Steelers VS Seahawks - The Food Fight

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette food critics have been sampling each others' cuisine for game day, and for me Seattle's a winner (unless you're taking about calories and cholesterol.. )

Slovenian kielbasa vs Puget Sound mussels .. NO CONTEST!

Phone Topic: Should Dads Hug Or Shake?

Gee, Canada, give poor prime minister-designate Steven Harper a break. His son is probably just embarrased to be seen hugging his dad with photographers all around outside his school.

Or, is it somehow significant of something more sinister?? (sounds like a question for your listeners to ponder..) Letters to the editor in newspapers all over Canada have been justifying and questioning the dad-to-son handshake.

Prime minister-designate Stephen Harper shakes hands with his son Ben as he sees him off to school in Ottawa Wednesday. (CP PHOTO/Fred Chartrand)

For God's Sake, If You Have A Vehicle With A Mast

Please click on this item from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and print it out for anyone who drives or rides in it!

Paul Arca, a radio personality for KLOU-FM, was injured Saturday afternoon when the boom from the van he was riding in made contact with a high-voltage wire. Arca hosts a 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. program on KLOU.Authorities said Arca suffered an electrical shock. He was in good condition Saturday night at St. Joseph Health Center in St. Charles.

The News Dinosaur Test

In many radio news departments, I can personally testify that dinosaurs continue to roam the earth. MSN media correspondent/blogger Jeff Jarvis calls the venerable superstars of news what they are.

If your attention spam is too short to click on the above and read the entire post, let columnist Dave Barry cut to the chase for you: "We can no longer compel people to pay attention. We used to be able to say, there’s this really important story in Poland. You should read this. Now people say, I just look up what I’m interested in on the Internet."

No, You Can't Say Super Bowl...

But, Pepsi and Wal-Mart are still in on the action. Thanks to Citadel/Spokane OM Cary Rolfe for calling this very clever work-around to my attention..

The End Of The Voice Tracking Era? Hardly.

But, maybe the technology has just come of age.

Inside Radio reported this morning that AFTRA and Clear Channel will sign a precedent-setting agreement for HD Radio.

The union's national director Tom Carpenter tells IR reporter Tom Taylor that the agreement is “historic” on a couple of levels. It’s the first time AFTRA has signed a national radio deal, and it sets a precedent for how HD multicasts will be viewed by the union and management.

The fact that Clear Channel New York has also just signed a contract with the union which covers voice tracking ends a very public battle which has effects on us all: "Without calling it a victory for the union — Carpenter says the four-year fight over how much voice-tracking to allow on stations repped by the union has largely ended with “some pretty good contracts.” He says Clear Channel agreed to pacts that restrict voice-tracking to nights and certain weekend shifts and to pay a “fair”rate for talent tracking shows for non-union stations. Carpenter believes the biggest reason for the reversal is a change in strategies for Clear Channel. He says the company is doing considerably less voice-tracking than it did a few years ago after realizing it had “abandoned” one of the strengths of local radio — being live and local. Plus it felt a lot of “pressure” to be competitive with satellite radio and other media. " -- 2/2/06 Inside Radio

Hallelujah! Back in 1996 when consolidation ramped up in the newly-public radio business the rhetoric about imported talent and voice tracking claimed that it wasn't being done to save money, but to improve the quality of personality on local radio. That, to me, remains a worthy goal, whether local/live or imported using voice tracks. The best (and most relevant to local listeners!) content STILL wins.

Can You Make Money While Marketing Yourself?

ROI and accountability are the current marketing buzz. A new book by Johannes Bussmann, Gregor Harter, and Evan Hirsh argues that by being more scientific, marketers can focus their creative efforts on the activities that will yield the best return on the investment.

There used to be Four Ps of marketing: product, price, place, and promotion. Now, they claim, there is a fifth discipline.

Buy the book, "Results-Driven Marketing: A Guide to Growth and Profits," here.

Howard Hits Sirius/Canada

You KNEW they'd have to do it, didn't you?

And, you know the complaints to the CRTC are coming as soon as he goes on.

Prediction: we are going to find out how much jurisdiction regulators have over paid radio and TV services sometime in 2006. You know that the politicians will relish the opportunity. It may take the courts to answer that question once and for all.

Kenny Chesney Sells Out, Adds Omaha and Des Moines Shows

It's been happening pretty much everywhere Kenny Chesney tickets are put on sale: the box office opens, the tickets are gone. Holly Gleason handles the tour's PR and is a great source of info on it.

Tim & Faith Soul2Soul, (On)Sale To (On)Sale

As successful and immensely entertaining as the 2000 Sourl2Soul tour was, it’s hard to believe it took Tim McGraw and Faith Hill this long to put their musical souls together on the road once again. But, the good news is they will mount SOUL2SOUL II 2006 this spring with more than 70 concert dates.

It kicks off April 21st at The Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Soul2Soul II puts to end a nearly six year hiatus away from the road for Hill and puts McGraw back onstage in front of the loyal audiences that have served to make him one of the music industry's biggest touring acts.

Tickets for select performances will go on-sale to the general public on Saturday, February 11th and fans can expect a great seat anywhere in the house with "Soul2Soul II" Tour's' unique in-the-round set design that will put fans closer than ever to the concert action.

Fan club presale tickets will be available as of February 6th at www.faithhill.com or www.timmcgraw.com.

For the "Soul2Soul II" Tour, McGraw and Hill have also combined their efforts to create Club SuperSoul, an interactive fan package that grants fans access to both artists' online fan clubs, an exclusive behind the scenes look at the tour, presale access, pre-show party lottery and limited edition merchandise. In addition, "Soul2Soul II" Tour media partner AOL will offer fans the opportunity to buy tickets in advance on the Web through AOL Tickets at www.aol.com/tickets as of February 8th. The "Soul2Soul II" Tour is being presented by The Hershey Company.

FEBRUARY 11TH ON SALES:
April 21 - Columbus, Ohio Nationwide Arena
May 12 - Buffalo, New York HSBC Arena
May 27 - Greenville, South Carolina Bi-Lo Center
June 4 - Sunrise, Florida Bank Atlantic Center
June 25 - Boston, Massachusetts TD Banknorth Garden
July 1 - Cleveland, Ohio Gund Arena
July 22 - Houston, Texas Toyota Center

MARKETS WITH ON SALE INFORMATION TO COME:
Albany, New York
Atlanta, Georgia
Birmingham, Alabama
Charlotte, North Carolina
Chicago, Illinois
Cincinnati, Ohio
Dallas, Texas
Denver, Colorado
Detroit, Michigan
Hershey, Pennsylvania
Indianapolis, Indiana
Jacksonville, Florida
Kansas City, Missouri
Knoxville, Tennessee
Las Vegas, Nevada
Little Rock, Arkansas
Los Angeles, California
Memphis, Tennessee
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Nashville, Tennessee
New York, New York
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Phoenix, Arizona
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Portland, Oregon
Raleigh, North Carolina
Richmond, Virginia
Sacramento, California
San Antonio, Texas
San Jose, California
Salt Lake City, Utah
Seattle, Washington
State College, Pennsylvania
St. Louis, Missouri
Tampa/St. Petersburg, Fla.
Washington, DC

Natalie Maines Doesn't Want To Be A Part Of Country Music

Entertainment Weekly makes it sound like she likes being in the center of controversy more than she likes being successful with our mass audience.

I think [the song on their new LP titled ''Not Ready To Make Nice''] is just very honest.

Let's say the album comes out and everyone who was outraged about your comments embraces it with open arms. Are you gonna go back to Nashville and say, ''Hey, we're back!'' Or has this completely altered the course you guys were on?

For me as a person, [The Incident has] completely altered the course I was on. For me to be in country music to begin with was not who I was. I liked Martie and Emily's playing, but I did not grow up liking country music. And I guess I was ignorant to the fact that the stereotypes behind country music were true — and it was disappointing. And so at this stage, I can never... I would be cheating myself and not setting a good example for my children to go back to something that I don't wholeheartedly believe in. So I'm pretty much done. They've shown their true colors. I like lots of country music, but as far as the industry and everything that happened... I couldn't want to be farther away from that. And it's easier when you're financially set, because you can be a little more ballsy, and just do what you want to do. I don't want people to think that me not wanting to be a part of country music is any sort of revenge. It is not. It is totally me being who I am, and not wanting to compromise myself and hate my life. All of my anger... I've pretty much gotten past that. Writing the album was therapy.

Is Multitasking Deadly?

Tobi Elkin, Executive Editor at MediaPost has some observations and advice for you:

1. Jeffrey Frumin, a marketing consultant in New York: "I would say simultaneously I would have three things going at once," he said. "I'm on the phone, I'm instant messaging, and reading and responding to e-mails," he said. Sound like you?

2. A Basex report finds that the average "knowledge worker"--someone who is part of the growing information economy--loses 2.1 hours a day to interruptions. If those workers make an average of $21 an hour, that adds up to $588 billion a year--more than the gross domestic product of Argentina.

3. "If I didn't multitask, it would be a very, very long day," said Heather Dubuque, a client relations manager in New York.

What's the answer? Just stop. Pause. Everyone deserves a chance to think and prioritize.

Sign Language: This One Talks To Your Radio

The radio signals adjust advertising messages to specific consumer demographics. The network will also enable consumers to interact with advertisers to receive promotional offers and coupons via mobile phones.

"These technologies will generate the high-impact effect that we think will clearly differentiate this medium from what is currently available in the outdoor advertising arena," explains Tom Langeland, president of Smart Sign Media.

Tricia Despres writes: "Picture yourself searching for a parking space at the local mall while singing along with your local fm oldies station. As you walk to the door, the digital signs above the mall entrance run an ad for a new and improved anti-aging cream. Coincidence? Not necessarily...." - Read the whole story...

Rick & Bubba's Best Bits Are For Sale On CD

.. for a good cause. They have all the info on their web site.

Disrupting the Super Bowl

What does it take to stand out from the hype and the hoopla of the Super Bowl? By Tom Carroll, vice chairman, TBWA\Worldwide. (download PDF)

Don't..
* Force it
* Shill product
* Have tunnel vision
* Assume people CARE
* Abandon identity

WSOC's TV Campaign Makes Tanner A Video Star

Click here to check out Charlotte's #1 country's 30 second commercial produced at Nashville's Filmhouse for the Tanner in the Morning team and get ready to laugh.

Winning Every Day

Lou Holtz, the motivational miracle worker who revitalized the Notre Dame football program by leading the legendary Fighting Irish to nine bowl games and a national championship wrote this book in 1999. I just picked it up in paperback and recommend it to you in the event you have people working with you who talk a good game but fail to put their intentions into action.

During his twenty-seven years as a head football coach, Holtz garnered a 216-95-7 career record. Each new assignment brought a different team with different players, but, invariably, the same result--success. How did he do it? By designing a game plan for his players that minimized obstacles while maximizing opportunities.

Holtz's Game Plan for Success:
1. Every Victory Is Won Before The Game Is Played: The Power of Attitude
2. The Best Part Of Getting Knocked Down Is Getting Back Up: Tackling Adversity
3. Putting the Why Before the Where or What: Create A Sense of Purpose
4. Getting Game-Ready: Make Sacrifice Your Ally. You Have To Give Up Something To Get Something
5. Adapt or Die: The Perils of Being Number One. Attack Yourself.
6. Run for Daylight: Competing on Your Field of Dreams Means They Are All Chasing You
7. You Are What You Think: Nurturing Your Self-Image
8. Can I Trust You? This Is Not Automatic. Leaders EARN Trust.
9. Are You Committed to Excellence? Lou Himself Is A Example Of The Kind Of Self-Discipline It Takes
10. Do You Care About Me? Actions Speak Louder Than Words - Do Your Coworkers KNOW You Care As Much About Them As You Do Yourself?

"Your talent determines what you can do. Your motivation determines how much you are willing to do. Your attitude determines how well you do it."-- Lou Holtz

Call Me A Member Of The Matt Timothy Fan Club

He has been Vice President of Streaming Media for CBS Radio for almost a year now, and the impact of his work is starting to be audible and visible, both online and in top line revenues too.

For a lesson in how to do a radio web presence, click here.

(I sense Matt's finger prints all over it..) It would be nice to see those imprints starting to appear on CBS Radio country stations' web efforts in 2006. If the biggest companies in our format don't lead, who will?

KSON Mixes Cash And Caring To Build Loyalty

With the announcement from Jefferson-Pilot's San Diego country leader that KSON will give listeners $1,000,000 in 2006 just for listening, you'd think that there would be no need for warm, fuzzy values. You would be WRONG.

Hal Jay - 25 Years at WBAP By Being A Master Of Change

I remember when Hal was a country disk jockey .. and for awhile was so important to the transition from country music to talk that he did both morning and afternoon drive shifts every weekday. Now that he's celebrating his 25th at WBAP and anchors the 5-9 am morning news, it's a tribute to his professionalism and adaptability as well as the most recognizable laugh in the Metroplex. Hats off, Hal! I wish I could be there for 'Happy Hour."

Join News Talk 820 WBAP for a Happy Hour for Hal Jay's 25th Anniversary with WBAP, Thursday, February 2, from 5-7 pm at Los Vaqueros in the Fort Worth Stockyards.