$300 million is far more money than Clear Channel saved by using Ryan Seacrest to replace local talent in 170 markets.

But when Clear Channel’s investors spend that in one day to buy into Ryan Seacrest you know a different kind of radio business is coming.

Here’s what people on the ground are saying about how the Seacrest cash influx will help transform Clear Channel beyond radio.

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1.  Why Clear Channel’s owners are investing $300 million in their signature syndication property.  Sit down for this.

2.  Is there more investment money available from Wall Street for other talent at Clear Channel or elsewhere?  If so, how do you get some of it?

3.  Would Lee & Bain spend $300 million without getting something back in return that they want more than anything else?  You bet.  Here it is.

4.  Why the word radio did not appear even once in the Clear Channel news release yesterday announcing the $300 million Seacrest deal.

5.  Air talent – look out!

If you would like to read this story, have access to my entire archive (1,400 pieces) and get daily email delivery, click “read more” for your choices. 

Join me at my February 9^th Media Solutions Lab.

There is hope for tomorrow – check out my new inspirational book “Out of Bad Comes Good – The Advantages of Disadvantages” now in paperback and e-reader for under $9.99 here.

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There is new evidence that Cumulus would like to sell certain radio stations ahead of acquiring even more.

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1.  What sources say Lew Dickey is willing to sell.

2.  Their new emerging strategy that is similar to Clear Channel in one key way.

3.  Now we know why both Cumulus and Clear Channel were ferociously firing people at some clusters but not others in the last quarter of 2011.  The mystery is solved.

4.  Why as a result of what’s going on between Cumulus and Clear Channel Entercom is soon to be the odd man out among radio groups – a dangerous place to be.

5.   You can now predict the Cumulus and Clear Channel markets that will be downsized and which ones will be spared.

If you would like to read this story, have access to my entire archive (1,400 pieces) and get daily email delivery, click “read more” for your choices. 

Join me in about one week at my February 9^th Media Solutions Lab in Scottsdale, AZ.  This course will help you master the emerging opportunities ahead in the next 12 months along with the personal skills to be successful.  Today is the last day to save $200 on each registration here.

“In jealousy there is more self-love than love” from Chapter 4 of my new book “Out of Bad Comes Good – The Advantages of Disadvantages” – at bookstores, Amazon.com or download it on your Kindle, Nook or iPad, under $9.99 here.

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Something is up at Cumulus – something big. 

Don’t let the quiet fool you.

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1.  All you need to know about a sales commission plan that is being quietly implemented at some Citadel stations that effectively screws the sellers out of their expected and fair profit.

2.  Two new Cumulus programming initiatives that are going into high gear that will now target these two formats.

3.  Something is up with SweetJack, the company’s radio alternative to Groupon – and the one in which Clear Channel is a partner.

4.  First alert on the new Cumulus employee self-evaluation form that some employees think will be used to help the company fire them.  Wait until you see some of these sample questions they are demanding answers to.  How would you answer them?

5.  What Lew Dickey is working on right now to keep the momentum going in his bid to surpass Clear Channel as the world’s largest radio group. 

If you would like to read this story, have access to my entire archive (1,400 pieces) and get daily email delivery, click “read more” for your choices. 

It’s almost here – just a week and a half until my February 9^th Media Solutions Lab at The Phoenician in Scottsdale.  This day-long interactive media seminar is focused on the challenges and opportunities in the next 12 months and the Next Day Big Ideas Breakfast from 8-10am offers specific game plans, strategies and intelligence to give you the edge.  Last two days to save $200.  Register.

The average baseball player hits only .250 (failing 75% of the time) and makes millions of dollars in big contracts.  We fail once or twice and give up.  Here is the secret to turning failure into success in my new book “Out of Bad Comes Good – The Advantages of Disadvantages” – print or download now, under $9.99 here.

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What’s left to ruin after you’ve decimated your programming, management and sales staffs in massive ongoing cutbacks?

How can you sink any lower than “no one is home” remote radio stations?

Is there anything left to destroy after you’ve killed off your popular morning shows?

Wait until you see what the two largest radio groups are up to now.

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1.  The current setup of station management, sales and studio – big changes are coming.

2.  If you think cutting sales commissions – which they will continue to do – is all they have planned, wait until you hear about the nuclear option.

3.  The next breed of endangered jobs at both Clear Channel and Cumulus – and these people think they are now safe.

4.  Where Clear Channel and Cumulus are on the same track and one big way they are different. 

5.  The biggest change that could happen as early as this year is unthinkable, but Bob Pittman and Lew Dickey are thinking about it nonetheless.

6.  One of the two big consolidators is on their way out of radio and the other is on their way to reinvent it.  Don’t be too sure you know which is which until you see this.

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Join me at my February 9^th Media Solutions Lab in two weeks from today.  You’ll come away with enough useful intelligence and strategic information to make your year and make the time spent worthwhile.  Reserve your seat here.

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PERSONAL NOTE:

My old buddy Jim Carnegie, Publisher of RBR, is mourning the death of his delightful and talented wife and partner, Cathy who died at the age of 59 after a short illness.  Jim and I worked together, socialized together and I can tell you that Cathy made all the difference in Jimmy’s life.  Everything that is great about radio is that we are a family – sometimes dysfunctional, but none the less joined by our love of what we do and of each other.  The outpouring of support we are witnessing during the time of his loss is what we do.  My heart aches for Jim.

The ratings are out and Merlin’s all-news WEMP in New York needs a defibrillator to bring it back to life -- a 0.5 share (same as before) for 30^th place overall.

Things are not that much better for FM News in Chicago which still hasn’t gotten anywhere near a 1.

And Merlin Philadelphia is getting ready to fire up against CBS very soon.

What will Randy Michaels’ Merlin Media do now? 

Here’s the latest plan.

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1.  How Randy Michaels will do Power Pig on FM News.  Seriously.

2.  The new hot clock that Randy thinks will drain off enough CBS all-news listeners to make Merlin competitive at last.  Wait until you see what’s coming.

3.  Randy Michaels taking a page out of Jerry Lee’s B-101 Philadelphia book – as incredible as it may seem.

4.  Randy’s best strategic move against CBS in both New York and Chicago.

5.  PREDICTIONS about the best share possible up against CBS.  Will Power Pig tactics work in all-news?  Next format and when if it doesn’t.

If you would like to read this story, have access to my entire archive (1,400 pieces) and get daily email delivery, click “read more” for your choices. 

Join me at my February 9^th Media Solutions Lab for actionable info for the next 12 months. 

Conference Preview:  The threat of Siri, the talking iPhone and what you should do about it at this point.  Why you should get into the content dumping business now.  How to build new social networks around you – not Facebook or Twitter.  Harnessing the coming trend of continuous consumer buying.  What you can do to reverse radio’s downward spiral.  Safest formats.  The most endangered and what to do about them.  Brainstorming the new radio format for the digital age (we’ll do this together).  Get into iPad radio – Clear Channel won’t.  Get in early on the paid Internet.  Work session Thursday.  Big Ideas Breakfast Friday so you can head home with an Action Plan.

Read my book for a winning formula of turning bad into good. “Out of Bad Comes Good – The Advantages of Disadvantages” at bookstores, Amazon.com or download it now on your Kindle, Nook or iPad, under $9.99 here.

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Mandatory changes are weeks away from going into effect.

Changes that will pave the way for even more cutbacks of live talent, especially on morning shows.

With this, Clear Channel will be well on its way to running its prized radio stations on nothing but spit.

Here’s what’s about to happen next.

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1.  The big bang – how Clear Channel will expand getting rid of morning talent to pocket the savings. 

2.  The new systems that will enable a cheap morning show to replace live and local personalities.

3.  What the new Programming czar is mandating on local music choice and local content.

4.  The new rules for local operation of automated stations – the future for more Clear Channel medium and small markets as well as an aid in reducing major market costs.

5.  How they hired what staffers call a “trained monkey” to make all of these new changes work and what they are paying this person to help them fire more people.

If you would like to read this story, have access to my entire archive (1,400 pieces) and get daily email delivery, click “read more” for your choices. 

Join me at my February 9^th Media Solutions Lab in Scottsdale, AZ.  More useful ideas in one day than you are likely to gather in an entire year.  Topics like:  the missing link to make radio work on the mobile Internet; the most important skills you need to come away with for 2012; how Apple will revolutionize radio in the year ahead (and it’s scary); radio as a growth business as advertisers demand digital and on-air listening erodes; the new local; the most endangered format and the one that you should be doing in all genres (we will brainstorm it together); the end of social networking as we know it and what will replace it.  And more.  Be there.

Here’s what got me through that $100 million dollar lawsuit with Clear Channel and why the Evil Empire lost.  The principles are in my new book “Out of Bad Comes Good – The Advantages of Disadvantages” at bookstores, Amazon.com or download it now on your Kindle, Nook or iPad, under $9.99 here.

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5 years ago this 100,000-watt medium market station was purchased for $22 million.

Today, you can buy it on eBay for $8.9 million.

But nobody wants it.

Best bid is around $80,000!

What’s wrong here and what does it say about where the radio industry is headed?

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1.  Find out how you can make a bid for this station but caution – first learn why the major consolidators don’t want it – and it has nothing to do with the coverage area.

2.  Why has the value dropped from $22 million to next to nothing in 5 years even as consolidators continue to consolidate?

3.  What would happen if Jerry Lee decided to sell his great standalone B-101 in Philadelphia – one of the perennial top billers even if he used a reputable media broker?

4.  What consolidators are now shopping for instead of expensive, top performing stations?  This speaks volumes.

5.  What are the safe radio markets?

6.  The three emerging new radio business models – CBS, Cumulus and Clear Channel and their chances of success.  

If you would like to read this story, have access to my entire archive (1,400 pieces) and get daily email delivery, click “read more” for your choices. 

Join me at my February 9^th Media Solutions Lab in about two weeks.  More useful ideas in one place for taking advantage of the best new opportunities in the next 12 months plus come away with the skills to do it. 

“Out of Bad Comes Good – The Advantages of Disadvantages” is my new book on turning adversity into success.  This is how I fought the Evil Empire and won.  Available in bookstores and Amazon.com or download it right now on your Kindle, Nook or iPad, under $9.99 here.

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Clear Channel has been caught red handed enticing advertisers to buy digital ads at the expense of their radio spend.

New evidence indicates media buyers are being lured to purchase digital as Clear Channel sellers are being forced to be “illusionists” by cutting the radio price and allocating it to create a phantom digital buy.

This is major.

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1.  An actual large market and stations by call letters where Clear Channel is robbing radio to pay digital – there are others, many others.

2.  Which major competitors are not stooping to create a digital buy by discounting the advertiser’s radio spend.  You’ll be surprised!

3.  What the overall radio rate looks like once the digital buy is created.

4.  I’ve seen and analyzed some actual invoices and I will share the way that Clear Channel pulls off the phantom digital buy. 

5.  A media buyer on how widespread this practice is becoming so you can counteract it before it gets to your market.

If you would like to read this story, have access to my entire archive (1,400 pieces) and get daily email delivery, click “read more” for your choices. 

Join me at my February 9^th Media Solutions Lab and come away with a realistic blueprint to reinvent your station or grow your media company in the digital age.

If you’re a victim of radio downsizing, my new book is an uplifting game plan for how to turn adversity into future success. “Out of Bad Comes Good – The Advantages of Disadvantages” – in print or digital, under $9.99 here.

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Cancel that erroneous half-salary story I recently wrote about Cumulus.

It’s now 40% of your current salary if you want to keep your job.

Here is a story with names and circumstances that will be impossible for Cumulus to deny.

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1.  What longtime talent was given the axe for the first time in his career after he refused to take 40% of his current salary to work in 2012?  I’ll name names.

2.  The unbelievable thing Cumulus did to him even before he had a chance to give them an answer.  I’m telling you, you won’t think this is possible even from Cumulus.

3.  Two Cumulus henchman rising in prominence you should look out for (in other words, when they come to your city, be afraid). 

4.  The botched handling of this 40% salary cut execution – all the details and timeframes.

5.  Cumulus had one more kick in the balls for this talent when he said no to their take it or leave it 40% salary demand – here it is.

6.  How making employees work for less is starting to spread to other areas of Cumulus.  Who could be next?

If you would like to read this story, have access to my entire archive (1,400 pieces) and get daily email delivery, click “read more” for your choices. 

Join me at my February 9^th Media Solutions Lab. Learn the many opportunities ahead for radio people who want to advance their career in a phenomenal growth industry.  Leave with an Action Plan.

“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves” – Viktor Frankl.  The “change” game plan is in my new book “Out of Bad Comes Good – The Advantages of Disadvantages” – print or digital, under $9.99 here.

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Clear Channel is preparing its exit plan in real time.

The hiring of Bob Pittman.  Gutting the medium and small local market clusters Cumulus-style.  The name change. 

From my sources on the ground – here’s the Clear Channel exit strategy with time frames and all the little details to help their recent strategic decisions make sense.

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1.  Pittman’s MTV buddy John Sykes was just hired to do what for Clear Channel?  Not what you think.

2.  Who the likely buyer is.

3.  The over/under on more cutbacks as part of the exit plan.

4.  The difference between investing and partnering – and which one Clear Channel will choose.

5.  The expected IPO and when.

6.  Penis envy – what media executive does Bob Pittman want to be?  Understand this and you’ll master Clear Channel’s next moves.

7.  The time frame for Clear Channel to be sold – mark you calendars.

If you would like to read this story, have access to my entire archive (1,400 pieces) and get daily email delivery, click “read more” for your choices. 

Join me at my February 9^th Media Solutions Lab.  Come away with an Action Plan for the next 12 months.

Make your own good luck.  In my book, I’ve researched what happens to people who get lucky and live to regret it.  A strong message in “Out of Bad Comes Good – The Advantages of Disadvantages” – bookstores, Amazon.com or download it on your Kindle, Nook or iPad, under $9.99 here.

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The much-publicized recent Clear Channel name change is a sham.

The company is in bigger trouble than they let on and their future is not assured.

Here’s what’s really behind the so-called “rebranding”.

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1.  Why Clear Channel believes the name radio has to go – and now!

2.  Are they getting ready to sell some stations?

3.  Is one simple app (iHeartRadio) the future Clear Channel is betting on, or is something big in the digital space on the way?

4.  One of the biggest digital entertainment platforms in the world thinks that Clear Channel is crazy to blow off the name radio.  Do you know who it is?

5.  What Wall Street loves about the name change. 

6.  CEO Bob Pittman is so shameless I wouldn’t be surprised if he shocked everyone and announced this strategic initiative next.  Don’t count me out, I’ve been deadly accurate about Clear Channel all along.

If you would like to read this story, have access to my entire archive (1,400 pieces) and get daily email delivery, click “read more” for your choices. 

23 Days Until My Media Solutions Lab.  $200 off here.

Benefits of Attending: • A realistic blueprint to reinvent your radio station or company in the digital age • Prevent audience erosion to digital • And, the flow of radio dollars out of local markets • Give media buyers the digital they’re clamoring for (then charge them more) • New media growth businesses radio people can easily start • Track this new and unseen competitor before anyone else • Be first to build this unbeatable radio format for the digital age (We will brainstorm it together only at the Media Solutions Lab) • Best new ways to monetize digital – to date, the hard part • Master mobile content – iPad, smartphones, Siri • A better idea than daily deals • How to build your own social networking beyond Facebook & Twitter • 10 critical trends to watch for in 2012 • 99 new tools, strategies & advantages in content, selling and marketing • Reinventing you for the digital era.

Leave with an Action Plan.

Best Media Conference 2010 • 2011

Register for 2012 and save $200 off now.

Turn adversity into success.  Read my new book “Out of Bad Comes Good – The Advantages of Disadvantages” – bookstores, Amazon.com or download it on your Kindle, Nook or iPad, under $9.99 here.

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Mitt Romney is getting nailed during the presidential primaries for his relationship with Bain Capital and his love of “creative destruction”.

How he likes to fire people.

Well, forget presidential politics for a moment.  We in radio know what creative destruction is first hand and can give the rest of the country a live audition of what they could get.

And, it just happened again two days ago – venture capitalists acting badly.

And wait until you see what creative destruction is ahead for these radio groups.

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1.  The DNA of a venture capital group that helped bankrupt a radio group so they could control it – meaning sell it.  Here’s who gets to buy it.

2.  Where the heck is Cumulus going to come up with a couple of hundred stations to be as potent a consolidator as Clear Channel?  Your wait is over, here’s where.

3.  If I’m working for this one broadcast group, I’m not buying a house or using my credit card.  I’m looking for a job because you are going to be creatively destructed soon.

4.  Bain wouldn’t hurt Clear Channel, would it?  But guess what creative destruction will be implemented to deal with Clear Channel’s $18 billion in unpayable debt.

5.  Clear Channel and Cumulus can’t merge – it’s illegal.  Believe it or not, there is something better and it is the bain of their existence.

If you would like to read this story, have access to my entire archive (1,400 pieces) and get daily email delivery, click “read more” for your choices. 

Get more new ideas for entrepreneurial media and digital businesses as well as edgy advice on how to profit from what’s ahead at my February 9^th Media Solutions Lab.  Stay home and miss out.  Or be there and be set for the year.  Last days to save $200 off by registering today – The 2012 Media Solutions Lab

Simply thinking and believing that you have an edge, gives you the edge.  How to do it is in my new book (chapter 7) on making your own good luck. “Out of Bad Comes Good – The Advantages of Disadvantages” – bookstores, Amazon.com or download it on your Kindle, Nook or iPad, under $9.99 here.

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Bring it on, John Dickey.

You want a piece of me? 

Come on!

You don’t scare me.  I was born in Hoboken and I boo Santa Claus at Eagles games in Philly!

I saw you crying in RBR the other day that I made things up about Cumulus paying half salaries.  You saw what happened to Clear Channel when they accused me of making up stories. 

Ok.

Here’s more SH*T John Dickey says I am making up.

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1.  How Cumulus gets around New York union rules for some air talent.

2.  The next Cumulus format to be gutted and replaced by what’s left of the brain of Mike McVay. 

3.  The bald-faced Cumulus lie in the top of the hour liner on KABC, Los Angeles.

4.  The Cumulus station that let their announcer contracts run out at the end of 2011 with the excuse that corporate is too busy to deal with them.  Don’t be surprised if a Cumulus Hamburger Helper format right out of the box replaces them.

5.  And yes, another city where Cumulus just two days ago hired back some fired employees at – you guessed it, half-salary.  No.  I’m wrong.  Not even half-salary.

If you would like to read this story, have access to my entire archive (1,400 pieces) and get daily email delivery, click “read more” for your choices. 

Last 29 days to register for my upcoming Media Solutions seminar.  The consolidators have their NAB.  This one is for independent thinkers. Join me for the day February 9^th Media Solutions Lab

Ever think the evil Cumulus and Clear Channel do to careers will actually turn into good fortune?  I can prove it.  It’s in my new book “Out of Bad Comes Good – The Advantages of Disadvantages” – bookstores, Amazon.com or download it on your Kindle, Nook or iPad, under $9.99 here.

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In this corner, the undefeated heavyweight champion of DC, WTOP.  In the other, the curator of radio’s all-news franchise and challenger, CBS.

In this corner, the undefeated heavyweight news champion of Philadelphia, KYW and in the other, that brash bully from his Jacor Days weighing in at – well, never mind -- Randy Michaels!

The news fights are starting a week from Thursday in DC and soon thereafter in Philly.

But wait – there is big trouble brewing.

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1.  Why news is radio’s hottest FM format when hardly anyone knows how to do it or is willing to pay for it. 

2.  The Philly/Chicago/New York Merlin news battle with CBS – what’s next?

3.  CBS as the attacker against WTOP in DC – could both groups wind up losing?

4.  Merlin’s muddle – I can guarantee you that this is where Randy Michaels is heading with Merlin all-news in the year ahead.  Okay, I’ll tell you – a format change!  That’s right.  Not all-news.  Here’s the format I think he defaults to next.

5.  Why radio is like Kodak, which thought it was in the film business and is now nearly bankrupt.  Radio is not in the news business.  Hasn’t been for years.  But here is the business radio should be in now.

If you would like to read this story, have access to my entire archive (1,400 pieces) and get daily email delivery, click “read more” for your choices. 

Just 30 Days left to register for my February 9^th Media Solutions Lab

Great Career Advice:  “Find out what you like doing best and get someone to pay you for doing it”.  Learn how in my new book  “Out of Bad Comes Good – The Advantages of Disadvantages” – at bookstores, Amazon.com or download it on now on your Kindle, Nook or iPad, under $9.99 here.

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Come on! 

Is it even possible that Cumulus Media could tighten the noose any further on employees they asked to work for less, do more and be treated like pawns to the wishes of investment banks.

Wait until you see what Cumulus is up to now.

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1.  The new Cumulus tactic for enforcing non-competes.  This is above and beyond the restrictions they have previously strictly enforced.

2.  Allegations of bait and switch from employees who are actually hired by Cumulus and then quit them quickly.

3.  Mandatory instructions to Cumulus stations about their daily deals program SweetJack and what is reportedly actually happening. 

4.  Why employees of one potential 2012 acquisition target are shaking in their shoes.  Names and reasons.

5.  The last place you would think a company like Cumulus that is doing away with local programming would cut more people.  Surprising yet telling.

If you would like to read this story, have access to my entire archive (1,400 pieces) and get daily email delivery, click “read more” for your choices. 

One month and counting!  Join me February 9^th at the radio & media seminar for independent broadcasters.  Get the edge on better on-air radio and digital content that will ignite another cash flow stream.  New and improved careers are made here.  To reserve a seat -- The 2012 Media Solutions Lab

I’ve got some chapters in my new book that will make you rise up and turn adversity such as we are currently seeing in radio into success.  Under $9.99 -- Read Jerry’s New Book

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Things are about to get worse for Cumulus employees as Lew Dickey and company are emboldened by getting away with the gutting of local radio.

Look at what’s next.

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1.  More employees on half salaries – but wait until you hear about how they are getting people to take such big pay cuts.

2.  Right now salespeople are also being put into a tough position.  If it hasn’t happened at a station near you, it very well could happen sooner rather than later.

3.  A radical new approach to radio sales is coming – that’s what I’m tracking and when I say radical I don’t mean business as usual.  Here are the details.

4. My prediction on where all of this is leading for Cumulus and their follower, Clear Channel when it comes to outsourcing.  You won’t believe what I think they will outsource next after programming.

5.  New evidence of an alarming increase in employee abuse that I define as firing someone when they have a serious health problem.  It happened again yesterday at Cumulus.  Beware.

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When Clear Channel sued me for $100 million a decade ago, I used the things in my new book to survive, get stronger and eventually prevail.  With what’s happening in radio right now, this book may be just what you are looking for.  “Out of Bad Comes Good – The Advantages of Disadvantages” – print, Amazon.com, Kindle, Nook and iPad for under $9.99 here.

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Another radio group (other than Clear Channel) is now thinking about adopting some of the non-local, bare bones cutbacks that Cumulus is implementing.

Thousands of jobs may eventually be at risk.

This is about the next likely group to “go Cumulus” – firings, cutbacks, non-local radio and all.

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1.  The almost unbelievable excuse this next group will likely use to “go Cumulus” by initiating major cutbacks and staff reductions.

2.  I’ll name the group that I think will “go Cumulus” next.  I won’t hold back or equivocate.

3.  The ways in which this company’s cutbacks and reductions will differ from Cumulus.

4.  Which companies are vulnerable to adopting Cumulus (and Clear Channel) tactics of “no one home” remote radio.  There are 5 I can name and if you work for one of them you’ll want to know who they are – now.

5.  The safest radio groups – least likely to “go Cumulus”.  I list 6 solid ones and one I’m not too sure about.

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Join me at my February 9^th Media Solutions Lab – I will be sharing the best radio, digital and entrepreneurial opportunities for 2012 and how to be first to get in on them. 

How to turn your luck around even as things are getting more difficult – stories and inspiration from people who turned adversity into success.  Plus, a game plan to get started.  “Out of Bad Comes Good – The Advantages of Disadvantages” – paperback or eReader, under $9.99 here.

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Okay, okay … we all know that Clear Channel is going fire more people in 2012.

But do you know how they are going to do it?

They do and after you read this piece, you will, too.

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1.  Whatever happened to those cuts President John Hogan asked larger market managers to make at the end of last year?

2.  Clear Channel has yet another secret plan to get around local radio – beyond syndication and voice tracking.  Here it is.

3.  Wait until you hear who Clear Channel is targeting next as “no longer needed”.

4.  More managers are said to be in the line of fire – here’s where.

5.  The four elements of Clear Channel’s secret plan to dump expenses.

6.  Just how massive Clear Channel cutbacks will be.

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Only 5 weeks left until my February 9^th Media Solutions Seminar in Scottsdale. I’ve just added a segment on how to innovate like Apple.  I’ve been trying some of these ideas and they really work.  I’ll share them with you.  Plus, I’ve added “99 NewTools, Strategies & Advantages” for only you at my optional “Next Day Big Ideas Breakfast” because you won’t hear them anywhere else.  Join me at my February 9^th Media Solutions Lab

How successful people fail their way to success and turn adversity into achievement and happiness in my new book “Out of Bad Comes Good – The Advantages of Disadvantages” – paperback, Amazon.com or eBook -- under $9.99 here.

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Cumulus unveils its next strategic move tomorrow starting with Washington, DC.

And it will become a template for other Cumulus stations.

Now they are looking to make strategic format changes and a new direction that is worth tracking because if they get away with it, even good operators will eventually follow suit.

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1.  Changes Cumulus is likely to make in DC in advance of the all-news CBS/WTOP battle – a template for similar moves elsewhere.

2.  What a Cumulus format hub is and how it affects the rest of the chain.

3.  The new Monday through Friday mentality that promises to save Cumulus lots of bucks. 

4.  The most endangered radio format in the Cumulus chain.  If you’re working in this format, here’s fair warning -- get those resumes ready.

5.  My prediction on local studios – unimaginable just a year ago but inevitable today.

6.  The next way Cumulus will reduce its workforce from here on out and starting when.

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Join me at my February 9^th Media Solutions Lab.  I have just added a segment on Apple innovation with specific concepts you can adopt to be more successful.

Radio people have told me this book is just what the doctor ordered in an industry that ties your hands and saps your confidence. “Out of Bad Comes Good – The Advantages of Disadvantages” – paperback or digital, under $9.99 here.

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Here’s what I’m hearing …

1.  What led to Sabo’s departure after only a few months of his Merlin all-news and who influenced Randy Michaels the most in making the decision.

2.  Sabo’s departure could cause an even bigger problem for Michaels and it’s not on the air.

3.  What happens to Merlin all-news formats in New York, Chicago and soon the one they are planning to launch in Philadelphia.  Plan B to beat CBS.

4.  Countdown to music.  How long before Michaels has to go back to something he knows – music radio.

5.  But what “Hail Mary” will Michaels try before he converts to music radio.

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If you’ve been thinking about subscribing and would like to access this story, let me tell you what you will get.

If you would like to read this story, have access to my entire archive (1,400 pieces) and get daily email delivery, click “read more” for your choices. 

Join me at my February 9^th Media Solutions Lab.  I have just added a segment on Apple innovation with specific concepts you can adopt to be more successful.

Radio people have told me this book is just what the doctor ordered in an industry that ties your hands and saps your confidence. “Out of Bad Comes Good – The Advantages of Disadvantages” – paperback or digital, under $9.99 here.

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