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I was on the consulting road for over two decades. I
consulted about 500 stations during that time. It was
incredible. Since I am very competitive I really enjoyed
going into a market and installing a new format, or
adjusting the one is existence, so that my client would
dramatically improve its competitive position. That is what
I was hired to do. And I enjoyed doing it.
Some of the most able competitors were
in small and medium small markets. I found programming in
Amarillo was a lot tougher than in New York City. The reason
is simple. The owners in Amarillo were fighting for their
financial lives to make the payroll and pay quarterly
payments to a bank that held their loan. In New York City
there was enough market radio revenue to go around to all
stations (a slight exaggeration, but factual).
The solution? The guys in the smaller
markets came up with all sorts of combined sales and
audience promotions MONTHLY. Their competitors did the same
thing. It made for exciting on-your-toes-at-all-times
radio!!! Furthermore, they were only rated twice a year. On
the other hand the largest markets were rated monthly and
tracked ratings before attacking with promotions (again a
slight exaggeration, but you get the idea).
I got a call from a medium small market station in Waterloo.
I booked them into my travel schedule, and properly
researched their most recent rating book (books in those
days). This was an established AM in trouble from new FM
competitors.
As I looked through the book I found
something amazing. The AM station had a 4 share for most of
the day, but at noon the shares were over a 10 for thirty
minutes. I anticipated arriving in Waterloo to listen to the
station…especially at noon. What I found was that the local
obituaries created all the listenerhip at noon. This was a
new one on me!!! What to do??
If I suggested the end of the obits
the station would lose its highest ratings…and revenues
incidentally (funeral homes, florists, casket makers all
paid heavy rates to be in this noon obit programming). Talk
programming was not yet available by satellite or that
certainly would have been the option. So, I patched it up
the best I could with improved AC music except for the noon
obits. I shrugged my shoulders and headed for the airport,
for my next assignment that was in New York City.
Ray Gardella had just become GM of a fine FM signal in New
York City. He wanted to have a “commercial” jazz station. He
not only hired me, but also a researcher and promotion
specialist.
The answer here was simple. Change the
call letters...we all decided on CD in the calls (WQCD),
tighten the music list, play plenty of Kenny G and Grover
Washington, JR. in heavy rotation, promote the station
heavily on TV, and wait for the audience trends to start
going up…which they did…and then wait for the full quarterly
rating report for the expected good results. It worked like
a charm. After a year WQCD was number one 25-54 in quite a
few hours.
You now have an example of how tough programming might be in
a medium small market compared to a large market. Answers
were few in Waterloo, but were pretty easy in New York City.
I know because I WAS THERE.
Next week: SPORTSLINE.
e-mail Kent
kent@kentburkhart.com
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