Instead of marketing its product better, terrestrial radio is trying to duplicate successful alternative programming and social networking. Sorry radio but it's way too late for that. The answer to terrestrial radio's problems is staring them right in the face and they can't see it. Among all media forms, terrestrial radio is dead last in successfully marketing its product. You may have heard this before but radio has two things that their competitors don't have - it's local and free. Sound familiar? Jacobs Media Research has shown that consumers are not getting local personalities and a hometown feel with alternative programming. Fred Jacobs puts it best when he says "These are the elements that got radio to the dance in the first place and helped the medium survive the onslaught of TV back in the 50's."...
An Inside Radio Survey showed that 48% of its respondents believe the radio industry should create its own customizable Pandora-type online streaming service, 32% think broadcasters should do more to promote their digital offerings, 22% want an industry public relations czar. What? Don't we have two organizations (Radio Advertising Bureau & National Association of Broadcasters) that are supposed to do that? 14% say broadcasters shouldn't worry about the Pandora threat. I say forget all of those results. Promote the only two products you own exclusively - Free and Local...
One other thing about marketing. If you're promoting your product to your listeners, you're preaching to the congregation. You can't get new listeners talking to the listeners you already have. You have to advertise your product to non-listeners. Sounds simple, right? It is...
10 Timeline Memories:
1.1886] Things go better with coke: Atlanta pharmacist John Pemberton invents the flavored syrup for Coca Cola. The drink originally contained a dash of cocaine used in the 1880s for stomach distress (5/8)…
2.1903] Red Sox Nation is born: It all started with this game. Boston faces off against New York for the first time as the then-Pilgrims beat the Highlanders (pre-Yankees) 6-2 at the Huntington Avenue Grounds in Boston. Bill Dinneen is the winning pitcher and Hobe Ferris homers (5/7)...
3.1958] Rock & Roll riot: Alan Freed is indicted for inciting unlawful destruction of property in Boston as fans riot at the Boston Arena. Many consider this event the beginning of the end for Freed (5/9)...
4.1961] TV wasteland: FCC Chairman Newton N. Minnow condemns TV as a "Vast Wasteland" in a speech to the National Association of Broadcasters (5/9)...
5.1966] Not so Keane: After winning only 4 of the Yankees first 20 games of the season as manager, Johnny Keane is fired and replaced by Ralph Houk. And this was pre-Steinbrenner (5/7)...
6.1970] Limping to victory: Willis Reed limps out on the court and inspires the Knicks to join the Mets and Jets as world champions of their sport (in the same season) with a 113-99 win over the Lakers to wrap up the NBA title. This was voted the NBA’s Number One Top 10 Heroic Playoff Moment (5/8)…
7.1978] Guilty as charged: David R. Berkowitz aka Son of Sam pleads guilty to 6 murder charges in Brooklyn. He continues to serve a lifetime term (5/8)...
8.1982] ‘Happy Trails’: Record executive Neil Bogart dies from cancer and lymphoma at 39 (5/8). Neil was ahead of his time in the development of the disco, glam-rock eras and played a key role in the careers of Donna Summer, Kiss, T-Rex and others…
9.1999] Jenny Jones disaster: A jury in Pontiac (MI) orders “The Jenny Jones Show” to pay $25 million to the family of a gay man who was shot to death after revealing a crush on a male guest on the show. The award will be overturned on appeal (5/7)...
10.2002] Seattle Slew makes history: Twenty-five years to the exact date that Seattle Slew won the Kentucky Derby, the first of his Triple Crown victories in 1977, the great Slew dies at the age of 28 (5/7)…
Music Memories...
- 1964] Released on this date: "World Without Love" - Peter & Gordon (5/9)...1970] "Ride Captain Ride" - Blues Image (5/9)...1970] "Let It Be" (LP) - Beatles (5/8)...
- 1969] #1 on this date: "Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In" - 5th Dimension (5/8)... 1977] "When I Need You" - Leo Sayer (5/8)...1988] "Anything For You" - Gloria Estefan/Miami Sound Machine (5/8)...
- 1974] The Future of Rock & Roll: Music critic (Boston Phoenix, Real Paper, Rolling Stone) Jon Landau sees Bruce Springsteen perform at the Harvard Sq. Theater in Cambridge and says: "I saw rock and rolls' future and its name is Bruce Springsteen". Landau will start a career in management with his first client (5/9...
- 1977] Debuted on this date: Olivia Newton-John makes her New York City debut with a concert at the Metropolitan Opera House. She almost wasn't allowed in because she had cowboy boots on. True! I saw this show and she was great (5/8)...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday": (5/7) Robert ("Epstein") Hegyes (59), Thelma Houston (64), Jimmy Ruffin (71), Babe Parilli (80), Dick Williams (81) & former WNEW DJ and singer ("Green Door") Jim Lowe (83)...(5/8) John Maine (29), Enrique Iglesias (35), Melissa Gilbert (46), Philip Bailey (59), Toni Tennille (70), Don Rickles (84) and David Attenborough (84)...(5/9) John ("Northern Exposure", "Sex and the City") Corbett (48), Tony Gwynn (50), Billy Joel (61), Candice Bergen (64), Tommy Roe (68), Glenda Jackson (74), Albert Finney (74) and Mike Wallace (born in Brookline, MA) (92)...
Timeline Countdown: 2 days until Mother's Day, 24 days until Memorial Day, 44 days until Father's Day & 45 days until summer...
