AFVN was a "voice of morale" for many soldiers
serving during the Vietnam war all over the country from the "Delta to the
DMZ".
Circa mid-late ‘60s.
Saturday, March 2, 2013
FLASHBACK: The Story of WMAL Washington, DC
From The Blog Faded Signals:
WMAL, Washington ,
D.C.
WMAL-AM adopted a full-service format in the 1960s, which many consider to be one of the best executed line-ups in the country. The station tried to offer something for everyone. Among the popular personalities on WMAL were Frank Harden and Jackson Weaver, who hosted the station’s morning show for more than 40 years.
Evening Star Broadcasting Company, owners of the defunct
Washington Evening Star newspaper, acquired the station in 1938. The company put WMAL-TV on the air in 1947.
It was the nation’s first high-band VHF TV station, broadcasting over Channel
7. In 1948, it started WMAL-FM at 107.3
MHz (now WRQX-FM).
WMAL-AM adopted a full-service format in the 1960s, which many consider to be one of the best executed line-ups in the country. The station tried to offer something for everyone. Among the popular personalities on WMAL were Frank Harden and Jackson Weaver, who hosted the station’s morning show for more than 40 years.
Today, WMAL is a news/talk station, simulcasting on 630 AM
and 105.9 FM, which uses the call letters WMAL-FM.
Rick McClure created a documentary about WMAL’s history. Here’s a link to the 45-minute video:
Friday, March 1, 2013
Report: Radio Doesn't Pay Well
To make the cut for the Forbes list, the average pay of
employees in the profession had to be less than $50,000—when you’d think it
would be more.
Among professions that you probably thought paid more than
$50,000 a year: Radio and TV announcers, and reporters and correspondents.
Forbes reports “announcers generally speak or read from
scripted materials, such as news reports or commercial messages—but their
voices and personalities earn them only $40,510 a year, on average. The mean
pay is as little as $17,150 for the bottom 10% of them. You’ll make less than
$27,740 working as a radio or television announcer in Wyoming, Oklahoma, North
Dakota, Alabama and Kentucky—but you’ll earn $84,220, on average, in
Washington, D.C.
Pay isn’t much better for reporters and correspondents.
Those pros gather news by interview, investigation, or observation and share it
with the public. Reporting and writing stories for newspapers, magazines,
radio, television or other mediums will put $43,640 in your wallet each year,
or just $20,000 for the bottom 10%.
Reporters in D.C. and Massachusetts earn an average annual
income of $71,450 and $64,080, respectively—while those in places like Montana,
Iowa and Idaho earn an average yearly pay of less than $29,500.
Fisher Reports Radio Revenue Flat Q4, Down Year ‘12
Fisher Communications, Inc. Thursday reported its financial
results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended December 31, 2012.
"We are pleased with our operating performance in the
fourth quarter and full year of 2012. For the seventh consecutive year, Fisher
broadcast stations grew core market revenue share reflecting the quality and
value of our local brands, and validating the strength and execution of our
strategic plan," said Colleen B. Brown, Fisher's President and Chief
Executive Officer. "As we begin 2013, we remain focused on building on our
momentum and creating value for our shareholders."
 |
| Colleen Brown |
Fourth Quarter 2012 Financial Highlights
Revenues were $52.1 million, up 12% from $46.4 million but
were up 20% when excluding Fisher
Plaza
TV net revenue was up 23% year-over-year to $46.7 million
driven by strong political issue and candidacy placements. Radio net revenue was relatively flat at $5.5 million. Radio cash flow was relatively flat at $1.4 million; radio
cash flow margin of 26% was also in-line with the fourth quarter of 2011.
Full Year 2012 Financial Highlights
Revenues were up 3% to $168.2 million, and were up 12% when
excluding Fisher Plaza
Radio net revenue declined 2% to $21 million. Radio cash flow was up 14% to $5.5 million; radio cash flow
margin was 26%, an increase from 23% in 2011.
Groupon’s Andrew Mason Fired
A day earlier, Groupon reported weak fourth- quarter earnings, which caused investors to shave off a quarter of the
He added, “If you’re wondering why ... you haven’t been
paying attention.”
Jordan Rohan, an analyst with Stifel, Nicolaus, said Mr.
Mason’s exit “was long overdue.”
“I view Mason as a visionary idea generator,” Mr. Rohan
said. “Few would argue with how impressive the Groupon organization was as it
grew. However, at some point it became the overgrown toddler of the Internet —
operationally clumsy, not quite ready to make adult decisions.”
Tom’s Take: Once must
wonder how long JC Penney’s CEO Ron Johnson can last. Penney’s recently issued a
disastrous financial report. The huge
losses come after Penney’s tried to market ‘everyday low prices’ and eliminate
coupons and sales. Well, the sales are
coming back. Personally, I’m not a ‘shopper’
but I do know this: people who are shoppers enjoy the ‘hunt’. And Penney's marketing strategy made the chain 'boring'. JC Penney and radio have at least one thing
in common: Know your audience!
Lew Dickey Talks NashFM At CRS
 |
| Lew Dickey |
NASH FM, which launched last month, will focus on building
relationships with Nashville record labels, Lew Dickey said. The new station
depends on local labels for fresh music and views itself as the “promotional
arm” of those operations, he said.
“Content is incredibly important to us,” Dickey said according to the Nashville Tennssean. “We just look at it as NASH is good for Nashville.”
“Content is incredibly important to us,” Dickey said according to the Nashville Tennssean. “We just look at it as NASH is good for Nashville.”
The station already has had a cumulative audience of more
than 1 million, Dickey said, adding that a spike in country record sales in the
New York area followed the station’s launch.
The media company is hoping NASH FM will be viewed as “hip,
fun and accessible,” characteristics that will help it transcend country
music’s image and rope in new listeners, Dickey said.
Dickey shared his vision for the start-up station and the
NASH brand during a morning presentation at the Country Radio Seminar. The
annual gathering of country radio and music label executives and recording
artists concludes today at the Nashville Convention Center.
Last month’s launch of NASH FM in New York marked the first
time the city has had a country radio station in 17 years. With the addition of
NASH, Cumulus now controls a market-leading 84 country radio stations.
Read More Now.
Country Aircheck’s Daily Buzz reports Dickey was sked about
the company's management philosophy. "We believe in centralization where
it makes sense. We view corporate as quality control and strategic planning ...
every market is different, but the fundamentals that drive great radio stations
– sales, promotion, programming – are all the same. That doesn't mean you play
the same playlist in every market ... but there are a set of key fundamentals
that, if practiced properly, will result in strong performance."
As for the perception of Cumulus within the label community
he admitted, "There's probably a little bit of misunderstanding and maybe
some overreach on our part ... but that's not the intent and that's not the
steady-state of how we want to run the business. Radio and the label have a
symbiotic partnership. We are the promotional arm for the labels. We want to
have a very constructive relationship."
CRS: Study Takes You Inside Listeners’ Homes
This year’s study was an ‘Ethnographic Study’, which
profiled Country fans across the nation, examining them in their day-to-day
environments to gather qualitative information regarding their use and
consumption of County radio in an era filled with an array of music media
outlets.
Radio consultant and CRS research chairman, Joel Raab said, “Going
beyond X's and O's allows us to examine not only attitudes, but behavior. This
added insight gives programmers new depth in understanding our fans.”
The fans selected for the study varied signifant in age and
lifestyles and the results found that Country music touches the lives in deeply
personal ways. And the study raises a key question: when Country fans/listeners
respond with real emotion, why are radio stations becoming more and more like
their automated competitors?
Among the study’s key findings were:
- Radio’s competition is no longer only between stations.
The fight today is against all of the other media: Television(outlets like
CMT/GAC/TCN), YouTube, Pandora, and even personal mobile devices.
- People are choosing to listen to the device that presents
the path of least resistance. In the car, that remains radio. At home or in the
workplace, there is a much more competitive situation: television, in
particular, at home and the Internet at work.
- If one listens to radio today, it is often devoid of
emotion. And yet when you talk to people in their homes, they place the
emphasis on the emotions that country music elicits.
St. Louis Radio: Listeners Tune-Out Sports
Fans are tuning out St. Louis sports-talk radio in massive quantities
and media writer Dan Caesar at stltoday.com calls it “stunning”.
The jock-talk format targets men ages 25-54 and figures
compiled by Aribtron, which surveys radio listenership, show that there was a
mammoth decline — 58 percent — in market share in the format over the past
year.
This January, their combined market share staggered to 5.6
percent. And because there were about 17,000 fewer men in the target audience
than there were a year earlier, total sports-radio listenership was just under
30,000 — a whopping 60 percent loss.
“The St. Louis market is over-populated with all-sports
stations and the pie isn’t big enough to keep all of them afloat,” said Absher,
executive director of the St. Louis media history foundation. “Add to that the
establishment of more all-sports programming by the major networks and we’ll
see over-saturation.”
According to the statistics, the three St. Louis sports stations
— WXOS 101.1 FM, KFNS 590 AM and KXFN 1380 AM — combined in January 2012 to
draw 13.5 percent of the estimated 549,100 men in the market in that age
bracket. That’s about 74,000 listeners.
The crash comes despite a notable year locally in sports.
The Cardinals followed their miracle comeback run to the World Series title by
falling one game short of returning to the Fall Classic, the Blues had a
breakout year, there was much hoopla surrounding the Rams’ hiring of Jeff
Fisher as coach then a significant improvement on the field. And there was
Missouri’s bold move to the Southeastern Conference.
St. Louis broadcast historian Frank Absher, who has worked
on the air, behind the scenes and has taught journalism at St. Louis
University, says the point of “too much’’ finally has arrived.
John Kijowski, who runs WXOS as well as Hubbard Radio’s
other St. Louis outlets, attributes the decline in part to abnormalities in
gathering listenership data. He points out that many stations appealing to men
in other formats are down, too.
Report: ‘Today’ Show Rearranging Deck Chairs On The Titanic
 |
| Matt Lauer |
“They are rearranging
the deck chairs on the Titanic. They can shift things around, but it’s not
helping,” Confidential quotes their source.
“Their short-term solution is looking for new experts to
replace some of the familiar faces that have been on the show forever. What
they also need to do is hire someone to shake up everything and have the
discussion about what to do with Matt.”
“Today,” which had held the top spot in mornings for the
past 16 years, is now behind both “Good Morning America” and Fox 5’s morning
show “Good Day New York,” losing to both in the February sweeps.
“GMA” pummeled “Today” for the third week in a row, while
“GDNY” won the coveted 25-54 age group.
Morale at “Today” is also at an all-time low, and staffers
are fear-stricken over losing their jobs after what happened to departed
co-anchor Ann Curry, former executive producer Jim Bell and NBC News president
Steve Capus, who resigned in February.
Survey: Only 6% Rate News Media As Very Trustworthy
Fifty-six percent (56%) of Likely U.S. Voters say they get
most of their news from TV, including 32% who get it from cable news networks
and 24% who get it from traditional network news. A new Rasmussen Reports
national telephone survey finds that another 25% use the Internet as their main
source of news, while only 10% still rely on print newspapers. Seven percent
(7%) get most of their news from radio.
Fifty-six percent (56%) of all voters regard the news
reported by the media as at least somewhat trustworthy, but that includes just
six percent who think it is Very Trustworthy. Forty-two percent (42%) don’t
trust the news media, with 12% who believe the news it reports is Not At All
Trustworthy.
Read More Now (subscription)
Report: Radio Guru Turns Podcast Curator
The man who made a fortune bringing the Super Bowl, Bill O'Reilly and Grateful Dead concerts to listeners nationwide via their local radio stations has returned to programming. But now he's bypassing conventional radio.
Norman J. Pattiz, who created and turned Westwood One into
one of the biggest and most recognizable radio networks in the country, is this
week launching PodcastOne.com, a one-stop site that offers shows from hundreds
of online broadcasters for listeners to browse and download.
"You can't look at radio as a bricks-and-mortar
operation, and consumed on a radio over a certain frequency," Pattiz told
the LA Times. "That's a recipe for disaster. So much of radio is being
consumed online, and on the Internet."
Podcasts are shows available online that listeners can hear
on their computers or download to their smartphones, iPods, tablets or other
devices. Unlike conventional radio, a podcast can be saved, stopped, replayed
and consumed at the listener's leisure.
Pattiz said PodcastOne gives him "the opportunity to
put out content to a mass audience, without the constraints of having to
convince a program director or a station group."
Andrew Z Plans To Ignore C&D From Cumulus
 |
| Andrew Z |
Sarah Ottney at The Toledo Blade reports Zepeda and his
attorney, Beau Harvey, said they disagree and have no intentions of stopping
the show.
Zepeda referred questions to Harvey, but said via text, “The
only thing I can say is I will address it tomorrow morning at 7:30 on my show
on the ‘Toledo’s APP Station’ phone app.”
Spaulding, who said the notice was filed Feb. 25, declined
to share specific details of the former host’s contract with the station, but
said Zepeda’s new show is “a direct violation” of several sections.
“I can’t speak specifically to his agreement, but typically
an on-air personality like Mr. Zepeda or anyone that would be on this station
or any station would typically have a noncompete, nonsolicitation and
nondisclosure agreement within their contract that would last for a period of
time after their separation,” Spaulding said. “Typically its engaging in any
type of competitive business whether on-air, online or any of the like within a
certain radius of where he or she was previously employed.”
“We don’t believe that the noncompete applies to Web radio
and we’re pretty adamant about that,” Harvey said, pointing to a precedent set
by a similar case in Stark County, Ohio, in which a judge differentiated
between the Web and an FCC-licensed radio station.
Zepeda’s new show debuted 6:30 a.m. Feb. 25 on a free
smartphone app called Toledo’s APP Station. It airs live 6:30-9:30 a.m.
Monday-Friday and replays in a loop all day afterward.
FLASHBACK: Funny Song Request
Back in January 2010. WMMR 93.3 FM’s Pierre Robert was
taking requests for a Double-Shot Tuesday and MMR listener Chris wanted to hear
the theme song for Casino Royale and didn't know the title......then this
happened.
Tip of the headphones to Lori Lewis.
Tip of the headphones to Lori Lewis.
NYC Radio: DJ Envy Talks On-Air About Affair
During the Breakfast Club morning show he hosts alongside
Charlamagne and Angela Yee, Envy made the confession on-air Monday (Feb. 25).
However, reports thedrop.com, he never mentioned Mena’s name directly. She’s since confirmed she was
the other woman in this case in an interview with Vibe Vixen.
The radio jock told listeners that he was “insecure” for
taking part in the affair, in which he cheated on his pregnant wife Gia Casey —
they’ve been married for 11 years. While discussing his cheating ways, he did
say that the other woman — Mena — was a “bird” and “beneath” him.
“It’s a difficult thing to do,” he explained. “Sometimes
being married it makes you an insecure dude. I looked like I had everything. It
was scary. My wife is gorgeous. She might meet somebody that’s smarter than me.
It made me insecure.
Sioux Falls Radio: N/T KELO Starts FM Simulcast
KELO News Talk Radio will be extending their popular talk
programs, including Greg Belfrage, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Bill Zortman
and Mark Levin to 107.9 FM. The KELO programs will continue to be heard on 1320
AM. Special sports programs, including USD game coverage will also be heard on
107.9 FM.
KELO's owner, Midwest Communications, made the programming
change as a response to listener input.
According to the company's Vice President of Operations,
Peter Tanz, "People tell us they
enjoy KELO's news talk programs but as radio listening habits continue to
evolve, they wanted the choice of being able to hear those programs on AM, FM
or via the internet. By providing KELO
on 1320 AM and 107.9 FM, the kelo.com website and the 'Tune In' radio app, KELO
fans can hear the station using the listening device they prefer.
 |
| Greg Belfrage |
Long time listener Graham told Greg Belfrage on his program
this morning that he was "excited to learn of the change. I live on the
northside of town and sometimes there's AM static at night. The 107.9 FM will really
help me get clear reception."
Another listener commented "this (FM 107.9) will be great when I'm
going through the car wash."
107.9 FM has been playing "oldies" music from the
60's and 70's. This music programming is
being combined with the 70's and early 80's music programming currently on 95.7
FM. Also beginning March 1st,
"oldies" listeners will be able to enjoy their favorite music at
"Kool 95.7 FM".
Florence, SC Radio: ESPN Radio Has New Home
WOLH’s previous format was for Jammin Oldies. ESPN has more
than 350 full-time affiliates throughout the country.
“When you have the opportunity to pick up the gold standard
in any format, you have to do it,” Baker said. “It seemed to make a lot of
sense, so we went for it.”
The area had been without an ESPN affiliate since 100.1 FM
switched from ESPN to a CBS Sports Radio affiliate in January. Baker said his
station’s phones began ringing from people wondering if one of their stations
would be becoming an ESPN affiliate.
“You have to give the people what they want,” Baker said.
Read More Now.
TuneIn Radio Unveils New "Trending" Feature
With the news that Pandora will be limiting free users to 40
hours of music, apps like TuneIn Radio are beginning to look a lot more
appealing to consumers who want a free streaming model.
The popular live radio app has just released a new
"Trending" feature, according to Charles Gantt at tweaktown.com.
TuneIn corrals over 70,000 live radio stations from around
the world, and serves them up on your iPhone, iPad and Android devices. The new
TuneIn Live feature is being billed as a "universal programming
guide" and allows users to easily find what's currently trending on-air,
as well as what programs and stations are hot at the moment.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Costs Surge, Pandora Mobile Cap Returns
The company previously limited free monthly desktop usage to
40 hours, but it lifted the cap in September 2011. According to telecrunch.com,
CEO Joe Kennedy suggested that Pandora’s mobile business is in a similar
position to its desktop business a few years ago — it needs to make more money.
At the same time, Kennedy said his goal is still to offer free music to
everyone.
He also noted that there’s a big difference between mobile
and desktop usage patterns — there are desktop users who basically listen to
Pandora all day while they’re at work, so a larger percentage of them that
exceeded the monthly limit. On mobile, however, the cap should only affect 4
percent of users.
That may not be much consolation if you’re in that 4
percent. Kennedy said the company is also trying to make the system as
straightforward as possible. You’ll get an alert when you reach 85 percent of
the limit, and when you hit the cap, there are a couple of pricing options: You
can pay a one-time fee of 99 cents to get unlimited listening for the rest of the
month, or you can sign up for a Pandora One subscription, which includes
unlimited, advertising-free songs.
Kennedy is placing much of the blame on
the rising cost of music — he said that per-track royalty rates have increased
25 percent in the past three years, with an additional 16 percent increase
expected over the next two years.
CRS: Country Radio Has “At Home” Problem
 |
| Larry Rosin |
According to the Nashville Tennessean, the time has come,
Rosin said, to talk about the “hardware problem” facing country music.
Gone are the days when a majority of people listen to music
on radios when they are outside of cars. Instead, they reach for cellphones and
other mobile devices, such as laptops and tablets that don’t deliver a
terrestrial radio signal.
Country radio needs to make sure that it is “easily
available and top of mind” for people on those devices, too, Rosin said.
Providing access to radio on smartphones would be a “game changer for our industry,” said Jeff Smulyan, CEO of Emmis Communications, in a keynote address to open the conference Wednesday.
“Today, the only portable device that matters is the
smartphone,” Smulyan said. “We need to be there.”
Earlier this year, Emmis represented a group of radio
companies in a negotiation with Sprint Nextel that yielded a three-year deal
that would make local FM radio signals available on some of the carriers
smartphones through an app that Emmis would design. Smulyan said the goal is to
get radio access on 300 million phones. The deal would require an annual
investment of $15 million a year from radio, as well as an investment from
Sprint, which would get a 30 percent share of revenue.
Boston Radio: WRKO’s Armstrong Welcomes Competition
 |
| Barry Armstrong |
“I have a lot of respect for (Bloomberg). I think they’re a
top-notch organization and it’ll be interesting,” Barry Armstrong, host of “The
Financial Exchange” on WRKO 680 AM, told the Herald. “I think we’ll just
continue to grow and try to put on a good show every day.”
Armstrong, founder of The Armstrong Advisory Group, added
his show has “a nice headstart” ahead of Bloomberg’s arrival. “The Financial
Exchange,” a daily, two-hour show which launched little more than a year ago on
WRKO, was preceded by the show “Lunch Money.”
Armstrong said “The Financial Exchange” remains a hit with
older listeners, particularly 55-year-old-plus men, a key demographic of the
investment community.
“A lot of people say, ‘Who wants to be highly ranked among
55-year-old men?’ You know what, 55-year-old men and women have all the wealth
in this country and we do really well there,” he said.
Bloomberg Radio goes live in Boston at 12:01 a.m. Friday.
The station will also provide a signal for those with HD radio on 94.5FM-HD2.
LA Radio: NBC News 4 Profiles Black-Owned KJLH
"I love what I do and I love being at KJLH to do
it," said Lon McQ, who has been behind the mic at KJLH for more than 30
years serving an audience that is primarily African American.
"They love R&B, hip hop. We play a little bit of
gospel."
He makes himself laugh as he says, "We really haven’t
got to Taylor Swift. She’s cool, ok, but we haven’t gotten to that."
NBC4 News spoke with McQ for nearly an hour before his
three-hour show, which runs from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays.
View more videos at: http://nbclosangeles.com.
Toledo Radio: Johny D Brings Talk Show to WSPD
 |
| Johny D |
Johny D. also logged time at WTWR-FM, 98.3 in Monroe, and
then worked in Detroit, where he hosted an AM and FM talk show and sports talk
show.
Most recently he served as program director and weekday host
at WCKY-FM 103.7 in Findlay.
With the November departure of its controversial and
politically divisive afternoon talk-show host Brian Wilson, Clear Channel's
WSPD-AM 1370 recently announced the 44-year-old Johny D. as Wilson's
replacement in the 3-to-6 p.m. weekday slot, according to the Toledo Blade. With the hiring, the station takes a
three-hour break from its mostly conservative talk-show-driven format in favor
of a less political programing.
Added Kellie Holeman, Clear Channel regional market manager:
"It's all about being relevant to the lifestyle. There's a lot of great
people that live in this community doing a lot of great things and we're really
just trying to talk about the things that matter to Toledoans, whether that's
community events, charity, politics, family, sports, news, weather,
traffic."
In the same conference-call interview with WSPD management,
Johny D. referred to his program as "an overall show ... not just based on
politics.
GR Radio: Movin’ On Up…Sorta
 |
| Scott Bakita |
According to a story at mlive.com, Bakita, who was program
director at WBBL for most of his tenure with the station, announced at the
start of Wednesday’s “Bakita & Bentley” morning show that he will be leaving.
“I'll be in touch and appreciate all the nice calls and
comments that we've gotten," he said near the end of his broadcast. He
also thanked his colleagues.
Most of Wednesday's show was dedicated to calls from
coaches, friends and listeners.
Bakita, who joined a fledgling WBBL in May 1994, has
accepted a job with Clear Channel Communications doing sports radio work for
Wisconsin stations in Milwaukee at WOKY-AM 920-AM and Madison at WTSO 1070-AM).
“I was approached and it was an opportunity I couldn’t turn
down,” he said. “Because of technology, I won’t have to leave Grand Rapids.”
Clear Channel also has affiliates in Grand Rapids with
all-sports WMAX-FM 96.1-FM and news-talk station WOOD-AM 1300-AM, among others.
Al Roker: My First Big Break
Al Roker appears on NBC's "Today" Show, has his
own show "Wake Up with Al" on The Weather Channel, owns his own
production company "Al Roker Entertainment," has co-authored three
mystery novels, written a couple of cookbooks, and a has penned a couple of New
York Times Bestsellers.
So how did everyone's favorite morning forecaster go from a
flannel shirt and overall wearing student at CUNY Oswego to media kingpin?
Al
said his first big break came from being in the right place at the right time
when someone said the wrong thing at the wrong time.
KHJ: The End Of An Era
The massive tower came down in a matter of seconds, and with it, a chapter in L.A. history.
Crews worked four days to make sure the former KHJ tower fell safely.
KHJ went on the air in the 20s and in the 60′s it was the top 40 AM station for all of Los Angeles.
Video -
The call letters KHJ stood for kindness, happiness and joy.
R.I.P.: Richard Street of The Temptations Was 70
 |
| Richard Street |
He was 70, reports the Detroit Free Press.
Street, a Detroit
native, formally joined the Tempts in 1971 after a long association with the
group, having performed with Otis Williams and Melvin Franklin in the ‘50s
vocal group the Distants. Before joining the Temptations, he wore several hats
at Motown during the 1960s, working in the label’s quality control department,
recording with his group the Monitors and periodically filling in for ailing
Tempts baritone Paul Williams.
He became a full-time Tempt upon Paul Williams’ departure,
and was part of the Grammy-winning lineup that scored big on the pop charts
with hits such as “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” (1972) and “Masterpiece” (1973).
R.I.P.: Songwriter Diane Lampert Dies at 88
Diane Lampert, a songwriter who penned lyrics to title songs
for more than 20 motion pics, died in NYC of heart failure on Feb. 22,
according to Variety.
She was 88.
Lampert was born in the Bronx ,
N.Y. in 1924. She had a string of successes in Hollywood and helped provide music for films
starring Bob Hope, Cary Grant and Buster Keaton, among others.
Lampert co-wrote the Beatles song "Nothin' Shakin' (But
The Leaves On The Trees)" that wasn't released until 1994 on "Live At
The BBC."
Her song, "Break It To Me Gently," won a Grammy
for Best Country Vocal Performance for Juice Newton in 1983.
Lampert also worked on songs performed by Brenda Lee, Steve
Lawrence and Red Foley.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
ACM Radio Awards Winners Announced
This is the second ACM National On-Air Personality of the
Year Award win for Cody Alan, for CMT Radio Live with Cody Alan.
Alan, who also won this award in 2010, serves
as both the host and executive producer for CMT Radio Live with Cody Alan and
can also be seen weekly on CMT Hot 20 Countdown. Alan, a well-respected country
music industry veteran, delivers fans access to the biggest stars in country
and entertainment. His consistent
presence on CMT’s multiple platforms makes him a dynamic ambassador for country
music.
 |
| Cody Alan |
Winners in radio categories will be invited to receive their
awards at a private reception in Las Vegas on Saturday, April 6th, the day
prior to the 48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards.
ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR WINNERS:
NATIONAL Cody Alan – CMT Radio
Live with Cody Alan
MAJOR MARKET
Cornbread, Judi Diamond & Cap'n Mac – WIL-FM – St. Louis, MO
LARGE MARKET
Chris Carr, Maverick & Statt – WUBE-FM – Cincinnati, OH
MEDIUM MARKET
Rowdy Yates, Sunny Leigh & Carly Rush – KVOO-FM – Tulsa, OK
SMALL MARKET
Gator Harrison, Styckman & Cowboy Kyle – WUSY-FM – Chattanooga, TN
RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR WINNERS:
MAJOR MARKET
WYCD-FM—Detroit, MI
LARGE MARKET
KAJA-FM – San Antonio, TX
MEDIUM MARKET
KUZZ AM/FM – Bakersfield, CA
SMALL MARKET
KCLR-FM – Columbia, MO
The 48th Academy of Country Music Awards is produced for
television by dick clark productions and will be broadcast LIVE from the MGM
Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Sunday, April 7, 2013 at 8:00 PM live
ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network.
FCC’s Media Ownership Rules Proceedings On Pause
It could be late spring, even summer, before the proceeding, already two years behind schedule, starts rolling again.
According to a story at adweek.com, FCC chairman Julius
Genachowski made the decision to delay the proceeding Tuesday, a day after the
Minority Media and Telecommunications Council in a filing with the agency,
offered to conduct and pay for the independent study.
"This is a big day for civil rights," said David
Honig, the executive director for the MMTC. "We knew the FCC would
consider our request, but we didn't think they would act so fast."
The study may have been just what Genachowski needed to get
out from under, or at least delay, a proceeding that was going nowhere. From
the moment Genachowski proposed the draft order in November, he found himself
caught in a tug of war between the two Democratic commissioners that wanted a
study on how the changes might impact minorities and the two GOP commissioners
that wanted looser rules. And with media ownership rules a constant magnet for
litigation, the MMTC's request made a lot of sense.
The draft order called for the FCC to lift the ban on owning
a newspaper and radio station in a market, but keep the cross-ownership ban on
newspaper and TV outside the top 20 markets and the ownership cap on the number
of TV and radio stations.
GM's Internet cars: The End of FM radio?
High speed Internet in cars could soon become a feature as
common as satellite radio or CD players. General Motors and AT&T have
announced that so-called "LTE" wireless connections will come as an
option in many Chevys, Buicks, Cadillacs, and GMC's next year.
Live traffic maps, Internet radio, and streaming movies are
just the beginning for car interiors that could soon could be dominated by
apps.
Marketplace.com reports Ford and BMW already have something like this, as does Audi.
If the GM deal finally produces a critical mass of "internetobiles,"
what you have is a big opportunity or a big threat for regular FM and AM radio
stations that also cherish the in-car audience.
Molly Wood, executive editor at CNET, joins Marketplace Tech
host David Brancaccio from Barcelona's Mobile World Congress meeting to discuss
the future of car radio.
Keynote Address On Today's CRS Agenda
 |
| Jeff Smulyan |
The well-respected radio veteran, Smulyan, formed Emmis Communications in 1980 and oversaw its transition into a publicly traded company in 1994.
Based in Indianapolis, Emmis comprises of 18 FM and 3 AM stations in the United States and overseas (Slovakia). It also operates six local, regional and national magazine operations.
Smulyan acted as principal negotiator for the radio industry in the recently announced Sprint agreement, whereby Sprint customers will be able to access FM radio on smartphones through a FM radio chip. During his speech, he will focus on the opportunities and potential for growth of radio in mobile devices.
CRS Board member and Senior VP and Marketing Manager for Emmis Indianapolis, Charlie Morgan adds, “Jeff has not just been the radio industry's voice for the importance of making radio available on smartphones without using data, he has literally been the visionary for the way people will consume radio in the future. To back up his vision, he has invested the resources to insure that the radio experience on a smartphone is state-of-the art visually, in addition to the audio experience. The entire industry will benefit from his leadership and passion.”
Past opening day keynote speakers have included Bob Pittman, marketing guru Seth Godin and money management expert Dave Ramsey.
CRS Kicks Off With HOF Gala
It was a night of celebration Tuesday at the Nashville Convention Center
Among the 2013 class was legendary Texas broadcaster Gaylon Christie. With a
career spanning five decades, the Holland , TX native has enjoyed a varied radio career with stints
on-air, in sales, and as a station owner at the legendary Texas station KOOV.
Perhaps, according to Billboard, the most emotional inductee of the evening was
Bill “Dex” Poindexter, a mainstay of Chattanooga
ratings winner US
101. In his speech, he referred to his wife Sheila – who passed away early this
year – and the last text she ever sent him, one congratulating him for his
induction.
WRCBtv.com | Chattanooga News, Weather
WRCBtv.com | Chattanooga News, Weather
Rounding out the list of winners was a man who has had more
success – in terms of number one records on the Billboard charts – than anyone
else. George Strait
CRS: A&O&B Client Confab Offers Roadmap
 |
| Mike O'Malley, Becky Brenner, Republic Nashville's Greg Bates, Jaye Albright (Country Aircheck photo) |
Country Aircheck covered the proceedings and
highlighted:
Of 6,272 Country P1 participants from 50 markets in the U.S. and Canada , 70% report being satisfied
with the format. Of those who aren’t, song-repetition and commercials were top
reasons. Country listeners are increasingly tech savvy, with 75% reporting
using some sort of social media every day (up from 66% last year), and 31%
report having an internet connection of some sort in their cars.
Rick Barker says stations too often use digital tools to
“push” information to the audience without “engaging” them. “You have to offer
value,” he says. Among his examples: teaming with new artists you can’t yet
include in your playlist who are willing to offer free song downloads via the
station website and social media. Attached sponsorships can help drive NTR.
“Content is key,” says Mike Stern. “Be a friend and a
companion. Be a filter, give them something they can steal to use themselves,
and focus on things that make you react.”
Steve Zielonka encourages programmers to “always be
collecting data (ABCD)” and use it to engage the audience. “You can’t just send
out irrelevant information anymore. They’ll delete you, they’ll mark you as
spam and they’ll block you. There are always negative consequences.” Use your
tools to conduct surveys, for example. “Ask, ‘Are you a Toby Keith fan? Here’s
a chance for you to sing on stage with him.’ Then follow-up with other Toby
Keith-related
contests. When you send a targeted email, you’ll see your
open rates double and triple.”
Newcap Radio VP/Programming and Brand Like A Rockstar author
Steve Jones says, “Brands are feelings that live in the heart of the customer.
Jimmy Buffett’s biggest song wasn’t that big of a hit. ‘Margaritaville’ peaked
at No. 7. But at his shows, people are painting their bodies, getting drunk and
having a great time because he sells the experience of being a beach-bum.” Make
it a point to understand your enemy and let them help define your brand.
“Walmart’s slogan ‘Save Money, Live Better’ makes it all about saving money,”
Jones explains. “Then Target comes in with ‘Expect More, Pay Less,’ basically
saying, ‘You’re above that crap they’re selling at Walmart.’”
Arbitron: 3 Things You Should Know About Country Radio
 |
| Jon Miller |
On Thursday Jon Miller, Director of Programming Services leads
the panel on “The Special PPM Report: The Country Radio Audience”. In advance
of that, Miller digged into the Radio Today 2012 study to find a few
interesting facts about the format and its national audience of 66 million
weekly listeners.
1) Country is
enjoying record listening levels.
Across America ,
the format is at an all-time high with a 14.1 share of total (12+) listening.
This means Country added nearly a full share point (0.8 to be exact) over the
last year nationwide. That not only makes Country the most listened to format
in America, but the total share is the highest recorded number for any format
since Arbitron began tracking national format performance years ago.
2) Country is
the most widely programmed music format.
According to our database, there are currently 1,857 rated
AM, FM, HD radio, and streamed Country stations. That’s more than any other
music format, and Country radio reaches a collective audience of 66 million 12+
listeners every week.
3) Country’s
appeal is widespread.
The Country audience is spread across all ages and both
genders. The format ranks number 1 in total ratings in every demographic except
teens 12-17 and adults over the age of 55 (where it ranks second). And, the
listeners are almost evenly split between men and women, with a slight edge to
the ladies who make up 52% of the audience.
Arbitron clients can find even more information in the full
Radio Today report by going here.
Awards: The Conclave To Honor Two Radio Leaders
 |
| Jaye Albright |
The 2013 Rockwell Awards will be given to longtime country
consultant Jaye Albright, as well as Conclave Executive Director Emeritus Tom
Kay.
Current Conclave Executive Director Bob Shannon stated, Jaye
Albright represents “the best broadcasting has to offer. Always a student of
radio, she’s also one of our best teachers and her influence on country radio
is unmatched."
A founding partner at Albright & O’Malley & Brenner,
Albright has also been inducted into the
Country Hall of Fame and was named one of the Most Influential Women in Radio
in 2012.
Thanks to the @conclave Board for the Rockwell honor. Humbled, surprised, flattered and (for once for me) speechless.See you in July.
— JayeAlbright (@JayeAlbright) February 27, 2013
 |
| Tom Kay |
"This is recognition for a job well done. If it weren’t for Tom, the Conclase wouldn't exist today. Giving him the Rockwell
award makes all the sense in the world. I can’t tell you how pleased I
am."
Kay, who began his association with The Conclave in 1976,
retired at the end of 2012.
The Learning Conference in Minneapolis July 17-19. For more details,
Click Here.