or her station for the year. We'll be seeking rumors and speculation about which stations will be up for trade in the various market clusters.

A format change will be devastating as an injury to a (fantasy) general manager. Many times format changes mean a reduction, if not short term elimination, of commercial time, along with firings. Both of those mean reduced revenue for that station for the short term. Or the long term if the new format is not successful.

Shall we schedule a draft?

Sirius XM enhances "Lifetime" subscription offer

2008-12-05T11:40:00.000-08:00

Either satellite radio as we know it is in trouble, or there is a revenue push toward the end of the calendar year. Or both.

Sirius Satellite has made a "lifetime subscription" available over the past 3 years for a one-time fee of $500, although they have kept that option rather quiet over the past 18 months or so. Today (Dec. 5th), they e-mailed their monthly and annual subscribers a special offer to "Save up to $150" on a lifetime membership. It appears that they are allowing an "upgrade" for the original Sirius subscribers to ADD "The Best of XM".

And, they are trying to get their annual and monthly subscribers to up the ante and go for a lifetime subscription.

With speculation about the future of the combined entity now known as Sirius XM, there have been several comments appearing lately about how lifetime subscriptions are now considered risky based on rising uncertainty.

But I digress. We supposedly have a merger of these 2 companies, one which took more than 18 months to finally complete. That's more than a year longer than the Exxon/Mobil merger took years ago. Now, since the "merger", subscribers to one part of the "merged" service are now being asked to pony up ADDITIONAL funds for only a "Best of" package. (????)

Looks like it is time to stand up and be counted. Why should consumers have to pay more for what they are supposed to get at no additional cost? If XM and Sirius aren't ready yet with the technology to present all of the channels for both at the same monthly cost, shouldn't the cost for a PARTIAL plan be reduced?

I was all for the merger thinking I would get everything both services have to offer at no additional cost. After months and months, the merger was approved. Now I am getting a request for more money for an additional "Best Of".

If this is how this supposed combined company is going to operate, it won't be long before they are called "Ex-M".

Steve Dahl signs off Chicago's JACK-FM

2008-12-05T08:29:00.000-08:00

It's the radio version of the chicken or the egg. Rumors were abundant all week that Steve Dahl would be fired any minute from Chicago's JACK-FM as CBS Radio continues its cost slashing.

On Friday morning (Dec. 5th), Dahl told the remaining listeners that we was signing off and ending his show. It's the old "You can't fire me - I quit!" story, unless there is more than meets the ear.

Dahl's contract is/was supposed to run well into 2011. I suppose it is possible that both Dahl and CBS have agreed to make it appear as a resignation to avoid further embarassment. CBS has suffered with JACK-FM in Chicago, although a recent tweak toward more 80's music has stimulated a few more listeners into November. Yet, Dahl's ratings got to the point of being worse than some of the music hours. Let alone that Dahl was the only live voice on the station.

I'm betting that there will be no replacement named, and the station will go right back to their music format in the morning. Dahl was moved over to JACK-FM due to a format change at the former WCKG Radio on which he did afternoons for a few years as his ratings bounced up and down.

CBS Radio had dumped its Oldies format on 104.3 FM to become JACK-FM, which has yet to catch on in Chicago. Meanwhile, WLS-FM and its oldies format, consisting of former 104.3 personalities, has now entered the top 6 overall in the November monthly Chicago ratings, taking that format to near its highest level in recent memory.

Meanwhile, CBS Radio in Chicago has already rid itself of the $1,000,000+ contracts of morning hosts Mike North (formerly WSCR-AM) and Eddie and Jobo from B-96 FM. Next comes Dahl. Ooops, this is supposedly a resignation.

During his "sign-off" speech on the air, those few who were listening heard him complain about how the PPM audience measurement is hurting those stations which don't play music because the PPM's account for "background listening". I supposed Dahl was too busy inventing his excuse to notice that WBBM-AM is a top rated station in Chicago, and they have been all news for 40 years. Hardly a background choice, especially in today's economy.

Come to think of it, this story today is probably the most people who have heard about Steve Dahl in a number of years.

Clear Channel reduces its own HD listening audience

2008-11-20T12:34:00.000-08:00

With so much of the attention on the realignment of Sirius XM (and it is understandable), so much of the focus has been taken away from HD Radio. Many believe that HD Radio is a major reason that Clear Channel fought the Satellite Radio merger and helped the merger process drag on months longer than it should have.

Last year when Clear Channel began to add HD channels for many of its stations, the CC web site included a regularly updated list of its HD channels online, along with links so that people could listen to a choice of their HD stations via the internet.

Personally, I took advantage of that several times and liked what I heard on some of the channels their stations offered. Granted, some of the specific channels went the 'catchy name' route, and as a result I had no idea what they were programming. But that is a marketing issue.

Many of their HD music channels went away from the typical Clear Channel restricted playlists and were actually worth a listen.

It had been a month or so since I had listened to one of their HD channels while working in my office, and this morning I went to the site that would enable me to see which HD channels were available via the various markets across the country. And for the first time in over a year, there were no HD Radio choices that I know of.

This web page seems to have been replaced with the menu of online stream choices from Clear Channel around the country. Yes, the actual over-the-air radio stations, which can be selected by music or talk format.

I'm sure that the response from the Clear Channel powers that be will be something along the lines of how they wanted people to sample the HD channels as an incentive for them to buy an HD Radio set so they could enjoy their local HD services. And I can appreciate and understand that response.

However, it is not as though HD Radio has caught on to the point where taking the HD stations away from the internet is not a big deal. As listener dissatisfaction with radio grows, only having their over-the-air stations available for streaming is not going to make people want to rush out and buy an HD Radio for what they will perceive as "more of the same". When they don't enjoy "the same" nearly as much as they once did.

Face it, if AM and FM radio had the degree of competition and over-the-air stations making the effort they once did, there probably wouldn't be any worry about satellite, HD, online channels, or any of the other radio alternatives that have spung within the past few years.

I'm not sure how typical of a radio "consumer" I am these days. But I can tell you that now that the Clear Channel HD Radio channels are not an option for me, I have already gone back to an assortment of online "free" music channels in the different categories that I enjoy.

I wonder whether or not radio station owners will be able to get enough of the population base to sample HD Radio. Not having it available online, and not telling anyone (that I know of) that it has been moved, is not the way to make it happen.

3 formats this year - so far - for Jacksonville station

2008-11-13T13:58:00.001-08:00

Let me count the ways. Or should I say the format changes. I'm not even going to bother with comments about how by the 10th of November 2 stations in Milwaukee and 2 stations in Boston have already changed over to holiday music.

But Jacksonville Florida's WSJF 105.5 FM takes the cake this year. Last week, this station began their third different format. This year.

As of this writing, WSJF has become progressive talk on weekdays. Yes, after the election is over they made the change. In August of this year, they became on oldies station. That replaced their sports format from way way back to this past spring.

Now I wonder if they'll switch to holiday music for December too.

Meanwhile, for those who missed this, the excellent radio site, LARadio.com, is free for the remainder of November, so take advantage. It goes back to paid subscriptions for much of their material come December 1st, so enjoy it while you can.

remembering WAKY Louisville 790

2008-11-09T14:04:00.000-08:00

Years later, there is still no doubt about the best radio memories from the Louisville market. With all due respect to the full service and tradition of WHAS, the memories of the good old days of AM radio in Louisville continue to reside from the next spot over to the left - 790 WAKY, from its hey days of the 60's and 70's.

RadioRecordings.com has just listed an entire series consisting of more than 7 hours of scoped air checks recalling the great WAKY sound of the 70's. All together on an 8 CD series.

There is even one CD devoted to the "Final Day" of the legendary top 40 station. The rest of this series are devoted to its most important and most remembered personalities. Nights in Louisville have never been the same without Coyote Calhoun. Even after all these years, his 70's afternoon drive air checks continue to sound a lot like Kris Eric Stevens.

This series also features the legendary Gary Burbank, including a full CD air check of his final WAKY show, before he moved on to Cincinnati powerhouse WLW to continue one of the most significant radio careers ever.

You can also remember Bill Bailey in the morning. (This is one of the Bill Baileys that had a stint on WLS Chicago.) Two of the CD's in this series bring you vintage Bailey.

And, we wouldn't be in "line" without including Mason Dixon. Actually, Mason Lee Dixon, and more than 90 minutes of airchecks from 1971 and 1972. Included in this set is Dixon's memorable interpretation of Don McLean's "American Pie" as it originally aired back in 1971.

That segment is probably one of the most important air checks in the collection. While hearing and re-living the memories of the good old days of radio is so enjoyable for most of us, I so enjoy these type of features that tie us to a particular date or era. The "American Pie" interpretation is one of them. It is fun to remember how many of the dj's of that era tried to put their own spin on the meaning of the lyrics. That song was far from being the first about music, but was a long way from "At The Hop" and "gotta be Rock & Roll Music if you wanna dance with me".

"American Pie" had a serious overtone. A message about the music. The writer honestly saw a change he didn't like after the fatal Buddy Holly plane crash and used a curious code to vividly express himself. It seems as though at least one dj in each radio market sought or received some notariaty by issuing his interpretation of those lyrics. Dixon's was among those.

In fact, Bob Dearborn authored perhaps the most famous interpretation of "American Pie". Or, maybe it became the most famous because he was on Chicago's WCFL. In any event, Dearborn still has his writing about it available via his blog, and this is 37 years later with Dearborn on the air in his native Canada.

Most of the time, the RadioRecordings.com air check series are anywhere from 1 to 3 CD's for an entire series. In the instance of these WAKY air checks, and the memories they bring back, the decision was made to issue them as an 8 CD series.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120331545898&ih=002&category=307&ssPageName=STORE:PROMOBOX:NEWLIST#LIST

If you are among those who decide to acquire this series, I'm sure that our group would appreciate your feedback. Not only about the wonderful WAKY series, but about the issuing of expanding and offering larger CD series in tribute to the great stations.

Milwaukee radio gets Jacked - at high Noon today

2008-11-06T10:55:00.000-08:00

WKTI-FM 94.5 Milwaukee became the latest Milwaukee station to change formats, with an all-of-a-sudden switch at high Noon today (Thurs. Nov. 6). The "hot contemporary" format they had been doing as recently as this morning disappeared, and on came "Lake 94.5" with an "all music no air personality" approach. It looks as though the air staff is being let go. Word is the station will not have air personalities until 2009 at the earliest.

So those are the facts. Thus far, the playlist is 60's to today with no live announcers. They don't say "Jack-FM", but I would say it's only because they can't. But they might as well. After all, that is the best excuse to not have any air personalities and cut back on payroll.

Once upon a time when AM + FM radio actually made a difference, Milwaukee radio had some degree of innovation and was a breeding ground for young talent headed to Chicago and points beyond. Now, this market recycles everybody else's ideas that are killing the radio we once knew, enjoyed, and cared about.

Last week's Milwaukee format change was 95.7 FM suspending their classic hits (yep, remembering you can't say "oldies" anymore) format to begin playing holiday music during the warmest start to a November in many years. In September, it was WOKY-AM dumping their retro 60's rock and jock format - not for talk - to change to country music with a weak night signal on the AM dial.

I could go on about WKTI-FM and its place in Milwaukee radio over the years, the long time personalities, and the effort made toward its morning drive presentation. But that won't bring it back. Yes, Milwaukee radio truly got "Jacked" today. Again.

Air check preferences

2008-10-29T13:39:00.000-07:00

I have had this discussion with several "long timers" and thought I would open it up for some input. Just like with sports and politics, there seems to be a lot of disagreement over what constitutes the best possible air check.

Personally, I enjoy an unscoped hour or more of a program. Keeping the music and commercials in as they ran back in the day. To me, it is not "just" the air personality, it is the overall sound of the station and the difference that hopefully he or she made while on the air.

If all I hear is the DJ sounding totally pumped coming out of a Kiss record and then 10 seconds later I hear him sounding mellow introducing Neil Diamond, it comes off as having something missing. The music of that very hour, plus the commercials, and often the news headlines, all added to the sound of the show no matter how great the personality may have been.

However, for the most part, there is nothing we can do about a scoped aircheck. The music and commercials and all the rest are, for the most part, gone forever. Many of the airchecks were either edited down many years ago, or were taken from the studio tapes when PD's would record only when the microphone went on. (And I can understand that.)

It is probably too late to find and preserve the vast majority of these, if they even still exist, but I often wonder what became of the old slow speed reel-to-reel tapes of everything that aired that most radio stations kept in order to meet FCC requirements. Those would have it all. If only I thought about it years ago when the reel-to-reel machines were first becoming outdated.

I equate thorwing away the "raw" hours of recordings of music stations across the country to those of us who tossed out our boxes of baseball cards in the 70's that would have rivaled our 401k's in value if we still had them today. At least I can't blame my mom for throwing away hours of radio tapes.

At least I have some "entire" hours to enjoy. As today's over-the-air radio continues to go downhill with conservative, non-local, often pre-recorded air personalities and 500 song playlists, I'm finding myself listening more and more to radio as I still want it to be. To what got me excited about it many years ago and made me want it as my career until I just couldn't take it anymore.

But they leave me wanting more!

Smaller stations try a different format.........

2008-10-29T13:28:00.000-07:00

Let's try another format! Some smaller stations have decided to start all over again within the past few days.

In the Chicago area, the 3-station suburban cluster known as "Nine-FM" with a moniker of "We Play Anything" has given up the battle after barely registering in the ratings books for the past three years. As of last week, they are now simulcasting 820 AM, giving the market a simulcast of 4 different AM/FM signals all with a talk format. FM talk stations have traditionally not done well in the Chicago market. Long time talker Steve Dahl recently had his 9 - 10 AM hour taken back so that "JACK-FM" could add an hour of music into morning drive in hopes of building some ratings. And now, just days before the Presidential election, a cluster of stations goes talk. Wonder what there will be to constantly talk about after the election hype finally ends.

Maybe they will do a continuous open line, and change the slogan to "We Talk Anything".

In Madison WI, "the Lake" changes to "Jamz". 93.1 FM goes from The Rolling Stones and Aerosmith to hip-hop. Talk about a total audience change. Or attempt to change over the audience. WIBA-FM figures to be the big winner, as the likely choice of even more classic rockers. At least in this instance, it is to become the first hip-hop station with a signal strong enough to cover the Madison area.

It is possible, but I'm not sure there are enough local advertisers in the Madison area to make "Jamz" a fit.

a Boyce from the past

2008-10-10T11:46:00.000-07:00

There won't be anyone left to care. While I would like to congratulate Phil Boyce on his work at 77 WABC New York over the past 14+ years, his leaving the station could be a big blow for the industry. Under Boyce's regime, the talk station generated its best numbers since the good old days of Musicradio.

The thinking is that Boyce will join with Sean Hannity, who continues to grow in syndication which happened to begin under Boyce's tenure.

Tough act to follow for whoever gets the chance.

Air checking - October 9th....

2008-10-09T11:45:00.000-07:00

C'mon radio people. Please stop shooting yourselves in the foot. I understand that there are some concerns about the new PPM ratings system. But airing the dirty laundry is going to result in permanent damage if we don't take a different course.

Certain stations in markets such as New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, have shown significant drops in listenership based on the early PPM numbers just released. I can understand they are upset, but they need to take a step back.

These stations have sold, and more significantly, continue to sell a high inventory based on the "old" numbers. Obviously, year after year, a station such as WGCI in Chicago has done well for its advertisers or they wouldn't be as financially successful as they have been - at any ratings.

Now here are stations such as KRTH in Los Angeles and WDRV in Chicago "suddenly" showing tremendous numbers that help to call attention to the surge in music formats not shown in a number of years. So what happens? Other radio station executive have screamed so much that politicians have been called upon to look into this matter.

That should be warning enough. If the politicians "looking into this" do the same as they have done for the nation's current economic system, people will be giving away radios by the end of the year.

The publicity surrounding the PPM's should be about how many formats were UNDER reported all these years.

Radio executives continue to forget that radio is not one choice out of a couple of options like it used to be. And giving potential advertisers reason to doubt the system at such a critical time is absolutely the worst possible strategy.

TV campaigns for radio stations not successful? Here's why not......

2008-09-29T12:59:00.000-07:00

I think of it as a reverse "chicken or egg". Are ads for radio stations on TV not doing well because of the campaigns themselves? Or is it because people are getting so turned off by local radio?
The recent MediaWeek article did a good job at pointing out something I have been concerned about for years, but didn't address the possible reasons why.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/content_display/news/local-broadcast/e3i90ecdc5551eec733a3ec9e368ad77a4e

I'll say it's the chicken. People know these local radio stations are there, but continue not to listen like they used to.

There never used to be clusters of commercials often lasting 5 minutes or longer before getting back into music, talk, or whatever the format.

When the air personality finally comes on, he or she is often voice tracked, sometimes not even in the same city as the station. Yet local radio is supposed to have the local appeal. But without true local personality like there always used to be, many radio stations are no longer the first destination when something major happens in the neighborhood.

The music comes on, and we continue to get edited down versions of longer songs. As I have said for years and years, a song is either good enough to be played on the air or it isn't. If listeners don't like a particular song, they are gone. Those that do want to enjoy it to the max. But if I am going to hear a favorite song with three minutes edited out, I am better off to play my CD with the entire song on it. I'll enjoy that more, and again, it is something that I cannot get from my local radio station.

Now, when a radio spot comes on TV, too many people probably think about the reason(s) why they no longer wish to listen to whatever station, instead of a reminder about why they should.

Your thoughts are welcome.

Meanwhile, this story snuck under the radar late last week. The annual Radio & Records Awards were given out over the past weekend. The winner of "Station of the Year" in the classic hits/oldies category? WCBS-FM New York.

This snuck under the radar because hardly anyone else in the media caught the irony of all this. Station of the year? It wins after a RETURN to a format it had dumped two years earlier for less success. They bring back the format as best radio can. Not exactly what it used to be, as the playlist sways a few years later than their previous incarnation. And now comes the recognition.
In other words, correcting a mistake generates more recognition than before they made it.

The "music on the AM dial" saga takes another turn in Milwaukee. WOKY 920 AM flopped after going retro and bringing back its 1960's sound, complete with hourly newscasts. Weak signal and all, especially at night. So what do they do instead? Last week they become "The Wolf". And, of course, you have to ask, "What is The Wolf?". You guessed it, it is another music format. Now they are trying their hand at Country Music on the AM dial. There. That ought to fix it.

That Milwaukee story was almost overshadowed by the change in Sioux City announced last week. 102.3 FM announced that they have abandoned their "BOB-FM" format of "We play anything". The change was announced the same day it was completed on the air.

Now that you are all excited to find out what 102.3 FM changed to, and in case you missed the major press release, we will tell you. The station is now known as JACK-FM. The new slogan is "Playing What We Want". BOB finished at 9 AM and a mere 3 hours later at Noon the same day, along came JACK.

I suppose with the right TV campaign......................

Air Checking - Sept. 1 update

2008-09-01T07:17:00.000-07:00

It seems like radio is becoming much more of a content provider for other media than the innovative originator of programming it once was. New technology isn't stealing the content. Radio is providing it, yet is going to continue to lose out on ad revenue because of it.

Mike & Mike and Imus are among the actual radio shows televised live in part or in full on a daily basis. Other shows such as ESPN's panel talk shows (such as PTI) are nothing more than radio concepts where you can see the people instead of just hear them. WGN-TV America will soon begin showing daily highlights from the syndicated Bob & Tom Morning Show during late night programming.

I commented about mobile service coming into play, such as Sprint bringing live NFL play-by-play to certain subscribers which will come from a team's radio broadcast at http://MajorLeaguePrograms.blogspot.com a few weeks back.

To me, this is radio giving away its product. The same advertisers stations and network hope to attract by offering these programs in the first place now have choices for where they want to reach their target audience. If I want the Bob & Tom audience, now I will be able to compare buying their radio show on a local or regional basis with buying their TV show the same day. And if they go onto satellite, I would have that as an option, based on the number of subscribers. I would like to think radio would do more to protect its programming, and not let it get away.

Meanwhile, this came up in a conversation with a local radio announcer the other day, and it got me thinking. He asked me "What is or would be your favorite air check of all time?".

There is a question I hadn't thought about in all these years. Even with the thousands and thousands of hours of listening to stations locally and in my travels around the country. Yet, even though I had never taken the time to think about it, I had an answer for him within 30 seconds. And it so happens I have the actual aircheck to go along with my answer.

Personally, my "all-time" pick is WCFL Chicago from the afternoon of March 15, 1976. The day the face of rock radio changed forever, and not necesarily for the better. That was the last day of the great Chicago radio wars between WCFL and WLS for top 40 supremacy. Bob Dearborn's final sign-off leading into the song "You're The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me" followed by Larry Lujack doing the final 3 hours of "Super CFL". Including commercials by the other rock stations in town, such as WLS and WBBM-FM. I haven't listened to it in a few years, I'll admit. Probably because even at my age, I might once again tear up when I hear it. The end of an era when I couldn't wait to get my radio on at every opportunity.

Granted, not everyone actually has the air check of that one show or one moment in time when that personal most memorable moment was on the air. But I find this a fascinating topic.

If you could, or do, have that one aircheck from AM or FM Radio in your lifetime, what would it be? And why?

I'd like to publish the responses and see where it goes. Maybe we could come up with a "top 10 airchecks" list, but if not we'll still have some fun with this.