Saw on Jimmy's Facebook page that he's upset that he's not getting any marketing... I've also heard he's not happy with not being able to open his show up more. How long does this relationship last???
-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
Jimmy Baron calling out Dave management?
- Thread starter Insideradio
- Start date
Inside your radio said:
If true about the marketing, this is typical of morning shows I've dealt with in the past, and when confronted with this as a PD I always turned it around by asking them what have THEY been doing to market THEMSELVES?
The answer, at least in my experience was: nothing, with only one exception.
As talent, and regardless of daypart, there's simply no excuse for not building you OWN personal, promotional database in this day and age. Between social networks that encourage viral exposure, the ability to harvest email addresses (simple: you ask each caller on the "request line" for their email address so you can personally thank them for calling), and the ability to "ask for the order" when meeting people (as in, "please listen to me on 92.9 tomorrow morning--then call me and tell me what you think"), it's a no-brainer.
I once worked with a morning show who, when in front of nearly 50,000 people at a music event, didn't ONCE mention when they were on the air nor invited people to listen "tomorrow morning beginning at 6am". Nothing like that. Instead, it was all kidding around onstage, with lots of inside jokes. Yet to assume that every single person in the place knew a)who they were and b)when they were on the air--that was a mistake. Because the event in question typically drew from a much larger universe than just the station listeners; it was a "family fun" thing with wide demo appeal as an "event" instead of something narrow-cast that would appeal only to P1 listeners, at that.
Alternate example: I worked with a morning guy who had a personal database of over 5,000 listeners, because he did the hard work associated with it. And they made a difference in us hiring their team when we used them on a try-out basis. This was back in 1995!
I always told morning people who worked for me that successful promotion of their show involved THEM, to a huge degree, and that promoting a morning show from their standpoint was EXACTLY like running for city council. Retail politics. Kissing babies. So, I'd suggest, after work, that they'd head to the nearest MARTA station or shopping mall or whatever, and shake hands, and "ask for the order" from everyone they met. Just like running for local office. Do it for one hour, every day, M-F. I'd offer up hot zip lists and the station van to support their efforts. Do that week in and week out in hot zips, and it'd make a difference. It HAD to. Because, again in my experience, once people meet you personally, they'll listen to you on the air even if they don't like the station that much. Because they can "brag" to their friends that they "know you".
Know how many morning people took me up on this?
You guessed it.
But they were the very first into the GMs office bitching about lack of billboards, or TV!
Word to Jimmy: you were 3 years out of work, right? Don't go there again, ok? Patience in the GM office is short these days, particularly when your numbers aren't exactly world-burners.
DAVE-FM not marketing its talent? I could have sworn I saw that in a blog somewhere.
I think Jimmy was goofing on the guy who mentioned that he didn't know Jimmy was at DAVE.
I think Jimmy was goofing on the guy who mentioned that he didn't know Jimmy was at DAVE.
wooder said:
That stupid that he posted the same email AGAIN on his page about an hour ago? There is truth to every "Joke." I agree with CX... I haven't heard ONE thing about Jimmy's show and DaveFM is not totally to blame here. Other than his FB page what has Jimmy done? Quit blaming the station and work within the parameters given to you.
yeah, what story@11 said!!!!!
I agree you have to market yourself. It's just a good self-defense move to try to make your brand as big or bigger than the station's.
However, it's obvious by keeping a lid and constraints on Jimmy and his show, the "management" has no intention of ever letting him get that successful, even if they're the ones who'd benefit from it.
Must be nice to be a radio station and feel no need to invest one red damn dime to market YOUR station and YOUR product, relying on the talent you're probably underpaying to do it for you for free and on their own time (if they have any after they're done voice tracking for your other markets for free).
How hard does it make sense to fight as a soldier when it's glaringly clear your commanders are not in the fight?
However, it's obvious by keeping a lid and constraints on Jimmy and his show, the "management" has no intention of ever letting him get that successful, even if they're the ones who'd benefit from it.
Must be nice to be a radio station and feel no need to invest one red damn dime to market YOUR station and YOUR product, relying on the talent you're probably underpaying to do it for you for free and on their own time (if they have any after they're done voice tracking for your other markets for free).
How hard does it make sense to fight as a soldier when it's glaringly clear your commanders are not in the fight?
The statements aren’t limited to radio…it’s the state of the world. Everyone with a job needs to market themselves, and then go above and beyond their job descriptions/expectations. If not, there are a gazillion people who are happy to step in and take over.
That being said, I agree completely with CK Dexter. These are easy, affordable steps that Jimmy and Yvonne can take to engage Atlanta. I hope they do. I’ve not been a huge fan of Jimmy in the past, but he’s grown on me. I like the relationship between him and Yvonne. He still rambles and is a know-it-all, but it’s been tamped down quite a bit. Just can’t understand why they are both not at every event (or non-event) in Atlanta. Didn’t Neil Millman do a whole write up on this in a previous post?
That being said, I agree completely with CK Dexter. These are easy, affordable steps that Jimmy and Yvonne can take to engage Atlanta. I hope they do. I’ve not been a huge fan of Jimmy in the past, but he’s grown on me. I like the relationship between him and Yvonne. He still rambles and is a know-it-all, but it’s been tamped down quite a bit. Just can’t understand why they are both not at every event (or non-event) in Atlanta. Didn’t Neil Millman do a whole write up on this in a previous post?
I think we can all agree it's not entirely the jocks' responsibility to market themselves any more than it's not the stations' entire responsibility to market the jocks. It needs to be a combined effort. Yes, the jocks should be at events, be active in the social networking arena, shake lots of hands, etc. But, by the same token, TV and billboard campaigns are proven winners and that's the station's responsibility. A solid tv/billboard campaign will expose a show to new people (something necessary for good cume) more than preaching to the same Facebook/Twitter followers (who are most likely P1's and P2's anyhow). It's ironic how radio stations are in the business of selling advertising yet are so hesitant to do it themselves.
A station needs to promote an unknown if they are brought in from out of state most aggressively. When you hire a known like Jimmy you expect an immediate audience. That is why he was hired in the first place. Everybody in the city familiar with Jimmy knows where he is. Sadly they just don't tune in.
Twenty20 said:
Twenty20--with respect--I believe the average person in Atlanta has no little or no clue who Jimmy is, nor do they care. Here's the hiring reality, done this with CBS in DC and also NYC, and so can speak from some position of knowledge: someone well known in the industry becomes available=someone we should hire for mornings=numbers. But, reality is a harsh mistress: no one knows or cares in real life. The "someone known in the industry" is not at all known in the real world of the market. The point is that as good as Jimmy may be (and I wish him nothing but the best), assuming that there's some kind of local "recognition" is idiotic. Witness the Jay Leno bits where people can't even name the VP of the USA--why, then, should they be expected to know Jimmy Baron in Atlanta?
Which brings me back to the point of my original post, which is: personalities have real power when they have backboned their marketing internally i.e., their own database of loyal people. I wonder if Jimmy, in all those years at 99X, ever leveraged his popularity to get the email addresses of his callers/fans? I hope so, because I want him to do well. But if not, that's a wasted opportunity.
It's not difficult to do. But it takes work.
Well put, Dexter. The assumption by 20 that Jimmy is known by everyone and everyone "knows where he is" - especially after being off the air 3+ years - is way off base. Perhaps everyone on radio-info.com knows who he is but the average person listening to radio/satellite/iPods has a life. I am one of Jimmy's 2000 followers on Facebook and Twitter and he does seem to put decent effort into promoting himself (it was probably one of the few good things he picked up from Barnes!). But getting exposure to people who don't even have Dave on their radar (and the ratings indicate that's a large number) is trickier. A station is more equipped to grow cume through advertising/marketing. The talent's job -in addition to shaking a lot of hands - is to turn that cume into TSL.
I would have to agree with most of CK's bit about self promotion. Though he sounds like the John Hogan Kool-Aid flavors of the world because they don't have a penny to spend anymore and that's their excuse, but he's right for the most part, DJ's can make a difference.
If someone like a Jimmy or any other so called "main on-air Personality" would make MORE efforts to do what someone like a Southside Steve does on daily basis every where he goes, his numbers would most certainly be somewhat better to say the least. How is it someone like a Southside Steve can walk into any dead zone event on the planet and make that entire place know he's in the building, yet today's top paid talents including probably the Regular Guys themselves will still just barely make the effort to reach out the best way possible to their listeners to have some interaction and let them know they are there to promote their presence or even the place they are there for?
A Southside Steve's on-site antics may not completely help "His stations" ratings that he is working for, but he is certainly not getting paid as a top dollar DJ either wherever he is at, but he is helping "his own following" which at least will benefit his value in the long run. And many personalities in any top market can learn from this guy when they see what he is capable of doing onsite.
At the end of the day, people remember the Southside Steve's of the day the next morning. Not the DJ sitting at the table talking about how he does or used to make 300k a year.
If someone like a Jimmy or any other so called "main on-air Personality" would make MORE efforts to do what someone like a Southside Steve does on daily basis every where he goes, his numbers would most certainly be somewhat better to say the least. How is it someone like a Southside Steve can walk into any dead zone event on the planet and make that entire place know he's in the building, yet today's top paid talents including probably the Regular Guys themselves will still just barely make the effort to reach out the best way possible to their listeners to have some interaction and let them know they are there to promote their presence or even the place they are there for?
A Southside Steve's on-site antics may not completely help "His stations" ratings that he is working for, but he is certainly not getting paid as a top dollar DJ either wherever he is at, but he is helping "his own following" which at least will benefit his value in the long run. And many personalities in any top market can learn from this guy when they see what he is capable of doing onsite.
At the end of the day, people remember the Southside Steve's of the day the next morning. Not the DJ sitting at the table talking about how he does or used to make 300k a year.
trig said:
Ummmm...isn't Southside Steve part of the Regular Guys? Last I heard, they had really good numbers and promote themselves pretty well yet have no commercials on TV and zero billboards I'm aware of and the signal is lousy. The rest of them get out there pretty good too. Larry and Eric blog and Facebook and do the Tea Parties. They are the only show with a full video webcast that runs 24/7. Mark is at the Braves games all summer long. Seabas' home is an RV at the Pony, and of course Steve is out all the time. It all adds up for the show.
This thread is stupid. Jimmy wasn't even complaining about his marketing, but CBS doesn't lift a dime to help him or themselves. Not a dime. I wouldn't blame him if he did complain. CBS is a dinosaur that should abandon local radio. They have no clue how to win. And if anyone on this board made anything like 300k a year, you'd understand that no one gets rich off that.
I realize you're trying to make your point, but the 100.5 signal is far from lousy. Yes, it's small compared to several stations. But it's right in town and very solid in the areas that have almost all the metro population. The one exception is office buildings farther out in Gwinnett County. In the Baltimore-Washington area, where I'm from, the strongest signals are about equal to WNNX.
After the power increase when Q100 occupied the frequency, the station had one of the highest cumes in the market, an indication that people could get the station. The TSL was what held Q100 back in those days.
If given my choice of stations, I'd take 100.5 over 95.5, 97.1, 107.5 and others.
After the power increase when Q100 occupied the frequency, the station had one of the highest cumes in the market, an indication that people could get the station. The TSL was what held Q100 back in those days.
If given my choice of stations, I'd take 100.5 over 95.5, 97.1, 107.5 and others.
RoddyFreeman said:
Not to pick nits and to each his own, and not to take away from your well-stated point, but I'd take 97.1 with its full 100k class C over just about anything else in the metro other than one of the 100k intown signals. Yes, the tower is out of town but that signal flat-out carries.
I disagree with Seabass that first of all, this is a stupid thread, and second, that Jimmy wasn't complaining. What do you want him to post? "CBS ISN'T DOIN SH*T FOR ME?"
This is the first time that the success of a show depends solely on Jimmy. I'm sure the pressure is overwhelming. If you've worked in radio you know that it will keep you up at night worrying about numbers and how to make your show better. It's not an easy gig. And it makes it tougher when you're not getting any support from the people that are expecting numbers from you. I've had gigs where you never know if today's shift will be your last... it's not a fun way to live. I have a feeling Jimmy is living that right now. We all know that contracts don't mean crap these days. Most companies have a 90 day out.
Jimmy posted today that he has no skills outside of radio...(tongue and cheek) but it means he's thinking about what's next if this doesn't work out.
I feel for Jimmy... I hope CBS keeps him around long enough to see if he can make a difference.
This is the first time that the success of a show depends solely on Jimmy. I'm sure the pressure is overwhelming. If you've worked in radio you know that it will keep you up at night worrying about numbers and how to make your show better. It's not an easy gig. And it makes it tougher when you're not getting any support from the people that are expecting numbers from you. I've had gigs where you never know if today's shift will be your last... it's not a fun way to live. I have a feeling Jimmy is living that right now. We all know that contracts don't mean crap these days. Most companies have a 90 day out.
Jimmy posted today that he has no skills outside of radio...(tongue and cheek) but it means he's thinking about what's next if this doesn't work out.
I feel for Jimmy... I hope CBS keeps him around long enough to see if he can make a difference.
- Status