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Three miscellaneous items:
1. A few columns ago I wrote about image ideas to sell to
advertisers without breaking format. I promised a future
column about how to price these five second image spots. 90
per cent of the programmers will not think clearly about
this because of lack of imagination, but ten per cent will.
Which one are you? Here is an image idea that works for a
music station in any size market: “Once again, The ABC
department store presents another new music special on WXXX.
Here is Smith singing the YES SONG”. Here is the sales pitch
to the ABC store client: This five second image spot runs
four times a day 365 days a year (with one of your newly
selected adds so that you do not violate your music list).
This image spot ties in the ABC department store with
something “new” for the listener “once again” continuity.
This is an exclusive for the ABC store. Create an image rate
package that is very expensive (a normal 30 second rate)
because of its exclusive value. Prepare a special one page
sales pitch with various art work to make the concept look
valuable. I assure you that some retail client in your
market will be ready to buy it!!!........
2. I received a lot of e-comments about my recent John
Parikhal column. One of them was from Chris Kennedy who is
senior vice president of Joint Communications. He works for
John. His three page comments about John’s great vision were
remarkable, and he certainly endorsed the column. Thanks,
Chris, and say hello to John for me……
3. I noticed that Shirley Chisholm died recently. She was
the first black woman to be elected to the U.S. congress.
She unsuccessfully ran for President on 1972. Here is my
Shirley Chisholm story which happened in 1970. I was
president of Pacific and Southern Radio. We were acquiring
radio stations, and one of them was in northern New Jersey,
WJRZ (soon to be known as WWDJ) that covered the New York
City area. In those days the FCC required those buying a
station must interview leaders of that community to find out
what the content or subject of public affairs programming
and public service announcements should be. Shirley was one
of the NYC leaders. I was assigned to interview her.
I called her office on Grand Avenue in Brooklyn and made an
appointment. I asked the doorman at the Lombardy Hotel in
Manhattan to hail a cab that would take me to her address.
Ten cab drivers turned down the request because that said it
was “too dangerous over there”. There had been some unrest.
The eleventh agreed to take me and wait for me (for double
the cab fee/rate) to complete the interview with Shirley,
BUT if things got rough he was leaving, and I would be on my
own.
We drove the 45 minutes to Shirley’s office. I noticed there
wee no other cabs to be seen. There were thirty guys on the
sidewalk and lawn when we got there. They were all very big,
muscled up guys. I got out of the cab, and was immediately
surrounded by three of them. They asked “what do you want?”
I explained that I had a meeting with Shirley to interview
her and it would take about 15 minutes.
The three escorted me to the lobby with a lot of mean stares
from the rest of the group. I explained that my cab was
going to wait for me, that the driver was nervous, and asked
if they would stand guard to protect him from any problem.
They laughed, and said “we’ll see what we can do”.
I introduced myself to the receptionist. She said “Shirley
has just left to go to the bank”. I asked how long she would
be gone, and I was told about 20 minutes. Uh, oh. I had a
timing problem. I was very nervous!!! The group out side was
anything but friendly.
It was August, and very hot. I don’t recall whether there
was air conditioning in the reception area, but I was
sweating big time. As I mentioned I had already noticed
there were no other cabs on Grand. It was my waiting cab or
no cabs!!!!
Twenty minutes later I told the receptionist that I had a
waiting cab, and would have to leave. She understood my
situation, and walked me to the front door and told the
muscle guys out front to let me walk to my cab without harm.
All 30 of them followed me to the cab right on my heels.
When I got to the cab I couldn’t help but notice the cab was
hot, windows closed, and the driver was VERY nervous. I
didn’t get the door closed before he gunned it, and we were
flying down Grand.
I called Shirley the next day and did the interview by
phone. She apologized for not making the appointment and
asked if I had any problems. I said, “no, but I sure was
nervous about your bodyguards”. She laughed. I didn’t.
I know because I WAS THERE!!
e-mail Kent
kent@kentburkhart.com
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