Wednesday Blogs

54° - clear at 7:39am

Good Morning from Okemos

Robert Feder. His retirement is radio's loss. Feder - well known columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times who's written with passion for the medium and his market has announced that he'll be accepting a buy-out package and leaving in the coming weeks. If you followed Chicago radio, you read Feder.

Sean Ross of Edison Media writes more about Feder here.

Weekly Update. Longtime friend and consultant Dave Lange now posting a weekly review of radio news with "The Radio Week That Was". Check it out on Dave's blog here.

More Voices. Audience Development Group's Kevin Robinson and Tim Moore are both offering their take on the business - each with a weekly email. Just started receiving this week. Subscriptions are free here.

Around The Dial: WZLX/Boston offering listeners a chance at cash with "Dilating For Dollars". Staffer Heather from the station's morning show is expecting.

The listener who comes closest to the date and time of birth wins. See more here.

Congrats to WLAV. The Grand Rapids classic rock station wins two Marconi awards at last week's NAB. Very awesome!

Will have more tonight. Have a great day.

Conglomerates, Brandmeier and The FCC

19° - mostly cloudy at 9:13am

Me and the boys living the bachelor lifestyle last few days with my wife out of town; makes one wonder how single parents pull it off day after day.

Calendar: couple of dates coming up yet this month: President's Day next Monday (2/18); and there is a February 29th (a Friday) this month too...a "leap day". Any special music/programming features around these dates? BTW: Spring book begins April 3rd.

Surfing the blogs: Chicago AM drive producer-writer-author Rick Kaempfer sums up Jim Cramer's recent comments on radio:

"The conglomerates will have to sell and then local operators have a chance to reclaim a lost medium. At least that's my hope..."

I've had the same passing thought; Rick's blog here.

Tipped by Rick: Mr. Kaempfer points me to Robert Feder's column in the Chicago Sun-Times. Feder writing about "the pride of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin", Jonathan Brandmeier. It was 25 years ago that Johnny B hit the Chicago airwaves. Read here.

Legal Stuff: The FCC yesterday opened its comment period (until March 14th) for proposed new radio rules that will - among other things:

• Whether radio and television stations should be required to maintain and consult with permanent advisory boards of officials and other leaders;
  
  
• Whether radio stations should be required to fill out, place in their public files, post on the Internet and submit to the FCC the same type of standardized disclosure form information about programming and “ascertainment” that will soon be required of television stations;
  
  
• Whether radio and television stations should be required to maintain main studios within the corporate limits of their communities of license rather than be allowed to locate those main studios some distance from their cities of license; and
  
  
• Whether the FCC should reinstitute renewal processing guidelines that are based on quantitative minimums for different types of programming.

Details here. No doubt your ownership is aware but sometimes stuff like this doesn't trickle down. Added: Many of the FCC's current proposals, if adopted, could make tight budgets even tighter.

Thank you - to SBR Creative Media's John Bradley who had some kind words about this blog in a recent email.

Also to WKLH/Milwaukee Rock 'N Roll Roots host Steve Palec, who's been kind enough to link me from his blog (do check it out!).

Have a good night.

Jay Mitchell on "The New Language of Radio"

28° - light snow at 8:53am

Yesterday's news of mass layoffs at CBS Radio that followed action earlier in the week by Emmis gave me another uneasy feeling in my stomach about this industry and where its future.

Consultant Jay Mitchell wrote early this morning on the latest round of layoffs - highlighting the CBS cutbacks. Caution: you might not want to start your morning this way:

"First Clear Channel, then Emmis et.al., slashed jobs to appease stockholders, who usually have jobs (or don't need them). This week CBS, um, released a bunch of good radio people. Here's the way CBS described it:

"With these actions, we continue to build on our strategy of deploying our assets to best grow our ratings and monetize the results ..."

"CBS Radio also ... considerably strengthened our digital assets in order to distribute our content on all available emerging platforms."

Yeah, that's the way I talk, too ... all "deploy" and "monetize" and "aggregate" and "assets.""

Jay adds:

"I guess it's easier to shit-can people if you think of them as "assets." Except if you shit-can them, they're "liabilities," aren't they? Even program directors are talking that way nowadays, in the spirit of joining them in lieu of licking them.

But really, which gets you more excited, doing great radio or monetizing assets?"

Thank you Jay. His complete post here.

In Chicago - the CBS cutbacks could mean change for AAA WXRT.

Sun-Times columnist Robert Feder is reporting this morning that the station could move "from its longtime home at 4949 W. Belmont and squeezing in with the company's other properties downtown, WXRT stands to lose the last vestiges of its rebellious roots." Feder's column here.

That could forever change WXRT's culture. In Denver - after Clear Channel built a giant complex to house its cluster, it left heritage AAA KBCO with stand-alone studios in nearby Boulder. As I was told, it was done to preserve KBCO and "not let it get polluted".

Wednesday Blogs & Beyond

80° - sunny at 9:40am Left: webcam shot of light tower on Lake Michigan at Muskegon this morning. current image

Good Morning.

From my blogosphere:

Defining Classic Rock. Edison Media Research's Tom Webster: "What is it? So, here is my question--and I'd love the rock programmers reading this to chime in with comments--what defines "classic?" Popularity? Importance?"

Read and comment here.

A "40-something" cab driver talking radio: "The eye wants the new, but the ear wants the familiar." Mark Ramsey goes for a cab ride here.

Your station website. Some thoughts and resources from Jacobs Media's Tim Davis here.

Added: Lee Arnold with a post about CBGB owner Hilly Kristal - who passed away yesterday. Read here. CBGB - and the music that came out of it in the mid 70s - stirs thoughts of a great era in my head.

Beyond the blogs:

Ted Nugent on Bill O'Reilly tonight on Fox News Channel (8pm ET). Nothing new here. I'm a bit ho-hum on Ted's shtick. Wears thin fast.

Springsteen Tour. Kicks off in Hartford October 2nd. See the dates here.

Another hot promotional opportunity for classic rock this fall.

More Labor Day Weekend: WDRV/Chicago is repeating their "Live Drive Weekend" - live tracks all weekend long.

KZEP/San Antonio kicks off "Zeptember" (celebrating the station's namesake) this weekend starting with a Led Zep A to Z. Here.

Less personality: Overnights go jockless in Chicago - on two stations owned by Emmis. Read Robert Feder here. Sorry to hear this; there's always been something very cool & intimate with a live voice talking to the third shifters, insomniacs and freaks of the night.

The Weekend Classic Rock FM

Happy Friday!

Classic Rock Winter ARBs. They're rolling in. Classic rock continues to show its strength in many markets.

In New York City, WAXQ PD Bob Buchmann - on the station website - tells listeners: "Just a quick word of thanks for all your support of Classic Rock on Q104.3. Many people said we would never be a long-term success...the morons!"

"You have proven them wrong with your support of the station. Arbitron says we have nearly 1,400,000 listeners. Many of our newest listeners are your kids. You're certainly bringing them up right!"

"The Winter 2007 numbers...thanks to you: In America, the largest rock station! In the New York Tri-State, the #1 station for Men 25-54!"

In Chicago: WDRV continues to "drive over heritage rockers" in the market (per Robert Feder in the Chicago Sun-Times). In Denver, KRFX has their best 12+ showing in recent history. And in Minneapolis, KQRS leads the market 12+. Very nice.

Marketing. A must read (and listen) here from Mark Ramsey - as he visits with Punk Marketing author Richard Laermer. Thank you for sharing Mark.

David Martin continues his excellent series on hiring and recruitment. Yesterday Dave wrote about the interview process and checking references. Read Dave's blog here. More education.

Rick Kaempfer. Former morning radio show producer and one of our favorite writers. His blog is one of our "just for fun" links to the right.

His "Radio Producers Handbook" is excellent - and now he's released (just out this week) a satirical novel about radio and the broadcast biz: "$everance". Its available here and at independent bookstores.

I'm waiting to read! See this promotional video for the book. I hope its a million-seller Rick!

More here Sunday Morning. Have a great weekend.

Wednesday Blogs

Rain - Lansing 9:07am. Latest image here.

From my blogosphere:

Radio's talent crisis. Fred Jacobs writes about "A short bench". Added: Dave Martin's take on Fred's post here.

Mark & Mark. Mark Ramsey with some interesting thoughts inspired by Mark Cuban here. Its a great read: all about "the experience".

On his own blog: Mark Cuban touches on a pet peeve of mine: why do some stations run spots for obvious scams? Why rip off your listeners? Read Mark Cuban's comments here.

Public Service: WMGK/Philadelphia morning man John DeBella holds his 5th Annual "DeBella Dog Walk" on May 6th. Link. Looks like a great bonding experience.

KKLZ/Las Vegas gets out this Friday - all day 6a-7p with "DJs for PJs"; collecting new PJs to benefit children in need. See here.

Last Friday, WDRV/Chicago opened bidding for 12 hours on a Fender Stratocaster guitar autographed by former Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour. Winning bid was just over 5 grand with proceeds to benefit the Save The Earth Foundation. See here.

Speaking of: A Chicago competitor praises WDRV. I'd be psyched. Read Robert Feder's column here. Meanwhile other Chicago broadcasters talk about Arbitron's new PPM...and what it means here.

WKRP DVD Update. Via Lee Arnold's blog, comes this link.

Have a great day.