The 101 Dumbest Moments in Business

The 101 Dumbest Moments in Business

In its fifth annual review, Business 2.0 recaps the most shameful, dishonest and just plain stupid moments of the past year.The No. 1 dumbest? That award goes to Ingersoll-Rand subsidiary Kryptonite who discovered that the u-shaped bike locks they've made for 30 years can be easily picked with a Bic pen!

X-Rated Watch
"It's a playful and fun launch. There is no sexual connotation to it, in my opinion." -- Swatch Group president, reacting to protests over a billboard depicting cartoon rabbits in what appear to be various sexual positions.

Low-Carb Soda
Coca-Cola and PepsiCo spend a total of $75 million to launch "midcalorie" sodas C2 and Pepsi Edge, banking on the low-carb trend. The drinks, containing refined sugar, are rejected.

Spankings at Work
The owner of a shaved ice operation is charged with two counts of sexual battery after it dawns on a pair of 19-year-old ex-employees that spankings are not a professionally sanctioned management tool.

See Dumb Moments 11 - 101· The Grand Prize Winners

Michael Graham decides to sell himself (out) on eBay

Inside Radio's Tom Taylor passes along this one, inspired by Armstrong Williams. WMAL talker Michael Graham decides to sell himself (out) on eBay.Great publicity gimmick - and the bidding for a "conservative talk show host" is already over $1,100 (says DCRTV.com). Graham will donate the proceeds to a charity that helps wounded soldiers and their families. Over 30 bids so far. CLICK TO VIEW OR BID.

Tampa targets teens

..with several benchmarks:

"WQYK'S FREE ASSEMBLY PROGRAMS" 3X[Jingle] "99.5 WQYK! [Voice-over/Les McDowell/music bed] I think kids have so much creativity inside 'em that's lookin' to get out, a story to tell. [V/o] Les McDowell from the Morning Show, talkin' about WQYK's Free Assembly Programs for Bay Area elementary schools. [V/o/Les McDowell] Well, over the years, I've done the bicycle safety programs at schools, and the Be A Roper, Not A Doper programs for the Sheriff's office. Now, we're doing something a little different. It's a program I came out with with some rope tricks and poetry. You know me, I gotta do a little of that poetry. But the kids get in the act too. They get to read some stuff that they've written. I'd love to come out to your child's school. [V/o] For more information or to schedule a Free Assembly Program, just e-mail Les today at McDowell@WQYK.com. [V/o/Les McDowell] I think writing's pretty good therapy for the soul, even for kids!" (3X)

"GOOD KID OF THE WEEK" 2X[Voice-over/Skip Mahaffey/music bed] "Hi there, Skip Mahaffey here with a message for parents, grandparents, well anybody looking for a unique way to let a kid know that they're special. How about nominating them as a Mattress Firm Good Kid Of The Week? Go to WQYK.com and look for the Good Kid Of The Week icon on the Morning Show page, and tell us why you think your kid should be the WQYK Mattress Firm Good Kid Of The Week. Now, every Friday, we choose one kid as Good Kid Of The Week, that'll receive a really cool certificate, signed by all of us, and every Good Kid is in the running for a grand prize from Mattress Firm at the end of the year. So, tell us about your good kid and maybe they'll be our good kid next week on 99.5 WQYK." (2X)

Thanks to the magic of Mediabase, here's a monitor of all the other benchmarks on WQYK on this particular Tuesday (1/11/05):

PROMOTIONS

SUPER BOWL OF MOTOR SPORTS TICKETS 9XDesignated callers in the 2pm, 5pm and 8pm hours were each awarded a pair of tickets to attend the 22nd Annual Super Bowl of Motor Sports at Raymond James Stadium on January 22nd.

PUBLIC SERVICE/TSUNAMI & EARTHQUAKE RELIEF 4X"For more information on how you can donate to the American Red Cross, Unicef and other organizations for the tsunami and earthquake relief efforts in South Asia, go to our web site, WQYK.com!" (or variation/jock ad-libs vary) (4X)

RANDY PRICE PERSONAL APPEARANCE/BILL HERD CHEVROLET 3X"Saturday, 10 to noon, Randy Price will be at Bill Herd Chevrolet, [location] in Plant City, WQYK!" (or variation/jock ad-libs vary) (3X)

TRAVIS TRITT CONCERT TICKETS 3XDesignated callers in the 11am, 5pm and 10pm hours were each awarded a pair of concert tickets to see Travis Tritt at Ford Amphitheater on February 10th and full access to the Florida State Fair.

HANK DALE PERSONAL APPEARANCE/BRANDON FORD 2X"Join me, 7 to 9, this Friday at Brandon Ford, [location] ...We'll have WQYK goodies for ya! Kick some tire with Wayne Hammond and the boys! Brandon Ford, Friday night!" (or variation/jock ad-libs vary) (2X)

TAMPA POLICE DEPARTMENT INTERVIEW 2XDuring the 12 noon hour, Tampa Police Department recruitment officers Laura McElroy and Judy Diaz were in-studio guests. They spoke with midday host Hank Dale about the need to build up the Tampa PD Reserve Force, and the opportunities currently available for men and women who are willing to volunteer to be trained.

RANDY & DAVE MCKAY PERSONAL APPEARANCE/DALLAS BULL 2X"Randy and Dave on the radio...Dallas Bull, Thursday night, we're gonna be out there this Thursday!...WQYK in the house, where it's Ladies Night! Ladies drink free 'til 1am!" (or variation/jock ad-libs vary) (2X)

FREE DINNER FOR TWO 1XA designated caller in the 12 noon hour was awarded a gift certificate for all-you-can-eat chicken and ribs at Sunny's restaurant.

GENERIC CONTEST DISCLAIMER 1X[Voice-over/music bed] "Attention contest players on WQYK! We encourage you to call and enter as often as you wish but you're eligible to win a contest just once every 30 days... [disclaimer continues] ...Complete rules available during business hours at 5510 Gray Street, Tampa. Thank you and happy dialing." (1X)

HEATHER VAN NEST INTERVIEW 1XChannel 10 News Anchor Heather Van Nest was interviewed during the 5pm hour. She discussed several of the top stories scheduled to be covered during the 6pm and 11pm News on monitor night.

FEATURES

CNN Radio News updates aired at 12 noon and 5pm. [Voice-over/sfx] "Now, another News Update from CNN on 99.5 WQYK... [CNN Radio News Update follows]." (2X)

NATIONAL ANTHEMImmediately following the 12 noon News, the station aired "The Star Spangled Banner," by Ricochet.

IMPOSSIBLE QUESTION OF THE DAYWeekdays in the 1pm hour, midday host Hank Dale presents a sponsored trivia contest. The first correct caller on monitor day was awarded a pair of concert tickets to see Trace Adkins at Cypress Gardens in Winterhaven on January 15th [e.g. "Q: Eat four servings of this per week and you'll cut your risk of two different cancers by 50% What is it? A: Cabbage"].

"WQYK.com is where you'll find the answers to the Impossible Question of the Day, which we will have at around 1:10 this afternoon, give you a chance to win those tickets to Cypress Gardens to see Trace Adkins. That's this Saturday the 15th, at Winterhaven...It is a 2pm show. We will do that with the WQYK Impossible Question of the Day!" (1X)

TOP EIGHT AT 8 COUNTDOWNWeeknights at 8pm, evening hostess Veronica counts down the top eight most requested songs of the day. JR Evans filled in on monitor night. Caller comments were used to frontsell several of the songs.

ALL REQUEST SOLID GOLD SUNDAY PROMO[Voice-over/JR Evans & Shannon Ryan/music bed] "Hello once again, it is JR and Shannon. Up next on All Request Solid Gold Sunday...It's a renunion with the legendary Judds, along with live, in concert versions of some of their most popular songs...Tell your friends. Of course, we'll be playing your requests and dedications...All Request Solid Gold Sunday...Starts at 7... [In unison] On 99.5 WQYK!" (1X)

RISE UP PROMO[Voice-over/artist/music bed] "Hey everybody, this is Buddy Jewell. [Sung] Have a little fun Sunday morning. Rise Up with your radio. [Spoken] And my buddy, John Ritter! [V/o] Don't give up. Just Rise Up, every Sunday, 6 to 10am ...[Jingle] Rise Up with the love God gave you. [V/o] ...99.5 WQYK! [Jingle] Rise Up with His amazing grace. Rise Up!" (1X)

MORNING SHOW

Skip Mahaffey and the Morning Show; Host: Skip Mahaffey; Traffic: Les McDowell; News: Rita Ciccarello; Sports: Braden Gunn; Weather: Tampa Bay's 10 News Chief Meteorologist Dick Fletcher. On day of monitor, Traffic was delivered four times per hour from 6am to 9am. News and Weather were updated on the half hour from 6:30 through 9am. Sports Headlines were updated once per hour from 6am through 9am.

"SKIP MAHAFFEY APPEARANCE/GASPARILLA DISTANCE CLASSIC RACE" 4X[Voice-over/Skip Mahaffey/music bed] "Hi there, Skip Mahaffey here for the 2005 Bank of America Gasparilla Distance Classic Race weekend, brought to you by [sponsor], February 5th and 6th. Entry forms are available at Bay Area [sponsor] locations and [list of sponsors]. Also sponsored by [list of sponsors] and us, WQYK! I'll be hosting the 'Too Good For Drugs Race.' For complete information and to sign up, just go to WQYK.com." (4X)

"'LES MCDOWELL, LIVE AT THE BLUEBIRD CAFE' CD" 3X[Voice-over/music bed] "WQYK's resident cowboy poet, Traffic reporter and all- around good guy Les McDowell is pretty proud of his newest CD of poetry. [V/o/ Les McDowell] Well, we flew John McEuen in from the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, into Nashville, and we recorded it up there at the famous Bluebird Cafe. John played music on all the recordings and this time, we let him actually sing some of his songs too, since it was in front of a real live audience. I think John actually likes my poems. He calls 'em 'Poetry Americana,' since they don't always rhyme and they aren't just about cowboys. [V/o] 'Les McDowell, Live At The Bluebird Cafe With John McEuen'! [V/o/Les McDowell] And they're only 10 bucks for about an hour's entertainment! And all the money goes to The Angelus. [V/o] For complete information, just go to our web site, WQYK.com." (2X)

[Voice-over/music bed] "WQYK's Harley ridin' cowboy poet and stagecoach driver Les McDowell, talkin' about his 'Live At The Bluebird Cafe' CD. [V/o/Les McDowell] Well, as much as I do my poetry in front of live audiences, we never actually recorded anything live before, and we thought it'd be kinda neat to record up in Nashville, maybe at the legendary Bluebird. And they let us! They probably let me do it 'cause, well I had John McEuen with me. [V/o] 'Les McDowell, Live At The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville'! [V/o/Les McDowell] John actually gets to sing some of his songs on the CD. He sings and well, I do some of my poetry. By the way, listen for where we'll have them available. They're only 10 bucks and all the money goes to The Angelus. [V/o] For complete information, just go to our web site, WQYK.com." (1X)

"DARRYL WORLEY INTERVIEW" 1XDuring the 7am hour, Skip spoke via telephone with Darryl Worley. He discussed his performance at the Freedom Festival, his recent tour playing for U.S. military personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan, and how he's gearing up to start his first 2005 tour next week, promoting his new album and his new hit Awful, Beautiful Life." Darryl and Skip agreed to get together and golf sometime.

"TAMPA BAY TERMINATORS INTERVIEW" 1XSeveral Tampa Bay Terminators team members were in-studio guests during the 8am hour. They announced this year's women's tackle football tryouts and discussed competing in last year's championship series.

"WHO'S ON FIRST"The first caller of each weekday is asked to provide the name and a brief description the previous day's first caller, then give their own name and a brief description of themselves for the next day's first caller. Successful first callers are awarded a prize; on monitor day, the prize was a four pack of tickets the Brooks Field Race.

"PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE"Weekdays about 6am, a group of local elementary school children recite the Pledge Of Allegience to the Flag.

"PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE POSITIONING"[Tympani drum roll sfx/Voice-over/children] "Hi, my name's [name] ...Hi, my name's [name] ...From Miss [name]'s first grade class and Miss [name]'s Kindergarten class, and our school is named [name] Elementary... [Classes recite Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag over patriotic music bed]." (1X)

"BASIC MANNERS WITH KIM GODDARD"This brief segment aired in the 6am hour, wherein Kim Goddard explained the proper ways of serving wine.

"BASIC MANNERS WITH KIM GODDARD POSITIONING"[Voice-over/music bed/sfx] "And now, Basic Manners with Kim Goddard on 99.5 WQYK, brought to you by [sponsor]. [V/o/Kim Goddard] The ettiquette of wine serving. So many people love the stuff... [feature continues] ...That's it for today. I'm properly yours, Kim Goddard. [V/o] Basic Manners on WQYK is also brought to you by [sponsor]." (1X)

"COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS"Weekday mornings in the 6am hour, Al Wyntor calls in from Nashville, Tennessee to discuss several of the latest stories currently making headlines in the world of Country music.

"WEATHER KID"Each weekday morning, a student from a local school is chosen to read the Weather forecast. The segment was broadcast once per hour from 6am to 8am. Each Weather Kid during the week of monitor day was awarded a four pack of tickets to the space exhibit at MOSI, the Museum Of Science and Industry.

"WEATHER KID POSITIONING"[Voice-over/teenager] "Good morning, Tampa. My name is [name]. I'm in the third grade at [name] Elementary and I'm today's WQYK Weather Kid... [forecast follows] ...Now, here's Rita!" (3X)

"BATTLE OF THE SEXES"Weekdays during the 7am hour, a male and a female listener are pitted against each other in this multiple question trivia contest. The contestant with the most correct answers is awarded a prize and invited to compete against another member of the opposite sex the following day.

"KRISTEN LEVINE'S PET PATROL"Kristen Levine was in-studio during the 7am hour, discussing dog ownership and the need for canine education in obedience. She recommended Bark Busters or other services available where trainers come to your home and teach your dog in it's own environment. Her local column "Petcetera" was written on this topic and was due out on Saturday. She also had Caesar with her, an 80 pound Labrador Retriever currently up for adoption. Listeners were advised to visit the station's web site for pictures and adoption information.

Radio hoax creates minor scramble for toilet paper

The Arizona Republic reports:

Radio hoax creates minor scramble for toilet paper

104.7 KISS FM, told their listeners that a paper production plant in California had to cease operations because bacteria had contaminated the site.

A very cool way to memorialize Johnny Carson: http://home.nycap.rr.com/useless/toilet_paper/index.html

Help solve local crimes

640 Toronto Posts Bounty For Arrest Of Mystery ShooterToronto ON from Darren Wasylyk

http://www.milkmanunlimited.com/tunedin.htm reports that 640 TORONTO morning host, John Oakley announced Friday morning that 640 TORONTO has posted a two thousand dollar reward for information that leads to the arrest of the person(s) responsible for shooting two innocent women in the King and Jarvis area this past Wednesday night.

The announcement was made during a radio interview with Detective Jeff Zammit from Crimestoppers on the Oakley show early this morning. Zammit was in studio to discuss the story and advised that although there were people near the area at the time of the shooting, there still had not been any solid leads in the case what-so-ever.

“A couple of small tips have come in so far”, said Zammit. “But, the bottom line is that the investigators really don’t have anything to go on so far”.

The bizarre case, in which a volley of gunshots were fired around 8:10pm on Wednesday night, claimed two female victims who were shot while walking in the area of George Street between Front and King . The two women, both in their twenties, were shot in separate incidents, one block apart. Both received treatment at St. Michael’s Hospital and are recovering from bullet wounds.

“These were innocent victims”, said Oakley. “Something like this could happen to any one of us. We have to catch these guys and put them behind bars and I’ll put up two grand as a reward for the person who comes forward with the tip that leads Crimestoppers to the arrest of those responsible”.

Zammit accepted the offer and clarified that any information given to Crimestoppers is strictly confidential and done anonymously.

“We just want your tip, we don’t want your name”, Zammit explained.“We’ll take the information, give you a tip number and ask you to call back in 4 to 6 weeks. If your information leads to the apprehension of the criminals, we’ll make arrangements to get you your reward”.
Any Citizen with information about the shootings can call Crimestoppers in confidence at (416) 222-TIPS.

To date, Police investigators have found virtually no clues as to who fired the gun, how many shots were fired, or where the criminals were located during the shootings.

YOUR place in history (age gauge)

This will really make you feel old...or young....

Put your birth date in the pop up window after you click on the link.

What happens is pretty interesting. It's also amazing how quickly it computes!!

Click here: http://www.frontiernet.net/~cdm/age1.html

MORE AGE GAUGES: TOP 40 - TV - THE MOVIES

Jock Shouts - what's the POINT?

Every air personality knows the thrill of the first radio station you worked at where they bought you a jingle with seven Dallas singers shouting your name over the intro of a station shotgun.

I certainly don't want to deny any jock that personal step upward in their self-esteem, but if you happen to have your own jock shout, please stop for a moment before you play it on the air again and think about it from a listener perspective.

You're listening to one of your favorite songs. Then, the station segues into another of your favorites by one of the superstar artists of the format. Between the two songs, out of nowhere, comes a group of singers shouting a name that you're unfamiliar with and which means nothing to you. It might have made more sense if they had shouted the name of the star singing that second song.

Please: if you have a jock shout or a jingle with your name in it, do something memorable and compelling before you play it so that the jingle links your great content with your brand, your name.

A great way to use a jingle with a shout of your name is as a punctuator of a tightly-edited listener interaction phone call that showcases your values and character.

Dittos with a 'show intro.' After a newscast, and before the first song of the next segment if you want to play something that sets up up your show - please at the very least say something before the intro or after it up the intro of the song that pays off immediately for who you are. No one is so intrigued by the mere mention of a name they don't know to wait patiently through one or two songs to find out who that person is..

People don't listen to the radio for contests, teasers and benchmarks. They want music and information, or at the very least fun and companionship. Link your name with something SALIENT to the target listener, please.

Immediately, not three to five minutes later.

Christmas = AC radio shines

If you're looking at December ratings through the roof for a local AC station and wondering "what did they do?" .. here's where to learn all about it: Mike Kinosian's AC INSIDER always has powerful insights and ideas to share: http://www.acradio.com/mk011705.html.

News writing tips and tricks

Ken Blake, Ph.D. Middle Tennessee State University has some very helpful outlines that will take you back to school at http://mtsu32.mtsu.edu:11178/171/leads.htm..

Rule #1: A straight news lead should be a single paragraph consisting of a single sentence, should contain no more than 30 words, and should summarize, at minimum, the most newsworthy "what," "where" and "when" of the story.

Rule #2: The lead's first verb should express the main "what" of the story and should be placed among the lead's first seven words. (personally, I love it when the word YOU is in there early too, so that I know the story affects ME immediately)

Rule #3: The lead's first verb -- the same one that expresses the main "what" of the story -- should be active voice, not passive voice.

Active vs passive? If you need a little refresher on THAT, click on: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_actpass.html

Factoids about your city and suburbs

Check out: http://www.city-data.com/ for all the towns in your coverage area and talk/think about average ages, familities, rents, mortgages, commute times, etc in the many different places where your listeners live and work. i.e., after clicking on several of your local communities be sure to compare how many are driving to work by half hour throughout your morning show.

Groundhog-ed

The week leading up to Groundhog Day (or day of), a morning personality is placed in a manhole/sewer broadcasting live. At your designated time, have the personality literally pop up out of the manhole to see if they see their shadow or not. Have listeners place wagers to win "Ground Hog" (sausage) and one lucky person who guesses correctly wins a trip to a warm or cold location (depending on the shadow outcome).

Then, throughout "Groundhog Day", give listeners a chance to call-in and win video copies of, "Groundhog Day" starring Bill Murray and/or, "Caddyshack" also starring Bill Murray along with Chevy Chase. Use clips/snippets from the movie(s) to cue listeners to call-in and win!

Valentine's Ideas

Cheap Date
Have listeners give you stories of their mates typical Valentine's Day plans. Find the person who normally spends the most money and award them a "Cheap Date" package that includes: A box dinner or gift certificates to a fast-food restaurant, a rent-a-wreck for the night or bus fare, and obstructed-view seats at a concert or sporting event. Have the person who is the real "Cheap Date" win a deluxe dinner, limo, tickets to big city event, etc. OR...you can just award your listeners "Cheap Dates" with the above prize package.

D-I-V-O-R-C-E
Give away a divorce for Valentine's Day. Listeners call-in or register on-line to tell their stories and the couple judged as "Most Unlikely Couple" wins. Have the audience vote on-line. Make sure you talk to your attroney before jumping into this one.

Day Of Love
Play love songs all day on-air and/or on-line for Valentine's Day. Announce at least a week prior that you will be celebrating a day of love on Valentine's with "all love songs, all day long". Have listeners/consumers call-in special "I Love You's" to air between the songs.

Our Song
Couples call, fax or register on-line with their name, phone number and favorite love song. Play the requested songs on-air the week prior to Valentine's Day. When a couple hears their song, they have to call the station on two seperate phone lines to win a free Valentine's Day dinner.

Singles Night
Hold a "singles' night" event at one or several locations to help single listeners find a mate. Have one event at a popular club for the party crowd, one at a popular grocery store, one at a popular book store or library, etc. Have "team" games for attendees to play at each event to encourage mingling and meeting.

Heart Run/Walk
Set-up a local fun run/walk prior to or on Valnetine's Day. Charge a small registration fee for participants to enter with all proceeds benefiting the charity. Produce a Valentine Heart t-shirt for all who participate. You can also tie-in additional partners/clients to help provide food, beverages and additional prizes.

Nutty
Have a personality covered in chocolate standing inside a staging area. Invite attendees to buy a bag of "nuts" to benefit the charity and use those to toss at the chocolate covered personality. Award the "nut tosser" $10 in play money for every nut that sticks so they may use it to buy donated items from local merchants.

Balloon of Love
ITEMS NEEDED: Blown-up balloons, a stop watch (optional) and several couple's to participate. The object is for the couple to stand face-to-face and when you say "go" move a blown-up balloon from their knees to their waist with out using their hands and pop it. The stopwatch is only necessary if you decide to bring the couple's out one at a time otherwise the first pop wins. Tips: With the couple standing face-to-face, place the blown-up balloon at their knees and have them press against it lightly so it stays in place. Hands behind their back. Once the balloon is at their waist area they can hug tightly and to the balloon.

Desperate and Dateless
The week or day before Valentine's Day hold an on-air "Desperate and Dateless" game where you hook up two (2) dateless listeners. The winner's receive a night on the town including: limo, dinner and a show. Make sure you have them report back to you after the date to see if you made a connection.

Thanks to www.lured.com's Sammy Simpson for the ideas.

Seth Godin has a blog

First, if you don't know WHO Seth Godin is, you need to Google or Amazon.com his name and read "One to One Future."

If you DO KNOW.. bookmark this: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/. A very smart guy, always an idea-filled read.

See the elephant who uses the toilet

If you ever are stuck for something to talk about, click on http://kmps.com/ and then on "Ichabod Caine and the Waking Crew" for a veritable plethora of fun stuff. Like, for example: Click here to see the Elephant who uses the toilet (Featured in "Stephanie's Strange Story") You must see it to believe it!

Houston Donates to Armor for the Troops

A small business in Houston has answered a call for help for troops in Iraq. It's all because KSEV radio talk show host, Edd Hendee, spending the week in Iraq discovered Marines there needed some special supplies. The packages shipped by Forges, Flanges and Fittings are expected to arrive in Iraq on Friday. They ship stuff from the small business on Fulton Drive all the time, but this time the shipment is different (read more - KHOU)

If you would like to make a donation to Armor for the Troops: Make checks payable to: Armor for the TroopsMail to: 10333 Richmond Ave, Ste 100Houston, TX 77042 (This is a Frost Bank location) MORE: http://www.ksevradio.com/default.asp

Teen talk-abouts

john_ford@parade.com at www.Paraderadio.com pulls some good ideas out of this Sunday's edition:

IS IT A GOOD IDEA FOR A PARENT TO HAVE A KID "TRY A CIGARETTE" TO SHOWTHEM HOW AWFUL SMOKING IS?

According to PARADE magazines Marilyn vosSavant, who has the highest I.Q. ever recorded, it can sometimes work,but she doesn't endorse it. It possible that even a small child mightenjoy the grown-up pretense of smoking. A better idea is to get youryoungster to be repelled by the main reasons to stay away from smoking:It often causes misery and death.

Topic Ideas: In your opinion, what's the best way to quit smoking? Doyou have any helpful suggestions for quitting smoking? How old were youwhen you had your first cigarette, and who gave it to you?

TEENS TALK DATING IN THIS SUNDAY'S ISSUE OF PARADE MAGAZINE. What isdating like for teens across America? That's the question posed toteenagers in this Sunday's issue of PARADE magazine. Here's what a fewof them had to say:

- Kayla York, 15-years-old, from West Linn, Oregon: "In my school,there's always an obnoxious couple, where the guy will maul the girl infront of everyone. (Gross!) There's also the power couple, they're fromopposite crowds (like prep and punk), and they influence everyone."

- Melody Liao, 16, from Albany, California: "News spreads like wildfirehere. It takes less than a day for most of the school to find out thatso-and-so and what's-her-face are an item."

- Lisa Hutchison, 16, from Charlotte, North Carolina: "My boyfriend andI are at that awkward age where we don't have a license and don't wantto be seen being driven by our parents. Dates are almost always dinnerand a movie. This is mainly an 18-and-over city."

Topic Ideas: Tell us about what dating is like at your school? What wasthe absolute worst date of your entire life? Tell us about it. How doyou let someone down gently when you don't want to hurt their feelingsbut there is now way you would ever date them?

Are you wasting your loyalty emails?

Unless they come from a real person and are addressed to a real person, you are. Unless they start with a listener benefit that passes the who cares test and the primary goal of the message is to improve your service to your listener (one person), you are. Unless they are written in compelling, one to one style, you are.

Want proof? Click on: ExactTarget (http://www.ExactTarget.com). Read it and weep, if your emails to listeners are merely hype and sales pitches:

"Email marketing will continue as a viable business practice only if email messages are relevant and customized to individual user preferences, predicts ExactTarget. Relevance will be the number one issue, as marketers build more one-to-one relationships. Behind the scenes, this requires improved customer data integration and tools to ensure reliable deliverability. Marketing and IT will work together more than ever before to drive these initiatives forward. "

It's not enough to send emails to your listeners. Do they contain any content? Listeners don't listen for promotions, contests and benchmarks. They listen to become informed, to hear stories, to be moved emotionally, to be entertained, to hear their favorite songs. Do your emails remind your listener (one to one) that you understand this?

Prep links

Texas-based Joel Folger has his fingers in a few things that have me scratching my head (a syndicated country format he calls "The Bar," which seems a bit narrow for these red state values-based times as well as a format he calls "Bob" which sounds a lot like Rogers' and Gary Wall's copyrighted "Jack" to me).

But, he is also author of "Bitman" morning prep (only available for barter in the USA but for cash in Canada).

And, in that role, he has created a prep links website which is a great portal of many sites you will want to bookmark: http://www.preplinks.com/

The Ugliest Office in Memphis

Country radio shares a lot of at work listening with AC, and great office-oriented website promotions may be flying under your radar that drive your P-1's to listen to the other guys. Get in the game, like WRVR 104.5 does: PD Mark Edwards adds at work pizzazz without any clutter on the air by driving at work listeners to http://www.wrvr.com/ and getting them hooked their simultaneous weekly 'events' 365 days a year like giving away a complete office make-over based on photos of 'The Ugliest Office in Memphis" with entrant photos posted on the station website for listeners to vote on.

Other 365 day a year at work web promotions WRVR does: the weekly "Breakfast Brigade" where the Mike and Mandy morning show deliver donuts, bagels and station items to a different workplace each week and also "the WRVR Office Lunch Bunch," where a lucky listener (they win by singing up on the website and then simply listening for their name at 104.5) gets to take nine co-workers to lunch at a nice restaurant with staffers from WRVR once each week, midday guy Bill Bannister plays "TV Tunes Trivia" on the air but the contest portion of the contest happens at http://www.wrvr.com/station/contests.html.

The key is involving everyone at work in the (multiple dayparts and days per week) fun and driving them, building relationships with them through http://www.wrvr.com/ and back to 104.5 FM. Reach Edwards at Entercom/Memphis: 901-767-0104.

Second Term - another JibJab classic

The Bushies have barely been sworn in and already http://jibjab.com's creative team is in action with another animated hoot titled SECOND TERM! (To the tune of “She’ll Be Coming Around the Mountain When She Comes”)

Yes, I’m comin’ back to serve a second term.This time I won the national elec-she-un!Oh, thanks to you O-hi-a,And dear brother Jebedia,We get four more years to rule in Washington!

Good God he’s comin’ back to serve a second term.We were hoping in ’04 we’d get a turn.But we lost the vicious battle,Now they’re stuck without a paddle!Who will save us from con-ser-va-tiz-eum?

I will stabalize Iraq in my second term.And I will amend the con-sti-tu-sheun.Then I’ll eliminate all the taxes,That are breakin; all our back-siz.And push for more pri-vat-i-za-she-un!

We cannot believe he won a second term.He destroyed the trans-atlantic alli-unce!Heck, I’ll extend a friendly offer,Barbeque and beers in Crawford!Mending fences broken by pre-emp-she-un!

We want peace on earth throughout his second term.We want Iraqis to have free elec-she-uns.There’s a beef here, let’s dispatch it,And bury that ol’ hatchet.

Yes, we’ve been through stormy weather,Now it’s time to work together!Gather round the ol’ chuck wagon,It’s a grand time we’ll be havin’,In the four years he has left in Wash-ing-ton!

© Copyright 2005, JibJab Media Inc., All Rights Reserved.

Chillin' for the Super Bowl

TC Cheever tc@chaostheory.com on a message board I frequent says that WBCN, Boston is having contestants paint the station's name and 'Patriots' on their body, then whoever can stand in the parking lot of the Big Dog Sports Bar the longest wearing only a bathing suit (trunks for the guys, bikinis for the ladies-- they're specifying that) wins tickets to the Super Bowl. He adds: "I think they're allowed to wear socks, too."

http://www.wbcn.com/ has lots of good info on Boston's Bowl hopes and events. For example, click HERE to listen to 'Here We Go Patriots' by local group Meat Depressed.

Battle of the Pizza's

Peter Tensen on www.lured.com suggests: "Have your morning show design a pizza with there choice of topping and do the same for your afternoon drive and have the pizza place sell them for what ever you calls are for example when we did it you got a medium pizza for $10.20 because are calls were 102Fm.

"Have the client keep track of the number of pizzas sold for each day part and the winner at the end of the 2-3 week period gets 25 qualifiers on are to joing that day part host at the clients location for a free pizza party."

Chio In the Morning Show to Replace American Idol Contestant's Wedding Rings

FMQB reports Q102 Philadelphia (WIOQ-FM) Q's "Chio in the Morning Show" were among the many viewers moved by the story of contestant Regina Brookes a Virgina Beach VA native who sold her wedding and engagement rings to pay for her trip to the television show phenomon auditions. After making it through to the first round on the premier episode of this season's American Idol on Fox, Q102's Chio called her on Wednesday to congratulate her only to discover that she was unable to buy back her rings, because they had already been sold.

They wanted to help this young talented woman who had so much passion for her music, so they reached out to Stephen Singer Jewelers who agreed to replace the rings. Diego and the Q Crew will travel to Regina's hometown of Virgina Beach and deliver the rings personally to her during the January 25th edition of the Chio in the Morning Show. For more information contact Executive Producer Joey B at 610-784-3261 or go to their Web site at www.q102Philly.com.

Reality Shows

Many TV critics say that reality shows have peaked, while scripted drama like "Sopranos" and "Desparate Housewives" is the new trend.

But, here's a site where they still track http://www.realityshows.com/ for you if you're bored with watching them like I am, but your audience is still into 'em.

Superbowl stunts

Kevin Carter's R&R Street Talk Daily fax is normally a bit too "CHR" in attitude for much use on a country station, but I read it every day for Kev's writing style, which is a great lesson in how to pump up the verbiage in effective (fun) promo style. And, it's also worth a read for a reminder of how far our pop and rock competition go to create buzz and grab listeners' memories. That is a game that we need to be in too, of course..

The NFL playoffs have come down to the final four: In the NFC, the Philadelphia Eagles will fight like hell to not lose their fourth consecutive NFC Championship game as they take on the Atlanta Falcons, while in the far-superior AFC, the Pittsburgh Steelers will attempt to go head-to-head against your World Champion New England Patriots!

“This city is really starved for a championship,” says WBMX (Mix 98.5)/Boston APD/MD Mike Mullaney. “It’s been 11 months since the Pats’ last Super Bowl win and 2 1/2 months since we took our latest World Series title — we’re already going through withdrawal!” he tells ST Daily. “The Patriots vs. the Squealers should be a good game, but let’s be honest: Bill ‘The Genius’ Belichick vs. Bill ‘I Need The Heimlich Maneuver’ Cowher isn’t really much of a fight. The wheels have come off ‘the Bus,’ and the rookie QB has been playing like, well, a rookie, so look for Brady, Dillon, Vinatieri, Bruschi and company to take these frauds apart in their house. The Pittsburgh fans will need their ‘Terrible Towels’ to wipe the tears out of their eyes after the

Steelers see what the greatest team in football history is about — winning!” shrieks Mullaney.
• Football fever also has Philadelphia in its grip, as WIOQ (Q102)’s Chio in the Morning is giving away Eagles/Falcons tickets — but it’s going to cost you ... and we’re not talking cash. Exec. Producer Joey B. has a question: “What personal item of yours would you destroy to win tickets?” he wonders.

And therein lies the conundrum. This morning, crazed Q102 listeners will line up to test their level of commitment to their beloved Eagles by publicly destroying one of their most prized possessions for a chance at tickets. Joey now shares just a sample of some of the scheduled stunts:

* A woman who will smash her totally restored 1972 Chevelle show car....

* A man who will smash his and his wife’s wedding rings, burn their wedding pictures and her wedding dress. They just got married last month....

* A man who will destroy all of his baseball memorabilia — including 150,000 baseball cards and a ball signed by Joe DiMaggio!

* And our favorite: A guy who will feed his prosthetic leg into a wood chipper.

Remember when we said that all participants have a “chance” at tickets? “All contestants will do their stunt,” says Joey. “But only one will win the tickets!”

• On the Falcons’ side of the street, Atlanta is ready to rock:

WWWQ (All The Hits Q100)’s Bert Show had Falcons defensive lineman Patrick Kerney on the air to talk game strategy. That’s when things got interesting. “Right afterwards, one of our board ops, Michael Checkoway, called in to rip on the Falcons and accused us of cheering for the home team even though theyhave no real chance of winning,” Bert Show ringmaster Bert Weiss tells ST Daily. “He was so confident the Falcons would lose, he offered to walk from Atlanta to Jacksonville if they win!”

Weiss upped the ante, saying that if the Falcons won and Checkoway backed out, he’d give out Checkoway’s home address and phone number on the air. “I’ve also requested that a few of our morning show billboards be converted to a picture of his face with his phone number printed on his forehead!” Weiss says.

Don’t Just Sit There, Contribute Something Big & Dumb To ST Daily: kcarter@radioandrecords.com

This Day In Music

Billboard provides a daily-updated link that's worth book-marking for those dry content days...
http://www.billboard.com/bb/thisday/thisday.jsp

K92FM Celebrity Golf Tournament and All-Star Acoustic Jam

K92FM and it’s listeners help raise over $100,000 for Ronald McDonald Houses of Central Florida through the 10th Annual K92FM Celebrity Golf Tournament and All-Star Acoustic Jam plus the addition of an on-air radio-a-thon (visit K92 FM)

A friend subs for Bob Kingsley

Karen Dalessandro, morning co-host at WMIL-FM (106.1), goes national this week, filling in on the syndicated "American Country Countdown," which airs at 8 p.m. Saturdays on WMIL. She taped her gig this week in Dallas, while regular host Bob Kingsley took some time off (read more - Tim Cuprisin-Milwaukee JS) http://www.jsonline.com/enter/tvradio/jan05/294477.asp

Are you "churning" your audience?

Research concludes that the longer a customer stays, their likelihood to churn shrinks:

http://www.1to1.com/ct.aspx?f=20002049/80399/1313/02TTB3

What are you doing tomorrow to make listeners stay longer?

Front Row Friday

When I get stuck for ideas, I click on http://www.wklh.com/DaveCarole.ASP for the (classic hits) WKLH, Milwaukee morning show site. They are extremely active .. and having done a lot of work for WMIL and the Moo Crew over the years, I've come to respect Dave & Carole a lot. They are always doing something compelling, like giving away front row seats to see Elton John this particular Friday. You can sign up for their morning show e-letter at http://www.wklh.com/.

A benchmark NOT to do..

Suicide at six? "Midday Michelle" at KIX 96 in 29 Palms-Yucca Valley had an idea for her GM (and PD/Morning guy), Gary Demaroney that he hated so much that she passed it on to me too..

michelle96@coppermountainbroadcasting.com: I can't understand why he doesn't like my idea for the "suicide six at six on KIX" featuring our"best of" for the week like God's Will, Paper Angels, Whiskey Lullaby, How Do You Get That Lonely, MondayMorning Church, and Come Home Soon.

What do you think? HA HA. ...Michelle M.

Phone scams

.. you just CAN'T do them.

Tom Taylor at M Street Journal (www.mstreet.net) reports "You can’t prank a co-worker on the phone."

That’s the expensive lesson taught by UnivisionRadio’s “Raul Brindisi and Pepito” morning show,which is syndicated to about a half-dozen Univision stations in California, Arizona and Texas.

Back inOctober 2002 Brindisi placed a call to an account executive at what was then Hispanic Broadcasting —without telling him the call was being broadcast.

The sales rep complained — and the FCC didn’t buy Univision’s explanation that any employee of a radio station should expect to have their phone calls broadcast. Especially since the call was made to a personal cell phone, not an office number.

The price tag? A $28,000 fine for multiple Univision stations.

Natural disaster coping hints — from Arbitron

The ratings company's thom.mocarsky@arbitron.com says Arbitron is in the process of distilling the lessons from the hurricanes of 2004 into a report called “Riding Out The Storm.”

ARB wants to get out some key points because of current weather.

What’s unique is that these hints are taken directly from diarykeeper comments.

Such as —

* Keep all information as local as possible (not just the metro).
* Give detailed info about how to get resources —sandbags, food, water, etc.
* Be as descriptive as possible about what happened.

Arbitron’s Dennis Seely says “as soon as the electricity goes out, radio becomes the main information source, and listeners are counting on radio to give an accurate and thorough description of what’s goingon.”

* Remind listeners to have portable, battery-powered radios (as soon as it looks like there may be an emergency).

* Make sure the station’s own backup systems are working and that people get regular training in how to use them.

Tom Shannon = a class act

When it's time for you to retire, I hope you find a way to go with as much class and distinction:

A Message From Tom Shannon:
http://www.whtt.com/whtt/messagefromtom.html

Listen to Tommy make the announcement with Bill & Gail

Thanks to Standard Radio/London (CJBX) Market Manager Braden Doerr (bdoerr@sri.ca) for letting me know about it.

Bookmark this site for prep ideas

Yes, it's based in the UK and sure it features rugby scores in its sports section, but it also has a great sense of the kind of oddities in the news that are simply boring and the same stuff everyone else has (and you should simply avoid unless you can localize 'em!) .. and those rare gems about kids, pets, fun and family that relate to everyone.

Click on http://www.ananova.com/ and see if you don't agree that it has something fascinating every single day that you'll find worth talking about...

- NewsKeep up with developments at home and abroad - top headlines here
- QuirkiesThe latest quirkies, including strange crime, sex life, animal tales and bad taste.
- Celebrity gossipAll the latest news and gossip on your favourite celebrities

Scary Mary

If you happen to have AOL, click on http://tv.channel.aol.com/franchise/top5.adp and watch TV's hottest moments every day.

It's a great quick "double-check" to be sure you're not missing a major talk-about that sends the message that you missed something important to the target listener.

But, that's not what this post is about. If you want to learn how important dramatically-contrasting personalities/roles are, watch American Idol.

Sure, Scary Mary seems to be this year's William Hung and that betrays that there IS a formula at work here (like the age old morning show success formula of 'a dick, a dork and a dear').

One contestant is 'accident prone,' another is an emoter who 'just wants to cry' almost every week, another appears to be in a "Purple Haze," and another is all about "Sexual Healing' and trying to rebuild relationships. Who can't relate at least a little bit to one or more of them?

How clear are the individual roles on your station? Do they resonate with the core values and priorities of your target listener?

You may have a GREAT character role, but if it sends the message that "I am older than the average target listener" and "I'm not from around here and I really don't like or understand this place," you shouldn't be surprised that if in spite of great role clarity, the audience never seems to fully embrace or accept you.

It's not just about HAVING unique characteristics. It's about whether your core listener cares or relates to 'em.

A stumble no apology can make up for

A meteorologist for Las Vegas' KTNV-TV got the ax over the weekend when he used a racial slur in place of Martin Luther King Jr.'s surname in an on-air Saturday morning weather forecast.

He started a radio career at WZPL in Indianapolis . Rob Blair, who had been at the Journal Broadcast Group station for three months, apologized on the station's 6 and 11 p.m. Saturday newscasts. Rob Blair, of KTNV-TV, was delivering the extended forecast Saturday morning when he said: "Martin Luther Coon King Jr. Day, gonna see some temperatures in the mid-60s."

Jim Prather, vice president and general manager of the ABC affiliate, said Blair stumbled when he uttered the remark, but the excuse was not enough to save his job. (read more - Tim Cuprisin-Milwaukee J-S) http://www.jsonline.com/enter/tvradio/jan05/293878.asp
(read more - WRTV 6) http://www.theindychannel.com/news/4089933/detail.html

Ipods and Radio's Future - the first research data

Former LA GM Dave Van Dyke is doing very interesting research these days on many salient topics. Find out what he's up to at http://www.bridgeratings.com.

His two most recent thought-provoking articles:

* The Predictive Shakeup of Radio - CLICK to View Story
* iPod/Digital Music Player Research: First Look - CLICK to View the article "There Is No Average Listener"

Dave Van Dyke:

"With radio sitting between the late stages of stability and the early stages of the Intermediacy (see Shakeup of Radio above), our business has great opportunity. This perspective will motivate the industry to bring its most creative and hard-working people together to find answers.

"Historically, radio has found a way to reinvent itself to suit the times every decade or so. Whether it was movies in the 1930’s, television in the 1940’s or abrupt changes in music preference in the sixties, radio has always figured it out.

"Therefore, when analyzing our industry's current state, it is important to appreciate all the change that is coming fast and furiously - not just one element of that change. Radio's best people are working on our future, a future that will concentrate on both product and sales marketing in ways we've not seen heretofore."

Contact Van Dyke at 818.291.6420.

Be authentic. Be real. Drop the hype.

Surprise, surprise. It works for men AND women too..

WonderBranding: Marketing to Women: Marketing by Generation

Link: WonderBranding: Marketing to Women: Marketing by Generation.

Redneck Woman lives in Minnesota??

Gretchen Wilson says she keeps her Christmas lights up all year long. Too bad K-102 didn't think of this one first: a campaign to report people who haven't taken down their Christmas lights yet! CHR KDWB decided to play a January stunt on the Twin Cities (says the Star-Tribune).

When you go to Lightsoutminnesota.org and submit a violation - you get a message from the Dave Ryan morning show saying "Just kidding." Predictably, not everybody's happy - especially those (says one unhappy local) without Internet access.

2005 - the year when there are almost more classic hits and classic rock stations than oldies?

2005 might be the year when there are almost more classic hits and classic rock stations than oldies.

Another trend from the latest M Street Database research - 2005 will likely be the year the "all-sports" category cracks 500 stations for the first time.

More at: Format Counts

Running at Mardi Gras to help SF charities

Katie Mason9 a.m.-2 p.m. at San Francisco's K-Bear is going to run in the Mardi Gras Marathon, now that her listeners took her challenge: "I'm on track to run 26.2 miles on February 27 in New Orleans. Thanks in part to the generosity of Bear listeners like you, I'm happy to report that I've achieved my minimum fundraising goal of $3,000. But there's always room for more, especially in light of the fact that Bay Area AIDS charities are facing another round of serious funding cuts. If you'd like to support my effort to help the San Francisco AIDS Foundation's prevention and treatment programs, and would like to make a tax-deductible donation, please call me on the Bear Phone at (800) 905-9570, or e-mail me at kmason@957thebear.com for more info."

In other K-Bear news: Rick and Robin had a chat with Tim McGraw this week about his recent hit movie, "Friday Night Lights," which comes out on DVD next Tuesday, January 18.

Tim says that while he's not quitting his day job, he had a lot of fun on the project and is looking at scripts for the next one. He also answered a delicate question from a concerned Bear listener who'd seen the film and just had to know...

If you missed this, you can still hear it all here.

Rick, Katie and JD will all be giving away copies of "Friday Night Lights" starting Tuesday.

Thanks for the report to:
rcoryell@957thebear.com95.7
The Bear (KZBR Radio)
400 Second Street,
Suite 300
San Francisco, Ca 94107
415-284-4430

Payola/Plugola = your mom was right. You know the difference between right and wrong.

www.allaccess.com 's Joel Denver and also www.radioandrecords.com's Kevin Carter both have now heard from former WKSE (KISS 98.5)/BUFFALO PD DAVE UNIVERSAL, who was the subject of a NEW YORK TIMES article yesterday (NET NEWS 1/12), surrounding his exit from the station: "I wanted to respond to the NY TIMES piece printed yesterday. Concerning the MIAMI trip in the article. I hung out with a VP of promotion -- who I will not name -- for most of that weekend. Clubs, the BILLS-DOLPHINS game, etc. Was that a personal trip? Did I fly to NYC several times a year to see YANKEE games? Yes, I did! Every rep I went with I consider a friend, and were YANKEE fans too. Rather than do a dinner that might cost a thousand dollars, we'd watch a game and eat chicken fingers. Did I go to other sporting events a few times a year with other reps? Yes, I did! I had great relationships with most of my reps, but even better one's with those who liked sports like me. NEVER were these trips based on any kind of airplay.

"ENTERCOM and my GM knew that I occasionally went with record reps to various sporting events to build relationships. Never once was I told not to do this. A convention? I went. An artist showcase in a warm city? You bet I was there! At some radio chains, I realize this is not allowed, and if I was ever to work for them, I would follow all their rules and policies. But, in my position, I was told if I was with a rep, it was ok.

"Nobody questioned how my relationships were fostered when ENTERCOM was making millions of dollars because of them. How did I spend $60 grand putting together a radio show that would make $500 (grand)? Relationships. I had them, and was encouraged to keep them.

"I acted as the `Indie' for WKSE for the last 7 years. Unfortunately for me, I did my job in that area too well. With all that's going on in the STATE OF NEW YORK, it was easier for them to get rid of me, than defend how I did business for them. I believe they will come to see this was not the right thing to do."

UNIVERSAL concluded, "There are a lot worse things going on in the world right now than me being out of work, and training my 1 year old to be the next great YANKEE is really fun. But, I know I'm a very good PD, and I hope to be given a chance to prove that soon."

ENTERCOM has declined to comment on DAVE's statement.

EDITORIAL COMMENT FROM Jaye@radioconsult.com: This defense sounds about as convincing as Charles Graner's. Maybe both Graner and Universal do have grounds for a lawsuit against their superiors if what they are representing is true, but nothing 'bad' would have happened in the first place if they'd simply said NO to the temptation to do things somewhere deep inside they HAD to know was beyond the pale. Be smart. Read the payola/plugola rules. Do the right thing. Keep your job.

Mike Does The Navigauge Math

Maybe you saw (www.InsideRadio.com): "When it comes to spot sets, size matters. Navigauge distills results from a huge study 46,000 stopsets and 127,000 commercials monitored and comes up with some fascinating stuff. For starters, :30 spots in the break’s first position retain more audience than first-position :60 commercials. "

An editorial comment on all of the following from yours truly: if you cater to in-car listeners and at the same time lose your longer TSL at work audience by stopping more times per hour than your competition does, you could LOSE the P-1 diary battle.

That means the best strategy continues to be (as far as A&O is concerned):
...Limiting commercials to 10-12 units per hour (or even fewer!).
...Clustering your units in equal size stopsets of at least four-five units.
...Only go to a third break when you have to play more than six units in a break.
...Minimize the units by pushing prices up not by stopping more times per hour or forcing advertisers to buy shorter units than they feel they need. After all, two :30 units is more interruptions than one :60. The goal IS to do well in rating diaries, right??

Michael O'Malley (732 937-5757 or Mike@radioconsult.com), always the statistician, actually ran the Navigauge numbers and if the audience was ONLY in car, there is a slight advantage for shorter breaks and stopping one more time per hour:

Start with 10000 "in car" persons at the beginning of the hour. Applying the research math, here's the theorhetical audience flow over two hours for both two and three break hours:

3 Break Hours:
Audience left after 1st break: 6600, after the 2nd break: 4356, after the 3rd break: 2875, after 1st break 2nd hour 1897, after 2nd break 2nd hour: 1252, after 3rd break, second hour 827

2 Break Hours:
Audience left after 1st break: 5000, after the 2nd break: 2500, after 1st break 2nd hour 1250, after 2nd break 2nd hour: 625

Navigauge CEO Tim Cobb says the mobile listener is the most discriminating listener that can be studied. You can get a copy of the just-released study from Navigauge SVP Drew Simpson at 770-829-6480.

Theorhetical? Of course. The point is, even ignoring the above math that calls the conclusion that three shorter sets are better than two longer ones, the research doesn't address what three stop sets does to the "plays the most music perception."

As long as we are measured by what people think they listened to, we must do all we can to reinforce key perceptions that drive ratings. "The most music at work" is one of the most critical perceptions to maintain if we're to capture P1 TSL that is so often a critical ratings driver. I think - in terms of stop sets - less IS more.

Not being one to let things go, O'Malley says "I ran my formula all the way out over an 8-hour workday. the results: no measurable difference in audience. both left stations were left with less than half a person. "

When we're measured by people meters, shorter sets will matter. but as long as what people listen to is based on their perceptions, holding a more music perception against a competitor is a good thing. I don't see how adding 50% more stop sets improves the more music perception."

Bucks for YOUR bobble-head?

larryshannon@radiodailynews.com reports: They sold out in 10 days, with one fetching as much as $1,025 on EBay, but the slam dunk of 2004 was the money raised for local charities by the limited edition Howard Eskin "King of Bling" Bobblehead. Eskin, afternoon drive host for 610 SportsRadio WIP, will present a check for $10,100 to each of three local charities - The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, The Terri Lynne Lokoff Child Care Foundation and The National Multiple Sclerosis Society at WIP's studios. A total of $30, 300 was raised through the sale of the Eskin Bobbleheads, which were made available in November. Eskin kicked off the charity drive himself by writing a personal check for $1,000 to each of the three charities (visit WIP) or paste: http://www.610wip.com/startinglineup into your browser to read more.

(more) Tsnaumi stories

If you don't subscribe to Inside Radio, you may not click to the subscriber areas of www.insideradio.com very often because many of them are password-protected. However, Mike Kinosian's interviews and articles are normally free and public and a very educational read. Here's an example:

The Inside Story with Mike Kinosian — How L.A. and Chicago responded to the Asian Tsunami. And Mike leads off with a deep-inside perspective of how Steve Jones and the team at ABC Radio News first became aware of the December 26 crisis (and remember that the first reports were that 160 people were killed). And how ABC’s Alex Stone was awakened after three hours’ sleep and offered the chance to fly to Asia that very day. (But first he had to become a human pincushion to get all his vaccination shots before hopping the 19-hour flight to Singapore.) Then Mike tells you how the Infinity and Viacom stations pulled off their successful coordinated fundraiser in Los Angeles. And how WFMT, Chicago’s Steve Robinson rallied nearly 40 radio stations and seven TV stations to raise nearly $2 million. Three stories, all in one highly readable
Mike Kinosian (click) INSIDE STORY.

Fishing for Listeners and Reeling Them In

Roy H. Williams: "The first step in creating a great ad campaign is to refine your core strategy. Have you taken a hard look at it lately? Yesterday's successful strategy can easily become tomorrow's dismal failure. We see it all the time. And no perspective is so warped as the view from the inside, looking out. Is that where you've been trapped?"

"One of my newest partners, Chuck McKay , just released his first book, Fishing for Customers and Reeling Them In . You should take a look at it."

Time to Take Control of Your Work

From: http://www.fortune.com/

The New Year may simply be a date on the calendar, but it is also the perfect time to reflect on what you want to accomplish in 2005. Maybe you want to lose weight, eat healthier foods, get more sleep, spend more time with friends and family, or lead a more balanced life. While you're thinking about fresh starts, put yourself in the best possible position to succeed at work. After all, if you have better work habits, you will have more time to tackle your other goals.

Successful people tend to lead balanced lives, because it makes them more productive and creative, says Julie Morgenstern, an organizational guru and author of Making Work Work: New Strategies for Surviving and Thriving at the Office (Fireside Books/Simon & Schuster, 2004, $22.) In today's competitive and volatile business climate, Morgenstern says being in control of your work—not the other way around—is more important than ever.

So, how do you know when your work life is out of control? Well, you may feel worn down and overwhelmed. Or maybe you're not depressed, but you constantly cancel dates with your friends, spend less and less time with your family, or skip going to the gym. In short, your life is out of whack.

But letting go is difficult for entrepreneurs and small-business owners, who feel responsible for their companies' success—or failure. "They say to themselves, 'I'm so busy that by the time I explain this to someone else, or train someone, I would have lost so much business, so much time, and so much productivity,' " Morgenstern says. "They're in hyperproductive mode all the time."

Even for entrepreneurs who are content working seven days a week, 12 hours a day, having a balanced life is crucial. "It's not healthy for them and it's not healthy for their business," Morgenstern says. "They will spend too much time on problems that could be solved, if they just took a little break and connected to the outside world."

Here are some of Morgenstern's tips for how to regain control of your work life. More information is also available on her website: www.juliemorgenstern.com.

· Let go. As soon as you realize that you need to take control of your work life, Morgenstern says, step back. Take a vacation, even if it's just a weekend getaway. Being out of your work environment for a few days will give you a fresh perspective.

· Zero in. Identify three to five of your main responsibilities at work. A small business owner, for instance, may have to follow up with existing clients, prospect for new customers, plan a marketing campaign, work on finances and deal with administrative issues. Once you've done this, create a template for your week that blocks out time for each of your tasks.

· Map out. Once you know what you need to accomplish during your week, then you can structure your workdays. Morgenstern advises starting the day tackling your most critical responsibilities. She strongly recommends not answering e-mail for the first hour of your day.

· Crisis manage. Figure out how much time you need to set aside each day to deal with last-minute requests or emergencies. Remember that everything doesn't have to be addressed immediately. If the deadline for a project isn't until later in the week, then you don't have to drop everything to get it done right away.

"You're not going to be able to maintain this balance 100% of the time," Morgenstern says. "But you can maintain it 80% of the time, if you have a time and a place in your day—and your week—to do your various tasks. That way you get out of the reactive, put-out-the-fire, or attend-to-whoever-is-screaming-the-loudest mode. You know that things can wait."
Of course, old habits die hard. To help maintain a balance in your work life, Morgenstern recommends keeping daily and weekly progress reports. Every evening, spend 15 to 20 minutes checking off what you've accomplished and deciding what projects you need to carry over to the next day. You may decide that you don't have to do that task after all, or you may decide to delegate it to someone else. On Friday, spend 20 to 30 minutes reviewing your past week and planning for your next one.

"Plan your day plus two, " Morgenstern says. "You can't just be looking one day ahead in this environment. You have to be looking past tomorrow, because you don't know what crises will come up. So, you always need a three-day overview."

Louise Witt is a writer based in Hoboken, N.J. She has written extensively on small business and entrepreneurship. E-mail her your questions at editor@fsb.com.

Fly-Away Escapes - 2005 (travel prize ideas)

Where to be in 2005
From: Knight Ridder (BY MARGARET BACKENHEIMER)

JANUARY 8-9: Cork, Ireland “Awakening,” the largest street party in Irish history, kicks off Cork’s reign as Cultural Capital. 28-Feb. 10: Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg Animation Film Festival. From Felix the Cat to Woody Woodpecker. 28-Feb. 13: Bormio, Italy Bormio 2005 World Ski Cup.

FEBRUARY 6: Jacksonville, Fla. Super Bowl XXXIX. Paul McCartney takes the snap at halftime. 9: Hong Kong International Chinese New Year Night Parade. Wake-up call for Year of the Rooster. 17-27: Montreal Montreal High Lights Festival. Chicago chefs in the spotlight. 18-20: Charleston, S.C. Southeastern Wildlife Exposition. Artists, outfitters and TV star Jeff Corwin.

MARCH 17: Kansas City, Mo. St. Patrick's Day Parade. Shamrocks and stout for 300,000 in the Show Me State. 25-Sept. 25: Aichi Prefecture, Japan 2005 World Exhibition. An eco-minded expo featuring model communities. 27-April 2: Hilo, Hawaii Merrie Monarch Festival. “World’s largest hula competition.” 31-April 3: Vail, Colo. Vail Film Festival.

APRIL 2-Dec. 6: Copenhagen and Odense, Denmark Hans Christian Andersen 2005. Author’s bicentennial filled with fairy-tale events. 17-24: Oklahoma City National Week of Hope. Ceremonies mark the 10th anniversary of tragic bombing. 18-29: Singapore World Gourmet Summit. 23-Aug. 31: Smaland area, Sweden Glaskonst. Art glassware exhibition.

MAY 12-15: Reno Reno River Festival. Kayakers take a chance on the Truckee River. 13-14: Owensboro, Ky. International Bar-B-Q Festival. Heated competition with 10 tonnes of mutton. 27-30: Fresno, Calif. California Country Music Festival. First-time fest hopes to stage world’s largest line dance.

JUNE 3-13: Oslo Oslo Festival. Norway turns 100 with opening of Nobel Peace Centre. 12-30: Lisbon Lisbon Festivities. Summer street parties with wine, sardines and fado.

JULY 17-25: Salt Lake City and statewide, Utah Days of ’47. Pioneer era all abuzz in Beehive State. 22-27: San Sebastian, Spain San Sebastian Jazz Festival. 22-31: Edmonton, Alta. World Masters Games. Twenty-seven sports for those who refuse to quit. 25-30: Chincoteague, Va. Pony Swim & Auction. 80th annual roundup by island’s “saltwater cowboys.”

AUGUST 6-14: Helsinki, Finland IAAF World Championships in Athletics. Two-hundred countries take to the track for “world's third-largest sports event.” 6-20: Regina, Sask. 2005 Canada Summer Games. Competitions underline Saskatchewan centenary. 26-28: Bangor, Me. American Folk Festival.

SEPTEMBER 2-4: Interlaken, Switzerland Unspunnen Festival. Yodeling and stone-tossing at its best, held every 13 years. 4-18: Bucharest, Romania George Enescu International Festival. Sixteen orchestras salute Romanian virtuoso. 23-25, Sept. 30-Oct. 2: Wellington, New Zealand World of Wearable Art Show. 30-Oct. 9: Albuquerque Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. Up, up and away with 700 balloons.

OCTOBER 2-24: Warsaw International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition. 13-16: Gulf Shores, Ala. National Shrimp Festival. 21-23: Portsmouth, England Trafalgar Weekend. 200th anniversary of Admiral Nelson’s finest hour, part of SeaBritain 2005. 30: Dresden, Germany Inauguration of the Frauenkirche. The Church of Our Lady rises from the ashes.

NOVEMBER 20: Paphos, Cyprus Cyprus Aphrodite Marathon. Seaside run in the birthplace of the goddess. 23-Dec. 31: Marshall, Texas Wonderland of Lights.

DECEMBER 2-Jan. 7: Winnipeg Winter Wonderland. A drive-through winter theme park. 10: Hamilton, Bermuda Christmas Boat Parade. 31: Anchorage area, Alaska New Year’s Eve Torchlight Parade and Fireworks Display. Hearty skiers light up Mt. Alyeska with flares.

Dates are subject to change. Always check in advance to confirm dates and details.

Warning: labels will make you laugh

From: Armando D'Andrea - National Post - January 8, 2005:

A label that cautioned people not to use a toilet brush for personal hygiene has won a Windsor-area man first place and US$500 in a contest for outrageous product warning labels.

Detroit’s 104.3 WOMC radio audience chose 62-year-old Ed Gyetvai’s entry over a scooter label warning drivers that the product moves when used. A thermometer label advising people not to use it orally after rectal use was voted third. An electric hand blender with a warning that says “Never remove food or other items from the blades while the product is operating” placed fourth. Mr. Gyetvai, a retired teacher, submitted the label to the radio station after his wife brought the brush home last fall.

“It had a grain of significant truth to it, but at the same time you say, ‘Why would anyone use it for anything else than that?’ ” It’s the second time Mr Gyetvai has entered the contest. A couple of years ago, he submitted a label from a sunguard intended to block a car’s windshield that said “Please remove before driving.”

The contest, run by Michigan Lawsuit Abuse Watch, underlies a serious purpose, said the not-forprofit organization’s president, Robert Dorigo Jones. It seeks to draw awareness to the growing problem of overlitigation in the United States, where Mr. Dorigo Jones says many of the 52,000 lawsuits pending in U.S. courts are frivolous.

“We have a system that allows legalized extortion,” he said yesterday. “It’s a strong term, but it’s a term that’s dead on. Lawyers know it and so does the general public. They can file a lawsuit and they do this repeatedly, hoping the person they sue will settle the case before it ever gets to a judge or jury.”

Mr. Dorigo Jones said contests like the Wacky Warning Label Contest are important because they can draw attention to this issue through humour. “Most of these warning labels exist because of fear of lawsuits.… Many people don’t understand that most of those warning labels are there because somebody sued or because the company is afraid to be sued,” he said. “And when the warnings border on common sense, we use that as a way to show just how far we have to go to protect ourselves. Our legal system is so unpredictable that a manufacturer doesn’t know if they get sued whether or not they’ll win or not. So they have to warn against everything.”

Learn to Hire So You Don’t Have to Fire

By: Tim Burns,Director of Sales Recruitment, Susquehanna Indianapolis

Answer this question…what is the most important function of a great manager? Is it budgeting? Is it profit orientation? Leadership?What about Recruitment? Doesn’t the success of everything in your department rest on the shoulders of a person or group of people?

Admit it. Recruitment is one common issue that every manager faces, no matter which department they work in! How familiar does this sound? You have a person on your staff that you need to replace. You know it, yet you continually avoid it because you haven’t found a worthy replacement. Meanwhile, days…weeks… even months go by and this person continues to perform at unacceptable standards! You know you need to make a change, but you can’t! Finally, something happens and you do it. You fire this person! But now what? Now, you have an opening and no quality candidates! You begin the search for the replacement – and you make a hurried decision…and usually a bad hire! READ MORE

Please Steal This Promotion

Kevin Carter (kcarter@radioandrecords.com) the Street Talk editor at R&R has more on a fast-growing tsnumai fund-raiser idea..

Looking for a creative way to raise funds for tsunami victims, those deceptively clever folks atInfinity AC KEZK/St. Louis came up with “Dress Down For Disaster Relief Day” — listeners simply pay for the privilege of dressing casually at work or school this Friday.

All funds raised go to the Red Cross. PD Mark Edwards says, “We needed to come up with anactivity that was timely and made sense to our listeners, and I’m stunned at the response we’ve received so far. We’ve had companies representing nearly 10,000 employees commit to letting their people dress down this Friday.”

One of the companies involved, ComputerSales International, has spread the idea globally, pledging to match the contributions made by its 425 employees at its branches in the U.S., Central America, Mexico, Brazil, Germany and the U.K.

“We’ve even had schools volunteer to be a part of the drive by letting their students either wear hats or come dressed in pajamas on Friday,” Edwards says. “I didn’t know what to expect going into the event, but I can say the outpouring of generosity has been amazing.”

$1 Million Windy City Payday
Final numbers are still coming in after an incredible day of tsunami relief fundraising inChicago, where corporate barriers came down for a day as 38 radio stations and seven TV stations all played for the same team: the American Red Cross.

In the first 13 hours alone, more than $1 million was pledged. Hats off to organizer WFMT-FM Sr. VP Steve Robinson and everyone involved for a wonderful show of unity.

Finally, to quote Kevin: "Don’t Just Sit There, Contribute Something Big & Dumb To ST Daily: kcarter@radioandrecords.com"

Radio Parties

800 954 DJDJ is the number for Ric Hansen, who took at mobile DJ business in Seattle and has taken it to the next level in such a way that few stations can not afford to at least look at doing it HIS way. Email him for more: Ric@radioparties.com or click on www.radioparties.com.

He says: "We have one goal at Radio Parties.....create tons of fun and give you much more for your entertainment dollar."

Things he offers to party planners to spice up the fun..

Lighting up January
FREE flashing lazer intense blinking lights to give out at your dance or party. We'll send you 100 of them FREE for any Friday night dance in January...Talk about adding energy and fun to your event...the whole place will be wired up with the Radio Parties FREE lazer light giveaway.

March "Mardi Gras" Madness
Book your DJ now for any Friday in March....the early bookers get this FREE FUN addition for their party! The first ten parties to lock down their Radio Parties DJ get 100 bright Mardi Gras necklesses.

April Fools Day
And we're the $50 fools!
It happens rarely.... but in 2005 April Fools day lands on a Friday...so if you have an April first party or want to create an April first party we'll provide the great DJ entertainment, and give you an instant $50 dollar rebate on whatever package you select.

Thank you! FREE Turkeys for early birds!
It's our chance to say thank you for putting your trust in our unique DJ entertainment. Just plan a dance, party, family get together, or birthday celebration any day during the Thanksgiving weekend and if you are one of the first ten to book your event, we'll give you a free Thanksgiving Turkey....book it now to make sure you are one of the first in line for our Butterball!

Note: Ric provides a business telemarketing campaign to every radio station using his service. If you sign up with him, lets talk about how to make the most of that too for both $$$ and listening as well.

Trust is a MOVING TARGET

Don Peppers and Martha Rogers are "1 to 1" experts and if you haven't read at least ONE of their books by now you need to remedy that immediately.

And, if you think that the following item from their e-letter doesn't concern you, please pick up the phone and dial 206 498-6261 so I can explain it to you:

The music industry's been hit hard with competitive pressures, consolidation and technology obstacles. One record label turned to a customer interaction strategy to stay on top of the charts. Go to: http://www.1to1.com/ct.aspx?f=20002001/80399/1298/02TTB2

Trying to maximize a customer’s value is roughly the equivalent of maximizing that customer’s trust in your company. And although trust is the welcome consequence of any successful customer relationship, it is not something to take for granted. It can be eroded by bad business practices just as surely as your bottom line can be eroded. Go to:http://www.1to1.com/ct.aspx?f=20002000/80399/1298/02TTB1

A tsunami of radio fundraisers

I don't think www.insideradio.com's Tom Taylor will mind if I reprint this (it's for a great cause):

Radio’s creating its own tsunami of fundraisers. Here are some ideas you could steal (or adapt).

For example: Dress Down for Disaster Relief Day. KEZK, St. Louis asks businesses to let staffers come to work in casual dress, in exchange for a Red Cross donation (suggested to be $10.25, for the station frequency). Details at KEZK.com.

Then there’s Turn the station over to tsunami donors. That’s what WXRT, Chicago’s doing 9am-5pm on Friday. They’ll play song requests for a minimum donation of $100.
(More at 93XRT.com)

Another idea may not be for everybody but it’s getting popular - send your personality
to Asia.

WOAI, San Antonio PM driver Jeff Bolton hitches a ride on an Air Force C-5 out of nearby Lackland AFB to deliver supplies.

Syndicated host John Tesh got the same itch ¡ª he and his family (including wife Connie Sellecca) are flying to India and then trekking to Sri Lanka. The Tesh trip is under the
auspices of Operation Blessing (OperationBlessing.org ).

And we like what ABC’s doing at its L.A. cluster - making a one-year commitment (at minimum ) to relief efforts because the need is ongoing.

Non-coms can get special FCC permission to do tsunami fundraisers. Non-commercial stations actually have restrictions on their fundraising campaigns (for their own operations, mostly). But the FCC allowed them to do charity fundraising immediately after 9/11. And now Christian Community Broadcasters’ John Broomall reports to Inside Radio that the FCC Media Bureau says it’s amenable to granting short-term waiver requests. Stations can e-mail Michael Wagner (at Michael.Wagner@fcc.gov ), but they must provide the specifics, like how long the fundraising will last, what happens to the funds, and whether the campaign’s part of a regularly-scheduled pledge drive.

PS: as long as I'm plugging the great work that Tom and the entire Inside Radio/M Street Journal crew do, here's where you can keep track of station format changes: http://www.mstreet.net/formatcounts.asp

Tatoo this Mark Ramsey thought on your forehead

The new face of "Radio"

What do you call an mp3 player that can wirelessly download your favorite songs?

Radio.

If you liked this thought, bookmark: http://www.radiomarketingnexus.com/

Tsunami movie

Courtney Thompson <courtt1@bellsouth.net>: This'll put things into perspective for you...

http://members.chello.se/mbg/tsunamiphuket.wmv

RAP on Books for Creative Types

The readers of Radio & Production Magazine were asked in the January 2005 edition "what was the last book you read on radio creative?"

From: http://rapmag.com/ (Jerry Vigil)...

In the Blink of an Eye 2nd Edition
"In the Blink of an Eye: A Perspective on Film Editing"

Music, The Brain, and Ecstasy by Robert Jourdain
This is a fascinating and well-written book that should be a must for any sound designer. Robert Jourdain starts with the biology of how we perceive sound; analyzes what makes melodies, harmonies, and rhythms interesting; explains why composers are driven to what they do; and concludes with why music makes us feel good. Reading it, I also leared a lot about myself and some of my colleagues, and why we hear sounds differently than the general public... our unusual perceptual skills aren't because we're particularly talented, but an accident of biochemistry.

Copywriter: A Life of Making Ads and Other Mistakes ...
For close to 20 years Ray Welch dominated New England advertising awards. He was the Woody Allen of the industry, writing self-deprecating (but hilarious and strategically spot-on) ads, and later becoming one of the area's most effective voice-over announcers. He was also one of the most well-liked personalities in the community -- I should know, I was there -- and a great story-teller. These are his stories. They're all funny. Many of them also reveal truths of ad agency life, the kinds of people attracted to that business, and the thinking that goes into a great campaign. The book reads the way I remember that life. Except Welch obviously had a lot more fun.

Ray Welch displays print portfolio, plus downloadable radio commercials: www.raywelch.com/

Amazon.com: Books: VO: Tales and Techniques of a Voice-Over Actor
Everything Harlan Hogan writes is true: the techniques, the way the business works, the friendships that form between actors competing for the same jobs, the life. It's actually two books, interleaved. Chapters alternate between sage (and hard-earned) advice on polishing voice-acting performing and job-getting skills, and some of the things Harlan had to go through to learn these lesions. If you're an announcer, engineer, or sharp producer, you'll chuckle over the war stories. If you're trying to break into the business, you couldn't have a better teacher.
Harlan Hogan - Voice overs Narrations Commercials Promos

The Responsive Chord by Tony Schwartz: Amazon.com: Books: The Responsive Chord
Tony Schwartz was one of the first to ask "how does a sound track actually influence our behavior". Since he's also a noted sound designer specializing in radio and television advertising, he's in a good position to test his theories. Some of the examples are dated -- being the seminal work in the Resonance Theory of communication, it's about thirty years old -- but the entire book is still thought-provoking.

All of prod guy Jay Rose's recommended reading: www.dplay.com/dv/books.html

"Copywriter" - John E. Matthews
Barnes & Noble.com - Book Search: John E. Matthews

Steven Pressfield - Official Website
Seattle Times: "Yes, The War of Art is hell. But Steven Pressfield is our Clausewitz..""Read every other book about advertising creative before you read this book, because "The Book of Gossage" will spoil all those other books for you.."
AdBuzz.com
Chapter Excerpt: The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

And, of course - Roy Williams: www.wizardofads.com/

For me, the articles in RAP are very motivating, but the monthly CD of promos and spots is worth the subscription price all by itself. Radio And Production - Subscribe

5 in '05 = phone topic

You could make it last all week:

5...

favorite songs..
worst mistakes..
hottest country stars..
best movies..
people who deserve a pat on the back..
etc

.. in '05.

A little help in case the phones are slow: 2004's Best Testers..plus what to do in 2005.

ACM Country Station of the Year/On-Air Personality of the Year

If you would like to submit your Country Radio Station or On-Air Personality for the 40th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, please visit www.acmcountry.com/radioandbroadcast.html and follow the prompts.

Tree Paine, Director of Marketing & Promotions for the ACM at 4100 West Alameda Avenue,
Suite 208, Burbank, CA 91505 (818 842-8400 x 213 - www.acmcountry.com - Email: tree@acmcountry.com) writes:

I am proud to report that for the first time in the Academy of Country Music’s history, all 3,500+ Academy members will be able to not only see photos and text on each final nominee for Country Station of the Year and On-Air Personality of the Year, but will also be able to hear the nominee’s demos.

Starting Monday, January 3, 2005, Country Radio Stations and On-Air Personalities will be able to upload their submissions via the Academy of Country Music website. All submissions will be viewed and voted on by a Blue Ribbon Committee. The top five nominees will then be posted to our 40th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards Online Ballot. Academy members will be able to see exactly what the Blue Ribbon judges voted on and will be able to give a fair and equal opportunity to all of the final five nominees.

You know what I think about that: you can't win if you don't enter. A&O've judged many winning entries over the years and would be delighted to help coach you on your entry just for the asking. It's fun to work with winners, like YOU.