Month: October 1993

10/15/93

Am I so unfocused that I couldn’t pick one single topic for this week’s Editorial? Are there so many important issues that I couldn’t concentrate on one? Or is the opposite true?

Anyhow, I share with you some of the thoughts from the black hole that occupies the majority of my mind.

How bad was the hotel in New York City where the Hitmakers convention took place this past weekend? To avoid the real possibility of infection, Publisher Barry Fiedel was forced to wear socks rather than do his normal “come to Jesus” talk in bare feet. It just wasn’t the same.

What about R&R? It’s now mid-October. That’s one month after the latest deadline for their vaunted on-line system to be on-line. I heard that they’ve finally got the bugs out of the tic-tac-toe game, but the connect-the-dots program is giving them fits. By the way, Bernie, my bookie, had put the odds of a September delivery at 8-to-5, but after paying off my rather substantial wager, the odds are now off the boards.

With the Spring Arbitron ratings showing substantial gains for many Top 40 stations (see Page 6), what’s going to happen to those who were singing the format’s death knell just a few months ago? (They’ll probably apply for jobs at R&R.) Ain’t it amazing what a few superstar releases will do for the format? For Top 40 to prosper, Mainstream artists have to release records. Well, they’re back. Billy Joel, Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, Rod Stewart, Aerosmith, En Vogue, Madonna, Tears For Fears and Duran Duran are just a few with formidable track records who are currently on the charts. Add to those dependables like Blind Melon, Toni Braxton, Haddaway, Lisa Keith, Ace of Base, Taylor Dayne and some of the others and you have the basis of the “resurrection.” The return of Meat Loaf, Earth, Wind & Fire and the Bee Gees are icing on the cake. Top 40 always grows when radio just plays the hits. It’s nice to have hits to play.

Has anyone ever seen the head of Arbitron and Don King in the same room at the same time? With the recent problems of the WBC sanctioned title fights that mysteriously ended in draws followed by weak explanations, it’s more than a little reminiscent of the continuing problems between R and R…radio and ratings. When will radio stop letting the tail wag the dog as far as ratings are concerned? Arbitron’s methodology is worse than R&R’s…and that’s really out of line. Sooner or later, radio must take control of its own destiny and demand a better ratings tool or our industry will continue to fall behind in the race for the advertising dollars.

Is it my imagination or is our industry, both on the radio and record sides, becoming more fun lately? Increased advertising dollars and better ratings are probably the reason in radio. And the success of carefully planned projects like Meat Loaf, U2, Mariah Carey, Billy Joel, Earth, Wind & Fire, Toni Braxton, Janet Jackson, John Mellencamp, Blind Melon and some others put smiles on the faces of most of those in the record business. Damned if it doesn’t seem like we know what we’re doing! It probably is a product of my highly colored imagination, but it seems like everyone’s enjoying themselves more in the latter part of the year than in the earlier part. R&R is, of course, the obvious exception.

Is Scott Shannon the funniest programmer in radio or do I just share his sense of humor? I’m sure it’s me because I also laugh at Bruce Tenenbaum and Michael Plen. That’s like saving whales, but killing porpoises.

This month’s edition of The Network Forty CD sampler contains air checks and promos of the famous “Last Contest.” This promotion was run on Top 40 KCBQ in San Diego in the mid-1970s. Although somewhat dated, it still is the perfect example of how to create excitement and set up a promotion that will make your radio station stand out from others. Conceived and produced by Jack McCoy, “The Last Contest” is something you should share with those in your programming and promotion departments.

Since R&R canceled its convention plans for 1994, the big rumor is that The Network Forty will step in with an unusual concept next year. (Editor’s note: It’s more than a rumor. Bernie has it at even money.)

With more listeners using “strange” pressures to request their favorite songs (see Page 6), are record companies now considering special “Strike Forces” to insure airplay?

It wasn’t so long ago that radio was about the only way to expose new record product. Today there are many others: MTV, VH1, The BOX, etc. Now, from out of left field, it’s Beavis And Butt-Head. Check out this week’s special feature on how these latest immortals are breaking records.

Am I the only person who doesn’t get Beavis And Butt-Head?

An ominous sign for R&R this week was the local Los Angeles weather “forecasts” of a bright sunny day on Sunday. An unexpected thunderstorm ripped through Southern California in the afternoon. And the weather center even has its computer system on-line.

Was I the only one who didn’t know they found the Mars orbiter?

And did you hear they found Jimmy Hoffa? He was on Savage Records.

So I’m playing golf with Bill Pfordresher and Les Garland. On the 10^th hole, we come upon a pig that got stuck halfway through a fence, with the business end being our way. Pfordordresher says, “I wish that was Michelle Pfeifer.” I cast my vote for Demi Moore. Garland looks around and says, “Hell, I just wish it was dark!”

10/12/1993

I received several disturbing phone calls last week. (No, they weren’t from Joel Denver. He never calls…he never writes…) The calls were from three program directors in different parts of the country. All shared basically the same story.

Their General Managers told each to play no more Rap music.

Their sentiments have been echoed by many more program directors over the past few months. It’s a situation any of you who program Rap music may have to deal with in the near future.

Hopefully, it will be a discussion, not an edict. One progam director objected to the “suggestion” was told, “If you can’t do it, I’ll bring someone in who can.”

Because of the nature of the music, it’s easy to say this is a racist reaction. Although racism, in some cases, may play a part, history proves it cuts much deeper than that. In some instances, it’s an emotional decision. In more, it’s economics.

It’s a classic contradiction: art and business. And this confrontation, although disturbing, isn’t new. It’s been with us since radio began programming popular music.

In the ‘40s, it was that psychotic revolutionary, Frank Sinatra, who shook the mainstream consciousness with “controversial” lyrics that drove teenagers crazy. Many radio stations banned his music.

In the ‘50s, it was the icon Elvis Presley who scared mothers and fathers nationwide with his “suggestive” lyrics and gyrations. Elvis was allowed to appear on The Ed Sullivan show only when he agreed to be filmed from the waist up. Stations banned his music.

In the ‘60s, we had two causes for alarm among the “suits.” Up until the early ‘60s, Black music was heard only on Black radio stations. The success of Elvis changed that and Mainstream stations made Black music a part of their playlists. Many listeners, particularly in the South, objected strenuously. I got the message up close and personal in Jackson, Mississippi when the KKK burned a cross on the lawn while I was on the air at WRBC. Other, less visible reactions, caused rumbles across the country. Then came the Beatles and John Lennon’s statement that they were more popular than Jesus. Beatle records were smashed and burned and banned nationwide.

The ‘70s saw a backlash against songs containing lyrics that advocated the use of drugs. (Wait a minute…you’re telling me Pusherman was about drugs?)

In the ‘80s, Tipper “Gored” the industry with her proposed ban against songs with lyrics advocating sex.

Now, it’s Rap music and more particularly, “Gangster” and “Street” Rap music.

Where to draw the line has always been a particular problem for programmers. We, as a group, make our living by accurately “reflecting” the culture to which we program. Radio doesn’t make music. We play what is popular. Successful programmers don’t choose music. We research what our listeners like and play it back to them. Our problem is that the line keeps moving.

In the early ‘70s, I caused a huge problem within the RKO chain when I refused to edit the word “crap” out of Paul Simon’s “Kodachrome.” Sounds tame today, but most of the other stations across the country had edited that word out of the single. Eventually, they relented and most played the song unedited. But the same problem, with different variations, remains today.

If your manager brings up this topic, hopefully, it’s for discussion and not a mandate. If it’s a mandate, you should resign on the spot. Not because of a moralistic high ground, but because the reality is that you’ll wind up being fired in the end. If you depend on a large portion of your audience that likes Rap music and you stop playing it, you’re going to lose that audience. When the audience is gone, so are you. You have a better chance finding another job if you leave with good ratings than looking for an opening when you lose. blaming it on the manager after the ratings won’t fly.

If you are fortunate and it is a discussion, you need answers for the questions you’ll be asked.

Is the station losing revenue because of your playlist? The big question: Is it perceived lost revenue or actual lost revenue? Many advertisers complain about the music on stations that carry their advertising. Whether or not these advertisers will really cancel is the key. If the advertisers who comoplain actually cancel, will the revenue be off-set by the dollars received from the ratings generated by the ratings? If these advertisers don’t cancel because you change the playlist, will they guarantee to continue advertising if the ratings go down? Wioll the local advertising (and these discussions are almost always driven by statements and threats made by local advertisers) off-set the national buys that are precipitated by ratings alone?

A general manager hires a program director to increase ratings. Ratings mean dollars. Short-term decisions effect long-term profitability. Deleting certain types of music changes the face of the radio station. It is repositioning. Taking certain types of songs off the air makes other changes inevitable. It is a change of format…however slight. It should be thought out before it is done.

If the change is suggest from a moralistic viewpoint, your answers will be much more complicated and might not matter in the end. Let’s face it. None of us is comfortable with all of the music we play. For whatever reason, every song is a turn-off to certain segments of the audience. Our job, as programmers, is to program the most music that is acceptable to the largest portion of hte audience at any given time. We don’t have to like every song. We certainly don’t have to agree with every lyric. But our job is to accurately “reflect” the appetite of our audience.

It is a fact that some of the artist featured on radio are not upstanding citizens. This is nothing new. Most artists, by their nature, are outlaws in some sense of the word. Should we not play music that is written and performed by those who have been imprisoned or in trouble with the law? That would cut out a good portion of the Country playlist in one fell swoop. Or maybe we should define our playlists by degree. The bigger the crime, the fewer times we will play the song.

None of us wants to program material that advocates rape, child molestation, murders, etc. It is somewhat easy to draw that line. But what about other subjects that might make portions of the audience uncomfortable? Do we throw those out also.

Because we play it, does that mean we promote doing what the lyrics say? Should w play songs that advocate sex? Should we play songs that advocate drugs? Should we lay songs that advocate violence?

Songs are poems set to music that reflect our times. They are written by people with different fiews and perceived just as differently by listeners.

Did “The Battle Of The Green Berets” make everyone who heard it joing the Armed Forces? Did “War” make everyone object to the Vietnam War? Did “Cocaine” make everyone who heard it a drug addict? Did “Mercy Mercy Me” make everyone an environmentalist? Did “Just The Way You Are” make everyone who heard it remain the same?

The answer, of course, is no. Music effects everyone differently. Tastes are radically opposite within the same demographic and psychographic sample. I have two daughers who are only three years apart. They were raised in the same house adn exposed to the same environment. One loves alternaive music and can’t stand Rap. The other loves Rap and can’t stand Alternative. Go figure.

The argument has gone on for generations. Does art cause those who view, read or listen to react according to the message? those who are offended by the art form, in spite of all evidence contrary to the fact, will say yes. Those who aren’t offended will say no.

To quote that contemporary of William Shakespeare, Burt Reynolds, in Smokey And The Bandit, “More often than not, you perception is dictated by what part of the country you’re standing in.”

The bottom line is this: Music affects different people in different ways. Music on radio causes people to do one of two things: Keep listening or switch stations.

That’s a fact.

And one that should be contemplated long and hard before playlist alterations are begun.

10/08/93

Since day one, even before R&R began hyping their “soon-to-be-available” vaporware (and that’s a long, long time), The Network Forty has been dedicated to improving the flow and access of information critical to radio. The Network Forty has been on the cutting edge in providing new and innovative resources to our industry.

The Network Forty Overnight Requests have been a staple of our operation from the start. It provides exclusive information on the most-requested songs from radio stations across the country. The compilation appears on radio programmers’ and music directors’ desks each weekday morning. This request information is a valuable programming tool in plotting the reaction to records in other markets.

Plays Per Week was conceived by the radio industry and first introduced in The Network Forty 16 months ago. Now it has become an industry standard that is recognized by radio in al markets and is being used, with our permission, by other trade magazines. Except one. You know why.

At the beginning of this year, The Network Forty began an in-depth analysis of our Plays Per Week information. Each week, we break out the PPW data by region so radio programmers and music directors can plot the success of specific records in their geographic area. No longer do you have to ingest national BDS data and “guess” as to how a particular record is doing in your part of the country. With the “exclusive” Network Forty PPW Breakouts, you get a clearer, more precise picture.

The Network Forty also provides the most extensive promotional resource in our industry. Each week, we list the top promotions at radio stations across the country, providing programmers with ideas generated by their peers. In addition, we preview upcoming events with our “exclusive” Monthly Promo Planner. As a part of this service, we also provide programmers a list of suggested promotions that, at the very least, could inspire you to successfully use our ideas or come up with your own.

The Network Forty’s weekly Conference Call allows our readers to share the ideas and reactions of programmers and music directors regarding specific problems that affect day-to-day operations in radio stations across the country.

The Network Forty’s in-depth music research in unparalleled in our industry today. No other publication reviews and researches new music like the staff of The Network Forty. Our Mainstream Music Meeting provides insights on music ready for Mainstream stations. Our Alternative Music Meeting focuses on music that is Alternative in nature, but will, in our opinion, cross into the Mainstream.

The Network Forty has been influential in the Rhythm Crossover field from the beginning. Our Crossover network is the most extensive in the radio industry today. Our network of Crossover programmers and music directors makes it possible for The Network Forty to plot the progress of Crossover records from the inception. It is a section of our magazine of which we are most proud.

In the past few years and particularly in the past 18 months, clubs and mix shows have become increasingly important in the development of Crossover music. Long before many records are ever serviced to radio, clubs and programmers of mix shows are aware of records that will be successful on radio. With this knowledge, The Network Forty began building our relationships with those in this arena. It became apparent that information from clubs and mix shows was invaluable as a programming tool.

The Network Forty is constantly seeking new avenues to provide research that will aid radio programmers. With this daily goal, The Network Forty is proud to announce this week our association with the Street Information Network.

For those of you familiar with S.I.N., you know how excited this I.M.A. (International Marketing Agreement) is to us. For those of you who aren’t familiar with S.I.N., let me share the excitement with you.

S.I.N. encompasses playlists and data from influential club jocks from across the country. Over 500 clubs are rated and surveyed and music information is compiled weekly. In addition, S.I.N. also compiles playlist and actual play data from mix shows that are aired on hundreds of radio stations. S.I.N. also charts weekly sales information from specialty retailers (those who don’t report to SoundScan) and record pools.

The combination of The Network Forty and S.I.N. will produce data and music information unequaled in our industry today.

What does this mean to radio programmers? It means we’ll be able to provide you with even more in-depth music research in the Rhythm/Crossover/Dance arena. The combined forces of The Network Forty and S.I.N. will be able to chart the progress of “new” records earlier and more accurately than any other source.

The Network Forty continues to open new doors to increase our effectiveness in providing radio programmers with information vital to their operations. Our new affiliation with S.I.N. is another step in that direction.

Next week…a personal thing.