DAN O’DAY TALKS ABOUT RADIO

WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM THIS BLOG?

by Dan O'Day on August 5, 2008

This blog still is quite young. In fact, I’m still in the stage where when I’ve written a day’s posting, my work has just begun. Then it’s an hour of two of tweaking the formatting in an effort to make it look good on a variety of browsers.

(Blogger.com generously gives me a “preview” mode — which shows me precisely what any particular posting would look like if I happened to live in a parallel universe. In this universe, the “preview” version is to the published version as my passport photo is to my actual face. Except my actual face doesn’t suddenly change formatting between, say, my lower lip and my chin.)

So far, I’ve pretty much been writing whatever the heck I want to — and to a large extent, that won’t change. It is, after all, my damn blog.

A friend of mine has a blog that attracts many thousands of visitors each day, and he has learned that whenever he writes about AMERICAN IDOL, his traffic for that day increases. Apparently “AMERICAN IDOL” is a popular search engine term. So he writes about AMERICAN IDOL oh, maybe 5 days a week.

I, however, never would pander to my audience like that. For one thing, I’ve never watched even a single episode of AMERICAN IDOL. If I’m not interested enough to watch AMERICAN IDOL, I’m certainly not going to spend any of my severely limited time finding ways to weave AMERICAN IDOL into my writing.

If I lose out on search engine traffic by not mentioning AMERICAN IDOL, so be it. I’ll have the satisfaction of knowing I stuck to my principles, and by golly that’s enough for me.

When I ask “What do you want from this blog?” I mean in terms of making it as valuable as possible to you as:

• A radio programming person

• A radio production person

• A radio station manager, sales manager, promotion director or account executive

• A radio advertising person

• A voiceover guy (“voiceover guy” automatically includes women, but I’d no sooner say “voiceover gal” than I’d refer in writing to a “deejay”).

I am not, however, pretending this is a democracy. This isn’t like AMERICAN IDOL, where people get to vote. But if I can write about things you care about and/or will help you without sacrificing my principles or requiring much work on my part, that would be nice.

So please tell me what you’ve enjoyed most about this blog so far and what you’d like to see in it in the future. Whether your name is Paula, Abdul or Ryan, your opinion matters to me. This blog is like clay, akin’ to be molded to your needs.

As Superman’s adoptive father said in one of my favorite episodes, “Clark, son — “ Well, no need to go off on a tangent.

So please — politely, if possible — tell me what you like in and/or want more of from this blog. I’ll consider all serious suggestions, but none that would compromise my principles.

I’d write a bit more about this right now, but I’m really thirsty. So I’m going to have a cold, refreshing drink and I’ll see you tomorrow.

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WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM THIS BLOG?

by Dan O'Day on August 5, 2008

This blog still is quite young. In fact, I’m still in the stage where when I’ve written a day’s posting, my work has just begun. Then it’s an hour of two of tweaking the formatting in an effort to make it look good on a variety of browsers.

(Blogger.com generously gives me a “preview” mode — which shows me precisely what any particular posting would look like if I happened to live in a parallel universe. In this universe, the “preview” version is to the published version as my passport photo is to my actual face. Except my actual face doesn’t suddenly change formatting between, say, my lower lip and my chin.)

So far, I’ve pretty much been writing whatever the heck I want to — and to a large extent, that won’t change. It is, after all, my damn blog.

A friend of mine has a blog that attracts many thousands of visitors each day, and he has learned that whenever he writes about AMERICAN IDOL, his traffic for that day increases. Apparently “AMERICAN IDOL” is a popular search engine term. So he writes about AMERICAN IDOL oh, maybe 5 days a week.

I, however, never would pander to my audience like that. For one thing, I’ve never watched even a single episode of AMERICAN IDOL. If I’m not interested enough to watch AMERICAN IDOL, I’m certainly not going to spend any of my severely limited time finding ways to weave AMERICAN IDOL into my writing.

If I lose out on search engine traffic by not mentioning AMERICAN IDOL, so be it. I’ll have the satisfaction of knowing I stuck to my principles, and by golly that’s enough for me.

When I ask “What do you want from this blog?” I mean in terms of making it as valuable as possible to you as:

• A radio programming person

• A radio production person

• A radio station manager, sales manager, promotion director or account executive

• A radio advertising person

• A voiceover guy (“voiceover guy” automatically includes women, but I’d no sooner say “voiceover gal” than I’d refer in writing to a “deejay”).

I am not, however, pretending this is a democracy. This isn’t like AMERICAN IDOL, where people get to vote. But if I can write about things you care about and/or will help you without sacrificing my principles or requiring much work on my part, that would be nice.

So please tell me what you’ve enjoyed most about this blog so far and what you’d like to see in it in the future. Whether your name is Paula, Abdul or Ryan, your opinion matters to me. This blog is like clay, akin’ to be molded to your needs.

As Superman’s adoptive father said in one of my favorite episodes, “Clark, son — “ Well, no need to go off on a tangent.

So please — politely, if possible — tell me what you like in and/or want more of from this blog. I’ll consider all serious suggestions, but none that would compromise my principles.

I’d write a bit more about this right now, but I’m really thirsty. So I’m going to have a cold, refreshing drink and I’ll see you tomorrow.

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MONDAY COMMERCIAL SMACKDOWN: Las Vegas Trade Group’s Radio Advertising Craps Out

by Dan O'Day on August 4, 2008

My theory of why radio advertising for associations usually is worse than most bad commercials:

1. Some executive director who knows nothing about advertising decides what the “campaign” should be

or

2. Some executive director who knows nothing about advertising blindly chooses an incompetent agency to create the campaign

or

3. The association has a committee whose individual members know nothing about radio advertising and who pool their collective ignorance to define the campaign.

But usually at least you can glean the message (or, often and sadly, multiple messages) the association was trying to communicate. Not here:

The performance: That guy was supposed to be angry, sharing with you the things that are “driving me crazy.” Did you sense even a hint of genuine anger? Of any type of emotion? That’s a guy reading copy written by someone who was trying to be clever.

From the opening words, it’s fake. It’s like watching an amateur magician trying to keep you from seeing the cards he’s awkwardly attempting to palm. The copy is false and the delivery is false.

So what message were they trying to communicate? Good luck answering that one.

I Am Completely Serious When I Say The Following

1. This association would have gotten far more for its advertising dollars simply by saying, “Come to Las Vegas! Come to Las Vegas! Come to Las Vegas!” for 30 seconds.

2. They would’ve had a better chance of getting an ROI on this commercial by taking their entire radio advertising budget, walking into any casino into town, and placing it all on the “come” line of a craps table.

I’m serious. They would’ve had almost a 50% chance of doubling their investment — which is a lot better than a 0% chance of getting any return at all on their money.

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FRENCH RACISM AND FAX SPAMMERS

by Dan O'Day on August 2, 2008

“It is unlawful to send unsolicited advertisements to any fax machine, including those at both businesses and residences, without the recipient’s prior express invitation or permission.”

MEMO

To: All Corporate Employees

From: Human Resources Dept.

Re: Vacation Update 2 for 1 Employee Special

Reply To: 1-888-587-9481

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BIG-TIME JOCK TO YOU: "Ha ha!"

by Dan O'Day on August 1, 2008

I’m fairly well-known as a big proponent of Show Prep. But in my seminars I warn jocks:

If you do what we’re talking about; if you constantly stay aware of what’s happening in your community; if you always walk into the studio prepared…You can expect to be ridiculed.

“Oh, isn’t that cute? You’ve got your little notebook of ‘show prep.’ You know, a real professional doesn’t need to prepare. A real pro knows how to ad lib. ‘Spontaneity,’ ever hear of it?”

If you’re always prepared before your show, sooner or later you will hear that from someone else at your station.

Invariably, it’s some older jock (always a male, for some reason) whose claim to fame is that he once worked in a “big market.” Let’s say your station is in Grand Rapids; he once worked in Detroit.

For a few weeks.

Then he left Detroit and has spent the past 20 years in smaller markets.

Why did he leave the Big Market?

“Politics. The PD played favorites, and I refused to kiss his ass. So instead of staying there and playing that game, I left.”

Strangely, this guy never says, “To tell you the truth, I wasn’t good enough. Plus, I had a lousy attitude, so they fired me.”

This guy couldn’t make it in the big leagues. He’s bitter, he despises his job, and he’s jealous of anyone who has achieved any level of success. Also, he hates your enthusiasm for radio, because in the distant reaches of his memory he recalls when he felt that passion.

That emptiness hurts. He hasn’t found anything to replace it, other than a couple of very unhealthy addictions, several marriages, a bankruptcy or two, and an aggressively negative attitude.

When that guy ridicules you, don’t take it personally. Stepping on your dreams is just so much easier than owning up to his own failures.

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