Wednesday, June 6, 2018

Lund Letter

Wednesday, June 6, 2018

This Week in The Lund Letter:  
>   Perfecting your music
>   Talk show rules
>   Surging out of home TV viewing

Lund Programming Clinic: Music Scheduling Perfection

musicscheduling18.jpgCategories, Clocks and Rules make up the music software’s architecture.  You divide your music into categories (currents, recurrents and gold). You create a clock where the same category is not scheduled back to back.  Then you have rules that prevent the same song repeating in the next few hours.  This basic system will get your music scheduled, but will not necessarily increase your audience.  How do you improve the music architecture in order to impact your audience and attract more listeners?

Categories

Music research shows music values fall into a pyramid where a small number of songs test at the top of the pyramid with universal appeal in familiarity and passion; these are the songs that people want to hear most often.  Next, there is a larger number of songs going down the pyramid that are OK to play, but not that often.  Play the songs at the top of the pyramid in every quarter hour to attract cume.  The lower in the pyramid songs are valuable as they extend time spent listening giving your radio station the “variety” image.

Divide your music categories into levels that include “Powers” – your target’s favorite songs – and “Secondaries” – the songs your target likes but are not their favorites. Secondaries should be divided by familiarity and likeability. Stations playing currents should also divide them the same way.  Lund Media recommends dividing your music categories by era and by song value.  We provide this essential service to radio stations in all market sizes to sound terrific while attracting more listeners.

Clocks

Design your clocks knowing that your station attracts new cume every quarter hour, and each quarter hour reflects the essence of your station in terms of song value and era.  You don’t want a quarter hour with all songs from the same category.  Never schedule two Secondaries back to back; schedule them next to a power.

In current music formats, schedule an unfamiliar Secondary either after an imaging piece which introduces it, or have your air talent backsell it.  Lund Media recommends devising clocks with the same quota of song categories for every hour and following the same sequence of categories to give your radio station consistency.  For the morning show and special music features, remove Secondaries and focus on the Powers.

Rules

Rules help deal with repetition.  Remember Bill Murray and his alarm clock in the movie “Groundhog Day”?  You don’t want the same song played every day at the same time.  “Horizontal separation” is one key rule to establish.  Next, set-up your “vertical separation” rule to avoid the song being repeated in the next few hours.  The exception is in CHR where Powers repeat in the next hour due to their rotations and appeal to a high cuming audience.

“Back to back” rules are your next order of priority.  Typically, you don’t want two same-tempo songs back to back as you want to give your station the “variety” feel.  Your format determines exceptions to this rule, like being the “station that rocks” or the “station playing relaxing favorites.”  Finally you want to take into account artist genre (e.g., country, dance, alternative, etc.).  Obviously, this is only for mainstream formatted radio stations that have broad appeal.

Your music software should be working perfectly in all these areas, and your radio station will achieve longer listening spans with a solid structure in scheduling music.

Are you playing the right songs?  Does your library and software need analysis and a tune-up?  Is your music software working perfectly?  The music programming doctors at Lund Media can provide your station with an exam and surgery (if needed) to perfect your music library and software.  This is a cost efficient fix for the primary benefit music stations provide their listeners:  great music!!  Contact John Lund for more info and a timetable for making your station’s music —- PERFECT.

Greetings, Iowa Broadcasters!

iowa18.pngWhat are the most important radio trends in 2018, and how will your stations benefit?  John Lund’s Radio Trends will be featured June 21 at the Iowa Broadcasters Association summer convention.  In the afternoon, John takes the Iowa radio programmers to grad school – radio basics, branding, talent coaching, and tactics for improved audience engagement.   John looks forward to meeting with you (again!!) in Des Moines and providing you two new and timely radio seminars.

All Broadcasters:  If you would like to have John provide a timely and topical broadcast presentation or workshop for your state broadcast convention or corporate meeting, please contact John Lund.


Lund Format Room: Talk Radio

talkradio18.pngNews-Talk Radio has more listeners today than at any time in history.  The format began at KLAC-AM, Los Angeles, in the mid-1960s with talk show hosts Joe Pyne and Bob Grant.  The format spread to TV with early talk hosts Joe Pyne, Phil Donahue, Les Crane, Morton Downey Jr., Dennis Miller, and Larry King.

Talk Radio is one of the most powerful, significant and viable formats ever devised to entertain listeners, not unlike news-talk on TV.  The format fulfills the role of serving the public interest better than any other mass media utilization.  When executed precisely, the talk radio station’s foreground format reaps the rewards of commercial success and grows while developing influence within the community.  Talk radio serves a social function, the nurturing of public dialogue, similar to TV’s news-talk networks (like Fox and MSNBC).

Talk Show Rules

The host is everything.  This personality maintains a high degree of control over the show, from subject matter to comedic tone. The host is the brand and must carry that burden. The host can attract and repel guests and callers, and that makes for the entertainment.

The show is right here and right now.  The show is experienced in the present tense, reflecting current events, and sounding fresh.  The show is happening in the moment.  These rules apply to both radio talk shows and those on TV.

In News-Talk, simply having the top syndicated shows doesn’t insure audience and client success.  How do you successfully program Talk Radio?  What makes a good local talk show?  How should your hosts do show prep, conduct interviews, present interesting topics, and impact listeners?  We at Lund Media are experts in helping stations achieve audience growth in this important format.  The Lund Talk Radio Stylebook has it all – plus talk radio techniques, formatics, and the complete list of Talk Radio Do’s and Don’ts.  Order this Talk Radio Stylebook today.

Lund Sales Perspective: The “Wonderful Paradox”

solution18.jpg“I have more fun and financial success when I stop trying to get what I want and start helping other people get what they want.”  This truth is very important, according to sales consultant Ben Tartaglia.

Prospects want the solutions to their problems, not your products. Put another way, your product does not matter unless its use solves the prospect’s problem.  The problem may not always be evident to the prospect when the meeting starts, but by the end, if your product can fix that exposed problem, then there is a chance for the sale.   From the One Minute Sales Person.

Lund Poll

poll18.jpgThanks to our readers who responded to our brief survey about what they like and would like more of in the weekly Lund Letter.  We are keeping our survey open to find out which Lund Letter information has the most value and interest for you.  We thank you in advance for participating in our short survey.


Promotion of the Week: Office Raid

officeraid18.pngPeople who listen to the station in their office register on the station website or social media to be entered for a chance to have their office raided.  The raid includes lunch (remember to make the number of employees at the location a mandatory part of registering) for the office.  Also include a new chair or desk for the person entering the office if co-sponsored by a furniture or office supply retailer.  The station must actually be tuned in at the office for the win to be official.

For 100 more great contests and sales promotions, see the Lund Contest and Promotion Guide.


Lund’s Top 3:  When to Hire a Consultant 

Top3B.jpgA station needs help when it has exhausted its own resources trying to solve particular challenges in programming, sales, or marketing, or when management wants an outsider to provide an analysis with a fresh approach.  Your consultant should bring an impartial viewpoint that focuses on increasing audience as well as revenue growth.

1.   Stations rely on a programming expert with established credentials and expertise to help the Program Director and compliment the Manager’s strategic team. Many stations utilize consultants as a first resource, not as a last resort.  Thus, consultants join a station’s management team as a sign of that company’s strength, not because of weakness.

2.   A consultant can assist management with all aspects of program operations including strategic planning, music, sales, research, formatics, website development, cume building promotions, and staff development.

3.   The consultant can elevate the revenue stream with one-on-one coaching of the morning personality show and other talents, creating higher demand by listeners and advertisers.

What do you need?  The Lund team is experienced in all market sizes with an outstanding track record.  Contact John Lund or call 650-692-7777.

Another Lund Top 3 will appear next week in the Lund Letter.  Visitwww.lundradio.com for more Top 3’s!

Are you marketing to General Managers or Program Directors and want to reach the 9,400+ readers of the Lund Letter? Email John Lund.


This Week’s Music:

Lovelytheband18.jpgCamila Cabello’s “Never Be The Same” continues its reign in CHR this week, as does Luke Combs’ “One Number Away” in Country.  Zedd/Maren Morris/Grey are still on top at Hot AC with “The Middle,” and Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect” remains the leader in Bright AC.  Lovelytheband’s “Broken” has taken over as chart leader for Alternative.  Lund clients receive weekly music research information on current music plus regular updates on the best-testing recurrent and gold titles.

Would you like a best-researched music library list for your format?  Email John Lund.


Lund Trend Watch:


Younger Viewers Watching TV Out of Home

tvinsportsbar18.jpgThe days of a family sitting in the living room in the evening, gathered around the TV, may be a thing of the past (before TV, they did it with radio).  Now with portable screens and wireless streaming, people watch their entertainment pretty much anywhere.  Networks think this means they have lost these younger viewers entirely, but it’s simply not true.

According to a new Nielsen report about out-of-home (OOH) viewing, many millennials and members of Generation Z are doing so more than most.  These younger generations are doing 39% of the viewing out-of-home (14% higher than their share of in-home viewing). Like radio before it, TV has become a use-it-everywhere medium.  In addition to the increasing consumption of streaming video, people are still watching linear TV (meaning “as it airs”).  They are just not always doing so at home.

Nielsen is measuring out of home viewing more thoroughly (thanks to PPM), and more ad buyers are accepting out-of-home viewing among the impressions they pay for.  ESPN was one of the first networks to subscribe to Nielsen’s Out-of-Home reporting service; Turner, ABC and CBS have also signed up.

A look at more of the numbers:

+   News viewing is usually the domain of older viewers, but when looking at Out-of-Home consumption, the share represented by millennials and Gen Zers nearly tripled. Gen X’s share of news viewing was also higher out-of-home (23%) than in-home (18%).

+   Almost half of the out-of-home viewing for sports came from Gen Z and millennials.

+   Looking at all TV networks, out-of-home viewing was 6% higher among millennials and 7% higher with Generation Z.

+   Broadcast networks saw a 13% lift among members of Gen Z and a 10% lift among millennials.

+   Entertainment networks saw a 5% lift with Gen Z and a 4% lift with millennials.

Nielsen says, “OOH is a viable way to reach Gen Z and Millennials as these highly social generations have two-times higher out-of-home viewing than Baby Boomers and the Greatest Generation.”

New Pinterest Video Ads

pinterest18.pngPinterest is trying hard to get its share of online video advertising.  Long known for images that can be pinned to its users’ “boards,” Pinterest has been actively increasing video content.  The number of videos on Pinterest has increased 180% in the past year according to the company.  A new video format has recently been introduced on Pinterest.  Instead of appearing in one of the two columns that are Pinterest’s layout, the new ad type covers both columns.  Your station’s website should have videos and give advertiser’s the opportunity to buy video ads?

Pathway to Sounding Better

Maximize your programming with a top-to-bottom review.  The Lund Strategic Programming Evaluation finds the strengths and weaknesses of your stations – music, promotions, talents, and programming strategy, and details specific ways to improve the programming.  This includes a detailed analysis of your music.  ContactJohn Lund for info on how this study will benefit your stations.  


Programmer’s Planner:
Here is a list of actions this week for the proactive program director:

Today, 6/6
cmtmusicawards18.jpgMake a priority list of programming and promotion tasks that enhance audience development goals.
TV Special – The 2018 CMT Music Awards air tonight.

Thurs., 6/7
Spring diary ratings week #11 begins.  Start week #3 of June PPM.
TV Premieres – American Woman begins on Paramount (formerly Spike).  Fox has the second season of The Four: Battle for Stardom.  A two-hour premiere of Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger is on Freeform.   CMT begins the second half of the final season of Nashville.

Fri., 6/8
Create potential sales promotions with sales manager.
oceans8a18.jpgStreaming Premieres – Netflix has a full roster, including rom-com Ali’s Wedding, the two-hour series finale of Sense8, and true crime documentary The Staircase.
Movie Premieres – Ocean’s 8, Hotel Artemis and Hereditary.

Sat.-Sun., 6/9-10
This weekend is the second to last weekend of the spring diary Nielsen.  Add sizzle to imaging.
TV Premieres – ABC’s Sunday Fun & Games night is back with the returning Celebrity Family Feud, The $100,000 Pyramid and To Tell The Truth.  Claws begins its second season on TNT.
TV Special – CBS has the 72nd Annual Tony Awards with hosts Sara Bareilles and Josh Groban.

Mon., 6/11
This upcoming Sunday is Father’s Day.

Tues., 6/12
Programming Meeting today:  July 4th is 3 weeks from tomorrow.  Discuss special programming; holidays traditionally mean longer TSL.  Plan station visibility and street presence.
TV Premieres – ABC documentary The Last Defense; the Bold Type begins its second season on Freeform.



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The Lund Letter
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About the Lund Media Group:

For over 20 years, the Lund Media Group has provided programming, music consulting, operational guidance, and research to commercial and public broadcaststations throughout North America and overseas. Whether you program all sports, all tjclforLL.pngalk, or all music, the Lund Goal is to help stations get more listeners and keep them listening longer. The Lund Consultants are a multi-format custom programming and management consultancy. 

C
all John Lund for more information about how the Lund Media Group can help your stations achieve more listeners, higher ratings, and more revenue.
Phone: 650-692-7777.
Email john@lundradio.com