The Weekend Classic Rock FM

32° - scattered clouds - at 2:22pm. Right: The kids next door tried - its melting now.

We did have our first real snowfall here late Wednesday Night and woke up Thanksgiving morning to white covered lawns. Add the smells coming from the kitchen between pies and turkey and it all was good!

Arbitron. The company now feeling the heat from Steve Sinicropi, Chairman of the Arbitron Radio Advisory Council over PPM issues. Find that story on the online trades.

Meanwhile - Paragon Media's Bob Harper writes here on Arbitron's PPM sampling issues ("PPM: Patsies Pay More") - followed by Jaye Albright "raising Bob one" in her blog:

"Is there any other broadcast research company which would have the temerity to actually contract for a project and then after delivering the results ask for either more money or propose changes in the methodology to cut their costs of doing the job right?"

Be sure to read the comments from Kent Burkhart at the bottom of Jaye's complete post here.

Consultant Harv Blain offers his two cents on Arbitron's issues here - suggesting the company take advantage of the brain trust who will soon be attending the company's annual consultant fly-in:

"...brainstorming would be time well spent versus listening to (guest speaker) Sean Hannity expound on how great PPM is."

I can't imagine its been a very good Thanksgiving Weekend for some of those in Columbia.

Welcome to a new blogger. Consultant Jay Mitchell now blogging here. A great blog! I sent Jay a note yesterday to welcome him and let him know I'd be quoting him.

In one post - Jay recalls the start-up of CHR KHKS/Dallas - writing:

"When Gerry (DeFrancesco) asked me to do a format search for the station, I told him, "The market doesn't have a format hole ... it has an attitude hole." Everybody was playing it safe and behaving themselves; but nobody - especially the listener - was having any fun."

I love that. Not a format hole - but an attitude hole. Jay goes on to write about how they took liner card/tight format air talent and transformed them into entertainers with attitude. A great read here.

BTW - The title of Jay's post: "Safety Last".

In another post: Jay writes about the latest round of layoffs happening throughout the country - with live talent in large markets being replaced by imported voice tracking - and comments:

"In what universe does this make sense?"

"Of course, the people who made this decision are so far up the food chain that they don't listen to the radio - they read financials. I'm sure this genius idea works well on paper."

"Too bad it sucks for the station and its listeners."

"How come we used to be able to do great live, local radio and make the numbers? How come we can't now?"

Well said Jay. More here Sunday Morning.