Last week, I was reminded by Don Anthony that Steve Dahl’s famous “Disco Demolition” at Comiskey Park (in an aborted doubleheader with my Detroit Tigers) was celebrating its 35th anniversary.
When you look back at this bombastic event, it doesn’t feel dated. More to the point, it begs the question of why these over the top stunts don’t happen anymore in radio. Dahl may have never imagined that a Major League Baseball game would end up being called off as a result of his stunt, but when you think big, tap into the passion or zeitgeist of the moment, and you have the stones to pull it off, anything can happen. “Disco sucks” became a powerful anthem in one afternoon.
Dahl made a statement, and it became a defining moment in his career.
It struck me as interesting that 35 years later almost to the day, LeBron James pretty much did the same thing – something big, unexpected, and over the top. And it surprised a lot of people.
That’s what a defining, statement-making moment is all about. King James has the money, the endorsements, the championship rings, and all the spoils. But he was reputation-challenged as a result of “taking his talents” to Miami four years ago (and the lame way in which it was staged). In order to attain redemption, James had made this outrageous statement: “I’m coming home.”
Whether it was back in the ‘70s or last week, we respond to people who surprise us, who are bombastic, and who are not afraid to take risks. When you think of many of the radio personalities who have gone on to become legends, it often started with one of these statement events.
But they don’t have to be stunts. In fact, some of the best statement-making moments in radio come from just being brutally truthful and direct.
Earlier in the month, The Fanatic’s Mike Missanelli interviewed Phillies’ GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. In and of itself, that’s not news because it happens every day in sports radio. But what set this moment apart is that Missanelli didn’t just do the typical radio interview – he went down Amaro’s throat. His statement: “I don’t do typical kiss-ass interviews with local sport icons.”
And to prove the point, this interview was debated, discussed, and covered in several different newspaper articles, blogs, and opinion pieces. I’ll bet it was also a topic at bars, pizza joints, and barbeques during these past few days. Missanelli made a statement, distancing himself from the hundreds of meaningless, cliché interviews that happen every day on sports stations. Like Dahl and LeBron James, he tapped into the emotions of the moment, as all those “happy-go-lucky” Phillies fans are fed up with their underperforming team.
Or take KNDD’s #TwoMinutePromise which we profiled here a few weeks back. It didn’t involve putting a DJ on a billboard or staying on the air for 72 straight hours. But it was statement-making nonetheless. Check off the boxes with me for this marketing initiative: surprising, bombastic, unexpected. Maybe we should add smart to the list. That’s how you make noise in any market these days.
The choice of Jarl Mohn as NPR CEO. Same boxes: surprising, bombastic, unexpected, smart.
At brands big and small, when the focus is on “tweaks,” staying the course, and being consistent, no one notices. Nor do they care. Small, indecipherable changes in the quest for the perfect clock, music log, or shortening a bit from three minutes down to two might make artistic or even PPM sense, but it does little to truly move the needle.
Today’s culture is moving too fast to notice the subtleties. Consumers pay attention to BIG. Maybe Dahl would tell you that it’s always been this way.
That doesn’t mean going big just for the sake of it. It’s one thing to be surprising, bombastic, and unexpected. It’s another to make sure it’s smart. And it’s still another to sense the mood of your fans.
But if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing big and bold.
Who knows? If you make a statement, they might end up cancelling the game.
And you might end up creating that signature moment.
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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Well said, Fred. Would you venture to guess how much time and effort goes into theorizing, deliberating, manufacturing, maintaining and monitoring the neurotic “tweaks” you reference? It’s an exercise in futility and a relic from radio’s archival playbook. The indecipherable changes continue to thrill the scientists and support a mathematical raison d’etre. In 2014, however, palpable innovation sets trends. Dauntless visionaries create new successes. Wholesale reinvention motivates reaction.
Thank you for another pertinent piece on a conviction that deserves much more consideration than it gets.
Much appreciated, Rob. As someone who’s on the frontlines everyday, you are well aware of the balance issues between being fastidious about those details while keeping focused on the truly big initiatives. Thanks for taking thetime to show your thoughts and for reading our blog.
Good post, Fred. Radio has a rich tradition of memorable stunts and promotions. Some of the greatest are from a different era. Chuck Blore, Gordon McLendon, Ruth Meyer, Bill Drake, Ron Jacobs and Rick Sklar, to name a few, were innovative programmers preoccupied with getting people to talk about their radio stations. They had a deep understanding of and reverence for word of mouth. Moreover, they did the common, uncommonly.
Disco Demolition was a huge stunt, however, it takes attention away from Steve Dahl’s greatest stunt of all. Dahl created one of the most-successful, longest-running, original media properties (or brands) in Chicago radio. One could suggest that Disco Demo helped to put him on the radar but my thought is Steve’s spectacular ratings success over decades was the result not of one or two events but of his ongoing multifaceted creative franchise. No one knew what was going to happen next and folks tuned in daily to find out. Dahl can be said to have reinvented the radio serial drama, his entertaining candor, a precursor to reality TV.
There are a great many stunts going on today which don’t get the attention they deserve in the trade. In Chicago, WTMX’s Eric & Kathy stage an annual radiothon to raise money for a children’s hospital. For 36 hours they throw out the format of the market’s #1 music station for a good cause. This past year, their 14th, they raised $1.45 million. To date, donations have been more than $23 million. They’re changing lives.
Radio can be powerful. The only limitation is our imagination.
Finally, let me add my voice to yours in believing Jarl Mohn is an inspired choice. He’ll do great things at NPR and Radio will be better for it.
I think that you’re spot on, Dave. “Disco Demolition” brought attention to a guy who already had established himself in the market – the stunt made him legendary and bigger than life. But in the narrative that is Dahl, it occupy a major chapter in his history.
When I wrote the post, I also thought of Mancow’s haircut on the Bay Bridge, Bob Rivers’ staying on the air at 98Rock in Baltimore until the Orioles won their first game of the season, and others of that magnitude. None of those “made” the personality, but contributed to their storylines. But over the long haul, it is about their talent, creativity, and courage.
Thanks so much for your perspective on this. I would love for radio to occupy a different part of people’s collective imagination and spirit – again.