Week of February 23, 2009

When was the last time you ran a promo listing the reasons for a small business to consider advertising on your station? Next week we are going to review the basics about radio that may have been forgotten. Despite the technology changes over the years, and the bloggers that think we are "over," our business still has over 235 million listeners every week. It may be time to step away from the computer and re-examine the reasons people choose us every day. Next week, look for the things you already know about radio, but forgot to market to the listeners and advertisers. It's all here at www.allaccess.com.

It's hard to believe we are just weeks away from the all important Spring Book. The good news? You won't be spending a lot of time planning on-air cash contesting, TV schedules, or where to place your outdoor. The bad news? The listeners don't get the memo on the marketing cutbacks, so now would be a good time to get more creative in order to make a big noise. The market may not notice that you are not on TV this spring, but they WILL NOTICE if you create something that does well for your community. Great radio stations win on the street. This year, it's the only place to be.

Have you been asked to take a pay cut? What will your attitude be if you were asked to reduce the amount of money you earned last year? The salad days are (at best) on hold and your reaction will be observed by everyone in the station. Now would be a good time to practice your reaction. This is where true leadership will manifest itself.

If you could give up on radio as a career, what would you do? This past week I have spoken to more than a few managers who are asking themselves the same question. The problem is, our chosen profession is not the usual career choice. Many of us can't imagine doing anything else. Coming up through the sales ranks may qualify you to change careers and sell something else, but it will never be the same as the satisfaction one receives by being a part of the community that the station serves. Radio (done well) should offer a margin of satisfaction we can't get anywhere else. So speculate all you want, but if you believe a bad day in radio is better than a good day anywhere else, you're where you should be. If not, then perhaps there are alternatives.

It's been a tough few weeks for many managers running radio stations throughout the U.S. It seems like every week there is more bad news. Last week was the RAB release of the final 2008 numbers for the year. (www.rab.com) I don't even remember the actual numbers or the % down. All I know is ... it was bad, and that goes into the part of my brain that hears "bla, bla, bla." I have a hard time reading or listening to the news these days because it's all bad. Is it time to have some fun? Maybe it's time to do something with the staff to forget the misery that is our business today. Spring is coming; perhaps we can get the staff together for a picnic in the park, or the parking lot, or ... my house. You can't be down all the time. Everyone knows it's bad; maybe a break is in order, if only for an afternoon.