Radio Geo’s Media Blog. (I’d Rather Stand Alone) 6/05/23

Download PDF

So, as I write this, I’m on the train somewhere between West Palm Beach and Los Angeles, where I’m headed to my Grandson’s graduation.
I love the train because I’m all alone, so I don’t have to look after anyone, which gives me thinking time.
What I’m thinking about is how I’d like to get my hands on a stand-alone FM, even though most radio folks believe you need a bunch of them to be successful.
Oh, oh! There’s that can’t word again that I was writing about in last week.

I beg to differ, though, because a stand-alone has a unique opportunity to become the winner.
You can focus your quest for not only better rating but also revenue at your enemy without worrying about how it will affect your other stations down the hall.

Until you get some decent ratings, direct business is the lifeblood of a stand-alone because calling on agencies without gig numbers is just a waste of time.
However, now that you don’t have to call on agencies you have some extra time to come up with things that cause traffic because that’s all direct business cares about.
Stand-alone’s can not only cause phones to ring but can also send folks to web pages and places of business.
I’ve always used unique promotions and endorsements from the Dee Jays to blow the doors off some of the local establishments.
Promotions and endorsements are very measurable, so they help solve radio’s biggest problem, accountability.
Group stations have too many systems and rules in the way, so they tend to shy away from promotions and such.
Instead, they’d rather continue calling on agencies.

Oh, and because you won’t have as much debt, you’ll be able to afford to advertise, promote, and build databases that can be used for even more accountability.

The best part is when your stand-alone begins to heat up; the group stations don’t have the time or the money to fight back.
Speaking of heat, whether a PPM device, a Diary, or a Phone is used to do a radio survey, they all find the hottest stations.
GEO’S LIFE-LINERS

It takes some kind of woman to distract a man from his destiny. Hey Harry, how’s it going so far?

Speaking of strong women, Cami’s Grandma once said to me, “Any man can be a father, but it takes a hell of a man to be a Daddy.” 

Success is not measured by how much drama it took to get there. 

It may not be your parents, teacher, or mentor; it may be you. 

Is Johnny Depp the first man to win an argument with a woman? 

According to Hollywood movies, in the future, all the presidents will be females, and all the armed forces commanders and judges will be black.

Regrets, yeh, I have a few; I wish I hadn’t divorced, and I wish that I had a better relationship with my son and hadn’t gone ten years without talking to my brother. Other than that, I’m fucking rockin’!

Everyone looks at their situation from their side of the table, but it’s those who see all sides end up owning the table. 

Facts ruin most good stories.

Why is it that if a woman says something hurtful and I mention it, I’m even in more trouble?

Big is the result of many small things all coming together.

Being smart is not only a skill; it’s also a choice.

I can only wonder what Suzette McClure, who murdered my good friend Charlie Minor is doing now.

I‘ve been in love six times but was only excited about marrying one of them.

While watching some old Tom Cruise movies, I realized why they were successful. Tom was smart enough to have great actors around him, like Anthony Hopkins and John Voigt.

Courage needs to be exercised.

The question may be more important than the answer.

Good enough is the mortal enemy of greatness.

I think that the oil companies will keep raising prices until we all promise not to vote for a Democrat.

Hockey players are the only athletes in the world who pretend that they’re not hurt.

What politician would you trust to babysit your grandbabies?

At what age do you develop shame?

Why do Whiskey and wine go down much easier than water?

Tolerance sanctions misuse and incompetence, and familiarity breeds contempt.

If 65% of the rich did not inherit their wealth, I doubt they’d be running anything.

I read that Einstein married his cousin because she had large breasts. How wise was that?

Most listeners don’t want their favorite radio station to get any better.

Has anybody thought that maybe we shouldn’t export our oil?

Do you have any idea what the initials CD, ASAP, DVD, BYOB, FOMO, FYI, LASER, P.S, PIN, RADAR, RIP, SCUBA, SMART, SNAFU, SONAR, SOS, VIN, WD-40, ZIP, CAPTCHA, CD-ROM, JPEG, RAM, URL, AWOL, FLOTUS, NATO, SWAT, AIDS, AT&T, and BOT, stand for?

I wonder when Biden will stop blaming Trump for everything and get on with the fixin’.

Most great men aren’t good men because they were too busy being great to be good.

There’s an old song I never understood called “You Always Hurt The One You Love” until I realized that they’re the only ones we tell the truth to.

Research can only tell you what happened, not what will happen.

Art is one of the few things that doesn’t have any rules.

Are you as tired as I am being asked to do a survey every time you buy something?

COMMENTS

Ron Below: To answer your headline question- War, What The Hell Is It Good For?… Absolutely nothing! (War)
Radio Geo: Uh-huh, uh-huh!
Kevin Robinson: From my front porch, I could see the 1070 towers up until two years ago. Retirement Condos are being built there now. Shame. (Coming To America)
Radio Geo: Very sad, Kevin, as the jingle sang, “It’s a Shame What They’re Doing To Radio.” It’s hard to believe that WIBC once had a 19.4 share overall with a 27 in the morning. Oh, and the Buzzard was right behind “Big Mama.”
Geo’s Media Blog is a politically incorrect inside look at Radio, TV, Music, Movies, Books, Social Media, and Politics, but mostly Life, primarily written with men in mind.
For a peek at upcoming Blogs or to see some you may have missed, go to GeorgeJohns.com. On Twitter @GeoOfTheRadio. Sharing and commenting is not only encouraged; it’s appreciated.

 

4 thoughts on “Radio Geo’s Media Blog. (I’d Rather Stand Alone) 6/05/23

  1. Nat Humphries: I’ve been away from radio since the end of 1999, George, but around 2010 began writing a weekly marketing column for a local publication. I had become so frustrated with radio ownership’s refusal to grow a next generation of listeners by investing in a few local billboards that in one column I advised local heavy-weight businesses, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, to make their next buy contingent on $1600 of it going toward a station billboard on our city’s main thoroughfare, reasoning that the extra ears listening would benefit both parties. I’ve been persona-non-grata in local radio ever since. Honestly, George, help me with the thinking. Is it, “Bleed the last ad dollar until we turn out the lights”? Two generations don’t even know we exist.
    Geo: Nat, what radio used to be about was the future but now that the accountants have taken over it’s about now. The banks are only impressed by how cheaply you can run everything because they know, “There ain’t no future.”

  2. Billy Bob Harris: George, you are the BOMB……..
    Geo: Thank you Billy Bob but I’m not near as explosive as you.

  3. Wendy Homes: George, If you want to go for a single station then go for it, if anyone can you can!! Also, since my husband passed I couldn’t care less what men think; I’ve been propositioned twice and told them both to FO!!
    Geo: I just may do that, Wendy.

  4. Jed Duvall: George: The fact that KKCW-FM Portland, is consistently the top-rated station in spite of iHeartRadio ownership simply shows that you built K103 and hired the right people the first time around. It proves your point that you don’t need a cluster of stations to win. I would also predict that if you were the owner of KVIL, it would still be far and away the station in Dallas-Fort Worth.
    Geo: As Jim Hilliard always said, Jed, “Anybody can sell a top-rated radio station.” That’s what KVIL lost sight of, they chased the money instead of the listeners.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *