Does Your Station Have A Mission?

What do you stand for? Do your listeners know? Check out what San Diego's KBZT has on their website. Go to http://www.fm949sd.com/home/index.cfm and click on the words "Here are 11 ways we strive to be different" and watch what pops up.

Shouldn't you do something like this?

Now?

Learning From Fox News

USA Today's Peter Johnson has a fun (if not 'fair and balanced') profile of Fox News CEO Roger Ailes portions of a recent media breakfast, who says Fox News has no agenda. His charge to his reporters and anchors is simple: "If you make a mistake, get on the air as fast as you can and admit it. ... Do your homework. Make sure you reach out to a point of view you don't agree with to be sure you have some balance in your piece, because journalists, despite the public perception, are not empty-headed fools. They actually come to the job with some ideas and biases."

Ailes certainly practices what he preaches in his late 80's book, "You Are the Message." Fox News' success is proof that it works. If you haven't read Ailes' "Identity-Based Communications" philosophy, I highly commend it to your attention.

Pet-A-Palooza

KMXB, Las Vegas, (Mix 94.1) just had their sixth Annual “Peta-palooza.”

PD Charese Frugé: “This one was our most successful yet. Over 15,000 people and their dogs showed up for a day in the park. It was truly an amazing event, and the icing on the cake was our celebrity guest host, Gilbert Gottfried, who made light of the fact that there were so many dogs in the park and not one pet owner lost their dog — but at least 30 parents had to be summoned to the stage to find their lost children. His outlook on it was, ‘Don’t worry, just pick up one of the lost ones here on stage; they’re probably much cuter than the one you originally had in the first place.’”

The event featured acoustic performances by Better Than Ezra and Lifehouse.

The Arbitron Answer Man

Whenever I have a question, I turn to John Snyder at ARB for the answer.

For example, a client PD asked...

If I were going to rank the metro counties based on how they impact the ratings, would it be done strictly by population? Does each county count XXX amount based on the number of people in it?

JS says "the bigger the county (in population) more diaries should go there. Thus if county A has 20% of the metro population, 20% of the diaries should go there, if not those diaries will be weighted up or down depending on the diary return to equal 20%. The diaries are weighted geographically based on return. Diaries in HD areas are weighted separately but so are diaries in any sampling unit ( for example a split county). If we under sample an HD area (or any sampling unit) those diaries will be weighted up, meaning one diary might equal 450 people instead of 350 people."

Lorna Ozmon Tips

From CRS 2005: 7 TIPS TO CREATING MORE COMPELLING RADIO

CISN's 100 Days of Tim McGraw

Edmonton's 103.9 CISN is giving away a small city. 1oo pairs of tickets the see Tim = "the largest ticket giveaway for the city’s hottest concert."

Two Big Levers

Denver-based personality coach Doug Erickson found and forwarded the following link, accompanied by this thought:

Ever wonder what the marketing budget of the original KHJ was? How about WLS at its zenith? As long as there have been Program Directors, there's been moaning about a lack of marketing. And these days, I'd have to agree most of them are right. But have you ever thought about what your listeners experience IF you actually get them to try your station, if the marketing actually works? Because if they get a very ordinary experience from your station -- and let's face it, we're all more average than we'd like to believe -- how effective will your ads be with those listeners in the future?

When's the last time YOU were amazed at what you were hearing when you tuned into your own station? Why do we expect our listeners to feel any differently?

As this piece from Branding Blog, posted by David Young (Permalink), points out, maybe it's time we applied the same BS meter to our marketing as we do to the spots we see for other products:

In the Advertising Performance Equation, there are two giant factors that will make the difference between a poor-to-middlin' ad campaign and a campaign that will amaze you with its effectiveness. Unfortunately, you cannot necessarily count on your advertising reps or your agency for either of these.

First, is the Personal Experience Factor. Others call it the delight factor, or the wow factor -- the amazing things you do for your customers. In short, if the ACTUAL customer experience exceeds the expectation created by the campaign, you can likely expect repeat business and referrals. HOWEVER, if the experience delivered by you and your staff fall short of expectations, expect us to tune out your subsequent advertising and tell everyone we know that you're "not all that."

Second, once you get your customer experience tuned up, the Impact Quotient of your message is what will cause us to perk up and pay attention. I'm not talking about the kind of schtick usually spouted by the average car dealer. You can yell to get my attention, but once I figure out it's an ad (and a poorly written and executed ad at that) my BS filter kicks in and you never even get to whisper to my prefrontal cortex where buying decisions are made. It's not as simple as just getting my attention. You must keep it. Ah, now that's the hard part.

If you can wrap your arms around both of these principles, your advertising will exceed your expectations.

If you ignore one or the other (or both) the only way to compensate is to spend more money. Lots more. And be prepared to keep spending more, because over time your campaign will diminish in effectiveness as more consumers tune out your ads or figure out your poor experience.

Dreaming of HD Radio

Be watching next week's Airplay Monitor for an article that sounds like a lot of fun being written now by Phyllis Stark. She's asking folks, "With HD Radio looming, I thought it would be fun to touch base with some prominent industry executives for a light-hearted look at you'd do with a second (or third, fourth or fifth) channel if you had one to program now."

Here's my response to her questions:

PS: If you had an additional channel or two complementing your current stations, what would you do with it? Any niche music or type of programming that doesn't work in today's competitive terrestrial radio environment that could work as a bonus channel?

JA: Every single terrestual country radio station will have more digital side channels than either of the satellite radio companies .. and we'll be LOCAL as well. If we're smart, our formats will be much more interactive and personal than anything we can offer now. Hopefully, once we have six or seven times the current available space for commercial inventory, we'll recognize it as an opportunity to cut down the amount of commercial clutter compared to today's levels on all of them.

PS: Also, what kind of programming do you secretly hope someone else may sign on in your market that you'd listen to as guilty pleasure? Mariachi music? Celtic lullabies? Polkas? All bagpipes all the time? Some niche talk format?

JA: The John Phillip Sousa, Kent State University, Ohio State University, University of Washington marching bands channel. The Broadway show tunes channel The "songs Jaye Albright thought were going to be hits but aren't" channel.

PR Fuel - "Blog Rules," a White Paper

Ben Silverman is currently Director of Development and a Contributing Editor for FindProfit.com (http://www.findprofit.com), an independent investment research service. His personal weblog is BenSilverman.net(http://www.bensilverman.net). Previously, Ben was a business news columnist for The New York Post and thefounder/publisher of DotcomScoop.com:

PR giant Edelman and market research firm Inteliseek have released a white paper, "Trust MEdia: How Real People AreFinally Being Heard - The 1.0 Guide to the Blogosphere for Marketers & Company Stakeholders."

The version available to the public is a good primer for PR, marketing and advertising professionals who are looking to get a better understanding of the blogosphere and how to deal with it (and not deal with it)."

Blogs represent a paradigm shift that presents new challenges and opportunities for the advertising, public relations and marketing communities - challenges and opportunities that require quick responses, protocols and policies," the paper states.

One of the more interesting sections in the paper highlights how automaker Mazda dropped the ball when it attempted to use blogs as a marketing tool and instead created a PRproblem. There also are some handy tips, such as, "Are you willing to enter the world of blogging with honesty, frankness and humor? If you cannot get past 'marketingspeak' and defensiveness, then do not blog."

I am actually pleasantly surprised by the content and tone of the paper (just when I thought the big agencies had their heads in the wrong place, I'm proven wrong), which I believe most people in our profession will find useful. It's worth noting that organizations that utilize either Edelman or Inteliseek's services are given a list of the most influential bloggers.

Links:
White paper - http://www.edelman.com/image/insights/content/ISwp_TrustMEdia_FINAL.pdf
Press release - http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050404/nym225.html?.v=3

Ben can be reached via email at bensilverman@gmail.com.

Papal overkill?

"I have seen the future of the blogosphere, and I'm out of breath. Before I get to that, though, I want to reassure those of you who think the pope's passing has been the most heavily covered story in western history that you're not crazy.." - (read more - Howard Kurtz-Media Notes)

"Wikicities"

Trendcentral.com reports that Wikia Inc., the company behind the popular online encyclopedia Wikipedia, has launched Wikicities.

On the company’s first ad-supported site, Internet users can create their own free websites on a specific topic and other visitors can change the site’s appearance or information using tools included on the site. While each topic is overseen by an administrator, pretty much anything goes here. Look out for more open-source communities to form.

Country Music Radio, at its very best, the original open-source community. How are you doing in the daily challenge of connecting with your target listener?

Ouch!

"Commercial radio is trying to keep listeners from tuning out." One has to laugh at that statement in Sean Piccoli's March 27 article. Listening to the radio, one hears DJs who say incredibly stupid things, commercials that scream at you, songs that are repeated every two to three hours and ridiculous contests that try to get you to listen longer. All of which make me want to tune out (read more - Sun Sentinel)

You know that there's truth there and we who can do something about it need to act now.

Defining "Stationality"

Be watching www.mcvaymedia.com for an upcoming article being written right now by AC boy genius/McVay Media consultant Daniel Anstandig.

One of the folks he asked to contribute perspective was A&O's Jaye Albright:

1. In a few sentences, how would you describe STATIONALITY?

JA: Bringing your unique brand values to life in a way that target listeners feel (and I do mean FEEL, emotionally) like the station has been built (perhaps even by them) for them.

2. What radio station(s) come to mind when you think DISTINCTIVE STATIONALITY? Note: These stations don't still have to be on the air today.

JA: Alliance's Young Country stations in Detroit, Dallas, San Francisco and Seattle as designed by Rick Torcasso. In reality, I think their stationality was superior to their programming, which is why none of them exists anymore. The best recent one for country was KPLX, Dallas's relaunch as "99-5 The Wolf" several years ago. One of the architects of that project was Brian Phillips, who is now doing equally innovative things at CMT.

Before that, it was "KFRG, Kay-Frog" in San Berdardino when Keymarket launched it. It was so distinctive that it's being copied now, but few of the copies are as good as the originals.

Some of the best ones that I have ever been associated with were: "Bob 100 FM, in Minneapolis," "Kay-Duck," the very first Young Country station in the world, which went from nothing to almost a ten share in just two books and Froggy 99.9, which took KVOX-FM from worst to first in two books in Fargo because the entire air staff - all of which had been with the station before the rebranding - really embraced and executed the concept flawlessly. They didn't even change the call letters, yet the audience almost immediately 'got' Froggy 99.9 FM and still does, thanks to brand continuity and great personality training and consistency.

3. What one or two things do you believe contribute most effectively to creating a unique stationality? Why?

A totally unique brand name and a creative plan to make that NAME come to real life listeners can hear almost immediately by personifying the values the name stands for.

4. Is there a format that you believe has done a better job than the others in creating "formatality?" :-) If so, what has helped them?

I think that there have been great examples of formatality in literally every type of station.

Rush Limbaugh brought it to AM radio, WEBN and K-Rock do it in rock. KIIS, LA has evolved very successfullt in CHR. Jack in pop rock. KVIL in Dallas under Ron Chapman. Smooth Jazz, classic alternative, Hot Talk to Al Hamm's Music of Your Life, Chick Watkins' AM Only and many more have created target-specific stationality. Cluck Blore, Bill Drake and Rick Sklar were masters of the art.

Bonus Question: Is there a brand outside of radio that you believe has a distinct personality?

Ben & Jerry's, Starbucks and Amazon.com

I'll bet Daniel would welcome YOUR responses to his questions too! Click on his name and send him an email.

Want to hear some examples? K-Rock, New York's new "Ours is Bigger" campaign. Or, click on http://nickmichaels.com/ and go to "philosopy" to read how Nick does it and then "radio" to hear some examples of "a whisper becomes a scream" created for The Drive in Chicago (artist ownership and station imaging), WFLA in Tampa and several others. Call (Jaye) 206 498-6261 or (Mike) 732-937-5757. We can recommend LOTS more stationality pro's.

The "Word of Mouth Marketing Association"

WOMMA is a one year old organization that just wrapped up its first national summit in Chicago this week.

Big companies and major ad agencies are taking this stuff seriously and incorporating word-of-mouth into sophisticated marketing programs.

LEARN MORE AT: Tremor BuzzMetrics

Their watchwords come from Oscar Wilde: "There's only one thing worse than being talked about .. and that's NOT being talked about."

BUZZ in the wake of the conference: it's time for a bit of discipline and professionalism to enter the blog and street team biz. WOMMA is working on formal 'best practices' for the budding industry.

What Ever Happened To..?

Ever wonder what happened to: Eddie The Eagle? The chick who shot Andy Warhol? That 'Mikey' kid from the Life Cereal commercial?

Here's a website with all the answers to the question "What Ever Happened To?"

Great Guests and Interviews

It's more important than ever right now to have impressive celebrity and/or expert guests on the morning show. Reality is in, and having fun with it is a powerful image-builder in competitive situations.

Some ground rules..

First, watch out for 'trained responses' (boring): http://www.anniejenningspr.com/pages/mediatraining.htm. Get them out of that 'media training' mode.

Great interviews arise from careful groundwork. You can ace your next interview if you:

1. Enter into a state of relaxed concentration. This is the state from which great basketball players or Olympic skaters operate. You'll need to quiet the negative self chatter in your head through meditation or visualization prior to sitting down in the meeting. You'll focus on the present moment and will be less apt to experience lapses in concentration, nervousness, self-doubt and self-condemnation. LISTEN! Then, respond for your heart and emotions.

2. Act spontaneous, but be well prepared. Be your authentic self, professional yet real. Engage in true conversation with your interviewee, resting on the preparation you did prior to coming to the meeting. Conduct several trial runs with another person simulating the interview before it actually occurs. It's the same as anticipating the questions you'll be asked on a final exam.

3. Set goals for the interview. Stick to them.

4. Know the question behind the question. Ultimately, every question boils down to, "Tell me something interesting and revealing about yourself?" Find away to address fears if you sense they are present.

5. Follow up with an effective "thank you" letter. Don't write this letter lightly. It is another opportunity to market yourself. Find some areas discussed in the meeting and expand upon them in your letter. This gets the next one and will make it even better

6. Consider the interviewee's agenda. These as well as other questions will be heavily on the interviewee's mind. Got those things out of the way fast, edit them out later if you don't want to use them on the air, then get to the 'real' good stuff.

7. Avoid the question, "Tell me about yourself." This is a pet question of prepared and even unprepared interviewers. Try to keep them out of 'auto-interview' mode.

8. Watch those nonverbal clues. Experts estimate that words express only 30% to 35% of what people actually communicate; facial expressions and body movements and actions convey the rest. Make and keep eye contact. Walk and sit with a confident air. Lean toward an interviewer to show interest and enthusiasm. Speak with a well-modulated voice that supports appropriate excitement for the opportunity before you. Pick up on and bring up any non-verbal cues your interviewee is using.

9. Tease the interview the day before and ask listeners to call in with their questions for the person. Then edit those down to the question only and make it sound like folks are calling the guest live with them.

10. Don't hang out dirty laundry. Be careful not to bare your soul and tell tales that are inappropriate or beyond the scope of the interview. But, if the interviewee's body language communicates that they are OK with the question area, GO for it. If you get a scoop, be sure to do PR releases about it to local and trade media.

OK.. now, how about your interview secrets?

Radio Must Expand Its Reach In Order To Compete

Jim Boyle of Wachovia Securities: "Broadcast has always faced competition, but what is different today is the speed at which consumer habits are changing vs. the pace at which nontraditional media is keeping up."

Boyle's report singles out the expanding popularity of technologies like digital video recorders and video-capable cell phones.

While certainly true, content and context, not technology is what will pull the ears to new media when they go. I believe that there's a solid future ahead for those of us who recognize that we're not in the radio business. We're in the entertainment .. information .. companionship .. dependability .. trust, "values" business.

The Papal Passing - A Suggsted "Plan"

Thanks to Dave (President) and Mary Hoxeng (GM) and also Kevin King (PD) at WYCT, Pensacola for sharing their plan of action for when the Pope dies:

Pre-record the "scripts" below and record it until it soundsnatural. Be watching CNN or CNN Headline News.When we get confirmed word that the Pope has died, Fade out the song that is playing, and read this cold-(No, do not wait for a "break".)

We just heard from the Vatican that the Pope has passed. So, in respect for this man of God, beloved by billions, we pause to reflecton this great man's life and all that he has done for humanity.

Do 15 seconds of silence. Then, play this cold:

His Holiness Pope John Paul the Second was born in 1920 near Cracow (CRACK-OW), Poland. He was ordained a Priest in 1946. He becamePope in October of 1978, at the age of 58. As the Father of the Catholic Faithful, Pope John Paul the Second published five books, and has completed over 100 visits outside Italy. He was very involved with the youth of the world. We join millions of Catholics in mourning his passing.

5 seconds of silence

Then, play: "Go Rest High on the Mountain" (by Vice Gill). Follow it with (no jingle): "That's What I Love about Sunday" (by CraigMorgan).

After you start the Vince Gill song, call your PD to decide if you should take calls on-air about the Pope's passing. (Depends on who's on the air and if they can handle it tastefully)

For the following two hours, please mention the Pope's passing every 15-20minutes. Here are two "scripts" that you can work from:

If you haven't heard the news, the Pope passed away at__________ (time). He will be remembered as God's Ambassador who did great things for mankind.

OR

If you haven't heard the news, the Pope passed away at__________ (time). He was beloved by millions and was a great man of God.

These comments can be made over a music "bed", but use care in the selection of the bed.

Memorializing the Pope

Check the news (Full Coverage) for the latest, of course, but Saturday morning's (4/2) New York Times has these quotes and updates:

"This evening or this night, Christ opens the door to the pope."
- BISHOP ANGELO COMASTRI, vicar of the Vatican.
MORE: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/02/international/europe/02rome.html?th&emc=th

Millions of Roman Catholics around the world interrupted
their routine to stand vigil and offer prayers for Pope John Paul II.
MORE: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/02/international/europe/02vigil.html?th&emc=th

Jay Thomas, Acting PD at WWYZ, Hartford reports that "Country 92.5's Bosh and Cory will have some folks on the show Monday from a local Catholic church to talk about the Pope's impact locally.

"Also, Connecticutt has several large Polish neighborhoods, so we'll have a leader in the local Polish community on the air as well.

"I saw a report on last night’s 11pm news on NBC30 of a church in New Britain, CT where the Pope visited in the 60’s when he was a cardinal. We'll ask listeners to talk about it."

Email Jay at JayThomas@clearchannel.com. Check out Bosh & Cory's web page. WWYZ streams from its website.

Battle of the 'Burbs

Karen Dalassandro, Scott Dolphin and Radar (The WMIL Moo Crew) are in the midst of a fun parody of March Madness as they qualify 16 players, each one representing a different Milwaukee area suburb, neighborhood or town in a 'tournament' to find out which "'Burb"'s team knows the most about the area. The Moo Crew comes up with an evocative team nickname for the contestant, which then answers trivia questions in an elimination tournament. For more, email Karen Dalessandro, Scott Dolphin, Radar (aka Tony Hess).