...DC here we come....

…getting’ ready for the NAB/RAB Radio Show in DC….looking forward to meeting old friends and new….in Tuesday and out Thursday night….214-695-7595 is the cell….



‎"Fathom the odd hypocrisy that Obama wants every citizen to prove they are insured, but people don't have to prove they are citizens."…Ben Stein


..seems to me (I’d like to think my blog on focus had a little to do with it) but the NAB is focusing totally on getting the FM, excuse me, Radio chip into cell phones….in the past two weeks we haven’t seen nor heard a peep on PRA/AFTRA/CRB in most trades…nada…


..to my pals at the NAB…don’t dismiss in your quest the value of tying RDBS visual alerting to the case of expanded EAS…together they are a powerful partnership/collaboration that no one can ignore…not even the CTIA….the carriers will have no argument if you pair them. The carriers know that their “texting” solution is hogwash…ever try to text during a Super Bowl?...send a picture to your social page at an NFL game?...could there be any better example than a Super Bowl to have the ability get everyone’s attention in an emergency with a short visual message with instructions to tune to the station of your choice for additional important information?


As the most interesting man in the world says, “stay thirsty my friends”….I say to the NAB “stay focused my friends….”…these initiatives can be mutually exclusive but each deserves complete focus to succeed….right now FM chip, dang it, Radio chip stories are trumping all of the initial PRA press…ride it cowboys!


…always a blast to talk to old friend Traug Keller…TK has a plate full everyday with his ESPN bucket…ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, Bass Outdoor and more….we talked yesterday to catch-up and talk new media…don’t ya know a conversation we started in Miami at Super Bowl was the emergence of Ford Synch…and don’t ya know this morning this rolls across my screen from gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine…..

Ford gets techy with MyFord Touch


A recent New York Times print advertisement for the Ford Edge crossover included barcodes that, when scanned by a mobile phone camera, provided readers with access to Times articles on style and technology. It’s part of a techy advertising campaign for the Edge, which will be the first vehicle to feature the likewise-techy MyFord Touch system. Touch is built around Ford’s existing Windows-based SYNC communications and entertainment system, and allows drivers to use the dashboard as... well, pretty much as a big smartphone. Read more here!

…old buddies Bill, Dan, Dave and George…all donkeys!....Donkey Comedy Network launches with SASS technology for comedy bits….this makes sense to me….quick hits to the punch line….get us an affiliate in Dallas boys…I love to laugh! More on DCN here….and be sure to read Randall Bloomquist’s review and thoughts here….


…what fabulous news this week that the Broadcasters Foundation raised $150k+ at its annual Celebrity Golf Tourney…now more than ever we must give back to our own and the asks of the BFOA are more frequent and urgent than ever…PLEASE at least become a member and help your brothers and sisters in our great industry out…more info on the mission and a way to become a member here…(as a side note…Scott Knight gives so much of his energy, cash and time to the BFOA I’m convinced his place in heaven is already reserved!)


…working with friend Henry Peirse on bringing the inside scoop on Simon Cowell’s next hit X-Factor and all things inside his world through brother Tony Cowell to the states in 2011…hit me up at NAB for more details….


…musing away….I’m not sure why but my younger brother got him a mail-order preacher’s license…things that make you go “hmmmmm..”….Showtime original series the Big C is soooo good…Laura Linney is fantastic….tackles a tough subject with such grace and comedy…set the TiVo…….client Paa-Ko Ridge Golf gets another big hit with a #29 Ranking on the Top 100 you can play….bucket list course and a great buddy trip stop….is there a bigger Michigan fan than Spencer Brown?...congrats to Lew and John and Michael on closing their deal for the luxury mag group….the Abacast webcast yesterday drew a nice crowd of over 200 interested participants…pretty interesting concept on pricing for streaming….Modern Family’s season opener didn’t disappoint…still the funniest show on TV…


... iPhone’s Newest Radio App: Home Radio Pro – The newest radio application, Home Radio Pro for Apple’s iPhone will allow users to play, discover, and record streaming radio. With access from 65,000 stations from around the world, Hope Radio Pro allows the user to search a name of a band and the app will create a list of what stations are playing their songs right at that moment. The app has a built-in recorder, ability to browse by country, type of music, sport, news, or station name. Already in the top 12 for the music in the App Store, it costs only $5.99…we’re following this one to see if folks will pay 6 bucks….thanks for the heads-up David Ross!


…looking forward to seeing many of you next week in DC….----teej

Has the PRA sort of taken a back seat to FM chips in cell phones…great friends…great causes..and more..



…fascinating to see the PRA negotiations goings on along with its loaded other “asks”!....the NAB releases a study by a very reputable research firm showing the “peeps” want their free radio on their mobile devices….did they also commission a study of ALL broadcasters on whether they want a $100m deal with the labels? Why not a full study on the impact of the AFTRA deal that broadcasters of their own free will agreed to that is now in the PRA package to have it tossed…wouldn’t a study of the onerous impact of the CRB agreement be appropriate to present to congress as well…..nope…only a study of the acceptance of FM chips in cell devices…






…I’m a major advocate of the chips in cells and other devices (alarm systems, internet desktop radios, etc.)….and I’m mostly an advocate as a device to save lives…but through much more than the antiquated EAS system….the EAS MUST be updated….and there MUST be a uniform way for RDBS technology to transmit short messages advising of imminent danger…(i.e., “CHEMICAL SPILL…EVACUATE IMMEDIATLEY..TUNE TO YOUR LOCAL RADIO STATION NOW FOR DETAILS”)….


…in a perfect world broadcasters and the carriers would figure this out to the satisfaction of both sides…The CTIA just says “nope” and has nothing to back up why the chip isn’t a valuable life saver….FEMA is/has conducted a study on the ability of chips to deliver short messages and EAS alerts and will deliver those results shortly…


…I hope this PRA offer wasn’t a clever way to get the chips introduced as a sort of “earmark” to the offer…..all of the issues presented in the original PRA plan are critical and deserve our close attention….for once, we need a totally unified radio industry stance…EVERYONE, stand-up, speak up, support or not and if you don’t say a word, then shut-up!


…Mark Ramsey has commissioned his own study on internet radio in the car….a very interesting read to say the least and you can check it out here….


The Broadcasters Foundation held their annual golf fund raiser this past Monday in Bronxville, NY…so many participants gave their time and cash to this great organization….a full field of golfers, silent auctions…and a terrific live auction that raised tens of thousands of dollars that go into the BFOA funds. The stories are always amazing and always anonymous…become a member…so many great broadcasters have found that they need our help and the BFOA is there to do it…read about the organization and join as a member here….


..a guy couldn’t ask for two better friends than Jim Thompson and Peter Doyle…their hospitality and generosity over this past weekend was over and beyond fantastic…we all have more fun than any humans should have…and the golf wasn’t bad either…I’m blessed to know them and count them as friends…


…seeing and visiting in-person is always a treat for this old campaigner…last weekend and Monday were fantastic….Spencer Brown, thanks for the golf and the always engaging biz talk….Julie Talbott…you are the best, thanks for the encouragement….Rick Buckley, Joe Bilotta, Stu Olds, Bob Ausfeld, Joe Reilly, Paul Rotella, Barry O’Brien, Alyssa Pollock, Renee Cassis, Nisha Sedaker, Bill Hogan, Dick Foreman, Ron Ruth, so great to see you pal….Jeff Healy….so many people and so many encouraging words…thanks folks…


…personal musings….I think I might like the Upper Course at Baltusrol better than the Lower Championship course……Siwanoy is a gem of a course and pleasure to play…Ryann O’Toole, LPGA player gave me a great lesson for short game control before the outing…she’s a player to watch next season on the LPGA…


…some tech stuff…About four in 10 adult mobile users have apps on their phones but only two-thirds (68%) actually use them, according to a new report by the Pew Internet Project. People are more likely to use their phones to take a picture, text-message, browse the Web, email, record a video, play music and send instant messages than they are to access an app…..Location-based services provider TeleNav Tuesday unveiled an ad platform for its mobile navigation app that promises to drive users right to the doorways of nearby businesses. TeleNav, whose GPS-based app allows smart phone users to get turn- by-turn driving directions, will now add a sponsored listing to the top of search results.


…no contract, no problem….Wal-Mart Stores Inc. will offer a cell phone plan under its own brand, a move that the company hopes will bolster its position as a low-cost provider of wireless services. Wal-Mart already offers cell phone plans through all the major U.S. carriers, including AT&T Inc., Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel Corp. and T-Mobile USA. The Wal-Mart Family Mobile Plan, which runs on T-Mobile USA's network, will offer a range of low-priced cell phones without a lengthy contract for a flat monthly fee. The plan will be available starting September 20. Consumers will be charged $45 at the end of each month for unlimited calling and texting. Each additional phone line is $25 a month. Data will be sold in buckets rather than monthly. The first 100 megabytes are free, and more can be bought at a cost of $10 for 200 megabytes, $25 for 500 megabytes or $40 for 1,000 megabytes.


…looking forward to seeing many of you in DC for the combined NAB/RAB…have a great week and stay in touch….feel free, by the way to share this weekly musing…---teej

no, seriously, the rain, the park...building an ark...

….random musings whilst contemplating building an ark while finding proof that it really does rain “cats & dogs”…



…after last week’s musings got an email from Jerry Del Colliano reminding me that I didn’t cover my thoughts on his thoughts (I called it a rant…sorry..) on the PRA….a couple of things we agree on..


-the record companies should get an “invoice” not a “check” from radio…we couldn’t agree more on that….


-the record companies want to blame others for their lack of foresight and innovation and acceptance of new technology….make a great total album and consumers will buy it…make an album with a few hits and that’s what the consumers will buy…simple…


-no one will buy anything until they discover it….mostly by radio (my thought!)….


-but, BUT, Jerry wants to use an Inside Radio survey (they do one every Friday) to make the case that 85% of radio folks don’t want a deal….I love proof positive through research and surveys but to make that case with that random survey is like wetting one’s finger and holding it in the air to decide the speed and direction of the wind…the owners supporting this compromise control at least 33% of the stations so in a best case maybe the naysayers would be 66%...


-I have heard, as have a few others, that there is a group of owners that want a straight up and down vote from the NAB on whether to proceed….seems fair…but does a no vote add up to a vote of “no confidence” for NAB President Gordon?


…another thing that came up in conversation yesterday with good friend Jim Kerr of Triton digital is whether or not the dissolution of the CRB equates to like terms for streaming as for the PRA? Seems, as a practical matter that would have to be the case, yes? If not, what’s the point? Also discussed was how a deal with the record companies relates to a deal with a union, in this case, AFTRA? Jim and I disagree slightly on FM chips but so it goes….


..and speaking of Herr Kerr…he is writing a fiction book and got invited to a very special writers conference on Cape Cod for a week after the NAB in DC….very few get invited and he made the cut after submitting two chapters…how cool is that?


..is the radio network business going through a major shift in model…a major net just did a comp deal with a major group that ends up a 90/10 split of net revenues…seems more like a rep like deal….that seems like a lot of revenue generation that after allocated expense adjustments drops that margin a few more pegs….


..other stuff….the Kno gets another $46m in VC financing..check out the Kno and the dough here….looking forward to seeing old and new friends at this year’s Broadcasters Foundation Golf Charity event on Monday at Siwanoy in Bronxville, NY….”The Four Agreements” from Don Miguel Ruiz based on Toltec wisdom is a life transforming experience if applied….1st Agreement: Be Impeccable With Your Word/2nd Agreement: Don’t Take Anything Personally/3rd Agreement: Don’t make Assumptions/4th Agreement: Always Do Your Best….easier said than done each day….for more check out the online version of this story here…..stuff I read every day?...Taylor on Radio, Inside Radio, Jerry D, Mark Ramsey and a slew of Media Post stuff….also spend a lot of time with Stumble Upon, addicting!!


Back to building the ark….have a great week----teej

Happy Labor Day....or the non-golf Ping!

Hope you've started your 3 1/2 day weekend....now about Ping from Apple and iTunes...

Dave Van Dyke and I both added it to our iTunes account and as DVD is apt to do...he dug deeper than me and came up with the Top 10 problems with Ping!  Here then, DVD's Top 10....

Ping has incredible potential, but this feels a bit more like v0.1 than 1.0. Here are the issues….


(1) Band pages are extremely limited, and most artists are currently excluded.



Apple has indicated that artists must be invited, and the selection is insanely slim at launch. If your world revolves around Katy Perry, Diddy, and Lady Gaga, you're set - otherwise, this was launched too early. Meanwhile, profiles are geared towards individuals, not groups. So why not tie artist profiles to those present on the iTunes Store - that is, at launch?



(2) No Facebook connectivity.



Maybe Apple and Facebook will eventually make the handshake, but the paint is still drying on this one - and that means...



(3) This is a ghost town.



Sure, you can join hands with Jason Bentley, Rick Rubin, and Ted Cohen. But most of your friends are still coming on board - and probably unaware of the walled-in Ping.



(4) And, not much musical connectivity outside the iTunes walls, for that matter.



Increasingly, musical lives are spread across important properties like Pandora, YouTube, MySpace Music, and Facebook. Certainly, a sizable chunk of the 160 million-plus iTunes users have expressed musical preferences on at least one of these outside services. So why not build the bridge?



(5) Users can only check three favorite genres for their profiles.



Most music fans criss-cross over lots of different genres, and loathe over-categorization. The iPod collection helped to blur genre buckets, so why reinforce them here?



(6) No usage-based favorites or other listening activity streams.



What are you listening to right now? 5 minutes ago? 5 days ago? What are your top-rated iTunes tracks - purchased or not?



(7) No Beatles.



Does a Beatles song define your musical identity? Well, not on Ping, as favorite songs must be sold in the iTunes Store.



(8) Spam.



Already, fake accounts are proliferating (ie, Ben Folds), and Ping could become a giant sandbox for shady characters. That includes fake accounts, phishing attacks, and other niceties that confront networks like Facebook and Twitter on a daily basis. Hopefully, Apple isn't learning on the job.



(9) Where's my Twitter connectivity?



Or, is a tie-in buried somewhere? Seems like status updates and favorites should cross-pollinate.



(10) No Facebook Integration.



Oh, sorry, that was #2.

Comments to Dave here! And be sure to copy me on your comments here!

Have a great weekend....on Tuesday I'll share my email chat with Jerry D (a good one!)...talk about the changing radio network business and model...more on the PRA....----teej

…The rain, the park….the PRA, the schwag, the congress, the FM chip and a plethora of other things filling my mind…







…first a PSA…we know it as schwag, premium, and station prize closet crap….but we really know it as? I bet I’m asked 10+ times a year for the spelling of? My brother asked me last week…c’mon people…TCHOTCHKE!!! Yep…use it proudly…correctly pronounced “chatch-kah” although we Americans have made it “chatch-key”….now you know! (btw, in the movie “Office Space”, Joanna (played by Jennifer Anniston) works at a restaurant named “Chotchkie’s”, where she forced to wear “flair”….)


So much written and so much debated in the press, the blogosphere and in closed door meetings on the PRA and all that lately that implies…had a great conversation with Jeff Smulyan recently…have read Mark Ramsey’s insightful commentary on the FM chip…Jerry’s rant on the PRA…and other on and off the record chats…here’s some of what I’ve discussed and heard…and then an update on my take….


..Jeff and I talked at length about the PRA, not just our mutual passion of FM chips….he believes the time is right for a deal…a deal that can hold water on the fees for a longtime…the labels are frothing at the mouth to get their hands n 100’s of millions in fees from Europe and Asia but can’t unless they have a deal in place in the good ol’ USA! Greed, it seems, knows no boundaries…..this one issue is a lightening rod amongst broadcasters after years of fighting this hand-to-hand….adding the CRB and FM chips in phones and the seaming commercial issues to this bill may be a way to accomplish many things with one stone in the slingshot….Jeff believes it is time to control the dialogue and get a deal radio an live with on the PRA and also advance critical issues at the same time…hard to argue that logic….(hope I got this right Jeff!)…you can check archives of the trades to see many of Jeff’s thoughts on this entire issue…


Mark Ramsey has been passionate about FM chips in phones and their value to radio and, most importantly, the listener…his views are, as always, insightful and you can read all of them here!


Dave Van Dyke’s Bridge Ratings keeps close tabs on the pulse of mobile, pure play internet radio, and terrestrial streaming with the consumer….the move to pure play is gaining steam….perhaps stations shouldn’t just stream the same over-the-air over commercialed content on their site…but find a way to take the essence and best of their local content, reduce the inventory to say 4 minutes and make music discovery and local talent worth substantial jing?! You can keep up with Bridge’s daily updates on their Facebook page or check their site here!


As I see it…


1. FM chips have a place on cell phones and other devices. I still believe that a combination of RBDS short text alerts and EAS over an FM enables phone is vital and should be mandated. Seems the FCC mandates that radio have alerting capabilities but CMAS for the carriers is “voluntary”…seriously? Seems the carriers will be looking for things from congress in a big way shortly and now is the time for congress to listen to FEMA and get the damn chips in the phones…saving lives is the reason…not song tagging! Now for radio…clean up the EAS mess and stop dumping it solely on the engineers….come up with a standard for RBDS alerting for over the air and in cell phones…AlertFM is a terrific system that has may features for the cell phone and other devices like a sleep-wake function….start there….


2. The PRA may or may not be on the way from a lame duck congress….if a deal can be struck that is 25 years in length at the terms noted by the NAB it seems maybe we move on…the record companies get their dough from Europe and Asia, claim victory, and still don’t have a clue. They’ll probably take some of the money and invest it in the promotion departments to get airplay….perhaps the record companies should look inward not outward….here’s a quote from Vivendi’s quarterly call on Universal Music Group…The same thing we’ve heard for the last decade, according to Vivendi’s press release: "Digital revenues are up, but not enough to counter reduced demand for physical product”

3. The disbanding of the CRB is important not only for terrestrial streamers but also for the hard working and committed and creative folks that do pure play streaming stations!...end of story…bad deal needs to go away….or at least be made in a fair way as part of the new PRA..


4. The separate spots on the stream of stations….I still believe you can force “non-motivated” sellers to sell that inventory separately, not as “value-added = free”…but it was a dumb rule to start with but radio missed an opportunity for incremental revenue, if only a dollar….


…let me get this right…Roger Clemens allegedly lies to Congress and might get 25 years in the pokey and a $250k fine….Charlie Rangel lies to Congress, cheats on his taxes, commits who knows how many ethics violations and he gets to negotiate if he stays or goes and what the penalty is?....here’s the thing…Congress needs to focus on many things not on whether athletes are cheating by using PED….just sayin’!


Good friend and master marketer and now mobile marketing guru David Ross checks in with this nugget:

….”I have now examined over 50 various radio sites at random with my associates from Big Couch Media. We found 6 sites with proper Meta tagging and optimization tools. We found several with tags in place and not being used. We found most with no shot at all of optimizing. Very little SEM.”

Folks, that’s a bad sign….


Good to catch up with friends and associates over the past couple of weeks….Bruce Gilbert, Dennis Green , Dave Demers, DVD, Jim Robinson, Gary Bird, Don Wasley, Jim Thompson, Peter Doyle, Spencer Brown, Darryl Brown, brother Art and SIL Tomi….


..working on many cool things for Paa-Ko Ridge Golf Club…this may be the coolest buddy-trip destination on the planet…but you’ll be hard pressed to leave the significant others at home with Santa Fe just 45 minutes up the road …


Heading to NY for the BFOA charity golf outing and the NAB in DC this month…look forward to seeing many of you there….until next week….---teej




….duh!!!