Monday Monday

77° - mostly sunny at 11:44am

The Boys Are Back. Arrived back from our day trip to Midway Airport, Chicago to pick up our two boys (9 & 12) coming back from 3-weeks at my wife's parents in Denver. Pulled in the driveway at home about 1am Sunday Morning.

Home life has returned to normal; the last few weeks have been like the inside of a station control room with the monitor turned down.

During the road trip back and forth had a chance to listen to a lot of radio - both the small and medium markets between here and Chicago. Heard some great stations as well as some not-so-good.

In the latter category - spent some time with a variety hits/AC station where every segue was a train wreck; even my wife asking "what is this"? I replied "George Benson/On Broadway". "Not the song...the station". The station just needed a little attention to detail...(a sweeper or dry "voice guy" liner would have done the station wonders). Road trips are great for PDs; hearing the good and the bad.

In Chicago our radio was stuck on WDRV. A station both me and my wife can agree on. If you're a regular reader to this blog, I'm certain you're not surprised.

Wise words. Dave Martin blogged last week on recruitment and coaching. A great read here. Two highlights:

"Every talent benefits from having a coach but too few enjoy that advantage. Talent want to be led not managed. We need to catch them doing something right."

"Are you providing your stars with an environment to be successful?"

Life Lessons: Mike Mallace writes about a recent experience on "going the extra mile". Read here.

XM/Sirius - keeping it positive: Greater Media CEO Peter H. Smyth released a statement late Friday after the merger was announced:

“Obviously, I strongly disagree with the FCC’s decision and I am very disappointed by it. Although I fail to see the public interest benefits of a satellite monopoly, I am confident that free radio will continue to be the local connection for our listeners, the most reliable source of information, entertainment, and support in our communities, and the most innovative and powerful marketing vehicle for our advertisers. These are qualities that satellite radio - a national, subscription based service, can never achieve.”

I couldn't agree more. In talking to others over the weekend, most reflect Peter's thoughts as well as mine posted here late Friday.

Added: More Spring ARBs today. KSLX/Phoenix shows its best 12+ numbers in recent history. Classic Hits WGRR/Cincinnati up a half point.

Thanks for stopping by.

The Weekend Classic Rock FM

63° - partly sunny at 8:10am

Good Morning from Okemos.

Getting ready to make a quick day trip to Chicago tomorrow to pick up our two boys at the airport - who've been spending the last three weeks with their Grandparents in Denver. The house has just been too quiet with just the two of us.

More Spring book: Congrats out to KSAN/San Francisco (107.7/The Bone)...up a half point. In Sacramento, KSEG (Eagle 96.9) up nearly a full point.

My former station in Lansing, WMMQ, rebounds from a weak winter book. In Toledo, WXKR is up over a half point.

Added: More Chicago PPM. Anthony Acampora writes today in All Access that Bonneville's WDRV leads the market 25-54 in pre-currency PPM. Very cool Mr. Solk!

This weekend in Buffalo - WGRF's John Hager again engages the listener with the "The Top 100 Guitar Heroes of Classic Rock". As John has done a lot lately, he's cleverly set up a listener discussion board on the station's website (here).

No doubt there will be some debate among fans about who showed up where and who should have been on the list but wasn't. Another great example of involving the listeners in the product and giving them ownership.

Disappointed. But not surprised about the imminent XM/Sirius merger. One company controlling one delivery system. Where else does this happen?

Can anyone count on the combined company to live up to promises made to get the merger through, given each company's past record - that's now resulting in a combined $19 million dollar fine? (just a cost of doing business, right?).

Disappointed (again) but not surprised by our FCC leadership.

Fans of certain XM and Sirius channels might not be too thrilled losing their favorite brand for a "almost just like" substitute. It'll be interesting to watch from the sidelines. I'm not a subscriber.

Late update: It's a done deal. 3-2 in favor as reported by Inside Radio at 9:20pm.

HD Radio Report. Ibiquity's Bob Struble now writing a monthly column. Read here.

Added: Little did I realize while writing this morning that this is post #500 since starting this blog 18 or so months ago. Thanks again for stopping by. Its your pings that make it all worthwhile.

Wednesday Blogs

30° - scattered clouds at 7:20am

It is what it is. XM/Sirius merger approved by DOJ. FCC can't be far behind. As Dave Martin points out here:

"Mel and pay radio will end up needing more than a good deal with the commission, they're going to need a radically different business model. Firing the majority of staff, outsourcing to the lowest bidders and restructuring deals won't even begin to get it done. The last published account of their combined ad billings was less than the annualized billings of one successful FM station. As written here previously, in the very best possible case, pay radio will be to audio what HBO is to video. A modest niche business, nothing more."

In his blog this morning, Fred Jacobs observes:

"...while satellite radio is an irritant, it has been losing momentum for a couple years now. We've seen evidence of this in our Tech Polls, conducted among 25,000+ rockers each year - just the kind of consumers that XM and Sirius have been targeting. In our newest poll, we're already seeing that when XM or Sirius ends up in the new car or truck you buy or lease, one's propensity to renew the service is much lower than average. And overall, we're only seeing about a 56% absolute commitment to retain XM or Sirius among current subscribers - not exactly the numbers they want to see, merger or no."

Lastly, Fred adds:

"There's a future out there for AM/FM radio, and while satellite radio just got a second wind, the true forces that will most clearly impact traditional broadcasters are far more ominous. But radio has the opportunity to play in the new media sandbox, if it focuses - once again - on creating great content, while providing multiple distribution outlets for that content."

And speaking of content - consultant Alan Mason writes here:

"...what does your radio station do so well that it will cause listeners to come back again, and bring some friends? Every station has to decide on it’s own what it does best, but I can tell you one thing. It’s not creating share holder value."

My take: long-term shareholder value is created when great products are created that attract consumers. The need for quick short-term results for the next quarter is whats killing us.

Added: Saw this from Seth Godin over my second cup of coffee:

"A career putting out fires never leads to the goal you had in mind all along. I guess the trick is to make the long term items even more urgent than today's emergencies."

Seth's entire piece here.

Sunday Morning Odds & Sods

43° - overcast at 1pm

Listening this morning - to the music of Neil Young being featured on WDRV's Rock & Roll Roots. Walk On. Like A Hurricane. All good stuff.

Christmas. I've seen a lots of stations testing their holiday music; and I've come to believe that the audience expects to hear it.

There's nothing wrong with Classic Rock and Classic Hits embracing selected holiday music - although I didn't always feel that way.

Thanksgiving weekend isn't that far away and a great time to kickoff. My wife was in Target yesterday and said it was apparent the shopping season has begun.

The Buzzard Book. It didn't come out in time for my birthday - but if anyone is looking for a Christmas present for me it might be John Gorman's new book: "The Buzzard: Inside the Glory Days of WMMS and Cleveland Rock Radio.

John Gorman was Program Director of WMMS (The Buzzard) from 1973 to 1986.

From Amazon:

This rock and roll radio memoir takes you behind the scenes at the nation's hottest station during FM's heyday, from 1973 to 1986. Sex and drugs, music and merchandising--it was a wild time when the FM airwaves were wide open for innovation.

John Gorman led a small band of true believers who built Cleveland's WMMS from a neglected stepchild into an influential powerhouse. The station earned high praise from musicians and even higher ratings from listeners.

Gorman tells how WMMS remade rock radio while Cleveland staked its claim as the "Rock and Roll Capital" by breaking many major international music acts. The fun may have died when FM went corporate in the late 1980s, but it was a hell of a ride while it lasted.

Filled with juicy insider details, this fast-paced story will entertain anyone who listened in during those glory days when FM delivered excitement and the Buzzard ruled the airwaves.

Looks fantastic - and available through Amazon here. Perhaps I'll just get myself an early Christmas present.

Mel. Will sue the FCC if the Sirius/XM merger isn't approved. Read here.

I can only think that others interested in one of the two satellite radio licenses might sue too if the merger is approved. I could be wrong.

While there is plenty of competition under of the broad definition of "audio entertainment", I do feel that satellite radio is a unique distribution platform that deserves two competitors. Every other distribution platform is open to competition.

Let them merge - but force a surrender of one license and award it to another.

WNCX/Cleveland + How Deep Is Your List?

66° - overcast/light rain at 11:35am

Good Morning. Yesterday was day 3 of the summer number rollout.

In Cleveland classic rock WNCX posted its best 12+ numbers in over a year (like sister WZLX/Boston - mentioned here Wednesday). The CBS classic rockers appear to be kicking some serious ass!

Added: Listening casually today to WNCX - its totally plugged into Cleveland. Liners done by members of the Indians. Afternoon drive hosted by local music legend Michael Stanley (yes, that Michael Stanley). A radio station with soul and character.

I can't recall the last time I heard "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway" on classic rock radio, except during an A to Z.

I did have an "oh wow" moment listening to WNCX's stream today: A song (and a band) that I haven't heard since the mid-70s. As soon as it began to play my ears perked up though I couldn't identify.

Quickly maximizing the streaming player window - there it was - title and artist: "Back To The River" by Cleveland's own "The Damnation of Adam Blessing". TOO COOL. Used as internet fill to cover a stopset on the stream.

Later: Michael Stanley Band's "My Town" as fill. Self-indulgent mode now "off". But thanks 'NCX....its great to be excited about listening to the radio.

How deep is your list? Edison Media's Sean Ross has posted a great piece on comparing classic rock playlists between terrestrial and satellite radio.

Comparing playlists on some XM and Sirius channels to New York's WAXQ, Sean notes:

"...the satellite services were a lot less eccentric than their reputation. The most aggressive among the Sirius and XM channels had four "oh wows" per hour--meaning that even in satellite radio, somebody is thinking about giving the listener that well-balanced quarter-hour that is such a tenet of terrestrial programming."

Sean also observes - casually that when he does hear satellite radio playing, its typically the mainstream channels, not the "deep tracks". Read here. Lots to read and digest.

Supplementing Sean's piece are comments from some respected names in the business...

Consultant Greg Gillispie: "Properly displayed and positioned, terrestrial radio should use deeper tracks. Doing so can certainly create talk...and hopefully we all know what WOM can do!"

"...there are stations - and one large market station is scary - that won't stay tied in with topics of interest. A major day-in-history event, big artist b'day, etc. go without a short feature or in some cases even a brief word."

Programmer JJ Duling: "It is possible to play the hits AND provide the occasional "WOW!" song to keep it fresh and Programmers who aren't boxed in by typical radio definitions do just that every day."

Very good food for thought. The hits are the hits. But I'm one for throwing in the occasional deep cut or "wow" - especially with the right setup and/or staging; the local market dictates. Thanks to Sean Ross for providing the forum for discussion.

Afternoon Update

"Overnight we have scores of PPM experts offering station and group folks assistance. Some of these same experts would have us believe they are qualified to confront Arbitron and take the lead in what amounts to an ongoing ratings police action. My opinion is most of these so-called experts are not qualified to discuss the subject matter at any serious depth." - David Martin.

Read Dave's post here.

All Access reports: "the cumes for an in-tab based on the partial sample that was improperly processed was just about the same as the full properly processed sample."

Meanwhile: Paragon Media has been updating readers on the Arbitron Consultant Fly-In with its new blog. A recap of yesterday posted this morning; I'd expect another one soon. Read here.

Other notes of interest:

You Tube: Using embedded You Tube videos on your station site? Google's new You Tube ad strategy is now kicking in.

Do you mind their ad inventory on your website? Something to ponder. Your mileage may vary. Jaye Albright on that topic here.

btw: kudos to Google for monetizing its You Tube investment in a user-friendly way. More from Mark Ramsey here.

Satellite merger update: All Access reporting (Wednesday) that Entravision has told the FCC that if the Sirius/XM merger were to happen "the agency should allow existing terrestrial licenses to form a consortium and proceed to establish and operate a qualified competitor".

The company also "asks the FCC to require SIRIUS and XM to relinquish their spectrum so that competition can resume".

Giving up half of the combined spectrum entered my mind early into this merger talk. (this last piece reposted from yesterday; it wound up on my "bumped" list. I was "oversold". Poor inventory management on my part...oops...LOL)

Wednesday Blogs

Wednesday already. From my blogosphere:

Satellite Radio interest appears to be slowing - at least with listeners of rock radio. This morning Fred Jacobs discusses findings from the latest Jacobs Media Tech Survey on his blog. See graphs from the satellite portion of the survey on the Jacobs website here.

Meanwhile...in Our Nation's Capitol: Yesterday, Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin made another apperance in Washington to answer more questions about the proposed Sirius/XM merger. David Martin reviews his performance here.

Streaming. Appeals have been filed against the new royalty rates announced by the Copyright Royalty Board. Kurt Hanson's RAIN has been providing excellent coverage on this issue. Read the latest here.

The Secret To Making Them Smile. Some thoughts on how its getting more difficult to shock an audience without crossing the line - and how "simply delighting them with effective service" might be the better path.

Lessons for radio programming here from ChaosScenario.

E-Diary. While much has been written about Arbitron's PPM rollout; the new E-Diary affects almost everyone right now. McVay Media's Dave Lange discusses on his blog here.

Latest Favorite Quote: "I would have made this shorter but I didn't have the time." - David Martin. Have a great Wednesday.

The Weekend Classic Rock FM

Its been a great week.

HD Radio. While interest and awareness of HD/IBOC Radio certainly isn't at the level broadcasters would like, HD is getting noticed in Detroit. Greater Media deserves a pat on the back for their efforts promoting the HD2 channels of Classic Rock WCSX and Rock WRIF. In recent months, they've devoted entire weekends simulcasting the HD2 programming for each of those stations on their main channel. A significant committment.

And now WRIF has won an award and market recognition for its "Detroit Local 101" show airing on HD Channel "RIFF2". Read more here.

If you check out the "RIFF2" webpage, you'll see that they're doing it right: A blog, fan board, podcasts, instant messaging and more - all part of cultivating a listener base; plus the HD channel itself is more than a jukebox; its a living, breathing radio station with personalities and programs. Kudos to Greater Media.

Satellite News. Aside from Mr. Karmazin going to Washington - this week Arbitron released a report on satellite radio listening based on the Fall '06 survey. All satellite listening combined results in a 3.4 share. Whats really revealing is that satellite radio listeners tend to be heavier traditional AM/FM listeners. More from Jacobs Media, Mark Ramsey and David Martin. Alan Mason shares what he's learned from satellite radio here.

Stickers. Window and bumper. Ever do a remote without a supply of stickers? Lee Arnold passes along an article from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer here.

Diversions. If you've seen the Geico Caveman commercials on TV - here's a song you might recognize. Everytime I hear it, the song lingers in my head for a while. And for a little more Caveman fun - go here.

Have a great weekend. More Sunday Morning.

Sunday Morning Odds & Sods

Left: Okemos, MI; today 9:50am.

Winter has returned to Mid-Michigan.

Jerry Del Colliano has an interesting take on how a XM/Sirius merger could "pass go" and benefit HD radio at the same time. Read it here.

Meanwhile KFAB/Omaha's Tom Becka offers his two cents on satellite radio's effect on terrestrial radio in the Omaha City Weekly here.

Cara Carriveau - mentioned here last Sunday - is interviewed on Rick Kaempfer's Chicago Radio Spotlight today. Great read.

Condolences to family and friends of engineer/processsing guru Jim Somich who passed away in recent days. Writing on various industry forums, Omnia's Frank Foti broke the news. I recall using a Jim Somich "Somich Engineering" composite clipper with a Texar Prism/Optimod 8000A configuration in the mid 80s on an FM I was programming. If you're a tech head with some time, read Foti's retrospective of audio processing here.

Here's a least likely industry to display a little attitude. Check this out. I love it. You think they know their market?

Last but not least - stumbled across this station in Indiana this past week. Doing what many have tried: AC/DC and Hank Jr. They stream. Lots o' fun with their imaging.

I like it! Crock on!

The Weekend Classic Rock FM

Happy weekend. Caught some great writing this past week:

Dave Lange of McVay Media - a wonderful mind who helped me in a competitive battle years ago - writes about about Anna Nicole, Britney and XM/Sirius here.

Alan Mason - of Good Ratings - who I don't know but wish I did - quotes Mark Ramsey and writes about your station's community here.

Lee Arnold on two of radio's best here.

Radio Wars in Denver. Its country, not classic rock. But there's always something to be learned from watching any format battle. Jaye Albright has it here.

FMQB reports that Van Halen is apparently not getting back together (for now). And The Police sold out Madison Square Garden twice in 15 minutes; now doing another show at Giants Stadium on August 5th. Tickets for that show go on sale Monday.

Heard from old friend Jay Blackburn this past week. Jay was the mind behind the original WLUP/Chicago (pre-Heftel/Lee Abrams) and his work there was a big influence on my career (although he didn't know it until years later). Jay has written an autographical-based novel on "radio wars of the '70s as seen through the eyes of a couple of midlevel consultants. It's the whole story, from '70 to '79."

Knowing Jay's history, this should be a great read. Jay says it will be out mid-summer; once a firm release date is set, we'll pass it along.

Serious: XM and Sirius to become one

A merger. Reduced staffing. I can only imagine lots of nervous folks at both companies. We're going to be watching Lee Abram's blog.

Read the release from XM here.

Tuesday Morning update: Observations from Paul Jacobs and Mark Ramsey. Remarks of radio CEOs at Inside Radio.