How often have you heard this comment in a focus group, a Listener Advisory Board panel, or simply from your neighbor, your spouse, or one of your kids:
“Why do all the radio stations in town play their commercials at the same time?”
Now back in the “Diary Days,” the reality is that this wasn’t always the case – usually. OK, for some reason, everyone seemingly breaks around 50:00 after the hour. But in diary markets, stopsets are typically all over the place. And strategically, programmers often go to great lengths to reposition commercial cluster to “pre-stop” the competition or employ other tactical methods. Or stations would build music sweeps – 10 in a row, 45 minutes commercial-free – and other gadgets that were designed to differentiate and create the illusion of more music and perhaps a better listening experience.
Enter PPM, and everyone has lost their minds – or their nerve.
Arbitron tells the world that the “bow tie” configuration is optimal – stopping around the 15:00 and 45:00 points on the clock – and the whole world mindlessly falls into lock step? Entire companies have adopted the “bow tie stopsets.” In some markets, literally everyone stops right around these times.
Does this make any sense? And where’s the competitive advantage? If every fast food restaurant did a buy-one-get-one-free come-on, which burger joint would you go to? Doesn’t this lemming mentality effectively neutralize any edge that the first few “bow tie” stations might have had?
In radio’s case, if everyone stops at the same time, doesn’t this simply piss off listeners? Or worse, drive them away to iPods, satellite radio, Pandora, Spotify, or encourage them to turn off the radio off all together?
We can do better than this. And I don’t mean simply going to the “hourglass” configuration where the stopsets are simply positioned at the top and bottom of the hour.
If everyone’s fascinated with “bow ties” and perfectly balanced stopsets, wouldn’t this suggest that the first station that tries a bona fide music sweep has a pretty good chance of truly making meaningful gains? In case you forgot, this is where a programmer places two stopsets closer together to create an extended period of music. Now I realize that the “PPM Rules” state definitively that two stopsets near each other create a problem. But couldn’t that possibly open up nearly three quarter-hours where there’s content? And getting away from all the other “bow tie” stations might be a plus, too, especially for a station struggling in the ratings to begin with.
We know this about radio – and about marketing in general: If everyone’s doing the same thing, the first player to go in the opposite direction is very likely going to have some success. That’s why Classic Rock, Christmas music, Howard Stern, and Jack-FM were born – and continue to thrive today. At the time, no one thought they had a chance because they didn’t sound like everyone else. Of course, that’s a key reason why they were successful.
And they wouldn’t be caught dead wearing a bowtie.
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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Hey Fred,
Thanks for the “shout-out” on JACK in today’s blog. The bigger point which you prosecute so well on an ongoing basis in the blog is Radio’s (missed) opportunity to directly connect with listeners and fans—to see, learn and hear for themselves what folks are doing and saying. Get off of meter counts and get with the real experience of your station and your listeners….amazing what you will learn.
Garry Wall
President
SparkNet
garry@sparknet.co
Garry, thanks for the comments. Some of the biggest PPM success stories come from stations that break a few rules – but provide great entertainment. There are lots of ways to win in the ratings. Appreciate you taking the time.
Fred, this is a very well-written post. Here at Arbitron we find ourselves addressing the “where should I put my breaks?” question from this angle more and more in recent years. It’s true that several years ago we theorized that in order to maximize listening credit, breaking very near the changeover of the next quarter-hour made sense from a mathematical standpoint. However we never imagined (though maybe we should have!) that the industry would take it so literally and flip every station to the same strategy.
What got lost in all of that, and needs to become more of a focus now, is that competitive situation should dictate your clock strategy more than anything else. Yes, you should keep in mind how your breaks may affect your station’s ability to get the required 5 total minutes of listening during a distinct quarter-hour, but that should always be a secondary consideration behind what the rest of the market (or your direct competitor) is doing.
Anyway thanks for helping to advance discussion around this subject, and keep up the good work.
Jon Miller
Dir of Programming Services
Arbitron
Jon, thanks for the straight shot answer here. I think that in everyone’s rush to win in PPM that basic programming tenets get shoved off to the side. You can advance that conversation by emphasizing the importance of differentiating brands and creating entertaining radio. It’s always about finding that balance between sound tactics and smart strategies – and doing great radio. Thanks for weighing in.
Hi Fred,
Great post. The elephant in the room – and literally exposed by Jon Miller’s response – is radio’s fixation and dependence upon “average quarter hour” listening. We’re saddled with 80-year old thinking that has created the bow tie problem. No one programs or listens to radio in quarter hours; it’s a meaningless phrase except when connected to audience measurement.
Sadly, as long as AQH continues to be the measuring stick for ratings (and revenue) very few programmers will have the nerve to try a different approach as you have suggested. With all due respect to Jon, I couldn’t help but chuckle at his comment: “we never imagined (though maybe we should have!) that the industry would take it so literally and flip every station to the same strategy.” Seriously?
Dennis Gwiazdon
VP/GM
South Central Media/Nashville
Thanks, Dennis. Many of those early PPM “lessons” were taken to heart by an industry trying to learn a new methodology. Arbitron has stressed branding a great deal in recent years, but many still adhere to some of those early rules of the road. Appreciate you taking the time to comment.
Fred,
Thanks for nailing this in public. In 1984 I put 3 breaks on a clock in Philly at 20, 35 and 55. Did it again in Chicago. It worked. In 1995 I put 2 breaks on a station(more than one!) at 17 and 47, to get away from the qtr hr “sweepers” across the street. As I thought, no PD “worth his weight” would dare break on the quarters. They just couldn’t bring themselves to do it. Wasn’t until the PPM appeared that we had competition on those breaks.
Now every station evacuates the room at the same time. And we wonder why younger listeners go away, looking for their music on YouTube etc. But I have to say, the worst offenders are some of the biggest companies. So if you have a “bowtie” on one station, you’ve got on 500+ stations. Not good.
Jack, your comments are dead on the money. Any tactic gets subverted when everyone does it. Appreciate that perspective and you taking the time to read our blog.