Bumper Music Moldies

[Andy Ludlum]

My friend consultant Walter Sabo posted this in the Talkers online newsletter:

1. Bumper music is unnecessary, it makes breaks seem longer. If it is necessary to use bumper music it should have been recorded after the year 2000. 2000 was obviously 23 years ago. A 35-year-old was 12 in 2000.

I’ve always been astounded about how many talk hosts are obsessed with bumper music - perhaps the least important element in their show. And I can’t believe the number of times I hear 50-year-old bumper music cuts on shows today!!! The bumps are just a symptom of thinking that is out of touch with the target audience.

 

[TheBigA]

The bumps are just a symptom of thinking that is out of touch with the target audience.

It depends on what you think the target audience is. Some think it's boomers 65+. That may be, but it's primarily on AM radio. At some point, talk has to reinvent itself for FM, and music can play a part in reinventing talk radio for younger demos.

The mistake talk radio has made is forgetting it's supposed to be entertainment. Rush knew this and used bumper music as a form of imaging. Fox News did the same thing in it's early days. Now the best examples for the use of music in talk is on ESPN. They have libraries of topical popular music that they use to punctuate their stories. That makes what they do more entertaining than just having some guy blabbing non-stop.

Of course, one of the problems of using popular songs is that the most topical music today is rap, and talk show hosts and the boomer audience hate rap music. But if you want music that reflects what people in the demo are talking about, it helps to know rap music. That might mean hiring someone who's under 50 to produce the show, since the host is likely too old. But that's also part of the problem. People wonder why the audience is aging, and it's because most of the people on the radio are old people. But that's another story.

If you broaden the view, and broaden the definition of talk radio, some of the most popular talk show hosts who reach younger audiences on FM are actually music DJs on rock stations. Listen to WMMS in Cleveland. This is a heritage rock station that has reinvented itself as a talk station that occasionally plays music. Maybe 5 songs an hour in morning drive. You'll hear the same thing on KISW in Seattle. These are stations that identify as music stations, but are actually talk stations. And they get huge ratings with people under 50. Isn't that who talk stations SHOULD be targeting?

I agree with your comment about 50-year-old bumper music. If a talk station is playing old music, it will reinforce it's programming to old listeners. Especially if the old music is pop music. All you have to do is see the demos on stations that play that music regularly. It's all over 65. Talk radio is forcing itself into obsolescence by how it's being programmed. Music is just part of that.

 

[david]

Andy... Interesting topic, which I have not heard disputed before. I am quite familiar with talk hosts who make their bumper music an interactive part of their show, i.e. they rotate themes every so often and occasionally have their audience suggest themes/topics for what the bumper music library should include in the next iteration.

IMHO the key is to not let the bumper music drone on, rather to have a positioning announcement or the host begin to speak in the foreground within moments of the bumper music starting to play in the background. The bumper music helps mark the transition back to the show from the stop-set.

I think your point is relevant as well that the music choices should include 21st Century selections, not to the complete exclusion of 20th Century music, but in combination, as your point of showcasing how the show and the host are "in touch" is vital.

 

[TomásEstefan]

For years Rush Limbaugh used the Pretenders "My City is Gone" as his theme song, but I doubt the majority of his listeners had ever heard of the group.

 

[TheBigA]

For years Rush Limbaugh used the Pretenders "My City is Gone" as his theme song

Tom Leykis used "Enter Sandman" by Metallica in the 90s.

 

[Andy Ludlum]

It depends on what you think the target audience is. Some think it's boomers 65+. That may be, but it's primarily on AM radio. At some point, talk has to reinvent itself for FM, and music can play a part in reinventing talk radio for younger demos.

I'm not aware of anyone seriously targeting 65+. They may in their most candid moments admit that's where their audience is, but most try, maybe ineffectively to lower the demo, ideally under 55. Failing that, they trot out "research" touting the desirability and spending power of the older audience. I agree with your points about the challenges of using popular music.

 

[Andy Ludlum]

For years Rush Limbaugh used the Pretenders "My City is Gone" as his theme song, but I doubt the majority of his listeners had ever heard of the group.

Yes but Rush started his show 35 years ago - and at that time, "My City is Gone" was only 4 years old. That was the music for the bulk of his fans, new folks just came along for the ride. Show themes, if not used to excess - and that's a big if - can be used for effective imaging and are not as much of a waste time as most bumper music.

 

[TheBigA]

I'm not aware of anyone seriously targeting 65+.

Have you listened to WABC? They just hired 86 year old former senator Al D'Amato.

On the weekends, they play oldies. They're getting great ratings, but it's all over 55.

 

[Andy Ludlum]

I am quite familiar with talk hosts who make their bumper music an interactive part of their show, i.e. they rotate themes every so often and occasionally have their audience suggest themes/topics for what the bumper music library should include in the next iteration.

To me that is a danger sign. I'd like to see the host focused captivating listeners with a great topic. The idea of having listeners pick bumper music is dangerously off target and will result in hosts wasting time playing long bumpers to payoff "Bob in Pasadena."

IMHO the key is to not let the bumper music drone on, rather to have a positioning announcement or the host begin to speak in the foreground within moments of the bumper music starting to play in the background. The bumper music helps mark the transition back to the show from the stop-set.

Yes, if only more people did just that. How often to you hear someone play a bumper with vocals and then have to wait until the appropriate spot to begin talking...so annoying if I'm listening to a 40-50 year old song that's been played to death.

I think your point is relevant as well that the music choices should include 21st Century selections, not to the complete exclusion of 20th Century music, but in combination, as your point of showcasing how the show and the host are "in touch" is vital.

I think any music can be used if done so judiciously, but isn't it strange that talk stations play songs as bumpers that "oldies" stations like K-Earth no longer have on their playlists.

 

[Andy Ludlum]

Have you listened to WABC? They just hired 86 year old former senator Al D'Amato.

On the weekends, they play oldies. They're getting great ratings, but it's all over 55.

Yes, and it is certainly enjoying a revival since Cumulus destroyed it. But it is not anything that could be an industry model. You have billionaire businessman owner - for whom radio is a hobby - doing his own show. He gets his pals to go on the air. I like that they have gotten rid of the block programming on the weekend. They have a truly unusual mashup of talent from Cousin Brucie to Tony Orlando and everything in between. They inherited a station with a 55+ audience and they have embraced that. What I understand is WABC has a relatively small weekly cume by New York standards but great TSL from its loyalists. It certianly is nice to see a stand alone AM have some success in New York, but I don't think you can use it as a blueprint for a 65+ (or even 55+) station in another market, even the next biggest one, Los Angeles.

 

[TheBigA]

I don't think you can use it as a blueprint for a 65+ (or even 55+) station in another market, even the next biggest one, Los Angeles.

All I was doing was responding to your post. Not positioning it as a blueprint. We already know what the blueprint is.

I think any music can be used if done so judiciously, but isn't it strange that talk stations play songs as bumpers that "oldies" stations like K-Earth no longer have on their playlists.

That's a good question and refers back to your original post. When Tom Leykis played Metallica or any music in his show, it was done strategically, to present an image and appeal to a demo. I'm not sure is anyone is thinking when they play 50 year old music, other than they like it personally.

 

[davideduardo]

My friend consultant Walter Sabo posted this in the Talkers online newsletter:

1. Bumper music is unnecessary, it makes breaks seem longer. If it is necessary to use bumper music it should have been recorded after the year 2000. 2000 was obviously 23 years ago. A 35-year-old was 12 in 2000.

I’ve always been astounded about how many talk hosts are obsessed with bumper music - perhaps the least important element in their show. And I can’t believe the number of times I hear 50-year-old bumper music cuts on shows today!!! The bumps are just a symptom of thinking that is out of touch with the target audience.

While some time ago, when I did talk at KTNQ we had custom jingles I did in Argentina. As part of the package, I had a large variety of rhythms and orchestrations of the instrumental station logo, and those were our only bumpers and they were very short…a bit more than a stinger, but not prolonged. In and out os the stops, nothing more. Same instrumental logo as the news, traffic and weather themes, too.

I took the idea of reinforcing the station identity from the constant repetition of KGO on that station, and so I even made the bumpers logo-driven. Thanks to Mr Swanson….

 

[Loverofradio]

My friend consultant Walter Sabo posted this in the Talkers online newsletter:

1. Bumper music is unnecessary, it makes breaks seem longer. If it is necessary to use bumper music it should have been recorded after the year 2000. 2000 was obviously 23 years ago. A 35-year-old was 12 in 2000.

I’ve always been astounded about how many talk hosts are obsessed with bumper music - perhaps the least important element in their show. And I can’t believe the number of times I hear 50-year-old bumper music cuts on shows today!!! The bumps are just a symptom of thinking that is out of touch with the target audience.

I love bumper music. I was executive producer/co host for our sports talk show on our legacy AM station (former home of the Louisiana Hayride). We just flipped from our long time classic country format. there was a demographic we wanted and we wanted to lower the age of those who were listening to our format. At the host‘s former radio station in town, he never played bump music. I played current alternative (basically whatever I heard streamed on kroq). We not only brought in great demos but added non-traditional listeners. I basically did what Petros and Money have done and even added obscure music as well.

 

[Loverofradio]

To me that is a danger sign. I'd like to see the host focused captivating listeners with a great topic. The idea of having listeners pick bumper music is dangerously off target and will result in hosts wasting time playing long bumpers to payoff "Bob in Pasadena."

I see what you’re saying. In my opinion, especially in sports talk, you can segue into a good topic off bump music that the audience can relate to. The music creates an energy that draws people to the host. The appetizer before the meal

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

little known fact by some radio outsiders/fans.. talk stations pay music licensing. i did when i ran a talk station in south carolina

why? bumpers

 

[Yabadabado1]

I get excited hearing music when I'm dialing around the AM band. But then my hopes are dashed when the yakking begins and I realize it was just bumper music and the haven't dumped the "barking dogs" that whine over and over each night about the same thing.

 

[Andy Ludlum]

little known fact by some radio outsiders/fans.. talk stations pay music licensing. i did when i ran a talk station in south carolina

why? bumpers

And incidental use in commercials and other programming.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

And incidental use in commercials and other programming.

Cant use them in commercials, its a copyright violation unless you get licensing taken care of and thats VERY expensive

 

[davideduardo]

Cant use them in commercials, its a copyright violation unless you get licensing taken care of and thats VERY expensive

In a market like LA, most ads with rights protected music come from agencies. They have done the work to license the performance. However the author/composer/publisher rights on the playback on the air are part of ASCAP, BMI, et. al. coverage and even a talk station has to pay that aspect.

 

[TomásEstefan]

In a market like LA, most ads with rights protected music come from agencies. They have done the work to license the performance. However the author/composer/publisher rights on the playback on the air are part of ASCAP, BMI, et. al. coverage and even a talk station has to pay that aspect.

Years ago when I worked at a small market station, I got into a rather spirited discussion with a co-worker (the morning guy) who, buy the way had at least 15 years more experience than I, about this topic. He insisted that we could use any music track we wanted under our locally produced spots as "we already pay BMI and ASCAP" for the privilege of playing their tunes on the air. I had the audacity to tell him that to use them for commercials would require a separate license, he thought I must be nuts...until I told him a little story. Once upon a time Kenny Rogers was driving to Vegas from LA, and was listening to station out in the desert, well at some point during a stopset he heard a commercial for something like "Joe's Auto Service" and noticed one of his tracks was being used as the music bed. He got on the horn with his agent to see if there was a contract for "Joe's Auto Service". There was not. The station was issued a cease and desist order. The station agreed to pay $ 10000 in damages to avoid being taken to court. That 10K cost at least one employee their job as there was then not enough money go around for everyone's salary.