Harve Alan Media

What In The WIde World of Harve is Going On Here?

2010-09-06T16:17:00.000-07:00

Over the last few days I have heard from people, more than I ever would have imagined, asking why I haven't updated the blog recently. Really? Really? Well, thank you! It means a lot to me. I enjoy sharing knowledge, learning, and interacting with people from across the world.

While the blog has been on hiatus, I haven't been. As many of you know, this past January I moved to the Los Angeles area and continued to work with a wonderful group of client stations and I still am. I am most appreciative of that. A few months ago the opportunity to join Westwood One/Metro Traffic presented itself here in LA and I decided to accept the position. So now, I am the Regional Director of Operations for Los Angeles--which includes overseeing San Diego, Portland, and Salt Lake City. I couldn't be more pleased with my decision. I am working with a great group of people and truly enjoy going to the office every day.

It's been a very busy time for me and I anticipate it will remain that way for a long time to come...and I wouldn't have it any other way!

So, that's the update. If you were wondering how to reach me...not much has changed. My cell phone number remains 860.997.0314; my email address is still harve@harvealan.com. Please stay in touch and watch this space for periodic updates.

Thank you!

Harve

Engaged For 45 Years

2010-03-26T15:22:00.001-07:00

Dick Purtan did his last show on Detroit radio today.

Do you think he's a celebrity in Detroit?

According the the Detroit News, "On the way to WOMC this morning, Purtan was pulled over by the Ferndale police. He wasn't speeding. "The officer said, 'You didn't think we would let you go in without an escort today, did you?'" Purtan said. So with police lights flashing, he made his entrance into the CBS Radio Detroit station on Woodward Heights".

A real life celebrity! He means something important to that community. Purtan was engaging listeners long before "listener engagement" were industry buzz words. Sometimes, what's old is new all over again.

Do you think 45 years from now there will be a local radio celebrity that gets the sendoff Purtan got today? I have my doubts...but I hope so.

Here's some video from Dick Purtan's show.

The World In Your Pocket

2010-03-01T11:13:00.000-08:00

According to a new report from the Pew Research Center a quarter of American adults now read news on their cell phones.

Some highlights of the report:

26 percent of Americans get news on their phones.
43 percent of those under 50 said they are mobile news consumers
15 percent of older respondents.

37 percent of cell phone owners said they use the Internet on their phone

Within that group:

72 percent said they check weather reports.
68 percent said they check current events

What information do you make available on your mobile app?

There's quite of bit of information to digest with this study. See the synopsis from Pew right here

Two Items Worth Reading

2010-01-10T15:38:00.001-08:00

First, a story of content and distribution written by Ty Ahmad-Taylor and published on Paid Content. He is a former executive at Viacom and Comcast and makes the case against limited channel/pay firewall distribution. It's a good read and the comments that follow are thought provoking as well. This topic is not new to us in radio, but I found his perspective interesting and worthy of recommending.

He states: Distributing across multiple channels in real-time—and cannibalizing existing lines of business—isn’t just the right thing to do. History will reflect that this is the only thing to do. Here’s the key fact for media companies to remember: The value of a customer who doesn’t watch a TV show or a movie is $0.

Read the entire article here

Second, is a front page story from the Sunday New York Times profiling Fox News Channel's Roger Ailes. I think the man is a media genius. You can love or despise his politics. You can love or despise his channel. But there is no debate about how successful he and the FNC brand are. He's a nobody from the Midwest who has razor sharp instincts and smarts with the guts to bring them to life. It's an amazing story of building something from the ground up to achieve grand success.

From the New York Times:At a time when the broadcast networks are struggling with diminishing audiences and profits in news, he has built Fox News into the profit engine of the News Corporation. Fox News is believed to make more money than CNN, MSNBC and the evening newscasts of NBC, ABC and CBS combined. The division is on track to achieve $700 million in operating profit this year, according to analyst estimates that Mr. Ailes does not dispute.

That article is here

Happy New Year

2009-12-30T15:34:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-23T16:27:00.000-08:00

16 Social Media Trends for 2010

2009-12-17T00:08:00.001-08:00

I know...blah, blah, blah...another list of trends. Hey, it's that time of year.

Stick with me here...this ones pretty good. If nothing else it reaffirms a lot of what we have been writing about this year. Take a few minutes and flip through the deck and pick up some interesting points and stats.

16 Social Media Trends for 2010 by Agent Wildfire

View more presentations from Sean Moffitt.

Local...Local...Local

2009-12-07T23:49:00.001-08:00

Local...that's one of the big buzz words these days among many of the B-I-G players and portals like ESPN and Yahoo!. They are rushing to come to YOUR town with hometown content. The more local the better. Seems like they are taking a page out of the old radio playbook.

Paidcontent had this article that provides an update on MSN, AOL, and Yahoo!'s local plans.

They have not perfected the "local thing" just yet.

ESPN seems to be a little bit further ahead

Local for local sake is a bust. However, relevant and interesting local content remains a big win.

Taking a page out of the old radio playbook--find unique and creative ways to be local.

What local content will cut it with your listeners? Hmmm. Sounds like a good poll question to put on your Facebook fan page. Let your listeners help make that decision. They are the very people you want to ferry to your website--why not cater the local info TO THEM.

The race is on. Radio still has the lead when it comes to local, but it's clear the national media (sometimes through their local O&O's) are coming after us.

In some ways, it's a head scratcher. Why would the national platforms need or want these local footprints? Easy...follow the money. The local media money they can target because they are just as local as you. Uh Oh!

Iphone Guide For Lovers

2009-12-06T17:02:00.000-08:00

Gizmodo had this humorous piece:

What's New?

2009-12-04T13:58:00.001-08:00

As we march towards the close of 2009 I thought it would be timely to ask the question: What's new?

What happened in the "radio space" this year that's new?

Did anything "new" succeed?

What failed?

Did we really try something/anything new?

Who were the new breakout talents this year?

What new format was developed this year?

Who made the greatest strides in the digital media department?

What's new with you?

I pose these questions to stimulate talk, thought, and if you would like feel free to post a response here on the blog. I pose these questions as a wake up call to all those passionate about radio--we must find more creative and innovative ways to delight listeners. I love that word, delight. It's old fashioned. In many ways it almost sounds out of step with today's fast moving society. Honestly, the thought of using the overused word "engage" doesn't really get the job done in this case. So I go back to the word delight.

de·light

n.
1. Great pleasure; joy.
2. Something that gives great pleasure or enjoyment

How much better would our medium be if we ran everything we did through the "delight filter" before doing it? Hmmmm.

Mel, Howard, Liberty, World Space, and SiriusXM

2009-11-30T19:16:00.000-08:00

Two stories surfaced on Reuters regarding the future of SiriusXM. One about distribution and the other a story we've seen before--Mel and Howard getting ready to do the contract dance. Hadn't seen these stories in the trade press yet--thought you might find them interesting.

Sirius, Liberty could do WorldSpace deal
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Sirius XM Radio Inc (SIRI.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) could team up with Liberty Media Corp (LINTA.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) to take its satellite radio offerings global through a partnership with WorldSpace Inc (WRSPQ.PK: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), Chief Executive Mel Karmazin said on Monday.
"We understand that Liberty has expressed an interest in WorldSpace," Karmazin said at the Reuters Global Media Summit in New York.
But if a partnership with Liberty does come about, Sirius would not invest any money, he added.
"We would put our expertise and experience in the pot and Liberty would put their money in the pot," Karmazin said.
Liberty Media, controlled by cable pioneer John Malone, rescued Sirius from a possible bankruptcy filing earlier this year with a loan of $520 million. In return, Liberty secured a 40 percent equity stake in the company.
Through a subsidiary, Liberty Media has also bought up the debt of WorldSpace recently, leading to speculation that Malone would seek to combine Sirius and WorldSpace. Most of WorldSpace satellite radio's subscribers are in Asia and Africa.
"So one would think that if Liberty were to do something there that they would want as strategic partner somebody who has successfully done satellite radio in 5 percent of the world," Karmazin said.
Such a partnership could involve Sirius bringing its relationships with car makers and expertise in building satellite radio gear to WorldSpace's operations, he added.

(Reporting by Anupreeta Das and Yinka Adegoke; Editing by Tiffany Wu and Richard Chang)

Sirius CEO Karmazin limbers up for the Howard Stern dance
Posted by: Alexei Oreskovic
Tags: Media and Communications, Mediafile, Howard Stern, Media Summit, Mel Karmazin, Oprah Winfrey, satellite radio, Sirius XM

It’s been five years since Sirius lured shock jock Howard Stern to satellite radio with a $500 million contract. Whether Stern can re-up with a similar deal when his contract expires at the end of next year is anyone’s guess, but it ought to be entertaining. Sirius XM CEO Mel Karmazin is preparing himself for negotiations with the self-proclaimed King of All Media.
In a meeting with reporters at the Reuters Media Summit on Monday, Karmazin gave us a thumbnail sketch of his version of “The Art of the Deal.”
“I could tell you, it will start with Howard feeling that he is working too hard and doing too many shows and not making enough money. Our side would say, ‘We want you to do more, and get less money,’” Karmazin said.
“That would be how we would go into the room once the time came to go into the room. And the hope would be that we would come out with Howard staying with our service,” he said.
Karmazin praised Stern as “a talent like no other in radio,” but would not say whether such a talent was still worth a half billion dollars.
“You have to now assume that the negotiations are at a stage where everything is in print, so if I were to say, yes, we got every penny’s worth, Howard would come in with that piece of paper and say ‘See? I sold myself too cheap,’” he said.
Stern is one of the biggest draws of Sirius XM’s satellite radio service, which counts 18.5 million subscribers. His decision to exit FM radio for Sirius in 2004 is credited with establishing satellite radio as an established form of media, though some analysts have also noted that high-priced contracts like Stern’s contributed to financial woes that pushed Sirius to the brink of bankruptcy earlier this year.
Stern is not the only big personality whom Karmazin may face at the bargaining table; Oprah Winfrey’s contract for her Sirius talk show ends in 2011. While Karmazin said he has not yet had talks with Oprah, he said that satellite radio could become a more valuable promotional tool for Oprah once she quits her broadcast TV show.
Asked whether Oprah or Stern was the tougher negotiator, Karmazin said both previously got the best of him.
“I’ll tell you who was the worst negotiator: It was always Mel because they got all that money from me.”

Thanksgiving

2009-11-25T12:19:00.002-08:00

Do You Know The Way To Creativity?

2009-11-22T13:37:00.000-08:00

There are many detours in our work lives that distract us or prevent us from being our creative best. When we are focused on creativity it sometimes can become a chore given the pressures surrounding us.

Here's a short deck of helpful thoughts on creativity.

Help, I'm lost in creativity!

View more documents from Lars Crama.

Is Facebook An Effective Advertising Tool?

2009-11-17T14:20:00.000-08:00

Does your station have a fan page on Facebook? Looking to attract fans to your page? Want to do it for a reasonable price? Facebook offers targeted advertised, by region and demo, to reach out to your listeners. You know, those ads on the right-hand column of every page. You can buy ads by impressions or clicks--your choice. I have a client who was looking to build up its Facebook presence and we decided to give it a try.

The station that is testing this out is a Top 40--targeting young adult women.

Here's how it's going:

We've been up and running for about three weeks, in that time we have increased our fan's by a whopping 260%! We spent around $1,500.00. About 2/3 of those who clicked the ad have became fans. And we have had over 5 million impressions.

Everyone involved is very happy with the results. Not hard to imagine given how well it's worked for us.

Next steps: engage our new fans in meaningful ways.

That will be the subject of a future blog.

Mood Music

2009-11-11T12:29:00.001-08:00

Came across a music site that programs the tunes according to your mood. Seems to be more word based than mood based, but an interesting idea none-the-less. Click here or the picture to check it out.

www.stereomood.com

An All-Time High

2009-11-11T12:11:00.001-08:00

A new Nielsen study reveals that daily televison viewership has reached an all-time high.

Interesting at a time when radio stations are fighting to maintain their declining TSL.

Nielsen says, "For the 2008-2009 TV season, the amount of television watched reached an all-time high as Americans spent four hours and 49 minutes a day on average in front of the TV, up four minutes from last year and up 20% from 10 years ago. The average household watched eight hours and 21 minutes a day on average, also at an all-time high".

Certainly there are many differences between radio and TV. One of the biggest being the expanding channel line up on cable and satellite which expanded the programming choices 24/7. I also believe the DVR has played a large role and has fueled the expanding viewing patterns buy sucking people into watching more episodes in less time as the can skip the spots.

The bottom line for radio can be summarized in three words: content, engagement, digital. Program entertainment or information worth listening to, entice your users to participate, and use the available digital tools to provide your unique content on multiple levels.

Cloudy Skies Ahead

2009-11-05T23:21:00.001-08:00

No, this post isn't about weather forecasting. In fact, the cloud referenced in the title is all about information and entertainment. In your car. Soon. All from a system that hosts all of your information and entertainment choices in a cloud.

Wired.com is always good for scaring the digital bits and bites out of ya...so to speak.

Automobiles will soon be linking up with servers in the cloud to enable everything from crowdsourced pothole detection, personalized radio stations, video selections that include YouTube and even video streams from the front windows of other cars.

Yeah, but how fast will it be?

a high speed LTE internet connection that promises to make 3G feel like dial-up.

The cloud will do a lot of the heavy lifting thus reducing the installed hardware needed in each car; potentially keeping costs within reach of the average buyer.

“Once you assume constant connectivity, the whole mindset changes of where you partition what’s in the car and what’s out in the cloud,” said Dodge. “Other than this nice, rich touch screen, a lot of the computing power has been moved onto the cloud, so the car of the future may be physically cheaper to build.”

Of course they have to mention radio in more detail...

The losers in all of this: satellite navigation and radio. They appear to have about three years, tops, before personalized applications and cloud computing make them look as outdated as black-and-white television.

Thanks for that!

Look, we already knew this was coming. No surprise here. Surely audio streaming will be part of the plan for these systems and they probably will still provide traditional radio tuners as well--so we'll still be in the game.

Like now, how good we are will determine how well we do.

How well will you do when your competition is 40,000 competitors vs. the 30 or 40 radio stations in your market now?

Read the full article here

Don't Target Me!

2009-11-02T08:03:00.001-08:00

"...most people who are members of online communities don't really want to be the targets of marketing campaigns..."

I have been and continue to be a loud voice regarding the need and value of utilizing social networks for radio stations. But, the prize here is not only promotions and forced listening events BUT relationships and engagement on a higher level.

Does your station offer something worthy of that deeper relationship? Something interesting enough to cause two-way communication between the station, a station personality, and the listener(s). Worthy of telling a friend? Valuable enough to return a second, third, or forth time?

Don't feel too bad, companies of all kinds are feeling the same pain. Everyone is trying to figure it all out.

Mediabistro's WebNewser had this piece this morning:

Companies Continue to Fund Social Media Initiatives (Even Though Many Really Don't Get It)
By Chris Nerney on Nov 02, 2009 09:37 AM
Shaky economy and tight budgets notwithstanding, companies still recognize the potential of social media to help their businesses.
Computerworld's Mitch Betts reports on a recent Deloitte LLP survey that shows an overwhelming percentage of respondents intend to "maintain or increase their investments in social media tools and online communities."
Specifically, 94% of the 400 companies surveyed said they'd keep spending as much or more on social media going forward, with only 6% reporting they would cut social media spending.
This despite the rather primitive efforts to measure the ROI of social media. As Betts reports:

Businesses use metrics such as the number of active users and how many people post or comment to gauge the success of their social networking efforts.
And what are the top goals of corporate social media initiatives? Deloitte's 2009 Tribalization of Business Survey reports:

Increasing word of mouth -- 38%
Customer loyalty -- 34%
Brand awareness -- 30%
Idea generation -- 29%
Improved customer support quality -- 23%
There's a potential problem inherent in those numbers. As Deloitte concludes:
In the majority of companies surveyed, marketing continues to be the primary driver of online communities, resulting in a significant gap between community goals and the organizations' capability to fully leverage these communities on an enterprise wide basis.
In other words, most people who are members of online communities don't really want to be the targets of marketing campaigns. Yet that's what many companies see as the primary value and purpose of social media. That's a real disconnect.
You can read more details of the survey here.

Pandora's Box Opens A Little Wider

2009-10-30T07:15:00.001-07:00

For listeners of Pandora Internet Radio sharing favorite songs with friends is a simple click away. The new sharing feature posts a favorite song or station on Facebook or Twitter...or by email. While this type of sharing isn't new, it does prompt me to ask how many "traditional" radio stations are doing this?

This is a great example of how a radio station doesn't exclusively own the megaphone anymore.

If your station has a fan page you could use this type of feature to turn listeners on to the new music you are playing. If they like it they will share with their friends and maybe even turn on your station to hear the song.

Dare I say there is also a sales opportunity here as well.

All one-way streets are now two ways. Look both ways and opportunities abound.

The Password is INTENT

2009-10-25T15:24:00.001-07:00

A few days ago I wrote a post about shared experience and explained how we are no longer the megaphone of our markets. Radio has always been about shared experience. Those who broadcast on the radio shared their experience(s) with listeners and they listened. Sure a few phoned in or came to an event, but mostly, like all (I say this with love) old media we operated a one way street.

I came across this amazing slide show I want to share with you. Normally when I find a presentation I find worthy of including on this blog I will read it 2 or 3 times, pick a slide or two that really captures the essence of the message, and put those pictures in the body of the post. This time was different--there's so many important points to digest that a couple of slides just won't do it. There's some very insightful information here. I hope you will read through it and share it with those who may not normally read blogs--if you know what I mean.

Digital Strangelove (or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Internet)

View more documents from David Gillespie.

Shared Experience

2009-10-22T09:26:00.001-07:00

So much of what is talked about in the radio business today is DIGITAL. And rightly so. We've all heard it a millions times, "it's a digital world". How are we going to thrive in this universally agreed upon digital world? It's not going to be because of a great app or podcasts or even social media. Sure, those things and countless others are now the tools of the trade--required!

So, what's gonna do it?

Shared Experience.

Become a part of the conversation. Start a conversation. Connect. Listen. Argue. Respect. Debate. Commiserate. Laugh. Cry. Be a star. Create a star. Discover.

Every format from AC to Talk has it's own set of parameters, but every format must be more than a megaphone. This two-way street works well when your listeners are enriched by your content and you, the radio station, are enlightened by your listeners.

We're In The Business of Sound

2009-10-18T22:35:00.000-07:00

The sounds we make have a great deal of impact on those who hear them. How's your sound working?

Another informative (and short) presentation from TED.

Performance Tax Inches Closer

2009-10-15T13:02:00.002-07:00

Today the Senate Judiciary Committee has approved the Performance Rights Act that would require radio stations to pay performance royalties to record labels and other copyright owners. Quite simply, any additional financial burden heaped upon terrestrial radio stations could trigger dramatic changes to music radio as we know it. This, at a time when stations are already feeling the pinch of changing listening habits and competition from many more places than ever.

The Congress still has work to do to make this a reality. There's still time to encourage a reversal and

I believe this tax continues to be worth fighting against. Here's a good place to start.

Rush Today And Tomorrow

2009-10-12T09:24:00.000-07:00

Just saying the name Rush Limbaugh evokes a reaction--both positive and negative. That's politics. But for us media types I would hope we would have the good sense to separate our individual political feelings and consider what Limbaugh means and represents for our industry.

Rush was on the Today show today and he will be back on tomorrow morning for another segment. If you missed it I thought I would post a few clips.

Like so many of us, Rush wanted to be on the radio since he was very young:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Despite claims to the contrary, I believe Rush when he says, "it's all about the ratings."

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

He is the master of PR.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Rush is one of radio's best ambassadors. Whether you agree with his politics or not, we should all agree he is one of the mediums leaders--damn proud to have him.

If you missed the first full segment this morning, here it is.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Just Interesting

2009-10-07T01:07:00.002-07:00

From WebNewser
Facebook Knows When America Is Happy

Facebook Knows When America Is Happy

By David Cohen on Oct 05, 2009 10:30 PM

Don't worry, be happy, and Facebook will measure it. The social-networking site announced on its blog that it created the Gross National Happiness index, which uses information culled from Facebook status updates to take the pulse of the United States as a whole.
Adam D.I. Kramer, an intern on Facebook's data team, wrote in the blog post that happiness spikes on holidays such as Thanksgiving, the Fourth of July, Halloween, Christmas and Easter, adding that Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2008—the day the United States celebrated the election of President Barack Obama—more than doubled the happiness of the average Wednesday.
Conversely, Kramer wrote, the two lowest days were Jan. 22, 2008, when the Asian stock market crashed and actor Heath Ledger died, and June 25, 2009, when Michael Jackson died.
Kramer wrote:

Every day, through Facebook status updates, people share how they feel with those who matter most in their lives. These updates are tiny windows into how people are doing. They're brief, to the point, and descriptive of what's going on this week, today or right now.

Grouped together, these updates are indicative of how we are collectively feeling. At Facebook, we're always looking for ways to help people better understand the world around them, and we're interested in how people express their emotions with one other and the world. So earlier this year, data scientists at Facebook started a project to measure the overall mood of people from the United States on Facebook, based on the sentiment expressed in status updates.

The result was an index that measures how happy people on Facebook are from day-to-day by looking at the number of positive and negative words they're using when updating their status. When people in their status updates use more positive words—or fewer negative words—then that day as a whole is counted as happier than usual.

Local Media's Hidden Asset

2009-10-04T19:27:00.003-07:00

Their Salesforces

That's the word from venture capitalist Fred Wilson on his blog. His company Union Square Ventures has an investment in Target Spot among many other companies.

He writes:

Traditional local media companies; radio stations, TV stations, local newspapers, and the like, are in a tough situation. Each of those businesses had a monopoly or near monopoly on their audiences a decade ago. Now none of them do.

...these businesses have been trained to think their strengths are local and relevant content, their monopolies or near monopolies on distribution (spectrum in the case of radio and TV), and their brands. All of these assets are waning quickly.

But there is one asset that is still quite significant and the value of it is growing, not shrinking. It is their large, well trained, and well connected salesforces.

There's more:

The media business, either on the national or local level, is losing its grip on audiences as they fragment and disperse all over the digital realm (including of course mobile). But they do not need to lose their grip on the relationships they have built up with local merchants since the days of Mad Men. What they need to do, and what they are increasingly doing, is reselling the inventory of others to their customers.

If we buy into his thesis, this could represent a bold opportunity for local sellers that goes beyond the terrestrial signal. It seems to me that for as long as local stations still command high cume levels and acceptable TSL this strategy will be a tough putt. That's not to say that Fred Wilson is wrong. I think he has the right idea.

Lastly, selling in the digital space is a different animal so one has to question are the local sellers properly trained to make this transition.

Before posting this I went back and re-read the article just to be sure I captured its essence to my satisfaction. I also read through the comment section and sure enough others also questioned whether or not local ad sellers had the skills necessary to pull of the digital platform sell.

So, here we are at a crossroad...opportunities abound yet there are numerous landmines along the way.

Read Fred Wilson's entire post here.

Full Steam Ahead

2009-10-01T13:33:00.005-07:00

Mobile web usage on the move. Big increases year over year--up 34%. Broad demographic appeal. Nearly 57 million users strong!

Here's the Nielsen synopsis of this chart:

Web visitors using a mobile device increased 34 percent year-over-year, from 42.5 million mobile Web visitors in July 2008 to 56.9 million in July 2009 according to The Nielsen Company. Overall, year-over-year growth among the 13-17 and 65+ age groups outpaced the growth of the total mobile Web audience, with a youth increase of 45 percent and seniors surging upwards 67 percent in July. While men continue to make up a larger portion of mobile Web users versus women, comprising 53 percent of the audience in July, the growth of female visitors outpaced the growth of male visitors during the month, with women increasing 43 percent YOY as compared to a 26 percent growth among men.

“As with other forms of Internet technology, more men were early-adopters of the mobile Web and still make up a slightly larger presence today,” commented Chris Quick, client services manager, mobile media. “Now that the technology is more mainstream, women are quickly embracing the benefits as ‘connected consumers,’ tapping the convenience of Web access on mobile phones to network, browse the latest shopping deals and get ideas for dinner, all while on the go.”
The full story here.

Let me also point out that 25-54 Adults makes up two-thirds of all mobile internet usage.

What part of your digital strategy is worth using while mobile? If you have a good answer to that question you're a few steps ahead of most.

A Rich History

2009-09-30T13:57:00.004-07:00

I love history--of all kinds. I especially appreciate the rich history of radio. Gee, what a surprise! There's a new book out by radio historian Bob Shannon called Turn It Up! American Radio Tales 1946-1996 that looks to be a fun read.

In addition to the book, there's going to be a series of free audio excerpts (podcasts) available which are posted here. The first of the series was just posted today and it's Fred Winston's sneak preview of the Dick Biondi Story.

We can't expect our medium's history to provide the answers to the myriad of issues we face today; but we can certainly look back and enjoy what I think most of us would agree was pretty damn good.

Totally Twitter

2009-09-27T22:23:00.003-07:00

Last week Twitter scored a mega funding deal--said to be 100 mil. It got me thinking how pervasive Twitter talk seems to be these days and social media in general.

Many radio folks are trying to figure out how to use social networking to their best advantage....aaaaa.....make money from it. That seems to remain allusive thus far. There may not be a home run money play anytime soon. Of course that doesn't mean it should be kicked to the curb. Done right, there may not be any better way to connect with your station's fans. Done wrong, and risk pushing fans in a different direction.

Companies of all types are also wrestling with how to allow their employees interact with social networking sites during the work day. Many are concerned of too much time wasted, inappropriate comments, and of course liabilities and trade secrets. Some workplaces have banned social networking activity all together. If you are working through these issues there's a website that provides links to companies who already have a social networking policy in place.

More on the subject...Ad Age had this story--Six Reasons Companies Are Still Scared of Social Media.

And finally...a chuckle. The latest craze: Twitteleh

People and Tools

2009-09-24T22:43:00.006-07:00

I happened to catch this excellent post written by Tom Webster on Edison Research's Infinite Dial blog. It's his reaction to the programming leadership session at the NAB Radio Show. Having attended the session myself I can't help but agree with much of Tom's analysis.

Those who participated on the panel are good people and programmers--all very successful and have strong track records. The post is not really about them--they are the ones on the front lines who are confronted with the "current realities" and have to develop and implement the best solutions possible given the circumstances. I know, I've been there.

See what you think.

...From the NAB

2009-09-22T21:54:00.004-07:00

As I have mentioned in this space before I am heading to Philadelphia to attend the NAB. I plan on "twit-viding" who and what I see, what I learn, and maybe a some of the sights and sounds of Philly. If you look to the column on the right hand side of this blog you will see "follow me on Twitter"=============================>>>>>>>

All the updates will be found right there.

If you are reading this some other way go to www.harvealan.com or www.twitter/halan

It's a Twofer Tuesday

2009-09-21T21:31:00.010-07:00

And no, it's not what you are thinking.

Here's two quick hits:

#1 Facebook continues to grow. In the month of June it had a unique audience of more than 87 million according to the The Nielsen Company . That's huge. I am amazed at who I connect with there. Personally, I have a blast on FB and I am not alone. And of course for radio stations, Facebook continues to be a goldmine of opportunity for those who choose to take part and do it right.

Check out how it breaks out by gender and demo (interesting how males are laggards in every cell):

#2 According to this projection radio will uptick in 2010, 2011, and 2012 but still not regain 2007 levels. Nothing to just up and down about, but then again, maybe it is. It's no surprise that the internet is projected to be the top revenue producer in 2012. The one area that is projected to show huge growth is a sector I think radio can grab a piece of--branded entertainment/product placement. For radio it's kinda like back to the future, hearkening back to it's earliest days. Think: theater of the mind and specifically branded shows here and you will get where I am headed.

I'm A Believer

2009-09-18T15:37:00.004-07:00

As many of us head to the NAB in Philadelphia next week, most attendees will be thinking about how they will make 2010 a better year for radio and by default themselves. Last year I had an idea to create a station that was targeted at a demographic group that admittedly is difficult to reach - young males. We know the reasons, but at the end of the day I believe we can lure some of them into the tent with the right programming.

My vision amounts to what I believe is top 40 for guys. By another name: alternative. The format hasn't disappeared, not by any means, but it has in many cases been turned into more of a gold-based format than it was originally. In some cases the percentage of current and recurrent material has been pared down to 20 or 30 percent. That's fine. I think there's another path that can be very successful.

I've written about my client RED 104.3 before. I've noted that now for two books running we have taken the market, Alexandria, LA by storm. All the indicators are good...cume, AQH, and TSL...all growing. I think this format can succeed in other markets.

I admit it. This post is all about self promotion. By now, I'm sure you had a pretty good idea where I was going. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss this success story with you. With confidence I say, this current based format can help you have a successful 2010.

Please let me share with a fact sheet I am sharing with potential clients. (click on image to see it full sized)

The Future Is In Your Pocket

2009-09-16T12:30:00.003-07:00

Thanks to Mark Ramsey at hear2.0 for finding this gem on You Tube.

Terrestrial radio has already found a home on mobile devices. Now all we have to do is give people a reason to listen on that mobile device. And that's just the beginning. No longer limited by a single transmitter and a single receiving option--the speaker, "radio" can and needs to be more. There is no reason it can't be...unless of course someone decides they don't want it to be. I hope that person isn't you!

The FCC's Mark Lloyd -- Follow Up

2009-09-14T13:40:00.007-07:00

***UPDATE***

At the end of August I wrote this post about FCC appointee Mark Lloyd. Included was You Tube video of speeches given by Mr. Lloyd at past communication conferences. As you might be aware some of his statements have be a source of concern among talk show hosts (mostly conservative) and freedom of speech advocates that he was put in place at the FCC to push new government restrictions on speech.

The Wall Street Journal today published this story on Mark Lloyd. They stay away from some of the more extreme statements he has made so I would suggest after you read the article go back and watch those videos of Mark Lloyd in his own words. Chilling!

See You In Philly!

2009-09-13T21:36:00.009-07:00

I am looking forward to this years NAB Radio Show in Philadelphia. Sure, it's nice seeing people face-to-face that you would never run into otherwise and having the opportunity to meet someone for the first time. Yeah, I know the business and the world has never been smaller but there are plenty of people left to meet. But, the thing that's got me excited is "just I feeling" I have. A feeling of a turning point. Some things shaking out. Fresh opportunities for our industry to shine. And of course, there has to be one or two convention shockers that will rock the house with buzz. I can think of a couple of possibilities that would accomplish that.

For me, I am looking forward to seeing YOU! I can't wait to bend your ear about some exciting successes since we met in Austin last year. And I want to hear from you that things are going well and all about how you too are having had a successful year. Of course if you are facing challenges I would be pleased to work with you and help improve your situation.

Let me know you are going and we'll make it a point to spend a little time. Call the office at 952.401.9067, or send me an email (harve@harvealan [dot] com) and we'll set up a time.

See you in Center City soon!

9-11 A Day To Remember

2009-09-10T12:28:00.004-07:00

Some 9-11 memories...

Just days after my twins were born. Already a week filled with emotions...of another kind.

The first report I heard was that a small plane had hit one of the World Trade Center towers.

Very quickly that all changed.

That day changed me forever.

I will never forget driving on the Whitestone Bridge, connecting the Bronx with Queens, and seeing all that smoke rising from lower Manhattan--days after 9-11.

Art Vuolo put together a video compilation of the events of 9-11 and has made the audio soundtrack available for that video. I thought I would share it with you here.

Big News!!

2009-09-09T11:32:00.004-07:00

Apple announces the new iPod Nano will include an FM tuner. This is what radio has been waiting for. OK, radio heads...we got what everyone wanted.

Now what?

Tragically Funny!!

2009-09-08T10:35:00.004-07:00

Many in our business talk about innovation and how we must develop new "this or that." The creative folks are told to come up with a plan and then present the plan to the "brain trust"...so far so good, right...things are going so well...and then it happens. (insert screeching brake SFX here).

That brings us to the Fake Innovator's Dilemma--take a look and tell me this wasn't written with radio in mind.

The Fake Innovator's Dilemma

View more documents from Daniel Sollero.

New means new, innovation by it's very nature means untried, and the radio business could use a lot more of it. I'll leave you with this question today: do we have the guts to come up with "new" and then actually do it? Your comments are always welcome.

What's Next For Radio? Video!

2009-09-02T21:46:00.006-07:00

Nielsen just released a new study on video usage and the bottom line: video consumption in terms of time spent and size of audience is up...way up. Even old school television was up 1%; while mobile video usage is up a whopping 70% and internet video usage rose 46%.

Ready for a shocker? What age group has the largest percentage of on-line viewers? 45-54 year olds at 21% followed by 35-44 year olds at 19%! When it comes to mobile viewsers 25-34 year olds leads the way with 32%; while 35-44's come in at 20%.

And as one who does this all the time myself, 57% report using the internet and watching TV simultaneously at least once a month.

We are already having problems with the younger demos and their fading interest (read: declining TSL) in radio; and now we are beginning to see evidence that our bread and butter demos could very well be in jeopardy due to their growing interest in on-line and mobile video.

You can see the entire Nielsen report here

Helping radio stations and radio groups develop on-line and mobile strategies is part what I do every day and I would be happy to assist you and your group maximize this amazing opportunity to effectively reach video entertainment consumers. You don't need to be a CBS or Fox affiliate to be in the TV biz!!

Here's two (somewhat obvious) suggestions as thought starters:

1-Your on-air stars can be video stars. How can you leverage their popularity within your market and capture some of that video traffic? What can they produce that the listeners will seek out on line and on their iPhones?

2-You program a top 40 station, why not put a video playlist together that replicates your on-air playlist simultaneously? You can invite your fans to watch station KAAA's music on line now. The simplest way to accomplish this would be to use You Tube as your video source since most popular videos are already there. There are other more proprietary ways to do this if you want. You may also want to consider creating additional playlists as well, maybe one that features the hottest newly released videos or a playlist of your stations best flashback songs. The opportunities are endless.

Bottom line: video is not a passing fad and neither is on-line and mobile consumption. As we consider how best to navigate our sizable ship into the future, we must consider how we are going to use video to our best advantage. Not doing so will not make it just go away. It's here to stay and it really needs to be something more than an afterthought.

Radio CAN Thrive...Just Different

2009-08-30T17:33:00.006-07:00

We all know there are more challenges ahead for the radio business. We also know that the newspaper business is, arguably, in an even tougher position than radio. An article published on the website PaidContent.org makes the case that newspapers (and their on-line strategy) can have a positive future by understanding and taking advantage of what the new news reality has made scarce.

The radio business, music radio in particular, must understand that the way we've been providing programming and selling advertising must change and adjust (differently than has already occurred) to the new reality. A lot of what we offer is no longer scarce and we must figure out how to proceed with entertainment programs and consumer & client services that provide the opportunity for abundant listener value and revenue going forward. Radio stations that are non stop music machines (PPM be damned) and offer little else for listeners and advertisers are doomed. Not tomorrow, but I don't believe it will be as long as ten years either.

After reading the article I thought so much of it could apply to radio. So I took some of the key themes and bring them to you here:

News Corp (NYSE: NWS). and other traditional news businesses are hand-wringing over how they will make money on the internet. I think they are focusing on the wrong problem.

...media bosses should be taking this opportunity to re-examine old assumptions, to rebuild their product for the 21st Century.

we quickly realize that it lost touch with its customers a long time ago, and that the model for the future will most likely look very different to what we are used to.

We kept buying (using radio), though, because we didn’t have any choice.

...all of a sudden, there is choice

...understand what is becoming commoditized and abundant, and what new scarcities are created as a result

The good news is that every abundance creates new scarcities and this is where the news (insert RADIO here) industry must go to make money in the 21st century. The scarcities created (and enabled) by abundant news are interesting stories, thought provoking analysis, conversation and community, and trust/verification.

...They do, however, have the option of leveraging their standing in the community to generate other revenues.
...the real money will come from leveraging the position in the community to offer services no one else can.

The final sentence says it all.

How strong is your station's position in the community? Are you prepared to leverage it for fun and profit? Do you have a community strategy? How can those community ties be turned into revenue? Hint: a folding table with a lone DJ doing breaks from a car dealer lot doesn't constitute community.

If you want to read the entire article click here.

Super Science Friday!!

2009-08-27T20:49:00.003-07:00

From the TED conference this past July--the science of motivation and the science of wireless electricity.

Video One: The idea of what motivates people turned on its side.
Video Two: What if electricity was wireless? Tesla came up with the idea 100 years ago, but MIT is figuring out how to make it practical today.

Two different subjects -- both worth watching.

Be Aware...Very Aware

2009-08-26T23:42:00.002-07:00

Earlier this month you may have read or heard about the FCC appointing a Chief Diversity Officer. His name is Mark Lloyd. Al Peterson's NTS Media gave us some insight...

So, Who Is Mark Lloyd?

Although Lloyd’s name may not exactly be a household word today, chances are Talk radio broadcasters will get to know him better in the months ahead due to his recent appointment by FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski as the agency’s new Associate General Counsel and Chief Diversity Officer. A communications attorney, Lloyd (pictured) was most recently the VP/Strategic Initiatives at the Leadership Conference on Civil Education Fund. He’s also served as an adjunct professor of public policy at Georgetown University, and was a visiting scholar at MIT. A one-time broadcaster, who worked at both NBC and CNN prior to his legal career, Lloyd was also previously a Senior Fellow at the Center For American Progress. In that role he served as co-author of the group’s 2007 report, The Structural Imbalance of Political Talk Radio which promoted steps to “encourage more responsive and balanced radio programming.” Among the steps the report recommended is a requirement that commercial broadcasters who “fail to abide by enforceable public interest obligations pay a fee to support public broadcasting.”

On the surface, Mr. Lloyd is an accomplished individual and one would think a reasonable choice for the position. Then, after a little research, I came upon these videos from just last year. Please take the time to watch them and listen very carefully to what he has to say. This is the man in his own words. There's no spin...just Mr. Lloyd speaking about things as he sees them. I challenge you to pay attention to this. Please share this post with as many people as you can.

Tell Me A Story

2009-08-23T16:10:00.004-07:00

I'm watching CBS's 60 Minutes tribute to its long time producer Don Hewitt. For 36 of the show's 41 years this guy was the mastermind and the ball-buster (said in the most respectful of ways) that created a wildly successful show--that's still going strong. What was the secret of Hewitt's success? Why do people still watch 60 Minutes today?

STORYTELLING

Whether it's an old stalwart like TV's 60 Minutes or a successful radio show or our use of Facebook we are all telling stories--or should be. "Tell me a story" was Don Hewitt's mantra. Clearly the stories were good. Clearly the stories were interesting. Clearly the art of storytelling captured an audience.

If you have young children you know that from a very early age kids crave stories. I can't count how many I've told my own kids. My twin boys are almost 8 and they still request my tall tales.

So let me tell you a story...

Once upon a time in a land called the USA...radio stations used to tell a lot more stories.

Think about it.

You can check out 60 Minutes story and tribute to Don Hewitt here.

The Social Media Fad

2009-08-19T06:32:00.003-07:00

Not!

As an active Facebook user I have found myself somewhat of an evangelist for it. I really enjoy it. It allows for interaction with far many more people than face-to-face, phone, or email would ever allow. Now granted, there are things I know now that if I didn't know wouldn't matter, but overall it's been a very positive experience.

I've had more than a few conversations with people (all older) trying to explain to them why it's worth their time joining in on the revolution. OK, I didn't call it a revolution--but you know what I mean. In fact, the video that follows I found through social networking. My friend Mark Ramsey posted this on his hear2.o blog., but it was when it was posted on Facebook it found me.

Social Media has has exploded, but it has just begun. Understand the fundamental change it represents and you will be miles closer to understanding what's ahead.

Coldplay Get's It Right and Get's On 60 Minutes Too

2009-08-16T18:17:00.003-07:00

Lead singer Chris Martin of Coldplay was interviewed on 60 Minutes tonight and said, "We rely more on enthusiasm than actual skill," he told Steve Kroft. "Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically and people will like it more."

He went on to say, "I can't dance like Usher. I can't sing like Beyonce. I can't write songs like Elton John," he said. "But, we can do the best we can with what we've got. …. And so that's what we do. We just go for it." Of course the fans of the band would argue otherwise. They have sold lots and lots of music at a time when the music industry is sales challenged.

He and his bandmates had other interesting and entertaining things to say, but that's not the point of this post. I want to focus on his enthusiasm comment and how refreshing it is. I will take it at face value that he was sincere and use it to implore all of my radio friends that right about now we could use an extra shot of enthusiasm--for our listeners, for our co-workers, for ourselves.

Enthusiasm alone doesn't make something entertaining but it's far better than humdrum "time to make the donuts" thinking. It's not easy and these days it might be down right near impossible to muster such energy. I hope not. And to quote Chris Martin, "just go for it."

Here's the link to watch the entire segment.

Talk About Making The Listeners Feel Loved And In Control

2009-08-12T14:58:00.006-07:00

Props to national talk host Rusty Humphries for an excellent invite he posted to his friends on Facebook not long ago.
This is a terriffic example of how to engage with your listeners. Bravo!

Click on the picture to check out Rusty's site.

How Social Is Your Brand?

2009-08-12T09:44:00.006-07:00

There's a company called Vitrue . They have products that help brands become more "social" -- more on that in part 2 of this post.

Upon reading a PR story on this company I was intrigued enough to go to their web site to learn more. I guess their PR worked--at least on me! Once at the site they had a tool called the "social media index" that allows you to compare two brands and see who is more social. They explained how it works this way:

The Vitrue SMI report is an easy to understand measurement of your brand's online conversations. Based on our patent-pending technology, index scores are comprised of various online conversations from status updates to multi-dimensional video sites. The Vitrue SMI score provides a snapshot in time to help make sense of the overwhelming amount of measurable data.

We derive the Vitrue SMI by reviewing popular social media sites. We update the Vitrue SMI once daily. Our sample set represents different dimensions of social interactivity:
Social Networking - general sharing
Video Sharing - high engagement of viewing time and authenticity of dimension
Status Updates - aka Micro-Blogs; key influencers who chatter and actively push content
Photo Sharing - social meta data
Blogs - general blogsphere, commentary mentions
The index numbers are not intended to be used in absolute terms; rather, they provide a numerical basis to compare the social media prominence of two or more terms. We frequently update the algorithm based on changes in usage patterns, overall traffic and social network results.

I gave it test run--thought it would be fun to test two sets of rivals...Bill O'Reilly vs. Keith Olbermann and the NY Yankees vs. the Boston Red Sox. Here's how they did:

Interesting snapshot. It would be fascinating to track over time.

Part 2:

So here's the scoop on this companies new product as outlined on Media Bistro's WebNewser this morning:

Vitrue SRM Debuts

Social-marketing company Vitrue debuted its Vitrue SRM (Social Relationship Manager), which it describes as a Web-based application suite that enables brands to manage, schedule and automatically publish across Facebook and Twitter. The Vitrue SRM also offers measurement and real-time analytics.

Vitrue said Vitrue SRM consists of three components: Social Publisher, which lets marketers fully customize and format their wall posts, including images, branded URLs and additional content blocks; Social Planner, enabling marketers to plan, create and execute customer communications months in advance; and Social Insights, which delivers real-time, rich analytics to monitor brand communication.

Seems like a reasonably useful product. I particularly like the real-time analytic capabilities. A suite like this might very well be an answer for making our social networking activities less tactical and more strategic.

Now We're Talkin' Digital Strategy

2009-08-10T00:18:00.006-07:00

If you are old enough to remember the LP, there's a good chance you fondly remember that buying a new album was more than just listening to the music; there was also the cool album jacket to read over and look at. You poured over the liner notes, the lyrics (if they were included), and of course the album art. Remember the album art craze? People actually took those album covers and turned them into wall hangings. Seems like decades ago-hey wait a minute...it was!! The album jacket was, in many cases, also the place to find out about the bands fan club--as close to social networking as we had in those days.

Starting with the cassette, and then the CD, and now digital media much of that experience has been lost. Of course there is no shortage of information about our favorite bands--a simple Google or Wikipedia search sees to that. It's not quite the same and the extra steps somehow don't replicate the experience of the album jacket.

As artists try to connect with fans a new trend may be emerging that screams of success--don't buy a single; don't buy an album; buy a APP. That's right, artists/labels are now developing their own apps that not only deliver the music but video, games, and yes, possibly the modern equivalent of liner notes and lyrics. Right now these apps are popping up for the Apple iPhone, but can Blackberry and others be far behind?

Very smart. Why sell a song or two when you can sell an experience? Why limit fan interaction to just music when it can be so much more than that? Why why why? The list goes on and on...

Hmmmm, sounds like what I have been talking about for years--radio is (should be) more than just the music (PPM be damned!) and more than just a single audio stream and more than simply a glossy "one-sheet" website. Now we're talking digital strategy folks!!

Read on for the full wired.com story

The Album Is Dead, Long Live the App

By Eliot Van Buskirk
August 4, 2009 |

The iTunes music store sells single songs at approximately the same price, with artist presented in more or less the same way.

Apple’s app store, however, is still somewhat like the wild west (at least as far as music goes), where the rules are being made up in real time. Artists and labels can sell music alongside other digital offerings through the app store at any price from zero to $999.99.

As we suggested last summer, this creates an opportunity for artists and labels to distribute a new type of product, especially because the app store concept is spreading to other mobile phone platforms.

On Monday, six of the 20 most recently submitted music apps to appear in the App Store featured a single artist: Jason Carver, Jessica Harp, Jimmy Cliff, John Butler Trio, Kadence, or The Cribs. Each showcases music videos, photos, news, photo-jumble games, concert listings, and/or community features that let fans share photos with each other. And all of them were made with iLike’s iPhone app toolkit — as was Ingrid Michaelson’s app, pictured to the right.

Since iLike launched the service in May, about 250 of the over 300,000 artists with access to iLike’s dashboard feature have launched customized iPhone apps through the system.

“We’re encouraged by the positive response our create-your-own-app platform has generated, and this is only the beginning,” said iLike CEO Ali Partovi. (The company also announced a new version of its Local Concerts app on Tuesday, with concert listings based on your music library, push notification for shows, maps to venues, and concert information sharing.)

These artist-specific apps, which labels also develop in-house, place a constantly-updating tattoo on fans’ phones. It’s like having a music subscription, but in the sense of a fan club, rather than in the sense of subscribing to music in general as one would with Rhapsody.

Many of iLike’s music apps are free and promotional. Other apps contain full songs, and cost money.

Dave Dederer, former singer and guitarist for the Presidents of the United States of America and current Melodeo business development vice president, released one of the first of these, which charged $3 for four albums plus exclusive material. His company sells another $3 app containing streaming versions of top 100 hip hop songs in the iTunes store (iTunes link).

The app store broke the rules for selling music through iTunes, and the ramifications of that are beginning to be felt. Now that iLike has allowed app creation to scale across hundreds of thousands of bands, and other mobile platforms are emulating Apple’s modular app concept, the artist-specific app could — in addition to being the new MySpace page — become a formidable music format in its own right.

If that happens, the idea of buying a bundle of music won’t die with the album — it will survive with the app.

Seeing Red And It's Good!

2009-08-04T11:05:00.005-07:00

Seeing red doesn't usually evoke thoughts of anything good except if Red is a radio station--a radio station that just received it's Spring 09 Arbitron ratings.

I want to congratulate my client, Opus Broadcasting's Red 104.3 (KEZP) in Alexandria, LA for a job well done and another stellar ratings performance!

Usually I don't blog about ratings--generally, it's not what this blog is all about. However, in this case I have made an exception. Why? Three reasons:

Red is a station that successfully programs Alternative Rock at a time when the format has experienced its fair share of difficulties.
Red is an Alternative station that is not dependent on its gold library. We are 70% current/recurrent!
Red/KEZP management had the guts one year ago to launch a radio station that most management teams wouldn't have the guts to even think about, let alone do it.

Let me share the numbers with you.

As a reader of this blog you know I do not make it a practice to turn my posts into bold-faced pitches for my services. For today, I am doing just that. I designed, built, and implemented this format on behalf of my client. Now, one year later and two rating periods under our belt there is a great story to tell and I am proud to tell it.

If you have an under-performing station and are thinking about a change give me a call [952.401.9067], send me an email [harve@harvealan.com] and let's talk about how Red could work for you.

Happy 1st anniversary Red 104.3!!

No More Radio (Shack)

2009-08-03T07:20:00.007-07:00

Looks like the folks at Radio Shack are gearing up for a pretty big change. Could it be? After all these years the word "radio" appears like it might soon be gone for good at those electronic stores down the street at the strip mall. Hard to blame them for wanting to change their name given the fact that these days most people don't buy radios anymore (except for devices that come with them). I bet you still will be able to go there and buy capacitors and diodes-(shhhh, don't tell anyone). Talk about geeky! Not exactly 21st century cool.

Remember the old catalogs that among other things featured stereo systems that showed you the good system, followed by the "better", then "best" system? They tried so hard to be taken seriously in the stereo receiver and speaker world--never happened.

So what are they going to be called? [Not sure this is cool either] The Shack. Oh well.

And just like radio stations, The Shack apparently is not immune to goofy promotion ideas. To kick off their new name they are going to have bands play (no names mentioned) and have contests at free events in New York and San Francisco called the Summer Netogether ...so far, so good. But wait!!! Get this...they are going to stream the events 3000 miles across the country (ooooh) on 14 foot tall laptops. Their words. Wow! Someone should tell them that streaming events and very large screens are commonplace today and this will excite NO ONE.
There you have it. No more Radio Shack. An uncool new name and a lame kick off promotion. Same great diodes! Best of luck with that.

How 'Bout A Little Inspiration Today?

2009-07-30T23:42:00.003-07:00

Enjoy...

From last week's TEDGlobal 2009: Alain de Botton examines our ideas of success and failure -- and questions the assumptions underlying these two judgments. Is success always earned? Is failure? He makes an eloquent, witty case to move beyond snobbery to find true pleasure in our work.

A Sharp Stick In The Eye Would Be Better

2009-07-28T07:47:00.005-07:00

The fairness doctrine is dead, but that doesn't mean some other doctrine can't and won't emerge to regulate content. Aside from free speech issues, which are plentiful, the last thing radio needs is the government keeping tabs on what radio hosts are saying or playing. PERIOD.

You may have read the lead story on Tom Taylor's Taylor on Radio-Info this morning:

How fair is this?

“It won’t be called the Fairness Doctrine…”

One D.C. expert is convinced that some leading Democrats have a grand plan to re-institute a rule requiring balance on the airwaves – just the thing that conservative talkshow hosts have made such a boogeyman out of. This may sound like a paranoia alert, but the D.C. guy says “I’ve never seen such communication between the FCC and the White House.” I asked how often they’re talking, and he says “daily.” He describes a constant stream of people from the Portals (the FCC) visiting the White House. He acknowledges that both President Obama and new FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski have waved off a return of the Fairness Doctrine as it existed until 1987. But he believes “they’ll have something like it, under the guise of the FCC’s Localism initiative or something else. It might even be a rider onto some bill in Congress.” Would that be constitutional? Probably not. But more and more folks seem to think there will be an effort from Congress and/or the FCC to “restore balance” to radio – particularly talk radio. If you think the conservative talkers have made a lot of noise about the Obama birth certificate, wait until they see a law or regulation about “balance.”

I am not looking to turn this into a political debate, at least not here in this forum, but the idea of the government telling a station [owner] they have too much or too little conservative or liberal talk on a particular station is chilling. I don't care if it's Randy or Ed or Rush or Sean...keep your stinkin' paws off of free speech. Let the marketplace of ideas sort itself out. It always does.

This is not an issue just for the ideologues to wrestle with. This is an issue for ALL of us to stand together and oppose. We must let OUR government know we don't want nor will we tolerate regulating what can be said and in what amount.

Think it can't happen? Nobody thought General Motors would go bankrupt either.

What Should Radio's Freemium Model Be?

2009-07-26T12:34:00.007-07:00

In other words what digital content can radio stations produce that would be worth someone paying for? It certainly won't be a simulcast stream of your terrestrial signal.

Newspapers are wrestling with this issue. For them, this problem is even more acute since moneymaker sections such as the classifieds are a mere shadow of the past. What exactly can they charge for and will enough people be willing to pay for it? I just read an interesting post on how FT (Financial Times) has a pilot program where they allow readers free access nine times each month and after that there is a fee. And while I am not suggesting that idea to be transferred to radio sites; it is an interesting idea. If you want to read more about that story check it out on Fred Wilson's A VC blog.

We must be thinking about what type of entertainment or special service our listeners would find valuable enough to pay for. I've got a list of ideas from ranging ring tones to behind the scenes access. I develop and share these ideas with my clients every day. As CPM's continue to decline, countless music options continue to emerge and stations continue to pare down their presentation to try to take advantage of PPM radio might very well find itself with less and less to sell. Well, as much as always to sell, just not enough customers interested in buying it.

Twitter 101

2009-07-24T14:04:00.003-07:00

When it comes to social networking I am an advocate of "fishing where the fish are;" meaning making use of the public social networking sites to connect with listeners. As relationships are built, then, give listeners good reason to visit and partake in proprietary station digital platforms. I believe this strategy enables radio stations to connect and build relationships with many more people in a much shorter time span.

To many, Twitter is still a bit mysterious--it's use, it's value, and it's benefits. Today I read this from post on WebNewser. As you will read Twitter has launched Twitter 101--a guide to how businesses can effectively use the service. It will be basic for some, but for others it will provide a wealth of information.

Twitter 101: Twitter for Businesses

Twitter co-founder Biz Stone announced the launch of the Twitter 101 initiative during an interview with Fortune editor at large Adam Lashinsky during the magazine's Fortune Brainstorm: Tech summit in Pasadena, Calif., Thursday.

Lashinsky asked when Twitter will implement plans to begin making money, and Stone replied, "The plan is to do that this year—to show some signs of life for a revenue approach," adding that Twitter 101 was the "first step."

On the Twitter blog, Stone wrote:

Many are seeing a wide variety of businesses using Twitter in interesting ways to create value for customers and consumers. As a result, we're often invited by businesses and organizations to talk about Twitter and how it can be used to better engage with customers. Twitter is still a small team, so it made more sense to do some research and make it widely available rather than personally visit businesses big and small.

We coordinated with business students and writers to surface some interesting findings, best practices, steps for getting started and case studies. The results demonstrate how customers are getting value out of Twitter and suggest techniques businesses can employ to enhance that value. While this work was envisioned for businesses, it's also useful for anyone using Twitter, so have a look if you like.

Twitter 101, as the name indicates, starts off with the basics, with sections on the home page entitled "So what does Twitter do for businesses?," "So how does it work?" and "So how do businesses use Twitter?." The home page also includes basic introductory sections like "A brief history of Twitter," "What's up with the name?" and "Why 140 characters?"

The secondary pages on Twitter 101 are: "Getting started," "Learn the lingo," "Best practices," "Case studies" and "Other resources."

It Could Be Worse

2009-07-22T14:59:00.003-07:00

From e-Marketer:

And for those wondering, CAGR is the Compound Annual Growth Rate.

I know -4.3 doesn't look so good. Hard to argue otherwise. But as radio continues to better understand and deploy content for the internet we should be able to capture some of the growth from that potentially lucrative sector. Right? Exactly.

As I often like to do...let me end this post with a question.

What have you done to enhance you digital content and sales effort today?

Fantastic!

2009-07-16T20:56:00.004-07:00

garykoelling- sr. manager social technology

Fantastic presentation at the Conclave today.

Please read.

"You can lose listeners, but you can't lose friends!!"

Gary Koelling from Best Buy @ the Conclave 2009

Best Buy Takes HD Radio Portable

2009-07-13T08:45:00.006-07:00

Is $49.99 cheap enough to entice consumers to buy a radio? Yes, a radio. Not an HD Radio (which of course it is)...just a radio. Look around, most people buy things that have radios in them...clock radios, car radios, home theater audio systems (stereos if you like), etc. Outside of radio enthusiasts when did "Sam and Sally Smith" last buy a standalone radio? Exactly. One notable thing missing from this unit is any kind of digital media storage. Seems like a no brainer, but I guess that addition would of killed the $49.99 price point. Here's the Engadget story.

Insignia NS-HD01: first-ever portable HD Radio on sale at Best Buy

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 12th 2009 at 12:01AM

Remember that first-ever portable HD Radio prototype we peeked back in May? Turns out Best Buy just let loose the real-deal, today announcing immediate availability of the Insignia NS-HD01. Needless to say, the big box retailer and supporters of HD Radio alike are hoping that this subscription-free player will finally put some much-needed wind behind the sails of the format, and while it's pretty simple in nature, the sub-$50 price tag could place it squarely in the "impulse buy" category. The relatively brief specs list includes a color LCD, rechargeable Li-ion battery, a 3.5 millimeter headphone jack, a bundled armband and ten user-selectable preset memory channels. You can catch the full release after the break, and the player itself in your nearest Best Buy.

Passion

2009-07-12T23:19:00.002-07:00

Have some today. I mean real, honest-to-goodness, from the pit of your soul passion.

That's it.

If you (as many of you as possible) can accomplish this one [simple] goal today, our industry can't help but be better for it.

[pash-uhn] –noun
any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling; a strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for anything

What Does Jay Leno's Garage Have To Do With Radio?

2009-07-10T18:11:00.005-07:00

Have you ever checked out Jay Leno's car-crazy website Jay Leno's Garage? As you may know his "garage" is really a hangar-sized warehouse filled with all his cars and motorcycles--both classic and new cars. It's an amazing collection. A big part of the site is the videos he produces showcasing one of these cars every week.

The video below is Jay talking about and driving the new Chevy Camaro. It's very interesting to take a video tour of this car--its a cool ride. Jay made a point to talk about how improved these cars are from the GM cars of the 80's and 90's. He also pointed out that in the past when he had visited GM, Chrysler, and Ford in Detroit the companies would roll out the salespeople and accountant types; but this time he was met by the engineers. Imagine that, allowing the creative people to take center stage and do what they do best. Imagine if we did the same thing in the radio business. Well said Jay.

Time Well Spent

2009-07-08T15:44:00.003-07:00

Next week (July 16-18) is The Conclave. I hope you can make it to Minneapolis this year!

Not the easiest year to find a way to make it here, but it will be worth it if you can. It's always a great gathering--great people, great ideas, great sessions, and of course our fantastic summer weather here in Minneapolis.

I will be moderating a panel this year:
Saturday 10A Management-Programming Track/Session #5-Airchecking Your Website Sarah van Mosel, Vice President of Sales, InterTech Media; Harve Alan, President, Have Alan Media. The website is more than just a place for jock photos – it’s a full-blown sales and marketing tool. Our faculty will share actionable information and examples to help you make your web site the best it can be
This is a subject near and dear to my heart and I am happy to share my thoughts and ideas with you!

Also, please check out this session:

Thursday 5P Tech-Interactive Track/Session #2 – A Tale of Two Podcasts Presenters: Dawn and Drew Domkus "The Dawn and Drew Show", Brian and Mike "The Brian and Mike Show", Moderator: Phil Wilson, Director ADM. It seems like podcasts are as plentiful as, well, i-pods. Is anybody listening? Is anybody making money? In this session, two successful podcast shows, one created by radio broadcasters and the other by "civilians", talk about how they got into podcasting, what they are doing to grow an audience and what, if anything they are doing or plan to do to generate revenue. Join Dawn and Drew Domkus of "The Dawn and Drew Show" and Brian and Mike of "The Brian and Mike Show" for this must-attend session for anyone who is currently podcasting or thinking about whether podcasting is the right move.

I've been working with Brian and Mike since before the launch of their podcast, and as you will learn at the session things have gone exceptionally well. Great content will always find an audience and that is exactly what has happened.

I hope to see you at The Conclave.

A Change For The Millennials

2009-07-05T21:10:00.006-07:00

And maybe an opportunity for RADIO. Maybe.

Much has been written about the generational differences between Millennials and everybody else--particularly in the workplace. Organizations we told they must adjust to the new paradigm and change the way they manage these new employees as they begin their first or second job. It was said that this group of workers felt a sense of entitlement and had fragile and easily derailed self esteem. Then the bottom fell out of the economy and all bets were off. Companies then began reducing workforces, shuffling the decks, and looking any and all ways to stay afloat.

So now the Millennials are experiencing a dose of difficult reality, and, as you will read all this bad news may be just what the doctor ordered. Reality has set in and Millennials are stepping up and focusing their energy on hard work and innovation without the drama. Could this shift in thinking among the youngest in the workforce be just what radio needs? Can we, to use a 90's buzzword, leverage this new found energy and workplace reality to stock our radio stations with Millennials? That is if we can attract this work hungry group to get interested in radio and get those who control the purse strings to see something other than default in their future.

Written by a Millennial generation writer, Jonathan Lewis, this AdAge article is enlightening. I found it to be honest, blunt, and optimistic. It was worth my time and I hope yours too.

Bad News Could Be the Best Thing for Millennials

Viewpoint: Jonathan Lewis Hopes Economic Hardship Knocks a Little Sense Into His Generation

by Jonathan Lewis
Published: July 01, 2009

Jonathan Lewis

I hope you enjoyed it while it lasted, because the excess that fueled Generation Y and the current economic meltdown is fading fast -- along with, I hope, the most negative characteristics of our generation. Whether you've just graduated into the worst job market in decades, were recently laid off or shudder every time your manager calls an impromptu meeting, one thing is true: Like it or not, you and I are going to face some very difficult personal and professional decisions.
Do you remember when, not long ago, volumes of articles, books and even conferences were springing up attempting to teach the "old-school" business community how to best manage this upcoming and unique generation entering the work force? Authors used terms such as "entitled" and "narcissistic" to describe what they called the most digitally connected and self-focused generation to walk the earth. Ample advice was given on how to best manage our fragile self-esteem, fickle career decisions and, as freelance writer Carol Forsloff put it, resistance "to anything that doesn't involve praise and rewards." The only positive thing said about us was our intimate knowledge of technology, and even that is being eroded by the boomers' rush to embrace it (my mother-in-law just friended me on Facebook).
I don't know about you, but having to write the above paragraph about myself and my generation has me more than a little embarrassed. That's why I hope the current economy and accompanying hardships will do more than scare us. I hope they will knock a little sense into us too.
We're not the first generation to face tough times. If we can heed some of the following age-old advice and learn a thing or two from folks who have gone through this before, not only will we have a better chance to thrive through this hardship, we might just disprove a few stereotypes along the way.
1. Get over yourself
The only thing self-esteem gave us was a dangerous dose of entitlement. If we're going to come out of this downturn alive, we're going to have to remember one thing: No one owes us anything. We earn what we get, and that "earn" part involves time and effort. Our employers and interviewers don't care if their demands interfere with our lunch appointment or 8 a.m. workout. And frankly, we can't afford to have the world revolve around us anymore. We must take a bite of humble pie, prove our value and get over our collective selves.
2. Remember what your mama told you
There's a reason Robert Fulghum wrote "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten." He understood the value of mastering the basics. And chances are your mom did too. She sure didn't teach you to stroll in to work at 9:30 a.m. or take that extra-long lunch. And you can just imagine what she would say if she saw the apparel you deemed appropriate for work this morning. No matter what happens in the world around us, the fundamentals never change. Be professional. Work hard. Honor your word. Do unto others ... I mean, seriously, I know our generation doesn't emerge from adolescence until we're 25, but c'mon. Grow up.
3. Get off your butt and innovate
It wasn't buckets of cash or bailouts that pulled our grandparents out of the Great Depression. It was the hard work of a generation, a bloody world war and some of the most groundbreaking innovation the world has ever seen. Economies don't recover when generations sit on their hands hoping someone else will fix their problems.
According to author and speaker Alexandra Levit, Holly Hoffman took this to heart when she saw layoffs looming at the national newspaper corporation she worked for in Texas. Instead of lying low in team meetings, she decided to take things into her own hands. Hoffman explained, "As the bottom person, I knew that I would be eliminated unless I could directly tie my position to profits. So instead of just using the sales program I was given, I interviewed our field reps to see how we could improve it." Levit reported that "Ms. Hoffman's revamped sales program was expanded to three additional newspapers, earning her a promotion even as many of her friends were being laid off."
If we are going to do more than just survive in this environment, we must step up to the plate, put our green pencils to recycled paper and innovate our way to success.
4. Things will never be the same
Our nation's rush to borrow its way out of debt has more than a few economists worried. And you can bet your Euros it's our generation that will pay for this mess. The era of "Bad credit? No problem" is over, and the luxuries we've taken for granted are slipping away. We're inheriting incomprehensible debt, unsustainable social programs and leaders who think the way to fix the problem is to keep doing more of the same thing. You and I have to come to terms with the knowledge that more trouble is heading our way, and hiding from it won't make it disappear. Like any major challenge, you can't deal with the problem until you admit that you have one.
5. Berlin or bust
Our grandparents faced a similar situation during their generation's greatest challenge. The Great Depression and WWII fostered hardships we can't even imagine -- yet. It was the excesses of their parents' generation, embodied by the Roaring Twenties, that fueled their hardships. Their response: Stand firm, work hard and help a neighbor.
And now we're faced with a similar choice. Our grandparents could have thrown in the towel and resigned themselves to their poor lot in life, but they didn't. They rose to the challenge and earned their place in history as the Greatest Generation. So what will our response be? Will we wait for someone to swoop in and fix our problems, or will we build off our strengths, harness the incredible tools at our disposal and pull ourselves up by our Nike shoestrings? With a little old-school work ethic and innovation, we can take our new-school technology and show our critics, and the world, what our generation is really made of.
It's yet to be seen if this worst-case scenario will end up being the best thing to happen to our generation. But one thing is certain: The choice is ours.

Independence Day

2009-07-02T07:08:00.004-07:00

Teens and Twitter...And Other Misconseptions

2009-07-01T13:39:00.006-07:00

Consulting firm, The Hartman Group has a new podcast discussing the misconceptions of teen tech behavior. Some interesting findings and some simple common sense.

Click here to listen to the podcast

Did We Or Didn't We? Part II

2009-06-28T23:33:00.003-07:00

Well...

No and yes.

[following up on Friday's post]

How did radio do with Michael Jackson coverage?

While impossible to know what was said or produced, I did review a ton of music logs from all around the country in markets big and small. Here's what I found:

Thursday night looked pretty rough--the effects of tracking and syndication were clearly evident. Some stations in the largest markets were clearly all over it. In smaller markets, which aren't so small, like Providence, RI (1.3 million people) radio missed the boat. I guess folks in Providence care less about a breaking story than someone in NYC. If you were there Thursday night you were hard pressed to hear anything about it on the radio--at least his music. Again, I can only judge by the music that was played.

Friday, during the day, was a different story. From morning drive onward stations seemed to be on it in varying degrees depending on format and specific station.

It was interesting to note how stations of the same format came to different decisions on whether to play Jackson's music or not and how much of it. There were stations I thought should have been all over the music and were not, and conversely, stations that would not typically expected to own it, did.

So, did we or didn't we?

Based on my research I give radio a passing grade, but as my teachers used to tell me--there's room for improvement. Overall, a C-.

Sadly, radio is so understaffed and unprepared for any event that strays from the norm. Few events rise to the level of Michael Jackson dieing, but there will be others. Next time, I'm afraid, I will write a column similar to this and I will be giving the same assessment, only worse. I hope my industry proves me wrong.

Did We Or Didn't We?

2009-06-26T01:00:00.002-07:00

That's the question many are asking about how radio handled Michael Jackson's death. Did radio do what it does best--bring the immediacy of current events to the air? How did we do compared the to last time someone of Jackson's fame and stature past away?

No matter what the coverage was there will be some to complain it wasn't enough. And in some cases I am sure that is true. However, I have to believe there were countless stations who not only covered it, but covered it well--news, music, listener interaction, social media, and commentary.

Bottom line: News that's as big and as universal as this stations must cover it live, break into regular programming, and provide your listeners as much information as possible. When things like this happen your format doesn't matter, your clocks go out the window, and all that matters is seizing the moment in the most appropriate way for your format and station. Period.

What did your station(s) do? What did you hear around your market? Bad or good...feel free to share your experience and leave a comment.

Marketing To Millenials? Read This.

2009-06-24T09:42:00.003-07:00

"...listening to millenials not about just reaching that demographic. Rather it provides valuable insight about the market as a whole."

Hill & Knowlton, is an international communications consultancy and published this excellent Top 10 on what it takes to market to millenials.

Provide a reason. We want to buy into more than “this latest product/service is best”. And the latest technology upgrade 6.18 or new Orange Raspberry flavor isn’t going to cut it. Think more deeply about the rationale, what is the bigger picture.
Thrive does not equal Survive. You must evolve and grow with us, with the market. Otherwise you will lose relevancy, no matter how big you once were giants fall.
Be authentic and have values. We spend our money in an effort to support brands. The companies that walk the walk will have our support – in dollars.
Elusive isn’t the word, just stretched. Think broadly in terms of where you can reach me– and remember I only spend 1 of every 11 minutes online on a social network.
Entertain me. Consumer experiences matter, that is what we remember and talk about. And think about the whole marketing cycle because my experience with your brand extends well beyond purchase point.
Brands aren’t friends. But you should think more how to socialise with me then to sell to me.
Inspire. Lead us by example.
Empower me. We feel entitled because we grew up expressing ourselves online, how can you help me spread the word for you?
Quickly bored. It’s not ADD, it’s just that we are all inundated with massive amounts of brands messages. Keep it simple or loose mind space – quickly.
The age of Here and Now. I prefer to lease my car, pay as I go on my mobile, and expect real time help from my online bankng service. My sense of immediacy directly relates to who I interact with brands

You can check out other posts on the blog authored by Meghan Stuyvenberg here.

Who Knew That Tweeting Meant Music

2009-06-24T07:17:00.003-07:00

Looking to improve your Twitter content? Looking for additional ways to engage with your station's music fans? It would seem there are opportunities for your station tweets and your music to go hand-in-hand. Some new research suggests that your Twitter followers are already big-time music fans. Check out the stats from a new NDP Group study as reported on WebNewser.

Sing Along with Twitter

Twitter and music go hand-in-hand, according to a study from market-research firm The NDP Group, which found that Twitter users are more likely to buy music online, TechCrunch reported.
The study found that Twitter users purchased 77% more music, on average, than non-Twitter users, and that 33% of Twitter users purchased a CD in the past month and 34% paid for a digital download, versus 23% and 16%, respectively, by overall Web users.
NDP added that one-third of Twitter users listened to music on a social-networking site, 41% listened to online radio (versus 22% among all Web users) and 39% watched a music video online (versus 25% for all Web users).

Breaking News or Pre-Recorded Programming?

2009-06-21T23:04:00.004-07:00

This past weekend amidst the social unrest taking place in Iran two interesting media related things took place.

Both CNN and Fox News provided extensive live coverage all weekend, nearly 24/7, while MSNBC provided infomercials and re-runs of NBCUniversal produced Investigation series programming practically 24/7. What was MSNBC thinking? I guess big events can only happen Monday through Friday. Weak. Are the resources of NBC News not deep enough anymore? Both FNC and CNN had their big gun news people in the house and both had a fairly deep bench of people trying to uncover information worldwide.

It seems to me that the competitive battle here dictates you throw the budgets and egos away and do what needs to be done to be competitive. A good reminder for us radio folk.

Secondly, this weekends news events are yet another seminal moment in the development of social networking and video enabled smartphones (worldwide) and the power that Twitter possess. In fact, much of the information (that Fox and CNN is using) coming out of Iran was through mobile handheld video and Tweets. Powerful.

Fox was using a Twitter aggregator I had not heard of before. You can check out Monitter here. Simply type in key words in each of the three provided headers and watch the worldwide Tweets start displaying. BTW--wouldn't it be interesting to monitor the activities of your competition this way? Hmmmm.

Interesting Experiment

2009-06-18T11:33:00.006-07:00

CBS is trying out Jelli at KITS in San Francisco. A system that turns over the controls of the radio station to listeners via social networked web voting. It should be an interesting listen.

Lot's of unknowns thus far...song universe, how many votes cause change, how much impact can one person have on what makes it on the air. And, in reality, is this experiment too much work for the average radio listener?

I'm not dissing this experiment by any means. Give it a whirl and see how it goes.

I do question how this plays out for a radio station, like all radio stations, that depend on ratings to drive revenue. Is this uber customization process an attraction or a repelant on a mass medium platform? It all depends on the end product. Just like in the past with contesting, we knew that most people would not participate so the goal was to create something entertaining enough to cause vicarious participation among our passive listeners. Time will tell if Jelli can accomplish this goal.

I also wonder if Jelli on the air would benefit from a "social director" hosting the live radio show for those who are not able or choose not to participate. One has to assume that many listeners have come to the station to be entertained, so adding someone who helps put on the show--not make the decisions on what gets played but keeps things cohesive-- might end up being a good idea.

Regardless of the end result, kudos to KITS and CBS Radio for trying something new.

No Cume Issues Here

2009-06-15T20:27:00.006-07:00

Arbitron just released the latest RADAR national reach numbers and they look good.

From their release:

Radio reaches 92 percent of persons 12+ each week, despite the adoption of MP3 players and the growth of Internet-only stations. Even 89 percent of the youngest radio audience, teens ages 12-17, most accustomed to using new technologies and forms of media, continue to tune in each week. Network radio also reaches nearly 85 percent of the ad elusive and media multi-taskers Adults 18-34. You can read the entire release here.

While these numbers look healthy and should be interpreted as a bright spot for the industry, we must wait for the entire report to become available before we get too excited. As we know cume (reach) is only half the story--the other half being the TSL. We know younger listeners use the radio, but as I outlined last year, our engagement numbers (TSL) have been in steep decline especially with those 34 and younger. I would argue that the TSL may in fact be a more important measure of the industry's general health.

For now, we must wait and see.

The Journey To Success and Back Again

2009-06-12T10:50:00.006-07:00

There are different messages for different people embedded in this short video. A little something for everyone...from the top on down.

Rush Limbaugh

2009-06-09T14:07:00.010-07:00

This past weekend Rush was given the Freedom of Speech award at Talker's Magazine's New Media Conference in New York. Unfortunately, I was not able to attend the conference and was hoping the speech would find its way on-line--which it has on Newsmax.

Rush tends to evoke quite a bit of reaction whether you like him or despise him--whether you think he is brilliant or a blowhard. Way back in 1990, just two years after Rush went national, I engaged him to be on WAKR in Akron (I was PD/OM)even though 3WE (WTAM now)was right up the road in Cleveland and could be easily heard. WAKR was transitioning to News/Talk and I wanted his signature sound to be a part of that transition. It worked out great--except for some elderly folks who were unclear what had just hit them. It wasn't long before Noon to 3 was nearly as strong as the stations long time double digit morning news show. Wow!

Rush is a RADIO GUY. Period. He loves the art of broadcasting and has contributed a great deal to our industry for all these years. Check out his speech right here.

***I have removed this auto-start video since there is no need to view it EVERY time you visit the blog*** If you haven't seen it please click the following link:

See Rush Video Here

An Excellent Snippet of Motivation

2009-06-07T08:47:00.003-07:00

Thanks to Dan Kelly who shared this on Facebook. A powerful reminder NOT to take no for an answer.

The Year The Media Died

2009-06-05T11:32:00.002-07:00

...so says this parody song.

Like we need a song to remind us all how tough things have gotten. But here it is...filled with truth and sad reality.

Sadly, R&R Means Rest and Relaxation Again

2009-06-03T11:35:00.004-07:00

Other trades have closed their doors and nobody really blinked...this is different. It is as telling and eventful as, say, it was announced that CBS-TV was signing off. R&R was very much a part of the industry they represented and reported on.

"Back in the day" being a R&R reporter meant everything. Street Talk was the TMZ or Perez Hilton for our industry. And when someone changed jobs or got promoted getting on the front page meant so much (mostly to the person on the front page) because it was "the front page."

I want to personally wish everyone at R&R the very best--many of whom I have known for a very long time.

Radio & Records Closes Doors

It's The End Of An Era

By R&R Staff
Updated 0 Hour(s) 20 Minute(s) ago

The current state of affairs has left The Nielsen Company with no other alternative but to immediately cease all services, products and events related to Radio & Records. The magazine's final edition is the June 5 issue. Electronic products end today, the Web site will be taken offline soon.

R&R Editorial Director/Associate Publisher Cyndee Maxwell stated, "Everyone on this team has worked extremely hard to fulfill the vision of Radio & Records, and everyone can hold their heads high on this very sad day. We had a highly talented group of people that always worked hard and gave it their best -- especially in the recent past. I deeply regret that this day has come. The good news for some other companies out there is that we have many fantastic people who are now available to put their excellent talents, abilities and skills to work for someone else."

Radio & Records Timeline

1973 Radio & Records is founded by Bob Wilson. The first issue is Oct. 1.
1974 The first R&R Convention is held.
1979 Radio & Records is sold to Harte Hanks.
1987 Westwood One purchases Radio & Records.
1988 The R&R Hotfax Updates debut, comprising 12 weekly format-focused fax publications.
1994 Perry Capital acquires Radio & Records.
1995 Radio & Records launches R&R Online.
1996 The first annual R&R Talk Radio Seminar is held.
The R&R Daily online news service debuts, and Music Tracking is launched online.
1997 R&R introduces the daily R&R TODAY news fax.
1998 The R&R Convention returns after a six-year hiatus.
The first R&R Industry Achievement Awards, voted on by R&R subscribers, are presented at the convention.
1999 Data collection for R&R's charts is converted to include Mediabase airplay.
2000 Daily e-mail updates and Today's News online are introduced as extensions of the R&R TODAY fax publication. Radio & Records acquires Radio Y Musica.
2001 Adult Alternative and Christian sections debuts in the weekly R&R newspaper, each with its own full-time editor. The Going for Adds fax publication debuts.
2002 A CHR/Rhythmic section debuts in the weekly R&R newspaper, with its own full-time editor.
R&R produces its first annual Triple A Summit.
Electronic Promotion Kits are introduced for music customers, and the Street Talk Daily fax and e-mail publication debuts.
Radio Y Musica is incorporated into the R&R newspaper.
2004 Radio & Records announces its new web address, www.radioandrecords.com.
2006 VNU, a global information and media company, acquires Radio & Records. VNU owns ACNielsen, Billboard, the Hollywood Reporter and many other business-to- business publications. Radio & Records charts convert to Nielsen BDS airplay data.
2007 VNU changes its name to The Nielsen Company.
2009 The Nielsen Company announces it's shuttering R&R. The final issue date is June 5.

A Break In The Action

2009-06-03T08:22:00.003-07:00

No commentary today...simply a little entertainment. Why not!?!

While perusing one of my favorite RSS feeds, TED.com I happened to stop at this post about guitarist Kaki King who performed at the TED Conference in '08. Wow! She is great. The multi-layered sounds that emit from her Ovation guitar are amazing and fun to listen to. No, she's not a household name, but has an interesting background including touring with the Foo Fighters. Check out the video right here:

If you are interested in more information about Kaki King, click here for her bio.

Ford Improves Sync With Real Time Information

2009-05-31T21:01:00.005-07:00

Engadget outlines how Ford ramps up the real-time information functionality of it's SYNC in-dash system.

We've finally got the details on that Ford SYNC refresh we recently warned you about. According to the company, current owners of 2010 vehicles with the device now can download and install the latest TDI (Traffic, Directions and Information) app for free. As mentioned before, the app connects a customer's Bluetooth-enabled cell phone to Ford's Service Delivery Network voice portal for turn-by-turn driving directions, real-time traffic, business searches, news, sports and weather. This bad boy will be available on all 2010 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles equipped with SYNC, $395. The sale price includes service for the first three years. Ready to SYNC your ride? Do you find the phrase "SYNC my ride" as amusing as we do? Hit that read link.

Hmmmm...news and business, sports, traffic, weather....hmmmmm...on-demand...in-dash....not from "traditional" raido...hmmmmm.

It's a good thing radio offers more than just the boring basics....right? It may not be the most popular thing to write, but your [exceptional] talent IS your ticket to remaining relevant. Don't have exceptional talent? Better grow some or buy some very soon...and then give them the resources and time horizon to make it happen--and that's more than 6 months, folks.

Memorial Day Weekend

2009-05-22T11:19:00.005-07:00

Enjoy your Memorial Day Weekend!

Sometime over the long holiday take a moment to remember the service men and woman who gave their lives serving their country.

[pictured] The Tomb of the Unknown Solider at Arlington National Cemetery

Volkswagen Working On In-Dash Internet

2009-05-20T17:01:00.004-07:00

As part of a joint venture with Intel VW is working on a very cool system that will handle all media functions including AM/FM radio and always-on internet.

Here's the demo video to check out the test system in action

Bailout For Minority-Owned Broadcasters?

2009-05-20T12:37:00.006-07:00

The Hill newspaper ran with the story this morning.

Whether the intent is noble or not is up to you, but one has to ask if the government extends credit [bailout] to commercial broadcasters; one also has to ask will the government then have a voice in that broadcasters content? If the car companies and banks are any indication--the answer is YES.

Next question: If the minority-owned broadcasters get a bailout, how long will it be before the rest of the broadcasters are asking for a bailout? Answer: Not very long.

If we continue down this road to its eventual end one has to ask how long will it be before the government has a say in the content for all commercial broadcaster's content? If the car companies and banks are any indication--the answer is YES.

I don't know if this will happen on any level, but, better we ask these questions now and think about what it would mean "if" it were to happen. It's a lot of "ifs," but given how poorly our industry is doing it wouldn't surprise me.

Here's the full story from The Hill

Democrats seek financial rescue of minority-owned broadcasters
By Silla Brush

Posted: 05/19/09 06:13 PM [ET]

High-ranking House Democrats are urging the Treasury Department to prop up minority-owned broadcasters suffering from a lack of capital and lost advertising revenue amid the economic slump.

House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) is leading an effort to convince Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to take “decisive action” by extending credit to this sector of the broadcasting industry.

Clyburn and other senior members, including House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), argue that minority-owned broadcasters are sound businesses, but that the recession could undermine the government’s efforts to diversify the airwaves.

A number of members from the Congressional Black Caucus signed the letter, too.

“While many jobs are at stake, a more important principle — the government’s fundamental interest in promoting a diversity of voices, including service to underserved communities — is severely threatened,” the members write in a draft of a letter that was scheduled to be sent Tuesday.

The letter comes as some of the biggest recipients of government bailout money, including JPMorgan Chase & Co., Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, jockey to repay government bailout money. As banks seek a way out from the government’s restrictions, other industries struggle and seek government support. Some firms seeking to repay the government argue that the government’s restrictions have burdened their businesses.

The congressmen suggest the Treasury Department could provide access to capital to minority-owned broadcasters, which they say represent less than 7 percent of full-power radio stations and a “negligible” ownership of television stations.

“They are looking for continued access to capital to continue their otherwise fundamentally sound operations,” the members write.

The letter suggests Treasury could set up a credit facility specific to the industry, similar to the government’s efforts to support auto suppliers, or possibly set up a program for bridge financing and government-backed loans until the economy improves.

“In addition to the credit crisis, also weighing heavily on minority broadcasters is a significant decline in advertising revenues, particularly the loss of automobile advertising,” the congressmen write.

The members are asking for a meeting with the Treasury Department and minority-owned broadcast entities and representatives from the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters.

Other members signing the letter are Democratic Reps. Bobby Rush (Ill.), Edolphus Towns (N.Y.), Maurice Hinchey (N.Y.), Carolyn Maloney (N.Y.), Maxine Waters (Calif.), Gregory Meeks (N.Y.), G.K. Butterfield (N.C.), Barbara Lee (Calif.), Lynn Woolsey (Calif.) and Bennie Thompson (Miss.)

Retro Computing Fun

2009-05-19T23:15:00.004-07:00

I love history--always have. For people like me, there is an endless archive to sift through on line. The history of computers is fascinating...massive mainframes...simple calculators which cost $500...80 meg hard drives...iPhones and lots of stuff in between.

So as we hit the middle of the week I bring you this history packed post. Check out some of that history on this cool website called Web Urbanist.

One more for you...it doesn't have anything to do with tech, however. Explore NYC and surrounding areas at the amazing site Forgotten NY

Thoughtful commentary returns next post.

Creative Purpose

2009-05-17T23:29:00.008-07:00

By the time some, if not most of you read this, you will already be at work plugging away at doing whatever you happen to do every day. Some of you might even be enjoying what you do. We can only hope.

Maybe today will be the day you get to do something extra fun, or maybe something different from other days. Maybe today your creative side will have a chance to emerge from the normal grind. Whatever you do today, if only for yourself, think about new creative ways to program, announce, sell, or produce. Give it a shot.

I thought I would share with you this video of MIT graduate, David Merrill. Now, his work life is centered around being creative. Among other things, he and his team have created these little cubes that are all interactive computing devices. They interact with each other [and the user] and can morph into whatever the programmer imagines them to be.

Nothing about radio here. Or is there? Enjoy.

New Design - New Life

2009-05-13T14:19:00.006-07:00

Is there a lesson in this video for radio? I think there might be. You decide.

TechAmericana

2009-05-12T22:41:00.003-07:00

Think Japan, China or Europe have the edge on exclusive tech? Nope...we got 'em beat right here in the good ole USA! Gizmodo explores this very important topic with pictures!

Check out the story here.

What Happens When the Cash Flow is Gone?

2009-05-09T10:29:00.006-07:00

For an industry that has trumpeted the amount of cash it throws off; what happens when that cash flow evaporates? We are witnessing what happens--it's happening in the radio business right now. Forget about debt service...forget about stockholders...forget about EBITDA...simply look at the most basic of measures--a station's/cluster's the top line revenue minus the expense line and what we are beginning to see is red ink. As I talk with people around the country and hear stories of business, in some cases, declining 30 or 40 percent over last years weak performance something has to give.

Late Friday Radio and Records published a story outlining how Clear Channel has begun using centralized music logs and talent with local PD's adding weather, traffic, news, promos and other local content. Initially this has been rolled out on 17 stations around the country. Don't be surprised when that number grows to 170 stations before too long.

When the ink turns red, all bets are off.

Reading stories like this is very painful for radio pros and fans like us. But then, at least for me, I step back and think I am not surprised at all. In our quest to improve the product and maximize this or that we sucked the fun and creativity out of our product. It's like running an amusement park without the amusement.

"Shut up and play the music" was the order of the day. Did it work? Yup and still does. But the truth is, when you make the music the only star you don't need local people to pull that off. Sorry. Is it worth the cost of an entire staff to be able to play your locally focused music library that varies from other markets by maybe 10 or 15%? No.

The fact is that when the personality factor was factored out of local radio you might as well just put it up on the bird or have a centralized programmer handle your music. The fact is when your air talent talk for six seconds 3 or 4 times per hour and say nothing you might as well put it up on the bird or have a centralized air talent read your liners.

It's the perfect storm--negative cash flow and bland & sterile local radio stations.

Are you mad yet? I hope a little bit.

If a local radio station can't or is not allowed to produce a product that is unique and compelling, then it should simply pull back and play the music with little else. Is the current revenue situation, at least in part, equalizing to the quality of the product?

The Traditional Media Mess

2009-05-07T23:14:00.002-07:00

Paul Gillin is a journalist who also has a website called Newspaper Deathwatch. A short while ago he hosted a forum in San Francisco and gave the following presentation. A very good narrative on the realities of where traditional media stands and how we got where we are.

World Without Media: What Will Fill the Void?

View more presentations from Paul Gillin.

NAB President/CEO David Rehr OUT!

2009-05-06T11:08:00.006-07:00

That is what is being reported this afternoon.

My personal experience with him is nothing more than a convention handshake and he seemed like a perfectly affable person. But, as the man responsible for leading the radio industry's most prominent trade organization he missed the mark on so many levels.

The NAB has a tough job and needs a strong leader that understands our business and what our business needs to be in the years ahead--not an easy task.

Those Fickle 18-24's

2009-05-05T08:18:00.002-07:00

Maybe not according to a new study by MTV Networks International:

18-24s are much more concerned with a brand’s history and 51% say that, “knowing a brand has been good for a long time”, makes it desirable.

The study was conducted in the US, UK, Japan, Germany and India.

Read more of the highlights here.

Giving Back

2009-05-01T16:21:00.004-07:00

Earlier this week I wrote about the latest round of personnel cuts at Clear Channel and offered to provide some free career counseling for anyone affected. As we head into the weekend I thought I would repeat the offer for anyone who has found themselves on the sidelines.

While the cuts at Clear Channel and everywhere else are very unpleasant, I am pleased to be able to give a little something back to an industry that has been good to me. If you are interested in a complementary phone session with me just shoot me an email (harvealanmedia@gmail.com) and we will set it up.

Have a great weekend!

Another 590 Gone

2009-04-28T15:55:00.011-07:00

My sympathies go out to everyone who was impacted by today's purge.

If you are in the radio business, chances are you know how it feels to get fired. It's happened to nearly all of us--sometimes it's a relief, many times you knew it was coming, and other times it's a complete and utter shock. No matter what the circumstances, getting fired stirs up a wide range of emotions. Over the days and weeks following one's dismissal emotions will shift and change. In many ways being fired mirrors how we deal with death--shock, denial, anger, depression, and eventually acceptance. It's not a fun time, no matter how hard we try to stay strong.

In the old days (not exactly sure when the old days ended) there were other stations and other markets to go to. If you had some talent, chances are you and your U-Haul would find a new radio home. Today, not so fast. Is this it? Are you done with the industry? Do you carry on and set out to find that next radio assignment? This is a tough question in an industry that has been contracting for years now and by the look of things not likely to expand anytime soon--if ever.

I've been through firings--all sides of it. As someone who has been fired, someone who's had to fire people, and someone who has helped people cope with being fired I would like to offer anyone who finds themselves on the outside an ear--mine. If you are interested in a little free career counseling send me an email to this address only: harvealanmedia@gmail.com and I would be happy to set up a call with you.

People Will Be Talking About This

2009-04-26T22:43:00.006-07:00

Already responsible for over 100 deaths in Mexico, more than 75 people sick in New York, more in San Diego and Texas--the potential for the Swine Flu to turn into something very serious, maybe even a pandemic, seems to be possible.

Don't forget to put your broadcasts where your bluster is--keep your local listeners informed. I'm not suggesting hysteria, but something more than a passing mention in a throwaway newscast. Maybe it turns out to be a false alarm--let's hope; but it could be something more. Outbreaks such as this seem so foreign to us here in the USA, thus making us slow to react. The US Government is taking no chances--they have readied 25% of the flu medicine reserves if needed.

Here are a few quick links that will get you to the latest information:

Listeners in your market can easily go to these websites and other national services to get the same information. Local radio has a long history of serving listeners well at times of emergency and I suspect will do so again and provide important information for a specific local area.

The Friday Follies

2009-04-24T09:04:00.009-07:00

Today, a few different topics.

Seems like Twitter has been a hot topic here and it has. Hey, if its good enough for Oprah... Wired has a good article on how to discover and share music on Twitter. If you play new music on your station, I see a couple good reasons to use Twitter as a new music tool. 1-Tweet your new music discoveries (new and potential future adds) to your followers. 2-Search your followers for the music they are hyping. Community baby! Check out the article here.

4G/WiMax will be a game-changer and forever change the mobile connectivity playing field. In a few places it's already here. We've written about this before, but here's a video taking you inside Intel and their WiMax work.

Even Clear Channel owned INSIDE RADIO has to admit that HD Radio is in [big, big]
trouble: HD Radio awareness stagnates.

Even though millions of dollars have been spent promoting HD Radio, less than one-third of Americans are aware of what it is. A new study concludes 29% of consumers say they’re familiar with HD Radio. The rate's grown little over the last three years

Twitter Heart Oprah

2009-04-21T14:29:00.007-07:00

Or at least they should. In an age of on-demand, you tube, and self directed content Oprah moves the needle like few others could. To follow up on my recent Oprah debuts on Twitter post--courtesy of Mediabistro-Webnewser.

Oprah Winfrey posted her first Tweet last Friday during her show. US Internet visits to twitter.com increased 24% on that day. And when compared to visits from the previous Friday, the site was up 43%. The following chart, with data from Hitwise, shows daily visits to twitter.com from January 1 - April 18.

Hitwise Clickstream data reveals that on April 17, 37% of visits to Twitter.com were new visitors (as opposed to returning). Additionally, the search term "oprah twitter" was the 35th highest search term with the word "twitter" and the 7th with "oprah" last week. Considering that Hitwise data is weekly and that the show only aired last Friday, this is pretty impressive.

Monday Morning Cool

2009-04-20T04:55:00.004-07:00

Check out this device:

From engadget:

It's been nearly three years since the Onyx tickled our imagination, but Pilotfish is looking to completely melt our brains with its latest concept. The Munich-based industrial design firm has just introduced its Ondo music editing mobile, which is half cellphone, half music mixer and thoroughly amazing. In theory, the phone would boast a small mixing panel, three removable recording sticks with internal memory and a bendable center to give music lovers the ability to insert pitch bends and relieve stress. Essentially, the trio of OLED-infused sticks serves two purposes: when installed, they're the main phone panel, and when removed, they can be clipped onto instruments for recording purposes. Afterwards, they can be swapped with other Ondo owners or edited on the fly right on the device itself. Needless to say, there's a better shot at you winning the lottery than seeing this thing hit mass production, but you can feel free to dream by checking the full release, Q&A and demonstration video just past the break.

And here's the promo video:

Hey...I'm a gadget freak...what can I say. Love this stuff.

A Cool History of Recorded Music

2009-04-17T18:26:00.005-07:00

from Gizmodo

Enjoy. Click on the picture for the full view.

Big Day For Twitter

2009-04-17T17:57:00.007-07:00

Oprah has signed on.

Just today Ms. Winfrey signed up and tweeted 6 times during here show.

Now that Oprah, Ashton, and Larry King on board....and me of course...all they need now is a revenue model.

Seriously, Webnewser had this:

Yes, it's happened. This morning Oprah Winfrey joined Twitter (@Oprah) during her show. Her first Tweet: "ASHTON IS NEXT!" was very anti-climactic. Instead of hitting Update, Nate Berkus hit Refresh. So it went to Twitter purgatory. Her first successful Tweet:

HI TWITTERS . THANK YOU FOR A WARM WELCOME. FEELING REALLY 21st CENTURY .

Oprah sent six successful updates during the show (9amCT) and none since. She'd already had about 75,000 followers at the beginning of the show. As of 4:30pmET (when Oprah airs in New York), she has 144,000 followers. Many social net-watchers think now that Oprah Winfrey is on Twitter, the platform has officially gone mainstream.

But, is that a good thing or a bad thing?

What A Week!

2009-04-17T07:14:00.005-07:00

No shortage of news...

Clear Channel managers learn about a new batch of available "programming options" from San Antonio
Ascertainment is back...hey let's find out if we are serving our communities--good idea
Less wasn't more--PSA's are back
Edison Research and Arbitron release a new study that shows young radio listeners are listening less
Portable digital media devices are STILL growing and fast
42 million Americans are listening to radio on-line--and lots more competition from non-traditional radio providers like Pandora
A heritage AM station in NE PA goes dark...maybe for good

...and on and on and on

Not a great week the for biz really--repackaged initiatives, discouraging research, and short-sighted operators doing more of what they do every week. Certainly, there are positive nuggets mixed in, but for the most part it's pretty cloudy out there. Innovation is practically a dirty word in the hallways of many companies these days.

I feel compelled to repeat myself a little today:

Non-stop music machines are not the answer to excite listeners--in the long term even with PPM (long term? yeah, I know)
Playing 30 and 40 year old classic rock on stations hoping to attract a passionate following of 25-34's is a losing strategy
Ryan Seacrest can only be on the air for some many hours in any given day
Why can Top 40 stations play mostly currents and recurrents for women, but most believe that strategy can't work for a "guy" station? (It can, and I am doing it successfully)
Talk radio is not about political parties, but entertainment...period. (and no, Limbaugh is NOT the leader of the Republican party...good rhetoric though)
Sometime soon we need to commit to attracting some young new voices to our ranks and encourage them to talk to their peers in ways that 50 year old's can't.
Commercials are a necessity, how about reinvesting in the process of writing and producing better copy and audio?

I'm sure you have a few of you own. Feel free to contribute.

It's a lot easier when we all assume the position of "get along and go along" but that is not what our industry needs right now. We need a revolution of sorts. Evolution ain't gonna cut in anymore. This type of action won't come from cashflow positive stations since no one will risk that type of upheaval--understood. So we wait. We wait for grim reaper of failure to cast its ugliness upon us, and then...

Who Does What

2009-04-15T11:01:00.007-07:00

Pew has been releasing pieces of their study, "Generations On Line 2009" for a while now, but for the first time that I know of they have released a large amount of data including this comprehensive chart of who does what on line.

Among other things, they have a comparison of broadband usage by age group comparing 2005 with 2008. As you can see the growth is huge.

Pew has also made available a number of charts including those included here in this slideshare presentation.

Generations Online in 2009 Charts

View more presentations from PewInternet.

Much of this should be no surprise to you. But it is educational to re-familiarize yourself with where things stand.

A MUST Read!

2009-04-12T18:46:00.003-07:00

Trent Reznor from the band Nine Inch Nails talks about the bands new iPhone app and their web strategy...that's working.

Here's a small portion of the story from WIRED:

"I've said it before and I'll say it again: I don't think music should be free," Reznor says. "But the climate is such that it's impossible for me to change that, because the record labels have established a sense of mistrust. So everything we've tried to do has been from the point of view of, 'What would I want if I were a fan? How would I want to be treated?' Now let's work back from that. Let's find a way for that to make sense and monetize it."

Over the past year, NIN.com has quietly evolved into a series of interlocking services designed to deliver maximum benefit to the fans at minimal expense to the artist. To build it out, Reznor decided to use off-the-shelf resources — Blogger, Twitter, FeedBurner, Flickr, YouTube — rather than trying to duplicate what other people had already created. "They're going to do a better job than we are," he explains, "and they're going to have a lot more resources to put into it."

I couldn't have said it better myself...and I have.

Read the entire story, watch the video, and see the screen shot here.

By Silla Brush
Posted: 05/19/09 06:13 PM [ET]
High-ranking House Democrats are urging the Treasury Department to prop up minority-owned broadcasters suffering from a lack of capital and lost advertising revenue amid the economic slump. House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) is leading an effort to convince Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to take “decisive action” by extending credit to this sector of the broadcasting industry. Clyburn and other senior members, including House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), argue that minority-owned broadcasters are sound businesses, but that the recession could undermine the government’s efforts to diversify the airwaves. A number of members from the Congressional Black Caucus signed the letter, too. “While many jobs are at stake, a more important principle — the government’s fundamental interest in promoting a diversity of voices, including service to underserved communities — is severely threatened,” the members write in a draft of a letter that was scheduled to be sent Tuesday. The letter comes as some of the biggest recipients of government bailout money, including JPMorgan Chase & Co., Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, jockey to repay government bailout money. As banks seek a way out from the government’s restrictions, other industries struggle and seek government support. Some firms seeking to repay the government argue that the government’s restrictions have burdened their businesses. The congressmen suggest the Treasury Department could provide access to capital to minority-owned broadcasters, which they say represent less than 7 percent of full-power radio stations and a “negligible” ownership of television stations. “They are looking for continued access to capital to continue their otherwise fundamentally sound operations,” the members write. The letter suggests Treasury could set up a credit facility specific to the industry, similar to the government’s efforts to support auto suppliers, or possibly set up a program for bridge financing and government-backed loans until the economy improves. “In addition to the credit crisis, also weighing heavily on minority broadcasters is a significant decline in advertising revenues, particularly the loss of automobile advertising,” the congressmen write. The members are asking for a meeting with the Treasury Department and minority-owned broadcast entities and representatives from the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters. Other members signing the letter are Democratic Reps. Bobby Rush (Ill.), Edolphus Towns (N.Y.), Maurice Hinchey (N.Y.), Carolyn Maloney (N.Y.), Maxine Waters (Calif.), Gregory Meeks (N.Y.), G.K. Butterfield (N.C.), Barbara Lee (Calif.), Lynn Woolsey (Calif.) and Bennie Thompson (Miss.)