Small Market Radio Gets It…

Thursday, September, 4, 2008 by Mel Phillips.

There’s a reason that small market radio has outsold the big guys for 16 of the last 17 months.  There was a commercial several years back for Smith Barney.  It was voiced by the great actor John Houseman and it ended with the line “Smith Barney - they make money the old-fashioned way - they earn it.”  You can call it “local radio” or “old radio” as CL King analyst Jim Boyle does or you can just call it doing things the “old-fashioned way” and earning it…

The average small radio market has grown in revenue by 1.4% per month while the average big radio market has dropped by 3.2% per month.  Small market radio with more local content sells quality rather than price and results like the big boys do.  There’s no spin involved in small market radio.  They budget and plan from the ‘top-down’ not from the ‘bottom-up.’  They don’t tweak or look at spreadsheets but they do knock on doors while the major market stations get their new business from stealing other radio peer ad business…

Boyle goes on to add that “before the giant groups built unwieldy giant platforms that had corporate/regional management too far removed from the local pulse, local audience, and Main Street clients, there was local ‘old radio’ and it grew sales 6% - 8%.”  Those of you who started in small markets have to identify with that observation.  Your weekly paycheck depended on every dollar brought in by sales people knocking on doors.  It shouldn’t be any different today…

10 Timeline Memories:

1. 1781] (Tympani roll) “227 years ago today”: Spanish settlers found the city of “El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora La Reina de Los Angeles de Porciuncula” or Los Angeles to you gringos…
2. 1888] Click me: George Eastman  receives a patent for his roll-film camera and registers his trademark, Kodak. His prototype camera contains 100 exposures…
3. 1894] Sam, you made the pants too long: 12,000 tailors strike against sweatshop working conditions…
4. 1951] Coast-to-coast: In the 1st live coast-to-coast TV broadcast, President Harry S. Truman addresses the nation from the Japanese peace treaty conference in San Francisco…
5. 1957] How many would you like?: Ford Motor Company starts selling its Edsel line…
6. 1957] A black-eye for Arkansas: The National Guard is ordered by Governor Orval Faubus to keep 9 black students from entering Little Rock’s Central High School…
7. 1967] Brainwashed: Michigan Governor George Romney  claims he was “brainwashed” by U.S. officials during a visit to Vietnam. This was widely believed to have derailed his campaign for the 1968 Republican presidential nomination. Forty years later, citizens of Massachusetts claim that Romney’s son, Mitt, brainwashed them to vote for him…
8. 1967] Curtains: “Gilligan’s Island” airs for the final time on CBS-TV after a run of 98 episodes.  This clip is from the lost unaired pilot which features a different theme song…1971] The “Lawrence Welk Show” runs live for the last time although syndication will keep it on the air until 1982 and into infinity…
9. 1972] Rolling a 7: U.S. swimmer Mark Spitz wins a record 7th Olympic gold medal in the 400-meter relay in Munich…
10. 2006] “Happy Trails”: “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin, 44, dies after a stingray’s barb pierces his chest…

Music Memories:

• 1952] What’s a Pip?: Gladys Knight & the Pips  are formed after a birthday party for Bubba Knight. It’s a good thing they didn’t call themselves “The Bubba’s”…
• 1962] Putting Abbey Road on the map: The Beatles begin recording at Abbey Road Studios. They record “Love Me Do”…
• 1964] Making their American debut: The Animals at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater.  This clip  is from a 1965 U.K. appearance…
• 1968] Released on this date: “Street Fighting Man” - Rolling Stones. While no other station would touch it, we played the edited version on WRKO…1970] “My Sweet Lord” - George Harrison, who got the idea for this song from…oh well, never mind…1976] “Beth” - Kiss (or “Kith” by Bess if you prefer)…
• 2002] An American Idol: The first and best ‘American Idol’ is selected: Kelly Clarkson…

“Happy Birthday…happy birthday”:

Beyonce Knowles (27), Mike Piazza (40), Damon Wayans (48), Khandi (CSI Miami) Alexander (51), Tom Watson (59), Mitzi Gaynor (77) and the legendary Paul Harvey (90)…

Timeline Countdown: The NFL season begins tonight with Washington @ NYG, 24 days until the end of the MLB regular season and 26 days until the playoffs…

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