Radio Ink Magazine July 11, 2022

DEBORAH PARENTI PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER STREAMLINE PUBLISHING DPARENTI@STREAMLINEPUBLISHING.COM It's always a challenge to write a column for this particular issue that features the Most Powerful People in Radio gracing its pages with their words of wisdom and firsthand knowledge. But there is something to be said for outside perspective and thoughtful reflection. Here are mine as we look to the last half of 2022, more than 100 years since radio first became part of the fabric of American life. Radio, as a content provider, is alive and well with endless possibilities. That's because radio done right has the ability to create content far superior to any competitor. When it is entrusted to the capable hands of creative program directors and brand managers, no one can match radio's ability to relate to and reflect the audiences it serves.…

ROY H. WILLIAMS PRESIDENT WIZARD OF ADS INC. ROY@WIZARDOFADS.COM A successful cluster manager was one of 36 people in a class I taught two months ago. When we went into Q&A, he asked for suggestions about what to do with a poorly performing station in his cluster. He expected me to suggest a format change, or a clever promotional campaign using billboards and TV. Or he may have thought I was going to give him some halfbaked idea about how he could use social media to build an affinity group around the station's format, because these are the kinds of suggestions people make when a radio station wants to attract a bigger audience. Why is it that everyone assumes the way to increase a station's revenues is to increase the size of its audience? I said, “I'll…

ALEC DRAKE ALECDRAKE.COM Over the years, a parade of metrics have been devoted to improving and rewarding revenue results based on a sales manager's performance. As we review the evolution of the thinking, it begins with the “sell it all” approach and arrives at the current use of “yield per minute.” The goalposts shifted when over-the-air inventory was repackaged into smaller increments and competition put pressure on the opportunity to raise rates. We need a 5th step to move sales manager measurement forward and balance the metrics. Sell It All! The initial stage of measuring sales management in regard to revenue was to sell all the commercial slots. There may have been only one station, with one rate, and perishable inventory pushed managers to make sure everything was sold. Price negotiations prevailed as managers…

Being named to the Radio Ink Best Program Directors in America list is a coveted accomplishment. Very few make the list, and even fewer are there year after year. When these individuals cease working in programming, they're no longer eligible for the list – but that doesn't mean their brains are not still engaged, that they're not continuing to “play radio,” or that they're no longer interested in the medium. We selected four big names in the business, program directors recognized for their success who today have either moved on to different roles in radio or are at a different point in their lives. In every case, their perspective comes from having walked a mile in those moccasins, and still shows their care for this industry. The objective is to hear from…

BUZZ KNIGHT BUZZ KNIGHT MEDIA BUZZ@BUZZKNIGHTMEDIA.COM As the 21st century continues to unfold, it is important for radio leaders to stay sharp and adapt quickly. In an ever-changing media landscape, there are countless ways a leader can fail, but only by staying nimble can they succeed. It takes more than just passion for a product or service to lead a company in today's digital age, and you must be able to lead effectively if you want your company to succeed. Here are the top leadership traits for radio leaders in the 21st century. COMMUNICATION Effective communication is often overlooked, but it is critical for leaders to stay on top of their communication strategies. It's the old question: if you are in the communication business, how come you are challenged by communicating? In fact, communications is…