Radio Needs To Lighten Up On Christmas Music...

(Weekend Edition)
Is it just me or does it seem like we've been listening to Christmas music on the radio since June? The stations that start playing all Christmas music all the time, way too early, do so because Arbitron ratings show that it works - it produces big numbers. Here in New York, Lite-FM (WLTW) started playing 24 hours of Christmas music around or maybe even before Thanksgiving. While it may produce results, it not only tunes out those that prefer their Christmas music a bit closer to Christmas - say December, or those that would rather hear the regular fare offered by music radio stations. Thankfully, there are stations that are more sensible about jumping the holiday season with their music...

One such station is WCBS-FM which is only playing 2 Christmas songs an hour. Since CBS-FM has similar, if not better, ratings than WLTW, are they playing with fire by being more conservative with their Christmas music? I think not. If you believe that most people place music above everything else in their listening desires, what happens to a radio station when it plays nothing but Christmas music? Background music comes to mind...

Another station taking a conservative approach with their Christmas music is Connecticut's WEBE 108, a Cumulus affiliate. Like CBS-FM, WEBE is playing 2 seasonal songs per hour. What both stations are likely to do is increase the frequency of Christmas music to 4 an hour within the next week and do what we always used to do - from 4 an hour to every other song until Christmas eve. All Christmas music from Christmas eve until Noon on Christmas day. Made sense then, makes sense now...

10 Timeline Memories:
1.1896] The roots of Radio: Guglielmo Marconi gives the public the first demonstration of radio at London’s Toynbee Hall. The following year he establishes the Wireless Telegraph and Signal Company Ltd. in Chelmsford, England (12/12)…
2.1953] Published on this date: Hugh Hefner publishes the first Playboy (featuring a photo of Marilyn Monroe) with an initial investment of $7,600 (12/10)…
3.1958] The first commercial jet: 111 passengers fly from New York to Miami on a National Airlines Boeing 707 (12/10). Here's the Pan Am version...
4.1964] “Happy Trails“: Sam Cooke is fatally shot at the Hacienda Motel in LA under mysterious circumstances. The legendary singer would have been 34 in one month (12/11)…
5.1967] “Happy Trails“ Too: 26-year old Otis Redding is killed along with most of the Bar-Kays in a small plane crash in Wisconsin (12/10)…
6.1971] Worst baseball trade: That’s what Joseph (N.Y.Times) Durso calls it. The Mets send Nolan Ryan to the Angels for Jim Fregosi. Ryan pitches his way into the Baseball Hall of Fame with 7 no-hitters and the strikeout record while Fregosi hits .232 in his brief career with Mets (12/10)…
7.1981] Curtains: Muhammad Ali fights his last fight, losing to Trevor Berbick. Ali retires with a 56-5 record with 37 KO’s (12/11)…
8.1982] John Deere to the rescue: Mark Henderson uses a John Deere tractor to clear a spot in the snow for John Smith’s 33-yard field goal, giving the Patriots a 3-0 win over the Miami Dolphins at Schaefer Stadium in Foxborough. This game became known as the “Snow Plow Game” (12/12)…
9.1991] The end of a radio era: WNEW-AM signs off at 1130 on the dial, becoming Bloomberg business radio WBBR. Knowing this is coming, WQXR earlier adapts a similar WNEW style format as WQEW on December 2, 1991 (12/10)…
10.2008] Bernie Busted: Billionaire shyster Bernard ‘Bernie’ Madoff is arrested and charged with all kinds of fraud regarding investments made by others (12/11). In June, 2009 he is sentenced. Let’s see, with good behavior behind bars, Bernie should be getting out in, oh, about 150 - make that 149 years…

Music Memories:

• 1949] Recorded on this date: "The Fat Man" - Fats Domino (12/10)...1955] "See You Later Alligator" - Bill Haley & Comets (12/12). This was a cover of the original version by Bobby Charles...1958] "Charlie Brown" - Coasters (12/11)...
• 1964] Released on this date: "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" - Righteous Brothers (12/12)...1971] "Anticipation" - Carly Simon (12/11)...1976] "Wings Over America" LP - Paul McCartney & Wings (12/10)...1984] "Do They Know It's Christmas" - Band-Aid (12/10). A benefit song for famine relief)...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday": (12/10) Bobby Flay (46), Nia Peeples (49), Sportswriter/reporter Tim Kurkjian (54), Susan Dey (58) and Chad (Chad & Jeremy) Stuart (69)...(12/11) Elizabeth Brady (39), Teri Garr (66), Brenda Lee (66), Lynda Day George (66), John Kerry (67), Donna Mills (68), David Gates (70), Tom Hayden (71) and Rita Moreno (79)...(12/12) Hank Williams III (XXXVIII), Jennifer Connelly (40), Mike Golic (48), Tracy Austin (48), Sheila E (53), Cathy Rigby (58), Dionne Warwick (70), Connie Francis (72), Ed (59th Street Bridge) Koch (86) and Bob Barker (87)...

Timeline Countdown: 11 days until winter, 13 days until Festivus, 15 days until Christmas, 21 nights until New Year's Eve and 29 days until the NFL Wild Card Playoffs...

To Sweep Or Not To Sweep...

Music sweeps have been around since the Drake era. The Drake stations would clear out the spots for a 5 or 6 music sweep. We would use our More Music logo between each song. Our stop sets were reduced to 4 an hour. Listeners loved it, so we kept doing it, increasing the number of consecutive songs in non-traffic hours. Music stations have made a living out of their music sweeps, increasing the number of tunes over the years to as many as a dozen or so. Just recently, programmers and advertisers alike are questioning whether or not to kill sweeps and go back to a normal (6 or more) number of stop sets...

Just yesterday, Yvonne Lacey, Fox Broadcasting Media Supervisor, questioned "commercial-free" music blocks. Radio-Info reports that Lacey opened the Arbitron Client Conference in Baltimore by saying that Fox often needs to buy spots at very specific days and times to promote a one-time-only broadcast for TV. That relates to radio too. Lacey says the message that a "commercial-free" position sends to listeners is this: "This music block will end and then we'll hit you with a lot of commercials." Fox, like other radio users, is interested in "blended marketing efforts" and integration into good programming. That might even include sponsoring a commercial-free zone. Lacy also challenges radio to "capitalize on being a real-time medium", rather than "trying to catch up to other mediums" like Pandora, Slacker and Last.fm. Lacey says "they're all great, but they're not as engaging as real-time radio." ...

Lacey raises some interesting points. When we first reduced the number of stop sets, no other radio stations were doing sweeps - now, every music station does. I agree with her idea of selling music sweeps and I would also advise stations to cut down the number of songs in their sweeps and add more stop sets. Playing 12 in a row doesn't impress listeners anymore when Pandora and others are juke boxes. Use more mini-sweeps. Two or more consecutive songs is still a sweep. As long as you're not stopping for spots after ever song, I doubt that they'll tune you out. Just cut down on the number of spots in each stop set...

10 Timeline Memories:
1.1793] Stop the presses: ‘The American Minerva’ becomes New York’s first daily newspaper. It’s founded by Noah Webster who gives us our first dictionary. Webster also loved the bible, which he didn’t write…
2.1907] Sealing the deal: Christmas Seals go on sale for the first time...
3.1940] The first FM radio timebuy: The Longines Watch Company signs the first FM radio advertising contract with experimental W2XOR in New York City. Longines is located in Switzerland…
4.1958] Birchers rejoice: The ‘John Birch Society’ is formed in Indianapolis (IN) by Robert H.W. Welch Jr. and 11 others, as an anti-communist society…
5.1967] Wedding Bells: Lyndon Johnson’s daughter Lynda (Bird) marries Marine, Charles Robb in the White House. Robb will become Governor of Virginia. They celebrate their 43nd anniversary today...
6.1975] Drop Dead New York: President Gerald Ford signs a $2.3 billion seasonal loan authorization to prevent New York City from defaulting despite his “Drop Dead” message to New York...
7.1977] Face-off: The Lakers Kermit Washington punches Rudy Tomjanovich in the face during a game. Tomjanovich would need facial reconstruction and collects $2 million from the Lakers in a settlement. Washington is fined $10,000 and suspended for 60 days. Rudy T. eventually forgives Kermit…
8.1979] ‘Happy Trails’: Religious broadcaster Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen dies from natural causes at 84…1981] Orioles lead singer Sonny Til dies from a heart attack at 51…
9.1990] Vote for me: Lech Walesa wins Poland’s 1st direct presidential election in the country’s history…
10.2008] Blago busted: The governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, is arrested on federal corruption charges. He will be removed from office in January, 2009…

Music Memories:

• 1963] Released on this date: "Meet The Supremes" LP...1972] "Crocodile Rock" - Elton John...1978] "Soul Man" - Blues Brothers...1995] "Anthology I" - Beatles was released following the 6-hour ABC Rockumentary. "Free as a Bird", the first new Beatles song in 25 years is part of the package...
• 1968] "TCB": The Supremes and Temptations team up on NBC-TV...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Shayne Graham (33), Brenda Graham (39), Felicity Huffman (48), Donny Osmond (53), John Malkovich (57), Dick Butkus (68), Beau Bridges (69), Dame Judi Dench (76), Buck Henry (80), Dick Van Patten (82), Dina Merrill (85) and Kirk Douglas (94)...

Timeline Countdown: 12 days until winter, 14 days until Festivus, 16 days until Christmas, 22 nights until New Year's Eve and 30 days until the NFL Wild Card Playoffs...

Why Radio Numbers Can Be Misleading...

Radio is getting downright giddy about the turnaround in business coming in 2011. The new RADAR 107 numbers show more than 3.3 million more listeners 12+, year-over-year. RADAR indicates that radio is listened to weekly by over 92% of all Teens 12-17, by 94% of Adults 18-34 and by 95% of Adults 18-49 and Adults 25-54. The big question is are all those listeners bringing in better local sales? So far the answer is - not enough and until that happens, those numbers are impressive but they won't keep the wolf away very long...

While most radio forecasters agree that 2011 will be up, no one agrees how much of an increase we'll see. Entercom CEO David Fields has the right idea. "It comes down to what happens with local" says Fields. Until we see a substantial increase in local business, all those numbers are encouraging but they won't pay the mortgage or buy groceries...

CBS CEO Les Moonves sees "A real rebound." Moonves says the turnaround in the company's radio (television and outdoor divisions) business has been "extremely strong" and the growth will continue into 2011. I'm happy for CBS but most of the radio industry doesn't have the mammoth machine CBS has. As with most people predicting radio growth in 2011, Moonves won't hazard a guess as to how much business will be up, especially local...

10 Timeline Memories:
1.1776] What did Delaware?: General George Washington crosses the Delaware River with retreating American Revolutionary Army troops, from New Jersey to Pennsylvania, apparently in only one boat. Washington will again cross the Delaware on December 26th for the battle of Trenton…
2.1863] Reconstruction: President Abraham Lincoln announces plans for Reconstruction of the South…
3.1940] Scalped: The Chicago Bears annihilate the Washington Redskins 73-0. It’s not only the biggest one-sided score in NFL history but the Bears were forced by officials to run for their final extra point because there was only one football left. And you thought the 45-3 Pats/Jets massacre was big???
4.1941] U.S. enters WWII: The U.S. enters World War II as Congress declares war against Japan one day after the attack on Pearl Harbor…
5.1952] TV history is made: For the first time a pregnancy is used on TV’s “I Love Lucy”…
6.1964] “Happy Trails“: Actor William Bendix dies of lobar pneumonia at 58…1978] Former Israeli prime minister Golda Meir passes away from cancer in Jerusalem at 80…1982] Singer Marty Robbins dies from heart failure at 57…
7.1980] Rock & Roll Tragedy: John Lennon is fatally shot by Mark David Chapman…
8.1987] Nuking the nukes: President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev sign a treaty calling for destruction of intermediate-range nuclear missiles…
9.1993] Thanks Bubba: President Bill Clinton signs into law the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)…
10.2008] About-face: Khalid Sheikh Mohammad confesses to masterminding the 911 attacks. Latest plans (subject-to-change) have Khalid being tried in a civilian court...

Music Memories:

• 1961] Released on this date: The Beach Boys release their first single - "Surfin"...
• 1995] Breaking of The Dead: The Grateful Dead announce their break up after 30 years of making music. The announcement comes 4 months after the death of Jerry Garcia. Various incarnations of the remaining members re-formed in 1998 and continue to tour...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Dominic Monaghan (34), Sinead O'Connor (44), Teri Hatcher (46), Ann Coulter (49), Kim Basinger (57), Gregg Allman (63), Jerry Butler (71), Maximilian Schell (80) & Dr. Ferdie Pacheco (83)...

Timeline Countdown: Happy Hanukah (last night), 13 days until winter, 15 days until Festivus, 17 days until Christmas, 23 nights until New Year's Eve and 31 days until the NFL Wild Card Playoffs...

Internet Ads Are Being Ignored By Most Consumers...

Every day we read about the most effective way to reach consumers, according to advertising experts - the intenet. The latest headline was made by eMarketer just yesterday. The digital firm projects online advertising will grow 10.5% to $28.5 billion next year. That's slightly stronger than the 9% increase predicted by Magna Global in their updated projection. Radio revenue growth is in single digits while digital growth is in double digits. Sounds impressive, doesn't it? Maybe not, according to a new Adweek Media/Harris Poll survey of over 2,000 U.S. adults polled online between October 5 and 7, 2010...

The most shocking result found in this study is that 63% of those questioned named internet ads as the most ignored or disregarded ads, with television (14%) and radio (7%) a distant second and third respectively, followed by newspapers and the rest. Respondents ignore both internet banner ads (43%) and internet search ads (20%). While there are differences in gender, age and education in the report, this is a wake-up call to advertisers to spend their dollars wisely as they continue to support the internet...

Poll designers summed up the results by noting that "Almost all Americans say they ignore some ads (91%) and this doesn't mean it's a lost cause for advertisers. Rather, companies looking to effectively reach consumers may just need to educate themselves and tailor their messages - as well as their chosen medium - to best appeal to the desired group." This study proves it will take more that just your mere presence on the internet to move your brand. I hope the message is well received and acted on. It should be well noted that throwing dollars at the internet is not gonna get it done...

10 Timeline Memories:
1.1842] Lifting the baton: The New York Philharmonic gives its first concert...
2.1941] The Day of Infamy: Japan attacks Pearl Harbor, putting us into WWII. Some 2,400 Americans are killed, 200 wounded. Much of our Pacific Fleet is destroyed along with more than 200 planes. FDR calls it “a day of infamy”…
3.1963] Let’s go to the videotape: Instant replay is used for the first time in a live sports telecast during the Army-Navy game on CBS. The BBC was experimenting with video tape in the 50’s…
4.1982] Death in vein: Convicted murderer Charlie Brooks becomes the first U.S. prisoner to be executed by injection at a Texas prison…
5.1988] The earth crumbles: An earthquake in northern Armenia claims an estimated 25,000 lives…
6.1993] The 5:33 from Hell: Colin Ferguson murders 6 and injures 19 others on the 5:33 p.m. Hicksville local of the LIRR. Ferguson is currently drawing on his Attica jail cell wall with crayons, something he will continue to do for the next 200 years…
7.1999] Napster snoozes: The Recording Industry Assoc. of America (RIAA) files a lawsuit against Napster which shuts down in 2001, pays $26 million in settlement money, goes back online and liquidates their assets in 2002…
8.2002] What WMD’s?: Iraq denies it has weapons of mass destruction in a declaration to the U.N...
9.2004] This I swear: Hamid Karzai is sworn in as Afghanistan’s first popularly elected president. He was recently re-elected…
10.2007] This I swear too: Baseball home run king Barry Bonds pleads not guilty to charges he lied to federal investigators about using performance-enhancing drugs...

Music Memories:

• 1964] The best part of breaking up: Brian Wilson stops touring with the Beach Boys after suffering a nervous breakdown on a flight from L.A. to Houston. Here's Wilson in the 70s interviewed by Mike Douglas...1968] Eric Burdon announces the break-up of the Animals effective 12/23. He will pursue acting interests and although that didn't pan out, he had a nice run with War...
• 1966] That's my girl: Nancy Sinatra joins daddy Frank on the CBS-TV special, "Frank Sinatra: A Man & His Music Part II". They sing "Something Stupid" which will top the charts...

Commentary:

Don Meredith was a two-time All-American quarterback at SMU and played for the Dallas Cowboys from 1960 to 1968. Although he led the Cowboys to two NFL title games, he will always be remembered for his work in the television booth on Monday Night Football from 1970 to 1984. Meredith provided the counter-balance between he and his two cohorts in the booth - straight-man Frank Gifford and the bombastic Howard Cosell. Dandy Don became famous for serenading the MNF audience when the game was well in-hand with this Willie Nelson song , which he sang at the Texas Stadium implosion. Don Meredith was 72 when he suffered a fatal brain hemorrhage Sunday night in Santa Fe, New Mexico...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Mervin Phillips (34), Terrell Owens (37), Larry Bird (54) but he'll always be 33 to me, Johnny Bench (63), Gerry Cheevers (70), Ellen Burstyn (78) and Eli Wallach (95)...

Timeline Countdown: Happy Hanukah, 14 days until winter, 16 days until Festivus, 18 days until Christmas, 24 nights until New Year's Eve and 32 days until the NFL Wild Card Playoffs...

Public Radio Stations On Life Support...

Mark Erstling is a senior vice president at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The CPB administers federal money to public radio. If you're a public radio or television station, Mark is the person you make nice to, given the state of public media, teetering on the brink of darkness. Some operators, including the University of Michigan, have sold off stations. Last month, Pittsburgh's WQED-TV sold a secondary commercial station it owned and in less than four weeks, NJN, the public radio and television network owned by New Jersey, will run out of state money to operate. Similar stories are common throughout the U.S. The states of Utah, South Carolina and Idaho have already reduced public broadcasting subsidies, and public money may be cut in Mississippi and Virginia. Two years ago, New York's public broadcasters faced a 50% reduction that was changed to 20%, and they had no cuts last year...

Erstling told the New York Times that "For 2010, the public radio and television stations that the corporation surveyed were expecting to lose 14% of their overall revenue. We're projecting for 2010 through 2013 that the economy will recover and stations will lag. Every source of income they have other than, so far, federal has declined." ...

Over the weekend, WBUR Boston General Manager Paul La Camera wrote an op-ed in the Boston Globe objecting to a recent column against government support of public radio. La Camera raised several pro-funding points, "Public radio is a not-for-profit system, and we do not and are not allowed to participate or compete in the commercial marketplace. That's what public radio is all about." La Camera objected to the appropriateness of subsidies and whether they compromise the content of public radio. "Public support, whether from the CPB or from listeners, allows for the very objectivity, fairness, and journalistic independence" (questioned in the recent column). La Camera also covered the necessity of subsidies and the affordability of public radio. "Eliminating CPB funding as part of a larger government cost-cutting crusade would be symbolic at best and, at worst, devastating to the availability of the high-quality journalism increasingly in short supply in this country." La Camera called public radio - a public partnership, a public service - and our civic life and very democracy need it today more than ever." Many listeners would agree with him...

10 Timeline Memories:
1.1790] Back up the van: Congress moves from New York, our nation's first capital, to Philadelphia. A massive system of hot stuffy air is seen headed south on the weather map...
2.1865] A ratifying experience: The 13th amendment is ratified, abolishing slavery...
3.1923] On the Radio: Calvin Coolidge becomes the first president to deliver a radio address (to a joint session of Congress). One year later, Cal is filmed...
4.1948] Debuted: Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts. The show runs for a decade, ending in July 1958. Some of the talent discovered: Rosemary Clooney, Pat Boone, Steve Lawrence, Connie Francis, Patsy Cline and Rod McKuen. Elvis Presley flunked the audition...
5.1957] What a blast: America's first attempt at launching a satellite blows up on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral...
6.1973] New Veep: House minority leader Gerald R. Ford is sworn in as vice president, succeeding Spiro T. Agnew, who had resigned after pleading no contest to income tax evasion. This clip shows Ford being sworn in as president...
7.1982] "D-I-V-O-R-C-E": Senator Ted Kennedy and wife Joan agree to disagree...
8.1988] "Happy Trails": Roy Orbison dies of a heart attack while visiting his mother near Nashville. Orbison who would be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 was just 52...
9.2002] Sticky fingers: Winona Ryder is sentenced to community service for stealing more than $5,500 worth of merchandise from Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills...
10.2003] Shooting blanks: Army becomes the first team in major college football history to finish 0 and 13 after a 34-6 beating at the hands of Navy...

Music Memories:

• 1969] 'Sympathy for the Devil': That's the song Mick Jagger was singing at Altamont Speedway, near San Francisco when a crazed and armed fan is stabbed by a member of Hell's Angels and the riot was captured on film. Besides the Stones, the bill included Santana, the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young...
• 1983] Number One on this date: "Say, Say, Say" - Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Janine Turner (48), Steven Wright (55), JoBeth Williams (62), James Naughton (65), Jonathan King (66) and Dave Brubeck (90)...

Timeline Countdown: Happy Hanukah, 15 days until winter, 17 days until Festivus, 19 days until Christmas, 25 nights until New Year's Eve and 33 days until the NFL Wildcard Playoffs...

FCC Commissioner Plays Bad Cop...

(Weekend Edition)
If you want to make a statement to the entire media world - bring your case to a prestigious school like Columbia and let it rip. That's exactly what FCC Commissioner Michael Copps did on Thursday. Copps told the Columbia University School of Journalism that he wants a test for a "meaningful commitment" to news and public affairs programming. "These would be quantifiable and not involve issues of content interference." Realizing that the New York Times was in the audience, Copps continued: "Increasing the human and financial resources going into news would be one way to benchmark progress." Translation: There will be a test. "Producing more local civic affairs programming would be another." ...

In his speech, Copps covered children's programming requirements and stated that "Now it is time to put news and information front and center." He covered music content, saying he'd want " a lot less streamed-in homogenization and monotonous nationalized music at the expense of local and regional talent" - I tend to agree with him but that sounds like a programming statement to me, something the FCC never does (and shouldn't). Copps went on: "Homogenized music and entertainment from huge conglomerates constrains creativity, suppresses local talent, and detracts from the great tapestry of our nation's cultural diversity." Is it me or is Copps looking and sounding more like Alan Greenspan???

Copps also suggested that 25% of primetime programming be locally or independently produced and would like to shorten the license renewal term for broadcasters, with the "public value test" every 4 years. If a station failed the test, it would go on "probation" for a year to show progress. If a station failed again under Copps plan, it would lose its license...

While Mr. Copps is probably not interested in this former program director's opinion of his speech, I'll give it anyway. The FCC should regulate radio, not program it. If you want to increase public affairs requirements, that's one thing, but don't tell me how to program my radio station. There should be only two categories for radio to adhere to - Entertainment and News/Public Affairs. If you want less "homogenized and monotonous nationalized music", don't be so liberal in approving mergers and radio station sales. Do your due diligence and find out what the new operators intend to do with their license to broadcast...

10 Timeline Memories:
1.1908] Numb3rs: The University of Pittsburgh Panthers are the first college football team to put numbers on their jerseys (12/5). When I was program director at KQV, I could see the Pittsburgh U. tower through my apartment window. The school is located in a section called Oakland…
2.1931] Debuted on this date: Plop-plop, fizz-fizz: Alka Seltzer makes its debut. Enter ‘Speedy‘ (12/3)…1950] Paul Harvey begins his national radio broadcast (12/3)…
3.1949] Lucky and good: Notre Dame stretches its unbeaten streak to 4 seasons and 38 games by beating the Kyle Rote SMU Mustangs 27-20. The Irish win their 7th national title (12/3)…
4.1961] How do you do: The Beatles meet Brian Epstein for the first time in his record shop in Liverpool (12/3)…
5.1967] Have a heart: Dr. Christiaan Barnard performs the first human heart transplant. Patient Louis Washkansky lives for 18 days with his new heart (12/3)…
6.1979] Concert catastrophe: 11 fans are crushed to death at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Coliseum before a concert by The Who. Laws will change to prevent “first-come, first-served” seating in the future (12/3)…
7.1990] The Good Old Days: Due to the Persian Gulf crisis, gas prices sky-rocket to: $1.60 a gallon in New York City. Outrageous!!! (12/4)…
8.1996] Greenspanning the globe: Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan sends everyone scratching their heads after his famous “irrational exuberance” speech about the stock market and whether or not it was overvalued (12/5). Greenspan turns out to be overvalued…
9.2006] Trans fixed: New York becomes the first city in the nation to ban artery clogging trans fats at restaurants (12/5)…
10.2008] Judgement day: A judge in Las Vegas sentences O.J. Simpson to 33 years in prison (with parole eligibility after 9 years) for an armed robbery in a hotel room (12/5)...

Music Memories:

• 1956] Recording on this date: Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash aka the "Million Dollar Quartet" record together at Sun Records in Memphis (12/4). The session is not released for 25 years...
• 1956] Premiered on this date: Alan Freed's movie, "Rock, Rock, Rock" starring Chuck Berry, Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers, Johnny Burnette, LaVern Baker, the Flamingoes and Moonglows. Tuesday Weld's singing voice was dubbed in by Connie Francis (12/5)...
• 1961] Released on this date: "The Duke of Earl" - Gene Chandler (12/4)...1965] "Rubber Soul" LP - Beatles (12/3)...1973] "You're Sixteen" - Ringo Starr (12/3)...
• 1965] Number One on this date: "Turn, Turn, Turn" - Byrds (Lynn's favorite song when she was approaching her 2nd birthday) (12/5)...1975] "Fly Robin Fly" - Silver Convention (original title: "Run Rabbit Run")(12/5)...1985] "Broken Wings" - Mr. Mister (12/5) (Richard Page and Steve George, members of the band, wrote this song in 20 minutes)...
• 1968] Elvis Sighting: Elvis Presley launches a new phase in his career with his "Elvis" TV Special (12/3)...
• 1988] Curtains: Roy Orbison plays his last live concert at the Front Row Theater in Highland Heights (OH) (12/4)...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday": (12/3) Holy Marie Combs (37), Katarina Witt (45), Daryl Hannah (50), Julianne Moore (50), Ozzy Osbourne (62), Jaye P. Morgan (79), Andy Williams (83) and Ferlin Husky (85)...(12/4) Jay-Z (41), Fred Armisen (44), Marisa Tomei (46), Jeff Bridges (61), Southside Johnny (Lyon) (62), Freddy Cannon (71), Max Baer Jr. (73), Wink Martindale (76) and Deanna Durbin (89)...(12/5) Frankie Muniz (25), Margaret Cho (42), Andy Kim (58), Jim Plunkett (63), Jim Messina (63), Frank Kingston Smith (68), J.J. Cale (72)and Richard Wayne Penniman aka Little Richard (78)...

Timeline Countdown: Happy Hanukah, 18 days until winter, 22 shopping days until Christmas, 28 nights until New Year's Eve and 36 days until the NFL Wild Card Playoffs...

Making Radio Apps More Unique...

While there are some exceptions being made by Apple on acceptance of single-station radio apps, the computer giant has become more discriminating in their app approval process. Dan Anstandig's weekly Radio 3D post reports that Trudy Muller, an Apple spokesperson says "There are many unique radio apps on the App Store, and we look forward to approving many more. One developer has attempted to spam the app store with hundreds of variations of essentially the same radio app, and this is against our guidelines." Translation: If you're thinking of applying for an app with a generic radio stream - don't bother...

Jennifer Lane of Audio4cast suggests "hiring someone who can put some of your station's personality into the app but don't expect the app to bring you a whole new audience, this is mainly a tool for your current listeners to use to listen on their smartphones." Lane adds this: "To expand their audience, stations should be working together and building apps that feature lots of broadcast stations. How about a Philly or Boston Radio App that offers all the stations in an area along with news and information, restaurant and shopping guides, and more? A portal to area radio stations!" That sounds like a great idea for consumers but what does a singular station get out of it???

Given recent research results that show that the majority of consumers don't buy smartphones for radio apps, it might be time to place less importance on ways to get around radio app acceptance by Apple or anyone else...

10 Timeline Memories:
1.1901] Patent no longer pending: Gillette patents the first disposable razor…
2.1927] Debuted on this date: Ford rolls out their Model A, the successor to the Model T. It sold for $385…1969] Boeing shows off its 747 jumbo jet for the media…
3.1956] Next stop Boston: San Francisco University’s Bill Russell stars as the USA picks up a gold medal in basketball with an 89-55 trouncing of Russia at the Melbourne (Australia) Olympics (and we all know where he will star next)...
4.1961] I’m your leader: Fidel Castro declares himself a Marxist-Leninist who will lead Cuba to Communism. He will also lead them to ruin...
5.1967] “Happy Trails“: New York City’s Francis Joseph Cardinal Spellman dies from natural causes at 78…
6.1982] The beat goes on: Retired dentist Barney Clark receives the first artificial heart. Clark will live for 112 days…
7.1992] Musical call letters: WQEW replaces WQXR on 1560 in New York. WQEW adapts a nostalgia music WNEW-AM type format that won’t be successful…
8.1994] Guilty as charged: “Hollywood Madam” Heidi Fleiss is convicted in Los Angeles on 3 counts of “pandering”. Charlie Sheen loses Heidi’s phone number…
9.1998] It’s only money: Microsoft Corp. chairman Bill Gates donates $100 million to immunize children in developing countries, something that Gates continues to do…
10.2001] Chapter 11: Enron Corp. files for chapter 11 after Dynergy walks away from a $8.4 billion buyout. It’s the largest bankruptcy in U.S. history…

Music Memories:

• 1957] Number One on this date: "You Send Me" - Sam Cooke...1963] "Dominique" - The Singing Nun aka Sister Luc-Gabrielle (eventually the good sister sings "Dominique")...1974] "Kung Fu Fighting" - Carl Douglas...1979] "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" - Neil Diamond & Barbra Streisand...
• 1972] Released on this date: "You're So Vain" - Carly Simon...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Britney Spears (29), Nelly Furtado (32), Monica Seles (37), Lucy Liu (42), Stone Phillips (56) & Julie Harris (85)...

Timeline Countdown: Happy Hanukah, 19 days until winter, 23 days until Christmas, 30 nights until New Year's Eve and 37 days until the NFL Wildcard Playoffs...

New Study Discloses Media Usage By Format...

Advertisers looking for cross-media exposure would be wise to examine the results of the new "National Radio Format Report" conducted by the Media Audit. The research company says findings "suggest that those looking to bolster radio advertising revenue should take note that not all radio formats compete against other media, such as TV, newspaper, outdoor and the internet in the same manner." Media Audit found that Dance CHR listeners spend the most time online daily for a total of 4.5 hours. Slightly less than half (48%) of that format's listeners are between 18 and 24. That group spends even more (5 hours, 45 minutes a day) time online. Hispanic radio listeners spend the least amount of time online but they spend more time listening to radio (2 hours and 45 minutes) 15% more than the average for all U.S. adults...

Urban AC listeners spend the most time watching TV, 4.5 hours, compared to 3.5 hours for the average U.S. adult. Public radio listeners spend just 2 hours, 40 minutes a day with TV (not noted is whether they're just watching PBS). Rock and Sports listeners get the most exposure to outdoor ads. These are people who do a lot of driving. Rock listeners are in the car an average of 1 hour, seven minutes each day. That's 27% higher than the average for U.S. consumers overall, while Sports listeners drive for an hour and 10 minutes per day. When respondents were asked to name a single station they listen to "most often", News/Talk was the leader, followed by Public Radio, Country, CHR, Sports, Hispanic, Urban AC, AC, Classic Rock, Rock, and Dance CHR...

The Media Audit conducted its surveys in 80 cities, talking to more than 113,000 respondents between January 2009 and March 2010. This study should be especially helpful for advertisers who are undecided about where to put their dollars with so many choices now available...

10 Timeline Memories:
1.1824] Flip a coin: With no candidate receiving a majority of the vote in the Electoral College, the House of Representatives decides that John Quincy Adams should be chosen president over Andrew Jackson and Henry Clay…
2.1914] First in service: The first service station opens in Pittsburgh…
3.1917] Boy’s Town: Father Edward Flanagan opens “Boy’s Town” in Nebraska, a farm village designed for wayward boys. In 1979 it became co-ed. The Hollies‘ hit “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” was written as a tribute to Boys Town…
4.1924] Hockey, eh?: The 1st pro hockey game in the U.S. is played at the Boston Arena with the Bruins beating the Montreal Maroons (not Morons) 2-1. Both teams had just joined the 7-year old NHL. Boston became the 1st U.S. team…
5.1955] No more ‘back of the bus’: Rosa Parks refuses to give her seat on a bus to a white man in Montgomery (AL), marking a milestone in the civil rights movement…
6.1973] “Happy Trails“: David Ben-Gurion, founding father of Israel and its first prime minister dies from natural causes at 87…
7.1992] Guilty as charged: In Mineola (LI) Amy Fisher is sentenced to 5 to 15 years for the shooting and serious wounding of Mary Jo Buttafuoco. The ‘Long Island Lolita’ was having an affair with Mary Jo’s husband Joey. Amy is now out and frankly we don’t care where Joey is...
8.1997] No choke: Golden State’s Latrell Sprewell chokes in practice…chokes his coach (P.J. Carlesimo) that is. He’s suspended for one year and the remainder of his 4-year, $23 million contract was terminated. Sprewell’s career ended in 2004. Carlesimo is still coaching…
9.1997] The name game: Westinghouse formally changes its name to CBS…
10.2008] Bam names Hill: President-elect Barack Obama announces his national security team, including Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of state...

Music Memories:

• 1957] Debuted on this date: Buddy Holly & the Crickets and Sam Cooke make their debuts on the 'Ed Sullivan Show'. Holly with "That'll Be The Day" and Sam Cooke with "You Send Me"...
• 1982] Released on this date: Epic Records releases its all-time best-selling LP, "Thriller" - Michael Jackson, which fed all CBS Records employees for a few years, thank you very much...

Commentary:

The Third Annual voiceover mixer will be held Saturday, December 4 at Tonic, 727 Seventh Avenue in Manhattan. This is your chance to mingle with top voiceover industry people from around the world at the east coast's premiere networking event. Admission is free with your official RSVP by email. RSVP via Facebook will not guarantee admission. Click on here for more information...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Jared (Subway Hawker) Fogle (33), Sarah Silverman (40), Carol Alt (50), Treat Williams (59), Gilbert O'Sullivan (64), Bette Midler (65), Lee Trevino (71), Dianne Lennon (71), Woody Allen (75) and Billy Paul (76)...

Timeline Countdown: Happy Hanukah, 20 days until winter, 24 days until Christmas, 30 nights until New Year's Eve and 38 days until the NFL Wildcard Playoffs...

New Study Shows Mobile Consumers Don't Want Radio Chips...

What's going on? First, Apple denies single-station radio apps for their iPhone and now, a new study shows that a large majority of consumers don't buy smartphones for radio, anyway. Mark Ramsey Media, in conjunction with VIP Research asked a national sample of more than a thousand radio listeners ages 10-54 whether they had ever specifically looked for a mobile phone that contains FM radio. The answer was not what the NAB, RAB or radio in general was looking for. Eighty-eight percent said "NO", only 4% said "Yes" and "Doesn't Apply" finished higher at 8%...

The Ramsey/VIP study did not ask whether or not consumers would download a radio app on their mobile phone and Ramsay/VIP notes that there are many phones on the market already which feature FM radio built in. What the survey designers were looking for is this - what will motivate consumers to purchase their device over any other? The answer to that question was that 83% wanted a particular phone regardless of whether or not it featured FM radio. We have to conclude that they wanted the phone because they just liked that particular phone. Wait - am I repeating myself? They bought the phone because they were sold on the merits of Blackberry, Droid or iPhone, etc. Commercial brainwashing will do that you know...

Radio was thrown a bone when consumers were asked "If you did look for a phone containing an FM radio, did you ultimately purchase one?" Sixty-nine percent said "Yes", 28% said "No" and 3% said "Don't Know." That 69% that said yes comes from the 4% that said yes when asked if they would specifically look for a phone that contains an FM radio or not. Well, it was a small bone thrown to radio...


10 Timeline Memories:
1.1939] Happy Landings: New York’s LaGuardia Airport begins operations as a plane from Chicago lands at 12:01 a.m…
2.1940] Wedding Bells: Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz conga down the aisle to a latin beat…
3.1972] No news is good news: White House Press Secretary Ron Ziegler tells the press that there will be no more public announcements concerning troop withdrawals from Vietnam after they had reached a level of 27,000…
4.1993] Brady Law: President Bill Clinton signs the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (Brady Bill) into law…
5.1993] Klaas murder solved: Richard Allen Davis is arrested after confessing to abducting and killing 12-year old Polly Klaas…
6.1994] Jaguar sighting: The NFL announces that the Jacksonville Jaguars will become the league’s 30th franchise…
7.1996] Happy Trails: After performing on stage, Tiny Tim collapses and dies from congestive heart failure at 71…2007] Daredevil motorcycle rider Evel Knievel passes away from a terminal lung disease at 69…
8.2001] Artificial heart victim: Robert Tools, the first person to receive a fully self-contained artificial heart, dies after living with the device for 151 days…
9.2004] Jeopardy champ falls: Ken Jennings finally loses but takes home $2.5 million, TV’s all-time biggest game show haul…
10.2007] Clinton crisis: Hillary Clinton’s Rochester (NH) campaign office experiences a hostage crisis when Leeland Eisenberg enters and holds three people hostage for 5 hours…

Music Memories:

• 1958] Released on this date: "16 Candles" - The Crests...1968] "Everyday People" - Sly & The Family Stone...1979] "The Wall" LP - Pink Floyd...

Remembering: Gil McDougald, former Yankee infielder who won 5 World Series titles with the team, died of prostate cancer Sunday at 82. Yankees Hall of Fame pitcher, Whitey Ford on McDougald: "Gil was a great guy, well-liked by the team and a helluva ballplayer. He was a good fielder and was always a fierce competitor." McDougald was American League Rookie of the Year (1951) and a 6-time All-Star. Both McDougald and Ford can be seen in this clip of a scene on a Phil Silvers Show...

Commentary:

The 2010 Third Annual New York Voiceover Mixer is coming up on Saturday, December 4 at Tonic, 727 Seventh Avenue in Manhattan. Here's your chance to mingle with top voiceover industry people from around the world at the east coast's premiere networking event! Admission is free with your official RSVP by email. RSVP via Facebook will not guarantee admission. Click here for more information...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Clay Aiken (32), Ben Stiller (45), Billy Idol (55), Mandy Patinkin (58), Paul Stookey (73), Jimmy Bowen (73), Frank Ifield (73), G. Gordon Liddy (80), Dick Clark (81), Robert Guillaume (83) and Efrem Zimbalist Jr. (92)...

Timeline Countdown: 1 day until Hanukah, 21 days until winter, 25 days until Christmas, 32 nights until New Year's Eve & 39 days until NFL Wild Card Playoffs...

Re-Visiting Performance Royalty Act...

Since Performance Royalty Act (PRA) talks blew up, there hasn't been much action but there has been a lot of talk. The talks fell apart just before the mid-term election when the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) released their terms for a deal that would include a limited performance fee of between 0.25% and 1% of a station's net annual revenue, and made the fees contingent on Congress requiring that all mobile devices include a radio chip. The Tennessean, pro-music organ out of Nashville - Music City, published a feature article yesterday calling PRA "An important issue for Middle Tennessee, because royalties could put hundreds of millions of dollars a year in the pockets of artists and record companies nationwide, according to an estimate by the Government Accountability Office (GAO)." ...

Tom Matzzie, a spokesman for musicFirst, responded to the NAB terms saying the broadcasters had rewritten a deal that had been agreed to during the summer. "It might even be worse for the music companies than the status quo" says Matzzie. NAB CEO Gordon Smith says that claims of a previously negotiated deal are "demonstrably false. If this were true why would our two sides have continued negotiations in August, September and October?" Neil Portnow, CEO of The Recording Academy fired off the latest salvo in a recent letter published in Billboard that, for the first time ever, "not a single artist thanked a radio station in his or her acceptance speech" during the academy's Grammy Awards telecast in January. The same can not be said for other award shows, it should be noted. So, what's next for the PRA???

The lame-duck session of Congress won't offer any help to the PRA stand-off and then will break for Christmas. In January, a new Congress takes over with a radically changed makeup in the House and Senate, which means that PRA will have to be presented to Congress all over again. Instead of re-negotiating PRA terms, the salvos coming from both sides will increase. Bet on it...

10 Timeline Memories:
1.1890] The military tradition begins: The first Army-Navy football game is played at West Point with the midshipmen of Navy stuffing the Cadets of Army 24-0. Highlights from last year's game...
2.1934] The NFL tradition begins: The Detroit Lions begin an annual NFL Thanksgiving Day tradition, dropping a 19-16 decision to da Bearsss. It was the first NFL game aired on national radio...
3.1948] Debuted on this date: "Kukla, Fran and Ollie" debuts on NBC-TV...1953] American Airlines begins the first regular commercial NY-LA air service. This video shows AA in action in the 30s...
4.1963] Warren Commission: LBJ names Chief Justice Earl Warren as head of a commission investigating the assassination of President John F. Kennedy...
5.1975] What's your name, who's your daddy?: Bill Gates names the company he and Paul Allen started as Microsoft, formed to write the BASIC computer language for the Altair...
6.1976] There's a reason he's called 'The Killer': Jerry Lee Lewis accidentally shoots his bass player twice in the chest while aiming at a soda bottle. The bass player survives but Dick Cheney takes note...
7.1976] Call him 'The Straw': Free agent Reggie Jackson aka "the straw that stirs the drink", signs a 5-year deal with the Yankees, helping the Bombers win 3 AL pennants and 2 world series championships...
8.1980] Record-breaker: The Georgia Bulldogs end the season unbeaten and untied following a 38-20 win over Georgia Tech as Herschel Walker breaks a freshman record with 1,616 rushing yards. #1 Georgia will beat #2 Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl and Walker wins the Heisman Trophy two years later...
9.1981] "Happy Trails": Natalie Wood drowns in a boating accident off Santa Catalina Island at the age of 43. Natalie who was with husband RJ and Christopher Walken, could not swim...1986] Legendary leading man Cary Grant dies of a stroke at 82...
10.2001] Loss of a Beatle: George Harrison loses his battle with cancer at 58. ..
Music Memories:

• 1959] Grammy Gold: Bobby Darin wins for 'Record of The Year': "Mack The Knife". Frank Sinatra has the 'Album of The Year': "Come Dance With Me"...
• 1964] Number One on this date: "Ringo" - Lorne Greene...1969] "Come Together/Something" - Beatles...1972] "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" - Temptations...

Remembering: Serious actor who would become a comic star - Leslie Nielsen, has passed away from complications from pneumonia. Nielsen died yesterday at the age of 84. Nielsen will always be remembered for this scene from the 1980 hit movie, Airplane...

Commentary:
The 2010 Third Annual New York Voiceover Mixer is coming up on Saturday, December 4 at Tonic, 727 Seventh Avenue in Manhattan. This is your chance to mingle with top voiceover industry people from around the world at the east coast's premiere networking event! Admission is free with your official RSVP by email. RSVP via Facebook will not guarantee admission. Click here for more information...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Mariano Rivera (41), Don Cheadle (46), Kim Delaney (51), Howard Johnson (50), Howie Mandel (55), Felix Cavaliere (68), Chuck Mangione (70), Vin Scully (83) and Minnie Minoso (88)...

Timeline Countdown: 2 days until Hanukah, 22 days until winter, 25 days until Christmas & 32 nights until New Year's Eve...

Digital Advertising Targets Radio...

(Thanksgiving Edition)

Radio is being targeted by digital advertisers like never before, according to Jack Myers Media Business Report's Media Vision 2020. The report projects total 2010 U.S. marketing communications and advertising investments will grow 3.2% to $601.5 billion. Myers tells The Huffington Post that "traditional advertising investments in television, print, radio and out-of-home are projected to grow only 1.8% but digital advertising investments in these media will grow by an estimated 28%, spurring total 3.6% growth in traditional media categories."

"The newly recalibrated data includes 57 media and marketing categories and, for the first time in any advertising analysis, breaks down digital and traditional investments for 14 traditional media and marketing categories. The report eliminates the traditional barriers between above and below-the-line marketing budgets. Marketers are integrating their budget allocations to reflect the increasing cross-over between their marketing and sales functions, which have historically been separated. This trend is apparent in social media, which is growing 50% to $1.2 billion in 2010. (Most Facebook advertising is accounted for within the new Online Originated Display Advertising category, which is increasing 9.2%)." ...

The move toward more digital and social media usage is starting to spread. Radio One, Lincoln Financial Media and other companies are experimenting with ways to harness exploding social media usage to enhance their brands while driving new digital dollars. Look for more of the same in 2011...

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. We all have too many things to mention that are worth being thankful for...

10 Timeline Memories:
1.1789] 1st Thanksgiving: A day of Thanksgiving is set aside by President George Washington to observe the adoption of the U.S. Constitution (11/26)…
2.1925] Debuted on this date: The longest running live music show debuts on WSM Nashville when host George Dewey Hay invites an 83-year old Civil War veteran to play fiddle for an hour. The ‘WSM Barn Dance’ begins (11/28). In 1927 its name is changed to the “Grand Ole Opry“...
3.1942] Play it again Sam: “Casablanca” starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman debuts at the Hollywood Theater in Manhattan (11/26)…
4.1942] Down in flames: A devastating and deadly fire destroys the Cocoanut Grove night club in Boston, taking nearly 500 lives (11/28)…
5.1963] Live from Dallas: Jack Ruby shoots and mortally wounds Lee Harvey Oswald, the accused assassin of President Kennedy. This happened live on television - still hard to believe. Here’s the video clip (11/24)…
6.1971] AWOL with ransom: Hijacker D.B. Cooper parachutes from a Northwest flight over Washington State with $200,000 in ransom. His fate is still unknown (11/24)…
7.1978] City Hall massacre: San Francisco mayor George Moscone and City Hall Supervisor Harvey Milk, a gay rights activist, are shot to death inside City Hall by former Supervisor Dan White (11/27)…
8.1980] No mas, no mas: Sugar Ray Leonard defeats Roberto Duran for the welterweight crown after Duran pleads “no mas, no mas” in the 8th round, ending the fight (11/25)…
9.1999] Elian gets his 15 minutes: 6-year old Cuban refugee Elian Gonzalez is rescued by a pair of sport fishermen off the coast of Florida. The saga of Elian begins (11/25)…
10.2009] Tiger caged: Tiger Woods is hospitalized after sustaining injuries in a car crash outside his home in Orlando. You know what happened next (11/27)...

Music Memories:

• 1965] Released on this date: "You Didn't Have To Be So Nice" - Lovin' Spoonful (11/27)...1967] "Magical Mystery Tour" LP - Beatles (11/27)...1970] "All Things Must Pass" LP - George Harrison (11/27)...1970] "My Sweet Lord" - George Harrison (11/28)...1970] "Your Song" - Elton John (11/28)...
• 1966] Recorded on this date: The Beatles begin recording "Sgt. Pepper" (11/24)...1986] "Do They Know It's Christmas" - 36 British and American stars, including Phil Collins, Boy George, George Michael, Sting, U2, Duran Duran & James Taylor get together as Band-Aid with proceeds going to Ethiopian famine relief, conceived by Bob Geldof (11/25). First up to sing is Paul Young...
• 1967] Number One on this date: "Incense & Peppermints" - Strawberry Alarm Clock (11/26)...1994] "I'll Make Love To You" - Boyz II Men (11/26)...
• 1974] Lennon's farewell: Elton John and John Lennon sing a duet of "I Saw Her Standing There" at Lennon's last stage appearance at Madison Square Garden plus two other songs (11/28)...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday": (11/24) Katharine Heigl (32), Stanley (Chip) Livingston (60), Donald 'Duck' Dunn (69), Pete Best (69) & Paul Tagliabue (70)...(11/25) Barbara Bush, Jenna Bush (both 29), Christina Applegate (39), Jill Hennessy (42), Amy Grant (50), Bruno Tonioli (55), John Larroquette (63), Ben Stein (66) & Percy Sledge (70)...(11/26) Harry Carson (57), John McVie (65), Jean Terrell (66), Rich Little (71) & Tina Turner (71)...(11/27) Jaleel ("Urkel") White (34), Samantha Harris (37), Michael Vartan (42), Robin Givens (46), "Sweet" Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg (53) & Jayne Kennedy (59)...(11/28) Jon Stewart (48), S. Epatha Merkerson (58), Paul Shaffer (61), Randy Newman (67), Gary Hart (74) and Berry Gordy Jr. (81)...

Timeline Countdown: Happy Thanksgiving, 7 days until Hanukah, 27 days until winter & 30 days until Christmas...

Pandora Remains On Top In Ando Rankings...

Pandora has gained just about 100,000 new listeners over a span of five months in the latest Ando Media online rankings. Proving their worth as the online listening leader, Pandora has grown from 391,000 listeners in April, to 486,000 listeners in August. Other results worth noting are the rankings of CBS, Clear Channel and Citadel. All made gains over the same period. Pure-play Slacker Radio is flat over the same five month period, finishing #7 in average active sessions and actual number of average active sessions (19,600 to 20,600). Ando adds that Slacker's number "Does not include mobile data". No reason was given for excluding the mobile numbers. The gap between Pandora and the rest of the field was once again, Secretariat winning the Belmont Stakes by 31 lengths...

CBS (streaming terrestrial stations, AOL Radio & Yahoo LaunchCast included) was a distant second with about 156,000 average active sessions. That number was 150,000 in July. Clear Channel was #3 with 122,000 (from 114,000 in July), #4 is Citadel, up from 38,000 to about 42,000 (July to August) and #5 is Entercom, up from about 22,800 to 24,427. Slacker, ESPN Radio, Cox, Cumulus and the rest of the pack take up the rear...

A total of 16 of the top 20 webcasters in Ando Media's domestic ranker for the month of August were up compared to July in average active sessions (AAS) during the primetime Monday-Friday, 6am-8pm daypart. The best way to sum up the Ando is by Pandora's continued dominance. There's Pandora and then, there's everyone else...

10 Timeline Memories:
1.1876] Politics as usual: Corrupt Tammany Hall leader William Marcy (Boss) Tweed is captured in Spain and returned to authorities in New York…
2.1889] Jukebox Saturday Night every night: The first jukebox goes into service at the Palais Royal Saloon in San Francisco. Owned by developer Louis T. Glass, the box contains an Edison tinfoil phonograph with 4 listening tubes. A nickel bought a few minutes of music. The jukebox took in a whopping $1,000 in 6 months…
3.1936] A Life is born: The first edition of Life is published…
4.1971] Chinese imports: Representatives of the People’s Republic of China are seated at the U.N. In 1950, Nationalist China was seated...
5.1980] Earthshaking: A series of earthquakes in Southern Italy takes 3,000 lives…
6.1981] A secret no longer: Ronald Reagan secretly signs off on Iran-Contra…
7.1984] Hail Mary: Doug Flutie connects with roomie Gerard Phelan and Boston College defeats Miami 47-45 in one of the greatest college football games of all-time. Bernie Kosar was the Miami QB…
8.1985] Hijacking: Gunmen hijack an Egyptian plane, 60 are killed…
9.2006] Spy snuffing: Former KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko dies in London from radiation poisoning after making a deathbed statement blaming Russian President Vladimir Putin…
10.2000] Drawing a blank: The Florida Supreme Court refuses to order Miami-Dade County to resume counting ballots by hand in the presidential race…

Music Memories:

• 1960] Number One on this date: "Are You Lonesome Tonight" - Elvis Presley...1974] "I Can Help" - Billy Swan. I had the pleasure of working with Billy who was a member of Kris Kristofferson's band...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Miley Cyrus (18), Jonathan Papelbon (30), Robin Roberts (50), Bruce Hornsby (56), Sen. Chuck Schumer (60), Tom Joyner (61), Luis Tiant (70) and Gloria Lynne (79)...

Timeline Countdown: 2 days until Thanksgiving, 8 days until Hanukah, 28 days until winter and 31 shopping days until Christmas...

Radio Revenue Registers Impressive Gains...

Radio revenue didn't reach double numbers like the internet did in Q3 but a 5% increase in the quarter over Q3 2009 is still impressive. Radio revenue reached $12.7 billion in the first three quarters of the year for an increase of 6% or $946 million compared to last year. The Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB) also reports that national revenue went up 10% in Q3, 14% year-to-date (YTD) while local was up 3% in Q3, 3% YTD. While radio will take the national business, it's local's slow growth that's keeping most radio operators cautious about a total economic recovery...

Political advertising helped boost Q3 numbers but it was other growth categories that fueled the increase. Communications/Cellular tops the YTD revenue chart, followed by Auto, Financial Services, TV/Cable, Food, Dept./Discount Stores & Professional Services. RAB states that "Automotive, Financial and Department Store marketers are most notably promoting radio's economic growth. The four top radio categories all registered spending well above the $300 million level in Q3 and the top two (Communications and Automotive) are already above the $1 billion mark for the year to date through September - with Financial Services and TV/Cable all imminently poised to move up to that level. Radio also received a major cash infusion from political advertisers in the final throes of this year's competitive mid-term elections"...

While all of this Q3 and YTD news is welcome, it will still take a more substantial increase in local revenue - radio's bread and butter - that will indicate that the recovery is finally here...

10 Timeline Memories:
1.1906] It's better than a white flag: The "S-O-S" distress signal is adopted at the International Radio Telegraphic Convention in Berlin...
2.1955] Elvis Money: RCA pays $25,000 to Sam Phillips for the rights to the music of a truck driver from Tupelo (Miss) by the name of Elvis Presley. Colonel Tom Parker tosses in a $5,000 bonus which Elvis spends on a pink Cadillac for his mother ("such a good son")...
3.1963] A day we’d all like to forget but never will: President John Fitzgerald Kennedy is gunned down in Dallas. A day we always remember what we were doing at the time. I was recording a Canada Dry spot at WMID, Atlantic City. LBJ is sworn in as our next president...
4.1977] SST service starts: Regular passenger service between New York and Europe on the supersonic Concorde begins on a trial basis...
5.1980] “Happy Trails“: Aging blond bombshell Mae West suffers a fatal stroke at 87…1997] INXS lead singer Michael Hutchence, 37, is found hanging in his Sydney, Australia hotel suite…
6.1986] Baby champ: Mike Tyson becomes the youngest world heavyweight champion by KOing Trevor Berbick in Las Vegas (Tyson is 20 years, 4 months old which is his biological age, not his mental age)...
7.1995] Toys are us: The first Disney/Pixar film is the first feature film made entirely from computer graphics: Toy Story - will earn more than $361 million world-wide...
8.1998] Dr. Death: “60 Minutes” airs videotape of Dr. Jack Kevorkian unethically administering lethal drugs to a terminally ill patient...
9.1999] Going to hall: Wayne Gretzky ("The Great One") is inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame with 61 NHL records to his credit...
10.2005] Night night, Nightline: Ted Koppel hosts his final edition of ABC News' Nightline. The show continues without Koppel...

Music Memories:

• 1964] Number One on this date: "Leader of the Pack" - Shangri-Las...1971] "Theme from Shaft" - Isaac Hayes...

Commentary:

The 2010 Third Annual New York Voiceover Mixer is coming up on Saturday, December 4 at Tonic, 727 Seventh Avenue in Manhattan. Here's your chance to mingle with top voiceover industry people from around the world at the east coast's premiere networking event! Learn to cup your hand over your ear and enunciate loudly and clearly with as much resonance as you can muster. Admission is free with your official RSVP by email. RSVP via Facebook will not guarantee admission. Click here for more information...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Scarlett Johansson (26), Boris Becker (43), Mariel Hemingway (49), Jamie Lee Curtis (52), Steve Van Zandt (60), Sandy Alderson (63), Billie Jean King (67) and Robert Vaughn (78)...

Timeline Countdown: 3 days until Thanksgiving, 9 days until Hanukah, 29 days until winter and 32 shopping days until Christmas...

Despite The Hard Sell, HD Radio Is Just Not Sticking...

(Weekend Edition)

iBiquity gets an A+ for effort but a D for results in its long journey to make HD Radio relevant. They continue to experiment with new HD models and will continue to do so well into 2011 but it might be too late to make an impact. Most major radio companies and many auto manufacturers have been doing iBiquity's bidding, but so far the results are just not there. And iBiquity continues to spend tons of advertising money to produce results. The HD Digital Radio Alliance aired 20,413 commercials just last week encouraging listeners to upgrade to an HD Radio but the effort doesn't seem to be resonating in the radio industry, according to a new poll...

Inside Radio conducted an "unscientific survey" in which more than six-in-ten (62%) respondents indicated that they don't own an HD receiver. Thirty-eight percent (38%) do own an HD Radio - a higher ownership figure than the general population. Among those who do own an HD Radio, nearly one-quarter (23%) said it was an at-home radio. Nearly one-in-five (18%) use one in their office, while 15% have an HD Radio in their car and 13% own a portable device such as Zune HD. One respondent says "The audio on HD Radio is so much better than regular FM and the highly compressed audio on satellite radio." Another respondent says "Content is king. If your market has interesting stations, it's a great device." Still another respondent has "a couple at home and few sprinkled around my radio group. Usually the analog tuners in these things are great." But there are plenty of HD critics with complaints ranging from "Have not been able to receive HD content" to "I try to listen, but the signals are unreliable." ...

One advantage iBiquity might have is not requiring radio stations to buy their product. Rick Greenhut, Director of U.S. Broadcast Sales, says "The station doesn't write a check. It runs commercials. We've taken barter to the next step." In some cases, a station may choose to use a finance company to pay the equipment supplier so an HD Radio transmitter can be built and shipped quickly. As long as the ads air, Citadel will pay the equipment manufacturers and iBiquity the necessary hardware and licensing costs to convert or upgrade the stations involved, even if they're not the stations where the ads aired. Citadel Media handles the paperwork necessary for the ad agencies to prove the spots aired per the contract. It would be interesting to know what Citadel did to get that plum assignment...

10 Timeline Memories:
1.1863] Four Score, for sure: President Abraham Lincoln delivers the Gettysburg Address as he dedicates a national cemetery at the Civil War battlefield in Pennsylvania (11/19)…
2.1877] Talking Machine: Thomas A. Edison announces the invention of the phonograph or as he calls it, his “talking machine.” (11/21)…
3.1959] Rama Lama Ding Dong: The Ford Motor Company halts production of the Edsel (11/19)…
4.1960] Knocked into Monday: Frank Gifford is leveled by the Eagles Chuck Bednarik in a blind-sided hit that will wind up ending the career of the Giants star running back. The Eagles clinch the Eastern Conference title. As a reward Gifford will wind up with Kathie Lee (11/20)…
5.1966] Hanging them up: Future Hall of Fame pitcher, Sandy Koufax announces his retirement from baseball, one month shy of his 32nd birthday, due to arm problems. Koufax simply dominated his era (11/19)…
6.1982] Youngest SNL host: That would be 7-year old Drew Barrymore who also made an appearance that year on Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show (11/20)…
7.1987] Wedding Bells: Demi Moore and Bruce Willis rock down the aisle. They divorce in 2000 when Demi discovers where Ashton Kutcher lives. She robs his cradle in 2005 (11/21)…
8.1994] Rock and Roll transplant: David Crosby receives a liver transplant (11/20)…
9.1998] A Starr is born: Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr lays out his evidence against President Bill Clinton during a daylong appearance before the House Judiciary Committee (11/19)…
10.2004] Fight Night: In one of sports ugliest scenes, a fight breaks out on the floor, Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson of the Pacers charge into the stands and fight with fans during an NBA game in Detroit. Officials end the Pacers’ 97-82 win with 45.9 ticks left. Fines and suspensions follow. Fan John Green who tossed his drink at Artest, was banned for life in Detroit and hefty fines are levied at Artest, Jackson and others (11/19)…

Music Memories:

• 1959] Number One on this date: "Mr. Blue" - Fleetwoods (11/19)...1969] "Wedding Bell Blues" - Fifth Dimension (11/19)...
• 1962] Released on this date: "Big Girls Don't Cry" (11/20) - Four Seasons...
  1968] "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" - Supes & Temps (11/21)...1995] "The Beatles Anthology I" (11/21) which sets a first-day sales record of 450,000 units. It contained the new song, "Free As A Bird"...

Tribute: Congratulations to Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff for having a street in Philadelphia's Center City, named after them on the eve of the 40th anniversary (2011) of Philadelphia International Records. Thanks to Sparkie Martin for the story. Here's the piece that Channel 6 (ABC) used in covering the tribute...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday": (11/19) Savion Glover (37), Jodie Foster (48), Meg Ryan (49), Ann Curry (54), Calvin Klein (68), Garrick Utley (71), Ted Turner (72), Dick Cavett (74), Larry King (77) and Alan Young (91)...(11/20) J.D. Drew (35), Bo Derek (54), Joe Walsh (63), Judy Woodruff (64), Veronica Hamel (67), VP Joe Biden (68), Norman Greenbaum (68), Dick Smothers (71), Richard Dawson (78), Estelle Parsons (83) & Kaye Ballard (85)...(11/21) Michael Strahan (39), Nicollette Sheridan (47), Lorna Luft (58), Livingston Taylor (60), Goldie Hawn (65), Earl Monroe (66), Dr. John (70), Marlo Thomas (73) and Stan Musial (90)...

Timeline Countdown: 6 days until Thanksgiving, 12 days until Hanukah, 32 days until winter and 35 shopping days until Christmas...