These days, most radio broadcasting companies find themselves in pretty much the same boat. The transformation to digital is finally full speed ahead. Most companies are searching for adjacent or new media assets they can buy or partner with.
And while all this activity is happening at a torrid pace, the condition of local radio is muddied. Even in the biggest markets, staff reductions and budget cuts have taken their toll.
When it comes to marketing and promotion, many clusters are operating at the bare minimum, able to fulfill sales commitments but often little else. It’s no wonder then that major initiatives aren’t possible due to this lack of bandwidth.
Now imagine a promotion or public service campaign that involves most of the radio broadcasters in a market. It seems almost inconceivable competing companies could set their differences aside to come together for a common cause. But then, there’s nothing like a war to get people to put their differences aside.
“MKE For Ukraine”
It’s happening in Milwaukee. This Friday, many of the market’s radio stations along with other media outlets will unite with a compelling purpose: to aid the people of war-torn Ukraine.
“MKE For Ukraine” is a one-day fundraiser, put together by
OnMilwaukee, a commercial website that’s been in business since 1998. But the interesting part is that this relief effort was dreamed up by former radio promotions whiz, Natalie DiPietro.
I worked with Natalie at the late great Rock 103.5 in Chicago, and she was a promotions rock star, always looking for bigger than life events. She later worked with both Entercom and iHeartMedia in Milwaukee.
Even though she’s been out of radio for a couple years, she’s doing big things as VP Marketing and Development with OnMilwaukee.
When the idea began to come together for this city-wide fundraiser, Natalie opened up her “Contacts,” made some calls, and brought “MKE For Ukraine” to life.
I caught up with her in between “March Madness” games over the weekend, and she was kind of enough to talk about this market-wide initiative where many competing media outlets are banding together to raise money for UNICEF.
Fred: How did “MKE For Ukraine” come together?
Natalie: Watching the news night after night and seeing women from Poland leaving strollers at the train station so Ukraine families would have them when they arrived just crushed me. I knew OnMilwaukee.com had to do something.
I went to our COO, Carolynn Buser, with the idea to do a 1-day online fundraiser. She liked it. I called her twelve hours later and said I wanted to make it Milwaukee media wide. We were off to the races.
Fred: How hard was it rounding up support? And who’s on-board?
Natalie: OnMilwaukee works with everyone. Our journalists are seen and heard across multiple radio and television stations and we’ve partnered with many of them on our events. Having friends, acquaintances, and former bosses in this market, I started with them. If I didn’t know someone, I asked someone else for an intro.
So far we have: Bustos Media, CBS58, Clear Channel Outdoor, Good Karma Broadcasting, iHeartMedia, Milwaukee Magazine, Milwaukee Radio Alliance, Milwaukee World Festivals, Inc, Pabst Theater Group, Wisconsin Center District and 88Nine. We are waiting on a few others. Some stations have corporate initiatives and will be doing their own thing.
Fred: You’re a radio vet, and you know these collective efforts that bring the industry together are few and far between. Should radio be looking for more opportunities like this?
Natalie: Radio has always been extremely supportive of non-profits whether it’s St. Jude, Make-A-Wish, Feeding America, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, MusicCares, or local organizations. I certainly understand ratings wars, so if the media can’t come together, that’s okay, I know they will continue to support organizations who need it and do good in their communities.
Fred: Would it be a heavy lift to do something like this in Cleveland, Orlando, or Fresno? Any advice for companies, clusters that want to get the ball rolling?
Natalie: Just that. Get the ball rolling! We’ve all been doing this long enough that we know the players at other stations. 99% of the work on MKE for Ukraine was done via email. I didn’t even speak to anyone in person at UNICEF. All email. Plant some seeds with your media friends, secure the non-profit and run with it.
OnMilwaukee.com’s Creative Services Director, Jason McDowell, created the image for MKE for Ukraine and UNICEF had video, images, a:15 PSA and gave us a vanity URL so we can keep track of how this performs. We wanted to make it as easy as possible for our partners on this to say yes without a lot of heavy lifting on their part.
Thanks to Natalie and OnMilwaukee.com for bringing the media world together in Milwaukee – especially radio. And congrats to OnMilwaukee’s media partners on “MKE For Ukraine.” We wish them the best in their efforts on Friday.
Kraina FM
Speaking of radio, you probably won’t be surprised to learn there’s a radio station licensed to Ukraine’s capitol, Kyiv, that is providing amazing public service during these tumultuous events.
Here in America, many have found themselves broadcasting during hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, and events like 9/11. But most of us have not been through a war where our fellow citizens are being killed, millions are evacuating, our buildings are being destroyed, and our cities are under constant siege.
As the New Yorker’s Nicolas Niarchos reported last week, Kraina FM, a station that mostly plays rock and pop music, has stayed on the air. “Ukraine’s Radio Station of National Resistance” highlights two of Kraina FM’s staffers, programmer Roman Davydov and his GM Bogdan Bolkhovetsky, are continuing to provide information and comfort to Kyiv’s citizenry.
They were able to keep the station alive, thanks in large part to donations from various European colleagues, including Austria. As Bolkhovetsky explained, “Guys we’ve never met just sent us equipment, and a friend of ours brought this equipment in. I mean, they brought us these German laptops and the mixing console and we’ve never seen these people before.”
It’s another example of radio broadcasters stepping up when help and assistance are most needed.
Interestingly, both of these Kyiv radio guys came from other professions. Davydov studied economics, but started doing comedy bits for an area station. Bolkhovetsky was an English and French teacher before getting bit by the all-too-familiar “radio bug.” As you might imagine, both are well-traveled in their radio careers.
The New Yorker story ends with a great sequence I’ll share with you. It occurred early in the war:
Bolkhovetsky: “We went to the local military station and we said, ‘We are here. What do you want us to do?'”
Local soldiers: “What can you do?”
Bolkhovetsky: “We can do radio.”
Local chief: “So go and make radio.”
I love this. It is SO radio.
Hey NAB, let’s give this station an honorary Marconi.
By the way, “The New Yorker Radio Hour,” produced by WNYC, included this story in their show. You can listen to it below:
“Kyiv Calling”
And finally, there’s news out of the world of Ukrainian rock – or perhaps more accurately, punk.
Cover versions can be disappointing, but not this appropriately angry new version of the Clash’s “London Calling.”
Recorded by Beton, a Ukrainian band, “Kyiv Calling” is an in your face version of the Clash’s hit. Tied to the war, it is highly attitudinal, showing the difficult images of a ravaged Ukraine. “London Calling” was about World War II, an event few of us can relate to. But this version speaks to the scenes we’re sadly getting accustomed to seeing every day on the news.
According to Huffington Post writer, Mary Papenfuss, members of the Clash gave Beton their blessing to record and release the song.
Before you watch the video, it is NSFW due to a well-placed F-bomb.
Proceeds from music sales will be directed to the Free Ukraine Resistance Movement.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLCiA38No3Y
It will be interesting to see if the song garners airplay in the States. It’s a well-made, in the moment version of the original. I realize stations never want to get political, but supporting Ukraine is a no-brainer.
Even for stations outside of the rock and alternative formats, it’s a morning show segment, something to post on the station website, and good material for social media.
These are three amazing stories that remind us of the power of music, radio, and people trying to make a difference during cataclysmic times.
Special thanks to Jimmy Steal, Steve Goldstein, and Mike Stern.
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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While this example is essentially TV/video-focused, I stumbled across a feature from over the weekend regarding the United News consortium of previously competing Ukrainian outlets–and how a UK-based online group is relaying it as a special, free offering.
https://inews.co.uk/news/ukraine-news-groups-join-forces-to-deliver-24-7-coverage-of-their-own-war-1528445
It’s fascinating how stress breeds innovation and resilience. In each of the three stories in the post, you see people acting a bit out of character, but moved to do something that will make a difference. Make no mistake about it – this war is horrific. But it has brought out the best in many people in and out of Ukraine. Thanks, Eric.