Radio Catch22s

[John FL]

When I heard about iHeartMedia’s recent downsizing initiative in the West Palm Beach market, I was saddened but not surprised. On-air talent who lose their livelihood is a common occurrence and it’s been that way for a long time. Posters on the various local boards frequently don’t even bother reporting these happenings. Apparently, they aren’t newsworthy.

Downsizing remains a bitter pill with me because I question how much of it is really justified. AC WOLL (KOOL 105.5) has been a popular station for quite a lot of years. There’s good ratings, a heritage female-friendly format, and a perfect station at work, and all attract advertisers. One would think a seasoned and well-known host such as Mike Perry broadcasting on a highly successful station would be safe.

There’s a good deal we will never know about corporate decision making. If you remember the old western “High Noon,” you’re reminded that when your time is up, it’s up. Also, everything is temporary and that probably is the best answer to explain just about anything.

Radio sees much competition, more than ever. We’ve been hearing about radio’s demise for a good number of years. Nielsen has proven to be an invaluable resource to counter the many urban legends. Still, in my view, downsizing activities only fosters poor radio health speculation.

We can look at digital streaming services such as Spotify where it’s marketed as ‘music for everybody’ and this was supposed to be another nail in radio’s coffin. That hasn’t happened. In fact, more people hear new music from commercial AM/FM radio than from any other source.

Traditional AM/FM radio reaches over 90% of consumers. In 2001, according to Nielsen, the reach was 96%. Down a tad today but there is again lots of competition from numerous platforms. If the reach was perhaps down to 50%, the alarm bells would rightfully be sounded and downsizing a more accepted and justified business model.

So, on the question of downsizing, the various big radio corporations get a good deal of criticism. Is that justified? Are listener preferences when it comes to “D.J. chit-chat” accurately reflected in on air presentation and style?

I don’t believe these are easy questions to answer. Replacing a live talent with a voicetracked show or just another jockless one as so often happens in middays now has to make you wonder. Is it purely economic AND necessary or does this represent what P1’s of a station demand in their favorite station? Maybe a little of both? Then again, does the individual market dictate decisions and operations?

In the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale market, I continue to marvel at Cox Media’s AC WFEZ for their broadcasting excellence. They have a full roster of jocks. Each has a unique style that complements the station’s vibe. Even on the weekends, several dayparts are hosted by live talent. It’s a great sound and apparently, listeners have come to love the station as well evidenced from their fantastic ratings.

If we compare WFEZ to West Palm’s WOLL, perhaps billing is one of those ‘Radio Catch 22s’ that dictates the amount of live talent a station can afford. Bigger markets have advantages. Still, there may be issues with iHeart Media’s West Palm cluster and their profitability making Mike Perry just another hapless victim. I can only speculate.
Anyway, there’s lots to think about and discuss. Catch 22s are a part of many businesses. I believe radio has a number of Catch 22s that are worth discussing. These can have adverse effects on performance, including keeping one’s job. This subject string is off the ground.

 

[TheBigA]

If we compare WFEZ to West Palm’s WOLL, perhaps billing is one of those ‘Radio Catch 22s’ that dictates the amount of live talent a station can afford. Bigger markets have advantages. Still, there may be issues with iHeart Media’s West Palm cluster and their profitability making Mike Perry just another hapless victim. I can only speculate.

Credit Cox Media, owner of WFEZ, for their commitment to local talent. They seem to have that same commitment company wide. Not so much for iHeart. Companies such as Entercom, Bonneville, and Hubbard are more likely to have a full local staff. Also formats often dictate the amount of local talent. WOLL is an AC station, so there's less need for personality. WFEZ is soft AC, aiming older than traditional AC, and their audience appreciates local talent. Country, CHR, Classic Hits are more likely to have personalities on staff. And certainly the point you make about profitability of the cluster will determine the size of the staff. They can only pay for the amount of people they can afford.

 

[davideduardo]

WFEZ is soft AC, aiming older than traditional AC, and their audience appreciates local talent.

I'd somewhat disagree with that. WFEZ has pretty consistently been between #1 and #3 in 18-34 in Miami, so I think that the better definition of soft AC is mood based, not age-defined.

Cox has developed a format based on older music that does not sound "old" to the listener... it just sounds "nice".

 

[John FL]

WFEZ has pretty consistently been between #1 and #3 in 18-34 in Miami, so I think that the better definition of soft AC is mood based, not age-defined.

Cox has developed a format based on older music that does not sound "old" to the listener... it just sounds "nice".

Impressive numbers and why WFEZ is considered an incredible success. BTW, there's a good number of contemporary songs from the 90s to this century presented each hour. The readers shouldn't assume the playlist is very old. There's 70s selections but it's all done so incredibly well that as you say..it just sounds so nice. Great variety and incredible on-air team.

Radio often times attempts to duplicate a successful format or variation of a format, in this case, AC, elsewhere. This can result in another Catch 22. I believe we can agree that no two markets are identical. Still, with some market variations, the desire is for lightning to strike again is often tried.

Not all radio management is of the same mold. There may not be similar expertise in the format, interpersonal skills may be lacking, and the market size and billing could have adverse affects on promotional budgets and talent hires. As I've mentioned earlier, there are some clear advantages of managing a station/cluster in a big market. But that's also an excuse used too often as well. I still believe smaller market stations can perform incredibly well but it's imperative the management has the smarts and ambition to pull it together.

Cox launched the Easy brand in Jacksonville a few years ago. (WEZI) Virtually no one on the boards talks about the station because they aren't worthy of it. Honestly, there's no comparison except the same brand name. Maybe they're doing okay in 25-54 as they are very contemporary. But they are "Easy" in name alone.

Perhaps there's a fine line between what I consider Catch 22 situations and appealing to the market where there are limited budget resources to include more airteam talent.

 

[John FL]

I’d like to expand on my previous comments from the last post.

“Making do with what you got.” It’s not always about budgets and money but it’s also about the teams in place. Skill sets is one thing but the ability to catch on quickly to new and expanded responsibilities is critical. I consider this a major Catch 22 situation because so much rides on this to include the potential difficulties in achieving success.

For those of you who were a part of highly successful station/format, you’d probably agree that every touch point in that operation was firing on all cylinders. From the sales team to engineering to programing to talent to management, there was commitment to excellence and to winning. There was probably great morale where people actually loved their jobs. I see WFEZ that way.

Wearing many hats is expected today whether in radio or for that matter most business and Corporate America. But, not everyone is up to the task. There may be team members who are jack of all trades but master of none or very few. That’s not healthy in the long run.

A member of management who is overseeing a few formats may be called upon to manage a new or another format for which he/she lacks expertise. So, they give it their best shot. Sometimes, things work out and sometimes they don’t. Success depends on support as well and I’ve experienced very little of that. It’s long been an aspect of radio for which I never understood. Having the wrong people in place is costly. Flipping formats are costly. They are disruptive to both listeners and to advertisers. It doesn't always have to be that way especially if the right people are in place and proper investments made as well. I subscribe to the philosophy that you need to spend some $ to make some $.

I believe it was in 2005 that Renda Broadcasting in Jacksonville decided to flip one of their classic rock formats to an updated version of oldies and one that I considered the genesis of the “Greatest Hits” brand of Classic Hits. The playlist mirrored a sister station in Oklahoma. It was chock full of 70s hits featuring rock, soul, pop, and even disco. There were traditional 60s songs too but in a reduced rotation so they didn’t sound like a typical oldies.

The format was a disaster. That in itself was a shame because there were good bones. In the hands of someone else, and especially another company, the odds for success would have increased. It was only logical that would be the case.

The PD left radio but had the courage to admit on the North Florida board that he was in over his head. He knew nothing about programing and running that kind of format. But the owner insisted on giving him a chance. There was on air talent and a successful PD who had programed the original “Cool FM” (WKQL) who even would have taken a consultant role. None of that happened due to budget restraints. It was a shame, really.

The new WKQL was not on a full market signal. The station actually sounded more like a local in S. Georgia than it did in a lot of Jax and south. It’s another Catch 22. Lower power stations are not always given the support required to make a difference and be an asset to the cluster. Yes, I expect the cash cow(s) in the cluster to get the lion’s share of promotional $$ but too often, I’ve seen perfectly viable formats go down the tubes because of lack of even a little TLC.

 

[John FL]

I was rather surprised the last post didn’t generate comments. There’s many experiences that could be told of budget issues that impeded format performance and/or clueless management. We don’t have many storytellers on the radio boards as we used to have which is a shame. I’ve long believed that much can be gained via past experiences. Lessons learned are priceless yet radio repeats the same mistakes. I also admit that this Florida board just doesn't generate much activity.

In some ways, these radio boards mirror society. We have become introverted and absorbed in our technology toys that compete for our attention. R.D. had many more active participants years ago. Perhaps there’s a feeling their opinions won’t change anything. I’ve felt that way too. My participation is way down compared to the past. I contacted a few "active" posters from the past who told me they didn’t like the feeling of being belittled or getting into repetitious arguments involving the same subjects so they just don’t bother.

In Bill Maher’s last show and I’m paraphrasing, he said the general public doesn’t want to read through a lot of facts. Just get to the point, and give them a yes or no answer. My detailed-analysis posts are probably a turn-off to those who prefer short and sweet. It wasn’t always that way. Happy were the days where many of my strings earned thousands of views and would generate 5, or 10 or more pages of responses.

Today, I do most of the talking to keep the string alive. Honestly, I prefer active participation. Diversity of opinions are a good and healthy thing for radio. I always believed that and as I have said many times, I’ve changed my views based on other persuasive posters, especially those who are not condescending. But, we have become a society that is not tolerant of viewpoints that differ from our own.

Long time radio broadcasters, especially those who are not on morning drive, such as the aforementioned Mike Perry, are dismissed from the station and there may be one or a handful of comments from listeners responding to that event. The truth is and this is another Radio Catch 22. Most listeners don’t know the names of the jocks on a station.

Because typical listeners don’t want to hear a lot of “DJ patter” especially after AM drive, there’s very little time to make an impression. Social media is an invaluable tool for talent to cozy up with listeners. It’s amazing how in this day and age so few take advantage of that means to bond with listeners.

A number of larger companies seem to make it difficult to find their on-air talent on the website. Perhaps there’s a drop down menu where listeners will come across “DJ blogs.” Perhaps the motivator in doing it that way is to easily remove all traces of that jock’s existence should they get dismissed. A couple of key strokes and they’re gone! It’s silly stuff and doesn’t serve the station well in the long run. I would think your on-air talent being a major investment should be promoted and not hidden.

Without sounding like a broken record, I point to Cox Media’s WFEZ in doing social media right. All their on-air talent is fully engaged posting memes, quotes, photos, news stories, community events – you name it. They also post their names like this ~ John. I’ve come across a good number of station FB pages where I’ve seen “I” but we don’t know who the “I” is. A station is not a person. Maybe I’m missing something. It’s lost opportunity in my view. More Catch 22 that can impede performance.

Anyway, some more grist for the mill to consider. Here on the Treasure Coast which is part of the West Palm TV market, the aforementioned WOLL runs a good number of spots promoting their station featuring a sampling of the music played on the station.

Music. It’s supposed to be the bread and butter of a station. That’s a topic worth exploring in the world of Catch 22s. That’s upcoming

 

[gr8oldies]

I think the lack of use and participation on this board has more to do with the "old radio guy" conversation having largely moved to a number of Facebook groups. If all that conversation was still here, as it was in the pre-Facebook days, this board would be buzzing 24/7.

I was rather surprised the last post didn’t generate comments. There’s many experiences that could be told of budget issues that impeded format performance and/or clueless management. We don’t have many storytellers on the radio boards as we used to have which is a shame. I’ve long believed that much can be gained via past experiences. Lessons learned are priceless yet radio repeats the same mistakes. I also admit that this Florida board just doesn't generate much activity.

In some ways, these radio boards mirror society. We have become introverted and absorbed in our technology toys that compete for our attention. R.D. had many more active participants years ago. Perhaps there’s a feeling their opinions won’t change anything. I’ve felt that way too. My participation is way down compared to the past. I contacted a few "active" posters from the past who told me they didn’t like the feeling of being belittled or getting into repetitious arguments involving the same subjects so they just don’t bother.

In Bill Maher’s last show and I’m paraphrasing, he said the general public doesn’t want to read through a lot of facts. Just get to the point, and give them a yes or no answer. My detailed-analysis posts are probably a turn-off to those who prefer short and sweet. It wasn’t always that way. Happy were the days where many of my strings earned thousands of views and would generate 5, or 10 or more pages of responses.

Today, I do most of the talking to keep the string alive. Honestly, I prefer active participation. Diversity of opinions are a good and healthy thing for radio. I always believed that and as I have said many times, I’ve changed my views based on other persuasive posters, especially those who are not condescending. But, we have become a society that is not tolerant of viewpoints that differ from our own.

Long time radio broadcasters, especially those who are not on morning drive, such as the aforementioned Mike Perry, are dismissed from the station and there may be one or a handful of comments from listeners responding to that event. The truth is and this is another Radio Catch 22. Most listeners don’t know the names of the jocks on a station.

Because typical listeners don’t want to hear a lot of “DJ patter” especially after AM drive, there’s very little time to make an impression. Social media is an invaluable tool for talent to cozy up with listeners. It’s amazing how in this day and age so few take advantage of that means to bond with listeners.

A number of larger companies seem to make it difficult to find their on-air talent on the website. Perhaps there’s a drop down menu where listeners will come across “DJ blogs.” Perhaps the motivator in doing it that way is to easily remove all traces of that jock’s existence should they get dismissed. A couple of key strokes and they’re gone! It’s silly stuff and doesn’t serve the station well in the long run. I would think your on-air talent being a major investment should be promoted and not hidden.

Without sounding like a broken record, I point to Cox Media’s WFEZ in doing social media right. All their on-air talent is fully engaged posting memes, quotes, photos, news stories, community events – you name it. They also post their names like this ~ John. I’ve come across a good number of station FB pages where I’ve seen “I” but we don’t know who the “I” is. A station is not a person. Maybe I’m missing something. It’s lost opportunity in my view. More Catch 22 that can impede performance.

Anyway, some more grist for the mill to consider. Here on the Treasure Coast which is part of the West Palm TV market, the aforementioned WOLL runs a good number of spots promoting their station featuring a sampling of the music played on the station.

Music. It’s supposed to be the bread and butter of a station. That’s a topic worth exploring in the world of Catch 22s. That’s upcoming

 

[CTListener]

I think the lack of use and participation on this board has more to do with the "old radio guy" conversation having largely moved to a number of Facebook groups. If all that conversation was still here, as it was in the pre-Facebook days, this board would be buzzing 24/7.

Exactly. One of my other interests is horse racing, and I belong to two boards like this one. One has gone nearly dead, the other is down to a couple of dozen active posters and only generates heavy activity around Triple Crown/Breeders' Cup time. But the Facebook racing groups I subscribe to are jumping year-round. And they're the only places where the fans are joined by people who used to be in the business -- former trainers and jockeys, mainly. The boards consist mainly of two types of people: gamblers/handicappers and horse lovers.

 

[TheBigA]

A number of larger companies seem to make it difficult to find their on-air talent on the website. Perhaps there’s a drop down menu where listeners will come across “DJ blogs.” Perhaps the motivator in doing it that way is to easily remove all traces of that jock’s existence should they get dismissed.

I don't see that at all. The web format for iHeart and Cumulus has "Shows" or "DJs" or "On Air" as the very first thing in the menu. I went to WOLL and they have a photo at the top of their page that says "On Air Now." Even if the DJs are syndicated or from another city, they're listed, with a brief bio. So I'm not sure who you mean by "larger companies."

 

[John FL]

I don't see that at all. The web format for iHeart and Cumulus has "Shows" or "DJs" or "On Air" as the very first thing in the menu. I went to WOLL and they have a photo at the top of their page that says "On Air Now." Even if the DJs are syndicated or from another city, they're listed, with a brief bio. So I'm not sure who you mean by "larger companies."

You know, I checked like you did and I'll give this one to you. I stand corrected. I'm usually more thorough and may have remembered events from the past. To back peddle just a bit here, I believe I should have been clearer about social media pages such as Facebook and not seeing much talent presence there. But at any rate, thanks for helping keep me honest.

To the previous poster, gr8oldies and CTListener, thanks for your comments. I never thought FB would have an impact on the activity in Radio Discussions. I find accessing R.D. a non-event and easy. I think a big problem was when this website went by the wayside X number of years ago. When it came back, there are posters who probably never knew it did and just moved on to other things.

CT, I read a lot of your posts and respect your opinions. When the Christmas ratings came out and the AC numbers went through the roof, you talked about the need for more female listener representation on the board to find out why they love the Christmas format as much as they do. That would have been interesting.

I'd also love to see more young people and urban fans too. I'm in my 60s and as much as I profess to keeping an open mind about things and it's not always easy to do, many of my radio posts are about radio's past because that's what I know and what I feel comfortable with even though I make present time connections. This string is a bit out of the norm for me but giving it a shot nonetheless.

This board could be a lot more interesting than just the opinions of baby boomer men. Radio Discussions has a Twitter page but it's been inactive for quite some time. They have lots of interesting radio followers there with varied backgrounds. They should keep up with that perhaps highlighting various formats to get attention. I'd like to see more done to attract a wider range of posters. Just like radio stations need to reinvent themselves, R.D. needs to do the same.

 

[TheBigA]

I believe I should have been clearer about social media pages such as Facebook and not seeing much talent presence there.

Typically the air talent has their own personal page. The station site is to promote the station, and is usually run by the marketing department. The station ite might retweet a talent post, but that's the difference.

 

[John FL]

As promised, we continue with the subject of music on the radio.

Invariably, most discussions about playlists and music recommendations digress into music testing and 25-54 or other demo consideration. I understand both concerns and you can even call them necessities in the business of radio.

For a programmer or PD, for example, he or she will probably cite many Catch 22s involved with approaching music selection in a different way. So, they stick with the status quo as it’s safer. Also, the reality is many PDs are just not empowered to make music decisions on their own.

In the awesome “Dirty Dancing” move, Patrick Swayze said “The steps aren’t enough. Feel the music.” I wholeheartedly agree. For the sake of this discussion, I’m not challenging the results of formal music testing. But I also believe it’s not just what listeners say about the music, but it’s also about emotions and behaviors tied to the songs as well. Those can be very strong and it’s a great opportunity for radio.

When I lived in Jacksonville, I had the pleasure of meeting Tony Mann who was a MD and personality at the legendary CHR WAPE back in the 90s and early part of this century. He exemplifies the perfect guy to help pick the music. There was a short-lived “real” (Variety genre based, not just rock) classic hits station that came to Jacksonville in 2010. The station made a wise decision in hiring him for PM drive. He was a very well known quantity in the market.

At the station’s first and only anniversary promotion party, Tony “DJ’d” and he was totally in his element. He’s got a mobile DJ service for wedding etc. as many broadcasters have as a side job. He also hosts an 80s internet radio show as well. He’s Mr. Music. Interestingly, when an audio of the station played in the background, there wasn’t much interest at all. But when Tony started playing songs on his own, the crowd got into it dancing and singing along. There was a huge difference and reaction. Even with Tony's skill sets and musical knowledge, the station never really took advantage of his expertise. Another Catch 22.

It wasn’t unusual to find Tony getting into the music even in the studio where he did his moves. The point to all of this is music is analyzed to the nth degree. It’s like one big science project and in my view, there’s a time you move out of the laboratory and observe life and what’s turning the folks on.

Remember when the first Guardians of the Galaxy became a box office smash back in 2014? Besides a great screenplay, there was an incredible soundtrack. I wound up seeing the movie 3 times and each time I observed the behavior of those all around me in the theater. I was blown away. Every age group, including kids, were singing along. In fact, I posted my feelings about that on the boards. What a great opportunity for classic hits stations especially to feature those soundtrack songs in specialty programing tied to a contest promotion too.

Most stations missed the boat. I believe WCBS-FM in NYC did something but they were always on the cutting edge. No one in Jax touched it. I suppose these programing decisions requiring analyzing for impacts to 25-54 and need to go up the chain of command. Sometimes, you have to strike when the iron is hot. In time a decision was rendered, any effectiveness of that programing would have been negated.

As WOLL (KOOL 105.5) has been discussed in this string, I’ll use them to make another point. Here on the Treasure Coast we are a part of the West Palm Beach TV market. We see lots of commercials for WOLL. A young lady is at her desk at work is literally having a blast listening to her favorite upbeat songs. It’s a great visual and effective spot. It demonstrates how much music plays in our lives. Music is meant to be enjoyed. Great radio exudes fun. To me, a lot of radio broadcasters are made to sound so sterile even with all the upbeat songs many stations feature. Something is off and most of it is just not memorable. But then, Nielsen tells us of radio's great health. I'm not disputing their findings but I still believe radio can sound better than it does. That's just my opinion.

More on music Catch 22’s upcoming.

 

[TheBigA]

For a programmer or PD, for example, he or she will probably cite many Catch 22s involved with approaching music selection in a different way. So, they stick with the status quo as it’s safer. Also, the reality is many PDs are just not empowered to make music decisions on their own.

It depends on the station and the format. The thing to understand is that something very big happened between the 60s and the 80s. The LISTENERS became empowered to make music decisions. If you think about radio in the 50s and 60s, it was not just a source for music, it was the ONLY source, and not just for music but news about music and culture. In the 60s, television began to enter the picture, playing records and showing teens dancing to the music. That was the beginning of a process of empowering listeners. But for the most part, the music decisions were made by radio or TV. But what started to happen in the 70s was home music playing devices became smaller, cheaper, and more prevalent. Then the ability to make ones own tapes meant listeners could become their own radio stations. Things really sped up with the Walkman. Then the iPod. Now streaming. Along the way, the power that was once in the hand of the DJ or the PD was now in the hands of everyone. How does that change the role of the DJ and PD? Can you put the toothpaste back in the tube?

My view in this is it doesn't matter who in radio makes the playlist decision, because the goal ultimately is to have those decisions reflect those of the listeners.

 

[John FL]

It depends on the station and the format.

My view in this is it doesn't matter who in radio makes the playlist decision, because the goal ultimately is to have those decisions reflect those of the listeners.

Your timeline analysis is a factual one. However, listeners have always had the power of choice. Based on how a station sounds and other considerations, listeners have long been instrumental in determining what stations were dominant and which were not.

I believe it makes all the difference in the world as to whom makes playlist and programing decisions. There are some people who are just better at it than others. Whether we are talking rotations, power playing certain songs, tweaking the music, putting together voice imaging for the station etc., different skills and abilities are at play. Today, I've frequently acknowledged people like Cox Media's Miami WFEZ's PD Gary Williams doing one heck of a job making it all work. Like others, he's handed a playlist and a budget but he's made a huge difference. He and those like him make favorable radio impressions with the listeners. More of them are needed, in my view.

Another radio hero from the past and out of Florida is PD Brian Thomas. In 2007 he programed WCBS-FM when it was brought back as a classic hits station. His tenure at WCBS-FM was, in my view, represented the very best years for the classic hits format by a mile. Today, I’m disappointed in the direction that format has taken. I’ve more on that later.

It wasn’t across the board, especially for rock leaning classic hits formats, but other stations began running more music specials, especially on long holiday weekends. There were big countdown shows and my favorite A to Z specials where the entire music library aired in alphabetical order often taking 4-5 days to complete. Those were exciting radio days and indeed in the right hands, the playlists were pure magic. If competition was growing and it was, we saw radio respond aggressively with imaginative and creative programing.

Today is a different situation and I’m not necessarily blaming today's radio programmers. Listening is sporadic at best. Turn on the radio in your car. Listen to your favorite hits, nothing more, and nothing less. Instant gratification and even that’s not fast enough for growing numbers of people. The reason we don’t hear these bigger than life music specials widespread anymore is because today's typical listeners are just not interested in them. I truly believe radio mirrors people's likes and preferences. But it still requires the right people to at least keep them mildly interested in tuning in.

As you say and I agree, listeners have the power to go to so many places to hear whatever they want and when they want.

 

[John FL]

We continue with music on the radio and the associated Catch 22s.

It wasn’t only technology advances that changed music listening habits. But, radio itself changed and we certainly see the results of that today. Music overlap among stations and even along different formats occurs and it’s been that way for a long time. I believe it’s an epidemic today. I’d like to concentrate on gold-based formats acknowledging it also exists in other formats as well.

Traditional ACs added Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ On a Prayer” to their playlist a good number of years ago now. That song and there are many others can be found on Classic Rock, Classic Hits, Rock, Adult Hits, and now even on softer AC. Jacksonville’s so called “Easy” station not only features Bon Jovi but Whitesnake and Aerosmith too.

Bon Jovi and some “Hair bands” test extremely well among women. If an AC considers “Livin’ on a Prayer” a bit much/too hard, those Bon Jovi fans would probably tune in to a competitor. No one wants to give another station an edge and so there's lots of the same artists on many formats. It's all a part of one big Catch 22.

Recently, I heard “Jack FM” (Adult Hits) on in the background at a restaurant. It was so similar to classic hits. Out of the 12 or so songs I heard, ¾ of them could be found on most classic hits stations. I’ve long wondered why Adult Hits is still around. AC has gotten hotter and many classic hits stations already feature 90s music. More fragmentation. Perhaps another discussion for another day.

Someone who is in their mid-40s today was born in the mid-1970s. Their impressionable music listening occurred in the 1980s. They missed out on the mass-appeal programing of the powerhouse AM hit music stations. They listened to FM where fragmentation was well under way. Hit music stations of the day had formidable competition in rock and urban formats and others. Music listening spread out among many stations and formats. Our national music was no longer found on one station.

Someone born just 10 years earlier was a child of the 70s musically. AM and even early FM hit music stations had a heavy concentration of Motown/soul because they were the hits of the day. The Jackson 5, Al Green, Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight & The Pips, The O’Jays, The Spinners, The Stylistics, Stevie Wonder, and I can go on and on dominated the charts in the early to mid-70s. Yes, there were rock hits but it was just a portion of the playlist. There were bubblegum hits, instrumentals, ballads, and even country crossover hits. Truly mass-appeal.

My ideas regarding classic hits programing differs from majority thinking. You might say it emulates Brian Thomas’ when he PD’d WCBS-FM a number of years ago. While I always believed music has to advance so the format remains viable given all the advertising rules and ratings expectations, I also believe there is a time and place to dust off select songs provided they are set up adequately.

Classic Hits formats are edgier today with a very pronounced rock lean. We know why as I explained above. I never believed in lines of demarcation where no song older than X year is ever played again, especially on a classic hits station. Specialty programing is a winning ticket in my view provided it’s done sparingly and smartly.

I can site many examples and features as to how that can work, but the major Catch 22 is who you have at the helm. Not everyone is of a Brian Thomas’ caliber. As someone said earlier the trick is to develop a format based on older music that does not sound "old" to the listener. It’s not easy to do and so most stations just stay the course.

More to come

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

Typically the air talent has their own personal page. The station site is to promote the station, and is usually run by the marketing department. The station ite might retweet a talent post, but that's the difference.

Uh no. In most cases, at bigger stations, the website and social media pages of the station are run by a dedicated "digital" person, and in smaller stations, its usually run by one of the air talent. Marketing/promotions usually stays far away from the website and FB pages

 

[gr8oldies]

Most talent maintains their own social media, often independent of the station. Even in larger stations, that "dedicated digital person" is also an air talent. I've seen postings for middays with expert level social media and web development skills in markets the size of Indianapolis (I consider them different skills but......)

Uh no. In most cases, at bigger stations, the website and social media pages of the station are run by a dedicated "digital" person, and in smaller stations, its usually run by one of the air talent. Marketing/promotions usually stays far away from the website and FB pages

 

[TheBigA]

Uh no. In most cases, at bigger stations, the website and social media pages of the station are run by a dedicated "digital" person, and in smaller stations, its usually run by one of the air talent. Marketing/promotions usually stays far away from the website and FB pages

Some stations have a "dedicated digital person," but if you're with a big group, such as iHeart or Entercom, there's also a corporate digital team, and a lot of the web content comes from corporate. And yes, marketing & promotions use the station page to communicate contests, remotes, and other station events and campaigns.

But I was responding to the post about talent & social media, and there are usually social media pages from both the station and the individual talent. Sometimes it's linked to the website, sometimes it's not.

 

[John FL]

We continue with the subject at hand – music formats on the radio and those Catch 22’s!

There’s obviously a good number of considerations made when deciding to replace a format with a new one. Will the format bill well? Will it complement the cluster? Is there potential to earn good numbers in the money demo(s)? These are the heavy-hitter questions that require answers.

In conjunction with all of that, there are performance appraisals with a number of evaluated metrics. The system or call it operating procedures ultimately are one huge Catch 22. There’s unfortunate results that may never be anticipated but they do happen in the competitive world of radio and elsewhere too.

New competition comes along yet management doesn’t always have the means to compete. The company may refuse to reduce the commercial load yet the "automated" competition is pounding away with the music. This was the case of Jacksonville’s Planet Radio, WPLA 9 years or so ago.

If that new competition is automated, it’s likely they can ride a “radio war” better than the established station that has a roster of talent. When the decision comes to reduce the spots, revenue decreases substantially as there’s still payroll to fund. Eventually the GM and OM were fired and all the talent was let go when the format flipped. It was one big Catch 22. Honestly, no matter what management did, they were screwed. The talent, through no fault of their own, lost their livelihood, at least for a time.

There’s another element of Catch 22s that have to do with bias. I believe there is a very fine line between making decisions, and using sound judgement but bias plays a role too. These behaviors can creep up on you almost unconsciously.

In the above example, a decision was made to replace WPLA with a variety-based classic hits station. This was WJGH (Jacksonville’s Greatest Hits). The initial ratings showed the format to be a winner. As I recall the format landed in the top 3 in 25-54 playing a mix of 60s, 70s, and 80s hits. This was in 2010.

Despite that early success, the format lasted only a little more than a year. I firmly believe iHeart made a very costly error in giving up on the format. I worked marketing projects at the time. My own research showed incredible potential. Eventually I learned from a good number of reliable sources that the new GM just didn’t have any affection for the Classic Hits format for the cluster. Investing time and effort into the format wasn’t in his best interest, nor the interests of his managers too. These decisions are not usually made unilaterally, especially in larger corporations.

He was brand new in the role. Perhaps his desire to succeed became more of his focus. It can easily happen. As a former Market Manager myself, but in the banking world, I can attest for the incredible pressures involved in making budget. We had downsizing initiatives too. Some of my peers downsized more than what was recommended. It’s sad reality and there's horrible impacts to people's lives. I can only assume the same situation happens in radio too.

I believe that we can all agree that, as far as formats go, some are given a helluva lot more opportunity and time before that handwriting appears on the wall. It's a give-in that the higher up in 25-54 the format attracts, the quicker it can get the axe. Some formats don't require a talent roster either. Adult Hits (Jack FM) replaced the aforementioned Classic Hits format. It lasted 3-4 times longer than the predecessor even though audience shares were not always as high and impacts not felt as much either. It's just the way it is. Is it fair? No. But many will believe it's just good business.

Sometimes, a manager’s focus will get corrupted. In the keen desire to exceed expectations, gain notoriety, and even to keep one’s job, their focus shifts to self-preservation and greed too rather than keeping the listener in the center of the decisions making.

It’s indeed all one big Catch 22. If a manager doesn’t achieve desired results, owners will find someone who can. In my MM role, my peers and I received bonus performance compensation. It accounted for some deplorable treatment of people.

I believe radio management are compensated this way too. While I don’t want to impugn anyone’s integrity or for that matter an entire industry, there’s a lot of underhanded things that can happen that really shouldn’t. Then again, as in any industry, there’s a lot of really decent and talented individuals who are successful and they’ve taken the high road to get there.

If there's anything that I have learned, it's that so many things depend on something else. One bad apple can spoil a whole bunch.

 

[John FL]

More music on the radio and Catch 22s

According to Nielsen, there are 18 radio markets in Florida. The big markets get most of the attention and so my initial reaction to the number was one of surprise. As populated as Florida is, there’s many rural areas too. I looked through each market and viewed the formats offered. No big surprises really. There’s many heritage stations in Florida that appear to be doing well and that’s a good thing.

Florida is an interesting state on a number of fronts. Programing to such diversity can be challenging. It’s obvious that what works well in Miami would not necessarily work in the Panhandle and that would include the on-air persona of the talent.

There’s a number of interesting competitive battles going on with classic hits formats such as in Tampa. I’d like to focus on the Orlando market here. WOCL’s (105.9 Sunny FM) numbers are looking like the best I’ve seen in a long time. The station’s on fire. But it wasn’t always like that. Many years ago now, they started out kind of rocky.

That’s where Catch 22s comes in. Some management/owners all want a successful radio station but set unrealistic time frames to achieve that success. A lot has to do with the core values and expectations of the company. WOCL’s former owner, CBS Radio, empowered their local management to build on the core classic hits brand playlist, adding songs unique and popular to the local market. Nothing cookie-cutter about the strategy. Plus, they gave their classic hits stations the time necessary to establish their brands. I’m happy to see that tradition continue with WOCL’s new owner and other former CBS Radio stations, Entercom.

Here is a sampling of music heard on 105.9 Sunny FM in the 9 AM hour today. What a great way to start the workday and that’s their feature! Out of the 12 songs, there’s 1 60’s, 2 70’s, 8 80’s songs, and 1 90’s song. 60s don’t normally play much but in AM drive, that popular song fits in rather perfectly. Lots of party songs including that one. I checked other hours and overall it’s one fantastic yet consistent sound.

Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison
Our Lips are Sealed - Go Gos
Sexual Healing - Marvin Gaye
Walking on Sunshine - Katrina & The Waves
You Can't Hurry Love - Phil Collins
Knock on Wood - Amii Stewart
I Wanna Dance With Somebody - Whitney Houston
Here I Go Again - Whitesnake
September - Earth, Wind, & Fire
Bette Davis Eyes - Kim Carnes
When Doves Cry - Prince
All Star - Smash Mouth

According to Nielsen, Orlando is 32% Hispanic and 17% Black. Considering the number of visitors in Orlando coming from all over the country and the world, the city is certainly diverse. Would you think WOCL complements that diversity well?

Rick Stacy has been the PD there for many years. I have a great deal of confidence in him and have for a long time. He certainly knows the market. I've witnessed many evolutions of Sunny. When they featured a lot of 70s songs a number of years ago, they weren't the same old same old everyone else was playing. There was lots of trial and error but kudos to him for always coming up with a sound that goes well with the brand.

The right local talent can make an incredible difference. A new company often comes in and with it comes new management. Sometimes making changes are necessary but sometimes it’s proven to be a huge mistake. Catch 22’s at their finest. I have to wonder how successful WOCL is in attracting Hispanic listeners. It would seem assumptions about Hispanic-American musical preferences have changed. WOCL, as in other classic hits stations, features rock tunes, and pop. WOCL leans a bit more rhythmic as well. Rick has probably nailed it building on coalitions of listeners each loving "their station."

In the right hands and with the right company behind you, classic hits can be an incredible winner.

More upcoming.