“DONT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT”

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2012 was a strange but exciting year for me. I appeared in a movie (Naptown Rock Radio Wars) was on National Television proudly inducting Ron Chapman into the Radio Hall Of Fame and was lucky enough to be involved in an exciting new relationship. Just like most things that appear too good to be true generally are so they unfortunately must come to an end. Hey I think I see my exit ramp just up ahead.

OK lets have a show of hands from the folks who trust Pharmaceutical people, the Banks and Oil companies somebody must. Ahhh there they are, hey it’s all the politicians, they seem to be the only ones with their hands raised.

The picture above is the one Hunny Bunny sent me of her Mommy. It was accompanied by the words “DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT” What the hell could that possibly mean.

Still lookin’ but not finding a reason to believe.

Dale Carnegie said that any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain and most do.

When I was a local PD I never listened to the competition for several reasons. I always figured If they did anything that was any good someone would soon tell me about and I could calmly figure out what to do about it. I sure liked it a lot when they listened to my station, it was kinda like I was programming them also.

Speaking of PD’s most of them are to busy creating systems to even hear if their systems sound any good on the Radio.

What I have never figured out is when National Sales was huge on Radio the Sales Manager’s Secretary used to handle it but now that there hardly is any it’s an executive position.

Another thing that I’ve never figured out is why the billing goes down here in South Florida just like up North even though our population swells by several million.

To me Radio is like an ice cream store you use your promos to promote all the unusual stuff (flavors) you are doing. But you better have your main programming in good shape (Strawberry, Chocolate, and Vanilla) ’cause thats all they will stay for.

When Jim Hilliard bought KVIL in Dallas for Mr. Fairbanks the station was doing about $35,000 a month. Later on when it was approaching 2 million Mr. Fairbanks told me that this bubble was going to burst so he sold it. He was right, 20 years later the bubble did burst.

Speaking of big billing, It used to be that during a recession as long as you were in the top 3 you were going to have a record breaking year. A little Less money was spent over a lot fewer stations. I’m not sure if that’s true anymore.

Robert Murphy told me he once turned down a lucrative job offer in Dallas because after listening to Ron Chapman he knew he couldn’t beat him. He told me he could never love Dallas as much as Ron did.

Speaking of Ron even though his shows were very very funny I don’t think I ever heard him tell a joke on the Radio, he was too busy laughing.

Dick Purtan told Jeff and Jer the only way to get ratings in the morning was you had to wrap your arms around the city then marry it. When Jeff and Jer hit beautiful San Diego they got engaged to her their very first day on the air and are approaching their 25th anniversary.

Evolution is a much easier and better way to change your station’s sound but if your station is a complete disaster a revolution may be in order.

As much as I love Radio I don’t love it enough to buy any stock.

We’re coming to that time of the year when it’s especially important to let our troops who are stationed and fighting in foreign lands know how much we support them. We don’t have to support the people who sent them there though.

When an air talent enthusiastically endorses something he doesn’t believe in that’s called hype. When he uses the same approach with something he believes in it’s called passion.

The only way you make any money being an air talent is when you become as Plato once said a “Principle Of Influence”

One of the ways to shape up an air staff quickly is to play Jock In The Box. That’s where you play a tape each week at the jock meeting of one of your air talents and let the other jocks critique it.

Would you ever listen to you.

If your Radio Station doesn’t have a little controversy surrounding it, than it’s not living up to it’s full potential.

Jack McCoy once told me … He who controls the language will soon control the budget.

Because the roots of the present lie always lie deep in the past, I believe retail sales will be the “Next New Thing” in Radio.

Why would anybody think that relaxing ownership rules would fix something.

When you can see a lot further behind you than in front of you it’s time to put your affairs in order.

The age old question … What’s more important the accomplishment of the mission or the welfare of the troops has been answered by Radio it seems.

Dean Goodman did a very neat business maneuver in West Palm Beach. He purchased WRMF’s main competitor SUNNY then proceeded move them out of town. Hello #1 by two share points!

There are two thing Radio people hate doing but it’s imperative that they be done if you have any hope of being successful. For sales it’s called “Cold Calls” and in programming it’s called “Show Prep”

9 thoughts on ““DONT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT”

  1. George wrote: “Dean Goodman did a very neat maneuver in West Palm Beach by purchasing WRMF’s main competition SUNNY and then moved them out of town. Hello #1 by 2 share points!”

    George you failed to mention the damage it apparently did to WIRK as well as the Sunny brand. I guess Goodman has the right to burn them down if he want’s…. But please answer how this was “neat”? That move clearly benefited WRMF, but how was that a benefit to the listener? The WIRK or Sunny listener? Or the community as a whole? You know those folks that Radio people like to say they care so much about?

    I guess the concept being a trustee of the public airwaves doesn’t matter much anymore.

    • It was neat trick for him Eric because now he has time to fix the others. Not only did he move WRMF’s main competitor for dollars out of the market there are now fewer stations dividing up the money. I think he is going to take on Clear Channel locally because they are bogged down by systems and very little promotion. He ain’t. But this is all only a guess on my part because I’ve only met the man once.

    • I agree honey, this was an old blog. My guy has sent up a system where my old blogs automatically get reposted which may be embarrassing like this one. (-:

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