FMQB: Radio Industry News, Music Industry Updates, Arbitron Ratings, Music News and more!

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Please remember to send your playlists to mlaspina@fmqb.com.
Playlists are due on Monday, no later than 8 p.m.

Outfield

Ed Hale

Richard Kincaid

Deborah Wedekind

Key Points for PD's to look at for a strong ratings defense
Radio has never been more competitive, and he PD's job has never been more important. With that in mind, here are 9 areas that every PD, regardless of your format should look at constantly to grow and defend your stations ratings position.
Keep the music familiar and focused. Avoid taking chances on new, unfamiliar music. Never be the first station in your market to debut a song. Check the log daily for balance and flow. Avoid clumping of any same sounds. Keep the tempo "even".
PPM or diary, branding still matters. Sell your music position and the benefits of listening to the station. It is the #1 reason people listen to the radio. Sell your music quantity and quality benefits. Specific music quantity benefits work much better than generic. Example: "Continuous Half Hours" are better than "Long Sets".
Own AT WORK. You can never promote at work enough, especially in AM Drive. This is when the decision to listen at work is made. Incorporate at work usage into all breaks during the workday. Example: " Magic 103.5 helping your workday fly by". Two lines to avoid: "Making your workday fun" and "The station everybody at work can agree on".
Morning fun! Keep the morning show bright, up and most important, loaded with interesting, fun, compelling material. Remember, there is a difference between "fun" and "funny". If your morning show is music based, make sure to keep the music as the star.
Branding the Basics. Attach your calls to all services and features. Make sure it is not "traffic" versus "WXXX Traffic". Sell your positioning statement & key benefits. Always when going back to music from spots. Always on the end of weather when going back to music.
Use as much "Appointment" listening as possible. PPM or diary, the only way to increase time spent is to increase "occasions of listening." Insure that each morning show promo has a specific reason and time for tune-in. Same applies to the morning show. Pre-promote ahead to take the most advantage of content breaks.
Watch the talk. Keep the personality but also keep a lid on extra, non-essential talk. It is amazing how much unnecessary talk happens on radio stations. Less talk is a good thing (and PPM has proven that).
Sell "More Music Weekends" Many stations have a much more music intense sound on the weekend due to lower commercial loads, less services, or voice tracking. Take advantage of this and promote as a benefit. "Weekends always mean more music" or "It's a More Music Weekend."
Production elements. Make sure all liners and sweepers clearly promote the strategy. If it is more music, focus on it and sell it hard. Work in some jingle cuts you have not used in a while. Look at prior packages that have not been used recently. If re-writing liners/sweepers be careful not to lose the basic point. Run sweepers over the intros of songs. It keeps the flow moving forward.

For market availability and a confidential discussion about your station, call Gary Berkowitz today. (248) 737-3727 or gary@garyberk.com or www.garyberk.com

Updated: 5.16.2012

1. MAROON 5
"Payphone"
(A&M/Octone)
7

1. COLBIE CAILLAT
"Favorite"
(Universal Republic)
7

1. GROOVEATECH
"One"
(Independent)
7

1. KRIS HEATON BAND
"Rain-Song"
(Wood Reords)
1

Updated: 5.16.2012

ANDY GRAMMER
"Fine"
(S-Curve)

MATT NATHANSON/SUGARLAND
"Run"
(Vanguard/Capitol)

SCRIPT
"If"
(Epic)

Gavin DeGraw and Colbie Caillat have announced a co-headlining tour that will kick off on May 25 in Simpsonville, SC, and wrap on June 29 at the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, IL. General tickets for the tour, which will feature Andy Grammar as the opener, go on sale Friday, March 30. Meanwhile, fans can catch DeGraw on the current season of Dancing With the Stars.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------RAM, the only album credited to Paul and Linda McCartney, will get a deluxe reissue via Concord Music Group on May 22. RAM will be re-released as a single disc, 2-CD set, a deluxe box set, on vinyl (with a limited edition mono mix version) and digitally.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine is reportedly in final negotiations to make his TV acting debut in season two of the FX drama American Horror Story. According to Entertainment Weekly, Levine would play a contemporary character and half of a couple referred to as "The Lovers." Meanwhile, the singer is busy being a mentor on The Voice for now, and Maroon 5 will play a number of spring and summer festival dates as well. The second season of American Horror Story is set to premiere in October.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Australian singer/songwriter Gotye will be the musical guest on Saturday Night Live on April 14, performing songs off his recent album Making Mirrors. Gotye also kicks off his spring headlining tour this week on March 22 in Washington DC. The tour runs until April 15 and 22, when Gotye will play the two Coachella Festival weekends in Indio, CA.
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Coroners have determined that Whitney Houston died of accidental drowning due to the effects of cocaine and heart disease, after she was found submerged in the bathtub of her Beverly Hills hotel room in February. An autopsy into Houston's death found that the cause of death was accidental drowning with atherosclerotic heart disease and cocaine use listed as contributing factors, Los Angeles County Coroner's spokesman Craig Harvey announced on Thursday. Harvey also said that toxicology tests turned up marijuana, anti-anxiety medication, a muscle relaxant and an anti-histamine in Houston's system, but those drugs were not found to have contributed to her death, according to Reuters. Houston's manager and sister-in-law, Patricia Houston, commented in a statement: "We are saddened to learn of the toxicology results, although we are glad to now have closure."

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LW	TW	DAILY TOP 20 AC ALBUM SALES - TUESDAY 05.15.12			%
1	1	Adele	21	SBME/ Columbia	-32.4
--	2	Adam Lambert	Trespassing	SBME/ RCA	--
4	3	Nicki Minaj	Pink Friday Roman Reloaded	UMGD/ Cash Money	-0.9
5	4	Drake	Take Care	UMGD/ Cash Money	-15
12	5	Lil Wayne	Tha Carter Iv	UMGD/ Cash Money	79.5
6	6	Carrie Underwood	Blown Away	SBME/ Sbmg Nashville	-18.2
9	7	One Direction	Up All Night	SBME/ Columbia	1.6
7	8	Gotye	Making Mirrors	UMGD/ Universal	-24.6
10	9	Alabama Shakes	Boys & Girls	ATO	-13.7
2	10	Silversun Pickups	Neck Of The Woods	Dangerbird	-83.8
15	11	Black Keys	El Camino	WEA/ Atlantic	-26.8
13	12	Train	California 37	SBME/ Columbia	-32.6
3	13	Keane	Strangeland	UMGD/ Interscope	-77.6
18	14	Norah Jones	Little Broken Hearts	EMM/ Blue Note	-31.3
16	15	Bruce Springsteen	Wrecking Ball	SBME/ Columbia	-47.5
11	16	Jason Mraz	Love Is A Four Letter Word	WEA/ Atlantic	-58.7
14	17	Karmin	Hello	SBME/ Legacy	-57.1
19	18	Kelly Clarkson	Stronger	SBME/ RCA	-6.7
**	19	Fun.	Some Nights	WEA/ Fueled By Ramen	**
17	20	Lumineers	Lumineers	Dualtone	-70.6