On the Mic

It’s the Content, Stupid: Time to Work on “The Vision Thing”

By Paul Marszalek, Managing Partner, Media Mechanics /Member of The Radio Workout Team

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Anybody remember the Bush/Clinton election?

It shouldn’t have been close. George Bush Sr. was coming off a massive victory in the Gulf War. But the economy was in recession. The Bush strategy was to ignore it – sort of pretend it didn’t exist.

But voters vote with their wallets, and Democratic strategist James Carville observed, “It’s the economy, stupid.”

While Clinton talked big ideas, Bush confessed that he was never very good at “The Vision Thing.” We all know how this ended.

The similarities between that election and the current state of commercial radio are striking, if you simply tweak the phrase to “It’s the content, stupid.”

Read the entire story here:

Paul Marszalek, Managing Partner, Media Mechanics /Member of The Radio Workout Team
pmarszalek@media-mechanics.com

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Travis Moon has been named PD/p.m. driver at Clear Channel’s country KAJA (KJ 97) San Antonio, effective Nov. 30. He replaces George King, who exited last month. Moon previously was PD of country stations WUBE and WYGY Cincinnati. Prior to that, he was the longtime APD/MD at country KEEY (K102) Minneapolis and PD of sister oldies station KQQL.

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Radio Remembers: Radio pioneer Ralph Widman; Oklahoma City host Lisa Mirick

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Christmas In The Air … and On The Air

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More Christmas flipping from Phoenix to Wilmington, Delaware. AC KESZ (99.9) Phoenix made the switch on Friday, with morning host Beth McDonald doing the announcement live on the air and live on Fox TV (channel 10) … “107.9 Lite FM” KXLT Boise is now “All Holiday Songs” … GAP West Oldies KLDH “Kool 101.7” Duluth flips to Christmas music just days after rival Red Rock AC WWAX “92.1 Lite FM” … Outside of Philadelphia, WJBR Wilmington, DE started airing all Holiday music – a week ahead of their scheduled flip … The Radio-Info.com Pittsburgh Boards are predicting that two stations will go all holiday music at the same time: WSHH and “3WS” WWSW. Join the “festive” discussion.

Well-known Programmer Dene Hallam In Intensive Care

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We’re very sad to report that veteran radio programmer Dene Hallam is in intensive care in Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta and his prognosis is reportedly not good. Hallam has been with the Moby In The Morning Network for the past two and a half years, and members of his work family are with him at the hospital. Moby says Hallam has been unresponsive for several days, and that a priest conducted Catholic last rites on Thursday night. Hallam has programmed such stations as KKBQ Houston, WWWW (W4) Detroit, KCMO-FM Kansas City, WDAF Kansas City and WKHX Atlanta. He started his career on the pop side, and was always proud of being one of the few programmers to have won Billboard Radio Awards for PD of the year in two different formats. Hallam is the father of three daughters: Elizabeth, Samantha and Hayleigh. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Rodney Ho has more on the Atlanta Board of Radio-Info.com.

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PPM 101: Everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask

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Sam Weaver is a radio talent coach, http://www.radiocoach.biz and veteran programmer who has worked in Dallas, Chicago, San Francisco, Kansas City, Pittsburgh, and Charlotte, among other markets. In his new career, Sam is a personal trainer for personalities looking to improve or maintain their air work. Here, he breaks down the new ratings data service, the Portable People Meter, so that anyone can understand what it is and how it works.

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Saturday Music News: Trent Tomlinson, Jimmy Wayne

• Lyric Street artist Trent Tomlinson will release a three-song digital exclusive EP, “A Guy Like Me,” on Monday (Nov. 23). The project features the previously unreleased tracks “That’s How It Still Ought To Be” and “Henry Cartwright’s Produce Stand,” plus Tomlinson’s new single, “Angels Like Her.” The EP will be available for download at all online music stores beginning Monday.

Moon Over San Antonio: New PD For KAJA

Travis Moon has been named PD/p.m. driver at Clear Channel’s country KAJA (KJ 97) San Antonio, effective Nov. 30. He replaces George King, who exited last month. Moon previously was PD of country stations WUBE and WYGY Cincinnati. Prior to that, he was the longtime APD/MD at country KEEY (K102) Minneapolis and PD for oldies sister station KQQL. Moon also serves on the industry advisory board for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis.

Friday Music News: BBR Signs Wesley, News On Gokey, Vassar And More

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• Broken Bow Records has signed Kansas native James Wesley to its artist roster. His debut single, Jackson Hole,” has been shipped to radio and has an impact date of Dec. 7. The song was written by Rodney Clawson and Monty Criswell.

Dene Hallam In Intensive Care

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We’re very sad to report that veteran radio programmer Dene Hallam is in intensive care in Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta and his prognosis is reportedly not good. Hallam has been with the Moby In The Morning Network for the past two and a half years, and members of his work family are with him at the hospital. Moby says Hallam has been unresponsive for several days, and that a priest conducted Catholic last rites on Thursday night.

Record Executive Butch Waugh To Retire In December

Butch_waugh_sm__related_scaled
Sony Music Nashville executive VP Butch Waugh has announced plans to retire at the end of the year, capping off a successful, 37-year career in the music business, where he has worked in the pop, urban and country formats. He has spent 27 of those years with Sony Music Entertainment, including stints as a local promotion rep for RCA in Atlanta, and then executive positions in New York and Nashville. He has been part of Sony’s Music Row operation for a dozen years.

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