Thursday, March 31, 2011

Traditional Media Advertising Is Still Number One & "WRKO...The Launch"...

A new nine-country study shows traditional media still packs a bigger punch than social media when it comes to advertising. Deloitte research and YouGov conducted the study in 6 countries (Canada, France, Germany, Japan, U.K and the U.S.). They combined their results with qualitative studies from Brazil, India and Korea. Deloitte and YouGov asked respondents how often they visited websites after being exposed to various types of media, dividing answers into 3 categories: "frequently", "occasionally" and "rarely or never." In every country, social networks registered scores below those of radio spots, newspaper ads and email offers...

Here in the U.S., social media scored in single digits (9%) as the choice for those looking at ads. The UK only registered 3%. Search engines returned the best ratings as 36% of contributors agreed companies like Google and Bing are their number one source for finding websites. That percentage reached 43% in Japan. Television ads followed with 20%, edging email alerts and deals with 16% and press advertising at 13%. Deloitte says email marketing has become more effective, as the number of Americans accessing sites has grown from 61% to 66%, based on data collected over the last 3 years...

Without looking at all the results of the various studies, I would say that social networks are used less for finding a great buy but not necessarily for socializing. As a user of both Facebook and Twitter, I would say social websites are quite healthy. I just wouldn't be looking for my next purchase on a social web unless "word-of-mouth", not used in the studies, influenced me...

10 Timeline Memories:
1.1918] Time after time: For the first time in U.S. history, Daylight Savings Time goes into effect. Clocks are moved ahead one hour at 2 a.m...
2.1923] They shoot horses, don't they?: The first U.S. dance marathon is won by Alma Cummings who sets a new world record of 27 hours in New York City. Gig Young finishes second...
3.1931] Luck of the Irish runs out: 43-year old Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne and seven others are killed in a plane crash in Kansas as the legendary coach was headed to Hollywood to make a football movie...
4.1943] Another opening, another show: Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Oklahoma" opens on Broadway. Although Howard Keel played the lead on Broadway, Gordon MacRae played that role on the big screen with Shirley Jones as his wife...
5.1975] Going out a winner: John Wooden coaches his last game, a 92-85 UCLA win over Kentucky which gives the Bruins their 10th National Title under 'The Wizard of Westwood'...
6.1976] Pulling the plug twice: The New Jersey Supreme Court rules that Karen Ann Quinlan could be disconnected from her respirator. Quinlan remains comatose until 1985 when she passes away...2005] Terri Schiavo dies at a hospice in Florida, 13 days after her feeding tube is removed in a right-to-die dispute that reached the courts, Congress and the White House...
7.1986] 'Happy Trails': O'Kelly Isley, who I had the pleasure of knowing, dies of a heart attack at 48. The Isley Brothers first hit was "Shout"..1998] Former New York Congresswoman Bella Abzug dies from heart disease at 77...
8.1992] Premiered on this date: "Dateline NBC"...
9.1995] Tejano tragedy: 23-year old Tejano singing idol Selena is shot to death by Yolanda Saldivar, president of Selena's fan club. The shooting takes place outside a Corpus Christi motel room...
10.1999] Murder is the rap: 4 New York City police officers are charged with murder for killing Amadou Diallo, an unarmed African immigrant, in a hail of bullets. The officers are acquitted in 2000...

Music Memories:

1958] Released on this date: "Johnny B. Goode" - Chuck Berry...
1975] Number One on this date: "Lovin' You" - Minnie Riperton. The song was produced by Stevie Wonder. I never met a lovelier person than Minnie who at one time sang backup for Stevie and led the group Rotary Connection...

(WRKO...The Launch (Part 23) (March marks the 44th anniversary of WRKO Boston. This is the final day I'll be serializing the story behind the actual launch of what would become one of the country's legendary Top 40 radio stations and today continues to be a mainstay in New England with a N/T format)...

That, to the best my memory bank can process information stored 44 years ago, is the way I remember events leading to and including the launch of WRKO. The history of the station is still being written. Top 40 ruled from March 13, 1967 to
1981 when WRKO changed to its present news/talk/sports format...

When I was hired to program WRKO-FM, I was told I was hired for "what was between my ears", not for my voice. What? They didn't like my aircheck? Programming "ARKO" was easy. I knew the music and ARKO didn't talk back. The great Curt Gowdy once summed up his success to me as "being in the right place at the right time." That may be true but we all know what he did with the opportunity he was given. There's probably some wisdom in Curt's statement for all of us who ever had the privilege to work at WRKO...

My own memories of 1967 are filled with once-in-a-lifetime events. Two months after we launched WRKO, Robert Dean Phillips was born in Needham's Glover Memorial Hospital on May 31, making his Dad, a happy man and giving his sister. Lynn, a brother to play with in the backyard. The next month WRKO would become the number one music station in Boston, beating WBZ and WMEX. I was officially named program director of WRKO-AM that summer - the "Summer of Love", which would give way to "The Impossible Dream" for the Red Sox who went from next to last in the standings in 1966 to the World Series in 1967. What a year!!!

This history of "WRKO...The Launch" was written for those of us lucky enough to have worked in the early stages of a great radio station and for all the terrific radio people who followed us, including the legion of listeners who chose a career in radio because of what they heard on NOW Radio...

- The End of The Beginning -

Mel Phillips March, 2011

(Many thanks to Shel Swartz, webmaster of the WRKO.org website for all the airchecks, photos, profiles, news articles, station memos & maps he provided. Access to his website can be made by clicking here, to Donna Halper for all the hours of research she did at the Boston Public Library to verify dates and events, and to everyone who offered quotes, information, advice and support)...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Sal Selletto (39), Rhea Perlman (63), Al Gore (63), Gabe Kaplan (66), Christopher Walken (68), Herb Alpert (76), Shirley Jones (77), Richard Chamberlain (77), Gordie Howe (83) and William Daniels (84)...

Timeline Countdown: Today is MLBs Opening Day, 2 days until Final Four, 19 days until Passover & 25 days until Easter Sunday...

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Is It Too Late For Bonneville To Change Its Mind? & "WRKO...The Launch"...

So ya think Bonneville might like a do-over? Further proof that "timing is everything" has just reared its ugly head. What was Bonneville thinking when they included WTOP-FM in their sale of 17 radio stations to Hubbard Broadcasting for $505 million? The proposed deal was filed with the FCC in January, 2011. Just two months later comes word that WTOP-FM is the top billing radio station in the U.S. BIA/Kelsey announced the list of top ten billing stations yesterday with an asterisk next to WTOP-FM indicating the pending deal from Bonneville to Hubbard Broadcasting. Hubbard will be holding its Christmas party today. Why wait???

In addition to WTOP-FM being on T-O-P of the top billing station list are four FM's & five AMs. Seven of the ten have either a news, talk or sports format, two are CHR with one Alternative formatted station in the mix. BIA/Kelsey notes that audiences attracted by news, talk or sports are very attractive to national and local advertisers and "thus, these stations can generate substantial revenues." Most of the stations in the top ten were there in 2009. They include KISS-FM (LA), WCBS-AM (NY), KFI-AM (LA), WLTW-FM (NY), WHTZ-FM (NY), WBBM-AM (CHI), WINS-AM (NY) & KROQ-FM (LA). The only newcomer was WFAN-AM (NY)...

WTOP-FM GM Joel Oxley tells Radio Ink the secret to his station's success: "People always know exactly what we're doing when they listen to us. Being on FM has been huge for us. A lot of our listeners are younger and we have an even split between male and female listeners." An FM news station (in stereo, no less) was tried by the late Jack Thayer when he headed NBC Radio in the 70's. He even used the call letters WNWS (FM). As with most of his innovations, he had the right idea. He was just about 40 years too early...

10 Timeline Memories:
1.1867] North to Alaska: The U.S. purchases Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million. The deal will be known as "Seward's Folly" after Secretary of State William H. Seward who brokered the deal for the U.S...
2.1909] Feelin' Groovy: The Queensboro Bridge aka the 59th Street Bridge, linking Manhattan and Queens opens to traffic, becoming the first double-tiered bridge. Now you can call it the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge..
3.1966] Back to work: Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale end a 32-day double holdout and sign with the L.A. Dodgers for equal $135,000 salaries. A bucket of balls and a fungo bat costs more than that today...
4.1967] Pass the pepper: The cover picture of the Beatles "Sgt. Pepper" LP is shot at Michael Cooper's photo studio in Cheslea, England...
5.1981] 'Honey, I forgot to duck': President Ronald Reagan is shot by John Hinckley. Reagan will make a complete recovery as will D.C. police officer Thomas Delahaney, also shot. Press secretary James Brady is not as lucky. Brady is left with permanent brain damage from his gunshot wound to the head. The 'Brady Law' will be passed in his name...
6.1986] "Happy Trails": Legendary actor James Cagney dies from a heart attack at 86...2002] Queen Mother Elizabeth of England dies of natural causes at 101...
7.1987] This guy's smart: Keith Smart pops a 17-foot jumper from the corner with 4 seconds left to give Indiana a 74-73 win over Syracuse as the Hoosiers celebrate their 3rd NCAA title under coach Bobby Knight...
8.1992] Musical call letters: WNSR (105.1) changes call letters to WMXV (The Mix) in New York. Today, Power 105 occupies that frequency...
9.1993] Touch 'em all Charlie: Charlie Brown hits his 1st home run in the Peanuts comic strip. Charlie wins his first game in this clip...
10.2009] Government issue: President Barack Obama takes unprecedented government control over the auto industry, rejecting GM & Chrysler restructuring plans...

Music Memories:

• 1989] O Solo Mio: Gladys Knight performs solo for the 1st time since her grammar school days. She sings 'Pip-less' during a Las Vegas date. Gladys says the Pips could be the "Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me"...

(WRKO...The Launch (Part 22) (March marks the 44th anniversary of WRKO Boston. All month long, I will be serializing the story behind the actual launch of what would become one of the country's legendary Top 40 radio stations and today continues to be a mainstay in New England with a N/T format)...

The late Roger Allan was our News Director when WRKO was launched. Roger was there at the old Yankee Network and remained for our format changeover and over 20 years beyond. Roger added these comments shortly before his passing in 2008 at the age of 79: "How can I ever forget the day we kicked Boston in the ass? The Now Generation hit Boston big. It's a 'happening.' There was the Globe, the Herald and the WRKO top 40 sheets (click "Music Surveys"). We had the newest of the new broadcast styles with 20/20 News which won innumerable news awards from UPI, AP & RTNDA thanks to people like John ("the barrrrometric pressure") Masters & Bob Stevens, Bill Rossi and Bob Cusack. The George Capalbo studios had the nation's best equipment. What a time for all of us."...

Which leads us to George Capalbo (click "Miscellaneous" for some of George's handiwork). George was our Director of Engineering but he also did our station filings: "I vividly recall filing the change of call letters with the FCC to make it legal. I was working long and exhausting hours to prepare for the big changeover. I have fond memories of the management and staff all pulling in the same direction and the elation we still experience at the success of the legendary WRKO." Gordon Brown, was one of the younger technicians who would become a disc jockey favorite: "I was promoted from Production Supervisor to Engineer as management wanted younger guys spinning the rock for the new jocks. I was matched with Chuck "Chuckles" Knapp on the 9-midnight shift. Chuck and Gordy became a solid team for several years...

Bill Wayland was one of our best salesmen. Bill went from selling a N/T MOR format to a Top 40 without missing a beat. Bill was at the Sack Savoy Theater the night of May 6, 1967 when all hell broke loose at the 4am showing of "Casino Royale": "I remember standing on Washington Street at 3am watching the police arrive. Memories. But I knew way before the ratings came out that WRKO was a hit. I walked the Irish Riviera from Dorchester to Southie on Carson Beach, on a warm day and all I heard was WRKO and the Red Sox on WHDH. We were there."

(Tomorrow: "WRKO...The Launch" - Part 23: Final Thoughts)...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday": Norah Jones (32), Celine Dion (43), Piers Morgan (46), Tracy Chapman (47), MC Hammer (49), Paul Reiser (54), Eric Clapton (66), Warren Beatty (74), Rolf Harris (81), John Astin (81), Richard Dysart (82) and Peter Marshall (85)...

Timeline Countdown: 1 day until MLB Opening Day, 3 days until Final Four, 20 days until Passover & 26 days until Easter...

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Performance Royalty Opposition Grows & "WRKO...The Launch"...

After the White House endorsed a performance fee on radio, the National Association of Broadcasters fired off its answer to Washington. The NAB issued this statement: "This is hardly a new policy position from the White House. NAB remains unalterably opposed to legislation creating an onerous, jobs-killing fee on America's hometown radio stations without offsetting provisions and benefits that recognize the unparalleled promotional value of radio airplay. NAB offered a legislative package to resolve this issue last year, which was summarily rejected by the musicFirst Coalition. Our offer still stands." Glowing endorsements of radio's help from recording artists followed. That letter was sent two weeks ago. Just one week earlier a non-binding House resolution opposing a performance fee was introduced. Inside Radio now reports that the number of lawmakers who've signed on has doubled and the number is expected to climb with Congress back in session...

The music industry's cause wasn't helped one bit by this week's announcement of digital royalty distributions topping $252 million. These royalties come from webcasting, satellite radio, television music channels and similar streaming platforms. SoundExchange President Michael Huppe was doing cartwheels: "The royalty pay-out increases reflect several trends: the success and growth of streaming services; increased awareness among artists and copyright holders of the need to register with SoundExchange to claim royalty payments; and improved processing of previously unpayable balances through data clean-up. New registrants are still able to collect several years of back royalties, often resulting in large first-time payouts." Huppe also pointed to the rising subscribership of digital music services like Pandora and Sirius XM as a source of increasing revenues...

Correct me if I'm wrong but don't these fees go to music artists? The answer to that question is that compared to the prior year, the average payment for artists was up 80% (to $2,800); for rights holders it was up 39% (to more than $14,000). And oh, by the way, SoundExchange's overall distributions in its first decade has reached over $600 million, according to Radio World. Anyone have a problem with that???

10 Timeline Memories:
1.1951] I spy: Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage for passing nuclear secrets to the Soviet Union. A charge denied by their children…
2.1959] When you’re hot you’re hot: “Some Like It Hot” starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon premieres…
3.1962] I kid you not: Jack Paar hosts NBC’s “Tonight Show” for the last time. Here's Jack with Johnny Carson...
4.1971] Guilty as charged: Lt. William Calley Jr. is found guilty of premeditated murder of at least 22 Vietnamese civilians and is sentenced to life in prison. Calley wins a court case and is paroled. He now lives free in Columbus (GA)…
5.1971] Death rap: A jury in Los Angeles recommends the death penalty for Charles Manson and 3 female followers for the 1969 Tate - Lo Bianca murders. His sentence is commuted to life in prison in San Quentin, where he resides today…
6.1973] Turn out the lights: The last United States troops leave South Vietnam ending America’s direct military involvement in the war there…
7.1974] Four dead in O-Hi-O: Eight Ohio National Guardsmen are indicted on charges stemming from the shooting death of 4 Kent State students in May of 1970. All are later acquitted and released…
8.1992] Uh-huh: Candidate Bill Clinton acknowledges experimenting with marijuana “a time or two” but says “I didn’t inhale and I didn’t try it again”…
9.2002] An enemy of the state: Israel declares Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat an enemy and sends tanks and armored personnel carriers to fully isolate him at his headquarters in the West Bank…
10.2005] “Happy Trails“: O.J. Simpson attorney Johnnie Cochran dies from an inoperable brain tumor at 67…

Music Memories:

(WRKO...The Launch (Part 21) (March marks the 44th anniversary of WRKO Boston. All month long, I will be serializing the story behind the actual launch of what would become one of the country's legendary Top 40 radio stations and today continues to be a mainstay in New England with a N/T format)...

In sports, a team manager or coach is as good as his or her team. In radio, a station is only as good as its general manager and WRKO had one of the best in Perry S. Ury. Perry's personality and will to win filtered down through all of us. I can honestly say I never worked for a better GM. While some general managers believe in a hands-on approach, Perry knew how to delegate responsibility to his department managers. Perry summed up his feelings about WRKO's success by saying this: "My memories of the transition from talk to our version of the Drake format was really historical. You guys in programming and promotion did such a professional job of tailoring the station musically and promotionally to Boston. I think the strike of the engineers helped even more. We proved that the music was the thing and that we could survive the strike if we gave our listeners what they wanted. At any rate, thankfully the jocks came back early and we of average talent (me) - could go back to desk jockeying rather than newscasting, although I will admit it was a real charge to go back to my roots in broadcasting. My best to all who made broadcasting in the late sixties so exciting at WRKO - Boston"...

Harvey Mednick, Promotions Director (click "Now Happenings" to see some of Harvey's promotions) of WRKO remembers his time in Boston: "WRKO was a true team effort and the unique mix of people and personalities contributed greatly to its success. In all the years that followed, at all the stations with which I was involved, there's never been a more diverse, yet united group than you, Bob (Henabery), Perry (Ury), Paul (Power), George (Capalbo), Bud (Simmen) and me, all committed to one simple mission: to create the most entertaining and innovative radio station Boston, and the industry has ever known. And with an unmatched singularity of purpose, an incredible amount of talent and a lot of hard work, we did it!"...

Paul Power, Music & Prod. Dir WRKO: "This was the greatest radio journey of my life, handling the music, production and assisting in programming this sitting 50,000 watt "Rig" (quoting J.J. Jeffrey here), taking it from worst to first in just a few months. As a 10-year old kid bitten by the radio bug and listening to the radio greats from 1955 on, and also growing up less than a mile from where WRKO would move in '68 (short commute), I will forever feel honored and indebted to Mel, Perry and all my other friends who helped me realize this dream!"...

(Tomorrow: "WRKO...The Launch" - Part 22: More quotes from Management)...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday": Jennifer Capriati (35), Lara Logan (40), Lucy Lawless (43), John Popper (44), Elle Macpherson (48), Walt "Clyde" Frazier (66), Terry Jacks (67), Vangelis (68), Eric Idle (68) and John McLaughlin (84)...

Timeline Countdown: 2 days until MLB Openers, 4 days until Final Four, 21 days until Passover & 27 days until Easter...

Monday, March 28, 2011

ROI Still A Problem In Digital Ad Growth...

Not having a tangible measurement for digital advertising remains the biggest obstacle to convincing local advertisers to pony up with digi-dollars. This has to have an effect on radio revenue growth. Advertisers are so used to ROI or return-on-investment, that until there's an acceptable measurement for digital and social ads, they're reluctantly investing in new media ways to sell their product. Twenty-three of 24 marketers surveyed in a new report from the World Federation of Advertisers and WPP (Web Presence Providers) firm Millward Brown is committed to increasing the time and money they spend on social media in the next 12 months, even if they don't think they can accurately measure the results. This, according to Advertising Age...

Inside Radio confirms the confusion by reporting that Borrell Assocates says the radio industry is "barely treading water" in the local digital space and is poised to see its share shrink - not grow - unless there's a rethink in the coming years. Borrell finds the average station billed $60,000 in local digital revenue in 2010. The World Federation of Advertisers and Millward Brown, mentioned earlier, don't agree on the spending part. The marketers they polled will be spending more social ad money and the advice from WFA and Millward Brown is "to commit considerable resources to social networking, install community managers and focus on areas that fit most closely to a brand's objectives, because it's tough to deliver strongly on every front."

Despite not having a litmus test for digital and social advertising, look for more, not less money invested on both fronts this year. The digital genie is out of the bottle. Memo to the audience measurement world: come up with an acceptable return on investment measurement for digital and social spending ASAP!!!

Timeline Memories...
1.1797] This is the way we wash out clothes: Nathaniel Briggs of New Hampshire patents a washing machine...
2.1963] The Name Game: Sonny Werblin, no doubt inspired by nearby LaGuardia Airport, changes the name of the New York Titans to the Jets (3/28) just before Shea Stadium becomes a runway for LaGuardia and the new home of the Jets in 1964...
3.1967] New Ironsides: Raymond Burr stars in the TV movie "Ironside" which will become a highly rated, long-running series...
4.1969] 'Happy Trails': Dwight D. Eisenhower, our 34th president, dies of heart failure at 78...1987] Maria von Trapp, whose life inspired "The Sound of Music", dies in Morrisville (VT) from heart failure at 82...
5.1974] The Streaker: A streaker runs onto the set of "The Tonight Show" starring Johnny Carson (but Ed McMahon is quickly subdued by NBC pages)...
6.1979] Wedding Bells: Eric Clapton marries George Harrison's ex, Patti "Layla" Boyd as he starts the 1st leg of a tour. The marriage lasts 9 years...
7.1979] Life imitates Art: A nuclear meltdown starts at Three Mile Island (PA) 12 days after "The China Syndrome" premieres...
8.1992] One-Man highlight film: Christian Laettner of Duke hits a 17-foot turn-around jumper just before the buzzer, giving the Blue Devils a dramatic 104-103 win over Kentucky to win the NCAA East Regional title. 9 days later Duke becomes the 1st team in 19 years to repeat as national champions with a victory over Michigan...
9.1995] "D-I-V-O-R-C-E": The bubble bursts for Lyle Lovett as Lyle and Julia Roberts announce their separation. They were married 21 months...
10.2007] Gotcha: Former major league pitcher Ugueth Urbina is convicted of attempted murder in Venezuela in 2005 and sentenced to 14 years in prison...

Music Memories:
(WRKO...The Launch (Part 20) (March marks the 44th anniversary of WRKO Boston. All month long, I will be serializing the story behind the actual launch of what would become one of the country's legendary Top 40 radio stations and today continues to be a mainstay in New England with a N/T format)...

Chuck Knapp and J.J. Jeffrey were two original members of the Now Crowd back on March 13, 1967 when WRKO was launched. Chuck remembers following Arnie Ginsburg on the air at 9pm each night: "Arnie always introed me as the guy from Fergus Falls, Minnesota and then did his traditional Arnie chuckle. I loved following him on the air." And what does Chuck remember most about 1967? "I saw the World Series that year, was introduced to Ted Williams by Curt Gowdy, met Bobby Orr and watched him play, saw Bill Russell in the bar at the station building on Brookline Avenue and so much more. Since Arnie never returned to the air I got to work 7 days a week for the next 7 months until we hired Gary Martin and I moved up to 6pm-9pm." Chuck also remembers racing at New England Dragway with J.J., $8 World Series tickets and giving away Sgt. Pepper artwork to a contest winner...

J.J. Jeffrey sends best personal regards from his "Villa in Dorchester." J.J. remembers "Light My Fire", The Red Sox! '67 erupts with WRKO! A gathering of radio people who took Boston and New England and said "Pay Attention." They did! The D.J.'s couldn't wait to get to "work" everyday to play the latest Beatle songs and other hits. Fabulous people to work with: 'Smitch' (Bobby Mitchell), Dale (Dorman), 'Joe' Cash (Joel Cash), Chuck (Knapp), Gary (Martin), Jon (Powers), Shadoe (Stevens), Ernie (Anastos), Roger (Allan), Paul (Power), (Dan) Tucker, Harry the W (Weinstein), Sid (Gaynor), Gordie (Brown), Chet (Kelly), Frank (Santos), (Bill) Wayland, Mike (Horn) & "Woodies" (Dick Woodies). Loved the promotions! 'Casino Royale,' Candy Apple Red Mustang, Top 500, Black Box & the Christmas Wish. And the names of the D.J.'s on the marquee at 21 Brookline Avenue. What a kick to 'Shepard' over the Drake format. The Johnny Mann jingles! The engineers who made the Big 68 sound like an FM. Thank you management team, Perry (Ury), Mel (Phillips), Bob Henabery and Harvey (Mednick) for "smoothing the way for us to rise to the top in New England. J.J. Jeffrey (3pm-6pm) on the Big 68 ('says proudly')"...

(Tomorrow: "WRKO...The Launch" - part 21: We Hear From Management)...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Stefani Germanotta aka Lady Gaga (25), Vince Vaughn (41), Chris Myers (52), Reba McEntire (56), Dianne Wiest (63), Gerry House (63), John Records Landecker (64), Rick Barry (67), Ken Howard (67), Jerry Sloan (69) and Charlie McCoy (70)...

Timeline Countdown: 3 days until MLB Opening Day, 4 days until the Final Four, 6 days until the NCAA Championship game, 22 days until Passover & 28 days until Easter Sunday...

Friday, March 25, 2011

Pandora Continues Its Online Dominance & "WRKO...The Launch"...

(Weekend Edition)

The new Ando Media Audio Top 20 Ranker for January has been released and Pandora continues its dominance. In the Domestic Ranker, based on Average Active Sessions (AAS), Pandora quadruples second place CBS Radio Inc. 522,330 to 103,228, 6am-12mid, Mon-Sun. AAS is defined as total listening hours divided by hours in the reported time period. In session starts, defined as number of different requests for streams with a duration of at least one minute, Pandora just annihilates CBS with over 344 million starts to over 66 million. Pandora and CBS Radio are the only online stations in six-figures in average active sessions. The number 3 station in rank is Clear Channel (82,992 AAS), followed by Citadel with 31,601 and Slacker rounds up the top 5 with 26,338. To see the complete Ando Ranker, click here...

The Ranker is a listing of the top-performing internet audio stations and networks measured by the Webcast Metrics audience measurement. The Ranker only measures listening online, it does not measure any radio listening like Arbitron does. How important has the monthly Ando Ranker become? According to Ando, their clients number about 7,000 internet radio stations but unless you're Pandora, you won't get many buys using their Ranker when pitching advertisers...

Radio should be aware of what they're facing in internet competition but local stations don't stand a chance of gaining any traction in the Ando, unless they're an affiliate of one of the giant radio groups...

10 Timeline Memories:
1.1794] In The Navy: President George Washington and Congress authorize creation of the U.S. Navy (3/27)…
2.1884] Red Sox Nation is born: The first long-distance call is made from Boston to New York in which two people argue the merits of their baseball teams before a shouting match ensues and the phrases “Red Sox Nation” and “Evil Empire” are heard often followed by the slamming of the phone (3/27)…
3.1911] Up in flames: 146 women are killed at the “Triangle Shirtwaist Company” in New York City. The owners of the company are charged with manslaughter when it’s discovered that the factory doors were locked. In 1914 they are forced to pay damages to all the victim’s families (3/25)…1990] Fire races through an illegal social club (”Happy Land“) in Manhattan, killing 87, mostly Honduran and Dominican immigrants (3/25)…
4.1939] March Madness: The first NCAA championship game is won by the Oregon Ducks, 46-33 over Ohio State (3/27). The NCAA will dominate the NIT starting in the mid-50s…
5.1953] Doctor Feelgood: Dr. Jonas Salk announces that he has successfully tested a vaccine against Polio (3/26)…
6.1977] Tenerife tragedy: A KLM Boeing 747 attempting to take off, crashes into a Pan Am 747 on the Canary Island of Tenerife killing 582 (3/27)…
7.1979] Bird vs. Magic: Michigan State contains Larry Bird of Indiana State with Magic Johnson outscoring him 24-19 and the Spartans win their first NCAA title 75-64 (3/26)…
8.1988] Guilty as charged: Robert E. Chambers Jr. pleads guilty to 1st-degree manslaughter in the death of 18-year old Jennifer Levin in Manhattan’s so-called ‘Preppy Murder Case’ (3/25). Chambers is now serving a 19-year sentence for selling drugs in 2008…
9.1996] Monopoly money: The redesigned $100 bill goes into circulation (3/25)…
10.1997] Where’s the spaceship?: The bodies of 39 members of the “Heaven’s Gate” cult who’d committed suicide are found in Rancho Santa Fe (CA) (3/26)…

Music Memories:
(WRKO...The Launch (Part 19) (March marks the 44th anniversary of WRKO Boston. All month long, I will be serializing the story behind the actual launch of what would become one of the country's legendary Top 40 radio stations and today continues to be a mainstay in New England with a N/T format)...

The strike not only made local news, it was also picked up by the national trade magazines. The April 25th edition of Variety noted that "an IBEW strike had started at WRKO with jocks, refusing to cross picket lines." Billboard and other publications also noted the strike. On May 6th, at the height of the strike, we hit Boston right between the eyes with a promotion that would make headlines. Although it could have stopped our two-month-old Top 40 era dead in its tracks, some tap dancing to RKO corporate by Perry Ury, eased the pain of the riot that broke out at the Sack Savoy Theater in downtown Boston. "Wear a trenchcoat and dark glasses at 4 am and see 'Casino Royale' for free." About 20,000 insomniacs did. The next morning we were on the front page of the Boston Globe and New York Times. Harvey Mednick's dream promotion became a nightmare, or so we thought. We weren't proud of what we created but all of New England felt the impact of WRKO's reach and we knew we had arrived as a major radio force. The 1967 Casino Royale premiere was chronicled on the SONY Collector Edition DVD released a couple of years ago...

The strike continued into May, 1967 and there is a John Rode aircheck recorded May 28th that indicated the strike had ended sometime that month. All the members of the original Now Crowd came back on the air with the exception of Arnie Ginsburg and Dick Burch. Chuck Knapp would have his shift extended to cover some of Arnie's hours and worked 7 days a week until we had a complete staff again. We segued music overnight until Jon Powers came aboard in June. Despite the strike, the impact we made in Boston and throughout New England was immediate and lasting. In an August edition of Billboard Magazine, Claude Hall reported that we had climbed to number one in the June-July Hooper Ratings...

In 1967, more than 400,000 students were attending colleges and universities in the Boston metro area and WRKO would become the breeding ground for many future radio careers. Most of those we hired to answer the request line and as board operators came from Northeastern University, Boston University and Emerson College. The students that cut their radio teeth at WRKO included a future radio station owner (Dick Booth), a future radio consultant, historian and author (Donna Halper) and several future disc jockeys (Bob Raines, Ron Brindle, Dave Thompson, Bob (Charley Roberts) Schuman, Ron Hurst & Don Azars). Rich Stadlen and Gil Shaw also made radio their careers. In all there must have been a dozen new hires in 1967 that would make their mark in radio...

(Next Week: "WRKO...The Launch" - part 20: We Hear From The WRKO Staff)...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday": (3/25) Katharine McPhee (27), Danica Patrick (29), Sarah Jessica Parker (46), Marcia Cross (49), Lee Mazzilli (56), Elton John (64), Aretha Franklin (69), Anita Bryant (71), Gloria Steinem (77) & Gene Shalit (79)...(3/26) Jennifer Grey (51), Curtis Sliwa (57), Steven Tyler (63), Diana Ross (67), Bob Woodward (68), James Caan (71), Nancy Pelosi (71), Fred Parris of the Five Satins (75), Alan Arkin (77), Leonard Nimoy (80) & Bob (Bob & Ray) Elliott (88)...(3/27) Stacy Ferguson (Fergie) (36), Mariah Carey (41), Quentin Tarantino (48), Michael York (69) & Cale Yarborough (72) and Michael York (66)...

Timeline Countdown (3/35): 6 days until MLB Opening Day, 7 days until the Final Four, 9 days until the NCAA Championship game, 25 days until Passover & 31 days until Easter...

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Radio Remains The Greatest Influence On Music Listening & "WRKO...The Launch"...

A new music study shows that 82% of those polled identified radio as having the greatest single influence on their music listening. This good news will be welcomed by an industry labeled as part of the "old media" that's losing its influence. The respondents in this study also gave the music industry an 82% rating but on the negative side. Eighty-two percent feel that the music industry is doing an average to poor job in their ability to identify good music. The results of the new Orpheus Media Research study aren't all favorable for radio though...

While the study showed radio's influence on music listening as high as 82%, other results were a mixed bag. Forty percent of respondents are interested in finding new ways to discover new music. Fifty-seven percent indicated that they most often relied on radio or word of mouth to learn about new music. Fourteen percent indicated that they relied on mainstream media, while 44% rate their friends as good or excellent at identifying good music. In its study, Orpheus polled 500 U.S. consumers, aged 18 years and above, identifying respondents' current music habits and the role music plays in their lives. Forty percent of the respondents listen to music more than 3 hours per day. Less than half of the study were not active music listeners, if you define "active" as 3 hours or more per day. Given my above average research study experience, this was a fairly reliable study...

While radio can put a positive spin on the Orpheus results, there's nothing positive coming out of a recent Pew analysis which indicates that adults tend to use mobile devices to get local news and information that serve an immediate need. The medium has failed consumers who obviously feel that radio is not serving them with the things that it used to do best, so they go elsewhere...

10 Timeline Memories:
1.1900] The Bronx is up and the Battery’s down: New York City Mayor Robert Van Wyck breaks ground for the New York subway tunnel that will link Manhattan and Brooklyn…
2.1955] Who’s your Big Daddy?: Tennessee Williams’ “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” opens on Broadway. The play stars Ben Gazzara and Barbara Bel Geddes. In 1958, it's made into a movie starring Elizabeth Taylor...
3.1956] Don Russell: Senior Bill Russell leads the University of San Francisco to its second straight NCAA title with a 83-71 win over Iowa as the Dons win their 55th straight game - a record at the time…
4.1958] Elvis has left the draft board: Elvis Presley is inducted into the Army. Although he was drafted the previous December, the Army allowed Elvis to finish filming “King Creole“…
5.1962] Death visits the ring: Emile Griffith beats Benny “The Kid” Paret senseless in a welterweight title fight at Madison Square Garden. Ten days later Paret dies from his injuries…
6.1964] JFK in silver: The Kennedy half-dollar is issued by the Treasury…
7.1980] Debuted on this date: “Nightline” debuts with Ted Koppel. In 1979 the news show debuted with coverage of the Iran crisis. Koppel left the show in November of 2005 but the show continues to air with new hosts…
8.1988] Guilty as charged: Former national security aides Oliver L. North and John M. Poindexter plead innocent to Iran-Contra charges…
9.1989] Oil slick for the ages: The Exxon Valdez spills 11 million gallons of oil into Alaska’s Prince William Sound after running aground…
10.2010] Doo Wop Death: Johnny Maestro, lead singer of the Crests and Brooklyn Bridge, dies from cancer at the age of 70...

Music Memories:
  • 1973] Bum-mer: Lou Reed is bitten on the tucus by a male fan at a concert in Buffalo. Both Reed and the fan get tetanus shots...
  • 1973] Released on this date: "Dark Side of the Moon" LP - Pink Floyd, which stays on the charts for a record-breaking 741 weeks...1978] "With a Little Luck" - Paul McCartney & Wings...
  • 1975] Number One on this date: "Lady Marmalade" - LaBelle...1985] "One More Night" - Phil Collins...

(WRKO...The Launch (Part 18) (March marks the 44th anniversary of WRKO Boston. All month long, I will be serializing the story behind the actual launch of what would become one of the country's legendary Top 40 radio stations and today continues to be a mainstay in New England with a N/T format)...

When I left Tampa for Boston in the summer of '66, I thought my disc jockey days were behind me forever. Although I liked being a jock, I had gotten tired of saying the same things and playing the same music every day, 6 days a week. Goodbye jockdom, hello programming. I wasn't expecting to go back on the air but when the technicians walked out, followed by the on-air staff in March, 1967, guess who was the next morning drive guy for the next few weeks? You're looking at him...

Since I had last jocked at Big WALT in Tampa less than a year earlier, I was prepared and wasn't a bit nervous. My only fear was that everyone would turn off the radio at the same time when they didn't hear Al Gates & Feathers. Click here for my profile and aircheck at the bottom of the page. When you listen to the aircheck you'll hear a two-voice promo (voiced by Harvey Mednick and I) for the infamous 4am premiere of the James Bond movie, "Casino Royale." This was the promotion that made headlines and was Harvey's ticket to fame. Thousands of fans would show up at the theater for the premiere and riots broke out. The out-of-control event not only made the front page of the Boston Globe, it was also front page news in the New York Times. Included on the aircheck is GM Perry Ury coming out of a newscast...

While I was used to running my own board, WRKO had technicians for that. While they were on strike we used some of the brightest college kids in the area. Running my board was Bob Schuman, now known as Charley Roberts. With over 100 colleges and universities in the Boston metro, there was an ample supply of talented students to choose from. Many would make radio a career. I continued to do the morning show, mostly with Bob for several weeks on a Monday-Friday schedule. While I was the only live disc jockey on the air, we segued music the rest of the day and night. News was provided mostly by Bob Henabery and Perry...

(Tomorrow: "WRKO...The Launch" - part 19: WRKO's student body)

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Lara Flynn Boyle (41), Star Jones (49), Kelly LeBrock (51), Donna Pescow (58), Louie Anderson (58), Tommy Hilfiger (60), Nick Lowe (62) and Bob Mackie (71)...

Timeline Countdown: 7 days until MLB Opening Day, 26 days until Passover & 32 days until Easter...

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

There's More Than Stern's Lawsuit Brewing At Sirius XM & "WRKO...The Launch"...

The Wall Street Journal is all over the Howard Stern Sues Sirius story. Shira Ovide writes in her Deal Journal blog that Howard's "production company is suing, claiming the satellite radio company has refused to pay stock awards it owes to him based on subscriber targets in Stern's contract. The lawsuit also says Sirius owes money to Stern's agent under a consulting agreement." Sirius XM figures that Stern's option for a 3-day week and a reported salary of $80 million should satisfy Stern quite well, thank you. The controversy appears to stem from whether subscribers from XM, the rival satellite company at the time, should count toward the subscriber goals in Stern's contract. Sirius absorbed XM in 2008. Howard Stern is not the only subject on Sirius XM's mind...

Sirius XM has identified their satcom as "Now Playing Everywhere", playing up the access subscribers have on their "computer, iPad, compatible internet radios, and of course that smartphone in your pocket." Now they're looking for additional information from their subscribers. Inside Radio reports that Sirius XM is surveying subscribers about internet radio services in general and Pandora in particular. Sirius XM has hinted in the past that it may offer subscribers who listen to their service online the ability to personalize its content like the satcaster they don't consider competition. That would be Pandora...

Although Mel K downplays the success of Pandora, he's wisely looking into a way to beat them at their own game. He won't admit it though because he considers terrestrial radio his biggest competitor. This might offer proof that he just might be concerned about Pandora's success whether he admits it or not...

10 Timeline Memories:
1.1775] Liberty rules: Patrick Henry calls for America’s independence from Britain, telling the Virginia Provincial Convention: “Give me liberty of give me death.”…
2.1839] OK?: The first recorded use of “OK” is used in the Boston Morning Post
3.1857] Going up?: Elisha Otis installs the first modern passenger elevator in a public building at the corner of Broome & Broadway in Manhattan…1858] Eleazer A. Gardner of Philadelphia patents the cable streetcar and then is escorted out of his neighborhood when neighbors find out that his name is Eleazer. The same kind of cable car is still in use in San Francisco...
4.1942] Evacuation day: With WWII being fought, the U.S. Government begins evacuating Japanese-Americans from West Coast homes to detention centers
5.1950] You can't beat this: “Beat The Clock” premieres on CBS-TV, hosted by Bud Collyer. The original show will run through February, 1958 when the show switches to ABC-TV until January, 1961. The show goes into syndication and continues to run until September of 1979…
6.1983] Star Wars: President Ronald Reagan proposes the Strategic Defense Initiative aka “Star Wars.”…
7.1983] “Happy Trails“: 61-year old Dr. Barney Clark, a retired dentist dies after living 112 days with a permanent artificial heart…
8.1989] Guilty as charged: Joel Steinberg is sentenced to 25 years for killing his adopted daughter. After serving some time he is released and is now a construction worker in Harlem…
9.1998] Hold the ice: “Titanic” wins 11 Oscars tying “Ben-Hur” and “The Lord of The Rings (the Return of the King)” with the most Academy Awards in history…
10.2003] Saving Private Lynch: A U.S. Army maintenance convoy is ambushed in Iraq with 11 soldiers killed and 7, including Pfc. Jessica Lynch, captured. A daring U.S. raid will free her…

This Just In: Actress Elizabeth Taylor has died this morning from congestive heart failure. The screen legend was 79...

Music Memories:
(WRKO...The Launch (Part 17) (March marks the 44th anniversary of WRKO Boston. All month long, I will be serializing the story behind the actual launch of what would become one of the country's legendary Top 40 radio stations and today continues to be a mainstay in New England with a N/T format)...

The length of the IBEW strike at WRKO is in dispute, owing to the fact that AFTRA held a vote to honor picket lines set up by the technicians after the techs walked out. My best recollection is that the strike lasted 10 weeks. Being part of management I was allowed to cross the picket lines. Our GM Perry S. Ury remembers events leading to the strike: "For me it was a day of pride and vindication for the decision to change the format and put the "Boston Rocker" on the air. My most vivid memory was an extremely nasty call from Mr. McCurdy, the head of the engineer's union (IBEW). The threat to 'ruin WRKO and General Tire' for making the format move was very real at the time." ...

Chuck Knapp recalls the AFTRA vote which would recommend not crossing the picket lines already set up by IBEW: "I remember the first AFTRA vote was to cross the picket lines and then a second vote was taken after some impassioned pleas from TV booth announcers. Two people switched their votes and we stayed out for 6 weeks while they tried to work things out. What a mess that was. We were all new, most from out of town and had no money." ...

No one seems to remember the actual date the strike started but it was days after the new format was launched. I was standing behind Arnie Ginsburg who was preparing to start his show at 6pm. I and a few other people were in-studio in case AFTRA voted to honor the IBEW strike. Arnie got a phone call from the shop stewart shortly before the start of his show. Disappointed that he would not be doing his show and that his union had voted to not cross the picket lines, Arnie left for home. He did not know that he would never return to the air on WRKO because of a non-compete contract he had signed while at WMEX...

Using management people and some college students that would major in WRKO radio for the next few weeks, we segued music back-to-back. In the morning I would be doing morning drive. Perry, Bob Henabery and other management personnel would be doing the news. It had only been a few months since I did my last show in Tampa at WALT and I had done morning drive at WKDA Nashville before that. I knew the requirements of a good morning man - a positive energy with lots of time checks, weather conditions, sports, local town and city mentions. I was ready to resume my disc jockey career. All I needed now was sleep and an early wake-up...

(Tomorrow: "WRKO...The Launch" - part 18: The First Full Day Of The Strike)

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Perez Hilton (33), Keri Russell (35), Chaka Kahn (58), Ric Ocasek of The Cars (62), Sir Roger Bannister (82) and Marty ("Hello Dere") Allen (89)...

Timeline Countdown: 8 days until MLB Opening Day, 27 days until Passover & 33 days until Easter...

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Arbitron Trumpets Radio Increases & "WRKO...The Launch"...

I took one look at the USA Today headline and said "From your lips to God's ears." Even 1010 WINS New York talked about radio's "dramatic" increases. David Lieberman's headline set the tone for all this enthusiasm: In a renaissance for radio, more listeners are tuning in. Those of us that follow radio perhaps more closely than Mr. Lieberman believe that radio is holding its own for being branded as "old media" but no one close enough to knowing radio's condition is as excited as Arbitron and other members of "old media" are this morning...

USA Today cites several sources for its enthusiasm. They mention "(the) average of 241.6 million people 12 and older who listened to conventional radio stations each week last year" for "an increase of 2.1 million over 2009 - and up 4.9% vs. 2005, according to an annual study that media and marketing research company Arbitron released Monday." "Radio is much stronger than the general perception of it has been", says Carol Henley, Arbitron's Exec/VP of sales and marketing. Other sources for USA Today include the recent announcement of the Cumulus Media proposal to buy Citadel, the increase of Hispanic radio listeners (up 1.1 million last year), the stronger local ad market and an increase in auto sales, which may be tempered by the earthquake and tsunami horror in Japan...

Look, all of these sources have credibility but let's not buy the hype yet. Terrestrial radio has to play it like good sports teams do - one game at a time. In this case, one quarter at a time. Once we see one solid year, then there will be something to be excited about...

10 Timeline Memories:
1.1882] Wives 2 - 10 get pink slips: Congress outlaws polygamy but not everywhere…
2.1895] Pass the popcorn: Auguste and Louis Lumiere project a movie on a screen. This is believed to be a public first…
3.1933] Watered down booze: During prohibition, FDR signs a measure to make wine and beer containing up to 3.2 percent alcohol legal…
4.1972] Equal Rights: Congress sends the proposed Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution to the states for ratification. It falls short of the three-fourths approval needed…
5.1978] “Happy Trails“: Karl Wallenda, 73-year old patriarch of The Flying Wallendas, falls to his death while attempting to walk a cable extended between two hotels in San Juan (PR)…
6.1987] Garbarge: A barge loaded with 3,200 tons of garbage leaves Islip (NY) on a six-month journey in search of a place to unload. The barge is turned away by several states and three countries before space is found back in Islip…
7.1990] Busted: A jury in Anchorage, Alaska, found former tanker captain Joseph Hazelwood innocent in connection with the Exxon Valdez oil spill, but convicted him of a minor charge of negligent discharge of oil…
8.1991] Not too: High school instructor Pamela Smart, accused of manipulating her student-lover into killing her husband, is convicted in Exeter (NH) of murder-conspiracy…
9.1995] Guilty as charged: Colin Ferguson is sentenced to life for the LIRR massacre in which he killed 6 people in 1993. He is serving his sentence at Attica Prison…
10.1997] Baby skates: Tara Lipinski of the US becomes the youngest women’s world figure skating champion at age 14 years, 10 months…

Music Memories:
"WRKO...The Launch" (Part 16) (March marks the 44th anniversary of WRKO Boston. All month long, I will be serializing the story behind the actual launch of what would become one of the country's legendary Top 40 radio stations and today continues to be a mainstay in New England with a N/T format)...

The original members of the Now Crowd scattered wide and far and almost all of them had successful careers in radio after they left WRKO. Most are still working. Where are they now? We'll start with Al Gates. To no one's surprise because of his ability to read commercials as good or better than anyone else on our staff, Al has made a living as as one of the top voice-over announcers in the country. Al makes the New York Metropolitan area home. At last word, John Rode owns a book store outside of Toronto, Canada and is no longer on the air following successful on-air jobs in Canada. Joel Cash is living in South Florida and owns a business unrelated to radio...

J.J. Jeffrey is now living in Brunswick, Maine and owns a couple of radio stations in the Portland market. J.J. does on-air work occasionally. Arnie Ginsburg is retired and also lives in Maine. Chuck Knapp, who's been following our serialization of the WRKO launch, was in touch last week. Chuck is doing a morning show 5 days a week for a suburban Country station just outside Minneapolis. Chuck remarried two years ago and says "life is very good." We'll share more of Chuck's conversation in an upcoming chapter. Dick Burch, our one-night overnight wonder has relocated in California...

(Tomorrow: "WRKO...The Launch" - part 17: The Strike)

Sorry to report that one of our WRKO alums, Harry Nelson is in intensive care at a Portland, Maine hospital with acute pneumonia. Harry became program director at WRKO in the 70s. The San Francisco Board of Radio-Info.com will issue updates on Harry's condition when warranted. In the meantime, I'm sure friends and colleagues of Harry will have him in their thoughts and prayers...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Reese Witherspoon (35), Bob Costas (59), Andrew Lloyd Webber (63), Wolf Blitzer (63), George Benson (68), Roger Whittaker (75), Orrin Hatch (77), William Shatner (80), Pat Robertson (81), Easy Ed Macauley (83) & USA Today's Allen Neuharth (87)...

Timeline Countdown: 9 days until MLB opening day, 28 days until Passover & 34 days until Easter...

Monday, March 21, 2011

Moving Radio Stations Online Is Not Working & "WRKO...The Launch"...

Moving terrestrial radio stations online is not the answer as evidenced by the failure of KUSF, the University of San Francisco station that yanked the station off the air and on to the internet. When the station was sold, KUSF told their listeners they weren't losing the cutting-edge rock signal, it was just relocating online. But things have not worked out and now the station is trying to kill the deal, with hopes of buying the signal. So, what went wrong? The audience dropped out once it moved online - that's what. According to the New York Times, Miranda Morris, fund-raising and marketing coordinator of KUSF, estimates that the station went from 30,000 weekly listeners at 90.3 FM, to about 20 people at a time listening online...

Ken Freedman, station manager at free-form radio station WFMU in New Jersey observed KUSF's failure, learning wisely in the process. Freedman says "It's not realistic for a terrestrial station to move online and maintain the same audience." Freedman, who's been helping KUSF, says a radio station needs both online and traditional broadcast components. WFMU has donated broadband to Save KUSF, a community volunteer group so they could begin streaming online as KUSF-in-Exile this past weekend. Irwin Swirnoff, leader of Save KUSF and a former music director calls their streaming "a temporary situation that will hopefully lead to us regaining a spot on the terrestrial dial." ...

KUSF's failure should provide a warning to any future radio property considering moving their signal online. Despite ongoing talk about terrestrial radio's demise, it's more than relevant - it's still a powerful force...

10 Timeline Memories:
1.1857] Devastating Quake: An earthquake in Tokyo, Japan kills over 100,000. One hundred fifty one years later earthquakes can still be a destructive force in Japan...
2.1952] Cleveland rocks: A riot breaks out at the "Moondog Coronation Ball" in Cleveland as Alan Freed aka "King of the Moondogs" hosts what many consider the spark that ignited Rock 'n' Roll...
3.1963] The Rock Closes: Alcatraz prison in San Francisco Bay is emptied of its last inmates...
4.1963] Wedding Bells: Barbra Streisand and Elliott Gould walk down the aisle. The marriage will last for 8 years...
5.1965] Marching On: More than 3,000 civil rights demonstrators led by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., begin their march from Selma to Montgomery (AL)...
6.1970] Earth Day debuts: San Francisco Mayor Joseph Alioto proclaims the day - Earth Day...
7.1980] Nyet!: President Jimmy Carter announces a U.S. boycott of the Summer Olympics in Moscow to protest the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan...
8.1980] The shot heard 'round the world: On the season finale of Dallas, J.R. Ewing is shot by an unseen assailant, leading to the question, "Who shot J.R.?" ...
9.1989] The Gambler: Sports Illustrated reports allegations tying baseball player Pete Rose to baseball gambling. My nephew Jim Gray interviewed Rose in 1999...
10.2005] A plea from the president: George W. Bush signs a newly enacted law in an attempt to order brain-damaged Terri Schiavo's doctors to re-insert the woman's feeding tube. A judge will later refuse the order...

Music Memories:
  • 1939] Recorded on this date: "God Bless America" - Kate Smith...
  • 1964] Number One on this date: "She Loves You" - Beatles...
  • 1970] Released on this date: "ABC" - Jackson Five (No other station in New York would introduce this song by plugging WABC at the time)...

"WRKO...The Launch" (Part 15) (March marks the 44th anniversary of WRKO Boston. All month long, I will be serializing the story behind the actual launch of what would become one of the country's legendary Top 40 radio stations and today continues to be a mainstay in New England with a N/T format)...

Chuck "Chuckles" Knapp (9pm-12Mid) was one of our most exciting disc jockies on-air and was well suited for nighttime, appealing to teens and 18-24's. Chuck would punctuate his shows with his famous "this is your leader" trademark shouts in between the music and maintain a frantic tempo throughout his 3 hours on the air, night-in and night-out. He was consistently fast and good at the same time...

Chuck, who hailed from Minnesota came to us from North Dakota where he hosted a daily radio show. He was one of those "baby D.J.'s" whose interest in radio started at the age of 14. At 17 he started his professional career and about 50 years later is still hosting a radio show in his native state. I heard from Chuck last week and I'll be sharing his thoughts with you when we get into our "Where Are They Now" segments. To hear an aircheck of Chuck, click here and go to "Talent Pages/Airchecks", "Chuck Knapp"...

Dick Burch (Overnights) had the shortest career of any of the original members of the Now Crowd - one night. No sooner had we launched WRKO, we were hit with a technician strike. AFTRA honored the picket lines and Dick Burch, who couldn't afford to wait out the strike, found a job elsewhere. More on Dick and the rest of the Now Crowd starting tomorrow...

The technician strike was unfortunate for both sides but it should be mentioned here that prior to and following the strike, we had some of the best technicians in radio. I'll single out a few who learned a new format quickly and formed a strong bond with our on-air staff. Since we had a union shop, none of our success could have been enjoyed without technicians who ran a tight board and maintained all of our equipment. Chief among them were: Harry Weinstein, Sid Gaynor, Chet Kelly, Tom Murphy, Jimmy Robinson and Gordon Brown. Thanks to George Capalbo for supplying us with a team of good, young technicians...

(Tomorrow: "WRKO...The Launch" - Part 16: Where Are They Now?)...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Matthew Broderick (49), Rosie O'Donnell (49), Stylistic's lead singer Russell Thompkins Jr. (60), Eddie Money (62) & Timothy Dalton (65)...

Timeline Countdown: 10 days until MLB Opening Day, 29 days until Passover & 35 days until Easter Sunday...

Friday, March 18, 2011

New Agency Head Says Radio Needs A Higher Profile & "WRKO...The Launch"...

(Weekend Edition)

Kantar Media may claim that radio's rate of recovery outpaced the rest of the media world in 2010 but new Katz Radio President Mark Gray says radio can do a lot better in selling itself. Marketing Pilgrim has posted a chart showing local radio growth year-to-year (2009/2010) at 4.9%, national spot radio jumping 18.6% and network, a more modest 2.2%. While Kantar's numbers would indicate a recovery to pre-recession is well under way, Gray doesn't think radio is doing enough to promote itself...

Gray told Radio Ink, "We can do a better job telling people about radio. There are a lot of good stories not being told. There are a lot of things that can be done regarding the success advertisers are having with radio. There's going to be a lot more research done regarding the impact radio really has. Why radio is so important to people." Katz Media Group has realigned "to develop innovative solutions for advertising partners and highlight radio's value as an an advertising medium." Gray adds "This new structure offers us an unprecedented opportunity to champion radio's extraordinary power, reach and flexibility to marketing decision-makers across the advertising spectrum. It's our mission to harness the power of all our assets to make sure the advertising community understands radio's enormous capabilities." ...

I'm not so sure that radio still has "enormous capabilities", compared to the new media, which can create a new buzz just by launching a new device, but it still has two valuable assets. Free and local will keep radio competitive enough to survive and that might be as good as it gets...

10 Timeline Memories:
1.1953] The Braves leave Beantown: Boston loses the Braves as NL President Warren Giles and all the NL team owners approve the team’s decision to move to Milwaukee. They eventually wind up in Atlanta where they are now (3/18)...
2.1954] The Real Hoosiers: Milan beats Muncie Central for the Indiana state high school title in the game that the movie “Hoosiers” was based on. The final score of the game was 32-30. Obviously there was no clock in use yet (3/20)…
3.1959] Aloha: President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs the Hawaii statehood bill, giving us “Hawaii Five-O” (3/18)…
4.1961] Premiered on this date: The Poppin’ Fresh “Pillsbury Dough Boy” is introduced (3/18)…1968] Mel Brooks’ film “The Producers” premieres, starring Gene Wilder and Zero Mostel. The movie wins an Oscar for “Best Screenplay” (3/18)…
5.1966] Glory Road: Number three ranked Texas Western upsets #1 Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament’s final game to win the championship of college basketball. The Miners, composed mostly of blacks beats the Wildcats 72-65 (3/19). The story was made into the movie, “Glory Road“…
6.1981] Guilty as charged: Jean Harris is sentenced to 15-to-life for the murder of lover Dr. Hyman Tarnower (3/20). Harris is released, her sentence commuted by New York Governor Mario Cuomo after 12 years served in 1992…
7.1991] City tragedies: Eric Clapton’s 4-year old son Conor dies when he falls out the window of a 53rd floor apartment in Manhattan (3/20). Clapton will win a Grammy for his song written about Conor, “Tears in Heaven.”…
8.1996] Double Guilt: Erik and Lyle Menendez are found guilty of first-degree murder in the killing of their parents. Both are serving a life term in prison (3/20)…
9.2003] Shock and Awe: An American-led coalition launches a war against Iraq, beginning with the launch of U.S. Cruise missiles and precision-guided bombs aimed at Saddam Hussein near Baghdad (3/19)…
10.2004] Gotcha: The U.S. military charges 6 soldiers with abusing inmates at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq (3/20)...

Music Memories:

  • 1961] Recorded on this date: "Hello Mary Lou" - Ricky Nelson. Ricky sings the song on the "Adventures Of Ozzie & Harriet" (3/20)...
  • 1962] Released on this date: Bob Dylan's self-titled debut LP is released (3/19)...1967] "The Happening" - Supremes (3/20) (who sing the song at a WRKO show at the Boston Arena shortly after it's release)...1972] "Back Off Boogaloo" - Ringo Starr (3/20)...
  • 1963] Number One on this date: "Walk Like A Man" - Four Seasons (3/18)...1972] "A Horse With No Name" - America (3/20)...1973] "Killing Me Softly With His Song" - Roberta Flack (3/18)...1982] "I Love Rock 'n' Roll - Joan Jett (3/20)...1983] "Billie Jean" - Michael Jackson (3/18)...
  • 1967] Debuted on this date: Brit supermodel Twiggy makes her U.S. debut and WRKO News Director Roger Allan interviews her. Roger and Twiggy are featured on the front of the NOW 30 (3/20). That photo can be accessed by clicking here and go to "Talent Pages/Airchecks" - Roger Allan..

R.I.P: Ferlin Husky has passed away at the age of 86...

"WRKO...The Launch" (Part 14) (March marks the 44th anniversary of WRKO Boston. All month long, I will be serializing the story behind the actual launch of what would become one of the country's legendary Top 40 radio stations and today continues to be a mainstay in New England with a N/T format)...

By the time Arnie ("Woo-Woo") Ginsburg arrived to do 6pm - 9pm he was already a radio star. Arnie started his career as a radio engineer at WORL and would become an iconic air personality while at WBOS and WMEX in his native Massachusetts. Arnie picked up the "Woo-Woo" handle when he hosted his "Night Train" show. It was on that show that Ginsburg used a train whistle, among other bells and whistles that he would entertain his audiences with, as he told WRKO.org webmaster Shel Swartz in this video clip a few years ago...

Arnie's on-air career at WRKO was short-lived, not long after he started it by a technician strike and a long-forgotten personal contract signed at WMEX stopped him from continuing his show following settlement of the strike. Arnie would continue to work as a salesman at WRKO. Airchecks and an additional profile of Arnie can be accessed by clicking here and going to "Talent Pages/Airchecks" - Arnie Ginsburg...

(Monday: "WRKO...The Launch" - Part 15: We conclude our Now Crowd profiles with Chuck "Chuckles" Knapp, "the guy from Fergus Falls, Minnesota" as Arnie would introduce our 9pm to 12mid disc jockey. Also, a quick look at Dick Burch, our all-night guy for one day and the great technicians of WRKO)...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday": (3/18) Zdeno Chara (34), Queen Latifah (41), Bonnie Blair (47), Vanessa Williams (48), Irene Cara (52), Michael Reagan (65), Charlie Pride (73) & John Kander (84)...(3/19) Bruce Willis (56), Glenn Close (64), Ruth Pointer (65), Joe Kapp (72), Clarence 'Frogman' Henry (74), Ursula Andress (75), Renee Taylor (78), Philip Roth (78) & Phyllis Newman (78)...(3/20) Kathy Ireland (48), Holly Hunter (53), Spike Lee (54), Mike Francesa (57), William Hurt (61), Bobby (#4) Orr (63), Pat Riley (66), Hal Linden (80), Carl Reiner (89) and Marian McPartland (93)...

Timeline Countdown: Spring arrives Sunday night,13 days until MLB Opening Day, 32 days until Passover & 38 days until Easter Sunday...

Thursday, March 17, 2011

FCC Aids Earthquake Relief Effort & "WRKO...The Launch"...

(St. Patrick's Day Edition)

FCC rules don't prohibit commercial stations from any sort of fund raising. Commercial stations could raise money for public broadcasting if they chose, although my guess is they probably wouldn't. Non-commercial stations can only raise funds for themselves, until now. The FCC is issuing temporary waivers of the existing rules to non-commercial stations that apply for permission. This will allow for funding the victims of Japan's horrific earthquake and tsunami as daily events seem to be getting worse with threats of a total meltdown at nuclear plants a real posibility...

According to Inside Radio, interested broadcasters must file a formal request with the FCC detailing their planned fundraiser, how long it will run, which relief groups will get the proceeds and whether it will be part of the regular station pledge drive. This move by the agency isn't unprecedented. The FCC made similar exemptions for 911, the 2005 tsunami in Southeast Asia, Hurricanes Andrew and Katrina and last year's Haitian earthquake...

Interested stations should contact the FCC directly by clicking here...

10 Timeline Memories:
1.461] ‘Happy Trails’: St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland dies from unknown causes, leading to the celebration of St. Patrick's Day…
2.1756] Happy Times: New York City’s first St. Patrick’s Day celebration is held at the Crown and Thistle Tavern. Here's a clip of a recent New York St. Patrick's Day Parade.…
3.1776] Redcoats don’t wear green: British forces evacuate the city of Boston during the Revolutionary War. On St. Patrick’s Day? Now they’re really asking for it…
4.1897] Falling: Bob Fitzsimmons, a 167-pound middleweight KOs Gentleman Jim Corbett in the 14th round to claim the world title. After the fight, Fitzsimmons says of the 183-pound Corbett: “The bigger they are, the harder they fall.”…
5.1905] Wedding Bells: Franklin D. Roosevelt marries his distant cousin, Eleanor Roosevelt in New York City. President Theodore Roosevelt, FDR’s 5th cousin, gives his niece away. Quite conveniently Eleanor doesn’t have to change her last name but how distant a cousin was she???
6.1959] Get out of town: The Dalai Lama aka Lhama Dhondrub Tenzin Gyatso flees Tibet for India. The Chinese took over Tibet in 1950 and opposition to their regime by Tibet’s Monks is causing all hell to break loose in Tibet now…2003] President George W. Bush gives Saddam Hussein 48 hours to leave Iraq. He rejects the ultimatum. Tick…tick…tick…
7.1969] This I swear: Golda Meir is sworn in as the 4th Premier of Israel…
8.2005] I smell a rat: Rafael Palmeiro, who rats out teammate Miguel Tejada, and Sammy Sosa (who forgets how to speak English) testify before Congress saying they never used steroids. Mark McGwire, also testifying, turns into a sphinx…
9.2008] Client #9 replaced: David Paterson is sworn in as the new Governor of New York after the Eliot Spitzer (aka ‘Client #9′) prostitution scandal…
10.2008] Heather scores: Paul McCartney’s divorce from Heather Mills is settled for $48.6 million…

Music Memories:

  • 1958] Recorded on this date: "Yakety Yak" - Coasters...1967] "Come Back When You Grow Up" - Bobby Vee...
  • 1962] Debuted on this date: Ray Charles starts his own (Tangerine) label...
  • 1997] Gold Standard: The RIAA announces that the Eagles' "Greatest Hits" LP has tied Michael Jackson's "Thriller" as the all-time best-selling album...

"WRKO...The Launch" (Part 13) (March marks the 44th anniversary of WRKO Boston. All month long, I will be serializing the story behind the actual launch of what would become one of the country's legendary Top 40 radio stations and today continues to be a mainstay in New England with a N/T format)...

J.J. Jeffrey (3pm - 6pm) wasn't the life of the party, he was the party. Still is. J.J. was made for afternoon drive. With a boundless supply of positive energy and a raspy delivery, J.J. made each show an adventure. J.J. was one of those disc jockeys that could turn a phrase into a trademark. From his imaginary "Villa in Dorchester" he would exhort his female companions to "shake their money maker" and "put their business in the street." It sounds sexist and gross but made perfect sense coming from "Triple J." J.J. knew how to make it work without somehow offending anyone...

J.J. was totally uninhibited on the air and everyone's friend off the air. J.J., a native of Massachusetts, was born in Newton, a western suburb of Boston but eventually would make his home in Maine after attending college in that state. J.J. was known as Melvin X. Melvin when he worked at WMEX in the early 60s. To hear airchecks of J.J. click here and then go to "Talent Pages/Airchecks", "J.J. Jeffrey". Publicity shots are available here and by going to "Publicity Photos", "J.J. Jeffrey"...

(Tomorrow: "WRKO...The Launch" - Part 14: A Profile of Arnie Ginsburg (6pm - 9pm)...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Caroline Corr (38), Mia Hamm Garciaparra (39) (Nomah!!!), Rob Lowe (47), Danny Ainge (52), Gary Sinise (56), Lesley-Anne Down (57), Kurt Russell (60), John Sebastian (67), Patti Boyd (67), Paul Kantner (70), Gene Scurti (73) and Adam Wade (74)...

Timeline Countdown: 3 days until the first day of spring, 14 days until MLB Opening Day, 33 days until Passover & 39 days until Easter Sunday...