Overcoming Talk PD Groupthink

[smedge2006]

The failure of Greenstone Media (not the failure to get an audience when the audience could actually hear it,
but the failure to persuade Talk PDs to pick it up) begs a few questions.

Any number of people (including Holland Cooke) have been preaching the need to build talk stations that are more female-friendly. Yet a project like this can't get one of the big operators to pick it up -- a record worse than Air America's.

Certainly the vertical integration of syndicators and station owners is a factor -- but so is the paint-by-numbers mentality of most talk PDs. Most are no longer involved in active talent development. They are people who assemble a jigsaw puzzle of whatever syndicated product the corporate office can get cleared for them, throw in a few infomercials and some play by play sports, maybe a lame local morning show. They have all the originality of an Iditarod dog sled team -- all looking at the rear end in front of them.

It's interesting to note that a feminist woman, Whoopi Goldberg, is getting traction all over the country -- because stations are being told to carry her. Corporate cramdown trumps groupthink.

This isn't really a post about Greenstone -- it's a post about all efforts to launch a new product and reach new audiences that are not part of the talk radio niche. What antidotes exist to PD Groupthink, other than
a boot in the butt from Corporate HQ?

 

[doublecashkgb]

Are you kidding?. What position did you hold btw at Greenstone?. Don't attempt to refocus the blame, it was a bad, even terrible product. So bad it was laughable. Flat, uninspired, & most importantly not entertaining. Its not about Female talk, its about entertaining the listener be it female or male. There are stations (few) that have been successful in targeting women, however they understand the critical need to entertain, not merely inform.

 

[gr8oldies]

You have to produce a track record if you expect talk PDs to drop what's already working.

 

[FTL_Ian]

I posted this to my industry e-mail list today. I think it has some relevance. You can read the full post here:
http://groups.google.com/group/FTL_IE/t/45832515c2848f45

____________________________________________________________________________________________


In the world of syndicated talk radio, talk hosts and networks come
and go more often than they stick around. As a result of this
instability, many program directors are justified in their reticence
to embrace content from newer networks. Witness the case of
Greenstone Media, the female targeted talk network that closed its
doors last Friday after only one year of broadcasting.

I don't purport to know if their programming was any good, but
presuming that it was I have to wonder if their investors were
informed correctly about how difficult the process of acquiring new
affiliates can be. Did they think that they could just pick up the
phone, pitch their concept to a station and have the General Manager
get on his knees and thank them for offering him a new show/concept/
format?

Garnering new affiliates is a delicate process. It takes time. Dues
must be paid.

I remember when I first started making affiliate relations calls three
years ago for Free Talk Live. Having absolutely zero experience at
that time in syndicated radio, prior to picking up the phone to make
my first call I had hoped to acquire 50 affiliates in the first year.
It didn't take me very long to figure out that this was not going to
be the case. Reality Check: As we wrap up our third year in
syndication we are approaching 30 affiliates. Greenstone managed to
get eight affiliates in their first year - not enough to sustain their
top-heavy operations.

My inexperienced exuberance did not harm my program's future, as I did
not have any investors with millions of dollars at stake. Greenstone
did, and they pulled the plug.

...more at: http://groups.google.com/group/FTL_IE/t/45832515c2848f45