November 8th is Cook Something Bold and Pungent Day (no, really). If your brand is anything that can be used in a recipe that smells bold and pungent, this is your day! Have radio stations ask for the boldest recipes their listeners make when the weather becomes cool enough to stay home cook something hot. Stews and soups and casseroles, oh my! We can even incorporate your retail partners that are willing to show you the most support during the promotional window. Listeners can receive retailer gift cards, appliances to make cooking easier or cash to pay their heating bill this Fall.

For brands that wish to promote their “green” efforts, celebrate America Recycles Day on November 15th. Partner with radio stations to collect the most recyclable products and to promote buying products that are made with recycled material. You’ll look good and listeners who participate will win some “green” of their own – cash to put toward holiday dinners and shopping.

Here’s one for women’s sports apparel manufacturers and retailers. Have radio stations prepare women for Black Friday by awarding them your products or gift cards to purchase your products. Listeners will be encouraged to get in shape for and stay comfortable throughout the “marathon” shopping day.

Conversely, for brands that make clothing that’s great for lounging around the house, promote your products for Cyber Monday instead of Black Friday.

Whatever your brand or goal, there is a seamless way to immerse you into the programming of your consumer’s favorite radio station – on-air and online. Call us with a challenge!

Barbra Tabnick, Senior Account Manager

• I was a late bloomer, so my first job didn’t happen until I was junior in college. It was a paid public relations internship for the Philadelphia Fever Indoor Soccer Team. When I say “paid” it was $25 per week to cover my subway fare from school to work to home. I was a bargain. I took to it like a fish to water and was regarded as the Assistant PR Director by mid-season and then officially named to the position the day I completed the fall semester the following year.
• My first paying job was as a Sleep Away Camp Counselor at age 17. I supervised 10-year-old girls, played guitar and sports all summer – it was great! I taught the girls a song called “Garbage Man” that had a life at camp long after I had left. I earned no more than $400 the entire summer – it was well worth it.
• My first job was a youth center supervisor. I was in 8th grade and essentially got paid $3.00/hour (when minimum wage was $1.85) to shoot pool and play ping-pong. Officially, I was supposed to make sure that nobody walked out with the pool table or the ping-pong paddles. So I got to hang out (at a place that I would have already been hanging out) with my friends and get paid $3.00 an hour to do so.
• My first job was as a bookseller at a Barnes and Noble in Northern Virginia. I found out in the interview I was too young to work there. But they liked me and they thought it was so funny that I wore a suit to the interview (apparently I was the only one) that they gave me the job on the spot and told me I could start when I turned 16 a few months later. The funniest part of the job was the customers. About 40% of customers come in with physical descriptions of the book and ask you to find it. For instance “I am looking for a book, paperback, the spine is red and there is a girl on the cover. Can you show me where it is.”
• One of my first jobs was working at a local car wash. I used to ride my bike to work. I hated it. The job didn’t last very long…b/c as time went on I got tired of drying off the cars with hand towels in the cold… and as I got closer to my 16th birthday, I wanted to be able to pull the cars out after they had been cleaned. With no license, the owner refused, so I ended leaving after 3 months. I hated that job. Today, I’ll still occasionally drive by it…and laugh.
• My first real job was working for Benetton. Picture a Gap-like layout with shelves and shelves of perfectly folded patterned sweaters and leggings, making it quite noticeable when the folding was off. We’d cringe when a bratty teenager and her mom would come in 10 minutes before closing and mess up the entire store. The good news - the discounts. Even better, I was asked to model for a Mall advertising campaign and got to get a makeover and keep the outfit I modeled.

Hey, forget all that. What the heck am I doing with a copy of AARP Magazine!

Since death has not yet claimed us, Bill, Raquel and I will all celebrate birthdays in September. And while my new age won’t end in a milestone zero, it will signal the start of my final year in what we, in radio, used to call “The Money Demographic,” Adults 25-54.

That was back in the 80s. Today’s longer life expectancies and aging adults who refuse to act their age have put a whole new spin on marketing and how radio reaches Baby Boomers.

Back in the 80s, there were essentially four radio formats that delivered Adults 55+ (or “55 to dead” as we used to joke): All News, Talk, MOR/Big Band (today called Adult Standards) and Classical. Today, News/Talk still does the job, but the music formats have been reshuffled in the radio deck.

Few radio markets still support an Adult Standards stations. Those that do often fill a suburban market signal high up on the AM band and cater to Adults in their 70s and 80s, who settle for Michael Buble and Diana Krall (filling in for Tommy Dorsey and Kay Starr) so that station management can fantasize that 30-and-40-somethings will also tune in.

Most Classical music stations are now public broadcasting outlets, low on the FM dial and supported by corporate sponsorships and listener donations, rather than 60-second commercials.

Today’s Baby Boomers, like their parents before them, stay young by replaying the music of their youth. But there’s a common bond between the sound of Classic Rock and Today’s Rock that allow a 20-something to enjoy the Stones or Zeppelin much more than 20-year olds in the 1960s managed to endure Wayne Newton or Lawrence Welk.

Classic Rock and Oldies stations populate the Top 10 of most major markets, keeping the music of Baby Boomers alive and available in direct proportion to the value of their discretionary dollars to advertisers. Sure, they may be not be as brand-fickle as their younger counterparts, but they can be swayed by an irresistible offer to try something new. And with their mortgages paid and the kids through college, the 55+ demo is getting a lot more attention than they did back in the Stone Age.

Speaking of which, it’s only appropriate we mention another birthday. Fred Flintstone will turn 50 in September, time-bending though that may seem. Me? I’d still rather share my birthday cake with Raquel Welch.

Mark Lipsky, President & CEO

Last month, Arbitron announced it had reached an agreement with the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins to provide custom PPM services for the team. The Pittsburgh hockey team is the first NHL franchise to sign up.

The Penguins are, however, not the only sports teams to sign on for custom PPM ratings. Arbitron has focused in on sports team franchises that have taken their broadcasting rights in house so they can package and sell their own commercial inventory.

Arbitron’s Sports Manager Chris Meinhardt was quoted in Inside Radio saying, “PPM measures an individual event more reliably than the diary. It captures listening that may be overlooked.”

Teams from all four major sports have enlisted Arbitron’s services to try to better serve their stations, fans and advertisers with their custom PPM ratings services. Major League Baseball’s Cincinnati Reds have the strongest share numbers so far this year. Reds flagship station WLW has averaged a 25% radio audience share among Men 25-54 when the Reds are on the air. The St Louis Cardinals and Minnesota Twins also have custom PPM agreements with Arbitron. Additionally, the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers and several NFL teams have signed agreements for the custom PPM package.

“Premier events, like the playoffs, can have dramatic impacts on the total number of listeners,” Meinhardt continues. “Radio plays an important part of a fan’s experience. While an individual’s first choice may be to watch a championship game on TV, if they’re away from home, they’re going to find a way to catch the game. Other sporting events see similar radio audience increases. Some of the greatest increase in listeners, as a percentage, has been NBA and NHL playoffs.”

The services include pre and post-game show analysis, game summaries, plus playoff and championship analysis for those teams that reach the post season. In some markets, coaches’ and player specialty shows are also included as part of the package.

Expect more pro teams to tap into these customized ratings in 2011 and beyond.

Danny Ocean, Vice President/Director of Operations

For 25 years, I’ve been proud to call Vince my friend. Three times, I’d tried to lure Vince from radio to join Radio Direct Response. In 2006, Vince finally made the leap and, a year later, he confided in me that he wished he’d done it 10 years sooner.

Vince was already fighting cancer when he joined RDR, but that didn’t dampen his passion or determination to lead by example. Those of you who worked with Vince know exactly what I mean.

Vince faced his mortality with a bravery and humility I can only hope to model when my time comes.

Last year, for fun, our agency launched a commercial-free, Internet radio station called RDR Radio. Many of the radio refugees who work here stepped up to create and host a show. Vince took the 7 PM to Midnight slot and called his show “The Roadhouse,” featuring a tasty mix of R&B classics from the 40s, 50s and 60s.

For his on-air persona, Vince chose to call himself “The Ghost.” Recently, I asked if he made that choice with his medical condition in mind. He confessed that he did. Playfully (and it was delightful, not morbid, that Vince could discuss these things so openly) I asked if he chose “The Ghost” with the expectation that we would be compelled to keep the radio station going, pretty much forever, just to keep his voice alive. Vince just smiled and said, “Yep.”

From his early 20s working at the legendary Main Point (where Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band occasionally followed Vince home to crash on his couch) through sales and management assignments at WPEN, WMGK, WYSP, WJJZ, WNTP, Eagles Football and Metro Traffic, Vince left an indelible impression on all whom he touched. I could walk the earth for the rest of my days in search of someone able to speak ill of Vince and all I’d get for my trouble is a trunk full of worn out shoes.

To his wife Joyce, his son Mark, his parents and all who are feeling the sadness and grief of loss, all of us at RDR extend our heartfelt sympathies and share the loss of Vince’s physical presence. We were all the better for having Vince in our lives. I’m convinced he’s already making music somewhere, wherever his spirit has settled in for the next act.

Mark Lipsky, President & CEO

You’re a big believer in radio’s accountability. How do you see radio’s position on accountability and how that compares to other media?
Radio has always been accountable to results. If businesses did not see growth, they would not continue to advertise. As online advertising has become more and more mainstream, accountability has become a bigger conversation. But radio accountability must be viewed differently than online accountability. Radio gets your message out to a broad and massive audience, reaching both active and passive consumers. The brand endorsement, alignment and frequency with radio is a different advertising experience than display ads online. To that end though, radio’s online and streaming audience, in some cases, is now substantial enough to accomplish the accountability standards in the online space with those same products.

Radio’s making an excellent transition to the Web. But one of radio’s much-touted innovations, HD Radio, seems to have stalled at the starting gate. Do you see HD Radio with a place in the future of “all things radio?”
HD is in growth mode. The speed of that growth will be determined by the volume at which HD receivers are purchased and utilized. As more and more automotive manufacturers include HD radios in their vehicles, consumers will get accustomed to HD offerings. This would likely spur stand-alone sales of HD radios for office and home listening.

If this were to happen, how might HD change the rules of the game?
From a programming standpoint, on HD, radio Program Directors can try new things to see what the response is without running the risk of alienating your larger, traditional audience. For advertisers, HD may be a good transition from its non-commercial roots. That way, you can monetize the HD feeds without needing a large volume of clients and without loading up the feeds with commercials while the audience is still discovering it.

What’s the likelihood of this happening?
Again, without the audience and revenue, this will not be as major of a focus. Audience equals revenue which equals focus.

Vince Raimondo, Vice President of Marketing

The voice(s) have been cast.

The magic is all set to happen today. It’s recording day.

And recording said talent is as easy as 1-2-3.

1. Have a game plan. It may seem obvious, but read over the copy and figure out, in your mind a game plan. How do you want every line to sound? How should those lines fit together? Those are important questions that need to be thought of before going into the session. Otherwise the session becomes laborious. You won’t get the best the talent has to offer if what should have been a 15 minutes session turns out to be 45. This leads us to…
2. Be flexible. You hear it in your head one way. For whatever reason the talent is not able to give it to you that way. He/She may not have the range, the director may not be able to express it properly, whatever the case, at some point, it’s going to be obvious you are not going to get what you want. Before recasting, try different approaches. Get different reads. Different inflections. Different accents. Be flexible, record everything and you may strike gold. But above all…
3. Know when enough is enough. If the session hasn’t ended after 15 – 20 minutes, it’s time to end it. At this point, you’ll have gotten the best you can out of the talent. Trying to get something “better” will be laborious and a chore. For the talent, the words that are being read will lose all meaning and just be a jumble of sound. For the director, you’ll lose the ability to “hear” anything. At this point if you still haven’t gotten what you need, then it will be time to recast. But once you hit the 15 – 20 minute mark, you won’t get anything better than what you already have.

There you have it. The three easy to follow steps to directing voice talent. (Of course, step 4 is having a great director who can get the most out of the voice talent. But that’s a whole other blog.)

Ian Cohen, Production Director

A few more mouse clicks snagged a downtown, four-star Toronto hotel for $79 a night and the next thing I knew, I was on my way. Why would I do such a thing? Why would I imprison myself on a 10-hour bus ride for two out of four days? To force myself to write.

Fate and good timing landed me a front row seat on the upper deck. A half-filled bus left the seat next to me empty. A few hours later, I realized that I had the world’s greatest $5.00 office space.

In addition to tackling a few writing projects I’d been unable or unwilling to give the time they deserved, I met some interesting people. I interviewed several of them for a book I’m writing. And I eavesdropped on a couple of conversations that sparked new ideas for radio commercials.

I also penned a couple of blogs, including this one, written as we cruise down the Pennsylvania Turnpike on the final leg of the journey.

With full web access, it’s almost like another day in the office – without all the distractions. I’ve experienced new sights, sounds and perspectives. If I worked solo, I’d probably take this trip every week – or even “live” on the bus as my mobile, $25/week office space with free WiFi.

Highway adventures aside, the main takeaway for me is, as a writer, to continue to put myself in new places where I can see the world and its inhabitants from different perspectives. Creativity flourishes. Problems get resolved. Writer’s block dissolves.

I’m constantly looking and listening for new ways, reasons and angles to spin a story, present a benefit and proffer an offer. Even on a double-decker bus. Are you?

Mark Lipsky, President & CEO

Retail brands that cater to families and the health conscious should capitalize on October being Eat Better, Eat Together Month. Radio stations could supply families with everything they need to make dinner time “family time.” Listeners who submit family pics around the dinner table or great family recipes could win a new kitchen set, cookware or a shopping spree to their favorite retailer (thus earning your brand some good brownie points in-store!).

If you’re a movie studio, TV network or popcorn brand, take advantage of this time of year as people stay in more. Have their favorite radio stations make their at-home experience that much more enjoyable by awarding them new TVs, laptops, movie and TV-series DVD collections to snuggle up to at night. Asking listeners to complete a line of famous dialogue in a movie or TV show or answer a trivia question about a main character is always fun and easy contesting for radio stations.

October 24th is National Make A Difference Day. Partner with radio stations to do some good in local communities or honor local heroes who have made a difference themselves. Rebuild a community center. Help refurbish a park. Donate to a local charity. Use the promotion for both the good of your brand and the lives of many to kick-start the gift-giving season.

Need to generate buzz and sales this October? Call us for more ideas specific to your brand.

Barbra Tabnick, Senior Account Manager

HOUSTON
Five music stations comprise the Top 5 in Houston (Persons 12+, Total Week), led by KODA-FM (Soft Adult) at #1, followed by KMJQ-FM (Urban AC), KBXX-FM (Rhythmic CHR), KTBZ-FM (Modern Rock) and KTBZ-FM (Regional Mexican).

With its #1 rating Mornings in Houston, KLTN-FM holds the distinction of being the only #1 Spanish language morning show in America’s Top 10 markets. Workplace favorite KODA-FM takes over in the top spot Middays and PM Drive, with KBXX-FM dancing into the #1 slot at Night.

KBXX-FM is Houston’s top station with Young Adults 18-34, earning the Total Week title on the strength of daypart victories in PM Drive and Nights. KLTN-FM wins Morning Drive and KTBZ-FM is the favorite during Midday.

Adults 25-54 choose KTBZ-FM as their Total Week favorite, the only Modern Rock station to earn that honor in America’s Top 10 markets. By daypart, the winners are KLTN Mornings, KODA Midday and PM Drive and KBXX at Night.

ATLANTA
Urban station WVEE-FM dominates the overall market (Persons 12+, Total Week). Black Gospel station WPZE-FM finishes second, making WPZE-FM the only Black Gospel station to crack the Top 5 in America’s Top 10 radio markets. News/Talk powerhouse WSB-AM comes in 3rd, followed by WABE-FM (Public Broadcasting) and WKHX-FM (Country).

WVEE-FM wins the market across every weekday daypart, with WSB placing second in Drive Times and Midday. After dark, Urban and Black Gospel formats account for 4 of the top 5 slots.

With Young Adults (18-34) and Adults 25-54, WVEE-FM also rules the marketplace. Rocker WKLS-FM places 2nd with Adults 18-34, while WPZE-FM claims 2nd place with Adults 25-54.

Biggest surprise? WSB’s #8 ranking for Total Persons 12+ cume (weekly) audience Monday-Friday from 7 PM to Midnight. As the flagship station for the Atlanta Braves, it’s worth noting that the station isn’t generating a larger audience, given the Braves’ current First Place position in the NL East.

PHILADELPHIA
Adult Contemporary WBEB-FM is Philly’s favorite station (Total Week, Persons 12+) driven by long listening shares in the work place. WOGL-FM (Oldies) ranks second, followed by WDAS-FM (Urban AC), KYW-AM (News) and WMGK-FM (Classic Rock).

By daypart, KYW wins the Morning, with WBEB winning the workday (Midday and PM Drive). After dark, Phillies’ baseball helps WPHT-AM (Talk) to its market-leading audience share.

Despite its failure to win a single weekday daypart, WUSL-FM (Urban) wins the Total Week amongst Adults 18-34. WMMR-FM (Rock) wins Mornings and Middays, while Rhythmic CHR WRDW-FM takes top honors in PM Drive and at Night.

Philly’s preference for music holds true with Adults 25-54, as the Top Five consist of WBEB, WDAS-FM, WMMR, WMGK and WIOQ-FM (CHR). According to Arbitron’s format designations, Philly’s Top 10 favorite stations amongst Adults 25-54 broadcast 10 different music formats.

WASHINGTON
News rules the nation’s capitol, as WTOP-FM (News) earns “Hail to the Chief” honors at the #1 station in Washington, Total Week, Persons 12+. WTOP is the only Top 10 market station to not only win the week, but every individual weekday daypart: AM Drive to Midday to PM Drive to Nights.

WIHT-FM (CHR) places second overall in the market, followed by WMMJ-FM (Urban AC), WHUR-FM (Urban AC) and WASH-FM (AC).

Music stations rules the Adults 18-34 demographic, paced by WIHT, WKYS-FM (Urban), WWDC-FM (Rock), WPGC-FM (Urban) and WLZL-FM (Tropical). Mornings are ruled by WIHT with more than a 2:1 audience share lead over 2nd place finisher WKYS.

Adults 25-54 favor news and a different mix of music, led by WTOP, WHUR, WASH, WIHT and WMMJ. WTOP leads each daypart, apart from Middays, where WASH rules the workplace.

BOSTON
Boston plays the hits! The total week, Total Persons 12+ winner in the latest survey is CHR station WXKS-FM, followed by WBZ-AM (News/Talk), WMJX-FM (AC), WROR-FM (Classic Hits) and WJMN-FM (Rhythmic CHR).

WBZ rules Morning Drive, with WMJX playing Midday favorites and WXKS emerging as market favorite in PM Drive and Nights.

WXKS (CHR) is the #1 winner across the board with Adults 18-34, winning Mornings, Middays, Afternoon and Nights.

WXKS also wins the Adults 25-54 race Total Week and across all weekday dayparts, with the exception of a slight Midday edge to WMJX.