Radio Hodgepodge

[John FL]

Season’s greetings!

It’s time for our annual radio “special.” As is often the case, I’m not quite sure what to discuss. But inspiration did finally come to me. This year there will be multiple topics. It’s best to start with this site, Radio Discussions.

How lucky we are to have a forum such as this. I previously mentioned inspiration. As many of you know, we lost Frank Berry this year. It wasn’t until his passing that I learned of his long and distinguished career, including his time in Florida.

In his leadership role, he helped me out numerous times in an administrative way such as name changes. He encouraged me. I’ve often talked about how difficult it is getting responses on this board. Frank would often send me various emojis of encouragement and kind words when I needed them the most. A class act!

You might say I’m in a “radio slump” right now. It’s one reason I don’t post nearly as much as I once did. It’s not the first time I’ve been there. The last time would have been in 2012. The former Clear Channel made a disastrous mistake, in my opinion, when they pulled the plug on their classic hits brand in Jacksonville. It was certainly premature. It was also short-sighted. Perhaps, more on that later.

It also motivated me to check out SiriusXM and I’ve been a subscriber since then. For a few years, I'd mainly listen to conventional radio when I made my many trips downstate. In my view, Miami/Ft. Lauderdale remains the best radio market in Florida. Diversity certainly makes for an interesting mix of formats.

And so, I’ve enjoyed reading the many posts on Radio Discussions way more than contributing to the conversation or creating a new string.

Among the topics I least enjoy are the ones that say, “you can’t do this,” “you can’t do that,” “you can’t play (multiple hits artist) this song,” but “you can play this one instead.” I recognize that this is a subject that has been discussed to death, so I don’t bother. I’m not advocating for the playing of “stiffs.” Just think of Brian Thomas’s time at the helm of WCBS-FM.

He developed an incredibly interesting format to listen to. To this day, I applaud what he did. It also required a tremendous amount of work to execute daily music “specials” built around themes. I don’t recall the exact figures but in a 6-month period, the station played thousands of songs. Many were heard just once or twice during that period, so it minimized risk yet maximized interest. Nostalgia formats can get stale easily.

Another unexpected motivation is via David Eduardo’s posts. Yes, he can be rough around the edges at times but his life experience in radio is invaluable. He’s proven to be a great teacher, especially to those who are radio enthusiasts.

Out of all the many posters, he’s the only one who made me rethink my opinions. There are some areas where we respectfully disagree. That’s as it should be. Too many “Yes folks” in radio. I also looked through sites where David’s (Gleason) career achievements were published. It was another source of helping me get some radio-mojo back. There are those who put forth the effort. It’s everything to me and more on that upcoming.

I’d like to expand on radio opportunities, our society, the power of the voice, and Florida’s influence on music and radio. Hence, Radio Hodgepodge. Stay tuned as they say!

 

[John FL]

New Jersey U.S. Senator Corey Booker once said, “If you want extraordinary results you must put in extraordinary effort.” When I first became aware of the quote, I laughed as it’s something I said countless times in the workplace. This described my work ethic. Team expectations were set along these lines as well.

The question at hand is, does radio as an industry put forth extraordinary effort or is it just enough to meet goals, not exceed them?

It’s not an easy question to answer. There are two realities. One is actual measurable results such as ratings and revenue metrics, etc. The other is perception. What comes over the speakers, that overall sound of the station, that certain something listeners gravitate to all lend to perception. Done well, positive listener impressions are made.

I believe the most highly successful radio stations put in extraordinary efforts to create a great listener experience AND there is exemplary leadership and teamwork in all those behind-the-scenes jobs. There's that burning passion to win. Overall, this would be a great place to work environment. I believe this is more the exception, not the rule.

I’ve been reading about societal changes. One cultural philosophy that is getting attention is called “Minimalism.” It’s something that started years ago as a lifestyle choice such as downsizing one’s home, getting off the grid, owning less possessions, buying only what you need, etc.

Living a simpler lifestyle is one thing. But what we are now seeing is the Minimalist asking, “What is the least I can do?” The desire is to exert minimal effort to get a maximum reward. Teachers report that more and more students just want to get a passing grade. Employers complain of unmotivated workers.

Just how many “minimal effort” people there are in radio is anyone’s guess. Eventually, the weak links are dealt with. I don’t believe any business can afford employees who just “phone it in.” I’ve seen too many formats bite the dust because that keen desire to win was not shared by all team members.

To make things more confounding, radio today is still a highly trusted communication medium as rated by the public. It also has an incredible reach. And it remains habit-forming, especially while driving. In my view, radio isn’t as exciting and engaging as I remember it. Perhaps this is my own bias speaking and I do try to keep that at arms length. Understand, I'm speaking about extraordinary effort. That was especially heard in what I deemed as creativity in the programming and jocks who were given a little more latitude to execute.

There are generational expectations that differ widely. Besides my fascination with societal changes and diminishing work ethics, I’ve also been highly interested in learning more about Gen Z. They are a part of that 18-34 demo now. Forget what Baby Boomers and upper-end Gen X may want on the radio. What may be perceived as “phoning it in” may indeed be radio’s way to attract more of the youthful listeners.

Complex stuff. My intent was not getting so heavy early on. Fluff will come too. I’ve always taken the business of radio seriously. I’ve often had contrary views to current business models. I don’t think we should ever get to the point where we think radio doesn’t require improvement.

Next, opportunities for improvement to include characteristics about Gen Z.

 

[John FL]

As promised, some info on Generation Z. It’s more commonly known as Gen Z and just until recently I learned that the ‘Z’ in the designation stands for ‘Zoomers.’ Most will place Gen Z as those born between 1997-2102.

In researching this topic, I found it a little surprising in just how negatively this generation is portrayed. We live in a time where opinions are passed off as news and facts. There’s also a lot of political bias in just about everything too. For this discussion, all I think that’s important is how Gen Z plays into radio. What distinguishes Gen Z from previous generations, some near birth age Millennials to Gen Z, as an exception, is they were literally born into the digital age and certainly were introduced to technology very early on in life.

We’ve probably all seen toddlers from 20 or so years ago, being amused by an electronic toy. Different from previous generations, Gen Z didn’t “play outside” to a large degree. They also didn’t listen to a tabletop radio in their bedroom for hours on end. What you may find surprising is, the majority of Gen Z have a good opinion of conventional radio.

Probably not different than most of us, they listen mainly in their car. They would love a feature where they can “skip the commercials.” This is found in other platforms such as YouTube. Like the rest of us, it’s the easiest way to hear a song that keeps playing in your mind and you get that urge to hear it again.

Call it an assumption on my part, but I figured most Gen Z would prefer ‘jockless’ when listening to terrestrial radio. Well, that myth was busted, and it resulted from the Covid lock-downs. There was often a lot of alone time in the house, and it was that sound of the human voice that was welcomed.

Like the rest of us, even though we can find most anything at our fingertips, the local aspect of radio, especially when there’s mentions of a local event, celebrations and the like that have appeal.

When I tried to nail down specific formats that attract Gen Z to terrestrial radio, I found something interesting. It was more about the overall sound of the music and not always format driven. They enjoy upbeat and rhythmic oriented music. They are less classic rock oriented as predecessor generations.

We need to remember that after Millennials, Gen Z is the largest and most racially and ethnically diverse generation. When ratings have been discussed in the various boards, especially the top markets, I was quite surprised to see Classic Hits formats performing well in 18-34. We especially hear of this in large markets which obviously have diversity.

In just one of many reasons, I’ve been a champion of the variety-based classic hits formats, it’s because the playlist represents more of what America looks like. There’s diversity in the workplace and it’s why I rarely hear rock-specific formats there. (Restaurants, stores, offices). It’s CHR, AC, and variety-based classic hits formats that prevail.

Radio would no doubt have a lot more specifics about what Gen Z favors than I presented here. The readers would, I’m sure, appreciate knowing more if there's anyone who would like to add to my findings.

In the dark recesses of my mind, I seem to recall discussions about classic rock formats and those classic hits formats, like Eagle that are classic rock hybrids, but will eventually not be able to attract enough new and younger listeners as demographics continue to change. Again, I’m not sure if this is speculation or reality but it sure seems like the latter to me.

Much to think about and it’s why the business of radio is such a fascinating subject. As with any business, there is always room for improvement. Down the road, we’ll tackle that subject too.

 

[radiofan2023]

Great posts, hope you contribute more on the board.

 

[TheBigA]

The question at hand is, does radio as an industry put forth extraordinary effort or is it just enough to meet goals, not exceed them?

Radio doesn't operate as an industry. It's not one thing. You have lots of independent companies and even a few individuals. You also have a large non-commercial element, owned by schools, non-profits, or churches. Everyone operates with a budget, and often the budget determines the amount of effort they can make. The other aspect is that for two-thirds of the radio stations, the main content is provided by record labels. Radio has no control over most of the music it plays. The music gets released to radio as well as other listening platforms, and based on the research, the stations decide what to play. So there are a lot of variables in the mix. That's in keeping with your "radio hodgepodge" topic.

 

[John FL]

Radio doesn't operate as an industry. It's not one thing. You have lots of independent companies and even a few individuals. You also have a large non-commercial element, owned by schools, non-profits, or churches. Everyone operates with a budget, and often the budget determines the amount of effort they can make. The other aspect is that for two-thirds of the radio stations, the main content is provided by record labels. Radio has no control over most of the music it plays. The music gets released to radio as well as other listening platforms, and based on the research, the stations decide what to play. So there are a lot of variables in the mix. That's in keeping with your "radio hodgepodge" topic.

I'm not going to nick-pick my use of the word 'industry' as it applies to radio. I think most readers understood what I meant.

"The budget determines the amount of effort they can make." It's an excuse.
As someone who has studied radio history quite extensively, it's motivating to have seen what was done despite impossible odds. There's numerous David Vs. Goliath stories especially in the AM hit music radio days. Renegade jocks and management that had a burning desire to win. They often worked in run-down buildings in seedy parts of town. Equipment that was on life support. On and on I can go. But eventually, those who work hard have better odds at success than just sitting there saying oh woe is me, $$ is tight.

I've often talked of Bill Tanner who oversaw the creation of the very best station I have experienced in all my years. He worked in Mississippi of all places and was good enough to get noticed. He and his on-air buddies headed for the big-time in Miami.

"Radio has no control over most of the music it plays." But it does have control over HOW it plays it. There's rotations that are not on set it and forget it, there's proper positioning of songs. It's also being proactive and not waiting for audience interest to wane before tweaking. I've experienced lots of very sloppy programming...no excuse no matter the budget.

It also has control over how interesting they make those spins. Feature an 80s/90s themed weekend....spike it up with creative ways to offer a couple twin spins an hour. There's all kinds of things that can be done that show effort in order to goose listener interest.

I've also long advocated individual markets to give a little leeway to their local management. Don't say it can't be done. CBS Radio, as just one example, enabled their Classic Hits brand enough latitude in that each had that little something that set the station apart from all the rest. Yes, the brand featured core songs as well as they should. But there was that little peppering of uniqueness that enhanced the listener experience. In a word, successful.

In my view, that's when radio excels when it truly represents the market it serves and makes what we may call extraordinary effort. More is needed.

 

[TheBigA]

"The budget determines the amount of effort they can make." It's an excuse.

It can be. You can't do live & local talent without budget for it. Having said that, once you hire people, it's up to them to put an effort into what they do. Would you not agree that the amount you get paid might affect your effort?

It's also being proactive and not waiting for audience interest to wane before tweaking. I've experienced lots of very sloppy programming...no excuse no matter the budget.

The audience isn't a monolith. We do studies on audience interest and we find that the moment some are getting bored with a song, another group are just discovering it. Especially when people first hear songs online. There's a lag time before a song is released and it moves into medium rotation.

It also has control over how interesting they make those spins. Feature an 80s/90s themed weekend....spike it up with creative ways to offer a couple twin spins an hour. There's all kinds of things that can be done that show effort in order to goose listener interest.

The two-fer thing is a tired technique in my opinion, and usually done on Tuesday, not weekends. Theme weekends are becoming less important since listenership and advertising are lower. Breaking format on the weekends can hurt the brand. Stick with who you are. Give the people what they want and what they know.

I've also long advocated individual markets to give a little leeway to their local management. Don't say it can't be done. CBS Radio, as just one example, enabled their Classic Hits brand enough latitude in that each had that little something that set the station apart from all the rest.

That has continued with Audacy. I look at the local playlists of stations and they show a lot of local originality. That is especially true of currents-based stations. They are required by the charts to have local music directors, and their playlists are scrutinized by the chart directors and label promo teams. There's likely a lot more going on in music decision making than one hears.

 

[John FL]

I thank the previous poster for his detailed responses. Honestly, I'm way too exhausted to go tit for tat on points even I'm tired of talking about because little is agreed upon or resolved. Radio overall is way too restrictive. You can see how true that is if you carefully read posts throughout the boards. To a guy like me, it's all so very frustrating.

We see exchanges between radio pros and avid listeners all the time. Most are civil as was the case here. But in the real world, it seems diversity of opinions is not encouraged. Decisions are made at the top, filter down, and are executed by lower management. Are mistakes made? Sure they are. It makes me think of accountability issues too. Anyway, it makes a good segue as I was planning on discussing missed opportunities and radio.

As someone who worked in Corporate America for many decades, I see similarities to my own experiences and in what I have observed in radio. On the question of extraordinary effort or doing just enough to get by, I believe it’s the culture of the organization that determines much of this.

In my own career, I saw many parallels to what I experienced around me to what was being reported, especially among the larger radio entities. A career in Corporate America can be extremely rewarding, especially if you know how to “play the game.” Equally, it can be very frustrating if you feel your freedom and creativity are stifled. It’s especially challenging if you vocalize concerns.

In my travels, I’ve encountered many who prefer to keep their mouths shut, do what’s asked of them – no more, no less – and basically maintain a low profile. Find potential issues in policy or the playlist or whatever and being vocal about them; and soon “you’re not a team player.” In the next downsizing initiative, you’ve probably put a big target on your back.

And let’s face it, downsizing has probably done more to kill motivation and morale than anything. Whether you’re talking radio or any other business, it’s totally human to think, “Why should I do all this extra stuff, work hard, etc. I’ll eventually get fired too so why bother?”

The reality is radio has lost lots of talented people over the years. Many left involuntarily. Others of their own accord, when new ownership or management came along that didn’t have a good reputation for allowing talent the freedom to do their job in their own special way. Again, lots of this has been discussed to death over the years.

There is one specific radio job I’d like to discuss next. It may have been a year or two ago that I posed several concerns about how this role is handled. I never got a satisfactory answer. So, we’ll try again! Then it’s on to the power of that voice.

 

[TheBigA]

Radio overall is way too restrictive. You can see how true that is if you carefully read posts throughout the boards. To a guy like me, it's all so very frustrating.

The only solution to what you're talking about is for people to augment their radio usage with their own personal music service. Radio isn't going to just play any music without research or information. This isn't a corporate radio thing. I see the exact same thing happening at single owner stations, such as KKGO in Los Angeles. Any time you're in a situation where someone else is picking the music, people will complain about the decisions. It's no different than it was 50 years ago. Back then people augmented what they heard on the radio with personal cassettes or their own music collection. That hasn't changed. There will always be more music than radio stations to play it. That's simple mathematics.

 

[davideduardo]

I've often talked of Bill Tanner who oversaw the creation of the very best station I have experienced in all my years. He worked in Mississippi of all places and was good enough to get noticed. He and his on-air buddies headed for the big-time in Miami.

Let's not change history. Bill began in radio in Vicksburg. He did weekends in both Monroe, LA and at WRNO in New Orleans. He was noticed by WJDX in Jackson, and became program director of one of the early true AC stations. When in Jackson, he was contacted by Cecil Heftel to become PD at Cece's new station in Pittsburgh. While there, Cecil had to replace the PD at Y-100 in Miami and called on Tanner to move there.

 

[John FL]

We continue. Apologies for the delay but let's just say yesterday was a difficult day for me to post.

Obviously, the workplace has changed over the years. In my role in Project Management, I was often on the road and my laptop was my virtual office. In radio, Senior Management no doubt has "remote access" capabilities too. But, it's the rise of voice tracking that I'd like to speak to now.

The last time I spoke of this subject, there were unanswered questions, mainly around performance appraisals. As I thought more about the use of voicetracking, I'm convinced that the larger corporations must have mechanisms in place that evaluate performance. The smaller mom & pop operators who perhaps hire an Independent Contractor, that formality may not exist.

We've seen the rise of in home studios. Perhaps convention is out the window for those who VT from home. We're seeing popularity of working from home but for the sake of fostering teamwork, many companies are now requiring employees to "show up" X # of times a week for face-to-face meetings, having lunch together etc. Actually, there's nothing wrong with that.

It may very well be that those who VT and who never set foot in the radio station building may be happy about that arrangement. Still I believe there must be engagement and expectations set.

When I talked of extraordinary effort earlier, I believe we can extend that to simple effort when it comes to mentoring those who VT. I've talked about this numerous times, but it's critical that the PD/Brand Manager include any VT personnel in communications. There was an extensive fire in Jacksonville in 2011 as I recall. It caused very thick smoke to permeate the area. Obviously, it became a major health issue.

Yet, there were crickets from the VT midday host. It wouldn't have taken much effort for BOTH the PD and the talent to have ensured that a mention or two of this situation was in the Rap portion of the program. On the surface, it may not seem a big deal. But to me, it certainly was.

Both the morning and afternoon drive dayparts featured live hosts who talked about this extensively. Then middays come along and the banter was about concerts and enjoying summer weather. I'm all about making positive listener impressions and I'm sure some of the listeners who just assumed the "DJ" was local and was out of touch. Collectively, even mistakes have a way of negating all the good that does happen.

In my use of the word "restrictive" as it applies to radio, please understand that I'm not one dimensional. It's not always about the music but rather the straight jacket in which PDs/Brand Managers find themselves. Oh, there's many example I can give but for the subject of voicetracking, it's going with the "in house" roster of jocks. It should be more about a good fit and that's where the PD would be the better person to make that decision.

I can recall iHeart's WJGH which from 2010-2012 was a classic hits format in Jacksonville. Like many others doing the format at that time, there was a 70s at 7 feature. The evening daypart saw a lot of host changes which in itself doesn't make for a good listener experience. That aide, they brought in a host from their Urban AC who was also a jock in Premium Choice.

Well, he was terrible. It was obvious to me that he knew nothing about the music. He never said anything more than the station brand's name and here's (The artist). Unacceptable. I was also aware of a number of things the PD wanted to do at the station including special programming. The old CC nixed much.

Something that has long bothered me is the PD is usually the scapegoat. When the format flips or sinks in the ratings, they are among the first to go. Captains of their destiny they are not. Oh yes, there are those who don't measure up. But when we look at accountability, there's a lot of people who are involved with that radio station. From regional programmers to the advertising team to engineering and to the local management. I may sound like a broken record, but all must give 100% and be totally committed in succeeding, not in placing the blame.

I've often said, this particular board is extremely difficult in which to post. What's true too is our recollection of past events can get a little cloudy. Clarification is welcomed. What I'd like to see these boards do more of is look holistically at the efforts of the poster. I can write 10,000 words but use one of those words incorrectly, and it becomes an opportunity to ignore everything else and take exception to a word or a sentence. Get chronological order of one's resume a little screwed up and it becomes changing history. No, the point is that for those who work hard and have talent, can start out in smaller markets and wind up in the big time and lots of notoriety.

More to come - time for fluff.

 

[TheBigA]

In my use of the word "restrictive" as it applies to radio, please understand that I'm not one dimensional. It's not always about the music but rather the straight jacket in which PDs/Brand Managers find themselves.

In any situation where you have employers and workers, you need to set rules. The employees need to know the rules of the workplace, so they know how far they can go. Sure, those rules can be restrictive. We have a case where some employees sued their radio company because of covid rules. The rules were set up so employees could feel safe in the workplace. Some felt those rules were too "restrictive," so they sued. That's just one example. We have another situation where the morning show host at a classic rock station felt it was appropriate to discuss skin color of celebrity women on the air, comparing them to shades of toast. That person was fired, as were the people around him. So yes, radio can be restrictive. Some talent will have clauses in their contracts covering restrictions on what they can say. We found that out when Imus sued CBS. We know Howard Stern had a similar clause that kept him from saying the name of the company president on the radio. He came up with a nickname.

The concept of format radio itself is restrictive. At one time, it was acceptable to play all genres of music on one station. That doesn't happen much anymore. Some formats can be restrictive even within their format. I was surprised how controversial it was when iHeart had a company-wide campaign to promote the new Rolling Stones album on their classic rock stations. Some listeners objected to hearing new music by a legendary band on a station that mainly played 30-50 year old songs. There were also objections to iHeart's company-wide campaign to play the new Beatles song on a wide variety of formats, including talk and country. The exceptions were urban and news. But where are the restrictions coming from in those cases? From the company or the listeners? In my view, the playing of new music on a classic station is breaking format. Sometimes, in a limited circumstance, it can be acceptable. Will the same situation apply the next time a classic band releases new music? We'll see.

So yes, radio can be restrictive. Sometimes it's good to have guardrails. Sometimes people will object. But that's just the give & take of the workplace, and those involved will respond and react as they see fit.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

We continue. Apologies for the delay but let's just say yesterday was a difficult day for me to post.

Obviously, the workplace has changed over the years. In my role in Project Management, I was often on the road and my laptop was my virtual office. In radio, Senior Management no doubt has "remote access" capabilities too. But, it's the rise of voice tracking that I'd like to speak to now.

The last time I spoke of this subject, there were unanswered questions, mainly around performance appraisals. As I thought more about the use of voicetracking, I'm convinced that the larger corporations must have mechanisms in place that evaluate performance. The smaller mom & pop operators who perhaps hire an Independent Contractor, that formality may not exist.

We've seen the rise of in home studios. Perhaps convention is out the window for those who VT from home. We're seeing popularity of working from home but for the sake of fostering teamwork, many companies are now requiring employees to "show up" X # of times a week for face-to-face meetings, having lunch together etc. Actually, there's nothing wrong with that.

It may very well be that those who VT and who never set foot in the radio station building may be happy about that arrangement. Still I believe there must be engagement and expectations set.

When I talked of extraordinary effort earlier, I believe we can extend that to simple effort when it comes to mentoring those who VT. I've talked about this numerous times, but it's critical that the PD/Brand Manager include any VT personnel in communications. There was an extensive fire in Jacksonville in 2011 as I recall. It caused very thick smoke to permeate the area. Obviously, it became a major health issue.

Yet, there were crickets from the VT midday host. It wouldn't have taken much effort for BOTH the PD and the talent to have ensured that a mention or two of this situation was in the Rap portion of the program. On the surface, it may not seem a big deal. But to me, it certainly was.

Both the morning and afternoon drive dayparts featured live hosts who talked about this extensively. Then middays come along and the banter was about concerts and enjoying summer weather. I'm all about making positive listener impressions and I'm sure some of the listeners who just assumed the "DJ" was local and was out of touch. Collectively, even mistakes have a way of negating all the good that does happen.

In my use of the word "restrictive" as it applies to radio, please understand that I'm not one dimensional. It's not always about the music but rather the straight jacket in which PDs/Brand Managers find themselves. Oh, there's many example I can give but for the subject of voicetracking, it's going with the "in house" roster of jocks. It should be more about a good fit and that's where the PD would be the better person to make that decision.

Yeah, no, on that checks and balances for small ma and pas. I work for a small pa (no ma) owned standalone doing afternoon drive 2500 miles away and if I **** something up or he isnt happy with the quality, he finds a constructive way to tell me what i did wrong and how i can not do it again.

When i worked there full time, we got a week off between christmas and new years, but still had to track our shows.

I have remote access to that station, so does the rest of the staff

I dont know a single station who has an independent contractor , however small, that doesnt have some form of evaluating or letting the talent know how theyre doing, their content, etc

I regularly update VTs with event info, and late at night have covered news, traffic or weather events, despite being 2500 miles away.

Theres no restrictive rules or formatics put upon us by the owner, he hires us because we know what were doing and he wants us to make the shows ourt own. I've been working for him now for 5 1/2 years

I dont talk too much about the music...listeners tune into us as much for community news/messages/involvement as they do the music. i focus on the station, community events, news and my random thoughts sometimes along with personal stories the audience can relate to.. and a world class talent coach i spoke to a few weeks ago confirmed the later two are more liked and more powerful than people imagine, thats why me, as an average jock... seem to excel in likability and enjoyment by the audience.

 

[TheBigA]

When i worked there full time, we got a week off between christmas and new years, but still had to track our shows.

Did you get insurance? I left the ma & pa I worked for because they didn't offer employees insurance.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

Did you get insurance? I left the ma & pa I worked for because they didn't offer employees insurance.

No, i did not and i dont here either at KSKO.. too expensive as the sole employee

i know, i know.... and id rather not get into that discussion here.

 

[John FL]

Appreciate the commentary, especially "SomeRadioGuy's" regarding voicetracking. I'm not sure if this was you but there's another poster I sometimes confuse you with. But some time ago I was given links to a station to hear your VT. I thought it was all good, engaging etc. And that's the way it should be. BTW, I do enjoy reading your posts.

I've promised a discussion about voices and we're getting there. But I'd like to clarify a bit more before moving on.

I've given thought to a number of comments TheBigA mentioned regarding my comments on restrictive policies. Perhaps, we're not that far apart in views. For me, it comes down to what a station sounds like and that perceived effort that comes out of the speakers.

I may sound like a hypocrite and it's not my intent. Rick Sklar of WABC fame in its music heyday has long been one of my radio heroes. Yet if you look up the word "restrictive" you should see his picture in the dictionary. The station had its critics for its music policies etc. But, even that massive signal and coverage area would not have delivered a massive audience if tight policies didn't exist. For the younger readers, you have to remember that hit music stations back then were mass-appeal. They targeted everybody. And so the music selection process had to attract multiple demos, race, gender - the whole ball of wax.

Despite what were very tight policies that were the rule of WABC, the station exuded fun and excitement. The jocks, if you recall, each had their own unique personality. They weren't index card readers. I understand the importance of rules. It's overall sound of today's stations/formats that I have some issues.

Right here in Florida, there's Orlando's WOCL, 105.9 Sunny FM. Rick Stacy, the long-established PD, has always marched to the beat of a different drummer no matter the owner. It was CBS Radio, today it's Audacy. Here's a sampling from their FB page of yesterday (Friday, December 8th):

"University of Washington won't hire white people." "Bill Burr thinks liberals are idiots." "The worst Christmas songs of all time." "Friday Top 5." This string is called a radio hodgepodge but WOCL's morning show is certainly that plus unique and ballsy. We can discuss whether doing a Greg Gutfeld Conservative gab fest is appropriate but WOCL's ratings don't show this as a problem. Perhaps it separates the station from everything else.

WOCL has been an interesting station to keep tabs on. Sometimes the ratings dip terribly and those of us on the sidelines will make the case that there are disastrous decisions at work. But then, things rebound and in a big way. He's gotten more latitude over the years than anyone else I know.

WOCL's playlist is typical for the format with some market exceptions. It's tight. And while that may be "restrictive" to some music lovers, it's the overall presentation of the station that doesn't make it seem that way. Hopefully, this will FINALLY offer a better understanding of my use of the word restrictive as it applies to radio. I do want to move on!

 

[John FL]

I've long had a fascination with voices, and obviously those in broadcasting. But it sometimes even went beyond that.

My Grandparents often talked about President Franklin Roosevelt and his "Fireside Chats." What an amazing name that is. In Roosevelt's time and Presidency, it was newspaper and radio where people would get their news and information. People were also entertained by radio. There were "radio stars" just as there were movie stars. The most popular and probably the most talented to would eventually make the transition to television. Others to motion pictures.

From a radio perspective, I was lucky to have grown up when I did and especially in the #1 market in the country. My listening habits early in life was not typical of the norm. Among my favorites was listening to stations that were middle of the road and I suppose if we had to put a name to it, this was be The Adults Standards format.

With New York City being an entertainment area, like an east coast Hollywood, there was WOR-AM. In my time off from school, I'd listen to playwrights, movie producers and directors, and even celebrities themselves. It wasn't always the stories they told that were interesting, but their voices seemed to have an air of sophistication about them.

It was in later years that I figured programs such as "The Arlene Francis Show" were highly popular in their day and that was because of all the housewives who were home during the day. There was always the soap opera crowd. But there were also family members who almost always gathered in the kitchen where the tabletop radio played.

When it was music or talk that was listened to, the expectation was you could hear a lengthy conversation about Frank Sinatra and the like and it all seemed perfectly normal.

If you remember the TV Show "Mission Impossible," there was always this scene in the beginning where the plot of that episode was revealed via a tape recorded message. Of course, the tape was always destroyed in five seconds.

I had one such device, this was probably in the late 60s. To this day, I can't recall who gave it to me. It got a workout and lasted a surprising number of years.

I've read many accounts of those who made it big in radio, especially in the "DJ" role. Our childhoods practically mirrored each other. Like many of them, I was introverted, spent a lot of time in my bedroom playing music, and perfecting the 'talk-up.' But where our similarities ended was in the voice.

A great set of pipes is a gift. And I came to the conclusion early on in life that I didn't have what it took to be on the radio. As much as I tried perfecting the sound of my voice, the tape recorder played what sounded like a mimic of Neil Sedaka.

For the younger readers, who may not be familiar with Neal Sedaka, he had some pop hits mainly in the pre-Beatles era and even into the 70s. He was also a writer and I believe he was a music producer too. In The Captain and Tennille's monster 1975 hit, "Love Will Keep Us Together," Neil co-wrote the song. "Sedaka is back" also became a famous lyric from the song. Some ego there.

His voice has remained the same for decades. Fortunately for me, as I've grown older, I've developed a voice that's more suited for radio or even voice acting. A day late and a dollar short I suppose.

Anyway, here's a recent interview of Neil. Not much of a radio voice in my opinion but no doubt, he's had a long and successful career despite so his "sound" had appeal. More on voices including the power of voice acting.

 

[John FL]

We continue with "voices" in our hodgepodge of topics.

If you’re a fan of movies from the 40s, 50s, and 60s or those that had a story-line from that era, you may have seen depictions of radio news broadcasters. They played a role in informing the public, especially if the plot involved a major disaster.

Their portrayal is not so far off from reality. Almost always, it was these deep, rich baritone male voices that presented the news. Of course, they were dressed in a suit and tie despite the fact they were portrayed as being on the radio. I've seen plenty of pics with radio newsmen who were dressed to the hilt. I've seen jocks of the past in less casual ware too.

Even into the rock ‘n roll era of AM radio, the fun and frivolity of the music and “DJ banter” would do a complete 180 when the news would air. Early on, it was the “Drake” run stations that humanized the news presentation. One of those “ahead of their times” moments.

There were jocks like WABC's Dan Ingram who always seized the moment. If the newsman flubbed in any way, Dan was there to bring humor into the moment. To hear radio newsmen laugh as a result brought that human element into the broadcast. It just may have kept the teens from switching stations in search of music if those exchanges were interesting enough. And with Dan Ingram, they no doubt were.

Whenever I talk about radio with young people, I’d often point to the entertaining nature of the commercials. I was always met with polite skepticism. While some commercials were recorded, there was a good amount that were done live by the jock. These spots were presented in their own unique style. Some could be quite humorous. But the thing was, they were memorable and certainly a win for the advertiser.

Dan Ingram was certainly the darling of the advertising community. His “voice” was heard over so many radio and TV commercials. From all I read about the guy, he had such a polished voice and incredible sense of timing that he would get it right the first time. He also was the voice of WABC. And as PD Rick Sklar once described it, Dan would slip in and out of the studio doing that work while on the air.

Many of you in South Florida would remember talk host legend, Neil Rogers. He had a lot of restaurants spots. It was to the point that restaurants would bring food to the station and with it they got a lot of publicity.

In my view, trust is developed between the talent and the listener when it comes to recommendations.

One day while listening to Neil’s show, I heard Neil do a recorded spot for a restaurant, then in Coconut Creek, where I dined often. I also knew the owners. And so, I called them wanting to hear about Neil’s visit to the eatery. Well, it turns out he never did eat there. It was just one of those spots the sales team put together using Neil’s voice. I didn't make it a very big deal but I was a little disappointed. The inference was he enjoyed the food.

A good rule I’ve long followed is if you hear about a product or service in a commercial, do a little research and look at customer reviews before making a commitment. Seems like common sense but there’s some effective ads that are excellent in persuasion.

Yes, even 55+ can be wooed by effective advertising and those voices. That and more in the next segment.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

Yes, even 55+ can be wooed by effective advertising and those voices. That and more in the next segment.

No, they really cant.. or wed still have adult standards stations playing the 40s and 50s being commercially viable. 55 or older are much more set in their ways and buying habits

 

[John FL]

No, they really cant.. or wed still have adult standards stations playing the 40s and 50s being commercially viable. 55 or older are much more set in their ways and buying habits

I was speaking about myself in that little tease. But apparently, it wasn't obvious. Personally, I'm sick to death of that conversation so I prefer not to get into it.

A few weeks ago, I saw those "Gain Scent Beads" in the store. I admit to liking the commercial, especially the guy who is the voice actor in it. They say it's all about impressions. One of the commercials compares the smell to the enjoyment of sitting in the message chair at the mall. That's one of the things that grabbed because I go out of my way when in a really nice mall to sit in the message chair. It puts me in a whole better mood. I suffer with terrible back and leg pains among other things.

And so I bought the product. It's expensive as ****. It's not a "got to have" kind of product but now it's like every detergent manufacturer has something similar. Advertising for most of these products is pretty intense. Amazing how much competition now exists in the "nice smelling" clothes arena. The point to all of this is that right voice in a commercial can be persuasive enough to change your buying behavior. It did for me.