Mark Kassof Quotations of Chairman Mark

Is the Jack phenomenon ushering in a new era of “eclecticism” in radio? I don’t think so.

When Jack first launched, many thought it couldn’t succeed because it seemingly ran counter to the established “rules” of successful radio — Play The Hits and Stay Focused.

But did it really? Not that much.

Let’s look at a recent hour of Doug FM in Detroit…which claims: “We Play…Everything” …

GOT MY MIND SET ON YOU — GEORGE HARRISON
WHO ARE YOU — WHO
TROUBLE ME — 10,000 MANIACS
YOU’RE THE FIRST, THE LAST, MY EVERYTHING — BARRY WHITE
JUST LIKE PARADISE — DAVID LEE ROTH
SATURDAY IN THE PARK — CHICAGO
YOU GOT LUCKY — TOM PETTY
I HATE MYSELF FOR LOVING YOU — JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS
I’LL BE AROUND — SPINNERS
I GOT YOU — SPLIT ENZ
ADDICTED TO LOVE — ROBERT PALMER
TIME — HOOTIE & THE BLOWFISH

Everything? Hardly. What we have here is a Classic Hits station that plays a lot of ’80s, is willing to play R&B (it is Detroit, after all) and the occasion marginal cut — in this hour, I Got You. Yes, it has some “car crash segues” — for example, I Hate Myself for Loving You into I’ll Be Around. But they’re just “fender benders”…nothing you wouldn’t have heard on CHR back in the day.

Jack succeeds (when it does, that is) because its attitude — “Playing What We Want,” “Playing Everything,” etc. — appeals to listeners tired of the safe predictability of most stations. But Jack isn’t much of a rebel, really…he’s The Fonz, not James Dean!

The established “rules” of successful radio — Play The Hits and Stay Focused — can rest easy.

In its focus on “prime demos,” radio has pretty much ignored young listeners — the future prime demos. I can’t blame stations for this…they’re just trying to give their customers (i.e., advertisers) what they want. But a lack of enthusiasm for radio among teens and preteens doesn’t bode well for the future of the medium.

Think back to when you discovered radio. I remember hearing kids talk about Dick Biondi at grade school, checking him out on WLS and feeling part of a special, “in group” that adults couldn’t possibly understand. Later, as an older teen, I got into the “underground” FM and groups that most people didn’t even know about.

Radio and the music it played was a huge part of my connection to my generation and personal identity. I suspect it’s the same for you too.

One could rightly argue that you and I aren’t typical….we are “radio guys,” moved so much by the medium that we made it our work. But I know plenty of non-radio guys (including women) who have the same feelings and connections. Radio’s role in their lives and what they listen to may have changed, but it’s still important to them.

But what about the kids? I am concerned about their connection to radio, but I got a little ray of hope from AM 910 WFDF — Radio Disney.

I don’t have any inside knowledge of Radio Disney. But I do have some insight into the mind of a nine year old — my daughter! She’s into Radio Disney just like I was into ‘LS and ‘CFL as a kid. She knows most of the songs, she loves the Disney stars on radio, and she especially loves hearing listeners her own age call in and talk on the air.

What most interesting to me is that she’s never commented on sound quality that’s clearly inferior to the FMs we listen to. Unique programming trumps even the limitations of AM.

What I like about it is that I don’t have to worry about content that’s inappropriate for a nine year old…something I’m constantly on guard for when we’re listening to other stations. (What I don’t like about it is that “Crazy Frog” song…Ugh!)

Now, I wonder about the business model for Radio Disney. It seems targeted to a very narrow age group. And as preteens become teens, they tend to reject things they once loved…it’s a rite of passage. Even if a 14 year old enjoyed Radio Disney, it might not be cool to admit it!

But for now, I want to thank Radio Disney for sparking a nine year old’s love of radio, just as mine was sparked by the “Wild I-tralian” Dick Biondi so many years ago.

Satellite radio has come to Canada. XM launched there in late November, Sirius about a week later. And I’m heard to tell ya….satellite radio will make a bigger impact there than in the U.S. Here’s why…

CANADA’S POPULATION IS S P R E A D O U T . Canada is a bit bigger than the U.S., and its population is a lot less — 32 million, versus our 297+ million. Most of Canada consists of wide-open, sparsely-populated areas. If you’re going on a long drive, you’ll have little AM or FM to choose from. But as an XM Canada press release stated: “You can drive from Newfoundland to B.C., and up to the Yukon, and you’ll get XM Canada in crystal-clear digital-quality sound.”

CANADA IS UNDER-RADIOED by U.S. standards. For example, the Kelowna, BC area has seven stations competing for around 150,000 people. The Bangor, Maine metro has similar population, but 22 stations competing for it! Toronto, with a metro of nearly five million , is the only Canadian market with that many stations.

Canadian listeners don’t have a lot of choices compared to their American counterparts…the prospect of 100 channels will be even more appealing to them.

ON SATELLITE, CANADIAN CONTENT IS “GHETTO-IZED.” Thirty-five percent of the music on Canadian stations must be written or performed by a Canadian. Canadian P.D.’s work diligently to program this “Cancon,” and it ain’t easy. Not that there’s anything wrong with Canadian music, but it just doesn’t represent 35% of what you would play given the choice.

On XM and Sirius, it wouldn’t be feasible to integrate Cancon in the mostly U.S.-sourced channels. Instead, the satellite services offer separate Cancon channels, like Sirius’s 10 “Made in Canada” channels. A Canadian listener can seek out Cancon or avoid it entirely.

So XM’s Top Tracks channel can play “All the killer cuts from the supergroups of the 60s, 70s and 80s.” And sure, that includes some B.T.O., Rush, Neil Young, Guess Who and other Canadian rockers! But on a Classic Rock FM in Canada, you’ll get disproportionately heavy doses of those artists.

In short, Canadian radio broadcasters face a significant challenge from the “space invaders.”

The Lions fired head coach Steve Mariucci this week after less than three seasons. His “West Coast Offense” didn’t produce in Detroit, despite high draft picks and high-priced free agents.

Former 49ers coach Bill Walsh — the father of the West Coast Offense — described it as: “precision-timed passing, variable formations, and the exploitation of each player’s skills.”

But the Lions didn’t have the skills to pull off the West Coast Offense. Yet Mariucci stubbornly stuck with it instead of adapting to the talents of the players he had. Coaching-wise “Mooch” is apparently a One Trick Pony…a West Coast Offense Guy, and that’s it.

Mariucci may be a good coach with the right players and the right situation (he was successful with the 49ers). But he certainly is not a GREAT coach…

Pat Riley was a great coach. When he ran the L.A. Lakers, the game was “Showtime,” with Magic Johnson leading dazzling fast-breaks. When Riley moved to the New York Knicks, his team consisted largely of slugs and thugs, so he s-l-o-w-e-d the pace and emphasized tough, physical defense. He adapted to the abilities of his personnel and came within a few missed free throws of an NBA championship.

Pat Riley wasn’t about Showtime…he was about winning and whatever it took to get there!

Some radio managers are like Mariucci, not Riley. Here’s how radio guys can be One Trick Ponies…

Corporate formats. My last radio gig was for a company called Doubleday. In the late ’70s, Doubleday succeeded in St. Louis with tightly-formatted AOR. So they then launched stations in New York, Detroit and D.C. with the very same format. No research. No assessment of the market. Hey, if it worked in St. Louis, why not New York?

Why not? For one thing, Doubleday missed opportunities with its single-format focus, most notably in New York, where its WAPP launched before Z-100 and could have filled the CHR niche first.

I asked my former boss why they did AOR everywhere. He said: “That’s what we do best.” Bad thinking…Marketing 101 says: MAKE WHAT YOU CAN SELL.

Fortunately, most radio groups are smarter today. For example, Radio One — while best known for Urban radio — is into other formats when a market situation calls for them.

Trendy formats. One Trick Pony thinking assumes a successful format is the right strategy everywhere. For example, Infinity had success with Jack in L.A., so it flipped its Oldies station to Jack in New York and Chicago. And in New York it was a very bad idea. Infinity aside, a number of stations have jumped on Jack…and some of them will regret it!

Radio is notorious for jumping on the “hot new format,” whatever that is. When I programmed KTFM in San Antonio in the late ’70s, it was an unusually successful AOR. After I left the G.M. — impressed by the success of Disco on New York’s WKTU — put it on KTFM, thinking it would be successful in any market with a high percentage of Hispanics (like New York…or San Antonio). He was wrong, and KTFM wasn’t Disco for long.

Using programmers as strategists. Some consultants and P.D.’s are One Trick Ponies. Not that there’s anything wrong with it…it’s called specialization! The problem arises when G.M.’s ask the “Classic Rock Guy” or the “Country Guy” or the “Rhythmic CHR Guy” to recommend a format. Too often, their answers are: “Classic Rock” or “Country” or “Rhythmic CHR,” respectively.

To a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. To a programming specialist, every situation looks like an opportunity for his specialty!

Every so often, someone asks me what format I specialize in. But I specialize in research, not a format! Specializing in research means you will recommend whatever format will make your client successful, based on the preferences and perceptions of listeners in their particular market! So it could be Classic Rock, or Country, or Rhythmic CHR or A/C or Hot Talk or…whatever.

Then, go out and hire the “Classic Rock Guy” or the “Country Guy” or the “Rhythmic CHR Guy” or…whoever.

Don’t be a One Trick Pony…be a strategist. Be a Riley, not a Mariucci. Adapt to the situations and opportunities in your own market.