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

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'" ...

“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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!!

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?

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!

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.
.

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.

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.

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.