I was hired by Rick Buckley who gave me a golden opportunity I will never forget.

But what Buckley did for me pales in comparison for what I believe will be his legacy. 

An appreciation of Rick Buckley, who died over the weekend at 74, starts here.

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If I’m Bob Moore (LA) or Deidra Liebermann (San Francisco) six weeks away from Cumulus becoming my boss in the Citadel merger, I’m looking for a new job.

It looks like Cumulus CEO Lew Dickey is quietly stashing way potential replacements – sometimes in smaller markets and a phone call away for massive management changes.

Here’s what’s going down:

1.  Some major market heads may roll once Cumulus takes over Citadel.  Here are some likely victims.

2.  Cumulus may be stashing replacements – pretty tricky, eh?  I’ll tell you where you can find them.  Name a few names.  You may be surprised.

3.  How sex discrimination lawsuits that Cumulus is fighting will impact their choice of new managers.

4.  How massive an upheaval to expect.

5.  Anecdotal evidence that the Dickeys may be interviewing while publicly saying there will be no changes. 

6.  Who is at greatest risk to be fired – what one thing puts a bullseye on you when the Cumulus takeover takes place.

7.  Two companies that don’t make the mistakes that Cumulus is about to make and how they succeed while Cumulus will fail.

PLUS… what to do next.

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All about the new “nominator” and “self-select” questions several large radio groups are now using to screen applicants … Which groups to beware of before applying … A better way to turn the tables and get the job (if you really want it) … A new resource you can consult to get better jobs with better companies.

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This article contains 5 fresh new killer strategies for FM radio that you’ve likely never heard before but can safely try, as I will explain.

1.  A critical new way to identify and brand your FM station that actually helps younger (and maybe even older) listeners to relate to you.  This is not an option; it’s mandatory even in the era of PPM.  Read more …

2.  Reconfigure the morning show to better compete with digital.  Discover new evidence close to home that shows what you think listeners want from a morning show is not really want turns them on.  To fix it …

3.  A personality change.  Most good radio people know that local personalities are preferable to syndicated djs or voice tracking.  What they may not know is that the definition of personality is changing.  Learn how …

4.  The blueprint for doing a format-within-a-format – a crafty and advanced way of making FM radio more addictive.  See the start of a sample hour I included here.  Start brainstorming …

5.  Radical music changes – not so much to playlists as to how the music is presented.  If I had to compete against a strong FM music station, I’d do this.  They would resist.  I would win.  Take a look and you decide …

6.  And, 3 easy to do quickie surveys that will make you smarter about what your changing audience really wants from FM radio.  See them and try them...

If you miss a day of Inside Music Media, you miss a lot.

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This article is about strong options for Citadel workers who may lose their jobs, see their salary cut or suffer hostile workplace and/or sexual or age-related discrimination with the anticipated September closing of the Cumulus-Citadel merger.

1. Read strategies for suing the company used successfully by others.

2. Best way to handle it if Cumulus tries to force you to sign a non-compete to get your severance pay.

3.  The down low on e-mail correspondence – be careful.

4.  What to do if Cumulus tries to cut or reduce sales commissions owed to you.

5.  Contact information for two outstanding attorneys with cases in progress against Cumulus that I think are worth a call. 

6.  And a few free ideas to fight back on your own if you ever need them.

If you miss a day of Inside Music Media, you miss a lot.

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1. Read about this horrible boss who punishes top-rated talent for actually getting great ratings.  Here’s how. 

2.  Or the radio bigwig who has been ruining careers for several years now and the money he saved did not equal his latest bonus.  No kidding.

3.  Cumulus is firing its own even in advance of the firing it plans for Citadel workers when it takes over.  It’s all being kept under the radar, until this morning.

4.  Awful firings not getting covered by the happy talk radio press directly from the lips of those affected.  Be warned: It’s an outrage.

5.  The radio group that has the stones to lecture its employees on “time theft” after working them to the bone for less money!  You can’t make this stuff up.

6.  The local radio cluster that has 4 stations and only one of them does a local morning show yet the company bills itself as a local operator.

BONUS …  Read a special report on how Apple teaches their employees to think like Steve Jobs –  while radio wants its employees not to think.

All good stuff today!

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CBS is playing hardball against Randy Michaels.

Their revenue from lucrative all-news formats in Chicago and New York are at risk if Randy Michaels’ news or news/talk FMs effectively compete.

Yesterday, CBS decided to simulcast all news WBBM-AM on one of its FM stations, but that is not enough to hold off Randy Michaels.

This will …

What CBS will likely do in New York where Michaels is ready to pounce … who has the advantage … a plan to counter Randy’s strategy to aim younger … how CBS will protect its ad rates … its interactive response to multimedia happy Merlin.

PLUS… Next for CBS after the simulcasting decision and Randy’s plan to paint CBS into a corner.

This is a reconnaissance report on the repercussions for radio.

If you’ve been thinking of subscribing, this is a good day.

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Clear Channel’s real strategy to beat Pandora.  The goal Bob Pittman isn’t talking about publicly.  Why Clear Channel is in trouble.  What about their 800+ Clear Channel stations that have bigger problems.  And for the first time, what Clear Channel may be looking to add next.

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Today, something different.

Hope.

If you’re a radio person who loves this business but not the way consolidators are running it, take your career into your own hands with these four new careers for radio people.

Do this before someone else does it – and launch a new career.

Smart radio stations will also want to jump on these ideas, described in a detailed blueprint:

1.  A digital revenue idea that cooperates with consumer interests and technology trends and perfect for someone with radio skills.  The payoff:  an instant revenue stream.

2.  At last – an innovative new idea that you can borrow from (of all people) the folks at ESPN!  No, it’s not a sports channel.  It’s even better.  Take it and use it in good health.

3.  A non-coupon business you can start within 30 days max and kick

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“Thanks Jerry.  I really do enjoy your insights and look forward to reading them.  I get a lot of other media information, but yours is the only one worth paying

If Internet startups can fail, what does it mean for radio stations and record labels trying so hard to be them!

It means disaster ahead, unless – unless – we go to school on the biggest Internet failure to date – MySpace.

Drill down …

•  Radio should be careful of what AOL is doing to Huffington Post.  Yes, in one important way radio is doing the very same thing.  Beware.

•  Why even the beloved Facebook is on the ledge – and can you name even one  radio station that doesn’t want to be Facebook compliant?  Be careful of this Facebook strategy gone wrong before its too late.

•  Yahoo! has MySpace Disease.  Here’s how your local radio station can avoid coming down with a bad case of it, too.

•  The insanity of radio’s obsession with Pandora – a company with a failed business model that can never succeed as long as royalty rates are so high.  How to take the best from Pandora and leave the rest.

PLUS … 3 SOLID SOLUTIONS FOR INTERACTIVE RADIO

Interactive content guaranteed to work.

Your insurance policy against failing in new media.

Everyday you read “teasers” like this about topics that can make a real difference in your career.  Today’s a great day to get started.

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I warned them.

Radio’s meager interactive efforts are not only not making them much money, but now even analysts say it is costing radio money when they do it.

•  Why?  What are stations doing wrong and why can’t they see it.

•  Are you making this big mistake when doing interactive projects?

•  How media buyers are now using radio’s own digital against their on-air radio and how to fix that problem.

•  Radio’s 4 competitors in digital.  You need to know them.

PLUS… 6 SOLUTIONS TO POINT YOU IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

How to better configure your digital projects.

Where on-air should fit in to optimize maximum revenue.

The latest on whether and how to co-brand radio with digital.

The new meaning of apps for broadcasters.

Solutions like these you can’t get anywhere else.

That subscription you’ve been thinking about pays off today.

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A few weeks back Lew Dickey reportedly pitched major banks on buying $2 billion worth of loans needed to close the Cumulus purchase of Citadel. 

Go inside …

•  Where, when and how Dickey begged for $2 billion of funding to close on the Citadel deal.

•  How far off the radar Dickey’s promise is what he can actually deliver.

•  How the banks are reacting and what they are likely to do.

•  Why funding the Cumulus purchase of Citadel could wind up looking similar to the subprime mortgage mess.

•  New odds of bankruptcy.

•  Are lenders buying Dickey’s projections or will they run.

PLUS… What happens if Cumulus can’t make its numbers.

This story is worth it.

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Who cares about Lew Dickey fighting Bob Pittman to be number one.

I’ve got a good old-fashioned radio battle brewing between Randy Michaels and CBS over the news format in New York and Chicago – presently owned by CBS.

Randy is going after CBS in the first round.

CBS has to do something.

Today, I’ve got the developing battle for you and a pretty good handle on the outcome including …

•  Will CBS have to blow up an FM music station in each market to protect its AM-only all-news brands?  Wait until you see the options now.

•  News and local news/talk costs a lot of money.  Will Randy’s Merlin Media cough it up and will CBS spend to protect itself?  What if they don’t – after all, no one spends what they should on running radio stations these days.

•  What the new battles will sound like when CBS competition is launched probably as early as next month.

•  The battle of digital – FM is not enough to build a growing news brand.  Just ask WTOP.  Who has the edge – Randy with his Jacor and Clear Channel interactive brain trust in tow or CBS – an early adopter of interactive?  This will surprise you.

PLUS… As I promised, who will win this knock down drag out fight.

Pay attention because you’ll be seeing more radio battles among big stations as making a living in radio gets tougher.  This may be the template for future fights.

If you’ve been reading my promos each day thinking about subscribing, this would be a great day to start.

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