A Last Minute (No Prep and Easy!) April Fool

Did you hear that April Fool's Day has been cancelled this year?

Yeah. Really. It sure is. Of course it is. Truly. Genuinely. No doubt. Actually.

Imagine! April 1, with no April Fools pranks in 2005.

Yep, that's how it is. Honest. For sure.

I heard that anyone doing April Fool stunts is liable for possible arrest. Be sure to tell your friends. You'd hate to see them get in trouble...

RIP Dr. Don

Hats off to KFRC, San Francisco, PD Bob Harlow for having the smarts to memorialize the station's best known air personality of all time today.

All of us to talk on the radio and work to be entertaining, authentic and topical owe Dr. Don a huge debt. He pioneered our path.

Some history:
www.broadcastlegends.com/rose.html
http://doctordonrose.com/

There's a brief tribute to him from Jaye Trachman's One to One Family Member Jim Walsh: www.121online.net

Familiarity - have you looked at your music research in this light?

A nice article on "Jack" on the front page of the March 18 Wall Street Journal with lots of thought-provoking quotes.

The best, I thought, came from Paragon Media Strategies' Mike Henry: "...listeners want to hear familiar music, but a larger selection and variety of it. So Jack plays only songs people will recognize, albeit from a variety of styles and timeframes. (regarding the train wreck segues of the Jack format)`You're only challenging them on a stylistic level,'' says Mr. Henry. ``You're not challenging them on a familiar/unfamiliar level.''

This hit me right where I live because country has always been 'the train wreck segue' format - and our listeners love that variety from "Baby Likes To Rock It" to "Love Me."

No doubt that's why Jack can hurt a country station who's not prepared for the new approach from pop/rock, normally focused on 'fit' and 'core' sounds.

Suggestion: continue to sort your research (first) on like a lot, (and then) good balance of crosstabs across men, women, young, older, core and secondary users, but, start also taking a close look at familiarity too. Are highly familiar songs with no negatives slipping out of your library, hurting your perceived variety image just because they miss the cut off of pop scores by a few percentage points?

I've seen stations increase their cume and TSL by doing nothing but increasing the average familiarity score threshold of their music, as long as it doesn't require cutting the size of the playlist unreasonabily or compromise 'common threading' across all target segments of the audience.

Even better if it increases it. The same 250 songs played over and over simply don't work anymore!

Saga Leads. Let's ALL Follow

Saga CEO Ed Christian is canceling syndicated shows that also air onXM or Sirius: "when a person gets in a car the choices are AM, FM or satellite. So (he told Inside Radio's Tom Taylor) syndicators, make your choice - them or us."

THAT SURE BEATS SIMPLY RUNNING A "HEARD IT ON THE RADIO FIRST" AD (the same artists also cut ads endorsing satellite too of course).

Congrats on a brilliant and courageous move, Ed. Let's get behind this movement and deny satellite our best personalities and programs!

PS: EMarketer reports a new survey by BIGresearch indicates that interest in purchasing satellite radio subscriptions remains low. BIGresearch surveyed 7,000 US consumers about their purchasing intentions for satellite radio and found that 4.2% of respondents already had satellite radio and that only 2.5% planned to subscribe in the next 6 months.

Just over 16% planned to subscribe "someday." Most, however, said they had no plans to subscribe.

Nearly 25% said they weren't informed enough to make a decision. Younger respondents, those ages 18 to 35, were more likely to be informed about satellite radio and more likely to buy.

Kids Are Media-Saturated TOO

The Kaiser Family Foundation, March 2005 sends this sobering release:

Today’s young people (those 8-18) lead “saturated media lives,” spending nearly 6 ½ hours a day with media. However, because of simultaneous media usage, they actually cram more than 8 hours of media into a day.

As reported by the Center For Media Research, television and music are the big players among today’s youth, with those surveyed spending an average of three hours a day watching TV, and about 1 ¾ hours a day listening to the radio or to CDs, tapes, or MP3 players.

Interactive media come next, with young people averaging just over one hour a day on the computer outside of schoolwork, and just under 50 minutes a day (playing video games.

Reading is close behind, on books, magazines, or newspapers for something other than schoolwork. Here are the dominant media used by young people in a typical day, ranked by the percentage of 8-18 year-olds who use them:

• Watch TV (81%)
• Listen to the radio (74%)
• Listen to CD/tape/MP3 (68%)
• Use a computer (54%)
• Read a magazine (47%)
• Go online (47%)
• Read a book (46%)
• Play console video games (41%)
• Watch videos (39%)
• Play handheld video games (35%)

At least we're in second place, but it's close!

Lovetingle

I can't vouch for who this is or much more than the fact that I received this email from "ellie@lovetingle.com." The front page of the site looks innocent enough, but please check it out further yourself before sending listeners to it to be sure it conveys the values of your show accurately..

SHOW PREP FROM LOVETINGLE.COM
*You have permission to publish this article electronically, in print, or use on the air. Credit lovetingle.com*
CRAZY LOVE FACTS
>Canadian porcupines kiss one another on the lips.
>Ladies in nudist camps tend to use more makeup than women elsewhere.
>Marital fights hit their peak in July. It's also the biggest month for riots, criminal violence and filing lawsuits.
>The average person falls in love seven times before marriage.
>10,000 people acquire marriage licenses each year but never actually get married.
>Women can talk longer with less effort than men. Why? Because the vocal cords of women are shorter than those of men and release less air through them to carry the sound.
>Studies by Dr. Karl F. Robinson of Northwestern University prove that men change their minds two or three times more often than do women.
>The average woman uses up approximately her height in lipstick every five years.
>Caesar was 54, Cleopatra 21 when they were dating.
>The longest kiss according to the Guinness Book of World Records lasted 417 hours.

-4 Free ways to show them that you love them TODAY:
> Use a thesaurus to help you describe your lover: charming, beautiful, alluring, stunning, gorgeous, exquisite, marvelous, magnificent, enticing, fabulous etc.
> Leave a trail of your clothes from the front door to the bedroom before they get home. >Hide a love note in a bottle of daily vitamins, or in the pants your significant other will wear that day. >On a cold morning warm up your lover's car for them. (They'll think about you their entire day)
>A lottery ticket and a note: "I hit the jackpot when I married you."

Another great idea:
>Send a dozen roses: 11 red and one white. Write a note that says: "In every bunch there's one who stands out - and you are that one."

Nowhere To Go But UP

WENS-FM switches to country format

CLICK TO CHECK OUT: Real Life, Real Music.. The Hank.

Bob Moody, VP/Programming at Regent Communications on this stunt: "Depends on what Emmis wants to accomplish. It could be an effective "ankle biter", but if you tell a Country listener that you play "anything Country", you better have some old Faron Young and John Schneider albums handy."

Also "brand" new in the last week:

* Rogers' Country 107.1, Abbotsford, BC (eastern suburbs of Vancouver)
* Clear Channel's Q Country 102.9, Centralia, WA (southern suburbs of Seattle)

The price of being on the upswing as a format is that we get the (sometimes silly) competition we really don't need in many markets. Is there a station with a 1.8 share in your market? Are we headed back to 1994 already? Looks like we may be (if you don't know what I mean, call 732 937-5757 for Michael O'Malley or 206 498-6261 for Jaye Albright - we have been here before).

AC guru Mike McVay: "I guess this is disco for the 2000's. AC must be dead. (BIG smile)"

Mercury Research's Mark Ramsay puts it all in context on his blog: It's a Trend...No, it's a Virus

IT'S TIME TO ATTACK YOURSELF NOW.

Those Who Fail To Learn From The Past

Two items in the news today made me think of that old saw.

1. Why Terri Schiavo? Why now? Heart-rending though her case may be, none of the issues are new. But she has been elevated to a national symbol by cable news, which wasn't as tabloid a few years ago and didn't exist when Quinlan was hospitalized. When I was a New Jersey newspaper reporter in the 1970s, we ran many stories on the saga of Karen Ann Quinlan. The case drew national attention when the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled in 1976 that the 21-year-old brain-damaged woman could be taken off a respirator, although it turned out she survived until 1985. During this furor over Terri Schiavo, I've been looking back at other such cases. Turns out there were a lot of them (read more - Howard Kurtz-Media Notes)

2. This letter to Jim Carnegie, Editor & Publisher of Radio Business Report:

The debate continues on :60s vs. :30s.

My first job out of college was a radio sales position. At that time (1976), thirty second commercials were the local/ regional/ national "spot buy" industry standard. Every station in the market had a published ratecard. The standard rates in every daypart were based on a :30. There was a premium charge of approximately 25-40% for a :60 depending on the station's format. At that time practically no advertisers bought :60's with the exception of car dealers, who needed the extra time for the legally enforced disclaimers, re: finance rates, etc.

As I see it, the issue is NOT really spot length but rather COPYWRITING! When the industry moved to "units" rather than "minutes" and :60's became standard, the need to write and produce really good copy was relaxed. No one that tries to write really effective radio copy will argue with the fact, that writing a really effective :30 is much harder than writing a mediocre :60 that relies heavily on repetition to make a point or deliver a message. The reality is that at the local level, the majority of commercial copy is at best mediocre ( I'm being kind).

Most local commercials regardless of length don't, as Paul Weyland would say, "stand out above the crapisphere!" Agencies are as much to blame for this as local sales people forced to write their own copy for direct accounts. Even large group owned stations that employ copywriters simply churn out formulaic, mediocre copy. In the 70's and early 80's ADDY AWARDS were the most competitive for radio at the thirty second level. Frequently, there would be NO ADDY awarded for a :60, because of the lack of quality entries. I know because I won several of those awards in various markets. Whether, Clear Channel is effective at resurrecting the :30 as a standard unit, will depend almost entirely on the effectiveness of those commercial messages that their stations air for those advertisers.

Reconfiguring the commercial breaks to accommodate selling :30's, is about 25% of what they need to be successful. The harder 75%, of WRITING and producing "EFFECTIVE" :30's that work for their clients is, as I presently "hear it on the air" in this market, yet to be considered, let alone addressed.

If the "less is more" is to have the desired effect on programming and listener retention, the "MORE" part of the equation, needs to be addressed by not only Clear Channel but, the entire industry, regardless of commercial length.

-- Mark CortnerTulsa, OK

IMHO:

Howard Kurtz's question highlights the fact that every generation is not exactly the same and the lessons that one 'thought' they had already learned may not apply to the next one.

Cortner's points are excellent, as long as we remember that all the research in recent months continues to support that move to UNITS because it was soundly based on listener reaction to multiple messages, no matter what the length, and that still seems to apply (witness very recent data from Paragon Media Strategies, Bridge Ratings, and Navigauge).

PS: Mike O'Malley does the math.

If we want the listener to notice our efforts to cut back on clutter we need to reimpose absolute limits on both units and minutes. I like Clear Channel's 12 minutes in the morning and ten the rest of the day, but worry if that opens the door to more than 10-12 units an hour too, regardless of length.

I thought we'd already learned that lesson in the 1980's. Hopefully, we don't have to learn it again now, the hard way.

Another Push to PODCAST

Larry Shannon's www.radiodailynews.com reports traditional broadcasters are also seizing on podcasts as one more way to reach audiences, including those not currently tuned in.

KOMO-AM (1000) was one of the first commercial stations in the nation to offer podcasting, through its Web site, www.komonews.com "There's a voracious appetite for it, once people figure it out," says Stan Orchard, assistant director of news and programming at KOMO Radio.

KPLU-FM (88.5) yesterday launched podcasting for locally produced news stories, "Jazz Kitchen" with Dick Stein and "BirdNote." Its Web site, www.kplu.org and KOMO's provide explanations to listeners on what's needed to set up and receive podcasts.

(read more - Bill Virgin-Seattle PI)

The Best Advice I Ever Got

Fortune Magazine has what could be the start of a great phone topic..

Warren Buffett
You're right not because others agree with you, but because your facts are right, says the 74-year-old CEO of Berkshire Hathaway.

Meg Whitman
Be nice, do your best—and most important, keep it in perspective, says the 48-year-old CEO and President of eBay.

Jack Welch
Be yourself, says the 69-year-old former chairman and CEO of General Electric.

Sallie Krawcheck
Don't listen to the naysayers, says the 40-year-old CFO of Citigroup.

Vivek Paul
Don't limit yourself by past expectations, says the 46-year-old president and CEO of Wipro Technologies.

Dick Parsons
When you negotiate, leave a little something on the table, says the 56-year-old chairman and CEO of Time Warner.

Andy Grove
When 'everyone knows' something to be true, nobody knows nothin, says the 68-year-old chairman of Intel.

Anne Mulcahy
Remember the parable of the cow in the ditch, says the 52-year-old CEO of Xerox. "One piece of advice I got has become a mantra at Xerox. It came from a very funny source. It was four years ago, and I was doing a customer breakfast in Dallas. We had invited a set of business leaders there. One was a plainspoken, self-made, streetwise guy [Albert C. Black Jr., president and CEO of On-Target Supplies & Logistics, a logistics management firm]. He came up to me and gave me this advice, and I have wound up using it constantly. 'When everything gets really complicated and you feel overwhelmed,' he told me, 'think about it this way: You gotta do three things. First, get the cow out of the ditch. Second, find out how the cow got into the ditch. Third, make sure you do whatever it takes so the cow doesn't go into the ditch again.' Now, every time I talk about the turnaround at Xerox, I start with the cow in the ditch. The first thing is survival. The second thing is, figure out what happened. Learn from those lessons and make sure you've put a plan in place to recognize the signs, and never get there again. This has become sort of a catchphrase for the leadership team. It's just one of those incredibly simple commonsense stories to keep people grounded. I bet that businessman had no idea what kind of legs his story would have."

Brian Grazer
All you really own are ideas and the confidence to write them down, says the 53-year-old Academy Award-winning movie and TV producer.

Rick Warren
Regularly sit at the feet of Peter Drucker, says the 51-year-old Minister, founder of Saddleback Church and author of The Purpose-Driven Life "In life you need mentors, and you need models. Models are the people you want to emulate. I recommend that your models be dead. I'm serious. You don't know how people are going to finish up. A lot of people start out like bottle rockets. They look great, but then the last half of their life is chaos. That can be quite devastating. In my life, I've had at least three mentors: my father, Billy Graham, and Peter Drucker. They each taught me different things. Peter Drucker taught me about competence. I met him about 25 years ago. I was invited to a small seminar of CEOs, and Peter was there. As a young kid—I was about 25—I began to call him up, write him, go see him. I still go sit at the feet of Peter Drucker on a regular basis. I could give you 100 one-liners that Peter has honed into me. One of them is that there's a difference between effectiveness and efficiency. Efficiency is doing things right, and effectiveness is doing the right thing. A lot of churches—not just churches, but businesses and other organizations—are efficient, but they are not effective. Another important thing that Peter has taught me is that results are always on the outside of your organization, not on the inside. Most people, when they're in a company, or in a church, or in an organization, they think, Oh, we're not doing well, we need to restructure. They make internal changes. But the truth is, all the growth is on the outside from people who are not using your product, not listening to your message, and not using your services."

Jim Collins
The real discipline comes in saying no to the wrong opportunities, says the 46-year-old author of the bestseller Good to Great.

Peter Drucker
Get good—or get out, says the 95-year-old business consultant.

Ted Turner
Start young, says the 66-year-old founder of CNN and former vice chairman of Time Warner.

David Neeleman
Balance your work with your family, says the 44-year-old CEO of JetBlue.

Mickey Drexler
Bail out of a business that isn't growing, says the 60-year-old CEO of J. Crew.

Brian Roberts
Let others take the credit, says the 45-year-old CEO of Comcast.

Marc Benioff
Incorporate philanthropy into your corporate structure, says the 40-year-old founder and CEO of Salesforce.com.

Hector Ruiz
Surround yourself with people of integrity, and get out of their way, says the 59-year-old CEO of AMD.

Donny Deutsch
If you love something, the money will come, says the 48-year-old CEO of Deutsch Inc. and host of CNBC's The Big Idea With Donny Deutsch.

Klaus Kleinfeld
Keenly visualize the future, says the 47-year-old CEO of Siemens.

Tom's TSL Tip

The average person listens to radio approximately two hours per day and samples three different stations within that one day of listening. Take that two hours per day (which is 120 minutes), and divide it by the three stations they have sampled, and you will find that you have someone using radio for about 45 minutes-to-one hour per day -- not all-in-a-row. They take "snapshots" of your programming throughout the day: A little bit in morning drive, a bit during the workday, and then some in the afternoon. If you look at your research you will see that after 7:00 pm, the bell-shaped curve drops significantly with the 25+ demo as they go to TV, family, movies, ect. Therefore, it gets down to what “benchmarks” or “triggers” do you have built into your programming throughout the day that make your station memorable (read more about TSL at www.tomwatsononline.com)

Arbitron has appointed Bob Michaels to Vice President, PPM Programming Services (visit Arbitron)

How Does Your Legal ID Compare?

www.tophour.net is a web site that has been 'up' and 'down' for three or four years .. devoted ONLY to legal ID's! Brian Davis just relaunched it at www.tophour.net and it's worth browsing, contributing to. Enjoy!

Ya Simply GOT To DO it

M Street Journal relays a cautionary tale (actually TWO of them):

If you miss doing a correct legal ID for ten straight weeks — it may lead to a big fine. Like $5,000. It’s been ages since the FCC has cited a station specifically for violating 73.1201, the line in the rules that requires stations to identify with their call letters and city of license “hourly, as close to the hour as possible.”

So it was an eye-opener to see the Commission propose a $5,000 fine against Leighton Enterprises’ KBOT, Pelican Rapids, MN(104.1) for failing to run a legal ID for 10 weeks. KBOT told the FCC it was an “inadvertent”programming error in its automation system that replaced the proper top-hour ID with a promotional announcement that included the station’s slogan(“Wild 104”) — but not the calls and city of license.

An expensive phone call for a Montana station. KZMN, Kalispell (103.9) broadcast a call in November2003 between DJ Paul Gray and a woman who called the station to complain about a turkey that was hanging froma window of the station’s building. (The turkey was thereto advertise the station’s Thanksgiving food drive.) The woman was transferred to the studio to talk to Gray, who was taking food drive pledges on the air. So far, so good— except that the woman then handed the phone to a coworker, who apparently wasn’t told the call was being broadcast. The co-worker wasn’t pleased (especially after Gray told her to “quit complaining...and listen to the station”).

She filed a complaint. KZMN fired Gray and apologized to the woman — but the FCC says that’s not enough. It imposes a $6,000 fine.

You know what to do: legal ID every hour and notify every single caller that they may be on the air. Ya got to do it.

Nashville Star Weekly Recap

If you are following Nashville Star each week and are afraid you may miss an episode, Karen Byrd is charged with PR for the show from her Franklin, TN., office and emails a quick recap right after each week's program. Then, she posts one at http://nashvillestar.yahoo.com later in the day.

For Nashville Star assistance:

Karen Byrd Public Relations
2020 Fieldstone Pkwy. #900-219
Franklin, TN 37069
Phone: 615-595-1500
Email: karenbyrdpr@comcast.net
Fax: 615-595-6844

She adds: "Don't miss the next episode of "Nashville Star" on Tuesday, March 29, on USANetwork at 10 PM ET/PT/9 PM CT. PHIL VASSAR will kick off the "Original Songs" episode with a medley of his biggest hits, and LeANN RIMES and BRET MICHAELS will perform a special duet. Plus, we'll get to check out thesongwriting talents of our remaining contestants. Last week, (Episode #4), Sara Evans looked and sounded great as she opened the show with her #1 smash'Suds In The Bucket.' Casey Simpson was eliminated from the competition (see details below)."

Get Great Listener Testimonials For Your Promos

Hoppy Gilmore (Send E-mail to Hoppy Gilmore), PD/Morning cohost at Froggy 99.9 FM, Fargo says they never have a problem getting fresh, new testimonials because every single morning as their morning stunt person goes out they play "The Froggy UM Game."

To win a prize, every listener is recorded saying why they like Froggy - the more specific the better - and to win they have to go the full :30 without ever saying "um" or "uh."

This practically guarantees that every listener has a lot of energy and a big smile in their voice as they talk about what matters most about your station to them. Then, run don't walk back to the station and add this great real life, real listener stuff into your self-promotion so it sounds like real people are the voice of your radio station.

Ear Worms = Fun Phone Topic

To the tune of "It's A Small World After All," "Living La Vida Loca" or "Disco Duck.."

Why that song sticks in your head: Seattle PI

KLOS Goes Classic Rock After CBS-FM Goes Jack

Fred Jacobs has a great blog on the issues facing rock formats, and a lot of his brilliant musings are universal truths.

i.e. when one station vacates a format, it always seems like one company's dead lawn is another one's greener pastures.. and so it is in LA right now:

First: No "Happy Jack" In L.A.? Not long afterward: Jack LA - Postscript

Does Your Morning Show Suck?

It does, says Mercury Research, San Diego's Mark Ramsey if it has stopped trying new things - and occasionally failing at these experiments: Does Your Morning Show Suck?

He adds: If your station is in a head-to-head format battle, then you're in a "drag-race." And here's a great example of how to compete in a drag-race to win from my friends over at Marketing Playbook. The players in this case are iPod accessories, but the rules are universal.

E-quest Text Alerts - Check This Out!

I just got an email from WMIL, Milwaukee's "Moo Crew" morning team: "Have you ever wondered when FM 106.1is going to play your favorite song? Are you convinced we play your song right after you turn off the radio?

"We’re going to make it so you never have to wonder again. Introducing FM 106.1’s E-Quest Alerts. Just click here, select your favorite songs and we’ll let you know by email or text message exactly when they will play.

"FM 106.1 is participating in a test of this brand new system. You will be one of the first people in the entire country to try it. We believe this will be a lot of fun and want your opinion. Watch for feedback links in your alerts and let us know what you think."

What Karen Dellesandro, Scott Dolphin and Radar are referring to is called "E-quest alerts."

More info from: Hal Fish - hjfish@radiotraks.com 866-614-1499 or Bill Hard - bill@billhard.com 609-654-7272.

Who Is Surrounding YOUR Listeners?

Hats off to R&R Marketing/Management/Sales Editor Roger Nadel (rnadel@radioandrecords.com) for a thought-provoking column in the 3/18/05 edition called "Insights from Radio's Biggest Customer."

It's a synopsis of Home Depot VP/Merchandising and Marketing John Costello's keynote speech at February's RAB Managing Sales Conference. Costello says that Home Depot has developed a simple strategy for its media partnerships:

1. Segment. Build strong relationships with your (and their!) most-valued customers.
2. Stand out. Differentiate your brand from others.
3. Surround the customers. Determine how to connect with customers.
4. Do more with less. Make productivity a way of life. It's all about Return On Investment.
5. Choose the best (marketing/promotional/merchandising) partners. Great partnerships equal great results.

Sounds like a system we should be using with ours too!

Country Legends Interviews

Big Joe Marshall at K-Bear in Anchorage does a daily "Legends at Lunch" feature and as a part of it he's been getting phone interviews with the artists whose music he plays every day: "I wanted to tell you how Legends is going. Incredible! I have 6 or so interviews canned already, Mel Tillis, Mickey Gilley, Janie Fricke, Vern Gosdin, Bill Anderson, it goes on and on..."

If you'd be interested in what Joe's doing, I know he'd be delighted to share:

Big Joe Marshall
Morris Alaska
KBEAR 104.1 Alaska's Hottest Country
907-275-2266
bigjoe@kbrj.com
www.kbrj.com

Did All Radio CEO's Really Want To Be Morning Jox?

Sounds like it..

Outgoing Jefferson-Pilot Radio President Clarke Brown took his lumps during Wednesday night’s annual John Bayliss Foundation roast in New York as industry buddies teed off on Brown.

Emmis CEO Jeff Smulyan: “All of us wanted a job in radio, but Clarke got a job at Jefferson-Pilot.”

Interep President/Sales Jeff Dashev: "Let’s face it; he’s in the twilight of a mediocre radio career.”

Brown got the last laugh: “When Jeff’s wife said she wanted him to buy her a diamond, he bought the Seattle Mariners.” He then claimed that the youthful-looking Smulyan has benefited from botox and plastic surgery.

As proof, he flashed a “before” picture on the big screen — a photo of Mel Karmazin.

Miranda Lambert in Sunday's Parade Magazine

WHAT'S COUNTRY STAR MIRANDA LAMBERT'S BACKGROUND?
According to WalterScott in this Sunday's issue of PARADE magazine, after Miranda finishedthird on USA Network's "Nashville Star," the Texas native was signed toSony. For her CD "Kerosene," released last week, Lambert wrote all butone song. She tells us in PARADE: "I'm just 21, but my parents areprivate investigators, and I've seen a lot of reality. Relationshipsinspire my work." Her song "Me and Charlie Talking" has gotten a lot ofattention and even hit the number one spot on a few Country charts.

PARADE MAGAZINE'S WALTER SCOTT THINKS THE NEW FARRAH FAWCETT REALITY SHOW COULD BE THE FUNNIEST SHOW SINCE "SEINFELD."
On Wednesday FarrahFawcett's new show on TV Land, "Chasing Farrah" hits the airwaves. AndPARADE magazine's Walter Scott says he can't wait for the show tofinally hit the air. According to Scott, if the 58-year-old ex-pinupacts as weird as she did on her infamous guest appearance with DavidLetterman in 1997, "Chasing Farrah" will be a runaway hit.

Topic Idea: If you could pick one wacky celeb to be the star of a reality show, who would it be?

WHAT ARE THE CHANCES DEREK JETER WILL FINALLY TIE THE KNOT?
Walter Scott notes in this Sunday's issue of PARADE magazine that Jeter and his newgal pal Stacy Lynn Spierer are tight, but don't count on him settlingdown any time soon. The 30-year-old Jeter just has too much of a historyof loving and leaving 'em. The Yankee slugger's exes include pop divaMariah Carey, video jockey Vanessa Minnillo and actress JordanaBrewster. So possibly the best piece of advice for Spierer, who's'appeared in minor TV and film roles, would be to don't give up your day job.

Topic Idea: What did it take for you to finally tie the knot with yourspouse? Ladies: What's the most important trait you look for in apossible mate? How about the guys, what do you look for?

www.Paraderadio.com is written and created for radio from the pages of PARADE Magazine by John Ford who would enjoy hearing from you: john_ford@parade.com

TV Ratings and Celebrity Gossip

From Jim Carnegie at TVBR (Mail to:tvbr1@tvbrepaper.com)...

Fox nailing down 18-49 demo
The continued strong performance of "American Idol" is solidifying Fox's hold on the 18-49 demo for the 2004-'05 season to date. Fox has now moved to a 4.1 rating and 11 share in the money demo, while still running fourth in household numbers. Chart

Justin Louis to play The Donald
Does he look like a young Donald Trump? Actor Justin Louis, best known for the Lifetime network drama "1-800-MISSING" has been cast to play the real estate mogul turned NBC reality TV star in an ABC made-for-TV movie based on the book "Donald Trump: Master Apprentice" by Gwenda Blair, with the working title "Ambition." The TV movie will focus on Trump's life from the 1970s, when he began to build his empire, to the turbulent time - - both in his business and personal life - - of the early '90s. Katheryn Winnick had already been cast to play his ex-wife, Ivana. The e! xecutive producers of "Ambition" are Barbara Lieberman, Dan Lux, Vin Di Bona, Jorg Westerkamp and Michael Hagemeyer. The director is John David Coles, and the teleplay is by Keith Curran. The made-for-TV-movie is produced by Barbara Lieberman Productions in association with D. Lux-Di Bona Productions and Apollo ProMovie.

NBC Wings it for year seven
Confirming several days of speculation, NBC Entertainment President Kevin Reilly says "The West Wing" has been renewed for a 7th season. That will bring the plot twist of a new election as characters played by Alan Alda and Jimmy Smits seek the Oval Office that's been occupied by Martin Sheen as President Josiah Bartlet since the show's debut in 1999. NBC has also given renewals to "Joey," "Crossing Jordan" and "Las Vegas," plus it's extended "ER" through the 2007-'08 season.

Arthel Neville joins "A Current Affair"
TV host and veteran broadcast journalist Arthel Neville has joined 20th Television's "A Current Affair" as West Coast correspondent, it was announced today by Peter Brennan, the program's creator and executive producer. The news magazine show hosted by Tim Green will premiere in first-run syndication 3/21. Neville joins "A Current Affair's" team of correspondents of Michel James Bryant, Harris Faulkner and Tina Malave, all of whom joined the program earlier this month. Most recently, Neville was co-host of the daily talk show "Good Day Live." A veteran journalist ! and television personality, Neville began her career with KVUE-TV in Austin during her junior year at The University of Texas. The first African American female reporter at the local ABC affiliate, her general assignment beat took her to the streets of Austin covering live breaking news, politics, education, health and human-interest stories. Also the first African American female to have her own show on CNN, Neville brought more than two decades of experience to "Talk Back Live with Arthel Neville," where she reported on and participated in live, in-depth discussions on issues making worldwide headlines. A New Orleans native, she also anchored "CNN Headline News" from its Atlanta and NYC bureaus.

(Not Quite) 900 New Ideas

Renee Fonner, Promotion Director, KFKF 94.1 FM, Kansas City, moderated this year's CRS 2005 panel "900 ideas in 90 minutes" which started as 60 in 60 a few years ago and has gotten bigger and bigger: Whew! If you were at CRS-36 you saw that we did it: 900 Ideas in 90 minutes! If you missed this great panel you can still take advantage of the great ideas. You will be the star at your station because I bet you’ll find a sales promotion that you can implement tomorrow and bring in a few dollars !

You’ll find the ideas here!

How about another round of applause for this year’s CRB Promotion Award Winners!

SMALL MARKETWinner
KRKT - Sign Contest for Tickets
Runner-up KZPK - CMA Party

MEDIUM MARKET
Winner KXKC - Coast to Coast Concert
Runner-up WIVK - Mountain of Toys

LARGE MARKET
Winner WDSY - Scholarship Cruise
Runner-up KILT - Big Country Cure for Kids

These stations were chosen from promotions submitted by full-time country radio stations and run between November 1, 2003 and December 1, 2004.

Mark your calendars now for CRS 37 February 15 – 17, 2006! Start making a file now with all your great promotions from 2005 and you can enter the CRB Promotion Awards. It could get you a free trip to Nashville and CRS 37!

MADD Media Awards

The call for entries is out for the third annual competition sponsored by Mothers Against Drunk Drivers. The awards recognize media professionals and organizations for outstanding coverage and advancement of issues related to MADD's mission to stop drunk driving, support the victims of this violent crime and prevent underage drinking. Two of the 12 awards are radio-specific: one for Outstanding Coverage of Drunk Driving Issues, and one for Outstanding Coverage of Underage Drinking Issues. Entries must have aired during the 12 months ending March 31. Deadline for submitting entries is March 31 (I know, it's the same date); winners will be notified by May 31. Get more info at www.madd.org/news/0,1056,5664,00.html.

Infinity's New Streaming News Portal

Check out: https://www.radiomat.com/.
In three years will all major companies have these for all of their formats? I'd like to hope they will, even sooner than that (including for all five of each station's new IBOC digital side channels).

The future is going to get very interesting. Guess who is going to have to PROGRAM all that?

You.

Personalities who create strong content and drive usage will be richly rewarded, more tomorrow than today.

Women Have Less Time For Everything (Listening TOO)

Thinking about Val Geller's points (Never Lose A Listener below) about the differences between men and women in terms of how they individually experience radio reminded me of this item from Radio Business Report:

Why it's difficult to reach Women 25-54

A national survey reveals why marketers find it more difficult today to reach women ages 25-54-- a powerful demographic group of 53 million women.

The conclusion: They have much more on their minds today than five years ago as more things compete for their attention, leaving little time for commercial messages.

The survey of 1,000 Americans by Ketchum PR, found that 58% of women ages 25-54 have "much more" on their minds now than five years ago. That percentage is a startling 18% higher than that of the total public, 20% higher than men ages 25-54, and 35% higher than men in general.

Women ages 25-54, the survey found, are more likely to have many things competing for their attention as they juggle multiple tasks and thoughts, and also are more easily distracted.

Underscoring how little time they have in an average day for media, the survey disclosed that, among women 25-54:
-- 59% "rarely" or "never" read a newspaper from beginning to end, compared to 52% for the total public and 51% for men ages 25-54.
-- Only half (51%) "frequently" watch a television program from start to finish, compared to 60% of men and 55% of the total public.
-- Just 47% frequently listen to the radio for more than 30 minutes straight versus 62% of their male counterparts.
-- 56% rarely or never read a magazine from cover to cover, a percentage that, surprisingly, is nearly similar to their male counterparts (57%).

The survey also found that women ages 25-54 trust experts the most for information (27%), followed closely by family and friends (26%). Want women to listen more? Follow Oprah and The View's example and have lots of informative, topical 'experts' on your show. But keep them fun, current and interesting.

And nearly one in four (23%) cites media reports as the most credible sources of information.

Marketing, however, isn't likely to be considered credible, with direct mail (3%) and advertising (2%) at the bottom of the list. The survey findings hold important implications for marketers:

-- Though women 25-54 respect the media as a credible source of information, they don't have a lot of time to absorb the information. So offering shorter chunks of information for women to digest likely will cut through the clutter.
-- Since this demographic group trust experts the most for information, tapping into experts will lend credibility to media reports, campaigns and messages.
-- While women ages 25-54 may not realize they're indeed multi-minding, they have less information on how to deal with all of the thoughts and concerns they juggle.
-- Because these women spend a significant amount of time thinking of others, marketers likely can tap into women 25-54 by showing them how their products and services can help them take even better care of others, and themselves.

Never Lose A Listener

Talk radio personality consultant VALERIE GELLER claims to be "ALONE IN A ROOM, WRITING," working on the NEW CREATING POWERFUL RADIO BOOK, which is due out next Spring. It's actually very hard to visualize this gregarious people person in that position, so if you want to say HI and keep her from getting lonely: phone 1212 580-3385 or email vgeller@aol.com. She just sent out this missive to her many fans, including US...

Did you happen to notice the slogan "Never Lose A Listener" in a recent RCS marketing campaign? What a great ad. Really, there's been so much emphasis on developing and getting NEW listeners, that we also need to think about paying extra attention to keeping the audience we've already got onboard. With the amount of choices people have for their time and attention, listeners are easily distracted.

So how do you get a listener to listen LONGER? What happens when what is going on inside the mind of a listener gets better or more interesting or engaging than what is coming out of the speaker? What do you do? Exactly how do you, "Never Lose A Listener?" This is a KEY issue all over our planet. And the answers for keeping your audience, and getting them to listen longer, are pretty similar all over this earth, including client stations I've worked with in the past few months here in the United States, in Canada, England, Australia, Europe and Africa. And it's been a hot topic at several industry conferences I've presented at recently, including Canadian Music Week, Public Radio Programmers, The European NAB in Lisbon and the Radio and Records Talk Radio Seminar in Los Angeles.

ELVIS HAS LEFT THE BUILDING
Here are a few suggestions to never ever lose a listener: Create Powerful Radio. Tell the Truth. Never Be Boring. Make it relevant. If a listener gets bored, he or she "zones out. " Here's what happens when they go away: At the moment, what's going on in the mind of the listener is better or more interesting than what was coming through the speaker. When that happens, your listeners either leave the station mentally, or tune out physically, their attention goes elsewhere.

WHY LISTENERS LEAVE
Think about it. Have you ever sat in your car, stuck in traffic waiting for the traffic report to come on? You WORK IN RADIO. You KNOW when that report is coming, so you wait. Or maybe you're waiting to hear a song title. You want to find out the CD or the artist, but somehow you zone out...the report came and went or the song title came and went, and YOU MISSED IT? WHY? Because it was boring. The presenter, host or announcer did NOT make it matter.

Pace and tempo do not equate ENERGY. Energy does not equate to MAKING IT MATTER. Storytelling makes it matter. A storyteller who CARES about what he or she is presenting makes it matter. This is NOT an acting job. If it MATTERS to the presenter, it'll matter more to the audience. Part of telling the truth is being authentic, and genuinely caring about what you are talking about on air.

WHAT THEY ARE NOT GETTING FROM YOU
When a listener leaves either mentally or physically and actually switches off the station, here is what is NOT happening. That listener is NOT engaged. He or she is BORED. ZONED OUT. Looking for another station or immersed in his or her own thoughts.

TOO MANY COMMERCIALS or TOO MANY BAD COMMERCIALS?
What makes a listener go away?. In paraphrasing Carol Archer's excellent Radio and Records column (March 11th issue) she asks: "Are your commercials causing a listener to tune out because the break is too long? Or is the offending spot simply bad - boring, noisy, off message, a bad format fit? Or God forbid, all of the above?"

WHAT DO LISTENERS WANT?
The Powerful Radio Principles can offer your listeners what they want and what they need.

Here it is: They don't really care about YOU. In personality radio, many personalities get confused and think if they talk about themselves it will be interesting. But powerful radio is not about YOU, it's about the listener. The personal is universal, but the private tends to be boring. Your listeners want to be informed and entertained. They want new knowledge. They also want NOT to feel alone. They want to feel connected into an isolated world they find themselves in. A listener wants to feel at home with or comfortable with the person on air. They like to feel they "know" the presenter or host. Sometimes listeners like a little help in making up their minds, say, they are not completely certain of what they may think about a subject or topic, here they can get enough information or opinion or viewpoints to make up their minds. And in commercial radio, when the spots are effective, listeners say they like to learn about bargains, new products or services. And if a listener is having a down or despairing black moment, he or she wants to be inspired. We are lucky. Most people out there listening do not have exciting lives or careers. Because of this, listeners also desire "talkable topics." They want to be able to turn the radio off and have ideas and interesting new things to say to people.

Listeners also want vicarious experiences. They like to be taken on journeys they cannot get to on their own. Everybody loves to laugh. If you can make a listener laugh, it's like handing them a solid chunk of gold. Listeners also want to learn new things. (They also appreciate help with their "show prep" for dinner, just in case they don't have anything interesting to say to the people in their lives.) Give them stuff they can talk about. Listeners also want you to get ahead and lead them and give them ideas, things to think about. Finally, they want to feel good. If you can do that, you have that audience completely with you. And if you don't care, they don't care.

Make it matter!

Geller promises: "The new Creating Powerful Radio book will deepen the work begun in the first two Powerful Radio books, including new and specific methods and techniques to help broadcasters get to the next level of performance. Here you'll learn techniques to develop, grow and keep audiences for radio stations through personality, content and presentation. Product, Permanence and Promotion. How to engage. Never be boring.

"How to deeply target the core audience. (Did you know if you speak more visually, that's a powerful method to attract the MALE auduience as men tend to powerfully process informaton visually? If you are trying to attract a predominently female audience, how something affects feelings is very key in reaching reach women.)

"And don't be fooled by traditional demographics of age, race, and sex when targteting your audience. The new Creating Powerful Radio book will feature proven ideas that have lead stations worldwide to success, including sections on LifeStage Demographics (for more on LifeStage Demographics, go to www.gellermedia.com) . The new book will also expand on Powerful Radio Aircheck Techniques you may have read about in The Powerful Radio Workbook: The Prep, Performance & Post Production Planning. (Do you know if you are a Generator or a Reactor on air?) Just some of what's in the new book.

"While the new Creating Powerful Radio book will have a strong focus on programming and CONTENT, you'll learn new ideas and increase your expertise in other areas like promotion, marketing, sales and copywriting from contributors Maureen Bulley with Canada's Rogers Media (author of Write Good Copy Fast) and Creative Animal Doug Harris. And newly updated Producers and Creating Powerful Radio news sections.

"I'm excited about completing this new work and having it available to you. NOTE: If you would like to be on the waiting list for your copy, we will give your name to FOCAL press, and when it's published you will be notified. Again the scheduled pub. date is spring 2006"

Something To Do In Your Spare Time: Write a Book

"Sexiest Fat Men Alive" Sign with W Publishing Group
Birmingham's Rick & Bubba have signed with W Publishing Group to bring their family-friendly humor to readers. Rick Burgess and Bill "Bubba" Bussey will pen Rick and Bubba's Expert Guide to God, Country, Family and Anything Else We Can Think Of to release March 2006.

Things to do today..

1. Get up at 3:30 am
2. Pre show prep with cohosts
3. Do show
4. Review the show with cohosts, prep for tomorrow, listen to air check together
5. Meet with PD
6. Produce two updated promos for tomorrow's show, one :30 and one :12.
7. Post today's "best of" bits on website (mp3) for downloading and podcasting.
8. Update morning show webpages and/or blogs.
9. Personal appearance
10. Write book chapter

JetsGo Lemons = EZ Rock Lemonaid

Thanks to http://www.BroadcastDialogue.com Howard Christensen for this one:

97.3 EZ ROCK EASES TORONTO'S JETSGO WOES
97.3 EZ Rock spends the day trading Jetsgo confirmations for family trips!

TORONTO – On Friday, March 11th, 2005, it was announced that Jetsgo was immediately grounding it’s flights. In response, 97.3 EZ Rock encouraged listeners who had been affected by the cancellations to fax their flight confirmations and tickets to the station.

Beginning at 9:00 am EST that same day, 97.3 EZ Rock began rewarding Jetsgo passengers with packages at the Delta Chelsea Hotel, Toronto. One lucky passenger will also win a flight for 4 courtesy of Westjet, to the destination that their flight with Jetsgo was booked for.

Response was swift and overwhelming. EZ Rock Midday Host Darryl Henry fielded calls from listeners throughout the day.

"I can’t remember a response like this to anything I've ever done in 20 years of being an announcer” says Henry, “and not only from the people who are stuck, but from people who just loved the fact that we were trying to do something for those unlucky passengers!"

The Delta Chelsea offers a “Resort in the City” feeling with waterslides and indoor entertainment. Lucky EZ Rock listeners who were left stranded can save themselves the 5-hour flight and grab a deck chair right here in Toronto!

The winner of the flight for four aboard Westjet, will be drawn live with KJ, 97.3 EZ Rock’s Afternoon Drive Show host.

For more information:Melissa Morris Promotions Director 97.3 EZ Rock (416) 486-5652 E-mail: mmorris@ezrock.com

If You Escourt A Listener Vacation Trip, A TIP..

Take your credit card, just in case:

Our KEY 103 sponsored week in Austria in March of 1986 started with a beautiful moonlit ride on a ski lift up to a mountaintop restaurant, me singing “The hills are alive with the sound of music!” Elise telling me to hush. A blazing fire in the center of the room was the focal point of the ambience. A terrific meal awaited us. And then…the bill. But it was supposed to be all pre-paid! No, there was some snafu with the land operator of the tour and our travel guide and consultant, Nick Brizendine, had to put the whole thing on his credit card temporarily! (read more from Dave Jarrott)

Reading this nightmare is a good excuse to put in a plug for www.holidayvacations.net of Eau Claire, WI. CONTACT: Denise Pedersen, Sales Manager - denisep@holidayvacations.net,
800-826-2266.

A&O client WAXX could give them a reference: George Roberts, 715 832-1530. They have used them for years, as have many radio and TV stations for both client incentive and listener/personality-hosted tours.

Go For A Donut & Coffee Next Time An Artist Visits

Johnny Reid was at KIX 104, Barrie-Midland-Orillia promoting his new one "You Still Own Me," playing live on air and taking calls from listeners when cohost Ted Roop asked his cohost Carrie Moran to take the controls so he and Reid could go for coffee at Tim Horton's. Grabbing a cell phone, Roop and Johnny grabbed the station van with the cell phone live on air and did the drive through at Tim's where they ordered coffee and then went inside so the artist could meet listeners.

Talk about doing the unexpected when a star comes in for an in-studio appearance! Roop reports that Johnny Reid performed impressively.

iPods as prizes

Doug Erickson, who does everything from consulting major morning personality shows to an oldies network in France from his Englewood, Colorado, office (303.290.8839) hit the nail on the head and calls an important new study to our attention..

If you're considering doing an iPod promotion -- your timing is perfect as this research brief from the Center for Media Research shows.

Are iPods a threat to your station? Well, that's a long discussion for another time, perhaps. But your listeners are buying them, and using them, and ignoring them doesn't seem wise to me.

Why not ask each winner for a list of their 50 favorite songs, and pre-load them, along with a personal greeting from your Morning Show?The technology isn't our enemy; it's our own lack of creativity we need to fight.

Music Players Hit the Adult Market
A survey between January 13 and February 9 by the Pew Internet &American Life Project reports that more than 22 million American adults (age 18 and older) have iPods or MP3 players. And, though the study did not include teens, the review suggests that there are likely several million more MP3 players owned in the teen world.

iPods/MP3 player ownership demographics look like this:

*14% of men have the players, compared to 9% of women.
*19% of those under age 30 have iPods/MP3 players
*14% of those ages 30-39 have them
*14% of younger Baby Boomers (ages 40-48) own them
*iPods/MP3 players are found to be gadgets for the upscale. 24% of those who live in households earning more than $75,000 have them

Yahoo Ranks Country's BUZZ

Marty Thompson, PD at B-105.1, Cincinnati sent this: "Don't know if you saw this--- Yahoo ranks searches and comes up with a "Buzz Factor". Yesterday it was Country's turn here's the link and what it says..."

http://buzz.yahoo.com/buzz_log/?fr=fp-buzz-morebuzz

Gone Country Tuesday March 15, 2005 6:00PM PT
Tim McGraw If you're hearing a certain twang in the buzz lately, you're not alone. Searches on country music have taken off over the last couple of weeks and we're here to sort through those Nashville nuggets.

Country stalwart Tim McGraw is up 258% in search over the last week as he rides high on the success of "Live Like You Were Dying." The behatted one ranks in our top 400 queries, and barely aces out rising star Kenny Chesney (+86%) as the top country performer in searches. On the female side, searches on pop-country sensation Shania Twain have waned a bit over the past year, but she's bouncing back this week, up 173%. McGraw's wife, country chanteuse Faith Hill (+206%), is still a strong search performer as well -- but Shania nabs about twice the searches.

The past week also saw a surge in queries on country and rodeo legend Chris LeDoux. LeDoux's death at 56 spurred searches on the rough and tumble cowboy singer from nothing into the quadruple digits. Related searches on "Chris LeDoux Lyrics" and "Chris LeDoux News" also spiked as fans sought out information on the authentic Western songsmith.

We've also noticed a bump in searches on the TV show Nashville Star. The Idol-like show for the country set is up 8% this week, and firmly in our top 20 TV searches. Demographic data on the talent show tells us two-thirds of searches come from women, and that its audience skews a little older, with a quarter of searches coming from the 35-44 age bracket. This third edition of the countrified competition is also spurring spikes on judge Bret Michaels (+156%) of Poison fame (!) and adorable hostess -- country star LeAnn Rimes (+101%). As for the aspiring country stars featured on the show, we took a look at searches on the remaining nine competitors and here's how they stack up...

Christy McDonald
Jenny Farrell
Casey Simpson
Erika Jo Heriges
Jody Evans
Jason Meadows
Jayron Weaver
Tamika Tyler
Justin David

Zounds!: A Browser's Dictionary of Interjections..

Found this on barnesandnoble.com and it sounds like a good, light interactive topic. A new book just out this month "Zounds! A Browser's Dictionary of Interjections" by Mark Dunn and Sergio Aragones.

That last name look familiar? He is the legendary Mad Magazine contributor and would be a good interview.

FROM THE PUBLISHER
From Geronimo! to gesundheit to haminahamina to holy mackerel, and from abracadabra to zoinks, Mark Dunn and Sergio Aragonés show you interjections like you've never seen them before.Often thought of as unnecessary verbal fringe or simply linguistic decoration, interjections (ahem, howdy, mamma mia, pshaw, tally-ho, whoop-de-do) may well be the most overlooked part of speech in the English language. ZOUNDS! A Browser's Dictionary of Interjections focuses the spotlight on this most deserving (and sometimes most demented) grammatical group. A light-hearted look at more than 500 interjections, ZOUNDS! explores the origins of these essential words and highlights the contributions of these previously unheralded parts of speech.Perfect for both word lovers and the casual reader, ZOUNDS! brings together the linguistic talents of Mark Dunn, author of the award-winning novel Ella Minnow Pea, and the graphic hilarity of Sergio Aragonés, the legendary cartoonist and contributor to Mad Magazine, for a delightful romp through grammar, culture, and the English language.

Putt With A Purpose

Support your local MS Society (and financial institution) and get involved with The Longest Day of Golf.

Example campaigns:
http://www.nmssmi.org/MSLongestDayofGolf.htm
http://www.msandyou.org/chapter_events/ms_ldg/longestday_golf.php3
http://www.houghtonlakeresorter.com/site/community.cfm?BRD=2053&Pag=608&dept_id=382964&Events__EventID=85223

In Canada, it's the Cancer Society which uses the concept:
http://www.cancer.ca/ccs/internet/standard/0,3182,3490_327879__langId-en,00.html

Corey and Jay Podcast "Bits They Can't Do On Air"

“The Corey and Jay Show”, on Magic 105 in Little Rock and 103.7 The Fox in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, has begun podcasting one of its most popular features, “Head Up Your Ass Headlines”.

The daily feature is a compilation of weird news, stories of stupid criminals, and odd happenings from around the world. Over the past 7 years, it has consistently been the program’s most popular feature.

The podcast version is about 10 minutes in length and available weekdays (read more)

The Stepford Listeners

Critics call them "iPod People."
They ride trains, walk to class and wander malls among the crowd but apart from it thanks to the signature plastic "buds" jammed in their ears and the thin white wires disappearing into their jackets. Apple's digital music player is massively popular with people on the go. And as the iPod morphs from hipster accessory to everyday item, critics worry that the growing number of people tuning out from the world is diminishing public life.

"Get on a subway, and you're surrounded by a bunch of Stepford commuters, all sealed off from each other, staring into mid-space as if anesthetized by technology. Don't ask, don't tell, don't overhear, don't observe. Just tune in and tune out," columnist Andrew Sullivan wrote in the Sunday Times of London (read more - Newsday)

Might be worth an on air rant.. "tune into the community, don't tune out to it.. thanks for listening to real life, authentic RADIO."

USA Cares

USA Cares has reached several milestones. Since March of 2003, we are three states from helping Military families in all 50 states from all branches of service. We have helped in five countries overseas. We have worked with 1,000 families and coordinated or provided over $400,000 in grants. We have done all this without federal or major corporate support for the operational requirements of the organization. We did this with all volunteers.

Since September 11, 2001, over 470,000 Reserve and National Guard have answered the call. We need to continue and, in fact, increase our ability to help Military families.
We need your help. Join us in our "Star Program" and help us find and assist the Military families that need the help. Help us give a "Hand Up".

Note: the Pentagon does not encourage or support the program, feeling that the military has many programs for families itself. They worry that it's unfair to have some troops receiving 'grants' while the person in the bed next to them may not be. However, http://www.usacares.us/ received a nice plug from ARMY TIMES' "Sergeant Shopper" consumer columnist, referring readers to USA Cares MilitaryFamily Assistance Center, (800) 773-0387, or online at www.usacares.us. Seems like a very worthy effort to me.

This HAS to be grist for a stunt or phone topic..

Hilary Swank is coming out swinging against New Zealand authorities, who slapped the Oscar-winning actress with a $150 fine for bringing fruit into the country, the Associated Press reports.

According to a report in The Sunday Star-Times newspaper, Swank was fined in January when customs officials at Auckland International Airport discovered an apple and an orange in her purse that the actress had not declared.

In order to keep out pests, New Zealand has strict guidelines about what can be brought into the country. Swank has reportedly told her lawyers to appear in court to contest the fine, AP reports, but a publicist for the two-time Academy Award winner shrugged the whole thing off, calling it "the apple in the purse incident," and refusing to discuss it further. Visitors who violate the ban usually receive an automatic fine, though hundreds contest them, a Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry spokesman said. "It's a pretty standard practice to issue an instant fine for a biosecurity risk," the spokesman said. New Zealand's ban on items such as fruit has kept the country free from the pests and insects that plague other parts of the world.

KYGO, Denver Gives Away a HOUSE and a CYCLE

Heard in Denver..house keys, cycle keys..to celebrate KYGO's anniversary..

KYGO Home Giveaway:
You've made a home for KYGO in Denver for 25 years, now we're building a home for you. It's easy to win the KYGO U.S. Home Giveaway worth over $246,000. That's right, you win a new house. Simply print the form on our web site, fill it out, and take it to one of the U.S. Home Communities. Listen to Kelly, Jonathan and Mudflap each weekday morning at 6:20, 7:20, and 8:20 to tell you the times throughout the day that we'll announce winning names. When you hear your name, call back within 30 minutes and you'll automatically win a fast hundred bucks and a key that could open the door on your new home. If you open it at our grand prize event, your win it from the only Denver station big enough to giveaway a new home.

Win a Custom Motorcycle
KYGO and Biker-Dude.com want you to win a nearly $70,000 Kendall Johnson custom motorcycle. Only 100 keys will be given out. See the bike on display at Alpine Car Star. You can register at Alpine Car star. Each month you will be able to check out the bike at a new location. Be sure to sign up for Team KYGO cause you could win one of the 100 keys.

Sell Your Requests and Never Mention The Sponsor on Air

Look how KIX, Midland-Barrie-Orillia does it: http://www.kicxfm.com/pages/nooner.htm

GM Mora Austin and PD/Morning cohost Ted Roop could provide more details: (705)526-2268.

Are Listeners Parodying YOUR Style of Speaking?

Tod Maffin sent me to this funny 3 min Flash cartoon about the way radio personalities talk and sound to their audience: Watch it now

Whenever You Are On TV, Send Your Fans a Message

Like CBS's Bob Schieffer did..

It was probably something that the average viewer outside of the Fort Worth-Dallas area didn't really notice. But, if you were watching Schieffer during his debut as the anchor for the CBS Evening News, you were likely right to guess that the purple and white tie he was wearing carried a non-verbal message to the folks back in his home town of Fort Worth.

It's a sure bet that the students at Texas Christian University's newly dedicated "Schieffer School of Journalism" didn't miss the color purple "message" that Bob was wearing the school's colors. When Bob was in Fort Worth at the dedication and symposium this week on Tuesday, after lunch, when a huge crowd of us was walking back to the auditorium for the 2 pm symposium across University Drive, www.radiodailynew.com's Larry Shannon reports he casually mentioned to the former TCU Horned Frog student-turned-radio news reporter-turned newspaper report-turned-news anchor that it was probably a strange feeling he might be having at that moment to walk across the same street he had four decades ago as a student at TCU, but this time in a new role, as professor.

Bob sort of chuckled, grinned and said in that upbeat style and unique voice of his, "Yeah ..." Bob's, worn a lots of hats and walked a lot of streets on a lot of beats.

He got started on the right foot on Thursday evening (visit CBS Evening News)

Podcast Your Best Bits NOW

Podcast Morning Show highlights to create buzz and build awareness. That's what Virgin Radio in London is now doing. The first radio station in the UK to do a daily podcast.

WHAT IS PODCASTING?

Does Your Audience Have YOUR CEO's Direct Line?

The direct phone line to Jeff Smulyan, the founder and chairman of Emmis is (317) 684-6530. Emmis is Hebrew for "truth." The phone number appears in the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics posted on the Web site of Emmis Communications.

That "Hot line to the CEO" is getting lots of action lately, thanks to Hot 97, NYC: (read more - Errol Louis-NY Daily News) (read more - HipHopDX)

BX93 celebrates 25 years

Chris Harding reports from Standard Radio in London, Ontario:

On March 3, 1980 at 12:01 a.m., London welcomed a new radio station. The birth of BX93 Country Radio was heralded with much fanfare and publicity. Now, 25 years later BX93 has a loyal following from Parkhill to Port Rowan, Brussels to Bothwell and everywhere in-between!

London and surrounding area loves its country, according to the latest BBM survey (December 2004). Country Favourites BX93 ranked number one in the coveted 12+ and adults 18+ categories and holds a strong 14.7 percent share of London CMA in the adults 35-64 demographic.

“Broadcasting in London and right across Canada has changed dramatically over the past quarter of a century. BX93 grew with London but never faltered in its commitment to country music and country music fans,” says Operations Manager, Barry Smith. “With amazing new talent like Gretchen Wilson, Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw, the future of country music is bright and we at BX93 look forward to entertaining our listeners for another 25 years.”

The original BX93 on-air line up consisted of Pete Leyland, Robert Q, Ron Michaels, Robin Geoffrey and Karen Cooper. Twenty-five years later, the names have changed but not the enthusiasm!

Listeners now wake up with Dave and Jacquie who, incidentally, just celebrated 10 years as BX93’ morning show hosts. Karl Josephs takes over from 9 a.m. ‘til 2 p.m. then hands the reins over to Chris Harding for the drive home and Wendy Stevens keeps you company at night.

BX93 was a finalist in the ‘Country Station of the Year’ category of the Radio Industry Awards.

Would You Cancel Your Spring Book Contest?

They did in Edmonton and it seems like a smart move to me:

96 X Calls Off Fugitive Contest and Donates Money to RCMP Families

Karen Paulgaard reports:

Yesterday, when four RCMP officers were killed in the line of duty near Edmonton, all of our lives changed.

At a time like this, it is simply impossible to continue with radio games, especially a game of "chase" such as "The 96X $20,000 Fugitive". The tragic events of yesterday remind us that tracking down a Fugitive is not a game for those in law enforcement. Four young men paid the ultimate price in their pledge to protect all of us.

Tens of thousands of 96X listeners have put time and effort into playing The Fugitive. We are so grateful for your dedication to this contest and this radio station and have plans for rewards in the near future. Hold on to your Agent Journals and stay tuned to 96X as we do intend to reveal the former Fugitive's identity to those of you who were playing along.

At this point, we just cannot, in good conscience, continue this contest. We are pulling the Fugitive off the air and, more importantly, 96X has decided to donate the $20,000 intended as a prize to the families of the fallen officers. We are also currently accepting donations for these families at our studios under Little Miracles. We will keep the funds in a sub-category to have all monies be put into a specific trust fund for the families.

Our studios are located at 4752-99 street. Donations can be dropped off during our business hours; 8:30am to 4:30pm from Monday to Friday.Please stay tuned to 96X for updates on our contesting. In the meantime, please consider the police in our community in your thoughts and prayers.

Listen to the CMA Award Winners

Here are the entries that won in 2004: http://www.cmaawards.com/2004/broadcast/award_winners.asp

Major Market
KMPS– Seattle: Audio Entry Sample

Major Market
Kelly & Jonathan with Mudflap
KYGO/Denver (Kelly Ford, Jonathan Wilde, Steve McGrew): Audio Entry Sample

Large Market
WFMS - Indianapolis: Audio Entry Sample

Medium Market
The Ron & Becky Morning Show
WBBS/Syracuse (Ron Bee, Becky Palmer): Audio Entry Sample

Medium Market
WIVK – Knoxville: Audio Entry Sample

Small Market
Holstein & Company Mornings
WIXY/Champaign (Steve Holstein, Andy Roberts, Melissa Anfield): Audio Entry Sample

Small Market
WQXK – Youngstown, Ohio: Audio Entry Sample

Get Listeners To Make Your TV Spots

Have your listeners create your TV spots (and put them on your website for viewing and forwarding to friends).

For example, OBTTV produces and enables documentary advertising/market research/co-created ads/video ethnography/citizen marketing/branded content/brand hijacking/consumer generated media/viral activity/screwing around with brands the way you read about...
local, national, and international programs available.

Check them out at http://www.obtainiumtv.com/.

After looking at their samples of spots produced for favorite products (and parodying not-so-favorite products), by real people with home video equipment, I think you'll agree that you can try this at home...

How To Win A Humanitarian Award

Here's what this year's CRB Humanitarian Award winners did:

Some of the activities the winning radio stations were involved in included local blood drives, silent auctions, toy and food drives and specific local public service announcement (PSA) campaigns.

The CRB 2005 Radio Humanitarian Honorees in each market are:

(Small Market) 104.9 KDXY The Fox; Jonesboro, Arkansas
This year's honoree in the Small Market category gives thousands of dollars and countless hours of free PSAs to support the missions of community organizations. Among over a dozen worthy initiatives within the past year, KDXY has held their 6th Annual "Have-A-Heart Radiothon" to benefit the Make a Wish Foundation, collected truckloads of dog and cat food and supplies to benefit the Northeast Arkansas Humane Society and collected blood for the Red Cross in a "Mosquito Bash Blood Drive."

(Medium Market) 99.1 KXKC; Lafayette, Louisiana
This year's honoree in the Medium Market category conducted two dozen community events and campaigns in their market during the qualification period. KXKC assured that every child in their market would have a toy for Christmas through their "Toys For Tots" campaign. They teamed with United Blood Services for a "Tour De Life Blood Drive." They also partnered with the Junior League of Lafayette for "Tinsel and Treasure," a pre-holiday shopping market that raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for community programs.

(Large Market) 99.5 WQYK; Tampa, Florida
WQYK is the number one ranked station and revenue generator in its market. On top of that, it is the biggest donator in the area. The station has supported more than sixty (60) organizations and events within the qualifying period. These efforts include raising $30,000 for The Angelus, a home for severely handicapped persons with their annual "Redneck Open Golf Tournament," raising $330,000 for St. Jude at the Florida State Fair and supporting Morning air personality and Cowboy poet Les McDowell as he visited over 70 schools to inspire children to write poetry.

Get more ideas and find out how to enter next year at 615.327.4487 or by visiting www.crb.org.

Giving Back To The Community - a new ideas blog

Read the lured.com Radio Ideas Blog - click here Sammy Simpson used to be the Marketing Director of Z-100, NYC and now he's a programmer in DC. Smart guy. Great site.

Ever Seen WHEAT Wave In The Wind On The Web?

Then, you need to look at this clever portal for the Morris/Salina cluster:
http://www.ksallink.com/

Naming Rights for a Day

No, of course no local radio station can buy the naming rights to your local stadium or arena (except for rare instances). But, could you do it for an important day?

WAAF gets naming rights to Boston's big Tweeter Center - for one day.
It's a charity thing that benefits various Boston-area groups and the station will use eBay to generate bids for a prize package built around a Motley Crue concert. The bidding for the prize is for one day only - Saturday, March 5 - and the Tweeter Center will briefly be known as the "WAAF Center."

And, of course, there's always this approach too:

Mile High Honor:
Colorado Governor Bill Owens has declared Saturday to be KYGO George Strait Day in honor of the Denver Country station's 25th Birthday Party concert that evening. Strait headlines.

Localizing in Lethbridge

CHLB PD Reid Morgan really knows his community:

Country 95 is going to smoke in May. Boy, I called it, and am I ever pleased I did. you remember in January I said the border wasn't going to open to cattle on March 7. I decided to go with the Kash Kitty rather than cash cow because of that prediction. We now have some EXTREMELY angry people around here, I am glad we aren't making light of cows in any way right now. It would be disastrous!

Reid Morgan, CRM
Director of Programming
CHLB-FM, CJBZ-FM
401 Mayor Magrath Drive
Lethbridge, Alberta T1J 3L8W
403.329.0955
F.403.329.0195

Cookies from home for the troops

WKRQ (Q102)/Cincinnati morning hosts Jeff & Jenn have started a Cookies For The Troops campaign.

Working with Girl Scouts and Brownies in the tri-state area, they are collecting cookies to send to our troops serving in Iraq. Cookies will be sent out on March 11 to Q102 correspondent Capt. Karen of the U.S. Air Force who is stationed in Iraq. She has been calling in to the Q-102 morning show to say hello to her local family and relate her experiences.

For more info, contact Q-102 PD Patti Marshall.

Texas Hold 'Em Poker at KGNC, Amarillo

PD/Morning guy Tim Butler reported that Amarillo's #1 radio station played "Texas Holdem Tuesday" During The Fall Book. The results were impressive. So:

"We Began Playing Again Today For The Spring Book.
The Basic Idea Is To Do A Progressive Contest. We Deal The First Two Cards On The Morning Show At 7:07am, Then The Next Three Cards (The Flop) At 10:07am, The Next Card (The Turn Card) At 3:07pm And The Next Card (The River) At 6:07pm. We Then (at 6:07pm) Take The 7th Caller To Tell Us The Entire Hand To Win $100.

"We Also Just Got Two Trips To Wendover, Nevada To Giveaway. Everyone That Wins "Texas Holdem Tuesday" In The Month Of March And April Will Be In A Reverse (more fun than a simple one) Drawing To Win.

Roof sit ends = 2 men, 1 failed mission

www.milkmanunlimited.com has the story of sadness, wind chill, frost bite and disappointment:

Peace River/Hi Level AB's Kevin Becker says that "on Friday February 25 at 3:15pm, morning hosts Scott Belford and Dono Jennings (YL Country High Level and KIX 106 Peace River) planned to break a record by staying 20 days on the roof of the Big Blue Building in High Level, Alberta. After 2 weeks of promotion and 2 minutes on the roof, the pair announced live on air “They just don’t want to do it anymore” and came down. Check our websites for more pics and info http://www.ylcountry.com/ http://www.kix106.net/."

It gets a bit chilly in Alberta in February! You don't suppose that the fact that just talking about the crazy stunt for two weeks got the whole town talking right at the start of the BBM survey was the real mission, do you?

McCoy Takes Over KICX 104 FM

Vikki Shaw (vshaw@kicxfm.com) writes to tell us that Canadian country star Jason McCoy is guest-hosting the Roop and Carey morning show on KICX 104 FM from Feb 28th till Mar 3rd.

McCoy hails from Minesing and will be taking over the airwaves while co-host Carey Moran is away. Jason recently won the prestigious Canadian Country Music Association ’s Male Vocalist Of The Year in 2004 and is also an award-winning songwriter.

Catch Roop and McCoy at 5:30 this Monday through Thursday (streamed at www.kicxfm.com). Jason will be bringing along his guitar and you never know what they’ll do!

KYEZ Helps Child Abuse Prevention

PD Bill Ray (browson@cox.net) reports Y-93.7, Salina, KS auctioned a Tim McGraw autographed guitar for $850 with proceeds going to Child Abuse Prevention Services. A total of $55,000 was raised during this annual auction.

You Don't Need A Promo Budget

Starting 3/1, KGB/San Diego's 16-year heritage morning team, Dave, Shelly And Chainsaw, started giving away $1,000 every day they're on the air live.

The promotion, The Dave, Shelly And Chainsaw Grand-A-Day, Every Day Giveaway, will run throughout 2005 and www.fmqb.com says it is being financed through listener purchases of the morning show's CDs and DVDs, which includes a 17,000 copy run of the 2004 feature-length comedy film The J-K Conspiracy.

Listeners can enter themselves, friends or relatives by answering "How $1,000 Will Change Your Life," on the station's Web site, www.101kgb.com. The Web site is the only place to enter the contest.

Reset Your Preset

Last year's Arbitron-Edison Media Research "In Car Study" found that there's a strong corelation between a person's favorite station and their car radio presets. The recommendation was: "almost no one has a favorite radio station that ISN'T set on their car radio pre-sets, so be sure you have a car radio strategy."

WKDF, Nashville does: since the station is "#1 for new country and the legends," their "reset your preset" campaign is paying listeners $100 when they are found with WKDF set on their #1 preset and $20 if they stop a listener who allows them to reset their #1 preset to 103.3.

Click on http://www.103wkdf.com/ to see how they promote it:

Re-Set Your Pre-Set to 103.3!!!
103 WKDF Air Personalities are cruising around Middle Tennessee five times a day checking to see if your #1 Pre-Set is on 103.3, brought to you by The All New Champion Ford on Charlotte Avenue.

Click here for more details and times.

Congratulations to Listener Rewards Club member, Teresa Eastridge of Springfield. She won $103 for having her #1 pre-set on 103.3.