More Thanksgiving Programming

49 - overcast at 10:50pm

Welcome to Tuesday; My youngest celebrating his 9th birthday today - family festivities earlier this evening.

Longtime readers of this blog see a new post everyday; it just didn't happen yesterday with the day job in the way. Saturdays continue to be optional.

Cox Radio CEO Bob Neil: "Meeting - we don't need no stinking meeting".

OK - Bob didn't actually say that. But after Arbitron CEO Steve Morris suggested a meeting with its radio customers over PPM issues, Neil did tell All Access:

"Arbitron doesn't get it. We don't need a meeting. We need a clear plan on how and when they plan on hitting their sample targets. The time for meetings, delay tactics and spin is over. It's about giving radio and agencies what they've paid for: Good data."

Also on All Access: Cumulus head Lew Dickey said that no meetings were needed and that the ratings giant simply needs to "deliver the goods" and that "we are rooting for them to get this right". There's so much to be gained from the data PPM can give the industry. We all should be rooting for them to get it right. Its our future.

Meanwhile - I've written here before that with most people carrying a cell phone or a Blackberry-like device - and perhaps an MP3 player too - I can't imagine anyone wanting to wear an additional tool like the PPM on their person. But thats just me.

This morning McVay Media's Dave Lange wrote about using cell phones instead of the PPM device to collect listening data. A great read here. Hey, people carry cell phones already; give 'em a free cell phone is a great incentive to carry a device to record listening!

More Thanksgiving Programming: KPUS/Corpus Christi kicks off a "Second Helping" Weekend starting Wednesday Night at 6pm - with 2'fers all weekend long.

On Thursday, WDRV/Chicago is doing a "Turkey Day Triple Play" with 3-fers all day long.

WCSX/Detroit offers up Arlo Guthrie's "Alice's Restaurant" 4x Thursday; plus a 4-hour Bob Dylan documentary. See the schedule here.

WMGK/Philadelphia is serving up Alice's Restaurant ("all 18 minutes and 20 seconds of it") three times on Thanksgiving Day.

WROQ/Greenville, NC (Rock 101) is doing a whole lotta Led Zeppelin - featuring the bands "101 biggest songs A to Z" on Saturday and Sunday.

More here Wednesday; thanks for the ping!

The Weekend Classic Rock FM

38° - overcast at 8:51am

I really tried to post yesterday - but my bread and butter job kept me busy well past midnight. Just one of them days. Its all good.

Happy Friday.

Arbitron PPM trends continue to hold for rock library formats. In New York City - classic hits WCBS-FM and classic rock WAXQ are #3 & #4 6+ in the market's first "precurrency" release.

Meanwhile lots of chatter about PPM from urban format and spanish-language broadcasters. In NYC - Urban WBLS drops from #1 in diaries 25-54 to #12 in PPM. Ouch.

Cox Radio head Bob Neil - who hasn't been shy at all with his feelings about PPM - expressed his concerns to All Access on Wednesday about Arbitron's shifting recruitment efforts.

Neil says that Cox and possible radio in general will be forced to look to other ratings alternatives, including doing it themselves.

Late Day update: Arbitron issued a release press call this afternoon - and reported that it will agree to "another independent review" of the methodology; basically saying that the industry will have to deal with the realities of PPM if its as valid (or better) than the diary system.

At a press conference call earlier today - Arbitron said it was still dealing with in-tab issue; will stick with telephone recruitment - and is considering cell phone ("smart phones") to collect PPM data. One less thing for a consumer to carry as this blog pointed out some time ago.

Read more on All Access.

Crank up the static and win. Below an email sent yesterday to listeners of WVBZ/Greensboro:

Thanks to Randy for the tip.

Wednesday Blogs - Afternoon Edition

91° - sunny and 52% humidity at 6pm

Good afternoon...

Posting delayed today with Blogger being unavailable this morning - and then other priorities took over the day.

PPM in Houston: Lots of talk about Arbitron's PPM troubles in Houston. Both consultant Randy Kabrich and Cox Radio President Bob Neil were quoted on All Access yesterday expressing concerns about quality control.

Yesterday consultant Harv Blain wrote on his blog: "I will be at Arbitron for a two day conference on PPM starting tomorrow. You think that may be a topic of discussion in the hallway and in the conference room?" More Harv here.

Meanwhile: McVay Media's Dave Lange writes: "Before you work with any research or ratings data the most important analysis tip we can pass on is LOOK AT THE SAMPLE. How far off of the population estimates is the return?"

More: "Are you feeling real good about gains that were more the result of a few diaries weighted way up that will disappear in the next report? Or are you looking at a downturn that's really an illusion?" Read Dave's complete piece here.

Having spent much time in small markets, I've had great books and bad books - some I never believed one way or another simply because the in-tabs were so small. Of course, we still celebrated the wins with the staff regardless!

Paragon Media Strategies is now blogging on PPM and more. They've got ten PPM "rules" (so far) for programming. Rules that make good sense PPM market or not. Read here.

Music: This weekend Little Steven's Underground Garage will debut the new single ("Radio Nowhere") from Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band. Sweet!

Steven is asking affiliates to resist the temptation to lift and air the song from the show ahead of time.

Mr. Van Zandt says "HIS Boss will really be pissed at him if the song gets played before it premieres on The Underground Garage." And we know who his boss is, right?

Added: At least one outside monitoring service already has the song in its database ready to detect airplay.

Monday Monday

70° - cloudy - 97% humidity at 9:33am
Drippin' in Mid-Michigan

Free name tag generator here.

Good Morning.

Radio Station Names. What makes a strong one? Mark Ramsey takes notes here from a book by author Marty Neumeier.

Added: More ARBs: Just read Anthony Acampora's latest demo breakouts on All Access. In Denver: Persons 25-54 is ruled by Clear Channel's AAA KBCO followed a half point behind by sister Classic Rocker KRFX. Not a bad place to be - congrats to KRFX/Fox PD Garner Goin.

In Seattle: KZOK is #1 P25-54. And in Portland: KGON is a solid #2 P25-54.

XM's Lee Abrams: "Heard a Deep Tracks promo. Great example of NOT using “lazy words”. They used the line “handcrafted sets” (as has the Loft for a long time) to describe the music programming on the channel. They COULD have used “All your Deep Classic Rock Favorites” or something silly like that."

Lee's blog is here.

Lee Arnold. Last Thursday his internet station WORJ.COM streamed a 1975 radio concert from Gary Wright. From the "Dream Weaver" era - and wonderful.

Thanks again Lee.

Kudos. To Cox Radio head Bob Neil for telling it like it is: "The reality is that if radio doesn’t play their music they’re not gonna sell their recordings."

This in reaction to proposed artist airplay royalties - and last week's testimony in Washington.

Nearly every successful recording artist can thank radio for their careers - including Sam Moore and Judy Collins.