We talk a lot in this space about how stories trump data, about how personality will always beat jukeboxes, and about the passion that radio so desperately needs to rekindle.
And Paul Harvey's passing over the weekend only reinforces those notions – and takes them up to the tenth power. I remember listening to WKDF in Nashville back in the '80s when it was a powerful rock station. Every great station has its own unique personality and vibe, and KDF was uniquely Nashville. Carl P. Mayfield in the morning was one of those personalities who could speak the language of the locals. But one of the most amazing things about the station was that they carried Paul Harvey.
Now think about it – here was a traditional AOR station, and somehow, Paul Harvey fit. I remember doing some focus groups for the competition, and couldn't wait to hear some of the locals talk about how Paul Harvey couldn't possibly work on KDF. But he was as much a part of the station as Mayfield, AC/DC, and U2. Paul Harvey wasn't MOR, he wasn't All-News. He was great radio.
We always focus on Time Spent Listening in radio. (OK, now that it's PPM, it's Average Daily Time Exposed.) And programmers often strategize about how great it might be to coax an additional 5 or 10 minutes out of each listener. That notion was totally understood by Paul Harvey who literally invented the "driveway moment" – staying in your car to hear "The Rest of the Story." Hey, even those live reads sucked you in, and made you believe in all sorts of products.
Paul Harvey loved radio, and radio loved him back. The next time you sit in your car that few extra minutes to hear a great story, remember that it was Paul Harvey who elevated it to an art form. As a storyteller, there was no one better.
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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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Throughout the mid-70s and early 80s, Paul Harvey’s radio home in West Michigan was WLAV-FM. We were the first rock station to host his morning and midday broadcasts and that included his Saturday show too. During this time, the station was #1 in every significant demo (except teens) and Paul was very much a part of our station’s personality. His show sold a pricey premium and we always had sponsors eager to sign on. To some, it sounded strange hearing Aerosmith fade out and Paul suddenly appear with his famous “Hello Americans” salutation but it worked for us.
If you haven’t heard this clip, enjoy what a skilled production director can do.
https://hearingvoices.com/news/2007/07/bong-hits-for-paul-harvey/
Fred, I was behind the glass watching those focus groups when you did them in 1987 and I remember them well. Amazingly, Paul Harvey was already 68 years old then, yet his connection with the audience transcended generations as well as formats. His passing is one more reminder to our industry that great content is always vital for enduring success. RIP Mr. Harvey.