Final Reflections

[John FL]

Perhaps it's just as well that we took a little detour as I wanted to discuss mellow music in this reflections string anyway. I hope you found yesterday's music scheduling posts interesting. As I look back, some of my song titles may have been a little ahead of the time, but it was my way of helping improve 25-54 for WJGH. That day's worth of music, even from 2012, took into account the fact that typical listeners respond better to lots of upbeat, party-type songs on the radio.

I talked about the importance of offering specialty programing in nostalgia type formats as a way of keeping things fresh. Besides the every other weekend "Class Reunion Weekend" feature, I'd like to mention one more. "Music for a Manic Monday" was actually my favorite recommended music feature of the week. I'm not sure if royalties would be involved but I envisioned The Bangles singing the line "Just another Manic Monday" and then the jock announcing a mellow song would be announced. In Brian Thomas' tradition, this would have been done in the second song after the first stopset.

It could have been one of many softer songs from the 70's, 80s, 90s and rarely the 60s. Examples from the 80s could have likely been Climax Blues Band "I Love You" or The Honeydrippers "Sea of Love" to name just two. A major reason I liked Brian Thomas' approach to programing is that he didn't beat specialty programing over the listeners head. In most instances, with just one song an hour, it didn't detract from the tried and true well tested songs.

What we do know is listeners tastes and preferences have changed rather substantially. We can look at WDUV-FM in Tampa. There was a time I considered that station among the best in the country because of the uniqueness of their sound. There's an incredible library of softer rock and mellow ballads, love songs etc. that, despite enormous popularity when they were new, are rarely featured on terrestrial radio stations. Today, WDUV sounds like other stations but they are making more money. Go figure!

As I was preparing to move from Jacksonville a couple years ago, I made a number of doctor appointments. I can recall virtually all professional offices featured music that could have under the "beautiful music" umbrella. In fact "elevator music" that was part of the elevator experience featured instrumentals of hit songs. We probably can all recall hearing the instrumental version of "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head." That's long gone.

Research can be found anywhere. I often get lots of answers to radio questions just by talking to people. In one doctor's office, the local AC station was playing in the background. It was either Bon Jovi's "Living on a Prayer" or Whitesnake's "Here I Go Again" but I commented that these songs probably didn't belong on an at work station. The answer I got proved why AC has taken that direction. My former doc looked like he was in his mid 40s. He said these are great songs, mainstream, and much better than hearing stuff that makes you fall asleep.

In one of Brian Thomas' interviews, he talked about mellow music. When WCBS-FM began adding more 80s to the playlist many years ago, they figured they'd go in mostly a chronological fashion. It turns out that the early 80s had a lot of softer songs that became big hits. Think Christopher Cross. When they reduced the rotation of the mellower titles and also eliminating some altogether, the ratings went up. That's just one example.

One of my favorite TV shows was "The Middle." It was actually one of the most underrated programs in my view. In one episode the mom character was driving the car and the kids were in the back. The Little River Band came on the radio. Mom was delighted. The kids were having a breakdown vocally disapproving having to hear that band. It was eye-opening for me. I happen to love LRB. There's some great songs. In fact, a couple of their tunes are in the recommend playlist I created for WJGH. One of the songs "Reminiscing" could have easily found its way on the "Music for a Manic Monday" feature.

Mellow songs do play on the radio. But they are sparingly featured such as seasoning. I can think of Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing" as one example. That song is incredibly good. The average listener gets into it and obviously it must test well. You'll find that tune on AC and Classic Hits formats. And that's programing today.

There's a couple more topics to go including kudos to a number of Florida radio stations!

 

[John FL]

No reflections post would be complete without a discussion of the AM band.

When the FCC approved the use of FM Stereo many decades ago, I think late 50s or early 60s, it dramatically changed the AM band. We can argue the merits of that decision. I think it was short-sighted but that's based on what we know today. While the FCC wanted to give FM a fighting chance to succeed, there were probably assumptions made that AM would remain dominant and most situations would remain constant. For the small number of FMs that existed, the few exuded a great deal of influence over the powerhouse AM stations at the time. They must have had great lobbyists saying this somewhat tongue in cheek.

One of the situations I mean would be car manufacturers providing AM radios only. That didn't happen. As someone who lived through the times, I can recall AM/FM radios being sold in the stores in the 1960s. By the 1970s more an more cars had FM not as an option, but standard equipment. It seems AM stereo had long been a work in progress. Engineers continued to work through issues to create a viable product.

It wasn't until the 1980s that the FCC began to take a look again at AM Stereo. This time AM needed help. From information I've read over the years, the FCC had long struggled as to what system to use. I believe they eventually agreed on one but it was way too late, at least for AM music programing.

In the 1980s, it still looked like AM would be able to co-exist with FM, at least from where I was in Miami/Ft. Lauderdale market. News/talk formats were a logical choice. South Florida had around five live and local news/talk formats. Many were great and some got some decent numbers.

Besides news/talk, the AM band was home to sports programing too, another non-music format. I recall country/western formats, oldies, and various specialty/foreign language formats. It looked like this would be the world of AM/FM Radio.

It was the rise of the FM Translators that gave hope to AM only radio stations. To this day, there are still a number of powerful AMers that operate just on that band. I suppose noise is not as much of a factor on these clear channel signals. I came upon a site that talks all things AM Stereo, including history. You may find it interesting. The site also says there are 79 AM stereo stations in the U.S. I wonder if any are in Florida.

http://www.amstereo.org/

In October, 2019, there was an article from RadioWorld that talked about All-Digital on the AM band. It's a way to eliminate all that AM noise etc. Perhaps another step to AM revitalization? I read that "HD Radio receivers in cars are at 25% total penetration, and over half of new cars sold today contain HD Radio." It would seem this can be a step in the right direction.

http://bit.ly/2P4sXvv


Perhaps those in a higher pay grade than I can add to this discussion. But I have to wonder if the radio industry as a whole would like to see a revitalized AM band. Given there are are so many challenges to revenue as is on the FM band, could the business of radio thrive with even more competition and fewer audience shares from more competition from within? Personally, I don't think AM will see a resurgence that will change the playing field. But then again, I never thought AM would wind up like a graveyard either.

There's some interesting questions and lots of what if situations too.

 

[TheBigA]

Perhaps those in a higher pay grade than I can add to this discussion. But I have to wonder if the radio industry as a whole would like to see a revitalized AM band.

You're retired, so it's not hard to be of a higher pay grade than a retired guy. But seriously, you ask a good question. The growth of FM in the 70s led to the decline of AM Top 40. Once the same music was available in full fidelity stereo, there was no going back. Plus I'd say the demise of clear channel AM stations, also in the 70s, led to the end of big voice fast talking on air talent. They just didn't sound the same when you put those voices and what they did on FM.

The issue we have to deal with isn't simply a "revitalized AM band," but what device people would use to listen to it. The reality is that the electronics manufacturing industry isn't making exciting portable radios any more. There's more money in phones and computers. The home stereo business has disappeared. The digital companies have used their clout to build a smart speaker business. Those are all digital radios that don't depend on analog spectrum. So given those two facts, why go through all the work of revitalizing AM when consumers have already moved to the digital band?

On top of that, radio companies really can't do anything about the spectrum. That belongs to the FCC. Radio doesn't own spectrum space the way telecom does. So if there is to be any revitalizing of AM, it has to be done by the FCC.

 

[davideduardo]

When the FCC approved the use of FM Stereo many decades ago, I think late 50s or early 60s, it dramatically changed the AM band.

FM stereo debuted in 1961, and it took three years just to get to 100 stations... which at the time was less than 10% of all FMs. It would not be until two other things occurred: the expiration of the Armstrong patents and the development of AFC circuitry that FM really became viable (save for a couple of isolated individual stations)

For the small number of FMs that existed, the few exuded a great deal of influence over the powerhouse AM stations at the time. They must have had great lobbyists saying this somewhat tongue in cheek.

By the mid-60's we were approaching 1500 FM stations, up by nearly double from 1959 which was the post-War low point.

It wasn't until the 1980s that the FCC began to take a look again at AM Stereo. This time AM needed help. From information I've read over the years, the FCC had long struggled as to what system to use. I believe they eventually agreed on one but it was way too late, at least for AM music programing.

We had hoped for an AM stereo decision by some time in 1978. There were five competing systems. The station I managed had "Order #1" for two of them. But when the FCC found for one system, Leonard Kahn of Kahn Laboratories threw the decision into hearings and lawsuits. It was not resolved for 5 years, and by then music FM was dead; Leonard Kahn single-handedly killed it.

In the 1980s, it still looked like AM would be able to co-exist with FM, at least from where I was in Miami/Ft. Lauderdale market. News/talk formats were a logical choice. South Florida had around five live and local news/talk formats. Many were great and some got some decent numbers.

Nationally, FM passed AM in total share in 1977. By the early 80's FM had about 85% to 90% of the music listening.

In Miami, up to around 1982, several AMs did OK, such as WINZ, WNWS and WQBA and WRHC. But when the subscribers, myself included, voted to merge the separate Dade and Broward markets into one, the AMs died because of coverage issues.

Besides news/talk, the AM band was home to sports programing too, another non-music format. I recall country/western formats, oldies, and various specialty/foreign language formats. It looked like this would be the world of AM/FM Radio.

At least in Miami, the AM band pretty much went on the decline by the mid-80's. The English talkers didn't have great Broward signals, and Dade was more and more Hispanic. And the Spanish talk/variety stations were falling to FM competition.

In October, 2019, there was an article from RadioWorld that talked about All-Digital on the AM band. It's a way to eliminate all that AM noise etc. Perhaps another step to AM revitalization? I read that "HD Radio receivers in cars are at 25% total penetration, and over half of new cars sold today contain HD Radio." It would seem this can be a step in the right direction.

Nobody is buying stand-alone radios any more. So changing AM to all digital when most people wantt entertainment on a device like a tablet or smartphone or smart speakers is just not g

Perhaps those in a higher pay grade than I can add to this discussion. But I have to wonder if the radio industry as a whole would like to see a revitalized AM band. Given there are are so many challenges to revenue as is on the FM band, could the business of radio thrive with even more competition and fewer audience shares from more competition from within? Personally, I don't think AM will see a resurgence that will change the playing field. But then again, I never thought AM would wind up like a graveyard either.

Nobody is going to spend money on AMs as most have inferior coverage, are plagued by noise levels that increase every day and which just don't sound good. Most of the money makers of today will gradually fade, and the owners will try to make the content work via streams. But slowly many stations will be closed for good.

 

[John FL]

I'm sure the readers found the last two clarifying responses interesting. I know I did. The actions of one man have caused a ripple effect that have been felt for quite some time. Many lost their shirts. We'll never know what could have been but what we do know what evolved.

No matter how much time goes by, I remain fascinated by the incredible exodus of listeners from one radio band to another. While it didn't happen overnight, there was still incredible changes from the early 70s to the late 70s. Mass appeal as we had known it gave way to not only fragmentation but new ways to attract the widest possible audience in formats such as CHR.

For many years, I've lauded the talents of Bill Tanner. For those of you who may not know Bill, he was the programing genius behind WHYI in South Florida. The station launched in 1973. Bill came on board shortly after as Assistant PD. Eventually he became the PD. That's when Y-100 really began to stand out. The station had all those right ingredients I've often discussed. Bill came from Mississippi. How Bill got the inspiration to do what he did is not clear to me.

I suspect Bill may have been familiar with consultant Bill Drake's approach to programing. Y-100, I felt, had some of those programing approaches and then some. Perhaps the Y-100 story had roots elsewhere. At least that's my speculation. I'm not saying I'm correct.

FM stereo was a big deal and it was promoted that way as well. A station that had a strong influence on me was WOR-FM New York City.

In 1968, "Hey Jude" was a juggernaut hit. It became #1 almost immediately. WABC's practice then was to play the #1 song every hour which they did. For a song in the seven minute range, it was like torture to hear that song just 53 minutes again. Hey Jude was #1 on WABC for 9 weeks. WOR-FM was once a progressive rock station and then they moved to an interesting CHR format with a twist. There was close to 50% gold too. It was Hey Jude that got me to sample FM.

FM dominance was an eventually but I still believe there had to be something in it for the listener. The commercial load was less, for obvious reasons. The "Drake" approach was to play the hits. The playlist was tight but there was this grown up sound. Even though I was a teen then, it's something I found refreshing. Sebastian Stone was the PD and an on-air personality. He never got the credit or recognition he deserved, so I do that here.

In the first post, I talked about "pioneers" who forged a new way in achieving success. Mr Stone did that. One of the station's features was in presenting a Top 300 countdown during certain holiday weekends. What stood out was the vast majority of songs that made that list would be heard for years on traditional oldies stations. Some even made it to early classic hits formats. That says a lot. To pick most titles that would last through many decades is pretty amazing.

Drake-Chenault Top 40 stations developed great sounding disk jockeys who exuded enthusiasm. What was especially enjoyable was a syndicated documentary program called "The History of Rock and Roll." Bill Drake and Gene Chenault were the producers of what they called a "rocumentary." There were interviews, music, commentary. An extraordinary effort for extraordinary radio times. Amazing how many listeners probably sat by their radio listening to parts of that three day presentation. This was in 1969.

FM stereo was one advantage but there was a lot of work and effort that saw FM grow to what it became. The Y-100 of the late 70s early 80s stood out as well for their fantastic jocks and music that expertly captured the South Florida lifestyle. I'm lucky to have experienced the early days of FM with WOR-FM and to have heard "The Amazing FM - Y-100."

More kudos past and present to come.

 

[John FL]

Kudos with a twist.

I'm thinking this was around 5 or 6 years ago, but I read commentary from a number of radio consultants who were of the opinion that classic rock was a format whose ship had sailed. Not every consultant was on board with this but still there was a good deal of conversation about it, even on these boards. While opinions may have been divided, some interesting things have happened. Then again, we should remember that even classic rock formats don't stand still - they advance the music sweet spot.

I noticed various markets across the country saw flips TO classic rock and not FROM Classic Rock. Obviously, this isn't every case. What has been interesting is the popularity of the format in cities where you wouldn't expect that. Philadelphia is one but there are others.

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) publishes a consumer survey each year. This is the exact question: "Of the types of music listed below, which are the three that you are most interested in? That is, you not only listen to them occasionally but you actually buy the music, pay to go to concerts, etc. (Select up to 3)"

Overall, 80's-90's hits was the #1 genre, Classic Rock was the #2 and both Country and Rap/Hip-Hop were #3. Classic Rock was the #1 genre chosen by Music Buyers, CD buyers, Digital Buyers, New Vinyl buyers and Free Streamers, and the #2 format chosen by Music Streamers. What does all this really mean?

There are certainly comparisons that can be made to the classic hits formats and what we have seen as models of success. I think the real answer is there are no rules except developing a sound that is local and local appears to have merits that have defied a lot of our conventional thinking.

Here in Florida, Orlando's WOCL-FM 105-9 Sunny FM has had a red hot year. When I initially looked at their playlist, I was convinced I was right all along when I posted many times that Sunny should become more rhythmic oriented because of the diversity of the market. Well, I was half right. Sunny plays its fair share of rock tunes as well. There is this rock/rhythmic mix that are bringing in good results in a number of places.

For years, I complained that the old WMXJ in South Florida (Magic 102.7) was getting too rock-oriented and they needed to move to a more retro rhythmic sound. I was half right there too. Today, Entercom's rebranded "102.7 The Beach" has a rock/rhythmic mix too and has made good improvements in 25-54. Image is everything as well. Magic had an image problem among other things. Their moves to modernizing their sound just came to late.

In West Palm Beach, Hubbard Radio flipped a long-term AC, WEAT-FM to classic hits. From what I can tell, they are following that interesting mix of rock and rhythmic and they are doing well. They also feature a good mix of 90s hits.

So, kudos to "Sunny 105-9." In my view, they are THE Florida station of the year for classic hits. Honorable mentions to Miami's "102.7 The Beach." The aforementioned WEAT and their "Sunny 107.9" are on the track and so is long heritage Tampa's WRBQ.

There is uniqueness to all markets. Cookie-cutter formats are not smart. In L.A., KRTH is the market leader. But their playlist can be a bit surprising. Miami & Orlando have a lot more upbeat, club music compared to L.A. But then, the west coast always acted differently. As an all encompassing comment, the average listener does not want to hear wimpy songs. Quality draws them in. The stations and programmers that interpret music tests correctly and build a format based on those local preferences have a great opportunity.

2019 has been an interesting year in looking at research. The rules of radio have consistencies but there's lots of changes too. More to follow.

 

[davideduardo]

For many years, I've lauded the talents of Bill Tanner. For those of you who may not know Bill, he was the programing genius behind WHYI in South Florida. The station launched in 1973. Bill came on board shortly after as Assistant PD. Eventually he became the PD. That's when Y-100 really began to stand out. The station had all those right ingredients I've often discussed. Bill came from Mississippi. How Bill got the inspiration to do what he did is not clear to me.

I suspect Bill may have been familiar with consultant Bill Drake's approach to programing. Y-100, I felt, had some of those programing approaches and then some. Perhaps the Y-100 story had roots elsewhere. At least that's my speculation. I'm not saying I'm correct.

Bill Tanner came from Vicksburg, MS. He was first recognized as a programming star at WJDX in Jackson, where he built a great AC station with pop music rather than MOR in the very early 70's. I was PD at WERC in Birmingham, also a pop AC station, at the time, and we used to trade talent tips when we wanted a good jock at a competitor out of our market...

Bill caught the eye of Cecil Heftel, who sent him to program 13Q in Pittsburgh. When Buzz Bennett "had to" leave Y-100, Tanner was moved by Cecil to program the station and to do mornings (he was not assistant PD... he replaced Buzzy).

Tanner, like all of us, had been influenced by Drake. But we both believed in great talent that could, briefly, entertain along with the music. Tanner assembled a staff of unforgettable DJs in Miami, Kramer, Cox, Footie, The Madam, Mark in the Dark and others... it was truly as amazing as its slogan.

Full Disclosure: I worked with Bill at KLVE/KTNQ in LA, and together we put together Amor, WAMR in Miami among other projects. He's truly a great programmer, and his Miami morning show was unbelievably good.

 

[davideduardo]

Drake-Chenault Top 40 stations developed great sounding disk jockeys who exuded enthusiasm. What was especially enjoyable was a syndicated documentary program called "The History of Rock and Roll." Bill Drake and Gene Chenault were the producers of what they called a "rocumentary." There were interviews, music, commentary. An extraordinary effort for extraordinary radio times. Amazing how many listeners probably sat by their radio listening to parts of that three day presentation. This was in 1969.

Actually, Drake did not have as much to do with The History of Rock and Roll as is thought. It was mostly the creation of Ron Jacobs, the KHJ PD. He wrote and produced most of it, with, of course, the help of the great KHJ staff. Jacobs, of course, went on to be the co-creator of American Top 40 with Tom Rounds, another ex-Drake PD.

 

[John FL]

Bill Tanner came from Vicksburg, MS. He was first recognized as a programming star at WJDX in Jackson, where he built a great AC station with pop music rather than MOR in the very early 70's.

I will assume Bill Tanner didn't employ conventional means to build that great AC station early in his career. In the Y-100 of the late 70s and early 80s, the station was a standout. Although it was CHR, the typical playlist was far different than what was reported on AT40/Billboard. As I recall, the playlist was derived from the R&B charts, dance charts, local Club music as well as Top 40 charts. You've talked about the research the station performed as well in the past. Unique it was and it brings me to today.

I have to wonder how many Bill Tanner's currently exist in radio. I believe radio has its share of creative and talented people, but are they empowered to venture off on a different course? It's a business that employees tried and true practices all designed to mitigate risk while making that monthly bottom line. Bill Tanner and others too used good judgement. Senior management trusted their skill sets and so different courses were chartered.

Is playing it too safe hurting radio in the long run? To me, it's a critical question to be answered. Radio always had budgets. There have always been revenue goals. But there's more to radio than just a balance sheet. It's hard for me to explain but you know it when you hear it.

I'm delighted Bill Tanner and other "radio legends" were able to thrive and bring superior radio brands to the delight of listeners and advertisers as well. I may not be aware of today's movers and shakers who are bringing radio to an exciting level. Perhaps we need to hear more about them!

 

[davideduardo]

I will assume Bill Tanner didn't employ conventional means to build that great AC station early in his career. In the Y-100 of the late 70s and early 80s, the station was a standout. Although it was CHR, the typical playlist was far different than what was reported on AT40/Billboard. As I recall, the playlist was derived from the R&B charts, dance charts, local Club music as well as Top 40 charts. You've talked about the research the station performed as well in the past. Unique it was and it brings me to today.

I have to wonder how many Bill Tanner's currently exist in radio. I believe radio has its share of creative and talented people, but are they empowered to venture off on a different course? It's a business that employees tried and true practices all designed to mitigate risk while making that monthly bottom line. Bill Tanner and others too used good judgement. Senior management trusted their skill sets and so different courses were chartered.

Is playing it too safe hurting radio in the long run? To me, it's a critical question to be answered. Radio always had budgets. There have always been revenue goals. But there's more to radio than just a balance sheet. It's hard for me to explain but you know it when you hear it.

I'm delighted Bill Tanner and other "radio legends" were able to thrive and bring superior radio brands to the delight of listeners and advertisers as well. I may not be aware of today's movers and shakers who are bringing radio to an exciting level. Perhaps we need to hear more about them!

WJDX was one of the first AC stations that played contemporary music for adults as opposed to MOR artists for much older adults of the time. And it focused on being relevant to people in the younger part of the adult demographic with talent that did not need walkers to get into the studios.

Tanner's Y-100 was very Miami. It was one of the first stations to use call-out research, even having a half-dozen phone cubicles built into the offices in Hollywood. He shared his research techniques with me during the years that I was a manager at Metroplex and shared offices with the Y-100 crew.

Because of the climate, the Cuban influence, the resort atmosphere and the fact that Miami was just a party town, the music reflected the mood of the city. And the morning show, Tanner in the Morning, was bigger than the station itself and was much more influential than a "normal" Top 40 show usually was. How many other Top 40 stations had a person like Janet Reno as a frequent guest?

And Tanner continues to program as VP of Summit, a company he is invested in and which operates in 9 markets quite successfully.

 

[TheBigA]

Is playing it too safe hurting radio in the long run? To me, it's a critical question to be answered. Radio always had budgets. There have always been revenue goals. But there's more to radio than just a balance sheet. It's hard for me to explain but you know it when you hear it.

Is RADIO playing it safe, or do radio listeners just prefer safe programming? It's hard to discuss radio when you only look at one or two formats, especially if those two are AC and classic hits. No, there's not a lot of risk taking in either place.

Go over to CHR or Country or Urban, look at how many new songs stations add in a year, how long those songs take to reach #1, and how many new artists get broken every year. Then let's talk about radio playing it safe.

 

[John FL]

Is RADIO playing it safe, or do radio listeners just prefer safe programming? It's hard to discuss radio when you only look at one or two formats, especially if those two are AC and classic hits. No, there's not a lot of risk taking in either place.

Go over to CHR or Country or Urban, look at how many new songs stations add in a year, how long those songs take to reach #1, and how many new artists get broken every year. Then let's talk about radio playing it safe.

Radio has always introduced songs into their playlist, no matter the format. What I'm referring to are those individuals who are innovators but they have to be empowered to be that. Here we are, still discussing an innovator and creative genius like Bill Tanner 3-4 decades later. That's testimony to greatness that is inspiration for today.

It's insane to take risk for the sake of taking risks, it has to be smart. Radio listeners don't always know what they want in my view. But radio history does tell us it's those innovators who can get inside the listeners head have developed a product keeping the listener in the center which in turn helps with that bottom line.

Long before Bill Tanner, there was WABC's Rick Sklar. His "Rocking America" was an insider's story of how all hit radio stations took over. Two stories from that book are worth mentioning. When he joined WABC, they were in last place as far as Top 40 formats go. So, he thought of a new way to forge ahead. Instead of playing dozens of currents, the playlist was substantially tightened. Each song had to attract multiple demographics or he couldn't afford to play it. That was a strategy. Back then, I'm sure others called it risky because it was different. The listeners weren't asking for that kind of radio specifically but it caught on big time.

There was also an interesting story behind Richard Harris' "MacArthur Park." It was a long song and very different from the rock 'n roll and Motown fare of the times. During a music test with key individuals at the station, the secretary pool heard the song and gathered around to hear it again. They loved the song. Rick took a chance and added it to the playlist. Virtually every Top 40 station eventually did. That song became a huge hit in 1968.

Today, there are those who no doubt take a chance on a song or a new artist. There are probably innovators who run all kind of formats and who build great reputations. We just don't hear much about them. Somebody had to come up with the idea of commercial free hours. Now, that's something that many run with. Somebody thought of a year-end Top 100 presentation. That's been the standard for years. Somebody thought of a Two-fer Tuesday feature. Now many do it.

Radio has a history of innovators. But my point was, they need to be encouraged and not just be order takers in executing a format. Radio as an industry must always reinvent itself. I don't believe anyone should disagree with that.

 

[John FL]

With all the talk of radio legends, it got me thinking about the life cycle of radio stations and formats. I'd like to make one more synergy connection, but this time it's via a cult-classic TV show. Besides radio, I'm a huge horror and sci-fi fan.

Compared to what kids have to amuse themselves today, there was a time we played outside, listened to the radio, played records, went to the movies, and watched TV. That was about it. One show worth mentioning is "Dark Shadows." Kids, myself included, would run home from school not to miss it.

Through syndication, DVDs, and even availability on Amazon Prime, the show has become popular among other generations besides Boomers. For a time reference, the show originally aired from 1966-1971. There's probably a number of formats you've been involved in or enjoyed listening to that suddenly change for the worst and then disappear. It leaves you wondering what happened.

When Dark Shadows began, hardly anyone watched it. I've seen all those early episodes. It was different in starting out as a Gothic soap opera but it was far from exciting. In my experiences, I've seen many radio formats come and go. What is a good predictor is the format launch. Many formats that fail have terrible launches. From the sound of it all, one has to wonder just how much planning went into all of it.

Dan Curtis was the Executive Producer of the show. He didn't have much experience then. He would evolve into a highly respected producer and director. When it appeared the show was headed for cancellation, it was Dan's kids who gave him the idea to make the show scarier. He thought, why not? Let's go out with a bang!

Radio, I believe, suffers from the same issue in that diversity of opinions is not always utilized. In my own career, I welcomed the opinions of others. Often times, professionals limit "think tank" discussions to peers. There's a risk to that if you really about it. Anyway, Dan thought of introducing a vampire, Barnabas Collins, into the story line. The ratings shot through the roof. There was no turning back.

Subsequent story lines were well developed. I watch the show even to this day. You can sense that teamwork and winning spirit in much of the show. We see that in radio too when we are talking success. Eventually, Dan was given the green light to make a Dark Shadows movie. This was all happening while five episodes a week still needed to be produced. The writers were spread thin. A new story line was introduced after a hugely popular 1897 flashback. It was a flop due to poor execution. The story was a good one but there was little time to do it right.

Dan got a taste of moving on to other things and wasn't as involved with the show. Eventually he turned over executive producer duties to one of the directors. The show suffered and wound up ending way before its time. Dan was happy it was over. His heart was no longer in it.

In radio and in other business, those in management may have their sites on a bigger prize - a larger market. They may not be as engaged as they spend time marketing themselves for that next gig. We've also seen quality go down when a person must wear many hats. Programing one station is one thing but add a few more to bucket list and things get tougher. Stations are a success one minute and then things can spiral down for all kinds of reasons. Good people move on. Some burn out. New competition comes along that has all that enthusiasm and you can be history real quick.

Then there are countless radio stations that are a hit year after year. It would be great to bottle that success and distribute it elsewhere. It's tempting. But there's nothing like working hard and working smart. There's a lot of evidence showing that really works in the long run.

I promised this would be the most unusual "Reflections" ever and venturing into the world of Dark Shadows to make points is as weird as it gets. I've also promised more kudos. I have one more and it's a station I consider among Florida's best. That's next!

 

[TheBigA]

Radio has always introduced songs into their playlist, no matter the format. What I'm referring to are those individuals who are innovators but they have to be empowered to be that.

There are lots of format innovators in radio today. But unless you attend things like the NAB Convention, you'll probably never know their names. They have titles like SVP of Programming, or EVP of Content. Some innovators are also owners or CEOs. Dan Mason was a former programmer who found his way to becoming CEO of CBS Radio. But the way trade reporting is done, you mainly hear about the finance people, because they're the ones seeking publicity. The innovators, the ones doing the creative work, are not doing interviews or seeking the spotlight. They have talent who do that. Sometimes you'll get someone like John Sebastian who starts his own format and is looking for stations to run it. That's going on now in Arizona. But typically they'll stay in the background and let their talent do the talking.

 

[b-turner]

There have been and continue to be exceptional programmers in radio. They just don't become known today. Some are regional icons. One that I admire greatly is Ron Chapman who took over KVIL, an AM daytimer in Dallas (and the FM 103.7). In the summer of 1969 when my family moved to Dallas, I became a fan. Even though I was going in to 8th grade, I noticed he had bridged the gap between Top 40 and MOR (Middle of the Road as it was known). It was obvious to me the format targeted the upwardly mobile young families. Within a couple of years it became clear to me two things were happening beyond the music.

First, the station was all about the listener. It was Mary "you know Mary at Worldwide Travel" who shed light on last night's Dallas City Council meeting...play phone bit.

Second, the PSAs were all about things of interest to the wealthier demographics. Most were about the Dallas Arts community offerings. The feeling was you could listen to radio beyond your financial pay grade but brought in to the fold. Literally it was radio beyond your financial means. Even more so, promotions like a trip to Hawaii or cruise that was priced at $103.70 made what only the elite could afford accessible to the listener who aspired to reach that office on the top floor.

KVIL was no innovator musically. Much to record reps dismay, KVIL tended to add songs to their currents about the time the top 40 dropped them to recurrent status. Every song a proven winner. It was top 40 without the rock. It's wasn't sleepy either. Top notch air personalities were challenged to be current on happenings and present information honed for the audience, including the listener in the mix. I heard KVIL's current and base library never exceeded 300 or so songs. I must say by 1973 I had high school and even college age kids who leaned toward pure top 40 or AOR such as KZEW at the time, to keep a button for KVIL and include KVIL as a part of their listening mix. I knew parents who'd prefer Frank Sinatra that listened even though musically it was a bit young for their tastes. All of this I attributed to a well researched playlist and artful presentation.

So many tried to crack KVIL's format but it wasn't easy. There was not the lad the hour with a Hot or a Recurrent or do a PSA at this point on the hourly clock. It was about flow and it happened naturally while seemingly seat of your pants (although there was no seat of the pants to it). There was balance and flexibility to change emphasis on a dime. I recall an especially bad severe weather event when KVIL switched to songs about rain and even miked the rain hitting the roof in breaks as weather bulletins broke. You have to have great talent to pull it off. Even what seemed as if it was a break from the norm was the flexibility the KVIL format allowed to stay in the moment.

KVIL's success was not overnight but as Dallas came aboard and then Ft. Worth (which was a separate market at the time), KVIL dominated. It was so successful I heard of stations using, I think, Fair West (that owned KVIL) to clone KVIL elsewhere. One such attempt was KLLS (Class FM) in San Antonio. There were others.

 

[TheBigA]

There have been and continue to be exceptional programmers in radio. They just don't become known today. Some are regional icons.

We often talk about Rick Sklar and all he accomplished with WABC. But that success led to a promotion for Rick as head of programming for the ABC owned radio stations, and then later, in the 80s, as head of new ventures for ABC Radio. He's an undeniable pioneer. But what he did with his career in the 80s is a great model for people today, because Rick recognized that the radio platform was expanding beyond a single tower in a single town. That's how things are today. Even if you're one of the lucky ones who just oversees one or two stations, you need to look beyond the tower to the other platforms you can program and the other revenue streams you can drive. That means web content, podcasts, and events. That's why these people aren't simply called program directors any more, but brand managers. They're taking the basic platform of the radio station, and applying that success to other things to grow revenue. That's what Sklar was trying to do before his untimely death.

 

[John FL]

We often talk about Rick Sklar and all he accomplished with WABC. But that success led to a promotion for Rick as head of programming for the ABC owned radio stations, and then later, in the 80s, as head of new ventures for ABC Radio. He's an undeniable pioneer. But what he did with his career in the 80s is a great model for people today, because Rick recognized that the radio platform was expanding beyond a single tower in a single town. That's how things are today. Even if you're one of the lucky ones who just oversees one or two stations, you need to look beyond the tower to the other platforms you can program and the other revenue streams you can drive. That means web content, podcasts, and events. That's why these people aren't simply called program directors any more, but brand managers. They're taking the basic platform of the radio station, and applying that success to other things to grow revenue. That's what Sklar was trying to do before his untimely death.

Awesome analysis above. Brand is everything and it's not limited to just radio. Former colleagues in the financial world have told me they are now Brand Managers and other variations of brand in the title. It's an important role in many businesses.

As I think about radio listening, what attracts all of us to a specific radio station station or personality is indeed the establishment and execution of a fantastic brand. Done well, a brand is like a security blanket. People have expectations as to what they will hear, see, taste - whatever. It's all brand. For formats where programing doesn't stay consistent, listeners probably get uneasy and go elsewhere.

Sklar had an idea involving the use of satellites to syndicate programing to various stations. If I recall correctly, there wasn't much interest. Perhaps it was ahead of its time. That's often the case for pioneers who certainly think outside that box for new ways to increase revenue and entertain.

 

[TheBigA]

Sklar had an idea involving the use of satellites to syndicate programing to various stations. If I recall correctly, there wasn't much interest. Perhaps it was ahead of its time. That's often the case for pioneers who certainly think outside that box for new ways to increase revenue and entertain.

Exactly, probably the reason why he left ABC in 1984. Meanwhile a few years later, that company, ABC, purchased the Satellite Music Networks in order to do the same thing that Sklar had hoped to create internally. At the time, SMN had 600 radio stations using their national programming. And they were only one of several such companies at the time.

 

[John FL]

This string had an interesting discussion regarding the WHYI of Bill Tanner days of many decades ago. Today, Cox Media Group operates in that very same building where the "Amazing FM" and others had their studios. That facility has seen a lot of radio history. There's been lots of radio at its very best, past and present. Last year, I lauded Miami/Ft.Lauderdale's WFEZ-FM (Easy 93.1) and I do the same this time too. I may have grown a little older but hopefully I've grown a little radio wiser too. The discussions in this string alone have been an education.

I probably referred to Gary Williams as Easy's PD last time around. But as we discussed "brand" earlier, I noticed Gary's title is "Director of Branding & Programming." Other titles and certainly not inclusive of all management is: Director of Sales, General Sales Manager, Integrated Sales Manager, National Sales Manager, and Community Relation Manager. Obviously, the sales team are a critical spoke in that wheel for the entire cluster.

Gary Williams has assembled an incredible team. There's lots of years of experience all together as well as name recognition. The jocks engage in the station's social media pages. They identify themselves as the contributor to the quote, funny meme, animal rescue pics - whatever. Their on-air presentations and style are contemporary. They all can say a lot and infuse their personality in little time. For years now, I remain amazed that there's on-air talent who don't engage in social media. Other stations that have a talent lineup show posts to their FB page but the originator never is identified. It makes very little sense.

AM & PM drive have seen changes in recent years. If it's all about results, then the decisions have been proven correct. There's Giselle Andres and Jeff Martin in morning drive. There's chemistry there and not a morning show that is over the top and therefore annoying to the listener. The conversations have relevancy to all kinds of listeners. The music flows nicely and often. A good balance.

Mike Kruz is the afternoon drive talent. Before I had ever heard him on the air, I figured he was a fun guy. His social media posts are all that and more. His clothes, and sense of humor for starters make you want to check him out. His on-air style pulls you in. He brings a younger vibe to the station and if we're talking brand, his contributions enhance that a lot in my view.

Last year, I made a couple of assumptions regarding Rob Sidney. One was that I figured his weekend shift was voicetracked - it's not. He's live and local. The other was being let go from WLYF. That was not accurate. Here's the real story: "To clarify, I left WLYF in December 2017, at the conclusion of my contract. After 27 years, I was eager for a change -- and Entercom wished to explore other options as well."

It's wonderful Rob is now on the Easy team. WLYF is a heritage South Florida station. For many years, WLYF was on top. The station had a unique style and truly was an AC soundtrack for South Florida under Rob's leadership. Talented people remain at the station. It's just not the same WLYF and apparently more and more listeners felt the same this year as evidenced by the ratings.

Easy 93.1 has had another fantastic year. The South Florida of years past WHYI Y-100 was #1 and today it's WFEZ Easy 93.1. Easy has changed perceptions. A softer version AC has probably been nixed by management in other radio markets in fear it would skew too old. WFEZ has blown the lid off that belief. It's radio done well and that attracts the masses. South Florida is a tough radio market. Gary and team have made it look "easy."

Congrats Team Easy South Florida!

If you would love to share another FLORIDA radio success story, by all means - join the conversation. Some final thoughts and perspectives upcoming....

 

[John FL]

As we await stories of outstanding Florida radio stations, I offer more thoughts and perspectives...

I often wonder how many young people look at radio as a career. Over the years, I heard young voices doing traffic reports and news. News/talk WOKV in Jacksonville, as one example, has seen its share of young reporters. One wound up overseeing a news/talk operation elsewhere. Sales is such a huge part of radio. I suspect that those who may not have even considered radio as a career will apply for a sales position, especially if they already have some sales experience under their belt.

The other day I saw a story about resumes. Mine would be totally out of date. Recruiters are not interested in objectives but rather what great thing you did, how you did it, and what and how you'll do it for the company. Resourcefulness and getting noticed in a sea of applicants is nothing new.

The late Dan Ingram, long-time NYC radio personality and voice behind thousands of commercials, got his gig at WABC way back in 1961 in a clever way. He recorded an actual afternoon drive WABC broadcast with its current jock. Dan's selling point was he believed he could improve performance. He dubbed his voice and "schtick" and presented it to the G.M. The rest as they say was history. Dan got the job obviously. He made a fortune and so did WABC. Resourcefulness can pay off big time.

My sister, Ellen, started her career working as an intern at WABC's sister station, WPLJ-FM in the early 80s. Internships are another way of landing a radio job and I'm sure that exists today too. She met Dan Ingram once and how I wish that was me. Dan was probably my favorite jock ever. Programing and everything that has to do with music playlists, the decisions, the testing, all of it, can be attributed to Dan. As a kid, I didn't know the meaning of format but Dan was all that and more.

For nerdy kids like me, and there were many of us, Dan would always give the chart position of the songs. That helped us record that week's survey quickly. On most Saturdays, I would "program" a 2-6 PM shift based on all the songs on the survey. I thought I was weird until the internet opened up various radio sites where others admitted to the practice. Dan probably did more to encourage people to embrace radio as a career than anyone else I could think.

My sister's radio career wasn't long. It was her choice. As being part of an engineering/board op team, she saw the handwriting on the wall. Automation was happening. But her radio friendships lasted for decades. She was invited to WPLJ's farewell party earlier this year. That's another event I would have given my right arm to attend. Instead, she invited her long time friend who now lives in West Palm. He was an engineer at WABC during its music heyday.

I've known David a long time too through my sister. She still lives in NY and came down to West Palm last September to visit. We spent a day together talking a lot about radio. David has a "radio room" in the house that he also had in Brooklyn when he lived there. It's filled with such incredible memorabilia. There's these old microphones too of various NYC radio stations. I often think who was the person behind the mic.

Memories. We all have them. Radio provides tons of them. What an incredible medium! For those of you who have had or have a successful career in radio - how fortunate you are!