Fireworks and Radio Dubuque

[SteveGoodman]

I'm not one to be overly critical, however maybe someone can explain the logic behind something I witnessed.

This past weekend was the Dubuque Fireworks, again sponsored and hosted by Radio Dubuque...KDTH, Kat-FM, 101.1 the River and 97.3 KGRR. They have been doing this for a very long time, and it is almost with out question the largest community event in the Tri-State area.

The day starts with an afternoon "airshow" which was very, very well done this year. The MC they bring in really understands the format and does a good job, and the actual show was quite good.

This year, the airshow ended a good hour before the fireworks show began. At this point, you've got well over 100,000 people on the river front and surrounding bluffs, almost exclusively tuned to your radio properties. In our case, it was Kat-FM, and I'm sure we were part of the majority. They have been (along with KDTH) the face of this event for a generation.

Never, at any other point of the year (especially since they mangled the famous "Saturday Night Cruise") will they have such an opportunity to make an impression on an audience of that size. This is a better opportunity then most stations will ever get to sell yourself to an audienece many times the size of your normal listenership. IMHO, this should be the absolute best hour of programming you could possibly put together.

What do we hear? Marginal 80's tunes like 'Turning Japaneese.' There wasn't a current, even a recurrent in the whole group, that I noticed. Instead of giving a snapshot of what the station is, we got an 80's mixtape and a really poor job of 'selling' and 'hyping' the event. I understand they were a man down, but this IS your opportunity for the year. Bad, bad, bad.

The fireworks were shorter then normal, and they really have gone downhill from the standpoint of the music selected to go along with it, but that's another thread. I just do not understand the completely botched opportunity on the part of an organization that should have this night down to an absolute science by this point.

 

[pbf1]

Vapors

"Turning Japanese" is a good upbeat classic many people know. Why play currents that are burning, when you can play a great reaction record? Better chance of minimizing the, "ugh, not THIS again" response.

 

[SteveGoodman]

Re: Vapors

"Turning Japanese" is a good upbeat classic many people know. Why play currents that are burning, when you can play a great reaction record? Better chance of minimizing the, "ugh, not THIS again" response.

A few responses:

1)The point should be to have the absolute best hour of programming possible. There shouldn't be a dud, an out of place piece of imaging, nor any other misstep for that 60 minute period. This is your chance.

2)Turning Japaneese was just one example that stood out. It's not one of top-100 songs of that decade, not one of the most recognizable, nor a song that is probably testing off the charts. It's a fun tune, but it's going to be lost on a big part of the audience. More then that, it doesn't represent who you are as a station, and in this specific instance, that should be the whole point.

3)Currents do burn, but Kat-FM is not a current heavy station. It's not even a Hot-AC, but more of an adult Hot-AC if anything. If you can't find a few hot currents that aren't burning on your current audience, then you've got another list of problems that need to be addressed. At any given time, there should be at least a couple of currents that aren't burned, plus some solid recurrents (which were also missing) that can excite the audience. Over the course of one showcase hour, with probably a minimum of 10 units subtracted, and another 8-10 minutes of what should be 'hype' talk, you are left with 40-45 minutes, at MOST, to fill with selling your product. Over the course of that 45 minutes, any rolling 15 minute segment should be a 'snapshot' of your station, and at that they completely failed.

 

[pbf1]

Re: Vapors

2)Turning Japaneese was just one example that stood out. It's not one of top-100 songs of that decade, not one of the most recognizable, nor a song that is probably testing off the charts. It's a fun tune, but it's going to be lost on a big part of the audience. More then that, it doesn't represent who you are as a station, and in this specific instance, that should be the whole point.

Gee...how high did the Romantics' "What I Like About You" chart? Can you name Led Zeppelin's only top 10 hit? (Hint: it wasn't "Stairway To Heaven." That was never a single.) Chart positions of the past mean NOTHING today; otherwise, "One Bad Apple" by the Osmonds would be beaten to death by every Oldies station in America.

I've done 80's auditorium testing. The Vapors song usually does quite well as a reaction record.

Songs don't have to be currents (or even recurrents) to have high burn. Especially if the station is one running a tight list to begin with.

Maybe the goal was to provide a fun-change-of-pace time, rather than the usual "snapshot." If you disagree with that idea, fine, but you need to realize that they weren't doing with YOU thought they should do. Unless you know what they were thinking, you have no clue as to the correctness of its execution.

And 8-10 minutes of your "hype" talk is WAY too much on such a station. Make your point in :20 or less each time. Why risk tuneout? (Tuneout in this day and age doesn't mean just turning to another radio station; turning the radio OFF in favor of a cell phone/I-pod/etc. is an even bigger risk today.)

 

[SteveGoodman]

When refrencing a "top-100" that has nothing to do with actual historical chart history or position. Many songs that were never singles, or chart "hits" in their day would qualify as one of the "top-100" today, of that era, or overall. I thought that was clear, I apologize if it was not.

You helped make my point. Songs don't have to be anything to burn, and any song CAN burn. If they're doing their job, great songs that sell the station should be available for play that aren't burned.

I'm sure the goal was a 'fun, change of pace' time, I just happen to believe that is a poor decision. When your station isn't winning the ratings battles with the regularity it once was, there is no event any station ever has that is a bigger opportunity then this event is for this station. Admittedly, I don't know anything about their billing, so maybe ratings aren't their concern at this time. I've personally heard a lot of rumbling in Dubuque, both in and out of the industry, about the fall of this heritage station, hence I further questioned what I found to be a poor programming decision.

Obviously, the 8-10 minutes was over an hour, and an extremely large hour at that. They already (I'm assuming you aren't familiar with the event here) spend several hours, image, position and music free, during the air show, and 5+ minutes on crowd control and traffic issues in the hour leading up to the fireworks show. Based upon that, a few more minutes building the event, making it sound larger then it already is, and creating 'hype' is very well spent. The art of making an event (or even regular part of a regular show) sound "big" is quickly fading, I know, but this again was an opportunity lost, I thought.

 

[pbf1]

When your station isn't winning the ratings battles with the regularity it once was, there is no event any station ever has that is a bigger opportunity then this event is for this station.

And it's not winning the ratings battles it once was, perhaps something OTHER than their regular programming is in line.

The regular programming may work for regular (e.g., at work) listening, but not for a special occasion such as this.

 

[SteveGoodman]

When your station isn't winning the ratings battles with the regularity it once was, there is no event any station ever has that is a bigger opportunity then this event is for this station.

And it's not winning the ratings battles it once was, perhaps something OTHER than their regular programming is in line.

The regular programming may work for regular (e.g., at work) listening, but not for a special occasion such as this.

I can buy that idea, especially the first half. I simply disagree, and hoped that by posting it another point of view would be presented. It has, and I appreciate it.

 

[pbf1]

I can buy that idea, especially the first half. I simply disagree, and hoped that by posting it another point of view would be presented. It has, and I appreciate it.

I am neither defending nor attacking their execution OF the idea, though; just presenting a case for the idea.

Of course, I can't say whether that's what they WERE thinking. Maybe they weren't thing at all!

Just like the Tootsie Pop announcer used to say: "the world may never know."

 

[Wall Cloud]

I agree

with Steve -- especially since I believe they still simulcast the event on all of their stations. No time to get cute. Also, the daughter of KAT-FM's PD was killed in a car accident over the weekend. I'd say they get a pass if things weren't executed perfectly.

 

[SteveGoodman]

Re: I agree

with Steve -- especially since I believe they still simulcast the event on all of their stations. No time to get cute. Also, the daughter of KAT-FM's PD was killed in a car accident over the weekend. I'd say they get a pass if things weren't executed perfectly.

I heard that, and obviously it changes things in a big way. With that in mind, I probably wouldn't have mentioned it, had it not been par for the course over the past few years.

FWIW, considering the PD was missing, and the other jocks were dropped into positions they might not have been totally comfortable with, they did a pretty good job.

 

[tophour]

When your station isn't winning the ratings battles with the regularity it once was, there is no event any station ever has that is a bigger opportunity then this event is for this station.

Perhaps KAT doesn't beat the 12+ competition like a drum any longer, but they win where it counts: 25-54 and especially women 25-54. And yeah, they bill like crazy.

That's not to say I agree or disagree with your comments on the programming, Steve -- simply pointing out verifiable facts: the station's doing okay.

Obviously, the 8-10 minutes was over an hour, and an extremely large hour at that. They already (I'm assuming you aren't familiar with the event here) spend several hours, image, position and music free, during the air show, and 5+ minutes on crowd control and traffic issues in the hour leading up to the fireworks show. Based upon that, a few more minutes building the event, making it sound larger then it already is, and creating 'hype' is very well spent. The art of making an event (or even regular part of a regular show) sound "big" is quickly fading, I know, but this again was an opportunity lost, I thought.

Yup. It goes against every fiber of my programming being, but stopping down this much on fireworks night is a no-brainer. If you're unfamiliar with the event, it's totally understandable how you'd balk but it makes sense in context.

Maybe the goal was to provide a fun-change-of-pace time, rather than the usual "snapshot."

KAT was doing regular programming. They are all-'80s from 7p-midnight on weeknights and have been for years. Pretty well-rated daypart, too. That's not an opinion on whether or not it was the right thing to do (I'll keep those to myself :), simply pointing out it's what the station does.

 

[SteveGoodman]

Maybe the goal was to provide a fun-change-of-pace time, rather than the usual "snapshot."

KAT was doing regular programming. They are all-'80s from 7p-midnight on weeknights and have been for years. Pretty well-rated daypart, too. That's not an opinion on whether or not it was the right thing to do (I'll keep those to myself :), simply pointing out it's what the station does.

AHHH yes, that's right. I forgot about that show. I don't recall it being imaged as such during the hour being discussed, however. Had it been, it would've made much more sense, to me at least.

I figured the station was billing, and lord knows the 3rd of July is a jackpot night for the group as it is. While I questioned this one decision (any ratings or revenue numbers can always go up, right?) Kat is probably the station in town that sticks the most tightly to a well defined game plan, and executes it well.