Innholdsfortegnelse for March 11, 2024 i Radio Ink Magazine

PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER STREAMLINE PUBLISHING DPARENTI@STREAMLINEPUBLISHING.COM I recently watched the Netflix documentary The Greatest Night in Pop. For those who don't remember (or weren't around yet), the film captures a January evening following the 1985 American Music Awards when more than 45 top artists came together to record “We Are the World.” Among them were Bob Dylan, Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Paul Simon, Tina Turner, Kenny Rogers, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Willie Nelson, Cyndi Lauper, and Ray Charles. The song's singular purpose was to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia. And it worked. Besides winning four Grammy Awards, the song raised more than $63 million for charity (approximately $227 million today, adjusting for inflation). “We Are the World” remains one of the best-selling physical singles of all time. One…

COUNTRY'S RADIO COACH I am an avid reader about leadership, particularly the writings of sports coaches: John Wooden, Pat Riley, Tony Dungy, Terry Francona, and Bill Parcells, to name a few. I've learned from them all, but the book that has turned out to be my “go-to” for program management coaching comes from a successful Texas high school football coach named Randy Jackson (no relation to the American Idol judge). Jackson has written two excellent books on establishing a positive work environment: Culture Defeats Strategy and Culture Defeats Strategy 2. Both are amazing tools to help you build and maintain a strong, successful culture. With culture so top-of-mind in our industry, this has become even more crucial. Jackson defines culture as how your organization thinks, speaks, and acts. He outlines…

AMERICAN MUSIC CONCEPTS One of my all-time favorite business categories has always been real estate. Real estate is run by the smartest and hardestworking people I've ever worked with. Real estate people, the really successful real estate people, flat-out get it. The top-tier real estate people in your market love marketing, they invest in their personal brands, and they are long-term thinkers. Their transactions are high-dollar and their commissions are substantial, so their break-even point works for radio. Let's say Katie, the real estate lady, invests $18,000 for an annual radio advertising campaign. Katie makes $9,000 on the first $400,000 house she sells from spots running January to June and $9,000 on the second house she sells from her spots running July to December. Katie breaks even on two sales.…

PRESIDENT WIZARD OF ADS INC. ROY@WIZARDOFADS.COM Every company has “untold story” assets that are hiding in plain sight, and every company has limiting factors that are holding it back. This is how you lift a company to new heights: 1. Uncover the untold stories. 2. Devise a plan to overcome the limiting factors Untold stories and limiting factors are not always related. Limiting factors usually stem from: A. Company culture (the vibe of the hive) B. Competitive environment (strengths of opponents and adversaries) Untold stories always begin at the intersection of who and why. A. Who pulled the trigger? (Origin story) B. Why did that trigger exist? (Character Diamond) Great ad campaigns require interesting characters. Interesting characters require: A. Character Diamonds (four conflicted, defining characteristics that cause this character to…

BLANKENSHIP THE CENTER FOR SALES STRATEGY Are you tired of the shotgun approach? Blasting generic pitches to a wide range of businesses, hoping something sticks? In today's landscape, precision beats volume. Account targeting by category and subject matter expertise is the difference between occasional wins and winning more new business. Why Category Targeting Wins Enhanced Credibility: As an expert, your category knowledge builds trust with potential prospects. They are more likely to consider your insights valuable and see you as a reliable source of information. Improved Communication: Understanding category nuances allows you to communicate more effectively with prospects, using language and concepts that resonate. Tailored Solutions: With in-depth knowledge, you can identify the specific needs and pain points of businesses within the category and offer customized solutions. Competitive Edge: Category…

I remember when I got my first PD gig, at PRO-FM in Providence, I asked my then-GM, Warren Potash, what our marketing budget was. He looked at me and, without hesitation, said “$200.” That's right. $200. Being a newbie PD, I said, “OK.” Then I started to think about how I could spread the word with my $200 budget. In a short time, and with a lot of help from the record companies and concert promoters, we got PRO-FM involved in everything in Providence, and we watched the ratings start to shoot up. A few years later, we had the arrival of a direct competitor ( JB105), and things started to change. Why? JB105 was owned by The Providence Journal (big bucks), and they were putting boat-loads of money both…

It's a story familiar to us at Radio Ink: a child grows up listening to a radio station and, eventually, goes to work there as an adult. It's also Cynthia Smith's story: her family's radio was always tuned in to WBLS/ New York, and the station eventually became hers to program as the first woman PD in WBLS's history. Our conversation with Cynthia was wide-ranging, beginning with how she got her start in the radio industry and talking about how WBLS balances being a music station with significant talk programming, WBLS's long-standing commitment to community engagement, and how the station works to bring young people into the radio industry. Getting Into Radio Radio Ink: How did you get into radio? Smith: I studied broadcast journalism at the University of Maryland.…

Now in its 12th year, Radio Ink's African American Future Leaders list honors excellence and includes men and women working in every aspect of radio: on-air, sales, management, programming, digital content production, and executive leadership. Each person on this list has already impacted our industry and will continue to shape it for years to come. We asked our honorees two questions: 1. What do you enjoy most about working in radio? 2. What must the industry do to encourage and increase minority station ownership and presence as executive leaders and board members? We deeply enjoyed reading their insights and observations and know you will, too. Radio Ink is proud to present 2024's African American Future Leaders. DENISE L. BENNETT VP, Brand Strategy & Idea Lab iHeartMedia 7 years in radio What do…

CEO BRYSON BROADCASTING PAT@PATBRYSON.COM When I managed radio stations, I dealt with a gentleman named Les Boyle who owned ROI Media, a buying service for radio and TV. Les was a legend in the radio and TV community. The mention of his name was enough to strike fear and trepidation into the hearts of salespeople. I've seen many an uninformed media rep run crying and moaning out the door after a session with Les. From 8 to 5, he was worse than Don Corleone. After 5 o'clock, he was the nicest guy ever. We were great friends. Les passed on several years ago, and I miss him still. I recently ran across a letter he sent me that I'd like to share with you. Negotiations are a part of our…

MCMEDIAONLINE.COM It's not a new topic. The numbers don't lie. We continue to see a lack of female programmers and brand managers programming radio stations nationwide. In fact, we continue to see a decline year to year. Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio Board President Ruth Presslaffsaid in Radio Ink's “Women to Watch” (11/30/23), “As far as diversity, equity, and inclusion, it's very concerning. MIW publishes an annual Gender Study, and the year-to-year improvement for women in senior leadership positions is anemic. Especially in programming.” 2023's Gender Study, released last February, reported that women currently program 11.72% of radio stations (1,314 stations) compared to 12.09% in 2021. In the Top 100 markets, the news was not much better, as female programmers now represent only 13.93% of the total number of…

RAINMAKER PATHWAY CONSULTING This issue of Radio Ink focuses on Radio's African American Leaders, and I am fortunate enough to know one of the best. Skip Dillard is the Brand Manager at WXBK (94.7 The Block)/New York as well as Vice President, Rhythmic AC/Throwback Formats for Audacy. It has been my pleasure to be his friend for a long while, and to have access to his brain from time to time. I'm taking advantage of that for this month's issue. Skip, you understand the value of positive culture and having the backs of your talent as an African American leader in our business. What can you tell us about being in one of the key leadership positions in New York City for so long? Having been born in Jamaica, Queens,…