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02/17/2002
(This was Art's last R &
I column. On the day that it was published, he suffered a stroke and
never recovered)
R&I
I LOVE A GUY WITH THREE
FIRST NAMES: David Clayton-Thomas. Anchorman for Blood Sweat
and Tears, one of the Best Rock / Jazz groups to satisfy their audience and
command a loyal following for 30 + years.
Saturday night at the Reno
Hilton Theatre. A great place for a concert. Big enough to hold a
crowd. Small enough not to intimidate. Last time I saw Blood Sweat
and Tears was at the Jazz Pavilion at Summerfest in Milwaukee WI. I
wondered if they had changed?
The stage lights dimmed as
a backdrop of twinkling stars took their place. Eight musicians
stretched across either side of a large set of drums placed on a very high
pedestal. From the first note, the energy radiated made
"eight" sound like twenty. David strolled out to centerstage
and treated us to his opening song, "Spinning Wheel."
His powerful voice vibrated across the room. As the applause died down, he
invited us to join at the chorus of "Heidi Ho." That's
when I turned to Bobbi and said: "These guys don't fool around!"
Then quietly wondered what the last song would be?
David and BS&T
performed all there hits. They have chalked up enough to fill an hour
and a half of solid BS&T music. Their bragging rights boast Five
Grammy Awards, selling over Twenty Million Albums and CD's. The real
treat is in seeing them perform. If they come to your area ... don't
miss 'em. Goosebumps Junction.
Their last song was
"God Bless The Child." But wait a minute. When the song
was over they all walked off the stage, while the audience remained on their
feet, cheering. (Nobody announced "David has left the
building.") I felt an encore. BS&T returned to the stage
and took their places. David thanked the audience, introduced the band, and
treated us to one more song ...
"You Made Me So Very
Happy."
Art Roberts
VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE ACADEMY AWARD BIG THREE:
Best Picture:
In the Bedroom
A Beautiful Mind
The Lord of the Rings
Gosford Park
Moulin Rouge
Best Actor:
Russell Crowe (A Beautiful Mind)
Sean Penn (I Am Sam)
Will Smith (Ali)
Denzel Washington (Training Day)
Tom Wilkinson (In the Bedroom)
Best Actress:
Halle Berry (Monster's Ball)
Judi Dench (Iris)
Nicole Kidman (Moulin Rouge)
Sissy Spacek (In the Bedroom)
Renée Zellweger (Bridget Jones's Diary)
HERE COMES THE COMPETITION: Sirius Satellite
Radio threw their hat in the Satellite arena last Thursday, broadcasting 100%
commercial-free, digital quality music channels in Jackson, MS; Houston,
TX; Phoenix, AZ; and Denver, CO. Word is Sirius won't
cover the country until the fall.
In a move to help grow its subscriber base, XM Satellite Radio
announced a joint marketing agreement with DirecTV. Their customers will
be offered XM in value-added packages.
ROOM FOR ONE MORE?? Move over Rush, Dr. Laura,
Howard ... looks like BILL Maher is thinking about becoming a syndicated radio
talk show host. Does the Radio world really need this??
Even though the talk-radio arena is pretty crowded, Bill's
viewpoint and focus will probably remain leaning to the left ... an opinion
platform that has been vacated by most of today's Talk-Radio performers.
Go get 'em Bill. There's always room for a talent.
LAST TIME IN OUR LIFETIME: As the clock ticks
over from 8:01PM on Wednesday, February 20th, 2002, time will (for sixty
seconds only) read in perfect symmetry. To be more precise: 20:02,
20/02, 2002. It is an event, which has only ever happened once before,
and is something which will never be repeated. The last occasion that
time read in such a symmetrical pattern was long before the days of the
digital watch (or the 24-hour clock): 10:01AM, on January 10, 1001. And
because the clock only goes up to 23.59, it is something that will never
happen again.
WE LOST SOME FRIENDS:
Bob Wooler was born in Liverpool, worked on the docks, had a
popular Skiffle Group, met John Lennon in the late 50's and became his friend
and advisor, and helped the Beatles get started after their tour of Hamburg,
Germany in 1960. He also worked as a Disc Jockey. Bob Wooler died
at the Royal Liverpool Hospital after a long illness. He was 76.
Luckenbach, Texas mourns. So do his fans worldwide.
Waylon Jennings, who cheated "The Grim Reaper" once when he
gave up his seat on Buddy Holly's plane, and then went on to become "A
Rebel-with-a-cause" Country star, died Wednesday. He was 64.
Evelyn Scott was L A's first female disc jockey on radio
station KMPC. She became a regular on the TV Soap "Peyton
Place." Evelyn Scott died Jan. 31 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
She was 86.
QUOTE FOR THE DAY: "Results! Why, man, I
have gotten a lot of results. I know several thousand things that wont
work" -- Thomas Edison
BODDA BOOM BODDA BING: Comedian Jerry Seinfeld
offers these words on the difference between men's magazines and women's
magazines:
"There's very little advice in men's magazines, because
men don't think there's a lot they don't know. Women do. Women
want to learn. Men think, 'I know what I'm doing, just show me somebody
naked."
MY PAL PERRY TELLS THE BEST SENIOR PICK-UP LINES:
"Wanna swap meds?"
"Can I buy you a spatula?"
"Bet you're wondering why I have no nostrils?"
"Your crawlspace or mine?"
"May I lick your forehead?"
"Do you always wear your shoes over your socks?"
"Smeep. Smeep. Smeep. Sorry, my nothe is running.
Gotta Keenex? "
"What's your favorite flavor of wood?"
"You've stolen my heart, but that's okay because I have
three more back home in the freezer!"
THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF RADIO: --
Larry Shannon delivers Fresh and Factual Radio Info ... AND MORE ... EVERYDAY
...
www.radiodailynews.com
WEBBER OF THE WEEK: Meet The Band.
BS&T.
ONE MORE THOUGHT: Valentine's day
was originally a Roman Holiday during which men and women ate, drank, sang
songs and ran naked in the streets.
In my neighborhood, we don't sing songs
anymore.
Happy Belated Valentines Day!
That's it for this week. ART
ROBERTS
02/10/2002
R&I
THIS IS WHEN IT GETS
CRUSTY AT THE TOP: Once upon a moment in time
there was a CEO named Sumner Redstone and a President named Mel Karmazin, who
used to be a CEO. Their management styles conflicted. Mel is a
Hands-On guy, Sumner gives more wriggling room to his top executives.
Sumner's mighty Viacom got Mel's powerhouse CBS for Billion's of Dollars and
then demoted Mel to the rank of President with one stroke of his magic wand.
Needless to say, this didn't light up Mel's room. You might call it:
"The power struggle to end all Radio power struggles." You
might ... but don't. As Yogi Berra sez ... "It ain't over 'til it's
over."
Mel and Sumner are digging
in. Top exec's are choosing sides. Mel is pretty safe until May
2003, when his contract is up, or sooner if Sumner can get 14 of the 18
directors to vote in his direction ... but that is a long shot.
R&I predictions:
Mel will settle for a buyout that includes Infinity. Sumner gets most of
the rest. Top exec's will scramble for their jobs ... at least half will be
replaced ... the rest will hook-up with whomever they feel will be around for
the next battle.
Radio has never been the
same since invaded by Corporate America. Go home tonight and kiss your
kids. Be thankful for the JOB ... not the Title.
Art Roberts
ONE MORE TIME: On March 10th, 2002, CBS will air
a documentary of what happened when two planes took down the WTC on September
11. You will see what happened that day looking up from Ground Zero.
The story of how these never before seen shots at the WTC is fascinating.
CBS was shooting a documentary about a firefighter who was
stationed near The World Trade Center when the camera crew heard a roar
overhead ... turned the camera upward and captured the plane as it slammed
into the North Tower. This will be a "must see" presentation.
Check the TV listings for time of broadcast.
Proceeds from the documentary will go to the Uniformed
Firefighters Association Scholarship Fund to help the children of the
firefighters who lost their lives in the 9/11attack.
TIME IS MONEY: The Time Machine. A TV dream
comes true. It compresses a half hour sitcom so that there is enough
room to squeeze out (Are you ready for this?) an EXTRA 30 second commercial.
And nobody notices! The Time Machine isn't cheap ... almost a hundred
grand each. Used 10 - 15 times a week, a TV station will break even on
their investment in about two to three weeks. That's a quicker pay
off than the bubblegum machine in the lobby. Is this a bad thing or a
good thing?
Depends. The sales department rejoices at the prospect of
being able to reel in an extra two-spots in prime hours. Ad agencies
fear the clutter. Viewers don't notice. So where's the problem?
Remember when Radio used to operate with the assumption that
more than 12 spots an hour was a tune-out? I know a PD who argued that
point with his GM. His manager listened to the pros and cons of cutting
back on the spot count, and finally said: "OK, George, we will run 12
spots an hour, but I will also deduct a hundred bucks a week from your
paycheck. If I make less money, you'll also take home less."
George never brought the subject up again.
KEN LEVINE KOMENTS: MSNBC suffered an
embarrassing gaffe on the air Wednesday (Feb. 6) when it misspelled an
African-American pundit's name. An extra "g" was mistakenly
inserted into Niger Innis' first name as he appeared on the cable channel to
discuss former Enron chairman Kenneth Lay's decision not to appear before a
U.S. Senate panel. The error was quickly corrected, and anchor Gregg
Jarrett apologized for the mistake. MSNBC also issued a written
statement apologizing for the typo, according to Broadcasting & Cable.
Innis took the mistake in stride. "Oh God, I thought you guys thought I
was a rapper or something. Media bias continues," he joked.
"Just kidding. It's not the first time it has happened, but hopefully it
is the last."
QUOTE FOR THE DAY: "Some of us just go along
. . . until that marvelous day people stop intimidating us -- or should I say
we refuse to let them intimidate us?"
-- Peggy Lee
BODDA BOOM BODDA BING: A gentile once wandered
into a Jewish restaurant and ordered roast chicken. It arrived complete
with potatoes and a few sundries, and the diner looked at it without much
favor. He said to the waiter, "Don't I get a green vegetable?"
And the waiter said, "And vhat color is de pickle? Poiple?"
MY PAL PERRY FINDS SOME NEW WORDS: Each year the
Washington Post's Style Invitational asks readers to take any word from the
dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, thus
creating a new definition. Here are the 2001 winners:
10. Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when
you are running late.
9. Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of
sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.
8. Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease (this
one got extra credit).
7. Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a
hillbilly
6. Glibido: All talk and no action.
5. Dopeler Effect: The tendency of stupid
ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.
4. Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax
refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.
3. Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the
purpose of getting laid.
2. Karmageddon: It's like, when everybody is,
like, sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the
Earth explodes and it's, like, a serious bummer.
(NUMERO UNO!) Ignoranus: A person who's both
stupid AND an asshole.
DOT RADIO DAILY NEWS IS SOMTING ELSE, YAH? --
Larry Shannon delivers Fresh and Factual Radio Info ... AND MORE ... EVERYDAY
...
www.radiodailynews.com
WEBBER OF THE WEEK: Being a devout "Dog
person" I really get ticked when I read a "Bad Rap" about
Rottweilers. (California seems to breed the most vocal
"Anti-Dog" crowd.) Like their human friends, there are a few
"bad apples" that fall from the tree ... but for the most part,
Rotties are marvelous companions. Let me introduce you to some of our
old Pals back in Texas ...
That's it for this week.
ART ROBERTS
02/03/2002
R&I
STUPID IS AS STUPID DOES: Last
week RDN (Radio Daily News.com) printed an opinion by Jeff Davis on the
condition of the radio business, where he used an old analogy:
"It seems pervasive in our Industry that people who have anything that
would resemble "tenure" or "seniority" in other
industries feel that Broadcasting has no future. It begs to cite the
old "half-empty" or "half-full" glass of water
example." (I might add one more, Jeff ... "The glass is
twice as big as needed.")
Jeff Davis went on to inject some very sound
advice: "1) Always keep up with current trends 2) Never be
afraid to embrace change 3) Educate yourself to new options Aside from
being as cooperative as possible in your current situation, understanding
where you stand in the scheme of things is also important. If you're a
jock, be a jock. If you're in the News Department do news. And whatever
that job is, do it to the best of your ability while maintaining an
excellent attitude."
Now here's what got the hairs on my neck to
stand up ... a comment by a reader of RDN which said: "Jeff has
been in the business for thirty years and never fired from radio simply
for following his three rules of the "game"? I'll bet he's
never worked in a top ten market either. Laurie K."
Tell you what Lady, you couldn't be further
from the truth. Jeff was with WLS in Chicago for more than a dozen
years churning out superb production, as well as performing on the air.
He is considered "The WLS Historian", producing such gems as
"The History of WLS" and " WLS, The MusicRadio Years,
1960-1985." Today, Jeff runs his own production studio in Los
Angeles. Laurie, that's the reason God gave us TWO ears and ONE
mouth ... so we may listen twice as much as we speak. Best way I
know from coming off sounding stupid.
The second comment was as dumb as the first.
Maybe dumber. "Sounds like Jeff's main crayon color may be
BROWN, as it reflects the color of the back sides he's probably kissed.
That's another way to stay employed I hear. Gary A."
That comment doesn't dignify an answer. Gary, just read the
above paragraph. The Defense rests.
Art Roberts
RADIO ASTROLOGY FROM LYLE DEAN: WHAT'S YOUR
RADIO STAR SIGN?
ANNOUNCER: You are ambitious yet stupid.
You chose Radio School to avoid having to study in college, concentrating
instead on drinking and socializing which is pretty much what your job
responsibilities are now. Least compatible with Sales.
NEWS -- Negativism erupts, with appropriateness you
believe, when, after an 11-hour day you're asked to work a few hours more,
only because your boss paid no heed to your station's own weather forecast
of a 12-inch snowfall. You are unfussy about what you eat, unless
the bag of corn chips found in a nearby desk, has a freshness date of
sometime in the last century. Much of your psychic pay is in who you
know and who knows you, something your spouse has been unable to spend at
the grocery store. Neither does your spouse appreciate the many
invitations you receive that do include free food and drink--but hardly
worth, your spouse believes, the price she must pay. You can be
counted on to keep an untidy desk with drawers filled with dozens of tapes
bearing labels reading only "Save." Your days off are
filled with reading old newspapers, listening to the competition, and
fantasizing that one day you'll have exactly the right comeback to the
smart-alec program host who wouldn't know a news story if it was painted
on him.
SALES: Laziest of all signs, often referred
to as 'marketing without a degree', you are self-centered and paranoid.
Unless someone calls you and begs you to take their money, you like to
avoid contact with customers so you can 'concentrate on the big picture'.
You seek admiration for your golf game throughout your life.
PRODUCTION: Unable to control anything in
your personal life, you are instead content to completely control
everything that happens in the Recording Studio. Often even YOU
don't understand what you are saying but who the hell can tell. The
choice to seek a career in production was probably made by rolling one of
the twenty-sided dice out of your "Dungeons and Dragons" game,
and choosing production if it was an even number and StarTrek Convention
Organizer if was an odd number.
ENGINEERING: One of only two signs that
actually studied in school. It is said that engineers place 90% of
all Personal Ads. You can be happy with yourself because your office
is full of all the latest 'ergodynamic' gadgets. However, we all
know what is really causing your 'carpal tunnel syndrome'.
ACCOUNTING: The only other sign that studied
in school. You are mostly immune from office politics. You are
the most feared person in the organization. Combined with your
extreme organizational traits, the majority of rumors concerning you say
that you are completely insane.
RECEPTION: Bright, cheery, positive, you are
a 50-cent cab ride from taking your own life. As children very few
of you asked your parents for a little desk for your room and a
headset so you could pretend to play 'Reception'. Continually passed
over for promotions, your best bet is to sleep with your manager.
PROGRAM DIRECTOR: Lacking any specific
knowledge, you use acronyms to avoid revealing your utter lack of
experience. You have convinced yourself that your 'skills' are in
demand and that you could get a higher paying job with any other
organization in a heartbeat. You will spend an eternity
contemplating these career opportunities without ever taking direct
action.
PROMOTIONS: You drink way too much.
With hardly any post-secondary education, you were forced to choose a
career for yourself that involved all the skills you learned in high
school. You once asked yourself, "How can I get paid to hang out at
concerts, drink and party, scam free SWAG and meet cool bands?"
You can often be heard calling people who pretend to be your
friends and saying... "Dude, I got concert tickets, some free beer
from the Bud Rep and the keys to my mom's car, let's hook up".
GENERAL SALES MANAGER: Catty, cutthroat, yet
completely spineless, you are destined to remain at your current job for
the rest of your life. Unable to make a single decision, you
tend to measure your worth by the number of meetings you can schedule for
yourself.
GM: You are brilliant or lucky. Your
inability to figure out complex systems such as the fax machine suggest
the latter.
LYLE DEAN
AROUND THE WORLD IN 31 DAYS: 27 Nations
"took a peek" at ArtRoberts.com during the month of January.
Canada remained number one, followed by United Kingdom, Old Style
Arpanet, Belgium, Portugal, Romania, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and
Germany making up the top ten. The next group included Spain,
Sweden, Netherlands, Pakistan, France, Austria, Japan, Czech Republic,
Finland and Ireland. The final group: Greece, Argentina,
Switzerland, Italy, Norway, Russian Federation and Samoa. Welcome to
American Radio.
QUOTE FOR THE DAY: "Successful people
are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful
people are always asking, 'What's in it for me?"
- - Brian Tracy
BODDA BOOM BODDA BING: A gem from Ken Levine:
MY PAL PERRY HAS BREAKING NEWS FROM THE WAR FRONT":
Now that American B-52's are reorganizing Afghanistan's
landscape, US intelligence has discovered that the Taliban have renamed
some of their towns to confuse us. These new names include:
1. Wherz-Myroof
2. Mykamel-Isded
3. Oshit-Disisabad
4. Waddi-El-Izgowinon
5. Pleeze-Ztopdishit
6. Kizz-Yerass-Goodbi
7. Ikanstan-Disnomore
8. What-Tafuk-Wazi-Tinkin
9. Myturbin-Isburnin
10. Imma-Dedshmuck
RADIO NEWS ON A SILVER PLATTER: RADIO
DAILY NEWS -- Larry Shannon delivers Fresh and Factual Radio Info ... AND
MORE ... EVERYDAY ...
www.radiodailynews.com
WEBBER OF THE WEEK: How much did you
learn watching 64 hours of NFL in 2001? Best test comin' up.
That's it for this week. ART
ROBERTS
01/27/2002
R&I
RAP RADIO:
Talk radio. It always starts the same way. A microphone opens --
a mouth moves. The worst I've ever experienced was at a radio station
in West Texas. God knows why the owner wanted to do a talk show in the
afternoon on and oldies radio station. The sponsors hated it, so
did the audience -- but he told me that I just didn't understand a talk show
host. Maybe. But when the host is on the air for more than an
hour and the telephones are silent -- something is terribly wrong.
This poor guy rambled on and on, faithfully giving the hotline number, and
getting no response whatsoever. He was not communicating. He was
randomly rapping ... going nowhere.
In exploring Rap Radio, Canned Rap is most widely used. I'm not
talking about Rush Limbaugh, Dr. Laura, or any of the other "household
names" -- a radio station can fill the roster with lesser-known talent
and become "Talk Radio" at bargain basement prices. WAIT in
Chicago has just joined the talk marathon with a roster of lesser-known
hosts. Mike Gallagher, from New York (Mornings); Clark Howard
from Atlanta (midday) and Neal Boortz (Afternoon drive). Good luck
guys. Last time I looked, WAIT was tied for 26th place.
Local Rap is my favorite
talk format. The talk show host must be completely wired in to the
community. His sentiments on the air should echo their needs, and
fairly present pending issues. Consistency wins with this format.
(Rusty Humphries of KOH, Reno, is a prime example -- as is KGO, San
Francisco.)
Incendiary Rap.
The easiest format to pull off ... Just open a microphone and say the
"N" word. Then hide under the table. One recent
example was at KLIF, in Dallas. Their afternoon guy made some remarks
that disturbed the Hispanic community. Needless to say, he has been
removed. It's not a PC thing -- it is simply using common sense.
War Rap. 9/11
bombings ... the war on terrorist ... became a made to order platform for
talk show hosts. Easy to score with the audience, just play "God
bless America" exiting each hour. Suddenly into the mix comes a
kid from California named Walker, and Terrorist detainees at Guantanamo Bay.
Enter -- PC Rap. Suddenly, WE are the bad guys. Give me a break.
The list of Rap Formats
seems endless. How many can you name?
Art Roberts
THIS BOOTH AINT BIG ENOUGH FOR THE BOTH OF US:
The word is out that John Madden and Pat Summerall will split after
Superbowl Sunday, February 3rd. They have been an announcing team for
twenty-one years. No one is better than Pat at describing the plays
and placing the teams in the proper perspective. Pat has 50 years with
the NFL which include 41 in broadcasting. And who can draw
circles better than John? The way he describes the game, and
shows the alternative choices ... Once a coach, always! Gonna miss
that announcing team. Might as well turn the sound down and call my
own damn plays.
CAN CHUNG CHALLENGE THE CHAMP? Remember the
great radio wars of the '60s? CNN and the Fox News Channel are
mirroring them today. It's no secret Fox has been nipping away at
CNN's numbers. So, CNN has hired Connie Chung away from ABC News to be
the anchor of a nightly news show. She will go "toe to toe"
against Fox's number one talk show host, Bill O'Reilly. Put up your
dukes!
"GOOD AND BAD NEWS IN THE CLEAR CHANNEL CAMP":
Clear Channel Communications is attempting to raise a little pocket
change ... about $3 Billion ... through the sale of some securities.
All they need is an OK from the SEC. Part of the money could be used
for new acquisitions. That is the good news, but trouble is a bubblin'
for CCU.
Congressman Howard Berman (D-CA), Ranking
Member, Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property, has
written letters (1/22) to Attorney General John Ashcroft and FCC Chairman
Michael Powell asking them to investigate - - and potentially prosecute - -
Clear Channel for possible antitrust and FCC violations with its Clear
Channel Entertainment concert promotions division. In addition, he's
requesting an investigation of CCU's alleged "parking" of radio
and TV stations via third party shell companies in Chillicothe, OH ,
Monterey, San Diego, San Francisco, Hudson, NY, Catskills, NY,
Charlotte, Oklahoma City and Waco, TX.
The Congressman wrote: "I write to
express my serious concern about vertical and horizontal integration in the
radio, television and concert promotion industries. Clear Channel's
actions in consolidating these businesses has negatively affected recording
artists, owners of sound recording copyrights, consumers, advertisers, and
competitors in the radio and television industries...According to numerous
press reports, as well as first hand accounts by affected recording artists
and copyright owners, Clear Channel's consolidation of radio and concert
promotions industries has had a variety of negative repercussions..."
Berman says Clear Channel punishes artists for
refusing to use Clear Channel Entertainment by burying ads for their
concerts and keeping their songs off playlists at CCU Radio stations.
He named Britney Spears as one example.
Clear Channel states: "We are satisfied and
excited about the ways we have grown our businesses. Our company
competes aggressively, fairly and totally within the law. If there is
an investigation, we are confident that this will continue to be proven
true."
WE LOST A COUPLE OF FRIENDS:
Peggy Lee was revered as a great Jazz singer and
award winning pop singer. "Manana" may have been Peggy's
biggest hit, but she will always be remembered best for two other songs ...
"Fever" and "Is That All There Is." Peggy Lee died
from a heart attack Monday. She was 81.
Stanley Marcus, who grew a family retail
business into 32 Neiman Marcus stores nationwide, and two Bergdorf Goodman
stores in New York. Plus the famous Neiman Marcus catalog that
featured lavish gifts like a custom-made Lexus convertible and a
$2.5-million necklace. Stanley Marcus died Tuesday in Dallas. He
was 96.
QUOTE FOR THE DAY: "Common
sense is the knack of seeing things as they are, and doing things as they
ought to be done." -- Harriet Beecher Stowe
BODDA BOOM BODDA BING: "If
procrastinators had a club would they ever have a meeting?"
MY PAL PERRY & "LESSONS IN LIFE THAT TOOK 50 YEARS TO
LEARN":
1. You will never find anybody who
can give you a clear and compelling reason why we observe daylight-savings
time.
2. The most powerful force in the
universe is gossip.
3. There comes a time when you
should stop expecting other people to make a big deal about your birthday.
That time is age 11.
4. If you had to identify, in one
word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will
achieve, its full potential, that word would be "meetings."
5. You should not confuse your
career with your life.
6. A person who is nice to you, but
rude to the waiter, is not a nice person.
7. No matter what happens, somebody
will find a way to take it too seriously.
8. When trouble arises and things
look bad, there is always one individual who perceives a solution and is
willing to take command. Very often, that individual is crazy.
9. Your friends love you, anyway.
10. Nobody cares if you can't dance well.
Just get up and dance.
RADIO NEWS THE OTHERS FORGOT: RADIO
DAILY NEWS -- Larry Shannon delivers Fresh and Factual Radio Info ... AND
MORE ... EVERYDAY ...
www.radiodailynews.com
WEBBER OF THE WEEK: Whether you're an oldies
fan or an oldies jock, you'll want to check this site every week.
Trivia-z-a-poppin' ... Bookmark this one!
That's it for this week. ART
ROBERTS
01/20/2002
R&I
IN MEMORY OF A
CHAMP: Kipper was a tri-colored Sheltie who lit up our lives for
almost fifteen years. He was alert, competitive, and very macho, with a
clown's heart. He belonged in a show ring.
Bobbi was his trainer and
partner. Since Obedience trials is a team sport, together they had their
share wins and "busts." Never getting discouraged, they went
on to earn Best of Show and First Place Ribbons in Illinois, Texas, Louisiana,
and California... and the Big Three Titles in Obedience Trials ... CD
(Companion dog); CDX (Companion Dog Excellence); and UD (Utility Dog).
Kipper remained a champ until his final day, January 14, 2002.
I like to think that Heaven has a special place for pets. I can't
imagine God abandoning one of his creations. I envision an endless space
with no fences where Kipper can run free without fear. And when God
wishes to allow him a turn to be His companion, He needs to utter but a simple
command... "Heel" ... and Kipper will sit proudly at His side.
Art Roberts
TWO GUYS FROM CHICAGO: When The Big 89 Music
became The Big 89 Mouth, the WLS afternoon team of Roe Conn and Gary Meier
emerged like a Phoenix from the ashes. Gary was once partnered with
Steve Dahl. (What a mis-match.) Overalls and a Tuxedo sitting side
by side.
Roe and Gary have been together going on seven
years at WLS and are now tied with WBBM AM (5.1) for second place in America's
Third Largest Market. They not only relate to Chicago ... They are
Chicago.
MEDIAS BIG BROTHER: Ever hear of PPM (Portable
People Meter)? It is another Arbitron brainchild that could change the
landscape of media testing. Philadelphia could become the first market
to be measured with the technology in 2002.
The good news is they are including aged 6 + in
the sampling size of 1500. These folks will carry around a device (about
the size of a pager) that registers encoded signals from Radio, TV, and Cable
channels. Previous tests have shown that people would faithfully carry
around the PPM approximately 15 hours daily. Measurement accuracy should
benefit greatly.
OH MY, MY, MIAMI: Okay, get the picture.
There's this soap opera actor, Juan Carlos Diaz, who alleges that Emillio
Estefan Jr. (husband of Gloria Estefan) threatened him while in a gym, and
"touched him in an unwanted manner." (OH, MY!)
Meanwhile, Emillio denies these scandalous
accusations. (Check the police reports, Dano.) Juan has two
trespass warnings ... one for crashing Emillio's New Years Eve party.
(OH, MY, MY!)
This real life soap opera isn't over. Stay
tuned for the next episode of Juan and Emillio ... "Your Tights are Too
Tight."
WE LOST ANOTHER FRIEND: Frank Shuster, and his
partner Johnny Wayne teamed up in high school in Toronto, and continued as a
comedy team throughout their careers. They were billed as Wayne and
Shuster, and gained fame when they first appeared on "The Ed Sullivan
Show" in 1958. Ed had them back 67 times. Frank died
last Sunday of pneumonia. He was 85.
QUOTE FOR THE DAY: "Better to
light a candle than to curse the darkness." -- Chinese
Proverb
BODDA BOOM BODDA BING:
Birds of a feather flock together and crap on your
car.
There's always a lot to be thankful for if you
take time to look for it. For example, I am sitting here thinking
how nice it is that wrinkles don't hurt.
The older you get, the tougher it is to lose
weight, because by then your body and your fat are really good friends.
If you think there is good in everybody, you
haven't met everybody.
Now, Repeat after me ... "Bodda ... Boom ...
Bodda ... Bing"
MY PAL PERRY TELLS IT LIKE IT IS:
1. It is impossible to lick your elbow.
2. It is physically impossible for pigs to look up into the sky.
3. Between 1937 and 1945 Heinz
produced a version of Alphabetti Spaghetti especially for the German market
that consisted solely of little pasta swastikas.
4. More than 50% of the people in the
entire world have never made or received a telephone call.
5. Rats multiply so rapidly that in 18
months, two rats possibly could have over a million descendants. You
would think at least ONE would send a post card to their Mama.
7. The cigarette lighter was invented
before the match.
8. Thirty-five percent of the people who use personal ads for
dating are already married.
9. Most lipstick contains fish scales.
10. Over 75% of the people who read this
will try to lick their elbows.
YOU LOVE RADIO - WE LOVE RADIO: RADIO
DAILY NEWS -- Larry Shannon delivers Fresh and Factual Radio Info ... AND MORE
... EVERYDAY ...
www.radiodailynews.com
WEBBER OF THE WEEK: This is dedicated to the
unshaven and unwashed that haunt the hallways of America's radio stations at 5
AM. Since no one sounds like they look, some don't care how the look.
Wrinkled shirt, holes in their jeans ... steaming cup of coffee fogging
their glasses. Open the microphone and let the illusion begin. The
Voice of the AM. Topical. Funny. Serious. Sarcastic.
How doooo they do that? They have "PREP" help Bubba.
That's it for this week. ART
ROBERTS
01/13/2002
R&I
HAM AND EGO:
It's what made a Disc Jockey jump out of bed at 3 o'clock in the morning,
shower, grab a doughnut, jump in the car and be at the station by 4 AM.
Clip stories of local interest from the morning paper, get the music in order,
click open the microphone at 6 AM, and in a voice that had an unmistakable
smile ... Invite the listeners to enjoy a potpourri of music, news, and
entertainment. Damn, THAT was good radio!
Once upon a time Kids used
to dream of doing a show like that ... Picking the hits ... Appearing at
malls ... MC'ing Rock Concerts ... Hosting all-night proms ... Signing
autographs ... Being Rated Number One in their Market ...
Greed has robbed them of
their dreams. Voice tracking has erased weekend job opportunities.
Consolidation has made it easy to operate with a skeleton crew. So, is
radio on a downhill ride to oblivion? Not hardly. New
technologies, already developed and tested, will offer NEW choices to the
radio listener seeking a change from today's bland programming.
Read on my friends,
today's R&I is dedicated to ideas and technologies that offer new choices
for the tired and frustrated Radio listener.
Art Roberts
HAL WIDSTEN OBSERVATIONS: I think XM really
missed the boat. I've had a chance to listen to it, and there is a lot
of voice-tracking instead of live people communicating. I did hear a
live guy on the Oldies channel, but most of the rest of the music channels are
voice-tracked.
There is great concern that radio is losing its younger audience to other
technologies. I believe the reason for that is the lack of concern for
the younger audience by the consolidated companies, and the lack of
communication going on at most stations. We're losing the
"contact" between the stations and the audience, and that isn't good
for the present and could be disaster for the future. All you have to do
is to listen to the 1969 WLS and compare the level of communication to what
we're hearing today, and you can hear what is happening. I am hopeful
that those people running the big shows will wake up before it is too late.
HAL W.
EDITORS NOTE:
On August the fifth, 2001, R&I ran and editorial entitled: "Radio's
Lost Generation." In that editorial, I pointed out the following...
"The NFL has a department devoted to marketing 6 to 11-year-olds.
They realize kids need to be trained to watch football on Sundays and root for
their favorite team. If they are not tuned in to football by the time
they are 12, these kids may very well be lost to other sports. Radio can
learn a lesson here. Other than Disney Radio, the industry hardly speaks
to the group of people that will make up the next generation of listeners.
How sad. "
XM ATTRACTS INITIAL TAKERS: More than 30,000
people have spent at least $300 for a special radio and are paying $9.99 a
month to tap into XM Satellite Radio and have their choice of 100 uniquely
programmed radio channels. That makes XM "the fastest-selling audio
product of the last 20 years."
So far they are the only kid on the block, nine
months ahead of their competitor, Sirius Satellite Radio, which announced
plans for its 100-channel service to be completed in the third quarter (July
or August) of this year. Market testing should begin next month in
Jackson, MS.
All of Sirius music channels will be
commercial-free. Their monthly fee is $12.95. Both satellite
services offer channels programmed by many traditional broadcasters such as
Clear Channel.
WHILE WE'RE ON THE SUBJECT OF "NEW TECHNOLOGY..." This
one really lights up my room. Digital AM Radio!
Initial test results prove that iBiquity's
AM IBOC (In-Band On-Channel) system will deliver FM-like sound quality to AM
stations. Talk about teaching an old dog new tricks. Thanks to
Digital AM technology, the AM band will no longer be strapped to limited
programming options. They can compete for listeners on a level playing
surface, music formats included.
The In Band On Channel (IBOC) digital will be much
better than the old AM stereo. It will be all digital, and it will have
the same frequency response that FM has now. It looks like all the major
radio companies are committing to it, and the auto makers as well. That
is what we need to make it happen. Digital radios ... both in-dash and
in-home are right around the corner.
Aint technology grand.
GENTLEMAN JOHN IS BACK: I love a guy who is never
too busy to answer his phone. That's John Gehron, the Gentleman Genius
of Radio. When Infinity let him go at the end of last year, all they saw
was dollar signs, a decision they will eventually regret.
Looks like John will be named Regional Vice
President of Clear Channel in Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison and Eau Claire.
It is also a good bet that he will be VP and GM at his old stomping grounds
WNUA FM, as well as WKSC FM, and WLIT FM. Whew, talk about a FULL plate
... but that's why John is worth the big bucks.
WE LOST A COUPLE OF FRIENDS:
Dave Thomas -- Owner / Founder of Wendy's.
Produced hundreds of TV ad's promoting his hamburger restaurants. Dave
was 69.
Avery Schreiber -- who teamed up with Jack Burns
40 years ago as a comedy act has died. He was 66.
QUOTE FOR THE DAY: "In business,
you don't get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate."
-- Chester L. Karrass
BODDA BOOM BODDA BING: I
thought I would let you in on a little secret I've found for building my arm
and shoulder muscles. You might wish to adopt this regimen -- 3 days a week
works well.
I start with a 5 pound potato sack in each hand,
extend my arms straight out to my sides and hold them there as long as I can.
After a few weeks I moved up to 10 pound potato sacks, then 50 pound potato
sacks and finally I got to where I could lift a 100 pound potato sack in each
hand and hold my arms straight out for more than a full minute!
Next, I started putting a few potatoes in the
sacks ...
MY PAL PERRY PICKS THE TOP TEN "BOOZE" WARNING LABELS:
1. WARNING: The consumption of alcohol
may leave you wondering what the hell happened to your bra.
2. WARNING: The consumption of alcohol
may make you think you are whispering when you are not.
3. WARNING: The consumption of alcohol
may cause you to think you can sing.
4, WARNING: The consumption of alcohol
may make you think you can logically converse with other members of the
opposite sex without spitting.
5. WARNING: The consumption of alcohol
may cause you to roll over in the morning and see something really scary.
6. WARNING: The consumption of alcohol
may create the illusion that you are tougher, smarter, faster and better
looking than most people.
7. WARNING: The consumption of alcohol
may lead you to believe you are invisible or worse, bulletproof.
8. WARNING: The consumption of alcohol
may lead you to think people are laughing WITH you.
9. WARNING: The consumption of alcohol
may cause pregnancy.
10. WARNING: the consumption of alcohol may
Mack you think you can tipe real gode.
RDN, FROM FATCATS TO FATHEADS: RADIO
DAILY NEWS -- Larry Shannon delivers Fresh and Factual Radio Info ... AND MORE
... EVERYDAY ...
www.radiodailynews.com
WEBBER OF THE WEEK: Who
sez life doesn't travel in a full circle? READ THE STORY OF HOW A
BERWYN, IL, BORN BAND DROVE "VEHICLE" INTO THE POP CHARTS. And
today -- GMC gives it new life in a TV ad...
That's it for this week. ART
ROBERTS
01/06/2002
R&I
FOLLOW THE LEADER:
Something big happened
last week. BIGGER than Microsoft. Well, maybe not bigger ... but
pretty damn big!
Thank you, John Rhodes,
for recording the WLS New Years presentation of January the first, 1970.
Thank you, "Uncle
Rickie," for Featuring all eight hours of "The Big 89 of
1969" as your New Years Special on www.reelradio.com
with Art Roberts, Larry Lujack, and Chuck Buell as hosts. And for
pointing out that in 1969, "No Chicago radio station out-rated John
Rook's WLS. The station was number one in all Pulse and Arbitron books with
a total audience of 4.2 million listeners each week. This was some of
the biggest big-time Top 40 radio in America, ever."
No
"bout-a-doubt-it" -- John Rook was the best Program Director we
had ever experienced. He was our coach. He was our mentor.
He was our LEADER as we followed him up the ratings ladder. John
scrutinized every little detail in the flow and presentation of each show.
He developed a format that encouraged individuality. You could walk
into a dark room, click on the radio, and find WLS just by the sound and
energy that emerged from its speakers. And the person knew they were
listening to a "Chicago" station. WLS was "LOCAL"
24 hours a day. Something today's Radio has forgotten.
Radio needs a
Renaissance. A "kick - start" format which offers
believability, local appeal, and entertainment -- all wrapped up in one neat
package. Some have criticized me for looking back at what "once
was" instead of concentrating on "what is." That ain't
so, Maggie. I'm not alone in assessing Radio Today as Boring.
Repetitive. Lack-luster formats. Inferior leadership. The
fact that some of today's conglomerates have figured out various ways of
fattening the bottom line has little bearing on the disservice they
are doing to the listening audience. That little piece of history this
past weekend on www.reelradio.com
reached 4.2 million people in its day. Learn from it. There is
NO reason for Radio to keep re-inventing the wheel.
Great programming will
gather an enormous audience. The dollars ALWAYS follow.
Art Roberts
GLOBAL GREETINGS: Twenty-three Countries
visited Art Roberts.com during the last month of 2001. Canada was number
one, followed by Japan, Netherlands, Australia, United Kingdom, Germany,
Finland, Belgium, Taiwan, and Spain. The next ten were Denmark,
France, Italy, South Africa, Sweden, Brazil, Norway, Singapore, Argentina,
and Austria. Followed by Old Style Arpanet, Greece and Mexico.
We look forward to your return in 2002. Happy New Year!
A MESSAGE FROM CLARK: "I saw this item for
sale at eBay, the world's largest personal trading community, and thought
that you might be interested."
Title of item: BEATLES - LENNON BED LINEN 1964
!!!!! RARE !!
Seller: applescruff
Starts: Dec-29-01 11:46:03 PST
Ends: Jan-05-02 11:46:03 PST
Price: Starts at $100.00
Wonder how much they got?
DE BEST AND DE WOIST TV IN 2001:
Foist, de Best ...
1. The Sopranos (HBO) ... Now some of
youse might disagree with me. Hey, that's America. But before
you take it too far, check your window ... see that black limo parked across
the street ... Now whaddya think?
2. Malcolm in the Middle (Fox) ... Personally I
think it's a tie with Raymond. Which Raymond?
3. Everybody Loves Raymond (CBS) ... Maybe it's
just me, but I find this sitcom hysterically funny. In time it will
sit alongside other CBS classics such as "I Love Lucy";
"All In The Family"; and "MASH."
Next, de Woist ...
1. XFL (NBC, UPN) ... This "Slam
Dunk" turned out to be "Slam Junk."
2. Emeril (NBC) ... "BAM"
That took care of that.
3. Kristin (NBC) ... "AAaaaarrrrgh"
WE LOST ANOTHER FRIEND AT YEARS END: [RIP]
Monteria Ivey, New York radio personality. Monteria co-hosted a show
with Stephan Dweck called "Sports Funk" which blended sports and
humor. Monteria died December 13th of diabetic shock. He was 41.
TALK ABOUT SHOOTING THE GOOSE THAT LAYED THE GOLDEN EGG!:
The cost of "doing
business" in the Record Industry is out of control. There are
approximately six thousand CD's released in a year ... Ninety percent never
make it. You do the math. (Don't be shocked. The Record
biz has always had only 5-10% of their product in the
"Hits" circle.)
Still, the Recording
Industry is big business. About 40 billion dollars a year. That
is serious money. The downside is the cost of doing business with major
artists, which keeps going up, while earnings, to put it bluntly ... "Aint
makin' it."
The biggest record
labels have the deepest pockets. EMI signed a four CD deal with Mariah
Carey for 80 million dollars. Her first release "Glitter"
was very disappointing. So much so, EMI is looking for ways to settle
on the remainder of her contract. (That explains why "We Call the
Wind - Mariah.") Many Major labels are seeking ways to get out
from under their shrinking earnings caused by enormous marketing expenses,
escalating executive salaries, and the hundreds of millions dollars spent to
hang on to today's mega-stars -- whose future popularity is at the whims of
a very fickle public. Then factor in the ability to download music and
burn CDs.
Are today's top
performers ASKING for too much; or is the recording industry EXPECTING too
much? Look for the major labels to tighten their belts and their
WALLETS.
QUOTE FOR THE DAY: "To be somebody, you
must last." - - Ruth Gordon
BODDA BOOM BODDA BING:
"I have a stepladder.
It's a very nice stepladder.
But it's sad that I never knew my Real Ladder."
MY PAL PERRY REMEMBERS WILL ROGERS: Will Rogers
was Cherokee and an Oklahoman. He was also famous as a stage performer
and, later, as a newspaperman. He was killed in a plane accident in
Alaska, along with Wiley Post (pilot), in 1935. These quotes are a
mere sampling of the Will Rogers wit.
1. "Don't squat with your spurs
on."
2. "If you're riding ahead of
the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it's still
there."
3. "If you get to thinkin' you're a
person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around."
4. "Never kick a cow chip on a hot
day."
5. "There's two theories to arguing
with a woman. Neither one works."
6. "Always drink upstream from
a herd."
7. "I don't tell jokes. I just
watch the government and report the facts."
8. "Nobody wants to be called common
people, especially common people."
9. "Everything is funny as long as it
is happening to somebody else."
10. "We'll show the world we are
prosperous, even if we have to go broke to do it."
2002, AND THE RDN BEAT GOES ON : RADIO
DAILY NEWS -- Larry Shannon delivers Fresh and Factual Radio Info ... AND
MORE ... EVERYDAY ...
www.radiodailynews.com
WEBBER OF THE WEEK: Band
and Banned. Pronounced the same, but they are eons apart. This
site shows the rocky road Rock Bands had to travel during the 60's to earn
their right for self-expression.
That's it for this week. ART
ROBERTS
12/26/2001
R&I
AN ART ROBERTS.COM NEW
YEARS MESSAGE:
"When I was little
lad
So me mother told me
If I did not kiss all the girls
Me lips would soon grow moldy."
(Now there's a guy who is
looking forward to New Years Eve!)
I grew up on the lower
East Side of New York, and I always thought we were poor ... until the day my
Mom washed and ironed my old clothes, wrapped them in a neat bundle, and told
me to bring them to a basement apartment down the block. I knocked on
the door and was greeted by a nice lady who struggled with her English as she
invited me to come in. While she opened the package, a kid sitting on a
straight-back chair was gleaming with anticipation. His big brown eyes
strained to see the prize, and as soon as it was unwrapped he flew off the
chair, scooped up the clothes and ran into the next room. Aaron was
close to my age (about 8) -- but a lot shorter. He came back into the
kitchen wearing an ironed shirt and pants and shiny shoes. Perfect fit.
We sat down to celebrate with milk and home made cookies... a ritual that
sealed our friendship in time.
Anyway, as I walked home,
the "spirit of giving" sure made me feel good. I've tapped
into that "feeling" all my life. And it is with the same
spirit and resolve that ArtRoberts.com enters it's FOURTH YEAR. We will
continue to toast the Leaders in Radio and hiss at the villains. Point
out the pioneers and Bury the Bums. Find some humor to balance the day.
Got a feeling 2002 will be a Hell of a year.
HAPPY NEW YEAR,
Art Roberts
WE LOST A FEW FRIENDS:
[RIP] Rufus Thomas, who is best
known for "Bear Cat" (The answer song to "Hound Dog)
which helped Sun Records get its start before Elvis Presley signed with the
company, died at St. Francis Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. Rufus was 84.
[RIP] Stuart Adamson, lead singer and
guitarist for the Scottish rock band Big Country, which had hits in the 1980s
with "In a Big Country" and "Fields of Fire," has been
found dead in Honolulu on December 17th. His death is believed to be a
suicide. Stuart was 43.
[RIP] John Guedel, who produced three
of radio and television's most enduring programs--Art Linkletter's
"People Are Funny" and "House Party," and Groucho Marx's
"You Bet Your Life"-- has died. John was 88.
[RIP] Foster Brooks started out in
Radio in Louisville and Buffalo, turned to TV as a newscaster, only to become
an "overnight success" as a comic at age 59. Foster created
the funniest 'drunk act' I have ever seen. He was a top opening act in
Las Vegas. Know the best part of imitating a drunk? There's no
pounding headache the next morning. Foster was 89.
[RIP] Dick Schaap, outstanding sports
writer who won 5 Emmy Awards, and hosted a magazine sports show on ESPN, as
well as a syndicated Radio show, died from complications due to hip surgery.
Dick was 67.
AN OPEN LETTER FROM FATHER TIME: Dear
Friends: "Let's see if I understand how the world
works lately... If a man cuts his finger off while slicing salami at work, he
blames the restaurant. If you smoke three packs a day for 40 years and
die of lung cancer, your family blames the tobacco company. If
your neighbor crashes into a tree while driving home drunk, he blames the
bartender. If your grandchildren are brats without manners, you blame
television. And if your friend is shot by a deranged madman, you blame
the gun manufacturer. I must have lived too long to understand the world
as it is anymore. So, at midnight on December 31st, if I die while my
old, wrinkled butt is parked in front of this computer, I want you to blame
Bill Gates...okay?"
Love,
Father Time
PS ... Take good care of
the new Kid.
"PROTEST CONCERT" TO RAISE MONEY TO FIGHT RECORD INDUSTRY:
Elton John and the Eagles head the list of 100
entertainers who will perform at five benefit concerts the night before the
Grammy Awards to raise money in order to pay the legal fees in the fight
against major record labels allegedly denying musicians a share of
royalty earnings. They call themselves "The Recording Artists
Coalition."
Other artists scheduled to perform are Billy Joel,
Stevie Nicks, Weezer, Dixie Chicks and Ozzy Osborn. More artists were expected
to join the list in coming weeks. Major record companies deny
allegations of underpayment, claiming that musicians are receiving their fair
share.
This is a prime definition of Conflict: When
two "rights" collide.
KRLD -- ALL NEWS ALL DAY: KRLD NewsRadio
1080 will air continuous news from 4 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays beginning Monday,
January 7. KRLD will continue (for the next four years) as flagship
station for the Texas Rangers Baseball play-by-play broadcasts. TALK
ABOUT COMMITMENT.
BE IT EVER SO HUMBLE THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE RADIO:
Okay Radio, it's time to get off the back burner. Know who put there?
Media Queens. Ever talk to those agency geniuses? They talk "Daypart."
"25 to 49." "Drive time." And a language no
one understands ... "Cost-Per-Thousand?" It is time Radio got
some R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
I heard that according to the new RADAR Report
(Radio's All Dimension Audience Research), "More than 225 million
people listen to radio every week -- which is NINETY-SIX PERCENT of the 12 +
population." The numbers are even higher in households
earning $50K or more. Same goes for college graduates.
Radio, if you can believe numbers ... we are
Bigger than U.S. STEEL ... Well, maybe not U. S. Steel ....
QUOTE FOR THE DAY: "Vision is the art of
seeing the invisible." -- Jonathan Swift
BODDA BOOM BODDA BING: "You know when you're
sitting on a chair and you lean back so you're just on two legs then you lean
too far and you almost fall over but at the last second you catch yourself?
I feel like that all the time." --Steven Wright
MY PAL PERRY TELLS ABOUT "THE SHRINK
THAT STOLE CHRISTMAS."
SCHIZOPHRENIA: Do you Hear What I
Hear?
M ULTIPLE PERSONALITY DISORDER: We Three
Queens Disoriented Are
DEMENTIA: I Think I'll Be Home for Christmas
NARCISSISTIC: Hark the Herald Angels
Sing About Me
PARANOID: Santa Claus is Coming to Get
Me.
PERSONALITY DISORDER: You Better Watch
Out, I'm Gonna Cry, I'm Gonna Pout, Maybe I'll tell you Why.
DEPRESSION: Silent Anhedonia, Holy
Anhedonia, All is Flat, All is Lonely.
OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER: Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle
Bell Rock, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Rock, Jingle Bell, Jingle
Bell, Jingle Bell Rock, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Rock,
Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Rock, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell,
Jingle Bell Rock, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Rock,
Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Rock, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell,
Jingle Bell Rock, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Rock,
Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Rock, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell,
Jingle Bell Rock, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Rock, >
Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Rock, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell,
Jingle Bell Rock...
....(better start again)
THE LAST RADIO DOIN'Z OF 2001: RDN
-- Larry Shannon delivers Fresh and Factual Radio Info ... AND
MORE ... EVERYDAY ...
WEBBER OF THE WEEK: One of my most memorable
gifts was a blue rawhide jacket, loaded with fringes, given to me by Ronnie
Rice, lead singer for "The New Colony Six." When I wore my 10
gallon Stetson and climbed into the saddle, I looked like Wild Bill Cody, and
my horse "Sam" looked embarrassed. Well, Ronnie Rice is still
Rockin' and Rollin' in Chicago. And his web site is packed with Chicago
"Garage Band" history. Come set a spell ...
That's it for this week.
ART ROBERTS
R&I
Do You
Remember
that old lady
who lived in a shoe
and she had so many
radios she didn't know
what to do? They all worked fine
but sounded the same, only the call letters
had a different name. They each played 13 in a row
and those were just the commercials raking in the dough.
As
hard as
she tried
there was nothing
to relieve her. So, she
went to her favorite store and
bought an XM receiver. Dialed
up the sky and WOW did she ever score.
There was jazz and rock and sixties stations galore.
With a smile she said "who could ask for anything more."
Time
marched on
and lo and behold
it still sounded brand spankin’
new and nary a minute stale and old.
100 Channels came to us from outer space,
the joy and excitement was written on her face.
Hang on Mamma this is one listening game you can't lose.
So, she went to the cupboard and got a shot of her favorite booze.
On the rooftop
she heard such a clatter,
she thought to herself "What
the Hell is the matter? Down the chimney
landing with a thud was Santa saying "Howdy Bud."
"I brung ya a Technologically keerect X-BOX with a bow on top."
And they danced and danced to her XM like the old days at a record Hop.
Then the old lady said with a slinky-wink: "C’mon Santa, have a
Christmas drink."
And in a twinkle she handed Santa a gaily wrapped and ribboned box with a robe
of silk.
Santa smiled at her and said: "Doggone Lady, this sure beats a plate of
cookies and milk."
So, here's a Christmas wish
From Bobbi and me
And of course we must
include our Shelties three
We all love you so very much
Let's always always stay in touch.
ART & BOBBI
12/16/2001
"THINKIN' JINGLE BELLS:" GREAT
gift idea. An autographed copy of my book "THINKIN' OUT LOUD?"
Radio Professionals and Fans of Radio love it. My dog Willie loves it.
So does Billie Jo and Kipper. Folks even love the cover. And it
gets better ... The price per book is just $15. You can also buy the
BOOK and the HIP FABLES CD for $25. NO SHIPPING CHARGES. Order
Today through PAY PAL ON THE FRONT PAGE of ArtRoberts.Com I Thank you.
My publisher thanks you. And your feet will thank you.
WE LOST ANOTHER FRIEND: Back
in 1952 Don Tennant, an up-and-coming advertising man presented his loveable
character "Tony the Tiger" to Kellog's -- and Frosted Flakes found a
place in History. In his lifetime Don created many an icon which
included "The Marlboro Man," and he wrote a number of catch-phrases
-- like my favorite "Nothin' says lovin' like somethin' from the
oven." Don Tennant died last week. He was 79.
WE WISH YOU A GERALDO CHRISTMAS:
"The phoniest
story to come out of Afghanistan to date is the claim by Geraldo Rivera that
someone took a shot at him and missed. I don't believe it. Why
would they miss?"
-- LYNN NOFZIGER
"Wow! Geraldo goes to
Afghanistan -- and three days later the Taliban surrenders! He is
carrying a gun and says he isn't afraid to use it. So he is now
considered armed and annoying. He says that his next step is to go into
the underground caves and find bin Laden himself! When he finds the cave
and goes in and finds bin Laden, let's seal the cave up! Two birds with
one stone! Airports across the country are on a heightened state of
security -- in case Geraldo decides to come back." -- JAY LENO
QUOTE FOR THE DAY:
"From what we get, we can make a living; what we give, however,
makes a life."-- ARTHUR ASHE
BODDA BOOM BODDA BING: A
man visits his dentist and complains that his brand new upper plate has
disintegrated. When the dentist asks what he has been eating, the man
says he loves Hollandaise sauce and eats it every day. Hearing this, the
dentist explains that the lemon juice in the Hollandaise sauce is the culprit
because its acidity corrodes the plate material. The dentist, a
Hollandaise sauce lover himself, is sympathetic and says he will make the man
a replacement plate out of chrome for nothing. The patient is thankful
but curious and asks, "Why chrome?"
The dentist replies ... "Because
there's no plate like chrome for the Hollandaise."
FAVORITE BUMPER STICKERS FROM MY PAL PERRY:
1. The Earth Is Full - Go Home
2. I Have The Body Of A
God.....Buddha
3. So Many Pedestrians - So Little
Time
4. He Who Dies With The Most Toys...
Still Dies
5. Illiterate? Write For Help
6. Honk If Anything Falls Off
7. He Who Laughs Last Thinks Slowest
8. You! Out Of The Gene Pool!
9. I Do Whatever My Rice Krispies
Tell Me To
10. I Haven't Lost My Mind, It's Backed Up
On Disk Somewhere
HIRIN AND FIRIN' AND FORTUNES AND FLOPS: RDN
-- Larry Shannon delivers Fresh and Factual Radio Info ... AND MORE ...
EVERYDAY ...
WEBBER OF THE WEEK: Check
the link below...This is really a sight to behold! The image is a
panoramic view of the world from the new space station. It is a night
photo with the lights clearly indicating the populated areas. You can
scroll East-West and North-South. Note that Canada's population is
almost exclusively along the U.S. border. Moving east to Europe,
there is a high population concentration along the Mediterranean Coast.
It's easy to spot London, Paris, Stockholm and Vienna. Check out
the development of Israel compared to the rest of the Arab countries.
Note the Nile River and the rest of the
"Dark Continent". After the Nile, the lights don't come on again
until Johannesburg. Look at the AustralianOutback and the Trans-Siberian
Rail Route. Moving east, the most striking observation is the difference
between North and South Korea. Note the density of Japan.
What a piece of photography. It is
an absolutely awesome picture of the Earth taken from the Boeing built Space
Station last November on a perfect night with no obscuring atmospheric
conditions.
Click here:
That's it for this week.
ART ROBERTS
12/09/2001
R&I
"PAYOLA? PAYOLA? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' PAYOLA" We have "Play
For Pay." So how come Alan Freed had to take so much heat? Compared to the
present Record and Radio moguls, Alan was a pussy cat! He played records most
stations wouldn't. When you think about it, racial profiling started on "white bread"
Radio. Alan Freed never played a Pat Boone cover record like "Tutti Fruity" -- and
neither did I. But for $3500 bucks a week, our Stations might've made us.
Pay for play is allegedly filling the sales void at Entercom Communications on some of
their 96 Radio stations. They figure it is like selling a three minute commercial. The
package contains some info supplied by the record company and a disclaimer at the
end in the form of "brought to you by" -- plus anywhere from 35 to 49 plays a week for a
price tag of $3000 to $3500 a week. I know record executives that would KILL for a
chance to get 5 - 7 plays a day on a record THEY could pick coming right
out-of-the-box.
No argument that there is a lack of new music in todays programming, which is further
stifled by rules that forbid disc jockeys from commenting about the music -- or even
introducing songs. Perhaps it is time to take the music away from programmers who
rely on focus groups and call out research, which only tends to stifle creativity, and put the
music into the hands of Music Professionals. We all know there are MORE than a
handful of "Safe Songs" in every format worthy of play.
So, I ask you again: "How come Alan had to take so much heat back in 1960?
Art Roberts
WE LOST SOME GREAT FRIENDS: [RIP] Stan Kaplan died on Monday, December
3rd. Stan and his wife Sis Kaplan were radio pioneers and dear friends of Bill Gavin.
They owned WAYS-AM and WROQ-FM in Charlotte, NC from 1965 until 1986. After that
they founded the Charlotte Weekly, which later became The Leader. Stan was 76.
[RIP] Kal Mann, who wrote the lyrics for many 60's classics -- such as Chubby Checker's
"The Twist," the Dovells' "Bristol Stomp," and for legendary artists Andy Williams, Nat
King Cole, Bobby Rydel, etc., died last week. Kal was 84.
[RIP] Grady Martin, the master guitarist who played on classic recordings such as "El
Paso," "Oh, Pretty Woman" and "Battle of New Orleans" and worked with just about
everybody from Willie Nelson to Bing Crosby to Buddy Holly, Hank Williams and Elvis
Presley, died last Monday. Grady was 72.
"THINKIN' JINGLE BELLS:" GREAT gift idea. An autographed copy of my book
"THINKIN' OUT LOUD?" Radio Professionals and Fans of Radio love it. My dog Willie
loves it. Folks even love the cover. And it gets better ... The price per book is just $15.
You can also buy the BOOK and the HIP FABLES CD for $25. NO SHIPPING
CHARGES. Order Today through PAY PAL ON THE FRONT PAGE of ArtRoberts.Com
I Thank you. My publisher thanks you. And your feet will thank you.
JOHN LENNON REMEMBERED: The time clock of life Ticks by so fast. John
Lennon was born on October 9, 1940, in Liverpool, England. He had 482 months to go.
His dad worked on a ship, so he was gone a lot, and finally settled in New Zealand.
John's Aunt Mimi brought him up in Liverpool. She even bought his first guitar. John
started out with a bunch of skiffle groups, and in 1960, put together a group called The
Beatles -- John, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Pete Best. The clock was
ticking. 242 months to go.
Brian Epstein became their manager and arranged an audition with Decca Records ...
who turned them down. Well, we all make mistakes. The were signed by EMI, picked up
Ringo Starr, and proceeded to create musical history.
John and his girlfriend, Cynthia Powell decided to get married in August,1962, and they
had a son, Julian, born on April 8, 1963. The Beatles were really cooking by then, so
John couldn't get to the hospital until two days after his son's birth. It was a signal to
Cynthia of what was in store for the future.
History was made when Brian Epstein booked the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show in
February of 1964. Seventy-two million people watched that show, which set a new
record for TV broadcasting. John had 202 months to go.
The Beatles became the most popular group in history. Their world changed rapidly --
John got into LSD, met Yoko Ono at a concert, and they soon became an "item."
Cynthia called it quits, filed for divorce, and John and Yoko were married in Gibraltar.
They celebrated by having a "bed-in" -- staying in bed for a week to protest the suffering
and violence in the world. The clock kept ticking ... 105 months to go.
The Beatles broke up in 1970. John and Paul did not part as friends, but they called a
truce two years later. John and Yoko moved into the Dakota, a swanky apartment
building on the upper west side of New York. Yoko gave birth to their son, Sean Taro
Ono Lennon on John's birthday in 1975. There were sixty months to go.
John became a doting daddy and stayed home while Yoko took care of their business
affairs. On the day of John's 40th birthday and Sean's 5th, Yoko surprised them with a
sky writer who had his plane carve "Happy Birthday John & Sean - Love Yoko", nine
times in the blue sky above. Little did they know that Mark David Chapman, a mentally ill
man in Honolulu had checked out John's book, "One Day At A Time" from the library and
was plotting to kill John.
On December 8, 1980, around 5PM, John autographed a copy of "Double Fantasy" for
Mark David Chapman, and in turn, sealed his own doom. Later that evening, as John
and Yoko returned home, Mark called out, "Mr. Lennon." As John turned, he was shot
five times in back. Struggling to the security guard's office, he collapsed crying, "I'm
shot, I'm shot." Police arrived immediately and brought him to Roosevelt Hospital. John
was pronounced dead on arrival. The clock froze. Time had run out. A man so
embedded in "Peace" was so swiftly brought to a violent end.
Back at the Dakota, Mark David Chapman gave up without a struggle. A worldwide
10-minute silent vigil took place on December 14, 1980 at 2PM Eastern Time in John's
memory. The ceremony continues to this day.
PRARIE HOME COMPANION COMES TO BUFFALO: WNED brings Garrison
Keillor to Buffalo! Tune in to WNED-FM 94.5 for a national holiday broadcast of A
Prairie Home Companion LIVE from Shea's Performing Arts Center on December 22 at
6 pm.
QUOTE FOR THE DAY: "We keep moving forward, opening up new doors, and doing
new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." --
Walt Disney
BODDA BOOM BODDA BING: A guy takes his dog into a bar. The bartender tells
him, "Excuse me sir, but we do not allow dogs in the bar." The guy replies, "This isn't just
an ordinary dog. This dog is a Cowboy's fan and he only wants to come in to see the
game. After that we'll leave." The bartender says okay, he'll let the dog stay for the
game.
Well, the game comes on tv and everyone in the bar is watching it when Dallas kicks a
field goal. The dog starts jumping up and down and then runs down the bar high fiving
everyone. The bartender is really impressed and says, "Man that dog really gets excited
when the Cowboys play doesn't he? If he high-fives everyone when the Cowboys kick a
field goal, but what does he do when they score a touchdown?"
The man says, "I don't know, I've only had him for two years."
MY PAL PERRY SEZ-- "NAME THESE TWISTED CHRISTMAS SONGS?"
1. Bleached Yule
2. Castaneous-colored Seed Vesicated in a Conflagration
3. Righteous Darkness
4. Far Off in a Feeder
5. Bantam Male Percussionist
6. Nocturnal Noiselessness
7. Jehovah Deactivate Blithe Chevaliers
8. Frozen Precipitation Commence
9. The Quadruped with the Vermillion Probiscis
10. The Dozen Festive 24 Hour Intervals
OOOOHHHH, SUCHA BLABBERMOUTH: Radio Daily News -- Larry Shannon
delivers Fresh and Factual Radio Info ... AND MORE ... EVERYDAY ...
www.radiodailynews.com
WEBBER OF THE WEEK: Here's one of the Great Pioneer Rock Radio stations ...
WKBW, BUFFALO. www.buffalobroadcasting.com (click on "enter" , click "skip
intro," A series of small pictures will come on the screen. Click the second on the left
which is 'broadcast history.' click on to WKBW HISTORY. "KB Goes Kaboom! 1958."
Thank you Martin (Marty) Biniasz.
www.buffalobroadcasting.com
That's it for this week. ART ROBERTS
R&I
WHO WOULD
EVER THINK A BEATLES INTERVIEW COULD BECOME A LEGEND?
On April 16, 1964, Ron Riley and I had a transcontinental conversation
with the Beatles in London. They were at a recording studio
cutting "A Hard Days Night," the title song of their first
movie. Many of you have asked for a copy ... and someone was
nice enough to send a transcript of the interview. It was only
five minutes long, and was cut off abruptly at their end ... the
Beatles were probably called back into the studio. But it WAS
five minutes of music history. I DEDICATE THIS MOMENT IN
TIME TO GEORGE HARRISON.
RR: Hello, Paul, this is
Ron Riley at WLS Chicago. How are you?
P: Hello, Ron! How ya
doing?
RR: And with me here is
Art Roberts. Art?
AR: How you doing, Paul?
P: Fine, thanks.
RR: Well, I'm glad we
could place this phone call to you, we have a big Saturday Night
Spectacular, I'm glad we could get across.
P: Great.
RR: I tell ya, the big
question about you, Paul, first of all, is...
P: Yeah?
RR: Are you married?
P: No.
RR: No, you're not.
P: I'm not.
RR: Uh-huh. Do you have
plans to get married?
P: Ah... no. No, no plans,
y'know.
RR: Well, there's been -
there's been a lot of talk in this country, Paul, about you and a
young lady named Jane Asher.
P: Yeah, she's my
girlfriend.
RR: She is your
girlfriend?
P: Yeah, she's my
girlfriend.
RR: But are you engaged?
P: No. It's just a healthy
relationship.
RR: Well, wonderful. I
think that'll ease a lot of minds.
P: Well, it's certainly...
RR: ...call you the bouncy
Beatle, Paul, why do they do that?
P: Do they? Well, uh,
actually... I've no idea why. Why do they call me that? They call me
some other things, too, but....
RR: [laughs] All right,
Paul, thank you very much, and maybe if we could talk to George next,
and uh...
P: Okay, goodbye.
RR: Bye, and thank you.
P: Best of wishes to
everybody.
AR: Hello, George.
G: Hello, how are you?
AR: Fine. This is Art
Roberts in Chicago on WLS. I understand you had the idea for the type
of haircuts that you perform with. Now, how did that come about?
G: Um... well, a couple of
years ago, y'know, we - we had it long, but it was sort of backwards
and sideways and everything, but... Paul and John went to Paris, and
had it done over there, but it didn't work out. And I went to the
baths in Hamburg and when it - when I came out, by the time it dried
out, it was just like this, and, y'know, it just developed like that.
Couple of years ago.
AR: You mean - you mean,
you got the idea for the haircut from taking a bath in Hamburg?
G: Well, when it dried out
- we, we just... it just happened like that, y'know, we didn't plan to
have funny haircuts.
AR: [laughing:] That's
tremendous. Okay, George, it's been a lot of fun talking to you, and
let's, as you say, ring off for a moment, and see if we can't get
Ringo Starr on the telephone.
G: Yeah, okay. Goodbye,
Art.
R: How are you?
AR: Fine. My name is Art
Roberts, in Chicago.
R: Hello, Art, how are
you?
AR: Radio station WLS. And
I'm gonna ask you a couple of questions, and then I'll turn you over
to my buddy, Ron Riley, who has a couple more to ask of you. First of
all, you - you are known for the rings that you wear on your finger,
do they have any particular significance? You know, is there a story
behind them?
R: Just people kept buying
me them, you see. And I had nowhere else to put them, so I put them on
me fingers.
AR: Uh-huh. Rings on your
fingers and bells on your toes.
R: Well, I haven't got
down to the bells yet.
AR: Oh, okay! [laughs]
R: I dunno, though.
AR: Hold on for a second,
I'll let you talk to Ron Riley.
RR: All right, can you
tell us, what kind of car do you drive? I know they flip knowing over
this.
R: Um, well, no - no, I
haven't got a car of me own, y'see.
RR: Uh-huh.
R: I drive anybody's.
RR: Oh, really? Anybody's?
R: Anybody's.
RR: Anyone who happens to
leave the keys in it, huh?
R: Pardon?
RR: Anybody...
R: Oh yeah, anyone - yeah.
RR: [laughing:] No, I'm
puttin' you on. Really.
R: I know. Have you got a
car?
RR: Oh, yes, I've got one,
but...
R: I'll drive yours, eh?
RR: No, listen, you can -
you're welcome to it!
R: Thank you.
RR: And I imagine I
wouldn't have any trouble getting the car full of girls to ride with
you. All right. Listen, Ringo, thank you so much, and we're gonna...
R: Thank you as well.
RR: We're gonna talk to
John in just a minute, and we'll be looking forward - Art and I no
doubt will be on stage along with you when you're here in town to help
along with the MC'ing chores and we really look forward to it.
R: Yeah. Okay, then?
RR: All right, we'll talk
to uh...
R: John now.
RR: John.
R: Give my regards to
everybody. Bye.
RR: Goodbye now.
AR: See ya Ringo. How's
everything in England this evening for you?
J: Well, it's great, but
it's raining over here.
AR: Ohh. Son of a gun.
J: As usual. And we're
just recording, as Paul told you.
AR: Mm-hmm. And, um, it's
for your motion picture, right?
J: Yeah, it's the title
song.
AR: Would you like to tell
us a little bit about just what in particular are - is The Beatles
group gonna do in this movie?
J: Well, apart from
singing about eight songs, uh... it's meant to be a comedy. The film.
Y'know, mainly.
AR: Oh, it won't - it
won't be John Lennon as William Shakespeare or anything like that?
J: Oh, no, nothing... none
of that rubbish. Y'know, we just sort of play ourselves, and just, mad
things happen, y'know, that's about it.
AR: Well, it sounds
wonderful. Um, now that's for United Artists - what's the name of the
motion picture again?
J: A Hard Day's Night.
AR: Uh-huh. A Hard
Day's...
J: Ringo thought of it.
AR: Yeah, you have to
think on that title for a while.
J: Yeah, y'know, it's a
nice title.
AR: I have to say this, I
saw your wife on television, and she is very, very lovely.
J: What was she doing on
television?
AR: You didn't know, but
you were.
J: When was she on?
AR: At one particular time
when you were making a guest appearance in the United States, and they
panned the camera off on her.
J: Oh.
AR: Yeah, you didn't know
a thing about it, did you?
J: No, are you sure it was
my wife?
AR: Yeah, I hope it was.
If not, you're in trouble!
WE LOST SOME FRIENDS: George Harrison
died Thursday, November 29th, following a lengthy battle with
cancer. He was known as the Quiet Beatle. George was
58. "All Things Must Pass."
O.C. Smith, who sang with
the Count Basie band, and left us with songs like "That's
Life" and the Grammy-award winning "Little Green
Apples," in the 1960's, died Friday, November 23rd. In
later years, O.C. became a minister. He conducted a Thanksgiving
service on Thursday .. the day before he died. O.C. was 65.
NOVEMBER GLOBAL REPORT: Thirty-two
Countries visited ArtRoberts.com in the month of November. The
top ten in order of hits are: Canada, United Kingdom, Old Style
Arpanet, Belgium, Australia, France, Sweden, Mexico, Japan and New
Zealand. These countries were followed by Finland, Poland,
Spain, Italy, Denmark, Switzerland, Hungary, Malaysia, Taiwan and
Croatia. The final twelve in November were Saudi Arabia, Costa
Rica, Estonia, Cote D'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Greece, Indonesia,
Singapore, Coco Islands, Germany, Lithuania, Norway and Slovak
Republic.
"THINKIN' JINGLE BELLS:" GREAT
gift idea. An autographed copy of my book "THINKIN' OUT
LOUD?" Radio Professionals and Fans of Radio love it.
My dog Willie loves it. Folks even love the cover. And it
gets better ... The price per book is just $15. You can also buy
the BOOK and the HIP FABLES CD for $25. NO SHIPPING CHARGES.
Order Today through PAY PAL ON THE FRONT PAGE of ArtRoberts.Com
I Thank you. My publisher thanks you. And your feet will
thank you.
QUOTE FOR THE DAY: "Class is an aura
of confidence that is being sure without being cocky. Class has
nothing to do with money. Class never runs scared. It is
self-discipline and self-knowledge. It's the sure footedness
that comes with having proved you can meet life." - -
Ann Landers
BODDA BOOM BODDA BING:
Written on the packaging
for a Rowenta iron:
"Do not iron clothes on body."
BATMAN HAS THE RIDDLER -- WE HAVE MY PAL PERRY:
I walk, but have no legs. I sleep, but never dream. You
can rock me in a cradle, but I am not a babe and I can go around the
world faster than you can cross a room. What am I?
RADIO'S BUSIEST BUSYBODY: Radio
Daily News -- Larry Shannon delivers Fresh and Factual Radio Info ...
AND MORE ... EVERYDAY ... www.radiodailynews.com
WEBBER OF THE WEEK: Hocus Pocus -- Halla
Kazzam -- Wait'll you see where you were -- Hot Damn!
That's it for this week.
ART ROBERTS
R&I
FORMATS OR FLOOR MATS? In the beginning,
finding a " first Job" in Radio is a crapshoot. You'll
play any number that turns up. As time passes and you grow into
a seasoned announcer, ready to spread your wings, management might
have a tendency to nail you into a corner. "We love the job
you are doing in mid-days, Fred, keep up the good work."
Poor Fred has been doing middays for four years. He dreams of
doing a morning show, has 3 yellow pads full of ORIGINAL ideas ...
Fred is watching the world pass him by. Worse than that -- the
station could be sold.
Get your head out of the
sand, Fred -- every performer reaches
"the-end-of-a-run-of-a-play." Time to find a new part;
a new challenge.
"Mirror, Mirror on
the wall, who's the best Morning show of them all?"
"You are Fred. Now go out and prove it."
(Glad we skipped the handsome part.)
Start by being creative in
the space you own, middays -- and not with that yellow pad of
treasured bits. Consider that your "Practice pad."
Offer interesting inserts that work for the audience and the format.
Think about WHO is out there. Clerical. Homemakers.
Lotsa cars. Mom and Pop businesses. Students. Lotsa
cars. Talk to them one at a time. Let them know YOU know
they are there. Before long, a bond will be formed. Tell
ya how you will know -- When you pick up the phone and the voice on
the other end says, "Hi Fred, this is Alice..." First
names are a handshake.
You're ready Freddy.
Network. Spread the word. Follow every lead. Put
together a Dynamite tape. When you get your first "eyeball
to eyeball meeting," mesmerize the interviewer. It's do or
die Freddy... Your choice. Own the Morning in your Format or
wind up a floor mat. Come on, come on ... We haven't got all
day...
... Art
Roberts
RADIO FREE
AFGHANISTAN: Radio
messages are being broadcast to Afghanistan. The USA has upped
the ante to $25 Million for a roadmap to Usama's cave. I got a
phone call asking if last weeks column stimulated or hastened the
radio broadcast. Truthfully, I doubt it ... but who cares.
The real credit belongs to Senator Joe Biden, the Democrat chairman of
the Senate foreign relations committee, who is the driving force
behind the effort, which covers more than just radio broadcasting.
It is a new phase in the propaganda war against terrorists and adds a
third (TV) tier for the US in the media battle, which includes a
beefed-up Voice of America and a new Radio Free Afghanistan. The
entire effort is backed by $500 Million. For once we are
reaching the Right people. Sure beats flashing Usama's picture
on "America Most Wanted."
RON BIN
RILEY BIN AWARDED: "How
you Bin - I Bin down to Washington with Linda last night and Bin
awarded. Now it's over, the silver plate Bin put in the cabinet
with the Hummel's. I was really nervous - and as the last guy up
on the
Podium, I was actually shaky. Image that! I bin doing that
stuff all my life - but it wasn't a hop, it wasn't a classroom, it
wasn't people I know personally when I can relax, it was a room full
of peers - anchor people from all the channels, Chris Mathews
(Hardball MSNBC) who is married to one of the Channel 7 anchors -
College professorial types who teach communications, Washington DC
industry professionals. My Gawd! But I guess I did okay.
The station produced a 3-minute tape of my TV (and WLS stuff) on it
and I talked for 2 or 3 minutes. You know Art how us guys feel -
'been there done that'. One of the things I said was "one
of our new out of college PA's (production assistants) said that she
saw my tape after it was produced - and said - how old are you?
- I said - well I'm younger than Dick Clark - and she said,
"who's Dick Clark?" True story!"
"We had a round of 10
for the dinner - 5 of us from News Channel 8 and 5 more came down from
Maryland Public TV. I was honestly overwhelmed. I
don't want to go on and on about this as I may become boring - so
excuse me - it's just an emotional dump to a friend. Hope you're
coming along ok. RON RILEY
HOW MANY TIMES CAN YOU HEAR "GRAMMA GOT RUN OVER BY A
REINDEER?" The toughest decision a
Programmer has to face is WHEN and HOW to start Christmas Music
Programming. His / Her choice usually sends shivers down the
Station Managers spine. Especially when the PD decides NOT to
ease into the "Season to be Jolly," but instead, jump into
the deep end of the pool. In Cincinnati, WGRR-FM began 24
hour Christmas programming at 9:PM Friday, November 16, and will be
known through the season as "Christmas 103.5." By
Noon, the next day, WVMX - MIX94.1 started their "Round the
clock" Christmas music. Typical Radio. Chase the
competition. Who will be the first to use the slogan, "THE
MOST CHRISTMAS MUSIC IN CINCINNATI?"
Actually, it is not a bad
idea. Stations getting the jump on "All Christmas -- All
day" music are staying in step with the shopping trend.
Malls are jammed, sales are everywhere, lines are long, the X-BOX is
almost sold out, and shopping carts look like Santa's sleigh.
Have to agree ... it IS a good fit.
But every rainbow has an
end. KBME (790 AM). Houston, TX started their Christmas music
Monday morning, November 19, and intend to play just Christmas music,
24/7, all the way through New Year's Day." Hold on there
Hoss ... After December 25th ... Continuing a steady diet of Christmas
Music sounds like a "TUNE - OUT" to me!
"TIRED OF CROWDED MALLS AND MEGA STORES?"
GREAT gift idea. How about an autographed copy of my
book "THINKIN' OUT LOUD?" Radio Professionals and Fans
of Radio love it. My dog Willie loves it. Folks even love
the cover. And it gets better ... The price per book is just
$15. You can also buy the BOOK and the HIP FABLES CD for $25.
NO SHIPPING CHARGES. Order Today through PAY PAL ON THE FRONT
PAGE of ArtRoberts.Com I Thank
you. My publisher thanks you. And your feet will thank
you.
QUOTE FOR THE DAY: "If you want to
win anything -- a race, yourself, your life -- you have to go a little
berserk." ... George Sheehan
BODDA BOOM BODDA BING: Frank was a
happily married man who had only one complaint: His wife, Myra,
was always nursing sick birds. One cold November evening he came home
to find a raven with a splint on its beak sitting in his favorite
chair. On the dining room table there was a feverish eagle
pecking at an aspirin tablet, while in the kitchen Myra was comforting
a shivering wren.
Frank dropped his
briefcase and strode over to where his wife was toweling down the cold
little bird.
"Myra!" he
shouted. "I can't take it anymore! We've got to get
rid of all of these da..."
Myra held up her hand and
cut him off in mid-curse. "Please dear," she said.
"Not in front of the chilled wren!"
MY PAL PERRY NAMES THE TOP 10 THANKSGIVING MOVIE THEMES:
10. To Kill A
Walking Bird
9. Thighs Wide
Shut
8. The Texas
Coleslaw Massacre
7.
Casserolablanca
6. Silence of
the Yams
5. I
Know What You Ate Last Winter
4. All
the President's Menu
3. White
Meat Can't Jump
2. When
Harry Met Salad
1. The
Wing and I
IT AINT NEWS 'TIL LARRY SEZ IT'S NEWS: Radio
Daily News -- Larry Shannon delivers Fresh and Factual Radio Info ...
AND MORE ... EVERYDAY ...
WEBBER OF THE WEEK: Mysteries of the
Sixties -- like learning how to make Incense. "What's that
smell in your room?" "Nothing Dad!"
That's it for this week. ART
ROBERTS
11/18/2001
R&I
THINK TANK THOUGHTS: POLITICALLY CORRECT IS AN
OXYMORON ... So are the people who perpetuate it. Like the Berkeley
crowd in California who have defended the wrong side of their street for 40
years. The snide remarks about our President made by comics and
commentators on TV. Can't hardly tell 'em apart these days.
(Which idiot is going to interview Osama first?) And while THEY are
burning our flag over there, the "How Quick They Forget Crowd"
corroborate the protestors in Afghanistan and Pakistan under the
"Everybody Has Rights" banner. Graffiti is fine on big city
buildings and bridges ... just don't put up a sign that says "God Bless
America" in front of a school. Those who consider that a prayer--
have never prayed. God forbid we offend ANYONE with a slogan, a song,
a flag pin, or a bumper sticker. The few; The pathetic;
The pain-in-the-ass protestors who use the Bill Of Rights as if it was
theirs alone. The icing on this "Nutcake" comes from the
Hollywood crowd who agreed to help in the War effort, as long as they do not
have to produce any "Propaganda." Now that is an oxymoron of
Mammoth proportions. Where the Hell do these people come from?
Where is John Wayne when you need him?
Propaganda is the bat they're using to beat us over the head. We can
bomb the Taliban and the Al-Qaida, chase them out of their cities, root them
out of caves ... but until we take the initiative and hammer home the
message of WHY we are there, and WHOM we are after, WE REMAIN the bad guys.
Go to Hollywood to produce propaganda films? ... Who is going to see them?
There are only two ways to reach the people of Afghanistan... short-wave and
AM Radio. That's it, Bubba. No, The Voice of America (VOA) won't work.
They are supposed to paint a rosy picture of the USA, but rumor has it they
are infected by Taliban sympathizers. We need a new mouthpiece.
We need RADIO FREE AFGHANISTAN. (RFA). Radio has a clear shot on
the AM dial and the people in Afghanistan listen to their AM transistor
radios. No FM. No TV. No newspaper. AM Radio is it.
So where's the problem? Washington is the problem. They are
bottlenecked by an almost $300 Billion Muslim diplomacy package Senator Joe
Biden is pushing. Excuuuse Me!
There are 1.2 BILLION Muslim's throughout the world, and most won't believe
in us until they hear the TRUE story ... over and over again. The
Trade Center Bombing. The Evil of Osama bin Laden and his Terrorist
acts inflicted AGAINST Muslims. The atrocities of the Al-Qaida
and The Taliban. The US focus and world support. In short -- The
Truth.
Radio Free Afghanistan IS the answer. Hit the airwaves. There is
a lot of reward money out there... Reach the people who have a
shot at earning it.
Art Roberts
AN UPDATE FROM BOB SIROTT: "Check out the
WTTW, Channel 11 web site---
www.NetworkChicago.com
Starting Monday, If you go there and click into "Chicago
Stories" you can find an amazing amount of behind the scenes
information about all the bands featured on our show. There's also a
musing or two from Clark Weber as well as a few web sites that will be of
interest to fans of Chicago music and radio from the 60's. Hope you're
doing great!" ... BOB
HERE COMES THE COMPETITION! At a news
conference in Chicago, XM President and CEO Hugh Panero announced that XM
Satellite Radio has expanded its launch of the first U.S. digital satellite
radio service nationwide, bringing 100 channels of music, news, sports and
entertainment across the entire continental United States. According
to our friends at XM Satellite Radio: "It is to FM what FM was to AM 30
years ago -- A revolution." Whatcha think about that?
Art@Artroberts.com
HERE'S ONE FOR THE WINE TASTERS SCRAPBOOK:
Peter Buck, guitarist with REM, allegedly drank 15 glasses of wine during a
transatlantic flight to London on British Airways, back in April. The
trial is being held this week. Yes, I said 15 glasses. He is
charged with "appalling" behavior. What is "appalling
behavior?" Oh, stuff like dumping a tub of Yogurt on a cabin
service manager and himself; Overturning the hostess cart, spewing dishes,
cereal, honey, and milk down the isle; Getting stuck between the seats;
Trying to slip a knife up his sleeve, and when this was snatched away from
him, Peter allegedly said: "I am REM and I can make up a story that I
was assaulted."
Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Why would anyone serve a passenger
FIFTEEN glasses of wine?
THE TEXAS RADIO HALL OF FAME: I am proud (and
humbled) to be included in the prestigious list comprising The Texas Radio
Hall of Fame Founding Board of Directors. Allow me to introduce you to
all Fifteen:
CONGRATULATIONS: Ron Chapman -- named VP of
Programming for Infinity's Dallas stations which include KVIL, KOAI, KRLD,
KYNG, KRBV. Ron will continue to host his Morning Show (5:30 to 10 AM)
on KLUV and will also oversee programming on KLUV and all of the Infinity
stations.
THE MAGIC OF MICHAEL: Michael Jackson ... to
put it bluntly ... Kicked Butt with his 30th Anniversary Celebration on CBS.
From 9-11 PM The King of Pop reigned Supreme. He pulled in Fifty
percent more viewers than the time slot usually enjoys.
"DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT WE HAVE SNOW ON THE
MOUNTAIN" And it's beginning to look like
Christmas? Got a gift idea. How about an autographed copy of my
book "THINKIN' OUT LOUD?" Trumpets are blaring from both
Radio Professionals and Fans of Radio. My dog Willie likes it.
Folks even love the cover. And it gets better ... The price per book
is just $15. You can also buy the BOOK and the HIP FABLES CD for $25.
NO SHIPPING CHARGES. Order Today through PAY PAL ON THE FRONT PAGE of
ArtRoberts.Com I Thank you. My publisher thanks you.
QUOTE FOR THE DAY: "Give me a museum and
I'll fill it." -- Pablo Picasso
BODDA BOOM BODDA BING: With all the bad
news going around, I think I've found inner peace. My therapist told
me a way to achieve inner peace was to finish things I had started.
Today I finished 2 bags of potato chips, a lemon pie, a fifth of Jack
Daniels and a small box of chocolate candy.
I feel better already. :-)
MY PAL PERRY KNOWS ALL ABOUT DEM MINNESOTA COMPUTERS:
LOG ON: making da vood stove hotter
LOG OFF: don't add no more vood
MEGA HERTZ: vhen da big log drops on your barefoot in da morning
RAM: da hydraulic thing dat makes da voodsplitter vork
ENTER: come on in
WINDOWS: vhat ya shut vhen it gets below zero
CHIP: vhat you munch during Vikings games
MICROCHIP: vhat's left in da bag vhen da chips are gone
MODEM: vhat ya did to da hay fields last Yuly
LAPTOP: vhere da grandkids sit
MOUSE: vhat leaves dem little turds in da cupboard
YUMPIN' YIMMENY, HOW DOES LARRY FIND OUT ALL DOZE TINGZ? Radio
Daily News -- Larry Shannon delivers Fresh and Factual Radio Info ... AND
MORE ... EVERYDAY ...
www.radiodailynews.com
WEBBER OF THE WEEK: A dear friend in Texas --
and one of MY mentors, Al "Schoolboy" Turner -- told me:
"While you're here, live life to the fullest, like it was
'Butter-in-the-Well-on-the-North-Side'. And when you're gone ...
leave some footprints, so them young bucks can follow and learn somethin'."
JIMMY RABBITT is still leading the way ...
www.jimmyrabbitt.com
That's it for this week. ART
ROBERTS
R&I
NO
ONE SHOULD GO IT ALONE:
My first day on the team. I was all of twelve, 5 foot 7, 145 pounds, and
one of the fastest kids in class. The ball was snapped to our
quarterback who shoved it into my arms. I instinctively clutched the
football, turned and headed towards the goalposts which seemed to be a mile
down the field. The next thing I felt was somebody grabbing my legs and
feeling my body crashing to the ground. (Ever have the wind knocked out
you? What a helpless feeling.) Our coach kneeled down and tugged
at my pants to allow more breathing room. I spent the next 20 minutes
resting on the sidelines, and figured, "Oh good! I'll stay here and
watch the game." No such luck. The coach gave me a mini
lesson in "falling down without breaking my neck." I carried
the ball for the next three years and scored my share of touchdowns ...
Realizing what a good coach was all about. They are great observers.
And they understand direction.
One year later, at 13, 5'8'', 145
pounds (Yes, I grew an inch and stayed there) I found my next great coach.
Cozy Cole. Walking up steep concrete steps of an old building on
fortysomething street, I opened the door to a music studio and met Cozy for
the first time. Pointing to a practice pad, he said: "Play
something." I did ... sort of. Then he said, "I'll teach
you to play ... but the first you'll have to learn is how to hold the
sticks." Me and the practice pad spent a lot of hours together.
Cozy's coaching whittled out a pretty fine Jazz drummer ... one rudiment at a
time. By the ripe old age of fifteen I was sitting-in with some great
jazz groups in the city. Years later we met at The London House in
Chicago and I told him how proud I was to play "Topsy" when it was
released. "Was I a good teacher?" he asked. "More
than that, Cozy, You are a great Coach." He gave me that same smile
as he did when I finally mastered a difficult beat.
No matter how well a person
performs their craft, they will have a need to grow in a different direction.
I chose Freelancing. After tripping my way through the world of
Commercials, I realized that just about everything I read sounded the same.
A colleague at the station, Brad Bisk, suggested I attend the Actors Workshop
in Chicago. Meeting my new VOICE coach for the first time was a real
trip. He handed me a piece of paper and said: "Read this."
I did, and he said: "We are going to start with Shakespeare. Once
you master reading Shakespeare out loud, you'll never have to do a pimple
commercial again." I spent the next three or four months making
Billy Shakespeare proud of me. After that, I went from one scene to
another -- each pointing to a new direction. My coach was coaching and I
was growing. It all culminated with THIS scene -- I played the
part of a concerned lover who was trying to convince his girlfriend not to run
off with a rich individual who was promising to take care of her handicapped
brother. The crux of this scene was simply calling out her name.
The task, however, was to say her name in great anger caused by her decision
to leave me for what she felt was a noble reason. We rehearsed this scene week
after week, and finally I said her name so vehemently, she jumped and trembled
in fear. I was ready. My client list exploded.
The reason for this article is in
response to many e-mails from radio professionals who feel stagnant in their
growth. The cloning of formats and shrinking of staffs has created a
void in the cultivation of talent. Yea, Verily, I say, seek out thy own
GREAT Coach. Someone who has done it all ... and continues to conquer
new horizons. Might I be so bold as to trumpet a name? Ray Van
Steen. The very same Peter Fugitive of old. Ray has been offering
individual Private Voice Coaching sessions for years, in the craft of
announcing, narrating, acting on Radio and TV Commercials, and Film sound
tracks. Contact him.
Ray Van Steen
325 West Huron Street Suite 512
Chicago, IL 60610
Phone: 312 / 587-1010
FAX: 312 / 337-5125
Trust me ... You will never have
to do a pimple spot again!
Art Roberts
WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO CREATIVE RADIO SALES???
Problem: For the third quarter, radio ad sales are down locally and
nationally ... BIG TIME. Solution: Fire a bunch of people!
Terrific. CO's, COO's and VP's of Sales STILL DON'T GET IT!!!
There's more to sell at a radio station than just commercials and remotes, and
a Sales Manager sitting around waiting for the phone to ring with an
occasional regional or national buy. I believe with all my heart --
Radio Advertising offers the biggest bang for the buck. Properly
scheduled spots WORK. There are lots of untapped dollars ready to be
plucked. Find them. Own them.
Sounds to me like Radio is
burdened with more Order takers than Professional Sales Reps.
CONGRATULATIONS: Jack Swanson (KGO) -- named BEST
PROGRAM DIRECTOR by Radio Ink Magazine for the second year in a row. KGO-AM
has been number one in San Francisco for 93 consecutive ratings books.
How's that for consistency!
BOB SIROTT PROVES RADIO AND TV DOOO MIX: Bob's
back on the radio. First show will be at 12 Noon, Saturday, November
24th on Chicago's
WCKG-FM (105.9). He calls it "Bob Sirott's Comedy Collection,"
a one-hour program showcasing classic standup comedy routines. Most of
the tracks will come from his private collection, featuring everyone from Bob
Newhart to Chris Rock.
Meanwhile, in front of the
TV camera, another TV extravaganza from Bob Sirott will unfold.
"How Chicago Rocked The 60's" is the Chicago story of that brief
period of time from 64 to 68 when local bands and local radio joined forces to
put a lot of great music on the air. The New Colony Six, Buckinghams,
Cryan' Shames, Ides of March, Shadows of Knight, American Breed and Chicago
are all part of the show on Monday night, November 19, at 7:30pm on WTTW
Channel 11 in Chicago. Dick Biondi and Clark Weber will also be featured
on the show.
SAG HAS A NEW PREZ: Melissa Gilbert (Laura
Ingalls in "Little House on the Prairie") was elected
president of the Screen Actors Guild. She beat out Valerie Harper (Rhoda
Morgenstern on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' and later "Rhoda'')
in a tough battle that could end up being contested over a flaw in thousands
of ballots. Shades of Florida ... stay tuned.
"CHESTNUTS WITHOUT A ROASTING FIRE"
Okay, Okay, need a great gift idea for Christmas? How about an
autographed copy of my book "THINKIN' OUT LOUD?" Trumpets are
blaring from both Radio Professionals and Fans of Radio. They even love
the cover.
And it gets better ... The price
per book is just $15. You can also buy the book and the HIP FABLES CD
for $25. NO SHIPPING CHARGES. Order Today through PAY PAL ON THE
FRONT PAGE of ArtRoberts.Com Thanks
WE LOST ANOTHER FRIEND: Anyone who spent any
amount of time in the Chicago Media -- be it in Radio, TV, or Newspapers --
has been to The Billy Goat Tavern at Lower Wacker Drive for a cheeseburger,
maybe even two ... and heard Bill Charuchas shout "Cheeseborger,
Cheeseborger. No fries. Cheeps." Bill spent 37 years
flipping greasy burgers and kibitzing with the customers. Sadly, Bill
died October 23rd while on a trip to his native Greece. He was 75.
Think I'll have a drippy burger with "Double Cheese" tonight in his
honor. No fries. Just "Cheeps."
QUOTE FOR THE DAY: "The man who has no
imagination has no wings." - Muhammad Ali
BODDA BOOM BODDA BING: "My wife
suggested a book for me to read to enhance our relationship. It's titled:
'Women are from Venus, Men are Wrong.'"
MY PAL PERRY HAS WOIDS ABOUT WOIDS": The
Washington Post published a contest for readers in which they were asked to
supply alternate meanings for various words. The following were some of the
winning entries:
1. Coffee (n.), a person who is
coughed upon.
2. Flabbergasted (adj.),
appalled over how much weight you have gained.
3. Negligent (adj.),
describes a condition in which you absentmindedly answer the door in your
nightie.
4. Lymph (v.), to walk
with a lisp.
5. Gargoyle (n.), an
olive-flavored mouthwash.
6. Balderdash (n.), a
rapidly receding hairline.
7. Oyster (n.), a person who sprinkles his conversation with
Yiddish expressions.
8. Circumvent (n.),
the opening in the front of boxer shorts.
9. Pokemon (n), A
Jamaican proctologist
EXTRA, EXTRA -- READ ABOUT IT ALL !!! Radio Daily
News -- Larry Shannon delivers Fresh and Factual Radio Info ... AND MORE ...
EVERYDAY ...
WEBBER OF THE WEEK: A man of many talents ... and
one of my favorite talk show hosts. Ladies and Gentlemen, meet 'n greet
MARVELOUS JAY MARVIN.
http://www.thejaymarvinshow.com
That's
it for this week.
ART ROBERTS
R&I
CLEAR
CHANNEL BASHING: We
are a nation that plays EVERY game with only one goal in mind.
Winning. Like they say -- "If you are not the
leader-of-the-pack, the VIEW is always the same." Question
here is: "Who is the REAL threat?" The person lurking
in a dark doorway screaming, "Let's get the Big Guy" ...
or the Big Guy himself? Clear Channel Bashing has become open season
sport for Broadcast Industry critics. I have a theory about
critics ... they invariably write about things they can't do.
Most of the articles I
have read always compare today's radio with the magic of yesterday.
Got a news flash Bubba, "Yesterdays gone." Most
critics include the corroborating line -- "I love radio"
-- followed by a tirade of "would've, could've, should've"
suggestions -- three words that ceased to exist in our language years
ago. Clear Channel Bashers love to elaborate about the
corporation's 1200 station empire. Their control of markets,
music industry, concert venues, billboards, pricing, uniform
programming, use of syndicated talent in multi-markets, and
proprietary promotions. Yeah? So? Sounds like they
are playing by today's industry rules. Which, by the way, CCC
did not invent. The FCC did. And when they did, a lot of
Radio groups jumped on the bandwagon. Clear Channel just did it
better.
Radio has not changed --
it has evolved. My personal best was a 62 rating in Chicago
during the sixties. To equal that today I would need ten to twelve
markets. I would also need to be a part of Clear Channel or any
one of their top two competitors to accomplish this goal. Which
brings us to another rarely discussed issue. CCC has a lot of
competition. Heavy hitters.
My Mom always said,
"The proof is in the pudding." If the critics are
right; if Clear Channel Communications IS depriving the listeners of
local entertainment and choices, then the audience should disappear ~
dontcha think? Well, the top ten markets tell a different story.
Looking at the top 5 stations in the top 10 markets, CCC scores in
eight out of ten with 5 number 2 rankings; 4 number 3 rankings;
4 number 4 rankings; 2 number 5 rankings. 15 dominant
stations in 10 markets. No number one ratings, plus they blanked
out in two of the ten markets. Top formats are AC, CHR, URBAN, SOFT
JAZZ, and (1)NEWS.
That tells me Clear
Channel Communications has a lot of growth left in the top 10 markets.
And they are successful despite fierce competition. So, what's
the beef?
Art Roberts
CHICAGO'S CHANNEL 11 HONORS LOCAL 60'S GROUPS: Another
labor of love from Bob Sirott. "How Chicago Rocked
The 60's" is the Chicago story of that brief period of time from
64 to 68 when local bands and local radio joined forces to put a lot
of great music on the air. The New Colony Six, Buckinghams,
Cryan' Shames, Ides of March, Shadows of Knight, American Breed and
Chicago are all part of the show on Monday night, November 19, at
7:30pm on WTTW Channel 11 in Chicago. Dick Biondi and Clark
Weber will also be featured on the show.
"MAKIN' YOUR LIST, CHECKING IT TWICE":
Stuck on what to give for Christmas? How about an autographed
copy of my book "THINKIN' OUT LOUD?" Response has been
outstanding from both Radio Professionals and Fans of Radio.
Gee, it's hard to be humble!
And it gets better ... The
price per book is just $15. You can also buy the book and the
HIP FABLES CD for $25. NO SHIPPING CHARGES. Order through
PAY PAL ON THE FRONT PAGE of ArtRoberts.Com Thanks
MINNEAPOLIS NEWSROOMS BITE THE DUST: Here
we go again. Smack dab in the middle of a war. Threats of
further violence on American soil haunting us everyday. A
time when News Rules --- yet, in Minneapolis KSTP-TV and KSTC-TV, both
Hubbard Broadcasting, are dumping a bunch of newscasts and news staff.
Twenty full-time and four part-time employees got the boot.
KSTP-AM (1500) and their
new WIXK-FM (107.1) plan to consolidate the promotion and marketing
departments of the stations, the Hubbard Radio Network and the
general-sales promotion department for the stations, into one neat
group. Three people were axed. No changes made at KSTP-FM,
(KS95).
KSTP-TV will kill all
weekend local newscasts. KSTC-TV gets rid of their weekday
morning and 6:30 PM news. There is also a salary freeze in effect.
(That takes care of everyone!) Bad sales, Bad economy, and Bad
Terrorists are the reasons given. What about Bad Judgment?
A WEBSITE FOR ALL NATIONS: Five more
countries were added to the twenty seven reported last week.
That brings the total to THIRTY TWO nations clicking on to Art
Roberts.com in the month of October. Welcome -- Finland,
Denmark, Greece, Singapore and Turkey. Thank you for your
interest in American Radio.
WILL THE FCC SMOOTH OUT THE LAST BROADCAST SPEED BUMPS?
Oil and water do not mix. Neither does bank loans and
over extended broadcast groups in a weak economy. Many
Corporations are scrambling to re-negotiate their loans in an effort
to avoid having to unload properties in a depressed market.
While many groups are scratching to get enough cash to keep their
heads above water, the Big Guys like GE/NBC, Viacom, Disney, Clear
Channel, AOL Time Warner, et al, should have no trouble raising
"shopping" cash. The only thing in their way are FCC
antiquated "caps" and rules, which FCC chairman Michael
Powell wants to do away with, or at least, ease the regulations.
Probably starting with the "cross ownership rules" which
prohibit TV / newspaper / radio cross ownerships. This will open
a brand new Pandora's Box that will make smaller markets the new
Utopia.
QUOTE FOR THE DAY: "It is more
important to know where you are going than to get there quickly."
- - Mabel Newcomber
BODDA BOOM BODDA BING: I think
things are really screwed up! My wife and I just stood in line
for nearly four hours, in the hot Florida sun, to get our flu shots at
the grocery store. I guess now we will have to sit for an hour
or so in the doctors office to get our milk and eggs! What ever
happened to the good old days? DALE
MY PAL PERRY AND "SLOGANS FOR THE SLOGANLESS":
CNN: When Disaster
Strikes, America Trusts.
USA NETWORK: Who's Got the Best Name? That's Right.
We Do.
TBS: Is, As and Always Will be: Home of the Braves.
QVC: Right About Now, a Real American Would Start Shopping.
NICKELODEON: No
Nightmares. Ever.
THE DISNEY CHANNEL: Why? Because They Hate Us.
SCI FI CHANNEL: Could've Been Worse. Could've Been Aliens.
HOME & GARDEN TV:
Suddenly, Growing Your Own Food Doesn't Sound So Stupid.
HISTORY CHANNEL:
Let's Review the Whole Hitler Thing Once More, Shall We?
WEBBER OF
THE WEEK: Radio
Daily News -- Larry Shannon delivers Fresh and Factual Radio Info ...
AND MORE ... EVERYDAY ... www.radiodailynews.com
10/28/2001
R&I
MY GENERATION: My
generation watched WWII through the eyes of a child. Took our basic
training at the Loews Broadway movie theatre. While our parents
prayed for peace, we saved chicken fat, bacon grease, aluminum foil
-- and hoped the war would last until we were old enough to fight.
My generation thought
'thirty something' was the price of gasoline.
My generation didn't
hang out at a muscle beach. We drove Muscle Cars. Traded often. Why
not? -- They cost less than 3 Grand.
My generation remembers
Radio when it was family entertainment. Theatre of the mind. AM
only.
My generation remembers
when Radio was local. Serving the community meant staying involved.
News was births to deaths to school closings -- and everything
in-between. Competition became a brotherhood. We cared. They cared.
My generation entered
Radio with eyes wide open and sleeves rolled up. Breaking records
became an art form. Record hops were played to a packed school gym.
A PD's job was to see the station never lost their license. A DJ's
job was to entertain. We thought this would last forever.
My generation likes to
UNDERSTAND the words to a song. We grew wiser with Bob Dylan ... HE
didn't.
Last week Ken Levine
experienced this first hand, and submitted the following Review ...
"Got a call at 5
from a friend offering me and Debby tickets to see the Bob Dylan
concert tonight at the Staples Center....from the owners' box. How
could we pass that up???
The band was fabulous,
Dylan's guitar playing top flight, but his singing -- not even
lucid. Moms Mabley with frizzy hair. The Manny Mota of Rock n Roll.
He performed for around two hours. I picked out the following words
in the first hour: could, Alabama, blue. I think he did some
familiar songs but you couldn't tell. Give us the words OR the
melody. He began one song and got a third of the way into it before
Debby and I realized he was singing BLOWING IN THE WIND
(seriously!!!).
There was no interaction
with the audience. Probably safer that way. I fully expected him to
say "How are you Houston?!"
But the seats were
great. Debby sat in Jerry Buss' actual chair. Mitch Kupchack was
sitting at her feet.
I think instead of
selling T-shirts and posters they should sell Bob Dylan decoder
kits.
The voice of our
generation makes no sense ... "
Art Roberts
TIME TO COUNT THE
COUNTRIES: We hit a Bonanza in the month of September! Twenty
seven Countries checked into ArtRoberts.com and once again Canada
leads the pack with Ireland ranking a close second -- followed by
Australia, United Kingdom, Norway, Old Style Arpanet, Czech
Republic, Sweden, Austria, and Switzerland making up the top ten.
The next in line were Japan, Italy, Taiwan, Brazil, Luxembourg,
Mexico, Netherlands, Iceland, France, and Belgium. These were
followed by Germany, Spain, Israel, Lithuania, Malaysia, Portugal
and the Russian Federation. Welcome all ... Fans of American Radio.
CHRISTMAS IS COMING:
I can always tell when Christmas is not far down the road. The
leaves on our Fire Bush by the front porch turn bright red as a
reminder that Santa is coming to town. Stuck on what to give? How
about an autographed copy of my book "THINKIN' OUT LOUD?"
Response has been outstanding from both Radio Professionals and Fans
of Radio. Gee, it's hard to be humble!
And it gets better
... The price per book is just $15. You can also buy the book and
the HIP FABLES CD for $25. NO SHIPPING CHARGES. Order through PAY
PAL ON THE FRONT PAGE of www.ArtRoberts.com Thanks
CONGRATULATIONS:
While Ron Riley was at WLS during the sixties he was a Top Rated
Disc Jockey. Ron worked very hard putting together an entertaining
three hours that people across America still remember. He applied
the same work ethic to his new career as a Weatherman for the
Washington, D.C. area and it has paid off ... Ron will be inducted
into the very prestigious Silver Circle at a ceremony hosted by the
Washington D.C. Television Academy. www.ron@ronriley.com
NEWS / TALK STRIVES
TO STRIKE A BALANCE: Events of 9/11/2001. America at war. How do
you catch a guy in a cave? Repeated Anthrax attacks. The threat of
another biological attack. Slumping stocks. Unemployment on the
rise. So, where's the relief billions? Supermarket prices on the
rise. Airline terminal turmoil. Recession. Depression. Does the INS
stand for "Incompetent Naturalization Service." Protestors
in OUR backyard. Politically Correct ... our nemesis? "New
Allies" ... can we trust them? How can we protect our borders?
All these issues are a News / Talk Radio smorgasbord. And damn
depressing.
How and at what point
should the format lighten up? Radio Talk show hosts need to find
that non-descript balance between discussing the heavy news that
surfaces everyday, and lighter subjects which cracks a smile and
removes a load from the listeners shoulders.
HOW DOES YOUR LOCAL NEWS
/ TALK FORMAT HANDLE THIS PROBLEM OF BALANCE? OR DO THEY?
"THE DAY AMERICA
CRIED" On September 11th, Johnny VanZant of Lynyrd Skynyrd
received a call from a close friend. The call was from a buddy of
his who was working on a rooftop in Manhattan. He told of how he
heard a loud explosion and looked up to see the first of two planes
slam into the World Trade Center. As he looked around at his many
co-workers, tears were streaming down their faces. As his friend
continued to talk, VanZant jotted down the words "the day
America cried." In a musical call-to-arms, VanZant then
contacted Grammy Award winner Jim Peterik, and entrusted him in
helping to make a vision come to life in a song. After three days
and nights of long-distance collaboration, that song was born.
"The Day America
Cried" single is the lead track from a CD full of music which
brings together some of classic rock's greatest artists in a
humanitarian effort. 100 percent of the net proceeds from the single
and full CD will go to the 911 Relief Project which was set up
specifically to support the efforts of the American Red Cross,
United Way's September 11th Fund and other related charities
We dedicate this project
to the victims, their families, and all of those affected by the
tragic events that occurred on September 11, 2001. Let these songs
of hope serve as a living prayer and reminder to help us to go
forward with strength and courage, and to stand united under God in
the belief of our freedom.
QUOTE FOR THE DAY:
"Never give in. Never. Never. Never. Never." - Sir Winston
Churchill
BODDA BOOM BODDA BING:
When an octopus puts on deodorant, how does he remember where he
started?
"MY PAL PERRY
AND LIFE LESSONS LEARNED FROM A DOG":
1. If you stare at
someone long enough, eventually you'll get what you want.
2. Don't go out without
an ID.
3. Be direct with
people; let them know exactly how you feel. (e.g. Piddle on their
shoes.)
4. Be aware of when to
hold your tongue, and when to use it.
5. Leave room in your
schedule for a good nap.
6. Always give people a
friendly greeting. A cold nose in the crotch is effective.
7. If it's not wet and
sloppy, it ain't a kiss.
"THERE AIN'T
NOBODY BETTER, BABY " Radio Daily News -- Larry Shannon
delivers Fresh and Factual Radio Info ... AND MORE ... EVERYDAY ... www.radiodailynews.com
WEBBER OF THE WEEK:
Used to wear m'boots to watch all them westerns. Fixed a bowl of
popcorn for Lucy. TV ratings for the Fifties, Sixties and Seventies.
10/21/2001
R&I
IDENTITY CRISIS: THE CURSE REMAINS
WITH US! "I
had a linguistics professor who said that it's man's ability to use language
that makes him the dominant species on the planet. That may be. But I
think there's one other thing that separates us from animals. We aren't
afraid of vacuum cleaners." ~ Shalom Aleichem
I always figured Radio lost its identity during
the riot-plagued 1968 (August 26) Democratic Convention. Not because of
police intervention. Not because of Army Jeeps wrapped in barbed wire.
We shed our identity for a small tag that served as an "admission
ticket" to the convention. Everyone was required to wear this tag.
For the first time, Radio, TV, Newspaper and Magazine reporters were lumped
together under a non-descript politically correct banner hung around their
neck labeled "MEDIA."
The 60's also gave us the dreaded "Red
Phone." Not only did it have an ungodly loud ring, it was attached
to a 300 watt bulb that sent a blinding light to get your attention - just in
case the loud ring wasn't heard. This was usually the private property
of a dictatorial PD who used a stopwatch to determine the content of a show.
"God Damn it, what the Hell are you doing. You talked for 14
seconds. Did you forget the format? Etc., etc." Did I
mention, as a group, these incompetent PD's had no tact? Thank goodness
I experienced only one such idiot. When the phone rang, I politely told
him never to call while I'm doing my show, and hung up. Ten seconds
later he came barreling through the studio door, screaming incoherently.
So, I politely gave him a choice - either he go out the studio door and never
come back, or go out the window on my right. He chose the door.
I remember having lunch with a record promotion
executive who told me about his dinner with a well known PD who was listening
to two stations at once while stuffing his face. He is one of the
pioneers of the many fractured formats that reduced Radio from creativity to a
commodity. Thirty plus years have gone by since a' cappella jingles
surfaced, yet little has changed. The red phone is gone, but Formats are
tighter than ever. Voice tracking has become the norm, especially in
medium and small markets. Stations nationwide have consolidated and gone
through a multitude of format changes. Programmers are still making dumb
decisions … case in point … WJMK-FM, Chicago. They recently
dismissed Richard Cantu, the ONLY newsman at the station. I guess this
oldies station in our nations THIRD market decided it didn't need to keep
their audience informed, even during a time of war.
There are, however, Radio Stations that have stood
their ground and remained dominant (usually Number One) during all these years
of turmoil and change. WGN, Chicago. KGO, San Francisco. WBZ,
Boston. WCCO, Minneapolis. KMOX, St Louis. WTMJ, Milwaukee.
They each have an audience count and a bottom line the others drool about.
Ever wonder why? Consistency. Believability. Cultivating the
audience for generations. Remaining an integral part of their community.
Stability.
Words rarely revered in the average modern day
programming philosophy.
Art Roberts
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Box Number for Art
Roberts Communications (PO Box 3047) has expired. Please correspond by
E-Mail at Art@Artroberts.com
Books and CD's SHOULD BE ORDERED THROUGH PAY PAL.
Thanks, Art
RUMOR -- FOREIGN BUCKS TO BOMBARD BROADCASTING:
The economy stinks. Radio companies are leveraged beyond reason.
Banks won't foreclose, but very well might charge heavy penalties to allow
these groups to continue in business. Look for the muscle conglomerates
(Clear Channel, et al) to push for foreign investments to be allowed in both
Radio and TV by the first quarter of 2002, arguing that US companies already
own stations in other countries. Sounds insane? Time will tell.
SATELLITE RADIO ... GOOD IDEA / BAD TIMING: Let's
review the scorecard ... XM Satellite Radio is offering service of about 100
channels to the Southwest and Southeast USA, with coverage from Los Angeles to
Miami. The rest of the country will be able to subscribe in November.
Their competition, Sirius Satellite Radio has yet to announce a target date,
although "sometime in January" was mentioned. Also, Sirius
founder and CEO stepped down after investors in Vermont sued the company for
misleading them about when the company would be open for business.
Cost to the consumer ... Sirius plans on charging
$12.95 a month. XM charges $9.99. Special radios cost between $300
- 400.
Bad timing ... Our economy is not the greatest for
a start-up company, especially two traveling in the same direction. And
the threat of further terrorism doesn't help their situation. Merrill
Lynch predicts XM should do 70% of the initial subscribers next year.
Cash Crunch ... Does either company have the
staying power? XM has just landed 66 million, which gives them a
little more breathing room, while Sirius claims to have enough funds to carry
them into the fourth quarter of next year. The biggest stumbling block is
"the break even point", which has been predicted for the year 2005.
That leaves both companies with a long road to hoe and a short time to get
there.
QUOTE FOR THE DAY: "The object of war isn't
to die for your country. It is to make sure the other guy dies for
his." GENERAL GEORGE PATTON
BODDA BOOM BODDA BING: AGGIE JOKES:
CIRCA 2001
A platoon of Special Forces soldiers are now
involved in reprisal actions after last month's incidents in New York,
Washington & Pennsylvania. The heroic force, comprised of A&M corps
graduates, have broken into the dog kennel area of the A&M Veterinary
Science Building and captured all the Afghans. They reported light
casualties.
It is being reported that the Texas Aggie Corp of
Cadets has surrounded a department store in College Station, Texas. They
are acting on a tip that Bed Linen is on the floor.
MY PAL PERRY ON "HALLOWEEN": TOP TEN
SIGNS YOU ARE TOO OLD TO BE TRICK OR TREATING!
10. You get winded from knocking on the door.
9. You have to have another kid chew the candy for
you.
8. You ask for high fiber candy only.
7. When someone drops a candy bar in your bag, you
lose your balance and fall over.
6. People say, "Great Keith Richards
mask!" and you're not wearing a mask.
5. When the door opens you yell, "Trick
or..." and can't remember the rest.
4. By the end of the night, you have a bag full of
restraining orders.
3.You have to carefully choose a costume that
won't dislodge your hairpiece.
2. You're the only Power Ranger in the
neighborhood with a walker.
1. You avoid going to houses where your ex-wives
live.
"WE AINT JUST WHISTLIN' DIXIE" Radio
Daily News -- Larry Shannon delivers Fresh and Factual Radio Info ... AND MORE
... EVERYDAY ... www.radiodailynews.com
That's it for this week.
ART ROBERTS
10-06-01
TIME TO END ALL THE GOBBLYGOOK: “The President has urged us to return to
normal. We have. Church attendance was down last Sunday.” … Bobbi Roberts
Radio is an opportunistic business. The audience is rather unconcerned about issues that confront a
station on a day-to-day basis – until a crisis comes along that affects their lives. The September 11th
attack on the World Trade Center in New York City has become a platform for change. Laws will
change. People will change. Radio has an OPPORTUNITY for change.
At the tail end of the ‘60s our Country became very concerned with pollution. Gene Taylor, station
manager at WLS, RECOGNIZED this as an opportunity to reach out and touch the audience during
their time of concern. He produced a book that explained what pollution was, what the average
American could do to change the conditions that existed, and distributed tens of thousands of these
books to interested listeners. The station aired editorials on the subject. My morning show made
“The Pollution Problem” its focus. Some very interesting things occurred. The ratings soared. Earth
Day was born, and I was asked to host a rally in front of City Hall on the first Earth Day celebration.
10,000 people showed up by the Picasso sculpture. So did local and national politicians, and the
world press. Not bad for a Rock n’ Roll radio station.
The WTC incident is another opportunity for Radio to reach out and touch their audience.
Patriotism throughout our land has never been higher. Nor has a President’s acceptance ratings.
Our world is changing and people are scared. They are looking for words – words to hang on to,
believe in, and talk about. Yes, Virginia, there is a life after cue cards.
This IS the precious moment in time to offer your market a platform for change and comfort.
Become involved with civic groups, church groups, the police, fire department, city officials and your
audience. What you have to say IS important. Your Radio station IS important. Don’t blow it.
… Art Roberts
KEN LEVINE’S KOMMENTARY: “Let's see if Casey Kasem mentions any of these on his
next countdown show ... 1975, Booker T. and The MG’s drummer and great Stax session man Al
Jackson is shot to death in his Memphis home, allegedly by an intruder ... his wife is questioned
because she had been arrested a couple of months earlier for shooting Jackson in the chest ... also
this week in 1975, Elton John collapses onstage at the Universal Amphitheatre in L.A. moments after
launching into his "Better Off Dead" ... following a ten-minute break, he returns to the stage to finish
up his three-hour concert ... 1976, Jerry Lee Lewis is charged with firing a gun within city limits after
plugging his bass player Norman Owens twice in the chest with a .357 magnum...the irrepressible
Jerry Lee is said to have been taking pot shots at a soda bottle in his office ... following a bomb scare
during a Milwaukee performance this week in 1975, Bruce Springsteen returns to his hotel to await a
midnight restart of the show ... stopping in at the hotel's bar, the usually conservative star gets, in his
own words, "a little loose," and proceeds to deliver an over-the-top performance in the bar ... on the
way back to the hall Springsteen rides on the roof of the car ... a Brit journalist along for the ride later
writes, "I have seen the future of rock & roll, and he is on my windshield."... Ken
IF BANDSTAND IS 50, HOW OLD IS DICK CLARK? American Bandstand is almost 50
years old. Sometime next spring ABC will celebrate the 50th anniversary of "American Bandstand"
with a two-hour prime-time special, hosted by “The Man” himself. The dance show started in 1952
at WFIL-TV in Philadelphia, Pa. Dick became the smiling host of American Bandstand in
1956. By 1957 it was the most watched show on television – coast-to-coast. The last
show aired in 1989.
Dick Clark is 71 and remains “America’s oldest teenager.”
AN EASY WAY TO FEED THE HUNGRY: “Dear friends ... countries will forever
change leaders, borders and ideologies, but hunger is a constant. It's the innocent who
always pay the price. Some of us have seen this up close and personal in the course of
our own military service. Others of you witness it from various news sources almost daily
now, so you know what I mean. The need here has probably never been greater. This
site allows us to, even in a small way, make some difference. It's something we can each
do daily. Please bookmark it and use it when you can. When you click on the donation
button, your donation is logged and all costs are covered by the sponsors listed. I don't
think they could have made it any easier. We've all been blessed with so much. Please
take the extra moment each day to help.” Thanks, PAUL KIRBY
http://www.thehungersite.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/CTDSites
HEY, WE USED TO LIVE THERE! Here is a virtual tour-of-sorts of the “old” neighborhood.
Larry Shannon will be your tour guide.
http://www.wlshistory.com/new/essay.htm
KEVIN MCCARTHY WONDERS? Two men, both billionaires: One develops relatively
cheap software and gives hundreds of millions of dollars to charity.
The other sponsors terrorism and kills thousands of people.
That being the case, why is it that the U.S. Government has spent more money chasing down Bill
Gates over the past ten years than Osama bin Laden?
BODDA BOOM BODDA BING:
Q: What must a woman do when a man is running around in circles?
A: Reload and continue shooting.
MY PAL PERRY SEZ “NORTHERNERS MIGHT BE BLUENECKS”: By now, I'm
sure that you have heard all the Redneck jokes. Here are some takes on how Southern
folks look at their Northern cousins:
YOU JUST MIGHT BE A BLUE NECK IF:
1. You don't have any problems pronouncing "Worcestershire sauce" correctly.
2. You don't know what a moon pie is.
3. You don't see anything wrong with putting a sweater on a poodle.
4. More than two generations of your family have been kicked out of the same prep
school in Connecticut.
5. You have never planned your summer vacation around a gun-n-knife show.
6. You don't have any hats in your closet that advertise feed stores.
7. You can't spit out the car window without pulling over to the side of the road and
stopping.
8. You get freaked out when people on the subway talk to you.
9. You don't know what "biscuits'n'maters" are and are afraid to ask.
10. You think 'dip' is made with artichokes and spinach.
"COMPREHENSIVE, COHESIVE, AND COMIN’ ATCHA!" Radio Daily News --
Larry Shannon delivers Fresh Radio Info ... AND MORE ... EVERYDAY ...
www.radiodailynews.com
WEBBER OF THE WEEK: Movie and TV trivia about the stars of Hollywood. Movie
and TV buffs are going to bookmark this one …
http://home.texoma.net/~wfb45/
That's it for this week. Art Roberts
09/30/2001
“WHERE
DO I GO FROM HERE?” Good
shadows at a Radio station always walk in front while sinister evil shadows lurk
from behind. Keep your eyes on the
wall in the hall.
Broadcasting,
as an industry, has always maintained a back seat when compared to corporate
giants like GE, HP, IBM, etc., where middle management are trained to lead their
division in a common direction. Not
so in radio. It seems this industry
rewards ineptness and promotes schemers. Some
of the worst mid-management I experienced hid behind their titles of “program
director,” “sales manager,”
“regional director,” or “consultant.”
Under their tenure, Number One stations slipped to number 10 –
sometimes in a mere 30 days. Top
talent had the rug jerked out from under them for no other reason than the
changing winds of new leadership. Sales
departments deflated because of favoritism, even nepotism. The “energy” that
once spewed out of speakers became bland and boring.
Worse case scenario: thanks
to a consultant’s “misfit” guidance, a radio station in Florida lost their
FCC license. Guess what?
He’s still with us … bigger-’n-ever.
Envy the
Radio Professionals who accept the status quo and neither question nor argue.
Their comfort zone is playing out whatever hand they are dealt until the
game is over. Are they loyal, or
pawns?
Envy the new
era Radio Professionals who play the game with skill and determination.
They develop a corporate mentality that justifies every action; every
format change; every consolidation – under the guise of “For The Benefit Of
The Group” -- dismissing lives their decisions affect as “part of everyday
business.”
Good soldiers
all.
How about the
rest of the troops? The Thinkers.
Entertainers. Innovators.
The individual, who wakes up one morning, looks in the mirror and asks,
“Where do I go from here?” You
would be surprised.
Stay in the
kitchen long enough just peeling potatoes; never see YOU as head chef.
Or, as I said in my book -- Thinkin’ Out Loud, “Do only one thing in
your life and you will become an expert, but remain a hermit.”
In fact, it would be a good idea to re-read the chapter “Leaving
Radio.” (Page 92) There is a list
of attributes radio people develop which are of great value to other industries
in the marketplace.
Reach up my
friends. Always reach up.
Art
Roberts
GLOBAL
GROWIN'S: Fans of
American Radio in 23 Countries clicked on to Art Roberts.com in the month of
September. Canada was number one,
edging out Germany by just 4 clicks. Taiwan
was third, followed by Netherlands, Brazil, Old Style Arpanet, Japan, Sweden,
Belgium and France. The next ten
countries are United Kingdom, Philippines, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Argentina,
Mexico, Norway, Singapore, Ireland and Spain.
They were followed by Austria, Hong Kong, and Romania.
MARVELOUS
MARVIN: Okay, you are WLS,
the well-loved Chicago Radio icon. Your
9 to 11 AM host, Dr. Laura Schlessinger, has worn out her welcome with her worn
out advice. Jay Marvin to the
rescue! Jay and Eileen Byrne are
doing “live local talk” from 9 – 11 AM.
Then Jay breaks for lunch. Does
a little shopping. Maybe takes in a
ballgame. Comes back to the station
at 6 PM and does his highly rated show. Marvelous!
RADIO
SNOOZE NEWS: Where the
Hell did radio news go? Music
intensive formats offer no news at all. We
can thank the FCC who dropped content requirements back in the 1970s.
Most large markets now have only a couple of All News or News/Talk
stations with fully staffed newsrooms and reporters on the street.
Many medium and smaller markets have not a single station with a real
news operation. And those that do,
use “news voices” often times shared with other stations in the market.
Reasons vary from: “News is a tune-out,” to “Newsrooms are a drain
on the station. Can’t sell
newscasts anymore.” Bullcorn.
Actually, news is a great profit center, and those who treat it as such
are reaping the rewards.
During the
WTC attack many radio stations who had no news facilities chose to broadcast TV
coverage to provide their listeners with what they craved most – INFORMATION.
How sad. Today’s Radio
views news information as “Traffic reports” and “Weather reports.”
I spent many
years as a Rock Jock and had the privilege of working with some of the nations
great newscasters. Never thought of
them as a tune-out. They were an
important part of a show that informed as well as entertained.
Among them were Mort Krim; Lyle Dean;
Bruce Brown; Chuck Scott; Jeff Hendricks; Stan Dale and Jerry Mitchell.
When they
spoke – America listened.
HUNTING
FOR THE RIGHT ROOFTOP: Nine
New York TV stations lost their transmission facilities on Tower 1 of the World
Trade Center. They are back on the
air. But, with the exception
of WCBS-TV, they were making do with less power and less over-the-air coverage.
WCBS-TV was
in the best shape. They switched to a backup transmitter at the Empire State
Building and have maintained continual service on channel 2.
Fox's WNYW-TV and WWOR-TV are also broadcasting from the Empire State
Building, using space that had been set aside for their planned digital TV
stations.
The others
have to settle for sharing a tower in Alpine, New Jersey, which does not cover
the entire New York market. The
good news is cable subscribers had little or no interruption of service, but
there is still about 25% of the public that do not have cable.
And residents around “ground zero” are still without service.
There
aren’t many rooftops that offer a clear line of sight in Manhattan.
Great opportunity for New York radio stations.
OLD RADIO
PROS ARE TAILOR MADE FOR CONVENTIONS:
My dear compadre Perry Allen will be on a Don Barrett panel at the L.A.
Museum of Radio and TV on October 20th. Casey
Kasem, Wink Martindale and Gary Owens will also join the distinguished group.
SCAMBUSTERS
ALERT: Someone is sending
out a very cute screensaver, so I’m told, of the Budweiser Frogs.
If you download it, you will lose everything!
Your hard drive will crash and someone from the Internet will get your
screen name and password! DO NOT
DOWNLOAD IT UNDER ANY
CIRCUMSTANCES! It recently went
into circulation.
Then there is
the Vote worm. It arrives as an
e-mail asking for peace between America and Islam, and asks you to Vote for
peace. Open it and “Pop goes the
weasel and your hard drive.”
BODDA BOOM
BODDA BING: Things that
make you go Hmmm....
"A
turtle without a shell: Is he naked
or homeless?"
TONGUE
TWISTER OF THE DAY FROM MY PAL PERRY:
(You know the drill ... say this three times fast,)
"I'm not a pheasant plucker I'm a pheasant plucker's son I'm only
plucking pheasants Till a pheasant plucker comes."
"RDN
IS THE THINKING PERSON'S RADIO REPORT!"
Radio Daily News -- Larry Shannon delivers Fresh Radio Info ... AND MORE
... EVERYDAY ... www.radiodailynews.com
WEBBER OF
THE WEEK: Wanted Dead or
Alive … Circa 2001.
http://www.fbi.gov/mostwant/topten/fugitives/laden.htm
That's it
for this week. ART
ROBERTS
09/23/2001
R&I
"…ON BEING 70"
That's some number!
"70." "Seventy." (It looks worse spelt out.)
There sure has been a lot of water
under this bridge. A lot of horse manure in the barn. A lot of
crumbs in the cake dish … but the icing has been licked clean …
Started out life in the lower East
Side of Manhattan. Headed south after high school. Bobbi and I got
married in our last year at Southeastern Louisiana University. You don't
miss much when you've not had much.
"On Monday we had bread and
gravy,
On Tuesday we had gravy and bread,
On Wednesday we had bread, no gravy,
On Thursday we had gravy instead."
And we learned to disguise
hamburger 38 different ways.
Never really learned to love radio
'til the second day at KALT, Atlanta, Texas. After my first 12-hour day
I realized we were at the right place at the right time. Bill Bentley
was my first program director. Often wondered what ever happened to him.
Got my formal education at KTBB, Tyler. Made my bones at KLIF, in
Dallas.
Watched radio spread it's Top 40
wings, only to crash and burn at Segue City, the home of acappella jingles.
Watched, as tight pants pot smoking PD's came up with rules and research that
smothered creativity. Watched, as control rooms became computer screens.
Watched, as Radio Stations became property for a privileged few.
Would I do it again? You betcha,
Bubba. And I wouldn't change a thing. Now you'll have to excuse
me, I have a birthday to celebrate.
Art Roberts
September 23
RADIO / TV / NEWSPAPERS ... THE INFORMATION TRILOGY: Hard
news made easy. Yes, the sharks are still swimming in Florida waters
(Why not? They live there.) Gary Condit still hides in the shadows of
denial, and the spinmeisters spin in silence. Their newsworthy existence
ended at 8:48 AM Tuesday morning, September 11, 2001, and America's News
Trilogy -- Radio, Television, and Print -- remembered their heritage as they
reported the unfolding events in unison, through voice, pictures and print --
void of opinions and prejudice.
In the days that followed our
nation stayed glued to their TV's, commuters read local papers as trains and
busses headed towards their terminals, drivers turned their car radios up as
they wove through the AM rush hour. The news was real and riveting,
leaving no room for scandals and smut. Media had a single purpose.
Hold that thought.
CCC SEZ NO NO NO TO 150 AOR, CLASSIC ROCK. AND OLDIES HITS:
Too much POWER in the hands of too few. That's the landscape of today's
radio. The newest "cultural hit" the listening public is being
subjected to is the alleged 150 musical omissions on the Clear Channel
playlists, which are deemed "Inappropriate" for airplay on CCC
stations due to the attack on The World Trade Center. Programmers
and Jocks at some of the 1,100 stations, including Z100 and Q104.3 in New
York, ignored the list and played the songs anyway. Among such
groups are Drowning Pool, Saliva, Metallica, Nine Inch Nails, Godsmack,
Soundgarden, AC/DC, and Black Sabbath.
Also included are some Classic
Standards which have been axed for the same reason -- "questionable
lyrics." These include Led Zeppelin "Stairway to
Heaven"; The Beatles "Ticket To Ride" ; Drifters "On
Broadway"; Shelly Fabares "Johnny Angel" ; Elton John
"Benny & The Jets"; Elton John "Daniel"; Elton John
"Rocket Man"; Jerry Lee Lewis "Great Balls of Fire"; Louis
Armstrong "What A Wonderful World"; Peter Paul and Mary "Blowin'
in the Wind"; Martha and the Vandellas "Dancing in the
Streets"; Hollies "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother"; Simon And
Garfunkel "Bridge Over Troubled Water"; Petula Clark "A
Sign of the Times"; Don McLean "American Pie"; Buddy
Holly and the Crickets "That'll Be the Day"; John Lennon
"Imagine"; Bobby Darin "Mack the Knife"; Surfaris
"Wipeout"; Blood Sweat and Tears "And When I Die"; Frank
Sinatra "New York, New York" ; Neil Diamond "America"'
etc. etc. -- -- I think we get the idea.
At CC's Q104.3, some of the tunes
- like "New York, New York," "Imagine," and "Stairway
to Heaven" - have been the most requested tunes of the week. Clear
Channel suits say the list was never meant to reflect censorship.
Must've been an after-thought (or
afterburn), but on Tuesday Clear Channel released the following statement:
“Clear Channel Radio has not banned any songs from any of its radio
stations. Clear Channel believes that radio is a local medium. It
is up to every radio station program director and general manager to
understand their market, listen to their listeners and guide their station’s
music selections according to local sensitivities. Each program director
and general manager must take the pulse of his or her market to determine if
play lists should be altered, and if so, for how long."
Yeah, and what's-his-name never
had sex with what's-her-face.
XM SATELLITE RADIO BACK ON TRACK: XM will kick
off Satellite radio service September 25th. The "repeater
problem" (XM needs a series of repeaters to reach all potential
listeners) is settled until March 18, 2002 when the new FCC rules should be in
place. XM had originally scheduled its launch for Sept. 12, but
postponed it following the tragic events of last Tuesday in New York and
Washington, where the company is based.
POLITICALLY "TOO" INCORRECT: FedEx
pulled it's advertising from the TV show "Politically Incorrect."
So did Sears. What did Bill say that got their dander up? Well,
referring to President Bush calling the terrorist attack on the WTC "the
acts of cowards", Bill Maher said: "We have been the cowards lobbing
cruise missiles from 2,000 miles away, that's cowardly. Staying in the
airplane when it hits the building, say what you want about it, it's not
cowardly."
Ooh Wee Doggies! I think HE
just done HIT the fan.
BODDA BOOM BODDA BING: Do you know how to get an
elephant out of the theater????? You can't. It's in his
blood.
MY PAL PERRY SEZ E-MAIL IS BETTER THAN SEX:
1) E-mails last as long as you
want them to.
2) You can e-mail a complete
stranger without getting arrested.
3) You can e-mail people in public
without getting funny looks.
4) People who e-mail a lot of
different people in a short time don't get called horrid names.
5) Nobody makes any big thing of
the first time you e-mail somebody.
6) E-mail can't get you pregnant.
7) Or give you nasty diseases.
8) You can e-mail somebody at any
time of the month.
9) After you've used a computer to
e-mail, it won't hassle you for coffee.
10) If somebody interrupts you
while you're e-mailing, you feel neither embarrassed nor frustrated.
"WHO KNOWS THE WEED OF CRIME THAT LURKS IN THE NATION'S STATIONS
- RDN DO!" Radio Daily News --
Larry Shannon delivers Fresh Radio info everyday ... www.radiodailynews.com
WEBBER OF THE WEEK: Thank you Chuck Dunaway for
sharing this site with us. This is by far one of the most moving sites
there could be. I urge you to go there and scroll through. Have
patience -- it might take a while to load.
That's it for this week. ART
ROBERTS
R&I
OLDIES: THE
"VEGAN" OF BROADCASTING:
My granddaughter told me she is a Vegan. "Is that like a
vegetarian?" I asked. "Not really," she answered,
"a Vegan's diet is far stricter than a vegetarian's diet -- we
never eat cheese, drink milk, or eat anything that was ever associated
with an animal. We never even use paper napkins."
Wow, talk about a limited menu! That is when this analogy popped
into my head ... "Today's Oldies Format is the Vegan of
radio." The audience is not being hurt by the concept; they
are being undernourished by the restrictive, repetitive diet.
I love oldies -- they
reflect the excitement of yesterday. But today's oldies radio
stations completely miss the mark, and frankly, lost me years ago.
I'm sure I am not the only one who feels this way. What created
a lasting quality for yesterday's rock-and-roll music was the variety
it offered. Music played without prejudice. Boston, New
York, Philadelphia, Detroit, Chicago, Omaha, Dallas, San Francisco,
Los Angeles, and all points in between played local and regional hits
along with the national blockbusters of the day. Homogenized
oldies formats rarely reflect the regional hits of yesterday, and
insist on playing a limited list of past artists whose existence
depends upon 'someone's' interpretation of an ongoing cop-out known as
research. I have walked down the road of focus groups and
callout research - the information gathered is merely a guide, which
is unfortunately accepted as gospel and used as a crutch by
incompetent programmers. They are Bullshit.
Three years ago I was a
guest on the Dick Biondi show (WJMK, Chicago) as he did a remote from
Reno, NV during the Hot August Nights celebration. Little
Anthony and the Imperials were also guests on his program. A
listener called with a request for one of Little Anthony's hits.
Dick had to apologize to the listener, as the requested song was not
on the playlist. How embarrassing. There was Little
Anthony sitting at our side, and the top Oldies station in Chicago
didn't have one of his biggest hits in their library. That's
only the half of it. The format called for so many commercials
and promos, plus songs in a row, there was little room for Dicks
interview. That is where the Oldies Format lost me.
If "Vegan"
remains the anemic model for today's oldies format, "Grazing In
The Grass" is their Theme song.
Art Roberts
SCAM BUSTERS
ANONYMOUS:
Warning ... DON'T EVER DIAL AREA CODE 809! Don't respond to
Emails, phone calls, or web pages which tell you to call an
"809" Phone Number. It could cost
"megabucks." Thanks to Dale S. and Vorizon for blowing
the whistle on this scam. HERE'S HOW IT WORKS -- You will
receive a message on your answering machine or your pager, which asks
you to call a number beginning with area code 809. The
reason you're asked to call varies. It can be to receive
information about a family member who has been ill, to tell you
someone has been arrested, died, to let you know you have won a
wonderful prize, etc. In each case, you are told to call
the 809 number right away. Don't. If you call from
the U.S., you will be charged more than $2000 a minute.
The 809 area code is
located in the British Virgin Islands (The Bahamas) and can be used as
a pay-per-call \ line number, similar to 900 numbers in the U.S.
Since 809 is not in the U.S., it is not covered by U.S. regulations of
900 numbers, which require that you be notified and warned of charges
and rates involved when you call a "pay-per-call" number.
Things are about to get worse, because that infamous off-shore area
code (809) is in the process of breaking up into smaller chunks, and
you'll soon have to think twice about calling any of the following
area codes: 242, 246, 264, 268, 284, 345, 441, 473, 664, 758,
767, 784, 787, 868, 869, 876 as well as 809.
ANOTHER GEM FROM BOB SHANNON DUE IN R&R:
Bob Shannon is working on an in-depth article about Top 40 / CHR
radio, which will feature commentaries by Les Garland, Ron
Jacobs, John Rook, Sonny Melendrez, Art Roberts, Tom Rounds, Larry
Daniels, and Chuck Dunaway. The piece will appear as part of the
CHR supplement in the 9/21 issue of R&R.
WE LOST
ANOTHER FRIEND:
Justin Wilson left us with a legacy of Cajun Recipes and Cajun humor.
"Dis lil' ole cajun was driving down de street goin de wrong way.
He already done hit tree-four cars and he come to stop after crashin'
tru a glass sto' window. A po-liceman come up to him an' say:
"What are you - drunk or someting?" The lil' ole man
say:"You damn right. What do you tink, I'm one of dem
rackless drivers?" Justin Wilson died in Baton Rouge
Wednesday, September 5th. He was 87. There will never be
another. "I garontee!"
HELLOOOOOOOO
XM RADIO: XM
Satellite Radio is kicking off the first satellite radio service in
the United Sates in San Diego and Dallas/Ft. Worth on September 12,
2001. In mid-October they should cover the entire Southwest, and
blanket the entire country in November.
I checked for availability
in my area -- Reno was the closest. Even though XM satellite
radio service is a couple of months down the road in this part of the
country, Alpine; Pioneer; and Sony equipment was available at
Good Guys, Sears, Circuit City and Best Buy. I know what I
want for Christmas!!
LUCRATIVE
FREELANCE LOSES GROUND:
Earning your living as a freelance announcer has its pitfalls and
speed bumps which is usually based on the economy. During an
economic downturn, advertising budgets take a hit. In the
first six months of 2001 advertising spending fell by 5.9 percent.
Doesn't sound like much until you find out that computes to almost $3
billion.
Hit the hardest are the
big guys -- national television and national and network radio.
Times are getting tedious for everyone.
FROM A BEAR NAMED
HAL:
If I was a bear I'd have a
lair
All the old 'LS jocks would be there
And they would be back on the air
If I was a bear
If I was a bear I'd like to share
Some time with John, Art and even 'Ole Lar
We'd remember how it was once there
If I was a bear
If I was a bear I'd want the big guys to care
About what's happening on the air
And how it's not getting better there
If I was a bear
If I was a bear, I'd eat more than my share
And wander around everywhere
I'd even listen to old Sonny & Cher
If I was a bear
If I was a bear I'd sniff the air
I'd be square, but I wouldn't care
Art and I would go on a tear
If I was a bear
Hal Widsten
BODDA BOOM
BODDA BING:
This should be especially meaningful to those who work in research...
When NASA first started
sending up astronauts, they quickly discovered that ballpoint pens
would not work in zero gravity. To combat this problem, NASA
scientists spent a decade and $12 billion developing a pen that writes
in zero gravity, upside down, underwater, on almost any surface
including glass and at temperatures ranging from below freezing to
over 300 degrees Centigrade.
The Russians used a
pencil.
MY PAL PERRY REMEMBERS WHAT HIS MAMA TAUGHT HIM:
My mother taught me TO
APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE -
"If you're going to kill each other, do it outside - I just
finished cleaning!"
My mother taught me
RELIGION -
"You better pray that will come out of the carpet."
My mother taught me about
TIME TRAVEL:
"If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the
middle of next week!"
My mother taught me LOGIC:
"Because I said so, that's why."
My mother taught me about
the science of OSMOSIS -
"Shut your mouth and eat your supper!"
My mother taught me about
STAMINA -
"You'll sit there til all that spinach is finished."
My mother taught me about
WEATHER -
"It looks as if a tornado swept through your room."
My mother taught me about
HYPOCRISY -
"If I've told you once, I've told you a million times - Don't
exaggerate!!!"
My mother taught me THE
CIRCLE OF LIFE -
"I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."
My mother taught me about
ENVY -
"There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who
don't have wonderful parents like you do!"
"RDN --
"CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS??"
Radio Daily News -- Larry Shannon delivers Fresh Radio info
everyday ... www.radiodailynews.com
WEBBER OF
THE WEEK:
"Cheesecake in Paradise." The recipe for EVERY
Cheesecake you ever dreamed of ... and then some. Wipe your
chin.
NO WAY TO KEEP A
GOOD COMMUNICATOR DOWN:
In this age of repetitious ramblings plagued by cue cards and
voiceovers, framed in stereotyped formats, one would think a true
communicator could not exist in such an environment. 'Taint so.
Thanks to the mobility of
our three-quarter ton van, Bobbi and I have been able to massage the
countryside of Nevada and California this summer, listening to our
Clarion radio feed some pretty good sounding sounds through its six
speaker system. At the end of a seven-song set a mellow voice
came through loud and clear demanding attention … "Shut
up, I am communicating with you." God, it has been so long,
I didn't know how to react. There is one of THEM left.
That is when I realized -- "If there is ONE, there must be
OTHERS."
The search was on.
We traveled Interstates and back roads in hopes of locating members of
what is believed to be a lost society. I'm happy to report all
is not doom and gloom. We found a multitude. Even if the
voice was reading a prepared statement on a mustard stained cue card,
the message sounded as if it were for us alone. So, I have come
to the following conclusion, "Once a communicator --always!"
The art of communication
is not a mystery. Picture a person sitting in front of you.
That is your audience. Communication is reaching one person at a
time, whether you are delivering a mission statement or merely the
call letters. Present music in the same manner, so that every
listener believes you are playing "this song" just for him
or her.
Revive the missing
ingredient in today's Radio. Make them see pictures.
Art Roberts
THREE MORE GLOBAL
ENTRIES IN AUGUST:
Have been added to the 19 Countries reported last week.
Thailand, Sweden, and San Marino. I think this is a
record.
SALES REMAIN THE
ENGINE OF BROADCASTING:
Can a radio station ever hire TOO MANY salespeople? Clear
Channel is about to find out as they plan to add 500 sales people by
October. CC is not the only group planning on beefing up their
sales department. Emmis plans to expand their sales force with
50 new faces. Cox Radio has increased its sales staff by 50
percent over last three years. Infinity Broadcasting has always
believed that an inflated sales group earns more dollars. Their
outlook is that radio salespeople pay for themselves.
Crowded salesrooms tend to
create an "Only the strong survive" environment.
Account executives will have to work harder and smarter pounding the
proverbial pavement. Predictions point to a tight advertising
climate. It won't be easy making the numbers.
BOURBON STREET,
BEALE STREET, AND THE NAB:
Mix in a Hurricane glass and you have the makings of a great radio
convention. The highlight of this year's meeting will be the
Legends Session which will be held Friday at 10 in the morning.
Michael O'Shea will moderate, and you'll get a chance to absorb the
wisdom brought forth by Ken Dowe, Chuck Blore, Bobby Rich, and Gary
Stevens. Wish I was there.
BEFORE I FORGET:
Time to
fire up the grill and cook what ever you like best -- hotdogs,
bratwurst, chicken, steaks, or one of those humongous mushrooms --
pop-a-top and have a great Labor Day!
BODDA BOOM BODDA
BING:
I WISH I WAS A BEAR . . .
If you're a bear, you get to hibernate. You do nothing but sleep
for six months. I could do that.
Before you hibernate, you're supposed to eat yourself stupid. I
could do that, too.
If you're a mama bear, everyone knows you mean business.
You swat anyone who bothers your cubs.
If your cubs get out of line, you swat them too. And no one
tells the cops.
Your husband expects you to growl when you wake up.
He expects you to have hairy legs and excess body fat.
I wish I was a bear.
REFLECTIONS ON A
MEAN MANAGER FROM MY PAL PERRY:
1. If you kicked him
in the heart, you'd break your toe.
2. He'd steal a dead
fly from a blind spider.
3. The only thing he'll
share with you willingly is a communicable disease.
4. He folds his
newspaper so the guy next to him on the bus can only read half the
headline.
5. He has a
testimonial plaque from Kenneth Starr.
6. He knifes you in
the back, and then has you arrested for carrying a weapon.
7. He told his
children the Easter Bunny got run over by a car.
8. He never hits a
man when he's down--he kicks him.
9. He'd borrow your
pot just to cook your goose.
10 . He had three phones
installed so that he could hang up on more people.
RDN -- "REAL
DIVA NEWS"
Radio Daily News -- Larry Shannon delivers Fresh Radio info
everyday ... www.radiodailynews.com
WEBBER OF THE
WEEK:
There is a new website devoted to the 50's, 60's and 70's. This
is a web site in progress and will continue to grow.
Art
Roberts
08/26/2001
LIFE IS JUST A
POLL OF CHERRIES:
Eastlan Resources released a report that showed that 80 percent of
Americans have little interest in satellite radio. The study was
taken from March the 22nd through May the 16th of this year.
Eastlan talked to 4851 people, 12 years old and older. They
learned a bunch of stuff -- for instance, men are more interested in
satellite radio than women (by ratio of 20 1/2 percent to 19.1
percent). The research company plans to release additional
information that will tabulate household and specific demographic
breakouts.
Isn't that interesting?
Hey Ho, I have a question -- How do you study something that is not
here? (XM Satellite Radio service doesn't start until September
12.) So, I conducted a poll of my own, asking 5283 adults
eighteen and over their opinion of first-class space travel.
Their answers will astound you ...
- 38 percent felt,
"They could have given more legroom."
- 62 percent said the
price of first-class was not worth three times the price of coach.
- When asked about food,
72 percent said: "Food? You call that food?"
- 17 percent complained
about the serving of Gallo wine from a gallon jug.
AND -- 93 percent of the
passengers polled displayed real rage when commenting about,
"Those same damned small bathrooms."
Well, it makes has much sense as taking the satellite radio poll.
Anyhow, I went to my trustee Dell magic machine and entered Eastlan's
e-mail address in the wowzer browser. It clicked and clacked and
delivered this answer:
"eastlan.com is under construction. Thank you for your
patience."
FIGURES.
Art Roberts
GLOBAL GROWIN'S:
19
countries clicked on to Art Roberts.com in the month of August.
Once again Canada led the pack, followed by Germany, Australia, United
Kingdom, Belgium, South Africa, France, Switzerland, Taiwan, and
Yugoslavia. The next nine were Japan, Netherlands, United Arab
Emerates, Argentina, Denmark, Spain, Finland, Greece, and Italy.
Thank you for your interest in American Radio.
MANO Y MANO ...
THE RULES HAVE CHANGED:
Another fracas was brewing. This one involved WWZZ (Z104) in
Washington and Clear Channel Communications, who owns eight radio
stations in the same city. Their station manager, Mark O'Brien,
decided to give away $3000 worth of tickets (bought and paid for with
his credit card) and airfare to one of the biggest concerts of the
year. 30 Lucky Listeners would enjoy "The Wango Tango"
concert at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. They started promoting
it in the middle of May, and a day and a half into the promotion Mark
got a phone call from a lawyer in California informing him that a fax
was sent to the station stating that Z104 had to stop the promotion.
CCC not only has control of 1200 radio stations, they also own what
was SFX Entertainment, the company that books shows all across the
country, plus 135 concert venues. The name "Wango
Tango" is also theirs. No one is allowed to promote the
show without permission. Clear Channel's Hot 99.5, which had
debuted only weeks earlier, got the sole Washington rights to
promote the L.A. show, even though Z104 had the idea first.
Is this legal? You
can bet your sweet bippie it is! As long as the FCC keeps "Slippin'
and Slidin', Peepin, and Hidin' in Washington" the situation
isn't going to improve.
My question is -- Where
are today's "Piss and vinegar" programmers? The breed
that went after a market with bare knuckles and took on All Comers.
You could play in their playground but don't tell them they could not
grow roses in their own backyard.
The "Piss and vinegar
programmers" who staged ticket swaps at a rival's concert,
trading balcony tickets for seats up front. Free concerts for
their loyal listeners. Public service promotions that endeared
them to the community.
How do you handle a Mega
pain in the ass? Don't cower. Conquer. Own the
market. Be first with everything. It drives them crazy.
XM AND SIRIUS SING
THE REPEATER BLUES:
The two satellite radio companies, XM and Sirius, have run into a
speed bump -- the NAB. Their president, Señor Eddie Fritz, has
complained to the FCC that both companies intend to use repeaters
across the country to spread their signal.
It seems repeaters have
always been a debatable area in broadcasting. Getting the signal
to the other side of a building, or a hill, or a mountain, somehow
finds a human standing in the way of progress.
That's what lawyers are
for.
INTERESTED IN
OWNING YOUR OWN RADIO STATION?
There is a CP for sale in a very good Midwest area. Owner will
help you get started. E-mail Art@artroberts.com
for details.
THERE'S SOMETHIN'
ABOUT THEM OLD SONGS:
Eliot Stein gave us this first hand report. "Pat and I went
to the House of Blues last night on the Sunset Strip to see The
Monkees. They played two nights to packed houses--probably about
1000 people each night. It is Davy, Peter and Mickey (no Mike).
The crowd was going WILD. My visual estimation was that 60% of
the crowd were in their 30s, 20% in their 20's and the remaining 20%
in their 40s and 50s...the only ones old enough to have "been
there." Davy Jones who turns 56 in December -- looks
incredible, steals the show -- has his complete voice and stage
presence as when he originated this in 1966. They are doing a
tour of venues with 500-3,000 capacity in the U.S. When they go
over to England next month, they must appear in 10-12,000 venues
because of incredible demand."
BODDA BOOM BODDA
BING: Rumor
has it that The Supreme Court ruled there cannot be a nativity scene
in Washington, D.C. this Christmas. This isn't for any religious
reason. They simply have not been able to find three wise men
and a virgin in the Nation's capitol.
MY PAL PERRY FINDS
THE ULTIMATE ECONOMY AIRLINE:
~ They don't sell tickets,
they sell chances.
~ All the insurance
machines in the terminal are sold out.
~ Before the flight, the
passengers get together and elect a pilot.
~ You cannot board the
plane unless you have the exact change.
~ Before you took off, the
stewardess tells you to fasten your Velcro.
~ The Captain asks all the
passengers to chip in a little for gas.
~ When they pull the steps
away, the plane starts rocking.
~ You ask the Captain how
often their planes crash, and he says, "Just once."
~ No movie. Don't need
one. Your life keeps flashing before your eyes.
~ All the planes have both
a bathroom and a chapel.
"RDN SMOTHERS
THE WATERFRONT"
Radio Daily News -- Larry Shannon delivers Fresh Radio info
everyday ... www.radiodailynews.com
WEBBER OF THE
WEEK: Always
listen to your MOM. Pat Martin runs one of the best small market
radio stations in the country. He personifies my favorite
slogan, "BIG ONLY COUNTS IN SUMO WRESTLING."
WORDS of a
FEATHER FLOCK TOGETHER:
Every city has a circle of people who criticize, scrutinize,
ostracize, oversize and undersize the way things are in favor of the
way things were or ought to be. Most of these individuals have
been tripping on their shoelaces throughout life, blaming their
unsteadiness on the rough sidewalk and buckled curbs beneath their
feet. Enough grumbling, the sky ain't falling. Neither is
Radio.
The Radio gospel preaches
to accentuate the positive and turn your back on the negative.
Think and rethink what IS -- forget about what could have been.
Not everyone in management has earned his or her stripes.
Decision-makers still make crappy decisions that affect others as they
drive down the road with the top down. In San Antonio,
Texas, last summer, Infinity bought KTSA and KTFM-FM from Bernie
Waterman for 56 mil. In the three months that followed that
transaction, Clear Channel pulled both Rush and Dr. Laura from KTSA to
put them on WOAI, which improved OAI to a 5.0, and dropped KTSA to a
3.5 where they remain. And, Hispanic Broadcasting upgraded Bubba
Redding's Pleasanton FM at 98.5 to a full 100kw, put on a hip hop
format and knocked KTFM from #1 to #5 in the market. In the most
recent book, 98.5 ("The Beat") is now #1 and KTFM is #8.
"On the babies Dimple or the babies knee, where will the babies
scapegoat be?" Who cares? Management has been playing
the "cause and effect" game for years.
Radio offers more career
choices today than ever before. It is an industry that has risen
to the ranks of BIG business. And deservedly so. How far
you travel depends solely on your ambition, vision, and focus. A
person can very well climb the corporate ladder and wind up leading a
division within a company. On-air talent can conquer market
after market, building a following that numbers in the millions.
As the numbers grow, so does their earning power. Sales managers
oversee a handful of radio stations, accepting responsibility for
their growth. And you can still make it on your own.
Independent entrepreneurs are still very much alive and well. I
have a friend who has been running a very successful 1 kw AM
Stand-alone station for the past seven years. Big signals
blanketing his market have never been a bother. He will always
cultivate his own backyard. Talent, if they chose to do so, may
still control THEIR destiny. Remember Eddy Hubbard? He is
coming back to Chicago this September...he and Denny Farrell are
receiving awards for keeping the Big Band sound alive for so many
years. http://www.autodefense.com/DennyFarrell.html
Billie Holiday said it
best:
"Mama may have,
Papa may have,
But God bless the child
That's got his own."
The secret for success in today's broadcast climate, no matter which
path you choose, is quite succinct - "If you don't GROW, you
GO!"
Art Roberts
KRIS ERIK
STEVENS: There
are a few "gottas" that are "givens" if you want
to score in the land of "voice over" giants. For one,
you've gotta have a "kick-ass website." You've gotta
have jaw-hanging demos that cover all the bases ... Radio and TV
Commercials, Infomercials, Radio and TV station imagery, Animation
voices, and anything else you can dream up to impress a stone-faced
director during a 22 second listen. You've gotta have patience.
You've gotta have talent. And you've gotta have a style.
WANT TO
BECOME A RADIO PROFESSIONAL?
Contact Columbia College in Chicago. They offer career choices
for TODAY'S radio model. The person to contact is Barbara
Calabrese, Chair, at bcalabrese@popmail.colum.edu
Direct phone number: 312-344-8162. College address is 33
East Congress, Suite 700, Chicago, IL 60605
Barbara will be out of
town until the 27th of August. In the meantime you can contact:
Marssie Mencotti mmencotti@popmail.colum.edu
or Hope Daniels hdaniels@popmail.colum.edu
or Cheryl Morton Langston clangston@popmail.colum.edu
Or call the Department office at 312-344-8156 to receive information
or to set up an appointment with Barbara when she gets back in
the office the week of the 27th. If interested, potential
students still have time to enroll for the Fall semester which doesn't
begin until late September. Contact the Admissions
Department at 312-344-7129 or 344-7130 to receive further information.
The Radio Department
offers a comprehensive major in Radio Broadcasting. Students can
choose to concentrate in either Talent/Production or Sales/Marketing.
All students are required to complete at least one semester at the
student-managed college radio station WCRX, 88.1 FM, where they can
obtain experience in on-air broadcasting for music, talk , sports or
news radio as well as work in technical production, marketing and
promotion, or as a radio producer. WCRX has state of the
art studio facilities including digital production. Beginning in
the fall, WCRX will be streamed on the internet. Other
programs include live play-by-play sports coverage, sports and news
talk programs, and radio drama. Students also have the option to
complete internships at major Chicago radio stations. The
faculty are radio professionals who work as on-air talent, production
directors, producers and sales and marketing executives.
JOHN ROOK
WROTE: "I
could not believe this could be approved by ANY commissioner....thank
God for one....gheez" .... NOW THE REST OF THE
STORY ...
FCC COMMISSIONER TRISTANI OPPOSES NEW DEALS. Recent license
approvals ignore FCC obligations: Washington - Special To Radio
Crow: Outgoing Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner
Gloria Tristani issued a statement Tuesday opposing the agency's
decision to approving four separate deals allowing one company 75%
control of the radio advertising market. In Erie, PA, Tristani said a
grant to allow two owners‚ control almost 95% of the advertising
revenue should "stun anyone concerned with maintaining a vibrant
marketplace of ideas." Tristani said the grants "ignore
Commission precedent and our obligations under the Communications
act."
MENTAL HEALTH EXCERCISE: When pressures
are many and pleasures are few, just click on here -- It will give you
something to do.
END OF THE WORLD
MEDIA REPORTS FROM MY PAL PERRY:
USA Today:
"We're Dead"
The Wall Street Journal:
"Dow Jones
Plummets As World Ends"
The National Enquirer:
"O.J. and
Nicole, Together Again"
Playboy:
"Girls of the
Apocalypse"
Microsoft Systems Journal:
"Apple Loses
Market Share"
The Victoria's Secret
Catalog:
"Our Final
Sale"
Sports Illustrated:
"Game Over"
Rolling Stone:
"The Grateful
Dead Reunion Tour"
Lady's Home Journal:
"Lose 10 Lbs. By
Judgment Day with Our New 'Armageddon' Diet!"
America Online:
"System
Temporarily Down. Try Calling Back in 15 Minutes."
RDN -- "HELLO MR. AND MS. AMERICA":
Let's go to Press ... Radio Daily News -- Larry Shannon
delivers Fresh Radio info everyday ... www.radiodailynews.com
WEBBER OF
THE WEEK:
Where were you in your last life? When was it? What did
you do and where did you live? Not even the Shadow knows ----
But R&I do!
That's it for this week.
ART ROBERTS
SIGNS,
SIGNS, EVERYBODY NEEDS SIGNS:
Sometime in the mid to late '70s, a sign was hung in the halls of NCR,
Dayton, Ohio that read, "THINK." Legend has it that
product production increased because of that sign. I have always
believed that legends are like rumors -- 40 percent fact. So, I
had the same sign printed, and hung it in the control room. It
was unbelievable. Everybody began to sound better and perform
better. The Magic sign served as a catalyst to inspire on-air
personnel to THINK about what they were going to say when the record
was over; THINK about what was coming up; THINK about the commercial
they were about to read; and THINK about the music they were about to
play.
Years later John Rook
marched into the studio at WLS and hung up a sign that read:
"SMILE." A simple, familiar word changed the mood of
our radio station. It was a time of revamping the format, and we
all know what change does to the morale of a radio station. The
jocks sounded like someone stole their car and shot their dog.
Instead of the familiar WLS jingle, it would have been better to play,
"Dum Dum Dum De Dum Dum Dum" on a bassoon. Well, the
sign did it. Perked everybody up. As you listened to the
Big 89, you could see the jocks pearly white teeth. Damn, it
worked again.
Don't hear many people
smile on the radio anymore. Hear even fewer think. Radio
has become so predictable. We need some new signs for Today.
Let's start with Flick and Flack in the morning.
Flick says to Flack: "You're a schmuck."
Flack answers: "You're a schmuck."
Flick comes back with: "Oh yeah, you're a schmuck with a fat
ass."
So, Flack says: "Oh yeah, you're a schmuck with a fat ass."
And Flick says: "What's the matter, can't you say nothing
original?"
Holy Cow -- here comes the
guy with a ladder and a sign. He hammers a nail high on the wall
and hangs up a sign ... a sign for the morning ... "BITE YOUR
TONGUE."
Follow me to the manager's
office. There have been decisions made in this room that
affected the radio professional and fragmented the audience.
Non-stop music for one. What does that tell the listener?
We play a lot of music? Hell, no. (If we are playing 30
minutes of nonstop music, how come we keep stopping to tell the
audience that they are in the middle of 30 minutes of nonstop music?)
The real message here is that - "Commercials are a dirty
word." Get in the way of the music. Commercials
are a tune out. Instead of rebutting this theory, the spots are
lumped eight in a row and played without interruption. Non-stop
commercials. How brilliant. I thought Commercials paid
everyone's salary. Everyone. Must've been wrong.
Holy Cow, here comes that
little guy with a big ladder. A large crowd is gathering.
Geez, he's nailing the front door shut. Now he's climbing the
ladder, putting a nail in the center of the door and hanging a shiny
new sign ... a sign of the times .... "GREED."
Art Roberts
WE LOST
ANOTHER FRIEND: Lorenzo
Music passed away on Aug. 5th. Born in Brooklyn NY, he grew up
in Duluth Minnesota. Among his credits are writer/producer of
the Mary Tyler Moore show, the Bob Newhart show, and Rhoda. His
most famous performances came when he was selected as the voice of
Garfield the Cat. Lorenzo was 64. RIP.
CCC AND ARB
AGREE TO AGREE:
Clear Channel stations in 187 Arbitron-rated markets now under
contract as of 08/06/2001.
RADIO
LEGENDS TO SPEAK IN NEW AWLINZ:
The NAB Radio Show meeting in New Orleans will be September 5-7.
On Friday, Sept 7, you'll be able to participate in a talk session
with radio legends, Chuck Blore, Bobby Rich, Gary Stevens and Ken Dowe
... Michael O'Shea will moderate the panel. I want to thank
Michael O'Shea for inviting me to join the panel. Traveling long
distances is still a problem, and I had to decline. Too bad, I
was looking forward to a bowl of real gumbo and a plate of barbecued
shrimp.
XM RADIO ONE
MONTH AWAY:
September 12 is the target date. XM will promote themselves on
movie screens in 3000 theaters across the country. That adds up
to 19,000 screens -- Way To Go!
IRIS THE
VIRUS: I
have THREE reliable alerts to pass along.
*** If you receive an
email called "An Internet Flower For You," do not open
it. Delete it right away! This virus
removes all dynamic link libraries (.dll files) from your
computer. Your computer will not be able to boot up !!
***Another virus acts in the following manner:
It sends itself automatically to all contacts on your list
with the title "A Virtual Card for You." As soon
as the supposed virtual card is opened, the computer freezes so
that the user has to reboot. Rebooting zaps the hard disk.
***In recent weeks the
SirCam worm has been spreading like wildfire. The SirCam worm
replicates by sending copies of itself to everyone in the Windows
address book found on an infected machine, as well as sending itself
to any e-mail address stored in the Web browser cache of an infected
machine. It randomly selects a file from the hard drive of an
infected machine and sends the file. Opening the attached file
is enough to infect the system it's being opened on.
Somebody out there sure
has a SICK sense of humor.
UNIQUE THOUGHTS
FROM MY PAL PERRY:
How Do You Catch A
Unique Rabbit?
Unique Up On It.
How Do You Catch A
Tame Rabbit?
Tame Way, Unique Up On It.
What Do Fish Say
When They Hit A Concrete Wall?
Dam!
What Do You Call A
Boomerang That Doesn't Work?
A Stick.
What Do You Call
Four Bullfighters In Quicksand?
Quatro Sinko.
Why Do Gorillas Have
Big Nostrils?
Because They Have Big Fingers.
Why Did Pilgrims'
Pants Always Fall Down?
Because They Wore Their Belt Buckle On Their Hat.
How Are An Oklahoma
Tornado And A Tennessee Divorce The Same?
Somebody's Gonna Lose A Trailer
RDN --
"READ DE NEWS":
Radio Daily News -- Larry Shannon delivers Fresh Radio info
everyday .... www.radiodailynews.com
WEBBER OF
THE WEEK: With
all the "jungle heat" that is plaguing the country, I
thought these "cool" pictures would make your day. They are
awesome. They are outstanding. They were taken by my
cousin Ron who lives in Canada and enjoys the reputation of being a
"photographer extraordinaire". You might say he is the
-- "Ansel of the Antarctic."
|
08/05/20001
RADIOS LOST
GENERATION ***: During
the '60s the 12 to 24 crowd ruled. They were the swinging
majority -- nurtured, catered to, and coveted by radio all across the
country. The difference between then and now is that while Radio
held the 12 to 24 groups close to their bosom, their programming also
appealed to 25 to 54-year-olds as well. Through calculated day
parting the audience remained diverse and loyal.
I have always taken issue
with the 12 to 24 demos. 12 to 18 are more like it. When I
was 24, we had two children and all the responsibility that life
brings to the table, which is nothing a 12-year-old could ever
comprehend. As for the kids of today, there are a ton of them.
12 to 24 represents 52 million people, yet very few radio station's
target this demographic.
Morning radio, 2001,
consists of Flick and Flack sitting in a studio in Somewhere, USA,
piped into 300 radio stations, talking about breasts and giggling into
their microphones. The majority of 12 to 17-year-olds are up
before 7 AM and out of the house before most morning shows get into
gear. Meanwhile, many 18 to 24-year-olds sleep in, completely
missing morning radio. Those that are up and have more time on
their hands ARE listening in the morning, but the competition is
fierce. Vying for their ear are not only other radio stations,
the list includes many outside forces such as TV, CDs, and the
Internet, plus Satellite Radio looming on the horizon. By not
cultivating the "younger crowd" the Radio industry is in
danger of alienating an entire generation of would be radio listeners
-- but to whom?
When asked, "which
medium is the best place to find out about new music?" Radio was
the top choice. A disturbing fact was that males voiced great
dissatisfaction with radio and disclosed that they found the Internet
a prime source for new music. MTV aggressively targets the 12 to
24 market, while most radio stations pay little or no attention to the
12 to 17 portion of this group. One reason is that the favorite
music of this generation is Hip-Hop and Rap, which is a turnoff for
older adults. And when asked the question: "in the future
do you think people your age (12 - 17) will listen to radio
anymore?" Almost a third felt that the Internet would
provide what we know as radio. That is scary. We are
allowing an entire generation to define' audio entertainment' without
considering radio.
The NFL has a department
devoted to marketing 6 to 11-year-olds. They realize kids need
to be trained to watch football on Sundays and root for their favorite
team. If they are not tuned in to football by the time they are
12, these kids may very well be lost to other sports. Radio can
learn a lesson here. Other than Disney Radio, the industry
hardly speaks to the group of people that will make up the next
generation of listeners. How sad.
Art Roberts
*** This article is based
on a report entitled, "Radio's Future -- Today's 12 to 24 Year
Olds" by Edison Media Research (Americas fastest-growing market
research company) www.edisonresearch.com
'BOUT TIME
YOU HEARD THE TRUTH 'BOUT LARRY SHANNON: If
it wasn't for Larry, this web site would never have been launched.
If it wasn't for Larry, "Thinkin' Out Loud" would never have
been published. He remains my Phantom friend.
Besides being a personal inspiration, Larry has always had a passion
for the industry he once called home along with an empathy for those
who influenced its growth. (His Radio Daily News is a
testimonial to his involvement with the industry.) Among
the radio stations that influenced him in his youth was WLS, whose
Towers reside in a Chicago suburb while its signal encompassed
America. He was one of the kids who soaked up the sunshine of
the jocks and their music.
Larry has authored a
wonderful essay about WLS -- written from the listeners perspective.
R&I is proud to present it to you.
RON JENKINS:
The same Ron Jenkins who covered the Kennedy assassination, and voiced
the words, "Something is wrong here, something is terribly
wrong" -- http://www.members.home.net/bobmorrison/JENKINS.html
-- and has been a news voice in Dallas/Fort Worth for 40 years --
Ron has had his second stroke since January. He is at Baylor
Medical Center in Garland (room 353). Cards & letters can be
sent to him c/o the hospital and 2300 Marie Curie, Garland, TX
75042. Phone number -- 972 -- 487 -- 5000.
When I talked to Ron he
sounded fine. His voice and spirit were very strong. His
left side is paralyzed (I can sure relate to that) -- but family,
friends, therapy and prayer are all a catalyst for a quick recovery.
MY PAL PERRY WAXES
WISDOM:
Living on Earth is expensive,
but it does include a free trip
around the sun.
Birthdays are good for you;
the more you have, the longer
you live.
Ever notice that the people who
are late are often much jollier
than the people who have to
wait for them?
If ignorance is bliss, why aren't
more people happy?
Most of us go to our grave with
our music still inside of us.
If Wal-Mart is lowering prices
every day, how come nothing
is free yet?
You may be only one person
in the world, but you may also
be the world to one person.
Some mistakes are too much
fun to only make once.
Don't cry because it's over;
smile because it happened.
We could learn a lot from
crayons: some are sharp,
some are pretty, some are dull,
some have weird names, and
all are different colors.... but
they all have to learn to live in
the same box.
Everything should be made as
simple as possible, but no
simpler.
A truly happy person is one
who can enjoy the scenery
on a detour.
RDN --
REAL-TIME STUPH:
Radio Daily News -- Larry Shannon delivers Fresh Radio info
everyday .... www.radiodailynews.com
WEBBER OF
THE WEEK: If
you love the music put out on those little 45 R.P.M. records with the
big hole, the radio stations and disc jockeys who played them, this
place is devoted to them. Hit record surveys from stations of the time
are on display here. Nearly 800 from Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota,
WDGY and KDWB. Also have over 1150 surveys from Chicago and over 700
Los Angeles ones.
That's it for this week.
ART ROBERTS
|
 |
|
07/29/2001
GLOBAL GROWIN': Fifteen countries have joined us
at ArtRoberts.com in month in July. Once again Canada leads the pack by
2 1/2 lengths -- followed by Netherlands, United Kingdom, Old Style Arpanet,
Taiwan, Japan, Australia, Croatia, Malaysia and Spain rounding out the top 10.
These countries were followed by France, Italy, New Zealand, Singapore and
Germany. Please come back often.
THE FREE LANCE DREAM
MACHINE:
The Few, The Proud, The Brave ... The Voices that bring an identity and
cohesiveness to today's Radio. DJ's in PJ's, holding a hot cup of
coffee, creating quality production from a corner of a room.
It is getting easier and easier to
create a home recording studio thanks to ever expanding technology and
software. A multitrack recorder on your computer screen has been
available for quite some time now. Easy to set up and use, products like
"Cool Edit" have opened windows of opportunity in markets all across
the country. There is no excuse for sloppy production no matter what
size market. Superior commercials translates to a knife that delivers
your slice of the pie. Screw numbers. They never have and never
will tell a client what your station is all about. A sample of the
production department's creativity speaks louder than any ARB book ever can.
Always remember, "BIG only
counts in sumo wrestling."
RADIO'S STORY TELLER:
We talked for over a half-hour. His trusty tape recorder inhaled every
word. After hanging up the phone I wondered how the final draft would
read? Well, I said to myself, ' you'll soon find out.'
Like everything else in this world
a vacation has its "upside" and "downside." The good
part is just getting away. Having fun, losing tension, along with a few
laughs. The downside happens when you get home. That pile of mail
drooping over the edge of the table, complimented by 211 e-mails waiting to be
opened. Mixed in this maze of correspondence was my copy of R&R,
dated June 29th, 2001. The article began on page 1 and was continued on
page 31. Finishing the article, I placed it neatly on the dining table,
uttering an old Texas expression: "Bob Shannon, you did me proud!"
Legends, Bob's weekly column in
R&R, spotlights radio personalities across the country. He is
truthful, accurate -- creating words that come alive. I guess I'll
have to renew my subscription to R&R!
X MARKS THE SPOT:
XM Satellite Radio will begin service to Dallas/Fort Worth and San Diego on
Sept. 12. The rest of us peons will be able to enjoy XM's 100 channel
offering between mid-October and November, depending where you are located.
This is really exciting news folks, there will be 71 music channels (30
commercial free) and 29 news, talk, sports and entertainment channels.
All this for a meager fee of $9.99. Every broadcaster needs a slogan --
even satellite radio. "Radio to the Power of X." --
Yo Mamma!
CLAUDE TALKS ABOUT HIS PAL
BOBBY: This
is just an outlandish plug without apology. Bobby Vee currently
lives in a beautiful home he and
wife Karen built on a peninsula overlooking Detroit Lakes not too far outside
of St. Cloud, MN. He and his sons have a recording studio in St. Cloud.
All three boys--Tom, Jeff, Rob--are members of his five-man band and they're
quite good. I've known these men since they were pumpkins; they grew up
with my kids when they lived near us in Los Angeles. Bob's wife Karen
and my wife Barbara are friends. Bob and I are friends. As
friends, we have a lot of memories together. I will never forget the
night we camped out in the rocks at 29 Palms in California and the kids sang
Steve Miller songs around a campfire deep into the night. Bob, who
garnered six Gold Records, including "Take Good Care of My Baby,"
"The Night Has a Thousand Eyes," and "Devil or Angel,"
will perform Aug. 10-11, 2001, at the Riviera Hotel/Casino in Las Vegas.
I know most of you can't even think about coming to see the show (too far),
but you have my personal guarantee that the show will be fun! Vee and
the Vee Band perform all over the world, ranging from state fairs and casinos
in the mid-west to concert halls in Europe and the Far East. They recently
performed by request at a private party held by Paul McCartney in the old
Roseland Ballroom New York City. For more information, check out Bob's
website at www.bobbyvee.net
or e-mail him care of band member Jeff at JVelline@aol.com
Claude Hall
DJ EVOLUTION FROM MY PAL
PERRY:
Evolution
Of a
Disc Jockey 
RDN --
HEADLINES THE INDUSTRY FORGOT:
Radio Daily News -- Larry Shannon delivers Fresh Radio info everyday
.... www.radiodailynews.com
WEBBER OF THE WEEK:
Thought you would
like to see the town I once called home.
07/22/2001
VACATION OBSERVATION: Just
got back from a week's worth of Las Vegas. Bobbi and I went there hoping
to find Elvis Presley. We did! He is now a 25 cent slot machine at
the MGM. Bummer. They could of at least made him a dollar slot
machine.
We all have our heroes, and I was
lucky enough to have breakfast with one of mine. Bobbi and I stumbled
downstairs at 8 AM to meet Claude Hall and his wonderful wife Barbara.
We talked and talked and talked and talked and talked and talked and talked
(in between sips of coffee.) I think I just found a new best friend.
One more thing ... Commanders
Palace (Yes, the original New Orleans gem) is a real find in a restaurant.
We met the owner and Bobbi suggested they open one in Reno. He explained
that they were a company which moved rather slowly. It took them 120
years to open their second restaurant in Las Vegas. The gumbo is worth
the wait.
... AND NOW, THE BEST OF R&I
GET A LAWYER: Anyone in a highly volatile
profession needs representation (preferably a lawyer) before signing any
agreement. Radio is in the same category as a player for the NBA, NFL,
AFC, etc. Yours is a profession that can become victim to the whims of
management. I remember last year, when Rick Party, who had been with
WGCI - FM in Chicago for eight years, and ranked No. 1 in the afternoon, was
let go with the flimsy excuse that the station "wanted to go in a
different direction." And in Philadelphia, WWDB-FM dumped their 25
year talk format and became "The hits of the 80s", (Isn't that
original) firing 45 people in the process.
It has become apparent that radio performers will pack up and move to a new
position without considering possible outcomes in the future.
Acquisitions, change of management, and other unforeseeable decisions can and
will affect your life. Any contract that does not protect your
livelihood is not worth signing. Don't go it alone. Have legal
representation at your side who will see to it that the clauses of a contract
which might "do you in" have monetary consequences for the station
that is hiring you. If a station or group balks at the suggestion of
representation, don't sign a contract. Quit being so hungry that you
except less than you deserve. You are being hired for your talent.
Protect your back.
.....WILL THEY EVER
LEARN?
1. You cannot
strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
2. You cannot help small men by tearing down big men.
3. You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
4. You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.
5. You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your
income.
6. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class
hatreds.
7. You cannot establish security on borrowed money.
8. You cannot build character and courage by taking away men's
initiative and independence.
9. You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they
could and should do for themselves.
... ABRAHAM LINCOLN
YOU CAN'T BOOTLEG A BOOTLEGGER: In the
early days of the record industry, people in control wore long dark coats with
velvet collars. They didn't always give their artists an accurate count,
but you can bet your red Beemer convertible they got one from their
distributors. My favorite story is about an ABC sales manager back in
the '50s who heard that there was someone in New York bootlegging his records.
After a couple of phone calls, he knew exactly who it was and where they were.
So he got in his car with a couple of heavy hitters (in long dark coats with
velvet collars), drove to Brooklyn, walked up two flights of stairs, kicked
open the door -- and with sledgehammers proceeds to break up all the illegal
equipment and counterfeit product. Then he turned to the petrified
counterfeiter and said "What the Hell are you doing? You can't
Bootleg a Bootlegger!"
Piracy is even more rampant today. With the technology of downloading
and CD burners, anyone can set up shop in back of a store or in the basement
of a condo. Selling, manufacturing, and distributing the illegal copies
of recorded music is a crime. Anti-Piracy units have cracked down in New
York, Chicago and other cities, including San Antonio. Tens of thousands
of counterfeit discs and cassettes were seized and destroyed.
Counterfeiters were tossed in the clink. The long dark coats with velvet
collars may be gone, but the sledgehammers are still alive and well. And
they know where you live!
'BOUT TIME SOMEONE
SAID SOMETHING GOOD 'BOUT RADIO: Years
ago, I applied for a job at a small East Texas radio station. I guess
they didn't get a lot of applicants because the owner came to a quick hiring
decision, and told me "Your day off will be from noon Saturday to noon
Sunday." And I said, "That's not a day off!" And he
said, "It's 24 hours, ain't it?" The point being, every era in
our industry has had a share of "the good, the bad, and the real ugly.
Deregulation has given us a whole new set of uglies! It seems that most
of what you read today zero's in on the dark side of radio without crossing
the road that leads to sunshine.
There is lots of sunshine. Every week I print comments from folks just
like you, many of which glorify their position in radio and exude passion for
the industry that has afforded them "a good life." Firings,
layoffs, changes in management or format have always been "events you
cope with" in radio. They are not anything negotiable, merely a
fact of life. Complaining accomplishes nothing. It is like playing
pro football and telling the coach "I enjoy the game, I just don't like
getting hit."
There are still good markets that are worthy of your talent and good radio
stations that treat people like family. My dear friend Jonathan has
spent his entire career in Madison, Wisconsin. In fact, I can name quite
a few people who have carved out a "righteous career" without
bouncing off unfriendly walls. Right in my backyard in Gardnerville NV,
the local station (KGVM) is a shining example. The owner's, Lloyd and
Caroline, service the communities of Gardnerville and Minden and provide the
area with prime programming and a steady diet of local news. Their
morning personality has been there for a dozen or more years. Chris is a
joy to listen to every morning -- he is fast, funny, in tune with today, and
very consistent. (Let's not forget the contentment that goes along with
stability.)
Radio is an industry that offers many choices. You can live and work in
"Small Market" USA. Scratch out a living at a suburban station
while dreaming of the big bucks in the larger market "down the road a
piece." Or fight the major market mayhem. Which one
would you pick? Which ever, quitcha bitchin'.
MY PAL PERRY OFFERS
TIPS ON WHINE WINE:
The top 15 suggested names for Wal-Mart Wine:
15. Box O' Grapes
14. Chateau Traileur Doublewide
13. White Trashfindel
12. Big Red Gulp
11. Grape Expectations
10. Domaine Wal-Mart "Merde du Pays"
9. NASCARbernet
8. Chef Boyardeaux
7. Peanut Noir
6. Stagger Home
5. Chateau des Moines
4. Martha Stewart's Sour Grapes
3. I Can't Believe It's Not Vinegar!
2. World Championship Wriesling
1. Nasti Spumante
WEBBER OF THE WEEK:
TRY THIS. . .
2. Select a dialect
(Redneck, Jive, Cockney, ElmerFudd, SwedishChef, Moron, or Pig Latin).
3. Enter another Web site.
Try www.ronriley.com - you
must enter this in the box within the "rinkworks" site.
(Actually you can enter any URL that gets you to a site with a lot of text)
4. Watch what happens!
07/15/2001
R&I
WHERE DID RADIO LOSE ITS "TOUCH"?
As always, thanks for taking the time to answer my question!
Just one more, was that Kenny Dino song as good as I remember? I
guess not or it would have been a national hit? I must disagree
with you on one point, and say one thing for KDOK in the 90's, the
demographics were not limited to "45 to senile" as you said
in your answer! They included a lot of "the young, younger,
and youngest", just because the music was great, and the
d.j.s were fun! They were fun because they enjoyed what they
were doing, at least I know that you and Paul Berry were having a
ball, as I did when I was "sitting in" for you later on!
I was going back to college when I first discovered you back on the
air at KDOK, and I would hear your show all over the campus!
When I would ask kids about why they listened to you instead of the
"hit music", or "hit country" stations, they all
said they couldn't believe your show, they always heard great music,
and that you had a way of mixing all kinds of stuff together, so it
didn't get old. Kids then were making cassette tape mixes
of their own favorite kinds of music (much as they are today with
"MP3s"), because radio was (is) "narrowcasting" to
an audience that only existed (exists) in some researcher's
"phantom demographics", and they knew (know) it!
Remember, during their heyday, Napster was down loading
"favorite tracks", not entire cd's! Like when
listeners tuned to F.M. radio in the 70's, because they didn't want to
hear an entire album of music by the same artist, and they had no way
to record their favorite songs and play them back in random order!
They said you, "Uncle Art", and "Paul B." were
like old friends who really enjoyed what they were doing, who didn't
play the same songs over and over again! Listeners didn't (don't) know
enough about the business to blame the owners, or programmers for the
lack of variety, they blame (and praise) the d.j. for what happened
(happens) during their shift! They also made note of the fact,
as I always have, that you knew what you were talking about when you
talked about the artists and music, like you knew them personally!
Remember, not all of the d.j.s on that
station were great, or even good! That's exactly why half of the
broadcasters in America, (or at least those of us within the WLS tower
pattern) listened to you when we were that age and younger, and why we
all wanted to try and do it, or at least try to be a little like Art
Roberts! I think losing that job at KDOK hurt me more than any
of the big market jobs I ever had, because I looked forward to going
to work everyday, and turning people on to so many kinds of music and
artists, and having fun on the air with the listeners, not for the
listeners! That's why we had listeners in the first place!
My only regret is that you didn't come back so I could work with you,
not for you! Maybe someday some programmer will decided to try
that 4-mat of yours again, and they'll use me as a week-end man!
I've got my tape ready! Please note that my resume includes over
500 stations, so I'm not very stable, but I'm good! I learned
from the best!
your fan,
Eddy Payne
alias Ronnie Rooster
"the village idiot"
GEORGE HAD A SCARY MOMENT:
Beatle George was ready for a battle in a Swiss Hospital. The
doctors prescribed radiotherapy which seemed to do the trick.
George Harrison does not need any further treatment.
SO WHERE'S THE MONEY? I
was reading a report the other day about starting salaries for people
just getting out of college. It is not hard to find a job paying
$50,000 a year being offered to those who have earned a degree.
And if you have an MBA in your hip pocket, entry-level opportunities
start at around $100,000 a year. But not in radio.
As groups continue to grow and gobble up the competition, salaries for
on air performers continue to go down. It is amazing how many of
the top 100 cities are paying salaries under $25,000 a year.
Small markets offer salaries in the 15 to $17,000 bracket. A
person bagging groceries makes more than that! As long as the
"owner mentality" believes that entertainment stops at 9:00
in the morning -- followed by brainless cue cards and hard drive
storage -- on air opportunities will continue to dwindle.
PERSONALITY WITH A PASSION:
Hubcap Carter is the
new morning guy at KLZ 560 AM in Denver. The
station is a member of the Hubcap Radio Network and will continue to
carry his Saturday night syndicated show. E-mail Hubcap at
hubcap3@swbell.net
I worked with Hubcap at KLUV in Dallas, so
I can tell y'all in Denver with authority, come Monday morning when
your driving to work, "Roll down your windows and turn your radio
up REAL LOUD!!"
MY PAL PERRY NAMES TEN WAYS YOU
KNOW YOU'RE IN MONEY TROUBLE:
1. American Express calls and says:
"Leave home without it!"
2. Your
idea of a 7-course meal is taking a deep breath outside a restaurant.
3.
You've rolled so many pennies, you've formed a psychic bond with Abe
Lincoln.
4. Long
distance companies don't call you to switch.
5. You
look at your roommate and see a large fried chicken in tennis shoes.
6. Your
rob Peter...and then rob Paul.
7. You
finally clean your house, hoping to find change.
8. You
think of a lottery ticket as an investment.
9. Your
bologna has no first name.
10. At
communion you go back for seconds.
RDN -- AINT YOUR DADDY'S
GOOD OLD BOYS CLUB!
Radio Daily News -- Larry Shannon delivers Radio info everyday
... www.radiodailynews.com
WEBBER OF THE WEEK:
Reno NV celebrates Hot August Nights the first week of August each
year. The theme is: "Old cars and rock-and-roll."
Since most of you will not be attending, I thought this would be the
next best thing.
7/08/2001
R&I
BE PREPARED: There was always a can of
Lysol in my top desk drawer. Well, I never knew when the person
before me would come to work with a sore throat, or flu, or who knows
what. A medicinal smelling microphone was a small price to pay
for antiseptic protection.
One
afternoon while I was doing my show on WCUE in Akron, Ohio, I opened
the microphone and completely blacked out... Couldn't remember the
call letters of the station, the town I was in, my name, not even the
song that was ending. Scary. The doctor said that I needed
some rest as I was suffering from fatigue. From that day on I
always kept a yellow writing tablet with my name, the call letters,
and the city written boldly in the right hand corner ... Just in case.
I never blanked out again.
The
Villa Venice nightclub, with its castle like appearance and a moat
surrounding it offering gondola rides, presented a Command Performance
which featured Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. in the
most electrifying show that I have ever seen. The three sang and
danced, cracked jokes, and created a memorable evening that the
audience would never forget. I had a chance to talk with Frank
Sinatra, and I commented on how much fun the three must have working
together. Frank's answer changed my life. He said:
"Nothing good is adlibbed." Every song, every joke,
every move was rehearsed to perfection. I followed that lead on
my program every day. Oh, I always prepared my show, but after
hearing those words and seeing the end result, I shifted into
overdrive.
In
radio, preparation is job one. The yellow pad and a can of Lysol
is your choice. ... ART ROBERTS
HAL
WIDSTEN SCANS THE HORIZON: Karl
Davis was still in top form when I was in Chicago with you. Do
you remember Ed Muzard? He was another turntable turner.
Ed once told me he drove for Capone when he, Ed, was a young man.
Paxton Mills was a great morning guy at KIMN in Denver in the early
KIMN days when Ken Palmer owned the staton. I heard an aircheck
of his work a few years ago. Sad to lose him.
You'll love this. The RAB has just issued a one-sheet document
suggesting that we should be comparing this year's revenues to a base
year of 1998. Their rationale is that the dot com business
started in 99, and because it was as they say, "an anomaly,"
we should pretend that the great years of 99 and 2000 were artificial.
What a joke! It sounds like the guys in the public companies are
looking for something to help them look better than they really do in
this "down year" of revenue. 2001 is what it is.....a
bad year so far, and no one can put a positive spin on it.
The event that could turn everything around is the tax refund that is
coming beginning the week of July 23, and continuing through the week
of September 24. I have not talked to anyone yet who is going to
save their refund. If this doesn't kick the economy in the
behind, nothing will. Everyone selling radio should be pitching
this opportunity to every client on their list.
Senator Hollings has figured it out, but as you say, it is too late.
The only good thing about consolidation may be that Clear Channel has
finally done something smart. They've signed up with Hiwire to
set up local internet-only avails on their station web sites.
Maybe advertisers will buy them at some price, and a new business will
be born. Or, maybe not.
Looks like IBOC will roll out in selected markets where the sales of
after-market radios are the highest. It can't come soon enough
for me. The AM difference between analog and digital will be the
most dramatic.
Hal Widsten
WE
LOST SOME MORE FRIENDS: A
lot of country artists owe their start to Chet Atkins. Like Don
Gibson. Charlie Pride. Waylon Jennings. He even
worked with Elvis, and Willie, and Dolly, and so many others.
Chet's vision shaped the path for today's country music.
Wanna
hear a great Chet Atkins story? One day we were driving through
the streets at Nashville in Chet's car. I was in the passenger
seat and a couple of other folks were sitting in back. It was a
brand-new Lincoln Continental and I was admiring the plush interior,
the leather seats, and the soft ride. One of the fellows in the
back asked, "How come you're not driving a Cadillac, Chet?"
Without taking his eyes off the road, Chet answered: "Well, I
dearly love a Cadillac, but if I drove one everybody would think I was
a sideman." Chet fought cancer for the past few years.
He died at his home on Saturday, June 30th. Chet was 77. R
I P
Johnny
Russell, a star on the Grand Ole Opry, died on Tuesday, July 3rd.
Johnny wrote the song "Act Naturally" which was recorded by
Buck Owens in 1963 and went to Number 1 on the charts. It was
also recorded two years later by the Beatles, with Ringo Starr
singing the vocal. Johnny Russel was 61.
Ernie
K-Doe, who had a No. 1 hit with ``Mother-In-Law'' in 1961, died July
5th. He was 65.
WHY
IS EVERYBODY ALWAYS PICKING ON ME:
It must have been a slow Newsday in the Philippines. Art Bell is
the victim of a bogus e-mail message titled "Filipinos make me
puke" -- which bears his signature -- and made its way to a
Philippine newspaper, which did what newspapers do -- printed it.
GIVE US A BREAK! Anyone who has ever listened to Art Bell on the
radio (and there are some 500 radio stations that carry his program)
knows very well that is not the way Art talks. Or a subject he
would address. Anyway, the newspaper finally issued an apology.
It's not over. Rumor has it that a spaceship was seen streaking
across the sky, headed in the direction of the Philippines. WOW!
UNBREAKABLE
OBSERVATIONS FROM MY PAL PERRY:
"According to a new study, Americans now spend 94% of their time
indoors. What do you expect from a culture that goes inside a gym to
use a walking machine? "
"What's
the difference between the Government and the Mafia? One of them is
organized."
RDN
-- WHAT DO THAT SPELL?
Radio Daily News -- spreading its wings across land and
sea. Larry Shannon delivers Radio info everyday ....
www.radiodailynews.com
WEBBER
OF THE WEEK:
You thought you saw a light show at the last Rock Concert? You
aint seen nothin' yet ....
R&I
"IT AINT WHAT YOU DO, IT'S THE WAY HOW YOU DO IT THAT
COUNTS"
I receive volumes of
e-mail from people in small markets wondering how they can make the
move to a larger or major market. My response is pretty much the
same to everyone: "Enjoy the Moment." The only break
you receive in radio is your first job. Everything after that
you will earn. Uncertainties are a given in any vocation.
Focus remains your ONLY ally.
Ever hear of Karl Davis?
Probably not. Karl never dominated the top 40 charts -- he was
part of a duo on the WLS Barn dance, billed as Karl and Harty.
They spread smiles all over the Midwest. Karl was also a
songwriter. He was so proud when the Everly Brothers recorded
two of his songs, "I'm Here To Get My Baby Out Of Jail" and
"Kentucky." Yes, Karl Davis had his moments of
sunshine. Our paths crossed at WLS, where he was employed as a
record Turner. I better explain what a record Turner is -- when
ABC bought WLS from Prairie Farmer they inherited a house band.
Planning to be a rock-and-roll radio station there was no need for the
live orchestra. Most of the musicians were given a cash
settlement while a few were kept on as record Turner's. Their
job was to put the needle on a record and start the turntable.
Sounds like a cushy job -- yet each one of them turned it into a state
of the art position. For example, I might have had one minute
and 47 seconds before the top of the hour tone and I wanted the song
to end exactly on the hour. Karl would drop the needle and I
would get EXACTLY one minute and 47 seconds worth the music.
That, my friends, is a lost art.
Karl taught me to
"Enjoy every moment in life with equal vigor." Relish
every challenge. Appreciate where I've been, but never dwell on
it. After all, the real excitement in life is buried in the
unknown.
... Art Roberts
THANK YOU
BOB SHANNON ... R&R:
As of Friday's deadline for R&I I had not received my copy of
R&R, but my e-mail box was dotted with accolades for Bob Shannon's
LEGENDS column where I am featured this week. "Mailman,
mailman, wherefore art thou ..." (Oh, Oh ... I'm sorry ...)
"Mailperson, mailperson ..."
GLOBAL
WARMING - ARTROBERTS.COM STYLE: June
found us 'busting out all over the world.' Twenty-one countries
clicked onto the website with Canada leading the pack, followed by
Australia, United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, Old style Arpanet, Taiwan,
Yugoslavia, Finland, and France rounding out the top 10. These
were followed by Spain, Croatia, Ireland, New Zealand, Estonia,
Norway, Sweden, Mexico, Malaysia, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
What a small world the Net has weaved.
TOO LITTLE
TOO LATE? Ernest
F. Hollings, Democratic senator from South Carolina and chairman of
the Commerce Committee, and Byron Dorgan, Democratic senator from
North Dakota, raised some disturbing questions this week in the
Washington Post. "Prior to the 1996
Telecommunications Act, the top radio station group owned 39 stations
and generated annual revenues of $495 million. Today the top group
owns more than 1,100 stations and generates annual revenues of almost
$3.2 billion. According to a recent news report, the radio
industry has consolidated into four companies that control 90 percent
of radio advertising revenue."
Then they turned our
attention to TV .... the new Frontier of Manipulative Power Plays.
"It is local information that sculpts each community's unique
debate over its politics and culture. Do we want broadcast decisions
about local news and information in Fargo, N.D., and Columbia, S.C.,
to be determined by the media giants in Manhattan and Los Angeles,
whose primary interest is in maximizing ad revenue? Our answer is no.
But if media consolidation is allowed to continue unfettered, and the
ownership restrictions that are now on the books are relaxed or
repealed, local control, local coverage and a robust marketplace of
ideas will suffer."
"By maintaining
sensible restrictions on ownership of media properties, we can promote
diversity in the marketplace and preserve the localism that every
American has come to expect when he or she picks up the morning paper
or turns on the local news. Let us not repeat the mistakes that led to
the rapid consolidation in radio and in the marketplace for TV
programming. This is not just about competition between major media
conglomerates. It's a question of whether we want all of the media
outlets in this country to be controlled by a powerful few."
ROOK'S
RAMBLINGS:
John Rook advised us that American Radio's senior analyst Tony Sanders
disputes Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ernest Hollings and
Senator Byron Dorgan's "sensible restrictions on ownership of
media properties" article in last week's Washington Post.
According to Sanders, the top four billing radio companies
"control" only 42% of radio revenues. *** It
should be noted that American Radio is owned by Clear Channel
Communications.
WHO WANTS TO
BE A BILLIONAIRE?
The first thing to do is OWN radio stations! Can't find any
worth buying? Too bad. Forbes Magazine released
their 2001 list of the World's Richest People and Viacom Chairman and
CEO Sumner Redstone tied for 18th-place at $12.6 billion;
Michael Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg Radio, ranked at 82 with $4.5
billion, and Clear Channel Chairman and CEO Lowry Mays showed up 251st
with a mere $1.9 billion. Got change for a dollar?
TO ALL MY
FRIENDS -- GOT THIS E-MAIL THE OTHER DAY ... IT'S REALLY FOR YOU:
"Please check out our
NEW website! Very cool.... www.xmradio.com
"
Lee Abrams
Senior Vice President & Chief Programming Officer
XM Satellite Radio
*** PERSONAL
NOTE: "XM Satellite Radio isn't an industry 'Hail
Mary' pass ... It's the best TOUCHDOWN Radio has SCORED in years!
... Art Roberts
WE LOST SOME
MORE FRIENDS: Harry
Paxton Mills, a popular radio personality in Denver for 20 years and
morning show host for KXKL (KOOL) 105-FM, died of a heart attack
Monday, in an Aspen hotel. Harry had resigned a few days
before his demise, citing personal reasons. He was 52.
Just found out that Ed
"Jack the Bellboy" McKenzie passed in February, he was 90.
Two other WXYZ greats, Fred Wolf and Paul Winter, also transferred to
that big studio in the sky. Interesting side note: The three
went in the order that they appeared on Wixie: Fred/mornings, Paul/middays
and then Ed/afternoons.
Jack Lemon. MISTER
ROBERTS remains everyone's favorite and won Jack a supporting OSCAR
for playing Ensign Pulver. He remained a working actor all his
life. Jack Lemon was 76.
I'm saddened to report
that Bill Bryant has passed away. Our loss, Heavens gain.
KIRB
IT'S EVEN
BETTER THE SECOND TIME AROUND: Ron
Riley's WLS 1968 aircheck holds down the #1 spot at ReelRadio.com this
week. He also has offerings at #3 and #7. My Main Man!!
www.reelradio.com ...
RDN --
RADIO'S INDEPENDENT THUNKER: RDN
(Radio Daily News) spreads the Radio Gospel. Larry Shannon
delivers Radio info everyday .... www.radiodailynews.com
MY PAL PERRY TURNS
IN HIS RESIGNATION:
WEBBER OF
THE WEEK:
Summertime is the time for music. It's amazing how many Oldies
Groups are still rockin' and rollin'. Find out when you're
favorite artists will be playing in your state. Simply click the
map and plan a party.
HE SAID,
"KISS MY ASS" ON THE RADIO:
"No shit. He
said THAT on the radio? "
"Yeah, I heard him with my own ears. He said THAT on the
radio."
"No shit. And they let him get away with it?"
"Of course. He says four letter curse words on the radio
all the time."
"How come he says four letter curse words on the radio all the
time?"
"Because there are no THREE letter curse words!
Dreaming of becoming a
"Shock Jock?" ("Schlock Jock" is a better
descriptive phrase.) Today's taboos are not nearly as stringent
as they were back in the '60s, but one fact remains a constant.
The policing of what is said on the air should remain the jurisdiction
of MANAGEMENT and not the concerns of elected officials. Lenny
Bruce is the prime example depicting " the dangers of
censorship" and relentless persecution. Even though his
career was not on radio, he may very well have been -- "America's
First Shock Jock."
Back in December of 1962,
I accompanied a group of friends to the Gate of Horn, a nightclub in
Chicago that specialized in folk, jazz, and sometimes-satirical humor.
Lenny's subject material consisted of everything
"unmentionable" in that era. Drugs. Abortions.
Nuclear testing. Religions. The death penalty. Etc.
What made this night different from any other was a group of Mayor
Daley's finest (The Men In Blue) that were pasted on the back wall of
this small club, poised to pounce. Lenny Bruce amused the
audience with a story about all the religious leaders having a reunion
in Rome which included lines like "could you send me some 8 by 10
glossies of you wearing the big ring" -- and "could you get
me a deal on a dago sports car." After that, Lenny talked
about humor. He told the audience that all it took was a funny
joke to make us laugh. But if he would embarrass us, we'd laugh
even harder. To prove this point he told the funny joke.
The audience laughed. Then Lenny paused -- looked around the
room -- and said two words -- "F**K You" -- the audience
ROARED, while the men in Blue peeled off the back wall and marched
Lenny, with his hands cuffed behind him, to an awaiting paddy wagon.
Lenny was arrested for 'obscenity' and the owner of the club was
threatened with the danger of losing his license. His trial was
"The rabbit in a courtroom of foxes." He was tried,
convicted, and immediately appealed. In the next two years,
Lenny Bruce would be arrested 15 times. His routines onstage
ceased to be funny and revolved around the inadequacies of our legal
system. "In the halls of justice, the only justice is in
the halls."
He wasn't all-wrong.
Lenny Bruce was prosecuted for the words he chose to use to a select
audience that comprised his flock. He never physically harmed
anyone. Never committed a felony. Our legal system simply
stripped him of his rights, forced him into poverty and eventually
caused his death. Can't happen today? It can -- if we
allow it.
... ART ROBERTS
CORROBORATION
-- CLEAR CHANNEL UNDERSTANDS THE GAME: Last
week we told you about Kramer and Twitch, KEGL-FM. Dallas / Ft Worth,
who told their audience that Brittany Spears was killed in a car
crash, and boyfriend Justin was in a coma. The hoax was
considered "humor," while management viewed it as "the
last straw." Kramer and Twitch got the boot this week.
It seems this was not the only screw up the duo had pulled.
While working for CCC's KSJO-FM in San Jose, they told their audience
to run over people on bicycles or hit them with their car doors.
They also cost CCC a $14,000 indecency fine. Do we have to bring
up their ratings? The broadcast industry doesn't need
Censorship. Sensible broadcasters work just fine, thank you.
CHERISH THE
TALENT YOU MEET:
I met Jimmy Rabbitt at a country station in Tyler, Texas. He had
more talent than everyone on the station combined ... And was more
exciting than an East Texas Rodeo on a Saturday night. I am glad
we met. This is Jimmy's latest song. Proud to present it
to you.
Drug Store Wranglers
Jimmy Rabbitt
Pellett MusicBMI2001
The first time I heard
country music,
I lowered my car and let my hair grow
They called it Rock and Roll way back then
Three cords kickin' out my speakers,
dust just a'dancin' on the dash-board,
n' someone was singin' about the way we lived
We were stood-up and
broken hearted,
drivin' hot-rod cars and Harleys
Livin' fast, lovin' hard, and Faron Young
We cried no one could understand us,
and the t.v. had to raise us,
but we never doubted, our heros could ride
But now it's
drug-store Cowboys,
in their pre-faded Wranglers,
with the rips and tears right from the store
tryin' to sing like Hank Sr.,
tryin' to look like Jim Shoulders,
tryin' to bow them legs
that never held a horse
verses:
2.
It was Elvis, Gene n' Johnny,
Sister Rose, Patsy n' Connie,
Bobby Vee, Jerry Lee, Johnny n' Jack
Rock and Roll, or plain Hillbilly
Do wap songs, or "cats" from Philly
the radio played all our favorite songs
repeat bridge............
guitar break..............
3.
Then it was Dylan n' The Beatles
The Box Tops n' Creedence
The Eagles, The Stones n' Ramblin' Jack
Rock and Roll or Rockabilly,
surfer dude, or English fairy
f.m. radio just seemed to play it all
repeat bridge
guitar break
4.
Then it was Waylon and Willie
Carlene and Tom Petty
Neil Young, Travis Tritt n' Z.Z. Top
Rock and Roll or Outlaw Country
New Nashville or Americana
The Radio just called em' country songs
repeat bridge
WE LOST
ANOTHER FRIEND THIS WEEK:
John Lee Hooker. They're not sure of his birthdate ... some say
he was 80, others claim he was 83. No matter, John Lee was a
Blues musician extraordinaire. His music influenced countless
artists through the years, including The Rolling Stones, Z Z Top, etc.
with classics like "Boom Boom;" "One Bourbon, One
Scotch, One Beer;" and "Boogie Chillen." R I P
THE SAGA OF
BOB AND TOM:
After being syndicated on 101 stations, Bob Kevoian and Tom Griswold
land their first top 10 market. KZPS-FM, Dallas. Bob and
Tom take the baton from Bo and Jim. Not sure how the duo will do
in Dallas, but in their home in Indianapolis they are a runaway No. 1
in the morning. Best of luck guys.
RDN, RADIO
READING EVEN A MOTHER CAN LOVE:
RDN (Radio Daily News) has become the BOSOM of the industry.
Larry Shannon delivers Radio info everyday ...
THE
POWER OF MY PAL PERRY: "USA
Today has come out with a new survey: Apparently three out of
four people make up 75 percent of the population."
WEBBER OF
THE WEEK: View
the Milky Way at 10 million light years from the Earth. Then move
through space towards the Earth ... You aint gonna believe what you
see!
06/17/2001
"AND THEN I WORKED AT
...."
This week I
was interviewed by Bob Shannon, (Legends Column) Radio and Records.
It was a great interview, and while I was running through my laundry
list of radio stations I realized what an itinerant career we all
share. I guess it is reflective of that line from "A
Portrait of Jenny," a classic old movie starring Joseph Cotton
and Jennifer Jones, "From where I come no one knows, where I go
everyone goes, the wind blows, the sea rose, God knows."
I once asked
Sam Holman (the legendary program director / personality) to sum up
his career. Sam said, "It was a Hell of the a downhill
sleigh ride -- but if I could do it over, I wouldn't change a
thing." We all shared that vision. A career in radio
turned out to be a "Love/Hate" relationship. The
perfectionist inside of us loved those "moments of triumph"
we all experience, while "time" developed a callous
intolerance towards the inadequacies of management. Radio
performers of the past were a nomadic tribe. They roamed from
station to station carrying their own switch with which they were
summarily beaten. Talk about groups that were gluttons for
punishment!
Today's radio
has different rules -- and a VERY different playing field. Oh,
in the beginning the "Radiophile" bounces from market to
market, but eventually will reach a point where they will be able to
pitch a tent on an oasis, park their camel, and stay put as they
"grow" their career. From this fertile spot a radio
professional can become the "voice" for 30 to 40 markets.
His or her popularity will be measured by fractions instead of
audience response, but who cares -- no one listens that closely
anyway. And hey, that's almost coast-to-coast.
Do you know
the problem I see with staying in one spot and being the
"voice" for 30 to 40 markets? Think of all the great
restaurants you have missed...
... Art
Roberts
THE TEXAS RADIO HALL OF FAME:
The dream has become a reality. The "Texas Radio Hall of
Fame" cornerstone has been laid. www.texasradiohalloffame.com
is up! One fellow said, "You're talking about the real
GIANTS in the radio industry in Texas and across the country, aren't
you?" Yep! The time has come. Visit the Web site for
details and find out soon If you're eligible for membership, to
nominate and be nominated for induction. There will be special
categories for radio stations, posthumous awards, DJ's, announcers,
talk show hosts, newspeople, general managers, sales persons,
producers, engineers, etc. The competition to reach the finals in the
nominations is going to be as fierce and tough as Texas itself!
Fistfights, scratchin' and pistol duels may decide who becomes the
first year's inductees. It's Texas, you know! Get on the
mailing list to find out more details at www.texasradiohalloffame.com
Where in Hell did I hang my chaps?
BYE BYE BOZO...
My kids went to see Bozo the Clown. They waited six months for
their tickets -- and that was because I had pull back in those days.
Usually, the wait was measured in years. Bozo was the longest
running locally produced kids show in the country. WGN -TV in
Chicago taped their last "BOZO CIRCUS" this week. It
will be aired on July 14, ending 40 years of clowning around and
having fun. Okay kids, let's all wave bye bye to Bozo!
FILL YOUR TANK WITH RDN:
RDN (Radio Daily News) has
become the BUZZ of the industry. Larry Shannon delivers
Radio info everyday .... www.radiodailynews.com
MICHAEL POWELL, WHEN ARE YOU GOING
TO ROW YOUR FCC BOAT TO SHORE: Kramer
and Twitch, KEGL-FM. Dallas / Ft Worth, decided to join the
"shock jock of the month club" by reporting that Britney
Spears and her boy friend, Justin, had been killed in a car crash.
Totally Fabricated. So was their report that Booz was involved.
Tearful listeners called in disbelief. KEGL management didn't
apologize until the next day via a taped message played before the
Kramer and Twitch show. I bet Pepsi loved that!
MUSIC FOR YOUR EARS FROM MY PAL
PERRY:
(Sung to the
tune of the TV western "Rawhide")
Rollin', rollin', rollin',
Though the state is golden,
Keep them blackouts rollin', statewide.
A little colder weather,
And we all freeze together,
Wishin' more plants were on the line.
All the things I'm missin',
Like lights and television,
Are waiting 'til we can pay the price.
(Chorus)
Turn 'em on, turn 'em off,
Shut 'em down, block 'em out,
Turn 'em on, turn 'em off, statewide!
Brown 'em out, black 'em out,
Charge 'em more, give 'em less,
Let the polls fix the mess, statewide!
Keep movin', movin', movin',
Though they're disapprovin',
Keep them rates a-movin', statewide.
Don't try to understand 'em,
Just raise, charge, and collect 'em.
Soon we'll be livin' high and wide.
My heart's calculatin',
Nuclear plants will be waitin',
Be waitin' at the end of my ride.
(Chorus)
Turn 'em on, turn 'em off,
Shut 'em down, block 'em out,
Turn 'em on, turn 'em off, statewide!
Brown 'em out, black 'em out,
Charge 'em more, give 'em less,
Let the polls fix the mess, statewide!
STATEWIDE!!! Hyaah!!
WEBBER OF THE WEEK:
Good old down-home southern cooking. That's what we are
featuring on the menu this week. Try the Short Ribs. Give
me that -- along with grits 'n gravy 'n greens any day. http://www.cbt.net/dedwards/
06/10/2001
NO RESPECT: The kid sat in the corner of his room in front
of a homemade console and "played radio" by the hour.
He told himself, "if only I could get a part-time job I
would be on my way." The local station hired him for a
10 hour shift Sunday morning from 6 AM to 2 PM. Four years
later, he was still doing Sunday mornings. So, he told himself,
"If only I could get a full-time job I would be on my way."
It was a smaller market, but at least it was full-time. The kid
worked diligently to hone his craft. After a couple of
years, he told himself, "If only I could work in a larger
market I would be on my way."
There's nothing like a big city where the streets go on forever and
the traffic never ends. He was the all-night DJ on the No.
1 classic rock station. Everything was fine except for that
Red phone in the corner.
It's 3 AM. He's singing along with Bob Dylan when the Red phone
lights up like a Christmas tree. "Christ, doesn't that
PD ever sleep?" So he told himself, "If only I
could be the PD I would be on my way."
A new town. A new station. He stood in a large office as
the station manager waived an Arbitron book in his face
screaming, "What the hell happened?" How should
HE know -- he had only been PD for a month. "And
another thing, get rid of that afternoon guy, he sounds
terrible." "I AM the afternoon guy," he told
himself, "If only I could be the station manager I would be
on my way."
He worked long hard hours cranking out budgets, attending breakfast meetings,
business lunches, and putting out fires. The manager's office had
his name on the door and he was doing a helluva job. So good,
both
the AM and FM were sold within a year. The new owners
already had four stations in the market when they added their new
acquisitions to two awaiting empty studios and hired one manager
for all six properties. A
handshake and "Good Luck" were the parting severance.
He told himself, "If only I could pass that real estate exam this Friday,
I would be on my way."
.... Art Roberts
THIS SURE BEATS A FISH FRY: Bob Barry (WOKY 920), Bob
Dailey, Lee Davis, Dick Record and Robert Snyder, will be
inducted into the Wisconsin Broadcasters Hall of Fame this
Tuesday at the Pfister Hotel.
Bob Barry and Lee Davis are two radio friends who I want to personally congratulate.
MO' AWARDS Y'ALL: Thursday June 28th is the date of the
2001 Country Music DJ Hall of Fame Banquet in Nashville.
The 2001 DJ Hall of Fame inductees are Terry Burford, Dale Eichor,
Country Joe Flint, Rhubarb
Jones (The pride of Georgia), and Chris Lane (posthumous).
Ya done good.
ANOTHER GEM FROM KEN LEVINE: For anyone growing up in New
York in the 50's and 60's you'll remember these.
Here's the WNEW jingle package. http://members.nbci.com/smashomax/wnew/
A TIP TO PASS ALONG TO YOUR AUDIENCE: The secret to
reaching an audience is: -- "talk about Real issues."
Like bread. When buying a loaf of bread at the grocery
store, you "squeeze" for freshness.
Please, DON'T squeeze the SOURDOUGH!
Did you know that bread is delivered fresh to the stores five days a week?
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. And each day has a
different color twist tie. They are:
Monday - Blue
Tuesday - Green
Thursday - Red
Friday - White
Saturday - Yellow
Is this how Martha Stewart got started?
WE LOST ANOTHER FRIEND: He was a kid from New York City.
By the age of 13 he played the fiddle, dobro, and guitar.
Folk and Bluegrass flowed through his veins. John
Hartford's biggest hit was "Gentle On My Mind." At
4:30 p.m. June 4th, 2001, after a long struggle, John Hartford passed away
at Centennial Medical Center in Nashville, TN For the last
several weeks, John had been joined at his home by his
family and friends telling stories and reliving a wonderful
life. He enjoyed having some of his musical heroes play old songs
and recount stories of "show business".
Although he could no longer join in, he delighted in listening to
the music that he so dearly loved and spent a lifetime creating.
What more can you say about a man who touched so many. Rest
in peace, John Hartford. He was 63.
You can pay your respects on the Internet at www.johnhartford.com
RDN IS YOUR RADIO DNR: RDN (Radio Daily News) has become
the BUZZ of the industry. Larry Shannon delivers Radio
info everyday ... www.radiodailynews.com
MANLY THOUGHTS FROM MY PAL PERRY: (Damn, it's good to be a man
....)
1. Your last name stays put.
2. You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park.
3. Same work, more pay.
4. Wrinkles add character.
5. People never stare at your chest when you're talking to
them.
6. One mood, ALL the damn time.
7. Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack.
8. You almost never have strap problems in public.
9. You don't have to shave below your neck.
10. Your belly usually hides your big hips.
WEBBER OF THE
WEEK: Share the genius of Ron Smith. This oldies calendar
will give you an idea of why "Hey Baby, They Are Playing Our Song"
was such a popular oldies show. Ron would feed me unique
information about the artists, which made me sound soooo smart.
http://www.oldiesmusic.com/cal.htm
6-03-01
BACK IN THE
SADDLE: I can hardly
wait! Starting Monday, Bob Sirott and his lovely wife Marianne
Murciano will be guest hosts for Don Wade and (his wife) Roma on the WLS-AM (890) morning show from 5 AM - 9 AM. Well, on Wednesday, June
6th, I will be THEIR guest at 8:25 AM. Thanks for tuning in. www.wlsam.com
RUSSIAN FEDERATION:
And Romania checked in last week, which brings
our global total to 18 for the month of May. Dobge.
"IT AINT MY KIND OF
RADIO"
My kind of radio is magic coming out of its
speakers. Words that paint pictures which are remembered 30 -- 40 years
later.
My kind of radio doesn't undress women in the
studio, nor broadcast live the castration and slaughter of a baby pig as
background music to the morning coffee.
My kind of radio didn't screw around with the sales
department, sending an account executive to attract a new account, bring it on
board -- then watch it absorbed as a house account.
My kind of radio only used cue cards as a reminder
to add a tagline for a commercial.
My kind of radio didn't devise a scheme to con
record companies out of Megabucks in exchange for guaranteed play of a
particular record.
My kind of radio didn't own the booking agency, the
ticket agency, the venue that presents the artist -- in just about every major
market in America.
My kind of radio was concerned about a client's
results, spent as much time needed to write and produce meaningful commercials,
and cultivated relationships that spanned decades.
My kind of radio wasn't a group of 1200 stations
whose formats are somewhere between a bottle of homogenized milk and a CAN of
soup.
My kind of radio cared. About the
community. About the audience. About the format. About the
quality their talent delivered.
My kind of radio DIED in 1996.
... Art Roberts
LOOKING FOR INFORMATION ABOUT GRAHAME
RICHARDS: Last week I
received an e-mail from Grahame Richards daughter, Kim Richards, who is looking
for any and all information about her dad. He worked at a number of
stations, KOWH, WQAM, WFUN, KFAC, KIMN, etc..... was the Nat'l PD of Storz
Broadcasting back in the 60s. She went on to say "I was trying to
learn about his life and career, as I know so little about it."
Thank you, Kim Richards
And I received the following e-mail this
week: "Thank you for taking the time to respond to my e-mail. I
decided to build a website for my dad and I will link to your site from
it." Kim
YOU DON'T RADIO IF YOU DON'T
RDN: In just a few short weeks RDN (Radio Daily News) has become the
BUZZ of the industry. Larry Shannon delivers Radio info everyday
...
www.radiodailynews.com
A PRESENT FROM KEN
LEVINE: For those of
you interested in hearing an absolutely sensational jingle montage, this was
what aired on WABC New York as part of its "Rewind" special tribute to its
glorious musicradio days. It was produced by Jon Wolfert who outdid
himself.
http://www.pams.com/pams/sampler.html
Listen
and recapture the magic. Enjoy.
Ken
WHO DO YOU KNOW THAT CAN FIND A JOB IN ONE
WEEK: Nobody that I
know. So, let's give this is second try... Ron Smith wrote, "Did you ever
have one of those good news/bad news kind of days, Art? On Tuesday,
Arbitron released the February Web radio ratings and my company, RadioWave.com,
appeared for the first time, capturing seven of the top 75 spots. Six of those
channels were programmed by me, including #8-- "Hits Happen" (CHR). That same
day the company fell victim to the economy and let 30% of the staff go. You
guessed it. I'm part of the cutbacks.
With 8 ½ years as Music Director at Oldies 104.3 in
Chicago and 3 ½ years in music and research at Q-101 there (in its AC days) and
my dozen Internet-only channels at RadioWave racking up over 200,000 hours of
listening weekly on clients like Microsoft's MSN Chat Radio and Rolling
Stone.com, I'm hoping to find a stable dot.com (is there such an animal?) or
radio station that can utilize my skills. If you hear of anything, my home
number is (708) 448-7799 or E-mail me at ronsmith@interaccess.com.
Thanks. RON SMITH
Personal note: I have
known Ron for a long time and consider him a premiere music and Internet Radio
programmer. If QUALITY is an issue at your organization -- CALL or E-MAIL
Ron Today.... ART
MY PAL PERRY QUESTIONS
LIFE:
1. Why can't women put on mascara with
their mouth closed?
2. Why don't you ever see the headline
"Psychic Wins Lottery"?
3. Why is it necessary to nail down the
lid of a coffin?
4. Why is it that rain drops but snow
falls?
5. Why is it that to stop Windows 95,
you have to click on "Start"?
6. Why is it that when you're driving
and looking for an address, you turn down the volume on the radio?
7. Why is lemon juice made with
artificial flavor, and dishwashing liquid made with real lemons?
8. Why is the third hand on the watch
called a second hand?
9. Why isn't there a special name for
the tops of your feet?
10. Why isn't there mouse-flavored cat food?
WEBBER OF THE WEEK: Thank you Steve
Eberhart. Inside you will find the
most comprehensive display of one of America's greatest Top 40 radio stations
ever! Not only was KLIF Radio enormously popular in Dallas and North
Texas, it was recognized around the country (and even the world) as an innovator
in broadcasting.
05/27/2001
WE ARE
EVERYWHERE YOU GO: This
month, in our Global Count, 16 countries checked-in, and Canada was a
runaway number one (more than doubling the visitors) followed by
Australia, Brazil, Sweden, Austria, Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland,
United Kingdom, and Italy rounding out the top ten. They were
followed by Japan, Mexico, Portugal, Argentina, Old Style Arpanet, and
France. Merci. Gracias. Thank You All.
HE'S LOOKING
FOR A HOME: Did
you ever have one of those good news/bad news kind of days, Art?
On Tuesday, Arbitron released the February Web radio ratings and my
company, RadioWave.com, appeared for the first time, capturing seven
of the top 75 spots. Six of those channels were programmed by me,
including #8-- "Hits Happen" (CHR). That same day the
company fell victim to the economy and let 30% of the staff go. You
guessed it. I'm part of the cutbacks.
With
8 ½ years as Music Director at Oldies 104.3 in Chicago and 3 ½ years
in music and research at Q-101 there (in its AC days) and my dozen
Internet-only channels at RadioWave racking up over 200,000 hours of
listening weekly on clients like Microsoft's MSN Chat Radio and
Rolling Stone.com, I'm hoping to find a stable dot.com (is there such
an animal?) or radio station that can utilize my skills. If you hear
of anything, my home number is (708) 448-7799 or E-mail me at ronsmith@interaccess.com.
Thanks.
RON SMITH
Personal note:
I have known Ron for a long time and consider him a premiere music and
Internet Radio programmer. If QUALITY is an issue at your
organization -- CALL or E-MAIL Ron Today.... ART
GROWING,
GROWING, GONE!!!
It hasn't been that long since the Telecommunications Bill (1996)
became an anvil over our heads. Since that time we have seen 75
broadcasting groups reduced to two. That is a growth of Biblical
proportions. The question now is "will the 2 become
1?"
RADIO'S NEW
MATH: This is
strictly hypothetical, but do you think 400 radio stations can be run
at an amortized cost of $10 an hour? With a permanent on air
staff of six people? Sit on the edge of this console and I'll
show you how.
Ten bucks an hour
translates to $240 a day. Seven days a week brings the weekly
cost to $1680. Or an annual cost to $87,360. Factor in the
400 markets and the operating budget is a little under 35 million.
Hire six of the heaviest talent you can and broadcast LIVE seven days
a week. All for $10 an hour.
Pie-In-The-Sky? It
is closer than you think!
CONSOLIDATION
HITS THE TOP FLOOR:
Kenneth O'Keefe, President and COO of Clear Channel Communications is
leaving the company at the end of June. He was one of the few
who survive the merger of AMFM and CCC, where Clear Channel picked up
400 stations for a mere 23 and half billion dollars. Randy
Michaels, CEO at clear Channel will pick up the slack left by
Kenneth's departure.
From there you can go to
"My Phone Call From Randy Michaels." That was one of many
responses since I emailed 60 friends with my feelings about the
consequences triggered by the FCC Act of 1996. They include
monopolistic practices that exploit runaway regulation, the loss of
hundreds of jobs by industry professionals, a sickening drop in
program quality, the lack of local service by stations. And how
these things are so hurtful to those of us who grew up loving radio.
"We knew radio. And this, sir, is not radio!"
Feel the same? Then
refer this web address to anyone interested in Freedom of Speech,
access to media, the defeat of monopolistic practices and ending this
out-and-out greed. The public is vaguely aware of the problem.
Should be, since radio has become so bland, predictable and lacking in
excitement and innovation. The just-born BRB is a grass
roots attempt to educate citizens that: First, it is the public
who owns the airwaves and secondly, it is fairly effortless for any
citizen to not only make local stations aware of one's DISsatisfaction
but to do something about it, including demanding to inspect to the
stations' public files, protesting stations' license renewals or even
applying for licenses.
The FCC cannot enforce
violations unless it is aware of them. This agency is as close
as your keyboard. They are more cooperative than you think. http://www.93khj.com/brb/index.html
exists because of you. Utilize it. Promote it."
R.J.
THE ULTIMATE
MEMORY LANE:
Ever wonder why we like remembering things? Probably because
reflecting back brings us to the realization that we have lived through
gentler and happier times.
ANOTHER JAZZ
GREAT JOINS THE XM SATTELITE RADIO TEAM:
Lee Abrams, Chief Programming Officer and XM satellite radio has
scored another homerun. Wynton Marsalis has joined the team.
Wynton is considered "the most outstanding jazz musician and
trumpeter of his generation." He also has won nine Grammy
awards, the Pulitzer prize for music, and numerous other awards.
Plus, he is my PERSONAL favorite. Oh, Lee -- Lee -- Lee, what
will you do next!
WORDS WORTH
REPEATIN' FROM MY PAL PERRY: "Why
are we afraid of falling? Shouldn't we be afraid of the sudden
stop?"
KEEP UP WITH
RADIO NEWS ON A DAILY BASIS: Thanks
to Larry Shannon we have a NEW feature. Daily reports about
Radio. Check in EVERY day. www.radiodailynews.com
WEBBER OF THE WEEK: If you are a
movie buff, you have to love this one. MOVIE MISTAKES IN OVER
1400 FLICKS -- including this years Academy Award Winner.
05/20/2001
JOHN ROOK LETS YOU KNOW WHAT CONDITION HIS CONDITION IS IN:
I'm writing you to let you
know that I have recently been diagnosed with a very serious condition
and there's no hope I will ever recover. The scientific world is
frantically searching for a cure. It seems to effect those new to
retirement.
This is an ailment many of us suffer from and may not as yet have been
diagnosed. However, now you may be able to discuss it with your
loved ones and try to explain what really happened to you all those
times you tried so hard to accomplish something and didn't.
It's called the "Butfirst
Syndrome."
It's like, when I decide
to do the laundry, I start down the hall and notice the newspaper on
the table. Okay, I'm going to do the laundry - Butfirst I'm
going to read the newspaper.
After that, I notice the
mail on the table. Okay, I'll just put the newspaper in the
recycle stack - Butfirst I'll look through that pile
of mail and see if there are any bills to be paid.
Now where's the checkbook?
Oops! There's the empty glass from yesterday on the coffee table.
I'm going to look for that checkbook - Butfirst I
need to put the glass in the sink.
I head for the kitchen,
look out the window, notice my poor flowers need a drink of water. I
put the glass in the sink, and darn it, there's the remote for the TV
on the kitchen counter. What's it doing here? I'll just put it
away, Butfirst I need to water those plants.
Head for door and Ach!
Stepped on the cat. Dog needs to be fed. Okay, I'll put that
remote away and water the plants - Butfirst I need to
feed the dogs.
At the end of day:
Laundry is not done, Newspapers are still on the floor, Glass is still
in the sink, Bills are unpaid, Checkbook is still missing, And the
dogs ran outside with the remote control. AND, when I try to figure
out how come nothing got done all day, I'm baffled, because I KNOW I
was BUSY ALL DAY!
I realize this condition
is serious.... And I should get help - Butfirst I
think I'll read all my e-mail! J.R.
"AND
ANOTHER THING -- YOU'RE A PAIN IN THE ASS"
Claude Hall writes: "This past week, as I ended my teaching
career at UNLV by telling a football player that he barely performed
well enough in a freshman English course to qualify for an F, I
realized, belatedly, that it was, indeed, time for me to step aside.
How could he possibly assume he was going to pass? He'd missed a full
month of classes and thought a page and a half of nonsense was enough
to suffice for an assignment that required 1,200 words and three
sources of researched information cited and documented. That, simply
put, is one of the major problems in America today; many high school
students are washed through, regardless of whether they've learned
anything or not (many times from teachers who aren't really qualified
to teach) and, obviously, now expect the same largess at American
universities. But why not? Most Ph.D.s in America don't know the
difference between forte and forté and a great many of them not only
didn't write their own doctoral dissertation, but didn't even do the
research required for it! Sometimes, the situation is even absurd. I
know one descendant of the so-called flower child generation who was
researching and writing dissertations for Ph.D. candidates at UNLV and
she didn't even have a bachelor's degree. Just FYI: A couple of
students at close of my last class thanked me and one black girl
thanked me for teaching her how to write and gave me a hug. At 68
years of age, a hug is a great compliment; I don't consider myself
very hugable these days. In many ways, I'm going to miss teaching.
There's an intense feeling of gratification when a student taps into
your philosophy and succeeds in the professional world...when they
develop not only the necessary skills or craftsmanship, but drive. I
have a good many ex-students out there who're doing well. I'm proud of
these. And I'm thankful that I had the opportunity to become a college
professor. I owe this to one of America's greatest radio
personalities--Bill Randle--who persuaded me to return to college to
earn a master's degree. For many years, I enjoyed my life at
Billboard, but when the magazine soured on me and I soured on what was
going on there, it was Bill Randle who eventually encouraged me carve
another career. But now it's time to hang it up. Not because of
a football player who needed to be taught an important lesson, but
because I find it increasingly difficult to teach that particular kind
of lesson as well as how to write. Life has, however, been good to
me." Claude Hall
(claudehall@yahoo.com)
THERE NEVER
WAS, NOR WILL THERE EVER BE, A 25 TO 54 DEMO:
Each year the staff at Beloit College in Wisconsin puts together a
list to try to give the faculty a sense of the mindset of this year's
incoming freshmen.
It also serves as proof
positive the demographic categories on which programmers base their
stations appeal are bogus.
Here is a portion of this
year's list:
1. The people
entering college in the Fall have no meaningful recollection of the
Reagan Era and probably did not know he had ever been shot.
2. They were
prepubescent when the Persian Gulf War was waged.
3. Black
Monday, 1987 is about as significant to them as the Great
Depression.
4. There has
been only one Pope.
5. Tianamen
Square means nothing to them.
6. Bottle caps
have always been screw off and plastic.
7. Atari
predates them, as do vinyl albums.
8. The
expression "You sound like a broken record" means nothing to
them. They have never owned a record player.
9. They have
likely never played Pac Man and have never heard of Pong.
10. The Compact Disc
was introduced when they were 1 year old.
11. They have always
had cable.
12. There have
always been VCRs, but they have no idea what BETA was.
13. They were born
the year that Walkmans were introduced by Sony.
14. Roller skating
has always meant "inline" for them.
15. Jay Leno has
always been the host of the Tonight Show.
16. Popcorn has
always been cooked in the microwave.
17. They can't
imagine what hard contact lenses are.
18. Kansas, Chicago,
Boston, America, and Alabama are places, not rock bands.
19. There has always
been MTV.
*** Creating
a format with an appeal that spans 29 years is a monumental effort.
Attempting to grow an audience on either side of any given Demo is
even more futile. I predict the time is approaching where
formats will not be based on demographic categories, but rather on the
"compatibility of sound" within the format. (Geez,
that sounds familiar!) *** ART ROBERTS
(My thanks to Bob Dearborn
for submitting this year's list from Beloit College which inspired
this analogy.)
WE LOST
ANOTHER FRIEND: Dave Debo,
WGRZ TV - Buffalo, NY informs us that former Buffalo (WEBR, WBEN, WKBW)
news announcer Ed Little died this past Thursday (5/17). RIP
KNOCK KNOCK
... WHO'S THERE? Quincy.
Quincy Jones. Quincy, who helped shape American music from Jazz
to Hip Hop, has officially joined the XM Satellite Radio Artists
Family, embarking on a multi-year partnership to help build and
promote XM's revolutionary radio service. Quincy's won 26 Grammy
Awards. XM is getting a better lineup than the Dallas Cowboys
had during their dynasty days.
STAYING IN
STEP WITH MY PAL PERRY: "I
took a course in speed waiting. Now I can wait an hour in only
ten minutes."
KEEP UP WITH
RADIO NEWS ON A DAILY BASIS: Thanks
to Larry Shannon we have a NEW feature. Daily reports about
Radio. Check in EVERY day. www.radiodailynews.com
WEBBER OF THE WEEK: This week we have one
for the "anagram enthusiast." Plug-in the word
"dictionary" and see what happens!
RADIO
CONSOLIDATION 2000 ... THE JOHN ROOK PROPHECY:
Is the glass half empty or half filled? This has been a burning
question ever since radio stations have been gobbled up by one
another. Have the consolidations been good for radio and the
listener? One recent merger resulted in a "talent night"
to bring together executives in a show of solidarity and
companionship. This photo is a group of market managers singing the
jingles from 72 of their radio stations.
I'm afraid the horse
is out of the barn, as a result today's radio is totally in the
hands of the bean counters, after all they must find a way to pay
back all those dollars they spent on monopolizing. Was I
the only radio person back in 1996 that was shouting concern
the Telecommunications Act would bring about? The
fear of losing one's job kept everyone in radio quiet then, or they
just were not able to see the forest for the tree's.... JR
F Y I: FCC Leader. Michael Powell,
new FCC chairman, was profiled last month in Fortune magazine and
his pro-market moderate Republican views have shaped recent
decisions on further deregulation. The son of Colin Powell,
Michael was just four years out of law school and 34 years of age
when President Clinton appointed him to the FCC. Once upon a
time, the Commission was involved in the business of punishing those
who said potty words on the air. This is the era of media
convergence and the Internet. The agency is scrutinizing
billion-dollar telecom merges or auctioning off spectrum for
cellular phone service.
Michael joined the army
and rose to the rank of first lieutenant. His military life
was cut short in 1987 when his jeep flipped over during a training
exercise. The accident left him with a shattered pelvis.
At 24, he spent a year in the hospital undergoing a series of
operations. By the early 1990s he was at Georgetown studying
law.
THERE ARE ALWAYS
TWO SIDES!!!! Andrew Ashwood brings us
ROUND TWO.
"I'll probably get
torched, by some, for doing this, but I can't keep quiet. What
I'm about to respond, let me make this perfectly clear...has NOTHING
to do with anyone else at CLEAR CHANNEL, but ME. I have the
privilege of being at "Ground Zero" of CLEAR CHANNEL, as
the OM/PD of the Flagship Properties (including the namesake of the
company, NewsRadio1200 WOAI), here in San Antonio, so I have had a
front row seat to the on going evolution of my company.
First off, I know some
of you and in fact have worked with a couple of you. I know
that through the years, you may have worked for either Clear
Channel, JACOR, or AMFM. Maybe, you competed in one of their
markets, or you might still do business with a Clear Channel
property, in some form or fashion. One way or the other, you
are aware of the company and how it has grown.
I'm not going to bore
anyone by going over point by point, of RON'S concerns or the
SALON.com article, but I want to merely ask a few questions and add
a few (obvious) observations...
RON, you say
you've never met RANDY, yet you take one article off the internet
and you are ready to indict him and all of those who work in the
Clear Channel radio division. WHY? Do you actually know for a
fact, that all, or some of the alleged discretion's are TRUE or NOT?
(i.e. "recently acquired" WHAS, Louisville has been a part
of the CCR group since the 80's, hardly "recently
acquired", now is it? Plus how come the article never
talks about a division within Clear Channel, called "CLEAR
CAUSE" that is specifically designed to focus on Cause
marketing projects, including the National Child I D Program, just
to name one on going effort)
As long as RANDY has
been in the business, when has he, along with his management team,
NOT played to WIN, through Creative, out of the box, Staff,
Programming, and Promotions? I can't help but believe that was
one of the major assets, that attracted our company to merge with
them!
As long as you are going
to go after Clear Channel for doing what is the legal right as a
business to do, and that is grow through strategic acquisitions,
that make $en$e, when building SHAREHOLDER VALUE, which as a public
company, is next to protecting the license, servicing our clients,
and creating or accessing the most COMPELLING PRODUCTS, PROGRAMMING
and TALENT, 24/7, why aren't you targeting Major Multi Media
conglomerates like, VIACOM/CBS-Infinity, DISNEY-ABC, GE-NBC, and
AOLTimeWarner, as well?
YES, things have changed
some, as a PRODUCT MANAGER, I am constantly factoring in how, every
decision, I make impacts REVENUE and ultimately...THE BOTTOMLINE!
As a young buck CHR P D, I rarely, if ever, thought about that.
Times have changed and unless we keep up with the BUSINESS
REALITIES, the stations I'm responsible will fail, and people
(employees, clients, listeners, and shareholders) will suffer.
Have there been HUMAN CASUALTIES? Damn straight, but that has
always been the case, especially in an EGO Based environment like
ours. Gees, I don't want to count all the times, I've been
tossed out the door. But like most of you, I love this
business and can't imagine doing anything else, so I picked myself
up and fought for another chance to Practice and Improve MY
PASSION!
Do I like everything
that is going on in my company...I'M NOT SURE, yet. All I know
is that three and a half years ago, MARK MAYS, our President,
encouraged and implored us to be ready to "EMBRACE
CHANGE", so that's what we are doing. It's not always
easy and I for one, think, not all the rules for this type of
business environment have been written in stone, but then again,
what the heck are we absolutely sure of?
RON, I respect your
passion, obviously it's that type of passion that led to you
becoming one of our industry's TRUE LEGENDS and you touched allot of
people who also shared that passion and your vision for great radio.
That PASSION is still alive and being practiced by the people I
regularly interface within CLEAR CHANNEL, with the complete
endorsement and encouragement of the powers above, whether you want
to believe it or not!
Finally, I reiterate,
that I'm writing this for myself and no one else within my company
encouraged me to do so, because you see, not everything I do every
day has to be signed off by some suit, as long as I believe in what
I'm doing and/or saying!
I can tell you for a
fact, that since JACOR merged with us and the new corporate
structure was put in place, all I have been offered was help,
through the vast resources that a company like ours, continues to
gather, to improve the quality of my Products and ways to help our
staff grow and therefore, we have a chance to make an even BIGGER
Revenue & Ratings impact. HELLO...BETTER SOUNDING RADIO
STATIONS, normally lead to MORE $$$$'s! What's wrong with that
philosophy?
Does consolidation mean
less jobs? In a $en$e yes, but what it really means, that those of
lesser talent/ability, will either have to find ways to improve,
adjust, or adapt or rethink their future as a radio professional, in
order to make room for those more qualified. HARSH...but true, but
when hasn't this been a part of our business? Another person's
opinion... THANKS for your consideration.
DARE To Be Great!
GETTIN' GEARED
UP ... JUST IN TIME: XM Radio shot their SECOND
satellite into space on May 8 at 3:10 pm PDT. XM sez they will
be on the air "sat-casting" by the end of the summer.
Check out their Web site at www.xmradio.com
... We've got a link to it at www.radiodailynews.com
SEE, YOU WEREN'T
REALLY TERMINATED -- YOU WERE CONSOLIDATED:
Connie Herrera, the
producer of Kevin McCarthy's talk show on KLIF was
fired by the station last week. Dan Bennett, VP / Market
Manager for Susquehanna Radio Corp. called her termination a
"consolidation move". Rumors started
flying about Kevin, who has been on indefinite medical leave, but
KLIF swears he is coming back. Scott Anderson's show has
been expanded to four hours to cover
Kevin's time slot.
KEEP UP WITH
RADIO NEWS ON A DAILY BASIS: Thanks to Larry
Shannon we have a NEW feature. Daily reports about Radio.
Check in EVERY day. www.radiodailynews.com
RADIO TODAY THRU
THE EYES OF MY PAL PERRY: "My station has
really cut back. I have the oldest typewriter in the world.
It types in pencil."
WTMI, MIAMI'S
CLASSICAL MUSIIC STATION, SLOGAN: "The
greatest hits of the 1700's, 1800's, and 1900's."
WEBBER OF THE WEEK: Palm reading goes
as far back as people care to remember ... but digital palm reading?
Will wonders never cease?
05/06/2001
RON JACOBS SPEAKS OUT: "Bully: an
insolent, overbearing person who persists in tormenting another."
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary.
For five years past and present radio
people and listeners have been bugging me about the decline of
commercial radio in America.
Until I read that piece I thought Randy
Michaels -- whom I've never met and now certainly don't care to --
possessed some redeeming values. Hey, another morning man, I thought.
For decades we cheered for the guys who came up through programming
and made it big. For decades we in radio believed - and acted on that
belief - that it was a working part of our job to serve the community
interest as well as to entertain and make a buck.
It appears that ideal has been almost
singularly destroyed by Michaels.
Example from Salon: Clear Channel, owners
of WNUA-Chicago, closed down the station's "Cares for Kids
Foundation," which according to Salon, raised hundreds of
thousands of dollars for charity
Another example: Salon advises that WHAS-Louisville,
newly acquired by CC, informed officials of the "Great Balloon
Race," a Kentucky Derby tradition for two decades, that the
station now wanted to be paid to air the event.
What finally got me totally pissed off in
the Salon piece was the bit about Michaels taping and then firing the
AMFM guys. This took place in what the victims thought was a social
scene before Michaels got his hands on the stations where they worked.
Michaels is not even about radio
listeners. He is only about money and power -including the abuse of
power.
In the radio Mission Statement at Clear
Channel's corporate website http://www.clearchannel.com/radio/index.html
CEO Michaels uses the word "listener" exactly once:
"Clear Channel stations broadcast to over 110 million listeners
every week." But he tosses around money words like a like a
boiler room stock hustler: "Total industry revenue...distinct
formats...total company revenue...fiscal year 2000...advertising
demand...targeted demographics...strategic acquisitions ...mergers...
unduplicated collection of assets..." How soulful.
Michaels' stations -- all 1,170 of them
(depending how many were bought overnight) -- clog the airwaves in
every state, in 47 of the top 50 markets. Don't count on leaving the
country to escape this media mediocrity -- Clear Channel owns
"approximately" 240 radio stations outside the U.S. Then
there's Premiere Radio Networks, headlined by Rush Limbaugh and Laura
Schlessinger aired on hundreds of affiliates claiming over 180 million
listeners weekly. The Katz Media Group represents 2,000-plus radio
stations. Then there's the concert promotion division and their
700,000 billboards.
Clear Channel's tentacles are strangling
the nearly extinct local operator. According to Salon the voracious
corporation has more snuff tactics in the works. Michaels concludes
his mission with a combination of corporate babble and a sports
metaphor, albeit one that ignores the legendary Fat Lady: "The
opportunities for synergies among all these Clear Channel divisions
are explosive are in the very early innings."
What can we do? Plenty.
If you are reading this you are into
communications one way or another. Probably professionally and pretty
good at it. We have something new, (it pains me to say it), that can
act swifter and with more precision than radio. So, let's get truckin'
on the Info Highway, guys and gals!
This job can be accomplished without
imposing on anyone trapped in Randy Michaels' Gulag. They need their
jobs.
First, email this to everyone you know.
Like I used to say when a station had a 20 share and the jocks got
cocky, "All that means is that 80% ain't with us. Let's go for
100%."
If anyone else agrees with me that it's
time to blow the whistle on Randy Michaels, CEO of Clear Channel
Communications' radio division, I'll volunteer as an ad hoc organizer
-- if I can recruit some helpers. (Re-read my first sentence. You
wanna bitch -- or do something?)
Needed, in no particular priority but all
of equal import, are:
* A committee of well-intentioned souls to
handle various housekeeping.
* Communications attorney, civil rights
attorney
* Some issue-oriented spokespersons armed
with Michaels/Clear Channel facts and anecdotes. Should be some of
those reading this.
* Suggestions for a name for Our Protest
Group.
* Honorary Board types to hopefully
recruit: Ralph Nader, activist; Shawn Fanning, Napster, founder; Gov.
Mario Cuomo, Willkie Farr & Gallagher, New York, Walter Cronkite,
CBS News, emeritus; Studs Terkel, author and oral historian; Hon.
Patricia S. Schroeder, President & CEO, Association of American
Publishers; Warren Beatty, film producer-director-actor; Norman
Mailer, author, retired boxer; Kweisi Mfume, President & Chief
Executive Officer, NAACP; Christie Hefner, Chairman & CEO, Playboy
Enterprises, Inc.; Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director, ACLU; Dr.
Cornell West, author, social commentator; Harvard University; Norman
Corwin, distinguished radio director and writer; Doris Kearns Goodwin,
historian, author; Rev. Al Sharpton, civil rights activist; Steven
Stills, musician, composer; Dr.Tom Goldstein, Dean, Columbia Graduate
School of Journalism; Steve Dasbach, National Director, Libertarian
Party; Erin Brokavich, environmental activist; Jann Wenner, founder,
Rolling Stone magazine; Bill Press, political analyst, CNN; Pete
Hamill. journalist, author; Patricia Ireland, President, NOW; Paul
Krassner, founder of The Realist, free spirit and black belt in Social
Protest; (feel free to add on and on.)
* Politically hip people with experience
in sending bulk email to legislators are needed.
* Web site designer(s) and/or host(s) to
stay on top of this until it is launched and update when needed.
* A graphic artist to come up with the
perfect Anti-Michaels/Clear Channel logo.
* Graphic representation of how Michaels'
"Evil Empire" is smothering American radio.
* Develop a list of people to bury with
email, like:
L. Lowry Mays, Chairman and CEO, Clear
Channel Communications, (Randy Michaels' boss); Mark Mays, President
and COO, Clear Channel Communications; Randall Mays; Executive VP and
CFO, Clear Channel Communications; major Clear Channel stockholders
such as mutual funds, institutions; FCC Chairman Michael J. Powell:
FCC bureaucrats who check license, renewals, readings, logs, SOP's --
you know the type: Local, regional and national Clear Channel
advertisers (the animal killing "promotions" would make an
interesting lead); Local, regional and national ad agencies;
Mainstream media like 20/20, New York Times, NEWSWEEK; Alternate media
like Matt Drudge, Los Angeles Free Press and whoever you can add to
the list.
And most of all -- the legislators whose
cities, counties and states suffer from Clear Channel's alleged misuse
of the public airwaves, with regard to monopolistic, anti-trust and
unfair competition practices; circumvention of payola laws; imbalance
of fiscal and public service priorities; discriminatory practices --
anything that would make for a publicity generating investigation
would be very cool.
This is just a start, an opening Call to
Arms. Everything and anything is subject to suggestion and change. My
observation is that the way to deal with a tyrant is to operate in
anti-autocratic ways. We -- who ever that is, the definition starts
today -- have no Board of Directors or Federal Commission to whom we
must account.
All those who have nowhere to focus their
creativity these days can really come together and DO A NUMBER.
A peaceful and creative
Anti-Michaels/Clear Channel protest of just few hundred people at,
say, a Clear Channel stockholders meeting or a broadcast convention
will make some of the following: Rather-Brokaw-Jennings, CNN, FOX
News, MSNBC, newspapers (pass on this Randy Michaels' quote:
"Newspapers will soon be useful only to those training
puppies;" the print people should know that Clear Channel is the
"Gannett of American radio"), magazines, trade publications,
union bulletins, Internet, CSPAN and the hundreds of other new media
who weren't around when Randy Michaels was playing with radios and
alligator clips.
Just keep on shuttling this on and on. It
is bound to reach some friendly comrades in arms working at assignment
desks and city rooms.
All you news types send some hot releases
about what we are about and up to. Since we are making it up as we go
along, have a ball!
And for goodness sake, paste on the below
address of the original Salon.com story:
We're Americans. We all know that HEROES
-- not BULLIES -- fought for our right to say whatever the hell we
want, whenever we want and now using technology made in the US of A.
I'll be jonesing for feedback the moment I
hit the "Send" button.
Ron Jacobs
Kaneohe, Hawaii
May 1, 2001
In "The Ether"
* Guglielmo Marconi * Nikola Tesla * Lee de Forest * Philo T.
Farnsworth * David Sarnoff *
* William Paley * Sylvester L. "Pat" Weaver Jr. * Gordon
McLendon * Todd Storz * Alan Freed *
and the other Gods of the Airwaves are watching.
NOT ALL NEWSROOMS ARE CRUMBLY TOAST:
Congrats to WLS Newstalk 890-AM ... Honored at the Illinois News
Broadcasters Association Convention last weekend when the Illinois
Associated Press named WLS the "Station Of The Year" for its
contributions to AP's coverage of the news in 2000.
KEEP UP WITH RADIO NEWS ON A DAILY BASIS: Thanks
to Larry Shannon we have a NEW feature. Daily reports about
Radio. Check in EVERY day. www.radiodailynews.com
SAY A LITTLE PRAYER:
Rock guitarist Eddie Van Halen, leader of the band that shares his
last name, has confirmed he is battling cancer.
MARKET ADVISE FROM MY FRIEND
RICHARD:
1.
Momentum Investing - The fine art of buying high and selling low.
2. Value Investing - The art
of buying low and selling lower.
3. Broker - Poorer than you
were in 1999.
4. Standard & Poor - Your
life in a nut shell.
5.
Market Correction - The day after you buy stocks.
6.
Cisco - Side kick of Poncho.
7.
Bear Market - A 6 to 18 month period when the kids get no allowance,
the wife gets no jewelry and the husband gets no sex.
8.
Profit - Religious guy who talks to God.
9.
Bill Gates - Where God goes for a loan.
10. Alan Greenspan - God
WEBBER OF THE WEEK: This is a Candy Store
filled with info for Radio Junkies -- Those seeking a place to call
home --- Or anyone who wishes to swim through a sea of call letters.
04/29/2001
KEEP UP WITH RADIO
NEWS ON A DAILY BASIS:
Thanks to Larry Shannon we
have a NEW feature. Daily reports about Radio. Check in
EVERY day. www.radiodailynews.com
Everything radio and more!
13 Radio columns, Daily Updated Headlines, Links to ratings,
entertainment sites, radio newsletters, financial Web sites, political
Web sites, Internet info, etc.
GLOBAL ROAMINGS:
In the month of April, Art
Roberts.com received visits from 19 countries. The Netherlands
are the leaders of the pack this month, followed by Canada, United
Kingdom, Belgium, Estonia, Germany, Norway, Yugoslavia, Australia, and
Old Style Arpanet rounding out the top 10. These countries were
followed by Denmark, Greece, Macedonia, Singapore, Slovenia, American
Samoa, Spain, France and Hong Kong. Thank you for your interest
in American radio.
YOU AINT A DJ -- YOU'RE AN
ENTERPRISE:
You know what they say,
"Hindsight is 20/20." Anyone can look back and spot
their missed opportunities. But as I said many times, the words
"would've, could've, should've" DO NOT EXIST. The
survival tip for this century is to look forward, stay focused, and
devise ways to augment your income.
The easiest call is to set
up a production studio at home. All you need is your computer
screen and the best microphone you can afford. Cool Edit is an
excellent software choice -- it allows you to create a four
track studio. In this day and age it really doesn't matter what
size market you're in, the need for quality production is ever
present. And you can distribute a finished product via e-mail.
Pretty cool.
Creating a local
"Mobile DJ Business" takes a larger investment but the
rewards are very lucrative. I heard from local DJ's who are
coining upwards of $2000 per week. Once the equipment is paid
off the business becomes a gravy train. The best tip someone
advised: "Don't just stand there like a klutz, move with the
music. Have fun with the crowd. Party (man / girl),
party."
The world is your oyster.
Okay, so you don't like oysters -- pick something else. The
point is: Everybody has a bottom-line they would like to move up a
notch or two. Keep your door open, opportunity doesn't always
knock -- sometimes it just "peeks in."
FEEDBACK:
This is in response to
last week's Q&A.
"Fabulous!
This may sound silly, but I was so pleased to find your website.
I listened to you when I was a teenager and recall all those special
touches your show offered, like your tag line "This has been a
work of Art!" and "Excelsior", and your saying your
name backwards, "TraStrebor". So much for reminiscing
--- excuse me while I go pluck a few grey hairs! Aarrgghh!
Thanks so much for your enlightening my life then, and thanks for your
enlightening my life now as I seek new adventures!"
DIANE
HEEERE COMES
"ROLL!"
Launch date for XM's
second satellite, "Roll" will be May 7, somewhere in the
Pacific. It will join its "soulmate" ROCK -- and then,
let the games begin!
IT MAY BE LONELY AT THE
TOP, BUT...
There are rewards.
CEO Gerald Levin has a mere $1 million salary plus a $10 million bonus
plus Time Warner options which added up to a total of $163 million.
AOL/Time Warner Chairman Steve Case earned $73.4 million.
Michael Eisner, chairman of Walt Disney, earned $73 million.
There was a tie for fourth-place -- Viacom chairman Sumner Redstone
and his CEO Mel Karmazin each received $71 million.
So, whom do YOU work for
and how come YOU didn't get a raise??
TELECOM'S DUMP 130,000
JOBS:
Back in the old days (five
months ago) the telecommunications industry was booming. What
happened? Hundreds of billions of dollars were floating around.
Personal computers were spreading to one out of two homes. The
Internet was touted as the next "important" marketplace
boasting trillions of dollars. Hell, there was not a business
you could name that wouldn't benefit from jumping on the e-commerce
bandwagon. And then the dot-com's dried up, venture capitalists
turned their backs on small telecom carriers and ISPs who couldn't
show a profit for five years. High speed Internet access
companies were terribly inflated (some priced as high as $110 a share
are trading as low as 25 cents and will probably disappear.)
Even AT&T says it might leave the local phone business because it
is not profitable. Without competition consumers lose choices,
and you can bet that without choices, prices go up. What
happened? THEY did it to us again!
30 YEARS OF LEADERSHIP:
Doesn't seem like 30
years! May 3, NPR's "All Things Considered," and its three
hosts, Noah Adams, Robert Siegel and Linda Wertheimer, celebrate 30
years on the air.
EXPRESSIONS FOR HIGH
STRESS DAYS FROM MY PAL PERRY:
10. Well, aren't we just a
ray of damn sunshine?
9. Make yourself at home -
clean my kitchen....
8. Not the brightest
crayon in the box are we now?
7. Don't bother me, I'm
living happily ever after...
6. I like cats too....
Let's exchange recipes....
5. I'm trying to imagine
you with a personality....
4. I just want revenge; is
that so wrong?
3. A woman's favorite
position is CEO....
2. And which dwarf are
you?
1. Hello, Tech Support?
How do I set a laser printer to stun???
WEBBER OF THE WEEK:
If you had this many
magazines piled up by your front door you would never, I said NEVER
get through your front door.
04/22/2001
KEEP UP WITH RADIO NEWS ON
A DAILY BASIS:
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about Radio. Check in EVERY day. www.radiodailynews.com
Everything radio and more! Links to
ratings, entertainment sites, radio newsletters, financial Web sites,
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Remember -- Click to it EVERY DAY. www.radiodailynews.com
STREAMING -- RADIO CAUGHT BETWEEN
A ROCK & A HARDPLACE:
There are two aspects to the streaming issue. The first is
music. People I'm talking with believe that can be resolved if
the position that is taken by the stations is that they are streaming
regular programming that is the same as what is on their on-air
signals. Legal minds that are better than mine believe this
could be resolved in favor of the radio stations with no additional
fees.
However, the SAG/AFTRA issue is another
problem. If stations begin to replace union spots with PSA's or
other content, then they're not streaming 100% of what is on their
on-air signal, and that weakens the above argument concerning the
music. So, although covering union spots may get streaming going
again, it may not be a good policy in the long run.
The people who are really getting hurt by the temporary end of
streaming are the AM stations who depend on the internet to get them
into places where the signals won't go, like offices, etc. We
have received 15 emails from people who are upset that we had to stop
streaming. You might want to check our web site for my
"editorial" on the streaming issue that pops up when you
click on our listen button. www.kwed1580.com.
I can't believe that AFTRA is complaining about being criticized for
the talent issue on internet spots. They started the whole
problem, and now they're acting like they are the victims. What
BS.
Rush Limbaugh made a mistake on Monday of this week when he launched
into a tirade against stations that had stopped streaming his show due
to the AFTRA/SAG problem. He has received a lot of email from
stations suggesting that he remember who got him to where he is today
by broadcasting his program. El Rushbo has come down on the
wrong side on this deal. I would bet he will revise his position
in the next few days.
Hal Widsten
'BOUT TIME SOMEONE SAID SOMETHING
GOOD 'BOUT RADIO: Years
ago, I applied for a job at a small East Texas radio station. I
guess they didn't get a lot of applicants because the owner came to a
quick hiring decision, and told me "Your day off will be from
noon Saturday to noon Sunday." And I said, "That's not
a day off!" And he said, "It's 24 hours, ain't
it?" The point being, every era in our industry has had a
share of "the good, the bad, and the real ugly.
Deregulation has given us a whole new set of uglies! It seems
that most of what you read today zero's in on the dark side of radio
without crossing the road that leads to sunshine.
There is lots of sunshine. Every
week I print comments from folks just like you, many of which glorify
their position in radio and exude passion for the industry that has
afforded them "a good life." Firings, layoffs, changes
in management or format have always been "events you cope
with" in radio. They are not anything negotiable, merely a
fact of life. Complaining accomplishes nothing. It is like
playing pro football and telling the coach "I enjoy the game, I
just don't like getting hit."
There are still good markets that are
worthy of your talent and good radio stations that treat people like
family. My dear friend Jonathan has spent his entire career in
Madison, Wisconsin. In fact, I can name quite a few people who
have carved out a "righteous career" without bouncing off
unfriendly walls. Right in my backyard in Gardnerville NV, the
local station (KGVM) is a shining example. The owner's, Lloyd
and Caroline, service the communities of Gardnerville and Minden and
provide the area with prime programming and a steady diet of local
news. Their morning personality has been there for a dozen or
more years. Chris is a joy to listen to every morning -- he is
fast, funny, in tune with today, and very consistent. (Let's not
forget the contentment that goes along with stability.)
Radio is an industry that offers many
choices. You can live and work in "Small Market" USA.
Scratch out a living at a suburban station while dreaming of the big
bucks in the larger market "down the road a piece."
Or fight the major market mayhem. Which one would you pick?
Which ever, quitcha bitchin'. ART ROBERTS
FEEDBACK:
Morning, Art -- another Art here. As a former broadcaster
(1959-1980), I couldn't agree with you more about the FCC actions
concerning what can and cannot be said on the electric radio.
While language is dynamic and reflects a society during a specific
period of its history, there is no reason
professional broadcasters should adopt the language of the street --
or back
alley. I always kept one criteria in mind as whether or not a
"bit" was
appropriate -- would I want my five-year-old to hear it on the radio.
Nice work! Art Jones
ROLL DOWN YOUR WINDOWS AND TURN
THE RADIO UP REAL LOUD:
Good things happen to good people. Ken "Hubcap"
Carter, my favorite oldies jock in the whole wide world is cooking on
Saturday nights on KAAM 770 AM in Dallas/Fort Worth. The list of
stations carrying his show across the country is growing rapidly.
Hubcap should be in your market! E-mail him at Hubcap3@swbell.net
or go to www.hubcapcarter.com
ALIENS CIRCLING MOTHER EARTH
REJOICE: Art
Bell is the newest Super Talent to be Heard on XM Satellite Radio.
The variety and quality in XM RADIO programming fulfills their promise
of "Something for Everyone." Anybody seen my dog?
He was right here a second ago. What's that light? HEY,
get that thing outa my nose!
WE LOST ANOTHER FRIEND:
One of Chicago's great engineers, Al Urbanski, has died. He
became ill at work Wednesday, and was taken to Northwestern Hospital
where he went into a coma and passed away early that afternoon.
As of this writing funeral arrangements are pending. Our thanks
to Bob Dearborn, his friend for many years, for alerting us to this
tragic news.
PROMOTER BAILS OUT WUSN US99
JOCKS: SFX,
promoter of the George Strait Concert in Chicago on May 26th will hand
out wrist bands to all the US 99 personnel that will be working the
crowd that night, relieving them of the burden of having to pay for
their own tickets. Look for this practice to become the
"norm" in other markets where conglomerates seek ways to cut
their expenses. What's next? How about $150 a plate
station Christmas parties?
MUSICAL MUSING FOR AGING JOCKS
FROM MY PAL PERRY:
(Sung to "My Favorite Things")
Maalox and nosedrops and needles for
knittin',
Walkers and handrails and new dental fittin's,
Bundles of magazines tied up with string,
These are a few of my favorite things.
Cadillacs, cataracts, hearing aids,
glasses,
Polident, Fixodent, false teeth in glasses,
Pacemakers, golf carts and porches with swings,
These are a few of my favorite things.
When the pipes leak, When the bones creak,
When the knees go bad,
Then I remember my favorite things And then I don't feel so bad.
Hot tea and crumpets, and corn pads for
bunions,
No spicy hot food nor food cook'd with onions,
Bathrobes and heat pads and hot meals they bring,
These are a few of my favorite things.
Back pains, confused brains, and no fear
of sinnin',
Thin bones and fractures and hair that is thinnin'.
And we won't mention our short shrunken frames
When we remember our favorite things.
When the joints ache, when the hips break,
When the eyes grow dim,
Then I remember the great life I've had, And then I don't feel so bad.
THEN I REMEMBER THE GREAT LIFE I'VE HAD, AND THEN I DON'T FEEL SOOOO
BAAAAD !!!!
WEBBER OF THE WEEK:
Funny Signs. Funny Headlines. Funny Classifieds.
Funnee Stuff.
FCC RAISING THE BAR ON
OBSCENITY: The
Federal Communications Commission put out a 28 page document that
spelled out the regulations governing indecent broadcasts.
Reading the document shows the FCC is between a rock and a hard place.
Our blessed Supreme Court has ruled that obscene speech does not get
First Amendment protection -- but speech that is classified as
"indecent" is protected by the First Amendment.
Go figure! The songs, jokes and quotes that were cited reads
like a dirty dime novel, using language that would make a cashier of
an adult bookstore blush. Shame on you.
I don't care how many stations are under
the umbrella of any conglomerate there is no excuse for allowing an
employee -- any employee -- to repeatedly control the flow of
obscene and indecent language and conduct interviews that serve no
one's agenda except their own. Shock Jocks be damned!
Their name is not on the license. In an era where the majority
are crying out for less Government Control, Radio is begging for the
Fed's to intervene. And that my friend spells trouble -- with a
Capital "T" -- in River City.
$14,000 INDECENCY FINE WALLOPS
EMMIS: "Mancows
Morning Madhouse" on WKQX (Q-101) in Chicago, featuring Morning
Mouth Mancow Muller, has placed his employer (Emmis) in hot water with
the FCC in Chicago. Facing an indecency fine of $14,000, WKQX is
accused of airing two discussions featuring graphic sexual behavior.
In the first, three women discussed their sex lives. The next
offense, an adult film star described in great detail a sexual
technique used in the filming of a scene. Emmis has 30 days to
appeal. No comment from either side.
Meanwhile, Mancow's contract ends in July,
and his ratings ain't that great. Looks like a no-brainer to me.
AFTRA AFTER OURS:
First it was the RIAA. Now AFTRA is leaning on the Streaming
money tree, in anticipation of the leaves turning green. What
AFTRA is hoping for is to charge radio stations that stream on the
Internet a per spot fee that would be around $1000. Most radio
stations are broadcasting existing programming on the Internet, and
revenue on pure Internet sites is not there to support a "grand
per spot" AFTRA fee. So, stations are cutting their
streaming all over the country. But wait a minute -- a knight in
shining armor is charging up the hill. There are a few Internet
companies that have developed the technology to offer "ad
replacement" ability, or offer a similar solution to
stations using a Digital automation system. That means that any
radio station streaming on the Internet will be able to replace one
spot with another, or run a PSA. This may not only solve Radio's
problem, it might very well point the way to a brand new profit
center.
WAY TO GO JAY: Jay
Marvin is not only a great talk show host on WLS in Chicago, he is
also an equally adept artist. His work will enhance the cover of
Tom Russell's new CD "Borderland."
XM EXPECTING ... DUE DATE
SEPTEMBER: XM
Satellite Radio says it will be ready to roll by the end of September.
XM radios will be available in stores and offered as an option on some
Cadillac models, and Peterbilt trucks. XM will also be
demonstrating more than 20 of its digital-quality channels via
satellite to certain cars at the New York Auto Show. They are
predicting 100,000 customers by the end of the year. I can
hardly wait.
'NUTHER COUNTRY STATION IN NAWLINZ:
New Orleans has never been
a great "Country Market." Just too much music in that
city. So, WONE has been allowed to satisfy the country fans of
southern Louisiana. Cajun Country 107.1 is the new kid on the
block. The slogan is "Today's Hot Country And Yesterdays
Favorites." The problem is their signal doesn't cover the
entire city. They will service the Northshore and go from a
Metairie to Kenner. But I'll tell you what -- there are enough
cars and bars in that area to keep any station afloat. Good
luck, y'all.
WE'VE GOTTA TIGHTEN OUR BELTS GANG: US -
99 (WUSN 99.5 IN CHICAGO) is the official station for the George
Strait country music Festival on May 26. All the on-air staff
must attend and work the crowd. That's the good news. The
bad news is -- everyone has to buy their own tickets to the concert.
No freebees. All the free tickets will be given away for prizes. See,
the station is cutting expenses. The cheapest seats cost $29.50.
And they're out on the lawn.
Let's put this in perspective. US -
99 is America's most listened to country music station. They are
owned by Infinity Broadcasting. They're the number one billing
station in Chicago. Made a little over $46 million last
year. Now they want their staff to pay for their own "CHEAP
SEATS." It was $46 million for crying out loud!
BIG MAN IN TEXAS:
The new voice of Big Tex for the State Fair of Texas is Ray Stolz of
Houston. Ray will fill the boots of the legendary Jim Lowe who passed
away last year.
SILVER DOLLAR SURVEY OF THE WEEK:
Thanks to our
contributors:
1. Rick
"Hogmann" Rumick
2. Scott
Childers, midday host at WINDY 100 FM in Chicago,
3. Ron Smith, who was my music
director at WKQX in Chicago
"Ron Smith presents Oldies Music
Charts, trivia & events of the music
of the 50's, 60's & 70's"
1. Don't put all of your eggs
in one basket
2. Everyone needs a friend who is all ears
3. There's no such thing as too much candy
4. A cute little tail attracts a lot of attention
5. Everyone is entitled to a bad hare day
6. Some body parts should be floppy
7. Keep your paws off other people's jellybeans
8. The grass is always greener in someone else's basket
9. To show your true colors you have to come out of your
shell
10. The best things in life are still sweet and gooey
WEBBER OF THE WEEK: What
is your favorite fortune telling method? Fortune cookie?
The little black eight-ball that brings answers floating up to you?
A crystal ball? All of these and Murphy's Laws ...
04/08/2001
MACK'S BACK: Last week we told you Bill
Mack was hanging up to his headset and retiring. Bill has been
"The voice in the cab" of just about every Peterbilt truck
or any other truck that a man or woman could drive, rolling down the
midnight highway. Good news for his many fans across the
country! Bill will be broadcasting his show on XM Satellite
Radio under the flag of "Freedom to choose the music you play and
the artists you interview." Sounds like the "Old
Days."
PAUL'S GONE:
Jon Schweitzer, Senior VP/GM, Newsradio 620 WTMJ / 94.5 WKTI (in
Milwaukee) said: "More than a year ago Paul LeSage
told me that when Miller Park opens he will be talking to me about
"checking out." So, it is my bittersweet duty to tell
you that Paul has announced his retirement from Journal Broadcast
Group, effective April 30th of this year."
Paul is my dear friend who
spent 18 wonderful years at Journal Broadcast Group WTMJ Radio as
Director of Sports Marketing. Art Roberts.com wishes Paul and
his new bride the very best.
RATINGS? WE
DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' RATINGS!
If Clear Channel Communications splits from Arbitron, the survey
company stands to lose $14 million. Could happen! CCC sent
a letter to ARB stating that the radio giant does not intend to
subscribe to any future Arbitron ratings surveys in the 130 markets
currently under negotiation. The letter adds that CCC looks
forward to "continued discussions." Well, at least the
door is still open -- or partially opened -- or maybe just cracked
open. Or maybe, they are just "bucking for a better
rate."
SICK? I'LL
SHOW YOU SICK ... !
Last week we told you the saga of "Bubba the Love Sponge" --
the morning jock in Tampa FL who broadcast live the killing and
castration of a baby pig. Well, the animal rights group ADAPTT made
Bubba their poster boy. But radio analysts are saying "Aint
no big deal." While the incident is the talk of the town in
Tampa, in today's radio industry it is looked upon somewhere between
an unimportant issue to a non-issue. The fact that advertisers
peeled off the station like bad paint on a brick wall doesn't seem to
matter either. You see, Bubba is only syndicated on a few
stations. That can be erased in a heartbeat. And if it
wasn't for the trade press blabbermouths, the whole incident would be
tucked in the bottom drawer of "Broadcast History."
What are we playing, a game of Limbo? "How LOW can you go?
AINT THAT A
KICK IN THE HEAD:
Microsoft has announced they will be offering a free online music
service. Users will be able to create their own radio station
made up of songs based on style, tempo, and mood. No, you won't
be able to download the music, but the service will be offering
hundreds of thousands of songs. This will be a programmers
Paradise.
WE LOST
ANOTHER FRIEND:
Gene Barry passed away (4/2) of diabetes. He was a radio legend
in Dayton OH, who started his career at WING in 1945, and spent 45
years on the air. Gene was 77.
WEB SITES
COMIN' ON STRONG:
Here's the 10 most successful radio Web sites, according to The
Media Audit.
WNNX / Atlanta (4.5%)
KMJX / Little Rock (4.3%)
WEGR / Memphis (4.1%)
WIVK / Knoxville (3.5%)
KFMB-F / San Diego (3.3%)
WTKS / Orlando (2.9%)
KQRC / Kansas City (2.8%)
KQRS / Minneapolis-St Paul (2.6%)
WDCG / Raleigh-Durham (2.6%)
KRFX / Denver (2.4%)
IT'S THE
E-MAIL, STUPID!:
Until radio station promotions and programming folks learn to use
e-mail effectively for radio station marketing, the Internet will be
that thing they haven't quite figured out. Their promotion and
marketing minds have been on music selection, CD and money giveaways
and jock appearances. If they've thought about using the Internet,
they've focused on music and voice streaming. The quality of the
Internet is based on the speed of the stream. If you've got a
56K modem, you won't enjoy the same music and voice quality, and
consistency, that cable, DSL and T1's provide. So, programmers
and promoters need to use what's best and most popular about the
Internet right now -- e-mail! E-mail sells. A survey
reports that E-mail is second only to phone calls as the preference
for communicating. If you're into programming or marketing,
start thinking about using the vast quantity of e-mail addresses you
have stored in your e-mail servers. They are potential rating
percentage points that need to be stroked and cultivated.
Larry Shannon
SILVER
DOLLAR SURVEY OF THE WEEK:
Thanks to our contributors:
1. Rick "Hogmann"
Rumick
2. Scott Childers,
midday host at WINDY 100 FM in Chicago,
3. Ron Smith,
who was my music director at WKQX in Chicago
"Ron Smith presents
Oldies Music Charts, trivia & events of the music
of the 50's, 60's &
70's"
DJ ONE LINERS
CIRCA 2001 FROM MY PAL PERRY:
1. The closest
I ever got to a 4.0 in high school was my blood alcohol content.
2. Home is
where you can say anything you like 'cause nobody listens to you
anyway.
3. I live in
my own little world, but it's ok, they know me here.
4. I don't do
drugs anymore 'cause I find I get the same effect just by standing up
really fast.
5. I don't
have a big ego, I'm way too cool for that.
6. If women
can have PMS, then men can have ESPN.
7. There are
two sides to every divorce: Yours and shithead's.
8. Here's a
shopping tip: You can get shoes for 85 cents at bowling alleys.
9. Isn't
having a smoking section in a restaurant like having a peeing section
in a swimming pool?
10. Every time I
walk into a singles bar I can hear Mom's wise words: "Don't pick
that up, you don't know where it's been."
WEBBER OF
THE WEEK: Here
is a source of great "talk material" from Parade. It
is free. All you need to do is send in your e-mail address.
You can also sign up for clips to use on the air. Parade sends
articles each day from their magazine and also suggests a topic you
can use for audience feedback.
04/01/2001
THE RUMOR THAT WOULDN'T DIE:
Government agencies and members of Congress have spent the
last year trying to kill a rumor about an e-mail tax, a tax that has
no basis in reality, a tax that was invented on the internet.
But phantom bill 602P, which allegedly would levy a 5-cent tax on
every e-mail, continues to generate thousands of angry letters to
legislators from people all over the country. "The sheer
number of contacts Congressional offices get on the 602P hoax shows
the extent to which the Internet has become such an integral part of
the lives of
average Americans," said Tina Beth Burton, spokeswoman for the
Information Technology Association of America. And it's not just
average Americans the rumor is affecting. Senator Hillary Rodham
Clinton and Rep. Rick Lazio even discussed the tax proposal on
national TV. Lazio called it, "...an example of the
government's greedy hand, in trying to take money from taxpayers that,
frankly, it has no right to." More like an example of
people believing what-ever they read.
SILVER DOLLAR
SURVEY OF THE WEEK: YEP,
we'll have a new one every week as long as the supply line lasts.
Let me introduce you to our contributors:
1. Rick "Hogmann"
Rumick
2. Scott Childers,
midday host at WINDY 100 FM in Chicago,
3. Ron Smith,
who was my music director at WKQX in Chicago
"Ron Smith presents
Oldies Music Charts, trivia & events of the music
of the 50's, 60's &
70's"
AND THE HITS JUST
KEEP ON COMIN':
Once again, our neighbors to the North -- Canada -- leads the pack of
14 countries that have visited Art Roberts.com. They are
followed by the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina,
Netherlands, France, Spain, Germany, and Austria rounding out the top
10. After that -- Denmark, the Russian Federation, Taiwan
and Greece. Welcome all.
HELPING OUT AN OLD
FRIEND: Friends
of Doug Sahm, leader of The Sir Douglas Quintet and The Texas
Tornado's (Formed in 1996 with Doug Sahm, Flaco Jimenez, Freddy
Fender, & Augie Meyers) are soliciting your help in getting
Douglas Wayne Sahm (November 6, 1941 - November 18, 1999) and The Sir
Douglas Quintet nominated to the ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME.
Their biggest hits were: "She's about a mover" &
"Mendocino."
Vote on line NOW.
ONE OUT OF THREE
AINT BAD: You
were right on target picking Julia Roberts for the best actress award.
Then we all watched in horror as Russell Crowe, displaying the
personality of a bookend, won the best actor award. And it was
definitely "A salt in the wound moment" when the "XFL
Pick of the Week" movie -- Gladiator -- was given the best movie
award. Wait till next year.
RADIO IS STILL
"THEATRE OF THE MIND": Elvis
Duran at Z-100 in New York told listeners that Eisenhower Park in
Nassau County was slated to be a new landfill. He even
interviewed a lady who backed him up, saying she was a key state
government official. The Nassau County Parks Department were
flooded with calls, "Road Rage" calls. HA-HA,
GOTTCHA!
WHERE AHRRRRRR
YOU? John
Fletcher is trying to locate one of his former DJ's from the old KJNE.
John Swan. They know he was in Shreveport for a few years, and
after that perhaps Evanston IN -- after that, it's anyone's guess.
Anyhow, KJNE is having a reunion in Waco June 30 - July 1, and they
sure would love to find John Swan. Contact: JOHN FLETCHER
john@fletchercommunications.com
Y'ALL DONE GOOD:
Six new
members will be inducted into the Country Music DJ Hall Of Fame on
June 28th. They areTerry Burford (KFDI / Wichita); Dale
Eichor (KWMT / Ft Dodge); Country Joe Flint (KSOP / Salt Lake
City); Rhubarb Jones (Y106.7 / Atlanta); a posthumous award to
an old friend Chris Lane; and Mike Lynch (another old buddy) who
I believe is the first station owner to be inducted and recognized for
his achievements and contributions to country music radio.
Congratulations. www.crb.org/Halls
of Fame.
THE SAGA OF TODD
CLEM: Better
known to the morning Tampa radio audience as "Bubbla the Love
Sponge" was back on the air at WXTB-FM after being
"indefinitely suspended" for a month (how's that for an
oxymoron). You remember Bubba -- he is the guy who thought it
was cool to broadcast (live) the castration of a wild pig, killing the
pig, and then holding a testicle eating contest. Old Bubba said
"We pushed the envelope." NO S--T!
Thirty-two sponsors bailed
out of his program. And the animal rights people were not too
happy either. The competition jumped on the bandwagon. 97X
WSUN-FM took out a full-page ad that read "The new morning X.
Saving Tampa radio one baby pig at a time." The picture
showed "one of their own" Kissing a baby pig. Well, it
is ARB time.
Like Yogi Berra said:
"It ain't over 'til it's over." Bubba, his producer,
and the two guys who killed the pig in the alley were all charged with
animal cruelty which carries a maximum penalty of five years in
prison. R&I will stay on top of this.
QUICKIE WISDOM
FROM MY PAL PERRY: If
you put the 2 words "The" and "IRS" together it
spells "Theirs."
WEBBER OF THE
WEEK: Let's
go back to the days when a night out meant going to a neighborhood
movie theatre and buying two double Mounds bars for a buck -- and home
entertainment was the whole family sitting around the radio.
That's it
for this week. ART
ROBERTS
A DIATRIBE ABOUT TV FROM .... CLAUDE HALL:
There are those adept in the so-called pop culture spectrum who
believe that we can track humanity to some extent by the various
aspects of media purveyed on radio and television, in magazines and
newspapers and now, I guess, on the Internet. Is pop
culture--including television programs and the
advertising that permeates and surrounds these shows--actually a
mirror of who we are?
The very fact that we are
willing, as a race, to accept yet another cop show and yet another
hospital show on network must reveal at least some small glow of
complacency. I honestly cannot object to these shows because I
never watch them. The fact that they have a life, if even for a
while, causes me worry, but, fortunately, I still have both energy and
inclination to change the channel. However, several television
ads of late distress me because I don't know what they mean in the
large scope of humanity.
At 6:45 p.m. Jan. 27,
2001, on ESPN, a Lite Beer commercial revealed gross bad taste.
Three young adults drink beer in a bar. One asks if they should
order another round. Another says no because he has an
appointment in the restaurant across the street with his girlfriend
and prospective parents-in-law. There is an explosion, cries of
pain, siren. The guy sits back down and says that he guess he'll
stay for another round. Behind them out the window, a building
is burning. One of the men asks if they should order some
buffalo wings. This, of course, is a direct steal from the dark
movie "Brazil." But I have seen this same ad several
times now and I find it gross beyond imagination! In this
particular case, Miller Beer has gone too far. I consider the
advertisement despicable. I hope that sales decline enough to
cause Miller to adjust their marketing strategies. There is also
an ad about a guy throwing a can of Seven Up, as if it were a stick to
chase, and the dog getting knocked out.
But I have lately seen an
abundance of ads depicting cruelty or gross insanity...TV commercials
that reek of poor taste. I deplore anyone sticking their tongue
out at me, regardless of the situation. More especially so
during a Super Bowl. And someone running off to pray over a
field goal attempt at a football game seems to direct itself at only
the stupidity of people, not their redeeming qualities.
Then, there are the
advertisements for increasing your sexual potential, etc., etc.
In addition to good taste, morality seems to no longer be a factor.
Has morality also changed while my back was turned? Suddenly, I
feel a stranger in the human race. Perhaps Mars has, a la Orson
Wells, finally attacked, albeit secretly and, horrors, more savagely.
For several years, I was a
disciple/devotee of the legendary communications guru Marshall McLuhan.
So also were many movers and shakers of Madison Avenue and I've met
several of these. I've read McLuhan's major books and have even
analyzed them extensively and written academic papers regarding his
methodologies. I had the great honor of meeting him once at a
media conference in Australia and have
always been grateful for the occasion. McLuhan believed that a
message needed to grab the attention of the public sought and they
would remember the brand name when they went to buy product, not
necessarily the method by which the attention was gained. I'm
not sure that McLuhan would have gone this far.
The major question,
however, is why isn't anyone other than me complaining?
Furthermore, whatever happened to our media watchdogs?
Does the Federal Communications Commission care any more?
- c. hall (NOTE:
Claude Hall was a featured media writer and columnist for BILLBOARD
MAGAZINE.)
NEXT WEEKS
SURPRISE: It
will start next week, and continue until the supply runs out.
What? What? What? A different Silver Dollar Survey
each week. Keep your eye on this spot.
RUMOR OF THE
WEEK: Citadel
to buy Susquehanna. True or False? Well, it would be a
helluva marriage!
ROCK IS
ROLLIN' WHILE ROLL IS WAITIN': XM
Satellite Radio successfully launched its first satellite.
"Rock" took off from the Odyssey Launch Platform in the
Pacific Ocean. XM’s second satellite –
"Roll" – is scheduled to launch in May.
WE LOST
ANOTHER FRIEND: Epicurean
David Wade, a 50's, 60's and 70's fixture on DFW television with his
cooking shows, passed away. Funeral arrangements are pending.
I loved the fellow. He not only taught us the word,
"Lubricity," he invented Worcestershire powder and taught us
how to bake a turkey in a brown paper bag.
ANOTHER ONE
BITES THE DUST: The
Kerbango Internet Radio Unit is discontinued. 3Com said it
will discontinue Kerbango and Audrey, its Web-surfing appliance. The
company will also say goodbye to its Internet appliance division,
which is less than a year old. 3Com will also discontinue its
Webcam.
WHAT'S UNDER
THAT SNOWBANK? OH -- IT'S BUFFALO: Another
meeting of the Buffalo Broadcast Pioneers was held. They are
doing a 75th Anniversary tribute to WKBW. See you up on
the screen, Art. Also thanks for the CHUM blurb.
Bill Dulmage saw it, and said thanks. He was impressed and of
course we hope that somebody comes forward with a Al Boliska aircheck.
Tom Shannon will receive his Hall Of Fame presentation from Joey
Reynolds. The event takes place May 15, 2001 in downtown
Buffalo. Should be a good night with Shannon being the last item
on the evenings agenda. BOB
OSCAR'S-A-POPPIN':
So, how did you do???
Here's how YOU voted...
Best Picture:
1. Chocolat 4 -- 1 -- 0 -- 21 (26)
2. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 0 -- 2
-- 1-- 8 (11)
3. Erin Brockovich 14 -- 23 --
31-- 57 (125)
4. Gladiator 11 -- 19 -- 20 --
13 (63)
5. Traffic 8 -- 0 -- 9 -- 17 (34)
Best Actor:
1. Russell Crowe (Gladiator) 11 -- 19 -- 23 -- 34
(87)
2. Javier Bardem (Before Night Falls) 0 -- 6
-- 3 -- 5 (14)
3. Tom Hanks (Cast Away) 26 --
20 -- 31-- 62 (139)
4. Ed Harris (Pollock) 0 -- 0
-- 2 -- 7 (9)
5. Geoffrey Rush (Quills) 0 -- 0 -- 2 --
8 (10)
Best Actress:
1. Joan Allen (The Contender) 0 --6 -- 2 -- 13
(21)
2. Juliette Binoche (Chocolat) 3 -- 3 --
2 -- 10 (18)
3. Ellen Burstyn (Requiem for a Dream) 3
-- 9 -- 4 -- 12 (28)
4. Laura Linney (You Can Count on Me) 0
-- 0 -- 3 -- 9 (12)
5. Julia Roberts (Erin Brockovich) 31
-- 27 -- 50 --72 (180)
WEBBER OF
THE WEEK: www.ronriley.com
RON RILEY answers the question "What ever happened to some of
those old LS jocks...... ???" Also, be sure to read his
updated bio -- which proves "It is not the journey that makes for
a person's greatness, rather it is the depth of their
experiences."
That's it for this week.
ART ROBERTS
03/18/2001
FCC?
WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' FCC!!!
It all started in 1996. The Telecommunications Act opened the
floodgates and allowed groups to snap up hundreds of radio stations
which eventually were consolidated -- building conglomerates
that controlled over 1000 radio stations. And since the rules
were relaxed on the amount of stations a company can own in a local
market, it seems the sky is the limit.
In the past week the FCC
approved 32 radio license transfers in 26 markets (with the blessings
of FCC Chairman Michael Powell) in one day. ONE DAY!
That's quicker than Slick Willie pardoned his pals.
Each of the license
transfers causes an increase in the amount of market dollars the
stations or groups will control. But hey, controlling
advertising dollars is the name of the game. In seven of the
cases approved Monday -- Petitions to Deny were filed. In six of
those seven cases the top revenue earning stations combined exceed 75%
of the local advertising market. That sounds like an FCC license
"to steal" to me.
PAYOLA -- WE
DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' PAYOLA:
When is "pay for play" NOT "pay for play?"
Ask the FCC.
Allegedly, Clear Channel
Communications is proposing to sell 10 second commercials for $1000
each, to be played after a specified song. In my day they called
that "back announcing" -- and we did for free. Stir in
a few record promoters into the mix, and there is a new meaning given
to the phrase "Market Control."
RINGING THE
COWBELL FOR THE LAST TIME: March
31st. Bill Mack will be leaving WBAP after 32 years. I
used to listen to him while driving from Tyler to Dallas.
Wherever the disc jockey factory is located these days, they don't
build them like Bill Mack any more. So what does a retired, award
winning country jock do? He writes his autobiography -- which
should be out this fall.
GETTIN' THEM
OFF YOUR BACK:
Col. Parker knew this -- and so did my Chicago attorney. In
every contract you sign there is a clause that will do you in.
The biggest offender in broadcasting is the widely used non compete
clause -- it will do you in every time. So before you sign a
contract make sure there is "another" clause that protects
your back. One that says "you get paid for every day you're
forced to sit on the beach. The station CANNOT change your
shift, ship you off to another city, or alter your hours in any way
without your signed approval." The mother company will
scream "Foul." Let them. That's what lawyers are
for.
Good news! The
Illinois state Senate executive committee voted ten to nothing to pass
the bill against non compete clauses. Steve Adams, a member of
AFTRA, told the committee how Metro/Westwood One laid him off, along
with 13 other employees, and then insisted on enforcing the ONE YEAR
non compete clause -- forcing him to take a job at a grocery store.
The bill (SB0720) should come before the full Senate sometime this
month.
YOU CAN'T
BOOTLEG A BOOTLEGGER:
In the early days of the record industry, people in control wore long
dark coats with velvet collars. They didn't always give their
artists an accurate count, but you can bet your red Beemer convertible
they got one from their distributors. My favorite story is about
an ABC sales manager back in the '50s who heard that there was someone
in New York bootlegging his records. After a couple of phone
calls, he knew exactly who it was and where they were. So he got
in his car with a couple of heavy hitters (in long dark coats with
velvet collars), drove to Brooklyn, walked up two flights of stairs,
kicked open the door -- and with sledgehammers proceeds to break up
all the illegal equipment and counterfeit product. Then he
turned to the petrified counterfeiter and said "What the Hell are
you doing? You can't Bootleg a Bootlegger!"
Piracy is even more
rampant today. With the technology of downloading and CD
burners, anyone can set up shop in back of a store or in the basement
of a condo. Selling, manufacturing, and distributing the illegal
copies of recorded music is a crime. Anti-Piracy units have
cracked down in New York, Chicago and other cities, including San
Antonio. Tens of thousands of counterfeit discs and cassettes
were seized and destroyed.
Counterfeiters were tossed in the clink. The long dark coats
with velvet collars may be gone, but the sledgehammers are still alive
and well. And they know where you live!
CHICAGO's
FAVORITE ALL-NIGHT COUPLE: Steve
King and Johnnie Putman (WGN) wIll MC a benefit concert on April 5th
for the "Rockabilly Hall of Fame." The big stars are
Brenda Lee, Boots Randolph, and the Jordanaires. Steve and
Johnnie are the real headliners.
ANOTHER WLS
ALUM DONE GOOD:
Adding to over 85 radio stations in the US and abroad, the "Voice
Dude," Jeff Davis, has picked up 4 more stations in Memphis,
Portland, Stockton, Huntsville, AL, and Nashville is right
around the corner. With all this activity, Jeff also has a
syndicated weekly hit music and interview show, "On the
Radio" and an acting career in Hollywood as well. His
lovely wife, Terie Lynn Davis, plays "Lydia" on "The
Young and the Restless." Check out his creative demos
at www.jeffdavis.com
SAY HELLO TO
KLIF'S NEWS DIRECTOR:
Chuck Schechner has built a great Web site at
www.radionewsroom.com
.. Check it out for must-have links that any newsroom can
use on a daily basis. Chuck calls it an "idea exchange" Web
site.
SNAPPY ONE-LINERS FOR YOUR PD FROM MY PAL
PERRY:
1. I can see
your point, but I still think you're full of shit.
2. I don't
know what your problem is, but I'll bet it's hard to pronounce.
3. How about
never? Is never good for you?
4. I don't
work here. I'm a consultant.
5. Ahhh...I
see the screw-up fairy has visited us again...
6. I like you.
You remind me of when I was young and stupid.
7. I'm not
being rude. You're just insignificant.
8, If I throw
a stick, will you leave?
9. I'm trying
to imagine you with a personality.
10. CHAOS, PANIC,
& DISORDER - my work here is done.
WEEKLY UPDATE ON YOUR ACADEMY AWARD VOTES:
This year's 73rd Academy
Awards will be handed out March 25. 116 votes were cast
this week ... the four-week totals are in parentheses. Next week
you can compare your picks with the geniuses in Hollywood. Don't
pack your bags just yet!
Best Picture:
1. Chocolat
4 -- 1 -- 0 -- 21 (26)
2. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 0 -- 2
-- 1-- 8 (11)
3. Erin Brockovich 14 -- 23 -- 31-- 57
(125)
4. Gladiator 11 -- 19 -- 20 --
13 (63)
5. Traffic 8 -- 0 -- 9 -- 17 (34)
Best Actor:
1. Russell
Crowe (Gladiator) 11 -- 19 -- 23 -- 34 (87)
2. Javier Bardem (Before Night Falls) 0 -- 6
-- 3 -- 5 (14)
3. Tom Hanks (Cast Away) 26 -- 20 --
31-- 62 (139)
4. Ed Harris (Pollock) 0 -- 0
-- 2 -- 7 (9)
5. Geoffrey Rush (Quills) 0 -- 0 -- 2 --
8 (10)
Best Actress:
1. Joan Allen
(The Contender) 0 --6 -- 2 -- 13 (21)
2. Juliette Binoche (Chocolat) 3 -- 3 --
2 -- 10 (18)
3. Ellen Burstyn (Requiem for a Dream) 3
-- 9 -- 4 -- 12 (28)
4. Laura Linney (You Can Count on Me) 0
-- 0 -- 3 -- 9 (12)
5. Julia Roberts (Erin Brockovich) 31 -- 27 --
50 --72 (180)
WEBBER OF
THE WEEK: School
days, School days, dear old golden rule days. Here is an archive
of school pictures from all over the world. See if your class is
included. Editors note: Mine was!
03/11/2001
A REAL DRIVER IN THE DRIVERS SEAT: Ask
anyone who has ever worked for or has been associated with him (in any
manner) and they will tell you: "John Gehron is a
gentleman." He understands personality radio from "the
bare knuckle days of early rock-and-roll" where a disc jockey
would pound away at the competition like John L. Sullivan, to radio of
today with its lack of creative talent and diminishing numbers.
John is presently
Infinity's CO-COO. He gets frustrated with some of the Infinity
program directors, especially those who do not utilize the talent at
the station and instead elect to reduce them to voice tracks and liner
cards. John has threatened to cyber jock and voicetrack those
stations. He also recognizes the sameness of sound from market
to market, and the need to grow a talent pool if radio is to survive.
Radio is paying dearly for
their past sins. Can John Gehrons programming expertise and
philosophy influence an industry to change its way's? Perhaps
with enough success stories this WILL happen. As John says,
“there has never been a Radio station that has been successful only
playing music. Never!”
IF YOU'RE GONNA
PLAY CHICAGO YA GOTTA HAVE A FIDDLE IN THE BAND: WUSN
(US99) is Chicago's No. 1 biller coining a little over $46 million.
That's 12 million more than last year. EEEhaw.
READY, SET, GO:
XM Satellite Radio's "Rock" satellite is aboard the
Sea Launch platform on its way from California to the equatorial
Pacific Ocean. "Rock" will lift off from its launch
site on March 18, and will hang out above Las Vegas. Sometime in
May, "Roll" will finally launch into orbit above the eastern
U.S. A third satellite is in its final testing phase. Hope
they don't name that one "Disco."
THIS WILL MAKE MY
BRO-IN-LAW HAPPY: He bought a Kerbango radio
to listen to online radio stations, but so far he as heard nothing but
static from both the radio and my sister. That will teach him to
be "first on the block." Good news! The Kerbango
should be ready to ship in two weeks. Meanwhile, Amazon.com is
preselling the Kerbango for $299.
NO JOKE - NO MORE
JOKEMAN: Jackie the Jokeman quit, but life goes
on and so does Howard Stern. Jackie Martling had been with
Howard for fifteen years. Now catch this. He notifies his
boss and partner that the "court jester" is leaving by
sending an e-mail! How crass can you get?
HELL, THEY TAUGHT
ME THIS IN GRAMMAR SCHOOL: "You don't
get nuttin' for nuttin'." Hotmail is the free e-mail
service from Microsoft, and they are passing around subscribers e-mail
addresses to a public Internet directory site who in turn, are adding
YOUR addresses and telephone numbers for their "White
pages." Once the information gets in the directory --
you're toast. This surely must tick you off -- unless you are a
"junk mail" junkie.
And then there's
UPCHUCKY'S GOLDEN OLDIES JUKE BOX ....
Best Picture:
1. Chocolat
4 -- 1 -- 0
2. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 0 -- 2
-- 1
3. Erin Brockovich 14 -- 23 -- 31
4. Gladiator 11 -- 19 -- 20
5. Traffic 8 -- 0 -- 9
Best Actor:
1. Russell
Crowe (Gladiator) 11 -- 19 -- 23
2. Javier Bardem (Before Night Falls) 0 -- 6
-- 3
3. Tom Hanks (Cast Away) 26 -- 20 -- 31
4. Ed Harris (Pollock) 0 -- 0 -- 2
5. Geoffrey Rush (Quills) 0 -- 0 -- 2
Best Actress:
1. Joan Allen
(The Contender) 0 --6 -- 2
2. Juliette Binoche (Chocolat) 3 -- 3 --
2
3. Ellen Burstyn (Requiem for a Dream) 3
-- 9 -- 4
4. Laura Linney (You Can Count on Me) 0
-- 0 -- 3
5. Julia Roberts (Erin Brockovich) 31 -- 27 --
50
WEBBER OF THE
WEEK: A wee bit of Blarney to enjoy before St.
Patrick's Day. And I'll be leaving you with my favorite Irish
toast: "May your saddest day in the future be no worse than your
happiest day in the past."
03/04/2001
GLOBAL GROWIN':
Canada has more than doubled the viewership to Art Roberts.com and
remains in the number one position for the month of February.
They are followed by Australia, United Kingdom, Brazil, Sweden, Saudi
Arabia, Belgium, Switzerland, Singapore and Old style Arpanet.
After that there is Malaysia, New Zealand, France, Mexico, Norway and
Germany. We salute all 16 countries who stopped by for a visit.
Welcome. We will leave a light on for you.
ANOTHER
LEGEND BITES THE DUST:(Thanks
Bob Skurzewski) Chum Radio ...1050 AM ... a top 40 contender
since about 1957, is seeing it's last days in Toronto. In April they
will be going all sports.
A
good friend, Bill Dulmage has a neat website and he is working with
the station to develop what may be a week long ( or better ) close to
this stations great history as a rocker. He's trying to locate all the
past jocks. That can be hard!
Check out Bill Dulmage and his web site at:
Surf until you find Chum.
He's got neat stuff on other locals also.
DO YOU KNOW
THE WAY TO SAN JOSE:
San Jose is the top market in the good old USA -- showing a radio
dollar increase of more than 25 percent for the second year in a row.
Monterey was number 2 and Nassau -- Suffolk was third.
THE FAT CATS
OF RADIO: Rush
Limbaugh is still the leader earning $31 million and a corporate jet
from a Premiere Radio Networks. Howard Stern takes home $30
million from his new deal with Infinity Broadcasting. And the
patriarch of us all -- Paul Harvey earns a cool $29 million. And
to think that a $50 raise used to light up my room.
XM FLEXES
THEIR MUSCLES:
Raising over $200 million. That puts enough in the till to keep
them going and going. They have also signed a deal with
RadioShack to offer XM -- ready radios this summer. Both XM
radio and Sirius have radios on the shelves ready for sale.
That's like inventing the hamburger before the bun.
MORE MUSING
FROM MY PAL PERRY: Shows
that may be appearing on TV soon, as a result of the electronic and
computer age:
1. Modem, She
Wrote: Each week, our intrepid detective tries to solve the ultimate
mystery: why her modem won't ever connect at 56k.
2. Micro-CHiPs:
Ponch and Jon now patrol the Information Superhighway.
3. Carly's
Angels: Chief exec Carly Fiorina instructs her team of three vixen
market analysts on how to prop up HP's sagging stock price.
4. Hawaii 6.0:
An upgraded version of the classic series. Steve McGarrett goes
surfing for bad guys online.
5. T. J.
Hacker: A retired cop, with an uncanny resemblance to James T. Kirk,
takes up computer hacking to track down the miscreants who canceled
his TV show.
6. The Excel
Files: Inexplicable things are happening to the data in Microsoft
Excel spreadsheets. Can this puzzle be solved? The truth
is out there.
7. The
AOL-Team: Each week, AOL, Time Warner, Netscape, and Mr. TT unite to
promote corporate mergers and make the world safe for capitalism.
8. Magnum, PC:
This series about a crime-solving personal computer that goes by the
code name Deep Blue is based in beautiful Hawaii. Season finale
cliff-hanger: Will Deep Blue be seduced by the wily charms of
the Texas Instruments Speak 'n' Spell?
9. The
Incredible Bulk: The exciting adventures of Windows, which just keeps
growing and growing.
10. Buffy the Virus
Slayer: Buffy and her fearless gang of antivirus definitions
stalk and kill VBS files -- no small feat while wearing a halter top
and high-heeled boots.
KHJ IS BACK:Got
this tip from my friend Ken Levine, TV writer turned sitcom director.
MO' SHOW
PREP: The 50s
-- It was the age of the atom, and the dawn of Saturday morning as the
original Baby
Boomers tuned in to see Howdy Doody, Mighty Mouse Playhouse, and Kukla,
Fran and Ollie…
WEEKLY UPDATE ON YOUR ACADEMY AWARD VOTES:
This year's 73rd Academy Awards will be handed out March 25.
Forty five votes were cast this week Vote for your Oscar
favorite in the top three categories via e-mail: Art@Artroberts.com
Best
Picture:
1.
Chocolat 4 -- 1
2. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 0 -- 2
3. Erin Brockovich 14 -- 23
4. Gladiator 11 -- 19
5. Traffic 8 -- 0
Best
Actor:
1.
Russell Crowe (Gladiator) 11 -- 19
2. Javier Bardem (Before Night Falls) 0 -- 6
3. Tom Hanks (Cast Away) 26 -- 20
4. Ed Harris (Pollock) 0 -- 0
5. Geoffrey Rush (Quills) 0 -- 0
Best
Actress:
1.
Joan Allen (The Contender) 0 --6
2. Juliette Binoche (Chocolat) 3 -- 3
3. Ellen Burstyn (Requiem for a Dream) 3
-- 9
4. Laura Linney (You Can Count on Me) 0
-- 0
5. Julia Roberts (Erin Brockovich) 31 -- 27
WEBBER OF
THE WEEK: The
Ultimate Beatles Experience. This is the encyclopedia of the
Beatles. Interviews. History. After you have read it
-- bookmark it!
SPORTS TALK PIONEER PROGRAMMER PROGRESSING:
Some years back I drove
across country (from Chicago to San Francisco) with my friend Tom
Bigby. I was heading to a new job at KNBR, and Tom was going to
explore the coast. A lot has happened between "then and
now" -- recently Tom has dealt with the biggest "speed
bump" of his life. Many of you have inquired about his
health, so I went to the source. Here is Tom's reply:
"Hi Art, Thanks for
the note. I love Philly & have been at WIP for over 11
years, that might be some sort of record in modern day programming,
(laugh) I'm doing much better....was in the Hospital for over 40
days, went in for simple By Pass...that went well and I came home in
three days.....Had a real bad coughing spell the Sunday after
Thanksgiving and broke the wires holding the Sternum together.. Back
to the Hospital for repair, & while trying to do that, the
Sternum broke in seven places. Then the problems began, I was
knocked out for 10 days while a team of Plastic Docs worked to rebuild
my chest ... I came home a day before Christmas with a major wound in
my chest and three weeks of home IV Care in front of me... I still
have a small wound but its closing fast.....Ugly scars but hey, My
life is full ... the fatigue is bad from being in the hospital for so
long but im working thru that ... back
to work on the first of Feb and things seem to be fine..
That's my story ...
Everything else in my life is great. Thanks again for thinking
of me... My Best to you and Bobbi, TOM
THE KIIS OF MONEY:
Clear Channel's KIIS in Los Angeles is the No. 1 billing
radio station in America -- coining 65 1/2 million dollars.
WE'VE LOST ANOTHER
FRIEND: Radio personality Jim Gibbons died of
congestive heart failure. Jim worked for WMAL-AM and WOL-AM,
Washington DC, and was also an announcer for the Washington Redskins.
Jim was 88.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU
LISTEN TO: There is a new report out that shows people
with large incomes use radio more. The study shows that 37
percent of all people with household incomes over $100,000 are heavy
radio users. News and classical music top the list.
FROM THE LAND OF
HEAVY SNOW -- HEAVY HEARTS: Ed Little, Buffalo
Broadcast Hall Of Fame member, and friend, experienced a
major kidney failure this past Tuesday, and underwent surgery on
Friday. As of Saturday, Ed was taken out of intensive care.
We are all hoping for the best.
PLAY A ROUND OF
GOLF WITH KEVIN McCARTHY: Here is a chance to
play a round of golf with Dallas favorite and KLIF legend, Kevin
McCarthy. Kevin has been planning golf outings for years and is
opening up the invitation to you. Besides having a lot of fun,
here's your chance to find out firsthand whether "Old KMC"
exaggerates about his game. http://www.foregolftours.com/gspec.htm
OH, OH:
XM Radio dropped 26 percent as investors bailed out. XM
Satellite Radio once traded as high as $50, closed Friday at 11 3/8.
Besides money woes, they have had problems launching their two
satellites "Rock and Roll." Latest word -- one should
be launched at the end of this month, the second on March the 18th.
Pioneer's in any industry need lots of courage. R&I
Predicts: XM Satellite Radio will persevere. Their
programming will be too powerful to disappear. And there is a
HUGE audience across America hungry for a change.
MORE KFJZ AND
FRIENDS NEWS: Russ Bloxom's photographs have been
posted on the KFJZ and Friends DFW Media Reunion Website. You
can click directly to the photos page at http://www.kfjzreunion..com/russbloxom.htm
Art Vuolo's fully edited videotape of the reunion should be ready
fairly soon. Stay tuned.
MO' SHOW PREP: OK, lets say you are on an
80's station-- now you can find facts from 1980 - 1989. In fact
you can explore the entire 20th century.
1. In many states
(in the USA) the highway patrol carries two gallons of
Coke in the truck to remove blood from the highway after a car
accident.
2. You can put a
T-bone steak in a bowl of coke and it will be gone in two
days.
3. To clean a
toilet: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl
and.......Let the "real thing" sit for one hour, then
flush clean. The
citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous china.
4. To remove rust
spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a
crumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil dipped in
Coca-Cola.
Coca Cola bottles
have come in different shapes and sizes -- just like people.
Here is a pictorial history of an American icon, "The Coke
Bottle." When was the first time "Do not refill"
was printed on the bottle?
WEEKLY UPDATE ON
YOUR ACADEMY AWARD VOTES:
This year's 73rd Academy
Awards will be handed out March 25. Vote for your Oscar favorite
in the top three categories via e-mail: Art@Artroberts.com
Best Picture:
1. Chocolat
4
2. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 0
3. Erin Brockovich 14
4. Gladiator 11
5. Traffic 8
Best Actor:
1. Russell
Crowe (Gladiator) 11
2. Javier Bardem (Before Night Falls) 0
3. Tom Hanks (Cast Away) 26
4. Ed Harris (Pollock) 0
5. Geoffrey Rush (Quills) 0
Best Actress:
1. Joan Allen
(The Contender) 0
2. Juliette Binoche (Chocolat) 3
3. Ellen Burstyn (Requiem for a Dream) 3
4. Laura Linney (You Can Count on Me) 0
5. Julia Roberts (Erin Brockovich) 31
WEBBER OF THE WEEK: What is your true
color? Psychologists agree that colors have personalities all
their own. Blue is calm, red is passionate, yellow is inviting,
and so on. What color is your personality? Answer a few quick
questions and find out!
02/18/2001
GOOD NEWS: Ron
Jenkins is doing very well after suffering a stroke and is back on the
air doing mid-days as a news anchor at USA Radio Network in Big D!
Ron had no major repercussions from the stroke. WELCOME BACK!
TOM
SHANNON'S FIFTEEN MINUTES:
Tom Shannon, Buffalo radio favorite at WKBW, WGR and now WHTT-FM has
been selected to be inducted into the Buffalo Broadcast Hall Of Fame .
The ceremony should be in May of this year. He will join past
inductees (Hound Dog) George Lorenz, Joey Reynolds, Dan Neaverth, and
a host of others.
WHO DO YOU
LIKE IN THE NEXT RACE:
This year's 73rd Academy Awards will be handed out March 25.
Vote for your Oscar favorite in the top three categories via e-mail:
Art@Artroberts.com
Best Picture:
1. Chocolat
2. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
3. Erin Brockovich
4. Gladiator
5. Traffic
Best Actor:
1. Russell
Crowe (Gladiator)
2. Javier Bardem (Before Night Falls)
3. Tom Hanks (Cast Away)
4. Ed Harris (Pollock)
5. Geoffrey Rush (Quills)
Best Actress:
1. Joan Allen
(The Contender)
2. Juliette Binoche (Chocolat)
3. Ellen Burstyn (Requiem for a Dream)
4. Laura Linney (You Can Count on Me)
5. Julia Roberts (Erin Brockovich)
CCC IS A
HEALTHY TEXAS STALLION:
Clear Channel Communications has 1170 radio stations in the good old
USA, with revenues over $2 billion. That's "billions"
with a "capital B." Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah -- I heard
about predictions of a loss in 2001. Wait till you see what
happens in 2002. It's the beanstalk, baby, and Jack has just
started to climb.
FROM THE MIND OF
MY PAL PERRY:
1. Mia Farrow
was the cover girl of PEOPLE magazine's first issue in 1974.
2. Balboa, the Spanish explorer who discovered the Pacific
Ocean, was accused of treason in 1519 and beheaded.
3. Followers of the tiny Scottish soccer club Inverness
Caldonian-Thistle refer to the club as "Caley." The
team delighted fans last winter when it eliminated heavily favored
Glasgow Celtic 3-1 in the Scottish Cup. The upset prompted this
headline in the British tabloid the SUN:
"Super Caley Go
Ballistic, Celtic Are Atrocious."
4. (Things
that make you go Hmmm) What part of the monkey do you use a
monkey wrench on?
5.
"Instructions For Life".... Don't confuse mere
inconveniences with real problems.
WEBBER OF
THE WEEK: Lots
of memories pop into your head as you review the WLS TOP 89 records
from 1967 -- 1986. (Thank you Stew Salowitz)
02/11/2001
SIRIUS SOFTWARE SINKS: (Say that three times fast)
Serious Sirius software flaws that mess up the audio signals snafu a
$150 million loan from Lehman Brothers, Inc. When the bugs be fixed
the loan be made. Also, Sony jumps on the bandwagon to
manufacture a Sirius three band radio. Pricetag, $300.
That's serious money.
KLIF IS LIVE:
KLIF is back to "all live local programming (EE-HAW) with the
addition of Scott Anderson from 9 AM to noon. De Man, Kevin
McCarthy, will entertain his army from noon to 2 PM. Kevin has
been with the station for 14 years and welcomes a lightened load.
It gives him a chance to develop other areas such as freelance, and
still continue to his one on one rapport with the Dallas audience.
Go get 'em tiger.
NOTHING LASTS FOREVER:
Just a month short of 100 consecutive ad dollar increases, December
radio revenue drops three percent. The biggest winner last year
was Network Radio which earned a cool billion dollars.
FROM MY PAL PERRY:See
if you can do this. Read each line aloud. Dr. Seuss' lost
tongue twisters.
This is this cat
This is is cat
This is how cat
This is to cat
This is keep cat
This is a cat
This is dumbass cat
This is busy cat
This is for cat
This is forty cat
This is seconds cat
Now go back and read the THIRD word in
each line from the top.
WHOOPS: Radio's
Golden Rule is "Never say anything to a closed microphone that
you wouldn't say to an open mic." Brian Williams (sitting
in for Tom Brokaw) on "NBC Nightly News" just got finished
reading an obituary for Dale Evans who died last Wednesday. She
was 88. Stagehands started cracking jokes about her husband's
horse Trigger (yep, the pride and joy of Roy Rogers). Brian
thought his Mike was closed and started chewing out the stagehands
saying "let them bury the poor woman -- they're making Trigger
jokes out here." Actually, I've heard worse than that
coming from a "closed microphone."
RADIO ONE ONE ONE ONE:
Just coughed up $190 million to Blue Chip Broadcasting for 15 radio
stations, (including six FM's in Louisville Kentucky) which adds $30
million to their bottom-line. With 63 radio stations, Radio One
is becoming a major force in Urban broadcasting.
WISDOM FROM THE MIND OF SHANNON:
1. Any and all
compliments can be handled by simply saying "Why, thank
you!" (though it helps if you say it with a Southern
accent).
2. Some people are working backstage, some are
playing in the orchestra, some are on stage singing, some are in the
audience as critics and some are there to applaud. It helps if
you know what your role is.
3. Never give yourself a haircut after three
margaritas.
4. When baking, follow directions. When
cooking, go by your own taste.
5. Good sex should involve laughter. Because, even
if you're doing it right, it is funny.
6. You really don't need more than two tools: WD-40
and duct tape. If it doesn't move and it should, use
WD-40. If it moves and shouldn't, use the tape.
7. Everyone seems normal until you get to know
them.
8. When you make a mistake, make amends
immediately. It's easier to eat crow while it's still warm.
9. The only really good advice that I remember ever
getting was "Go! You might meet somebody!"
10. If he/she says that you are too good for
him/her--believe it.
11. Never pass up an opportunity to pee.
12. Knowing how to listen to music is almost as
great a talent as knowing how to make it.
13. And finally... Be really nice to your friends. You
never know when you are going to need them to empty your
bedpan.
WEBBER OF THE WEEK:
Kevin McCarthy (KLIF, Dallas) works as hard as anyone in developing a
website that is interesting and informative, and constantly updated.
Bookmark this one -- and come back often.
.....WILL THEY EVER LEARN?
1. You cannot strengthen the
weak by weakening the strong.
2. You cannot help small men by tearing down big men.
3. You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
4. You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the
wage payer.
5. You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than
your income.
6. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting
class hatreds.
7. You cannot establish security on borrowed money.
8. You cannot build character and courage by taking away
men's initiative and independence.
9. You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what
they could and should do for themselves.
... ABRAHAM LINCOLN
NOTHING IS FREE FOREVER:
Would people pay for the privilege of downloading music that they have
enjoyed without charge? 20,000 Napster users were asked to
that question in a recent market research and the answer was a rousing
"YES." How much is yet to be decided.
BIGGER THAN THE ALAMO:
Clear Channel Communications is purported to be planning a 360,000
square foot building in San Antonio. They already have a 50,000
square foot headquarters which is slated to remain executive offices.
The new building will house accounting and technology. CCC is
growing in every direction.
WHO NEEDS WHO OR IS IT "WHO
NEEDS YOU!" There
is a growing split between SAG and AFTRA which is threatening to boil
over and become a full scale donnybrook. "Phase One",
a twenty-year alliance between the two unions, allows them to jointly
negotiate contracts where they have joint jurisdiction. The
rumor is SAG is planning to pull the plug. Big deal.
Besides, AFTRA gets zero work under the present contract.
IS IT REAL OR DIGITAL?
Picture this. Turn on your favorite morning show and listen to
an interview with a dynamite guest. "Hey" you think
yourself, "this guy is great." Actually, he is not a
real guest. He is a professional caller from a service called
"Callers on demand." An army of actors who will do
everything from entertaining interviewers to pretending to be anyone
you want. No more gambling that the morning phone bits will be
duller than grandma's steak knives. Tap into pro actors who can
handle hot topics and come off like real people. There's even a
lady who pretends to be a little girl telling off-color jokes she
supposedly heard from her father. Best of all, no money changes
hands. The service utilizes barter. Interested?
Check out their website
www.unitedstations.com
WEBBER OF THE WEEK:
Here is a TRIVIA game that has over 12,000 questions, in umpteen
categories, each with a difficulty rating -- and you can even pit your
trivia expertise against others on line.
That's it for this week.
ART ROBERTS
MONDAY MORNING MEETINGS:
SSC (Strategic Sales Counseling) weekly article is now available to be
e-mailed to Sales Managers, Sales Professionals, etc., who would like
to have it in time for their Monday Morning Meeting. Send your
request via e-mail to Art@artroberts.com
include your name, station, and e-mail address.
AND THE TRADITION GOES ON:
President Franklin D. Roosevelt started it all with his "Fireside
Chats" on radio, and Presidents have been following his lead.
President George W. Bush will be on the air Saturdays at 10:06 AM.
TOLDJA SO:
About a month or so ago we predicted that KLIF's Morning Magnet Joe
Kelley was on shaky ground. Beginning Monday (01/29/01) he will
be replaced by a new morning team -- Jay Sorensen and Hillarie Barsky.
TOP TEN GLOBAL FRIENDS FOR
JANUARY: The
top ten viewers to ArtRoberts.Com on the Global-Net are:
1. Canada
2. United Kingdom
3. Saudi Arabia
4. Australia
5. Old Style Arpanet
6. Germany
7. Israel
8. Japan
9. Belgium
10. Norway
WE HAVE LOST ANOTHER FRIEND:
(Thank you,Ken Levine, for letting us know)
-- "A very sad day. The Babe Ruth of LA Radio,
KMPC's Dick Whittinghill passed away today. (01/25/01)."
WHY THE RICH GET RICHER:
Give me a break. The word I got was "Six weeks severance
for most fired WUBT-FM Chicago employees. Everyone got the same exit
package from Clear Channel no matter how long he or she worked at the
urban-formatted station." Has ALL the heart gone out of
radio?
TALK RADIO ... BUT CAN YOU DANCE
TO IT? Well,
there are a lot of folks doing the "Dr. Laura Limbo" ...
that's about where she leaves a lot of her listeners. The newest
buzz in talk radio is "Business Talk." The format is
popping up across the country and getting an excellent reception.
Many times, the business news story of the day, IS the top news story,
period. If you have an AM radio station that is just dangling in
the wind -- a Business Talk format could be "the ship" to
rescue you from the choppy seas you have been enduring.
SHOW PREP:
History Wizzard -- Featured in the October 2000 issue of MacWorld: one
of the 5 best social studies education sites on the web
http://historywiz.com/
Every
Newspaper you never read.
Get ready for
Valentines Day...
Do you dare to
step on a crack in a sidewalk? Or open an umbrella in the house?
Here are superstitions A to Z ...
WEBBER
OF THE WEEK:
So you think you know EVERY song that was ever written? Try this
on for size:
WE HAVE LOST
ANOTHER FRIEND: There was a time (in the '60s)
when radio stations would program local artists of their area.
In Chicago, groups of young musicians like the Buckinghams, New Colony
Six, The Flock, Riviera's, Cryan' Shames,etc., got their start and
earned their 15 minutes of fame through exposure on WLS and other
stations in the area.
The joys of working with
local groups was the camaraderie and bond that grew between us,
allowing us to know and respect each other. One of my favorite
groups --The Cryan Shames -- had a member fall victim to cancer this
past New Year's Eve. Isaac Guillory was 52.
Please take time to read
this beautiful tribute to a warm and productive musician.
THE BEAT GOES OUT:
WUBT-FM 103.5 (The Beat) has changed format from "Jammin'
Oldies" to a top 40. When formats change, so does
personnel. Doug James, Morning Host, signed off on Thursday and
said goodbye to his audience. Their weekend star, Larry Lujack,
brought back to Chicago after 13 years of retirement, has a
"locked" agreement with WUBT-FM, period, with six months
remaining. Will Clear Channel use him or lose him? Stay
tuned.
WANNA BET?
Nevadan's have the privilege of being able to bet on anything, even
the new TV series of "Survivor." Las Vegas has set the
odds at 6 -1 that Kel Gleason will emerge as the winner. The
odds are only hypothetical because state law prohibits wagers on
events in which the outcome already is known, and CBS knows how this
contest ends. Last year the oddsmakers favored Susan Hawk at 2
-1 while Richard Hatch (the winner) was at 3 - 1. So much for the
geniuses!
"DEAR OLD
GOLDEN RULE DAYS ...." Clear Channel
Communications has 1100 radio stations that house thousands of sales
professionals. If each station trained 10 people in the course
of a year, the cost to CCC would be around $8 million. That my
friend is serious money. So, CCC has decided to streamline their
training by combining sales workshops and Internet classes. It
is a safe bet that other radio groups will play "follow the
leader."
GREAT SHOW PREP:
A show biz calendar that includes just about everyone who is
anyone in show business. Your audience will love this.
...AND YET ANOTHER
FRIEND: Gene Ashcraft died this past Sunday
(01/07/2001). He was best remembered for reviving (and
eventually named general manager) the Texas State Networks, which
supplied news and sports to Texas radio stations. He organized
the Dallas Cowboy's Radio Network which serviced over 200 radio
stations. Gene was also a war correspondent to KFJZ during
the Vietnam War. Gene Ashcraft was 62.
WEBBER OF THE
WEEK: Who are they REALLY? Your favorite
celebrities "real" names.
BELL'S BACK:
Fans of alien stories and paranormal theories Rejoice! Your hero
in the night, Art Bell will be back on the radio starting Feb. 5, for
five hours every day. Premiere Radio plans to place Art on their
430 affiliates. What the Hell was that bright light in the sky
last night?
BIONDI KEEPS
GOING & GOING & GOING ....
Dick Biondi has a new three-year contract with WJMK-FM (104.3),
Chicago. Dick started doing his show in 1984, and this new agreement
will bring him to 20 years as the "night time personality"
of Chicago's oldies leader.
DUH DALLAS
REUNION: Larry
tells us, "We've finalized the arrangements with Joe T Garcia's
Restaurant and are ready to immediately start registration and ticket
sales for the KFJZ and Friends Radio Reunion on Saturday evening, 6
pm, on January 27th. All DFW media folks from radio/TV and print media
are eligible. If you worked at KLIF, KFJZ, KBOX, WFAA, KXOL,
WFAA, etc, you're invited!"
"Tickets are priced at $20 each. We urge you to visit the
registration and tickets info page at this link http://www.kfjzreunion.com/register.htm
and purchase your tickets immediately. You can send a check or
money order or purchase tickets online using your MasterCard or Visa
charge cards."
"We had originally planned on seating for 80 folks. But,
because of overwhelming demand, Joe T's has arranged for a larger room
for us that will seat around 200 folks. We might have to cut off
tickets sales if we get too far above that amount so we can comply
with the restaurant legal codes. So, again, don't delay in purchasing
tickets. Info is at the reunion Web site. There's a link
on the main page at www.kfjzreunion.com
... "
"We've added mass quantities of photographs since the last time
we sent you an e-mail update. If you have any scanned
photographs or memorabilia, send them to us and we'll post them on the
Web site. Keep in touch. e-mail us is you have any
questions. Full details are at the Web site, www.kfjzreunion.com"
... Larry Shannon
OUR LAWYERS
ARE BIGGER THAN YOUR LAWYERS:
I always thought that the call letters WOW -- FM, in Omaha, were some
of the best in the country. But we live in a world of change and
Journal Broadcasting changed the call letters to KSSO, 94.1 KISS
Country. That was in October of last year. And along comes
Clear Channel Communications (who just happens to own the OTHER
country station in town) claiming to have a federal copyright on the
use of the word KISS for a station's call letters. Oh, Oh!
So, CCC flexes their legal muscles and screams "foul."
Not wanting to make lawyers any richer than they are, the call letters
are changed for the third time to "KMXM, 94.1 MAX COUNTRY."
(I think I went to high school with Max.)
MY PAL
PERRY'S SUGGESTION ON HOW TO HANDLE THE IRS:
Write 'em a letter.
"Dear IRS: I
would like to cancel my subscription. Please remove my name from
your mailing list."
HEEEEEEE'S
BAAAAAAAAAAAAACK IN BIG "D":
Howard Stern is back in Dallas on KYNG after being out of the market
for the past four years. At a press conference he described
himself as "a broadcaster that has historical significance."
I don't know what came over me, but when I heard those words I ripped
my shirt off and stood in front of my Logitech camera.
WEBBER OF
THE WEEK:
Future is what future
does. Toothsayers and Soothsayers had this to say about de
fewtcha ...
1/1/2001
HAPPY
NEW
YEAR!
***
Toldja, Howard got his contract. Five years.
***Tim
O'Donnell, ABC News radio anchorman for over 30 years, died on
December 13, from a heart attack. He was 57.
***Afternoon
jock Scott Miller out at WJMK-FM, Chicago. Last day was
Thursday, December 14th.
WORLD
WIDE APPEAL: We finished the year at
ArtRoberts.Com with visits from 15 countries. Canada once
again is number one, followed by New Zealand, Singapore, Australia,
Japan, Belgium, Old Style Arpanet, United Kingdom, Germany,
and France rounding out the top ten. We also had visits from
Israel, India, Italy, Jamaica, and Portugal. Happy
New Year EVERYONE.
SINGLE
STATION OWNERS WAIT FOR A KNOCK ON THEIR DOOR:
50 radio groups own approximately 30% of all commercial stations in
the country. One third of those stations are owned by Clear
Channel alone with over 1,100 stations. The big guys have
cornered the market in the top three cities. #1 New York finds
Infinity, Clear Channel and Emmis with 15 stations controling 70% of
the ad revenue. In Los Angeles, Infinity, Clear Channel and
Hispanic own 22 stations, and controll 72% of the revenue. And
in Chicago, Infinity, Clear Channel and Bonneville own 18 stations,
controlling 68% of the revenue. Station prices are also on the rise
as large groups corner each market. So, single station owners
are fast becoming a dying but potentially rich breed.
HAPPY
NEW YEAR CIRCA 1965 / 1966: (Thanks Chris F.)
Just click the clip marked New Year. Includes the voice of Don
Phillips.
COMING
OUT PARTY: XM Receivers will be exhibited at
the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas from January the fifth
through the eighth, 2001. Automobile receivers manufactured by
Sony, Pioneer & Alpine will be on display. Sirius
Satellite Radio will also demonstrate its service at the show, which
attracts about 100,000.
CONGRATS BIG JOHN: John Sebastian is
one of the best programmers I know. Clobber the competition
and have a REAL Happy New Year!. WWW.SEBASTIANRADIO.COM
WEBBER
OF THE WEEK: Predicting
the future in 1950 ....
http://www.funstun.com/1950.htm
12/17/2000
There
was an
old lady who
lived in a shoe
she had so many
radios she didn't know
what to do. They all worked fine
but sounded the same -- only the call letters
had a different name. They each played 13 in a row
and those were just the commercials raking in the dough.
As
hard as
she tried
there was nothing
to suit her. So, she
went to the store and
bought a computer. Dialed
up the net and WOW did she ever score.
There was jazz and rock and fifties stations galore.
With a smile she said "who could ask for anything more."
Time
marched on
and lo and behold
a new kind of radio
was about to unfold. It
came to us from outer space,
there were only 2 in this new race.
But they offered 100 channels from which to choose,
Hang on Mamma this is one listening game you can't lose.
So, she went to the cupboard and got a shot of her favorite booze.
There on the rooftop
she heard such a clatter,
she thought to herself "What
the Hell is the matter? Down the chimney
landing with a thud was Santa saying "Howdy Bud."
"I brung ya a new radio with the satellite band on top."
And they danced and danced like the old days at a record Hop.
Then the old lady said with a wink: "Santa, have a Christmas drink."
And handed Santa a gaily wrapped and ribboned box with a robe of silk.
Santa smiled at her and said: "This sure beats a plate of cookies and
milk."
So, here's a Christmas wish
From Bobbi and me
And of course we must
include our Shelties three
We all love you so very much
Let's always always stay in touch.
ART & BOBBI
12/10/2000
SKATING ON THIN
ICE: Howard Stern's contract with
Muscle-Conglomerate Infinity Broadcasting runs out on December the
15th. So far, neither side can agree on terms and Howard says he
is not likely to continue working without a contract. R&I
prediction: Howard stays. His agent will cut another good deal.
Howard is (and always was) a very loyal employee.
TALK RADIO NUMBER
ONE ON THE NET: The top ten Internet radio "Streamin'
Screamers" are:
1. WABC -- NEW
YORK -- Talk Radio -- ABC RADIO
2. KKBT -- LOS ANGELES -- Urban -- RADIO ONE
3. WBAP -- DALLAS / FT. WORTH -- News / Talk --ABC
RADIO
4. KSFO -- SAN FRANCISCO -- Talk Radio -- ABC RADIO
5. WLS -- CHICAGO -- News / Talk -- ABC RADIO
6. KGO-A/SAN FRANCISCO News / Talk -- ABC RADIO
7. WPLJ -- NEW YORK -- Adult Top 40 -- ABC RADIO
8. RADIO MARGARITAVILLE (Net Only) -- Classic Rock --
BROADCAST AMERICA
9. KABC -- LOS ANGELES -- Talk Radio -- ABC RADIO
10. 3WK ORIGINAL UNDERGROUND (Net Only) -- Alternative Rock -- 3WK
PAPA WAS A ROLLING
STONE: Here are the VH1 Top 100 songs OF THE
1900'S.
CONGRATULATIONS:
To Eileen Byrne, who becomes the overnight Talk Host at WLS.
She bumps Mike Siegal's syndicated show. Ataboy girl, the more
local talk, the better.
VP GORE GETS PLUMB
JOB OFFER: KABC-AM in Los Angeles offered a job
to VP AL GORE to team up with Al Rantel (who leans to the right) to do
the Al and Al show. The salary would be the same as the
President's salary -- $400,000 a year. They will even pay for
his move to Los Angeles. Al Gore carried the city of Los Angeles
with 73 percent of the vote. Sounds like a hit show to me.
And a lot less headache than being the President.
SO WHERE'S THE
PROBLEM? We now live in a country where we have
no President but we do have ...
1) a dead Senator
from Missouri going to Congress.
2) a fake President played on TV by Martin Sheen.
3) a new Senator from New York who used to be the wife of the
boss of the man who may be President.
4) a Governor from Florida who is the brother of the man who may
be President and son of a man who was.
5) a sitting President whose wife now will be hanging around the
same men who voted to remove him from office.
6) a senior Senator from South Carolina who, under our current
Constitution rules, could be appointed to be President in this
standoff despite the fact that he is 98.
7) a potential Vice President who, because he did not take his
name off the Connecticut Senate race, could end up being the
deciding factor in how the Senate is composed.
8) a Republican VP candidate who may be barred from taking
office as he is really a Texas resident and can't serve with a
Texas president.
And finally ....
9)
A state where a Republican Legislature and a Democratic Supreme Court
try to determine the outcome of 25 electoral votes without appearing
to be partisan.
I
don't see what the confusion is all about.
KLIF KLUBBED --
RUMOR OR FACT? Tom Kamb is in his second week of
being the afternoon host on KLIF, and he is already in hot water.
According to my sources in Dallas, Tom, in talking with a listener,
was accused of being a racist and not understanding the
disenfranchised black voters in Florida. So, Tom (allegedly)
called the listener an "asshole" and continued talking,
defending his position. The conversation went on and on -- which
did not light up management's room. When Tom showed up for his
program on Wednesday, KLIF was running a disclaimer on the air.
Tom told his audience he was instructed to apologize to his listeners
and then spent the time telling everyone he would not apologize...
Saying: (here is that word again -- ALLEGEDLY) "what are they
gonna do, fire me?"
Tom was not allowed on the
air on Thursday, and was told to show up at the station on Friday to
"see where we stand." More next week. Rumor has
it that this is all a publicity stunt. Some stunt. I will
let you know more next week.
WEBBER OF THE
WEEK: 'Bout time you got the holiday spirit!
Put your winter stocking cap on and have fun with some Christmas
Trivia.
That's it
for this week. Art
Roberts
12/03/2000
IN THE MONTH
OF NOVEMBER...
We have had a record number of visits from people all over the world.
(17 countries) Canada remains No. 1, followed by Australia, Belgium,
United Kingdom, Japan, Italy, Germany, Norway, Saudi Arabia, and the
Slovak Republic. The next seven included Old Style Arpanet,
Argentina, Brazil, Switzerland, Israel, Netherlands, and France.
And now, here is an open invitation -- if you have any news about
radio or music in your country, please let us know. Art@artroberts.com
Thanks, and come back often.
KLIF'S GOING
AND COMINGS:
Two heavyweights have joined the KLIF staff. Tom Kamb takes
command of the afternoon show from 2 to 6 PM. Phil Hendrie talks
to the troops from 6:30 to 10 PM. Kevin McCarthy, the Dallas
favorite and a golfer that never gets any respect, keeps his 11 AM to
2 PM show. So does morning host Joe Kelley -- although rumors
about the morning show are bouncing off the walls.
IN MEMORY: Friday,
December 8, will be the 20th Anniversary of John Lennon's tragic
death. Strawberry Fields Forever
ANGER IN
CHICAGO: Hi,
Art - Well, they're doing it again! WNIB 97.1 in Chicago
and sister station WNIZ 96.9 in Zion, founded and managed since 1955
by Bill and Sonia Florian, was sold Wednesday for $165 million to Salt
Lake City-based Bonneville International Corp., a business arm of the
Mormon church. It is likely the format will change. WNIB/WNIZ
is the arch-rival to WFMT 98.7, and these stations are our only
big-time outlets to mainly classical music on the radio. WFMT
has fallen below its former star status in my opinion over the last
couple of decades, and I've subscribed to WNIB's program guide for
years now. WNIB also has a real treasure - Chuck Schaden's
"Those Were The Days" program every Saturday 1 - 5 pm,
consisting of vintage radio programs; comedy, drama, news
announcements, and big band concert remotes from places like the
Aragon Ballroom - and I wonder now where his program will go. I
know radio jobs can be very flighty, but the big Jabba-the-Hut
conglomerates make it even worse by coming in from far away markets
and stomping all over local tastes with regard only for their own
(sometimes imagined) gain.
I can understand why the
Florians decided to sell. They've been at it for 45 years.
I just wish I had $200 million and I'd buy the station and tell the
staff they can stay, and ask them what to do to run it like the
Florians did, and the audience would still be happy.
Gone also will be the dogs
and cats the Florians et.al. let run through the studios.
Sometimes during announcements between recordings you could hear
barking and an occasional meow! It was a real Mom and Pop place
underneath the very professional station it was.
Sorry to rant and gripe,
but the future of radio is here now, and I don't like its face or its
personality.
Regards, Sarah
SATELLITES A
- PLENTY: XM
Satellite Radio's first of two satellites arrived at LONG BEACH,
in preparation for its launch. XM's satellites, named
"Rock" and "Roll", will take off from SEA
LAUNCH's floating launch platform near the equator. "Roll" goes
first on Jan. 8, 2001 and "Rock" will be launched a month or
two down the line. Meanwhile, Sirius Satellite Radio launched
its third satellite from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
(Say that three times fast.)
SININ' IN
CINCINNATI:
WEBN-FM in Cincinnati ran a promotion claiming that a listener (Gary
Willis) who won $1000 in 1975 has willed a $10,834 inheritance to the
station, which was the prize money and the interest it earned.
According to the story, Gary moved to the West Coast and started a
software company, which was very successful. So far so good.
Whoops, there was no Gary Willis! But the money was real.
It came from the prize budget. To make matters worse, Clear
Channel ran the same promotion at 99 X. (Their station in Atlanta,
Georgia) GOTCHA. The local news media in Cincinnati
really got bent out of shape over this story. There was no Gary
Willis. So what! Hey, the magic of radio is illusion.
Theater of the mind. If the Legend is better than the story --
print the legend.
80's FORMAT
FITS NICHE:
The '80s format is taking off. ABC Radio turned WXCD-FM (94.7)
to an all-'80s format called "The Zone." This format
is growing in popularity across the country. Can you spell
Depeche Mode? And Jones Broadcast Programming is offering an all
'80s format which is being programmed by Steve Young. BP is
adding stations at one or two a week. Try spelling Huey Lewis --
-- it's easier.
WEBBER OF
THE WEEK:
Voice recognition software is fast becoming a standard on the
computers. In fact, I am writing this through voice recognition
technology. Pretty cool. Here is one that works in
reverse -- you write the words, it says it for you. What a great
boon for "shy people."
MUSICAL SPORTS
CHAIRS: A group of investors in Dallas/Fort Worth are
planning another sports/talk radio station in the market on 990 AM. This
would compete with Susquehanna's KTCK (AM), Sportsradio 1310, "The
Ticket". Don't think it's ABC trying to launch ESPN Radio full time
like they do in Chicago on the old WCFL and what they're going to do in LA
when they complete the acquisition of KRLA. Rumor there is that ESPN
Radio would move to KDIS, 710 AM, where Radio Disney is now, and Radio Disney
will move up to KRLA, 1110 AM. You need a damn map to "keep
up" these days.
INTERNET INPUT FROM ONE
WHO KNOWS:
Something you wrote in your R & I section about the internet people who
might try to predict music tastes reminded me of something like that from the
late 60s. I believe it was about 1966 when Kent Burkhardt was in Atlanta
at WQXI. He did a music survey with the Frank Magid people that included
about 100 "hooks" on a tape that was played to people during in-home
interviews for a WQXI research project. This was one of the first radio
music research projects ever commissioned. The "hooks" were
from unfamiliar songs, but encompassed many different musical sounds.
The idea was to establish a "sound" or group of "sounds"
that would help in choosing new songs to add to the playlist.
I heard of this when I went to Portland from Chicago in 1969. On the way
there I went through Denver where KOA was doing a similar study. Their
PD at the time was Dan Tucker, also a former KOIL guy, who was hoping to
determine a "sound" that he could use to help music selection.
When we did our first Magid study in 1970 for KGW in Portland, we used the
Burkhardt tape, and arrived at what we believed was a "market sound"
for Portland. It was not a substitute for all the other things we would
look for in a new song, but it did give us some guidance. What was more
important, was the "market sound" we determined by listening to
those cuts on the tape that were more widely liked by most of our target demo
group.
Will these internet guys be able to predict or influence formats by looking at
CD sales? My guess would be no, but like so many other novel ideas,
there will be some people influenced by it, and that will be as bad as the
people making Country music in Nashville who listened to what the radio people
wanted and ended up creating a lot of bland commercial crap in recent years,
rather than the exciting Country music of the late 80s.
Hal Widsten
TICKLE ME ELMO:
There is a new talk format -- Comedy Talk. Citadel Communications has
taken three of their AM radio stations, all in college towns, and switched
them over to this comedy format. Now, here's the interesting part.
The programming is being supplied by Comedy World. In April of this year
they were just another Internet site (www.comedyworld.com).
By August they signed a deal with Sirius Satellite Radio to program a Comedy
World channel on their satellite service to be launched in 2001. A
couple of months later Citadel had them on board.
Before the popularity of the
Internet it was next to impossible to launch ANY new format. Look for
the radio giants to test market other formats in the future on Internet radio.
OLD PRO'S NEVER
DIE... THEY JUST KICK-ASS: After just 60 days the
trends show that Ron Chapman's audience has followed him over the rooftops of
Dallas from KVIL to KLUV. Just wait till the next book!
NBC "BEATLES"
TO PERFORM "LIVE" IN BURBANK Wed. - Nov. 29:
NBC is flying "Beatles" actors, Phillip McQuillan (John Lennon) and
Daniel McGowan (Paul McCartney), stars of the upcoming NBC Movie-Of-The-Week,
"In His Life: The John Lennon Story," from Liverpool to meet and
perform on stage with L.A.'s very own "John Lennon",( Tim Piper, of
the #1 Beatles Tribute, REVOLUTION) in a concert that will be taped by ACCESS
HOLLYWOOD.
Beatle fans are invited to attend
the FREE taping and concert:
Wed., Nov. 29 at 6 PM
Whiskey Bend
1221 N. San Fernando Road
Burbank, CA
LIMITED SEATING - FIRST COME FIRST SERVE!
WEBBER OF THE WEEK:
"Does your Chewing Gum lose it's flavor on the bedpost overnight?"
Check out this collection of gum wrappers. Awesome. Rick's
"Safari" pix are a bonus. (Lagniappe) The Link is at the
bottom of their Home Page.
11/19/2000
AN OPEN
INVITATION:
Welcome one and all to our wonderful party. Please visit our web site at
www.KROQReunion.com and then join in
the celebration. We update constantly with audio and pictures gathered
to honor the diversity of what was and now is KROQ. We invite ALL
broadcasters to join in, whether you were a participant, competitor, admirer,
close personal friend, or passing acquaintance. We look forward to
hearing from you. Darrell Wayne
WILL THE INTERNET
BE YOUR NEXT PD?
One of the newest e-businesses on the net are databases that research new
product and then recommend which CD's are worth playing or owning. Some
of these new companies believe they can utilize the Internet to predict the
musical tastes of various formats. They hope to peddle the information
to large radio groups and music outlets. Once a format or musical
preference has been indicated, then future recommendations will be based on
previous choices. Actually, it is an expanded effort that is currently
used by such companies as Amazon in satisfying a customer's taste. When
a CD is purchased from Amazon, any future orders are accompanied by
recommendations of like CD's that other subscribers with similar musical
tastes have found to be worthy of being highly rated. These new
companies believe that they can shape formats and musical tastes. Will
they? Don't know. But it sure beats running focus groups which are
filled with bodies who want to pick up a couple of bucks, come in out of the
cold, and get a free hot cup of coffee.
TOP 8 FLORIDA
EXCUSES FOR HOLDING UP THE ELECTION:
8. Dangerous Metamucil
shortage caused by misunderstood TV reports of "many irregularities in
Florida."
7. "Help! I've voted and I can't get up!"
6. "Give us 'Golden Girls: The Movie', and you'll get your damn
President!"
5. Still waiting for Elian's absentee ballot to be "rescued"
from Donato's closet.
4. Payback for all those jokes about being "America's penis."
3. "Que?"
2. Ballot inspectors are stuck behind blue-haired drivers going
20 MPH in the wrong lane with a turn signal constantly on.
1 "Little old ladies who can play 15 Bingo cards at once can't figure out
which way the arrows are pointing."
CC AND THE NET:Clear
Channel Keeps on Growing and Growing and Growing. Who is that entering
the Internet arena? My goodness, it is the Clear Channel Internet Group.
Rumor has it that Clear Channel wants to coordinate all their radio properties
to hopefully dominate streaming radio. They plan to develop a new site
using the www.KIISFM.com URL -- which
already enjoys a large block of listeners.
This is very reminiscent of the
early years when giant AM signals dominated the listing audience and
placed little emphasis on the value of FM. But there is heavy competition
coming up the road.
Lycos Radio Network is the latest
in a long list of companies that are testing the waters of the Internet.
Yahoo will pay $6.1 billion for Broadcast.com, the pioneer company that lumped
radio stations together for online streaming. Another "Big noise in
Winnetka" is Viacom who bought Imagine Radio. You know it's getting
serious out there when Internet radio has the means to measure their audience.
Wake up sleeping beauty, net radio is more than just a passing fancy.
THANKSGIVING:
It sure got here in a hurry! The turkey that Bobbi picked out for our
Thanksgiving dinner has demanded a recount of the flock. We might wind
up with hot dogs.
Art Roberts.com has a lot to be
thankful for and it is all due to your support, comments, and suggestions.
Thank you so much for your input, and I look forward to another interesting
year serving those involved with the radio industry -- whether you are a fan
or have made the biz your profession. Enjoy the holiday.
WEBBER OF THE
WEEK: All your
favorite oldies -- well at least 300 of them -- yours for the clicking.
This is one of the best oldies collections on the net from Bill Haley to
Motown to "Do Whop."
GET A LAWYER:
Anyone in a highly volatile profession needs representation (preferably a
lawyer) before signing any agreement. Radio is in the same category as a
player for the NBA, NFL, AFC, etc. Yours is a profession that can become
victim to the whims of management. For example, last week Rick Party,
who had been with WGCI - FM in Chicago for eight years, and ranked No. 1 in
the afternoon, was let go with the flimsy excuse that the station "wanted
to go in a different direction." And in Philadelphia, WWDB-FM
dumped their 25 year talk format and became "The hits of the 80s",
firing 45 people in the process.
It has become apparent that radio
performers will pack up and move to a new position without considering
possible outcomes in the future. Acquisitions, change of management, and
other unforeseeable decisions can and will affect your life. Any
contract that does not protect your livelihood is not worth signing.
Don't go it alone. Have legal representation at your side who will see
to it that the clauses of a contract which might "do you in" have
monetary consequences for the station that is hiring you. If a station
or group balks at the suggestion of representation, don't sign a contract.
Quit being so hungry that you except less than you deserve. You are
being hired for your talent. Protect your back.
WE'VE LOST
ANOTHER RADIO FRIEND:
On Nov. 22nd, 1963, John William Allen was the first person in the country to
announce that President John F. Kennedy had been shot in Dallas. John
had a long broadcast career (40 years) on WFAA-AM in Dallas. He died
Nov. 3rd at the age of 81.
ANOTHER SAG SAGA:
Jeepers! The trial board at SAG found Tiger Woods guilty of "being
a scab" for doing a Buick commercial in Canada last July. They
fined him $100,000. Then they cut the fine in half, provided Tiger does
not break any "strike rules" for five years. Now, Tiger wasn't
even there, but I was told he did telephone. Sounds to me like SAG
expects another strike. Jeepers!
DICK BIONDI:
Will be featured in "Rock Radio Revolution", a TV documentary on
public television. It will be aired at the end of Nov. Check
your local listings.
WEBBER OF THE
WEEK: Here is an
outstanding collection of print ads through the years. Check out the
Coke ads. There's one from 1942!
That's it for this week.
ART ROBERTS
11/O5/2000
50 YEARS AND STILL GOING
STRONG:
Paul Harvey has been with ABC for 50 years and
commands an audience of more than 18 million people every week.
Paul is eighty-two and has just signed a new ten-year contract with
the network for $100 million. Way to go.
HE MAY NOT HAVE SHOT AN
EAGLE TODAY ....
But Kevin
McCarthy is coming down the fairway holding a brand new driver.
When Kevin returned to KLIF AM 570 from 11 AM to 2 PM, he inherited a
dismal .4 rating. In the short amount of time he has been
entertaining his 25-54 audience, Kevin has brought his numbers up to a
1.0 -- Watch out Dallas, this boy doesn't have a bogie in his bones.
INTERESTING
"IN-SITES": I found a site that
Jingles Jangles Jingles ...
Wanna know what happened
on the day you were born? Or any day between 1900-1999?
Well ...
Then there is an auction
site dedicated to Rock 'N Roll. Check out the list of Music
Festivals -- some great vacation ideas.
DON'T GIMME
THAT "MOST MUSIC" CRAP - SHORTEN THE STOPSET:
Advertisers are getting sick and tired of being No. 7 in a "10
spot" stop set. Music intensive radio stations are
wearing out their welcome as they continue their snow job on the
public attempting to convince them the station plays more music than
any other radio station in the area. It does not matter how many
songs are played in a row -- every station is a "for profit
business" and will eventually reach a very long stop set.
Most radio stations play 30 second commercials and lump together 10 or
more. Listeners really can't tell the difference between a 30 or
60 second commercial. They just know it lasts a long time, so
their finger hits the button -- and goodbye! Greed'll getcha
every time.
NEW COUNTRY
STATION IN HOUSTON: Actually, it's a new
format on KKBQ "the new 93 Q." They are now a high
energy, up tempo country station playing 52 minutes of country music
every hour. Will they fill a void or just be another "same
old same old?" That is for the listeners in Houston to
decide. Do me a favor -- if you live in the Houston area, please
let me know what you think of this new format. Art@artroberts.com
SOMEBODY SHOULD
COME OUT WITH A RADIO BOARD GAME: You know,
something like Monopoly. Instead of buying houses, the player
buys radio stations. The person who comes out with the most
stations -- win's. That is the game the larger groups are
playing right now. And they are forever trying to figure ways to
fatten up the already fat bottom line.
Clear Channel is
considering dumping their live all night shows in New York and
replacing them with voice tracks. Guess no one ever told them
that New York City is a "city that never sleeps."
Radio One, trying to stem the tide of sinking stock prices, reports a
third-quarter revenue of $43 million, which is 78 percent more than
they did last year. And the road goes on forever, and the
profits never end... Or will they?
WEBBER OF THE
WEEK: Like Quizzes? Poster Quiz.
TV Quiz. Quote Quiz. Word Quiz. Geek Quiz.
Sci Quiz. Dead Quiz. Quiz of the Week. Well,
"QUIZ THIS."
10/29/2000
IT IS
OVER ... BUT AT WHAT COST?
The longest strike began in May and ended last Sunday. 155 days.
So, who won? You figure it out. The SAG / AFTRA strike
cost Los Angeles $1.5 million a day. New York lost $500,000 a
day. The SAG and AFTRA members lost about $200 million in
take-home pay. Commercial production did not end as
non-union actors played the parts and producers booked studios in
Canada and overseas. Next year they get to do it all over again
as contracts run out for actors and writers. That could really
get ugly!
GROWING
GLOBAL:
Absolutely Amazing! We had visits from 16 countries this month.
The top 10 are Canada, Italy, Argentina, Sweden, Estonia, Japan,
Finland, Singapore, United Kingdom, and Old Style Arpanet.
(Anybody know where that is?) Those countries were followed by
Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Niger, Netherlands, Norway, and Germany.
Thank you for stopping by --
SO
WHERE'S THE MONEY?
I was reading a report the other day about starting salaries for
people just getting out of college. It is not hard to find a job
paying $50,000 a year being offered to those who have earned a degree.
And if you have an MBA in your hip pocket, entry-level opportunities
start at around $100,000 a year. But not in radio.
As groups continue to grow
and gobble up the competition, salaries for on air performers continue
to go down. It is amazing how many of the top 100 cities
are paying salaries under $25,000 a year. Small markets offer
salaries in the 15 to $17,000 bracket. A person bagging
groceries makes more than that! As long as the "owner
mentality" believes that entertainment stops at 9:00 in the
morning -- followed by brainless cue cards and hard drive storage --
on air opportunities will continue to dwindle.
THE BIG
TWO SCORE BIG BUCKS:
Clear Channel Communications Inc. picked up a cool 800 plus million
dollars spinning off radio stations around the country. Their
revenue almost doubled (98 percent) reaching $1.58 billion.
Infinity's net earnings are up 66 percent, reaching $1 billion and
change. Consolidation in major markets and cutbacks across the
board for all large conglomerates will further beef up the bottom
line. The new breed controlling radio across the nation cares
less about program content and concentrates on making money -- at any
cost. The listener is the loser.
"VENGEANCE
IS MINE SAYETH THE LORD ... AND SAG":
Get ready for another
Hollywood witch hunt. SAG strike captains have been taking
pictures as well as taking names of union actors suspected of crossing
the line and making commercials during their 25 week strike.
Never mind family values or commitments. They vow to punish each
and every one regardless of how big they are. Hey, it's
over. Time to take off your militant mask. Get a job.
Or a life.
CONGRATULATIONS:
Pete Spriggs is the new PD of WSB-AM, Atlanta, GA. He
should march down their hallowed halls in December.
WEBBER OF THE WEEK: Old Radios
never die -- they just go up in value.
MP3 LEGAL:
MP3 is willing to pay $30 million for the right to use one million songs in
its service. My.MP3.com is an Internet service that allows users to
store music digitally and then downloaded to any computer. They got
busted in April of this year for violating copyright laws. Since then,
MP3 has settled with four major labels, and this latest agreement with the
major music publishers should mean "Clear Sailing" from this point
on.
YOU MIGHT BE IN RADIO
IF ...
1) 80% of your wardrobe has
a station logo on it.
2) You look at your paycheck and say, "That's it?"
3) You have ever dreamt of a record running out and not being able to
find
the control room door.
4) You've ever muttered the words, "Yea, I'll try to get that on
for ya!"
5) You have more stereo and computer equipment than everyone else you
know combined.
6) Cueing, segueing, walking on, loose, back-timing, raise, lower, EAS,
and dumb-ass program director are everyday parts of your vocabulary.
7) You've had 5, # 8 caller's in a row.
TECHNOLOGY RULES:
Once upon a time, in the land of Ooh Blah Dee, the 3 alphabet dragons (ABC,
CBS, NBC) controlled 85 percent of TV viewers. Then came the Cable
Dragon. Rumors of Doom were spread throughout the land. "The
Cable Dragon will gobble them all up." Didn't happen. Half
the people that watch TV still dial-up the big three, who now are knee
deep in cable channels.
What's the point? Just as
cable did not destroy mainstream television, the same will be true for
mainstream radio as they prepare to do battle with today's new
technologies of satellite services, Internet streaming, Broadband, etc.
Nobody owns 100 percent of
anything! And competition stimulates the marketplace. Mainstream
Radio in the future will grow from this experience, and be forced to offer
programming other than the homogenized formats that exists today. The
big winner in all of this will be the audience. More choices. Much
better radio... Technology rules!
GOTCHA! Andy
Martin, who is running for the Senate in Florida, has filed consumer fraud
charges in all 50 states that alleges Clear Channel is defrauding listeners by
using contests that are supposedly local but in fact are nationwide.
Andy has petitioned the FCC to hold a formal investigation.
WEBBER OF THE WEEK:
If you are in Rock Radio, here is
a site that is Prime for show prep. Bookmark it Scotty!!
10/15/2000
NO NEWS IS GOOD
NEWS BY CBS STANDARDS:
It's bad enough that CBS/Infinity dumped WMAQ in a trash can and fired some of
the best reporters in the city of Chicago -- now they have degraded there one
remaining all news station, WBBM-AM, by not allowing them to report a major
news story. Last Sunday Chicago experienced a blackout throughout the
Loop area. It even knocked out power to WBBM. When the trusty
engineers got them back on the air the "new breed of
decision-makers" forbid the newsroom from interrupting the Chicago Bears
football game to report the details on a blackout. Needless to say, the
reporters at Newsradio 780 were ticked. As Forest Gump said:
"Stupid is as stupid does."
Hey, this was a CHICAGO BEARS
FOOTBALL GAME for crying out loud. What the hell, hit the switch, if
nothing happens -- you know the lights are out! Well, just in case
someone didn't get it, WGN News kept a running account of the story
throughout the day. "A newsroom is like a box of chocolates.
Some are smooth and creamy, some are nuts."
IS IT POLITE TO
POINT?: Once a
Christian talk station in Houston, 106.9 has become "The Point" --
playing "The best of the '80s and more." Isn't that wonderful?
Now, when a station brings a new format to a city they must
call attention to it. The Point is playing 10,000 songs in a row
-- without commercials. It should take a month to complete this marathon
so you can figure that they'll be ready to really play radio around the first
of November. No, they are not playing 10,000 different songs -- just
10,000 in a row. That sounds like the same stuff over and over.
How much Pat Benatar and Duran Duran can one audience take?
COLOR RADIO
RETURNING: The
Buzz is "Color Radio is returning," but not to the radio. It
is Internet bound. Names being bounced around are Chuck Blore, Bill
Ballance and Gary Owens. With thundering hoof beats and the hardy
cry of "Number One -- One -- One -- One -- One" Top Forty Radio
rides again. Target date is January 1, 2001.
ANOTHER $7000
FINE IN TEXAS: Lex
and Terry, morning stars at KTXQ in Dallas were fined $7000 by the FCC for
indecency for something they said back in June 1998. They allegedly had
a graphic sexual conversation with a female caller. I guess it took this
long for the FCC to figure out what the words meant.
WEEK 24 - THEY'RE
GONNA TALK SOME MORE:
SAG / AFTRA will have a "sit down" with the ad folks October
19th. Joy.
DON IMUS OUT IN
MILWAUKEE: WGLB-FM
in Milwaukee sez 5 grand a month is too much to pay for The Don Imus Show.
Sponsors weren't exactly breaking down the station door to be on the show,
which started in March, 1999. No word on a replacement.
WEBBER OF THE
WEEK: Like links?
Lotsa links! Little links. Lumpy links. Loose links.
Low links. Left links. Light links. Lean links. Land
links. Leaky links. Lovable links. Lazy links. Loony
links. Well, LINK on to this.....
10/8/2000
GLOBAL GOIN'S ON: We had 13 countries visiting the web site last month. Canada
led the list, followed by the United Kingdom and Japan. After that we heard from
Estonia, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Australia, France, Belgium, Finland, Mexico, India, and
Denmark. Looks like we were holding our own Olympics. They all got gold medals.
WHAT'S IN A NAME?: New morning radio game show in Houston called, "Olympian
or Skin Disease." (Regal theme music) Callers get a word and have to guess whether
its the name of a foreign athlete or a disgusting epidermal
condition. Some are tougher than you'd think.
XM WILL BE "AMAZING RADIO": XM isn't an audio service, but a collection of up to
100 living breathing radio stations, each with a staff of hand picked hyper-creative
winners.....Radio warriors, ready for the mission to give listeners the most compelling
and exciting radio in the history of the medium. The XM sound will be the most riveting
and brilliant sound that listeners have ever heard. America is in the Golden Age of Talk
Radio, and the Dark Ages of Music Radio. One will not simply listen to XM. They will
love XM. It will not be programmed as a commodity (like the boring slogan-intense
formats we are subjected to coast-to-coast), but XM will program to be a part of peoples'
lives. This interaction doesn't just "happen"...it must be built...nurtured... that is a major
ingredient in the XM vision. Every format will be re-invented, represented, and then
presented in it's purest form. For example, eclectic formats will be "authentic"....no White
suburban guys on the Blues Channel....it'll have genuine Bluesmasters....the Reggae
jocks will be from Kingston.....these specialty formats will be "the real deal."
XM is moving into the largest commercial radio facility on earth. With the ability to create
every imaginable kind of radio from live appearances of a major orchestra to live radio
superstar jocks. 85 Studios. Absolute state of the art complimented by complete remote
studio/operations facilities in Nashville (inside the country Music Hall of Fame) Los
Angeles and New York City built to the same standards.
I "love" Radio Warriors. Maybe 'cause I are one!
BOYCOTT!!! HOW COME THERE IS NEVER A GIRLCOTT?
Negotiations have failed for the second time in the longest actors strike on record. SAG
is pushing for a nationwide boycott of major advertisers who still shoot non-union
commercials -- like Procter & Gamble, AT&T, and General Motors. So, from now on,
they all wear dirty clothes, hang up the phone, and walk to work. (What work?) They
don't have the muscle to do this alone, and need the help of Big Brother AFL / CIO -- as
well as enlisting high profile actors to spread the word. R&I predicts this will be a futile
effort. Tell ya why...
P&G spent 2.6 billion dollars in advertising last year. GM spent over 4 billion. A chunk of
that money was paid to union actors. Who's getting hurt? A high profile actor -- after
making a speech -- goes home to their multi-million dollar mansion. How does that
relate to middle America? Boycotts work best when they involve social issues.
Consumer boycotts take a lot of time to get results. The grape boycott against Gallo
Wines just ended after 25 years. There are ongoing boycotts against Anheuser-Busch,
Neiman Marcus (protesting selling Fur Coats), Gap Inc. (protest to save The Redwoods),
etc., etc.
Meanwhile, back at the Hollywood Ranch, the strike continues to dry up the town, and
perpetuate a "Them against Us" posture. Again I ask: "Are they killing the goose that
laid the Golden Egg?"
CC STILL GROWING: Clear Channel has grown to One Thousand Eighty Eight
stations. Unbelievable!!!
WEBBER OF THE WEEK: Since Friday the 13th is just around the corner -- Have you
taken your "DEATH TEST?" Just open the door in front of you -- yes, that one with the
Wolfs head on the front -- be careful, he has been known to bite!
http://test.thespark.com/deathtest/
TAXI, ANYONE?:
I know a radio station that changed formats, rented a huge truck, painted both
sides with bright call letters and a catchy slogan -- then parked their truck
in heavy traffic areas (beaches, shopping mall parking lots, concerts, etc.)
and within a month the whole city knew who they were and where they were on
the dial. Billboards work, and Clear Channel is out to dominate that
industry as well. In London, those little black taxi-cabs are now
brightly painted posters on wheels, and the cabbies pick up about $1600 for
the ads. One of the major players is -- you guessed it -- CC. And
they are looking for new ways to expand advertising space, such as placing ads
on the self-cleaning pay toilets that are found in downtown London. Last
year, Clear Channel International earned $800 million in sales. Which
answers the question, "Can Clear Channel afford Larry Lujack?"
WHAT'S IN A NAME?:
KKHT 106.9 in Houston has become MP3 Radio. What the Hell does that
mean? Beats me.
THEY SAID WHAT?:
KSJO-FM in San Jose, CA, was fined $14,000 by the FCC for indecency.
What did they do? Well, sex therapist Dr. Natasha Terry described how to
perform fellatio on the morning show, and was fined $7,000. The second
7K fine came from a joke about father-daughter incest. No, I don't think
Monica is the program director?
THE INEVITABLE
HAPPENED:
Radio One has turned KBFB 97.9 in Dallas to an urban format. (Like this
is really news?) Their slogan is "Where Hip Hop Lives -- The New
97.9." KKDA 104.5, No. 1 in Dallas, has owned this market for the
past five years, and Ken Dowe is ready and waiting. Let's Rumble!
CONGRATULATIONS:
To the Marconi Awards winners this year, among them my friends at WAXX,
Eau Claire, WI, Small Market Station of the Year; Tim Wilson WAXX,
Eau Claire, WI, Small Market Personality of the Year; and Paul LeSage,
WTMJ, Milwaukee, WI News/Talk/Sports Station of the Year.
IT AINT OVER 'TIL IT'S
OVER:
Two weeks of talk -- negotiators walk! The main issues that were left on
the table: (1) How much actors are paid for advertising that runs on
cable TV (2) and how to handle commercials in the future made
exclusively for the Internet. SAG/AFTRA rejected a proposal for a 90 day
"cooling off" period where they can return to work under the old
contract until all the issues could be ironed out. So, where do we go
from here? SAG will continue their boycotting starting with Proctor and
Gamble. Now there is an original idea! Retail business is
advertising dependent -- top of the mind awareness needs the visual support of
new ads. The strike began back in May, and business cannot tolerate very
much more. I feel a revolution on the horizon --
WEBBER OF THE WEEK:
Maybe it's because I used to Hang around soda fountain's when I was a kid.
Did I ever love a good milkshake! Maybe it's because I worked my
way through college as the soda jerk. Whatever. This site stirred
the emotions in my heart. Anybody know how to make an egg-cream?
9-24-2000
NEW PD IN BIG
"D": Jeff
Hillery (WWDB, Philadelphia) is the new program director for KLIF in Dallas.
He takes over as Leader of the current pack of "KLIFDWELLERS"
October 9th.
BIG "D"
RUMOR OF THE WEEK:
KLUV morning star Ron Chapman and PD Chuck Brinkman have gone toe-to-toe at
least once at KLUV. Come on guys -- 35 years has to count for something!
TOP 20 INTERNET RADIO
SITES:
Numero Uno -- Virgin Radio (
www.virginradio.co.uk)
Number two -- NetRadio 80's hits (www.netradio.com)
Number three --KNAC Pure Rock (www.knac.com)
Number four -- Current Hits (www.netradio.com)
Number five -- Vintage Rock (www.netradio.com)
Followed by -- Net Radio (TheX); Net Radio (Smooth Jazz); WABC-AM
( www.wabcradio.com);
CFNY-FM; KPIG-FM; KLTY-FM; Net Radio (Lite Hits); Net
Radio (Quiet Classics); KPLU-FM; WPLJ-FM; KQRS-FM;
WJZW-FM; Net Radio -- New Age; Groove Radio; WGMS- FM.
Internet radio listening has
tripled in the last two years. Millions of people are finding this a
very pleasant alternative to their local radio stations.
WE LOST ANOTHER
FRIEND: Ralph G.
Hubbell, known as "the Dean of Western New York sportscasters" died
Thursday, Sept. 14, 2000. He was one month shy of his 91st birthday.
Ralph started his broadcast career in Buffalo in 1931 reading poetry on the
radio -- and there he stayed. He holds the record for the longest
sportscast service to one community in America. Ralph will be remembered
as a gentleman and a gentle man.
SO FAR NO GOOD:
Eight days of talking -- pickets still walking. Negotiators are sworn to
a pledge of silence -- so no real news can come from the negotiating table.
According to SAG/AFTRA, should the negotiations breakdown, they intend to
boycott Proctor and Gamble. Demonstrations have continued even as both
sides strive to reach an agreement at General Motors and Saturn plants.
Give Me A Break! Where has "We -- are -- going -- to -- bring --
them -- to -- their -- knees" mentality gotten them so far? Well,
Nicholas Cage donated $200,000 to the SAG strike fund while Helen Hunt, Kevin
Spacey, and Harrison Ford donated $100,000 each. That's a half million
raised in less than a week. And you thought getting money out of
Hollywood was Bill and Hillary C's idea!
WEBBER OF THE WEEK:
Amaze your mom. Amaze your
wife. Amaze your boyfriend. 20,000 'little known facts of useless
information so you can show people how smart you are." Updated
daily.
WHOOPS!
Just took the WGBH Rock 'n' Roll Quiz and scored 18 out of 25, which
translates to 72%. Although...it should have been 19 of 25. Sly &
The Family Stone's first hit was NOT "I Wanna Take You
Higher". According to Billboard, their actual first hit was
"Dance To The Music", which peaked at #8 in April 1968.
"I Wanna Take You Higher" actually had two chart runs, first
hitting #60 in June 1969, then hitting #38 in June 1970! K.S.
STRIKE PREDICTION:
The strike between SAG / AFTRA and the Ad Industry will end in a dead
heat. A TWENTY WEEK strike that could have been settled with a
handshake. SAG leadership on the hot seat for not having a
solid game plan, and leaving the bulk of their membership stuck with
below poverty paychecks.
CONGRATS:
To Scott Childers who does midday's on WNND-FM in Chicago on his new
two-year contract from the station. That's the way to do it -- get
it in writing.
BEAM IT UP, SCOTTY:
Sirius and XM are racing to bring entertainment to your car by 2001.
And spending Billions to do it. Here's how it works. Each
company will send radio programs up to satellites which will bounce the
signals down to a little dish stuck to a car's rear window. A
special radio which should be standard equipment in a bunch of
2001 vehicles (XM radios will be in GM and Honda, Sirius's in Ford,
Chrysler and five other automakers) will deliver 100 channels of
music, talk, sports and whatever else they dream up. That means
you should be able to drive from New York to L.A., listen to your
favorite station in CD quality, all for about ten bucks a month.
Doesn't get much better than that.
Both services will offer 50 music and 50
talk stations. Both services have very deep pockets. Sirius
as raised $1.5 billion, and XM raised a little more than $1 billion, but
one of their major investors is Clear Channel Communications. Not
a bad ally to have in your hip pocket.
There won't be any squeaky voiced no
talents working for either service. XM, with Lee Abrams at the
helm, has signed on names like Quincy Jones, John Anderson (Yes), and
Ted Nugent who will be doing a talk show. The listeners will not
be bombarded with the stale repetitious radio we are all forced to
endure on our FM band. For example, if you like traditional
country music, tune in "Hank's Place" and hear
"cigarettes, whiskey, and wild wild women" come blaring
through the six speakers in your car. I can hardly wait.
BLIMEY, LARRY'S IN LONDON,
BABY: Larry Lujack has been doing his weekend
show on WUBT-FM (103.5) since August. His show will now be heard
on Clear Channel's London station WLON. Larry is also on the Net
at:
www.1035thebeat.com
WEBBER OF THE WEEK:
Who knows the weed of crime that lurks in the hearts of men and women?
The Web do. Here is another test for you. This one pinpoints
your personality. Who are you, Really?
9 – 10 – 2000
JUST
LIKE AN OLD TIME TEXAS CATTLE ROUNDUP:
Clear Channel’s merger with AMFM gives them approximately $3.1
billion in revenue. (Their
closest competitor is Viacom/Infinity who earns about $1 billion from
their radio properties) Clear Channel also has 1-½ Billion dollars to
spend in their future radio cattle roundup.
EEE – HAW!
MORE
UNION HEADACHES A – COMIN’:
Contracts will run out next May for the Writers Guild of America, (WGA)
and next July for the Screen Actors Guild.
(SAG) Look for TV to
stockpile shows and also to come up with new concepts that do not require
the services of writers or actors - - such as "Survivor"
and other Reality shows This
could be another long one.
INTERNET
RADIO:
It has a-riven. You
can spend your life tracking them all down.
Right now I am listening to the blues on WWOZ 90.7 in New Awlinz,
Lewziana. (If this aint
rippin’, I’m somethin’) There
are 1700 U.S. stations and 1800 more from all over the world ripe for the
pickin’s. How do you find
them? A good place to start
is www.broadcast.com
(YAHOO) and www.discjockey.com
RON
RILEY ON REEL RADIO:
Well Uncle Ricky, it’s about time you’ve got around to Ringo
Ron. Part of the Ron Riley
collection is being featured on www.reelradio.com
. You can hear Ron 40 years
ago when he worked for WOKY. And
the real treat is a cut from the Clark Weber, Ron Riley, WLS Vietnam War
LP. Killer classic radio.
REALLY
GOOD ADVICE:
According to Dale S.
- Love
is grand; divorce is a hundred grand.
- Never
be afraid to try something new. Remember,
amateurs built the ark. Professionals
built the Titanic.
- People
will accept your ideas much more readily if you tell them that
Benjamin Franklin said it first.
- One
of life's mysteries is how a two-pound box of candy can make you gain
five pounds.
- I
plan on living forever. So
far, so good.
WEBBER
OF THE WEEK:
Here is a test of your knowledge of rock-and-roll from the '50s to
Punk. It is a lot of fun to
take -- let me know how you do.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/rocknroll/rnrcontest.html
9
– 03 -- 2000
CLEAR
CHANNEL AMFM TIE THE KNOT:
The merger between Clear Channel and AMFM is a done deal.
The 20.3 Billion dollar purchase of AMFM has created the largest
owner of radio stations in the country.
There are more than 900 radio stations, 19 television stations and
over 700,000 billboards spread across the world -- all under one umbrella.
Is big always better? Only
in Sumo wrestling.
GLOBAL
WARMING:
Of a second kind. In
the month of August we of received warm
hits from 21 countries around the world.
Leading the list is Canada, followed by Estonia, Australia, Sweden
and Japan. Some other
countries that visited our site are the United Kingdom, Austria, Ireland,
Switzerland, and India. We
welcome everyone to continue their weekly visits.
Please send us an e-mail. Art@ArtRoberts.com
THE
DAYS OF OUR DALLAS:
Let's start with the mornings.
Ron Chapman, bringing
his 35 years in the Dallas market to KLUV, should raise their ratings and
rates. Radio One is a safe
bet to change KBFB’s format to Urban. They will be trying to give KKDA
FM 104 a run for their money. It
wont be that easy. Ken Dowe
is a seasoned warrior, and knows where they live.
Rumor has it that KLUV AM will be going talk.
(Just what the Dallas market needs - another talk station.)
Meanwhile, KYNG, who recently switched from “Young Country” to
Talk is doing fantastic in the morning with Russ Martin.
See, who needs Howard Stern? Oh
yes … and more Outside signals are being moved into Dallas.
Is this a radio market or a soap opera?
REALLY
GOOD ADVICE:
(According to Richard R:)
1.
You should not confuse your career with your life.
2.
Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
3.
Never lick a steak knife.
4.
Your friends love you anyway.
WEBBER
OF THE WEEK:
Do you have company coming over for dinner and you don't know what
to serve? R&I to the
rescue. Here is a collection
of over 67,000 recipes, each one a Gastronomic
Delight.
http://soar.berkeley.edu/recipes/
8
- 27 - 2000
BANDWIDTH,
THE JESSE JAMES OF THE INTERNET:
When
commercial radio first started, the sound was scratchy, the signal was
unpredictable, and the cost of running a radio station was not profitable.
Web radio is going through the same growing pains.
The biggest stumbling block is bandwidth.
To service an audience of 8 would cost $250 a month.
To service an audience of 2,700, costs $30,000 a month.
Right now, there ain't no way to get your money back.
Besides
the cost, the audio quality and the reliability of the signal need to be
greatly improved.
The good news is they are working on all the problems.
So, let's stand up and applaud the pioneers of today.
They are spending time and money to develop a service for that
third Internet band that will soon be on your car radio.
One of the leading products for the future of Internet radio is the
Kerbango Radio. www.kerbango.com
A radio that plugs into your phone line and allows you to listen to
Internet entertainment through a standalone radio.
Should you care to tap into the technological advances in Internet
and Satellite communication, check out the following: XM RADIO
www.xmradio.com
; Net
Radio www.netradio.com
; CPR
www.mycpr.com
; WLS
www.wlsam.com
A
full list of stations and services can be found on Wilson -- Shannon
www.wilsonshannon.com.
Kerbango.
What a great name.
WE
LOST ANOTHER FRIEND: Ed
Grennan, Longtime
Chicago favorite died Tuesday, August 22nd, of a heart attack while
swimming in a pool.
ED was the host of "Its Academic" on WMAQ-TV.
He was 78.
LOOK
OUT RADIO, IT’S LEE ABRAMS AT BAT:
Lee Abrams started in radio at WLS during a Summer job when he was
13. He
grew up to program 90 some odd stations in the top 100 markets.
You can call him the father of modern rock formats.
XM Satellite Radio hired Lee Abrams in 1998 to develop 100 new
formats for their satellite radio service.
The money crunchers estimate that the satellite radio market will
be at least a $2 billion business by 2005, with a projected total of 40+
million subscribers paying $9.95 a month.
100 new formats allow the imagination to swing way right to way
left. Half
the formats will be totally new and unique.
Ever dream you would hear Mandarin, Cantonese, or Hindu music
coming from your car radio?
Along with every rock and country format you ever dreamed of,
coupled with formats never heard before?
It is right around the corner.
WEBBER
OF THE WEEK:
This site is Baby Boomer Heaven… Relive the days of your youth,
and the pleasures that once abound from the 50’s through the 70’s.
Remember the Drive-in Movies?
The steamed windows?
http://www.wtv-zone.com/moe/moesboomerabilia/index.html
8/20/2000
K-L-I-F
IS BACK TO KLIF AGAIN:
“The BIG570”, the slogan that locked those once cherished Dallas call
letters – KLIF – in the ratings basement – has become “Talk Radio
570 KLIF. The Old Scotchman
is resting easy. And the
KLIFdwellers of today are gearing up behind Kevin McCarthy to lift the
station out of the doldrums of mindless management, and restore it to the
“fun-spot-on-the-dial” the audience remembers.
Say it with me: “KLIF.” Geez,
that sounds good!
FOX ADDS
TEN TO THE ROSTER:
All major market monsters. A
$5.35 Billion Dollar Deal.
News Corp came up with $2+ Billion dollars cash (and you felt good
paying cash for your car) with the balance in stock to acquire the ten TV
stations. Added to the
existing 23 stations in the Fox family, they now have a presence in all
the top 20 markets.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Cliff
(Edwards) Selkoe. Celebrating
29 years in Radio. Cliff was
a Guest Teen DJ (a weekly Saturday feature on my show on WLS) in 1967.
He was attending New Trier High School, and also hosted a show on
the school station WNTH. Cliff
scored the highest rating of any Guest Teen.
Isn’t it grand to be able to “Live your dream?”
A HOUSE
DIVIDED:
Of course, it depends who you talk to.
SAG’s Solidarity crowd is still beating the bushes (no pun
intended), while the
“let’s-get-back-to-work-baby-needs-a-new-pair-of-shoes” crowd is
scratching the surface for a fair solution.
Their suggestion is loaded with good intentions and ideas.
A small portion of an Ad Agency media buy would be shared with the
talent in lieu of residuals. The
strong point for their plan eliminates the areas of no residuals (e.g.
Cable, Internet, etc.); the down stroke, in certain situations, could mean
less money than some (those lucky few) earned under the current
arrangement. So, life and the
strike go on. Agency shoots
are disrupted in Chicago. Hollywood
is losing a million and a half bucks a day.
Illegal shoots are still making it to market.
Time becomes an enemy as Unions and Ad Agencies sit on their hands,
refusing to resume a third meeting until September 13th while
compromise is hiding in a cull du SAG a mile down the road.
SURVIVOR’S
SURVIVOR SCORES:
Not only does the last survivor on CBS’s SURVIVOR walk away with
a million $$$, but HE or SHE also lands a one year contract with Reebock.
The first commercial will “run” Wednesday,
August 23rd.
WEBBER
OF THE WEEK:
What’s in a name? Here
is a site that lets you trace the lineage and meaning behind EVERY first
name. You’ll never look at
yourself in a mirror the same way again.
http://www.behindthename.com/
8/13/2000
TIME
TO ASK FOR A RAISE:
Programming may be redundant, but the Radio business couldn’t be
better. In the first six
months of this year, advertising dollars were up a little over twenty
percent, and national buys topped thirty percent.
Trend watchers predict “No end in sight.”
MRS.
WEBER’S FAVORITE SON:
What could be better than spending a morning with a dear friend?
Gonna do that. Gonna
set my alarm for 5:30 AM MY
time Friday, August 18th so I can join Clark Weber on WAIT (850
AM) in Chicago at 8:30 in morning HIS time.
We gonna talk up a storm. Gotta
be there!
TOP
HOUSTON PERSONALITY KEEPING IN STEP WITH THE FUTURE OF COMMUNICATIONS:
The Wilson Shannon Company announced that long-time Houston radio
personality, Mark Stevens, would join its organization as a senior
programming and project development associate.
The long time radio personality (Mark has been on KLOL-FM for more
than 27 years) will be directly involved in developing and marketing
broadcast radio and Internet programming.
He will also help to produce and develop television programs and
motion pictures.
ENOUGH!!!
The SAG/AFTRA strike against the Ad industry is entering the fourth
month. Neither side is
talking. The strike fund is
SAGgin’. Hollywood is
hurting. (Seems to me
they’re about to cook the Goose that laid the Golden egg.)
So SAG does what anyone does when they are not being noticed at a
party – make a loud noise. In
this case, it is a relentless effort to chastise George W. Bush.
SAG says he violated an agreement by shooting a nonunion
commercial, while the Bush campaign says SAG is mistaken, the have no
agreement. This happened over
a month ago, and had it been any other guy, the shouting would be worth a
day or two of energy. Ah, but
this is G.W. They have a hot
potato here. SAG labeled him
“no friend of labor,” and charged, “his word apparently means very
little,” forgetting to mention the Bush camp denies any agreement.
Three weeks ago SAG picketed what they THOUGHT was another Bush
commercial. Turned out to be
some background shots for the Convention.
Don’t remember an apology! And
last week, SAG bought newspaper and radio ads in Philadelphia on the day
of G.W.’s acceptance speech during the Republican National Convention.
This time they labeled him “an insult to actors”, and an
“insult to labor.” Hell
of a way to settle a strike. Someone
once told me there were no three-letter curse words.
Just found one.
WEBBER
OF THE WEEK: “Signs,
Signs, Everybody’s got signs” – Here are every sign you ever dreamed
or had nightmares about. Turn
on your speakers.
http://www.vaxxine.com/steveb/actsigns.eht
8/6/2000
AMERICA
IS NO LONGER CHEVIES AND APPLE PIE:
One thing you can bet on in Radio is Change.
Not “change for the better,” – just change to coincide with a
“change of guard.” When I
joined WKQX, FM in 1979, we shared the same studios with our big sister WMAQ.
Walking through the station, I felt real pride knowing that once upon a
time such “Greats” as Dave Garroway, Hugh Downs, Gary Moore and Red Skelton
walked these very hallways. And
such classic radio shows as “Amos ‘n Andy” and “ Fibber McGee and
Molly” were originated from their studios.
WKQX was a full service high profile FM station that had Dick Penn, a
visionary GM, at its helm. He built
state-of-the-art studios a few floors below, and WKQX gained a foothold in the
ratings. In less than two years,
Dick was sent to New York. You
guessed it, the change of guard brought about “Change.”
We became Q-101. The only
words allowed to be said were “Q-101, where the Q is for Quality.”
What sterile mind dreamed that one up?
Legend
has it that the call letters W-M-A-Q stood for “We Must Ask Questions.”
Kinda prophetic. The last
news was broadcast at 5 PM, Monday, July 31st.
Now the path was clear for yet another change.
Radio 670, WMAQ, one of the top ten call letters in broadcast history,
along with the rich NBC chimes, exists no more.
In its place - “The
Score” – an all sports station. Most
of the staff must figure out their next move; only a few have been absorbed by
WBBM. The historic studios will be
gutted. Two Infinity stations are
to be added, WSCR and WXRT. Eventually,
others will follow. Bet there
won’t even be a plaque on the wall.
WMAQ,
born April 13, 1922. Died
July 31st 2000.
THE
BEAT BEATS EVERYBODY OUT: Larry
Lujack becomes WUBT FM’s Weekend Warrior.
He has agreed to stay with the station that “brung him back” to
Chicago. Larry will be heard
Saturdays 10 AM to 2 PM, and repeated Sunday, same time.
Having worked with Larry at WLS, and knowing his dedication to the
audience, this will be a Killer show. Matt
McCann is the co-host. Will Larry
call him “Little Matt?”
SAG
/ AFTRA STRIKE PUSHING FOUR MONTHS:
And it is getting tiresome. Now
SAG has a high profile Hit List. Tiger
Woods and G.W. Bush. (Hot Damn,
who’s gonna be next?)
WEBBER OF
THE WEEK: Do you like Meat
Loaf? No, not the singer, the food.
Here is a collection that must include every recipe ever created.
Mange!
http://www..melborponsti.com/speirs/meatloaf/index.htm
7/30/2000
ARE
THEY SPITTIN’ IN THE WIND?
Have you noticed that this “Important Strike” between the ad industry
and SAG / AFTRA has had little or no coverage in the mainstream media?
Because, on a global scale, it “Aint no big deal.”
Let’s see if we can sift through the “The cloud of dust and the hardy
hi ho Silver” and place the problem in the real world.
The ad industry claims, “they can operate business as usual” without
union actors. Hogwash.
Talents who earn their living doing voice over work have developed a
unique craft. They
stand in front of a microphone and like a chameleon, can quickly change into
whatever the director perceives the spot should sound like.
That is the reason a small percentage of voice talent is used on major
commercials. And
should the ad industry elect to pass on union talent, they would lose this pool
of solid performers. Besides,
let’s get real. The
advertising agencies are in an “on-demand” business.
If an auto manufacturer is set to introduce a new model in August, they
give a tinkers hoot about the strike, and will produce spots for the campaign
with or without the unions blessing.
The real sticky point between the two groups is that the unions want the
pay for play system now used on network TV extended to cable, and the ad
industry-view is to put everything on a buy-out basis, dumping all residuals.
Now, this is a non-issue for Radio, which makes up the bulk of a
voice-over talents income, and is under AFTRA’s umbrella.
In Radio, once a spot is cut and accepted, it can be used for 21 months.
A radio commercial can run an unlimited amount of times in a 13 week
cycle, or run once in one city, the voice talent is paid the same each (13 week)
cycle. Maybe
the time has come for AFTRA and SAG to negotiate separate contracts.
THIS
SPACE FOR SALE:
Larry Lujack will have his own show in Chicago.
His agent/attorney is working on it..
Keep your eye on this bouncing ball.
DALLAS
ACTIVES:
Ken Dowe is still leading the chariot race.
KKDA numbers are up and still number one.
KLUV gets Ron Chapman as their morning star starting September 5,
replacing Johnny Stone, even though his numbers in the Spring book were
pretty respectable. But,
Ron’s been in the Dallas market longer than cross-town busses.
GROWIN’
GLOBAL: ArtRoberts.com
is gaining loyal fans worldwide.
Canada leads the “Hit Parade” this month, followed by Italy, Belgium,
United Kingdom and Indonesia in the top 5.
Welcome. Would
love an e-mail from you.
WEBBER
OFTHE WEEK:
This one is a lot of fun.
It plays TV themes and you have to guess the shows.
Somethin’ to do on a bad TV night.
http://members.tripod.com/~michele868/tvtunes/tune1.html
7/23/2000
DAS
BOOK IS HERE:
Thanks to all those who were kind enough to review my book.
Their comments appear on our home page.
DOTCOM
DOLLARS DWINDLE:
DotCom advertising dollars must be a first cousin to Political ad
dollars. Last
year a half dozen hopefuls spent millions to convince John and Jane Q. Public
that they were the right choice.
Fifty percent were doomed to fail, (You wonder why they ran in the first
place?) and out of the remainder there would be but one survivor.
So it is with your DotCom giants.
The e-businesses on the Internet allow you to shop for everything under
the sun, but half the people running them are doomed to fail.
They forgot the prime rule for going into ANY business … “to make a
profit!” Some
of the largest on the Net have yet to make a dime.
Like any business on a path to crash, they pull their ad dollars first,
cut back, and pray someone comes along and buys their company.
That is today’s e-business model.
Not much different than when Automobiles came along at the turn of the
century. The
market was flooded with car manufacturers, most of which were clunkers made in
local garages. They
didn’t make a profit either.
It was not until these backyard bombshells were sifted out that the auto
industry flourished. So
it will be with e-business.
Meanwhile, media-moguls, take the money and run.
CHICAGO
TO LAUNCH FIRST GAY STATION:
A format whose time has come.
We presented this idea in our 4/17/2000 R&I.
SAG
/ AFTRA RETROSPECT:
History teaches us many lessons.
In the forties, ASCAP was the only music-clearing house.
There were demands for fees that the broadcast industry deemed
unreasonable. For
a while, the audience had to listen to harmonica music, because it was not
considered a legitimate instrument.
Then, BMI, (Broadcast Music Inc.) was formed.
Think about it!
IN
A BUYIN’ MOOD?
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is dumping 99 radio stations (in 27
markets) to make Janet Reno’s Department happy.
You can buy ‘em all for a little over $3 billion.
Paving the way to pick up AMFM Inc.
WEBBER
OF THE WEEK:
Are you tired of running out to the mailbox every day and coming back
with a fistful of junk mail and bills?
Do you sit in your ragged stuffed chair wondering where all the “free
stuff” went? Well,
Dwindletoes, once again R&I comes to the rescue.
All the free stuff you ever dreamed of is at:
http://home.talkcity.com/AsIfLn/fubusports/calls.html
Everything
from Razors to Dog shampoo.
7/16/2000
LAH-REE,
LAH-REE, LAH-REE: Larry
be nimble, Larry be quick, Larry’s having trouble who to pick.
While a few Chicago stations are seriously knocking at Prince Lujack’s
door, Larry will stay on as Thursday morning guest DJ at WUBT FM103.5 for
another two weeks. Make ‘em
sweat, Lar. Make ‘em sweat.
THEY’LL
NEVER BE POINT NINE AGAIN: KLIF
“THE BIG 570” in Big D is rolling up it’s sleeves and getting’ ready to
kick some Butt. Steve
Konrad, who has been PD for less than two years, has been given his
“walking papers.” Bruce
Gilbert, Susquehanna’s Director of AM Talk for Dallas will act as interim PD
as he conducts a National search for a New Program Director.
Interested? The chosen one
needs to posses the talent to return KLIF to a position of respectability, if
not “it’s Glory Days.” Whoever
will be named has a lot of help. “Powerhouse”
Kevin McCarthy is back Monday thru Friday, 11 – 2, having fun and taking names
… and never sounding better! The
spirit of Gordon is smiling down on Dallas, once again.
POOR G.W.
He gets blamed for everything. SAG’s
President announced that Texas
Governor George W, Bush allegedly broke his interim agreement not to shoot a
political ad with non-union actors during their strike against the Ad Industry,
now in it’s third month. Both the
Bush campaign and their Media house said “the unions have got their facts
wrong.” The agency that signed an
interim agreement did some work early on for the campaign, but is not
their major production house. Y’all
oughta know better. Drive down any
road in “Tejas”, there are warning signs everywhere that read: “Don’t
Mess With Texas!”
‘NUTHER
MILLION DOLLAR IDEA: The
oldest call letters in Chicago, WMAQ AM 670, will disappear after August 1st.
From then on they will be known as “The Score.”
Someone should pick ‘em up and call themselves “Big Mack” (MAQ).
Can’t help it, it’s the PD in me.
WEBBER OF
THE WEEK: There was a
schoolteacher back in East Texas, (Think his name was Arlie Duff).
He sang in the days when folks would keep their freshly churned butter
from spoiling by placing it at the north side of the well.
Anyhow, Arlie’s most famous song was an in invitation;
“Y’all Come” …and visit www.allaboutcountry.com
It’s a MUST if you are into Country Music.
7/9/2000
THINK
YOU’VE GOT IT?
One of the goals at (Brad) Wilson
(Larry) Shannon is to provide high quality content, informative and entertaining
programming and commercials for radio, television and the Internet. WS strongly
feels that the potential for future development of audio and visual content for
the Internet is unlimited.
In addition to their efforts in
the television and motion picture industries, Wilson Shannon is developing a
pool of professional voice talent to provide quality audio and video
content for radio stations and Internet Radio stations. They will be making
announcements soon that will include more information about our upcoming
productions and available talent.
If you think you are a qualified
candidate, you are invited to submit to WS a demo tape or CD that contains
examples of your voice or video work in audio and/or video formats.
Due to the large volume, any
tapes or CD's sent to WS will not be returned and become the property of Wilson
Shannon. So, please do not send them your only copy. They will acknowledge
receipt of your submission and contact you if they find a fit for your talent.
Send demo tapes
and CD's to:
Wilson Shannon
P.O. Box 17563
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
HAIL
KING STEVEN: Nine months
ago, one of my favorite people in the whole wide world, Steven Dinetz
(along with Carl Hirsch) formed a group called NextMedia.
Their goal is to gather up a string of smaller stations and give them the
strength of a group to better serve their respective markets.
NextMedia just added eleven more stations to their roster in the Chicago
area, which includes the old-line favorite, WAIT 850 AM.
They got them all for around sixty-six million.
Pocket change by today’s standards.
So, in a mere nine months, Steve and Carl have 55 stations under their
umbrella... and growing.
TEN WEEKS AND … DID I
JUST HEAR SOMEONE YAWN: Yep,
the SAG / AFTRA strike is in week 10. Both
sides are supposed to have a sit-down next week.
The previous attempt didn’t even last one day.
This time the Unions are going to show the Ad World they reeely mean
business. SAG and AFTRA actually
held a class at the unions’ offices this week that trained actors in the art
of “civil disobedience.” I’m
not kidding, they taught them how to get arrested.
The plan is to have them lie down in front of a favorite fast food
restaurant, to keep the public from entering.
(Some kid is gonna think they are a “Happy Meal” prize and drag them
home.) Gimmee a break.
WEBBER OF
THE WEEK: The ultimate Bad
Movie Awards – Honoring the Cream of the Crap!
www.thestinkers.com/index.html
7/2/2000
NINE
WEEKS, BUT WHO’S COUNTING?
As Forrest Gump’s Mama would say, “Stupid is as Stupid does.”
SAG / AFTRA/ and the AD INDUSTRY have more spin going on between them
then the Republican Debates of last year. According
to the press releases, both sides are kicking the crap out of each other.
The Unions are boasting “Solidarity” and billboard the “Millionaire
Names” that have pledged not to work ‘til the strike is over.
Ad Industry producers are claiming things couldn’t be better, and point
to the dollars Hollywood is losing as more and more production leaves the city
for parts unknown. If both sides
are winning, then who loses? The
person who rides a bus to an audition, and prays for a second call.
That’s who. Certainly not
the Four Percent that earn Seventy-Five Grand, or more.
The fact is SAG member’s session pay fell from Three and a Half Million
Dollars to around Seven Hundred Fifty Thousand in a one month period. (Mid-May
to Mid-June, 2000) AFTRA’s
session fees fell some 75% during the same period.
Meanwhile, non-union actors earned around Three Million Dollars in
session fees. Fifteen times what
they got last year. So, again I ask
… Who’s Winning? Nobody.
So, “The road goes on forever and the highway never ends …”
LAST WEEKS Q&A
ANSWER:
Hi Art, Ernie Betts at Viroqua, Wisconsin.
I interviewed you about a year and a half ago at our local station, WVRQ.
I think I have the answer. Sam
Holman said in the Anniversary show in 1985 that he just liked the way it
sounded, the way it rolled off the tongue.
He also used it at WABC, calling it “That Silver Dollar Sound.”
And then Tom Jacobs wrote: KAAY,
in Little Rock, Arkansas, on 1090 as I recall, came in clearly in Elgin,
Illinois. Anyway, THEY had a
“Silver Dollar Survey”. I think
that WLS “borrowed” the phrase from them.
(NOTE: I’m not sure
which station used the Silver Dollar Survey first, but there was a LOT of
“Borrowing” going on during the 60’s.)
GLOBAL
APPEAL:
ArtRoberts.com has viewers from all over the world clicking-in.
Just last week, we had visitors from thirteen countries, with Canada and
Japan leading the pack. Also
represented are Poland, Hungary, Estonia, Spain, Israel, Sweden and France.
WELCOME. Send an e-mail when
you get a chance.
WEBBER
OF THE WEEK:
Terri’s 4th of July slide show.
Turn your speakers up REAL loud.
http://members.tripod.com/~connors-s/4th/4thslide.html
6/25/2000
STRIKE
BREAKERS JUST LOOKIN’ FOR A BREAK:
Oh, sure you hear about the top gun athletes who cross the line (most
recently, Shaquille O’Neal, who is donating all the money from his Disney spot
to charity, as well as a Nike TV commercial cut by Michael Johnson and Marion
Jones, both slated to win Gold Medals at the Olympics in Australia).
The Nike argument is they are NOT actors – they are athletes
representing an athletic product. Then
there are those actors who faithfully have been trying out for commercials, only
to be turned down over and over again. Suddenly,
because of the length of this strike, (8 weeks) they find themselves in demand
by the same Media Queens and Producers who repeatedly rejected them. This
they view as their big break, and perhaps the only time they will ever work in
what has become a tightly controlled industry, plagued with favoritism.
As a performer I have experienced this firsthand, even though I have been
the voice for some major products (Standard Oil, Blatz Beer, etc.).
Is crossing the line the right thing to do?
You make up your own mind. Here
are some facts. There are
approximately 98,000 card carrying-dues paying SAG members.
Seventy-seven percent (77%) don’t earn a dime from performing, or at
the most, coin around seventy-five hundred bucks a year.
Only FOUR Percent of all the SAG members earn seventy-five thousand
dollars or more. It boils down to
not only “WHAT” are you fighting for, but “WHOM are you fighting?”
TO ALL
THE “LL” LOVERS IN OUTER SPACE, LET’S GO TO PRESS:
The Elusive Super Butterfly, Larry Lujack has agreed to entertain his
Thursday morning Chicago audience for another couple of weeks on WUBT-FM 103.5.
D-Day is Thursday, July 6th.
Uncle Lar has not lost his magic touch.
R&I has found out there are more than a half dozen Chicago Radio
Stations trying to get him to join their team.
They’re talking. Larry’s
listening. I think this is
called “Inching up on a second career.”
STREAMING
MEDIA SCREAMING:
Streaming Media is very real, coming on strong, and getting better.
Last week, there was a convention in New York City called “Streaming
Media East 2000” that attracted a crowd of almost twelve thousand forward
thinkin’ thinkers. Art Roberts
Communications is very proud to have one of the Streaming Media Pioneers on
board – our Web Master, Larry Shannon. Prediction:
Larry will emerge as a major player in this exploding entertainment
technology. I’ll keep you posted.
WEBBER
OF THE WEEK:
Steve Forbes has a club page on YAHOO called “WLS The Big 89 Years.”
www.clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/wlsthebig89years
Checkemout.
6/18/2000
DAS BOOK:
My book, “Thinkin’ Out Loud”,
should be released in about a month.
Well, it’s not my fault it’s a month late.
There are so many checkpoints. The
text is checked and re-checked, and checked again.
The pictures and captions were reviewed.
The cover is checked and then re-checked for the correct colors.
Heck, writing the book was the easy part.
I’ll keep you posted.
HE LIKES IT!
LARRY LIKES IT! Looks
like Larry Lujack and WUBT-FM, Chicago, have found a mutual admiration society.
No official word yet, but the gut sez he’ll stay past Thursday, June 22nd,
the day after the Spring Book ends.
WILL THE INTERNET KILL
RADIO? Not hardly.
Radio is becoming a major player on the Net.
Fast-forward thinking conglomerates like Dallas based AMFM and Clear
Channel (who are about to perform a Twenty-Four Billion Dollar marriage) will
dominate both sides of the Internet Super Highway. (Like to see Gore take credit
for that!) Namely, expansion of
their broadcast reach, and expanding e-business through Web Stores that will
offer such things as a variety of Products, Custom CD’s and Event Tickets.
Radio is no different than any other industry.
If you don’t grow, YOU GO.
WEEK SEVEN:
AFTRA/SAG Reps and Ad industry REPS met with the Fed’s for a
knocked-down-dragged-out two day meeting that ended on the first day.
Neither side, Union nor Producers were going to budge.
That’s what happens when there are only politically correct wuss’s
sitting around the table. The ad industry is demanding the unions give up
pay-per-play residuals, which pay actors every time their commercials air on
network TV. Instead, they want to pay residuals on a flat rate, just as they do
for commercials shown on cable TV. The
unions want to keep pay-per-play for network commercials and EXTEND them to
cable commercials. (Here’s a
little-known fact-of useless-information: The
Cable TV industry figures to make 10 BILLION DOLLARS on commercials this
year.) Which part of the word “compromise” don’t they understand?
Are there no more hardball mediators left?
WEBBER
OF THE WEEK:
www.Tucows.com
They are a distributor of digital music on the Internet up in Toronto.
Well, they have free authorized downloads of 20 Bruce Springsteen songs from the
hard to find "Before the Fame." Album.
Bruce recorded these songs in 1972.
Checkemout.
6/11/2000
ONE
DIVIDED BY ZERO TREATS STERN STERNLY:
1 divided by zero is Infinity (CBS).
Howard has six months left on his
contract, and CBS is sitting on their hands.
CBS’s Infinity has a string of stations in New York (WNEW, etc.) filled
with “Howard Stern Wannabe’s.”
Is this a threat?
Nah. You
know my motto: “There aint no substitutes.”
Prediction: Howard
gets a Fat contract.
RADIO
JUNKIES PARADISE: Thanks
to my buddy Paul, I have three for you this week.
Web sites that allow you listen to just about ANY format all over the
world. The
first on our recommended list is Radio Tower.com. (
www.radiotower.com/onlineradio
) lets you chose by country, format, or station.
Like College radio?
Try (
www.linkmag.com/Links/PRT/college_radio_stations-1.html )
Lots of different music, some unpublished.
Last on the list is The Radio Listener ( www.geocities.com/bry223/rl.htm
)
Have
Fun.
IT’S
THE YEAR 2000 FOR GRIPES SAKE!
And women in the Media still make less than men.
Twenty to sixty percent LESS.
C’mon! Deep
voices are not necessarily coupled with Deep Minds.
Shoe size has nothing to do with performance.
My favorite TV sports anchor is a woman.
Most news on TV is done by formula.
There’s “the old(er)” weather guy;
The anchor guy and anchor lady;
(He can get older or heavier, She can’t);
Sports (either gender);
and a hip doctor who spouts health facts.
Check the paychecks at the end of the week.
They won’t be the same.
My favorite local DJ is a woman.
The point is – everyone in Broadcasting should be paid what they’re
worth. And the
value should be based on what is billed on each show.
So, if it is a two person Morning team, the take-home should be equal.
And he washes the coffee cups.
Am I right?
WHY ALL
STRIKES ARE THE SAME:
Week six. Score:
AFTRA / SAG 0
and Producers 0. The
reason all strike are alike is because there is no wrong or right.
The conflict is caused by TWO RIGHTS THAT COLIDE.
Both sides believe they are right.
So they drift further and further apart.
Mayor Richard Daley, Sr., was the greatest mediator. When
he entered the room, the strike was over.
The doors were locked.
No food. No
water No potty
breaks. NO ONE
left that room until a decision was reached.
That’s hardball, Baby.
WEBBER
OF THE WEEK:
Scott Childers sez:
“Just
wanted to let you know that my History of WLS site is now
easier to remember. The site address is
www.WLSHistory.com
I have added a lot of new stuff (with more on the way), so if you haven't
stopped lately, please do.
Hope you continue to enjoy the site as much as I do putting it together!
All the best, Scott”
6/5/2000
KEVIN
McCARTHY IS BACK:
Kevin sez: “because
of your support and prayers, the services of two good doctors , a therapist with
the healing touch and the pharmaceutical industry-------as my granny used to say
"if the good lord is willing and the creeks don't rise" yours truly
will be saying good morning, good
morning, good morning again at 11am on talkradio big570.....thanks for
everything and best regards....see you on the radio...and murphy says
"hey"....Kevin” P.S.
“You de Man!” Art
WEEK
FIVE AND THEY STILL AINT TALKING:
AFTRA / SAG Talent strike started May 1st.
R&I questions the effectiveness of the work stoppage when several
Professional Football players have done commercials, as well as GENERAL COLIN
POWELL. I’ve always believed:
“If you go for the throat … DON’T MISS.”
Betcha both sides have a sit down by mid-June, and the Fed’s host the
party.
RE-RUNS
AFTER ONE WEEK:
WUBT-FM, Chicago, is doing what Radio does best – “Milk the Hell out
of anything Good!” They are
re-playing Larry Lujack’s Thursday Morning Show (the only one he does) on
Saturday morning from 6-9. Larry
has three more weeks to go on this “short term” agreement.
Prediction: Larry stays.
SAD
NEWS:
Jim Lowe, well loved Dallas Disc Jockey , (KFJZ, KXOL, WRR), and for
nearly 40 years the voice of “Big Tex”,
the fifty-two foot cowboy who greeted millions as they entered The Texas
State Fair, has died of cancer. Jim
was 73.
Thursday
4/27 - Wednesday 5/24/00:
Better known as “The Sweeps” in TV land, in the coveted 18-49
category, finds ABC with (approximately) 15.4 million viewers.
NBC was second, with 12.6 million viewers;
followed by CBS with 11.7, and Fox with 8.3. Word is that without
Regis Philbin, ABC would not have finished in first place.
(Probably third.)
WAZZUP:
“Sweet” Dick Whittington is off to Paris to take in the Paris Open.
Save up!
WEBBER
OF THE WEEK: So
I was writing this weeks R&I column, listening to music from Australia.
In fact, I had a choice of a few Australian stations, as well as others
from all over the world. And a
variety of formats. Including TV,
News, and Sports. Where do you find
such a well of entertainment? Broadcast
Live.Com. http://www.broadcast-live.com/
Enjoy!
5/22/2000
RADIO
CAN LEARN FROM CABLE TV:
10 years ago, CNBC was a lonely little
petunia in a cable patch.
Putting their emphasis on business news, they kept their focus - and
today, beat out CNN in daytime ratings.
Everybody watches, from Kings to Kooks, Millionaires to Wannabe’s.
There is a lesson for Radio in this phenomenon of a decade.
CNBC’s growth and dominance defied the false-guidelines that are
beating many radio stations into the ground.
(e.g. KLIF, Dallas, who fell from “respectable” to the bottom of the
Ratings Well). Guidelines
such as Talk Radio Programmers who believe listeners have NO attention span, and
little interest in meaty topics, or established features.
New management not having a clue what makes their market tick.
Stereotyped formats.
Scripted Radio. (Nothing is said unless written down.)
Mission statements on cue cards.
There are other “talking points.”
CNBC provides information that matters.
Today’s Radio is mostly about information that doesn’t matter.
CNBC has viewers who watch and listen for twelve or thirteen hours a day.
How’s THAT for a cume?
Most Radio Groups run with rigid controls. Amazingly, at CNBC, no one is
in charge. Sure,
there are managers, producers and directors, but there are no rules in stone on
how and what may be said.
The information flow on CNBC is smooth, unscripted, and consistent.
They trust the people on the air to do the job they were hired to do
flawlessly. Radio
used to be like that. Ask
any of the present crop of geniuses and they’ll tell you that “Times
change.” Perhaps.
But Focus sure as Hell doesn’t. COMMENTS?
WE
NEED MORE NICHE FORMATS:
Some people search the dial to find niche programming.
Their numbers are growing and their patience is thinning.
This group of listeners are prime targets for streaming, which is
inevitable. Programmers need to sit
down at an empty kitchen table with a pot of coffee and a pencil.
CREATE! Here in Northern
Nevada, my favorite station is in Incline, NV, KTHX, “The X” 100.1 FM.
In one sitting you are treated to Alternative, Classic Rock, Unplugged,
Bluegrass, New music, Blues, etc. The
music mix sounds like it is coming out of a blender, and the Jocks are all
intelligent presenters. The “X”
has a consistency to their format. It
works. Yes, they have truly found a
niche in their (Reno) market. Ratings?
Who cares? I hear lots of
well produced commercials, day or night, that
never get in the way of the music.
SAD
NEWS:
Jerry Mitchell (WLS; WMAQ-TV) passed away Saturday, May 13, 2000.
Jerry was 75, and recently worked at WYLL, Des Plaines, IL.
WEBBER
OF THE WEEK:
What does Jason Alexander, Bruce Springsteen, Mary Kay Place, Paul
Petersen, Julio Iglesias, Ray Charles, John Coltrane, Mickey Rooney, and Art
Roberts have in common? They all
have the same birth date, September 23rd.
Check it out.
www.famousbirthdays.com
5/15/2000
LARRY
LUJACK: Ol'
Uncle Lar is coming back, Thirteen years after he resigned from WLS-AM (890) and
said he was leaving radio for good. Well,
"Superjock" Larry Lujack is ready to return to mornings in Chicago at
WUBT-FM (103.5), "Jammin'
Oldies" (also known as "The Beat,").
Larry will broadcast from his home in Santa Fe, NM, starting May 25th.
He's going to do 6-9am on Thursday's only...then he'll decide if he wants to
continue...after six weeks. The
door is open for a 5 day a week show, provided it is done from his home in
Santa Fe... Welcome back, Uncle Lar. You
are one of my favorite people in the whole wide world. And your fans in
Chicago welcome you with open arms.
THE
LAST AFTRA / SAG STRIKE:
Was twelve years ago ... so how come we’re having another? Radio talent
and free-lance talent are like knights in shining armor, who ride through a
station or a recording studio on a beautiful white horse, their banners blazing
in the wind. But when they ride out
the back door, all that is remembered is the broken furniture and the horse
manure on the floor. AFTRA and SAG
make the ride worth it.
DJ TO
BECOME NUMERO UNO CBS ANCHOR:
His name is John Roberts. No,
not a relative, but he was a Hot Rock Jock in Canada.
And hosted a music TV Show. Today he hosts the Sunday CBS News and is the
CBS reporter at the White House. R&I
predict: “When Anchorking Dan
Rather bows out, John steps up to become the CBS lead-off batter.”
Another example that there is life after Radio.
A
PERFECT MARRIAGE:
Kris Erik Stevens is doing promo tracks for KXAS, NBC-TV O&O in
Dallas, from his studio in Calabasas, CA, and they're mixing them back to video
at Channel 5. He sounds great! Kris
is a WLS Alumnus, and one of the most widely used free – lance talents in the
country. Always loved a person who
could “Live Their Dream.”
WEBBER
OF THE WEEK:
Latest Strike News from AFTRA. http://www.aftra.com
5/8/2000
FOXY
SIGNS:
Back in the 50’s, Gordon McLendon had a billboard in Dallas that read,
“KLIF SPENDS MORE TIME WITH YOUR WIFE THAN YOU DO.”
There wasn’t as much traffic back then, so a driver could read the
sign, and chuckle their way into the city at sixty miles an hour.
Today, KXAS-TV (NBC) put up an electric billboard on I-30 that flashes
weather, news bulletins, advertises the KXAS-TV weather team, News Team, and
gives the time, temperature, wind and humidity in big red letters. A person
needs to park to absorb that much information.
It caused a 40-minute back up. Didn’t you media guys learn anything
from old Gordon?
KK
KUDOS:
"K104" KKDA-FM (104.5) is back on top.
Numero Uno in Dallas, pinning the former champ “Kiss FM” KHKS-FM
(106.1) to the mat for the full count. The
referee’s scorecard read - KKDA 6.6 / KHKS.5.8.
RADIO
TO THE RESCUE:
The big news all this week has been THE BATTLE FOR BUCKS between “The
Alphabet Network (ABC)” and “Cable Baron” Time Warner.
ABC has been doing a “he says – she says” see saw negotiation for
most of last year with Time Warner. Their
contract ended on December 31, 1999. The rule is that a cable company can carry
the signal of network owned television stations for a “fair compensation.”
Question is: “What’s fair?” Another
fly in the ointment is an FCC (Federal Communications Commission) rule that
prohibits the removal of a station signal by a cable operator during certain
measurement periods. The May
sweeps, when ratings are used to set local advertising rates, are on – and
lasts until May 24. That sure
sounds like one of them measurement periods to me!
There were a total of three and a half million homes nationwide affected.
790 KABC RADIO TO THE RESCUE.
They planned to simulcast ABC’s heavy hitters like “Who Wants To Be A
Millionaire”, etc. (Good
intentions should never go unnoticed.)
Well, sometime on Tuesday, the game of Chicken was over, at least for a
while. This wasn’t the first time
something like this happened. In
January, Cox Communications knocked Fox programs ― including the NFL
playoffs ― off the air in several cities for six days until a deal was
reached. Cable companies should be
careful how they screw over the viewers. They
aint the only game anymore. Satellite
carriers are now permitted to retransmit local television stations.
So, what was just a game of Chicken has turned into a game of Choice.
WEBBER
OF THE WEEK:
Screen Actors Guild. http://www.sag.org/
Keep up with the latest on the SAG / AFTRA strike.
5/1/2000
WHO’S
THE STAR, DHARMA OR GREG? Who
cares? In 3 weeks of re-run
syndication this show has been placed in 8 out of the top ten markets.
You can play catch-up on what you missed in 2002.
WEBBER OF THE WEEK:
CLICK RADIO Inc. (www.clickradio.com)
will offer a very unique radio service that plays a variety of music guided by
pros like Scott Shannon. The music
will be arranged by format, which you’ll be able to listen to sitting at your
PC. Kick off is set for May 11th.
IS
DOO-WOP DEAD IN DALLAS?
Radio One, the hot urban group that snapped up KBFB 97.9 FM, is now
chasing down INFINITY’S "Mighty 1190," KLUV AM --- Their Format:
"Smokin' Oldies." Music
from the BB era. (No, not King)
“Before Beatles.” Ratings for
the AM step sister “AINT,” even though Don Imus does their Mornings.
The FM, so far, is not part of the deal.
ADIOS, OLD FRIEND: Neal
Matthews Jr., who sang backup to Elvis Presley, as a member of The Jordanaires
has died. He was 70. The group sang
on a bunch of Elvis’ hits, including “Hound Dog” and “Don’t Be
Cruel.” Neal even wrote a book
titled “Elvis, A Golden Tribute.”
ARE WE
LOSING OUR SENSE OF HUMOR, OR WHAT?
Warren Sapp, the NFL Defensive Player of the Year last season, is getting
a lot of heat for a TV spot he did for a radio station (Already banned by one
local TV station) for being too “sexually suggestive.”
OK, here’s the commercial … Warren
and a DJ are standing at a urinal, talking about “size.”
Then, at the end of the spot, Warren shows you what they’ve been
talking about … a BIG DIAMOND WRISTWATCH.
Sooooo??? ….. More Politikally Korrect Krap…. Oh yeah, Clear Channel
is using the same spot for their stations in Denver and Indianapolis, only this
time Terrell Davis is at the urinal in Denver and Dennis Rodman is at the urinal
in Indianapolis.
LEMME
INTRODUCE YOU: To Ron
Silvers. Ron is my cousin and takes
the most fascinating pictures. He
recently went to Antarctica, and has some of his photographs on the Net.
Wear a coat when you view them, as Ron explains, “It was very very
cold--from minus 35 to minus 48 degrees F. But with the wind chill it came
down to the minus 60's. I had a lot of difficulty photographing.
Within fifteen seconds of taking off my mitts to handle the camera, my hands
would freeze.” You’ll find them at: www.ronsilversprints.net
4/24/2000
DR.
L’s PRESSURE COOKER: The
movement to remove Dr. Laura from the airwaves is mounting a major
offensive. (Whoops!
Bad word choice.) Besides
letters of protest being sent to participating sponsors and stations that
carry her show, a web site “To stop Dr. Laura,” is attracting many
supporters. www.stopdrlaura.com
ANY COMMENTS?
VERY
SAD NEWS: Russ Syracuse died Tuesday, April 18th,
in a nursing home in Sacramento, apparently the result of a stroke.
The funeral will be that weekend in Sacramento with a memorial service at
a later date in Rochester, New York.
Russ and I worked together at WKBW, Buffalo, NY, as the station
launched their history making change to Rock and Roll. We also met quite
often while I was at KNBR in San Francisco.
We will all miss his infectious smile.
GET
READY FOR THE WELCOME MAT:
Word has it that KLIF, the BIG 570 in Dallas has offered to put a
temporary studio in Kevin McCarthy’s digs in a few weeks to satisfy the
empty spot left in the lives of his thousands of fans.
Kevin sez: “Hang in there with me and big570 and I hope to be
talking to you again soon .... thanks again for all the kind
thoughts, prayers and support.”
WEBBER
OF THE WEEK: Ron
Riley fills the Net with neat memorabilia.
The WLS personality turned weatherperson (Gotta stay politically
correct) has a great web site www.ronriley.com
Check it out.
4/17/2000
Million Dollar Idea:
San Francisco has a station for every type of format, right?
WRONG. They are
missing one. A Radio Station
dedicated to the largest Gay population in America.
A Radio Station that will deliver news about gay issues.
Play the music that is popular with the Gay community.
This is truly a FORMAT WAITING TO HAPPEN.
My gut says Instant Success.
Harsh
Words Spokane Here: Z-Rock
Communications and Rook Broadcasting filed a complaint last week which
claimed that Citadel and Triathlon engaged in anticompetitive
practices dating back to 1995 / 1996 which forced the two companies out of the
Spokane market. AMFM and Capstar
are also named as defendants. More
to come.
It’s
Like Finding The Last Page On The Internet:
After a scrupulous search, Rumors and Innuendo has located the single
operating radio station in this nation which is not available on the net and has
no web page. It's call letters are being withheld pending notification of
next of kin.
Pills For Pale People:
L.A. based and nationally syndicated veteran, Rick Dees is launching a
new series sponsored by Prozac. The new show will be entitled, "Dees
and Doze."
From A New York Cabbie:
Howard Stern will announce his forthcoming engagement to the New York
Radio City Rockettes. Speculation has it, all will decline.
4/10/2000
Who’s
Your Daddy?
On July 1, 1947, witnesses claim a spaceship with five aliens aboard
crashed on a sheep-and-cattle ranch outside Roswell NM, an incident they say has
been covered up by the military. On
March 31, 1948, exactly nine months after that day, Al Gore was born.
Inter
– Ratings:
Here's the Top Twenty Five Internet Total Cume Winners for month Dec '99!
1. www.texasrebelradio.com Adult Alternative? Austin, TX 57,800
2. www.kpig.com Monterey, CA Adult Alternative 56,600
3. www.cd93.com Monterey, CA Modern Adult Contemp 46,600
4. www.zdradio.com News/Talk/Information 44,900
5. abcnewsradio.com News/Talk/Information 43,500
6. www.kix106.com Memphis, TN Country 42,000
7. www.khyi.com Dallas, TX Country 40,500
8. www.klaq.com El Paso, TX Album-Oriented Rock 38,300
9. www.sets102.com San Diego, CA Adult Alternative 31,200
10. www.wplj.com New York, NY Hot Adult Contemporary 28,800
11. www.wabcradio.com New York, NY News/Talk 28,700
12. www.tomjoyner.com Personality 27,800
13. www.93x.fm St. Louis, MO Alternative 25,800
14. www.89xradio.com Detroit, MI Alternative 25,600
15. www.955klos.com Los Angeles, CA AOR 25,500
16. www.wbap.com Dallas, TX News/Talk Information 25,300
17. www.klrq.com Kansas City, MO AORock 24,000
18. www.kbcq.com CHRadio 23,800
19. www.wkpo.com Madison, WI Urban Adult 22,800
20. www.wlsam.com Chicago, IL News/Talk/Information 22,400
21 www.cd101.com Columbus, OH Alternative 21,500
22. www.kgoam810.com San Francisco, CA News/Talk/ 20,900
23. www.weqx.com Albany, NY Alternative 20,500
24. www.kabc.com Los Angeles, CA Talk Personality 19,600
25. www.92kqrs.com Minneapolis, MN Classic Rock 19,500
25. www.wprd.net Orlando, FL Spanish Variety 19,500
Then I
Heard: Al Lohman, formerly
of L.A. radio's long running (around twenty years), outrageously funny and
acclaimed "The Lohman and Barkley" is about to add a syndicated series
to his current Palm Springs radio chores.
Time Marches On: Dulles,
VA. Friday, April 7th. - In a surprise announcement, AOL Time Warner announced
Friday that it had acquired France. This marks the first time that a multimedia
company has purchased an entire nation. "We
had considered other countries," Chairman Steve Case admitted, "but we
were just blown away by France's great visuals and incredible depth of
content." "It's all about
the cheese," countered the company's increasingly unorthodox CEO, Gerald
Levin. "They've got some really stinky cheese."
Any Truth To This Rumor? Dick
Biondi’s legal name is Shirley Booth.
But Will It Be In Dolby? Don
Imus will do a film based on his infant years. In it, the shock talker
himself will sing the title song, "Imus-a-been a beautiful baby."
Week
of 4/3/
2000
The
Best Inter – Poll: The WLS Daily
Poll …
www.wlsam.com
Where
your opinions matter even when the questions don't.
Ferinstance, on Wednesday they asked:
The Supreme Court has upheld the Erie, PA ban on nude dancing in bars.
Reaction? Check it out!
Everybody’s
Talkin’ … CBS Radio has been carefully watching the full-time
Internet-only Talk Radio Networks as they experiment with programming that does
not fall under the requirements of the FCC.
Their decision: The network wants to be the first Major Player with a
24-hour All-Talker that is only available on the Internet (with no radio station
cross-over). Plans are to get
rolling in late Spring or Summer.
DUH!
Ken Levine commenting on the Oscars
“All in all I was happy with the results. Especially AMERICAN
BEAUTY. Wonder if screenwriter Alan
Ball is competent now to write an episode of CYBILL. When he was a staff
writer on that stinkburger the producer didn't feel he was good
enough.”
From
The Ridiculous … A
couple of one-time Denver, later L.A. jocks will be teaming up for a new
nationally syndicated show. Specifics are still under discussion but this
much is known: the show won't feature music or serious talk.
Yes, it's silly time.
Gordon
McClendon has made a comeback from the great beyond (which, of course, he owns)
and will soon be airing recreated obscene sports events on his L.B.S., the
Libertine Broadcasting System.
… To The Sublime A
group of ex WKBW, Buffalo jocks are attempting to introduce a series of
nationwide sock-hops for seniors. Their pitch is, "Quiver and creak
at the walk of the week."
Week
of 3/27/00
Yata
YataYata Yata.
This weeks HOT Rumor is that KYNG Young Country FM in Dallas is going
talk soon and bringing Howard Stern back to the DFW radio market after an
extended absence.
KEGL Morning Genius Russ Martin's resignation might signal he's going to
join the party.
So far, no word whether the BIG570 KLIF’s Kevin McCarthy might also
join the team.
Hey,
A Jobs A Job.
Any truth to the rumor that long-time L.A. radio-er, "Sweet"
Dick Whittington will soon sign on as a regular with a Santa Maria, CA radio
station?
I
Am The Greatest!
Which Mid-West Jock said: “So many Morning Men, so Few who can afford
ME?
Always
Listen To Your Mom!
WMOM, Ludington, MI is slated to lead the “streaming pack” within the
next couple of weeks.
You’ll be able to tune in wherever you are at www.ListentoyourMom.com
Pat Martin, owner and “Developer of Talent Extraordinaire” has a
morning team that is Fanterrifictastic.
The
Saga of Saginaw Michigan.
OK. So you’re a little guy (WTCF) going up against a BIG guy (WIOG, a
Citadel station).
Whaddyado?
Right, hire a
double barreled consultant.
He levels the playing field in Saginaw, and in less than a year the
little guy has a 6.9, while the BIG guy slips to a 7.1.
To make matters worse, WTCF has a 12.5 eighteen to thirty four.
Hey, no problem.
Does Citadel get bent outa shape?
Nah. They
just come up with enough pocket change to BUY WTCF.
Wonder if they kept the consultant?
Week of March 20,
2000
INDUSTRY
Rumor,
Perry Allen, Premiere Radio Talent, may...MAY be launching a
nationally syndicated show via satellite.
The Internet is STALKING Radio!
AOL has a secret "radio" project that has been in
development for over two years. They are working on a
"proprietary" audio format that they want to be so perfect--it
can stream without any errors at all--to hundreds of thousands of people
at one time at ANY modem speed.
Although AOL recently acquired Spinner and its many 24-hour music
channels, the technology being utilized there still results in the
occasional burps and hiccups and is troublesome at anything below 28 KB.
They want the ultimate, perfected audio stream that will be able
to compete against Large Radio Networks.
Imagine what can be developed when they become the owner of
Warner division’s technology!
The LAST Quiz
Show. A British
University is planning on running a quiz show / dating game on their
student radio station. After
the winners are paired up, they will perform “live sex”, broadcast
over the airwaves. With a
prize like that, “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?”
Blast from the
PAST.
Clint Churchill is back from the beyond and is posing under the
name Mike Joseph.
© 1999 Art Roberts Communications
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