Labor Day Weekend On The Radio

83° - sunny at 11:38am

Good Morning from Okemos.

Listening to Bob Stroud's Sunday Morning WDRV program. This morning Bob featuring the music of Labor Day Weekend 1968. As I type this - he's playing a bubblegum classic "1,2,3 Red Light" by the 1910 Fruitgum Company.

Its been 40 years and I'm sad to say that I still know the words - there's brain cells that apparently can't be overwritten. (It was a great pop song - I heard that Talking Heads used to perform it!)

Driving around town a few times this weekend, its apparent that I'm one of the few left in town with most of the normal folk sneaking in one last getaway before summer unofficially ends.

That said - normal weekend listening habits also change - and as usual many classic rock stations around the country are using the 3-day holiday to do something special on the air and working extra hard to build some quarter hours.

In New York, WAXQ (Q104.3) is using the extended weekend to air the Top 104 albums of all time. See the list here.

WZLX/Boston is celebrating the weekend airing blocks of music from the "50 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". See the list of the 50 here. Very cool 'ZLX!

In Kansas City, KCFX (The Fox) is counting down the 500 Greatest Classic Rock Songs Of All Time.

KSAN/San Francisco's Labor Day programming is one created by the listeners with a "Listener Playlist Weekend". See the web setup/playlist recruitment here.

In Tucson, KLPX is putting listeners on the air with the "Cheap Labor Day Weekend". They've got a script posted on their website along with a phone number for listeners to call in and read back for air. I like this. The setup here.

WHLK/Madison (The Lake) is airing the ""Top 93 Album Sides of All Time." Every hour starts with a classic rock album side: "Music the way it was meant to be heard...on vinyl, one side at a time." Very nice!

In Philadelphia, WMGK is doing a "Labor Day Double Play" weekend with 2-fers all weekend long.

And on Monday, WGRF/Buffalo (97 Rock) is devoting the day to something we mentioned here a few weeks back - a countdown of the Top 20 Concerts at (local venue) Rich Stadium. Very cool. Combining listener input to create content that's truly local to Buffalo. More here.

Did I miss something you're doing? Let me know!

Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Recommended Viewing: You Tube 101

Actually the title of this is "An anthropological introduction to YouTube" - a presentation by Kansas State University Professor Michael Wesch at the Library of Congress this past June.

But it goes far beyond that. Lots of insight into the consumer generated media world.

Share with everyone at your station:



Kudos to Bob Lefsetz for the tip.

Added: This morning's post from Fred Jacobs. Subject: YouTube.

Brainstorm Session

65° - mostly clear at 11:00am

Driving into downtown Lansing this morning, I was tuned to NPR's Morning Edition. On the air was Reporter David Greene with one installment of a series titled "Take Me To Your Leader"; interviewing andspeaking with leaders (who are not neccessarily politicians).

In this morning's installment, he spoke to a small town fire chief and the challenges of his job. Listen here.

It was great storytelling and terrific radio. What came to mind as I was listening was how a classic rock station could do something similar. And not with just "leaders", but with everyday listeners.

I feel there's lots of interesting stories you can share listener-to-listener...be it about their job, hobbies and activities - including sports and volunteer work...even great concerts they've attended.

Of course the common denominator is that they listen to your radio station!

Thought for use: 60 to 90sec stopset fill for your internet feeds. Beats the crap out of Smokey Bear or another McGruff PSA. Make them available as podcasts/downloads on your website. Plug them on the air using the names of the listeners. Make your listener "stars". Everybody has their 15-minutes...why not with your station?

All a great way to bond and make them love you for life. The kind of word-of-mouth that no ad budget can buy. Some stations have been doing this visually on their websites (example above right and here) for some time now - and thats wonderful too. Perhaps these audio pieces could tie in with a like campaign.

Thought for production: Edit the bits well so they don't get too slow. Background music is likely appropriate; but watch licensing issues if you'll be podcasting.

Thought for recruitment: Don't make this a "sign up" feature on your website. Its not a contest.

Interviews could be part of a Listener Advisory Board meeting; or you could do what has been suggested on this blog before and have your airstaff call listeners in your database to thank them for listening; perhaps do a little informal perceptual research on their feelings about the station; and then probe them a little for what they do for work, their off-time hobbies and interests and the so forth.

With this "screening" process, you then can suggest that you'd like to talk further with either an invitation to the station or go out in the field with a recorder. Sometimes natural sound in the background can add lots. Bring some swag to show thanks.

You and your staff you could take this, refine, improve and take to the next level.

Radio needs more storytellers. Why not have some of those stories come from your listeners and make them part of the product? Think "ownership".

I'm reminded of something Dave Martin contributed to this blog a month of so ago. In a comment on this blog, Dave shared a "trade secret" he gives his TV clients:

"One of our best practices is called "Names make news." We are in the hunt for local folks doing things right,locals celebrating (new job, promotion on the job, anniversary, wedding, birth, achievements by their children), locals coming together for good (church bake sale to benefit a family, charity auctions)."

"When people get together they talk about PEOPLE. Our clients are never challenged on this because the competition thinks it's goofy. It is goofy only to those in the business."

This idea certainly similar in nature.

Just a little brainstorming this morning....have a great Wednesday.

Classic Rock Rules - from Fred Jacobs

"Music that has stood the test of time"

Read Here

(I love stuff like this - share it with your programming and sales staff !!!)

Monday Morning Quotes

53° - clear at 8:15am

Good Morning from Okemos.

My oldest (Tyler, pictured left) turned 13 yesterday. Everybody says it - but its true: time passes way too fast with kids.

Labor Day Weekend coming up. I promise to run down special programming in the next day or two. What have you got planned? Please share!

Some quotes seen over the past couple days - first from Fred Jacobs:

"And yes, if it was a radio programmer running the Obama campaign, that text would have gone out at 7:20 Thursday Morning."

Fred - writing about Obama...and "whats the digital application?". Makes for a great read and food for thought for your radio station. Here.

A quote from Greater Media VP/Program Development Buzz Knight:

"As programmers, we have to understand that cultivating new air talent is critical to the future of our business. We have to be sensitive to how we are grooming new talent, a challenge for every company."

"Great talent adds great value to your brand. It is incumbent upon us to create talents that are great brands. We have to evolve with the times in our thinking of how to develop strong personalities. We as managers have to play significant roles in that process."

That's part of a great interview with Buzz in the current issue of FMQB. Read here.

Next from Dave Martin:

"...The six-word job description of the PD remains "Deliver numbers to the sales department." The PD is advocate for the group(s) formerly known as the audience. The four-word job description of the SM remains "Convert deliverables into cash." The SM is advocate for the paying customers."

"In the most effective organizations PDs and SMs are involved in an ongoing creative collaboration. The work is akin to the real-time improvisation one finds integral to jazz. A mix of equal parts art and science. Each player has a deep understanding and respect for producing results. Accordingly, there is art in commerce. Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose."

Dave reviews the classic product vs. sales debate here.

And from the brilliant mind of KEZK-KYKY/St. Louis PD Mark Edwards:

"I think sometimes management doesn't let talent do what they were hired to do. Whether its a big money morning man, a rookie weekender, or a PD, you have to let your people do their jobs. I have a tremendous amount of respect for great Air Personalities, partly because I was never that good on the air, but mostly because I've always tried to build a team with people who are specialists in what they do."

"When you clamp down on any kind of talent, you don't let them do what you hired them to do, so I'd rather let them do their "act", critique when its necessary, and make sure they know their limits, whether it be what they can talk about or how long a bit should be. Great local talent will always be broadcast radio's best weapon, and you have to let them be themselves as well as good station ambassadors on and off the air."

Mark is interviewed on Rick Kaempfer's Chicago Radio Spotlight here.

More later. The day job awaits...

Political Fun in Denver

With the Democratic National Convention in town next week, Denver should be abuzz with politicians, tv, show biz, music and other celebrity-types.

Classic Rock KRFX morning drivers Lewis & Floorwax are taking advantage of the party by offering listeners cash prizes for getting the famous on the air with "Political Cellout 2008".

"If you can get them on your cell phone, and on our show, you'll have a chance of scoring cash, and our eternal respect and admiration."

An idea that can be adapted for other big events that might be happening in your town!

See more at The Fox website here.

The Weekend Classic Rock FM

80° - light rain at 11:27am

Good Morning from downtown Lansing.

My 9-year old. For the past couple of weeks, he's been roaming around the house singing/humming "Carry On My Wayward Son"...courtesy of Guitar Hero.

Last weekend, I got him a CD of the Kansas album "Leftoverture"...perhaps he'll discover the rest of the album. My classic rock kid!

Even more PPM explained. Last week I passed along a link to Paragon Media Strategies - explaining the first ten of "20 More Things You Need to Know About PPM", as presented at the Morning Show Bootcamp.

Paragon's now posted narrative for another five of the twenty. Here.

Being an old album rock guy from the 70s - one caught my eye: "The art of the musical segue will be re-born in PPM. Keep ‘em listening, and don’t give ‘em reasons to tune out."

President of Radio. I've been following Fred Jacobs and his very clever and much needed session/discussion at upcoming Jacobs Media Summit. Fred has announced two more names for the panel; plus has published the entries for the 10th panelist (or "President"). Great stuff.

See the ideas here. Details on the session here.

Good Read: "Radio Law Is Meant To Be Broken (Strategically)". Edison Media's Sean Ross writes here.

Your station website. Earlier this week Broadcast Attorney David Oxenford posted a great piece on his Broadcast Law Blog regarding websites and localism. Copy and take to your next website strategy meeting. Here.

Bob & Tom TV. Randy Michaels and company brings some of radio's best to the tube via WGN America beginning in November. More here.

New AC/DC. Bob Leftsetz writes a great review here. Having read Bob's blog for several years now, I know his enthusiasm is genuine.

Have a great one.

Around The Dial...Around The Web

60° - fog at 7:57am

Good Morning from Mid-Michigan. Big time ground fog outside my window this morning. Beautiful!

Congrats in order: To Bonneville's Greg Solk, WDRV/Chicago PD Patty Martin and the entire Drive staff for pulling off the impossible. I can't share details - but let's just say WDRV/The Drive is a very special radio station. Wait for PPM to become currency!

Fun Stuff: WKLH/Milwaukee holding its own "Summer Games". Get these themes: "8 Minute Marathon" (songs longer than 8 minutes, including "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida"); "Torch Light Ceremony" (songs about fire); "Boxing Competition" (songs about fighting); "Thrill Of Winning" (songs about winning); "Agony of Defeat" (songs about losing)...and more. Themes and set lists here.

Classic Rock. Classic Photos. Noted KGON/Portland and a page devoted to classic photos from the station's archives. What a great idea! Certainly there's a file folder of old photos stashed away somewhere in your station. Put 'em on the web! It can make your site just a little more sticky and help enhance your heritage image!

See KGON's "Time Trippin' With Gloria Johnson" gallery here.

Speaking of making your website "sticky": Buffalo's WGRF did it a few months back with their "Hottest Mom" contest. Now its the "97 Rock Bikini Photo Contest". Nice stuff! Local listener-generated content too! Look here.

WCSX and The Who help Detroit: Last Friday The Who announced that all their earnings from an upcoming October concert in the city will benefit two area charity organizations.

The band teamed up with Greater Media's WCSX in selecting the two organizations and the station inviting listeners to "Join Together With The Band to help these great local organizations while experienceing a night of amazing Rock ‘n Roll."

Kudos to OM/PD Doug Podell in pulling this off. An excellent way for a classic rock station to "give back" to the city. More here.

Have a great Thursday!

Late Shift Post

63° - scattered clouds at 10:43am

Late night additions before bed...

Earlier today consultant Dave Lange offered another chapter in his series of posts on "Authenticity - The Key To Reviving Radio". Part 2 is on "over-hyping". Catch up here.

Fred Jacobs today announced the first two names for the "President of Radio" project. Congrats to Jerry Lee, owner of WBEB/Philadelphia - and to Harpo Radio GM John Gerhon. 8 more names to announce and one could be anyone. Details here.

Speaking of: Fred and brother Paul Jacobs wrote a great piece last week in FMQB titled "What is Programming To Win in 2008?". A must read on the present day realities of our industry - and the role of the program director. Here.

More tomorrow.

Wednesday Blogs

64° - overcast at 9:21am

Good Morning from Okemos.

More catching up....

National Vinyl Record Day. It was yesterday - a somewhat informal celebration organized by Madison's Jim Bartlett (who also does weekends on classic rock WHLK). Catch the action on his blog here.

Rick Kaempfer. Rick has posted a number of great radio pieces on his "Chicago Radio Spotlight" as of late. This includes an interview with the legendary Clark Weber; WXRT's Lin Brehmer; WIMS/Michigan City owner Ric Federighi; and actor/personality KC Lupp. Good stuff. Start scrolling back here.

Bob Buchmann. Yesterday All Access quoted a New York Daily News article on the now-former WAXQ/New York PD. He applied for the Q104.3 job ten years ago after the then-manager of WNEW-FM declared that "rock radio could no longer work in New York". And on philosophy:

"We always took the long view," said BUCHMANN, "You can get a quick bounce by a TV ad campaign, but that's not the way we wanted to do it. If you build one listener at a time, they'll stay with you."

Good words. Brands are not built overnight. The Daily News piece is here. Another great read.

New York's Rock & Roll Tour. Had an email back on Monday from Jonathan Paisner with a company called City Listen. The company is offering an audio "guided Rock & Roll Tour of Manhattan":

"Walk in the footsteps of Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Bruce Springsteen and many more. New York City DJ Ken Dashow (WAXQ) takes you on a fascinating tour throughout the East and West Villages in Manhattan to some of the most legendary locales captured on vinyl."

Very cool. Website here. Reading that starts the brain thinking about what a station in a city with great rock heritage could do on air and on the web. Brainstorm with your staff if your city fits the mold.

Congrats. To Clear Channel programmer Tony Coles on his promotion to oversee the company's Chicago cluster. A great guy who will make great things happen.

Home today with a bug of some sort. More later.

Monday Monday (Late Edition)

61° - cloudy at 10:29pm

Took the weekend off from the blog (not intentional) - hope it was good for you.

Around my blogosphere:

Dave Lange. Dave blogs about "Authenticity - The Key To Reviving Radio" here. Authenticity the backbone of progressive rock in the 60s and 70s - and AOR in the 70s and 80s. Part one of a great piece here.

Coincidently - after reading Dave's post today, I overheard the syndicated Ryan Seacrest weekday program on an office radio..and I swear I heard a sweeper soliciting listener "phone calls". This on a recorded/recycled bits show from Ryan's Los Angeles AMD program. How does that work? I certainly didn't hear any "listener calls" on the air. I immediately thought of Dave's piece where he writes about "gimmicks, hype and illusion". Whatever.

More authenticity: Coincidently, consultant Alan Mason writes about voice-tracking on his blog today. With apologies to Alan for over-quoting:

"...now I’m seeing talent and on-air PD’s who voice track their shows because they’re too busy to be on the air. I’ve even heard of talent who didn’t like their shift, so they voice track instead of being live. I can’t help but wonder, when did being on the air stop being a priority for on-air talent?"

"Yes, I know all the arguments about how busy you are, but let me ask you a question: How do you explain that to the listeners? "Well, I’d like to be engaging and interactive instead of just announcing, but I’m just too busy?”

"Think they don’t notice the difference? In case you haven’t noticed yourself, listeners are becoming more interactive, and want more relevance. It’s a big challenge to do that in voice tracking. But there’s an even bigger question: With all the competition from other media, and life becoming so busy for the listener that they often feel overwhelmed, isn’t it important for us to be as good as possible? And do you really think you can do that through regular voice tracking?"

Alan's complete post here. Full disclosure: As a PD, I've been put in the position of voice-tracking my shift simply because I was too busy. Handling multiple stations, I should have not been on the air at all. Not my call. And I'm certain there's many other PDs in the same situation.

More PPM: 20 MORE Things explained - numbers 6 through 10. From Paragon Media Strategies here. Numbers 1 through 5 here. The complete list without narrative here.

Mad Men. Must-see TV in my house, though not with me (yet). My wife and oldest son both addicted. Mark Ramsey blogs about AMC's smash hit and what it means to radio here.

Help. Asked over the weekend via email to help spread the word. From Dave Martin's blog this morning:

"Deborah Chesher is a published photographer [Amazon info]. Her rock star gets include George Harrison, Jerry Garcia and Frank Zappa. Now, her daughter is having brain surgery and Deborah is selling prints to help pay the bills. Get the story, see the prints here. If you're not able to buy a print, please share the link."

I read Deborah's story last night; please do what you can (and her work is wonderful).

More tomorrow including stuff I didn't have time for tonight. Thanks for stopping by.

PPM Lessons for Smaller Markets + More Spring Books

61° - clear/sunny at 8:17am

Why PPM matters. Even in non-PPM markets. I've been commenting on this blog for some time now that lessons learned from PPM can make a difference in non-PPM markets.

Tom Taylor - in his Radio-Info.Com Newsletter this morning relays a call he received from consultant Bob Taylor:

He says “in small markets, they’re thinking ‘this doesn’t apply to us’, but it doesn’t make a difference: tuneout is tuneout.” He started applying the early PPM lessons from Houston and Philly when he was programming in Binghamton and says “I saw that when we took that stuff off the air, like the jock saying ‘be right back’, we saw the Time Spent Listening go up in the diary world.” He kept picking away at “the stuff in between the songs, like how long the breaks were, and we re the breaks focused on the listener, not what you did last weekend.” The music’s got to be right, of course. But Bob says “This makes a difference in any market, like what you say going into breaks. The competition didn’t get what we were doing in Binghamton, but it’s like going into Starbucks – it’s not just the coffee, it’s the experience, on a minute-by-minute basis.” Bob says that’s what the People Meter rules – like those 20 that T-R-I ran on Monday from the Boot Camp session that included Rick Cummings – can do for every market. He says it’s dangerous to keep using “1996 rules…and then we scratch our heads and ask why the TSL is dropping” on a diary-measured station.

Tom's daily newsletter - a must-read - is offered as a free subscription here.

Spring Arbitrons - more classic rock winners: A big time win for WLAV/Grand Rapids. The station up almost 2-1/2 points and #2 12+. In Oklahoma City, KRXO up over a point and a half - good for #3 12+. KKFM/Colorado Springs also up a point and a half, good for a tie at #2 12+.

In Portland, KGON up a half point. WSFL/Greenville-New Bern up almost a full point - good for #3 12+. WIMZ/Knoxville up just over a point. And in Nashville, WNRQ is up a half point. All stations to spend some time with on the web with pen and notepad.

Added Advisory: This could be sitting in your Outlook in-box. Watch for emails with the subject line "CNN.com Daily Top 10". Clicking on a link in the email will invite a victim to install a video codec which simply installs some nasty malware on the victim's PC.

Yesterday I spent a good few hours removing such from a co-worker's desktop. Nasty stuff. Your IT people and co-workers should be aware. Read more here.

Headed north to Michigan's beautiful Traverse City today. More tomorrow.

Wanna Be Elected?

Imagine the thoughts coming from the collective brainpower in this competition:

If YOU were elected "President of Radio," what would you do during the first 100 days of your administration?

(SOUTHFIELD, MI - 8/06/08) That's the question we will be posing to nine industry luminaries (and former radio execs) at a session that will take place at the Jacobs Summit in Austin, TX on September 18th. Co-sponsored with Radio & Records and moderated by Fred Jacobs, the session will allow each panelist to present their initiatives for transforming radio as the industry endures challenging times. Jacobs Media President Fred Jacobs comments, "We're looking for big thinkers with constructive solutions, and feel that providing a forum for ideas is what the Summit is all about. These presenters each have a unique perspective on the industry, and bringing them together will generate not only great thoughts and discussion, but also potential solutions."

The tenth slot on the panel will be open to anyone in radio, whether they're a CEO, a traffic director, or a DJ. Aspiring "Presidents" are asked to submit their initiative (500-900 words) to Jacobs Media and Radio & Records via email to presidentofradio@jacobsmedia.com. Details and FAQs are available on a special microsite - www.presidentofradio.com. Jacobs Media will choose the winner, who will be invited to present their thoughts at the Summit.

Erica Farber notes, "We know there are lots of dedicated, passionate radio professionals out there with ideas and solutions. We want to hear from them, and make sure we have a great representation for 'Presidents.'" Radio & Records has also decided to turn the "President" concept into a regular feature in their weekly publication.

This year's Summit agenda promises to be as hard-hitting and relevant as ever. "Our goal is to provide attendees with actionable ideas they can take back to their stations and implement," says Jacobs. Already on the Summit agenda are Leo Laporte, founder of "This Week In Tech," who will share his vision on digital solutions for radio. There will be a compelling panel with the RAB's Jeff Haley and Emmis Interactive's Deb Esayian who will talk about managing the digital transition from an inside radio perspective. And Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx, who will bring his unique perspective on the audience and how to keep a 1980s brand relevant in 2008.

The Summit is open to the radio industry and is free of charge. To RSVP, contact Lisa Riker at Lisa@jacobsmedia.com.

To find out more information about the Summit agenda or inquire about the "Presidents" panel, contact Paul Jacobs at Pauljacobs@jacobsmedia.com.

Jacobs Media Summit 13
http://www.jacobssummit.com/ or http://www.presidentofradio.com/

(248) 353-9030

Explained: "20 MORE Things You Need To Know About PPM and Then Some"

Received an email this afternoon from Paragon Media Strategies - who co-presented "20 MORE Things" at the Morning Show Bootcamp in Denver last Friday.

I posted a link to the Paragon blog and PPM PowerPoint - see here.

Paragon now offers some narrative behind the slides on their blog: here.

Learn and enjoy!

Wednesday Blogs

67° - mostly sunny at 8:23am

Good Morning from Okemos.

Always Roll Tape...err...TiVo: Last night I was watching a CNBC special on the Detroit Auto Show; the program highlighted a GM private party where Kid Rock performed.

CNBC interviewed Kid Rock and the result was a great soundbite for Detroit and the auto industry; timely audio that a great imaging guy (in Detroit) could use....just thinking here. Keep that TiVo going when you're watching the tube, you'll never know when you'll hear a good catch.

Steve Palec/WKLH: I've been a loyal fan of Steve's Sunday Morning "Rock 'N Roll Roots" show for a few years now. Milwaukee's Business Journal recently published an article about Steve and what he does when he's not spinning Led Zeppelin. Read here.

HD: Monday in "Net News", All Access published an HD Radio Update. Ibiquity's Bob Struble announced more automaker deals and the availability of sub-$100 consumer radios. On the programming side, ESPN is now offering HD-specific programming for stations.

Still - consumer awareness (not lack of interest) appears to be the biggest problem for the technology. Fred Jacobs ponders this lack of awareness for HD (as compared to the interest in the mandated Digital Television Transition) and asks "What would happen if all analog radio was to disappear on 1/1/2010? Would it be the end of radio as we know it? Or would it be the beginning?"

Read Fred's piece here.

Boston Blues: I note that the HD-2 channel of WZLX/Boston is airing blues 24/7 as "Radio Mojo". Very cool.

Somebody ought to try that in the Windy City!

Tom Becka. Congrats to my friend of 25+ years on the national release of his book "There's No Business Without The Show". Tom - who is hosts afternoons on talk KFAB/Omaha - has been a jock, radio salesperson, radio sales manager, stand-up comedian and talk show host.

All the best to my friend on the success of his book. Tom and I began our friendship at a little radio station off a rut-filled dirt road in Santa Fe. Memo to Tom: I'm waiting for my autographed copy!

Have a great Wednesday.

Celebrating Your Town's Concert History

70° - overcast at 6:45am

If you've read this blog for anytime now - WGRF/Buffalo is one of those stations I love to watch from afar.

PD John Hager has created a station that is all about its market and its listeners.

The station is getting ready for Labor Day Weekend with another great example of listener-generated content (both on-the-air and on-the-web) - plus taking the music it plays and making it "local":

The Top 20 Concerts at Rich Stadium: Vote now

The Buffalo Bills opened their inaugural season at Rich Stadium in 1973. The following summer, Buffalo concert promoter Festival East booked the first ever concert at Rich Stadium on July 6 starring Eric Clapton and The Band.

Over the next twentyfive years, especially in the 1970's and 80's, Rich Stadium hosted Classic Rock's biggest names for some of Western New York's most memorable concerts. The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, The Who, Bob Seger, Yes, Lynryd Skynrd, The Grateful Dead, Van Halen, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Fleetwood Mac, Guns 'N Roses, Elton John, The Eagles and many more played the concert stage at what was then known as Rich Stadium.

97 Rock was the radio station Buffalo concert fans counted on for live coverage and free tickets for these legendary shows. And now we want to know what you thought were the greatest Rich Stadium concerts.

On Labor Day, we are going to count down the top 20 Rich Stadium concerts according to your votes.

See the complete piece here.

Years ago I recall Randy Michaels talking about airing and/or creating "exclusive" - or "difficult to duplicate" content on radio stations. I'm not so certain that this feature falls into the "difficult to duplicate" category - but one thing I've learned in programming is that there are those programmers with the passion to make things like this happen. And its that passion that puts those programmers in a "difficult to duplicate" category among PDs.

Chances are your competition across town doesn't have the passion or drive to do this sort of thing. This creates a tremendous opportunity - take advantage of it!