Kenny Chesney Rocks (Literally) LA's Staples Center

Variety's Steve Mirkin: "...little of Kenny Chesney's "Somewhere in the Sun" tour that stopped into Staples Center Friday night could be called country. There may be a pedal steel guitar and a fiddle player -- and he still wears his signature cowboy hat -- but what he really wants to do is rock.

"He's preceded onstage by an aural montage of songs by AC/DC, who promises there'll be "rocking at the show tonight," Queen's stadium favorite "We Will Rock You," Ram Jam's "Black Betty" and a video of Sammy Hagar welcoming the aud to the show. A curtain (emblazoned with a tattoo-styled drawing of a pneumatic woman in a bikini astride a leaping marlin) drops, revealing Chesney's seven-piece band playing the fraternity boogie of "Keg in the Closet" on a two-tiered stage, complete with a catwalk, giant video screens and twin Marshall stacks the size of Hummers flanking it. And Chesney makes his entrance from the rear of the arena, flying over the aud's heads on a chair.

"Like many current rock bands, Chesney pulls his influences from the mid-'70s to the early '80s, but instead of the jittery, angst-ridden sounds of New Order, Gang of Four or Echo and the Bunnymen, Chesney draws on the heartland rock of John Cougar Mellencamp (he covers "Hurts so Good" with opening act Gretchen Wilson), Lynyrd Skynyrd and Jimmy Buffett. The riff at the heart of "Big Star" echoes "Brown Sugar"; "That's Why I'm Here" built to a swaying power ballad climax; and his duet with special guest Uncle Kracker included bits of "Drift Away" and the Allman Brothers' "Midnight Rider." But the slick, tightly controlled production has the same connection to the rock shows of that earlier era as Universal CityWalk has to Coney Island: It's spiffed up, bigger than life and surprisingly impersonal. With his eyes shaded by his wide-brimmed hat -- only his finely chiseled jaw is visible -- Chesney tends to emote with his arms. He wears a dark sleeveless T-shirt so they're easily seen, and he keeps them in constant motion: waving and pointing at the aud, outstretched during the ballads and high-fiving everything in his reach.

"His recent marriage to Renee Zellweger is alluded to only once (when a picture of her star on the Walk of Fame appears shows up during "Back Where I Come From"). And the baby boomers who make up a large part of the audience like it that way.

"Chesney allows them to relive the concert experiences of their youth, only without the messiness and discomfort. "

For Mirkin's entire review of Chesney's 2005 show click here.

Of Gretchen Wilson, he writes: "...(she) also straddles country and rock, the latter most pronounced on her covers of Heart and Led Zeppelin. The self-proclaimed "Redneck Woman" can deliver the Patsy Cline styled weepie "When I Think About Cheatin' " and hit the honky tonks on the swaggering "Homewrecker." She previews a few songs from her sophomore Epic album, "All Jacked Up," including "Skoal Ring" and "Politically Uncorrect." She hasn't lost any of her feistiness; the latter manages to make supporting the troops and reading the Bible sound like acts of rebellion."

Kenny Chesney (Staples Center, Los Angeles; 17,000 seats; $59.95 top)
Presented by Nederlander, AEG and Cruzan Rum.
Reviewed June 17, 2005.
Band: Chesney, Sean Paddock (band leader), Wyatt Beard, Steve Marshall, Tim Hensley, Jim Bob Gairrett, Clayton Mitchell, Nick Hoffman.
Special guest: Uncle Kracker.
Also appearing: Gretchen Wilson, Pat Green.

Another Mirkin review in Variety: Kelly Clarkson

Ideas for July from JRN

JRN clients receive weekly "Share Points" articles (I am proud to say that I coined that name back when I worked there a decade ago which means that they have a huge archive of them!).

Thanks to Walter Powers, some great ideas to make your July more creative and rewarding ($).

Send Your Listeners to CMA 2005 in New York

There are many reasons why your radio station should be an organizational mamber of the Country Music Association...

But, the ability to send your listeners to New York City for an amazing four day, three night "Big Apple" experience in addition to tickets to see the CMA Awards in person for less than a thousand dollars a person ($1,850 for two!) is a very big one.

Call Grace Reinbold or Darlene Williams at 615 269 0039 for all the info.

Morning Mouth: Things Every Jock Should Avoid

Since 1992 "The Mouth" has offered a plethora of things that every jock should do. Ironically, as some of radio’s most respected talent specialists will tell you, what you avoid doing is often just as important, from Randy Lane (805 497-7177), Walter Sabo (212 681-8181) and Steve Reynolds (919 233-1600).

Things Every Jock Should Avoid

The REAL Mark Ramsey Revealed

If you think Mark Ramsey of Mercury Research in San Diego is a boring, dry numbers geek, you don't know about his "other life" as a wry movie critic:

Here's MovieJuice's Mark Ramsey on some of 2004's best - and worst - movies.

These "quips" were taped for January's Critics' Choice Awards on the WB but, like so many things worth seeing, were left on the cutting room floor.

Ramsey's blog reveals all.

The Hype Machine

Have you ever stumbled on something and said to yourself, "I don't fully understand the implications/ramifications of this, but it sure looks like something - whether it makes it or not - that is a clue to where things are going"?

I just did.

If you want to take a look, click here, and then if you have any theories or thoughts I'd love to hear 'em. (unless you're with the RIAA..)

Tickets Now

They call them "the secondary sellers" of tickets. As a must-read article in USA Today indicates, this group (I am trying studiously to avoid the word 'scalper') is a fast-growing factor in ticket sales to highly desirable events. Ordinary folks are having a more and more difficult time getting the seats they want through the normal routes.

Yet, sometimes, we in radio simply HAVE to have those very special ducats. In those cases when you must have great seats for a client or a prize, check out Tickets Now. You'll want to build a relationship with Kenneth Dotson.

Nice Ink for KSON, San Diego

Tami Rapozo writes about KSON on Voice of San Diego

Country Music Promotion By Blog

Hats off to Ray Randall, west coast promoter for Neal McCoy's 903 Music who is embracing technology and foregoing the usual independent promoter methods of hype. He's the first I know of to podcast his promotional efforts, making them both informative and entertaining, while selling McCoy's music with facts and testimonials.

* Leave him a voice mail and he has RSS to automatically send it to his computer as a wav file for listening and editing, for example.

* Check out his podcast #7 which contains a sample of KMLE, Phoenix, featuring a scoped air checked of Dave Pratt's morning show.

Randall left a job at Microsoft to join the 903 Music team, and he brought a lot of high-tech ideas with him. Being an indie, competing with the resources of the major music monoliths is never easy, but of course Neal McCoy is an extremely likable, smart, charismatic act who is seemingly being represented very well by this Seattle area-based new music evangelist and clever promoter!

Shouldn't YOU be doing something like this for your show? Ray says the site costs him $15 per month. Caution: Randall is able to use Neal's music because McCoy gives permission for streaming his tune on the web and owns the publishing rights, but be sure you have licensing rights before using any commercial music on a podcast!

REDNECKS CHALLENGE

Sent to midday lady Crystal Darche at New Country, 93.7 JRFM, Vancouver:

I am sick and tired of hearing about how dumb Country Music listeners are. I challenge any "Kenny G" fan to take this exam:

1. Calculate the smallest limb diameter on a persimmon tree that will support a 10 pound possum.

2. Which of these cars will rust out the quickest when placed on blocks in your front yard? (A) '65 Ford Fairlane (B) '69 Chevrolet Chevelle, or(C) '64 Pontiac GTO.

3. If your uncle builds a still which operates at a capacity of 20 gallons of shine produced per hour, how many car radiators are required to condense the product?

4. A woodcutter has a chainsaw which operates at 2700 RPM. The density of the pine trees in the plot to be harvested is 470 per acre. The plot is 2.3 acres in size. The average tree diameter is 14 inches. How many Budweisers will be drank before the trees are cut down?

5. If every old refrigerator in the state/province vented a charge of R-12 simultaneously, what would be the percentage decrease in the ozone layer?

6. A front porch is constructed of 2x8 pine on 24-inch centers with a field rock foundation. The span is 8 feet and the porch length is 16 feet. The porch floor is 1-inch rough sawn pine. When the porch collapses, how many dogs will be killed?

7. A man owns a large farmhouse and 3.7 acres of land in a hollow with an average slope of 15%. The man has five children. Can each of his grown children place a mobile home on the man's land and still have enough property for their electric appliances to sit out front?

8. A 2-ton truck is overloaded and proceeding 900 yards down a steepslope on a secondary road at 45 MPH. The brakes fail. Given average traffic conditions on secondary roads, what is the probability that it will strike a vehicle with a muffler?

9. A coal mine operates a NFPA Class 1, Division 2 Hazardous Area. The mine employs 120 miners per shift. A gas warning is issued at the beginning of the 3rd shift. How many cartons of unfiltered Camels will be smoked during the shift?

10. At a reduction in the gene pool variability rate of 7.5% per generation, how long will it take a town which has been bypassed by the Interstate to breed a country-western singer?

I betcha thought that there test was gonna be an easy one, didn't ya? It's okay if'n ya didn't do all that well. Just goes to show ya...There's a hole heap of things that big city book-learning don't prepare ya for in this life.

Video On Your Website In 3:30

Click on Instant Video Generator and watch the video. Email Rick Raddatz for more info.

It looks pretty cool .. especially if you happen to be the first radio station your listeners see doing this. Have your morning team PERSONALLY great visitors to your site, for example.

Poor Canada .. All They Have Left Is Air Hockey

At least, that is what Wendy Haennel at Hamilton's 820 CHAM would have us believe in this PR for their Cystic Fibrosis benefit marathon.

I Caught The Buzz. Will You Too?

...You will if you look at this link, which was at the very bottom of Roy Williams' Monday Memo this week: "Peter Nevland and Paul Finley have a new flash animated video. Check it out."

If this is your first encounter with 'The Wizard of Ads,' and you want more, click on the Monday Memo archive.

Hurricane 2005 - mapping

AccuWeather has set up its hurricane center on the web, as has the Weather Channel. Weather Underground also has terrific online tools to track 'em too. More in depth reports are on Hurricane Track.

And, of course, here's the official National Weather Service (NOAA) forecast.

Click on 'em and bookmark 'em now if you are in hurricane areas, so you are ready for the next one.

Real Time Earthquake Maps

Bookmark these USGS pages if your listeners are interested in earthquake news:

Real Time Earthquake Maps
California-Nevada (with fault names)
USA
World

Real-time Shaking Maps for California earthquakes of Magnitude 3.5 and larger.

Frequently Asked Questions

Additional Resources including links to other earthquake websites

Silent Night 9/11

I have been a huge "Big D and Bubba" fan since I first heard them a decade ago in Biloxi. Now that they are in Nashville at WSIX doing afternoons, I still marvel at how 'local' and topical their many voice tracked morning shows sound for Clear Channel stations from New Orleans to Spokane. On days when you need inspiration, I'd recommend a click on their site.

An example of their compelling material: "Silent Night 911" click here to hear it.

Mannequinism - Will The Ones With It Respond?

Have you seen or heard the Ad Council's new PSA campaign designed to get young people to vote?

Yeah, I know I am not anywhere near close to the target group's age, so my opinion is irrelevant. But, do you think that the Mad Ave creative types who designed this (and might even win an award for this creative) are actually going to get anyone to register to vote with these messages?

Learning From Joe McCoy

Edison Research's Sean Ross just penned a remarkable post-mortem on WCBS-FM but the real lessons come in a comment written to the postings after the article written by Joe McCoy, 21-year PD of CBS-FM:

The real reason why we were successful: we always “seized the moment” & were not afraid to take chances. The great Personalities talked to our listeners, not at them…we made them feel passion for the radio station. Yes, we were full service because we were talking to adults and they needed info. We played music that theTri-State area loves and did things that would touch them like “Christmas Wish” & “The Rock n’ Roll Radio Greats Reunions”

We all had research but, programming a great radio station takes more than that. It’s the confidence to take chances and do what you think is the right thing. I guess you could say CBS-FM was “Joe” before Jack ever came into being. We were variety personified. It was every New York.

I’m looking forward to new opportunities in radio on July 12th. Thanks again to all of the great listeners who loved our station!

-- Joe McCoy

CLICK ON THE LINK ABOVE TO ROSS' ARTICLE AND READ, IF NOTHING ELSE, JUST THE NAMES OF THE MANY RADIO PROS AND PROGRAMMING LEGENDS PAYING TRIBUTE TO JOE. He deserves every single one of them and .. more.

KKRV's "Last Chance For Chesney" Party

John Windus, PD at Country 104.7 KKRV, Wenatchee can tell already that "the party will be big! "Be As UR" DVD will run on the big screen as the party rolls the day before Kenny's show.

Posters and Standups will offer plenty of chances for listeners to have their photo taken "with Kenny Chesney," etc: "Our folks are diggin' it."

It's the lead item at http://www.kkrv.com/.

Click to listen to the KKRV promo (voiced by Dave Morris). The only thing, to my way of thinking, that could have made it better would have been to say all that just as creatively in under :30 seconds instead of :55. (picky, picky..)

They Live In It, YOU Win It

WNOU, Indianapolis' "Morning Mess" is giving away a six month lease on a fully-furnished downtown loft and after the six months of downtown living, the winner gets to keep all the fancy furniture. Click to see what folks have to do to win.

Country Music News

Where do you go when you need facts and gossip on country artists? I'd love to hear from you, especially if you know about an even better source than the following. Meanwhile, here are a few links we use:

* All About Country (Bill Hennes)
* All Access (Jim Asker)
* CMT
* Country Stars OnLine
* Country Music Alive
* GAC
* Neil Haislop

Most of these sites have email newsletters (free) with you can opt into as well. Of course, nothing beats Steve Holstein's Interprep/Country for fresh stuff first, which is why we subscribe to it for all our clients. If you are a client air personality and you're not seeing it, please contact Jaye or Mike and we'll set you up.

Country Radio's First HD Radio (IBOC) Station

Mike Kinosian's job is to create compelling editorial content that drives you to do more than just read Inside Radio every day via fax or pdf on paper.

And, right now, he has something worth a click for country radio, a great interview with Infinity Chicago Market Manager, the visionary Dave Robbins:

Content for the “Future Country” play-list heard on US 99’s second audio channel falls under the purview of WUSN PD Mike Peterson and MD Marci Braun. “By tuning to this HD Two channel, you hear all the new music before it hits WUSN,” Robbins explains. “We did that because that’s the idea we kicked around, but it could go in any direction you want.”

Writing News For Radio

Michael Meckler began working in radio news with an internship at WCBE in Columbus, Ohio, back in 1982. During the past two decades Meckler has worked at radio stations in small, medium and large markets in the Midwest and Northeast, including three years in the 1990s as a writer, producer and reporter at the pre-Westinghouse, pre-Infinity, pre-Viacom CBS owned-and-operated all-news WWJ in Detroit.

Meckler is creator of the Newswriting for Radio website If you are looking for a quick refresher course, it's worth a click.

PS: he also taught at several universities, including Michigan, Ohio State and Yale, has a master's degree in history and a Ph.D. in classical studies, and is a regular contributor to the opinion page of The Columbus Dispatch. For more information about his newspaper columns, click here. His weblog, RED-STATE.COM, features his views on current events.

Here Comes The One Second Commercial

Ad Rants: Catering to the ever dwindling attention span and capitalizing on its name, One Second breath freshener has placed a once second commercial during every commercial break on every TV station in Belgium yesterday.

The ad shows a woman placing the gel on her tongue followed, quickly, of course, by a shot of the product. Other versions of the ad are set to launch in France, the U.K. and the Netherlands. The ad was created by Antwerp-based Duval Guillaume.

Advertising Age reviewed the ad and many bloggers have been gabbing since.

No, it is NOT the shortest ad of all time, or at least not the first.

Don't Push The Panic Button For Radio

Antonia Zerbisias is the media columnist for the Toronto Star and she had a great "stand up for terrestial radio" column this week: Don't push panic button for radio

COUNTRY ARTISTS ‘SALUTE’ ARMY ON 230th BIRTHDAY

Grab these, localize them with soldiers from your local area in place of the unknowns on them (check with your Army recruiter) and customize the audio, turning 'em into your salute to the troops on their "birthday:"

More than two dozen country music artists gathered in the nation’s “music capital” recently to voice their support for America’s Soldiers on the Army’s upcoming 230th Birthday - June 14. Their emotional words of encouragement have been turned into a series of public service announcements available to TV station managers and program producers nationwide - at no cost.

WHO? Country music artists come together at the historic Ryman Auditorium - former home of the Grand Ol’ Opry - in Nashville to record messages honoring Soldiers worldwide. Country artists included Aaron Tippin, Andy Griggs, Mark Wills, John Michael Montgomery, Bryan White, Craig Morgan, TG Sheppard, Joe Diffie, Ray Stevens, Linda Davis, Stella Parton, Keni Thomas, Jett Williams, Brad Cotter, Moe Bandy, John Conlee, Little Texas, the Kentucky Headhunters and more.

WHAT? Five 30-second 230th Army Birthday PSAs (with multiple artists in each announcement) are now available on the web to preview and for satellite download via the Army’s Digital Video & Imagery Distribution System in Atlanta at http://www.dvidshub.net/.

HOW? The DVIDS Hub delivers real time broadcast-quality video products via a domestic satellite that covers the continental U.S., or through fiber wire connections. Media organizations can download video clips, imagery and print stories through the online archive. Simply register online for full access to the service at http://www.dvidshub.net/active/index.php?act=Reg&CODE=00

WHY? Country music artists heard the “Call to duty” theme of this year’s celebration and recorded their “salutes” to the Army on its birthday! For more information about the Army’s 230 years of service to the nation, visit the Army’s special website at www.army.mil/birthday.

Released by Army Public Affairs-New York Branch
805 Third Ave., 9th Floor New York City, NY 10022-7513

Address questions about this release to Bruce Zielsdorf at (212) 784-0111.
Fax (212) 784-0149
E-mail bruce.zielsdorf@us.army.mil

Too bad that whoever put these together wasn't more successful in getting the superstar names of the format involved. You know that Toby, Tim, Kenny, Garth and, yes, even the Dixie Chicks, I'll bet, et al would have said "yes" to participating if they had heard about this project. Most likely these were done in a few hours and the big stars were on the road and unavailable to go to the Ryman at the chosen time.

Hats off to the artists who did make the effort: Little Texas, Jeff Bates, Craig Morgan, Michael Peterson, Andy Griggs, Joe Diffie, Bryan White, Lila McCann and Mark Wills, the best-known "names" on the PSA's.

On Creativity - You Can Never Have Enough

Check out this blurb on creativity in the current issue of MEN'S HEALTH (June, 2005 -- page 78)...

Wieden & Kennedy, the ad agency that brought you Air Jordan, the Miller High Life man, and those wacky SportsCenter commercials, has been elevating clients to pop-culture-icon status for 23 years. Behind much of this are creative director Jelly Helm and W12, the in-house ad school at Wieden & Kennedy's home office in Portland, Oregon. Here's their rules to foster creativity within your station:

ACT STUPID:"Our philosophy is to come in ignorant every day. The idea of retaining ignorance is sort of counterintuitive, but it subverts a lot of problems that come from absolute mastery. If you think you know the answer better than somebody else does, you become closed to being fresh," Helms says.

SHUT UP:"The first thing we do when we meet with a client is listen. We try to figure out what their problems are. Then we come back with questions, not solutions. We write these out and put them on the wall. And then we circle the ones that we think are interesting. More often than not, the questions hold the answer."

CHASE TALENT:"What I've learned from improvisation is to let go of the outcome and just say yes to whatever the situation is. If you say an idea is bad, you're creating conflict -- you're breaking an improv rule. You want an energy flow that moves you forward, as opposed to creative stasis."

BE FEARLESS:"Find people who make you better. It's best to be the least talented person in the room. It's reciprocal. It challenges you to keep up.""Do anything, say anything. In the words of our president, Dan Wieden, 'You're not useful to me until you've made three momentous mistakes.' He knows that if you try not to make mistakes, you miss out on the value of learning from them."

Brad Pitt audio

Thanks to Steve Holstein at www.interprep.com:

BRAD PITT ON PRIMETIME LIVE
Brad Pitt sat down with ABC's Diane Sawyer Tuesday night: primetime-pitt1.zip, primetime-pitt2.zip

WHY BRAD AND JENN SPLIT
What? You don't remember why Brad and Jennifer split? It was because they fought all the time: brad-and-jen-fight.mp3

I really like that Interprep is featuring more and more audio clips. Smart!

Survivor 12

CBS is currently accepting applications for Survivor 12 to be broadcast in the Spring, 2006. Or you could go to an open casting call.

(Real) Cult Branding

If you really want to know how it's done, don't say no the next time the Jehovah's Witnesses knock on your door.

Or, read this WHITE PAPER by "Brand Hijack's" Alex Wipperfurth.

Search For Audio and Video

You know, of course, about Apple's ITunes.

NEW: Check out Singing Fish next time you're looking for something hard to find.

From the look of their site, you'd never know AOL had anything to do with it (which they do).

Wonder what that says about their view of their own brand?

Radio's Return On Investment - Better Than TV

Just out: Radio's ROI Advantage

The Radio Ad Effectiveness Lab's third major new study in twelve months is now out, "Radio's ROI Advantage."

In a nutshell, this four-advertiser six-month test in "the real world" found that Radio delivered 49% better ROI than television.

The full report from that study can be downloaded by clicking below.
RAEL Research Report: Radio's ROI Advantage (published June 2005)
Executive Summary: Radio's ROI Advantage (two-page summary of the results)

The full paper is a 2 MB Acrobat file which may take a few moments to view or download on a slower connection. When viewing the report online, remember to use the Acrobat icons for saving or printing a copy (not the usual browser icons).

Paragon: Local Contests Work (But Less)

Mike Henry at Paragon Media Strategies: "The appeal of contests to radio's audience continues a slow decline, but for a small minority of listeners, contests will affect the stations they listen to and how much they listen to them."

For more on the study: click.

Better, go to http://www.paragonmediastrategies.com and sign up for it yourself so that you receive notice of future Paragon studies of national radio use.

The study compares national contests to local ones, associations with personalities.

Headlines:

- 14% of all listeners report they listen more when a station that is already a favorite is running a contest.

- 8% of these 404 listeners nationally reported that they have listened to a station they would not normally listen to because it was running a contest that caught their attention.

The sample was 42% male/58% female.

Phone Editing Tips

A MUST READ from Talentmasters' Don Anthony.

Jim Kerr: Empower YOUR Listeners Too

I saw your blog entry about the BBC allowing users to do whatever they want with their content, and it immediately reminded me of a somewhat similar concept that our extremely creative client station in Salt Lake City (KENZ) is doing -- Letting the listeners piece together an artist interview with those predone answers radio stations get on CD from record labels.

Whichever listener does the best (or most creative or funniest!) interview wins the prize.

Heres the link: http://www.1075.com/doityourself.php

- Jim Kerr
Director of Talent & Creative Services
Pollack Media Group/Dallas
Phone: (214) 324-9060

Who Would Have Thought They'd Allow This?

The venerable BBC is allowing its listeners worldwide to take its content .. and then do with it whever they want (within reason).

Check out BBC Backstage!

Imagine allowing your audience to do that with YOUR station or show? Actually, I am not sure that US copyright law would permit it. Ask your legal advisor before trying this at home. But, it sure feels to me like the wave of things to come..

Write A Song Wednesdays

Cliff & Company at KSON, San Diego do something simply amazing: "Every Wednesday - another big HIT!"

Wednesday mornings, we take your lyrics or song ideas - and actually produce a song we can play on the radio by the end of the show! Listen to recent samples!

Go here for more information and our entry form for lyrics and song ideas..
(6/1) Pat Green sings the first line, plus our listeners add more..
(6/1) The finished product..."Morning Person"..
(5/25) Trisha Yearwood gave us the first line..here's "Never Hit On 20"..
(5/18) Joe Nichols gives us the first line, and our listeners the rest...
(5/18) Here's the complete song, "Instead Of Me" (with bleep!)
(5/11) "Kenny & Renee" (Jim Belushi provided a line for this song)
(5/4) "Walking Backwards To My Baby" (first line courtesy of Neal McCoy)
(4/27) Nashville Star winner Erica Jo with the first line, plus listener additions
(4/27) "Sugar Daddy" completed song

A Letter From A Trusted Friend? Or, SPAM?

AOL's list of most frequently-seen junk e-mail subject lines for the month of May 2005:

Who makes the Best Burger? Take our Survey!
3 Steps To Great Legs!
I get cable tv for free!
Great Stock Choice, High Gains This Week!
Join the Neilson Family and Win Some Cool Prizes!
yeee haaa cowboy
better nutrition starts now
Let us Buy you an Xbox 360 or PS3
AOL Investment Pick!
2006 Models Have Arrived

If you or your station is sending emails to your listeners and want to have them opened and read, there are several things you can learn from the above:

- avoid exclamation points,
- make sure your subject line never sells anything or reads like a hype,
- let your loyal listener know why you're writing to them and why they should care about your message (make it as personal as possible).

Nashville Stars' Street Teams - Going Too Far?

You must read Sunday's (6/5) Tennessean feature by Peter Cooper on street marketing being employed, sometimes over the line, to promote (incentivized?) superfans' favorite acts.

Regent VP/Programming, Bob Moody who is based in Nashville and thus got the paper delivered this morning to his doorstep reports: "You should read this and pass it on to your air staff.

"If this isn't scary enough, sidebar pieces that don't appear on their web site are even more specific about how these people make it their life's work to manipulate the press -- and especially radio -- on behalf of their artist."

More from the Tennessean report: SUPER FANS AT A GLANCE

Moody adds: "One of the sidebar pieces quotes a fan as saying that she has ten sign-on names to the CMT site, so she can vote ten times for their awards -- as long as she cleans out the cookies between log-ons. These people may be crazy, but they ain't stupid."

That is certainly not illegal, but, it's a good reminder: be sure that you know how often your researcher is reusing callout panel members and internet research respondents! These folks would love to "game" your music research, for what they'd probably consider innocent reasons..

Race For The Cure

If you want a source of wonderful, inspiring stories of local people doing something important, please click on the Komen Foundation's website and search for your local organization, or just search local news sites for the results of Saturday's Race For The Cure. 2005 was the 20th anniversay year for this event.

Stop, Look & LISTEN

Randy Lane and his crew advise some of our favorite morning shows, and their website is full of great tips and ideas. It is also home to some great examples of radio that makes you want to turn the volume up and sit in the car until the bit is over: "Every so often, Randy and Stan hear something on the air that merits special attention. Here's this month's Audio of the Month..."

This month's audio is an hysterical feature from Kidd Kraddick. Their newest show character Rich heads out to audition for a trumpet player opening and finds out he is not only going to audition in front of the team, but the full TV press as well. The problem, Rich's lips have NEVER touched a trumpet before. This is guaranteed to give you a belly laugh.
Rich Plays Trumpet

Check back regularly, there can be more than one Audio of the month sample each month, like:
Two Guys Named Chris, Bill Pulls His Own Tooth/Crank Call to a Telemarketer
The Barry and Andy Show, Calling Vietnam
The Frank Show, Stagz Diary
The Dick Dale Show, Best Friends

The Fuel Factor

Classic Hits WKLH, Milwaukee is betting that gas prices WON'T go down this summer: "Riddle me this: How can you drive an SUV...and still SAVE GAS? Impossible? Not if you're driving the revolutionary new FORD ESCAPE HYBRID from SOERENS FORD and US CELLULAR! And you can WIN IT during 'KLH's FUEL FACTOR! Click here to see it and sign up to win it."

They Still Trust Us (BUT...)

Despite the recent Newsweek controversy, six in 10 Americans generally trust the media to report the news accurately, and more approve than disapprove of the use of anonymous sources by journalists.

Fifty-eight percent in this ABC News/Washington Post poll trust the media to report the news fully, fairly and accurately. That's up from 44 percent in a similar question in a Gallup poll last September, in the midst of the CBS "60 Minutes" scandal, and just above where it was in the late 1990s through 2003

(read more - ABC News)

Troubling stats..

* There's more of a change in whom people trust more when government officials dispute the accuracy of a news report. Americans by a 20-point margin say they're more inclined to believe the media, 46 percent-26 percent, but a sizable 22 percent say it depends on the situation.

* Confidence is not as high as it once was — close to seven in 10 in the post-Watergate 1970's. And just 11 percent express a "great deal" of trust in the news media.

Is Clear Channel Starting To Say Goodbye To Paul Harvey?

.. in Columbia and in Cincinnati, it seems, at the very least. My guess: lots more to come.

Dead or Alive? - Paul Harvey

He's very much alive, at the age of 86. It won't take very long for someone else to pick ABC/Info up, I'll bet.

900 Ideas

Thanks to the folks at Country Radio Seminar for posting this great handout from one of the annual event's most popular sessions:

Click Here to download 900 Ideas In 90 Minutes

It's June in Ottawa

... and you KNOW what that means: ABOUT: THE AMAZING WEDDING. OR DO YOU? (gulp) .. maybe it's time for a quick reminder of COUNTRY LISTENER values cluster groups:

1.Blue Collar Hard Working Folks
2.Family Values, Safe For Young Kids
3.Faith-Based
4.Locally-Engaged
5.Patriotic – Proud of the area and country where they live
6.Do-It-Yourselfer – Home Depot, etc
7.Country Trendsetter
8.“NASCAR Dad” = Fast Cars & Freedom
9.Rebel

..somehow, I don't see "gay guys who want to get married" on that list! (but, I must say that I wholeheartedly congratulate the very couragous Lyn and Alex..)

Add this one to your list of 'things my rock or CHR sister station might be able to do that I can't because I am a country programmer.'

Froggy 99.9, Fargo, Podcasts

.. and they also have streaming video of station events on their website. PD Hoppy Gilmore is always delighted to share, if you have any questions about how it's done.

(More) stunts

From Tim Butler at KGNC, Amarillo: Ali & Tim's Road Trip To Vega

Stunts

Bill Hennes at www.allaboutcountry.com has a couple good ones, done by clients recently:

WUBE Cincinnati Announces Homemade Jingle Winner
B-105 Cincinnati has announced the winning homemade jingle for the Bill and Amanda Homemade Jingle Contest. Vernice Black from Walton, Kentucky won front row seats for the August Kenny Chesney concert.

KSON’s Cliff and Company Celebrates Memorial Day Behind the Wheel
KSON San Diego combined the two big things most people do on Memorial Day weekend, driving and barbecuing. The show’s producer strapped a halibut to his engine block rapped in aluminum foil and seasoned with Emeril's spices and covered with a couple of slices of lemon. Then he traveled north on the 5 from San Diego to see how far he would have to drive before the fish was cooked. The fish was flaky and perfectly cooked by the time he reached Oceanside, about one hour north of San Diego.

Beauty and the Geek Beats Miss Universe

Check out: http://www.medialifemagazine.com/

Steep ratings slide for 'Miss Universe'
Off 14 percent: How much longer can American beauty pageants survive on the networks?

In all reality, it's 'Beauty and the Geek.'

As Michael O'Malley said during our Atlantic City talent seminar last October: "Real is in, Ideal is out as Austin Powers burlesques the perfect spy of the previous generation, James Bond."

Making Streaming Financially-Possible

WWYZ, Hartford sells their stream. Click on "listen live" and look at the banner ads. You do what you have to do to make it possible.

Clear Channel station websites like this one send a very irritating 'we're a very cluttered station' message, just the opposite of what they intend with "Less is More." Hopefully, their next corporate campaign will be to clean up their web efforts.. BUT, if that's what it takes to stream, I still think it is worth it.

Rawlco Saskatoon Breakfast Guy Leads Poker Team To Las Vegas

TEAM CANUCK POKER is a loose association of Canadian poker players who share a few common traits:

--- We play poker for fun. Although we are professional and semi-professional players, money is not the main reason we play.
--- We work hard at making the game fun. At the table, or away from it, we know that poker is a game. Games are supposed to be fun.
--- We intend to win the World Series of Poker Championship.

Who is C95's Dave Scharf?

Win or lose in Vegas, it's a fun stunt. If you ever consider doing Poker on the radio, it would be worth reaching out to Dave.

Most Of Your Compen$ation Is Not On Your 1040EZ

A great 'how to' profile on how to be a successful talk radio personality:

Jim Fisher, talk radio host for WOC-1420 AM, is arguably the best known radio personality in the Quad-Cities. Cadres of fans tune in or call every weekday from 3 to 6 p.m. Many of the politicians and government bureaucrats that he regularly jabs loathe him. Fisher says he wishes they wouldn’t take it personally, but a little anger and resentment comes with the job. His is not a news show, he says. It’s a combination of entertainment, pot stirring and a forum for those who want to vent their opinions on an uncensored platform where reporters and producers don’t pick and choose what gets aired (read more - Quad City Times)

But, I'll save you the click through and reprint the (sad, but true) data about the job at the very bottom of the article:

ABOUT THIS JOB
* Nature of work: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics describes those who perform on-air duties and other responsibilities at radio and television stations as announcers.
* Number of workers nationwide: 76,000
* Number of workers in Iowa and Illinois: 2,550
* Median annual wage: $20,612
* Median annual wage in Iowa and Illinois: $18,429
* Hours: The nature of the job requires announcers to put in long hours at unusual intervals depending on when they are on the air.
* education: Most have a bachelor’s degree in a major such as communications, broadcasting or journalism.

Let's face it: we do this for LOVE, not $$... and, I don't know about you, but I would not change my choice of this career field with anyone!

How about YOU?

AND, if that's not enough career motivation, try this profile on for size of "Radio Rich" Dalton. "I've had a magical life," said Dalton in a recent interview. "I've found out that if you do what you love, what your heart tells you to, it will lead you to the right place." (read more - Joe Holleman-St Louis Post-Dispatch)

Give me a job you can love and make a difference in the local community every time. There are no IRS deductions taken out of your check for the many real rewards of this gig! If you love what you do and put max passion into it, listeners can tell, as the careers of these two pro's prove.

In-Box Room For One More Radio Newsletter?

Solutions Research and NewRadioStar collaborate on a very comprehensive weekly one, which I eyeball and would recommend to you too, if you're not getting enough media updates and news now. CLICK to subscribe.

Garth Post-Engagement Audio

Thanks to Chuck Clifford for this clip from Wednesday night's Buck Owens event where Garth proposed to Trisha: He says it's one of the best days of his life.

Idol Winner: Carrie Underwood/Inside Your Heaven

Read all about it:

Carrie Underwood in!
Ken Jennings out!
Neal Shapiro toast!
May sweeps ends!

CLICK: Carrie Underwood, All Choked Up (Washington Post) "Underwood, a college senior from Checotah, Okla. (population about 3,500), choked again last night, after show host Ryan Seacrest announced she'd won and she tried to perform the original tune "Inside Your Heaven," which both contestants had been forced to sing the night before. It will be her first single. Warbling through tears and fireworks, Underwood's rendition of "Inside Your Heaven" sounded just as lousy last night as it had Tuesday. Good luck with that, Clive Davis..."

I dutifully downloaded the BMG "Promo Only" version (wav) too and regretably it's not any better. (This "15 minutes of fame" may last only 2:56..)

The best thing about Wednesday night's show: Rascal Flatts performed and did not disappoint. THEY are the real deal.

The FCC Is Watching YOU

Tom Taylor at Inside Radio reports: FCC Commissioner Adelstein says Americans are angry over "overt commercial pitches" in the media.

From: Jim Carnegie at RBR - View the full text of Adelstein's prepared comments

Adelstein is in the Democratic minority on the FCC and so probably won't be able to get the GOP-dominated commission to do more than talk about it, but it's still a word to the wise - if you're getting paid or spiffed in any way to plug something on the air whether it's a product, service, a nice meal at a fancy restaurant or a song, full disclosure is in order!

Need More of Star Wars?

Check out http://theforce.net/.

And, if you want to laugh, search the site for the word "shertenlieb" (Kidd Kraddock's stunt guy).

Or, cut to the chase: Texas EP3 Screening Disrupted by Radio Station

The Pet Psychic

Sonya Fitzpatrick is her name, and she is quite a compelling guest as long as you don't overuse her. If you email or call her number, be sure to let 'em know that you are a radio station or they may try to $$$ charge $$$ you..

Two Of The Big Three Now Podcast

ABC News and NBC News announced plans Tuesday to offer podcasts, the rapidly growing mobile technology. ABC News launched its podcast through its Web site, ABCNews.com, offering immediately a combination of original and repurposed content (read more - Hollywood Reporter)

I'd sure be podcasting my "best of bits" too and also local news, traffic and weather updates branded for your station. BUT, remember that licensing issues are still murky, so avoid music and anything else that might involve copyright or ownership issues. Podcasting is happening. Getting sued or fined is NOT..

Rose Colored Glasses On Hannity & Colmes

John Conlee joins the politically-opposed pair in-studio on Memorial Day for a discussion of what it means to truly support our Nation’s troops and the families and friends that are behind them – all the while never forgetting those that have passed on before us for the cause of America (visit Hannity and Colmes)

Behind The Scenes Of TV

Seattle TV news prodicer Corey Bergman's blog is always full of great gossip and readable opinions.

How old media can survive in a new world

The WSJ has published a special report with a collection of ideas on how traditional media companies can thrive in a digital world.

Do This In Your Community!

SCHOOL KIDS IN CHARLOTTE HAVE BANDED TOGETHER TO HELP SAVE THEIR TOWN'S HISTORY.

PARADE magazine notes that the students at Hornets Nest Elementary School in Charlotte have partnered with the organization "Historic Charlotte" to send their students to study the Davidson family cemetery, the final resting place of some of the city's founders.

It's just one of the projects supported by The History Channel's "Save OurHistory" initiative, which gives grants and awards to schools and groups that combine community preservation and education. According to the chief historian for the TV network: "Local history can provide roots for kids and help them appreciate their environment." You can learn more about the initiative by surfing over to saveourhistory.com.

Thanks to http://www.paraderadio.com/ for the tip!

Satire from Corey Deitz

(Has anyone noticed how both XM and SIRIUS Satellite Radio seem to be in a fevered competition to acquire and announce more "strategic partnerships" than the other? Every week these guys announce a new show, a new channel, a new host - in an endless hail of press releases. Well, here: this press release should put an end to that.)

In a bid to once-and-for-all out-position its competitor, SIRIUS Satellite Radio announced today a strategic partnership with God. According to the deal – heralded by trumpets with a special appearance by Gabriel himself - God confirmed he will be doing his own Sunday show beginning in July (read more - Corey Deitz-About)

Country Dance Club Promotion

Jeff Walker of AristoMedia ­(615-269-7071 ext. 123 /jwalker@aristomedia.com) wants to see country dance clubs start to network with each other, using a new website

Club Connection, a division of Marco Promotions, has announced the launch of Marcoclubconnection.com, a website designed for Country Music dance enthusiasts.

In addition to providing club and dance event news, the site also provides readers with the latest Country Music headlines, chat forums, event calendars, and an array of country music and dance resources. It will also spotlight artists currently impacting the club and dance communities with a special multi-media On Air section.

"Over the past year, we've seen a reinvigoration in the club and dance community," Jeff Walker, President of parent company, AristoMedia, said. "We've also seen an embrace of new media throughout the industry. We feel this new site is the next logical step toward bridging the gap between the artists, music industry, clubs and dance enthusiasts."

For more information about submitting press and calendar events to the site, email jg@marcoclubconnection.com.

Do You Remember Radio From 30 Years Ago?

If so, you will enjoy Jim Rose's web recollections from Houston.

Hopefully, some wise and observant folks will create some equally memory-filled and accurate memoirs someday of our biz in 2005 in a couple decades.. Jim provides a good how-to example for us all.

Lorna Ozmon Gets It

If the very next post - on moving your content into the foreground - inspires you, but you feel you lack the tools to accomplish it and maybe you've spent the day with Jaye Albright and/or Mike O'Malley at one of our motivating, idea-filled "Extreme Personality Workshops" and now you're hungry for more, here's another great source of inspiration from talent coach Lorna Ozmon: Getting Them to Listen is Not Enough!

http://www.ozmonmedia.com/ is Lorna's home on the net, and her CRS-2005 seminar handouts (Creating Compelling Radio) are simply terrific: Download PDF

Moving Radio From The Background Into The Foreground

When Jefferson-Pilot's Rick Jackson talks, I pay attention. For one thing, he is the only GM I know who hosts is own weekly country gold syndicated program, primarily because he has a passion for country's musical heritage. At the same time, he oversees "AC talk" WLNK (which calls itself an adult top 40, but plays very little music during daytime hours) and news-talk WBT, Charlotte and brags that although WBT ranks #7 and 'The Link' ranks #11 25-54, they rank #2 and #3 in Miller-Kaplan revenue rankers.

He told Carl Marcucci of RBR:

"To progress in coming years, radio will need to innovate at every level, and that includes radio sales. As we move away from 'the music box' sponge radio has so effectively squeezed these many years and move toward more innovative programming, the sales staff will also need to reposition themselves.

"TV has certainly experienced change in programming and sales - just ask anyone who works for cable these days. They're having a lot of fun and tremendous success with their 'niche' innovations.

"We boast that they learned it from us (radio) and some of that is true but it's time for radio to take it to the next level. I think our most effective innovations will start be downsizing our scope. Radio will continue to niche and splinter and smart operators will see this as an opportunity to adjust and prosper.

"Much of the value will come from the product. Radio can't produce the same kind of results with 'background'-based programming. Foreground (talk) radio functions very differently for the listener and our clients."

Are you a part of the 'music box sponge' which radio has been squeezing? If so, it's now time to think very differently about what you do between the songs, at the very least. Does anyone really need to hear what you are saying right now?

RSS Feed

If you'd like an RSS notification of new posts to this blog, check out: http://feeds.feedburner.com/BreakfastBlog

Artist Direct

Am I the last person on earth to discover this very helpful and interesting site?

Turn your pop-up blocker on before clicking on it and then scan your computer for Spyware and Adware after you check it out, but it's worth the trouble, I think.

Desperate Housewives and Choco-holics Party

WAJI/Ft. Wayne, IN is preparing its listeners for a long, hot summer without new Desperate Housewives episodes by throwing a “ Desperate Housewives Season Finale Watch Party.”

PD Barb Richards told R&R Street Talk: “We’ve joined forces with the local ABC affiliate and our local chocolate company, Debrand’s FineChocolates, who makes chocolate bars for Donald Trump! We’re giving away tickets to this exclusive event, where we will watch the season finale on large-screen TVs — while enjoying a chocolate buffet!”

Killing Cliches Is Every Consultant, PD and ND's Gig

I just heard an unthinking air personality end his time on the air with the phrase "well, that about does it for me, I'm out of here."

Since neither I nor the radio was going anywhere, it made me wonder who, from this jock's perspective, is more important - me, the listener? Or, him? (the crutch makes it obvious that he's just mouthing words and not even thinking about saying something meaningful to me, unless he's contemplating suicide .. other of course than career suicide, which his choice of self-involved verbiage is "slowly, surely" - to use yet another cliche - doing)

The day of the radio 'show' ended with Arthur Godfrey and Art Linkletter, and even the biggest station that is aware of how folks consume our content today has an audience of just ONE LISTENER. Today's smart personalities talk to that person one to one, engaging them as if they were talking to a friend, not just a microphone.

Radio's strength is our ability to engage the imagination and emotions, creating intimacy and trust. But, it doesn't happen automatically. The words you choose to use either make it happen or do not.

The best pronoun to use is YOU, never the antiquated "editorial we."

News writing coach Mervin Block is the author of "Writing Broadcast News -- Shorter, Sharper Stronger" and I feel confident that he'd agree. He recently caught CNN News engaging in hackneyed writing too.

More Block tips and articles are at http://www.mervinblock.com/. You can reach him (or sign up for his free tips list) at merblo@aol.com.

Canada's AM Band - Is It Over?

Some eye-opening stats from M Street Journal on the amazing decline of AM in Canada.

DX’er Barry McLarnon in Ottawa has been keeping tabs on what’s left of Canada's AM dial and he says that there are just 237 AM stations still on the air (not countin glow-power relay transmitters under 100 watts).

Ontario leads the pack with 54 AMs, followed by British Columbia with 45 and just 28 each in Alberta and Quebec. Prince Edward Island has just 2 AM signals, as do the Northwest Territories and Yukon, and there’s just one in chilly Nunavut.

Barry says Canada now has fewer than half the number of AM signals per capita that the U.S. does — but notes that the pace of AM-to-FM conversions has slowed dramatically, with most of the remaining AMs in large markets where they’ll likely stick around for a while.

..which is why we were delighted last week to see radio awards go to our friends at Harvard-owned CKRM-AM, Regina. Best medium market newscast and the Charlie Edwards Award for Spot News at the Prairie Regional meeting of the RTNDA.

AM won't be viable if we don't offer unique, local, topical and compelling content. (nor will FM for very much longer!) Nice to see that GM Michael Olstrom's Regina crew gets that.

Drive 'em to your website

...With a caption contest! ;->

What's On Your Playlist?

Used to be that folks would say: "your favorite radio station's playlist says a lot about who you are." Now, it's more personal and individual (according to SF Chronicle's Benny Evangelista and readers who responded to his article this week):

You are what's on your playlist - Experts say digital music library reflects listener's personality

What's On Jesus' iPod? Pt. II - Readers respond! Ministry, Moby, Metallica and Morphine, and of course, we are all going to hell for this

Z and C at ACM's

Not to be outdone by Access Hollywood and ET, A&O also has our celebrity specialist covering the ACM's too, Marty Thompson, PD at WUBE, Cincinnati:

"Was at the RCA After Party at Cili in Vegas... Kenny and Renee were there together. They looked very much in love-- at one point Kenny was "air drumming" at her with "chicken skewers". She grabbed one and they had a little pollo duel."

Nighttime Benchmark Ideas

WGCI, Chicago, has just about the most dynamic produced intro on their website that I've heard in some time. Also, over their home page your cursor turns into their signature orange ball, which is mighty cool.

Their night team "The Bad Boys" (Mike Love and the Diz) do some fun features each night...

6:45: "Put 'Em On Blast" (listeners call in to vent)
7 pm: The topic of the day (Love starts it off with a rant of his own on something current)
7:45: Ghettoroke (hmmm.. countryoke?)
8 pm: The Birthday Bash (yes, even hip hop & R&B listeners have birthdays and want to wish their friends happy ones!)

Love told R&R's Dana Hall recently: "You have to stay ahead of the kids. You have to know what they talk about and what they want to talk about. You can't be late on things, because then you sound like their dad."

The Very First

Bob Magruder is a veteran Dallas-based actor of stage, TV, films, documentaries, commercials and talking books. His latest project is a fun book called "The Very First."

What was America’s longest running comic strip?
Where was the first traffic light?
Who was the first real movie star?
What was the first aphrodisiac?
When and what was the first Broadway musical?
Who used the first toothbrush?
Did Jesus turn the water into wine or beer?

The answers to these questions and a couple of gazillion more are contained in these pages, along with the fascinating stories behind them. You’ll find the very first crossword puzzle (ready for solving), the remarkable chronicles of the first postage stamp, the first horror movie, the first anesthetics, the first baseball and football games, the first women’s fashion magazine, the first condom, not to mention the world’s oldest profession (it’s not what you think). You will become privy to the origins of many timeless phrases and well-known events.

Perfect for your show's "fun and games" quiz!

Free Money Fugitive Tips

Google the above words and you'll find a lot of radio stations creating buzz right now with this contest. PD Reid Morgan and GM Rob Bye at B93, Lethbridge, have done it very successfully for two books in a row now and I know either one of them would be delighted to share what they've learned.

Thanks to an article in the 4/29/05 Billboard Radio Monitor by Katie Hasty, WRVW, Nashville's Promo Director Kate Guido lists these recommendations:

* Make sure your air staff is committed. Nothing else should appear to matter except finding the Fugitive.

* Include it in all of your more strategic sweeper, promo and air staff hype too

* Constant upkeep is required. Update your website constantly, in addition to the stuff on the air. New clues need to keep happening, to make people feel that they are on to something.

* Don't start blind. Talk to other stations who have executed the promotion. Learn about their best clues, how they generated buzz outside the station and how they involved advertisers. For example, to gain an important clue in the 96X, Edmonton, Fugitive last fall listeners had to patronize the drive-through of a Jack-in-the-Box restaurant, causing lines so long that they blocked highways and got TV coverage

* Send listeners to other station events by having clues that will lead them there. Make sure everything the station does ties in to The Fugitive contest in some way. Competing for your listeners' attention with unrelated station events will hurt the impact of your promotion

* Pick a trustworthy Fugitive. The person can live a normal life, go to work and run errands, but they must know that they need to keep up with them without revealing too much to the audience or their friends and coworkers

* It isn't cheap. 107.5 The River spent thousands on nesting direct marketing phone calls, mailers/fliers and posters with the same theme as their website ("The Fugitive is On The Loose in Nashville, Find The 107.5 Fugitive")

* Imposters pretending to be the Fugitive can be a pain (sometimes competing radio stations encourage them just to mess with your promotion). Be prepared to deal with them

Four ELEMENTS Of A Great Morning Show

And, if Laurie Beth Jones book (The Four Elements of Success) is as on target as it sounds, I do mean ELEMENTS.

It caught my attention because I loved her last one, "Jesus CEO." Again, she applies powerful metaphors to the human side of business.

She types personalities as "earth," "wind," "water," and "fire." She says every successful enterprise needs a good balance of each one.

- Winds - like a fast-paced environment
- Waters - prefer predictability
- Earths - want stability
- Fires - can be combative but make things happen

I came away from the book feeling like a good morning show, in order to be as relatable as possible, needs at least one of each.

Her explanations of how to figure out which one of the four types you are, the strengths and weaknesses of each and tips on how they can productively work with one another would be a worthwhile read for a morning team and their PD.

Then, do something with the insights you gain by talking about it together.

Sending CARE packages to the troops

Dos and don'ts are at: http://www.thenationalguardexperience.blogspot.com/

Albuquerque's KAGM offers the "Runaway Bride" a job

Tom Taylor reports in www.insideradio.com that American General Media's KAGM is offering Jennifer Wilbanks a nightly talk show or the job of co-hosting its morning show. The gig promises a $30,000-a-year salary. A poll on KAGM's website finds listeners prefer she decline by a three-to-one margin.

I love it. They make fun publicity hay while the topical buzz sun is shining and literally have to actually do almost nothing!

The Missing Info From The Arbitron Spot Loads Study

Two presentation graphics with very different persepctives on whether it's better to stop for two six unit breaks or three four unit breaks from what was announced yesterday were omitted. I happen to have obtained those two slides.

If you know why the decision was made to not announce the other side of the "fewer but longer breaks vs more but shorter ones" research, I'd love to hear about it. If you'd like to see the two missing slides from the public presentation, drop me an email and I will send them to you. Warning: the choice of whether to stop twice or three times an hour when you have a 12 unit commercial limit won't be quite as clearcut when you see them, as the info made public makes it appear.

Meanwhile, here are some highlights from Arbitron and Edison Media Research, Spot Load Study 2005: Managing Radio Commercial Inventories for Advertisers and Listeners.

Free Radio Is a Good Deal: Eighty percent of consumers say that commercials are a "fair price to pay" for free radio programming.

Fewer Commercials, More Listening: Forty-seven percent of consumers say they would listen to a radio station "a lot more" if that station had noticeably fewer commercial breaks; 44 percent say they would listen "a lot more" if that station had shorter commercial breaks.

Most Stay Tuned During Commercials: The majority of consumers say that they "never" tune away from radio commercials at work (63 percent) or at home (49 percent).

Button-Punching is Rare: Relatively few radio listeners say they switch stations upon hearing the start of a commercial break. Six percent of those listening at work say they switch immediately; 11 percent of home listeners and 28 percent of those listening in a car do the same.

Spot Reduction Awareness: Just under one-quarter of respondents were aware of radio stations that played noticeably fewer commercial breaks than they used to (23 percent) and noticeably shorter commercial breaks than those stations used to (23 percent).

The study includes recommendations on how radio stations can use the findings to develop a spot load strategy that boosts listening and reduces tune-outs. To download the complete study and see a recorded webinar presenting the study, visit http://list.arbitron.com/t/21142/136250/345/0/.

Hear It Now, See It Tonight, Read About It Tomorrow

Radio's greatest strength against IPod's, the internet and satellite radio: localism and immediacy.

Howard Christensen of Canada's Broadcast Dialogue reports: The number of online adults who prefer the Internet as their main source of news has grown by over 35% in the last four years – and this at the expense of TV and newspapers.

Market research firm Jupiter Research says more than 26% of online adults prefer the Internet for national and international news, up from 19% in 2001.

But the survey also shows that overall numbers using the Internet for daily news has stayed flat over the last few years, at about 50%. The number of online adults preferring to use the Internet for local news is also growing, but has yet to exceed 10%.

The Audit Bureau of Circulations says US newspaper circulation has experienced a 1.9% drop in daily readership and a 2.5% decline on Sundays over the last six months compared with the period a year ago. Analysts say it’s the largest circulation loss in more than a decade. The rate of decline has been 0.5% to 1% since newspaper circulation peaked in the mid-1980s.

Note to all voices prepping to talk on terrestial radio: there's a new basic which must be added to your tool kit - information. Does your audience trust that you know what's going on in their world right now?

There is only one way to be sure of that: talk about it, relate to it, with fresh point of view and interaction on the latest info which they care about affecting their life at this moment.

Are You Planning To Do A Runaway Bride Weekend?

Yes, I know it's Mother's Day and giving away copies of the DVD of "Runaway Bride" seems like a very original irreverant turn on the traditional holiday in light of last weekend's Jennifer Wilbanks story.

However, note those two words "last weekend" and pat yourself on the back if you did something fun to capitolize on the event when it was news. I just clicked on Yahoo's Most Popular news story search and it now doesn't even make the top ten.

Timing is everything, and rather than do a stunt which is based on last weekend's big event, please do some scenario planning now that assures that you won't be the third station in your town to do the same try for publicity in just the last few days.

(end of rant, thanks for listening)

Paula Abdul To Be Voted Off Idol?

Far be it from a straight and narrow company such as A&O to ever pass on unsavory rumors that might possibly drive viewers to ABC-TV this week. BUT, should your curiosity get the best of you, we can keep our reputations intact and still refer you to The Drudge Report's recap of the latest.

KSON Operation Helping Hand

KSON, San Diego's Cliff & Company is...

* giving away free gas for two hours each morning. At 7 a.m. they announce that day’s location, then pump free gas for two hours.

* doubling a military paycheck each day

* on Thursday morning the station will surprise 50 military moms by taking them for a day at La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, California.

Morning host Cliff Dumas has a wonderful resource they call Cliff's Kids as well.

For more info, contact PD John Marks or click on KSON to see photos of the stunts.

WUBE "Taste of Cincinnati" Country Lineup

B-105.1's Free Country Music Stage at Taste of Cincinnati will feature Blaine Larsen, Miranda Lambert, Jeff Bates, Hot Apple Pie, Rebecca Lynn Howard, Keith Anderson and Steve Azar.

This is the 15th year WUBE has produced the B-105 Free Country Music Stage at Taste of Cincinnati, the nation's longest running culinary arts festival (Memorial Day Weekend on Central Parkway in downtown Cincinnati).

For advice on booking talent for an event like this, email PD Marty Thompson or APD Kat O'Conner, who've been working on it for many months.

ACM Awards Trivia

Q: Why might Brooks & Dunn be receiving a thank you note from a fit and free Martha Stewart?

A: Thanks in part to a lot of line dancing to the duo’s hit “Boot Scoot Boogie,” Martha Stewart dropped 20 pounds while serving time at a cushy correctional facility in Alderson, W. Va. A favorite activity of Stewart’s was attending line-dancing lessons.

.. and lots more like the above, thanks to Tree Paine at the ACM by clicking on TRIVIAKIT.doc

Academy of Country Music Awards
Tuesday, May 17
8:00 PM (ET/PT)
LIVE on CBS

40th Anniversary Celebration
Wednesday, May 18
7:30 PM (PT)
Scheduled to air in December on CBS

"Honkytonk University" - Toby's album special

Toby Keith's forthcoming LP is titled "Honkytonk University."

Dreamworks has a radio special on the new LP available now. Sign up with Sharla McCoy at 615-504-1268 or 615-529-1088 (or email sharlam@dtccom.net).

The first tune to be released to radio is now available from Promo Only: "As Good As I Once Was." Call your Dreamworks rep or email VP/Promotion in Nashville, Bruce Shindler to find out who your rep is.

The Old Stunts Are The Best Stunts

A&O is proud to consult both KIX 99.5, Kitchener and also BX-93, London. So, far be it from ME to take sides in a hockey bet. However, I have to take my hat off to KIX's Joel & Linda who lost a bet with BX's Dave & Jacquie and not only (reluctantly) paid off.. but also had the good sportsmanship to share what it sounded like with us..

CLICK TO LISTEN: KIX995BX93bet.mp3

For more info, email LMartelli@KICXFM.COM (Linda Martelli)

Bisla: What It's ALL About

"You have the ability to influence and shape the lives of your audience and that's an immense power. You need to keep an open mind and remember that the audience thinks without blinders and follow the same protocol. Don't limit your ability. Use the power of radio to inspire and build a sense of community because .. if you truly believe in something, that can really connect to people on an emotional level (and) will get a great reaction. You can balance art with commerce, but broadcasters need to remember that all the audience cares about is great content." -- Executive VP/Creative & Media, A&R Worldwide Sat Bisla to Erica Farber in 4/29/05 R&R Publisher's Profile

Mother/Daughter

Circulating on the internet, with the subject heading "other mother.."

Time is running out for my daughter. We are sitting at lunch when she casually mentions that she and her husband are thinking of "starting a family." What she means is that her biological clock has begun its countdown and she is being forced to consider the prospect of motherhood.

"We're taking a survey," she says, half jokingly. "Do you think I should have a baby?"

"It will change your life," I say carefully, keeping my tone neutral.

"I know," she says. "No more sleeping in on Saturdays, no more spontaneous vacations..."

But that is not what I mean at all. I look at my daughter, trying to decide what to tell her.

I want her to know what she will never learn in childbirth classes. I want to tell her that the physical wounds of childbirth heal, but that becoming a mother will leave her with an emotional wound so raw that she will be forever vulnerable.

I consider warning her that she will never read a newspaper again without asking "What if that had been my child?" That every plane crash, every fire will haunt her. That when she sees pictures of starving children, she will look at the mothers and wonder if anything could be worse than watching your child die.

I look at her carefully manicured nails and stylish suit and think she should know that no matter how sophisticated she is, becoming a mother will immediately reduce her to the primitive level of a she-bear protecting her cub. That a slightly urgent call of "Mom!" will cause her to drop a souffle or her best crystal without a moment's hesitation. That the anger she will feel if that call came over a lost toy will be a joy she has never before experienced.

I feel I should warn her that no matter how many years she has invested in her career, she will be professionally derailed by motherhood. She might successfully arrange for child care, but one day she will be waiting to go into an important business meeting, and she will think about her baby's sweet smell. She will have to use every ounce of discipline to keep from running home, just to make sure he is all right.

I want my daughter to know that everyday routine decisions will no longer be routine. That a visit to McDonald's and a five-year-old boy's understandable desire to go to the men's room rather than the women's room will become a major dilemma. That right there, in the midst of clattering trays and screaming children, issues of independence and gender identity will be weighed against the prospect that a child molester may be lurking in the rest room. I want her to know that however decisive she may be at the office, she will second-guess herself constantly as a mother.

Looking at my attractive daughter, I want to assure her that eventually she will shed the pounds of pregnancy, but will never feel the same about herself. That her life, now so important, will be of less value to her once she has a child. That she would give it up in a moment to save her offspring, but will also begin to hope for more years, not so much to accomplish her own dreams, but to watch her child accomplish his. I want her to know that a cesarean scar or shiny stretch marks will become badges of honor.

My daughter's relationship with her husband will change, I know, but not in the ways she thinks. I wish she could understand how much more you can love a man who is always careful to powder the baby or who never hesitates to play "bad guy" with his son. I think she should know that she will fall in love with her husband again for reasons she would now find very unromantic.

I wish my modern daughter could sense the bond she will feel with other women throughout history who have tried desperately to stop war and prejudice and drunk driving. I hope she will understand why I think rationally about most issues, but become temporally insane when I discuss the threat of nuclear war to my children's future.

I want to describe to my friend the exhiliration of seeing your son learn to hit a baseball. I want to capture for her the belly laugh of a baby who is touching the soft fur of a dog for the first time. I want her to taste the joy that is so real that it hurts.

My daughter's quizzical look makes me realize that tears have formed in my eyes. "You'll never regret it," I say finally. Then I reach across the table, and squeezing my daughter's hand, I offer a prayer for her and me all the mere mortal women who stumble their way into this holiest of callings.

Mother's Day Music

Thanks to JRN VP/Programming Ken Moultrie (ken.moultrie@jrnseattle.com), Jak Bruce, Executive Producer "Lia" (jakbruce@radiolia.com), Kevin King, PD of WYCT, Pensacola (kking@catcountry987.com) and Neil Haislop (Neil@countryforever.com) you are now more than ready for Mother's Day, musically...

Martina McBride - In My Daughter's Eyes, This One's For The Girls, Blessed
Lee Ann Womack - I Hope You Dance
Trace Adkins - Hot Mama
Reba - Is There Life Out There
The Wilkinsons - 26 Cents
Blake Shelton - The Baby
Trisha Yearwood - Walkaway Joe, She's In Love With The Boy
Pam Tillis - Let That Pony Run
Dolly - Coat Of Many Colors
Sherrie Austin - Streets Of Heaven
Lonestar - Front Porch Lookin' In, Mr. Mom
The Jenkins - Blame It On Mama
Clint Black - Spend My Time
Trace Adkins - Then They Do
Garth Brooks - Two of a Kind

Others:

Ricky Skaggs "Thanks Again" (Top 20 circa 1988) is powerful, with reaction guaranteed. There is also Steve Wariner (and/or Glen Campbell from the same era) "Hand That Rocks The Cradle" and more recently "The Baby" from Blake Shelton. Billy Dean Let Them Be Little, of course, is on your current playlist.

Jesus and Momma - Confederate Railroad
I'm the Only Hell My Momma Ever Raised - Merle Haggard

(Roll On) 18 Wheeler Alabama
Alabama It Works
Anderson, Bill Mama Sang A Song
Anderson, John & Marty Stuart Mama Tried
Anderson, Liz Mama Spank
Andrews, Jessica Who I Am
Arnold, Eddie Mamma And Daddy Broke My Heart
Arnold, Eddie Mama Come And Get Your Baby Boy
Bogguss, Suzy Letting Go
Brad, Chad Ordinary Life
Brooks & Dunn Mama Don't Get Dressed Up…
Brooks, Garth Somewhere Other Than The Night
Brooks, Garth Papa Loved Mama
Byrd, Tracy When Mama Ain't Happy
Campbell, Glen & Steve Wariner Hall Of Fame For Mamas
Carpenter, Mary Chapin He Thinks He'll Keep Her
Carter Family Song To Mama
Cash, Johnny Send A Picture Of Mother
Chesnutt, Mark She Was
Coe, David Alan Coe You Never Even Called Me By My Name
Collie, Mark Even The Man In The Moon Is Crying
Collie, Mark Hard Lovin' Woman
Commander Cody Mama Heard Diesels
Confederate Railroad Jesus and Mama
Conlee, John Mama's Rockin' Chair
Dean, Jimmy I.O.U.
Dexter, Al Pistol Packin' Mama
Diamond Rio Mama Don't Forget To Pray For Me
Diffie, Joe Home
Forester Sisters Mama's Never Seen Those Eyes
Gilley, Mickey I'm The One Mama Warned You About
Gilley, Mickey Sweet Mama Goodtimes
Haggard, Merle Mamma Tried
Hill, Faith You Can't Lose Me
Jackson, Alan Home
Jennings, Waylon & Willie
Nelson Mamas Don't Let Your Babies…
Judds Mama He's Crazy
Kershaw, Sammy Don't Go Near The Water
Ketchum, Hal Momma Knows The Highway
Kilgore, Merle Dear Mama
Lawrence, Tracy Time Marches On
Lawrence, Tracy If The Good Die Young
Loveless, Patty How Can I Help You Say Goodbye
Lynn, Loretta Coal Miner's Daughter
McCall, C.W. Roses For Mama
McEntire, Fancy Fancy
McGraw, Tim Indian Outlaw
Monroe, Bill Shake My Mother's Hand
Orbison, Roy Mother
Overstreet, Paul Daddy's Come Around
Paisley, Brad Two People Fell In Love
Paul, Joyce Phone Call To Mama
Paycheck, Johnny I'm The Only Hell My Mama Ever Raised
Pinkard & Bowden Mama She's Lazy
Raven, Eddie Sweet Mother Texas
Robbins, Dennis Home Sweet Home
Robbins, Marty My Woman My Wife
Sawyer Brown Thank God For You
Shenandoah Mama Knows
Skaggs, Ricky Vision Of Mother
Snow, Hank Music Makin' Mama From Memphis
Sons of the Desert Leaving October
Strait, George So Much Like My Dad
Thompson, Hank Mama Don't 'Low
Travis, Randy The Box
Tritt, Travis T-R-O-U-B-L-E
Tritt, Travis Looking Out For Number One
Tucker, Tanya What's Your Mama's Name
Twain, Shania Man! I Feel Like A Woman
Twain, Shania Honey, I'm Home
Walker, Clay Chain Of Love
Wariner, Steve Holes In The Floor Of Heaven
Wells, Kitty Mommy For A Day
Wilkinsons 26 Cents
Wynette, Tammy Mother (You Make Me Want To Be A..)
Yearwood, Trisha Everybody Knows
Yearwood, Trisha XXX and OOOs
Yearwood, Trisha She's In Love With The Boy

Serving Your THREE Sets of Customers

If you've read my 2004 article Serving Our Two Sets of Customers on the Albright & O'Malley website, I must now admit "WHOOPS, I forgot one!"

Jeff Baird, Director of Programming, Magic 94.5, 105-5 BOB-FM in Eugene, OR (541 484-9400) caught me: "I just read your article from last year on the Two Sets of Customers, great read. I propose it's THREE sets of cusomers: listener, advertiser and co-worker. Just a thought!"

And, an excellent one at that! Thanks, Jeff, for taking time to express it.

KLUC, Las Vegas: the “Britney’s Prego” weekend

KLUC PD CatThomas had staff OB/GYN, ‘Dr. Goodfinger,’ perform ultrasounds on Britney’s belly all weekend and listeners won whatever was found inside (including a weekend in the Hard Rock Hotel room where she allegedly got pregnant as the grand prize).

Somehow, I don't think any country stations were doing promos quite yet as Emily & Charlie Robison along with big brother Gus, age 2, welcomed the healthy arrival of two new (TWINS!) additions to the Dixie Chicks...

PS: in case you hadn't heard, Julianna Tex was born at 9:19pm on April 14th weighing 6 lbs 10oz, followed ten minutes later by the arrival of Henry Benjamin at 6lbs 14 oz. Babies and mom are all doing very well. The arrival of Julianna and Henry into the Robison fold brings the Dixie Chick’s baby count to seven, including a set of twins each for sisters Emily and Martie.

Hopefully, the next birth from the Chicks will be a great new album sometime this year that is so "country" and so terrific that even their worst detractors on the political right wing finally forgive and forget so we can all get on with our lives.

The Question That Always Works With Celebrity Guests

Heard on Big John & Ray's morning show at US-99.5, Chicago: what are your pets' names .. and what do those names say about you?

Survival Info - for your audience (and for you!)

Mike McVay is currently working on an update to his 2004 "Reinventing Radio" presentation and he shared his first draft with A&O clients this week. Here's a key point from it:

The list of threats, to terrestrial radio, is long. There are the obvious threats like satellite, the iPod, WiFi, Internet radio providers like Yahoo, video games, cell phones, PDA’s and more. One competitor that has been overlooked of late, or taken for granted, is Television. Yes. Television. It’s true. Radio and TV both use pre-World War II technology, and yet we both compete. Television is our most immediate threat. We have research and rating proof that clearly shows that Television is taking away our morning cume. They’re robbing us, and it’s happening while we’re looking to the skies for that meteor.

Radio’s most listened to hours used to be 7:00am, 8:00am, 6:00am, 4:00pm and then 12:00pm weekdays. That’s changed. Check your own station’s ratings. The MLT hours for many radio stations are now 4:00pm, 5:00pm, 12:00pm; and then either 7:00am or 8:00am. Morning television is robbing us.

The Today Show, Good Morning America, Fox, CNN and local TV shows are competing with music radio, and winning. Think about it. Matt & Katie are a “morning team.” Then you add in Al Roker and Ann Currie, and you have an ensemble morning show.

Several of the stations we consult also have relationships with television stations. In talking to these people, and friends of mine who anchor news at local Cleveland television stations, and they have confirmed that their TV stations have made a conscious effort to present a show that you can listen to while you get ready for the day.

The temperature and time are continuously visible on the screen. They have fabulous guests. Superstar celebrities. And they’re designed for local news and weather inserts. Listeners have TV access in their bedroom/dressing area and in the kitchen.

We’re relegated to the bathroom and the car. Some new model homes even have a flat screen TV in the bathroom. We could soon be an “Auto Only” medium for morning drive. WTVJ/Miami isn’t waiting. They, and other channel 6 stations, are heard on 87.7FM; and WTVJ sells Dunkin’ Donuts a sponsorship of this coincidence, as they invite you to “take NBC 6 with you in the car today.”

Really sharp music radio programmers understand the need to embrace elements from Talk Radio. Certainly Talk Radio will change and fragment further during this period of radio renaissance. I’ve begun crafting morning shows so that the elements of News/Talk are applied.

Listen to your own market’s best News/Talk station. Notice the forward momentum, cross-promotion, vertical recycling and the way they make sure that you’re never more than ten-minutes away from survival information.

Mike can be reached at 440-892-1910 or at his company's website: http://www.mcvaymedia.com/

Tony & Kris Campaign For Ten Hour A Week Listeners

In a marketing twist, FOX has set up a grassroots online petition campaign to keep their beloved cult series Arrested Development on the air. Visitors to www.getarrested.com are encouraged to sign an 'Arrested Development Loyalty Oath' are also urged to invite their friends to join the 'Arrested Nation'. The hope is that this word-of-mouth effort will give the show enough new viewers to come back for a third season.

PS from Jaye@radioconsult.com: "in the most brazen attempt to do something rather like the above to hype ARB TSL for their show, take a look at what KUSS, San Diego's Tony and Kris are doing right now: http://www.us957.com/TK1Club.html.

It will be fascinating to see of ARB allows this tactic, which appears either right on or OVER the line, as far as I am concerned..