What Did We Learn From Merlin?

July 20, 2012
What Did We Learn From Merlin?
Just as all the industry trades touted
the debut of Merlin Media’s new
experiment with FM All-News
Radio in New York and Chicago
just one year ago, earlier this week
the “Breaking News” bulletins were
again flying to announce the end
of that experiment as both stations
flipped to music and dozens of news
staffers found themselves suddenly
looking for their next opportunity.
And as predictable as a sunrise, the
usual naysayers stepped up to offer
“I-Told-you-so” reviews of Merlin’s efforts and to predict that the
failure of All-News on the two stations would make other owners
gun-shy about making any similar attempts at underperforming FM’s
in other markets. So just what does the failure of NYC’s WEMP and
the Windy City’s WIQI mean for the future of All-News radio on FM?
This week we asked a number of industry minds to weigh-in on that
question and we think when you’re finished reading their comments
you’ll say, “I’ve learned something today!”
So another News option vanishes from the dial in New York and
Chicago. Does this mean news doesn’t work on FM? Of course
not. Perhaps these markets are just too news-soaked to reward new
entrants without enough meaningful and palpable differences, I don’t
know. Maybe the existing options were simply good enough. Maybe
all the news bellies were already full. But, none of that means that
news doesn’t work on FM, it just means these stations in these formats
didn’t work well enough in these markets at this time. So while we may
conclude that penetrating large markets with All-News or News/Talk
competitors is tough, that’s not to suggest that news doesn’t work on
FM, or that music is the format of the future in these markets -- unless
your name is Pandora. More imagination in formats is the real future.
Embracing what radio can do that other media can’t is the real future.
Let’s bring that future on. -- Mark Ramsey, Mark Ramsey Media
In the fall of 1989 when Randy Michaels and his crew launched the
Power Pig and destroyed Q105 (WRBQ/Tampa) a long time ago, the
method of measurement was Diary and the diary exploded. I think that’s
because a group of people fell in love with the new station quickly
and got sucked into the hype. When Scott Shannon took Z-100 from
worst to first in NYC over 20 years ago, he had the same diary pop.
We have not seen that kind of immediate pop -- worst to first -- since
the PPM came on board. PPM has taught us a lot about how listeners
really listen vs. how we thought they listened. Getting a small group
of listeners to become quickly addicted to your station is not as readily
apparent in the PPM world. We know that All- News is a great format
and if done right (like WTOP-FM/Washington and others) it can make
a huge impact, especially on the FM band where 80% of the 25-54’s
are residing. However getting one to have that immediate Power Pig or
Z-100 pop is much harder to accomplish. Anybody doing this should
have a long-range plan. I have no doubt that if Merlin had the time, they
could have built a nice audience doing All-News on FM. But, when they
launched in New York and Chicago, they stubbed their toe out of the
gate. On the day that Mohammar Qaddafi was being run out of Tripoli,
their FM All-News in New York was leading with Kim Kardashian’s
wedding, including the fact that she wore not one, but two Vera Wang
gowns. They forgot they were All-News and drove toward a demo that
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July 20, 2012
Page 2
WABC/New York and sister station WPLJ are seeking “exceptional
individuals to help drive the future of local media sales.” A Bachelor’s
Degree and prior sales experience are preferred, with strong verbal, written
and computer skills a must. Get more details and application info for this
full-time position HERE … Got a gig open? Looking for your next
challenge? Email details and your contact info HERE and we’ll
post it free of charge as a service to the Talk media industry.
Cumulus Media Networks adds new affiliates including KSIMKZIM/Paducah, KY (A Better Life with Dr. Sanjay Gupta); WKNY/
Kingston, NY, WNNT/Warsaw, VA, KBIM/Roswell, NM, KRJO/
Monroe, LA (ABC News Radio); and WWTN/Nashville (ABC Digital)
… 15-year WOR/New York personality Dr. Joy Browne has signed with
Jeff Schwartz’ New York City-based Media Management Group for
personal management services … The Motley Fool Money radio show
adds a trio of Massachusetts affiliates including WBNW/Concord,
WPLM/Plymouth and WESO/Southbridge … WAOR/South Bend
adds Envision Radio Networks syndicated hyper-website High School
SportSite … Shannon Rose, Florida-based host of the independently
syndicated Rose Hollywood Report, will serve as Erich “Mancow”
Muller’s “official” political correspondent during next month’s
Republican National Convention that will be held in Tampa. Mancow is
syndicated nationally via Talk Radio Network.
Mobile audio app TuneIn inks a deal with NPR to offer TuneIn’s
reported 30 million monthly on-the-go users access to a wide menu of
NPR stations’ live and on-demand programs, including Morning Edition,
All Things Considered, Talk of the Nation and more … In a recent
interview with eMarketer Daily, Jim Bankoff, Chairman and CEO of
VOX Media (parent firm of online sports content publisher SB Nation)
talks about what he’s learned about sports fans’ online behavior and
also offers his insights into advertising to them. Bankoff reports that at
least 25% of sports fans are active on a second screen while watching a
game on TV or listening on the radio and says that number is growing
“pretty dramatically.” He also reports that the mostly male Sports
audience is “affluent and very tech savvy.” Read the full interview HERE
… Get BREAKING NEWS alerts by following us on TWITTER,
or “friend” us on FACEBOOK. Find one-click links to both HERE.
Gary Sharp is named Sports Director at KOZN (1620 The Zone)/
Omaha. He’ll also co-host the NRG Media Sports/Talker’s morning
show alongside former Nebraska All-American Jason Peter. Sharp’s
resume includes more than 16 years of sports marketing with the
Minnesota Twins, Ft. Myers Miracle, the Wheeling Nailers and the
Nebraska Cornhuskers, and nearly a dozen years as Sports Director for
the Nebraska Sports Network where he served as a host, reporter and
play-by-play voice … Sean Wheat joins KIBW/Topeka and the Kansas
Information Network as an anchor/reporter … From Our “Not Exactly
Talk Media News” Department: Twin Cites radio legend Tom Barnard
inks a new contract extension that will keep him on Cumulus Mediaowned KQRS through 2016, which will be his 30th year with the radio
station … Condolences: To the family, friends and co-workers of veteran
radio producer Steve Carlisi, who died July 11th at the age of 37. Carlisi,
who recently produced Danny Bonaduce’s morning show on WYSP/
Philadelphia, is best remembered for his dozen years as the producer of
then CBS Radio’s syndicated Opie & Anthony Show.
ENJOYING A “CAT CHAT”
Cat Deeley (standing) -- host of So You Think You Can Dance -- stopped
by the New York City studios of FOX News Radio to chat with reporter,
Crystal Berger. The ladies discussed fashion, Cat’s recent Critics Choice
Award nomination, how she got into television hosting, and her most
recent project, FOX’s new celebrity dating show The Choice.
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July 20, 2012
Page 3
did not exist for all news. Young women were interested in the front
page of Cosmo, but that didn’t translate to listening to All-News radio
in New York. Once they did that, it was really hard to overcome that
early stigma. The idea will still work and good luck to those who can
manage to stick it out. -- Phil Boyce, Salem Communications
Patience, money, and talent require a long window to succeed in major
markets. Having launched two NYC radio stations and one in Chicago
over 20 years ago -- albeit in a very different radio world -- I can attest
that it takes years, not months to succeed. I applaud Merlin for trying
something new. And even while I’m sure the pundits will find every
excuse to blame/justify the stations’ failures, I believe the spoken word
format (or any other radio product) will succeed for those who are
willing to invest in it for the long haul. I never worry about the first 12
trends, or months -- it’s the next 10 years in a radio product’s life that
scares the hell out of me! - Bill “Fig” Figenshu, Fig Media
‘‘
More imagination
in formats is the real
future.
’’
FM can make good sense for spoken word formats, but as proven many
times, people will seek out that which is good for their needs, wants
and tastes, regardless of distribution platform. Talk and information can
and does work on FM. But like any product, it has to offer an inherent
benefit over the existing competition, a dramatic difference from what
is being offered, plus a real reason for the consumer to believe this is a
better option for them. In this evolving era, I believe you can still win
on either AM or FM, but only if everyone agrees on what a ‘win’ is.
Streaming audio makes all signals CD quality, so we’re just waiting for
consumers to catch up. As William Gibson put it, ‘The future is here,
it’s just not yet evenly distributed.’ For media, I believe the future is
‘branded media content’ using a variety of platforms for distribution,
including AM and FM. However, when the power is out, my trusty
battery operated transistor radio is always nearby! And in Chicago
today, that means tuning to the well-branded media content of WBBM
-- AM or FM! -- Kipper McGee, Media Bandwidth Strategies
Fact. Spoken word works on FM, as well as on AM. Case in point:
We feel very good and are very optimistic about the future of our new
‘All News 106.7’ in Atlanta. FM News and FM News/Talk is still in
its infancy. Anyone who says Talk or News won’t work on FM would
be making a huge mistake, in my opinion. In the end it’s all about the
content -- with a capital ‘C!’ -- Mike McVay, Cumulus Media.
Al Peterson
858.486.7559
[email protected]
Brooke Trissel
512.218.8228
[email protected]
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