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MISS 101's conflict of interest?

P

portkey

Guest
As I listened to MISS 101's morning show today, I heard something that I have never heard before (in my nearly 20 years of radio):
I heard Debbie do THREE live reads (all within a few breaks), and in each spot she pitched a restaurant. Confusing, right?
Oh, it gets worse. Debbie is the owner of TWO of those restaurants. Okay, I really don't have a problem with that. As long as she paid for those spots (certainly she did).
I feel the conflict of interest arises when the other restaurant is talked about. If I owned Little Caesars, the place she does not own, there is no way I would allow my competition to make the 'pitch.'

Am I wrong that this feels wrong?
 
I think she did a bang up job on the ad lib. Why would having 2 restaurant spots in the same hour be a conflict? How many car spots run in an hour? Just paying the bills and trying to make the client money.
 
By the way it was 2 live reads and in your 20 years you must not have listened to WOKK when they used to have alot of live reads. Did not hurt the shares and clients were happy. But I think they are down to one live read a day. Wonder why>
 
If the clients are happy with several live reads per hour on MS 101and they don't have a problem with 3 restaurants in the same hour, what's the big deal? However, I don't believe for one second that WOKK has 1 live read a day. That's absurd. As a matter of fact, WOKK has stepped it up a notch and it sounds really good these days. I'm sure most advertisers on MS 101 realize that Debbie owns a couple of restaurants. Just think you have your panties/boxers in a wad over nothing. ::)
 
I agree with you tonedeaf. they have stepped it up, but I do really believe they are only doing one read a day. Maybe a consultant told them to get rid of them. They have had them for years and and it never hurt the ratings before. Consultants hate live reads. Advertisers love them. They make money for all.
 
Radiogal, I think you and Tonedeaf are missing the point of Portkey's post. It seemed to me that the point she was trying to make was that if 2 out of 3 of the live reads she does are for her own two restaurants, that third advertiser might have a good reason to feel that his spot might be getting shorted. Am I right, Portkey? If so, I think I would tend to agree with you. That certainly would seem to me to be a conflict of interest for a radio personality to do that; in fact, I wonder if Clear Channel might not have some type of rule against that? Can Debbie really sound quite as enthusiastic for Little Caesars as she does her own restaurants? She may need to look up the word 'ethics'!
 
Nope..... did not miss the point. No different than doing 4 car dealers, I don't think they are doctors or anything, ETHICS? It's 60 seconds of airtime.
 
Yes, you have missed the point. If 3 out of 4 of the car dealerships belonged to Debbie, then I think the fourth dealership would probably not get quite the same level of ad lib as her own businesses. See what I mean? ::)
 
Well, that's where the 'ethics' and 'conflict of interest' part comes in. Even if she does it subconsciously, it would be hard not to plug your own business just a little more. It's the same theory as not letting doctors own hospitals; they would have a vested interest in sending their patients to the hospitals they owned instead of where the best care was. See what I'm trying to say?
 
What do you think she is going to do? Tell people that pizza is fattening and salad is healthy? Get real people. This is insane. Find something else to pick on Miss.
 
Well, radiogal, I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on this point. Hopefully, this won't cause MS101 any problems down the road, and if it does, I'm sure Debbie will step up and do the right thing - whatever that needs to be. I do have to admit The Salad Factory has a great salad bar!
 
Agreed. It is the best salad bar and I bet she would say the home of the hot and ready is the best pizza. 5 dollar pizza anytime...... I'm hungry. I think I will go and get some???????????????????????????????
 
I'm glad you are on here justifying your actions. But to brag on yourself---not cool.
What would it hurt if Scotty Ray read the live spots for the other restaurant? It would be more appropriate, and it would take away the burden of proof from you. Seriously, not that I care that much, just think about it. It would increase your credibility.
 
Yep. Conflict of interest for sure. Would never fly in a bigger market.
 
Someone please tell me... if the advertiser isn't complaining, what difference does it make? If Debbie is reading that many live ads during a break, it tells me one thing... the advertisers are getting results and apparently don't have a problem with any "conflicts" some of you want to dream up.

RFB
 
Let me explain the conflict of interest since some here don't understand.
The conflict happens because the person doing the live spot is associated with that particular client/product/industry. Is it illegal or unethical when too many are done? No. But a live read IS different from a recorded commercial. The point of doing live commercials (from an advertiser's standpoint) is to have a prominent figure i.e., someone on a morning show, 'endorse' them. See how credibility can be damaged? If someone plugs anybody and everybody, it makes listeners think, "Who in the hell does this person TRULY like?"
And once again, think about this from a listener's point of view (which is difficult sometimes). Do you think someone really wants to hear the same information about the same business at the same time every day? Absolutely no! That's the reason consultants hate them...they don't benefit listeners.
 
Radiogal, are you in fact Debbie Alexander? From Portkey's last post, it sounded like they knew ( or thought) that you were. If you are, why are you replying in the third person, why not just come right out and say who you are? That kinda seems weird to talk about yourself as if you are someone else. Just a thought.
 
I really don't understand the attack. The live reads are rotated and I think most would agree that you can like more than one product. Food comes in many different forms. That is why we have different restaurants. If you bought a truck from Toyota would you refuse to do an adlib for Chevrolet? And I believe someone is trying to stir something up that has not been a problem. As far as revealing your name. I think there is one person with three ID's on here. Not you rfburns. It is funny that all three of those id's came on only to attack the new station. Find something better to complain about. How many adlibs do you do? Rfburns understands if the client is happy and the listeners are happy.... then why not the three of you? Portkey, justpayinthebills and jayjones? ???



rfburns said:
Someone please tell me... if the advertiser isn't complaining, what difference does it make? If Debbie is reading that many live ads during a break, it tells me one thing... the advertisers are getting results and apparently don't have a problem with any "conflicts" some of you want to dream up.

RFB
 
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