So much in radio has changed, but you know that.
As we watch the recent staffing cutbacks by both Clear Channel and Cumulus, it has to send out a message that in spite of all the rampant consolidation, something must have gone very wrong. This is evidenced by the seeming necessity to cut budgets and staff, the biggest activity these companies are initiating. And of course, it translates not to better, more innovative radio, but a loss of jobs that leads to something called more efficient operations.
And what message does it send to Wall Street or Main Street when they read these stories on Google News? That radio isn’t what it used to be. That radio is going through hard times. That radio has lost its fastball. That radio has become a second (or third) rate entertainment and information outlet.
But we know that’s not entirely true. There are some incredible radio stories – big and small – that are often overshadowed by the negative news, or worse, the bragging, bodacious, bloviated behavior that has sadly become part of the radio playbook.
Many of these positive stories have been covered in this blog and the radio trades. The incredible WTOP accomplishments – expanding their content to many different and exciting platforms beyond AM and FM. A regular guy DJ like WCSX’s Steve Kostan being inducted in the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame. Preston & Steve’s “Camp Out For Hunger” campaign – just one of many incredible community efforts on MMR. We could make a long list of radio’s wonderful achievements and it would make up a week’s worth of blog posts.
Unfortunately to the outside world, a lot of this greatness is being overshadowed by the tired bragging and bombastic, outlandish claims made by some radio owners, managers, and programmers. That style may have been effective in the ‘80s when the WWF ruled, but today, it comes off as positively stupid and sophomoric. Like Donald Trump in business or Terrell Owens on the gridiron, these tactics are tired, lame, and only denigrate those who make them – as well as the rest of our business.
Case in point: the Randy Michaels’ Merlin Media assault on radio that we witnessed earlier this year. Week after week in the trades, those same tired taunting tactics were published with great glee and excitement.
“Randy’s back” and look at all the outrageous things he’s saying and doing.
- There was the “fresh” war of words that Merlin waged with CBS, culminating in this statement: “There are hundreds of other businesses in Chicago using the word “fresh” in their marketing. We don’t plan to be one of them. We hope this clears up any concern you may have about us using the name you don’t want anymore. We don’t want it either.”
- Or Walt Sabo’s comment when he got the Merlin COO job: “No other mass media company has our ability to innovate and then captivate a significant share of audience and revenue.”
- And finally, there was the message from Michaels to Mason and CBS in late September: “I think CBS has overreacted. I don’t think we are targeting them. When you look at WBBM or WCBS, the audience is incredibly old. My gosh, if you took The Bears out of WBBM, they don’t have many people under 60. I have no interest in the audience that listens to BBM. I think they will continue to listen to BBM.”
And not so many days later, Merlin scrapped their initial approaches in both Chicago and New York and now sound more like the traditional WBBM in format and style. True, FM News 101.1 is still more about the Kardashians than Afghanistan, but the big concession to the traditional CBS/Westinghouse all-news format has been made. Merlin would probably like a few thousand of those “old” WBBM partisans after all.
This isn’t to say that Merlin won’t eventually find some level of success with spoken word on FM, despite the fact that its initial format architecture was dumped.
But the problem is that their attempts to be innovative are secondary to the outrageous claims, the bragging, the tricks, the stealth tactics, the hype – because that’s also what agencies see and hear. And that’s the stuff that reinforces the notion that radio is a bunch of dated wind bags that make lots of noise but fall short on delivering a modern, innovative product.
As a radio executive client of ours said to me the other day when discussing Merlin’s still-births in New York and Chicago, “I have one bit of advice for these guys – SHUT UP.”
And in fact, isn’t that the point? Radio needs to stop boasting, bragging, and making bodacious claims. It needs to shut up and grow up.
Do it on the field. Do it during the games. Put it on the air. Create truly great brands that people care about, provide unparalleled service to our audiences and your communities, and get great ratings – and let those accomplishments speak for themselves.
Radio would do itself a favor by not making noise about what it’s going to do or its improved EBITDA, and focusing on providing great, unduplicated entertainment, information, and service that consumers care about.
Then maybe we’ll have something to brag about.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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This made me think of the football player that scores a touchdown and does his little “victory dance” even though his team is still down twenty-one points in the fourth quarter. Then I think of Barry Sanders who always reacted the same way after EVERY touchdown…he flipped the ball to the ref. Lesson here is when ya score “act like ya’ve been there before” OTHERS will recognize your accomplishments.
Yup, and they even penalize “excessive celebration” now. But at least it follows a bona fide accomplishment. Thanks for chiming in and for the Barry reference.
One anecdote:
We live in Chicago. My wife has absolutely no interest in football. You might expect that she would listen to FM 101.9 when the Bears are on WBBM. You would be mistaken. I think she would rather have the radio off than listen to FM 101.9.
My 20 year old son likes NPR, so it should not be surprised that he was underwhelmed by what he heard on FM 101.9.
You probably mean 101.1 101.9 is a terrific sounding station called THE MIX.
There is a great case study to be made on how the people who ended up in charge of radio ended up in charge. Back in the days when radio was consolidating (late 90s) there were lists of “good guys” and “bad guys”. How many of the good guys are still in the business, much less in charge?
I think there is probably a reason for why things turned out the way they did – I just don’t know what it is – hence the idea for a case study.
Radio was never well suited to the public markets – as many companies are figuring out 10+ years after the fact. A limited inventory medium can’t serve up 15% growth to Wall Street indefinitely. In the meantime, radio’s brain trust has little to address that problem but dumbing itself down with cuts.
As for Randy Michaels, he’s doing the equivalent of spiking the ball on his own 20 yard line and it looks silly. You do the dance in the end zone – someone should tell him that.
Radio’s real problem is that my wife is now streaming Pandora in her car via Bluetooth Audio without any help from me. I doubt that radio will get her back by firing more programming staff and replacing them with a fractional DS3.
“dated wind bag…” Couldn’t think of a more apt description of Randy Michaels, one of the principals in the dumbing down of radio. Maybe he’ll do for Merlin what he did for the Tribune.
Its rare I have nothing to add,:) but that was a brilliant post. SPOT ON! Well done Fred!
This is a response to Dave, the Nudnik (my Dad used to call me that), Pete May, “John Q Public,” and others who reached out today via Facebook, Twitter, and email. Obviously this was a trigger topic today based on the many comments and overall traffic. We appreciate everyone’s contributions, realizing that for some who have been displaced by the changes in our industry, it cuts a lot deeper. Everyone points fingers – and at times, we’re probably guilty as charged. This blog was less about strategies like “Premium Choice” and other measures designed to redefine companies, and more about how it comes off to advertisers and the media. As an industry, we seem to be always swimming upstream when it comes to image. My point is that the games, tactics, and boasts just don’t work anymore – especially in this new environment. Thanks to all for taking the time and for reading our blog.
This made me thik of these actual statements from Randy Michaels when he spoke at Dan O’Days PD Grad School many years ago. He needs to take his own advice:
“I’m pretty well-known for a lot of head games. Let me tell you a secret: If you start with the fun and games, you’re screwed. One of the objectives of the fun and games is to get your competitor to focus on something completely irrelevant.”
.
“Well, it had better not be all you’re thinking about. If you don’t have the right music on the air, if you don’t have a killer morning show, if you’re not giving a lot of time checks, if your weather isn’t right there, if your fundamentals aren’t right there, then all the tricks in the world don’t do anything for you.”
“And when you play hardball, when you play near the edge, it just gives advertisers one more excuse not to buy you. Every buyer that your salespeople go in to see is looking for the reason not to buy you. They’re looking for a way to say no. And when you do provocative things, it provides them with a little ammunition. The antidote is Big Ratings.”
So you’d better get the fundamentals right first. You’d better get the product as good as it can possibly be, and improving every day. And if you ever think you’ve got it right, you’d better get out of the business because it ain’t right yet. It can be better tomorrow.”
Not surprisingly, these are great comments and a path to success. After a while, the “head games” just don’t work if the product/marketing/personalities/brand isn’t right. We all know this, but of course, it is always easier to talk about execution than as Seth Goden says, it is to initiate and ship. Thanks for sending along your comments and for reading our blog.
“tired taunting tactics” – Absolutely Awesome Alliteration Fred!
Where’s Spiro T. Agnew when we really need him? Thanks for pointing this out to me.