Innholdsfortegnelse for May 8, 2017 i Radio Ink Magazine

Since we started Radio Ink 25 years ago, our focus has been, as all of you know, on management and marketing, on the managers and sales pros who keep the industry moving and the revenue flowing at the station and group levels, all the way up to the executives who lead the radio business. But that’s never meant we don’t recognize and value the talented people on the air — and of course the programmers who teach, guide, encourage, protect, and (sometimes) correct them. We’re always happy to talk with air talents and programmers and share the insights they have to offer, but a couple of times a year, with our Country PDs list and this Best PDs in Radio issue, we go more in-depth on what’s going out over…

So you want to own your own radio station. The first question I would ask is: Why? That is not to imply that I think it’s a bad idea, but what is the motivation and vision that drive you to want to own a radio station? Before forging ahead, I strongly encourage you to consider these 10 pointers. 1. Get your ducks in a row. This quest will have a significant effect on every aspect of your life. Be certain your passion is fortified by diligence. The “contemplation stage” is important. However, in addition to asking yourself why you want to do this, now is the time to get your personal and professional affairs in order. 2. Explore NABEF’s Broadcast Leadership Training program. If you truly want to own your…

If you are in programming or aspire to be a successful program director, there are certain qualities and skills you must have if you want your station to win in the ratings — and if you want your career to advance. Having worked with PDs in every format, in every size market, these are the winning traits of the most successful programmers. 1. All that matters is what’s on the air. Great PDs are, frankly, often unpleasant, intolerant, and not collegial. They are hyperfocused on the show. All that matters to them is superserving the listener with the best programming. 2. Superior knowledge of their listener. Top PDs spend a lot of time out of the station observing the behaviors of their target listener. The interests, needs, and tastes of…

On the lower left in this vintage ad is Jay Meyers (who today is CEO of Broadcast Management Technology) back in 1977, when he was on the air at Functional Broadcasting’s WVOR/Rochester, NY. Meyers runs down the rest of the team: “The original jock lineup for the launch was Bob Bittner (now a station owner in Maine and a big AM proponent) in mornings, Gary Wagner (real name Dave Beck, who went on to be the 2 1/2-decade overnight host at WBEE in Rochester — using his real name) in middays, Greg Allen (passed away in the ’90s from very early onset Alzheimer’s) in afternoons, I did early evening and was OM/PD, late evening 9 p.m.-1 a.m. was Joel S. Lind (who as just Joel Lind had a very successful…

President Wizard of Ads Inc. roy@wizardofads.com Most AEs tell me they sell short flights “because that’s what the client wants.” A short flight, by my definition, is any radio schedule that delivers less than a 2.5 frequency every week, 52 weeks in a row, to at least half your station’s weekly cume (18+). Your advertiser isn’t going to accomplish this with less than 1,000 ads a year. It’s usually closer to 1,400. I want you to calculate your sales commission on that client. Now assume you have at least 12 of them. A good AE will have about 20. “But where do I get clients like that?” you ask. 1. The perfect radio client is a local business owner who sells a product or service that people buy less often…

The measure of what makes a great program director is changing. And it will be changing even more in the very near future. Increasingly, the most important task for programmers is managing talent. Why? Simple. Air personalities are the one thing that separates radio brands from one another. And as pureplay streaming providers like Spotify and Apple Music siphon music listeners from traditional stations, the importance of air talents is obvious. But here’s some unexpected advice for programmers and managers: You should treat talent like dogs. That sounds strange coming from a radio talent coach, but hold on. Dogs are our best friends. They’re friendly, loyal, and always there for you. We love our dogs, and we should love our radio talent. However, if you’ve ever raised a puppy, you…

“As everybody’s aware, there are a lot of questions about some of the digital advertising dollars that are being spent and how much they’re producing. I think radio is in a great position to go in and talk to those advertisers.” Mark Gray has steadily climbed the ladder of success at the Katz Media Group. He started at the company in 1988 when, fresh out of college, he met a Katz AE on a plane. The two became friends, and Gray met a few more Katz employees. He was so enamored with the passion for what the Katz folks did and the culture of the company, he decided he needed to work there. At the time, Stu Olds was president of Katz. Gray started as an AE, and Olds would…

EVP Streamline Publishing parenti@aol.com One of Radio Ink’s 2017 Best Program Directors, Tim Scheld, has been programming CBS News’ flagship radio station, WCBS in New York, since 2004. What’s it like to sit in that seat as the legendary station celebrates 50 years of covering the Big Apple? You joined WCBS as a reporter in 1987, when radio was the first source of news for listeners in the morning. How have digital and social media changed radio’s role? Radio is, and has always been, the first source of news and information for listeners. With the flood of information delivered to consumers today, there is great value to the packaging and organization of news content that local stations do so well. Our challenge is showing young people the relevance of that…

Let’s face it. We radio people are pretty darn good at talking, right? Of course. But how well do you and your station people listen? Here’s some powerful new advice for the best radio programmers: Listen! Monitor the masses in your market. Now you can hear what the masses are saying, this very moment, any time of the day, without talking to anybody. It’s right there, inside Twitter. Listening to the public is what radio people do to keep in touch. But there’s another way to listen to your audience from your home or office, on any topic you want, or to uncover new topics, any time of the day. Here’s how: Follow hashtags first — then create your own! Hashtags are search index tools that let anyone see what…

Program directors have enormous responsibilities these days. They must produce the best content in all of audio, because the competition for ears has never been greater. They have to find and teach and massage new local talent. And they surely must help produce a product the sales department can successfully sell, so that fire-breathing GM can be calm, cool, and collected while sending that nice big piece of the cash-flow action back to corporate. Putting together this list every year starts with a nomination, typically from someone who ranks higher in the company than the nominated PD — maybe even the CEO. We go from there, with a questionnaire and a look at ratings, experience, awards, and several other factors. We reach out to programming experts in the industry for…