A Word To The Wise from The ‘Show-Me’ state…

(Extended Weekend Edition) July 18-21, 2008… 

There is an NAB ”Smart Brief” that has surfaced that should be sent to every politician running for office.  In it, University of Missouri  professor and campaign ad expert Marvin Overby touts the benefits of running radio advertising.  “The segmented nature of the radio market permits a level of focused political dialogue that speaks to very particular audiences about topics of specific interest, and delivers these messages in a language that particular listeners find attractive and accessible.”  You can read the full text at:  http://www.smartbrief.com/site/search.jsp?searchTerm=marvin+overby&search.x=58&search.y=17 …

This should be required reading for politicos who can save some bucks in their messages that don’t have to be viewed to be understood.  I’d be willing to bet that if you took a poll of listeners as to whether they would rather hear a politician’s message or see it that the former would win hands-down unless it’s a satire on jibjab…

There was a time when radio would be inundated with political spots come election time.  There’s no reason why at least some of that action can’t return.  Political ads on radio are format compatible and cheaper than TV and politicians should finally wake up and realize it…   

10 Timeline Memories:

1. 1931] A radio first: CBS airs the first radio and TV simulcast. The show features Kate Smith, George Gershwin and New York City Mayor Jimmy Walker (7/18)…
2. 1966] Wedding Bells: 50-year old Frank Sinatra  and 21-year old Mia Farrow  tie the knot. Old Blue Eyes had pants older than Mia (7/19)…1986] Caroline Kennedy, 28-year old daughter of JFK walks down the aisle with Edwin A. Schlossberg in Centerville (MA), not far from the Kennedy compound (7/19)…
3. 1969] Chappaquiddick tragedy: This was the day that Mary Jo Kopechne died when Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy  lost control of the car he was driving. Mary Jo was just 28 (7/18)…
4. 1969] Bachelor’s II: Joe Namath  agrees to sell his interest in Bachelor’s III to stay in the NFL (7/18)…
5. 1969] Moonwalk: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” - the words of Neil Armstrong  who becomes the first man to set foot on the moon (7/20)…
6. 1976] Olympic: Tiny 14-year old Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci  scores a perfect “10″ on the parallel bars. “Comaneech” becomes an overnight sensation (7/19)…1980] The Moscow Summer Olympics is boycotted by half the nations of the world including the U.S. because of Russia’s intervention in Afghanistan (7/19)…1996] The most recognizable person in the world, Muhammad Ali  lights the Olympic torch in Atlanta (7/19)…
7. 1982] Going to Hall: 2007 inductee Tony Gwynn makes his MLB debut with 2 hits (7/19). Before he’s through in 2001 he will tally 3,141 hits and earn 8 NL batting titles…
8. 1998] ‘Happy Trails’: 74-year old former astronaut Alan Shepard  passes away, a victim of leukemia (7/21)…2003] Barry White dies of renal failure at 58 (7/18)…2005] Retired commander of U.S. troops in Vietnam, General William Westmoreland, dies of natural causes at 91 (7/18)…
9. 1999] Another sad day for the Kennedy’s: Navy divers find the bodies of John F. Kennedy Jr., wife Carolyn and sister-in-law Lauren (Bessette) in the wreckage of Kennedy’s plane in the Atlantic Ocean off the shore of Martha’s Vineyard (7/21)…
10. 1999] Perfecto: Yankee pitcher David Cone pitches a perfect game at YS against the Montreal Expos (7/18)…

Music Memories:

• 1958] Will the real Drifters please stand up: Drifters manager George Treadwell goes backstage at the Apollo Theater and fires his group. George walks across to the dressing room of the Five Crowns who opened for the Drifters and hires them as replacements (7/19)…
• 1960] The one, the only, the original: Hank Ballard & the Midnighters re-release “The Twist“, written and released by Ballard in 1958 (7/18). Chubby Checker’s version will top the charts later in 1960…
• 1968] Number One on the charts: “Grazing in the Grass” - Hugh Masekela (7/19)…1970] “(They Long To Be) Close To You” - Carpenters (7/21)…1975] “The Hustle” - Van McCoy (7/21)…1976] “Kiss and say Goodbye” - Manhattans (7/19)…1977] “Looks Like We Made It” - Barry Manilow (7/18)…1980] “Glass Houses” LP - Billy Joel (7/18)…1985] “Everytime You Go Away” - Paul Young (7/21) (one terrific blue-eyed soul singer from the U.K. that I had the pleasure of working with)…

“Happy Birthday…happy birthday“:

(7/18) Martha Reeves (67), Lonnie Mack (67), Joe Torre (68), Dion DiMucci (69), John Glenn (87) and Nelson Mandella (90)…(7/19) Vikki Carr (67), George Hamilton IV (71), Sue Thompson (83) and George McGovern (86)…(7/20) Carlos Santana (61), Kim Carnes (62) and Dame Diana Rigg (70)…(7/21) Robin Williams (57), Cat Stevens a.k.a Yusuf Islam (60), Jon Lovitz (61), Janet Reno (70) and Kay Starr (86)…

Timeline Countdown as of July 18, 2008: 9 days until MLB HOF induction, 9 days until all NFL training camps will be open, 15 days until NFL HOF induction and 21 days until Summer Olympics…

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