LONDON — Working in London, England, as an American talk show host has its challenges.  For instance, for the first two-three years of my six year stint as a host on commercial national talk station, TalkSPORT, (Talk Radio UK) doing a political/news-based show – it was the audience’s view that I was not allowed an opinion at all, either as a host and especially as a “Yank.”

For years on the BBC – where there is “speech radio” (drama, news, news analysis – and done very well) there had been very little interactive talk, and even then the host – though he would occasionally explore or challenge a point – was mostly a moderator not an instigator or opinion former.  Talk shows on the BBC, now more opinionated than they used to be, are very much in the mould of “on the one hand there is …. But on the other hand…. what do you think?”  British radio – due to over-regulation, a fairness doctrine, dominant licence funded BBC, a lack of competition, and a “scared-of-one’s-own-shadow” attitude to regulators – will never have a thriving talk radio market as in the US.  There is not the space for talent to truly develop in talk commercially.

It took the pirate stations of the sixties –Radio Caroline, Swinging Radio London —and Laser 558, in the eighties to shake up music radio, create competition and loosen the stranglehold of over-regulation.  It was this over-regulated radio, as luck would have it, that gave me my first opportunity to come to Britain in 1984 as part of Laser 558, an offshore Pirate radio station situated on an old cattle tender some 16 miles off the coast of London in the Thames estuary (see Richard Curtis’s film, “Pirate Radio” – I’m told I was the inspiration for a scene in the film).  On shore, radio was over-regulated with union mandated needle time­ rules limiting the amount of recorded music played.  It would take at least two union members to put a record on the air – one from the musicians union to cue the disc and another from the electricians union to hit the start button – this in addition to the studio engineer, producer and talent.  There were only two music radio stations in London, BBC Radio One and commercial station, Capital Radio.  Laser 558 with a constant diet of hits – “Never more than a minute away from music” – and the need for just one person, the jock, generally sans a shower due to water restrictions, to cue and get the records on air, was an instant hit with a listenership of around 12 million in the South East of England.  Five or six of us, with about 15 “marine crew” and an aerial system constantly blown down during Force Nine gales, food shortages, seasickness, and the fear that the music rotation card box would spill to the floor with the next high wave.  Yet, shut off from the world we were the most creative and most listened-to station in London.  We were the story; the boat that rocked.  We changed the face of British radio.

I will never forget a government minister at the time calling for Laser to be shut down explaining that “It [was] the government’s job to decide what people should listen to.”

I was also the morning drive jock on Atlantic 252, a joint venture between Irish state broadcaster RTE and Radio Luxembourg.  We broadcast on Long Wave – further down the AM spectrum—to the UK from a former doctor’s office next to the cattle auction in the rural town of Trim, Co. Meath, thirty miles north of Dublin.  We succeeded from that rural location to be hip, UK relevant and all before the luxuries of the internet.  Atlantic 252 brought American presentation techniques and tight song rotations to British radio.

But I do not see a similar challenge to talk radio.

A presenter – to use the term here – and an American at that, has no right to tell Brits how to run their country, especially when it comes to sacred cows such as the National Health Service (NHS) – the universal state healthcare system that Obama dreams about.  For Brits, the NHS is more blindly worshipped then Kim Jong Un in North Korea.  Watching the “celebration” of the NHS during the Opening Ceremony of the London Games last summer I got a sense of a country trying to convince themselves, not others, of just how good they wish they had it.

From afar, I have also, disturbingly, been able to see America’s lurch (either by her own will or the design of her leaders) down the path to the welfare state.  Instead of the can do spirit found in America, the welfare state here is horribly inefficient and intrusive.  It has created a culture of state dependence in place of personal independence; class warfare and division instead of e pluribus unum; and a sense of entitlement replacing one of self responsibility.

In that respect, Britain’s welfare state is years and years advanced than we across the pond.

There is a market for talk radio, especially in finding new night time audiences.   I proved that on Laser 558 – a late night music show more akin to what Stern and Brandmier were doing  in the morning—and again from 2002-2003 in Cork, Ireland.  My friend, Henry Owens, had launched a music station, RedFM, targeting 18-35s.  Along with consultant Tommy Hadges, we created a night time talk show (to comply with speech regulations) “Cork Talks Back” that was not only number one at night, number one on our station’s own schedule, but had created new night time listenership.  By far, it was one of the most interesting jobs I have ever had.   Walking into and conquering a very discerning and parochial foreign market, Cork is a proud town that doesn’t take to strangers.  In Ireland, Cork is known as The People’s Republic of Cork.  They speak their own language – no not Irish (Gaeilge) but a lexicon of English slang including words like Langer (jerk), bure (girl), feen (guy).  And try pronouncing this town: Gurranabraher (grawn-a-bra-her).   Giving Corkonians a nightly forum, and being an American exposing and satirising the foibles of Irish culture earned me high ratings, a high personal profile, and nomination as Irish speech broadcaster of the year.

The secret for me has been to discover and learn everything possible about a market, to try and know more than the locals, and to be truthful in my beliefs.  Here in the UK that’s not always been easy.  I couldn’t have found three harder stances to hold – I call them my holy trinity – I am American, Republican and a defender of George W. Bush along with the war or terror and Gitmo; I am Jewish and a steadfast defender of Israel and her policies; and probably worst of all, I am in favour of that age old British pastime of FOXHUNTING!  I used to own a horse and learned to ride in Ireland.

In liberal statist societies such as the UK “balance” and “equality” must be found everywhere; and this is the scourge freedom of expression and the free marketplace of ideas.  Ideas are not promoted on their own merit or audience acceptance.  Minority/victim group opinion is propped up through fear of offence; populist non-elitist opinion is muffled and lefty group received wisdoms are rarely challenged.  Forced balance creates  anything but balance; many BBC programmes –and especially on the Iranian owned propaganda network, Press TV, on which I debate fascists and anti-Semites on a regular basis, balance a mainstream view with that of a radical voice, giving each an equal bearing and disproportional credence to the radical view.

In the UK the notion of “offence” calls of “bigot” and reliance on victim group status is constantly used to successfully shut down any talk host, or guest, on a controversial topic such as immigration reform or gay marriage.  In 2005 broadcaster Lynnette Burrows was actually visited by the police after a conversation on BBC Radio Five Live on the new Civil Partnership law.  As the Daily Telegraph reported at the time:  “During the programme, she said she did not believe that homosexuals should be allowed to adopt.  She added that placing boys with two homosexuals for adoption was as obvious a risk as placing a girl with two heterosexual men who offered themselves as parents. “It is a risk,” she said. “You would not give a small girl to two men.”  A member of the public complained to the police and an officer contacted Mrs Burrows the following day to say a ‘homophobic incident’ had been reported against her.”

Political “campaigning” or taking sides by a host, even on a commercial station, is extremely limited.  Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh would not be allowed on UK radio for long, right wingers are treated like pariahs.  Glenn Beck’s campaigns for Israel would get him in trouble with the regulator OFCOM – while at Talk Radio UK I had been spoken to on more than one occasion for being too outspoken on Israel.  As for Michael Savage, he wouldn’t even get into the country!  That’s no joke; in 2009 Savage was barred from the UK for allegedly “seeking to provoke others to serious criminal acts and fostering hatred”.  The banned list of 22 was populated with Muslim extremists rightfully banned for incitement…. and Savage, obviously added to “balance” the list.

Where Hannity and Rush look forward to a presidential election to advance their ideology and the beliefs of their listeners, an election here it is a different story.  “The Representation of the People’s Act,” an act of Parliament and therefore statutory law, prevents broadcasters from holding opinions on the election, endorsing candidates, parties or influencing the vote; producers with stopwatches time the airtime given to each party.  While hosting my talk radio show, the election was ignored, it was less hassle and far easier to talk about anything but politics.

By the way, air personalities here are not allowed to do live reads or personal endorsement ads where the bulk of your money is made in the States.

Being an American working in the British system does have its reward.  It has made me a de facto American representative and spokesman.  It has brought me work as a commentator on British and international radio and television including BBC Television and Radio, the BBC World Service and BBC World TV; Sky News, CNN and al Jazeera where I’ve been a regular guest with Sir David Frost.  I’ve debated and represented American thought on BBC Radio Four’s most prestigious programs including Today, Any Questions and the Moral Maze.  I’ve debated Bianca Jagger on the death penalty (with David Frost), interviewed the Queen’s daughter, Princess Anne, and explained American politics to George Galloway the left wing anti-war MP who famously feted Saddam Hussein.

I’ve been the go to man on everything from American Exceptionalism, the US Constitution and Bill of Rights, separation of powers, the Electoral College, why we spend so much on presidential campaigns; it’s all in a day’s work.  Defending our gun laws and trying to explain what the Special Relationship actually entails is of great interest here.  Hosting talk shows as a conservative American in the days after 9/11 and during the Bush Administration, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq; Guantanamo and the war on terror, made me an instant lightening rod.  Callers weren’t just disagreeing with me, but my country and all she stands for.  One regular caller, Tony from Enfield, or “Cuban Tony” as he was known, would constantly call to berate me as to the “horrid conditions” in America and how it was not as good as in Cuba.  He could never give me the names of anyone swimming from Florida to Cuba instead of the other way around.

Who could ask for better and more interesting career than I’ve had as a London-based international talker, commentator and radio jock?   Working in a foreign market – a world city like London- has given me perspective.  I have been able to watch the country of my birth, one I intimately know, from afar and from a British viewpoint.

I also have a better perspective of international events.  I’ve developed a greater appreciation for the First Amendment.  I’m able to comment on life in the UK with the intimate knowledge of living here for thirty years but approaching it with the unbiased and unvarnished view of a foreigner; an American.  It is a marvellous perspective not afforded to many others.

Charlie Wolf is available as a “go to” source for American broadcasters in need of a UK or European perspective on breaking issues.  He can be emailed at Charlie@itsthewolf.net.  Visit www.itsthewolf.net for more information.  Meet Charlie Wolfe at Talkers New York 2013 on Thursday, June 6. 

]]> http://www.talkers.com/2013/05/20/talking-in-the-uk-perspectives-from-an-american-talk-show-host-working-in-london/feed/ 0 http://www.talkers.com/2013/05/20/talking-in-the-uk-perspectives-from-an-american-talk-show-host-working-in-london/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/talkers/~3/lp-yFCbvcuY/ http://www.talkers.com/2013/05/20/an-open-letter-of-advice-to-rush-limbaugh/#comments Mon, 20 May 2013 11:54:23 +0000 TALKERS http://www.talkers.com/?p=19660 By Dr. John Tantillo
Branding and Marketing Group, Inc.
President

NEW YORK – A Letter To Rush Now!

Dear Rush,

We need to talk.

Why?

Because many out there hate your brand (and you) and if nothing is done proactively in the short run, failure is assured in the long run.

On radio and television they call me the “The Marketing Doctor.”   That brand became my brand because I help companies and people unlock their maximum potential through how others see them – their brands.

Rush, call this The Marketing Doctor’s intervention or not, but to be true to the brand that made you a household name in America, you have to respond to the recent Belk Department store debacle. Belk, a chain of department stores in the Southeast, had their commercials appear in the Rush Limbaugh program on your radio affiliates throughout the Carolinas.  Belk didn’t like that because of Rush’s take – real or perceived – on the issues of the day.  Rush, you need to respond because Belk is taking a slap at you and the talk radio industry that grew as a result of your success.

You know what industry insiders are saying: “Talk radio has become too polarizing, costing the industry tens of millions of dollars.”  Well this perception is becoming a reality sooner rather than later and unless something is done quickly, it just may be too late to rehabilitate a venerable brand like Rush.

All great brands go through crisis and becoming aware of this  is the first step to getting it right. Using what marketers have identified as a product’s life cycle— Introduction, Growth, Maturity and then Decline, can be helpful in the Go Brand Yourself journey!

From my perspective Rush,  you too are going through this same Product Life Cycle process that all great brands must face. It appears that you are at the Maturity phase of this cycle with the Decline not far away and even imminent if immediate actions are not taken.

But fear not, because when one uses effective marketing methodology that have worked for brands in the past, there is solid hope that all will be well with your brand, when the all alterations are implemented and embraced.

Rush, when products reach the maturity stage,  the textbook answer is to address it  by stressing product benefits and differences.  In your case, Rush this is rather easy.  You wrote the book on talk and created an entire lucrative advertising model around it. You simply are all about talk and making a profit from it.   This  is something that they cannot take away from you, or as I would like to say: “It’s your brand.”  And because this is your brand, you should work from there when commencing your brand over.^SM   That’s right—brand over, not that inane “make over” where consultants who don’t really know you,  advise you to become something that you are not.  No, Rush, a brand over,  is for you and will take the Rush from the inside and makes the necessary alterations to the outside.  All good! Your centering mission  should be: “To thy own brand be true,” where any and all changes about your brand come from there.

As I mentioned when products are in maturity they need to emphasize product benefits and differences. This is where you shine.  As I mentioned before,  you are all about talk,  and talk is good. Talk teaches, gets one to think and engages a dialogue whether people agree with you or not.  Once again all good.  However for whatever reason this has been lost perhaps as a result of playing it louder rather than saying it differently.  Your denigrators cite you out of context  quotations and your strong opinions as reasons for your brand stagnation.  Perhaps they are correct, but the one thing that they can’t take away is that you get listeners to listen and just maybe there is another way of generating success if one does things a little more unique.  I know you can do it.  It means changing what you have done in the past with new tactics that attract the needs of the ever-changing groups of advertisers and listeners.  This is your real opportunity to take your Brand to levels that you have never even considered.     Many personality brands have overcome, brand maturity—Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and Neil Sedaka to name a few so that it is possible to succeed if you really want to do this.  In short Rush, all great brands make changes in order to grow. So make those necessary brand adjustments to become the brand that you are always meant to be. A bigger, stronger and better Rush!

And here Rush is what I would do if I were you in order to respond to the ever changing radio talk show environment.

First, ask present advertisers what they think about your brand and what they would like to see for them to be there for your brand in the long run.

Second, ask past advertisers what they think.

Third, ssk future advertisers what they think.

Fourth, ask present listeners what they think.

Fifth, ask past listeners what they think.

Sixth, ask potential listeners what they think.

Seven, get back to your true brand—Talk.  Yes controversy has made you who you are, but you really don’t need that anymore. You are Rush who can generate controversy by simply reading the phone book.  Play off that and remember the art of conversation that  has served you well.

Eight, tone it down even though they will tell you that you are selling out.  This is poppycock.  Remember this is your brand they are playing with and you are in control.  And also consider that strong brands need  to engage in bold tactics.  Go re-brand yourself!

Nine, make talk provocative not loud.  Come on Rush. You understand what I mean.  I’m sure that even you would like to say it differently if you had to do it again.

Ten, and finally Rush simple get listeners to think by engaging in conversation that informs rather than shouts. Get them to love talk and conversation again by teaching and giving another perspective that you do so very well.

I hope this helps.   It would be a shame to lose a robust brand like yours,  simply because you didn’t keep marketing and branding in mind.

Sincerely,

John Tantillo, Ph.D.

Dr. John Tantillo, talk show host and author, is president of New York City-based Branding and Marketing Group, Inc.  He can be emailed at jtantillo@marketingdoctor.tv.

Open Letter to Rush:  Marketing and Branding Expert Warns Host to Do a “Brand Over” Before it is Too Late.

Mignon Clyburn in as Acting Chairperson of the FCC.  As announced, Julius Genachowski has exited the Federal Communications Commission where he was chairman and commissioner Mignon Clyburn will serve as acting chair until the confirmation process for the new chairman has taken place.  Nominee Tom Wheeler’s confirmation has been delayed until later in June.  Last week the Commerce Committee announced the confirmation hearings would not take place this week.

Time to Clean Up Digital Space for Summer.  With Memorial Day weekend about to roll around, digital radio consultant and TALKERS columnist Chris Miller suggests this is a good time to start making big moves in small chunks and get your website and social media initiatives up to speed with a little upgrading.  In a new column posted today (5/20) Miller offers a punch list of items you can work on each week between now and Labor Day to get your website and social media fixed up, and ready to totally support your on-air product this fall!  They include writing down your goals, taking something OFF your website, picking fonts and colors, freshening your Facebook page cover photo, checking your tabs for relevance, cutting back on posts by setting and raising your standards, focusing Twitter on something specific, and properly prioritizing Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest by de-emphasizing them as social sites and using them more for storage and as content channels.  To read Chris Miller’s entire article, click here.

Internationally Known American Broadcaster Living and Working in London Shares his Perspective on the Radio Business from the Other Side of the Pond.  They might be speaking English, but the comparisons break down quickly after that.  American radio broadcaster Charlie Wolfe has been living and working in the UK for years, holding on-air positions at a number of leading British media outlets from the legendary “pirate radio” to the BBC.  During these years, he has become somewhat of an in-house UK “go-to” guy explaining, debating and in most cases defending the American position on issues as seen from the English point of view.  In an exclusive commentary posted today (5/20) in TALKERS, Wolfe shares his observations and insights about how very different talk radio is in the UK than it is in the US.  To read his entire provocative piece, click here.

‘America’s Morning News’ Host John McCaslin Addresses Small Business Finance Conference.  America’s Radio News Network executive vice president John McCaslin (holding mic) is pictured here at the 2013 NADCO “Game Change” conference held over the weekend.  The conference was for companies certified by the Small Business Administration to provide loans for small businesses, which create two-thirds of the nation’s new jobs.  McCaslin, who also hosts the nationally syndicated “America’s Morning News” program, told the packed house at San Diego’s Hotel Del Coronado where he thinks the economy — and the unrelated overnight trio of scandals rocking President Obama — are headed in the coming months.  The veteran newsman was among the “Inside Washington” speakers.  Besides much-needed job creation, the four-day conference — sponsored by Bank of America/Merrill Lynch, Credit Suisse, and Wells Fargo — centered on the new VetLoan Advantage Program for members of the U.S. military returning home from overseas deployment.

Worlds Collide on Opie & Anthony’s SiriusXM Show.  SiriusXM’s Opie & Anthony are known for broadcasting the unusual but this collage of guests from disparate worlds really takes the cake.  Picture here are (from l-r) comic Colin Quinn, celebrity chef Guy Fieri, SiriusXM host Anthony Cumia, country music superstar Trace Adkins, SiriusXM host Opie Hughes, and comic Tom Papa.  The collision happened on the O&A show last week as the four guests all happened to be scheduled for the same day and appeared on the program at the same time.

CBS Radio Philadelphia’s Marc Rayfield to Be Inducted into Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.   CBS Radio proudly announces that Philadelphia SVP and market manager Marc Rayfield is being inducted into the Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in a special ceremony on Monday, May 20.  Rayfield will be inducted along with basketball coach Larry Brown and seven other talented honorees.  The Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and Adolph and Rose Levis Museum (PJSHOF) is celebrating its 16th anniversary at a reception to today at 5:30 pm.  Rayfield is the vice president of WIP SportsRadio, one of the nation’s most respected all sports stations.  WIP is known for innovation in business such as the first studio naming rights partnership in the United States with Tastykake.  WIP is home to Angelo Cataldi and the morning team.  The station also annually hosts one of the largest radio promotions in the country, Wing Bowl, prior to the Super Bowl in front of a sold-out crowd at the Wells Fargo Center.  Rayfield  is currently responsible for live broadcasts of the Phillies, Eagles and Philadelphia Union as well as Temple, St. Joe’s and Villanova athletics.

SHAKER HEIGHTS — Even though it’s still spring, Memorial Day weekend is about to roll around.  For a lot of us, that can feel like the start of summer.  So I’m giving you the summer to do a little upgrading!  Here’s a punch list of items you can work on each week between now and Labor Day to get your website and social media fixed up, and ready to totally support your on-air product this fall!

Write Down Your Goals

Your performance is being judged on some set of numbers.  How can your digital platforms contribute to those numbers?  Think about those goals, write them down, and share them with your co-workers.  Whether it’s content on your site, your social media, email, texting, whatever … bring it into focus.

Take Something Off Your Website

Almost every radio station in America has something on the front page of their website that is sucking up too much oxygen.  Get with your webmaster to check your web stats.  What’s on your front page that almost no one visits, and has nothing to do with your station?  Get rid of it.  Doing so will help your fans find the stuff they’re coming to you for!

Pick Fonts and Colors

I worked once with a PD who also had graphic design experience, and he proved this point to me.  You can do a lot to keep people on your site if you make all the fonts consistent, and use a limited, pleasing range of colors.  You may feel your site needs to be completely reorganized … but start with this for much quicker improvement.

Freshen Your Cover Photo

How long have you had the same cover photo on your station’s Facebook page?  I like to change these out at least once a month, if not more often.  If you don’t have the person-power to create Facebook cover photos that promote what you’re doing on the radio, come up with a few different generic ones you can rotate.

Check Your Tabs

After people look at your brand’s cover photo, what they look at next is your tabs.  What sort of photos or graphics do they see there?  Those are tiny spaces that get a lot of eyeball-time, so make them pertinent to what you are all about.

Cut Back on Posts, Set Standards

If your station is posting half-a-dozen or more times each day, cut back.  Be pickier about what you post.  Many successful brands post once, twice or three times a day.  They make sure that each post, however, is firing on all cylinders.  Show your fans content that relates to your brand, post eye-catching photos, and respond to what they say to you!

Focus Twitter on Something   

If you have a Facebook page that covers in general what your station does, don’t just duplicate that with a Twitter feed.  Think about some particular information your fans might want.  This might be contest times … talk show topics … news, weather, sports … when it’s time to vote on what gets played next … and so on.  Make your Twitter feed more valuable by dedicating it to a narrow purpose.  This might also be just instant, regular responses to listener’s questions and comments.  Finally … you don’t just have to have one Twitter feed.

Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest

It’s easy to get caught up in a new, buzz-worthy digital platform.  Usually, that doesn’t help you; it’s a focus-buster that detracts you from what’s already working.  However, those secondary social media sites like Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, and others can be good places to store photos, videos and other content that you promote on Facebook or Twitter.  De-emphasize these as social sites, and use them instead as content channels.

Chris Miller, owner of Chris Miller Digital, is a leading radio consultant specializing in research-based strategic planning and smart use of digital media. He can be phoned at 216-236-3955 or e-mailed at chris@chrismillerdigital.com.

Talk Radio Day at the United Nations Set for Friday, June 7.

RAB: Radio Flat at $3.5 Billion in Q1.  The Radio Advertising Bureau releases data indicating that the first quarter of 2013 remained flat “aided by an uptick in Spot in March after a sluggish start to the year.  Both Digital and Off-Air performed well throughout the quarter and were up 9% and 5% respectively.”  The report breaks out data on advertising categories.  A synopsis shows “spot spending by communication/cellular advertisers soared by over 1/3 (36%) for this quarter, propelling the category to #1 for the period.  Also up – in rank order based on spending – were financial services (+13%), department/discount stores & shopping centers (+58%), and home furnishings/floor coverings (+6%).  While dollar volume was virtually flat for television/networks/cable providers (-3%) and restaurants (-2%), these were solid contributors to radio’s bottom line in the #2 and #4 spots; automotive declined 20% and slipped to the #3 rank.”  RAB president and CEO Erica Farber states, “Major increases in radio advertising by communications/cellular and financial services went a long way to offset a drop in automotive spending.  Additionally, spending is up in the department/discount stores category – reflecting increased confidence among retailers who have experienced radio’s ability to drive traffic and sales.  Radio’s digital sector revenue continues to grow as radio stations invest in and promote their digital offerings to listeners, driving increased attention by the ad buying community.”  The report features data from Miller Kaplan Arase LLP and the Q1 revenue figure does not include network radio data.  Read the entire report here.

Beasley Broadcasting Names David Wolfman WQAM, Miami LSM.  Beasley Broadcasting’s sports talk WQAM, Miami announces David Wolfman is the new local sales manager at the station.  Wolfman reports to director of sales Keriann Worley.  He comes to Beasley from his most recent position as general sales manager for Clear Channel Miami.  Prior to that, he spent several years with Interep National Radio Sales.  Worley states, “David Wolfman is a proven sales leader and he will be directly responsible for revenue growth on 560 WQAM.  His passion for sports, innovative thinking, and his knowledge of the Miami market make him a perfect fit for this dynamic position.  We are thrilled to have him join our team.”

Dave Ramsey Visits The Queen City.  Nationally syndicated talk superstar Dave Ramsey is in Cincinnati this week.  Earlier he presented to a packed house his new, intimate “Building Your Legacy Live Event” in which he talked about how to win with money, strengthen marriages and lead your children with confidence.  Speaker and author Jon Acuff joined Ramsey on stage. Ramsey joined with local affiliate WKRC to promote the event.  WKRC general sales manager Bill Mountel says, “Cincy has been starved for a taste of Dave and now they can get a ‘double dose’ of Dave Ramsey.  Cincinnati fans and 55KRC listeners are excited to have Dave in town and are already looking forward to his next visit to the Queen City!”  Today, Ramsey is hosting his “EntreLeadership 1 Day Event” at Vineyard Church.  Ramsey, along with speakers Jon Acuff and Chris Hogan, will speak about how to run a business using the same common sense principles that Ramsey practices in his own company of more than 300 employees.  Pictured here with Ramsey are: (front row) WKRC GSM Bill Mountel, Ramsey, WKRC personality Brian Thomas, (back row) WKRC PD Scott Reinhart and CC Cincinnati market president Chuck Fredrick.

Hubbard’s WXOS, St. Louis “101 ESPN” Stands Alone.  With the recent moves of KFNS and KSLG to guy talk and female-targeted programming, respectively, Hubbard Radio’s sports talk WXOS, St. Louis stands as the only full-time sports talk station in the market.  In a piece by Dan Caesar in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch chronicling the station’s four-year history as a sports outlet, general manager John Kijowski discusses where the station is now and what the state of the market is for sports talk radio.  Among the tidbits from Kijowski in the article is his belief in FM for sports talk: “In the sports genre, having a big FM signal in today’s world is vital for success.  Then the format can’t be done on the cheap, you have to invest in it.  From that respect, I feel good about what we do and I still think we have a ways to go.”  It should be noted that though WXOS is the last sports station standing, its place among the stations seeking men 25-54 is not what it was a year ago, having dropped to sixth place in the most recent Arbitron PPM data.  However, one of the most interesting points in the piece is Kijowski’s admission that it took four years in the format for the station to make a profit.  So much for the notion that sports talk radio is an automatic money press!  Read the entire piece here.

Food Nation Radio Network Signs On with Business TalkRadio Network.  In a move that will take effect June 1, the weekly food talk radio show “The Food Nation Radio Network with Elizabeth Dougherty” joins the roster of Business TalkRadio Network.  BTRN consulting operations officer Jeff Weber says, “We are all really excited that hosts Elizabeth Dougherty and Michael Serio are bringing this compelling program to a national audience.  We’re proud to be a part of this show which is informative and fun.  It’s truly a one of a kind program.”  The program is based out of Genesis Communications’ WWBA, Tampa and is described by the producers as “an adventure of good food, food-related stories and compelling interviews.”  Host Elizabeth Dougherty has an extensive background in food writing and culinary arts training.  She has written hundreds of articles on food that have appeared in many major publications.  She says of the new relationship, “We are pleased to partner with the Business TalkRadio Network as ‘Food Nation Radio’ continues to grow so that we can continue to concentrate on the cutting-edge and entertaining content we provide to our listeners each week.”

Odds & Sods.  Fred Lucas’ book about talk radio, The Right Frequency (History Publishing 2012) is soaring high on two of Amazon’s Kindle best-seller lists.  The book is #1 in the Public Affairs category as well as #1 on the digital texts chart…..XEPRS, San Diego “The Mighty 1090” morning drive co-host J.D. Hayworth is sitting in for Cumulus Media Networks personality Mike Huckabee all next week and on Memorial Day as well…..Fox Sports Radio continues its UFC coverage as the network simulcasts “UFC on FX: Belfort vs. Rockhold” on Saturday, May 18.  The event will take place at the Arena Jaragua in Jaragua, Santa Catarina, at 9:00 pm ET.  After the fights, mixed martial arts expert Larry Pepe will host a Fox Sports Radio wrap-up show with interviews and call-ins from 11:00 pm to 1:00 am ET…..CBS Radio News presents a Memorial Day Weekend special program titled “Combat Stress: Finding the Way Home” that focuses on the impact post-traumatic stress has on the lives of our military veterans.  “60 Minutes” correspondent Steve Kroft anchors and speaks with veterans and top experts.  The program features personal stories from veterans and their families, an in-depth exploration of treatment options, and stories of encouragement for those suffering with combat stress.

Second Amendment Petition Delivered to Congress.  Salem Radio Network vice president, news & talk programming Tom Tradup (right) delivers more than 125,000 signatures in support of the Second Amendment.  Accepting the signatures is Republican U.S. Representative from Texas Louie Gohmert (center) and flanked by United States Concealed Carry Association CEO Tim Schmidt (left).  The network began the petition drive in response to calls for new gun legislation in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook School shootings in Newtown, Connecticut.

Talkers Weekly Affiliate Roundup.  “The Freedom Feens” – syndicated by Genesis Communications Network – picks up new affiliates KTGO, Tioga, North Dakota and WZFG, Fargo-Moorhead…..Talk Media Network’s “Frontlines of Freedom,” a syndicated military news and talk radio show hosted by two-time purple heart recipient Colonel Denny Gillem, is added to the program schedule at Bonneville’s KTTH, Seattle.  Additionally, Colonel Gillem will also analyze military news and issues for sister station, KIRO-FM.…..“Armed American Radio” with Mark Walters is added to the program schedule on WIBQ, Terre Haute, Indiana.

IRS Targeting of Conservative Groups Tops Talkers Ten^TM for Week of May 13-17.  The IRS’ scrutinizing of conservative organizations for taxes was the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio during the week of May 13-17, putting it atop the Talkers Ten^TM.  Coming in at #2 this week was the Benghazi attack investigation.  At #3 was the AP phone records search by the Justice Department and Attorney General Eric Holder’s appearance before the House Judiciary Committee.  Following at #4 was Syria-Israel tensions.  The Talkers Ten^TM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed on talk radio and is published every Friday at Talkers.com.  It is the result of ongoing research from TALKERS.  View this week’s entire chart here.

BLOCK ISLAND, RI — Forget those boring management training videos!  The acting is bad, and the situations are contrived.

Instead?  Rent these three Hollywood hits and share with your team.

Sexual Harassment:

See “Disclosure,” in which Demi Moore’s buff, ruthless executive hits on male subordinate Michael Douglas.  Author Michael Crichton (“Jurassic Park”) turned the tables by making a woman the unwanted aggressor.  And in doing so, he shows us one of industry’s more volatile issues from a different angle, one sure to sensitize your employees to nuances they might miss by examining the problem from the usual man-hassles-woman perspective.

This movie is a clinic.  Screen it with, or route it to, your staff, and they’ll come away better-prepared than they’d be by dry instructional videos, or seminars which make attendees uncomfortable, and merely talk about what this movie depicts so well.

Leadership 101 from “Bridge on the River Kwai”

Alec Guinness is Col. Nicholson, whose British battalion lands in a hellhole World War II prison camp, commanded by Sessue Hayakawa’s insufferable Col. Saito.

Ever felt hamstrung by a ballbuster boss?  Watch Nicholson triumph over adversity…by leadership.

Tattered, ragtag, and hobbled by injuries, his proud troops march into camp whistling that unforgettable theme.  Saito’s welcome: “ENGLISH PRISONERS!  NOTICE I DON’T SAY SOLDIERS!”  He trashes captured officers in front of their troops: “IT IS THEY WHO BROUGHT YOU HERE!”  But the Brits never drop their game face.

Hopelessly behind schedule building a bridge for Japanese troop trains, Saito threatens “I COULD HAVE YOU ALL SHOT!”  Nicholson coolly replies “THEN WHO WOULD BUILD YOUR BRIDGE?”  And he takes over the project and builds a better bridge, quicker, than Saito could have.  The wily English colonel winks to his officers “I KNOW OUR MEN.  IT’S ESSENTIAL THEY TAKE PRIDE IN THEIR JOBS” as he increases their workload beyond the Japanese quota.  Even the slacker American prisoner played by William Holden found new pride.

See this SEVEN-Oscar movie again.  It’ll show you how to lead your troops.

Sales: How Not To

Alec Baldwin had a bit part and played-it-to-the-hilt:  “PUT THAT COFFEE DOWN!  THAT COFFEE’S FOR CLOSERS!”

The late, great Jack Lemmon called Glengarry Glen Ross “the best film I’ve ever been in.”  And Al Pacino picked up an Oscar for his role, although everyone in the movie deserved a statue.

What Lemmon, Pacino, Baldwin, Ed Harris, and Kevin Spacey show us is “Death of a Salesman’s” Willie Loman in action.  To say more will spoil it for you.  Everyone in sales should see this powerful story.

Read/see/hear more at www.HollandCooke.com, and follow @HollandCooke on Twitter.  And meet HC at Talkers New York 2013 on Thursday, June 6.

TALKERS Spotlight on Michael Berry: Gaining Traction in Self-Syndication.

Department Store Chain in Middle of Talk Radio Ad Storm.  The Charlotte-based department store chain Belk found itself in the eye of a partisan politics storm after an ad for one of its vendors that mentions Belk found its way onto a local station airing the Rush Limbaugh program.  Activist groups monitoring conservative talk radio with the goal of harassing advertisers into deserting the format quickly began targeting Belk with requests to end the campaign.  However, Belk spokesperson Jessica Graham told the Charlotte Observer it doesn’t advertise on talk radio and the ad was through a vendor.  She also explained the vendor was being made aware of the company’s policy.  But the fire had already been started with conservative Belk shoppers and those sympathetic to the anti-talk radio crusade squaring off on social media and communicating with Belk about their feelings.  Graham told the paper in the aftermath of the flap, “This is why we don’t advertise on talk radio.”

JVC Media to Buy Asterisk Communications’ Florida Stations.  Long Island-based JVC Media announces it has entered into an agreement to purchase five Florida FM stations from Asterisk Communications.  The stations include: country WTRS, Dunnellon (Gainesville/Ocala market); hot AC WMFQ, Ocala “Q92”; smooth jazz WXJZ, Gainesville; news/talk WBXY, Gainesville; and sports talk WYGC, High Springs (Gainesville market) “104.9 The Game.”  JVC Media CEO John Caracciolo says, “We are honored and privileged to welcome these top-performing radio stations into the JVC family.  The prior owner of these stations was committed to community service, high-quality broadcasting and creating an excellent work environment for its staff, and we are proud to be able to continue the tradition that Asterisk started in this great market.”  JVC chief operating officer Victor Canales adds, “We love this radio market, and we are excited to continue the trend of fun, local radio in North Central Florida.  We plan on adding staff in Florida and New York and to make a big splash with marketing and programming when we begin operating the stations.”  JVC Media owns four FM radio stations on Long Island, dance music WPTY, Spanish WBON, country WJVC, and rock WRCN and operates Long Island Events, which manages the 7,000 seat outdoor entertainment venue known as the Pennysaver Amphitheater.  JVC was formed by broadcasting veterans John Caracciolo and Victor Canales and is backed by Northwood Ventures.

Christina Albee Named Chief Marketing Officer at Dial Global.  Dial Global brings Christina Albee to the company from Condé Nast where she was most recently managing The Studio at Condé Nast, a division producing a wide range of digital campaigns.  She also supervised event marketing, strategic alliances, and operations at the Condé Nast Media Group.  In Albee’s new role as chief marketing officer at Dial Global, she’ll be responsible for the company’s positioning and branding.  On her new position, Albee states, “I am thrilled to assume the chief marketing officer role at Dial Global.  I look forward to working closely with Paul Caine to innovate and advance our marketing initiatives surrounding Dial Global’s premium programming and unique assets.  There’s an incredible amount of opportunity to redefine the category and I’m happy to be a part of Dial Global’s extremely smart team at the forefront of this industry.”  Prior to Albee’s work with Condé Nast, she held associate publisher positions at Style.com, and Time Inc.’s In Style Weddings and TEEN PEOPLE.  She was also part of multiple successful brand launches, including PEOPLE en Español, In Style, TEEN PEOPLE and All You.

Former Congresswoman Ann Marie Buerkle to Host Show on WSYR, Syracuse.  The Clear Channel news/talk station is bringing former U.S. Congresswoman Ann Marie Buerkle aboard to host a one-hour Saturday program airing from 11:00 am to 12:00 noon.  The one-term rep made the announcement about her new program on the station’s Bob Lonsberry program and said it will debut on Saturday, May 25 – Memorial Day weekend.  She says given the holiday, her program will be dedicated to the nation’s military.

Odds & Sods.  Former Jacksonville Jaguars great and current Dial Global football analyst Tony Boselli moves into the radio broadcast booth for Jaguars play-by-play alongside Brian Sexton and Jeff Lageman.  Cox Media Group’s WOKV-AM/FM serves as the flagship for Jaguars broadcasts…..It’s a busy week for talk host Joe “Pags” Pagliarulo who, in addition to his daily show on home base WOAI, San Antonio, is sitting in on the AM drive show on KTRH, Houston.  Next week, Pags does double duty on WOAI filling on for Charlie Parker who’s out on medical leave…..Monday, May 20 will be a full one for ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith as he sits in with Mike Greenberg on the “Mike & Mike” AM drive show on the radio and on ESPN2.  Immediately following, Smith will take his regular turn on ESPN2’s “First Take with Skip Bayless and Cari Champion” and, to further meld the two shows that day, Bayless will join Mike & Mike at 9:30 am for a group discussion on the events of the day.  Greenberg will then join “First Take” for a segment at 10:15 am. Whew!…..Viacom’s Comedy Central inks a pact with SiriusXM to begin airing content on the satellite service under its brand.  And to kick off the launch of Comedy Central Radio, the cable channel will go dark and simulcast the audio feed of the historic launch, which goes live at 12:00 midnight ET on Sunday, May 19.  Virgin Mobile and Monster DNA headphones will sponsor the opening minute of Comedy Central Radio, which marks only the second time that the channel has gone dark in its illustrious history, the first being May 22, 1992 when it did so for the entirety of Johnny Carson’s final broadcast of “The Tonight Show.”

Three Old Movies for New Radio Managers.  Noted radio consultant (and TALKERS columnist) Holland Cooke says, “Forget those boring management training videos!” and recommends three old flix to today’s upcoming crop of radio managers for a valuable bit of advice and inspiration.  He suggests viewing “Disclsoure” for input of sexual harassment, “Bridge on the River Kwai” for leadership training, and “Glengarry Glen Ross” for sales do’s and don’ts.  To read more, click here.

Donald Rumsfeld Visits Steve Malzberg.  Former U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was Steve Malzberg’s guest on Wednesday (5/15) on his Newsmax Media-produced and syndicated talk show.  Rumsfeld is promoting his new book Rumsfeld’s Rules: Leadership Lessons in Business, Politics, War, and Life (Broadside Books 2013).  In addition to promoting the new book, Rumsfeld and Malzberg talked about the big issues of the day – responsibility for the Benghazi attacks, the IRS scandal and the tensions in the Middle East.  Malzberg’s program airs live from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm ET.

Industry Mourns Fred White.  The broadcasting industry and Major League Baseball is mourning the passing of Kansas City Royals director of broadcast services (and long-time Royals play-by-play voice) Fred White, who passed away after a battle with cancer one day after retiring from the organization.  White worked in the broadcast booth with Denny Matthews from 1973 through 1998 before he left that role to move into managing the broadcasting services.

IRS Scandal, Benghazi Attack Probe, Justice Department AP Phone Records Audit and Israel-Syria Tensions Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (5/15).  The scandal involving the IRS and conservative groups; the ongoing investigation into the deadly attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi; the Justice Department’s audit of AP phone records and Eric Holder’s appearance before the House Judiciary Committee; and Israel-Syria tensions were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS.

Meet Michael Berry

LOS ANGELES — Granted, it doesn’t quite convey the magnitude of Howard Stern’s “King of All Media” bravado, but “Czar of Talk Radio” is the tongue-in-cheek manner Michael Berry refers to himself. “If President Obama can name a czar for everything, then I’m the ‘Czar of Talk Radio,’” Berry reasons.

The moniker took off when he started it four years ago and Berry has capitalized on it. “Other talk hosts say they wish they branded it before I did.”

Bug Bites

Not distributed in major syndicator fashion, Berry is nonetheless cobbling together a modestly growing roster of affiliates for his daily Houston-based talk program.

Making the feat further impressive is that when the now 42-year-old Berry enrolled at the University of Houston, where he would later be elected student body president, his sights were set on being a courtroom lawyer. “I went to the University of Texas School of Law, and I got another law degree in England,” notes Berry, whose weekday talk shows originate from Clear Channel-owned KTRH. “I came back and wanted to practice law.”

Drawn into politics, Berry became Houston’s Mayor pro tem.

As his third, two-year term expired in 2005, Clear Channel approached Berry about becoming a talk host. “I had no idea how rewarding such an experience could be,” he remarks. “I recognized the power to communicate a message. As I was working on things at City Hall, I could see how you could craft a message and get immediate feedback. It was better than a town hall meeting.”

That was how the radio bug bit Berry when he was an adult; however, there was prior history of him becoming hooked. Growing up in southeast Texas, he would ride his bike to a tiny radio facility that played oldies. “They let me pick some of the songs,” he recounts. “I became somewhat of an expert on 1950s and 1960s music. I remember the fascination I had that you could say the phone number and people would call in. It might have been just for a turkey giveaway, but there was an intimate connection.”

Positive introduction to the medium notwithstanding, the notion that Berry would be a radio personality with a national profile is something he finds extremely surprising. “I would have expected a career in 10 other things before radio,” he exclaims. “I didn’t know you could make any money at it and I didn’t look at it as a real job. When I was a kid, I thought people did radio as a hobby. The idea there is a business model behind this passion is almost like cheating. This is what kids do for free.”

Intriguing Experiment

Frequent talk show guest Berry transitioned to host when he replaced Glenn Beck in Houston, although Berry declares, “That was 30 days before Glenn went to CNN and he just exploded. We cannot forget that this is a business. A number of syndicated shows do not make a penny for local stations. My show was local and I could talk about local issues.”

Approximately two years after Berry launched his talk show, the operations manager for Clear Channel’s three Houston AM outlets departed. Management approached Berry, indicating they wanted someone outside of radio to assume programming reins for KTRH, talk KPRC, and sports KBME. It was “an experiment” and Berry explains, “If it didn’t work out, I knew I would be fired in six months. They were very clear about that.”

Simultaneous with this internal station activity, Houston was becoming one of the country’s first PPM markets. “Within three months, I knew as much about PPM as anyone else in America,” Berry states. “I learned the radio business more from a programmer’s perspective, as opposed to those who learn it as a [talent-turned-programmer].”

Given carte blanche since day one, Berry was not intimidated by the steep learning curve facing him as a first-time radio programmer. “I was able to ask questions without having to pretend I knew the answers,” he points out. “I told people I didn’t know anything about how to measure shares, quarter-hours, or time spent listening, but I would learn by asking. Legends in the programming world were patient with me because they knew I was not a threat to them.”

Among the multitude of lessons Berry learned was that programmers tended to say shows were good – or bad – based on personal preferences, rather than audience reaction. “I do not eat at McDonald’s or watch NASCAR, but millions of other people do,” he acknowledges. “If there is a market for a product, let it flourish. Network television would not take [AMC's] ‘Mad Men’ or [A&E's] ‘Duck Dynasty,’ but look at the cult following and financial viability those shows have. Radio has to understand there can be room in the space for many different shows: It does not have to be just Rush [Limbaugh] or Sean [Hannity].”

Implementing a number of PPM-related nuts-and-bolts elements he learned such as how to retain listeners through breaks and how to tease topics, Berry’s program took off, prompting him to relinquish programming duties to further his own on-air efforts.

Battling Listener Fatigue

Word spread and Clear Channel vice president/Portland market manager Robert Dove inquired about Berry’s endeavor. “Someone mentioned that I was ‘southern fried,’ but listeners either love me or hate me,” Berry comments.

Three months later, Dove bestowed a go on Berry’s show for Clear Channel, Portland’s KEX, making it his first affiliate. “I went there and nurtured personal relationships,” he explains. “I met local businesspeople and followed Portland politics. Although an unlikely market for us, it is a programming and sales success. From there, it became a lot easier to pick up new markets.”

In addition to speaking to affiliate programmers as often as possible, Berry allocates one week a month for travel. “In the two and a half years my show has been on in Portland, I’ve been there four times,” he points out. “I am trying to replicate small town radio on a case-by-case basis. I do not want to be so removed from listeners that they do not know me. Obviously, that becomes a struggle when you add more markets. My show is provocative and will ruffle some feathers, so I don’t want to homogenize it or dumb it down to the lowest common denominator. [Clear Channel vice president/Houston market manager] Eddie Martiny is my biggest P1 listener and he has really promoted me.”

Qualitative composition is not as much of a concern as the quantitative aspect to Berry, who “would love” to have a “diverse audience of engaged listeners” across a wide spectrum, but he stresses that he is “comfortable” that, “Talk radio skews whiter, older, and more toward men. I do not think we should push older listeners out to bring in younger ones. I am mindful that we have one auditorium to serve people 30 years old [as well as those who are] 80. There is a balance to draw there. Unfortunately, some trade publications attack the fact that talk radio tends to have an older listener base. That does not suggest the death of talk radio – it suggests the maturation process of human beings. The older we get, the more conscious we are of certain matters.”

Sensing there may be fatigue for politics on talk radio, Berry maintains his show is “less political” than what many of his counterparts offer. “When I talk politics, I mean it but I try to connect with people on a base level, rather than on a political level,” he insists. “We may brush across a topic but then connect on a more personal level. I can talk for 15 minutes at a time in my ‘Food Porn’ segments about chicken fried steak and my grandmother’s cornbread. That is how you can broaden your audience and attract more women.”

Difference-Maker

Southern by nature, Berry hunts, fishes, and is proud of his drawl. “I have not tried to change any of that and I don’t think I should,” he remarks. “There is a fascination about all things southern, including cuisine and music. I do not try to hide where I am coming from or who I am. Audiences got a sense of authenticity from the fact that I am a redneck at heart. Programmers sometimes get it wrong by wanting to make a show in ‘everywhere America’ and that makes it in ‘nowhere America.’ We should celebrate our biases and dialects.”

A major turning point for Berry’s show came when the home of a 93-year-old Marine veteran with two Purple Hearts was destroyed. Making matters even worse, that happened just two weeks after he had buried his wife. “I had him on the air at 8:00 am,” Berry states, “and by 2:00 pm, 60 different contractors were at his house.”

Within three weeks, the man’s property had been completely rebuilt. “It was over $250,000 worth of work and $50,000 in cash donations,” Berry remembers. “More importantly, it brought a community together and gave us a sense that we had made a difference.”

For a three-hour period, the power of radio resembled a radio-thon. “One person called to say he had the flooring – another volunteered the fencing,” Berry notes. “It was an amazing display of community support. People wanted to help and radio was the medium.”

Nonstop Day

Typically up by 5:30 am, Berry prepares his 8:00 am -11:00 am KTRH broadcast that later airs on KEX (12:00 noon – 3:00 pm). Comedy bits are produced every day and he admits that, “Some are hits and some are stupid.”

After a full day of business meetings and parental chores, he is usually back at KTRH by 4:15pm readying his second show of the day, a two-hour broadcast, that is fed to his other affiliates.

Common thread regarding the station roster – San Antonio’s WOAI, Nashville’s WLAC, Birmingham’s WERC, Albany, New York’s WGY, Baton Rouge’s WJBO, Beaumont, Texas’ KLVI, and Waco, Texas’ KWTX – is that all are Clear Channel-owned talk properties. The other affiliate, Atlanta’s WGST, will pick up Berry’s 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm program when the station returns to talk next month. “I usually call a client, market manager, or PD during my drive home,” the indefatigable Berry remarks.

Dinner with his wife of 21 years and their two sons they adopted from Ethiopia is followed by email correspondence and resetting the preparation process for the next morning’s show. “For exactly 40 years, my dad was a maintenance worker,” points out Berry, who made a meteoric 28-notch jump from #95 on Talkers’ 2012 “Heavy Hundred” to #67 in 2013. “He worked at a job he hated, but what I do is fun. I get to talk to cool people on the radio. Who wouldn’t want to do that?”

No other on-air talent has helped Berry more than Mark Levin, of whom Berry explains, “He took an interest in me early on and he has let me guest-host his show dozens of times. When I was under a firestorm for something I said on the air, Sean Hannity reached out to me. I will never forget that he called when I was on vacation in Austin and he walked me through crisis management. He does things like that behind the scenes a lot more than most people realize.”

Regrettably, the industry has a tendency to measure talk radio hosts based on number of affiliates. At least for now though, Berry does not evaluate it that way. “One day we will, hopefully, have a huge footprint, but more than anything, I want to retain complete creative control over a show that people like,” he emphasizes. “Even with technological advancements, I found there is nothing as intimate as the oldest form of media – radio. Talk radio is not background or passive. To this day, I am always mindful when someone talks about my children and my wife as if they know them. That is a constant reminder of this intimate connection that we have with listeners.”

Mike Kinosian is managing editor/West Coast bureau chief of TALKERS.  He can be emailed at  Kinosian@Talkers.com.  Meet Mike Kinosian at Talkers New York 2013 on Thursday June 6. 

KTRS, St. Louis Morning Host McGraw Milhaven Teams with St. Louis Post-Dispatch for Web Streaming Video Version of His Program.

WIBC-FM, Indianapolis to Add Abdul Hakim-Shabazz to Weekend Schedule.  The Indianapolis Business Journal reports that Emmis news/talk outlet WIBC-FM, Indianapolis is adding former WXNT morning host and practicing attorney Abdul Hakim-Shabazz to the weekend schedule for the Saturday 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm show.  Shabazz’s conservative morning program at crosstown WXNT was cancelled in 2011.  WIBC-FM program director David Wood tells the paper, “He has a nice following and he does a fun show.”  The paper notes Shabazz “has frequently made light of his incongruous profile — being black, conservative and a Muslim.”  Shabazz publishes IndyPolitics.org and is a local political commentator.  He practices law with Indianapolis law firm Lewis and Wilkins.

WDBO-FM, Orlando Names Tony Marino Afternoon News Anchor.  Cox Media Group’s news/talk WDBO-FM, Orlando “News 96.5” announces news and traffic pro Tony Marino is the new afternoon drive news anchor at the station.  Marino comes to the station from Total Traffic Network in Miami.  In the past he has also served at CBS Radio’s KRLD-AM, Dallas in the news department.

Bloomquist Media Wins Two 2013 Communicator  Awards.  Yesterday TALKERS reported that the Bloomquist Media-produced special “A Grateful Nation” – which raises funds to benefit the Fisher House Foundation – was a U.S. finalist for the New York Festivals 2013 Radio Programs and Promo Awards.  Bloomquist Media has also been honored for the same program with two 2013 Communicator Awards.  “A Grateful Nation,” was honored with a Gold Award of Excellence for Writing/Creative Concept and a Silver Award of Distinction in the Programs category.  Bloomquist Media president Randall Bloomquist states, “We are very pleased to see ‘A Grateful Nation’ honored for its creative concept and writing.  Powerful storytelling is key to the success of our innovative Branded Audio Content strategy.”  “A Grateful Nation” told four stories of service and sacrifice by members of the U.S. military and their families.  Because Fisher House Foundation played a role in all of these stories, the organization’s message was organically woven into the compelling content.  The program aired during Memorial Day weekend 2012 on 65 news/talk radio stations, as well as Sirius XM satellite radio.  The Communicator Awards is the leading international awards program recognizing big ideas in marketing and communications.  Founded nearly two decades ago, The Communicator Awards receives over 6,000 entries from companies and agencies of all sizes, making it one of the largest awards programs of its kind in the world.

Jacobs Media to Host Techsurvey9 News/Talk Webinar.  Next Tuesday, May 21 Jacobs Media will host a webinar for news/talk radio broadcasters presenting data from its Techsurvey9.  The company says, “With over 78,000 respondents from 264 North American radio stations from 12 formats, the study provides a rich, deep exploration into the shifting digital, social, and media habits of radio listeners.  As always, we’ve got some great data here that can help stations better understand what their audiences are doing when they’re not listening to radio.  Overall, 27 news/talk stations contributed close to 12,000 respondents, showing why this is valuable information for news/talk stations.  Jacobs Media will present the webinar at 2:00 pm ET on that day and it is charging $99 for participation in the webinar for stations that did not pay for their data, but it says the small fee allows broadcasters to bring as many people into their conference rooms as they like.  More information can be found here.

RAB Study: Auto Radio Ads Have Greatest Influence as Consumers Get Close to Purchase.  According to the Radio Advertising Bureau’s newest service – Finding Consumer Trends Reports – “radio plays a dominant role, whether people are considering a vehicle purchase, or spending time in a vehicle.  The closer listeners get to purchasing or leasing a vehicle, the more important a part radio advertising plays.  And radio is a top ‘must-have’ for automotive buyers of every age.”  The RAB states that “these are just some of the key findings stemming from its new service to help radio stations sell locally and highlight the buying power of radio listeners coast to coast.”  It was developed in partnership with Presslaff Interactive Revenue, and offered as a benefit of membership, Finding Consumer Trends (F.C.T) Reports are turn-key online surveys of a station’s audience that provide salable insights and qualified leads on purchase interests in top advertising categories.  RAB president and CEO Erica Farber says, “We were excited to launch this initiative for our members.  The number of responses demonstrates the engagement radio has with its listeners.  The information gleaned from this survey on automotive proves radio’s role within brand consideration and purchase.”  The RAB says the first F.C.T Report survey was conducted from March 12 to April 2, 2013 and attracted over 28,000 respondents aged 18-plus.  Respondents were asked about vehicle and brand preferences along with advertising and dealership influencers.  Of those respondents surveyed, 44% currently own a vehicle that is over 8 years old and nearly one in three (32%) of the total respondents will be in the market to purchase/lease a vehicle within the next year.  Presslaff Interactive Revenue’s president Ruth Presslaff says of the study, “RAB member stations now have a wealth of information they can use to engage dealerships and services shops.  With responses from over 28,000 radio listeners from coast to coast, we have uncovered everything from automotive brand preferences to buying intentions to their listening habits while driving.  This is compelling information that will be beneficial for all radio sales, within and well beyond the automotive category.”

Benghazi Investigation, IRS Targeting Conservative Groups, Obama Calls Out Rush Limbaugh, Justice Department AP Phone Records Search, and Angelina Jolie Mastectomy Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (5/14).  The ongoing investigation into the Benghazi attack; the IRS’ targeting of conservative groups; President Obama’s calling out Rush Limbaugh; the Justice Department’s search of Associated Press phone records; and actress Angelina Jolie’s choice to have a double mastectomy were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS.

BLOCK ISLAND — Tell me THIS doesn’t validate the consultant caricature!  I’m in a rental car, driving the pattern…  or camped-out in a hotel, waiting for room service to deliver the BLT and Diet Coke, and more packets of that in-room coffee.  I’m… listening.  Stealthy, almost gumshoe, eh?

Relax.  Notes which follow aren’t necessarily about you, personally.

On second thought, DON’T relax.  Be psyched.  Be stoked.  Bring your “A” game, every day.  Because the dang consultant gets paid to listen.  Your concern is people-who-don’t, “real people,” listeners, each a potential PPM panelist or diarykeeper…and prospect for your retail advertisers.

So here are some generic Do’s-N-Don’ts, based on many miles along the winding radio road:

Prep Better

Asking for callers?  Distill a specific proposition BEFORE your show. Don’t just think-aloud on-air until you come up with one.  Yes, actually script your opening.  Make it lean and inviting, so listeners won’t wander-off.  We’re merely sharing their attention.

Avoid reading from the newspaper, for three reasons:

1. It’s yesterday’s news.  Be today, now, since-the-ink-dried.

2. It sends the dangerous message to subscribers that they already have the information we’re offering.  And non-subscribers don’t regard the newspaper as vital.

3. It’s not written for the ear.  T.M.I. is rampant.  WHO CARES about the name-and-title of whoever at the Motion Picture Academy of Arts & Sciences announced the Oscar nominees?  Read the list.

Listen better…when you’re not on-air.  Not to radio.  Listen to people.  Eavesdrop on everyday life.  If you’re doing talk radio, you’ll find yourself doing political topics less.

Listen Better (when you’re on-the-air)

One reason Larry became The King of Talk?  He picks-up on things his subjects say that other interviewers miss.

Talk less than callers and guests.   That’s another reason Larry became King: Short questions force people to open-up.

Speak Second-Person Singular

Radio is an intimate, one-to-one medium.  So avoid saying “THOSE OF YOU” or “ALL OF YOU.”  There’s only one of me.  Instead, say “YOU,” lots.

And say “YOUR” and “YOU’RE” more.  If you can’t find a way to, you might be talking about boring stuff.

Don’t Talk Like a Radio Guy

Say “LIVE BROACAST” instead of “REMOTE” (which is what real people call the TV clicker).

As you listen to your aircheck, ask yourself “WOULD I WANT THIS PERSON IN MY CAR POOL?”

Don’t Waste Listeners’ Time

“LET ME ASK YA THIS…” is radio Styrofoam, and sounds inexperienced.  It’s your show, just ask.

Don’t thank callers for waiting on hold.  You’ll scare-off would-be callers who are too busy to.
(Retail advertisers love busy people.  Every time they get out of the car, they spend.)

Leave “IS” out of timechecks. “WXXX NEWSTIME, 702” sounds more authoritative.

Also leave out of timechecks: “MINUTES BEFORE/PAST THE HOUR OF.”  Do digital timechecks.

Seduce Listeners into Giving You MORE of their Time

The way Arbitron ratings are calculated – diaries or PPM — keeping listeners even just five more minutes each time they tune-in could as much as DOUBLE your ratings.   So when you tease, really tease. “SPORTS NEXT” is not a tease. “WE NOW KNOW 3 OF ‘THE FINAL FOUR’” is.

Most-under-exploited way to maximize TSL from your existing cume: Get someone to listen same-time-tomorrow.

MORE, ICYMI:

RU @Speed-of-Life?

Why Not Just Say “Don’t Listen?”

Read/see/hear more at www.HollandCooke.com, and follow @HollandCooke on Twitter.  And meet HC at Talkers/New York, June 6.