Building Teamwork with Talent

I wrote this a few months ago for Kevin Robinson's radio industry newsletter, The Robinson Report. It was reprinted this week in the industry publication "All Access". I'm reprinting it here now for the local crowd. The intended audience is radio programmers.





Since the beginning of radio, there has always been an uneasy relationship between talent and programmers. It's totally natural if you think about it. Talent is right-brained, creative and impulsive. Programmers are mostly left-brained, detailed and analytical.

The clash occurs when a programmer attempts to coach the talent. Left-brained programmers nearly always coach right-brained talent using left-brained techniques.

And then they wonder why it doesn't work.

I was a radio producer for 20-plus years. I always got along well with both sides because I'm a natural right-brained person and could think like the talent, but I was raised in a very strict family of left-brained thinkers, and therefore could also understand where the programmers were coming from.

I heard what programmers were trying to say during coaching sessions, but I also heard what the talent was hearing. It wasn't the same thing. Ninety percent of those problems could have been avoided by following three simple rules.

1. Leave your anal tendencies at the door
In your job, attention to detail is a necessity ... until you apply it to your coaching sessions.

You must let the little things go. You must. When the talent hears you constantly harping about something that he or she considers completely meaningless (you know what I'm talking about here; the stuff that makes them roll their eyes), your chances of getting them to listen to your advice on any other subject is gone forever.

2. Use the proportional rule
Yes, talent is sensitive, but you don't need to deal with them with kid gloves. You can say what you really believe. You just need to convey the positive as enthusiastically as you convey the negative.

If you think 90% of the show was good and only 10% wasn't, then you should be spending 90% of your time praising the stuff you liked, and only 10% critiquing. When you only accentuate the negative, you're subliminally telling them that you hate the show, even if you don't feel that way.

3. Listen to their ideas, don't immediately judge them
Way too many great ideas die because programmers don't listen. Often, a creative person can see the potential in an idea before he or she is able to put it into words. That needs to be nurtured, not squashed. Restrain yourself from pooh-poohing ideas you don't understand. Help them talk through their ideas instead. When the talent is unable to verbalize it to you, he will realize that it needs to gestate in his brain a little longer. Eventually, he'll come back to you later with a great idea, or he'll kill it himself.

The key is being non-judgmental. You're not against it. You're just trying to understand it.

That's it. That's all you need to do. If you follow those three simple rules, the talent will believe you are on the same team, which of course you are.

Once the talent believes he has a teammate, he or she will be more confident. Once they are more confident, their natural creativity will flourish.

Once that happens, everyone wins.

Media Notebook (Sept 11, 2008)

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer





Highlights and links to the big stories in the news this week about the media. This column appears twice a week at MEDIA NOTEBOOK


What your cable news network says about you
(Christian Science Monitor) Dante Chinni writes: "The past two weeks of the presidential campaign were about the candidates and parties defining who and what they are – or at least who and what they would like to be. The conventions in Denver and the Twin Cities tried to craft images and messages for the final two months of the campaign...How you see Sen. Barack Obama (change agent or inexperienced youth) or Sen. John McCain (maverick Republican or President Bush’s heir) may depend on where you go for news. There are points and counterpoints on the Web and on the radio, as well as on cable news – where the approaches and viewpoints are becoming increasingly different. CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC may argue that they do not push any clear views in their coverage, but there are clear differences in their audiences. Consider that the night of Senator Obama’s acceptance speech, 8.1 million viewers tuned in on CNN, while 4.2 million watched Fox, according to Nielsen data. The next Thursday, the numbers were flipped: Senator McCain’s speech brought in 9.2 million viewers on Fox and 4.8 million on CNN. MSNBC had 4.1 million viewers for Obama and 2.5 million for McCain. One possible conclusion: Democrats seem to be turning more to CNN and MSNBC in 2008, while Republicans seem to watching Fox."



MSNBC drops Matthews, Olbermann as news anchors
(Washington Post) Howard Kurtz writes: "MSNBC is removing Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews as the anchors of live political events, bowing to growing criticism that they are too opinionated to be seen as neutral in the heat of the presidential campaign. David Gregory, the NBC newsman and White House correspondent who also hosts a program on MSNBC, will take over during such events as this fall's presidential and vice presidential debates and election night. The move, confirmed by spokesmen for both networks, follows increasingly loud complaints about Olbermann's anchor role at the Democratic and Republican conventions. Olbermann, who regularly assails President Bush and GOP nominee John McCain on his "Countdown" program, was effusive in praising the acceptance speech of Democratic nominee Barack Obama."

What really happened at NBC?
(New York Observer) Felix Gillette writes: "So how did it happen, according to Phil Griffin? The 'beauty of my job,' he said, was that nobody from GE had ever big-footed his domain. He said he dealt purely with NBC Universal’s president and CEO, Jeff Zucker, and NBC News’ president, Steve Capus. He had come to this decision, he said, after consulting first with Mr. Olbermann and later with Mr. Matthews. He said they had been having a philosophical debate on the subject for months. 'I think what came to a head this time is that our guys don’t want to be restrained,' said Mr. Griffin. 'That was it. … If you move a chair over, you can say what you really think.' It had indeed been a months-long debate, and a philosophical one. That it never saw any practical results until the convention is probably as much a matter of circumstance as anything else. But the circumstances build a case that has not looked good for Mr. Griffin and his people."

Moonves backs Couric after conventions
(Broadcasting & Cable) Marisa Guthrie writes: "CBS News was a consistent third behind NBC and ABC during coverage of the political conventions, although some nights it was very close to overtaking ABC. 'We all wish the ratings were better,' Moonves acknowledged. 'I think the conventions accentuated what a phenomenal talent she is. She is great on her feet. She is a great interviewer. She’s great at passing the ball around. I think she did an extraordinary job, and I was extremely proud of her and our entire CBS News team during the conventions. I think we showed how good we were. I really do. Ratings notwithstanding, we’re doing a terrific job.'"


First Sarah Palin interview goes to Charlie Gibson
(USA Today) David Bauder writes: "Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin has agreed to sit down with ABC's Charles Gibson later this week for her first television interview since John McCain chose her as his running mate more than a week ago. Palin will sit down for multiple interviews with Gibson in Alaska over two days, most likely Thursday and Friday, said McCain adviser Mark Salter. The interview with Palin was confirmed Friday, ABC News spokesman Jeffrey Schneider said. The first-term Alaska governor has given speeches alongside McCain since becoming his surprise pick on Aug. 29. But Democrats have already begun to question why Palin has not been put before reporters to answer questions. McCain, who appeared on CBS' Face the Nation Sunday, said he expected Palin to start doing interviews 'in the next few days.'"


CLICK HERE



Microsoft's Zune introduces FM radio tagging technology
(Radio Online) Nine radio broadcast companies have committed song tagging technology that will let users of Microsoft's Zune mp3 player tag songs and buy music directly from FM radio, in a campaign called "Buy From FM," beginning September 16. Additionally, every Zune player will let consumers automatically download or stream their tagged songs when they reach a wireless hot spot...The song tagging uses RDS technology and will become available on on most FM radio outlets operated by Beasley, Bonneville, CBS Radio, Citadel, Clear Channel, Cox Radio, Emmis, Entercom and Greater Media. In all, listeners will be able to purchase music heard on over 450 radio stations.
(Rick's note: In Chicago that would include nearly every station on the dial.)


NY attorney general investigating new ratings system
(Radio Ink) New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has launched an investigation into Arbitron's Portable People Meter, the New York Daily News reports. The decision to investigate follows months of complaints about the PPM methodology by Hispanic and Urban broadcasting groups, including NABOB and the Spanish Radio Association. Cuomo wrote in a letter to Arbitron, "A significant and improper decline in ratings under the PPM methodology could cause minority stations to suffer drastic reductions in advertising revenue." The letter continues, "A full investigation of Arbitron's deployment of the PPM methodology is warranted before these sudden -- and possibly irreversible consequences -- are imposed on minority radio stations." Cuomo wants all PPM-related records dating back to 2003, the Daily News reports. Arbitron has maintained that the PPM fairly measures all communities and is more accurate than the diary.


Vin Scully signs on for 60th season
(Radio Ink) Dodgers play-by-play man Vin Scully will stay with the team for at least one more year, making his tenure with the club exactly six decades. Scully -- who's been in the Baseball Hall of Fame since 1982 -- said his wife, Sandy, gave her OK for him to go ahead for the '09 season. But the 80-year-old broadcaster said he doesn't have plans to sign beyond that; he told the Los Angeles Times, "There's a beginning, a middle, and an end for all of us. I know that I have a lot more yesterdays than I have tomorrows." Scully, 80, will continue to cover Dodgers home games and road games as far east as Colorado.





CLICK HERE






Stephen Colbert to have his DNA sent to space
(Newsweek) Should this world ever cease to exist, Stephen Colbert will live on. The comedian's DNA will be digitized and sent to the International Space Station, Comedy Central was to announce Monday. In October, video game designer Richard Garriott will travel to the station and deposit Colbert's genes for an Immortality Drive. "I am thrilled to have my DNA shot into space, as this brings me one step closer to my lifelong dream of being the baby at the end of 2001," Colbert said in a statement, referring to the 1968 landmark science fiction film "2001: A Space Odyssey."



A McCain Administration FCC might loosen up the ownership rules
(Radio-Info.com) Tom Taylor writes: "Not immediately, though. Even if a President McCain elevated current Commissioner Robert McDowell to Chairman, chances are that for the first part of 2009, there would be a 2-1 Democratic majority on the 8th Floor. That’s assuming that current Chairman Kevin Martin leaves to pursue a future in the private world (or politics) and that current Commissioner Debi Tate doesn’t win renomination. And re-stocking the Federal Communications Commission will rank low on the priority list of either President McCain or President Obama. But eventually – a Republican administration will try again on media ownership rules, and I know one dealmaker who says “that’s the only thing that can save the industry, if there’s more consolidation allowed, like in 1996.” Others may feel that 1996 was the turning point that led to less local ownership and more disconnect with the community."
(Rick's note: Count me among "others")

Mini Interview: Melissa McGurren
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Every week I'm featuring excerpts from my SHORE Magazine article about 14 local radio voices. This week: WTMX's Melissa McGurren.


Chicago Radio Spotlight interview: Eddie Volkman
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) This weekend I spoke with the co-host of the Eddie & JoBo show, Eddie Volkman. We talked about his long relationship with JoBo, including some of the highlights and lowlights of their show.

Suburban Man: Wait Til Your Father Gets Home

By Rick Kaempfer









Because my dad died twenty years ago and none of my children ever met him, they ask about him a lot.

At first I told them all the great things about him; the obstacles he overcame, the way he genuinely cared about everyone, and the respect he engendered among his peers. But recently I've been completing the picture a little more, and I'm feeling a little guilty about it.

You see, I've been using Dad to scare them straight.

Perhaps you do the same thing. Here's how it works: When the children are misbehaving and my "nice" way of getting them in line is ineffective, it's time to trot out the punishment techniques of my parents. Not use those techniques, just remind them what they were.

It's indisputable that the techniques commonly used a generation ago were harsher than those considered acceptable today. When my father came home from work, my mother would greet him at the door with a laundry list of our offenses along with the punishment she expected him to enforce ("Ricky told his sister to drink toilet water, so he gets five spankings.") He would exhale, take off his hat and tie, and joylessly take care of business before pouring himself a cocktail.

He knew his role as the father. He was the bogeyman on the other end of the "wait 'til your father gets home" threat. If he wasn't dispensing spankings, he was coming up with creative punishments to deal with the really serious stuff. Usually that involved being "grounded", or writing "I will not talk back to my mother" a thousand times, but sometimes it was much worse.

I've taken a slightly different approach with my own kids. I don't spank them because I just don't see the point. In our house the biggest problem is fighting--and somehow hitting them doesn't exactly make the point I'm trying to make (fighting doesn't solve anything). On the other hand, I noticed that when I muttered "maybe my dad's way of doing this was right," they immediately snapped to it.

After I noticed that was working, I began to share more and more stories of Dad's punishment techniques. Each story added to his legend. Even his non-corporal punishments struck fear in their little pampered hearts.

And I kind of like that.

I feel bad for using Dad this way, but if he's watching from heaven, he knows why I'm doing it. After all, the stories he told me (and my siblings) about his own father giving him "the belt" or making him "pick out a stick to be beaten with" were far scarier than anything he actually did to us.

And I'm sure his father did the same thing. And his father before that. And the generation before that took it to another level with those Grimm's Fairy Tales.

"You think I'm bad? Let me tell you a story about a boy and girl named Hansel & Gretel. They were left out in the woods to die by their parents, and you know what happened to them there? They met a cannibal witch who tried to eat them."

Think any of those early 19th century kids misbehaved after hearing one of those stories?

Monday Musings

Every Monday stop by for jokes, links to stories you might have missed, amusing photos and video, and more. Contributions and suggestions are welcome and encouraged. Click on the "Email Me" link on the right to contribute.



Joke of the Week: Contributed by "T"



THINGS THAT ARE DIFFICULT TO SAY WHEN DRUNK:

1. Innovative
2. Preliminary
3. Proliferation
4. Cinnamon

THINGS THAT ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO SAY WHEN DRUNK:

1. Specificity
2. Anti-constitutionalistically
3. Passive-aggressive disorder
4. Tran substantiate

THINGS THAT ARE DOWNRIGHT IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY WHEN DRUNK:

1. No thanks, I'm married.
2. Nope, no more booze for me!
3. Sorry, but you're not really my type.
4. Kebab? No thanks, I'm not hungry.
5. Good evening, officer. Isn't it lovely out tonight?
6. Oh, I couldn't! No one wants to hear me sing karaoke.
7. I'm not interested in fighting you.
8. Thank you, but I won't make any attempt to dance, I have no coordination. I'd hate to look like a fool!
9. Where is the nearest bathroom? I refuse to urinate in this parking lot or on the side of the road.
10. I must be going home now, as I have to work in the morning.




Stories you might have missed


1. McCain staff accidentally uses Walter Reed middle school as backdrop
(They can't explain why either, although many speculate they simply goofed and thought it was image of Walter Reed hospital. Seriously...these guys want to run the country?)

2. Rock stars tell GOP to stop using their music
(Among the stars: Jackson Browne. The Republicans were actually using his song "Running on Empty." Seems appropriate to me.)

3. Man in wheelchair robs 7/11 of condoms
(Apparently he still has some movement in his lower extremities)

4. What does your taste in music say about you?
(Mine says that I'm rebellious. It's a fun little article.)

5. RIP Don LaFontaine
(The greatest voice over guy of all-time. He was the voice of the Loop-FM for a year or two in the early 90s.)


Video of the week: This is called "John McCain's wandering eyes." "P" thought it was funny, and so do I.







Photo of the week: Contributed by "B & S". Found in Venice, California.

Chicago Radio Spotlight: Eddie Volkman

Eddie Volkman (right) is the long-time co-host of the morning show on WBBM-FM (B-96) along with Joe Bohannon (left).






Rick: Your dad is still a revered figure in this town. What was it like growing up in Chicago as Harry Volkman's son?

Eddie: By the time I was born my father had already been on television for several years. In fact, both of my older brothers' births were announced on my dad's weather segment. It was so normal to us that my brother, Jerry actually asked a kindergarten classmate, "What channel is your dad on?" High School was a little tougher. As an athlete, opposing teams would yell things like "Are you puttin' on the High Pressure Defense?". I'd shut 'em up by "raining" 3-pointers! You have to remember, in the 70's & 80's--pre-cable days--the channel 2 or channel 9 news had higher ratings than "American Idol" or other hit shows these days. The recognition factor was pretty high. (Photo: Jerry, Eddie & Harry)

Rick: You and Jobo have been together now for twenty years--which is unheard of in this business. What is the secret to your long-time partnership?

Eddie: We're opposites in many ways. We both often say "I can't do what he does". Jobo's a polished host who claims not to be funny (but he is!), who gets from point A to point B with surgical precision. I tend to be a scatterbrained comedian, actor, singer, impressionist, etc. I keep things lighhearted and funny even during more serious discussions on the show.

Rick: There is something I've always wondered about you guys. Obviously a ton of work goes into your show every day. How do you divide up the show prep duties?

Eddie: As a kid, I tended to follow the lead of a year-older brother. Jobo was more of an independent thinker, and by his own admission is rather obsessive/compulsive about show topics, preparation and scheduling. Although the show's content is somewhat of a committee decision (there are 6 of us in there each morning), I've learned to trust Jobo's instincts and almost Freudian approach to every program--you can never lose when you talk about sex, food, or relationships. I pride myself on being able to run with any topic that comes up. It's like improv for me.

Rick: Any show that's been around for twenty years has to evolve and goes through highs and lows. What do you consider your highest high and your lowest low?

Eddie: Well, to be perfectly shallow, the bidding war between CBS Radio and Clear Channel for our services back in 2002 was quite a boost for our egos as well as bank accounts, but of course the most rewarding times are when ratings are highest. You don't want to be All-Pro on a last-place team. Our best ratings were in the early to mid-90's before the proliferation of iPods, Spanish radio stations and other factors that have since fragmented the audience. The lowest low obviously would be when we were fired in May of 1994 over a libel lawsuit that anyone can Google--we still don't talk about it much. Although we were picked up by WIOQ-FM in Philladelphia a few months later, our hearts were still in Chicago, hometown to us both. That situation cost me my house, my marriage and my kids moving to Arizona. Count being re-hired at the end of 1996 as the other greatest high point!

Rick: I was working for the same company on another morning show (Landecker at WJMK) when you were forced to have management approve every single word you said before it aired. I can't speak for the other shows in the company, but we were petrified that would become a company wide policy. How did you make it through those years, and did you learn anything about yourselves through that process?

Eddie: The libel lawsuit that lost us the job in 1994 had the company on edge when we were hired the second time. Our General Manger, Don Marion was quite worried about lawsuits, and was under the gun to do whatever was necessary to prevent that situation from ever happening again. I think there was actually way too much precaution involved, but his job was on the line if anything went wrong. Don and our Program Director, Todd Cavanah would alternate weeks sitting in the studio. Jobo refers to us as "being pre-recorded" back then, I preferred to say we were on a two-minute delay, not unlike the 10 or 20-second delay most morning shows have anyway. The only real pain was having to record something, then have it ready by the time a song was over.

Rick: I've previously interviewed Karen Hand who was a big part of your show for many years. That female component to the show has always been there in some shape or form (currently with Erica Cobb). How important is it to have the female perspective?

Eddie: One weakness Jobo and I both have is growing up in families of jocks ("athletic", not "disc"). We can tend to get caught up in talking too much sports, drinking, and male humor if we're not careful. On a station that targets women 18 to 34 and teens, that's not a good thing. Also, as I mentioned, we talk a lot about relationships. If a woman-caller to the show says she's in an abusive relationship and we tell her she's crazy to remain there, we sound like male bullies with no clue as to the dynamics of her situation. Coming from Karen Hand or our more recent co-host, Erica Cobb (photo), it sounds much more like advice from a girlfriend, and hence much more comfortable and credible.And of course, a female perspective is always appreciated on issues of fashion, politics, food--you name it!

Rick: One of the challenges for your show is that you guys are not in the same demo as the audience you're trying to attract. How do you manage to stay so young and relate to that younger audience?

Eddie: It's just a matter of reading what they read, keeping up with their interests and technology, and even watching the shows they watch. It's become so natural that I actually find myself somewhat bored with my own peers, sad to say. My high school buddies golf and have riding mowers--I play basketball and video games. Whatever we're doing works, I guess. Our teen and young adult ratings are about the same as twenty years ago.

Rick: If my math is correct, the seven year contract you signed back in 2002 is ending next year. When you signed that contract, Kiss-FM made a huge push to steal you--and when they couldn't get you, they signed DreX to come into the market. Will we be experiencing a similar situation next year?

Eddie: Well, financial times are different. We're well-aware of the revenue situation in radio these days compared to 7 years ago. We believe there is interest in our services at B96 and other outlets beyond our current contract, but at what price I don't know. The situation that occurred with Mike North at co-owned CBS station WSCR is an example.of the salary adjustments you have to be realistic about. I guess we'll see!

Rick: They say that mixed marriages don't work, but you and JoBo have managed to stay together despite the fact that JoBo is a Sox fan, and you're a Cubs fan. What will happen if those teams play each other in the World Series this year. Will the partnership survive?


Eddie: Oh yeah...In fact, as the Cubs fan on the show I, of course, want to see my team win the World Series, but I also want it to be against the White Sox! It would mean so much more than beating, say, the Tampa Bay Rays. Even their own fans don't care about that team! As a former college baseball player, I am a fan of the game as much as anything. On-air I'm brutal to the Sox, as Jobo is to the Cubs but, truth be known, I have always followed and cheered for both teams. It's just a good Chicago-like, on-air bit (although Jobo genuinely hates the Cubs!). Our "brotherhood" goes deep enough, however that nothing much ever gets between us!

A good perspective...

I love the Daily Show...

Media Notebook (Sept 4, 2008)

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer





Highlights and links to the big stories in the news this week about the media. This column appears twice a week at MEDIA NOTEBOOK


What Republican pundits are saying when they think they're mics aren't on anymore...this is Peggy Noonan and Mike Murphy, off-mic on MSNBC



The conventions belong to Cable News
(LA Times) Scott Collins writes: "A record total of 38.3 million viewers watched Obama's acceptance speech Thursday, according to Nielsen Media Research. An average of 8 million watched on CNN alone, easily besting the broadcast competition on ABC, CBS and NBC. Of course, nobody on the Republican side approaches the media star power of Obama; McCain himself takes potshots at his own speaking skills. But last week, the three news cable networks each posted average prime-time gains of more than 50% compared with the '04 convention; those gains are unlikely to fade away entirely in Minnesota. The conventions are making it clearer than ever before that the broadcast networks have, for better or worse, permanently ceded to the cable outlets their role as the nation's political prognosticators. That was the historic role that NBC first carved out more than 50 years ago for anchors Chet Huntley and David Brinkley."


John McCain cancels CNN appearance because of previous tough interview
(Broadcasting & Cable) John Eggerton writes: "According to CNN, Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) pulled out of a scheduled interview with the network after a segment with Campbell Brown and a top McCain spokesman Monday night in which Brown asked for examples of a foreign-policy decision made by Republican vice president pick Sarah Palin. McCain was scheduled to appear on Larry King Live, but CNN's Wolf Blitzer said Tuesday that the campaign told the news network they thought Brown's interview with spokesman Tucker Bounds was 'over the line.' CNN said it disagreed and it is committed to covering both sides of issues."
(Video of the "over the line" interview at the link)


AP issues talking points over Fournier
(Politico) Michael Calderone writes: "AP Washington bureau chief Ron Fournier has been targeted by MoveOn, Media Matters and many liberal blogs this campaign cycle for what they consider light treatment of John McCain at the expense of other candidates — especially Barack Obama. In July, I reported that Fournier had discussions with the McCain campaign in late 2006 — while not at the AP — about taking a senior level communications job with the campaign. Fournier spoke with Mark Salter, Rick Davis, John Weaver and other campaign staffers, but did not take the job. He returned to the AP in March 2007. So with the blogosphere enraged over Fournier, FishbowlDC writes today that Ellen Hale, the AP’s vice president for corporate communications, has e-mailed talking points to managers on how to deal with questions about the wire's D.C. bureau chief. But the contents of the memo were not yet revealed. I’ve now obtained the full talking points..."(click on the link to read it)


CLICK HERE



"In a world" announcer dead at 68
(National Post) You may not recognize the name Don LaFontaine but you definitely know the voice. LaFontaine, who passed away Monday at the age of 68, was THE voice of movie trailers for almost 30 years. The Minnesota-born LaFontaine reportedly voiced over 5,000 trailers and almost 350,000 commercials. He's responsible for the ubiquitous trailer-opening phrase "In a world..."


Obama had secret meeting with Fox News executives
(Washington Post) Howard Kurtz writes: "At a secret meeting with Barack Obama three months ago, Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes says, he tried to clear the air with the Democratic senator by saying that his organization was determined to be fair but would not be "in the tank" for Obama's campaign. During the sit-down in a Waldorf-Astoria hotel suite in Manhattan that included Rupert Murdoch, the network's owner, Obama expressed concern about the way Fox was covering him. 'I just wanted to know if I'm going to get a fair shake from Fox News Channel,' Ailes recalled him saying."


Mr. Rogers dumped by PBS
(Chicago Tribune) Steve Schmadake writes: "Seven years have passed since new episodes of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" were taped and five since the show's iconic, sweater-clad host died. But news that, starting Monday, "Mister Rogers" will disappear from the schedules of many PBS stations—including WTTW-Ch. 11 in Chicago, as well as stations in Los Angeles and apparently New York—has legions of parents and other fans lamenting what they see as a timeless show's end. They are wondering, as Mr. Rogers himself might say: What do you do with the mad that you feel?"






CLICK HERE






Mike North returns...on a restaurant website
(Chicago Tribune) Phil Rosenthal writes: "Perhaps the only person outrageous enough to suggest that former WSCR-AM 670 mainstay Mike North has anything in common with Barry Manilow would be North himself, and guess who's tryin' to get the feeling again. 'What Rich Melman is paying me to do is what the Las Vegas Hilton pays Barry Manilow to do,' the hot-dog-man-turned-sports-talker explained Tuesday, in announcing his latest venture, a two-hour, five-day-a-week Internet program that will stream on the Lettuce Entertain You Web site of Melman's Wildfire restaurants, starting Monday. 'He wants people to visit the Wildfire Web site.' This experiment in Internet radio is innovation born out of necessity for North, a signature voice for The Score since its launch 16 years ago. When he left the all-sports station in late June after contract talks with CBS Radio broke down, a non-compete clause was supposed to keep him from taking a TV or radio job for six months. Out of sight and out of mind diminishes one's value in the marketplace, the theory goes."

Letterman baffled by NBC's treatment of Leno
(New York Times) Brian Stelter writes: "David Letterman, the CBS host who has competed with Jay Leno every weeknight for 15 years, now feels empathy for his late-night challenger. In an interview with Rolling Stone on newsstands this week, Mr. Letterman, the longtime Late Show host, expresses bewilderment about NBC’s decision, first announced four years ago, to replace Mr. Leno next year with Conan O’Brien, the current host of Late Night. 'Unless I’m misunderstanding something, I don’t know why, after the job Jay has done for them, why they would relinquish that,' Mr. Letterman said in the interview. 'I guess they thought it was a less messy way to handle what happened to me at NBC. I don’t know.'”


Mini Interview: John Jurkovic
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Every week I'm featuring excerpts from my SHORE Magazine article about 14 local radio voices. This week: John Jurkovic from ESPN Radio. Coming this weekend--a full interview with Eddie Volkman of B-96.

Suburban Man: Anticipation

By Rick Kaempfer






Back to school.

I started dreaming about this day on the second day of summer vacation. The first day it was kind of nice to have all three boys at home with me for the entire day.

The second day, not so much.

That’s when the “back to school” dreams started for me. It happened nearly every day. I would drift off into a peaceful daydream about how it used to be. Ah, six hours of no kids in the house. Ah, six hours of blissful silence so I can get some work done. Ah, six hours of . . .

That’s as far as the daydream would go. At that point I would get interrupted by some sort of squeal, scream, crash or wail. “Whoever made that noise better start running,” I would say. “Or it’s hammer time.”

My oldest boy, the preteen, would look at my hand, defiantly unafraid. “You don’t have a hammer.”

“Not yet,” I’d threaten.

“What if you did have a hammer?”

Little did he know I had been waiting for someone to ask me that question since 1968. “If I had a hammer,” I answered, “I’d hammer in the morning. I’d hammer in the evening, all over this land. I’d hammer out justice. I’d hammer out freedom. I’d hammer out love between your brother and your other brother . . . all over this land.”

He never asked again.

But as much as I was looking forward to the first day of school, I began to notice in the middle of summer that there was one person in my house looking forward to it even more than me: my five-year-old son, Sean. This year all the “kids’ stuff” of preschool would be done forever. This year he would be going to real school (kindergarten!), and he honestly couldn’t wait. The excitement and anticipation were too much for him to handle.

I got the same question every day: “How many days until school starts?”

“Why are you so excited about school?” I asked him.

He looked at me like that was the dumbest question of all time. “Because I want to learn,” he said. The “duh” in his eyes added an exclamation point.

Wow. A child that actually can’t wait to learn! I was very proud of him. I’m not a big kid-bragger, but I couldn’t help myself. I began to tell everyone I knew about my eager-to-learn child.

People would ask him a question like, “What do you want to learn?” and he would up the ante by being even more prototypically scholarly: “I want to learn how to read. It’s my dream.” (He really said that.)

I was really beginning to puff out my chest until someone dug a little deeper into Sean’s desire to read. “After you learn how to read, what will you read first?” one aunt asked him.

That was the magic question. His face lit up with excitement. “The video game instructions!” he screamed.

Sigh.

Oh, well. At least he’s actually excited about school. We still have that in common.

Have a great Labor Day Weekend

I'm taking this weekend off, but I'll be back on Tuesday with a new Suburban Man column.

Media Notebook (August 28)

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer





Highlights and links to the big stories in the news this week about the media. This column appears twice a week at MEDIA NOTEBOOK

Jay Mariotti quits the Chicago Sun Times
(Chicago Sports/Chicago Tribune) Jim Kirk writes: "The highly-paid Mariotti quits after just signing a three-year contract extension in June. At that time, Cooke said that Mariotti was a focal point of the Sun-Times sports section, praising his pull no punches approach. Commenting on his 17 years at the paper, Mariotti said he loved every minute of it. But he said that with the troubled times newspapers face, it was time to consider a new future. 'I'm a competitor and I get the sense this marketplace doesn't compete,' he said. 'Everyone is hanging on for dear life at both papers. I think probably the days of high stakes competition in Chicago are over. To see what's happened in this business...I don't want to go down with it.'"


Trib to start calling itself Trib
(Editor & Publisher) Joe Strupp writes: "The Chicago Tribune has long been nicknamed "The Trib." But if a redesign prototype being passed around the Web becomes the final choice, that nickname will be a formal part of the paper. A prototype obtained by E&P offers a radical change to the Tribune's legendary flag, with the older "Chicago Tribune" title placed in small letters at the top and a blown-up "trib" (in lower case type) set in white against a black background."


CLICK HERE



Brawling anchors on MSNBC
(NY Post) Richard Johnson writes: "At a forum on Sunday, when Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell called MSNBC 'the official network of the Obama campaign,' Tom Brokaw said, 'I think Keith has gone too far. I think Chris has gone too far.' Insiders say Olbermann is pushing to have Brokaw banned from the network and is also refusing to have centrist Time magazine columnist Mike Murphy on his show. 'The idea of anyone trying to ban Tom Brokaw is ludicrous,' said one MSNBC-er. Brokaw was on MSNBC for an hour yesterday afternoon. Murphy, who was bumped from Olbermann's show on Monday night, told us, 'They told me technical problems and I have no reason not to believe them.'"


2008 Olympics: Most viewed TV event ever
(NY Times) Brian Stelter writes: "The Beijing Olympics will be remembered by media executives as the most-viewed event in United States television history. The Summer Games of 2008 were seen by a cumulative audience of 211 million Americans through Saturday, one day shy of Sunday’s closing ceremonies, according to Nielsen Media Research. That number surpassed the 209 million who watched part of the Summer Games in Atlanta 12 years ago, NBC said on Sunday. The cumulative figure counts any viewer who watched the Olympics on one of NBC’s networks for six minutes or more. It amounts to more than two-thirds of the total United States population."





CLICK HERE






Mini Interview: The Manno Brothers
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Every week I'm featuring excerpts from my SHORE Magazine article about 14 local radio voices. This week: The Manno Brothers from Q-101.


Chicago Radio Spotlight interview with Mark Edwards
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Last weekend I spoke with former WLIT and current St. Louis program director Mark Edwards about his years in Chicago, his current gig, the future of radio, and his beloved Cubs.

Suburban Man: The most ridiculous fight ever

By Rick Kaempfer





I had to transcribe the "conversation" leading up to the most ridiculous fight of the summer. This will give you a small glimpse into what my summer has been like. The participants, as always, are Sean (age 5) and Johnny (age 10). They have just been told to get in the car because it's time for swimming lessons. They are both standing by the back door, inches away from the electronic garage door opener. I'm in the bathroom brushing my teeth. I can hear their whole conversation but I can't intervene because my mouth is full of toothpaste.

Johnny: Sean, hit the button for the garage door.

Sean: No.

Johnny: Just hit it.

Sean: You're standing right next to the button.

Johnny: So are you.

Sean: I'm not going to do it. You do it.

Johnny: JUST DO IT, Sean!

Sean: If you want it open, you hit the button. I'm waiting outside.

Johnny: You won't be able to get in the garage if you don't hit the button. I'm not doing it.

Sean: Fine.

Johnny: Sean, you better not go outside without opening that...

(Sfx: Back door opens, Sean exits)

Johnny: That's it, mister!

(Sfx: Back door opens, Johnny exits)

Johnny: Get back inside and open that garage door now, or you'll be sorry.

Sean: You're not the boss of me.

Johnny: Oh yeah?

Sean: Hey! Give me my towel back!

Johnny: Not until you open that garage door!

Sean: Fine. Keep the towel. Dad will make you give it back to...OW! That hurt.

Johnny: You deserve that for...OW! Hey! Get back here you little brat.

Sean: Dad, help! Dad, help! Johnny's trying to kill me!

It's only two more days until school starts. Tick tock. Tick tock. Tick tock.

Monday Musings

Every Monday stop by for jokes, links to stories you might have missed, amusing photos and video, and more. Contributions and suggestions are welcome and encouraged. Click on the "Email Me" link on the right to contribute.



Joke of the Week:

Early one morning during the Presidential Campaign, John McCain heard a knock on his front door. He opened the door to find a high-school-age girl wearing a "Vote for McCain" t-shirt.

"I saw you on TV last night, debating with Barack Obama," she said.

McCain nodded. "Obama says I'm too old," he said. "He says I'm losing my memory and that I won't be able to remember the names of foreign leaders if I'm elected. But I'm going to prove him wrong."

"Good," said the girl.

"Now tell me, young lady," said McCain, "what is your name?"

The girl looked confused. "It's ME, Grandpa."




Stories you might have missed

1. Cubs fan makes futures bet on World Series tickets
(Am I insane for not thinking he's crazy?)

2. Ryan the Soothsayer sees great things for the Cubs
(When the NY Times starts doing profiles, you know this is going to be huge)

3. AUDIO: Rush Limbaugh song "I'm a Nazi"
(This is very funny. I know it's been around for awhile--but it's fantastic. Using Rush's real voice, and putting it to music.)

4. VIDEO: How many houses does John McCain own? He can't remember.
(I just checked my closet. McCain has more homes than I have shoes.)

5. VIDEO: Rogue Monkey loose in Tokyo Subway
(It's just fun to watch a monkey on the loose)


Video of the week: Hilarious rap song called "Stay at Home Dad." Contributed by "B"




- Watch more free videos



Photo of the week: Contributed by "C." He calls this "driving with your wife."























READER RESPONSE

Regarding "Suburban Man: Hats"

"Johnny needs to learn the power of arbitrary authority that defies explanation. How else will he be able to cope with DMV later in life?"
--B

"My son is/was a lot like Johnny. Once he was old enough to keep a hat on his head without flinging it across the room, or taking it off and chewing on the bill, he had to have one. When he was little, he had a laundry basket full of ball caps. He had at least two for every favorite sports team plus a few that other people gave him just to piss me off. I told him the Dallas Cowboy hat was not allowed in my house at ANY time. I found THAT rude and offensive. Once he started t-ball and graduated into Little League, Babe Ruth, and then high school baseball, he had a whole new collection (thus necessitating an explanation as to why he was wearing a Yankee cap for so long. The Yankees were his Little League team for years). Once he got into high school, the adjustable caps became "uncool." "Only a dork wears an adjustable cap, Mom," all the while scrunching up his nose as if he was smelling something foul. Oh, back to your original question. Why is it rude to wear them at the table? I don't know, either. It just is. And yeah, you probably should enforce it because when you're in a restaurant and Johnny is sitting at a table with a ballcap on his head, the old busy bodies aren't going to think HE'S rude. He's a kid. They're going to look at YOU and think "Why doesn't that man teach his child some manners."
--A

"I have the same answer you gave your son: it just is. I’m thinking maybe it’s because a baseball cap is so ‘casual’, and dinner is supposed to be a more formal affair? Or maybe because a cap casts a shadow on your face, so it’s harder for you to have meaningful conversations while wearing one at the one place families are supposed to talk? Not sure, but we use the same rule. That being said, a Cubs hat should be allowed everywhere…it should be a law."
--N

"On your hat question: Removing the hat has long been a show of respect. Have you noticed that at the end of a round on the PGA, golfers remove their hats as they shake hands with their playing partners? People used to remove their hats when going indoors, or when in the presence of a lady, or when our national flag passed by. To remove the hat at dinner shows respect for one's dinner partners, the family. It shows respect for the people who made the meal. If grace is said, it shows respect for one's God. In school, removing the hat respects the teacher and the educational process, which should, in my opinion, be treated as if kids take it seriously. By implication, to not remove the hat is to show that respect is not needed in the situation in question. Call me old fashioned, but I think there are too few things these days that are treated with the respect that a civilized society should give them. Just my take on it."
--R

"As far as school goes, hats were banned about 10 years ago in most areas b/c of gang markings. Depending on the angle the hat was worn, it represented different groups. As far as dinner tables, I must admit this one I didn’t know the background on, so I looked it up on Emily Post. I was just curious. Here is what she has to say about it.:

Q: I know back in the day, it was bad manners for a man to wear a hat (baseball cap) to the table. My grown sons wear them all the time and my husband is forever getting upset if they wear their hats to the table. If we have a formal dinner, such as holidays, they always remove them. Is it now acceptable for them to wear their hats to the table for casual meals?

A: No, it is not. Basically, hats are removed when going indoors as a measure of respect. Therefore, caps and hats should be removed when entering a home (which includes while eating at the table), when entering a place of religion, or when going to a restaurant. When entering a store or other “public area” like a train station, the hat or cap may remain on. This applies to baseball caps worn by men or women. Hats and caps are always removed for the Pledge of Allegiance or the National Anthem.Women’s hats that are part of their ensembles and therefore fashion accessories may be worn indoors, including at a restaurant table, etc. If they are large-brimmed, they should be removed in a theater or other place where they block the vision of the person behind. Aside from garden parties and formal teas where hats are often left on, women generally remove their hats when dinning in someone’s home. The guidelines for wearing of hats by men and women are still an important part of our manners today. Hat traditions and manners may have originated in medieval times when knights lifted their face guard to show who they were, or in the days of the cowboys when a hat was lifted and removed to show there was no weapon hidden underneath. It became a sign of respect to others that has always remained.

I hope that answers your question
--K

Rick responds: Thanks for your responses. That really does help.

Regarding "Just One Bad Century"

""Believe it or not, I`m a long time Cubs fan! I`m 30 years old, and live in Guatemala city, and have been a Cub fan, since cable TV came to us! We had only a few channels including Atlanta Braves TBS, and of course WGN TV Chicago, were I watched every noon cubs game coming from school every day, an watched Harry Caray sing take me out to the ballgame! Back in those days you remember those great players, Andre Dawson, Ryno, Mark Grace, Greg Maddux, Shawn Dunston, Damon Berryhill, and the best manager Don Zimmer!!! I still remember all of then winning the Division agaist the Montreal Expos, when Mitch Williams struck out Mike Fitzgerald! I think it was 1989!

Those were nice days, and still now after all that time, a huge cub fan!

I cried with Steve Bartmans play, and have been praying for this season! THE TEAM IS IN GREAT SHAPE! My dream is to go to Wrigley Field once in my life! Go Cubs Go!!! This is our year! Greetings from Guatemala!"
--R

Chicago Radio Spotlight: Mark Edwards

Mark Edwards is the director of programming for KEZK and KYKY-St. Louis, but in the 1990s he helped build WLIT into a local powerhouse.







Rick: First of all, I have to ask you this. What is it like being a die hard Cubs fans in the middle of Cardinals nation?

Mark: Its actually a lot of fun. Cardinals fans are WAY more intense about their dislike (its not quite hatred, but close) for the Cubs than Cubs fans are about the Cards. I take advantage of showing my love for THE TEAM OF DESTINY as often as I can, and I have tons of Cubs stuff in my office, including a picture of me at my first Cubs game when I was 4 years old. The die hard Cards fans hate having to visit the Programming Den, especially when the Cubs are doing better than the hapless Cards.

Rick: We remember you in Chicago, obviously, for your incredible run at the helm of the Lite. I can't believe it's been almost ten years since you left that station. What are some of your fondest memories from those years?

Mark: First, landing a truly dream job. I grew up in Chicago, learned to love radio by listening to everthing from WLS to WCFL to WBBM when I was a kid, and always wanted to work at a Chicago radio station. I was in Worcester, MA, the 101st market, when the call came from Phil Redo to join him at WLIT. We got there in January of 1990 and the situation was dismal. We were the fourth out of four AC stations in the market. We did our research, made a plan, stuck to it, and after about six long years became the only AC station ever to be #1 25-54 adults. It hadn't happened before, and it hasn't happened since. When Phil and I got to the station in 1990 we told the staff that we could make it number one 25-54. They thought we were nuts, but we did it. We had a great team in those days, and everyone's dedication and talent got the station to those lofty heights.

Rick: During the 1990s the Lite absolutely dominated in the ratings in Chicago. Why do you think that's no longer the case?

Mark: I could say that there was a bonehead decision to fire me in 1999, but while that would be a true statement, that would be mean. I think the market has changed considerably,both demographically and competetively since those days, and once LITE got huge, people started trying everything they could to slice a piece away from the station here and there. The station didn't stay focused after it left Viacom's control, and listeners went looking for something they liked better. One of the great tools we had when Viacom Radio owned LITE was a hefty marketing budget with impactful messages. That went away as soon as Viacom sold the station and its never come back at the levels it once was at.

Rick: You've worked for all of the major radio conglomerates, including a stint with CBS, Entercom, Bonneville, and the company that eventually became Clear Channel. From a corporate perspective, how do each of these companies approach their product differently?

Mark: CBS is a tremendous company led by programmers, and they have a lot of respect for the product. Right now, I can't think of a company more committed to content, no matter what the delivery platform is. That committment goes through every cluster CBS owns, and we've got some new innovative things on the horizon. I've been with CBS in St. Louis for almost five years now, and I know the other companies have changed since I've worked for them, so its hard to talk about each of them. I follow the Chicago market closely and I admire what Bonneville has done wth its cluster. Their performance in that market is quite impressive.

Rick: You've also had the chance to work with a lot of talented air personalities. Why do you think the relationship between management and talent can so easily become adversarial, and what are your tricks to avoid that from happening?

Mark: I think sometimes management doesn't let talent do what they were hired to do. Whether its a big money morning man, a rookie weekender, or a PD, you have to let your people do their jobs. I have a tremendous amount of respect for great Air Personalities, partly because I was never that good on the air, but mostly because I've always tried to build a team with people who are specialists in what they do. When you clamp down on any kind of talent, you don't let them do what you hired them to do, so I'd rather let them do their "act", critique when its necessary, and make sure they know their limits, whether it be what they can talk about or how long a bit should be. Great local talent will always be broadcast radio's best weapon, and you have to let them be themselves as well as good station ambassadors on and off the air.

Rick: You've obviously proven that you know your stuff when it comes to the soft-rock/adult contemporary format--your track record speaks for itself. People have been predicting the death of that format for years now, but it seems to persevere. What do you think are the strengths of adult contemporary, and what are realistic expectations for what that format can accomplish in this new people meter world?

Mark: Adult Contemorary radio, no matter what flavor it is, has a very bright future if the station is well positioned. The key is to intimately know your target audience, super serve them, and make sure everything your station does makes sense to them. That includes music, promotions, personalities, web content, everything associated with the brand. Adult radio will do very well in the PPM world, and smart programmers will fine tune their stations to take advantage of the new methodology. You don't have to give the call letters after every song in a PPM environment, but you've got to give people reasons to keep on really listening to your station, not THINKING they listened to it when they fill out a diary.

Rick: I know you're a big fan of using new media to help super-serve your target audience. What are some ways your stations in St. Louis do that?

Mark: Of course, we stream both AC KEZK (Ikezk.com) and Adult Top 40 KYKY (IY98.com) and have for a long time. We're using the robust new CBS streaming player that delivers lots of visual content along with an incredible quality stream. You can also hear our stations live on AOL Radio and the iPhone. We've got two HD2 channels on the air now and plans for more. One web-only stream will be re-launching in September, and there are plans for more very specialized web and HD services after that. Content is king, and we'll put it out on whatever delivery platform consumers want. AM and FM radio will always be important, because they can and should be very local. We'll be offering content that is especially for St. Louis on new delivery platforms, but there are lots of other new and exciting services in the pipeline that will have literally worldwide appeal.

Rick: Who are some of the radio professionals in the Chicago market that you admire and why?

Mark: The late Art Roberts was kind enough to let me sit in with him at WLS when I was a very young kid. I'll always remember those times in the old Stone Container Building. When I was 5, I did two weeks of Romper Room on WGN TV, and that's when the TV and radio stations were both on Bradley Place. I got to see Wally Phillips (photo) work one morning and I knew then that I wanted to do what he did. John Gehron is an exceptional broadcaster, and I've always admired hm professionally and personally. I grew up listening to tons of incredible Air Personaliteis, too many to mention, but I learned and admired all of them. Buddy Scott was once the PD at B96, and he was the first person to put me on the radio as a 14 year old guest DJ at WIFE in Indianapolis. I'll never forget that night, and I still have the tape of what was a horrid broadcast to this day. Dave Martin, Jhani Kaye, Jim DeCastro, Larry Wert, Drew Horowitz, Barry James, and so many other people were very kind to me during my time in Chicago and since, and it was an honor to be able to travel in the same circles as those giants of Chicago radio. Dave Robbins, Norm Winer, Derrick Brown, and Tom Langmeyer are world class broadcasters in the market today, and I admire them greatly.

Rick: And finally, most importantly, is this finally going to be the year of the Cubs?

Mark: If they can stay healthy, this is their best chance in a long long time. Let's just say I've got the vacation request forms ready to be turned in to I can see some October baseball at Wrigley Field.