As I See It...Week of August 9, 2010

Once again live from NM World HQ….delayed the blog this week to see the varied reactions to the PRA proposal…more on that shortly….musing and….



…came across a terrific quote this week…so true…even more true the older one gets….”There is always morning where life gives us another opportunity to do good”! Lou Holtz has always said to himself and his players…”do right”….these two quotes seem to be intertwined and a great way to live life personally and professionally….do good and do right…words to live by….


…the NAB proposal to the PRA and some thoughts….I’ve always been taught and believe that once you make an offer you sit back and wait for the other party to react before you and your team/members comment..otherwise you tip the other party/customer off into your thinking of deal breakers, etc…anyway, breaking my own rule I suppose…the American public and businesses are all over Washington for earmarks and add-ons…in fact a great deal of reasoning behind this PRA offer is just that….having the PRA get loaded onto another bill and rammed through a lame duck congress…..soooo….this offer does a little of that…maybe a lot of that….


1. Seeking support to pressure AFTRA into giving up their rights for their members on the streaming ads…all of us soooo want this to happen….and Bud Walters comments in the Tom Taylor report this morning were spot on….BUT…we could’ve all also used this to our favor by selling, not value added give away, these units as exclusive to the online audience….I know the argument about not getting Arbitron credit…but Ando measures the online audience quite well and Arbitron/Nielsen/Eastland do a good job on the over-the-air audience…fish where the fish are…


2. Those that know me know that I’m a tireless worker for FM chips in cell phones…but adding this to the PRA offer just doesn’t make sense…and it pisses off the powerful CTIA and the carriers because it’s seen as “at the tip of a bayonet” move to force the carriers to capitulate. This is a separate and equally important issue that needs its own focus and effort…


3. The PRA is a dangerous precedent in and of itself…it needs total focus to either defeat or settle….adding other things (earmarks!) takes the real focus and dilutes it…if settling and dealing make the PRA and the Copyright Royalty Board issues the focus and expend all energies to make that work favorably for radio and streamers.


…did I read that right in Taylor this morning?... “iBiquity figures about 2,078 stations have converted to its digital audio broadcasting system, counting both AMs and FMs.” All that money and effort promoting HD Radio and that’s it? And for “everyday” cars for consumers it’s an expensive option? Hmmmmm…..


Working with new client Paa-Ko Ridge Golf Club…ranked #42 on the Top 100 Modern Design list and #29 on the Top 100 You Can Play list….great destination for a buddy trip or a couples trip with Santa Fe right up the road….also a must play, bucket list, destination…check it out and the Paa-Ko cam at http://www.paakoridge.com/

Former longtime Billboard Radio-TV Editor Claude Hall, author of the indispensible industry textbook The Business of Radio Programming, has an e-book release called, appropriately, I Love Radio. The e-novel, which is set in the Top 40 era circa 1955-1970, centers on the adventures of out-of-work disc jockey Buddy Coffee. The tome is skillful blend of fact and fiction and contains the exploits of some 50 radio figures and includes photographs of such radio legends as Jimmy Rabbitt, China Smith, Lee Baby Simms, Joey Reynolds, Gordon McLendon, Todd Storz, Bill Stewart and Kent Burkhart. I Love Radio is only $9.95 and is available in Kindle, iPad and computer versions. Order now at http://www.claudehallonline.com/


…random thoughts and musings while wondering…did the White House press secretary really say the WH is tired of “the professional left”? Yep, the American public was tired of them as well thus the end of Air America me thinks……ahhh, the wonderment of watching a squirrel climb into and amongst desert cactus to eat…..Tents Rocks and Nambe Falls, NM @ $5 and $10 a carload respectively are must sees in your lifetime……great to hear from old and new friends this week including Marty Sheehan, Dwight Douglas, Jim Robinson, Peter Doyle, Jim Thompson, Mike Thompson, Tim McCarthy, Karen Travis, Milt McConnell, John McConnell, Bruce Gilbert, Spencer Brown, Scott Knight, Carl Anderson…..good lineup of inductees in the Radio Hall of Fame in Chicago this fall…but how in the world did Bob Kingsley, Howard Stern and Ronn Owens not make it?...my brothers bl;og this week is a pretty good one on lawyers and you can enjoy a twisted look at  http://genelambert.blogspot.com/2010/08/lawyers.html


…we’ll be live from Dallas World HQ next week…..let us know how we’re doing…thanks…---tjl