17 In A Row And Counting…

Tuesday, October, 21, 2008 by Mel Phillips.

Two touchdowns and a field goal does not allow a margin of victory in the NFL anymore or in anything else, including Radio.  September is the 17th straight month of overall revenue declines with local down 10% and national down 7%.  Even off-air revenue is down 1%.  So what’s the good news?  I wish I could find some, any, but I’ll tell you the bad news and that’s a failure to build online revenue to offset losses for not only radio but for all media.  I agree with MediaPost which did a recent article on the subject, on that score…

In addition to the radio hit, newspapers and magazines also suffered with revenue at the former falling in the second quarter and the latter down 9.5% during the first 9 months of 2008.  They too haven’t done enough to gain online revenue.  According to the Newspaper Association of America, online contributed less than 7% of total newspaper revenues.  And newspapers were first to jump on the online bandwagon for revenue…

Radio better find a way to capture a chunk of online revenue instead of trying to increase their on-air promotion and contest budgets.  And I wouldn’t be putting money into magazines, newspapers or TV either.  For years WPLJ has run TV spots for Scott (Shannon) & Todd (Pettengill), their morning team.  Show me proof that that’s paid off in new listeners!  The only thing that’s accomplished is puff up Scott & Todd’s egos.  It’s time for Radio to 1)  Increase online revenue and 2)  Use whatever budget they have to do it…

10 Timeline Memories:

1. 1797] Yeah but will it rust?: The U.S. Navy frigate Constitution, a.k.a. Old Ironsides, is launched in Boston Harbor…
2. 1879] Lighting the way: Thomas Edison invents a workable electric light at his laboratory in Menlo Park (NJ)…
3. 1959] Crazy Guggenheim: The Guggenheim Museum, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright opens to the public…
4. 1967] Protest march: Over 100,000 Vietnam War protesters march on Washington…
5. 1975] Waving it fair: Carlton Fisk wins Game 6 of the World Series between the Red Sox and Reds with his dramatic home run and cool body language…
6. 1986] Born on this date: Alabama teenager Natalee Holloway who disappears in Aruba in May of 2005 while on vacation. Although her body is never found, she is declared dead…
7. 1988] Guilty as charged: A federal grand jury in New York indicts former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos and his wife Imelda on charges of fraud, racketeering and owning too many shoes…
8. 1992] Released on this date: Madonna’s erotic photo book “Sex” is released with 500,000 copies sold in the first run. A-Rod buys 499,999 copies…
9. 1998] Getting out the broom: Following a 4-game sweep of San Diego in the World Series, the Yankees set a major league record of 125 wins for a regular and post-season combined…
10. 2003] Plugged: Invoking a hastily-passed law, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush orders a feeding tube reinserted into Terri Schiavo, the brain-damaged woman at the center of a bitter right-to-die battle…

Music Memories:

• 1957] Premiered on this date: “Jailhouse Rock” - Elvis Presley…
• 1958] Recorded on this date: “True Love Ways“, “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore” and “Raining in My Heart” - Buddy Holly’s last recording session…

Commentary:

Richard Blackwell a.k.a. Mr. Blackwell, inventor of Hollywood’s ‘Worst-Dressed List’ died over the weekend from complications caused by an intestinal infection.  Blackwell was 86.  Sorry to hear about his passing but you know all of Hollywood will be interested to see what he’ll be wearing at his funeral… 

“Happy Birthday…happy birthday“:

Frann Vettor (39), Carrie Fisher (52), Benjamin Netanyahu (59), Judge Judy Sheindlin (66), Steve Cropper (67), Manfred Mann (Manfred Lubowitz) (68), Whitey Ford (80) and Joyce Randolph (83)…Happy Anniversary Lynn & Lindsay…

Timeline Countdown: One day until the first game of the World Series, 10 nights until Halloween and 11 nights until Standard (back one hour) time…

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