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Register for the 2017 Radio Solutions Lab to lock in the current price.

We’re waiting for the final 2016 revenue numbers, but most indications are that radio will be flat or down half a point.

This is not the first year and not the last for financial challenges.

Some of our large radio groups are paying the price by burning through cash flow and adding to their stifling debt.

But some radio groups and stations are dedicated to beating the unfavorable market conditions.

So what to do?

More resistance to rate cutting (although less is considered to be better than none). Failing to employ a digital strategy that actually makes significant money. Letting good salespeople get away and dumbing down on-air product. These are the things that consolidators are doing and look where it has gotten them.

Meanwhile digital is supposed to be radio’s lifeline but the average station does under $250,000 a year in real, true digital revenue – many far less.

But there are ways to guarantee a positive finish for 2017 up as much as 4% in radio revenue.

• Focus on 10 of your biggest and best advertisers by increasing the effectiveness of their ads so they will increase their spend and pay a premium rate. That alone redefines your revenue year. Let’s talk about the stations that are actually doing it at my Philly conference coming up in two months.
• Go after a handful of big local TV advertisers and present them with a tantalizing radio alternative. Get them to define what a successful campaign would be and then show them a plan that includes quality ads that you are willing to produce and test for effectiveness. Even if these big local TV spenders won’t give up all of their television budgets experience shows when presented with a compelling radio alternative, they find the money for radio.
• Then skip the digital projects that aren’t making big money and focus on short-form video that can generate revenue through both sponsorship and product placement. And even paid subscriptions. Young entrepreneurs are already generating more money than the average radio station from video. We’ll go to school on them.
  Change the way you motivate sellers. Raise their commissions, reduce the “make work” radio has dumped on them that prevent additional sales. A plan to put them on the street selling 90% of the time. Ask me about how to inspire sellers in a way you’ve never seen before. It works.

This one-day seminar is not available on video, audio or stream.

Just in person April 5 at the Hub Conference Center in Philly 2 months from now.

Examine the 12 modules below that make up the curriculum here.

Reserve a seat

Inquire about group rates here

Here’s the Agenda:

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

REGISTRATION / COMPLMENTARY BREAKFAST

8:00 am         Registration / Complimentary Breakfast

9:00 am          Strategies To End Rampant Rate Cutting
                        Rebuilding Eroding Radio Audiences
                        The Morning Show of the Future
                        Eliminating the 3 Biggest Listener Objections to Radio
                       
10:30 am       Break/Complimentary Snacks and Refreshments

10:45 am        Longer Listening
                       Dealing with Too Many Commercials
                       How to Program to Shorter Attention Spans
                       Digital That Makes Money
                       
12 Noon        Complimentary Lunch

1:00 pm         Better Options for AM Radio
                       Podcasting – Yes or No!
                       
2:30 pm         Break/Complimentary Snacks and Refreshments

2:45 pm         Jerry Lee’s Presentation: Reducing High Advertising Churn
                       Morley Winograd: Attracting Millennial Listeners

3:30 pm         Audience Q & A

4:00 pm         Conference Concludes

Here are the program details:

1. Reducing High Advertiser Churn – The proven program MoreFM, Philadelphia Chairman Jerry Lee uses to keep advertisers renewing at high rates and premium prices.
2. Strategies to End Rampant Rate Cutting – How to take back control of the media buy from large consolidators or underachievers who are willing to drop rates, add costly promotions and flood the buy with bonuses.
3. Attracting Millennial Listeners – A list of compelling content that is like catnip to 18-34 year old Millennials. Presentation by Morley Winograd, author of Millennial Makeover and other books on this generation.
4. Rebuilding Eroding Radio Audiences – Take notes on things like changing the way you hire air talent, how they talk to listeners in the age of digital and social media and making today’s radio not sound like yesterday’s.
5. The Morning Show of the Future – The prototype of the new “morning man”.       A more authentic way to do premium-priced commercials. A must-have feature more addictive than traffic or weather. The one thing every station leaves out of mornings that in-demo listeners really want.
6. Eliminating the 3 Biggest Listener Objections to Radio – How to fix too many commercials, outdated morning shows and ending repetition that turns listeners off.
7. Longer Listening – With TSL down every year since 1990, commercial-free music sweeps will no longer keep them tuned in. It’s this, instead.
8. Dealing with Too Many Commercials – New thinking on how to schedule all those shorter spots stations are running. The answer to where is the best place in the hour to schedule them (PPM and non-PPM strategies).
9. What Cinches a Buy Faster Than Even Bonus Spots – Blow bottom feeding competitors out of the water when they offer tons of bonus spots to buyers and you offer this.
10. How to Program to Shorter Attention Spans – The cure for the epidemic of listeners who won’t listen to a song all the way through --- even one that they love.
11. Digital That Makes Money – Why you should eliminate the expense and effort of doing social, web and app digital projects when this one, very inexpensive approach can start producing big bucks in months – I’ll show you teens that make more money from this approach than entire radio stations. If they can do it, you can do it!
12. Creating Fresh, New Formats – Is radio all out of mass appeal formats?  Not if you choose the innovative, new spoken word and music formats from this list.
13. Great New Options for AM Radio -- I’ll bet you if you put this megaton promotion on an AM station along with this format, even a Millennial will find it and stay tuned. And what if I show you how you can pay for it and profit by selling it to a handful of advertisers?
14. What to Do About Podcasting – The #1 podcast in the iTunes Store is an on-air radio show. What we’re learning about what works and what doesn’t and the future of podcasting in radio’s revenue future.

Reserve a seat

Inquire about group rates here

Look through our program, brochure here.

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Become a NEW SUBSCRIBER and begin with The CBS IPO Delay here.

Unlock these full articles …

            CBS/Radiate Traffic Deal

            Miller Kaplangate

            The Cumulus Re-fi

            iHeart Total Traffic vs. Radiate

            Stations Paying GMR to License No Songs

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High Advertiser Churn. Preview MoreFM, Philadelphia CEO Jerry Lee’s presentation on how stations can let competitors get stuck with low rates, lots of giveaways and bonus spots while you come away with the PREMIUM rate and advertisers that don’t leave -- The 2017 Radio Solutions Lab

Even stations with high ratings and great sales professionals are having a hard time keeping up with the loss of advertisers – it makes for a bumpy ride at a turbulent time.

Here’s a preview of a presentation being conducted by MoreFM, Philadelphia Chairman Jerry Lee at the upcoming Media Solutions Conference on how to make advertisers’ campaigns so successful, they re-up, not leave.

High Advertiser Churn – With Jerry Lee

• The one small change when recording local spots that triple their effectiveness.
• Quick!  What’s more effective for a local advertiser – a male voice or female voice?  If you’re not dead sure, be in Philly April 5^th.  The research on this is startling.
• How to respond to an ad industry survey of 5,000 radio campaigns that found 68% of the local advertising campaigns were a waste of money.  See the main reason and nip it in the bud.
• The “sweet spot” for agencies and advertisers with money to invest in radio that 3 out of 4 radio campaigns are missing – you no longer will.
• Believe this!  It is possible to cut advertising churn down to virtually nothing with techniques being used by Jerry Lee’s MoreFM right now (a perennial top biller in the market).
• Get around rate dropping competitors.  Let them get stuck with the cheap rates with lots of giveaways and bonuses.  Here’s how you get the PREMIUM rate. 
• The best resource for testing local advertising copy.  Plug in.  Get started.

Not available by streaming or audio.

In less than one day, more useful ideas and strategies to meet radio’s challenges.

April 5, 2017 at the Hub Conference Center in Philadelphia – 20 minutes from the airport, 5 minutes from Amtrak

View the full curriculum here.

Reserve a seat

Inquire about discount group rates

Contact Jerry Del Colliano

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Become a NEW SUBSCRIBER and begin with CBS/Radiate Traffic Deal here. 

Unlock these full articles …

            Entercom/CBS

            Miller Kaplangate

            The Cumulus Re-fi

            iHeart Total Traffic vs. Radiate

            Stations Paying GMR to License No Songs

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Report news under the cover of our Witness Protection Program here. 

Can this one hybrid format appeal to both Gen Xers and Millennials? Reserve a seat at the industry’s advanced management seminar and find out, The 2017 Radio Solutions Lab

I can think of no one who knows more about Millennials than Morley Winograd who along with Michael Hais, a former Frank Magid researcher, wrote the book on the topic.

In fact, they wrote three.

I met Morley when I was a professor at The University of Southern California.  He is a professor at USC’s Marshall School of Business.

So here’s my assignment for Morley.

Take all that you know about Millennials and extrapolate how their values and needs coincide with what radio has to offer.

Millennials are notorious for not having a relationship with radio the way their Baby Boomer parents do.

So what does it take?

What’s their sweet spot?

If it is something radio can do, how can we do it better?

No more flying blind.

But Morley’s understanding of all generations including Gen Xers (about 44 million) and Baby Boomers (79 million) will help to clarify what their needs are as well.

For example, we know Xers are the prime market for podcasts, but podcasting is not a revenue stream for radio.  In fact, it is a distraction.

Baby Boomers are aging but they still populate in numbers equal to Millennials.  Only last year did Millennials outnumber Baby Boomers for the first time.

Are Boomers going to listen to classic hits or Rush Limbaugh into their graves or are their ways to attract them along with the interests, of say, Gen Xers and make that package marketable.

As far as Millennials go, is it even possible for radio to attract them in big enough numbers to ensure radio’s viability going forward?

Any chance of getting them away from Spotify and streaming services?

If they don’t want or need traffic and rely on their own devices for news, use social media as a replacement for talk, what does radio for Millennials look like?

This is my 8^th learning conference.

I don’t believe sitting there and not being expert on the specific challenges of the radio industry is a good use of time.

I hope you’ll join the executives who investing a day to get current on the issues that really matter to the future of radio.

Curriculum for 2017: 

• Reducing High Advertiser Churn w/MoreFM’s Jerry Lee
• Strategies for Ending Rampant Rate Cutting
• Attracting Millennial Listeners w/Morley Winograd
• Rebuilding Eroding Radio Audiences
• The Morning Show of the Future
• Eliminating the 3 Biggest Listener Objections to Radio
• Listen Longer Strategies
• Solutions to Commercial Clutter
• Digital That Makes Money
• Underground AM Stations
• Podcasting, Yes or No? 

Details …

Not available by stream or video.

Discount rates for two or more attendees and larger groups.

Buffet breakfast, lunch and breaks included.

Reserve a seat

Inquire about group rates

Talk to Jerry privately

Conference Brochure

Subscribers get INSTANT ACCESS here.

Become a NEW SUBSCRIBER and begin with Entercom/CBS here. 

Unlock these full articles …

            Miller Kaplangate

            The Cumulus Re-fi

            iHeart Total Traffic vs. Radiate

            Stations Paying GMR to License No Songs

            Ryan Seacrest’s Race for the Door

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Report news here. 

Top expert on Millennials to make presentation on what Millennials, Xers and remaining Baby Boomers want from radio stations.  Reserve a seat at my 2017 Radio Solutions Lab

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Become a NEW subscriber and begin immediately with Miller Kaplangate here.

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Always 100% confidential, my Newstip Hotline.

“Digital That Makes Money” at my 2017 Radio Solutions Conference

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Become a NEW subscriber and access today’s story plus 3,539 in our archive.

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All New Management Curriculum for 2017:  1) Reducing High Advertiser Churn, 2) Strategies for Ending Rampant Rate Cutting; 3) Attracting Millennial Listeners; 4) Rebuilding Eroding Radio Audiences; 5) The Morning Show of the Future; 6) Eliminating the 3 Biggest Listener Objections to Radio; 7) Listen Longer Strategies;  8) Solutions to Commercial Clutter; 9) Digital That Makes Money; 10) Underground AM Stations; 11) Podcasting, Yes or No?  Details …

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For three, possibly four, decades listeners have been telling the researchers stations hire that they hate radio commercials.

In the 1960’s Marlin Taylor and Jerry Lee, Jim Schulke and Bill Drake among others took a shot at fixing the problem.

Taylor and Lee, at what was the forerunner to today’s MoreFM in Philadelphia, ran four commercials an hour, one every 15 minutes – a little more, not much in drive time.  The ratings soared and the ad rates quadrupled.

Schulke who ran SRP, the successful syndicated instrumental music format had similar restrictions.

And hit stations, adult contemporary and talk stations had so much garbage on them that they were unlistenable so Drake limited the loads to 12 spots an hour on his client RKO stations.  Many imitators followed.

They all succeeded.

Eventually most of the stations gave in and added back the irritations so that they could make more money.

And today, with radio barely able to get their rates, giving away tons of bonuses and more advertiser-preferred short commercials, it’s bedlam.

What a bad time to give up sniffing glue as they said in Airplane.  In other words you couldn’t pick a worse time than now to be dealing with a clutter problem and a diminished rate problem.

Radio needs the listeners AND the revenue.

There is one type of commercial that is an absolute tune-in among all age groups.  How about doing more of them for starters.

But then there are agency spots that radio can’t change.

There is something that can be done in the middle of stop sets that will force listening to continue, but no one has done it as simple as it is.

There’s lots of evidence that running two overweight commercial stop sets an hour would be better off becoming four or even six – the rationale being shorter attention spans like more interruptions.  There’s something to it.

A neat little trick on how you organize long vs. very short commercials that won’t lose a listener and promises to keep more tuned in.

And there is a word you must never say on-air because it makes listeners flee.

You can always run fewer spots, or can you?  Times are tough.

And you can make better commercials with a proven record for impressive results and listener satisfaction. 

I guess what I am saying is that considering what a game breaker commercials are for radio stations that need to run them, shouldn’t we have a conversation about new and effective ways to mitigate the damage …

That’s where we’ll pick it up at the upcoming The 2017 Radio Solutions Conference

All New Curriculum for 2017:  1) Reducing High Advertiser Churn, 2) Strategies for Ending Rampant Rate Cutting; 3) Attracting Millennial Listeners; 4) Rebuilding Eroding Radio Audiences; 5) The Morning Show of the Future; 6) Eliminating the 3 Biggest Listener Objections to Radio; 7) Listen Longer Strategies;  8) Solutions to Commercial Clutter; 9) Digital That Makes Money; 10) Underground AM Stations; 11) Podcasting, Yes or No?  Details …

There are 86 million Millennials (20-36 years old).

75 million Baby Boomers (53-71).

44 million Gen Xers (37-52).

One format doesn’t please all of them.

One medium doesn’t please all of them.

Boomers are radio positive.

Xers listen to radio but they invented the term “radio sucks” as children so that relationship is somewhat ambivalent.  And they’ve strayed from their parent’s talk radio rejecting the politics for podcasting.

Millennials are least likely to use or even like radio that is not the radio of their parent’s day.  Unfortunately, consolidation occurred right when these kids were growing up and they had computers, Napster, iPods, iPhones, streaming music services, Netflix and a host of other distractions.

If radio can be faulted for anything, it is offering only one size to fit all generations and sub-generations.

The same formats – no, I’m wrong – fewer formats available to the three generations mentioned above.

And there are over 20 million of the oldest generation – the Silents – still alive and very much kicking but no radio stations for them, not even on paid satellite radio.

Educator and former New Jersey broadcaster Dick Taylor has been positing that maybe we live in an era of radio overpopulation.  Too many radio stations – an intriguing thought.  And I’m not counting translators.

Might I add, too many of the same stations doing the same thing to a target audience that is impossible to please with any one format.

Consolidation would have worked best if owners developed winning formats aimed at three segments of baby boomers, and two types of Millennials and even offered something for the oldest of listeners.

I’m oversimplifying this to make a point.

Radio has abandoned the many types of listeners.  Listeners have not abandoned radio.  They’ve just started to drift away.

We’ve fearfully moved to taking all our many stations and aiming them at the same essentially narrow money demos driven by advertisers.  That’s simply not workable.  Every station cannot be after the same sub-audiences.

Not saying drop everything and play big band music.

But that we need to learn much more about the total available radio universe and then devise channels or formats for them.

Imagine podcasts on-the-air not online aimed at specific target groups supported by advertisers.

AM stations for Millennials and before you laugh, maybe you’d like to be in the audience at my upcoming media conference because this is a great, doable and profitable idea.  (Thinking fidelity is a problem, not with Millennials).

Music stations devoted only to discovering new music, bands and local artists.

Talk stations for working families that answer to their needs as working parents.

An all-news station that sounds like Twitter – delivered in 140 characters all hour, all day.

An advocacy station to help them get a fair shake in life – how compelling would that be on FM or AM?

Imagine if we continue this conversation together …

The 2017 Radio Solutions Conference

All New Curriculum for 2017:  1) Reducing High Advertiser Churn, 2) Strategies for Ending Rampant Rate Cutting; 3) Attracting Millennial Listeners; 4) Rebuilding Eroding Radio Audiences; 5) The Morning Show of the Future; 6) Eliminating the 3 Biggest Listener Objections to Radio; 7) Listen Longer Strategies;  8) Solutions to Commercial Clutter; 9) Digital That Makes Money; 10) Underground AM Stations; 11) Podcasting, Yes or No?  Details …

1. A morning show featuring a woman not a man and for those shows that are succeeding now with a man in the lead, the difficult but required process of changing the show to appeal to strong women.
2. Traffic reports that become contests – Hardly anyone in the money demo relies on radio for traffic as long as they have a smartphone. The race to beat the smartphone will become a contest that pays prize money and offers social status (Radio has gone silent on contents at a time when the gaming audience has grown).
3. A morning show “advocate” to help listeners – And not a national one, only local. Yelp, Trip Advisor and the many popular sites that give voice to online audiences can translate well into a local “haggler” who earns a reputation for sticking up for listeners. Yes, and especially for music formats.
4. No voice tracking at all even overnights – The one thing 20 years have proven is that voice tracking never gained an audience it just saved money.
5. On-air people who sound like the audience – Turn the radio on, it doesn’t sound like what Millennials sound like either in voice, values or content.
6. A major contest that pays down listeners’ college loans – No Millennial or Xer could resist a good station with this great contest. But it can’t sound like a radio contest and no prize sharing among markets. That’s not authentic.
7. The above college loan prizes paid by advertisers as an advertiser incentive that generates many more times the cost of doing it. Listen in on the pitch that has advertisers fighting with each other over sponsors paying down college loans.
8. Putting all short commercials in one stop set – These are the ones advertisers want but most stations are making the mistake of stacking their long commercial stop sets in a way that makes them sound even longer. The station of the future has to accept what the market wants but be less destructive about delivering it.
9. Making commercials more effective for advertisers – This is unfortunately the last thing on the minds of most station execs just trying to keep up.  Tested copy, spots that are produced with proven techniques for increasing response. Finding advertisers who will sign long-term contracts for premium rates not the bonus-infused market declines.
10. Shorter music sweeps not longer as attention spans now require lots of interruptions to keep audience attention. New thinking on stop set placement not for PPM but for short attention spans.
11. Songs that aren’t played all the way through – We have research that shows in-demo listeners even tune out songs they love so the station of the future will modify its playlist, presentation and format. In other words, radio used to understand that if you played the right songs, listeners would keep listening. Now you must play the right songs, not all the way through, with new elements added to keep them for the same period of time.
12. The best of podcasting on-air – Podcasting appeals to older radio listeners who prefer it to political talk radio. Podcasting is a radio format. A Sunday night show. Maybe the “Haggler” or advocate referenced above in #3. Or LOCAL musical companion to your radio format.
13. No digital – Don’t give away radio content or drive listeners elsewhere – It hasn’t worked giving away content for free without an adequate path to real monetization. When this station does digital, it does something entirely different from radio and starts a revenue stream. I’m thinking short-form video that teenagers have figured out how to monetize more than the average radio station.

This is what my conference is about this year.

You’ll find more details about The Station of the Future in the conference brochure right here:

2017 Radio Solutions Conference Brochure

Here’s a full list of topics we will cover:

• Strategies to End Rampant Rate Cutting
• Reducing High Advertiser Churn
• Rebuilding Eroding Radio Audiences
• Digital That Makes Money
• Attracting Millennial Listeners
• Eliminating the 3 Biggest Listener Objections to Radio
• The Morning Show of the Future
• Listen Longer Strategies
• Solutions to Commercial Clutter
• Underground AM Stations
• Podcasting – Yes, or No!

Not available by stream or video.

Discount rates for two or more attendees and larger groups.

Buffet breakfast, lunch and breaks included.

Reserve a seat

Inquire about group rates

Talk to Jerry privately

I hate to see radio stations resort to hokum in attempting to attract new audiences.

A few stations including SummitMedia’s Greenville adult hits station thinks “Make Radio Great Again” is a real cute way.

I guess, if you want to polarize your audience right from the start but it’s too cute and offensive to many.

And making radio great again is not a believable proposition to most listeners especially the 18-34 in-demo Millennials.

Time Spent Listening figures have been tallied by Arbitron/Nielsen since the early 1990’s and every year without exception, TSL has declined.

Want to make your station better, give audiences a reason to listen longer. 

1. But long music sweeps aren’t the answer.  Anyway, younger listeners have shorter attention spans and we already know they will tune out songs they love which means 18-34 year olds are actually telling you what they prefer instead.
2. Commercial clusters are tune-out machines, but there are a few ways to make it more difficult for listeners to leave your station.
3. One is to try this approach we’re going to discuss at my Philly conference which on its face defies tune-out.  Yes, even from long, unlistenable commercial stopsets because it has the one thing an 18-34 year old needs more than a subscription to Netflix.
4. Then there is this – actually shorter commercials, the kind more stations are carrying – sit better with listeners if your goal is to try to hold on to the listener and not just accept stopset tune-out.  But there is a better way to handle this mess.
5. Shorter commercials all in one stopset – we’ll discuss the many advantages and how to do it right.
6. There is a more significant way to get longer listening no matter whether you make any changes to the way you do commercial clusters.  It’s called shorter music and you owe it to yourself to examine this because it makes sense and it works.

This is the 8^th in my series of annual solutions conferences for radio.

You can sit there and do the same things or get up-to-the-minute on what works best to meet radio’s new challenges.

I have prepared a brochure all about this year’s topics that I wanted you to have.

Here it is: 

2017 Radio Solutions Conference Brochure

And here’s a full list of topics we will cover:

• Strategies to End Rampant Rate Cutting
• Reducing High Advertiser Churn
• Rebuilding Eroding Radio Audiences
• Digital That Makes Money
• Attracting Millennial Listeners
• Eliminating the 3 Biggest Listener Objections to Radio
• The Morning Show of the Future
• Listen Longer Strategies
• Solutions to Commercial Clutter
• Underground AM Stations
• Podcasting – Yes, or No!

Not available by stream or video.

Discount rates for two or more attendees and larger groups.

Buffet breakfast, lunch and breaks included.

Reserve a seat

Inquire about group rates

Talk to Jerry privately

Subscribers get INSTANT ACCESS here.

Become a NEW subscriber and begin immediately with Ryan Seacrest's Race for the Door here.

And read these full articles …

            What Happens to CBS After the IPO

            How to Defend Against $150,000 Global Music Rights Fines

            Cox Layoffs

            Payback is a Bitch at iHeart

            Beasley Set to Strike Again

            CBS vs. Jerry Lee’s MoreFM

Your new subscription also includes access to every article for the past year and 3,534 in our archive like these (scroll through/latest first)

For 27 cents a day, join the thousands of members who read Inside Music Media -- insightful, deadly honest and informative.

Inside Music Media contains no advertising. Accepts no corporate money or consideration. And is beholden only to subscribers who appreciate it so much that they pay for it. Thank you.

REPORT NEWS confidentially here.

NEW BROCHURE! Curriculum for my 2017 Radio Solutions Lab, Philadelphia – two months from now.  

Subscribers get INSTANT ACCESS here.

Become a NEW subscriber and begin immediately with CBS Radio After the IPO here.

And read these full articles …

            Avoiding $150,000 Global Music Rights Fines

            Cox Layoffs

            Payback is a Bitch at iHeart

            Beasley Set to Strike Again

            Digital That Makes Radio-type Money

            CBS vs. Jerry Lee’s MoreFM

            5,000 Ad Study: 68% of Local Spots Are a Waste of Money

Your new subscription also includes access to every article for the past year and 3,532 in our archive like these (scroll through/latest first)

For 27 cents a day, join the thousands of members who read Inside Music Media -- insightful, deadly honest and informative.

Inside Music Media contains no advertising. Accepts no corporate money or consideration. And is beholden only to subscribers who appreciate it so much that they pay for it. Thank you.

Report news confidentially here.

New sessions just added to my 2017 Radio Solutions Lab, Philadelphia – a little over two months away.  

Irwin Pollack passed away a few days ago. He was a shot-from-a-cannon one of a kind sales motivator who loved radio and helped so many stations increase their billing. Irwin became a successful attorney and settled in his beloved New England. When Tom Taylor, Steve Butler and I were publishing Inside Radio, Irwin bet on us investing considerable advertising dollars in our new daily publication. I never want to lose a radio person who loves this business so much he takes a puddle jumper to markets I have never heard of to motivate sellers. And in today’s radio, the loss of a guy like Irwin Pollack hurts that much more. Rest in peace, my friend.

The more the radio industry puts its on-air programming online, the more the industry declines in audience and revenue.

Yet, that doesn’t stop the Einstein’s who have no clue from finding new ways to drive listeners away from radio.

Websites with content that was on-air begs the question, why listen on-air?

And no one with a straight face will make the argument that there is money in this.

Yesterday, CBS Radio pulled another rabbit out of its – well, out of its hat to make CBS Radio sports content available on a dedicated channel of Apple Music.

Great for the ego but with all respect, who the hell is listening to Jim Rome, Tiki & Tierney and Gio & Jones on an actual radio station?

The ratings say next to no one.

Nothing has been a bigger flop than CBS Sports Radio so now put a dedicated channel on Apple Music so it can be a big flop there.

You’ll note, you’d flunk your MBA thesis if you proposed an idea like taking your on-air content and putting it everywhere you could without making real revenue and while eroding what radio listening you have.

You do know that?

So here’s my proposal and I’m going to detail it at my upcoming Radio Solutions Lab Advanced Management Conference:

What happens on-air should stay on-air.

Never on digital.

Never use on-air people to create digital.

When doing digital, build a bench of new digital stars who do not also appear on radio.

Their shows, topics, podcasts or forums do not have to coincide with the format of your station.  In fact, they shouldn’t.

You can make tons of money within 6 months of getting into short form video that is – all together now – not made up of what’s on your radio.

You only need an iPhone 7 – even a CBS bean counter would love those numbers.

What’s on the radio is special and there are two compelling reasons why the industry is experiencing such turbulence currently.

1. We’re watering down the on-air product and making it available elsewhere inviting people not to listen while we continue to do audience ratings where they should be.
2. The on-air product is nothing like what we’re capable of offering because radio is more interested in cutting costs than building brand.

Let’s continue this discussion and fill in the details in Philly at my 2017 Radio Solutions Lab April 5^th, a little more than two months from now.

Here’s a full, updated list of subject matter we will cover:

• Strategies to End Rampant Rate Cutting
• Reducing High Advertiser Churn
• Rebuilding Eroding Radio Audiences
• Digital That Makes Money
• Creating Fresh, New Formats
• Finally Attracting Millennial Listeners
• The Morning Show of the Future
• Ending Repetition That Turns Listeners Off
• Dealing with Too Many Commercials
• Longer Listening
• Surprising New Options for AM Radio
• What Cinches A Buy Faster Than Even Bonus Spots
• How to Program to Shorter Attention Spans
• What to Do About Podcasting

For details on each of the above topics, click here.

Not available by stream or video.

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Buffet breakfast, lunch and breaks included.

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            Cox Layoffs

            Payback is a Bitch at iHeart

            Beasley Set to Strike Again

            Digital That Makes Radio-type Money

            CBS vs. Jerry Lee’s MoreFM

            5,000 Ad Study: 68% of Local Spots Are a Waste of Money

            Cumulus Changing Its Management Style

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“What Millennials Want from Radio” at my 2017 Radio Solutions Lab, Philadelphia – a little over two months away.

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Become a NEW subscriber and begin with iHeart CEO Change here.

And read these full articles …

            Cox Layoffs

            Payback is a Bitch at iHeart

            Beasley Set to Strike Again

            CBS vs. Jerry Lee’s MoreFM

            5,000 Ad Study: 68% of Local Spots Are a Waste of Money

            Cumulus Changing Its Management Style

            iHeart Spot Rate Tactics

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That’s checking their phones about 150 times a day.

Young folks average 110 texts a day.

Some 46% of smartphone users say they can’t live without their devices.

And we in the radio business must be on another planet when we design and program radio stations in the digital age.

What would happen if we rethought the mission of a radio station with this in mind?

Would we still be doing traffic reports?

Would weather still be sacred when it is right there in our listener’s hands on-demand?

Would it change the way we do social media? 

I hope so.

What kind of air personality would it take to compete with or replace this kind of dependence on a smartphone?

How would our commercial breaks be configured?

How would we do better, more effective commercials in a world dominated by checking the phone incessantly?

Would you program in 5-minute blocks or just blow off phone user stats like these?

Is the way we present music something that needs to be rethought?

Is there a close personal relationship from the radio to a phone user possible?

I am going to propose that it is and how we should try it on-air.

I hope you will consider joining me at my 2017 Radio Solutions Lab April 5^th at the Hub Conference Center in Philadelphia – 5 minutes from Amtrak’s 30^th Street station and 23 minutes from the airport.

In addition to competing with digital devices, there are 11 big bets to place on new ideas:

1. Strategies to End Rampant Rate Cutting.
2. Reducing High Advertiser Churn -- Presented by WBEB’s Jerry Lee in response to a shocking study of 5,000 ad campaigns in which 68% of local advertisers said their radio spend was “a waste of money”.  Let’s stop this in its tracks.
3. Rebuilding Eroding Radio Audiences -- Millennial-friendly new targeted formats.
4. Digital That Makes Money -- How to assemble the “Content Station” of the future that merges radio with digital and social. 
5. Creating Fresh, New Formats -- A sampling of formats and format variations that hit the sweet spot for even the most distracted in-demo audiences.
6. Finally Attracting Millennial Listeners -- By making radio sound like them, have special content for them and embrace their 5 most desired values.
7. The Morning Show of the Future -- Why a lead female personality is now required – no more sidekick status.  New features.  And the ones that should go.  How to make mornings 60% of your total station billing.
8. Ending Repetition That Turns Listeners Off -- How to surgically add music discovery to the familiar hits.
9. Dealing with Too Many Commercials -- We need to have a conversation about something that drives listeners away.
10. Longer Listening -- Time Spent Listening to radio has declined every year since the early 90’s.  And hardly any Millennial listens to songs all the way through these days (even on other platforms).  Now there is an easily implemented way to keep listeners from straying and it isn’t longer music sweeps.
11. Underground AM Radio -- Say hello to the underground AM station of the future.  Format possibilities, how to promote and sell. 

The 2017 Media Solutions Lab is about significant positive change.

Not available by stream or video.

Discount rates for two or more attendees and larger groups.

Buffet breakfast, lunch and breaks included.

Reserve a seat 

Inquire about group rates

Subscribers get INSTANT ACCESS here.

Become a NEW subscriber and begin with Cox Layoff Rumblings here.

And read these full articles …

            Payback is a Bitch at iHeart

            Beasley Set to Strike Again

            Has CBS Found the Secret to Knocking Off Jerry Lee’s MoreFM?

            5,000 Ad Study: 68% of Local Spots Are a Waste of Money

            Cumulus Changing Its Management Style

            iHeart Cutting Rates, Rewarding Agencies to Hurt Competitors

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Here’s what’s really killing radio revenue right now.

Agencies are in the driver’s seat.

They demand lower rates and market competitors – usually the big consolidators – begin the race to the bottom of the rate card.

Naturally, competitors feel they have to also comply to get in on the buy.

Then the agencies want bonus spots.

Again, the other bidding stations have to step up with goodies.

Sometimes this means contests and/or promotions above and beyond the initial rate quote.

Then there are some consolidators such as CBS, iHeart and Cumulus who try to push competitors out of the buy by dropping rates even further.

iHeart flexes its corporate muscle even more by doing remnant-like deals with agencies that buy their radio spots for pennies on the dollar then get the rest of the iHeart multimedia platform effectively driving spot rates down to dangerously low and ridiculous levels.

Even good radio groups looking to protect their rate integrity are facing these crosswinds.

Radio is not only shooting itself in the foot using a weapon handed to it by agencies and buyers but then they pass that weapon around to each other to inflict further damage.

We’re going to deal with this in Philadelphia when we get together April 5^th.

Some things cannot be changed.

But there are a lot of things radio can do and before you reserve a seat to get familiar with these options, let me explain.

Radio creates virtually no premium content that agencies must buy at their rates.  But there is a way to carve out part of your inventory for premium content and it comes with its own rules.

Morning shows used to be premium rate material but as groups have watered down morning shows and accepted lesser rates, the premium has vanished. 

Now, there is a way to start a “waiting list” for advertising on your morning show if you do a handful of things to make buyers and agencies crave it.  Imagine a “waiting list”.

And a way to redefine the meaning of “bonus spots”, the ones that are in essence driving rates down further.

And you will be fascinated by a Millennial sales pitch I am going to show you how to make to a handful of big clients.  We’re talking about big money here.

The pitch.

The pricing – which I’m going to tell you now is high, but you’ll get it.

If you bring your sales execs with you I will show you privately how to overcome specific objections.

And did I mention that this is for a one-year contract or else you pull it off the table?

And we’re just getting warmed up because we need to place bets on new ideas.

I’ve got content divided into 11 groups:

1. Strategies to End Rampant Rate Cutting
2. Reducing High Advertiser Churn -- Presented by WBEB’s Jerry Lee in response to a shocking study of 5,000 ad campaigns in which 68% of local advertisers said their radio spend was “a waste of money”.  Let’s stop this in its tracks.
3. Rebuilding Eroding Radio Audiences -- Millennial-friendly new targeted formats.
4. Digital That Makes Money -- How to assemble the “Content Station” of the future that merges radio with digital and social. 
5. Creating Fresh, New Formats -- A sampling of formats and format variations that hit the sweet spot for even the most distracted in-demo audiences.
6. Finally Attracting Millennial Listeners -- By making radio sound like them, have special content for them and embrace their 5 most desired values.
7. The Morning Show of the Future -- Why a lead female personality is now required – no more sidekick status.  New features.  And the ones that should go.  How to make mornings 60% of your total station billing.
8. Ending Repetition That Turns Listeners Off – How to surgically add music discovery to the familiar hits.
9. Dealing With Too Many Commercials – We need to have a conversation about something that drives listeners away.
10. Longer Listening -- Time Spent Listening to radio has declined every year since the early 90’s.  And hardly any Millennial listens to songs all the way through these days (even on other platforms).  Now there is an easily implemented way to keep listeners from straying and it isn’t longer music sweeps.
11. Underground AM Radio -- Say hello to the underground AM station of the future.  Formats possibilities, how to promote and sell. 

The 2017 Media Solutions Lab is about significant, positive change.

This better idea session will not be available by stream or video only in-person.

The rates are favorable and even better for two, three or larger groups.

Buffet breakfast, lunch and breaks included.

Reserve a seat 

Inquire about group rates

iHeart is coming unglued in many ways you may not be aware of.

If you’re a subscriber, thank you for joining our group. Just unlock the content.

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

1. Ryan Seacrest – what’s up with iHeart’s Golden Boy.
2. Big Boy – do you know what he did on the air at Real 92.3 for 2 straight months only to get beaten by his former employer, Emmis in the most recent PPMs.
3. The Big Boy Lesson – if you want a ratings bump, don’t do what he did (described here).
4. Pittman & Bressler – inquiring minds want to know just what is their relationship with Ryan Seacrest?
5. The iHeart Rep Firm Katz – What no rep firm would ever do unless they were controlled by iHeart.

If you would like to read this story, have access to my entire archive (3,521 pieces) and receive daily delivery of new stories, touch here.

Solutions to Radio’s 11 Biggest Problems at the upcoming Media Solutions Lab.

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            The CBS Attempt to Knock Off Jerry Lee's More FM

            Radical, New Management Style at Cumulus

            Shocking 5,000 Ad Study:  68% of Local Spots Are a Waste of Money

            iHeart Cutting Rates, Rewarding Agencies to Hurt Competitors

            The War Against Twitter

            Megyn Kelly’s New Gig

            What the Morning Show of the Future Looks Like – 7 Critical Changes

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3 new additions to the 2017 Radio Solutions Lab Agenda …

1) A proven solution to make local advertiser campaigns more effective in the wake of an ad industry survey of 5,000 radio campaigns that show 68% of local radio commercials are a waste of time.

2) A positive plan to rebuild eroding audiences as in-demo listening declines.

3) Why a female morning personality is now preferable over a male – the secret sauce that is working big time for early adopters who know how to pick the right talent.

Learn more here.   

Here’s where to Report News confidentially in our Witness Protection Program.

Talk To Jerry privately

See a complete list of my Previous Stories

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            Cumulus Changing Its Management Style

            iHeart Cutting Rates, Rewarding Agencies to Hurt Competitors

            The War Against Twitter

            Megyn Kelly’s New Gig

            What the Morning Show of the Future Looks Like

            Radio Predictions for 2017

            Why iHeart Owners Are Fine With Delaying Inevitable Bankruptcy

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Jerry Lee’s solution to a shocking Advertising Research Foundation study of 5,000 ad campaigns reveals that 50% of national radio commercials are a waste of money and it’s even worse locally where 68% are considered by advertisers to be a waste of money. He’ll talk about how to turn those numbers around in your favor.

Reserve the date and see the latest update to the Radio Solutions Lab program here. This is the radio meeting about solutions.

Report news confidentially here. $100 cash award for the best tip of the month.

Inside Music Media contains no advertising. Accepts no corporate money or consideration. And is beholden only to subscribers who appreciate it so much that they pay for it. Thank you.

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Become a NEW subscriber and begin with Sears, Macy’s Succumb to Online Shopping here.

And read these full articles …

            Has CBS Found the Secret to Knocking Off Jerry Lee's More FM?

            Cumulus Changing Its Management Style

            iHeart Cutting Rates, Rewarding Agencies to Hurt Competitors

            The War Against Twitter

            Megyn Kelly’s New Gig

            What the Morning Show of the Future Looks Like

            Why iHeart Owners Are Fine With Delaying Inevitable Bankruptcy

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We just added Jerry Lee’s solution to a study of 5,000 ad campaigns by the Advertising Research Foundation that shockingly revealed that 50% of national radio commercials are a waste of money and an even higher 68% of local commercials are considered to be a waste of money. Lee will explain the steps and strategy to turn those numbers around in your favor as he has done at WBEB-FM, Philadelphia. Reserve a seat here.

Report News Confidentially in my Witness Protection Program. Full anonymity and confidentiality.

Inside Music Media contains no advertising. Accepts no corporate money or consideration. And is beholden only to subscribers who appreciate it so much that they pay for it. Thank you.

Subscribers get INSTANT ACCESS here.

Become a NEW subscriber and begin with Cumulus Changing Its Management Style here.

And read these full articles …

            The War Against Twitter

            What the Morning Show of the Future Looks like

            Megyn Kelly’s New Gig

            iHeart Cutting Rates, Rewarding Agencies to Hurt Competitors

            Radio Predictions for 2017

            Why iHeart Owners Are Fine With Delaying Inevitable Bankruptcy

            Bob Pittman's New Robot Assistant

            CBS Radio’s Inexplicable 2017 Game Plan Revealed

            Alpha to Ask Employees To Help Replace Themselves

Plus every article for the past year and 3,514 in our archive like these (scroll thru/latest first)

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This year’s 8^th annual Media Solutions Lab April 5^th is about solutions for radio broadcasters who are searching for new and better ideas, big positive changes, spotting what’s ahead worth betting on and content that delivers premium rates and higher revenue.

We’ve got Jerry Lee presenting his solution to an advertising problem uncovered by an Advertising Research Foundation study of 5,000 ad campaigns revealing that 50% of national radio commercials are a waste of money and it’s even worse locally where 68% are considered by advertisers to be a waste of money.

The master himself will present a solution and his revenue record at More FM in Philly is to be envied.

Reserve the date and see the latest update to the agenda here.  As you will see, if you’re looking for solutions to radio’s many challenges, this is the conference you will want to attend.

Report news confidentially here. $100 cash award for the best newstip of the month.

Inside Music Media contains no advertising. Accepts no corporate money or consideration. And is beholden only to subscribers who appreciate it so much that they pay for it. Thank you.

1. A woman personality as the main entertainer and not the sidekick. Millennial women are the most powerful force and they are more than ready to embrace one of their own as a lead personality.  Look no further than Ellen K who was pulled by iHeart from being second banana with KIIS-FM’s Ryan Seacrest to taking over KOST morning show in the same market against her former boss. Now, a year later, Ellen K is number one. Seacrest is #8.
2. Less emphasis on outrageous and funny. Humor will work with the emerging in-demo audience as long as it is not at the expense of another.
3. Commercials that are delivered in a more authentic way. Not easy because it will require stations to win the confidence of local advertisers to allow their top personality to also show the blemishes on their products or services.  Sponsors may fight it but for the first adopters who trust you with this plan, their response rate to advertising will rise dramatically.
4. No traffic reports. Research shows more than 50% of morning show audiences do not listen to radio for traffic choosing Waze, Google Traffic and emerging services like TrafficCarma instead.  We know why stations run traffic – compensation.  But audiences are turned off.  Do deals with Uber and Lyft.
5. A consumer feature that advocates for and helps listeners deal with their problems. A place for them to turn when they have been ripped off or misled.  This feature can build strong loyalty – a station that will fight for them.
6. A contest that is fun to play because it bridges some listeners with other listeners – dare I say, radio returns to being the original social media. And we’ve been looking in the wrong place to Facebook all these years!
7. Music, maybe. Conversation, definitely.  In-demo audiences now want conversations.  They know where to get music (and often it’s not on the radio).  Howard Stern has had a million careers morphing into many different people – talking all the way without music.  So we need to have a conversation about how much music is needed and how to give them the discovery they want instead of the discovery repetition we think they want.

Let’s get into this and complete the list of what the morning show of the future will look like at the 2017 Radio Solutions Lab April 5^th in Philadelphia because the future is now and radio morning shows are the best place to increase overall station revenue.

Join the discussion for new and better ideas, big positive changes, what’s ahead worth betting on and content that delivers premium rates and higher revenue.

Learn more here.   

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Become a NEW subscriber and begin with iHeart Cutting Rates, Rewarding Agencies to Hurt Competitors here.

And read these full articles …

            Radio Predictions for 2017

            Why iHeart Owners Are Fine With Delaying Inevitable Bankruptcy

            Bob Pittman's New Robot Assistant

            CBS Radio’s Inexplicable 2017 Game Plan Revealed

            Alpha to Ask Employees To Help Replace Themselves

            Cumulus Bankruptcy Threat On Again Already

            iHeart’s Dangerous Brinksmanship

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