A Crazy World

Posted on August 22, 1997

8/22/1997

It’s a crazy world, but I live here…

Mac MacAnally, a friend and songwriter of some note, penned those words several years ago. Since then, nothing has happened to prove him anything less than prophetic. I was reminded of Mac this week when I read an article about the MIssissippi Sovereignty Commission. Mac and I grew up near the shores of Ol’ Man River and shared many common experiences.

From the mid-1950s until 1972, an agency called the Mississippi Sovereignty Commission existed to protect the people of the state from “subversives.” Actually, that’s a nice way to say the state government spied on its citizens to make sure they were living the good, clean, segregated life. The commission was a secret…whispered about by many, but known about only by a chosen few. Several years ago, under the Freedom of Information Act, the commission was officially acknowledged. Bits and pieces were made public. Some of this information was used to convict the murderer of Medgar Evers…documented in the movie, Ghosts of Mississippi.

All of the documents kept by the Mississippi Sovereignty Commission are about to be made public…including the names of those “sympathizers” who were spied upon and the informants who provided information. Every person mentioned is being notified before the documents are made public. Why are you reading about this in a Network 40 Editorial?

Because my name is supposedly listed in the documents as one who was sympathetic to the Civil Rights movement. I was spied upon.

I find it amusing that anyone would bother spying on my “activities” as an elementary school child and teenager. When I found the reasons why I was listed as a “sympathizer,” it became downright comical.

My parents, as most middle class families in Mississippi in the 1960s, had a house-keeper. Lela Maye Woodson most definitely “kept” our house. More often than not, it was Lela Maye whose approval I sought instead of my parents. To say she “raised” me is not much a stretch.

Lela Maye had two sons and two nephews that she often brought with her to my home. Nearly every afternoon, I was in the side yard playing some kind of sport with the Woodsons. They played hard. In that yard, the Woodsons didn’t teach me the difference between black and white.. I learned black and blue. All four went to college on football scholarships and two made it in the NFL.

I recall several of the neighborhood boys objecting to playing with “coloreds.” I didn’t. I was always on their team and we generally won. It was by ball…my yard…end of discussion.

I was branded a possible future subversive by the Mississippi Sovereignty Commission at the tender age of eight. I wonder who turned me in?

Probably my brother. He hated to lose.

In hindsight, I guess the commission was accurate in their assessment. Who knows why…maybe through Lela Maye’s constant singing…but I was drawn early on to R&B music. I used to lay awake late at night under the covers in my bed, tuning my little transistor to WLAC in Nashville and listening to the latest R&B songs spun by Big John R. After he signed off, I spun the dial to XERF in Del Rio, Texas and the famous Wolfman Jack.

Something must have happened. Years later, I was working the night shift on WRBC in Jackson. The “RBC” in the call letters stood for Rebel Broadcasting Company and the station signed off every night with “Rebel Rouser” so you can understand it was no favorite of the Civil Rights movement.

I didn’t care. I just liked R&B music. So I played it…a lot of it.

My generation loved the music…of course. I was a favorite on the campus of Jackson State University…the all black college located a few miles…and 100 years…away.

The Ku Klux Klan, however, wasn’t amused. I got calls nearly every night from some redneck who objected to the type of music I was playing. I wasn’t worried. I was young, cool and bulletproof…until one particular Friday.

The station was located on the outskirts of town, isolated in a huge field. The control room was a fishbowl…I could see out, but others could also see in. Since the station signed off at 1 am, I was alone in the building.

Just before midnight, I go another crank call from a particularly intelligent inbred who identified himself as an official member of the K.K.K. I asked what Kate Smith song he wanted to hear, then hung up. He called right back. “Boy,” he hissed, “if you don’t stop playin’ that music, we gonna fix you up.” I told him to take his sexual aggressions out on his favorite farm animal and turned up Aretha.

A short time later, I noticed a glow coming from outside. There, on the front lawn of the station, was a burning cross.

I called the police…who probably set the fire to begin with…and waited. In the meantime, I went on the air live and described the scene. Fortunately, a large group of Jackson State students came down to the station in a show of support. We even roasted marshmallows before sousing the flames.

This, according to the official who called, is duly noted in the documents set for release. I was contacted because those who are mentioned may petition to keep their names from becoming a part of public record. I don’t have a problem being labeled as a supporter of the Civil Rights movement in Mississippi, proud of it in fact…though I like the term “subversive” much better.

And I wondered why I didn’t get elected when I ran for Congress.

“It’s a crazy world, but I live here and if you can hear me singing, so do you. I’m turning on my nights lights feeling satisfied that there’s nothing anyone of us can do…no there is nothing any one of us can do.”

A Family Affair

Posted on August 28, 1998

8/28/1998

The changing landscape of our business has generated a ripple effect that washes over all employees…from the president’s office right down to the sanitation engineers. Being “well-read” in our industry once was quantified by a familiarity with trade publications. Now, our majority pours over the Wall Street Journal. Not long ago, a radio company could only own 12 stations total. Soon, many will own that number in one market. Record companies were owned by independent raconteurs who built their labels on a love of music and an astute business sense. Today, most are owned by large conglomerates. The music of choice is that generated by bells ringing on the cash register.

It’s big business, baby, and like it or not, we’re a part of it.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Big business brings an entire package. Pockets are deeper for promotion, marketing, research and development. In the short term, even the salaries are higher. But there is no free lunch.

Creativity can suffer. Individualism is harder to maintain. A Family Affair is no longer the company song.

In a relatively short time, we’ve gone from, “Your loyalty is being rewarded,” to “What have you done for me lately?”

Today, the catch-phrase is “What are you going to do for me tomorrow?”

Remember when we had those “five-year plans?” With companies changing hands so quickly while stocks rise and fall like a Love Rollercoaster, those “five-year plans” are mostly obsolete. If you’re lucky, it’s more like five months, or in some cases, five weeks. And depending on how you answer questions in the department head meeting, it could be five minutes.

Record companies were once looked upon with envy by those in radio. Where programmers notched their belts and judged their worth on the number of times they were fired, record executives couldn’t relate. Most had never been terminated.

It’s hard to believe that from a personnel standpoint, radio is more stable than the record business. More record executives have lost their jobs in the past few years than in the history of the industry. And it’s not going to get any better.

Conglomerates are buying more stations and record companies. For this concept to work, operating expenses must be cut. Don’t believe that this means getting rid of a few computers and phone lines. We’re talking about people.

This had to change the way we feel about our jobs. There was a time, in the not so distant past, that people worked for people. I wrote many letters to new employees that began, “Welcome to the (KHJ, WRKO, KFRC, etc.) family.” Those words can’t be used today. It’s all about business. Family has nothing to do with it.

All of us need mentors. As baby deejays or fledgling record executives, we need older, wiser, smarter people to teach us the ways of our business. Those of us who have attained some measure of success can look back on those who helped shape our future. Then, we can use the knowledge that we gain to pass along to others.

I was lucky. I had three people who helped shaped my world: Buzz Bennett, who taught me that creativity was the root of all success; Paul Drew, who passed along his passion for careful planning and execution; and Gary Stevens, who instilled an understanding of the business part of the puzzle. Without all three of these lessons, my accomplishments would have been much less. Creativity without planning and execution is a play without words. Creativity, planning and execution, without a knowledge of how the three combine within the structure of business, is as worthless as a sail on a power boat.

Today, it’s more difficult to find mentors. Too often, those with the knowledge are too busy moving their company ahead to take time to share and teach.

As for those needing to be mentored, it’s tough in today’s workplace. There is no sense of family. The motivating atmosphere is more a fear of failure rather than an excitement to succeed.

We need to understand the business and our part in it. We all got into this business because of love. We love music and we love the excitement of the entertainment industry. That’s what drew us into our jobs in the first place. Now, we’re driven by a company that is more about profit and loss than a love of music. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s just reality.

We must be self-motivated. We must continue to nurture the love we have within the framework of a business environment. We should still work for and derive a great deal of pride from making our bosses satisfied, but the greater pride should come from within because of a job well-done.

If you work only to get accolades from the person in charge, you’re dooming yourself to disappointment. The boss could be gone tomorrow.

Judge your worth and accomplishments on how you’re fulfilling your own goals. Take pride in yourself. But don’t confuse your job with your family. It’s a job. A good one, but nevertheless, just a job.

When you’re done for the day, then you can go home and sing all night long…that’s a family tradition.

A Little Knowledge Is A Dangerous Thing

Posted on August 15, 1997

8/15/1997

I had one of the most interesting conversations in the past five years this past weekend. I got the opportunity to spend almost six hours with the PD of an L.A.station, and the information we shared was informative and enjoyable. The first question you’re asking yourself is why would anyone spend six hours talking with me? The obvious answers would be: my wit, my charm, my intelligence. Of course, it was none of those. The poor fool agreed to go for a car ride and after the first red light, there was nowhere for him to go. Trust me on this one: There are no exit signs in a Porsche going 110 miles-an hour through the California desert. He wouldn’t ask me to slow down…especially after I showed him the loaded revolver I keep in the glove compartment.

In the course of our conversation, we got around to the problems concerning the radio and record industries and how the two relate to each other.

One of the biggest areas of confusion is a result of the changes taking place at radio. With stations being bought, sold and traded faster than Marvin Gardens on a Monopoly board, programming has adjusted accordingly. To quote a phrase: “It ain’t like it used to be.”

Many of the executives in record companies today worked their way up (or at least are familiar with the process) through the promotion ranks. Although relationships still drive promotion, the way business is done has changed drastically. Couple the buying and selling frenzy with the advent of BDS and SoundScan, and PDs have an entirely different set of criteria to judge music in the ‘90s.

Although most music executives pay lip service to the new criteria, many don’t know how the changes have affected the way promotion people deal with radio today. it might taste like chicken…but it’s definitely frog legs.

Promotion people spend a lot of time explaining to their bosses why a record didn’t get added at a radio station. The reasons are often quickly dismissed as excuses, when, in reality, those asking the questions don’t understand the answers.

I know someone who had a solution. Gather round the fire, my friends, and let me tell you a story. Some of it is even true.

In the mid-‘70s, Mo Ostin was President of Warner Bros. Records. Although already a legend in the business, Mo wasn’t spotted at many conventions. Programmers knew who he was, of course, but most had never met him. Mo let his lieutenants do their jobs. He was occupied with signing some of the greatest acts in history. He didn’t have time to personally deal with radio.

Mo wanted each executive of Warner Bros. Records to know what was expected of the people under their supervision. To know what to expect, you have to know the job. And to really know the job, you have to do it.

Mo told each Warner Bros. executive to “work” a new release. This meant the executive, not a promotion person, had to visit a radio station, talk to the program director and try to get the record added. Mo chose the record. Each executive was given a major Top 40 station to visit. To make sure every executive knew the edict was serious, Mo even went out himself. Once.

To my knowledge, I’m the only programmer ever promoted on a record by Mo Ostin. I was the 17-year-old (I told you only some of this was true) PD at KHJ Los Angeles at the time. When the local Warner Bros. Promotion person asked if Mo could come down and talk with me, I quickly agreed…not knowing what the conversation would be about…and not caring. Meeting Mo was quite enough.

Mo came to my office and we spent over an hour talking about different aspects of our business. I learned more in 60 minutes than I had up to that point in my career. I’m sure Mo will tell you he learned as much from me. (I told you not all of this would be true!)

At the end of the conversation, he told me of his plan. He asked if I would listen to the record he had brought with him. I did. He then asked if I would add it.

At that time, KHJ was the flagship station of the successful RKO chain. On a great week, we added maybe three records. Usually, it was one or two. Nothing…absolutely, positively nothing out-of-the-box. If we really believed in a record, we would put it on one of our smaller stations first, then chart its progress before even thinking about adding it at KHJ.

So what did I do?

Added it right away.

Did I know it was a smash? No way. I added it for two reasons. First, I figured if Mo Ostin was asking, who was I to say no? He had never personally asked for a record to be added and it was doubtful he ever would again. I wasn’t worried about setting a precedent. And besides, I figured if Mo Ostin can ask me for a favor and I say yes, maybe one day the favor would be returned.

Second, I knew that my adding the record would make the life of every other executive and promotion person a living hell. I could see Mo going back to his office, picking up the phone and saying, “I got on KHJ, how did you do?”

If Mo could get the record on the tightest, most important station in the nation out-of-the-box, what excuse could any other person use? I couldn’t wait until the local and regional people were working other records later to give Mo excuses. I could hear him say, “You need me to go down there?”

It was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up…an opportunity more record executives should option. How often do you get to teach and learn in the same meeting?

Oh, did the song Mo worked become a hit? Oh, yes. The artist? I won’t tell you…but I think he could dance.

A Long Strange Trip

Posted on July 23, 1993

7/23/1993

The Conclave in Minneapolis: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

The initial concept was mind-boggling by itself. There I was, on my way to the Midwest, a section of the country designated as a disaster area because of the worst flooding in history. I’m not particularly enamored with Minnesota under the best circumstances and the weather forecast was calling for more rain. And the only non-stop flight from Los Angeles was on Northworst Airlines.

I was doomed from the start.

But tickets had been purchased, meetings planned, rooms guaranteed and fights picked, so I had no choice.

When I arrived, the hotel was filled with nervous energy. Everyone was expecting fireworks at the first meeting Thursday night when representatives from all the trades debated their validity on the Charts Panel. Unfortunately, there were no knockouts. Billboard’s Michael Ellis chickened out and sent Kevin McCabe in his place. Kevin blamed any Billboard problems on BDS and any BDS problems on Billboard and was the unanimous winner of the “We’re Perfect Because We Say So” award. His attitude and demeanor exemplified Billboard’s recent adaptation of a “Holier Than Thou” posture. And the gum chewing was a nice touch.

Joel Denver wouldn’t fight…and who could blame him? He did bring another excuse to the table. Joel first stated that he granted reporting status solely on ratings. Since everyone knew that was bullshit, Joel quickly switched tactics and stated that reporting status was determined by a committee. A committee? What committee? Does R&R bus in a group of radio professionals every month to cast secret ballots on which radio stations will make it? Give me a break. The “old boys” just go to the back room, crack open a bottle and decide who they’ll beat on next.

Joel did an admirable job selling the company line on their vaporware. With a straight face, he predicted R&R’s monitor system would be up and running this fall in three markets. Joel was the only contestant in the “Beat A Dead Horse” category, but he would have won going away, even with the competition.

Hitmakers’ Barry Fiedel was eloquent as usual. Barry has such a command of the English language that it takes you a while to realize he isn’t really saying anything. Barry exemplifies his “Conference Calls.” The idea sounds good at first, but the end result produces nothing but hype.

The “Will Rogers Award” went to Dave Sholin for the 10^th straight year. As soon as he leaves Gavin and joins The Network Forty, he’ll go smiling into the Hall of Fame.

I was confused. In this group, that was to be expected. Neither Billboard nor R&R could explain how they decide who reports in what formats and why. After their feeble attempts, I was still confused. So was the room. Evidently Billboard is still confused as well. They added 10 stations into their Mainstream Format right after Kevin defended their exclusion in Minneapolis. Is it just me or does this sound suspiciously like R&R’s many flip-flops? Could Joel Denver and Michael Ellis be the same person in different disguises? Think about it. Has anyone ever seen Joel and Michael in the same room at the same time?

After the meeting, all of the participants sponged free drinks at The Network Forty suite and vocalized what they wished they had said. No one was listening.

Friday brought on more meetings, more discussions and gambling at the nearby Indian reservation. Sholin lost $40 and cried all the way back to the hotel. Wayne Coy’s favorite number is 14. Tom Barsanti kept searching for the guy wearing feathers from the Village People and Joe Ianello still doesn’t understand why he couldn’t hit on 20.

A luncheon concert by Lisa Keith was well received as were the opening remarks by Rick Stone and the newly appointed Perspective VP Promotions Randy Spendlove. Nighttime found half the attendees avoiding the bowling tournament (the other half brought their own balls). The best-attended dinner was Steve Leavitt’s reserved table at one of Minneapolis’ finest restaurants, T.G.I. Fridays.

KWIN’s Bob Lewis hosted a simulated music meeting featuring input from both radio and record people. Although many points were made, the most notable was Bob’s remark that “this is why we don’t take record calls.” The reason? The session lasted over two-and-a-half hours.

Saturday morning’s Top 40 Format Breakfast was packed with people and questions. A funny thing happened at this meeting. We actually heard some answers. WKSE Program Director Brian Burns gave an effective explanation of how to conduct aircheck sessions; KDWB PD Marke Bolke told us how to successfully plan and execute promotions and WNVZ’s Wayne Coy went through the audience, giving jocks the opportunity to impress the programmers with their ability to do a break using what they had in their pockets. I think two of the guys were hired.

The least-attended meeting was “Time Management.” Most people couldn’t find the time to go.

Saturday afternoon, Dave Sholin and Joel Denver did a radio show on KDWB-FM. Dave did it for kicks. Joel did it because it was the largest market he ever worked in.

Most gratifying was an independent survey commissioned by The Network Forty. Mainstream radio people attending the Conclave were asked by an independent contractor, “What is your favorite trade magazine?” Respondents were allowed to choose more than one, which explains the percentages, but we sure liked who finished first:

The Network Forty 74%

Gavin 51%

R&R 37%

Hitmakers 13%

Billboard/Monitor 08%

Hits 03%

Absent from the Conclave was the usual hype present at most other conventions. The good part was that most of the panels were well attended and well presented. The down side? A lot of heavy radio programmers didn’t show. But is that really bad? Most people at the Conclave are on their way up. They’re anxious to learn…willing to be trained. They aren’t afraid to ask questions. Quality time is actually possible. Friendships made in the congenial atmosphere will last. And many of those at tiny stations today will be in the majors tomorrow.

The bottom line? This was my first Conclave. It won’t be my last.

A Tale Of Three Stations

Posted on May 5, 1995

5/5/1995

Top 40 radio is dead. Mainstream Top 40 is losing ground. The audience is changing.

The nay-sayers are out in force. Record companies are looking over the horizon for the next format. What will it be? Who will discover it? How will we deal with it? When will it happen?

Top 40 radio has been dad and buried countless times in the past three decades. The format has died and been replaced by…Top 40.

I submit to you (okay, maybe I’ve been watching too much of the O.J. trial) that it isn’t Top 40 that’s in trouble, but Top 40 programmers. To loosely quote Willie Shakespeare, it ain’t the message, it’s the messenger.

You don’t have to look any further than New York City to find the format alive and well. Three different radio stations, all within the definition of Top 40, are all succeeding. Why? Because each is programmed exceptionally and uniquely by people who know what they’re doing.

On a visit to the Big Apple last week, I as able to listen to all three during all dayparts and find something I liked. Evidently, I am not alone. Judging from the ratings, New York is tuning in consistently.

In the early 1980s, Scott Shannon went to work at a radio station in Secaucus, New Jersey. The station went dark, then turned back on as Z100. Many in the industry thought Scott was crazy. (Okay, many still do, but that’s another story). You see, at that time, Top 40 was dead. That was the second time the format had been listed in the obituary pages. When Scott turned on the “Flame Thrower,” there was no other Top 40 in New York. You remember, Disco was the format of the future…then.

It wasn’t long before Z100 was #1 and Top 40 was alive and well again. Disco disappeared in a micro-second and suddenly, Scott had not one, but three other competitors biting into the Top 40 audience that was supposedly nonexistent only months before.

After a long, successful run, Scott left the East Coast to work his brand of magic elsewhere. After a sojourn near the Pacific Ocean searching for a pirate, Scott returned to New York and took the reins of WPLJ, one of the stations that had jumped into the Top 40 format years before. Scott adjusted the format slightly and skewed the focus toward the available upper demos. WPLJ steadily increased its audience and ratings and today, it consistently ranks in the upper echelon of the sellable 25-54 demos.

Scott rebuilt a radio station to fit the needs of the available audience.

When Scott left Z100, Steve Kingston took over the formidable task: maintain Z100’s position as the dominant Top 40 station in New York.

For a while, it worked. Then, as the audience began changing (and the music with it), Steve was faced with a much bigger problem. What to do with Z100 to cope with the changes? For months, rumors swirled around the station and its people. When the sale to Shamrock was completed, many in the industry said Top 40 was dead, Kingston would leave and Z100 would change formats. Instead, Kingston stayed and redefined Z100 to take advantage of the changes in the audience. Kingston took a big gamble and began mixing an Alternative blend into Z100’s music and suddenly, the audience and the ratings began building again and today, the station is the definition of Top 40 with an Alternative blend.

Steve took advantage of what the market had to give and adjusted his radio station to reflect the wants and needs of the audience…still within the Top 40 format.

And then came Steve Smith. When Steve arrived in New York, many in the industry said that his brand of radio would never succeed because he didn’t know the New York audience and had never programmed in such a large market. The Crossover brand of to 40 wasn’t working and Smith wouldn’t be able to bring enough of the audience into his camp to make his radio station successful in the metropolis of New York City.

Steve refocused Hot 97, defining his core demographics and playing specifically to them. Almost overnight, Hot 97 increased its market share until it out-distanced the Top 40 competitors in the 12+ arena and became the #1 Top 40 station in New York.

As a sidebar (not as much O.J. as a publishing term), Emmis purchased WRKS late last year and put Steve in charge of programming a station that, until he too over, had been targeting basically the same audience as Hot 97. Many in the industry believed Smith couldn’t program both stations successfully without one suffering.

Readjusting both slightly, Smith positioned each toward a specific target within the overall demographic and scored big. In the latest ratings, Hot 97 moved 4.8 to 5.4 and WRKS jumped from a 3.8 to a 7.4.

What does this tell us?

First of all, it tells us that “many in the industry” don’t have a clue. Most of those sitting on the sidelines making judgments about radio have no experience in the medium and are about as accurate in their predictions as those doing weather on your local channel.

In also tells us that good programming always finds a way. WPLJ, Z100, Hot 97 and WRKS can all be defined as Top 40 stations. All four stations are successful because each caters to a specific portion of the available audience. One does not beat the other in the classic sense. Each is successful in its own way.

Scott Shannon, Steve Kingston and “King Of The Hill” Steve Smith were not afraid to commit to their particular beliefs. Each had a different focus and idea. Each stepped forward without looking back. None listened to the conventional wisdom of “many in the industry.” Each came up with a specific plan designed for their radio station. They all win.

What’s their secret? All are different. But belief in one’s own ability makes these programmers winners.

And don’t tell me this phenomenon is specific only to New York. Somebody once said, “If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere.”

Is Top 40 on life support? Or are many Top 40 programmers simply brain dead?

Perhaps you should consult Doctors Shannon, Kingston and Smith for the answer.

Adding It All Up

Posted on February 24, 1995

2/24/1995

How many did you get?

The question of the week for record promotion people everywhere. Every Tuesday. Every week. Of every year.

And the answer to that question determines the climate for the rest of the week. If you have a lot, “It’s gonna be bright, sunshiny days.” But, “Ain’t no sunshine when there’s none.” Or not enough. Of what do we sing?

Adds.

In the past two years, actual airplay has radically changed the face of the radio and record industries. It wasn’t long ago that radio stations were still making up weekly charts based on what they thought were the hottest and most-played songs on their stations. Records went up and down depending (in some cases) on the combination of sales, requests and rotations. More often, however, the number on a station’s “chart” was done on the whim of the program director or music director…and a plea for help from the local record promoter didn’t hurt either.

Now all that has changed. The guesswork has been taken out of the equation and the cries and whimpers from the LPMs don’t matter. It’s all “plays,” Bud, and begging and pleading doesn’t cut it anymore. There isn’t a programmer in the world who will increase your “plays” unless he or she believes in the record…no matter how pitiful the wail from a record company.

Honesty is the best policy. Has it really been 200 years since Ben Franklin said that? It seems like only yesterday. And like it or not, things aren’t going back the way there were…even if Barbra was as smooth as “buttah” in her comeback last year.

Wasn’t it only yesterday when “paper” adds were not uncommon and, in many cases, expected? Not anymore, Bud. If it don’t get played, it ain’t an add. Simple as that. And lunar rotation? Used to be you could appease your local friend by playing his record once a day between three and four in the morning. No longer. Monitored airplay made that game of “add-and-cheat” impossible to play.

What is played is what we get. Plays. Rotations. Spins. The old playlist is dead. Nothing remains from the decaying carcass of “how we once did it” except…adds.

How many did you get?

Kind of makes your skin crawl, doesn’t it? Unless you got a lot. Which happens occasionally, but not often enough to cure that epidermal condition most often associated with the lack of adds. Rumor has it the mysterious, flesh-eating disease that’s constantly in the news began at Columbia Records when not enough adds were reported and Donnie took it out on a national guy.

So, although we have new ways to monitor actual airplay, although the days of the program director or music director struggling to come up with a station “chart” are long gone, although we have a new, “90s” way of looking at the relationship between airplay and sales, one thing remains from yesterday.

Adds.

From a program director’s standpoint, most will agree that, as far as adds are concerned, their favorite song is, “I Believe In Yesterday.”

Most programmers want the freedom to test records from time-to-time without committing to an add. In the “old” days, a PD could put new records on his radio station and test audience reaction for a couple of weeks before deciding whether or not the record should be “added” into regular rotation. Now, it’s not a test.

BDS doesn’t differentiate between “adds” and “spins.” Neither do most of those in the record industry. “I don’t care whether he adds it or not, as long as he’s playing it,” is a refrain heard more and more often from VPs of promotion.

But they sure care about “drops.” Whoa. That’s a totally different ballgame, Bud.

It’s easy to explain that a PD is playing the record even if he didn’t add it. But try explaining that a station “dropped” a record when it was never an official add to begin with. It gets a bit hairy.

So, what is the answer?

Record companies, for the most part, still look at adds. How many they get is how they keep score. But it’s more than that. It is also an important indicator that they can use with other PDs to show that a record is real. If all these stations are adding it, there must be something to it.

Conversely, drops are also important. Although every PD wants you to believe that he adds and drops records depending only upon how the records are doing in his market, the fact is that how a record is doing nationally also makes a big impact. If a PD sees others dropping a record, the PD may decide to wait on the record. If all those other radio stations are dropping the record, there must be a reason.

Adds and drops are, for the time being, the most accurate barometer of how a new record is being received by radio…next to actual plays. If a record is getting a lot of adds, it must mean a lot of programmers like it. If a record is getting a lot of drops, it must mean a lot of programmers don’t believe in it. If a record gets a consistent amount of adds each week, a promotion team can paint a picture of a record that is growing. It’s hard to use those brushstrokes if the record is getting dropped after a couple of weeks of play.

Programmers who want the freedom to experiment and test records should be allowed that freedom. Trade magazines that publish charts and airplay information should let individual radio stations determine what is an official “add” no matter how many times a record is played. At Network 40, we don’t list a record as an add until the radio station informs us…whether or not the record is being played. Like it or not, there is a difference between “playing it” and “adding it.”

So, if the question is, “When is an add an add and when is a drop a drop?” the answer is, “When the radio station says so.”

Where is it written that because a station is monitored or because it supplies the industry with an accurate description of actual airplay, it must comply with certain rules it had nothing to do with writing? If we, as an industry, are going to put weight on adds and drops, should we as an industry let determination be made by the radio stations?

What do you think?

Adding It Up

Posted on April 4, 1997

4/4/1997

Several weeks ago, I wrote an Editorial that was highly critical of the Monitor. Actually, the Editorial was critical of the policies of the Monitor… and the people of the Monitor who made the policies…specifically Howard Lander, Sean Ross, Kevin Carter and Theda Sandiford. I said it would be harder to find anyone dumber than the Gang of Four. I was speaking of their overall intelligence. I assume each of these individuals are smart in their own way. They’re just stupid when it comes to the radio or record business…despite the fact that they are in charge of a magazine that purports to support that very industry.

I owe the Gang an apology. I know it’s not like me, but when I’m right (which is most of the time), I take the credit. And when I’m wrong (which is almost never…ask anyone who works for me), I will take the blame. I said it would be hard to find anyone dumber than the Gang of Four. I was wrong. After reading last week’s Monitor, I found someone.

Sean Ross.

The fact that he is a member of the Gang notwithstanding, Sean has separated himself from his peers with a column that begs to wonder if Mr. Ross is indeed on a spaceship circling the Hale-Bopp comet. It proves he is totally out of touch with the realities of the radio and record industries.

Sean writes, under the the heading “Top 40 Topics” (golly gee, what a nifty name), about “Going For Adds Or Going For The Real Story.” Mr. Ross wonders why companies still “go for adds” and schedule “add dates.” If he has to wonder, Mr. Ross should wake up and smell the coffee. However, I feel the mere smell of coffee certainly couldn’t pull him out of his evident coma.

Ah, what a warm-and-fuzzy world we would live in if there was no emphasis on stations “adding” a record. There would be no more scheduling meetings because record companies could release everything on the same day. Warner Bros. could gather up all their artists and ask, “Who wants to release an album next year? Just deliver it by January 1, because that’s when we release everything.

“We’re not concerned with adds anymore, so let’s just throw all the product out there at the same time. Maybe some programmer will listen to it and play it.”

Wow, wouldn’t that be cool?

Actually, it might make it easier if every record company released all their records on the same day. Then we could get it all over with in a hurry. Oh, some artists would get lost and some hit records would never get heard, but that’s okay. Shit happens.

How would we gauge a record’s early success? We couldn’t. But, who cares? We aren’t in the business of promotion, we’re in the business of reality. Unfortunately, what Sean doesn’t seem to understand is that reality is almost always a byproduct of promotion.

We have a Bill of Rights because a bunch of promotion people got it “added” to the Constitution. We are able to break new acts because programmers commit to the music by “adding” the record. Anyone who believes records “just organically happen” without a solid promotion and marketing plan should put a purple scarf over their head and become a part of Hale-Bopp.

Maybe a superstar act doesn’t need a group of early believers to ensure a hit—although most would even argue this point. But certainly newer, unproven artists need early believers to shout the gospel by “adding” the record.

It is a fact of life that PDs look to others for guidance. How many adds a record gets often decides a records’ fate. Some may say it isn’t fair (usually those who didn’t get any adds), but the fact is that the system works.

Programmers depend on promotion people and information. If a record gets added on 100 stations, it’s worth a listen. And the reverse is certainly true. If a record gets only two adds…maybe it isn’t worth a listen.

Add dates are all-important in the internal set-up of a record. Scheduling is king. No one wants to release a superstar act the same time as another label’s superstar. Nor does any company want to release a new artist if several superstars are coming with releases in a given month. Companies want to schedule add dates with touring when possible, making tickets, artist meetings and other promotional activities possible. Add dates are coordinated to make sure product is in stores.

All of these reasons would seem obvious to even the most ignorant in our business. So what does this say about Sean and the publication for which writes? Does Monitor not know…or simply not care?

Sean checked out the adds in his own magazine and found only a “few” that mention “add dates.” Maybe it’s because adds aren’t important to Monitor’s readers. Monitor prints information that has already happened. Promotion people and PDs are concerned with more than history…they must know what’s next… what records are coming…who’s going to “add” them…who has passion for them. You’ll find no passion in the Monitor.

You will find people with no experience or knowledge of our business trying to dictate formats and questioning record company practices designed to break new acts and records that make history.

The Monitor should hurry up and hire Tony Novia. They need someone—even with his limited radio ability. (Just kidding, Matty.)

In short, Sean Ross sucks, the Monitor blows, Network 40 rules.

I know I think I know everything. But consider the other trade geeks and you have a better understanding of the saying, “In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king!”

Well, give me my eye patch and call me Snake.

Additives

Posted on July 24, 1994

7/22/1994

An uneasy alliance has been formed between the record and radio communities. It’s an alliance most won’t speak about out loud and some don’t even know exists. But it is a situation that grow more interesting with each passing week.

We’re talking plays…spins…spikes. Versus adds.

Interesting.

It wasn’t so very long ago that adds were all that mattered. Adds were phat, parallel status was where it was at and a chart could be rigged at the drop of a hat. At the very least, several dozen CD players. Or maybe a late Tuesday afternoon promise of a trip to Hawaii (which one Sr. VP of Promotion still owes me!)

There was a time when promotion people pushed hard for the add. Not that they don’t still push hard today, but airplay is the key.

I’ve heard statements recently that were never thought about six months ago. “I don’t care whether or not he adds it as long as he plays it. “ “I don’t want to push to hard for the add. He’s already playing it and I don’t want to scare him off.” Those are a couple that are in power rotation.

Maybe the entire process needs to be analyzed more thoughtfully. So often, the needs of both records and radio are served by the same purpose. And yet, many times, both industries seem to go out of the way to work against the process, rather than work together to accomplish that goal.

By and large, record companies have the ability to establish the ground rules of competition. Let’s face it, it wasn’t radio that created the parallel system. And if the system wasn’t exactly created by record companies, most welcomed it as a way to best serve their needs. With promotions and attention, record companies determine who and what is important.

It was the record industry that fostered adds. It was the way they kept score. It was how we found out who were the winners and losers. Under the parallel system, how many stations were on a record was all-important. How many times the record was played wasn’t a big consideration. Few in the record companies made it a priority, so at first, few ver asked. But soon, unfortunately, another practice became common. Because record companies needed a way to keep score and because adds were applauded like touchdowns, getting that add became all-important. So important, in some cases, that airplay wasn’t even mentioned. Many times, airplay wasn’t requested. Occasionally, it was suggested to programmers that airplay wasn’t even wanted. Just the add.

The system became more and more perverse.

A funny thing began to happen on this yellow brick road to terminal bliss. Many records that were most added weren’t hits. Not that there was anything wrong with that. I mean, who really knows what records are hits until they are exposed to the public? So, having a record that was most added not become a hit wasn’t catastrophic. In some instances, it was advantageous. At least you found out whether or not you had a hit relatively quickly.

That’s when funnier things began happening. Records that were getting a lot of adds weren’t getting a lot of play. The records weren’t becoming hits because the audience didn’t hear them. That wasn’t right.

Records that shipped Gold returned Platinum.

The practice eventually led to the downfall of the parallel system and, in a parallel move, to the downfall of those who promoted it. Record companies went “Back To The Future” to determine what made a hit. The bottom line is the bottom line: If it sells, it’s a hit. If it doesn’t, it isn’t.

We always knew that, but over time the words got in the way and our priorities were a little out of whack.

Suddenly, almost without warning, faster than you could say, “Plays Per Week and BDS,” the rules changed. The parallel system and the coveted award of “Most Added” began gathering dust. Neither was important any longer. Today, airplay rules. Whether or not a radio station officially adds a record is becoming a moot point. It is the airplay that matters.

Some programmers want to hold on to the power of official adds. It gives them the opportunity to test records without getting pressure from the record companies to add a specific record into a weekly rotation.

That power is a wisp of smoke.

Programmers have to place to hide. With the advent of Plays Per Week, BDS and honest reporting, record companies know what records are getting airplay…even by daypart. Who are we trying to fool by testing records during the week and not adding them?

Of course, there is a flip side. (Isn’t there always?) If record companies don’t care about official adds, then pressure for additional plays should be carefully guarded. If programmers are going to let what they play be their official list (and those in monitored markets don’t have a choice), then record companies must allow the programmers to experiment with records in various degrees. Playing certain records only in morning drive, adding others in a night rotation and spiking some sporadically throughout the week are ways for radio to research a specific record’s strength. Record companies must understand that a test is just that: a test. If a station is testing a record, record companies must have patience to work with the station. Screaming for increased rotations before the testing is complete can only hurt the record company’s relationships in the future. And it won’t do the tested record a lot of good either.

Record companies must understand that this type of honesty opens up other cans of worms. Sometimes a radio station will play a record only five or six times, then drop it from airplay the following week. Record companies must be ready to argue unemotionally for re-testing or increased rotations. It will sometimes make the job more difficult, but it is the way we will all be doing business in the future.

Both industries are after the same end. Both want to find out what records are hits. How we get to that end is what makes us different. Most record companies are concentrating on plays and spins, not adds. Radio stations should do the same.

Adjust The Monitor

Posted on November 11, 1996

10/11/1996

The master of the manor managed a slight smile. He even allowed himself to feel a small measure of pride as he gazed around the land claimed for decades by his heritage. It had been five years since the battle that had brought down the evil King and chased the dragons from the land. The master and others had managed to reclaim their heritage and define their futures as they saw fit. The freedom was invigorating…creating an almost drug-like feeling of euphoria.

He called to his son and the two of them began a careful walk across the front of the property. Everywhere there were signs of the great war. Gaping holes in the earth gave proof to the powerful weapons of destruction that had been unleashed. Acres and acres of parched earth were only now allowing the occasional blade of bright, green grass to point toward the sun. The glistening white bones of those who gave their all were now gardens for flowers to grow.

The master patted his son on the head. “Things have changed, haven’t they?”

As the boy looked at their father with clear, blue, innocent eyes, for one brief moment in time the older man allowed himself to believe that all was well…the wars were over…no one was trying to take their freedom away…that there was a Santa Clause…that Jupiter had aligned with Mars and peace would rule the planet…but those thoughts, (like the 5^th Dimension) were just golden memories. History was just about to repeat itself.

As suddenly as the peaceful feeling descended, it was gone…replaced by a muffled thud and a great shaking of the ground.

“Earthquake, father?” the boy shouted over the roar that filled the air.

The older man fell to the grass with his son, shielding him from the certain destruction as best he could.

“No, son,” he answered, “it’s not a natural disaster.”

“What then?” the boy yelled. “Is it Darth Vader?”

The father didn’t look up. “Can’t be, there’s no phasing in the voice.”

“Jabba The Hut?”

The father snuck a peek. “Although there are certain similarities, it isn’t him.”

“Joel Denver?”

“No, Joel turned his sword into a plowshare a long time ago and currently is farming within the system.”

“The Anti-Christ?”

The father looked again and what he saw turned his blood cold. “Worse. It’s Michael Ellis of The Monitor.”

(Cue the music…cut to the lasers…fade up on the title sequence. “Trade Wars…The Continuing Struggle of Network 40 Against the Evils of the Dark Side…starring Gerry Cagle as Luke Sky Walker, the staff of Network 40 as the heroes of our world…programmers and music directors appear as the decent, honest people who try to fend off those who would feed of their hard work…Michael Ellis and The Monitor as the Emperor and the Forces of Evil. The part of Chewbacca is played by Wookie.”)

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, the mechanical shark is back, feasting on garbage, small children, scantily clad women and a fishing boat…diesel motors and all.

Will the forces of good and evil overcome The Dark Side? Will Kilgo be allowed another cold beer? Will Kristen live to appear in another Network 40 picture? Will the world be saved?

Long ago, (okay, five or so years) in a land far, far way (okay, just over the Hollywood hills) when I began the great debate by describing R&R’s dictatorial process of assigning radio stations to a specific format based on their own confusing formula as “Satanic,” I never thought there would come a day when that stance would be surpassed by something more ridiculous.

Boy, was I wrong.

Michael Ellis looks at what history did to R&R, watches what a conceited, belligerant, holier-than-thou attitude can do and manages to get on that pig and let it rear its ugly head five years later. The Emperor has now decided that he, and he alone, will determine the format of a particular radio station. Maybe Michael and the editor of Hitz should get together and form a consulting company.

The alarming part about this decision is it doesn’t give a programmer a choice. If R&R (or any other trade) put a station in a format the PD didn’t agree with, the PD can withhold the playlist. The Monitor doesn’t ask stations to report. The Monitor gets station reports through BDS. As a PD, you have a choice. Of course, you could refuse to talk to Michael, but when was the last time he called a programmer for input?

Would you like to know what kind of station The Monitor says you’re programming? “A To 40/Mainstream station plays a wide variety of current music. The most-played song on the station must be played at least 40 times per week. Among the station’s 40 most-played songs are Rock songs and Songs from at least one of the following genres: R&B, Dance, Pop, uptempo Pop and Pop ballads.” A Top 40/Rhythm-Crossover station “…plays a variety of current music, but no Rock.”

I guess that means KZFM, KLUC and KSFM aren’t considered Crossover stations by The Monitor since they (just to name a few) are playing Alanis Morissette.

In addition to these definitions, Michael will exclude you from reporting if you don’t meet minimum cume requirements. (That’s comforting. We all know how accurate those Arbitron figures are.) Also, “…some stations that would normally qualify may not be used as reporters.”

And the snake ate the baby.

Why do I care? I rant when trade magazines…publications that exist because of radio…have people with limited programming experience dictating policies or opinions that affect those who do. The Monitor has decided what is right for radio.

The Monitor is wrong.

Today’s radio is too nonspecific. One can’t throw a blanket over a group and declare them the same. Besides, no sooner does Michael create his own absolutes than exceptions have to be granted in Crossover…or the panel greatly reduced.

I humbly suggest that Michael go back to the drawing board and call Domino’s for a large pizza.

This time, get extra cheese.

Affecting Change

Posted on May 2, 1997

5/2/1997

Maybe it’s because it’s my birthday. (Ah, now don’t you feel bad that you didn’t get me a present? And you wonder why I write bad things about you?) There are two times a year that automatically bring on reflective contemplation: birthdays and the New Year. What ever the reason, I feel compelled to take a step back and take a good look at myself and my situation. Although this “reflective contemplation” happens to coincide with my birthday (where’s my present?), this is something I try to do more than twice a year.

I believe it to be absolutely, positively important to study ourselves if we are to continue to grow. Otherwise, we might get the false impression that where we are is where we would like to end up. The instant you are content with all you have is the moment you begin to lose those things you’ve struggled to attain. We have to keep moving forward. The absence of any forward momentum is the beginning of sliding backwards.

In our business, it’s so easy to be satisfied with where we are. We are in the business of hype and too often we buy into what we’re selling. With so many people paid to tell us how great we are, many times we believe what others are saying is the truth.

I admit I’m not like the average bear. I fight complacency daily. I try to do the simplest things differently so I won’t all into any habit of doing even the smallest things the same way. I take a different route to the office each day, sleep on different sides of the bed, sleep in the guest bedroom, eat lunch at breakfast and vice versa.

You may think I’m crazy…you aren’t the first. (I have been accused, but never institutionalized for any consecutive period longer than 15 days.) I believe in the philosophy, “All change is for the better.” Although I welcome and accept the changes that occur naturally in my life, I go one step further and try to stimulate change to make myself and my situation better…or if not better…different.

I heard someone give a recipe for changing habits and beliefs for the better and many of the ingredients have stuck with me. I share them with you so that on your birthday…or the New Year…or when you have time, you can “taste test” them for your appetite.

As I recall the lesson…and from my life experiences with others…I find that most of us are resistant to change. We get used to doing things one way…why change? The old adage, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” might not be in our best interest.

Losing a job can be a devastating experience. One only has to read our continuing “Hell On The Beach” or this week’s Hotline to understand what havoc the loss of a job can wreak. It’s my philosophy (sharpened on the blade of many “termination axes”) that if we are constantly searching for changes in our lives, changes dictated by outside sources will do less damage.

Why are we so resistant to change? Pride plays a big part. “I don’t have to change. I’m perfect the way I am. I can’t get any better.” Bullshit.

Fear is another reason. Too many of us fear the unknown. But don’t you have faith in yourself? If you don’t, you need much more help than this Editorial will bring. Faith is spelled R-I-S-K. You build self-confidence by taking chances…by taking risks. You can talk and pretend all you want, but until you step out and challenge your beliefs, they mean nothing.

Laziness I another reason we reject change. It’s easy to put off actions until tomorrow. Making changes in your life takes a commitment. It isn’t a slam dunk. Most people would change if they could take a pill or a quick home study course. Those same people are too lazy to affect any change. They’re waiting for the perfect time. Well, there is never a perfect time.

Apathy is another reason. Many people just don’t care enough to change.

What about you? Are there things in your life you would like to change? I’m not talking about smoking or drinking (although those habits should be broken), but about making positive changes in your life that will directly affect your future. If so, let me offer the same advice that was offered to me this past week by someone who jogged my memory.

First, you must determine what you need to change. You just can’t make a broad, sweeping statement about changing your life. You must have a vision of what you want to be, but identify the small changes you must make to begin the journey.

You also must have good information. It’s fine to determine what changes you should make, but ask others. By others, I mean close friends, family or mentors…not those paid to tell you how great you are.

You must accept that there are risks involved. There is an old saying, “The truth will set you free.” Accurate, but there is a second verse, “…but first it will make you miserable.” Don’t expect everyone to rejoice and be happy because you’ve decided to make changes. Some will not understand and many might be hurt by your undertaking.

Once you have decided to make positive changes in your life, you must be patient. Remember, you’re taking baby steps. Just because you’ve decided to “be a better person” doesn’t mean all the improvements will happen overnight. On the contrary. Old habits are difficult to break. It will sometimes be hard to judge your progress. Remember it took you a long time to get where you are.

And as difficult as it is, it is just that simple. If you want to change, you can.

Remember, it isn’t where you’ve been that is important. It’s where you’re going.

Gerry Cagle

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