(Very Bad) B-105.1 Singing For A (Very Good) NFL Team

On our A&O client teleconference last Tuesday (if you're a client, click here to listen to the 20 minute podcast), Bill Whyte told us about the original songs B-105.1's morning team is building each week as the Bengals play.

They call the benchmark the amazingly-creative "Bill Whyte’s Bengal Song"...
Bengals Colts song
Bengals Ravens song - Bengals Gonna Beat Those Baltimore Ravens, Featuring Bobby Jo from Stagger Lee.
Bengals Packers song - Roll Out The Packers with Special Guest Nick G
Bengals Steelers song - Momma don't let your Redhawks grow up to be Steelers
Bengals Tennessee song - You Ain’t As Good As You Once Was
Beating Those Jags Down In Jacksonville
We’re Two Steppin’ On Those Texans
Click Here to listen to the Bears song
Click Here to listen to the Vikings song
That’s The Upside of Beating The Browns

Garth Brooks: The Limited Series = Fastest Selling Media Title

Wal-Mart Stores announced today that preorders for Garth Brooks: The Limited Series at Walmart.com have reached record-breaking results on the site.

The Future Of Radio Entertainment

.. is not in the mass market, but rather the millions of niche markets at the shallow end of the bitstream.

That's the view of Chris Anderson, editor-in-chief of Wired Magazine, who wrote The Long Tail, which first appeared in Wired in October 2004 and will become a book early next year. Get a head start on how you'll use your HDRadio side channels and internet streams in the future, by reading his blog.

How will we use our analog main channel and all the potential other digital channels? Anderson rings true to me when he says "successful aggregators (will) have to have both hits *and* niches. But for aggregators, the community may be more important. He calls this both the 'head' (could be traditional terrestial radio) and the 'tail' (dream this up now, because in the next year or two your company is going to be asking what to do with the niche opportunities).

Could this be one reason why I keep telling all of the personalities I work with to DROP THE EDITORIAL 'WE' and talk to the LISTENER, one at a time? No matter how big your station's cume, from the audience's perspective, you only have one listener.

Car Radio Is Still #1 For New Music With Kids

Mediamark Research has determined that while 59.8% of kids have a CD player in their bedrooms and about 25% have computers in their bedrooms, the top music portal for children is the car radio (cited by 74% = 72% of boys and 76.1% of girls).

Approximately 5,400 children responded to the 2005 American Kids Study, questionnaires for which were sent to households with children ages 6-11 that were interviewed for MRI’s Survey of the American Consumer. The survey period was March 8 to August 1, 2005. Among the findings:

* Gaming is the top online activity.
* CD players outnumber MP3 players for music listening
* 70% want to make a lot of money when they are older.
* When asked what they do when TV commercials come on, nearly 60% of respondents say they watch them.

MRI Contacts:
Anne Marie Kelly, VP, Marketing and Strategic Planning, Mediamark Research Inc.: 212-884-9204
Steve Ellwanger, Press Counsel Group: 203-291-6986

Chesney + J. C. Penney After School Fund

Why the JC Penney Afterschool Fund?
“The after school issue is one that affects a large percentage of this nation’s families. It’s important that the public be informed about the benefits of after school programming and, as such, having the support of esteemed personalities like Kenny Chesney is invaluable to the JCPenney Afterschool Fund and the children we serve,” says Wynn Watkins, Chairman of the Board of the JCPenney Afterschool Fund. “We are honored that Kenny will assist the JCPenney Afterschool Fund in our efforts to provide America’s children with opportunities for success at school and life.”

“The Road and the Radio” CD is now available at JCPenney Stores for $11.99 each.

CLICK for more info on Kenny and the JCPenney Afterschool Fund. Email for interview and funding requests.

Don't Believe The Research

Stop The Presses: Bayer Finds People Prefer Good News To Bad News
Bayer Health Care's Consumer Care Division, which has been negotiating with consumer magazines to place its controversial Aleve pain reliever brand in "good news" branded editorial content, Tuesday released findings of a study it funded showing that the majority of consumers would rather hear good news than bad news. The survey, conducted by The Segmentation Company, a division of Yankelovich, polled 1,004 people, with 94 percent saying they want to hear more good news, and 77 percent believing the media does not give enough coverage to good news.

But, wait: .. I've been there, done that. ..Even used the catch phrase " where the good news always comes first" to start every newscast. And, after several years of doing it, our client's research discovered that listeners liked the idea of good news, but would change the station the instant the 'good news' started, to find out what 'the real news' was.

I can tell you more about this situation in the event that the above self-serving news release tempts you to dump the 'bad news' and report only Happy News. .. I fear you may need the Bayer Aleve for the headache you'll get when the ratings come out..

Listeners do usually seem to know what they think and will gladly tell you in research. But, do they know what they will DO?

Study their behavior, as well as their perceptions and values. That's what the research professionals are in business to help make sure you also do.

How Does Christmas Look From The Reindeer Perspective?

Welcome to the Reindeer Liberation Front.
We are a band of committed freedom fighters, dedicated to the liberation of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and all his furry companions from under the oppressive yoke of Santa Claus.

Santa's propaganda machine has put out the worldwide message that the reindeer like working for him, and that he is a good person. Don't believe it - he is a cruel enslaver of innocent reindeer

Concurrence Marketing

con·cur·rence
Pronunciation: -'k&r-&n(t)s, -'k&-r&n(t)s
Function: noun CONSENT a coincidence of equal powers

Concurrence Marketing is based on two straightforward ideas about how to practice productive marketing.

* First, minimize clutter.
* Second, deliver value.

Clutter is minimized by being precise and relevant. Value is delivered by giving consumers power and reciprocity.

These two pairs of P's and R's - P&R² - are the four key principles of Concurrence Marketing. Both senses of concurrence are entailed - being in agreement by being more precise and relevant and being collaborative by providing power and reciprocity.

The folks at Yankelovich are working on some interesting things right now. If you aren't concerned about the continued very high negative impression of commercials and all other marketing, here's something you need to study.

Does Running That Weekend New Music Show Now Place You In Jeopardy?

R&R Street Talk Daily's Kevin Carter hasn't lost his sense of humor, as this morning's headline indicates: "This Just In From Mr. Spitzer: Everything You Were Doing Is Now Illegal"

In a statement, WMG said, “Warner Music Group acknowledges that various employees pursued some radio promotion practices on behalf of the company that were wrong and improper and apologizes for such conduct. Warner Music Group looks forward to defining a new, higher standard in radio promotion.”

In addition to $5 million — which will be distributed by the State of New York to various non-profit corporations, WMG has also agreed to cover $50,000 in fees tied to Spitzer’s investigation.

According to AG Eliot Spitzer: “The financial benefits provided in exchange for airplay, also known as ‘payola,’ took several forms: direct bribes to radio programmers, including airfare, electronics, tickets to premier sporting events and concerts; payments to radio stations to cover operational expenses; radio contest giveaways for stations’ listening audiences, including flyaways, concert tickets, iPods, gift certificates and gift cards; hiring independent promoters to act as conduits for illegal payments to radio stations; and purchasing ‘spin programs’ to artificially increase the airplay of particular recordings.”

Part of the WMG settlement now sets specific limits: only 20 promo CDs per project will be allowed per station — any more requires the written permission of the WMG “Compliance Officer”; ditto for concert tickets (20 per year per station).

“Modest personal gifts for life events and holidays” are allowable, as long as any gift “does not exceed $150 in value per recipient per year.”

That $150 limit is also applied to label-sponsored meals and entertainment for radio employees and allows the WMG labels to spend a “reasonable amount” (coach-class airfare or car/train) on travel and lodging expenses for radio employees to attend live performances or appearances by WMG artists, setting a limit on such promo trips to 20 per year per station. “Reasonable” lodging will only cover a period within 24 hours of the performance or appearance.

WMG isn’t allowed to reimburse an indie for any expenses incurred in promotion activities and prohibits WMG from providing “any item of value” to be distributed to a radio station, station employee or contest winner. The agreement also requires indies to submit quarterly reports confirming that they’re following these swell new standards of conduct WMG has adopted. WMG employees are prohibited from calling radio stations to request airplay of WMG artists or attempt to manipulate “voting features” to “falsely register public support” for a WMG artist or song.

I AM NOT YOUR ATTORNEY
...so, of course, you will want to get advice and the necessary compliance forms from your company's legal counsel on all of this. But, since specific paid spins programs on syndicated programming ("timebuys on shows like Carson Daly, Rick Dees or Ryan Seacrest..") were singled out as improper, if not outright illegal now (at least in this one state), in WMG's consent decree, I'd strongly recommend asking the syndicator of any programming you run whether they are paid for the plays on the program.

Unless they are willing to provide you with written assurance that this is not the case, I'd drop the show as soon as you can contractually do so, based on their refusal to provide such assurances.

Hopefully, the networks and syndication companies are already scrambling to get ahead of this TODAY. But, if you don't hear from yours, they need to hear from you. And, if I were you, I'd document those contacts in writing!

McGraw, Wilson, Sugarland Win Country AMA Awards

And, as the Tennessean's Tim Roland reports, country really shined: Tim McGraw was one of five artists from a multitude of genres who claimed a pair of trophies, while Sugarland scored what had to be an upset victory in the all-genre field for favorite new breakthrough artist.

Country And The Troops, Mutually-Supportive

Neal McCoy's road manager, Les Martines, snapped this photo for Music Row, as part of CMA "Country Takes New York City" activities. McCoy and Craig Morgan joined with Jack Daniel's for a special USO "Toast to the Troops" benefit concert at B.B. King's Blues Club & Grill (11/12).

Prior to the concert, McCoy, Morgan, USO volunteers and members of the military collected special "toasts" to the troops which will be included in USO care packages being delivered to troops later this year.

“Every show that I go to, I see a soldier that’s seen us over there (in Iraq), and without fail one of them talks about how at night, or when they got their breaks, they would put their headphones on and listen to the music - and it would take them back home. And music does that, and I think Country music does that. Country isn’t necessarily a big supporter of the war, but it is a big supporter of the country. That’s what Country music has always been, and I think we’re outspoken in the sense that we do support this country and what this country stands for. I think that happens because Country music is closer to the people than any other genre of music, and the soldiers are the people of this country. They’re the backbone, they’re the absolute core.”

- CRAIG MORGAN, the Broken Bow Records star (as quoted by Country Insider-Free Lance Journalist Phil Sweetland), at his No. 1 party this week at ASCAP in Nashville. Morgan is a 10-year Army veteran who served in Operation Just Cause and many other deployments and also worked as a sheriff’s deputy and at Wal-Mart to reach his dream. He and his band are returning to Iraq some time soon – the exact dates are of course classified - to again play for the troops and bring those honest-to-goodness heroes a much-needed and much-welcomed taste of home – courtesy of Country music.

It's Tanks-giving .. And KZLA Goes All Christmas

Click to see Gretchen Wilson in a Santa cap (plus Kenny, Keith and Toby too).

Homeland Security Holiday Weekend Travel Tips

To minimize delays, TSA has created a Holiday Checklist so passengers can prepare for the screening process. By following a few simple guidelines, travelers can help make passenger screening as efficient as possible.

“TSA’s security officers’ primary focus is ensuring the security of the traveling public,” said Assistant Secretary Kip Hawley. “We’re asking the traveling public to contribute to the effort and the Holiday Checklist is a great resource to use in planning your next trip.”

A Bunch Of Okies..

.. (getting their rewards) in Muskogee.

It must have been an amazing evening!

Bowling With Bubba

What do you do when Toby Keith announces that he's beginning his 2006 tour in your town? If you are KUPL, Portland, PD John Paul and Asst PD/MD Rick Taylor.. you go bowling (for a great cause).

Capture! Engage!

Tom Jackson has had a hand in making some of today's hottest country and contemporary Christian artists make their live show a truly memorable and life-changing experience. If you ever get a chance to hear him speak or attend one of his seminars, I promise that he will inspire you.

Here's the core of his message, and though it's primarily for musicians and singers, I know you'd benefit from his motivational approach as well:

Understand "The audience' , the 3 reasons why people go to a concert, event, show , service etc (turn on your radio station)....
1. Does this capture and engage people?
2. Are we creating "Moments" (experiences) or just playing music?
3. Are lives affected or changed?

A great show always meets or exceeds the audience's expectations. A great show is a combination of Spontaneity and form.

It can only succeed consistently with lots of preparation and rehearsal. Agents and labels often talk about 'artist development,' but are really only talking about changing costumes or getting 'better songs.' There is no short cut to real development as an artist. True development as an artist means working hard in preparation and practice of all aspects of the form, before the performance to improve how well you do what you do.

Spontaneous magical moments occur more consistently - not just at random - when you achieve this.

Yes, That IS Collin Raye Singing "You Can't Over Love (Your Underwear)"

Raye, a top country hitmaker in the '90s, admits he was hesitant about being the voice of Fruit of the Loom underwear, but the campaign's goofy humor won him over: "The first couple of times we had to stop the tape because I couldn't do it without laughing," he says.

The campaign has been so successful that he is hoping to turn the relationship with the manufacturer of tighty whiteys into tour support. Collin, who still plays 65-70 dates a year, says, "I'd be so happy to get a tour sponsorship right now I'd wear a pair on my head if they wanted me to."

Expect Raye to increase his touring schedule to about 100 dates in 2006 to promote his new album, "Twenty Years and Change," released on October 25th.

- for more information on Collin Raye contact: Kirt Webster (615.777.6995 x24) or Ebie McFarland (615.777.6995 x25).

Cat Country 98.7 Pensacola "News Cat" Milford in Iraq

WYCT/AM 1620 PD Kevin King sent us this press release:

Cat Country 98.7 reporter Rob Milford was with the Milton based 842nd Signal Company Army Reserve at Camp Shelby in Mississippi as they prepared for deployment. This past Saturday the 842nd departed on a 17-hour flight to Kuwait for additional training. When training is completed, they will deploy from Kuwait for an undisclosed location in Iraq. Rob Milford is with the 842nd as an ‘embedded reporter’ in order to support our local troops and tell Cat Country 98.7 and Classic Country 1620 listeners what it’s like to leave your family behind and go to Iraq for a year to serve our country.

Cat Country’s Rob Milford flew to Kuwait with the 842nd and will be with them as they serve in Iraq. He will sleep where they sleep, eat with them and travel to the outposts along side our 842nd where they will be operating. Rob will be telling their story to Pensacola radio listeners.

Listen for daily updates from Rob on Cat Country 98.7 mornings at 5:20 and 7:20 and afternoons at 2:45 and 5:45. On Classic Country AM 1620 Rob’s reports can be heard mornings at 6:20 and 8:20 and afternoons at 1:45 and 4:45.

This is Rob’s second trip to Iraq. Here was there during the 2003 invasion, reporting for CBS Radio and was one of the first embedded reporters to arrive in Baghdad. Rob covered the aftermath of Hurricane Dennis for Cat Country 98.7. He will be reporting with the 842nd through Christmas.

Both Cat Country 98.7 and Classic Country AM 1620 are locally owned and operated and steadfastly support all our troops! We thank them for their service.

For more information please contact Kevin King – Operations Manager – ADX Communications - 850- 494-2800. Milford is doing a daily BLOG of his experiences as well as doing broadcast reports.

ADX President Dave Hoxeng says: "Besides paying Rob’s salary, our biggest cost is 5 weeks of insurance for Rob at almost $1000/week for war zone coverage. This took weeks to get and was issued by Lloyd’s of London."

One other fascinating sidebar from Hoxeng: "We have also made arrangements with TV3 locally. We bought a $2k prosumer 3-chip color video camera and Rob will be sending TV3 periodic Quicktime video. We hope to FTP the video across the Internet, with FedEx as a backup."

For my money, THAT is commitment to community service and it's what great radio is ALL about.

Country's AMA Nominees, Performers And Presenters

As Noted Just Below, The American Music Awards are this Tuesday (November 22nd).

Gretchen Wilson, Lee Ann Womack, Brooks & Dunn, LeAnn Rimes, and Sugarland will be presenting awards. Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw, Keith Urban, and Kenny Chesney will be performing on the show.

Country Nominations
Favorite Male Artist:
-Kenny Chesney
-Toby Keith
-Tim McGraw
Favorite Female Artist:
-Martina McBride
-LeAnn Rimes
-Gretchen Wilson
Favorite Band, Duo or Group:
-Big & Rich
-Brooks & Dunn
-Rascal Flatts
Favorite Album:
-Honkytonk University (Toby Keith)
-Live Like You Were Dying (Tim McGraw)
-Here For The Party (Gretchen Wilson)
Favorite New Artist (All Genres):
-The Killers
-Jesse McCartney
-Sugarland

ABC-TV - Kenny Chesney, "Somewhere In The (Pittsburgh) Sun"

The week Ted Koppel says "good bye," Kenny says hello.

What a week for country on ABC-TV: American Music Awards (11/22) Kenny Chesney (11/23)

Our friend (United Stations writer-producer/GAC country news informant) Neil Haislop has some great Chesney quotes on the show:

"We hit it pretty hard out on that stage… but I don't know that we hit it any harder than the fans throw it back at us… So to stay in top form and top intensity, I make it a point to get away and unwind. "I didn't necessarily know that the people at ABC were going to find that interesting, but they did…and I think what they've captured, is a pretty great portrait of our life on the road, everything the fans don't see before we hit that stage… and how I pull it all in when we're not touring and reflect," Chesney explains about the special’s concept. “When we sat down with everybody at ABC, I said, ‘This is how I want to do it. We can go do a special with me onstage and it’d be all right. It’d be cool.’ We did that, but we also took a bunch of cameras down to my boat and to the Caribbean and taped three days of me hanging out with local people and playing music and just showing people how I live my life away from the lights and the video screens and the buses and the catering trucks and all that stuff.”

Always A Great Prize

.. your own loyal listener party, with only one way to get in - listening for your invitation. Larche stations in the Tri-Cities and Kitchener-Waterloo-Guelph both did it successfully this fall at Casino Rama.

Edgar Struble = Music Director for 2005 American Music Awards

Edgar Struble, known by many as the former Music Director for Kenny Rogers and TNN’s Prime Time Country, has been tapped by dick clark productions to be the Music Director for the 2005 American Music Awards airing on ABC Tuesday, November 22.

“This is an exciting event in my career.” said Struble. “It gives me the opportunity to stretch into many musical styles as I compose for this show and work with the production team.”

Struble is also the current Music Director for The Academy of Country Music Awards (CBS).

If you interview Edgar Struble (818-526-7761), be sure to ask if any artists are exceptions to the "if you talk longer than :30 seconds, we'll start the music" rule and why.

Someday, Will Your Podcasts and Side Channels Generate More Revenue Than Your Analog Main Channel?

Roll this thought from the Lost Remote TV blog around in your brain:

Getting cancelled is the best possible thing that could have happened to Arrested Development. (Or "put on hiatus" or "cut back episode order" - whatever. It's cancelled.)

No longer shackled by the whim of a fickle network, “AD” can take advantage of all the technologies now available for video delivery and make more money.

The model is just waiting to happen: AD, a pioneer in its style of comedy, should pioneer this, too.

Continue reading "Cancellation great for 'Arrested Development'"

Get A Life

I admit to being one of those 20 hour a day workaholics/type A personalities who get a lot of self-worth out of what I accomplish on the job, yet constantly fear that I am not working hard enough or getting enough accomplished.

Radio, a 25/7 biz, rewards us when we buy into that way of life, it often seems. Yet, does it really?

Could you be more effective as a communicator if you lived life a little more and spent fewer hours with radio people?

Take a moment and ponder "Get A Life!" by wife and husband Jody Miller and Matt Miller in the current issue of Fortune, which states "Working 24/7 may seem good for companies, but it's often bad for the talent—and men finally agree. So businesses are hatching alternatives to the punishing, productivity-sapping norm."

So What About Your Schedule?

MIT Research: Aluminum Beanies Not Effective Shield Against Radio Signals

Stop The Presses!

Maybe it's not just fluoridated drinking water and the radon in your basement that you have to worry about now. It would probably make more sense to cover this "news" in a bit less than five months, say around the end of March, but I can't wait that long to let you in on this.

The Aluminum Foil Deflector Beanie (AFDB) Web site explains how to build your own AFDB, which it says "can shield your brain from most electromagnetic psychotronic mind control carriers." It advises readers to make their own and not buy commercial AFDBs, which it warns "may contain backdoors, pinholes, integrated psychotronic circuitry or other methods that actually promote mind control."

Not so fast, say Ali Rahimi from MIT's Electrical Engineering and Computer Science department and his associates Ben Recht, Jason Taylor and Noah Vawter from the MIT Media Laboratory,. Their Web site, On the Effectiveness of Aluminum Foil Helmets: An Empirical Study describes the result of using a network analyzer to measure the shielding effectiveness of the AFDB. The measurement techniques are not clearly defined and somewhat suspect, especially since measurements of multiple helmets showed a 30 dB amplification at 2.6 GHz and a 20 dB amplification at 1.2 GHz.

Zapato Productions rebuts the MIT measurements, explaining, "only psychotronic energy can affect the brain in any coherent manner." He explained that simple EM fields have only trivial effects. These might cause indistinct sensations of a supernatural presence. He added that electromagnetic energy had to be converted into psychotronic energy before distant mind control forces could gain access to the brain's neural network in order to implant and extract thoughts.

If you are feeling a bit down, perhaps even paranoid, an AFDB (even reading about them) might just help! How effective is your AFDB across the radio spectrum? Don't forget to read the fine print and check out the references.

Want A TON Of Hits On Your Website?

.. from all over the world?

Put a disrobing kitten on it. (like this)

I love Radio World's take on it: Maybe next time Clear Channel can use one of its own billboards instead.

The Chicago Tribune reports that WKQQ(FM) in Lexington, Ky., has yanked a billboard promotion in which air talent ‘Kitten’ removes one piece of clothing each time the local football team wins a game. The billboard company (Lamar, according to the signs) objected. The promotion will remain on the station Web site.

“The stunt — to reward Kentucky Wildcats football victories — ended at the behest of the billboard company,” the Trib reported, attributing that to station PD Dennis Dillon. “Meaning the shirtless billboard — she was to pare down to a pair of jeans and a bra Friday — will move to cyberspace and the billboard will get a ‘censored’ box covering the disc jockey.”

Dillon said he understands why the billboard company complained but he wanted to fulfill a pledge to the football team.

It's Only A Disaster If You Don't Plan For It

Check out this site, full of tools to assist you in BEING there when your listener needs you the most.

The NAB Radio Show in Philadelphia had a great session on disaster prep too. Click to read The 411 on 911 Emergencies on the NAB's website.

George In Crawford, Texas .. Now A Radio Station

Tom Taylor at Inside Radio reports that the president’s Crawford, TX ranch falls right in the Waco market — and that’s where Simmons Media is flipping the switch on a Jack-type country format named "George." The station is programming Mexican right now and had previously been JRN's CD Country before the latest format flip, so it better be VERY different and special if it hopes to make inroads in Waco.

Is the new station named after the Pres? Maybe. After the popular Waco restaurant? Maybe. But, my bet is that Simmons is thinking of the most popular George in Texas, and that would be neither of the above!

It's Nice To Be "Flat" .. When Overall ARB Shares Are Down

Click on the ARB 'average persons using radio" trends and "format" track for all the stats, even regionally. But, here's the big picture from a country format point of view:

Radio's average rating for persons aged 12-plus fell again in the Summer Arbitron survey. This Summer’s 14.2 rating average (persons 12-plus, Mon.-Sun., 6 a.m.-12 midnight) also marks a new drop from what had been a stable plateau during the prior three survey periods. A year ago, in Summer 2004, the average 12-plus rating was a 14.6. During the next three periods, Fall 2004, Winter 2005 and Spring 2005, that average held steady at a 14.5. This Summer’s 14.2 shows that the 12+ average has fallen again and it has hit a new, all-time low. This downtrend is present across virtually every age and sex demo and holds true for both the Spring-to-Summer falloff and for the year-to-year comparisons. The only exceptions: A 2.1% Spring-to-Summer gain for teens 12-17, due to a 3.9% rise in listening by boys 12-17 during that period. Also, listening by men 25-34 was flat, at 15.8%, for both Spring-to-Summer and year-to-year comparisons.

That's why country's four book trends (flat, overall) look pretty good to me:

12+ 8.5 8.2 8.6 8.6
12-17 4.9 4.7 5.0 5.6
18-24 6.6 6.5 6.8 6.8
25-34 7.2 6.9 6.9 7.2
35-44 8.9 8.6 9.1 8.9
45-49 9.2 8.9 9.1 9.0

Country format gains 12-34 made up for losses 35+ from Spring '05 to Summer '05.

But, looking even BETTER: A&O client stations who resisted the temptation to move too young and managed to keep the tastes of young/old and male/female in balance, while surfing on the hot current music trend too .. and thus beat these national averages by being UP, again.

If you'd like to know more about how they did that and hear about some case histories, contact Jaye or Mike. We are very proud to work with some of North America's most successful country broadcasters. They make a lot of informed, smart decisions and A&O is proud to be ONE of them!

Thanks to the Arbitron folks for tracking these trends.

Shania To Receive "Order Of Canada"

Country music superstar Shania Twain has been added to the list of honourees at an Order of Canada ceremony in Ottawa on Friday.

Singer Twain to join Order of Canada

Other Shania news:
Shania Twain introduces Martha Stewart to the poutine experience ... National Post
Shania's schedule of events longer than a country mile this week Ottawa Citizen

Keith Urban = One Of The Sexiest

KEITH URBAN is one of People magazine's Sexiest Men Alive for 2005 (MatthewMcConaughey is the top sexy this year).

CMA Awards - The Great Outweighed The Questionable

The Country Music Alive fan site's Kirk Kitzgerald says it all for me this morning:

* Non-country performances from Elton John and Dolly, Willie Nelson with Paul Simon and Norah Jones, and Bon Jovi with Nettles were interesting, enjoyable, but easily forgotten in the vast history of the show.

* The memories for me tonight will be Glen Campbell's emotion in his face as it hit him, right on stage, the magnitude of accomplishment of being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

* Lee Ann Womack's powerful statement on stage when accepting an award saying "I love country music" and a plea to people that listen to music that doesn't mean anything to them, to give country radio a try.

* Of course, can't leave Gretchen Wilson out with tears in her eyes as she accepts Female Vocalist of the Year.

* Kenny Chesney opened the evening and set the mood for the show with "Living in Fast Forward." Highlights of the performances included Sara Evans performance of "Cheatin," Brad Paisley with "When I Get Where I'm Goin," Martina McBride's "Help Me Make It Through The Night," introduced by Kris Kristofferson. Alan Jackson performed the classic Eric Clapton song "Wonderful Tonight" and the stage was lit on fire around Miranda Lambert during the performance of "Kerosene." Garth Brooks' performed his tribute to Chris LeDoux from Times Square, along with hundreds of fans around the stage and traffic coming to a stop in the famous location. Yet another surprise from Brooks himself.

KBRJ, Anchorage's Big Joe Marshall's blog for his listeners has this review of the show.

Official Links:

Entertainer of the Year - Keith Urban
Female Vocalist of the Year - Gretchen Wilson
Male Vocalist of the Year - Keith Urban
Horizon Award - Dierks Bentley
Vocal Group of the Year - Rascal Flatts
Vocal Duo of the Year - Brooks & Dunn
Single of the Year" - I May Hate Myself in the Morning" (Lee Ann Womack, Produced by Byron Gallimore)
Musician of the Year - Jerry Douglas, Dobro
Album of the Year - "There's More Where That Came From, ("Lee Ann Womack, Produced by Byron Gallimore and Greg Droman, MCA Nashville)
Music Video of the Year - "As Good As I Once Was" (Toby Keith, Directed by Michael Salomon)
Musical Event of the Year" - Good News, Bad News" (George Strait with Lee Ann Womack, MCA Nashville, Appears on "Somewhere Down In Texas")
Song of the Year - "Whiskey Lullaby" (Bill Anderson and Jon Randall, Appears on "Mud on the Tires" Album)

The 39th CMA Awards Website

2006 CMA Calendar, Anyone?

See Big & Rich, Billy Dean, Billy Currington, Blue County, Cowboy Troy, Phil Vassar, Sugarland, all the months of the year, a bunch of nice photos of Gotham (plus a bunch of Chevy cars too) all next year. Click here to download it.

Keith Urban Rocked New York ( .. and AOL video!)

"You've got TV!" AOL is getting into the video biz and their latest triumph is Urban's "No Frills" show the night before the CMA Awards. Click to watch it.

Meanwhile, Media Post reports that "In2TV," AOL's broadband TV push, will launch in January 2006 with six channels and episodes from more than 100 popular shows from the '70s, '80s, and '90s. Here's a fun factoid: AOL Video on Demand's archive contains more than 18,000 licensed and originally produced assets. AOL's Singingfish has more than 1.5 million video assets.
M-P Executive Editor Tobi Elkin expects more announcements like AOL's in the near future, "but perhaps none with the breadth and scope of this one."

New Artist Rockie Lynne is GAC's CMA Correspondent

Rising country star Rockie Lynne is chronicling the experience of his first trip to the CMA Awards as a special correspondent for Great American Country (GAC TV).

Each day Rockie is posting a blog at www.GACTV.com detailing his experiences and sharing his own personal photos of his trip to New York City.

Rockie is a guy who never met someone he couldn't befriend, so the blog promises to be full of interesting people, places, and experiences. He guarantees no-holds-barred looks at late flights, lost hotel reservations, and pre-dawn lobby calls, in addition to his take on the glamour of fabulous restaurants, movie premieres, special events and honors, and, of course, his fellow artists.

Rockie was named earlier this month the artist Most Likely To Succeed by the editors of Billboard Radio Monitor.

His first single, "Lipstick,"was released to radio last month, scoring the biggest debut for a new artist since Gretchen Wilson's "Redneck Woman" in 2004.

His debut CD will be released in March of 2006 on Universal South Records.

Actual Product "Warnings"

Various lists of supposedly "real" product warnings have been going around for a long time, and we've all seen enough with our own eyes on step ladders and knife sharpeners to find these believable.

On a Sears hairdryer:
...Do not use while sleeping.
(darn, and that's the only time I have to work on my hair.)

On a bag of Fritos:
...You could be a winner! No purchase necessary. Details inside.
(the shoplifter special?)

On a bar of Dial soap:
"Directions: Use like regular soap."
(and that would be???....)

On some Swanson frozen dinners:
"Serving suggestion: Defrost."
(but, it's just a suggestion.)

On Tesco's Tiramisu dessert (printed on bottom):
"Do not turn upside down."
(well...duh, a bit late, huh!)

On Marks & Spencer Bread Pudding:
"Product will be hot after heating."
(...and you thought????...)

On Nytol Sleep Aid:
"Warning: May cause drowsiness."
(and...I'm taking this because???....)

On most brands of Christmas lights:
"For indoor or outdoor use only."
(as opposed to...what?)

On a Japanese food processor:
"Not to be used for the other use."
(now, somebody help me on this. I'm a bit curious.)

On Sainsbury's peanuts:
"Warning: contains nuts."
(talk about a news flash)

On an American Airlines packet of nuts:
"Instructions: Open packet, eat nuts."
(Step 3: maybe, uh...fly Delta?)

On a child's superman costume:
"Wearing of this garment does not enable you to fly."
(I don't blame the company. I blame the parents for this one.)

On a Swedish chainsaw:
"Do not attempt to stop chain with your hands or genitals."
(Was there really a lot of this happening somewhere?)

Thanks to Dr Philip E Humbert, Author, Speaker and Coach for this list.

Garth, NHLPA & NHL Partner For Kids

WHO: Media announcement to feature Garth Brooks, the highest certified solo recording artist in U.S. history.Brooks’ charity “Teammates For Kids” was established in 1999 to raise money for children’s causes, with an emphasis on health, education and inner-city services.

The media conference also will include NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and National Hockey League Players’ Association Executive Director Ted Saskin along with Nashville Predators forward Scott Walker.

WHAT: With the NHL teams’ full commitment, the NHL, NHLPA and “Teammates For Kids” will announce a partnership that will support programs that improve the lives of children.To date, “Teammates For Kids” has donated more than $48 million to charities that benefit children.

WHERE: The Club Restaurant, Madison Square Garden, New York

DATE:Wednesday, November 16

TIME:10 a.m., ET

RSVP:Space is limited.To inquire about a seat, please contact Alex Burton, NHL (212) 789-2135 or aburton@nhl.com

KIIS, Los Angeles, Builds TSL With "Points"

The original "Be The XXth Caller" station which has used the Birthday Game more than almost anyone is now encouraging its listeners to listen to amass "points."

Here's the promo, heard on the 102.7 air recently:

A gallon of gas -- $2.50. Average car payment -- $400. Winning a new car just for listening to the radio -- priceless. Fans of KIIS-FM in Los Angeles could find themselves in a hot new ride by the end of 2005. It's the KIIS-FM "Pick Your Ride Raffle." They've teamed up with North County Toyota and the only hard part is deciding which car you want—a 4-Runner, Avalon, Camry, Prius or Tundra.

The only way to win is to be a KIIS Club VIP member and get as many bonus points as you can. Just sign up on the station web site and enter the special "Pick Your Ride Raffle" before January 1. Points can be earned by doing things on the web site and listening to KIIS-FM. The more points your grab, the closer you get to a new Toyota to kick off the new year with.

Podcasting = TIVO For Radio

Dave Van Dyke at Bridge Ratings has been very smart over the past year, tracking important radio trends and grabbing informative headlines, and his latest study proves that Podcasting needs to be a part of your strategy. They create listening for your station at times folks otherwise would not be listening to radio.

* The study estimates that 4.8 million persons have at some time during 2005 downloaded a podcast from either a radio station or other source. iTunes was referrenced as the most often accessed portal for podcast downloads. This 4.8 million estimate is up from 820,000 podcast users in 2004.

* Growth in this nascent industry will accelerate quickly due to the rapid acceptance of the technology by the radio broadcast industry in 2005 and Apple's iTunes distribution. The study reveals that two different metrics define the podcast user universe: Weekly users and those that have ever downloaded and listened to a podcast.

* By 2010 podcast audience growth is expected to reach a conservative 45 million users who will have ever listened to a podcast. Aggressive estimates place this number closer to 75 million by this date.

* The study shows that currently approximately 20% of users who have ever downloaded and listened to a podcast do so on a weekly basis. This group downloads an average of six podcasts per week and spends approximately four hours a month listening to the podcasts they download.

* More interestly, on average less than 20% listen to their podcast downloads on an MP3 player or other digital device.

The Bridge Ratings study was presented at the 2005 "Portable Media & Podcast Expo" in Ontario, California. Click here to see Van Dyke's entire presentation.

PS: It takes more time than you'd think to get your podcasts listed with ITunes, but it's worth it.

Git-Er-Done

The venerable New York Times Sunday Book Review section takes note of and briefly reviews the new book, just out, from country comedian Dan Whitney under his personna "Larry The Cable Guy."

Sample lines from the book:

"I was born in 1963 as a C-Section baby. I was born in Section C of a Waylon Jennings concert."

"The Abu Ghraib photographs, it was hysterical. The kind of uplifting thing we here at home needed to see. Terrorists posed in a naked round bale next to a smiling soldier who's smokin' a cigarette and havin' the time of her life."

"Al Franken's radio show, I gotta tell ya, demon possession is funnier that that program."

The Times review grabs the funniest line of the piece, as reviewer Dwight Gardner adds "in his new book, Franken does not mention Larry The Cable Guy at all.."

Reach Dan Whitney through his agent, Richard De La Font.

Neil Haislop Reports Nashville IQ From NYC

NEIL HAISLOP'S NASHVILLE IQ: Events leading up to the 39th Annual CMA Awards tomorrow night have already accomplished part of their goal to raise the awareness of country music in this major market area. Every local news cast has given even the preliminary functions on-air time and talked about the upcoming CMA awards. Chatting with local citizens in restaurants and shops, you find they are also aware that country has come to town and, more importantly, they’re glad of it.

A good example of the local interest came from the Nashville songwriter’s performance at the legendary, hip Joe’s Pub, Sunday evening.

The sold out crowed was dominantly locals coming to take the measure of the top Nashville songwriters participating, Brett James, Matraca Berg, Jessie Alexander, Amee Mayo, Chris Lindsey, introduced by Bob DiPiero, plus, special appearances by Jon Randall and Jeff Hanna. All turned in great performances, that were warmly received by the audience of New Yorkers that cheered wildly to hear Jon Randall and Jessie Alexander perform his “Whiskey Lullaby,” and Jeff Hanna, backed up by wife, Matraca Berg on, “Bless the Broken Road.” It was tangibly obvious that the level of Nashville talent in that room was on par with that of a city that is the greatest vortex of creativity in the galaxy.

The Grand Ole Opry came to town as well for a performance TONIGHT at Carnegie Hall. THIS MORNING, THE OPRY will be at the NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE, with Gaylord Entertainment Company Chairman & CEO Colin V. Reed, joined by Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell and Grand Ole Opry Member Trisha Yearwood, invited to Ring The Opening Bell at 9:30 AM ET.

The Grand Ole Opry's historic Nov. 14 return to Carnegie Hall (tonight) in celebration of its 80th Anniversary is sold out, but millions of country music fans will have the opportunity to witness that night's performances next year when the show will be broadcast on Great American Country (GAC). The Opry and the cable network have signed an agreement to make GAC the exclusive television broadcaster of "Grand Ole Opry at Carnegie Hall," a special performance occurring in New York City on the eve of the Country Music Association (CMA) Awards which will also be held in New York. The show will air as a two-hour broadcast on GAC in March 2006. 650 WSM-AM, Sirius Satellite Radio, and www.opry.com will broadcast the show live Monday night, the first time an Opry performance has been broadcast or recorded at Carnegie Hall. Some of country music's biggest names are set to appear on the Carnegie Hall stage including Trisha Yearwood, Vince Gill, Alan Jackson, Trace Adkins, Alison Krauss, Brad Paisley, Bill Anderson, Little Jimmy Dickens, Ricky Skaggs, Charley Pride and Martina McBride.

"This event will no doubt write a great new chapter in Grand Ole Opry history," said Steve Buchanan, senior vice president of media and entertainment for Gaylord Entertainment. "We are very excited that the magical evening created by the combination of this incredible line-up of artists and these two American icons, the Opry and Carnegie Hall, can be enjoyed by country music fans on GAC next spring."

MEANWHILE…CMA Male Vocalist of the Year Keith Urban was surprised during areception today at the Australian Consulate General in New York City,with the Association's International Artist Achievement Award. "Keith has had an outstanding year and is a tremendous ambassador forCountry Music around the globe," said CMA Executive Director Ed Benson. "He is very deserving of this award and it was a pleasure to present it to him in the company of his countrymen at the Australian consulate."

Formerly the International Touring Artist Award, the award recognizes outstanding achievement by an artist who contributes to the awarenessand development of Country Music outside North America. Previous winners include Dolly Parton, Dixie Chicks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain and Trisha Yearwood.

Urban headlined a 10-show sell-out tour in Australia this year before visiting England, Germany and Ireland for a promotional tour andshowcases. He also opened for Bryan Adams on his UK and Ireland tour and recently completed his solo UK tour. He is a Country artist with aninternational focus and is destined to develop a global fan base.

Kenny Chesney talked frankly with People Magazine about marital event this year, expressing how hurtful it has been for both him and Renee Zellweger. And, he says they’re both trying to get beyond the dissolution of their marriage and move on. "What I did in May, I meant. Isn't it great that that kind of love exists? I'm sad, I'm angry, and I'm hurt and confused. This is not what I envisioned my life to be six months ago," he admits. "Renée and I still care about each other," he says, adding that they've gotten together a few times in the past two months to try to sort some things out. "This is not a me-vs.-her scenario. We are trying to figure it out in the classiest way possible." MEANWHILE..Kenny channeled his energy into finishing his THE ROAD AND THE RADIO CD that is expected to sell HUGE when figures are announced today. Plus, he’s getting ready to be the Opening performer for TUESDAY’s CMA Awards.

Tim McGraw will be Hononary Chair at the Tug McGraw Foundation Gala - look for performances from the Warren Brothers, Hot Apple Pie and the Dancehall Doctors. While in NY, Tim will be doing some Flicka related business as well. His camp tells us he’s gearing up for a big year in 2006.

Remember the report, 3 weeks back that Toby Keith had to interrupt his movie shooting because his son Stelen had been injured when he crashed his 4 wheeler? Initial reports stated Stelen had not been seriously injured. But, according to the Tennessean, Toby’s son was badly injured.Stelen, fractured his skull, lacerated his liver, damaged an adrenal gland and broke a tooth. He also experienced short-term memory loss and was in a hospital intensive care unit for a week. Stelen is better now, but it may be another six weeks before his liver is fully healed. Toby had to play a little catch up with his filming schedule and will begin soon to finish the soundtrack album for “Angel From Montgomery,” and a new studio album all due out by year’s end.

Gretchen Wilson will end the year on the road with Big & Rich Dec. 30th in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. She’ll take a couple weeks for a breather, then launch her Redneck Revolution Tour 2006 on January 18th, in Dallas, Texas. Joining her as opening acts will be Van Zant and Blaine Larsen.

Alabama, will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame at the CMA Awards tomorrow night. And, in case you don’t have all this historical group’s hit music, RCA/Legacy will release a 3 disc Box Set of Alabama Music on January 31st. The collection is titled “Livin’ Lovin’ Rockin’ Rollin’”.

Contact Neil Haislop: 323 857-0760

The Digital Weatherman

Now, I've heard everything!

The Digital Weatherman™ is a hard-working, dependable computer. It gathers all the latest weather information automatically and delivers a concise, perfectly-timed, impactful weather forecast. It does this on-command from your announcer or your automation system. The Digital Weatherman™ is available in either of two PC case styles - mid-tower or rack-mount. Your new Digital Weatherman™ comes with a Windows keyboard and a mouse. Since the Digital Weatherman™ is usually heard and not seen, we leave the selection of a monitor up to you. Many stations simply add the Digital Weatherman to a remote KVM system they're already using. The Digital Weatherman™ will display the current text forecast, conditions, and weather graphics. Consequently, some stations display the DW's screen prominently in the Control Room or Lobby. Other stations keep it hidden away, letting the Digital Weatherman™ work alone.

The Digital Weatherman™ is the real voice of a real meteorologist. He delivers the current forecast for your coverage area, plus this hour's temperature and conditions. A Digital Weatherman™ works with live shows, satellite, voice-tracking or any automation. If you wish, the Digital Weatherman™ will break in automatically when severe weather breaks out. And he sounds a lot better than that robot at the weather service.

Actually. the computer has a voice and a name: Tom Churchill, a native of Dubuque Iowa, where he started in radio as on-air weatherman on WDBQ radio at the age of 13. (whew! .. I was really scared there for a second..)

Which got me to thinking.. what weather service do YOU use and recommend?

Radio Is Everywhere

You have to hand it to Eric Rhoads, the cheer-leading publisher of Radio Ink Magazine. His publications just launched a new website to start countering the (amazingly effectice) PR of satellite radio and internet radio. He says:

"The purpose of the site is to direct potential advertisers to reinforce radio’s strength. In a world in which new technologies are in the spotlight, Radio Ink’s purpose is to show that radio is stronger than ever. Although devices like the iPod may have a few million users, radio is in every car and every home in America, with the majority of the population listening to hundreds of millions of devices each week. According to Rhoads, “There is just no comparison to radio. Radio is a part of every life in America every day. There are several radios in every household and nearly every car. New technologies like iPod and satellite radio are very cool, but there is no comparison in distribution and listenership to radio.” The campaign graphics show radio in use in places like the shower, the bedroom, the kitchen, the car, the office, the beach, and on the go."

Factoids:
Radio entertains with music, informs with news, and engages civic discussion. It has been there for every disaster in America for nearly 100 years. Enjoy the new technologies, but remember that radio is everywhere. Radio listens to its audience to reflect the listeners’ needs. In turn, they listen to radio!

What’s hot? You decide.
Satellite radio (worldwide) - 6 million units in use (combined)
iPod (U.S.) - 20 million units in use
Car radio (U.S.) - 231 million in use
Radio (U.S.) - 1 billion units in use

Exclusive Programming Devoted To Gulf-Area During Hurricane Katrina And Local Disaster-Relief Information:
iPod - 0
Satellite radio - 0
Radio - 100% (virtually everyone has battery-operated radios)
TV - 100% for those who had power

Rest In Peace Peter Drucker

Peter F. Drucker, a Pioneer in Social and Management Theory, Is Dead at 95

Even if you don't know his name, you know him, especially if you work for a great leader. Drucker's thinking affected us all:

QUOTES

"Effective executives start with their time. 'Know thyself,' the old prescription for wisdom, is almost impossibly difficult for mortal men. But everyone can follow the injunction 'Know thy time' if one wants to, and be well on the road toward contribution and effectiveness. Effective executives do not start with their tasks. They start with their time. And they do not start out with planning. They start by finding out where their time actually goes. Then they attempt to manage their time and to cut back unproductive demands on their time. Finally they consolidate their "discretionary" time into the largest possible continuing units. Action Point for the Day: Find out where your time goes by recording, managing, and consolidating your time. "

"The 21st century will be the century of the social sector organization. The more economy, money, and information become global, the more community will matter. And only the social sector nonprofit organization performs in the community, exploits its opportunities, mobilizes its local resources, solves its problems. The leadership, competence, and management of the social sector nonprofit organization will thus largely determine the values, the vision, the cohesion, and the performance of the 21st century society."

-Peter F. Drucker

His legacy will live long after him. Read more Drucker right now.

Is It Time For A Fun Show, Filled With "Useless Information?"

* Here's the book to get a copy of: "The Areas Of My Expertise."

* And, if you're too cheap to buy the book and still want to do a show filled with fun, needless facts, here's the website.

* Yes, John Hodgman makes a great guest. Here's his blog, from which you can reach him.

Rememberance Day Music

Thanks to Chris Harding at CJBX, London who sent this for our Canadian clients: "BX93's Dave and Jacquie played an incredible song this morning from New Brunswick Country singer/songwriter Julian Austin, called "Red and White". The phone has rung off the wall this morning looking for a copy. Courtesy of the Canadian Forces, here's the story and a Forces link that has the song on it."

Also, Crystal Darche at JRfm, Vancouver reminded me of Terry Kelly. Another very compelling story is his "A Pittance of Time" as well.

More Great Pre-CMA Press

This time, from Forbes Magazine, which says: "Country music has an esteem problem. Not a self-esteem problem. The country business just doesn't think it gets enough respect from New Yorkers. So, Nashville has moved itself to Manhattan..

"OK, we bite. But the thing is, country is doing just fine without New York's blessing. Even if, say, most New Yorkers had never heard of Kenny Chesney until his quickie romance with actress Renee Zellwegger, the rest of the country certainly has: The star sold 3 million albums last year in the U.S.--more than anyone except Usher, Norah Jones and Eminem; not to mention $51 million worth of concert tickets--better than Sting or Elton John.

"In fact, seven of last year's 25 top-grossing U.S. concert tours were country acts, according to Pollstar. Country dominates radio, with more than 2,000 stations playing the music. And while country's last sales boom peaked in the early 1990s, the genre has actually eked out a few share points in a slumping market. Three of the top-selling albums of 2004 were country albums. And through the first week of November, U.S. buyers had purchased some 51.6 million country albums this year, or about 11% of total sales, according Nielsen SoundScan. Five years ago, country music represented 8.5% of the market. (Meanwhile rap and R&B sales now dominate, accounting for 37% of all sales)..."

Read the entire article and view videos

Phone Pranks Can Be Dangerous

Just be grateful that this isn't your station or show getting this kind of publicity.. Stations' pranks are humiliating, not hilarious The San Diego Union-Tribune

Luckily, not too many country morning shows do "fake phone calls." KUSS, San Diego's Tony & Kris are one exception, but they do them with actors and pre-written scripts. I've always wondered what would happen if their listeners ever found out that this popular regular feature on their show is not real. Seems like, even when you do them 'legally' like that, a dangerous risk to me..

Evansville Radio Raises $1,250,000 For Tornado Relief

It's SO powerful when all the broadcasters of an area work together to motivate their listeners, no matter what the cause. But, it's exceptionally so when the need is LOCAL.

$1,250,000.00, benefitting the American Red Cross and Salvation Army tornado relief funds. From country to chr, all formats and owners helped out and have good reason to be very proud.

Interesting Coincidence: Harvey Gets Presidential Medal, Kingsley Leaves, ABC Sells

DRUDGE: ABC NEARS SALE OF RADIO NETWORK, STATIONS; FINAL BIDS DUE THIS WEEK...

Be Smart, Be Simple

New strategies are connecting brands to consumers at a visceral level via stripped-down brand identities and communications: Ask yourself how your air sound and also the look of your station website measures up to this article by Rob Wallace, Partner, Wallace Church (download PDF) in Reveries daily E-Zine.

Lots Of Sex On TV, But Who's Watching?

A media critique by Wayne Friedman:

JUST IN CASE YOU DIDN'T know--there's a lot of sex on network TV, much more than seven years ago. But factor in this: Since that time, there are fewer viewers watching network TV.

The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, which sponsored the study, yesterday said that now in seven of 10 episodes of TV shows, there was some kind of sex-related content--double the number since 1998.

Now even family-friendly advertising shows have lots of sex-stuff as well. In the special study, "Gilmore Girls" was used as an example. In one scene Lorelai Gilmore wonders why her daughter, Rory, isn't angry after they spot Rory's boyfriend kissing another woman on the neck in public. "Aren't you guys sleeping together?" Lorelai asks. Rory isn't concerned: "It's good to just keep things casual." Meanwhile, the Federal Communications Commission noted that indecency complaints quadrupled in the third quarter. So at this pace, by next year, virtually all scenes on TV shows will be about sex--which won't be good news for TV ratings.

Most of the Kaiser study focuses on network television--which brings up an interesting parallel that perhaps the study hadn't thought of: In those eight years that the number of sex scenes has gone up, network ratings have gone down.

All that says is people are bored with sex-related content. Perhaps there is too much attention to all this. Many sex-themed shows, such as NBC's "Coupling" of a few years ago, failed. One can't believe TV executive producers and writers' main goals are only in figuring out about how to add more sex-related content to TV shows--that would be suicidal.

And boring. Years ago, during a visit to the MIPCOM television market in Cannes, France, an American TV executive told me he decided to take his 12-year-old son to the beach, where there is a European tradition of topless women. On the first day, the son was shocked: "Dad, look at that!"

On the second day, the son was somewhat more muted: "Dad, see that." On the third day, the son barely noticed. "Dad, let's get a latte."

TV Watch

KSON Christmas Cash + Christmas Music Weekends

To get San Diego into "that Holiday spirit" KSON will be playing Christmas music EVERY WEEKEND starting at 6am Saturday morning and all weekend long, beginning next weekend (November 19th). The nonstop Christmas tunes also rub from Thanksgiving Day starting at 3pm and lasting straight through Sunday the 27th until 7pm.

Read all about it here.