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Changes for "DOT-FM" 96.7 WXZO....

The school of thought that plays non-music elements just to fill space is wrong. Period. As someone who programs in a PPM market, this has been proven again and again, over and over. You NEVER stop the music/not play music when you don't have to. There is no reason to condition the listener in order for them to notice less when actual spot loads increase and the entire stopset is filled with spot. The majority of listeners are out after the first spot regardless of the length of the break. And wouldn't it make sense to have music playing when they check back in 2, 3, or 4 minutes? Of course it would! Because if they check back and you are playing non-music elements that you don't have to, you lose them for another 2, 3, or 4 minutes.
 
rockcaptain said:
The majority of listeners are out after the first spot regardless of the length of the break.
Click to expand...

If this is factually true (and I'm not necessarily disputing that statement), why do advertisers accept placement in the middle of a spot set?

How does the sales department address questions they might get from savvy advertisers about this reality (if the sales department addresses it at all)?

Seems to me this is radio's dirty little secret about advertising and the money that supports radio.
 
Lester Young said:
rockcaptain said:
The majority of listeners are out after the first spot regardless of the length of the break.
Click to expand...

If this is factually true (and I'm not necessarily disputing that statement), why do advertisers accept placement in the middle of a spot set?

How does the sales department address questions they might get from savvy advertisers about this reality (if the sales department addresses it at all)?

Seems to me this is radio's dirty little secret about advertising and the money that supports radio.
Click to expand...

I wasn't as clear as I could have been. What I meant to say was the majority of the listeners who are going to tune out tune out after the first spot. Some listeners stick around longer than that but if you are going to tune out you are long gone before you can find out how long the break is.

And I really am not sure how sales handles those questions or if advertisers question them on it. I do know though that there are premium rates charged for premium placement (first spot in break). So advertisers do know the value of being first in break.
 
This is what is wrong with radio. All of you folks are debating whether the stopset should air at :20 when the competitor is doing a music sweep. You all debate why they are running a promo at the beginning and end of a stopset. This type of thinking shows you are programming to radio---not listeners. You never make mention that Planet usually runs just one stopset per hour. You say nothing about the fact that when Triple X is in commercials twice an hour Planet is playing the hits. Many years ago...someone came up with the concept that listeners would like to hear more songs in a row. That grew from 3 songs to 5 to 8 to 10 to 12. The thing is...someone thought and did something different. I'm sure people then thought they were nuts. You are blasting this station for playing a promo at the beginning and end of a stopset. Why shouldn't they? Because Triple X doesn't do it? They run a stopset at :20. Triple X runs two stopsets at :35 and :50. You want them to replicate Triple X? Why? Why not do something different?How do you know it isn't better to run your one hourly stopset at a different time so you can sweep with music through BOTH of their stopsets? PPM isn't in the Burlington market yet---but when it does arrive much of the research says the best time for stopsets is :15 amd :45. Will has been bashing Triple X every chance he gets on this board until Planet came along. Now Planet should be a mirror image of Triple X. Why? Because they have been successful? Planet won't out Triple X them. Planet needs to sound fresh to the listener...not a
re-cycled Triple X. I don't think it's gloom and doom for Planet if they run a stopset at :20 or play a promo into and out of the same break. We were given brians for reason...so we could think for ourselves and not just emulate those around us.
 
SoxSlugger said:
This type of thinking shows you are programming to radio---not listeners. You never make mention that Planet usually runs just one stopset per hour.
Click to expand...

If you read what I posted, you would have seen that everything that I said is backed up with PPM data. This is not programming to radio it is 100% programming to listeners. You really can't dispute listener patterns and other data you get from PPM. They are either listening or not.

SoxSlugger said:
You are blasting this station for playing a promo at the beginning and end of a stopset. Why shouldn't they? Because Triple X doesn't do it?
Click to expand...

No, they are getting blasted because they are playing a non music element when they don't have to. Anything but music on a music station drives listeners away. It is plain and simple stupid programming. Again, you don't play a non-music element when you don't have to. There is nothing earth shattering about this, it is just common sense and programming to listeners.
 
Well, what about the bookend spot strategy? An advertiser runs a short spot IN to the stopset, and then, another short spot at the END of the stopset. Theory, they will have their product top of mind as listeners are just coming out of their favorite song, and then, as well, they are top of mind when you go back into one of their favorite songs. (whether they actually sit through the whole stopset, or, tune away, and come back right at the end) Hmmm, maybe Planet is thinking this way, as they advertise themselves, and the benefits of listening....ways to win, who they are, what they do..... Provided these promo's are short, sweet, and drive home everything that's GREAT about Planet, I can understand why they do it that way.
Another thought, do they have clocks that accomodate syndication? I realize they are local most of the day, but not in the AM, and certain points on the weekend. Maybe some how they want to keep consistency for the points when they are syndicated? I dunno, just a weird thought....
Plus, as we ALL know in this business, if they decided to drop the promo at the end at this point, sales could argue this an opportunity to put another spot in there. HEY, you've got the room now.... Probably should stick with it at this point. A promo is much more acceptable to the listener than an ad, ya think?
 
So I just listened to the conclusion of this "cash grab" promotion. To be honest, I didn't know what the game entailed, as the promo never made that clear to me. I thought it would be one of those booths where the winner goes in and the money gets blown around and the player tries to grab the cash.

I have to say, I was very disappointed that the game entailed nothing more than drawing a number and being handed a corresponding bag. It's like "Deal or No Deal" on the radio. No shot at Slater, who did his best, but even Orson Welles couldn't turn that into compelling radio. I expected a more elaborate game for a live remote broadcast.

As for the winner, he got $1,000, or one-tenth of the announced prize. You spent all autumn trashing the X in the promos...but the X gave away $100 at a time like they said they would. And I'm sure they had more than ten winners.
 
Heard the new Avril Lavigne today...of course, I know what it is, because I follow the hits. But it's still a very new song. And yet, they didn't sell it. And Ginger talked after the song. Come on guys...fundamentals.
 
New song out of a stopset...I wouldn't advise that, but if you're going to do that, how about a frontsell first?

And what the F is Slater talking about regarding "Born This Way" sampling "Express Yourself?" They're similar, but there's no actual sample there. Unless I'm going deaf.
 
You're right Will, no sampling on Lady Gaga, but similar indeed.

NEW music out of a stopset is never advised as far as I'm concerned. I always try to make it something that is well established, or at least on it's way to being so.
 
ThatGuyOnTheRadio said:
You're right Will, no sampling on Lady Gaga, but similar indeed.

NEW music out of a stopset is never advised as far as I'm concerned. I always try to make it something that is well established, or at least on it's way to being so.
Click to expand...

Yeah, there's a TON of listeners dying to hear "Hotel California" one...more...time...

:D
 
ThatGuyOnTheRadio said:
What does an Eagles song have to do with music on a CHR?

Am I missing something Lester?
Click to expand...

I was speaking of the vast sea of radio stations stuck in the past with a tiny core group of "classic" songs...but in time, the analogy will eventually be applied to the biggest hits from 2010...
 
I like this 5 o'clock Traffic Jam mix show...but it would sound even better if Slater's live phone conversation with a listener wasn't heard under it. Facepalm.
 
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