Cumulus CEO Lew Dickey called me yesterday to say why don't you write about Clear Channel once in a while -- after all, they are more evil than we are.

Alright, I'm lying.

Dickey didn't call but I'll bet you he's praying we write about some other consolidator's evil actions today after all the apparent misery Cumulus is causing its loyal employees.

In fact, things have been so intense at Cumulus lately that in our ongoing Inside Music Media poll of Radio's Best and Worst Groups, Cumulus has pulled ahead of Clear Channel (see for yourself by clicking here and&hellip

Cumulus CEO Lew Dickey called me yesterday to say why don't you write about Clear Channel once in a while -- after all, they are more evil than we are.

Alright, I'm lying.

Dickey didn't call but I'll bet you he's praying we write about some other consolidator's evil actions today after all the apparent misery Cumulus is causing its loyal employees.

In fact, things have been so intense at Cumulus lately that in our ongoing Inside Music Media poll of Radio's Best and Worst Groups, Cumulus has pulled ahead of Clear Channel (see for yourself by clicking here and&hellip

Cumulus CEO Lew Dickey called me yesterday to say why don't you write about Clear Channel once in a while -- after all, they are more evil than we are.

Alright, I'm lying.

Dickey didn't call but I'll bet you he's praying we write about some other consolidator's evil actions today after all the apparent misery Cumulus is causing its loyal employees.

In fact, things have been so intense at Cumulus lately that in our ongoing Inside Music Media poll of Radio's Best and Worst Groups, Cumulus has pulled ahead of Clear Channel (see for yourself by clicking here and&hellip

I thought you might be interested in what Morgan Stanley did recently in the UK.

They offered a two-week internship to a 15-year old to critique the media business and write a report called How Teenagers Consume Media. In it, Matthew Robson believes he is speaking for over 200 other teens.

And if he is, we may want to listen up.

First, he proclaims Twitter for old people.

Stop and think about it. My young friends and former students are not all that enamored of Twitter. My older friends are in love with it.

Maybe Matthew is right.

And we know that only about 9% of the people who have Twitter&hellip

I thought you might be interested in what Morgan Stanley did recently in the UK.

They offered a two-week internship to a 15-year old to critique the media business and write a report called How Teenagers Consume Media. In it, Matthew Robson believes he is speaking for over 200 other teens.

And if he is, we may want to listen up.

First, he proclaims Twitter for old people.

Stop and think about it. My young friends and former students are not all that enamored of Twitter. My older friends are in love with it.

Maybe Matthew is right.

And we know that only about 9% of the people who have Twitter&hellip

I thought you might be interested in what Morgan Stanley did recently in the UK.

They offered a two-week internship to a 15-year old to critique the media business and write a report called How Teenagers Consume Media. In it, Matthew Robson believes he is speaking for over 200 other teens.

And if he is, we may want to listen up.

First, he proclaims Twitter for old people.

Stop and think about it. My young friends and former students are not all that enamored of Twitter. My older friends are in love with it.

Maybe Matthew is right.

And we know that only about 9% of the people who have Twitter&hellip

Citadel and Cumulus, your market leaders on bankruptcy potential, have fired a lot of talent in the past year -- including valuable sales people.

Now, they are apparently hiring again.

No, not hiring back.

Hiring new.

And to listen to the way they are selling the open positions, you'd think Capital Cities/ABC had come back from the dead to run these help wanted programs.

So, let me set the stage.

Among Clear Channel, Citadel and Cumulus alone -- not to mention the bottom feeder consolidators -- there are enough so-called "laid off" account execs ready to work again to help these bumbling radio&hellip

Citadel and Cumulus, your market leaders on bankruptcy potential, have fired a lot of talent in the past year -- including valuable sales people.

Now, they are apparently hiring again.

No, not hiring back.

Hiring new.

And to listen to the way they are selling the open positions, you'd think Capital Cities/ABC had come back from the dead to run these help wanted programs.

So, let me set the stage.

Among Clear Channel, Citadel and Cumulus alone -- not to mention the bottom feeder consolidators -- there are enough so-called "laid off" account execs ready to work again to help these bumbling radio&hellip

Citadel and Cumulus, your market leaders on bankruptcy potential, have fired a lot of talent in the past year -- including valuable sales people.

Now, they are apparently hiring again.

No, not hiring back.

Hiring new.

And to listen to the way they are selling the open positions, you'd think Capital Cities/ABC had come back from the dead to run these help wanted programs.

So, let me set the stage.

Among Clear Channel, Citadel and Cumulus alone -- not to mention the bottom feeder consolidators -- there are enough so-called "laid off" account execs ready to work again to help these bumbling radio&hellip

Don't worry, Clear Channel is still the "Evil Empire".

But Cumulus under the leadership of the Dickey boys is more like the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, the fictional Marvel Comics super villain team devoted to mutant superiority over normal humans.

Of course I am poking fun at the Dickey brothers because as they have been tightening the noose on their talented and able Cumulus employees, they have also been tightening the noose on themselves.

It is unthinkable that a radio group could spy on employees using cameras installed at their stations, punish salespeople who can't meet corporate goals in a brutal recession&hellip

Don't worry, Clear Channel is still the "Evil Empire".

But Cumulus under the leadership of the Dickey boys is more like the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, the fictional Marvel Comics super villain team devoted to mutant superiority over normal humans.

Of course I am poking fun at the Dickey brothers because as they have been tightening the noose on their talented and able Cumulus employees, they have also been tightening the noose on themselves.

It is unthinkable that a radio group could spy on employees using cameras installed at their stations, punish salespeople who can't meet corporate goals in a brutal recession&hellip

Don't worry, Clear Channel is still the "Evil Empire".

But Cumulus under the leadership of the Dickey boys is more like the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, the fictional Marvel Comics super villain team devoted to mutant superiority over normal humans.

Of course I am poking fun at the Dickey brothers because as they have been tightening the noose on their talented and able Cumulus employees, they have also been tightening the noose on themselves.

It is unthinkable that a radio group could spy on employees using cameras installed at their stations, punish salespeople who can't meet corporate goals in a brutal recession&hellip

Disney's ESPN is up to something big that radio and new media interests should keep a close eye on because they are about to steal local listeners away from radio and move them to the Internet.

A number of months ago ESPN the sports giant (television, radio, publishing, online, mobile) began testing a concept that is reminiscent of local radio when radio was in fact local.

Three months ago in Chicago, the test site, ESPN began digging down deep into local communities in an effort to create total domination of all things sports. In Chicago, ESPN is up against Randy Michaels and Tribune. So far ESPN is leading the race for&hellip

Disney's ESPN is up to something big that radio and new media interests should keep a close eye on because they are about to steal local listeners away from radio and move them to the Internet.

A number of months ago ESPN the sports giant (television, radio, publishing, online, mobile) began testing a concept that is reminiscent of local radio when radio was in fact local.

Three months ago in Chicago, the test site, ESPN began digging down deep into local communities in an effort to create total domination of all things sports. In Chicago, ESPN is up against Randy Michaels and Tribune. So far ESPN is leading the race for&hellip

Disney's ESPN is up to something big that radio and new media interests should keep a close eye on because they are about to steal local listeners away from radio and move them to the Internet.

A number of months ago ESPN the sports giant (television, radio, publishing, online, mobile) began testing a concept that is reminiscent of local radio when radio was in fact local.

Three months ago in Chicago, the test site, ESPN began digging down deep into local communities in an effort to create total domination of all things sports. In Chicago, ESPN is up against Randy Michaels and Tribune. So far ESPN is leading the race for&hellip

Cumulus Media -- the 64 cent stock is all Harvard grad Lew Dickey, Jr. has to show for 13 consolidated years of radio -- is at war with itself.

This is my opinion.

When a company has to revert to tactics that inhibit productivity at a crucial time and dissipate the good will of their employees, it can only be due to desperation.

Cumulus is in free fall.

The stock price is in the toilet. The value of the company worth less than ever. The future mortgaged by overspending and now the employees in a sense pistol whipped because they need their jobs and the ruling Dickey family needs cheap labor.

It's not&hellip

Cumulus Media -- the 64 cent stock is all Harvard grad Lew Dickey, Jr. has to show for 13 consolidated years of radio -- is at war with itself.

This is my opinion.

When a company has to revert to tactics that inhibit productivity at a crucial time and dissipate the good will of their employees, it can only be due to desperation.

Cumulus is in free fall.

The stock price is in the toilet. The value of the company worth less than ever. The future mortgaged by overspending and now the employees in a sense pistol whipped because they need their jobs and the ruling Dickey family needs cheap labor.

It's not&hellip

Cumulus Media -- the 64 cent stock is all Harvard grad Lew Dickey, Jr. has to show for 13 consolidated years of radio -- is at war with itself.

This is my opinion.

When a company has to revert to tactics that inhibit productivity at a crucial time and dissipate the good will of their employees, it can only be due to desperation.

Cumulus is in free fall.

The stock price is in the toilet. The value of the company worth less than ever. The future mortgaged by overspending and now the employees in a sense pistol whipped because they need their jobs and the ruling Dickey family needs cheap labor.

It's not&hellip

It doesn't take long to conclude that the radio industry has a big problem.

Not the recession.

Or owing too much debt to repay it.

The listener problem.

Radio groups find themselves in an impossible position these days -- a sad situation of their own making.

You might argue that there was nothing they could do about the Internet, iPods, social networking, music discovery through bit torrent sites or the popularity of cell phones and text messaging.

Then again, radio CEOs could have seen these new technological and sociological trends as opportunities.

Nonetheless, the question of what shall&hellip

It doesn't take long to conclude that the radio industry has a big problem.

Not the recession.

Or owing too much debt to repay it.

The listener problem.

Radio groups find themselves in an impossible position these days -- a sad situation of their own making.

You might argue that there was nothing they could do about the Internet, iPods, social networking, music discovery through bit torrent sites or the popularity of cell phones and text messaging.

Then again, radio CEOs could have seen these new technological and sociological trends as opportunities.

Nonetheless, the question of what shall&hellip

It doesn't take long to conclude that the radio industry has a big problem.

Not the recession.

Or owing too much debt to repay it.

The listener problem.

Radio groups find themselves in an impossible position these days -- a sad situation of their own making.

You might argue that there was nothing they could do about the Internet, iPods, social networking, music discovery through bit torrent sites or the popularity of cell phones and text messaging.

Then again, radio CEOs could have seen these new technological and sociological trends as opportunities.

Nonetheless, the question of what shall&hellip

According to Greek mythology, Pandora opened a jar referred to as "Pandora's box", releasing all the evils of mankind.

But recently, Pandora Radio released all the evils of the music industry upon the radio industry.

Pandora Radio CEO Tim Westergren surprisingly opened Pandora Radio's box for his competitors in terrestrial radio when he came out publicly for the repeal of radio's performance tax exemption.

The record industry is pushing for the ability to tax radio further for helping them sell music. Go figure.

I have known Westergren to be a good man and he's a musician so you can tell where his sympathies&hellip

According to Greek mythology, Pandora opened a jar referred to as "Pandora's box", releasing all the evils of mankind.

But recently, Pandora Radio released all the evils of the music industry upon the radio industry.

Pandora Radio CEO Tim Westergren surprisingly opened Pandora Radio's box for his competitors in terrestrial radio when he came out publicly for the repeal of radio's performance tax exemption.

The record industry is pushing for the ability to tax radio further for helping them sell music. Go figure.

I have known Westergren to be a good man and he's a musician so you can tell where his sympathies&hellip

According to Greek mythology, Pandora opened a jar referred to as "Pandora's box", releasing all the evils of mankind.

But recently, Pandora Radio released all the evils of the music industry upon the radio industry.

Pandora Radio CEO Tim Westergren surprisingly opened Pandora Radio's box for his competitors in terrestrial radio when he came out publicly for the repeal of radio's performance tax exemption.

The record industry is pushing for the ability to tax radio further for helping them sell music. Go figure.

I have known Westergren to be a good man and he's a musician so you can tell where his sympathies&hellip

It is disturbing to know in these difficult times that Clear Channel is treating some of its listeners no better than it has been treating its employees.

For example, take those 1,100 or so poor souls who got their cars stuck at the Ionia Fairgrounds concert staged by the very popular Clear Channel country station B93 in Grand Rapids.

Clear Channel's hapless Radio President John Slogan Hogan has single-handedly undone the bond this fine radio station has built up over the years with his corporate policies -- that's my judgment, but you decide.

What happened as some may remember is that B93 had its annual outdoor&hellip

It is disturbing to know in these difficult times that Clear Channel is treating some of its listeners no better than it has been treating its employees.

For example, take those 1,100 or so poor souls who got their cars stuck at the Ionia Fairgrounds concert staged by the very popular Clear Channel country station B93 in Grand Rapids.

Clear Channel's hapless Radio President John Slogan Hogan has single-handedly undone the bond this fine radio station has built up over the years with his corporate policies -- that's my judgment, but you decide.

What happened as some may remember is that B93 had its annual outdoor&hellip

It is disturbing to know in these difficult times that Clear Channel is treating some of its listeners no better than it has been treating its employees.

For example, take those 1,100 or so poor souls who got their cars stuck at the Ionia Fairgrounds concert staged by the very popular Clear Channel country station B93 in Grand Rapids.

Clear Channel's hapless Radio President John Slogan Hogan has single-handedly undone the bond this fine radio station has built up over the years with his corporate policies -- that's my judgment, but you decide.

What happened as some may remember is that B93 had its annual outdoor&hellip

Recently, I wrote a piece called "The Dickey Ding Dong School of Management" in which I commented on a memo they issued to employees that seemed to me to be disingenuous at best and abusive at worst.

Then, I heard from a reader who said he worked for Cumulus and that at a subsequent half-hour corporate sales meeting (more commonly called a spy session) using cameras and Skype, a loyal foot soldier from Dickeydom supposedly addressed my comments one by one.

I have no way of knowing for sure because Lew Dickey has yet to wire my house or office for spy cameras. But he sure as hell has given new meaning to the term "Big&hellip

Recently, I wrote a piece called "The Dickey Ding Dong School of Management" in which I commented on a memo they issued to employees that seemed to me to be disingenuous at best and abusive at worst.

Then, I heard from a reader who said he worked for Cumulus and that at a subsequent half-hour corporate sales meeting (more commonly called a spy session) using cameras and Skype, a loyal foot soldier from Dickeydom supposedly addressed my comments one by one.

I have no way of knowing for sure because Lew Dickey has yet to wire my house or office for spy cameras. But he sure as hell has given new meaning to the term "Big&hellip

Recently, I wrote a piece called "The Dickey Ding Dong School of Management" in which I commented on a memo they issued to employees that seemed to me to be disingenuous at best and abusive at worst.

Then, I heard from a reader who said he worked for Cumulus and that at a subsequent half-hour corporate sales meeting (more commonly called a spy session) using cameras and Skype, a loyal foot soldier from Dickeydom supposedly addressed my comments one by one.

I have no way of knowing for sure because Lew Dickey has yet to wire my house or office for spy cameras. But he sure as hell has given new meaning to the term "Big&hellip

What do you get when you fire most of your local employees, revert to using voice tracking or cheap outside programming, manage from corporate headquarters, spy on stations and treat engineers like they are not necessary?Thanks for forwarding my pieces to your friends and linking to your websites and boards.

What do you get when you fire most of your local employees, revert to using voice tracking or cheap outside programming, manage from corporate headquarters, spy on stations and treat engineers like they are not necessary?Thanks for forwarding my pieces to your friends and linking to your websites and boards.

What do you get when you fire most of your local employees, revert to using voice tracking or cheap outside programming, manage from corporate headquarters, spy on stations and treat engineers like they are not necessary?Thanks for forwarding my pieces to your friends and linking to your websites and boards.

So let me get this right.

Michael Jackson dies -- the music industry's Black Elvis -- and Sony Music ships 8 million CDs worldwide. Some 800,000 were sold in the U.S. alone.

That

So let me get this right.

Michael Jackson dies -- the music industry's Black Elvis -- and Sony Music ships 8 million CDs worldwide. Some 800,000 were sold in the U.S. alone.

That

So let me get this right.

Michael Jackson dies -- the music industry's Black Elvis -- and Sony Music ships 8 million CDs worldwide. Some 800,000 were sold in the U.S. alone.

That

Yesterday I wrote about Radio's Lost Generation -- how they are so different sociologically and technologically speaking.

But there also remains the issue of available radio listeners.

You know, the Gen Xers and Baby Boomers who want to listen to radio programming and like it.

They are also being misunderstood and it might be worthwhile to take a look-see as to what can be done to keep them.

Traditional wisdom is that Gen X and Baby Boomers will always be radio listeners.

Then again, radio CEOs thought the same thing about Gen Y -- and they let them get away.

So much for traditional&hellip

Yesterday I wrote about Radio's Lost Generation -- how they are so different sociologically and technologically speaking.

But there also remains the issue of available radio listeners.

You know, the Gen Xers and Baby Boomers who want to listen to radio programming and like it.

They are also being misunderstood and it might be worthwhile to take a look-see as to what can be done to keep them.

Traditional wisdom is that Gen X and Baby Boomers will always be radio listeners.

Then again, radio CEOs thought the same thing about Gen Y -- and they let them get away.

So much for traditional&hellip

Yesterday I wrote about Radio's Lost Generation -- how they are so different sociologically and technologically speaking.

But there also remains the issue of available radio listeners.

You know, the Gen Xers and Baby Boomers who want to listen to radio programming and like it.

They are also being misunderstood and it might be worthwhile to take a look-see as to what can be done to keep them.

Traditional wisdom is that Gen X and Baby Boomers will always be radio listeners.

Then again, radio CEOs thought the same thing about Gen Y -- and they let them get away.

So much for traditional&hellip

Do you set an alarm clock to wake up in the morning?

Maybe have the radio come on to wake you up?

The next generation doesn't.

They tend to use their cell phones as alarm clocks. After all, many sleep with their phones right by their beds.

Now some of my radio friends would see this as an opportunity to get Gen Y to wake up with their smart phones and instantly hear a terrestrial radio station.

That works in fantasy but not reality.

The first thing this generation does is check their text messages, mail and what's happening.

If you need music, there is always your iPod.

A longtime&hellip

Do you set an alarm clock to wake up in the morning?

Maybe have the radio come on to wake you up?

The next generation doesn't.

They tend to use their cell phones as alarm clocks. After all, many sleep with their phones right by their beds.

Now some of my radio friends would see this as an opportunity to get Gen Y to wake up with their smart phones and instantly hear a terrestrial radio station.

That works in fantasy but not reality.

The first thing this generation does is check their text messages, mail and what's happening.

If you need music, there is always your iPod.

A longtime&hellip

Do you set an alarm clock to wake up in the morning?

Maybe have the radio come on to wake you up?

The next generation doesn't.

They tend to use their cell phones as alarm clocks. After all, many sleep with their phones right by their beds.

Now some of my radio friends would see this as an opportunity to get Gen Y to wake up with their smart phones and instantly hear a terrestrial radio station.

That works in fantasy but not reality.

The first thing this generation does is check their text messages, mail and what's happening.

If you need music, there is always your iPod.

A longtime&hellip

I've come to believe that Cumulus is a mean-spirited manager of employees.

Sorry to say, because I always liked Lew Dickey. He's smarter than he is acting and tougher than he looks.

That's my opinion and nothing more than that, but in light of some of desperate things Cumulus is now doing to squeeze blood from their employees, it's serves as a poignant example of how not to motivate good people.

Where Cumulus once had a cluster full of FM stations with live morning shows and live airshifts right through to midnight, they now have as few as three salaried jocks for all those stations.

We already know that&hellip

I've come to believe that Cumulus is a mean-spirited manager of employees.

Sorry to say, because I always liked Lew Dickey. He's smarter than he is acting and tougher than he looks.

That's my opinion and nothing more than that, but in light of some of desperate things Cumulus is now doing to squeeze blood from their employees, it's serves as a poignant example of how not to motivate good people.

Where Cumulus once had a cluster full of FM stations with live morning shows and live airshifts right through to midnight, they now have as few as three salaried jocks for all those stations.

We already know that&hellip

I've come to believe that Cumulus is a mean-spirited manager of employees.

Sorry to say, because I always liked Lew Dickey. He's smarter than he is acting and tougher than he looks.

That's my opinion and nothing more than that, but in light of some of desperate things Cumulus is now doing to squeeze blood from their employees, it's serves as a poignant example of how not to motivate good people.

Where Cumulus once had a cluster full of FM stations with live morning shows and live airshifts right through to midnight, they now have as few as three salaried jocks for all those stations.

We already know that&hellip

There are times when I can't tell which radio consolidator will go bankrupt first.

Clear Channel or Citadel.

Just recently Clear Channel's lenders were talking tough about letting the company go into Chapter 11. If that happened, the creditors would be making only pennies on the dollar.

Unfortunately, that may be their best deal. Pennies are better than nothing.

Now Citadel, the Fagreed Suleman radio group has dropped one shoe on the ground -- and you know what they say about the other one.

Now Citadel is covering its butt just in case they have bankruptcy on their mind.

After all, Citadel retained&hellip

There are times when I can't tell which radio consolidator will go bankrupt first.

Clear Channel or Citadel.

Just recently Clear Channel's lenders were talking tough about letting the company go into Chapter 11. If that happened, the creditors would be making only pennies on the dollar.

Unfortunately, that may be their best deal. Pennies are better than nothing.

Now Citadel, the Fagreed Suleman radio group has dropped one shoe on the ground -- and you know what they say about the other one.

Now Citadel is covering its butt just in case they have bankruptcy on their mind.

After all, Citadel retained&hellip

There are times when I can't tell which radio consolidator will go bankrupt first.

Clear Channel or Citadel.

Just recently Clear Channel's lenders were talking tough about letting the company go into Chapter 11. If that happened, the creditors would be making only pennies on the dollar.

Unfortunately, that may be their best deal. Pennies are better than nothing.

Now Citadel, the Fagreed Suleman radio group has dropped one shoe on the ground -- and you know what they say about the other one.

Now Citadel is covering its butt just in case they have bankruptcy on their mind.

After all, Citadel retained&hellip

Radio is unprepared for a news story of the magnitude of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the U.S.

The increasingly non-local industry could barely report the death of pop icon Michael Jackson two weeks ago almost as if it was caught off guard and buried in automated programming.

Frustrated program directors were stuck in voice tracking or syndication hell

Radio is unprepared for a news story of the magnitude of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the U.S.

The increasingly non-local industry could barely report the death of pop icon Michael Jackson two weeks ago almost as if it was caught off guard and buried in automated programming.

Frustrated program directors were stuck in voice tracking or syndication hell

Radio is unprepared for a news story of the magnitude of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the U.S.

The increasingly non-local industry could barely report the death of pop icon Michael Jackson two weeks ago almost as if it was caught off guard and buried in automated programming.

Frustrated program directors were stuck in voice tracking or syndication hell

SoundExchange, negotiating for the record labels, and webcasters struck a compromise announced yesterday that defines more reasonable royalty payments for a longer period of time -- 2006 (retroactively) to 2015.

There's no doubt that the compromise is better than the Copyright Royalty Board's initial verdict that would have seen webcasters paying the labels virtually 100% of their revenue or more.

Hey, that kind of makes 25% -- one quarter -- look good, right?

Not so fast.

If webcasters were dead with the last iteration of SoundExchange's taxation, they are only half dead now.

Dead nonetheless. Life in&hellip

SoundExchange, negotiating for the record labels, and webcasters struck a compromise announced yesterday that defines more reasonable royalty payments for a longer period of time -- 2006 (retroactively) to 2015.

There's no doubt that the compromise is better than the Copyright Royalty Board's initial verdict that would have seen webcasters paying the labels virtually 100% of their revenue or more.

Hey, that kind of makes 25% -- one quarter -- look good, right?

Not so fast.

If webcasters were dead with the last iteration of SoundExchange's taxation, they are only half dead now.

Dead nonetheless. Life in&hellip

SoundExchange, negotiating for the record labels, and webcasters struck a compromise announced yesterday that defines more reasonable royalty payments for a longer period of time -- 2006 (retroactively) to 2015.

There's no doubt that the compromise is better than the Copyright Royalty Board's initial verdict that would have seen webcasters paying the labels virtually 100% of their revenue or more.

Hey, that kind of makes 25% -- one quarter -- look good, right?

Not so fast.

If webcasters were dead with the last iteration of SoundExchange's taxation, they are only half dead now.

Dead nonetheless. Life in&hellip

One cannot help draw comparisons between the death of the King of Pop, the music industry that created him and the radio stations that made him a star.

First of all, there would be no MTV videos, no world tours, no enormous record sales without radio stations playing Michael Jackson's music.

In fact, without radio there would likely be no Michael Jackson.

Those of my programming brethren who, like me, played plenty of Michael Jackson hits (and catalog items disguised as recurrents and oldies) know this for sure.

The music industry, busy lobbying Congress for the repeal of radio's performance tax exemption, would&hellip

One cannot help draw comparisons between the death of the King of Pop, the music industry that created him and the radio stations that made him a star.

First of all, there would be no MTV videos, no world tours, no enormous record sales without radio stations playing Michael Jackson's music.

In fact, without radio there would likely be no Michael Jackson.

Those of my programming brethren who, like me, played plenty of Michael Jackson hits (and catalog items disguised as recurrents and oldies) know this for sure.

The music industry, busy lobbying Congress for the repeal of radio's performance tax exemption, would&hellip

One cannot help draw comparisons between the death of the King of Pop, the music industry that created him and the radio stations that made him a star.

First of all, there would be no MTV videos, no world tours, no enormous record sales without radio stations playing Michael Jackson's music.

In fact, without radio there would likely be no Michael Jackson.

Those of my programming brethren who, like me, played plenty of Michael Jackson hits (and catalog items disguised as recurrents and oldies) know this for sure.

The music industry, busy lobbying Congress for the repeal of radio's performance tax exemption, would&hellip

Question:

How do you get rich in radio?

Answer:

Be born into Cumulus' Dickey family.

Or be the children of Clear Channel founder Lowry Mays.

Or the adopted "son" of Citadel's Teddy Forstmann as it appears Farid "Fagreed" Suleman is.

Or the biological son of a New York cab driver like Mel Karmazin.

Okay, that was wrong. Mel earned his wealth. He wasn't born into it. But the others ...

I mention all of this for two reasons.

One, it was just the Fourth of July and hot dogs were on the menu this past weekend.

And, two -- don't choke on one when you see what's going to happen&hellip

Question:

How do you get rich in radio?

Answer:

Be born into Cumulus' Dickey family.

Or be the children of Clear Channel founder Lowry Mays.

Or the adopted "son" of Citadel's Teddy Forstmann as it appears Farid "Fagreed" Suleman is.

Or the biological son of a New York cab driver like Mel Karmazin.

Okay, that was wrong. Mel earned his wealth. He wasn't born into it. But the others ...

I mention all of this for two reasons.

One, it was just the Fourth of July and hot dogs were on the menu this past weekend.

And, two -- don't choke on one when you see what's going to happen&hellip

Question:

How do you get rich in radio?

Answer:

Be born into Cumulus' Dickey family.

Or be the children of Clear Channel founder Lowry Mays.

Or the adopted "son" of Citadel's Teddy Forstmann as it appears Farid "Fagreed" Suleman is.

Or the biological son of a New York cab driver like Mel Karmazin.

Okay, that was wrong. Mel earned his wealth. He wasn't born into it. But the others ...

I mention all of this for two reasons.

One, it was just the Fourth of July and hot dogs were on the menu this past weekend.

And, two -- don't choke on one when you see what's going to happen&hellip

Radio program directors will readily admit that Arbitron's diary recall system for audience ratings was imperfect if not inferior.

We always knew that respondents were not carrying diaries around all day to accurately record their radio listening.

We all knew to pull every trick we could to get diary keepers to write down more listening than they actually did.

In fact, we programmers were very comfortable with that fallible system because to paraphrase former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld,

Radio program directors will readily admit that Arbitron's diary recall system for audience ratings was imperfect if not inferior.

We always knew that respondents were not carrying diaries around all day to accurately record their radio listening.

We all knew to pull every trick we could to get diary keepers to write down more listening than they actually did.

In fact, we programmers were very comfortable with that fallible system because to paraphrase former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld,

Radio program directors will readily admit that Arbitron's diary recall system for audience ratings was imperfect if not inferior.

We always knew that respondents were not carrying diaries around all day to accurately record their radio listening.

We all knew to pull every trick we could to get diary keepers to write down more listening than they actually did.

In fact, we programmers were very comfortable with that fallible system because to paraphrase former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld,

A few weekends back B93, the Clear Channel number two station in Grand Rapids staged their annual Birthday Bash at nearby Ionia

A few weekends back B93, the Clear Channel number two station in Grand Rapids staged their annual Birthday Bash at nearby Ionia

A few weekends back B93, the Clear Channel number two station in Grand Rapids staged their annual Birthday Bash at nearby Ionia