I don’t know any of the people involved (except for Ken R., who wrote the story).
I have no idea if the station sounds great or terrible.
But as a radio guy, I like this.
Holland Cooke
News/Talk consultant Holland Cooke reports:
“Heard it with my own ears, Saturday on WCBS NewsRadio880/New York…
“It was a story about Justin Bieber making amends for canceling a mall concert by recording some public service announcements.”
But not once did the story news story mention “Public Service Announcements.”
Instead, the “story copy included ‘PSA’ four times (once in the anchor lead-in copy, three times in the package).
“Note to radio news reporters: To people who don’t work in broadcasting, ‘PSA’ is a test for prostate cancer.
“Unrelated to the WCBS gaffe, but while I’m at it: To people who don’t work in broadcasting, ‘remote’ is a TV clicker.”
First, the commercial….
It would be nice never to hear “Blue Danube” in another radio commercial. It’s overused. I heard it in three different spots during the past week.
This one, at least, makes a connection between the music and the sales message: A building contractor is “like the conductor of that symphony.”
This commercial does a decent job of establishing the consumer problem: “If your contractor doesn’t have a valid state license, you’re 100% liable.”
But the radio advertisement falls apart when it reaches the Call To Action: “Learn more at CheckTheLicenseFirst.com.”
“Learn more”??
Do they mean, “Learn if your contractor is licensed by the state”?
Then that should be the Call To Action.
No one is going to hear this commercial and, as a result, go to the website to “learn more” about the concept of contractors being licensed.
The latest issue of my Radio Programming Letter includes my list of “Ten Shocking Truths For Radio People,” as well as a critique of a subscriber’s aircheck.
This posting is for subscribers to add their own comments….
If you’ve been “thinking” about signing up, here are 10 pretty good reasons to turn your thoughts into actions.
Dina Boland: “I just wish that I hadn’t jumped in this business without having this class first, because I made just about every mistake in the book. Believe me, this is a must class for anyone getting started.
“There is no other workshop out there that offers the indispensable info that this class provides, so I really hope you would offer this to others as well. There are just too many folks out there that want to separate you from your money in this biz without giving ANY practical information. Those probably are the two words that best describe this class: Practical Information.
“Value points for me:
“— Got me to take action: HUGE!!!! I was stuck.
“— Gave me a specific direction: how to look for work, where to look for work, the importance of branding, know what I want and where I want to eventually be and how to approach getting there, ideas on how to make calls, what should be said, the importance of doing your research first….
“— Gave me specific information — equipment, what mic/preamp is best for me, etc.
“— Gave me guidance and specifics on how to build and run a VO business — taxes, lawyers, accountants, finances, corporations, unions, management tools, how to approach an agent, taking responsibility for my success.
“Honestly, without this class I’m pretty sure I’d still be on my butt trying to figure out what to do next. I was stuck, and I had that whole analysis paralysis thing going on because I was afraid of making mistakes.
“I’m all amped up to move forward. I was always excited and motivated to get going but had no idea how to proceed. Thank you for giving me direction. This is THE one class that should be bottled and sold. No lie.”
Tom Daniels: “For once in my life, I feel completely satisfied that I have received more than my money’s worth. Far more than I EVER expected! Thank you for providing the tools that will undoubtedly enable me to transform my Voiceover business into a profitable career. For me it was a life-changing experience!”
Deborah Reast: “This is my second business and it is a division of my first company, so much of my company accounting and legal aspects are already in place, however, during the last session I picked up two accounting ideas that I will begin using immediately. Anyone just starting out surely will have their business run much more smoothly because of the information they received in Module 4.”
Brooke Boland: “Wonderful information you can get your head around. I like the step-by-step format, the homework. Much more relevant and user friendly than the other class I took, in which they didn’t focus at all on the business, which is key…as you and Harlan emphasize. I really got my money’s worth!”
Susan Smart: “Each class was awesome. The best things I’ve gotten out of the overall set are how to move forward and what to expect…and something even better: what is expected of me in so many aspects of the business. Sometimes when I don’t know what to do, I become distracted and start doing so many different things it takes me a long time, if ever, to get back to where I should be. These classes have allowed me to set a path/plan that I can refer to when I get sidetracked, so I’m back on track right away.”
Bob Souer: “In 2009 I was about to make a transition from having a day job plus a full-time voiceover business to only having a voiceover business in the very month when Harlan Hogan and Dan O’Day were doing just such a telesminar series. I knew it was going to focus on the business part of the voiceover business.
“As it turned out, that series of 4 weeks of teleseminars really helped me sharpen my focus on my voiceover business at that critical point of stepping away from my corporate day job. It was some of the best money I spent that year.”
Linda Ristig: “Today, I’m shifting my focus to researching and contacting potential clients. My biggest stumbling block was the ‘management’ piece. If I begin to make contacts, how do I keep track of that effectively? The two sessions in Module 4 answered those questions.”
Melissa Freeman: “This was by far the best voice-over class, best seminar, best all around course in a creative field, period.
“What was totally refreshing is the crispness of the presentation, topics and details covered; I loved the nicely designed Study Guides too! The follow-up with a subsequent Q & A class dedicated solely to the previous night was great, and the entire class format was consistent and did not deviate or become randomized or lose ground and time retracting steps or jumping ahead on topics that were ahead in the course.
“The hands-on approach was totally beneficial and the assignments really put us though our paces in the research and analysis of genres of voicing, branding, competition and Internet casting sites. The peak in this endeavor was being able to record ourselves and receiving a critique of our sound in handling the mic and our studio set-up and any hardware and/or software problems by a super expert in the field, Jeffrey Fisher.
“I also so appreciated the generous, valuable and incredibly interesting bonus classes! The bonus classes were totally unexpected — and they were phenomenal!”
Kerri Parr: “I can’t thank you enough. I’m blown away by all the preparation and unbelievable amount of information. Everything has been very consistent and and so well organized. The homework assignments have helped me get more organized; make an action plan and TAKE ACTION on it; follow through on my voice over commitments; know the competition; zero in on where I fit in, my strengths, and what I’m passionate about; target the best site, if any, for me to sign up with; determine the best course of action toward moving forward in my career.”
Tim Petersen: “You have given us the tools to rebuild our careers as voice actors. I can now tear down what crumbly foundation I had, to rebuild on a new and more solid foundation you have given us. I thank you and our fellow classmates for making this the BEST VO class available.”
Register here for STARTING YOUR VOICEOVER BUSINESS: Everything You Need To Know To Turn Your Dream Or Your Sideline Into A Business.
