Country Comments

CMA Awards: My 2 Cents

2011-11-10T13:54:00.002-05:00

Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood did the best job anyone has ever done hosting that show. They were everything you wanted in hosts. The Tim and Faith Barbi doll segment is a CLASSIC!

Great to see Taylor Swift win Entertainer of the Year. She's done more to help Country music and Country radio than she gets credit for through the halo effect of her mass appeal popularity.

Zac Brown Band should have won SOMETHING for the great year they had. That said, I wished they had performed one of their great songs instead of "Georgia On My Mind".

Why do some artists get two turns - while many worthy ones get none? Just askin'??

Too bad the Hall of Fame has become an afterthought. Not even a picture of the winners. Seems like lately other genres are doing a better job honoring their pioneers.

Now, we should start a Facebook page to lobby for Brad and Carrie to host the Oscars!

Fishing Is King

2011-10-11T10:14:00.000-04:00

Each year it seems, a different theme becomes popular in Country music. This year, fishing rules. "Just Fishin'", "Bait a Hook" and simply "Fish" are all on the charts. All good songs. I have to say, I much prefer fishing to last year's "my town is smaller than your town and I'm more Country than you" dominant theme. Lifestyle themes are part of the format, and always will be. Let's remember, too, that Country is also about universal themes, told in the clearest most honest way. I wonder what's in store for next year?

2011-07-03T11:12:00.000-04:00

Just saw my first "Back To School" ad - on July 3rd. Is this for Summer School?

Classic Country Radio Songs

2011-05-12T09:03:00.000-04:00

Phil Sweetland wrote a great column today about Country songs that reference Country radio. It made me think of others that I either remember, or learned about from Country music's rich past. Besides the recent Reba hit, "Turn On Your Radio", how about these (in no particular order):
Nothing On But The Radio - Gary Allan
Fading In, Fading Out - Tommy Overstreet
Listen To The Radio - Don Williams
Tiny Blue Transistor Radio - Connie Smith
(Lord Have Mercy On A) Country DJ - Bill Anderson
Radio Lover - George Jones
There Ain't Nothing Wrong With The Radio - Aaron Tippin
Turn Your Radio On - Ray Stevens
I Watched It All On My Radio - Lionel Cartwright

Radio and Country music are forever entwined in these classic songs.

No Respect For Merle

2010-12-05T13:36:00.003-05:00

Kennedy Center Awards are tonight. Most of the articles and promotion for the show reads something like, "McCartney, Winfrey and others" honored tonight. One of those "others" is Country Music Hall of Famer Merle Haggard. While I can't argue that Sir Paul and Oprah are more famous than "Hag", to me he means than both of them put together. From the 60's through the 80's, no one loomed larger over the Country music landscape than Merle Haggard. While physically small, he was larger than life. He could do it all; sing, write, and perform while being strong enough to buck the Nashville star system by succeeding his own way. In 2010 Merle Haggard continues to do it his own way. Long live Merle. My hero.

Wishful Packaging

2010-11-22T16:46:00.004-05:00

Is it presumtous to put not yet released songs on a "Greatest Hits" or "Number One's" package? I think it is. If the song or songs are then released to radio and are not hits or do not make number one, what then? I suppose all releases are hits with someone. Just askin'.

CMA Awards 2010

2010-11-11T10:22:00.001-05:00

Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood did a great job hosting again this year, teasing Nashville's royalty and keeping the show moving. Funny line: (paraphrasing) "After the night Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert are having ... expect a baby in 9 months."

Kelly Clarkson performed a powerful song with Jason Aldean, "Don't You Want To Stay Here A Little While". No surprise that the song was released today to Country radio.

Gwyneth Paltrow sang the title song from her new movie, "Country Strong". Vince Gill sang with her to lend support. She got a standing ovation (in spite of looking nervous during the performance).

Blake Shelton wins Male Vocalist of the Year, beating out a bunch of heavyweights. Well deserved.

Blake's fiance Miranda Lambert wins Female Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year, and sings the Song of the Year for "House That Built Me". 2010 is the Year of Miranda.

Sissy Spacek introduced a tribute to Loretta Lynn. There wasn't a dry eye in house as Loretta came out to sing "Coal Miner's Daughter" with Miranda Lambert and Sheryl Crow. I had the privalege of interviewing Loretta (and Sissy) when Coal Miner's Daughter was released, and can tell you that there is no one more genuine and deserving of everything she's received than Loretta Lynn. She is truly a national treasure.

Why did Taylor Swift utter the word "What?" after her performance. We may never know. We do know that after her incredible 2009, the woman who just sold a million albums got shut out of winning any awards last night.

Finally, Brad Paisley gets the well deserved Entertainer of the Year award, giving a heartfelt acceptance speech. Glad to know that men are now allowed to cry in Country Music.

Is Gwyneth Overshadowing the CMA Awards?

2010-11-10T07:01:00.001-05:00

Have you noticed that TV promos for tonight's CMA awards focus mostly on Gwyneth Paltrow's debut singing performance? Don't get me wrong, I'm happy that her spot on the show will no doubt attract viewers who might not otherwise watch. But I can't help feeling that some of our biggest stars are getting the short shrift. At least promotionally. Let's hope her performance on the show is a big hit. It would be even better if her new movie, Country Strong, is a bigger hit.

Where's Taylor?

2010-09-01T16:50:00.005-04:00

No disrepect to today's CMA nominees (they are a great bunch), but I do not understand how last year's Entertainer of the Year, Taylor Swift, is shunned from even a nomination in that category? Did Kanye West hijack the voting?

2010-05-17T16:12:00.002-04:00

Shorter Is Better: At least this is true with respect to song length. Could a trend be emerging? Witness new releases from Justin Moore, Billy Currington, Carrie Underwood in the 2:50 something range. Why does this matter? It helps both radio and records. Radio gets to play more songs and records gets more new songs played. Why? At the risk of sounding techno-geeky, new currents are often in "drop" positions and they are less likely to be dropped by the computer if they are shorter and can get aired before a time sync for commercials. If I lost you on that one, just know that shorter songs are less likely to be dropped. Bring on the shorties!

2010-03-11T07:09:00.002-05:00

Idea For A New Country Song: Way Out Here we've got a Bonfire going in the Back Woods where I'm a Little More Country than how The Country Boys Roll their Hillbilly Bone.

2010-01-09T16:31:00.001-05:00

Give Back, Advance Your Career: The state of the radio industry is such that we need all the help we can get. There are quite a few radio organizations that can use your help. Volunteer to serve on committees putting on radio conventions like the Country Radio Seminar, the NAB, The Midwest Conclave and your state broadcasters. Most states put on an annual convention. Not only can you make a difference, but you’ll make valuable contacts that will not only enrich you personally, but will advance your career.

If you have time to serve on one committee, serve on two. Make the time. Make a difference. I have the privilege of currently serving on the CRB (Country Radio Seminar) Board and the Agenda Committee for the Midwest Conclave. For more information, drop me an email and I’ll get you the contact information to get you involved. You’ll be glad you did.

2010-01-02T09:49:00.003-05:00

Where Will The Innovation Come From? Not Nashville, according to the NY Times:

Click here: Grudgingly, Nashville Inches Into the Future - NYTimes.com

It speaks to a point I made on my blog a few months ago. Where are the new stars?

And that while great music comes from Music City, we need to be open to Country sounds from the rest of the Country to help spark innovation.

2009-12-03T10:25:00.004-05:00

Help Dene Hallam's Daughters: In my blogs I like to get right to the point and not waste your time. Please help insure that Dene's wonderful daughters get a good education. Moby of Moby in the Morning has set up an Educational Trust Fund. Here's a link to the information: http://www.mobyinthemorning.com/index.cfm

2009-11-12T21:39:00.003-05:00

The Hidden Meaning of Taylor Swift's Big CMA Night: Conventional wisdom is that Taylor Swift won Entertainer of the Year because she's arguably the hottest artist on the planet. I think it goes deeper than that. This is the beginning of yet another changing of the guard in Nashville. Think about it. The incredible Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban, Brad Paisley and George Strait (fellow nominees) have all been hit makers for a decade or more. Taylor was the only recent hitmaker in the bunch. It's not about who's more Pop or who's more Country. Nor is it soley about Taylor's amazing talent. The message from the CMA voters came through loud and clear: It's time to shake things up. Taylor Swift is a glorious lightening rod for that change.

2009-10-20T11:13:00.002-04:00

Fourth Single Syndrome: Have you noticed that several of our biggest stars are out with their third or fourth singles from current album projects? No problem with that if the material is great. The problem is that much of it is not. Therein lies the rub. I think strong songs like those by David Nail and Luke Bryan may not be getting their just airplay as we instead give more spins to that weaker song by the bigger artist. Just because an A+ act has a song in the Top 10, it does not mean that it is a hit, or worthy of power rotation. I'm just sayin' ...

2009-09-06T16:30:00.002-04:00

Enough Already: Country Boys, Country Girls, Country Men, Country Women. Is it just me, or are these themes overdone in Country songs of the last few years? Just asking.

2009-08-21T21:31:00.003-04:00

Write Like Your Life Depends On It: As we all get more tech-savvy, let's not lose sight of the power of the written word, whether it's in our web copy, on-air imaging, or any copy associated with radio stations.

It's easy to become enamored with how something looks or how the audio bells and whistles sound. It's harder to craft the messages that will resonate with our target audiences.

In visual marketing, only the right words combined with great layout and visuals will produce the desired results.

Is there a compelling story ready to motivate your audience? Write and re-write until it's right. Your professional life depends on it.

2009-07-26T21:43:00.005-04:00

Country At Conclave: Thanks to former R&R Editor Paul Heine for his coverage of the Country panel I was privileged to moderate:

Thursday, July 16, 2009
How To Upset The Status Quo

MINNEAPOLIS –The annual Conclave radio conference opened up Thursday afternoon (July 16) with a textbook story of how old-school, street-level warfare can still damage entrenched competitors, especially in today’s environment of cutbacks and limited resources. Ron Allen PD at country KVWF (the Wolf)/Wichita, told the tale of how, in February 2008, Connoisseur Media signed on as the market’s seventh country station and how the Wolf has since defeated all but two of them. In the winter 2009 Arbitron ratings, KVWF is one-tenth of a share away from the market’s No. 2 country outlet.

Renegade branding, complete with on-air howls and a 25-foot inflatable wolf for appearances, made the station stand out, Allen said. Instead of another lackluster station van, Wolf staffers drive a bright orange truck – with paw prints all over it.

“We blind-sided the competition; they weren’t expecting the full court press,” Allen told attendees at the Country Cage Match session, moderated by Joel Raab, president of Joel Raab Associates. “We came in with the attitude that every event will be challenged.”

As the last one to the dance, KVWF had to improvise to put its paw prints on concerts and other events traditionally dominated by its established competitors. When the Wolf was told it could not participate in an event at the 10,000-capacity Kansas Coliseum, the station set up large displays at three main access points to the venue, giving it what Allen called “high visibility.”

Don Jacobs, market manager/VP of the Results Radio cluster in Sioux Falls S.D., also shared war stories from a new country sign-on. When Garth Brooks came to town for six sell-outs, Jacobs distributed 6,000 Brooks masks with the station’s Kickin’ Country logo printed on the back. “When you’re in later than everyone else, you have to take a different approach,” he said.

Mark Phillips, PD at the nation’s first Wolf – Cumulus Media’s KPLX/ Dallas – bemoaned that many stations don’t excel at the basics: “Everybody is short-staffed, resources are limited, but I still hear a lot of basics that aren’t being done right, starting with the music.” Remarkably, Phillips pulls a four-hour afternoon shift in radio’s fifth largest market. “People think I’m crazy but you need to lead by example.” The strategy appears to be working: KPLX is No. 2 in the market among listeners 6+ in Arbitron’s June PPM report with a cume of 1.2 million.

Phillips says his day starts at 5 a.m., taking notes on the morning show, monitoring the competition, working on the music. By two in the afternoon, it’s show prep time. In between, he says he makes a lot of time for communicating with the airstaff. “When people are insecure about their jobs, you need to make them feel important. There’s a difference between leading and managing.”

Country Radio Broadcasters executive director Ed Salamon shared 10 programming strategies from his tenure at WHN/New York in the ‘70s.

“The country life group in New York wasn’t obvious,” he said. (The No. 1 radio market has since gone decades without a full-signaled country outlet.) So Salamon had to “find out exactly what it was about country music that made sense for our listeners” and that included not using the word “country” in on-air imaging. “We used a lot of listener voices on the air, taking advantage of all the beautifully unique accents, from Long Island to the Bronx to New Jersey. And we campaigned like politicians to win listeners over one at a time.”

http://paulheine.blogspot.com

2009-06-29T09:48:00.004-04:00

The Michael Jackson - Elvis Radio Connection: I remember when Elvis died. If you were there, think about it. Nary a mention on the CBS evening news; Time Magazine buried the story in the back of the issue.

RADIO was there. Radio was where we mourned and shared our thoughts and feelings. Callers could request Elvis songs. Programmers could air specials within minutes. I was a Dee Jay in Chicago then and remember the adrenaline rush of our relevance.

Michael Jackson dies and radio's role, is diminished. TMZ dwarfs CNN and the major networks along with radio in reporting news. How quickly did voice tracked stations respond?

As I noted last week, I have decided to be optimistic. As an industry we can recapture our extreme relevance, but it will take a lot of hard work. Are you prepared for when a major Country star (heaven forbid) dies? Are you using the excuse, "We're understaffed" or do you have a plan? We must lay down the gauntlet.

Economically, radio will get healthy again. In the meantime, we have to work harder and more creatively.

To quote an old Country song, "time's a wastin'" ...

2009-06-24T16:15:00.002-04:00

“Less” Is the New “More”: Heard this line on one of the news channels. You’ve got to be kidding me! There seems to be some sort of a campaign going on to make people feel like its OK lose a job, have income, benefits and pensions chopped up. As long as we’ve got “love." Puhleeze!

I’ve seen my share of economic downturns in my lifetime, but never one quite as severe as this one. Challenging? Yes. However, I refuse to be negative about future prospects for me, my family or the industry I love with a passion.

I have decided to be optimistic. You can make that decision, you know, and take pro-active steps toward improving your situation. Those steps will vary widely based upon your circumstance.

What have you done today to make things better?

Good luck. Be optimistic. That’s half the battle. The other half? That’s a lot harder.

2009-04-27T10:03:00.002-04:00

Kudos To Nashville Record Labels: I've noticed an interesting phenomena lately. Quite simply, when a song is released to radio and early indications say, "this is not a hit" the labels are backing off much more quickly. I have advocated this strategy for years. In the past, it seemed like any release from a major label would be pushed into the 30's on the charts. This practice of pursuing the inevitable "miss" wasted valuable time and dollars.

The one caveat in all of this is that if the labels genuinely believe in something, they shouldn't give up because of initial resistance. If that were always the case, many great new artists never would have broken through. Again, true belief is powerful. I remember the early resistance to Shania Twain. Need I say more?

2009-02-09T14:37:00.002-05:00

Is It Just Me? Watching the Grammy Awards last night I couldn't help but notice that the sound mix, at least to my ear, was superior to what we usually hear on Country Music awards shows. Taylor Swift and Kenny Chesney never sounded better live. Just wondering.

2008-12-09T16:39:00.009-05:00

NBC and Leno: Like Radio Giving Up Local Control: Short term financial gain is what NBC is getting by putting Jay Leno on each night at 10PM. Lower ratings, lower revenues but more short term profits. Executives show a better balance sheet. For now. Get to keep their jobs. For a while. Even though no new hits are being developed on the network. Fewer eyeballs on NBC. That can't be a good thing long term.

What's the radio analogy? In an effort to cut costs, it seems like time slots are up for outside hire. While there are clearly some "must listen" strong national shows, let's resist the urge to overdo it for short term financial gain. I strongly concur with those who say that radio's best hope is in being local. Great stations are still best served when anchored by local hosts who know their towns and their listeners.

2008-11-09T09:18:00.010-05:00

Say Goodbye To The "B" Students: For years, the radio industry had the rap of being a safe haven for "C" students. With the last wave of consolidations and job cuts a few years ago, most of them were eliminated. Now, with another round of eliminations happening as you read this, the "B" students are also in danger. At minimum, "B+" students and up will survive (and even all of those are not safe).

The real question is: What can you do now to survive, let alone thrive? It's a cliche to say you should wear more than one hat. The days of "four and out the door" (doing your airshift and going home) ended many years ago. Today, you will be most valuable if you can demonstrate the following:

a. Web skills. Master HTML. Help your station build on its interactive community. The web-savvy person in the building becomes increasingly valuable as others are stretched to the max.

b. Find ways to save money. Come to your manager with cost saving ideas that will not damage the product. Better yet, find ways to save money and actually improve the station.

c. Become proficient in more than one format. Format experts who only do one format in the same building are becoming a dying breed.

d. Gain a wide range of experiences. Show your eagerness to learn. If your station has a new Talk sister station, volunteer to report on election night (even if you're the PD of a music station!). If a morning producer is out sick, offer to go in and help.

e. Become the "go to" person. Meaning that if a task needs doing, everyone knows that you will do it well and in a timely fashion...and that you will first ask questions if there is something you don't know...Which leads us to:

f. Ask Questions. Many don't do this, for fear that they will be perceived as somehow lacking. Take it from a former manager, questions are ALWAYS appreciated, as they show a thirst for self- improvement and the desire to help the common cause.

g. Don't fly under the radar. Eventually, someone reviewing the station budget will ask, "What does HE do?" and, "Why should we keep him?". Give that person lots of proof that you are an indispensable member of the team.

h. Read vociferously. It may seem obvious, but take the time to stay informed. Know what's going on not only in your industry, but in the world around you. How are other industries coping with the economic downturn? There's plenty you can learn and benefit from.

Knowledge, combined with practical experience, is your best tool to make it through the rough seas ahead.

2008-10-22T16:00:00.004-04:00

Where Are The New Country Superstars?: Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, Toby Keith. We love ya! You guys are mostly exclusive to our format and came of age in the late 90's, nearly ten years ago. Entertainment however is cyclical. We need a "next big thing" exclusive to our format to sustain growth. The current new crop of Superstars (Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift) are crossover artists. We share them, and their sound with other formats.

Ten years ago, we wondered, who are the next Garth, Alan and Clint? Today, we wonder, is there a new Kenny, Tim or Toby waiting in the wings? Could it be Brad, Dierks and/or someone we don't yet know about? Why is there no woman on any of those lists? That's a great question for another blog on another day.

2008-10-05T10:05:00.000-04:00

Wrong Hook Can Kill Hit Song: Garbage in, garbage out. When testing music, if the hook is wrong then the results may very well be wrong. One glaring example was Kellie Pickler's first single, "Red High Heels". The standard hook most used did not capture the unique part of the song, but instead focused on the title (as do most hooks). A hit song lost. Another example, "Red Dirt Road" a moderate hit for Brooks and Dunn. If you tested the correct hook (which most did not) you'd have found this song to be a strong power gold.

I also believe that the essence of some songs cannot be captured in a five to ten second hook. That doesn't mean they don't resonate with the audience. It just means they don't test well. Some of Keith Urban's best songs haven't tested as well as I believe they were actually accepted by the audience. The depth of some music goes beyond a hook.

Testing is a tool; one of several used to determine airplay. But it is not nor should it be the be all and end all in making music decisions. Knowing your audience, your market, sales, competitive strategy along with testing are all factors in making goods music decisions.

2008-07-24T09:22:00.000-04:00

What Are Canadians Doing Right That We Are Not in the USA?: A report today (from allaboutcountry.com) shows how Canadian radio fared in 2007:

The 2007 Rising Radio Revenues Of Canadian Canada’s 619 commercial private radio stations saw total revenues rise 6.2% to C$1.5 billion in 2007, according to figures just released by the CRTC.
Local ad revenue increased 4.8% to C$1.087 billion, with national ad revenue up 8.3% to C$380.6 million. Profits for the stations also increased 5.5% to C$300.2 million. Profit margins slipped from 20.11% to 19.99%.
Looking at FM, revenue increased to C$1.1 billion, with English stations getting C$947.5 million and French stations up to $209 million and ethnic stations up to C$16.1 million. AM station revenues rose to C$291.7 million, with French stations declining to C$15.9 million.
The stations employ over 10,000 people with a total salary pool of C$606,952,639.

What can we in the USA learn? Stay tuned.

2008-06-17T17:24:00.000-04:00

Nashville Star Week Two: Give Me A Break. I am reconsidering my thought that radio should get behind Nashville Star. Nothing against my friends at XM, but do we really want to be indirectly promoting XM on our stations? XM got more promotion than the ACM's gave our radio stations. And what's with all the pop songs and older Country songs? Except for John Rich's "Save A Horse Ride A Cowboy" there was nothing representing today's Country music. I had to laugh when they said that next week Nashville Star is going Pop. You mean, "Natural Woman" wasn't pop enough this week? To quote John Stossel, "Give Me a Break." I still have hope for the show, as there is some real talent there, but I'm not happy at the way the music is misrepresenting our format.

2008-06-17T16:26:00.000-04:00

Lessons Learned from Tim Russert: How ironic that in the past year, I found myself saying to myself, "Be like Tim Russert"; meaning, be objective, see all sides, make issues clearer, have a meaningful discussion and don't make it personal. Recently, I had the privilege to moderate the keynote address at the CRS which explored the red hot controversy of whether or not radio should pay performance rights. Before taking the stage, I'd hoped to channel Tim Russert. I received generally favorable feedback on the session in that my goal of airing out the issue and avoiding personal attacks appeared to have been met.

This past weekend, in watching all the tributes, I was inspired by how Tim Russert lived his life. This guy not only believed in teamwork, but practiced it. By being generous and giving to his workmates, he elevated the team, and himself. He mentored, yet still was able to accomplish his personal goals too.

As radio struggles to find it's way with changing technology and economic challenges, we can all take heart that we'll be OK if we approach our jobs the way Tim Russert approached his. Relentlessly seek the truth. Care about your co-workers. Give others credit and elevate your co-workers. Be prepared. Don't cut corners. And most of all, put family first. A good team will understand.

2008-06-10T17:13:00.000-04:00

Nashville Star Debuts: There were some real potential stars last night. Ashley Hewitt looks and sounds like a Nashville Star. Pearl Heart (sister trio); Laura & Sophie; Gabe Garcia; and even Alyson Gilbert who almost got kicked off, scored in my book. Song selection was a bit odd with the emphasis on old Country and Pop songs like Bubbly. I'd like the music to be more mainstream and better representing our format.

Some of judges' dialogue seemed scripted, but I understand that. They're trying to develop a shtick together (not unlike a morning show would do). If that makes it more entertaining, more will watch. I think it's a great opportunity for the format, and I hope radio will embrace it better than we have in past years.

2008-06-05T10:05:00.000-04:00

Where Radio Veered Off Course: A friend of mine, still active in radio, but no longer programming music stations has this thought about the current state of affairs. (He prefers to remain anonymous for obvious reasons):

"...the invention of VOICE TRACKING and NEWS OUTSOURCING caused radio to become a commodity not a local source of entertainment, news, talk. (When I programmed music stations) we did news. With a person and a half. It's just not news but "content" personality. Play lots of music but have a "human" element and a passion for the music. Country at least still does that. Gee, why do OLDIES stations still get ratings, especially in PPM after we told everyone the format was dead? Honestly only music I listen to on the radio anymore is NJ 101.5 on weekends. It's still fun. K-EARTH LA is good. Locally (in my market) there's nothing. Country at least still has a pulse."

I couldn't agree more that the passion and "pulse" of Country will keep us viable for a long time, as long as we don't starve our stations and our audiences. Keep feeding them, and they will pay us back in spades!!

2008-06-04T16:45:00.000-04:00

These Artists Want You To Pay For Play: The "Founding (Country) Artists" of 'The Music First Coalition."

http://www.musicfirstcoalition.org/#/about/founding-artists/

Dixie Chicks
George Jones
Don Henley
Deana Carter
Brooks & Dunn
Big & Rich
George Jones
Gretchen Wilson
Hank, Jr.
Jewel
Jimmy Buffett
Kenny Rogers
Lyle Lovett
Lynn Anderson
Martina McBride
Mary Chapin Carpenter
Miley Cyrus
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Terri Clark
Toby Keith
Tim McGraw
The Wreckers
Vince Gill

We've helped them make millions exposing their music on our airwaves. Now they want you to pay to play their music. What's wrong with this picture?

2008-05-27T14:48:00.000-04:00

Would Eddy Arnold Have Wanted It This Way? I am pleased that Eddy Arnold got his posthumous release charted and made history by charting in seven consecutive decades. However, knowing the man, I'm not convinced HE would have wanted it this way (asking stations to play a song in order to make history). Eddy Arnold respected the notion that music and trends changed and prided himself on staying contemporary years after he DEFINED what contemporary meant in Country Music. What a testimony that he legitimately charted into the 90's! Either way, long live the legacy of The Tennessee Plowboy, Eddy Arnold!

2008-05-22T08:08:00.000-04:00

ACM Awards 2008: Where's The Magic?: Last year's show was one of the best ever. This year, not so much. Was it the sound that so many have maligned? Or the awkward duet performance of George Strait and Kenny Chesney who rock when they sing solo? The program is produced by the very competent R.A. Clark. Yes, he's Dick's son (On a personal note, I went to college with him. We took TV classes together at Northwestern and he was always sharp). Radio was barely acknowledged. How hard will folks work in the future to win that award when the winners are basically ignored? No matter how Kenny Chesney spins it, he attacked his fans who made him Entertainer of the Year.

Putting my young daughter to bed, I missed the best moment: Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley paying tribute to Eddy Arnold. The Tennessee Plowboy would have been proud.

My suggestion: Start fresh and reexamine all aspects of this show and let's make sure that 2009 does us proud.
.

2008-04-12T10:50:00.000-04:00

One Positive Aspect of HD Radio: Whether your for it or against it, there's one aspect of HD Radio that will ultimately benefit our industry. Experimentation. It's been lacking for a long time. Now, with HD, we can try new things. Witness the 24 Hour Psychic channel programmed by WYCD PD Tim Roberts. I think they may have something.

What's on YOUR drawing board? What fantasy format have you always wanted to try? Personally, I'd like to see more HD stations attempting to reach teens who are increasingly becoming disenfranchised with radio. The only hitch is that we'll need to make the radios affordable and cool. No small challenge.

2008-04-12T09:42:00.001-04:00

Open Letter To Nashville Songwriters and Producers: Music sales are down. Less money is being made. I will let others hypothesize about how the buying habits of the music consumer are changing. It's convenient to blame technology. It's convenient to blame tightly controlled radio playlists.

Here’s the bottom line: The lack of sales is occurring now for a reason that has at least as much to do with the direction of the product as the changing technology.

It's really very simple. We have very little hit music to call our own. Most of the biggest hits lately are shared with other formats. Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE Rascal Flatts. Taylor Swift is a talent to be reckoned with for the next thirty years. Keith Urban; you’re sensational. You are HUGE part of our format.

Why then, is James Otto "Just Got Started Loving You" arguably the most requested song at Country Radio these days? The song touched a nerve with the Country core. It's simple; it's Country and you won't be hearing it on A/C radio. It's a stone cold smash that we (the fans, Country radio) can call our own.

My call to the best tunesmiths and producers in the world is this. Stop chasing the crossovers. Stop watering down the sound. Focus on the fans. Our biggest fans still buy CD's (of which your profit margin is higher) and you'll sell more of them more consistently if you take a cue from James Otto. Make great Country music. Is it a coincidence that Sara Evans biggest hit was "Suds In The Bucket?" Be Country. Have fun. We'll all make more money.

2008-03-30T17:14:00.000-04:00

Programmers: Been To A Good Sales Seminar Lately? If you've been to a number of Country Radio Seminars, then you know that feeling "I've heard this before". While there were a lot of great sessions for programmers this year, I found myself drifting into the sales sessions. Not because I have any interest in ever selling a spot, but because I wanted to gain a deeper understanding of the sales departments our clients are going through, especially in light of today's economic challenges. Boy, did my eyes open widely. Check out the sessions for "Wish I Had Said That" ... "10 Great Sales Ideas" and "Overcoming The Challenges". To get the CD's, go the www.crb.org. The form is right on the homepage.

2008-01-04T18:00:00.000-05:00

2008 Predictions:

Radio Begins To Figure It Out: Leadership is re-emerging in the industry. People like CBS's Dan Mason and Entercom's David Field will help expand our strong brands across multiple media platforms. And we'll better learn how to sell the new found cume the People Meter is bringing to the table. Wisely, we'll stop attacking the credibility of the ratings so that national advertisers will see that we are an accountable medium worth buying. The industry, while kicking and screaming, will embrace and work to improve People Meter.

The Clear Channel Deal Will Not Close: At least not in present form. Stock will plummet and the cuts we're seeing this holiday season will only pale to what's coming when then the privatization deal fails to happen. If the deal does close, look for a drastically reduced price. The same might be said for the Cumulus deal. Frankly, this is not good for anyone. I've long believed that radio would be a healthier industry if it was operated out of the glare quarterly Wall Street reporting allowing operators to make the investments needed to improve the business.

More Label Consolidation: If that's possible. Look for Warner Brothers and EMI to finally consolidate. Unfortunately, that will mean more lost jobs in Nashville. Elvis is still turning over in his grave over the BMG/Sony Merger.

RIAA Will Continue to Assault It's Costumers: In their infinite wisdom, they will find new ways to make it even more difficult for people who will actually spend money on music to do it safely and conveniently.

CD Sections at Wal-Mart Will Continue To Shrink: Have you noticed there are fewer CD's and more DVD's at Wal-Mart, Barnes and Noble and other stores that still sell music? We're moving toward a time when all music will be accompanied by a visual.

Attempts At Further Media Deregulation Will Fail: If there's one things that conservatives and liberals can agree upon it is that they don't want media controlled by fewer and fewer people. The public is in no mood to see more consolidation, and frankly, they do seem to care.

Radio Clutter Will Be Cut: By mandate in some cases and by demand (or lack thereof) in others. Either way, these forward thinking stations will sound better.

More Pop Artists Will Tell Us They Were Always Country: As Pop sales shrink, in an effort to save their careers, watch for more Pop artists going Country especially as they approach 40. I have no problem with that, but will have to draw the line if Celine Dion sets up shop in the Music City.

Nashville Will Also Begin To Figure It Out: Major and minor labels will figure out what upstart labels like Big Machine have figured out. There needs to be a new business model. All worthwhile media and platforms will be need to be used to sell and promote Country music. Radio will remain an integral part as the special relationship radio and "records" enjoys (while strained) will continue in different and exciting ways.

Are there problems? Of course. Solutions? Not always so clear. I remain optimistic that the excitement level for those who embrace the future and creatively "figure it out" will surpass anything we've seen in the past. Get on board and enjoy the ride!

2007-12-24T13:04:00.000-05:00

Looking For A Job?

Unfortunately, this holiday season finds too many good people looking for employment. As one who spends a great deal of time wading through the talent pool, I'd like to offer some helpful suggestions for when you are sending out those all-important aircheck packages.

Do: On an aircheck, put your best stuff first. It sounds obvious, but you'd be amazed at how many airchecks start with a thud. If you don't hook me from "hello" you don't have much of a chance.

Do: Include a professional picture. Video is becoming more a part of radio and how you look does matter. You don't have to be a model, but a professional photographer can capture you in the best light.

Do: Use your name in the file name you send. Do you know how many files I would have on my computer that are called simply "aircheck" if I hadn't taken the time to rename them?

Do: Run any letter you send through a spell checker. If this were obvious, I wouldn't have to note it here.

Do: Demonstrate your versatility. Sure, there may be one thing you're great at (i.e., being a morning sidekick) but let me know what else you can do in this age of multiple hats. The more skills you can enumerate, the more valuable you can be.

Don't: Start an email or letter by saying, "Your search is over!". While I appreciate self-confidence, you are not the one making that decision.

Don't: Be impersonal. "Hello" is not a way to start a letter. Address the person you're sending your package to by name. If possible, mention something that shows that you are in the know about the situation you are applying for.

Don't: Send only links. Ideally, give the person receiving the package the option to download the file or go to a link. I like to be able to save the good ones easily from an email rather than having to go through the extra steps in order to download files from a website.

Don't: Bad-mouth your last job or situation. Again, this may seem obvious, but always emphasize whatever positives you can from a situation you have just left.

Finally, I strongly believe that there are still good jobs, even great jobs, for those who have talent and/or excellent work ethics. Make 2008 the year you take your career to new heights!

2007-12-11T17:56:00.000-05:00

Is There No End To The Stupidity? The RIAA is now telling you that you can't make MP3's of out of CD's. So let me get this straight. If I buy a CD, I can't make a copy of it to play on my I-Pod or MP3 player? If caught, I face a heavy fine and may have to give up my house? So they are going to penalize people who have plucked down hard earned money for CD's who put them into a more convenient format to enjoy the music they have actually paid for? Actions like these will only fuel the public anger discouraging them from going to legal downloading sites. Good luck with this one.

2007-11-18T16:34:00.000-05:00

Radio's Future Is In Our Hands: One of the most positive articles regarding Radio comes from Advertising Age, which trumpets the future of radio, while outlining specific steps that need to be taken. This is must read.

Radio's Place in Advertising Ecosystem Is Local and Digital:

Click here to read the article

2007-11-05T08:43:00.000-05:00

PC's Becoming Obsolete?: In Japan, PC shipments are down five consecutive quarters. Sales of mobile phones and flat panel TV's are up. Hitachi is shutting down its household computer business. More than 50 percent of Japanese send e-mail and browse the Internet through their mobile phones. How much of YOUR email is done on the smartphone?

The more a phone can do, the less we need the PC. If we want to see it, it looks much better on a 42 inch LCD screen.

What's going on here? We want to be connected anytime, anywhere.

How does this trend affect radio? Our brands must be available across the platforms where users live. Phones, PC's, even TV's. Why not simulcast our stations over the local community cable announcements? I'll save the more creative ideas for my clients.

Think distribution, or be left behind.

2007-10-30T07:06:00.000-04:00

Why Country Is Down This Summer: In the 1992 presidential campaign, the Clinton brain trust used the expression, "It's the economy, stupid"; meaning the economy would drive the election. Where our format is concerned, "It's the music, stupid." It all starts there, no matter how great everything else is on your station.

This past summer, Country radio experienced a slump. Lon Helton's Country Aircheck reports 28 stations down with just 16 up in share. I believe that this is not because there is any inherent problem with the format. There were plenty of good songs, but there wasn't one "must listen" song in current rotation. And several superstars released less than stellar new songs that got immediate heavy airplay; suppressing the recurrent and gold play of established hits on most stations. No matter how great our stations sound, it's tough to overcome.

Combine that with the fact that the economy forces most stations to go on summer vacation where mass marketing is concerned.

The good news is that the fall will be better. There are reaction songs making their way up the charts, like Chuck Wicks "Stealing Cinderella" and the Billy Ray Cyrus/Miley Cyrus duet "Ready, Set, Don't Go". Kenny Chesney has his best single in years, "Don't Blink".

Let's hear it for a great fall for Country radio!

2007-10-29T15:47:00.000-04:00

Why We’re Going To Be All Right: Once upon a time, radio was challenged by TV; Radio adapted and survived. Then major TV Networks were challenged by cable then satellite stations. They survived and adapted and today maintain the most eyeballs most of the time. Now the traditional radio dial is challenged by Internet, I-Pod, Satellite, cellphones and other audio sources soon to be video enhanced.

In spite of all the gloom and doom I read, I’m confident radio will survive and adapt to whatever distribution platform our listeners receive our programming on whether it's cellphones, Internet radios in the car, on the computer or in their dental work. And here's why: WE KNOW HOW TO DO THIS! And we will continue to get better at it. Our radio programming remains the most compelling of the audio mediums. Have you heard some of these Internet stations? You need No Doze to stay with them. And it’s not just radio people liking radio stations better than the public. The public by and large likes radio better when given the choice.

This is not to say that our future relevance is automatic. We need to distribute our programming on all the new platforms while continuing to build our brands in order to maintain and even enhance our relevance. But remember, no one can do this better than we can: Today’s radio professionals.

2007-10-13T12:09:00.001-04:00

Bringing You Closer To Your Inner Cowboy: The beauty of Country music ... and Country Radio together is that for three minutes and forty seconds, you can be a Cowboy. You don't have to get dirty. You don't have to break your legs riding a crazy horse or a bull (I actually did this once, though my legs remained intact). You don't have to get up at dawn. But the music and the radio allow you to have the best part of the fantasy which is altogether American and altogether cool.

2007-09-24T00:55:00.000-04:00

Get Over The Fear Factor: In visiting clients over the past few months in getting ready for the fall book, it occurred to me that one of the problems we face in the industry is we're not always making the moves we need to make when we're already successful. By that I mean, let's say you just had a number one book; but in your heart of hearts you know you need to upgrade a position on the station. You don't make that move because you just had a great book, but sure enough, NOT making that move very well may haunt you later. As inexact a science as Arbitron is (People Meter or Diary), we still have to have the courage to do what we think we need to do. Eventually Arbitron may get it right. I have found that over the years, if the strategy is right and it sounds right to your ear and gut, the ratings will come.

2007-08-27T13:46:00.001-04:00

Why HD Radio Is Having Trouble Gaining Traction: Tom Taylor of Radio-Info.com quoted my comments at the Aribtron Consultant Fly-In last week. Here's his summary:

“We haven’t given them a reason to spend that hundred bucks” on HD Radio yet.

Consultant Joel Raab pipes up from the audience during Lenski’s session to observe that based on the focus groups and research he’s seen, listeners do understand the promos about HD-2 providing “the stations between the stations.” But they’re far less clued-in about what those stations can offer them. Raab says it’s easy to scan the format lineup for either satellite service. But for local HD2 – there’s a void. Then he makes that quote up in the headline: “We haven’t given them a reason to spend that hundred bucks” on a new HD receiver. Edison’s Joe Lenski had just said that “HD Radio is a concept not completely known to the public”, and that’s about as politely as you could possibly put it. The latest Edison study shows heightened awareness of HD. But the “increased awareness has not yet translated into higher interest in the product itself.” Raab’s point is that radio hasn’t marketed the advantages of the programming – not the hardware, but the content. And that’s even after all the promos for HD (I heard some for RadioShack, driving home from the Arbitron Fly-In). Only 6% of the study participants are “very interested” in HD. Another 23% are “somewhat interested.” But that’s still less than one-third of the sample: not good enough yet.

2007-08-08T14:59:00.000-04:00

What Radio Can Learn From Brad Paisley: If you haven’t seen the “Bonfires and Amplifiers tour, you need to. Aside from the high tech and brilliant effects seen on stage that may be the most amazing I’ve seen for a concert of any genre, there’s a whole other level of entertainment going on. The spontaneity, fun, and pranks taking place between the stars of the show, the band and crew are shared with audience, and sitting in the crowd, I felt involved.

What can radio learn from this? Sure, you can have a great format (music); effects (imaging); excitement (contests), but do you involve your audience? At this show, the stars playfully tease each other. Do the members of your air staff do this with each other as friends do? Is there a fun, unpredictability about your station? And last but not least, does your station have a sense of humor that you share with the audience? This is what the Brad Paisley “Bonfires and Amplifiers” tour does. Does your radio station?

2007-07-20T17:31:00.000-04:00

Forget About Thursday. Here Comes Friday: In the People Meter world, the era of doing your biggest contest on Thursday is about to end. As reported by in R&R Today, you'll see how startling things will be changing once (or if) you become a People Meter Market:

According to the June 2007 PPM radio ratings in Houston, Friday had the largest weekday average quarter hour radio audience among persons age 6 and older from 6 a.m.-midnight.

The Houston tally looked like this: Monday - 477,300 persons; Tuesday - 489,300; Wednesday - 494,100; Thursday - 497,500; and Friday 518,800.

In releasing this week’s Arbitron “Fun Fact,” senior VP of press and investor relations Thom Mocarsky noted that in the PPM system, “There is no ‘first day’ of a survey week. Once in the panel, the PPM respondent is asked to carry the meter with them throughout the day, every day for as long as they are in the panel, which can be as long as two years.” He also noted that the bigger "lift" in Friday Houston listening in June started at 3 p.m. and peaked in the 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. hour.

As interesting as this little tidbit is, Mocarsky cautions, “This is only one month of data from one market. It's much too soon to draw any general conclusions about what day is the biggest listening day for all of radio. However, it does highlight the power of the PPM to give us a detailed look at how people listen to radio.”

Mike Boyle, R&R

We can work the respective methodologies best we can, but whether it's PPM or Diary, I maintain that compelling content making for destination listening is what will ultimatley drive ratings. What do you think?

2007-07-05T13:38:00.000-04:00

Country Heats Up: Today's USA Today gives an illustration of how well Country is doing on radio. A good read. Note to Country PD's: Stop complaining about A/C playing our music. Every time A/C plays Carrie Underwood it's a great "ad" for Country radio.

By Ken Barnes, USA TODAY
So far, 2007 is a great year for country music … on the radio. In this year's first six months, country songs accounted for nearly one-fourth of radio's top 100 songs, as measured in all formats by Nielsen BDS, Arbitron and Radio & Records. Country's 24% share is nearly double the 13% it claimed at the end of 2006.
R&B/hip-hop dominates music heard on the radio, as it has since the all-format chart began in 2002, but its share is declining from previous highs above 50%. Last year, it commanded 49% of the top 100; so far this year, it represents 44%. Country is just ahead of pop, with rock trailing.

The impact of American Idol finalists, who have often met a chilly reception at radio, is notable this year: Both the top country song (Carrie Underwood's Before He Cheats, which also crossed over to pop formats) and rock song (Daughtry's It's Not Over) are from the Idol stable.

The bright picture for country fades somewhat on the sales lists. Pop artists lead the genre pack on the top 100 best-selling albums of the year, with 33%, trailed by R&B/hip-hop with 29%, rock with 20% and country with 15%. (Three multi-genre anthologies make up the remaining share.)

And pop artists own an even bigger share of the top 100 digital songs chart, with 40%, followed by R&B/hip-hop with 32%, rock with 20% and country with just 8%.

Radio airplay and track downloads continue their tight symbiotic relationship: Of the top 20 radio songs (see chart), half are also among the top 20 downloads. Reversing the perspective, virtually all the top download tracks were radio hits as well, though such million-download songs as Cupid's Chokehold by Gym Class Heroes (No. 2 download, No. 25 radio), Maroon 5's Makes Me Wonder (No. 3 and 44, respectively) and Fall Out Boy's This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race (No. 4 and 102) had less appeal for radio audiences than to paying customers.

Those purchases allowed the top download tracks to outpace the top albums by a considerable margin. Just six albums sold more than 1 million in the first half of 2007, compared with 15 tracks (when different versions of songs are combined). Gwen Stefani's Sweet Escape sold 1.78 million downloads, edging the year's top album, Daughtry's self-titled debut, which sold 1.73 million copies.

Other million-selling tracks included T-Pain's Buy U a Drank, Daughtry's It's Not Over, Nelly Furtado's Say It Right, Avril Lavigne's Girlfriend, Fergie's Glamorous, Carrie Underwood's Before He Cheats, Akon's Don't Matter, Timbaland's Give It to Me, Shop Boyz's Party Like a Rockstar, Mims' This Is Why I'm Hot and Rihanna's Umbrella.

2007-06-08T11:42:00.000-04:00

Finding Out Who Your Friends Aren't: Sony BMG apologized to radio for attempting to strong-arm programmers into dropping the Tracy Lawrence/Kenny Chesney/Tim McGraw hit, "Find Out Who Your Friends Are". When this controversy started, I fielded several calls asking my counsel. I am not a lawyer and don't play one on the radio. In my position I have to look at both sides. While everyone seemed to be skewering Sony BMG, I wondered, what's their side of the story? A Sony source told me that CO5 (on behalf of Tracy Lawrence) was encouraging stations to play the version with the three stars, when they had agreed that they would not promote that version.

Sony may be reluctant now to discuss their side since they looked so bad sending out their emails. The bottom line though is that Sony BMG appeared as the big corporate machine trying to shut down the little guy who's simply trying to break through so that Sony songs would have a better shot at the number one chart position.

Wonder what Kenny Chesney thinks about all this?

I've never been a fan of mass consolidation in the music industry. The more that is under control of one company, the less chances we'll see being taken, at least by the majors. The good news though is that independent labels are breaking through with real hits from Tracy Lawrence, Emerson Drive and Jason Aldean. Radio is to be commended for looking past the majors to find the best music to fill the slots.

2007-05-16T10:07:00.000-04:00

ACM Awards Rocked Vegas: This year, I had the privilege of viewing the show from the comfort of my living room. Reba as host struck just the right notes. Faith Hill never sang better. The Reba/Kelly Clarkson "event" truly was one. The highlight for me though was Taylor Swift singing "Tim McGraw" to Tim McGraw with Faith Hill looking amused. One large point that should be noted: For the most part, the stars sang hits. And there was tempo. I don't recall any back to back ballads. Even the out of place TV stars didn't really bother me this year. They're at OUR party, so welcome! Independent record labels were acknowledged with awards: Equity's Little Big Town and Curb's Rodney Atkins. I do wonder though if the block voting hurt Big and Rich and Rascal Flatts who lost the Album of the Year Award to an equally deserving Carrie Underwood. How cool was it that the great Vince Gill, who hasn't a big hit in years rocked the house, too. I'm sure there were flaws in the show. This time, I chose not to notice them.

2007-05-03T10:02:00.000-04:00

Too Hip For The Room?: Podcasts, uploading pictures and video. We're all moving in that direction if we're not there already. Do not assume however that your listeners understand your hot new contest which requires uploading or other technical skills. Bottom line is that we have to bring much of our audience along with us. Like too much unfamiliar music, too many unfamiliar technical requirements can doom your station's promotion or message. Relevancy is key. We must balance the need to sound connected to today's technology while helping the audience understand how to use it. Let's not get too hip for the room.

2007-04-19T14:50:00.000-04:00

Finding The Next Big Thing: In the world of Country music, if you don't move to Nashville and starve there for a few years, you don't stand much chance of being noticed by the decision makers on Music Row. There is something both good and bad about a music genre's hub being in one city. The good is that you know where to go (perhaps after being told where to go)to get noticed if performing is your aspiration. The bad is that great talent in places all across America may be missed because that person has not ventured out of his or her own city.

Country music historians remember a time when there were two different cities with their own sound; Nashville and Bakersfield. In the 1970's Buck Owens had a recording empire that strongly competed with Nashville with tremendous raw energy.

My point is that both the music and radio industry can work together to find the next big thing. As I noted in an earlier blog we haven't had one for a few years. For radio, let's look in our own back yards. For the music industry, look beyond the backyard. Let's open a dialogue about how we can work together to take Country music all across the Country and find the Next Big Thing.

2007-04-15T11:24:00.000-04:00

Imus Firing: If there was some positive in the Imus firing it was that radio as an industry captivated the headlines for nearly a week becoming front and center in the national conversation and reinforcing our relevance.

Here's my prediction for Imus. He will (wisely) take a year rehabilitating his image, if not his own psyche, and will start his own radio network and or end up on the Fox News Channel. Where there's money to be made, we'll see and hear Imus again.

By the way, the two best stories I've read on this subject were yesterday's (4/14) Wall Street Journal chronology on the events leading to the firing and Frank Rich's column in today's (4/15) New York Times.

2007-04-07T15:57:00.000-04:00

Is Country Dead? Noted writer Chet Flippo explores the notion on cmt.com's "Nashville Skyline" in a thoughtful article. The reality is that we are three years away from the last big thing. Gretchen Wilson, Big and Rich and others from the "Class of 2004" are having mixed success. When the next big thing comes along, CD sales will recover and the format will again gain coverage on 60 Minutes, Newsweek and other mainstream media.

I can't help but wonder if the chase for crossover success is not once again slowing us down in more ways than one. While the new Big and Rich song is terrific and possibly bound for crossover success, has the music in general gone too soft? When was the last time Montgomery Gentry gave us a dose of their famous turbo twang? Anyone trying to schedule music on a radio station these days knows how difficult it is to maintain tempo. The good news is that there ARE great Country songs of all styles and tempos to choose from. Let's not be afraid to play the good ones, or we risk Music Row retreating and focusing on the Hail Mary crossover strategy. As always, your thoughts are welcome.

Here's a link to the "Is Country Dead" Chet Flippo article:

http://www.cmt.com/news/articles/1556504/20070405/mcgraw_tim.jhtml

2007-03-24T10:27:00.000-04:00

Gretchen's Back: Had a chance to preview Gretchen Wilson's new CD. Sounds like a number of potential hits. This is not only good news for her, but good news for the Country format. While radio has been cautious regarding her recent material, she still has a willing and eager fan base that's ready to rock (or twang-out) to her new stuff. I've always maintained that Gretchen Wilson is the real deal. An authentic talent who doesn't sound or look like anyone else. Welcome back, Gretchen.

2007-03-09T16:15:00.000-05:00

Country And Hispanics. Now What? Larry Rosin of Edison Research did a great presentation on how we can and should maximize Hispanic listening, especially in major markets with large Hispanic populations. In a perfect world, we would devote resources in those markets to converting that lifegroup; a group that expresses interest in our format. Here's the catch 22. I don't have to tell you how tight marketing budgets are right now. We often don't have enough money to pursue those with a natural proclivity to listen to our format. Where will this extra money come from? Conceptually, Larry is dead on. We have to address the change in our nation's population. The trick will be to do it ways that maximize our limited resources.

To see the study: www.edisonresearch.com/home/archives/2007/03/hispanics_and_c.php

2007-02-19T16:49:00.000-05:00

XM Gets Sirius: A merger of "equals"... two companies that, equally, have lost a lot of money. I know a lot of good people who work at both companies and you know that if this goes through, layoffs of equals will ensue. Bottom line: Satellite has a long way to go to get close to FM/AM radio in terms of reach, influence and most importantly, profits.

2007-02-18T19:36:00.000-05:00

Too Many Hoops To Listen Online: With more and more stations streaming everyday, we do our listeners (and potential listeners) a great disservice by making them jump through hoops to access our stream. When you turn on an FM radio, do you have to fill out a form to listen? It is a mistake to use the web stream as a carrot to sign listeners to our databases. What we should do is make the audio stream one easy click from our website, and then entice those listeners to sign up for all the goodies our stations have to offer. Let's encourage, not discourage more listening of our brands on the web. What do you think?

2007-02-16T10:55:00.000-05:00

Not Everyone Hates Commercials: In today's NY Times, there's an article about how TiVo users actually WATCH the commercials! This research confirms what I've always believed: GOOD commercials are informational, and properly programmed and positioned, don't have to harm your programming. Here's a link the article:

Viewers Fast-Forwarding Past Ads? Not Always

2007-02-10T10:29:00.000-05:00

Just For Fun: Can't be serious all the time...What songs are cousins of other songs? In other words, which songs have "borrowed" the melody of others. Some that come to mind: "Tim McGraw" by Taylor Swift bares a melodic resemblance to "Paint Me A Birmingham" (lyrics of course are very different); or how about the beginning of Keith Urban's "Better Life"? Play it next to the Bee Gee's "Jive Talkin" (though that's where the similarities end). Here's a stretch. The "hook" of Faith Hill's "This Kiss" ("it's the way you love me, it's a feeling like this...") sounds remarkably like the hook from the 1963 Top 40 hit "Sukiyaki" by Kyu Sakamoto. Country radio veterans remember Ronnie Milsap's hit "I Wouldn't Have Missed It For The World" bares a strong resemblance to "I Never Knew Love Like This Before."

They are all "so fine" aren't they, my sweet Lord?

Which ones can you think of?

2007-01-17T10:04:00.000-05:00

Streaming: Two Things. First, as Rock consultant Fred Jacobs pointed out at the Consultant's Fly-In at Arbitron, we are facing a ratings issue as more and more of our listeners tune in to our streaming. The problem is that reported listening to streaming does not count in Arbitron ratings if your stream cuts or changes over the air commercials. Big problem. And I echo those who say we must resolve this issue.

Second, for those who stream, some are doing a great job on the internet cutaways, while others are not. Remember, that when listeners tune into your stream, make sure everything is up to date including fill music, promos, positioning, etc. There are other tips I have reserved for paying clients to help them maximize ratings during the stream. Bottom line: Sound great on and off line.

2007-01-15T11:09:00.000-05:00

Symbolic Thought: As many of you already know, I'm a fan of the Wizard Academy's Roy Williams. The following is from his weekly memo, always a worthwhile read. This week he delves into four kinds of thought, according to Dr. Ricardo Gattass:

Verbal Thought is hearing a voice in your mind.
Analytical Thought is deductive reasoning that seeks to forecast a result.
Abstract Thought includes fantasy and all things intangible.
Symbolic Thought reconciles the pattern recognition of the right brain with the deductive reasoning of the left-brain to connect the unknown to the known.

If you will educate, encourage, or persuade, you must symbolize the abstract by pointing to a concrete thing that shares an essential attribute with the abstraction you're trying to describe.

This can be done using:

(1.) Words.
"Your life and her life have become intertwined like two ropes, joined in a knot. And that's a good thing. It gives you both something to hang onto. If you're in love, you know exactly what I'm talking about." These three sentences were the opening lines of a radio ad that sold thousands of a specific item of jewelry.

"What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade." Jesus gave the farmers of his day a glimpse of another realm by comparing it to a seed with which they were all familiar.

(2.) Pictures.
In his book, Understanding Comics, Scott McCloud uses graphic sequential storytelling to illustrate how we attach complex meanings to the way simple lines relate to one another. He's not talking about comic books. He's talking about visual symbolic thought. Grasp what he's teaching and you'll hold a lever that will move the world.

Buy the book. It's one of those rare, breakthrough books that will make you suddenly see things that have long fluttered at the edge of your consciousness.

2007-01-11T07:29:00.000-05:00

Know Your Catchphrases: (from RBR Business Report) Fresh from the coiner of metrosexual is a list of ten phrases or terms which may get, and generate, buzz during the year ahead. It is of the utmost importance for those in the communications business to be ahead of the curve when it comes to language usage issues, and it's even more important, whenever possible, to be ahead of the curve on the cultural trends underpinning the evolution of the language. Here then, are the 10, from Marian Salzman, EVP and chief marketing officer at advertising agency JWT: Adultescence, Bangalore Envy, Brand Sluts, Churchonomics, Cougars, Gastroporn, Microgeneration, She-E-Os, Truth Lite, and Unilanthropy. The list comes from Salzman's "Next Now: Trends for the Future," written with Ira Matathia. Does the list have you scratching your head? Are you wondering what they're talking about but don't want to wait for the book? Click here to get the definitions:

http://www.rbr.com/epaper/pages/january07/07-7_news2.html

2007-01-05T15:58:00.000-05:00

Bring On The Stars! 2007 is starting with a bang, as three of the formats biggest acts are kicking off the year with uptempo, strong songs. Kenny Chesney's "Beer In Mexico", Tim McGraw's "Last Dollar (Fly Away)" and Sugarland's "Settlin'" are giving programmers extra reasons to celebrate the New Year. Carrie Underwood's "Wasted" and Rascal Flatts "Stand" sound like mid-tempo hits, too.

Is Country the new Top 40? Check out some of the 18-34 numbers the format is generating lately. What do you think?

2007-01-01T18:46:00.000-05:00

New Year's Resolutions: I thought it would be fun to start the New Year sharing the musings from some of today's current and budding Nashville stars:

Trace Adkins: "I quit doing that years ago because I never kept any of them. I said, 'Why keep humiliating myself and defeating myself?' "

Blake Shelton: "Lose weight."

Michelle Branch of the Wreckers: "To Drink More Water."

Eric Church: "To not have any more resolutions. If I want to change something, I'm going to change it today. And if I want to accomplish something, I should start trying immediately."

Nashville Star co-host Cowboy Troy: "My New Year's resolution is to take over the world one eardrum at a time ... you'll understand when the new record is released. Hopefully it will inspire each of us to be kind to each other." (www.tennessean.com)

2006-12-26T09:52:00.000-05:00

On Vacation: Have a great holiday and New Year. Please check back in in 2007.

2006-12-21T10:51:00.000-05:00

Radio Legend Passes: Cleveland radio legend Joe Finan passed away. I worked with Joe for two years as his program director from 1981 to 1983 at the leading Country station in Cleveland, WHK. He was a consummate pro. A very talented, creative and versatile guy. As a young program director, I learned a great deal from him, especially about true personality radio. He knew then that great content between songs was going to get you further than playing jukebox radio. WHK in the early 80's was one of the last successful AM music stations because we had great personalities like Joe Finan. To read more about this radio legend click:

Joe Finan, DJ, talk show host left imprint on Cleveland radio

2006-12-18T21:20:00.000-05:00

How Hot Is Country?: While music sales overall are down 5%...Country as a genre is UP 5%. Much of that increase is fueled by the crossover success of Rascal Flatts who have one of the top selling CD of all genres for 2006 in Me and My Gang, selling over 3 million copies. To read more, check out this article:

http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/index.cfm?section_id=10&screen=news&news_id=53714

2006-12-17T17:54:00.000-05:00

What Time’s Person of the Year Means to Radio: “You” are the Person of the Year. That’s because, as Time notes, “You control the information age”. And that includes media choices. More than ever for radio to remain relevant and rise above the plethora of media choices, we will have to connect to our audiences in more meaningful ways. Over the next few months I’ll be talking with my radio station partners about the “how” of creating and sustaining communities of listeners through more relevant programming. The challenges are enormous, but make no mistake, radio has the edge if we don't squander it. Some would say it’s our game to lose. I say it’s ours to win. 2007 will be pivotal year. Let’s make it the best!

Here’s a link to the Time cover story. It’s a must read: www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1569514,00.html

2006-12-12T12:22:00.000-05:00

From Today's NAB "Smart Brief"... What Happened In Nashville Yesterday: FCC hearing tunes into country radio. Some of country music's brightest lights, including Naomi Judd and George Jones, spoke against relaxing restrictions on media ownership, at an FCC public forum held on the campus of Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn. The musicians argued that radio consolidation hinders the chances of new artists getting airplay. However, Vanderbilt University law school professor Christopher Yoo countered, saying, "The established players and producers of content have a great deal invested in maintaining the status quo." The Tennessean (Nashville) (12/12), The Hollywood Reporter (free content)

2006-12-10T20:26:00.000-05:00

Monday 12/11/06- What's On My Mind

I can't wait to see what George Jones, Porter Wagoner and others in the music industry have to say about radio consolidation Monday (12/11) at the FCC hearings in Nashville. Somehow the idea of Clear Channel asking to own even more stations in a market than they currently have will not go over well in the Music City. Wish I could be there!

I've always thought that Country stations often incorrectly play LESS Christmas music than our audience wants to hear. It still amazes me the resistance that many program directors have to sharing more of this great, emotional music with our audiences. Fortunately, in our format, there's a wealth of great music by many of our stars including Kenny Chesney, Martina McBride and Brad Paisley, to name a few. Can a Country station go all Christmas? Yes it can in certain situations.

2006-12-05T11:35:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my new blog. I'll be posting comments and ideas on issues relating to the radio and country music industries. I invite your comments, too. Your time is at premium, and I vow to never waste it. Thanks for checking in.