LIBRARY

Michigan State :
Unlvorslty

 

 

PLACE IN RETURN BOX

to remove this checkout from your record.
To AVOID FINES return on or before date due.

 

DATE DUE

DATE DUE

MTE DUE

 

MAY 0 8 2002

 

 

LOSnLn

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

me WM“

RE-LIVING THE EIGHTIES: A DESIGN FOR THE CREATION OF A RADIO
FORMAT

BY

TRACI L. ANDERSON

A THESIS

Submitted to
Michigan State University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of

MASTER OF ARTS

Department of Telecommunication

1998

ABSTRACT

RE-LIVING THE EIGHTIES: A DESIGN FOR THE CREATION OF A RADIO
FORMAT

BY

TRACI L. ANDERSON

Throughout the history of radio, the music formats have emerged in cycles, and
with the beginning of the new millennium, the “All 80's Format” will have the chance to
take center stage. The targeted audience for this format would be ages 25-40, with the
programming being skewed towards women. This is an attractive group to advertisers
as they are influential consumers and most have at least some college education. The
targeted listeners are those who grew up during the 1980's and remember the fashions,
events, personalities and icons of the decade. Faced with a troubled economy and many
societal problems, the Eighties generation needs to experience the optimism they knew
while entering adulthood with bright eyes and big ideas. The “All 80‘s Format” focuses on
the biggest, most familiar hits of the decade, with a mix of alternative/punk rock, hard
rock, easy listening, and rhythm and blues. The categorization, presentation, and
dayparting of the music is described. The All 80's format would also include comedy
within every song set, and special programming such as Soundtrack Sundays. Formatting
of the news, stop sets, jingles and promos, and public service programs is covered, as well
as marketing strategies, ratings and research, and a description of a sample market for this
format. The results of a survey taken of targeted audience members illustrate radio habits

and preferences, and implications for the “All 80's Format” are drawn.

Covyn'sht by
TRACI LEIGH ANDERSON
1998

To my late grandfather, J. Wayne Anderson.

iv

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank the individuals who helped me complete this thesis, either
with their support, ideas, suggestions, or production assistance.

First, thank you to the members of my thesis committee: Dr. Gretchen Barbatsis,
Dr. Bradley Greenberg, and namely the director, Gary Reid. Their assistance has been
very helpful and appreciated.

I’d also like to thank Dr. Charles Atlcin for his assistance in the design of the
survey questionnaire used in my thesis. In addition, I appreciate those who took time to
complete the survey.

Various people also submitted creative ideas and suggestions for the programming
of my All 80's format and helped in the thesis production: Zaron Frumin, Jefl‘ Bodine,
Janice Miller, Kristen Elsesser, Ray Schuck, Jason Cheneske, Jim Leinbach, Lindsay
Peters, and Heather Naylor. These people gave generously of their time and support, and
I am very appreciative of their assistance.

Lastly, thank you to the program directors and students who volunteered their
time to evaluate my production. Their comments and suggestions were very helpful and

proved that a piece of art is never really finished-it can always be improved.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................ viii
LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................ ix
INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 1
CHAPTER 1 _
We Are the World: The Eighties Community .................................................................... 3
CHAPTER 2

0n the Radio: The Past and Present Trends of Radio Formats ........................................ 1 1
CHAPTER 3

We Got the Beat: The 80's Format Target Audience ....................................................... 20
CHAPTER 4

The Heat is On: The Ratings .......................................................................................... 24
CHAPTER 5

True Colors: The Art of the Format ................................................................................ 33
CHAPTER 6

Let the Music Play: The Music of the 80's Format .......................................................... 36
CHAPTER 7

Hip to Be Square: The Comedy Element ........................................................................ 55
CHAPTER 8

What You Need: Commercials and Jingles ..................................................................... 58
CHAPTER 9

She Blinded Me with Science: Computers and the All 80's Format .................................. 6S

CHAPTER 10

One Thing Leads to Another: News and Public Affairs .................................................. 67

CHAPTER 11

Voices Carry: Marketing and Promotion ........................................................................ 77
CHAPTER 12

Human Nature: Qualitative Research .............................................................................. 96
CHAPTER 13

We Built This City: Surveying the Lansing Market: ...................................................... 102
CHAPTER 14

Tell It to My Heart: Survey Results .............................................................................. 106
CHAPTER 15

Radio Ga-Ga: Closing Statements ................................................................................ 121

FOOTNOTES .............................................................................................................. 137
APPENDDI A

Questions for Listeners ................................................................................................. 143
APPENDIX B

Questions for Program Directors .................................................................................. 146
APPENDIX C

Listener Questionnaire .................................................................................................. 148
BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................ 157

LIST OF TABLES

TABLE 1
Weekday Daypart
Sequences .................................................................................................................... 125

TABLE 2
Revised Weekday Daypart
Sequences .................................................................................................................... 126

LIST OF FIGURES

FIGURE 1
80's Format Composite Mood Curve .............................................................................. 46
FIGURE 2
Stop Set Schedules ........................................................................................................ 62
FIGURE 3
2 l/z Minute Newscasts ................................................................................................... 70

 

vane
The 2
more
relea
nigh
appn
baby

musi

inclu
com.
MI
W

21nd!

INTRODUCTION

Despite the 1980's ending just short of a decade ago, many radio programmers of
various formats are digging into the archives and including 80's music in their playlists.
The songs are often dubbed “retro,” “classic,” or “flashback” and sometimes an hour or
more is dedicated to these 80's oldies. Record companies such as Rhino and EM] have
released multi-volume sets of CDs that feature the biggest hits of the Eighties. “Retro
nights” at dance clubs around the country have become quite popular with those who
appreciate the decade most; that is, those who were growing up during the decade. The
baby boomers born in the 1950's and 1960's have a format just for them that focuses on
music from those decades. Formats that focus on 1970's music have also been on the rise.
The cycle of radio formats is rounding the bend to the next steputhe “All 80's Format”.

This is a design for such a format. The “All 80's Format” being proposed also
includes a special twist-comedy. The layout, or blueprint, of how the format would be
composed includes not only the music and the comedy, but also the news, commercials,
public service programming, jingles, on-air promotion and ofilthe-air marketing. Also, the
importance of ratings and qualitative research is discussed. The history of radio formats
and the cyclical nature of these formats also is significant in the justifying of the 80's

format. The target audience, its characteristics, and the importance of these

mm
A sun'n
behaxiors
disused
T
stressed

oommun

constant
nines ti.
those wl
Where n

“N of 1

2

characteristics to advertisers is discussed so as to support the need for this type of format.
A survey of targeted listeners that measures their opinions about radio and their habits and
behaviors of radio listening has been conducted, and the results are presented and
discussed.

Throughout the design of the All 80's radio format, the idea of community is
stressed. This idea is taken from the ritual view of communication, which states that
communication involves the sharing of ideas, values, and beliefs, and the participation in
this process produces fellowship. In this fellowship, or community, reality is being
constantly created, upheld, and altered. The terms of the reality depend on the ideas and
values that are shared within the communal group. Wrth the 80's format, a community of
those who matured during the decade is being created. The format is their gathering place
where their ideas and views are shared, and this produces the community’s reality, or their

view of the world. The music of the format is the catalyst for this process.

Chill

belong
imensii
being c
compa.
their si
music.
dorm;
did not
trek to

not I0

Chapter 1

WE ARE THE WORLD: THE EIGHTIES COMMUNITY

Rubik’s Cubes, Reagonomics, and Rambo. Big hair, big business, and The Big
Chill. MTV, Mondale, and the Moonwalk. These images, personalities, and artifacts
belong to a period of time that has a distinct personality. Liveliness, confidence, and
intensity characterize this place in time; its culture involved living life to the fullest and
being open to new ideas and technologies, including VCRs , personal computers, and
compact discs. Voices that had been hidden finally emerged from the woodwork and took
their significant place in society, such as the voice of the ghetto community through rap
music. Although fears such as nuclear war and AIDS took ahold of the country, this
dominant decade proved to be one of few decades in the twentieth century where the U. S.
did not become involved in any wars. The post-baby boomer generation commenced its
trek to adulthood with bright eyes, high aspirations, and youthful energy. This is a decade
not to be forgotten-the 1980's.

Despite the 1980's being just short of a decade old, reminiscing about the decade is
quickly becoming a popular activity among those who made their journey through school
during that time period. However, a void exists as no efl‘ective outlets exist for those who
enjoy re-living the Eighties. No real community exists among the children of the Eighties-
-they resort to reminiscing about more innocent times individually or in small, private
groups. A need for a communal gathering place to resurrect and share memories propels

the creation of a new kind of radio station format—the “All 80's Format”. With this

format, I
1981's is

enthusia

devotes l
decade

discs suc

4

format, the assertion is made that the most pleasurable way of reminiscing about the
1980's is participating with an “All 80's” radio station as it allows one to share feelings of
enthusiasm, contentment, and optimism with a homogeneous community.

Indications exist for the rising interest in re-living the 1980's. For example, VH1
devotes a half-hour program named “The Big Eighties” to playing popular videos from the
decade. Record stores assign sections specifically for volumes of Eighties compilation
discs such as “Living in Oblivion.” Dance clubs devote evenings to playing Eighties
music, also known as Retro music, for 80's fans dancing pleasure. Radio stations of
various formats across the country are including special music programs that focus on the
hits and novelties of the 1980’s. Some stations include one or two songs an hour and
introduce the songs by dubbing them “Retro Rewind.” Some station’s Eighties programs
have a duration of an hour, while other programs last for a whole evening. Many of these
programs are all-request shows, which especially illustrates the interest in the popular
music of the 1980's. Those raised during the lively decade are yearning to hear those
memorable artists and hit songs that they grew up listening to, such as Duran Duran’s
“The Reflex,” The Pointer Sisters’ “I’m So Excited,” Huey Lewis and the News’ “Heart
of Rock and Roll,” and The Police’s “Every Breath You Take.”

Despite the emergence of these various forms of Eighties entertainment, the needs
of fans are only being partially fiflfifled. With compact disc compilations, fans enjoy
remembering the decade, but it is an individual activity, not shared with a community.
With media programs that devote only an hour or part of an hour to 80's music only allow

communal sharing of 80's memories for a limited time. Baby boomers, those born

radio s
Format
scatter

hhdlar

the cu
tough
previr
dOmir
hues
hole."
the E
fore-t
deer

To”

the

5

between the years 1946 to 1964, have the opportunity to reminisce as a community with
radio stations that play hits fiom the Fifties and Sixties. Stations that have an “All 70's
Format” are beginning to emerge, such as the “Star Format” in major markets and
scattered in smaller markets are stations such as Magic 101.7 in the Saginaw-Bay City-
Midland, Michigan radio market. But what about those who were born after the baby
boomer years? The opportunity for them to collectively share and enjoy 80's memories is
being neglected.

The liveliness and optimism of the Eighties has been misplaced in the troubles of
the current decade. Members of the post-baby boom generation feel they are facing a
tough economy and believe that they may not be as economically successful as the
previous generation. Current music echoes this frustration and dismay—the lyrics are
dominantly pessimistic. For instance, Alice in Chain’s song “Down in a Hole” includes the
lyrics “Down in a hole/Losin’ my soul/Down in a hole/Feelin’ so small/Down in a
hole/Out of control/I’d like to fly/But my wings have been so denied.” The optimism of
the Eighties in songs such as “Fame” in which Irene Cara sings “Fame/I’m going to live
forever/I’m going to learn how to fly. . .People remember my name” has certainly
decreased. The youthful spirit and energy of the 1980's generation is what the “All 80's
Format” wishes to recapture and celebrate.

Radio has been a loyal companion for over seven decades, long before television,
cable and computers entered the scene. People rely on radio to be there when they push
the power button, just as they rely on the lights to turn on when they flip the switch.

Radio makes a great partner as it is portable and listeners can do other activities while

enjoyi
other
allow:

listen

inforr

comn

whet}

suho

rep;

IOU

6
enjoying it. Being able to listen to the radio while driving gives radio an edge over any
other medium which requires sight to process it. Being a totally audio medium, radio
allows one to explore one’s imagination. Radio is a storybook without the pictures; the
listener is allowed freedom to create her own visuals based on what she bears and what
herpastexperienceshavebeen. Themediumhasadualpurposeofentertainingand
informing the community. At its best, it draws like-minded individuals together into a
community and allows the sharing of the community’s unique and shared appreciations,
whether it be music or lifestyle preferences.

Each radio format attracts its own community, or “radio subculture.”l A radio
subculture “is a music subculture which has been legitimized by having been adopted as a
standard format.”2 Listening to a radio station with a specifically identified format
provides the subculture, or intended audience, with a feeling of being a part of something
unique, something to call its own. It gives the subculture a specific identity within society-
-the format provides the audience with a voice. Various elements in the format, including
music, news, promotions, station jingles, and even radio personality patter, speak for the
public the format is addressing and gives the members of the community a sense of
belonging. A radio format is a statement about a lifestyle, a culture, a state of mind that

belongs to a certain group within society, a group that desires to have its voice
’ represented amongthemanyvoicesthatmakeup society. Theformat alsoactsasa
touchstone by which the subculture can keep in touch with the elements in its traditions.

Therefore, a radio format is more than just the music a station decides to play. It

provides the members of its subculture with “glasses through which to view the world.”3

The for
lifestylr
format

its list

0011
SIG

Val

7

The format represents the community’s common values, beliefs, experiences, and
lifestyles. Although listening to radio can be a private, individual experience, radio
formats also bond common-minded people together. A radio format serves as a home for
its listeners—a place where they will be respected and understood.

The concept of a radio format as community stems from the ritual view of
communication. This view has its roots in symbolic interactionisrn which has re-emerged
in postmodern, non-linear thought. The ritual view states that communication is “a
symbolic process whereby reality is produced, maintained, repaired, and transform .”‘
Therefore, communication is defined by “sharing, participation, association, and
fellowship.”5 The ritual view points out that communication has its roots in
“commonness, communion, and community.”6 The essence of communication is
confirming world views and cultural ideals, and in this essence is the act of “projecting
community ideals and their embodiment” in the form of a story.7 The radio format is the
story—a story consisting of a world view and community values. As with all stories, the
values and perspectives are rooted in the radio format’s underlying structure, which is a
specific formula by which the format is constructed and presented. The forrnat’s events
and existents (the song sets, newscasts, station promotions, bumpers, and jingles) are
formulated in a specific manner so as to create a particular experience. And this
experience is shared among a community who can relate to the world view and values that
are the backbone of the design of the format.

Therefore, the audience of a radio station is not just a group of listeners standing

outside of the story listening in to the station. The audience is a part of the story, or

format.
the con
the has]
within 1

format

experit
decade
their ti
The)" V

innoce

eXCitir
Chan's

lhey v

Ween

“er

8

format, of the station. The listeners take on a certain role, or vantage point, intended by
the construction of the format and this role is integrated into the listeners’ lives. This is
the basis of the ritual view of communication. This view emphasizes the role of radio
within society-40 bring people together in a community to share and confirm ideals. Each
format has its own story, its own voice, and its own community.

In the case of the “All 80's Format”, the potential listeners all share the common
experience of growing up during the 1980's and hearing the music popular during the
decade, being involved in the culture and events of the decade. They spent a majority of
their time during the decade being a student and learning about the world around them.
They were the most impressionable during this time of their lives and had a wide-eyed
innocence and curiosity. They listened to the radio fi'equently and probably watched
MTV. Listeners watched movies, bought and used popular products and fashions
(Rubik’s Cubes, Swatch watches and Atari games), and followed and imitated famous 80's
entertainers, such as Michael Jackson and Madonna. To varying degrees depending on
age and interest, listeners kept up to date with news events during the decade, from the
exciting news of the first successful artificial heart transplant to the tragic news of the
Challenger explosion. As many members of the baby boom generation can recall what
they were doing at the time of the news about the assassination of the late President
Kennedy, members of the 80's generation can recall what they were doing when they
received the news of the Challenger explosion or the shooting of former President Reagan.
The listeners of the “All 80's Format” are familiar with the significant personalities of the

decade, whether it be a music, movie, or news personality. The listeners “grew up with”

persona
potenti.‘
they re
particir
the eve
time. 7
Past ex
set of i
opinior
telater
among
reality
my in
during

TQM}

Clean.

consic

9

these celebrities and were influenced by them in some way. The popular culture and
significant events of this decade were shared by all of those who were growing up during
the 80's and helped shape them into who they are today. By listening to the format, the
listeners are drawn together by remembering common experiences, events, and
personalities that give the decade its spirit. As the format is a story about the 1980's, the
potential listeners are the characters within that story. Through their past experiences,
they re-live, or reconstruct, the story of the 1980's as they take on their roles and
participate with the format. Through their vantage point of the world, they make sense of
the events that shaped them during the decade and how these events relate to the present
time. The potential community of listeners construct and maintain the meaning of their
past experiences by being a part of the story of the format. The radio format is the text, or
set of instructions, by which the community recreates, shares, and re-lives its feelings,
opinions, values, and ideals about life during the 1980's and how these ideals and feelings
relate to their life. The “All 80's Format”, as like all formats, is a catalyst for fellowship
among listeners; it draws the potential listeners together into a community where their
reality about the 1980‘s is constructed and confirmed. Other communities of other formats
may have different perspectives about the reality of the 1980's, but those who grew up
during this decade have their own story of its reality. The “All 80's Format” endorses this
reality and gives it recognition like no other format can.

However, the ritual view of communication does not cover all of the bases in the
creation and design of a radio format. The theory does not take context under

consideration. The context within which the radio format is created needs to be examined.

Two
of ad
consi

\ahdr‘

10

Two elements of this context include the cyclic history of radio formats and the influence
of advertisers and the importance of the audience demographics to the advertisers. These
considerations play an integral part in the construction of a radio format as they provide

validation of why the “All 80's Format” is needed and desired.

ONT}

offers I
theme.
masses

progr:

their 1
and tr
mass
shim
into 1

pace

Radi
rEldic
deve

COUlr

Chapter 2

ON THE RADIO: THE PAST AND PRESENT TRENDS OF RADIO FORMATS

Before the onset of television, radio’s characteristics resembled what television
ofl‘ers today—programs.’ Each program had a specific time length and had a difi’erent
theme, fi'om bandstand music to comedy to dramatic programs. Radio stations served the
masses; they aimed to be all things to all people. Listeners would tune in to a certain
program, and it did not matter which station broadcast the program. Networks provided
the programming in radio’s early years, as networks provide most of the programming to
their television afiliates today. In the mid-fifties, when television appeared on the market
and took the world by storm, radio’s role as a provider of various programming for the
masses dissipated. In addition to television, the increasing numbers of radio stations were
shrinking the listening audiences for individual radio stations. The firture of radio came
into question; how would it survive the exciting new invention of television and the fast
paced breeding of new stations ? Had radio become irrelevant?

The advent of formatted, or formula, radio in the 1950's answered these questions.
Radio could indeed survive and certainly was not irrelevant. Now referred to as format
radio, formula radio involved “methodology rather than content.”9 Station managers
developed rules that would provide each station with its own personality that the listeners
could identify. These rules, which would include things like playing a certain number of
songs in an hour, playing the station ID at specified times, and scheduled commercial

breaks each hour, allowed the stations to have consistency, which listeners appreciated.

ll

The ul
schedt
area ‘
former

took c

progrz
listene
comm
rcpres
actisir
the cit
00mm

locate

12

The ultimate goal was to hold the audience for long periods of time by using consistent
scheduling that led to a consistent sound-a sound difi‘erent from other radio stations in the
area. This is what format radio is all about-differentiation via refinement. Thus, the
former programs that once graced the radio airwaves moved over to television , and radio
took on a difl'erent role. Format radio acted as the rebirth of the medium.

Another tactic radio used in differentiating itself from television involved local
programming. Replacing the national network programs, the localization provided
listeners with specialized newscasts that focused on their backyard and surrounding
community, commercials for local businesses and services, and a local voice that
represented the community. The announcers were not displaced fi'om the lifestyles and
activities of the station’s neighbors. The announcers and the station itself became a part of
the city or town from which it broadcasted. If the station was located in a farming
community, the station could feature farm reports and news items. If the station was
located in an ethnic neighborhood, the station could provide programming especially for
the ethnic group in the area. Former network radio programs could not play this role of
local comrade. As network programs did not difi‘er from community to community; no
specialization existed. With specialization and localization of programming, radio stations
dodged direct competition with television and realized profits could be gained despite
television’s large prime time audiences. 1°

The first successful radio format came about in 1957 through a chance observation
by two radio station employees. ‘1 While sitting in a restaurant, Bill Stewart and Todd

Storz noticed that the customers would enter a few popular songs over and over into the

juket

nanc
dues
phye
woul
their

dhin

were
Reco
liovw
\Nhon
Swing
jocks
hflenj
Static
“till i

replac

rocka

l3

jukebox. At the end of the day, the waitresses would do the same. Stewart and Storz
returned to Storz’s AM station in Omaha, KOWH and began refining the list of songs the
station aired. This is what became known as the playlist-a limited amount of songs that
the station plays, and depending on the popularity of the songs in the list, some would be
played more frequently than others. This created a tight top-hit rotation, and the listeners
would become familiar with the station’s method and would depend on the station to play
their favorite songs on a regular basis. The station became the jukebox, but the listeners
did not have to pop quarters into the radio receiver.

Originally, Top 40 was a “broad-audience musical concept.”12 The artists played
were mature, adult performers, considered the “bread and butter” of the music industry.
Records by artists such as Frank Sinatra and Patti Page were the hits in high rotation.
However, the growing popularity of new artists such as Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis
whom the younger audiences adored led to the inclusion of these hip-shakin’, pelvis-
swingin’ artists into the play lists. This new form of music, coined “rock-n-roll” by disc
jockey Alan Freed, stemmed fiom rhythm and blues music, which teenagers had been
listening to as an escape from the slower music being played on the earlier Top 40
stations. Station programmers noticed this trend, and began programming rock-n-roll hits
with the bread-and—butter records. Slowly, rock-n-roll records took precedence, and
replaced the older artists.

Top 40's Golden Years lasted fi'om 1955 to 1965.‘3 Then arrived the splintering of
rock and the growth of FM, which both significantly afi‘ected the programming of format

radio forever.

for

to‘

the]

ram
rela
form

hit 5

cOnt

thea

14

In the late fifties, as Top 40 stations kept their limited playlists, the need for further
difl‘erentiation came again. Stations began adding oldies to their playlists. Oldies, or gold,
records were former top hits and had proven their popularity. These songs were deemed
“ e” by programmers as they were familiar and well-liked by the listeners. “ When
stations had all-request shows, listeners requested not the current hits, but the tried and
true oldie tunes. Also, the oldies were drawing a desirable demographic to the stations’
audiences-the 24-35 year olds. Advertisers liked this group, as it proved to be an afluent
customer base, and stations who could draw these listeners captured the attention and
funding of those wishing to advertise via radio. In the mid-sixties, the first all-oldies
format was born in Santa Anna, California at the station KWIZ."

As Top 40 stations attracted a younger crowd with the rock-n-roll, later shortened
to “rock,” stations realized a need to attract an older crowd who would appreciate more
mellow hits than was being ofi‘ered on Top 40. Both the music and its presentation
became more subdued. Top 40 DJ ’s such as Wolfman Jack were notorious for their
rambunctious, loud, hyper on-air personalities. More mature audiences desired a more
relaxing format, which lead to the birth of the Middle of the Road, or MGR format. This
format evolved into the Adult Contemporary format in the 1970's. In this format, current
hit songs were played, but fast-paced teeny-hopper songs were omitted." Announcers
had a laid back personality and spoke more slowly than their Top 40 counterparts. Adult
contemporary stations also featured more in-depth news than the Top 40 stations to please
the adult audience.

Top 40 and Adult Contemporary focused their playlists on hit songs rather than on

the artists :

 

 

 

lhil his fa‘i
from artist-

‘ I
had a hfes:
this couan
station in i
Airplane a
concentrat

album cuts

rock form

 

Fir
later caller
Presentatir
commerci
seemed to
music reg
the DJ S
became -
for PM
T
them“,

The once

 

15

the artists that sang them. In the late sixties, a man by the name of Tom Donahue realized
that his favorite artists were not being represented on the radio. The longer album cuts
from artists such as the Doors and Judy Collins were popular with a certain subculture that
had a lifestyle of its own. Hippies, Vietnam War protesters, and the drug culture formed
this counterculture, and Tom Donahue was a part of it. He and his wife Rachael started a
station in San Francisco, KMPX, a former jazz station, and played artists such as Jefi‘erson
Airplane and Moby Grape. The station was not concerned with popular hits, but
concentrated on artists with messages that agreed with the counterculture. Long-playing
album cuts were common, some lasting 15 minutes. This was the birth of the progressive
rock format.

First coined ‘fimderground radio”, (KMPX broadcasted from a basement) and
later called progressive radio, this format was not as strictly formulated as Top 40. The
presentation was low-key (no jingles, no talking over introductions of records, few
commercials, etc.) and no concrete policies were laid down. The only universal rules
seemed to be playing cuts from albums to take advantage of stereo sound, featuring new
music regardless of record sales, and limiting DJ talking between songs. Other than that,
the DJ S had fi'eedom in choosing what they wanted to play. Progressive rock stations
became known as “free form” radio." Because of its stereo sound, this format was perfect
for FM, and this is the format that awakened interest in the FM spectrum and gave it life.

The format swept the FM dial during the late sixties and early seventies, and
advertisers clarnored to progressive rock stations to get to the 18-34 year old audience.

The once non-commercial atmosphere of the format founded by the counterculture

became
the fort
more a

the 19'

A“ it
soul:
order
rock

form

an;

form

Ce

16

became increasingly more commercial as the format gained success. This success became
the format’s demise. During the 1970's, stations with the progressive rock format became
more and more conservative. Formerly, station decisions were made by all personnel. In
the 1970's, decision-making power became limited to the managerial stafi‘. These decision
makers became concerned about the low audience percentages of FM radio. At the time,
AM radio had 70% of the listening audience. Station managers doubted that advertisers
would want to advertise on FM radio which had only 30% of the listening audience. In
order to attract advertisers, decision makers opted to tighten the free-form progressive
rock format. The format was reformed into what is known as the Album-Oriented Rock
format, or AOR. 1'

With AOR, the playlists were formed around groups of familiar songs by familiar
artists. AOR stations began monitoring album sales, something the progressive rock
format would not hear of. Freedom was sacrificed for familiarity with the AOR format.
By the 1980's, the progressive rock format had been phased out."

The boom-bust cycle of radio formats is constant. Formats are born, fade away,
and return. For instance, the disco format boomed in 1978, died two years later, and has
been slowly revived during the past several years. Alternative rock stations experienced a
short boom in 1983 after the birth of MTV, faded away, and now the format is one of the
most popular formats in the country. Hard rock and country formats also traveled
through this cycle, among others. Top 40 even lost its popularity for a short period, but
now it has re-emerged under a new name: Contemporary Hit Radio, or CHR. Radio is

certainly the most cyclical of media, where the past is destined to repeat itself.

17

In the late 1990's and the new millennium, the radio format cycle is rounding a
bend and leading toward a new format—the “All 80's Format”. Classic rock of the 1950's
and 1960's hit its boom in the 1980's, and is now being phased out by the successful
modern rock format.20 All 70's formats catering to the 27-44 age group have made their
appearance in the cycle, as more than 100 stations with this new format have been heard
since the Fall of 1993.21 The time has come for a new kind of oldies station. Currently,
most Oldies stations feature Top 40 gold hits from the years 1964 to 1971. What about
the people who were born in the early 60's to mid-70's? They did not grow up with the
songs many current Oldies stations play. Current CHR stations’ high rotation hits do not
feature the Eighties sound: the medium-weight, lively, heavily synthesized pap rock that
dominated the charts in the precedingdecade.22 Songs such as “Beat It” by Michael
Jackson and “Jump” by Van Halen are prime examples of the Eighties sound that can be
heard only every several months, at best, on current top hits stations that dabble in oldies.
Even urban formats are lacking this Eighties up-tempo feel—the stations either play rap
with heavy, pounding beats and lyrics or soft, mellow R&B ballads. This situation has left
a void which only the “All 80's Format” can fill.

Filling voids in radio programming has become big business in recent years. This
practice is now known as niche programming.23 Radio programming has become
increasingly complex over the past several years due to the rising amount of stations on
the air due to the FCC Document 80-90, which resulted in the considerable number of
stations targeting similar audience demographics. For example, adult contemporary

stations, country stations, classic rock stations, oldies stations, and jazz stations all

com;
shift
deer
and:
form
fonr.

tradi

com
form
COUh

how

are n
We
the it
“has
getter;
the for

illdien

18

compete for basically the same demographics. The current trend in programming is to
shift away fiom mass appeal formats, like the AM Top 40 stations had a little more than a
decade ago, and to narrowly focus their programming on smaller pieces of the listening
audience. This practice, niche programming, involves either splintering established
formats, merging formats, or inventing new formats. Examples of splintering established
formats include adult contemporary (sofl, mainstream, and hot), country (contemporary,
traditional, crossover), and urban contemporary (adult urban, current urban, rap urban,
jazz urban)” An example of a merging format is urban gospel, which combines urban '
contemporary with gospel.” Examples of new formats include one fiom San Francisco
named “banda, a polka-like Mexican subgenre” which is just beginning to make its
commercial radio debut despite the music being over a century old“S and the Business
format which grew out of the News/Talk format. The “All 80's Format” being proposed
could either be a splintered Oldies format or could be a totally new format, depending on
how it is designed.

Niche formats cater to their audience to a greater extent because their age and sex
are not all that is being addressed. The listeners’ lifestyles become an increasingly
important consideration when designing the programming. What is the education level of
the listeners? What are their occupations and incomes? Are they conservative or liberal?
What do they do during their free time? When and how do these listeners use radio in
general? Knowing the lifestyles of the target audience helps to more effectively program
the format to meet listener expectations and needs. For instance, knowing when the target

audience wants to hear news, if at all, will aid in the scheduling of newscasts throughout

thed

for t’

any :

19

the day. The listeners will feel like the station they listen to is their station, formulated just
for them. This will keep the listeners coming back for more, which is the ultimate goal for

any station.

 

Kr.
another grl
deliver a n
specificall-
to this seg

sotheykn

of teenage

 

Store wou
choices at
mdio stati
me static
audience
People in
an educa
mites
that they
jobs and
isthar m

'l

Chapter 3

WE GOT THE BEAT: THE 80's FORMAT TARGET AUDIENCE

Knowing the target audience’s lifestyles benefits not only the listeners but also
another group the station must cater to—the advertisers. A main purpose of a format is to
deliver a measured and defined group of consumers, or segment, to advertisers. The more
specifically the segment is defined, the more help this will be to those who wish to market
to this segment. Advertisers desire to know what the forrnat’s audience characteristics are
so they know if the audience is one they would like to reach. Ifa radio audience consists
of teenagers, car dealerships that sell Cadillacs would not be interested, while a record
store would jump at the opportunity to market to this audience. However, with so many
choices advertisers have among not only radio stations but other types of media, every
radio station needs to sell more specific audience characteristics than just age and sex.

The station should let the advertisers know more detailed information about the
audience’s lifestyle; that is, not just what the people in the segment are, but who these
people are. The more the advertisers know, the more comfortable they will be in making
an educated decision to employ a certain radio station to market their products and
services. To know that women aged 25-45 are in the audience is one thing, but to know
that they are mostly collegeeducated mothers who work out of the home in white-collar
jobs and use day care regularly gives a much clearer idea of who the audience really is, and
is that much more helpful to advertisers wishing to sell to this audience.

The audience for the proposed “All 80's Format” will be a significantly desired

20

OV‘I

pu:
011
do}

tra

21

audience entering the next decade—the new millennium. The targeted listeners will have
been born between the years of 1965 through 1975, and would have been of school age
during the Eighties, from elementary school through college. Late baby boomers born
between 1960 and 1964 and those born between 1975 and 1980 could also be addressed
with this format, but would not be the primary intended audience.27 When the year 2000
arrives, the targeted group of listeners will be ages 25-35. This age group will be the
second and third largest population at the turn of the century, with 38.2 million being ages
25-35.” This 25-35 age group will be 30% of the population at the start of the next
decade, and this figure is expected to stay relatively stable into the year 2010.” In
addition, by the year 2000, 41% of households will be headed by people aged 25-35.:"0 In
1990, about 80% of this age group had four or more years of college.31 By the next
decade, this figure should increase, which means this audience is a well-educated group
that will earn respectable wages and have strong buying power.

In 1994, the 25-35 age group had total expenditures of 68 billion dollars. This
encompasses the first and third largest expenditure groups (25-34 and 35-44). The 65 and
over age group was the second largest expenditure group. The intended 25-35 age group
spends about 10% of its total expenditures on personal insurance, 9% on vehicle
purchases, 9% on food at home and 5% on food away fi'om home, 5% on apparel, 4. 5%
on entertainment, 4% on household furnishings, and 4% on health care. Under one billion
dollars are spent on personal care products, alcoholic beverages, and public
transportation.” Businesses that sell the products and services aforementioned would find

the audience of an “All 80's” formatted station an ideal group on which to focus their

 

 

22
marketing strategies on. The population size, education level, and spending habits is proof
that this group hasisignificant clout in the nation’s economy and should be acknowledged
by advertisers from all areas of commerce.

The proposed “All 80's Format” will address women more than men with the
choice of music. The harder rock of the Eighties will not be the main focal point, although
it will be played on occasion within certain dayparts. Most likely, women will find the
musical content, the format’s most important element, more appealing than men will. This
should also be pleasing to advertisers because when it comes to consumption in the
average household, the woman is usually the main decision maker. She knows which
brands to buy, where the sales are, and what the household needs and wants. The woman
of the household is also more likely to be working outside of the home. In the year 2000,
82.4% of women aged 25-34 and 84.9% of women aged 35-44 are expected to be in the
labor force. Both of these figures are a 10% increase fiom 1988 figures.33 Women will
continue to become more powerful in the economy as workers and consumers. As they
climb the corporate ladder, they will be earning higher wages and will gain more
confidence in their purchasing power, which is great news for advertisers. Even more
promising is the prediction that by the year 2000, women will make up 50% of all people
aged 25-40. In the year 2010, when the targeted audience will have aged to 35-50,
women will still make up 50% of all people aged 35-50."4 The audience of the All 80's
format provides significant promise for advertisers of the next decade and beyond.

Due to the musical selections of the “All 80's format,” African-Americans as well

as Caucasians would be included in the intended audience. The Afiican-American

listeners v
format. ll
major rnaiI
Asain-An
format. 1
audience
r
advertise
Specificf
the static
advertisd
radio as
00ntinuci
cRating

the ram

 

23

listeners would enjoy the rhythm and blues music as well as the dance music played in this
format. This is helpful due to the probability of this format being most successfirl in a
major market where cultural diversity is a factor to consider. However,I-Iispanics,
Asain-Americans, American Indians and other cultures would not be addressed with this
format. They may be in the audience, but they would not be included in the intended
audience.

The demographics of the format’s targeted audience is one important factor an
advertiser takes into consideration when deciding to advertise on a certain station with a
specific format. The ratings of the station and the format are also considered. How well
the station and its format fare with the targeted demographic is a main concern to
advertisers as well as the station itself. Ratings are very important to the business side of
radio as well as the programming side. The programming may be altered if the ratings are
continuously falling. The science of the ratings system is an essential element when
creating a format, including the “All 80's Format.” Its structure is dependent upon how

the ratings measurements are made. The next chapter details the ratings system.

C rossl

shere

hours

meth

E.

a”!

res:

the

me

Chapter 4

THE HEAT IS ON: RATINGS

Ratings have been done since the 1930's. The first ratings service, called “The
Crossley Ratings,” were based on telephone interviews and the method of telephone recall,
where listeners were asked to remember what they had listened to for the past several
hours. The “Hooper Ratings,” developed in 1934, used the telephone coincidental
method. For this method, people were asked what they were listening to at the time of the
call. In 1946, the Hooper Ratings took over Crossley Ratings. However, a different
ratings service that used in-home interviews provided competition for the Hooper Ratings.
This service, The Pulse, Inc., had a motto: “We’re not researching broadcasting. We’re
researching people. . 3’” The personal interviews produced a higher rate of listenership, but
were considerably more expensive than the telephone method practiced by Hooper. Both
methods were criticized for being inaccurate. Difl‘erent groups were not being represented
in the surveys, including those without phones and minorities. Also, with radio, precise
ratings are more dificult to produce, since there are more radio stations than TV stations
in any given market, and people frequently listen to radio outside of the home. Ideal
research would be too costly, and stations did not support it?“s

The mid-1960's brought about another ratings system-the diary. This method was
developed by the American Research Bureau (ARB) and eliminated interviews and phone
bills. The ARB changed its name in 1973 to Arbitron, and pioneered the use of

sophisticated demographic data via computers.” Arbitron is still the leader in radio

24

ratii
tele‘
Acc

que

(Sta

ratir

liste

35..
and
to t
ind;

a5!

the

25

ratings today. Other ratings services include Willhight Research of Seattle, which uses
telephone interviews and can obtain psychographic and product-user data, and
Accuratings, which also uses the telephone interview technique but includes preference
questions rather than behavioral questions.”

The rating itselfis “the percentage of the potential audience...that is. ..listening to a
(station) at a specific time.”” A station’s rating of two equals two percent of the total
possible audience in a radio market who were listening to that station. In radio, the
potential audience, or universe, is all persons aged 12 and over. However, due to the .
segmentation of radio programming, the 12 and over ratings are not as important as the
ratings for the target audience of a station. Ratings, then, are also calculated for individual
listening.” For the “All 80's Format”, four categories in the Arbitron ratings book would
be significant: women aged 25 to 34, women aged 35-44, men aged 25-34 and men aged
35-44. The age group of 25 to 34 would be more important as a majority of the intended
audience is in this group. The numbers for the women would also be more important due
to the programming being skewed towards females. A rating of four among women 25-34
indicates that four percent of all women age 25-34 were in the audience. The rating gives
a station an indication of how well its progranrrning is attracting listeners among all who
could potentially be in the audience. Ratings are tied to the rise and fall in the available
audience during the day.

Other important measurements in the ratings book include the cume, the share, and
the average quarter hour. The cume, or cumulative audience, is “the number of difl‘erent

listeners estimated to be in the audience during a specific period of time?”1 Each member

26

of the cume is counted only once during the period of time being measured. The share is
similartotheratinginthatitisapercentage ofaudiencemernbcrslisteningtoastationat
a given time. However, the rating measures the audience members that could be listening;
the share measures those who are listening. The share indicates how well a station is
doing compared to all other stations in the market during the same time period. Lastly,
the average quarter hour (AQH) is the average number of listeners in the audience during
a specified period. Since audiences are measured on a quarter-hour basis (fifteen minute
increments starting at :00), the number of persons in each quarter hour is divided by the
number of quarter-hour periods in the daypart or hour. The AQH rating is an estimate of
AQH persons expressed as a percentage of the universe.‘2 A quarter-hour measurement
is made for all members of the listening audience as well as for the other reported
demographic segments. The average for all the quarter hours included in a daypart (four
or five hours) is less useful as a specific indicator than the hour-to-hour estimates (e.g.
7AM-8AM) included in the Arbitron reports. Accordingly, a listener need only be tuned
to a station for a continuous five minutes within a quarter hour in order to be counted in
that quarter hour. Anything less than five continuous minutes in a quarter hour is not
counted. Ifa person listens for two minutes in one quarter hour and for three minutes in
another, that person is not counted in the audience in either quarter hour since the
listening took place in two difierent quarter hours.

These measurements can be used to calculate measures that indicate audience
listening habits which are useful in programming decisions. One such measure is turnover,

which is an estimate ofthe number oftimes the audience is replaced by new listeners

audiei

their

is an
durin
perio

for r]

to {1
WOU
the '

indr

inc

111:

27
during a certain period.‘3 The cume persons are divided by the AQH persons. If the
turnover is 7 for the morning daypart (6AM-10AM), this means that the audience changes
seven times during this daypart. The higher the turnover, the lower the stability of the
audience, and the greater the reach. The reach is the amount of unduplicated persons in
the audience during a specified time period.“

Another audience listening habit measurement is time spent listening, or TSL. This
is an index of listener loyalty as it is an estimate of the length of time, in quarter hours,
during which the audience listens to a station. The number of quarter hours in the time ‘
period is multiplied by the AQH estimate, and this figure is divided by the station’s cume
for the time period. If the resulting figure is 3.5 for the morning daypart, this indicates
that the time spent listening for the daypart is 3.5 quarter hours. This is a daily measure;
to find the time spent listening for the work week for the morning daypart, the daily figure
would be multiplied by five (17.5 for Monday-Friday). The higher the time spent listening,
the lower the turnover and the more stable the audience. Time spent listening is an
indication of the frequency with which programming elements (songs, newscasts,
commercials, promos, etc.) may have to be aired in order to reach listeners.‘s

Both TSL and turnover indexes provide insight into how much variety should be
included in programming. A format and station with a low TSL and a high turnover could
get by with repeating songs and newscasts and other programming elements more often
than a format and station with a high TSL and low turnover rate.“

Another measurement that aids in programming decisions is audience recycling,

which is the portion of the audience in one daypart that also listens in another daypart; in

Other r

to edit

indie

the:

she:

DCV

prc

28

other words, it measures the flow between difl‘erent dayparts. A typical measure would be
to calculate the flow between the morning and afternoon drive dayparts. The recycled
audience percentage is found by adding the cume of the two dayparts and then subtracting
the cume of the combined dayparts from the sum. The resulting difi‘crence is divided by
the cume of one of the two dayparts to get the percent recycled. If a high percentage of
the audience is recycled (more than half), then the programming during the two dayparts
should be varied so the listeners would not experience redundancy. For instance, the
newscasts should feature difi‘erent stories, the songs should be difi‘erent, and the station
promos should be varied."

How well the format and station reach the targeted listeners can be measured by
calculating the eficiency of target audience (ETA). This formula involves dividing the
TSL for the target audience by the TSL for the total audience (persons 12 and over). The
ETA determines the demographic segment that is most efliciently reached by a format and
station. Difl‘erent dayparts can be compared to determine the time of the greatest ETA as
well as the ETAs for formats and stations targeting similar demographic segments. For
instance, the “All 80's Format’s” target audience (women and men aged 25-40) could be
similar to that of the Adult Contemporary format, which also includes some songs fiom
the Eighties. The ETA could be compared to see which format most efficiently reaches
this audience segment.“

Advertisers need certain measurements to determine the efficiency of placing ads
on certain stations. They want to know on which stations to place their ads, how many

ads should be placed on the stations, and when these ads should be played. To determine

F3

[1

29

which stations to place ads, advertisers consider the target demographics of the format
and station. If the target audience includes people that would be likely to consume the
advertiser’s goods, the advertiser will be more likely to buy station time. The station’s
audience size is also important, especially those advertisers interested in having their
message heard by the largest mrmber of people possible, regardless of the demographics.
The station’s audience size is needed to measure the efficiency of an advertising buy. This
measure is the cost per thousand, or CPM. Increments of 1,000 listeners are used because
the size of a mass audience with several thousand members makes that a logical unit of
measurement." CPM is determined by dividing the cost of the spot into the audience size
(AQH) divided by 1,000. The result is the cost to the advertiser for reaching 1,000
viewers. A station with a low CPM and a large audience is the most eficient buy.

Advertisers are also interested in reach and frequency. Reach is the number of
difierent listeners in the audience that receive a message; fi'equency is the number of
exposures of a message a listener receives over a period of time. The turnover ratio can
be used to determine the reach and frequency of a commercial-how many listeners that
are reached by how many commercials. For example, if the turnover ratio for the morning
drive daypart is four, then four commercials by an advertiser spread evenly throughout the
daypart should reach 50 percent of the cume. More commercials should reach more
people, but with decreasing eficiency. It would require airing the commercial every five
minutes to reach all of the curne.’o

Due to niche formats and the fact that several stations within every market target

similar audiences, radio station’s share figures are becoming increasingly smaller and

30

similar to one another. Therefore, stations with a limited share should sell with their cume
figures. Cume can be correlated to circulation, which is what newspapers sell with. When
a radio station’s share is compared with a newspaper’s circulation, the figures make the
radio station look inefi'ective as a sales tool. A station’s cume is more comparable with
circulation figures. This is especially true with local sales, when cumes are the only figures
that can be correlated with newspaper circulation figures.’1 The cume also correlates with
the reach of advertising messages. A large cume would mean a greater reach—more
difi‘erent listeners being exposed to the ad.

Furthermore, cume figures for the station should be more accurate than the share
figures. The cume represents a portion from the whole survey’s data, while the share is a
mathmatical derivation fiom the cume and the average quarter hour measurements. The
cume for the targeted demographics for the format and station should be used as the basis
for comparison with other stations and as the basis for making programming decisions.

By studying the cume figures, stations can discover what is really happening with their
targeted audience, if anything is happening. If a trend occurs over time where the cume
rises or falls in three or more ratings books, this would be an indication of actual change
rather than just a fluke. Cume figures are much less volatile than sharefigures due to the
fact that share figures are based on a smaller segment of the whole survey sample. It is
vulnerable to slight variations in the number of listeners within the sample who listen for a
long period of time. Due to statistical error, three or more ratings books should be used
to determine any trend in cume and share."2

The ratings figures mentioned above are the main indicators of how well a station

and its for
well in es
whether '
format V
middle 1
SUCCESS

drawn

that m

the m
alarg
Consi

aren

Whe

31

and its format are doing in the radio market they are in. Not every station and format do
well in every market. The demographic makeup of the market is one significant factor of
whether a certain format would be successful. A station with an Urban Contemporary
format would not do well in a small, rural market that has mostly middle-aged, low to
middle class white listeners. An Adult Contemporary station would probably be
successful in this market. The advertisers in the market want to know that the station is
drawing the demographics that are desired. If so, the station is likely to be successfirl in
that market.

The size of the market is another important consideration. Generally, the larger
the market, the more specialized the formats should be in order to attract an audience. In
a large market, formats such as Classical, Jazz, Ethnic, and Religious would perform
considerably well. These formats would not do well at all in a small market where there
are not enough people to be attracted to the format.53

Because the “All 80's Format” is more specialized, the format would perform well
in a medium to large market. The format is too specialized to be in a small market that
includes towns with relatively low populations. The “All 80's Format”would also do well
in a market that features a college or university due to the format’s lively, upbeat nature.
College students would enjoy the fun, party-like format as they often wish to forget about
the daily stresses of college life and need an entertaining release.

The science of the Arbitron ratings are important when considering the art of the
“All 80's Format.” The art of the format is how the various elements are presented and

when these elements are presented to the listening audience. The art, as with the science,

is quite
influenr

the forr

32

is quite detailed, and gives the format its unique sound. Just as the structure of a building
influences how the building is used, the structure of the “All 80's Format” influences how

the format is used by the listeners.

CHAPTER 5

TRUE COLORS: THE ART OF THE FORMAT

Along with being a cultural mirror that reflects the lifestyles, values, tastes, and
traditions that define who the Eighties generation is, the “All 80's Format” is a soundtrack
for its audience—a soundtrack for their lives. As music in a movie accompanies and helps
to define the events within the movie’s story, the music in an “All 80's Format” provides
its listeners with songs that marked certain events in their lives while making their way .
through school. For instance, a song such as “When I’m Vlfith You” by Sherifl‘ could
represent a listener’s special time with a certain person at a homecoming dance. Or
“Don’t You Forget About Me” by Simple Minds could remind someone of a junior high
slumber party where everyone watched the movie “The Breakfast Club.” Of course, not
every song will have a specific special meaning or memory for every listener, but chances
are that every song has some special memory connected to it for someone in the audience.
The songs are memories, stories, laughs, tears, triumphs, tragedies, and represent people
fiom the past. The songs represent events that define one’s life, thereby making the songs
the soundtrack for one’s life. The “All 80's Format” provides this important soundtrack
for its listeners. The format reaches the audience at an emotional/subconscious level, the
most influential level because it provides the most satisfaction for listeners.

The format not only has to please the listener at an emotional level, but also must
please the advertisers at a rational/conscious level.“ Advertisers should know that the

market to whom they wish to advertise is being reached by this format. Ifthe format does

33

 

this, t

despir

disenc
audier

lose p

paella:

Spor br
jingles

110‘}; 5‘

34

this, the advertisers gain financial profit as well as the station that carries the format. But
despite the importance of the need for advertising dollars, the most important factor is
making sure the format meets listener expectations and needs. If the listeners are
disenchanted with the format, they will turn away and may never return. With no
audience, the station with the format can not deliver consumers to advertisers, and will
lose profits as a result. In order to keep listeners, their expectations must continuously be
met. Consistency in a format is the key to meeting expectations.

As when consumers purchase certain products because of the expectations they '
have for those products, radio listeners tune in to a certain station because they have an
image of the station in their minds and expect the station to live up to that image. For
example, consumers buy Smuckers Jam because they expect the product to be of high
quality, to be all natural with no preservatives. The package that the Smuckers Jam
product is in lets the consumer know that this is the product that they trust and desire.
The package the product is in is what draws the expectations. The product itself is to
reinforce and satisfy these expectations. Listeners would tune in to an All 80's station
because they expect to hear their favorite upbeat and optimistic songs that they grew up
with; they expect to hear the soundtrack of their lives. The station is the product; the
package that brings forth the listeners’ expectations is the format and its structure.”

The structure of a formatuthe package-is composed of detailed events. When
spot breaks occur, what is in a spot break, how newscasts are introduced, when station
jingles are played, what the station is called on the air, how many songs are in a set, and

how songs are ordered within the sets are all important details that construct the package.

35

These details are like blueprints to a house. The blueprints showcase how the difi‘erent
pieces of the puzzle fit together into a whole structure. The specific colors, furniture, and
accessories are not what is important; the dimensions and layout of the rooms and where
windows and doors are to be placed are the crucial details. In a format, what specific
songs are played in a song set is not as important as how the songs within a set are to be
chosen and placed within the song set. What news stories are read is not as important as
the ordering of the stories within the newscast and how the newscast will begin and end.
These details of the format/package are what make up the station/product’s sound, which
in turn defines the station’s image in the listeners’ minds. The details of the package make
up the style of the product, and the listeners expect this style when they tune in. Ifthe
style is not what they have come to expect from past experiences, listeners will
undoubtedly tune out. Therefore, the style, the sound, the details that make up the format
need to be consistent. Consistency leads to reliability, and listeners stay loyal to stations
that they can rely on to satisfy their expectations.

Creating the structure of a format is indeed an art. As with the difi‘erent elements
within a painting, the various elements within a format need to work together
harmoniously to create a distinctive style. Every great painter has his or her own style that
the art connoisseur expects and recognizes. A well-structured format will have its unique
style that the listener will come to expect and recognize, and will keep the listener coming

back for more.

This fo<
fomiat-
aforerr
Wsor
Create
the
an id
0p '1-
Stat;

Sig:

te.

hc

Chapter 6

LET THE MUSIC PLAY: THE MUSIC OF THE ao's FORMAT

With the “All 80's Format”, the most important structural element is the music.
This focus on the music is due to its role in creating an identity for the station with the
format-an identity that differentiates the station from all the rest in the market. As
aforementioned, this is the reason for niche programming. A specific identity, a certain
personality, helps the listeners to remember the station. The image of the station is
created and positioned in the listeners’ minds from the identity the station projects. With
the “All 80's Format”, the music programming is the most important element in creating
an identity—a niche—that sets it apart from the multitudes. The lively, upbeat and
optimistic nature of the Eighties music creates an identity for the format and the carrier
stations as bright, fun-loving, uplifting, and exciting. How the music is formatted plays a
significant role in constructing this identity.

When formatting the music, the place to start is with the smallest component. The
smallest component is, of course, the song. Every song has its own characteristics: its
tempo, mood, texture or thickness, the gender and number of artists performing the song,
how successful the song was in the charts, and the novelty of the song. Examples of novel
songs from the Eighties include “PacMan Fever” by Buckner and Garcia, “Puttin’ on the
Ritz” by Taco, and “I Wanna Be a Cowboy” by Boys Don’t Cry. Songs are novel either
because of their subject matter (“PacMan Fever”), sound (“Puttin’ on the Ritz”), or some

combination of the two (“I Wanna Be a Cowboy”). Some of the novel songs hit it big on

36

 

the

Rat

ShL
sou

assc

corr
the l
mor

som

37

the national charts, such as Billboard; some even reached number one (“Ghostbusters,”
Ray Parker Jr, June 1984)."5 Other novel songs did not have great chart success, but had
a significant following and helped to make the decade musically memorable (“The Curly
Shufile,” Jump ‘n the Saddle, December 1983).57 These novel songs defined the unique
sound of the Eighties, and can also be considered nostalgia hits. The songs are strongly
associated with the decade.

Another characteristic of songs in this “All 80's Format” is familiarity, which
comes fi'om 1010ng the songs that are played within the format. The songs are known-
the lyrics, the rhythm, the melody, and the overall mood is certain for the listener. This is
more subjective than the characteristics listed above, as some songs are more familiar to
some people than others. Familiarity and certainty depend on the listener’s exposure to
Eighties music. In addition, certainty and familiarity create reliability, another subjective
but very positive characteristic for any song, and songs from a person’s past are among
the most reliable. Reliable songs are songs that continually create the same feeling, the
same mood in the listener.” The song “Footloose” by Kenny Loggins most likely
produces a feeling of excitement and being carefree, a feeling that is continually aroused
during every hearing of the song. However, if a song is too familiar to the point of being
over-played, its reliability declines. The same feeling is not produced; rather, the feeling of
being bored with the song arises, and the listener will likely tune out. Again, reliability is
subjective. Every song produces varying moods for difi’erent people. With songs fiom the
past especially, memories are often associated with the songs, and the mood and feeling

created correlates with the memory being recalled.

with t]
on the
from

thati

cor.
he:
are

To

38

Songs that are reliable provide consistency, and listeners’ expectations are met
with this consistency. Despite the “All 80's Format” not playing currently popular songs
on the charts, this format has the advantage of playing songs listeners like, which difl’ers
from popularity in that popularity is a state of being that can change over time. A song
that is popular one month loses this characteristic the next month. Popularity is fickle. A
song that is liked does not have to be popular. A song that is liked is one that is reliable,
one that satisfies listeners’ expectations continually. A song that is reliable and familiar is
usually popular, but when the popularity wears ofi‘, the song still is reliable and listeners
still enjoy the song. This is the basis for all oldies formats, including the All 80's format.

In order to decide what songs are to be played and how often, a playlist must be
constructed. Songs are placed in categories and then placed in a certain rotation (the
frequency of which the songs are played), with some categories of songs being played
more ofien than others. Typically, on stations that focus on current music, the Top 10 and
Top 40 lists contain songs that are placed in high rotation, since they are the most popular
songs of the current time. These songs are called currents. With a format like “All 80's”,
currents are not part of the mix; rather, the playlist would consist of noncurrents—songs
that are not fi'om the current time period. Noncurrents rely on familiarity rather than
popularity. With other formats, including those that play oldies fi'om multiple decades, a
cutofl’ year must be determined. How far back should the noncurrents go? This is usually
determined by what age the youngest people in the target audience are and when they
were in their early to mid-teens. However, with the “All 80's Format”, the noncurrents all

come from the same decade. The playlist consists of songs only from the Eighties which

could i
cutoff

these!

Octoi
WOLlic

majo

Nov
1 9 Si
Eat
My
Ma
the

(it

39

could include songs from the latter part of 1979 and the beginning part of 1990. The
cutofi‘ dates would be November of 1979 and March of 1990. Anything before or after
these cutofl’ dates would not be included. The cut off dates are when the songs hit their
peak in the charts rather than when the songs were released. Ifa song was released in
October of 1979 but did not hit its peak in the charts until January of 1980, the song
would be included. Other songs that would not be included are those by artists that had a
majority of their hit songs in a previous decade, but had only a few in the 1980's. For
instance, Barry Manilow had a few hits in the 1980's (“I Made It Through the Rain,”
November 1980)”, but in the 1970's is when he had most of his success. Therefore, any
1980's hit by Manilow would not be included in the “All 80's Format”. Anne Murray and
Barbara Streisand are other examples. However, artists like Elton John and Bob Seger
have had many hits spanning many decades. John had several hits in the 1970's, but unlike
Manilow, continued his chart success well into the 1980's. Elton John’s hits from
thel980's, then, would be included. Ifan artist who was not prominent in the 1980's did a
duet with an artist who was prominent during that decade and the song hit Number One
on the Top 40 chart, the song would be included. This Number One status shows that the
song, despite having an artist that was not a chart maker in the 1980's, still had enough
popularity and strength to make its way to the top, and these songs are worthy of being
included in the “All 80's Format”.

Artists who had cross-over chart hits in the 1980's, such as Willie Nelson, who
crossed over from the country charts with songs such as “Always on My Mind” (March

1982)“, would not be included in the “All 80's Format” playlist unless the song hit

Nun
acco
to its

hits,

from
poter
deter
the fc
be inc
Video
more
TOp 1
cI‘h'irts
Numb
mOmh

TOP 2(

recelVe

for Go}

1,000,(

40

Number One on the Top 40 chart. Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers, two country artists,
accomplished this with the hit “Islands in the Stream” in August of 1983. This song, due
to its Number One status, has enough merit to be included in with the rest of the Eighties
hits, despite the artists crossing over from country.

Other than the limitations listed above, all Hot 100 Billboard chart-hitting songs
fi'om the Eighties that reached at least Number 40 during their climb up the chart have the
potential of being included in the “All 80's Format”. First, the universe must be
determined. The universe is the comprehensive list of the songs that would be included in
the format’s music selection. Three factors determine which songs fiom the decade would
be included in the universe-chart performance, sales, and whether or not the song had a
video on MTV or VH1 during the Eighties. With chart performance, longevity would be
more important than position. If a song never hit Number One, or never even reached
Top 10 status, but remained on the Hot 100 chart for more than three months (Billboard
charts are printed weekly), the song would be considered. Of course, any song hitting
Number One would be included. Songs that remained on the chart for more than two
months would receive points-10 points per week after the two months. If a song hit the
Top 20, it would receive five bonus points. If it reached the Top 10, it would receive ten
extra points, for a total of fifteen bonus points. If a song hit Number One, it would
receive 25 more points, for a total of 40 bonus points. Bonus points would also be offered
for Gold and Platinum status, which is determined by sales. The Recording Industry of
America gives a single Gold status if it sells 500,000 and Platimum status if sales reach

1,000,000.“ Ten bonus points would be added for Gold Status, and 20 bonus points

W0

ICC

fed

on

tha

NC

pic

‘l
A

Wt

Wt

at

UK

We

F0]

41

would be added for Platinum. Lastly, if the song had a video on MTV, the song would
receive two bonus points. This last determinant is a bit problematic, since MTV did not
feature black artists for a few years after its birth in 1981. For this reason, only a couple
bonus points would be added. If a question arises for a certain song that was not featured
on MTV but performed well on the charts (hit Top 10 or was in the Hot 100 for more
than five months), the song would be included in the universe. Then, for each month fi'om
November of 1979 through March of 1990, twenty songs with the most points would be
picked. If a tie-breaker is needed, its highest position on the chart and how long it was at
that position would be the determinants. The total amount of songs in the universe for the
“All 80's Format” would be 2,500 (125 months x 20 songs per month).

From this list, the playlist would be determined. The playlist would consist of 150
3 songs, and the list would change every week, with 15 songs being changed in that list per
week. Songs that had a longer chart life and songs that reached a higher status would be
in the playlist longer than songs that had lower chart status. In an average day, 390 songs
would be played, and in an average week, 2,730 songs would be played. In one week,
each song in the playlist would have the opportunity to be played 18 times, or three times
a day. The more popular songs (songs with better chart success) may be repeated slightly
more. Listener requests also would play a part in adding and subtracting songs from the
playlist. Of course, this would vary from station to station. Ifa station with the “All 80's
Format” would receive a significant number of calls or letters (60% of targeted audience)
requesting that a certain Eighties song be played and the song was not on the playlist, the

song would be included. Likewise, if a significant number of listeners complained about a

 

inder

playb

deter

grout
be du
the (it
the cl
assoc
These
There
Categ
mAlter
but in

LlSIm

the 5‘

the “t

42

certain song being played, the song would be taken ofi‘ of the playlist. The station would
independently make the decisions of whether or not to add or subtract songs from the
playlist.

Within the playlist, certain song categories need to be established so as to
determine the rotation of the songs within the categories. With the “All 80's Format”, the
difi’erent categories would include Number One hits (songs that hit the Number One
position on the Billboard Top 40 chart), songs sung by solo men that did not hit Number
One, songs sung by solo women that did not reach number one, songs sung by a duo or
group that did not reach Number One, and nostalgia hits. Nostalgia hits, which also could
be dubbed the “Oh Wow” songs, as these are often perfomed by the “one-hit wonders” of
the decade—those artists that had one chart-hitting song and then did not appear again on
the charts during the decade. The songs by these artists are most often specifically
associated with the decade; these songs ofien reflect the Eighties sound most vividly.
These nostalgia songs can either be Number One hits or hits that did not reach that status.
Therefore, the category of Number One hits would disclude the nostalgia hits. The other
categories (solo men and women, duos or groups) would also disclude nostalgia hits. This
makes the categories mutually exclusive; that is, every song fits into one of the categories,
but not more than one. The categories also cover all of the bases and are meaningful.
Listeners would be able to clearly understand the categories and identify them.

The length of the playlists for these categories helps to determine the rotation of
the songs (i.e. how often the songs will be played) within each category. The playlist of

the nostalgia songs would be the shortest (about 40 songs) and would be rotated most

ofien
songs,
playlis

Ol'l mu:

sequent
and dul
what so
creating
sequenc
a Certain
located 2
Section v
“’OUId ex
withom a
Prefer 0r:
desirable

expeclallr

aPplied. j
rotatjor1 0

43

often. Songs that reached number one would have the second shortest playlist (about 75
songs), followed by solo women (100), solo men (100), and groups/duos (100). The
playlists would be changed every month, with songs being deleted and added depending
on music research (discussed later).

The next step is to consider the song set—a cluster of songs put together in a
sequence that is consistent over time. Consistent does not necessarily mean predictability
and dullness. The goal of a song sequence is not to have the listener be able to predict
what song is coming up next. The goal is to “achieve a consistent balance of music,
creating a subliminal pattern that the listener will grow to understand and expect.”62 Song
sequencing is analogous to the sequencing of sections in a newspaper. When readers buy
a certain newspaper that they are familiar with, they know where the sports section is
located and expect it to be at that location (e. g. afier the local news section). If the sports
section was in a difi‘erent location every day, the reader would become exasperated and
would eventually stop getting the paper. If songs in a music format were randomly played
without any order, the result would be chaos and confirsed listeners. Most hmnan beings
prefer order over disorder, and being able to recognize a certain pattern or sequence is
desirable for listeners. Having an idea of what is forthcoming and having those
expectations fulfilled results with loyal listeners.

In sequencing, there is no one correct way; rather, many efi’ective methods can be
applied. The method depends on the format. The sequencing also helps to determine the
rotation of the songs within the various categories. In order to create a sequence, the

categories must be clearly determined. Only four or five categories should be created so

 

 

as to
keep

shon

ident
belfl

yeflo

Tins
ofth
l5 alt.
the‘yt

the B

mela

44

as to minimize the number of minutes needed to complete the sequence. This will help to
keep the station consistent for listeners, even those who tune in randomly and listen for a
short period.63

For the “All 80's Format”, the categories would be color coded for easier
identification. The Number One Hit category would be red, the Nostalgia category would
be blue, the Duo/Group category would be green, the Solo Women category would be
yellow, and the Solo Men category would be black. The categories would be then

sequenced as follows:

[Start of hour]
Red category (Example: “Beat It”-Michael Jackson)
Green category (Example: “Come Go With Me”-Expose)
Yellow category (Example: “Borderline”-Madonna)
Black category (Example: “I Wanna Go Back”-Eddie Money)
Blue category (Example: “Relax”-Frankie Goes to Hollywood)
This sequence would be repeated for the rest of the hour and then begin again at the start
of the next hour. The order that the Yellow and Black categories appear in the sequence
is alternated in every sequence. For instance, the first sequence of the hour would feature
the Yellow Category before the Blaclg and the next sequence in the hour would feature
the Black category before the Yellow category. This is to ensure that the sound of the
format does not become stale-every sequence would sound a bit difl’erent than the last.

The “All 80‘s Format” relies on a song sequence for music rotation rather than

 

mm“
smm
boufly
progra
mdm
dmk

ummh

45

using a “hot clock,” which is a common tradition in radio due to the Arbitron rating
system.“ With a hot clock, the categories are displayed as pie-shaped wedges within the
hourly clock. This method is more rigid than the sequence, as odd-length songs and other
program elements would throw the clock schedule ofi’. Stop sets would have to be moved
and/or records would have to be dropped from the sequence in order to keep with the
clock. These adjustments tamper with the consistency of the format’s sound and can
upset listener expectations.

With a song sequence, the music balance will be kept throughout the hour
regardless of the length of songs and stop sets. The stop sets would be placed at fixed
places within the hour and would be placed at the end of whichever song in the sequence
is nearest to the allocated break time. The stop sets then can be kept at their specified
times and the music consistency can be maintained.

Once the sequence has been set and the music rotation is consistent, the result can
be refined by taking the internal characteristics of the songs themselves and developing
structure. Derived from Aristotelian dramatic structure, the method involves using a
“composite mood curve” to create rising and ebbing with the music." As television
programs build to a climax which is followed by resolution, radio programming can do the
same, despite the programming lasting for many hours instead of a halfhour or hour.
Instead of using action within a program, as television does, radio programming uses the
intrinsic elements of the songs to build, climax, and ebb. Tempo (how fast the rhythm of
the song is), mood (the feeling of the song, expressed in the lyrics and/or the keyumajor

or minor), and the texture (the sirnpleness or complexness of the song, expressed in the

 

1 LOWS;

 

Figure l-80's Format Composite Mood Curve

 

Note: The x-axis represents a time span of one hour.
The curve represents the flow of the music during the hour.
The example hour displayed here is the 2PM hour.

A: A3-B3-C4 B: A4-B4-C4 C: A5-B3-C3 D: A4-BZ-C2
E: A2-BZ-C3 F: A3-B3-C3 G: A4-B2-C2

KEY'

A Tempo of the song B: Texture of the song C: Mood of the song
1: Low/Slow 2: Medium Low/Slow 3: Medium 4: Medium High/Fast 5: High/Fast

46

bu
10V
wh

83C

cha
cha
suel
witl
med
tern]
tern;

inth

47

lyrics and instrumentation) can all be employed to create the curve.

For the “All 80's Format”, its upbeat and lively nature would call for a quick
building to a climax, a medium-paced decrease from the climax, a brief satiation (the
lowest point), and a quick, steady climb from satiation. In order to move along the curve,
which is analogous to the forward movement of a story in a television sitcom or drama,
each song will act as a response from the previous song. A response is a “continuation
that is unrelated melodically (and) should grow logically. . .out of what came before?“ The
changes from one song to another would be developmental.‘S7 Instead of a complete
change fi'om record to record, each song would unfold and advance from its predecessor,
such as events unfold and storylines advance in dramatic programs. For instance, a song
with a thin texture (simple lyrics and instrumentation) would be followed by a song with a
medium texture, followed by a song with a heavy texture. Likewise, a song with a slow
tempo would be followed by a song with a medium tempo, followed by a song with a fast
tempo. Each song develops from the otheruthey respond to each other, as characters do
in their dialogue. The mood of the song can also follow this method (low, medium, high).

Since each song has its own characteristics, each would need to be labeled
according to its specific tempo, texture, and mood. As the song categories are identified
by colors, the song characteristics would be labeled by using a combination of numbers
and letters. The tempo would be labeled A, the texture would be B, and the mood would
be C. As for the degree of each characteristic, these would be labeled with numbers one
through five, with one being the smallest measure, three being medium, and five being the

largest. So a song that starts at the beginning of the curve, i.e. the beginning of the hour,

 

Cl
char
inn

WOL

\alu

COl'Tt

Whic

thec

Woul
OOrre
Ynelbr
music
Stacie
form.a

r 937.1115

48

could have a medium tempo, thick texture, and low mood. Its corresponding label would
be A3-B4-C1. To move along the curve toward the climax, the next song could have the
label A4-BS-C2. Not every characteristic would have to change from song to song;
having two songs in a row with the same texture label of B4 and the same mood label of
C1 would be acceptable, for instance. However, at least one characteristic would have to
change in order to move along the curve. The tempo characteristic is the most important
in moving along the curve. Since the rhythm is what moves a song along, the tempo
would be the characteristic that would allow the song sequence to move along the curve:
As the curve builds to the climax, the tempo would gradually increase, while the other
values may not vary. Once the curve hits the climax, the tempo values would
correspondingly decrease along the curve to the satiation point-the lowest point on the
curve. The tempo values would change most often, followed by the texture and the mood,
which is the least important characteristic. The mood value would change the least along
the curve.

Figure l on page 46 illustrates what the “All 80's Format” composite mood curve
would look like during the course of an hour of programming with examples of
corresponding song characteristic values noted along the curve. By employing this
method of structuring the format’s sound by using the songs’ characteristics to move the
nnrsic along ensures variety, the feeling that the program is moving along rather than being
stagnant, and that a goal or accomplishment is being attained. Like life, music moves
forward toward a goal, and as it moves, it grows and varies over time. This movement

results in a certain shape, and that shape is the composite mood curve. The rising and

49

falling of the curve creates varying sounds, moods, feelings-4t adds life to the format.
Dance bands and DJ 3 who work at parties employ this method of varying tempo and
intensity to allow the audience some psychic relief. One of the reasons that the disco
format faded is that a composite mood curve did not exist. The format’s continual
“upness” did not allow for variety—the rising and falling of the mood curve. Every song
was bright and glittery, and although this stimulated the listener at first, the continuation of
the same mood killed the stimulus. There was no psychic relief for the audience. The
disco format showed that a single mood or stimulus could not be viable in a format.
Variety and structure are needed to keep listener interest.“

After the hour has been musically structured, the dayparts must be considered.
That is, will the music vary between difi’erent time periods of the day? Ifso, how will it
change? The difi‘erent dayparts are 6-10AM, 10AM-3PM, 3-7PM, 7PM-12AM, and
12-6AM. These time spans are chosen because they correspond to how most of the
listeners’ daily activities are structured. From 6-10AM, listeners are getting out of bed,
getting ready and leaving for work or school. This daypart is also called the “morning
drive time” due to the fact that many people are driving to work during this time and are
listening to their car radios during their commute. Morning shows that include one or
more hosts, news, weather, sports, and some comedy are typically scheduled to wake
listeners up and get them informed as they begin their day. The 10AM to 3PM daypart,
the “mid-day” daypart, is structured around the listeners’ work day. More music is
generally played to entertain those working on the job or at home. From 3 to 7PM, the

“afiernoon drive” daypart, listeners’ workdays are ending and the commute home begins.

50

News updates are sometimes scheduled during this time span to update people on what
happened while they were at work. Comedy may also be added in the mix, especially right
around 5PM when many people are leaving work and need a release. The next daypart,
7PM to 12AM, is when people are arriving home, preparing meals, and retiring for the
evening. Music is typically scheduled for this time period, as with the mid-day daypart.
On some formats, such as Adult Contemporary, sofi, relaxing music is the norm for this
daypart as listeners want to relax after a long day. Finally, the 12AM to 6AM daypart,
otherwise known as the “overnight” daypart, takes care of those who stay up late or for
those who work the third shift. Again, mostly music is played during this time period.

The practice of dayparting involves adjusting program content in order to appeal
to the intended audience in terms of its needs and desires at the time.” For instance,
listeners need to be energized as they stumble out of bed in the morning to prepare their
cups of cofi’ee and face the day. In the All 80's format, this morning drive time will be
dominated by songs with fast tempos and high moods (A3, A4, A5 and C3, C4 and C5).
The textures of the songs would vary from Bl to B5. Also, a team of announcers (two
deejays and a news announcer) would provide an extra comical twist with humorous skits,
facts, jokes, and discussions. Interviews with people of interest would also be a frequent
item—perhaps an interview with a touring musical artist from the 1980‘s. The morning
program, as a package, would be called “The Breakfast Club,” which also is the name of a
classic Eighties movie.

During the morning show, the lowest part of the composite mood curve would

include songs valued at A3 and C3, while the climaxes would be songs with the values of

51

A5 and C5. Also, due to the higher amount of nonmusical elements (news, weather, and
DJ patter) and the fast tempos, the movement along the curve would be at its quickest.
The time spent at any one place in the curve would be minimal.

The next daypart, 10AM to 3PM (mid-day), would include songs with slower
tempos and lower moods (A1, A2, C1, C2) and the textures would vary as in the morning
daypart, but with less heavily textured songs (B4 and B5) tlmn during the morning drive.
The movement along the curve would be at a slower pace, as nonmusical elements
decrease and the amount of the slow tempo songs increase. During this daypart, most
people are at work and desire songs that calm their nerves. A constant stream of fast
tempo songs would aggravate the listener during this time period. However, due to the
upbeat and lively nature of the format, the amount of slow tempo songs played in a row
would be kept to 'a minimum (no more than two Al's or A2's in a row). After the songs
with the lowest tempos are-played, songs with medium tempos would follow (A3 and A4).
The fastest tempo songs would also be kept to a minimum (no more than three in a row)
so as to not irritate and distract listeners while at work. Most of the songs during this
daypart, then, would have values of A3 and A4. Texture and mood would vary
accordingly.

The 3PM to 7PM daypart would be similar to the morning drive daypart as the
amount of A3, A4, A5 and C3, C4 and CS songs would increase. The texture of the
songs would also increase during this daypart (B3, B4, BS). During this time of day,
listeners are driving home and desire to relax and celebrate the bend of their workday.

Thus, less slow tempo and low mood songs would be played. However, they would not

52

be totally excluded like they are during the morning daypart. The movement along the
curve would be faster than the mid-day, but slower than the morning drive.

The prime time daypart (7PM-12AM) and the overnight daypart (12-6AM) would
be programmed just like the mid-day. During these time periods, people are winding
down fi'om their busy day. A balance of songs with slow and fast tempos would be
included for the most variety.

For a few hours on Fridays and Sundays, the musical programming scheme of the
“All 80's Format” would be varied fi'om the rest of the week. On Friday evenings from 8
to 9PM, a Top 10 countdown would be played. A year from the 1980's would be chosen,
and the top 10 songs fi'om the week that corresponds with the week that the countdown is
being played. For instance, if the countdown would be on March 6th, the countdown
could be from the week of March 6th of the year 1983. The Billboard charts would be
used in determining the songs in the countdown. Along with the music from that year, bits
of trivia would be given about the events of that time period. A trivia question would be
asked to the audience, and listeners would call in to guess the answer and win a prize.

On Saturdays from noon until 1PM, the listeners would get a special treat as they
would be able to compare the past and present sounds of their favorite 1980's artists
during the show “Then and Now.” This special program would include hit songs from
popular 80's artists fiom the past decade followed by current hits from the same artists.
For instance, the band INXS had many chart-hitting songs during the 1980's such as
“Need You Tonight.” The program would play an 80's hit by this band, followed by

material from their new album released this spring. The listeners would be able to hear the

53

differences and the similarities between past and present songs from the artists. Has time
changed these artists for the better or worse?

Sundays would be called “Soundtrack Sunday” on the “All 80's Format”. From 1
to 3PM, all of the songs played would be from movie soundtracks from the 1980's.
Theme songs fi'om 80’s television shows also would be featured. One contest an hour
would be held where a line fiom an 80's movie would be played, and listeners would call in
to guess the movie that it came from. The winner would receive a bonus prize if he or she
could correctly identify the actor or actress who said that particular line. The songs
played would not necessarily have to be chart-making hits. Any song that is ofi‘ of an 80's
soundtrack would have potential to be played.

Other special programming for the “All 80's Format” includes “Big Hair Blocks,”
where three songs would be played in a row twice per hour from 80's rock bands and
artists that featured members with big, wild, long hair, which is characteristic of many
bands from the decade. Bon Jovi, Poison, and Van Halen are examples of “Big Hair”
bands that would be played. This would be done on Thursdays from 7 to 9PM. On
Mondays fi'om 10AM to midnight, special programming called “Madonna and Michael
Monda ” would be featured. Once per hour, a song by either Madonna or Michael
Jackson would be played. The two artists would alternate between hours to ensure
variety. These two artists were the pop icons of the 1980's, and'deserve special
recognition on the “All 80's Format”. In addition, when listeners hear the songs by either
artist played, they would call in, and the correct numbered caller (e.g. the sixth caller)

would win a prize. The prize won would depend on which artist had been played. If

54

Michael Jackson was the artist played, the caller would win a gift certificate for a free pair
of jeans fiom a local clothing store (the jeans tying in with Jackson’s hit “Billie Jean”); if
the artist was Madonna, the caller would win a gift certificate for two virgin daiquiris from
a local restaurant or bar (the daiquiri tying in with Madonna’s hit “Like a Virgin”). The
two businesses that provide the prizes would be the sponsors for Madonna and Michael
Mondays.

The special programming adds depth, texture, and variety to the “All 80's Format”.
Having the same, basic programming hour alter hour, day after day, gives the format a
shallow sound. Diversity in the programming adds interest and keeps the attention of the
listening audience, and also gives radio station salespeople something additional to sell to
advertisers. However, diversity does not mean totally straying from the format. Every
special program should tie in withthe basic formula of the format to provide unity. Each
program described for the “All 80's Format” has a unifying theme—music that reflects the
decade, whether it be from movies, pop icons, or fashion trends. It allows the listeners to

relive the decade and be entertained at the same time.

Chapter 7

HIP TO BE SQUARE: THE COMEDY ELEMENT

The “All 80's Format”, although music intensive, is not just about 80's music. The
format would feature a unique twist that very few, if any, formats do not have in their
programming scheme. The “All 80's Format” would include a four minute comedy
excerpt at the end of every song set or sequence. As mentioned before, the song sequence
includes the Number One Hits, Duo/Group, Solo Men and Solo Women, and Nostalgia.
At the end of this sequence, the Comedy category would be included, and for easier
identification, would be dubbed the Purple category. Within this comedy category, either
a spoken segment from a stand-up routine or a comical song or parody would be featured.
Comedians would not have to be from the Eighties, and neither would the comical songs.
Classic comedy from comedians such as Robin Williams, Bill Cosby, and George Carlin
along with current comedy from comedians such as Ellen DeGeneres, J efi‘ Foxworthy,
and Adam Sandler, are examples of what would be played; any objectionable language
would be deleted. Objectionable language is language that is deemed unfit for radio
broadcast by the FCC. Parodies by artists such as “Weird Al” Yankovic would also be
included, such as his parody “Eat It,” inspired by Michael Jackson’s “Beat It.” Before
each comedy bit, a special “WMAX Comedy Jingle” would be played as a segue between
the songs and the comedy. The jingle would also be a promo for the format and station—it
would help to solidify the image of the station as the source for the best comedy and that

the station is the most fun to listen to.

55

56

Comedy in radio programming dates back to the 1930's during the Depression,
when Americans appreciated the gift of laughter. Radio is what provided this gift. In fact,
despite the impressive musical, dramatic, and news programming on the air at that time, it
was comedy that brought the greatest acceptance for radio.” Comedy became the most
consistently popular type of radio programming. The shows with the highest ratings were
usually comedies. These programs became ingrained in the lives of Americans during this
prc-television era. The comedians communicated the most effectively with the masses.
The comedians were even dubbed “Gloom Chasers”?l The broadcast comedians
“functioned as national jesters. . .they occupied a niche within society that was both
substantial and crucial.”72 The basis for this popularity of comedy was two-fold: the
comedians’ exciting and humorous personalities and the therapeutic necessity of laughter.
Comedians developed a rapport with the audience, and with every new program,
continued and strengthened this relationship. Listeners thought of the comedians as one
of them—someone they could go out and have a few drinks with. The comedy was kept
simple; wisecracking, double entendres, complicated gags and the like were avoided to
keep the material simple and understandable. The audience wouldn’t laugh at something it
did not understand. Faced with many troubles and uncertainty during the Depression,
Americans looked to their radio as a source of amusement, a chance to be swept away
with laughter, and in this process life became a little more tolerable."3

When television arrived, popular radio comedians made the shift over to the new
medium, and their audiences followed. However, comedy has never totally left the radio

medium. Personalities such as Howard Stern and Rush Limbaugh have added comedy to

57,
radio programming for those who receive these programs, excluding those who find either
or both ofi’ensive. Most radio morning shows, despite the format, include comedy skits
and jokes to help wake up their listeners. The type of humor depends on the format.
Alternative rock formats can feature off-color humor that pokes fun at community leaders
and politicians, includes potty-mouth language, and can border on prejudice. Adult
contemporary formats would have cleaner humor that tries not to ofi‘end anyone or any
group. Recently, many morning programs feature short excerpts fiom stand-up comedians
as filler between songs. Some stations feature 20 second comedy bits as a part of their
bumpers and sweepers. The All 80's format would take it a step further and integrate
comedy into every song sequence during every daypart. Despite not being able to see the
comedians, listeners can still laugh at their jokes. Even though the country is not in a

Depression, Americans of all ages, races, religions and backgrounds still appreciate a good
laugh.

Chapter 8

WHAT YOU NEED: COMMERCIALS AND JINGLES

Most everyone loves comedy, and at the same time, most everyone is irritated with
commercials. They are seen as distractions and interruptions fi'om the listeners’ favorite
music. Ifthey agitate the listener enough, he or she is apt to switch the dial elsewhere.
However, the listener can not totally escape commercials unless the station is a public
radio station. Commercials are needed to pay for the programming that is heard, the
equipment used to broadcast the programming, the employee’s salaries, and the other
expenses with which radio must deal with. Radio is entertainment, but it is also a
business. Profits are sought in this business just like any other. Commercials are the
income-the bread and butter—for radio stations. They are just as significant a
programming element as music, news, station jingles, or station identifications. Twenty-
three percent of a station’s income comes from national spots from companies such as
Kmart and McDonalds, while 12% is derived from local advertisers. Along with
conunercials, cash flow and return on investment are other important factors in the
revenue of a station. Currently, stations are being sold at 12 times the cash flow. If the
cash flow is 1 million, the station could be sold at 12 million. Return on investment
averages at 20%.

Commercials are important to the station’s sound just as the music scheduling is.
Therefore, they have to sound professional. A multitude of poorly produced conunercials

is detrimental to the format’s sound. Groups of commercials that are aired during

58

59
programming are called stop sets or spot breaks (“spot” is another term for a commercial).
Stop sets are inserted at specified times within every hour. The format and the dayparts
play the role of determining how often and how long the breaks will be. The National
Association of Broadcasters (NAB) suggests that the time limit be no more than eighteen
minutes per hour. The FCC does not impose any regulations, but most stations abide by
the NAB’s suggestion."
For the “All 80's Format”, the stop sets would be organized as follows:
Mmdanhmushidds!
6-10AM: stop sets at :10, :40
Length: 110—4 minutes
:40—4 1/2 minutes
10AM-12PM: stop sets at :20, :50
Length: :20—4 minutes
:50—4 minutes
l2-1PM: COMMERCIAL FREE ALL REQUEST LUNCH BREAK
l-SPM: stop sets at :20, :50
Length: :20—4 minutes
:50—4 minutes
5-6PM: stop sets at :10, :40
Length: 210—4 minutes
:40—4 V2 minutes
6PM-12AM: stop sets at :20, :50
Length: :20—4 minutes
:50—4 minutes
12-6AM: stop sets at :20, :50

Length: :20—3 minutes
:50—3 minutes

60

WW

6-10AM: stop sets at :20, :50
Length: 120—4 minutes
:50—4 l/:t minutes
10AM-3PM: stop sets at :20, :50
Length: 220-4 minutes
:50—4 minutes
3-7PM: stop sets at :20, :50
Length: 220-4 minutes
:50—4 minutes
7PM-12AM: stop sets at :20, :50
Length: :20—4 minutes
:50—4 minutes
12-6AM: stop sets at :20, :50
Length: :20-3 minutes
:50-3 minutes
The :10, :40 (for the weekday morning show and five o’clock hour), and :50 time slots
were chosen because they are between the quarter hour segments (:00, :15, :30, and :45)
of the radio hour. As mentioned before, ratings are taken at the start of each quarter hour,
and only five minutes of listening time is needed for each quarter hour in order for the
quarter hour to be counted. Strong events should be scheduled to start just before each
quarter hour so that they will bridge between two adjacent quarter hours, thus having two
being counted. Ifaudiences tune out after the five minutes has been counted, no harm is
done for the ratings. The st0p sets chosen for the “All 80's Format” would start after the
five minute time requirement is met, so if listeners tune out during the stop set, the ratings

would not be effected.

61

The stop sets are also scheduled so that two music sweeps per hour would occur
and so the music would stOp only twice per hour. For the majority of the day, one music
sweep would begin after the :50 stop set at approximately :55 and last until the :20 stop
set for a total of about 25 minutes of music. The next music sweep would last for
approximately 26 minutes fiom the end of the :20 stop set to the :50 stop set. This would
help to lengthen the time spent listening by those in the targeted audience.

Morning drive time (6-10AM) during the weekdays has the most minutes per hour
of spots (8 1/2 minutes) due to the high number of listeners that tune in during this time
period (60%).” Advertisers want the most listeners their money can buy, and morning
drive time is their prime choice. Afternoon drive time (3 -7PM) during the weekdays also
has a high number of listeners (50%)", and the five o’clock hour is when listening reaches
its peak due to people leaving work and commuting home. Eight and one-half minutes of
spots is scheduled for this time period as well. During the mid-day (10AM-3PM), many
listeners are at work and prefer not to be distracted with commercials. A lighter
commercial load during these hours assures more listening enjoyment while at work (8
minutes). For the lunch hour, a special treat is offered for listeners of the “All 80's
Format”-a commercial free hour. This is also an all request hour, so listeners can
virtually program the hour just as they want-all music and no commercials to interrupt the
flow. This makes for a most relaxing, fiin lunch break. This is just done on weekdays,
however. Most listeners have either Saturday or Sunday ofi’ of work, and the commercial
free/all request lunch break is not as important as during the weekdays. Also, not as many

people are listening during this time period on weekends as during weekdays. If a

 

Figure 2--Stop Set Schedules

Monday through Friday 6-10AM and 5-6PM

. . :40
:30 spot .10 .30 PSA

:60 spot

  
    

:60 spot :30 spot

   

   

    
    
    
  

:30 spot
:30 spot
:60 spot :60 spot :60 spot :60 spot
Monday through Friday
10AM-12PM, l-SPM, 6PM—12AM 12-6AM
:30 spot/PSA ’20’ '50 :30 spot 520' :50
. :30 :60 spot
:30 spot -60 $190t spot
:60 spot :60 spot :60
spot :60 spot
Saturday and Sunday
6AM—12AM 12—6AM
:20, :50 :60 :20, :50
:30 SPOUPSA spot :30 spot
:30
spo
:30 spot
:60
spot

 

:60 spot

62

 

63

significant number of listeners (60%) request that the commercial fiee/all request lunch
break be extended to weekends, then this can be changed.

In the evening (7PM-12AM), listening declines for radio (3 5%)"; therefore, a
lighter spot load is scheduled, as with the mid-day (8 minutes). For the overnight period
(12-6AM), the spot load is at its lowest (6 minutes) due to this daypart having the lowest
listening rate (14%)."

Within every spot set, a certain sequence would be followed, just as when playing
music. The categories of spots include: 60 second spot, 30 second spot, and a 30 second
Public Service Announcement (PSA), which would be included in one stop set per hour
after the morning drive, excluding the 5-6PM hour. Figure 2 on page 62 shows the
sequences for the various st0p sets and dayparts for the “All 80's Format”.

Another element of radio programming is often so small that most listeners don’t
even think about them. However, this element is very important in the structure of the
format’s sound. This element is the jingle—the singsong or spoken repetition of a station’s
call letters. A shorter form of a jingle is called a liner, often inserted between commercials
within stop sets. Jingles can also be named bumpers and sweepers, but they all serve the
same purpose-to tell the listener what station they are tuned to and to create segways
between other elements of the programming. Jingles are used between songs, before stop
sets, afier stop sets, and to flame announcers’ patter between songs.

The promotional jingle was developed during the growth of the Top 40 format by
Gordon McLendon.” He realized that the consistent use of jingles help to convey the

mood and personality of a format and the stations that carry the format. The intensity and

64

style can change to reflect the specific format and the dayparts within the format. For the
alternative rock format, most jingles, or bumpers, are spoken rather than sung. For CHR,
Adult Contemporary, and Oldies formats, most jingles are sung. The jingle’s intensity can
even match the song it precedes. Ifthe jingle precedes a song with a fast tempo, the jingle
would be high intensity to match the sound and mood of the song. Jingles that are aired
between songs are usually longer (10 seconds) than those that precede or follow stop sets
(5 or less seconds). Consistency in the use of jingles will help structure the format’s
unique sound and will make the station more memorable in the listeners’ minds.

For the “All 80's Format”, jingles and liners would be combined to clue the listener
in on three details: what station they are tuned to on the dial (the product), the station’s
image (the package), and what is coming up next (more music—the ingrediants of the
product). Five second jingles, for instance, would be used to follow every stop set.
These jingles would let the listener know that the music would be starting again. A jingle
or sweeper would be used after every two songs to bridge the songs together and to
remind the listener where he or she is on the radio dial. Lines from movies of the 1980's
would also be included in many bumpers along with the station name. This is a creative
way to cement the station’s image as an “All 80's” station and to make the station fin to
listen to. This, in turn, would lead to a higher amount of time spent listening. Even items

as small asjingles can lead to this goal.

Chapter 9
SHE BLINDED ME WITH SCIENCE: COMPUTERS AND THE ALL so's
FORMAT
Discussion of radio format programming would not be complete without the
mention of computer technology. Computers can be both helpful and detrimental to the
sound of a format and the station. Scheduling music with a computer software program
would be one significant way that the use of computers can be efl’ective. With the “All
80's Format”, the categories would need to be kept in order, as well as the variance of
tempo, texture, and mood within the songs in order to create the curve. Accomplishing
this without the aid of a computer program would be tedious and inefi’ective. With a
computer, the parameters can be set and put into play by entering the specific identifiers,
whether it be colors, letters, or numbers. The computer can make sure that no more than
three songs in a row are at a certain tempo (A5) or mood (C2), keep record of
commercials played and the commercial availabilities, make sure that two directly
competing advertisers are not played within a certain proximity of one another, and the
program spots quickly.

The use of computers also relieves the need for rather cumbersome index cards
311d boxes. All the music is located in the computer program, and takes out the possibility
Of a disc jockey picking out songs at his or her whimsy, which could interfere with the
Station’s sound. The computer picks the music according to certain parameters and keeps
the format’s sound consistent, which is a valuable characteristic for any format to have.

Computers can also be used for automation, which provides total control of all

65

66
aspects of programming. Minimal on-site human labor is needed with automation.
Automation does not necessarily mean that the format has to sound canned, fake, and
cold. Automation can allow for local announcers to previously record their program,
which can result in a smoother sounding show. Personality does not have to be eliminated
when using automation. Today’s technology provides for a variety of methods of
presenting music programming and allows for flexibility. Automation can also save the
station money in the long run.

Live-assist is an off-shoot of automation, and provides freedom and human contact
to make the format believable. With live-assist, automatically sequenced commands are
designed to help the on-air person execute several commands easily. The sequences are
displayed on the monitor, and by using a mouse or touching the screen itself, the on-air
person can still take control of the programming and offer his or her own personal touch.
The job is made easier rather than being totally taken over by the computer. With the “All

80's Format”, the live-assist method would be strongly advised, as it can make the format

sound very polished if used efl‘ectively.

Chapter 10

ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER: NEWS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Another programming element that significantly affects a format’s sound is
newscasts, which includes news, sports, and weather. Public afi'airs programming is a sub-
category of news. Besides music and jingles, news programming is a very important
component in a format’s character. Some formats, such as CHR, give a minimal amount
of air time to news and public afl'air programming, while other formats, such as Adult
Contemporary, devote more time to news and public afi’airs. The format’s audience is the
determining factor. Younger audiences view news as an irritant, while older audiences
appreciate up-to-date newscasts periodically. Before the 1980's, the Federal
Communications Communication (FCC) required that a certain percentage of a format’s
programming must be devoted to news and public afi‘airs features. This requirement was
abandoned in the 1980's, and broadcasters were fine to approach news programming with
their own preferences.‘0 Most formats and stations continue to schedule news and public
aflairs programs so as to provide a service to the surrounding communities;

Although radio rates below television and newspapers as a primary source for
news and increasing numbers of people are using the Internet to catch the latest stories,
many people turn to radio to first learn about news events.‘1 Listeners expect radio to be
the first in line to report breaking stories. Radio does not have to rely on pictures to help
to tell the story as television does, and newspapers only come out once a day. For the All

News format, giving the most up—to-date news stories is already a part of their schedule; it

67

68

is an innate characteristic of this format. However, music formats need to keep this
listener expectation in mind throughout the day, not just in the morning drive period. Why
give the news in the morning but skip it for the rest of the day? Listeners see this as
inconsistency.’2 News doesn’t just happen during this time period. At least one update
should be given during afternoon drive time to let listeners know what has happened in
their cormnuriity while they were at work. Depending on the audience, more newscasts
could be scheduled, perhaps once every hour. If every hour, they should be scheduled at
the same time period so listeners know when to expect these newscasts, and these
newscasts should be promoted by the station so listeners know that they can count on the
station for their news every hour.

For the “All 80's Format”, news would play an important role in keeping with the
listeners’ interests and meeting expectations. During the morning drive time, two
newscasts per hour would be scheduled, each 2 V2 minutes long. The first newscast would
be ten minutes after the hour, and the second newscast would be forty minutes after the
hour, before the spots. When people arise in the morning, they either set the slams to the
top of the hour (6:00) or halfpast the hour (6:30). Therefore, if the radio is to be turned
on in the morning, the first quarter hour and the third quarter hour are the time periods
when most listeners will tune in. While some formats schedule news at the top or bottom
of the hour, the “All 80's Format” would schedule music during these times so listeners
would wake up to music instead of the news. However, the news would shortly follow
the :00 and :30 minute marks, so listeners would receive their morning news promptly

afiertheywakeup. Thenewscastsduringthemomingdriveperiodwouldeachbecalled

 

 

“The R

300 h(
the hor

happen

after tl
cornrm
news 0'

The tie

newsc;
Midd

12:10
flame

news C

the ,CE

items;

69
“The Morning Edition.”

The next newscast would be given during the middle of the afieinoon during the
3:00 hour and would be called “The Mid-day Edition.” It would be at ten minutes alter
the hour and would last two minutes. This would keep the listeners up to date about what
happened since the morning when they lefi for work.

For the five o’clock hour, a 2 V2 minute newscast would be given at ten minutes
after the hour. During the five o’clock hour is when many listeners are making the
commute fioni work to their homes. Some listeners would not have been able to hear the
news during their workday and would need to be updated on the current news events.

The newscast during this hour would be called “The Late-Day Edition.”

The next two newscasts would be at 7PM (for those who missed the 5:00 or 6:00
newscasts either on TV or radio) and at 12 AM (for those who miss the late night TV
newscast). They would be at ten minutes after the hour and last two minutes, like the
Mid—day Edition. The 7:10 newscast would be called “The Evening Edition” and the
12: 10 newscast would be called the “Late Night Edition.” The regularly scheduled
newscasts would be named in order to position the newscasts in the listener’s mind. The
listeners would know why the newscasts exist and would know when to expect them. The
news can then be seen as a positive programming element rather than just a sporadic fill-in
that interrupts the flow of programming.

During the Morning Edition newscasts, two additional elements would be added to
the regular news. One would be named “Smile Stories.” Since many news stories feature

items about crime, violence, accidents, dirty politics, and other problems, the news can be

 

:30

smik

:60
nauon
int’l

Figure 3-- 2 1/2 Minute Newscasts“
6-10AM, 5PM

:30
:30 .
back in the da '60

  

smile story

 

*These times are approximate. Each segment may be shortened or lengthened within the
2 1/2 minute time frame depending on news content for that time period.

70

 

 

 

 

quite de
second:
story tl

commi

difi'ere
other '
the w

DOI-SI

news
Patti

hour

Sm
driv
the j
Slor

nor

his,

 

71

quite depressing. The All 80's format’s focus is optimism; therefore, the last thirty
seconds of the :10 newscasts in the morning and late afternoon would be devoted to a
story that would make the listeners feel good. It could be about a member of the
community who does something exceptional, a funny story, a charming story about a
special child or a special pet, or just about something going right in the world. Two
different stories would be used during the morning hours-they would alternate every
other hour. The purpose of Smile Stories would be to remember that good still exists in
the world, along with all the problems. They would lighten the heavy burden of all the
not-so-good news stories that proliferate in typical newscasts.

The other additional news element would be in the last thirty seconds of the :40
newscast in the morning. It would be called “Back in the Day.” A news story fi'om that
particular day from a certain year in the 1980's would be read to close out the news for the
hour. The story would open, “Back on this day in...” and a year would be prc-chosen.
The story could either be of local interest, state interest, or national interest. As with the
Smile Story, two difl‘erent “Back in the Day” stories would be used during the morning
drive. The “Back in the Day” story would be used as an historical instrument to remind
the format’s targeted audience of the events that helped to shape who they are today. The
story would also reinforce the forrnat’s programming focus on the 1980's. Music would
not be the only way of remembering the decade—news would also play a role.

To aid in the consistency of the news, every newscast would begin in the same
manner: The newscaster would give the name of the station, the name of the edition, and

his or her name. The same music bed would be used for every introduction. At the end of

 

 

 

 

 

the news

the next

usedto

isin'l'l

llCWSCflE

news, 11

listener.

respect

72

the newscast, the announcer would repeat his or her name, the station’s name, and when
the next newscast would be. Also, a minimal number of different announcers would be
used to report the news, with the number depending on the size of the market the station
isin Theseannouncerswouldbeapart ofthenewsstafl’ andwouldbeknownasthe
newscasters. Just as television news programs have a small group of anchors that give the
news, radio news should also have a small group ofvoices that do the reporting. The
listeners would come to recognize the voices as “the news voices” and would come to
respect and give credibility to these voices and the people behind the voices.

Within every newscast, local stories (stories that efl’ect the local market directly),
state stories, and national stories would be given. Since people are most interested in
what is going on close to them, .local news would be the first to be read, followed by the
state news and national news. National news would be left out unless the content directly
afi‘ects the local market. Listeners depend on television and newspapers more for national
newsthantheydo radio. No specificallysettimewouldbegiveufor eachtypeofstory—
the time would fluctuate depending on news content. Some days, there would be more
local news than state news, and on other days, the opposite could be true. However, the
2 V2 minute limit would be stressed, unless an emergency situation arose. Figure 3 on
page 70 displays the composition for the 2 1/2 mimite newscasts.

Programming news also depends on what the other radio stations in the market
have to ofl'er. If news is well covered by another station, and the listeners in that market
have come to expect news fi'om that station, other stations should not bother with a lot of

news coverage. Although listeners do use radio for news and information, music is still

 

 

 

the prime

morning
located.
During I
tie-ups :
emerge
reports
reports

thema

Iberni
Nann-
Woulr
force
Weatl

I40;1

 

73

the prime reason why people turn on their radios.

In addition to newscasts, trafic reports would be given once an hour during
morning drive and afternoon drive, depending on the market in which the station is
located. For the morning drive, the report would be given at the end of the :10 newscast.
During the day, only major accidents and tie-ups would be reported. Iftrafic delays and
tie-ups are not a major concern in the market, reports would not be needed unless of an
emergency. Also, if the market attracts tourism during certain times of the year, traffic
reports would be given during weekends when most travelers are out and about. The
reports would be updated once every other hour or once every three hours, depending on
the market.

. Two other important news elements are weather and sports, with weather being
the more important of the two. Listeners always want and need to know what Mother
Nature has in store so they can make or break plans. On the “All 80's Format”, weather
would be featured twice an hour, every hour. Fifteen seconds would be devoted to every
forecast. During the Morning Edition and Late Afternoon Edition of the news, the
weather would be given immediately following the spot breaks alter the news at :10 and
:40; for the rest of the day, they would be aired after the stop set at twenty minutes after
the hour and after the stop set at fifiy minutes after the hour. Each forecast would be
introduced in the same manner-a short jingle that named the station, followed by
“weather.” Music would be played underneath the forecast, and another jingle that said
the name of the station would follow the forecast and provide a segue into the next song.

During the morning drive, an area meteorologist would be the weather reporter. The

 

 

station

drived

much ‘.

during
mentit
woulr
the tir
woult

schec‘

Possi
news
newS
enter

more

news

74

station’s announcers would give the weather throughout the rest of the day.

As for sports on the “All 80's F orrnat”, updates would be given during the morning
drive daypart after the :40 stop set. The lenmh of the sportscast would depend on how
much is happening at the time, but one and a halfrninutes would be the average. The bare
minimum would be given—the teams and the final scores. Ifa noteworthy item occurred
during the course of the game, such as a record being set or a fight, it would be
mentioned. Also, future games would be announced. The teams, the time, and the place
would be included. After night games have been completed, the personality on the air at '
the time would mention the scores of relevant games and any important highlights. It
would not be an official sportscast; rather, it would be a part of the personality’s
scheduled talk time. In the morning drive sportscast, a television station’s local
sportscaster would call in with quick sportscasts and end them by saying his name and the
name of the station.

This minimalist approach to sports is due to listener desire for as much music as
possible. Listeners wish to be informed, but not in excess. Local news and other types of
news as well as ’Weather takes precedence over sports time-Wise. Once the commercials,
news, and weather are taken care of, listeners would be ready for more music and
entertainment. Spending too much time on sports would only bog down the hour with
more talk, and the format’s upbeat and lively sound would be in jeopardy.

A sub category of news programming is public afl’airs progranuning. Along with
news requirements, public afl‘airs programming was deregulated in the 1980's." Today, no

specific time is required to devote to public afi'airs. However, this does not mean that this

 

 

pros
prese-

amou

Conr

altho

Skits

901.11
on
issue
her I
Cum

r“Slat

WEI]:
a cm

of Ur.

 

 

75

programming should be dropped altogether, since the FCC still mandates that stations
present some programming weeldy that addresses local community ismes.“ But the
amount of time is no longer controlled.

For the “All 80's Format”, the public afi‘airs program would be named “Community
Connections” and would be in the form of a talk show interspersed with 80's music,
although at a lesser amount than usual. The comedy bits would not be included so as to
give more time for discussion of the issues. Also, regular newscasts would be omitted
during this program, with the weather reports kept at the normal scheduled times
throughout the hour. The style would be similar to the morning show (The Breakfast
Club), although discussion about community issues would substitute for the humorous
skits and jokes.

The news director would be the host, and the guest or guests (no more than three)
could include community leaders, teachers, school board members, politicians, business
owners, and any other people or groups that have an issue they would like to discuss. The
issues would be ones that pertain to the community. The news director would use his or
her best judgement along with suggestions from listeners to decide what issues are
currently important, and would set up the interview with the person or group that would
relate to the issue. The program would be on Sunday mornings fiom 9AM to 10AM.

Other public afi‘airs programming would be featured when an important news
event or local community event took place, such as a controversial strike at a steel plant or
a community fair. A remote broadcast from the place of the event would inform listeners

of the happenings and interviews could be held with those involved. Being at the center of

 

the ne

(PSAS
nithir
be re:
:50 51
as blr
pane
prog

isan

the s
to d.
audi

pro;

 

 

_..._n_

76
the news events provides high visibility and strengthens the image of the station.

A mini-version of public afi‘airs programming, public service announcements
(PSAs), are also important in the “All 80's Format”. One PSA per hour would be played
within the :50 stop set. In addition, a 15-30 second Community Calender segment would
beread live by an announcer every hour after the morning show immediately before the
:50 stop set. This segment would inform the listeners of important community events, such
as blood drives, high school plays, and difl’erent group gatherings, such as a Lions Club
pancake breakfast. The Community Calender, the PSAs, and the “Community Concern”
program show the station’s involvement and concern for the conununity, and community
is an integral part of the “All 80's Format”.

Although music is the first concern for this format, news and information would be
the second most important concern. Listeners wish to be informed, and depend on radio
to do just that-promptly. Newspapers and television are the main news sources for the
audience, but radio still needs to keep the listeners in mind when considering their news

programming—when news should be scheduled and how much should be given.

 

 

have tr
consi51
marke
audier.
marke
practi.
the re
Delux
teena;
demo
P60pl
who c
drive,
if e di
take ,
aUdie

mass

 

 

Chapter 1 1

VOICES CARRY: MARKETING AND PROMOTION

In order for the music, news, and public affair programming to be heard, people
have to be informed about it. An image of the format must be constructed and
consistently portrayed so the listeners know what to expect. This is where promotion and
marketing come in. With so my radio stations having similar formats and similar
audiences and each station only receiving a small fiaction of the market, uniqueness in
marketing becomes very important. As niche formatting has become a more common
practice in recent years, niche marketing should follow hand-in-hand. Mass marketing in
the retail world has virtually disappeared in many instances. McDonalds markets its
Deluxe sandwiches to adults, Happy Meals to children, and great job opportunities to
teenagers. Credit card companies offer a variety of difierent cards for difi’erent
demographics and economic profiles. Even toothpastes cater to difl'erent niches: kids,
people with sensitive teeth, people who want a flesh tasting gel rather than a paste, people
who desire the brightest teeth possible, etc. Retail products have become more market-
driven than product-driven.“ Retailers realize that America is not a big melting pot; there
are difl‘erent groups with difi’erent preferences, ideas, values, and lifestyles. Radio should
take note and realize the potential for fragmenting their marketing methods to meet their
audience’s desires. Niche marketing can make any format and station stand out among the

masses, as niche formatting can. Careful, creative planning is the key to this method of

77

 

marketir

the forn
ways fc
the targ
listener
expect:
audien

audien

audier.
effecii

Statior

78
marketing.

In order to do niche marketing efi‘ectively, the environment in which listeners use
the format and the station that carries it needs to be isolated and defined, and then exciting
ways for listeners to remember listening must be created. In order to do this, listeners in
the targeted audience must be known and understood by the station. By knowing the
listeners, the station and the format can truly give the listeners what they desire—their
expectations can be fulfilled. Also, unconventional methods of reaching the targeted
audience, or niche, is important in niche marketing. This comes from knowing the
audience beyond sex and age characteristics.

Two methods of marketing can be used to get the attention and to build and keep
audience loyalty: on-air promotion and ofl‘-air marketing. Both are needed to most
efi’ectively market the station and its format. Both can significantly efl‘ect either the
station’s share or the cumulative ratings.

On-air promotion is a “tool which markets to the existing cume.”" It is used to
keep listeners by clarifying what makes the format and the station great, difl‘erent fi'om the
rest, and why it is worth the listener’s time to listen. On-air promotion is used to solidify
and enhance image—to create a position in listeners minds that lets the them know the
product and what to expect when they tune in to the station and its format. This
marketing tool should answer the question: “What is the station and the format about?”
Identification announcements, slogans, program promotion, station/format promotion, and
contests are all forms of on-air promotion.

OE-air marketing is used to create listener awareness about the station, to build an

 

audience
where to
specialtie

h
follow, a
a popula
max”) “.

S
building
samrile a
at a club
“MAX
play all i
would b
business
member,
itself, bl;
Put on c

l
and a Cc
“whey.

Stem'ort.

79

audience. It should let listeners know what the station and the format do collectively and
where to find the station. Advertising on either media, special events, and advertising
specialties (products bearing a station’s logo) are main examples of ofi‘-air marketing.

In order to explain the marketing methods that the “All 80's Format” would
follow, an example station will be used—WMAX the MAX 98.5 FM. “The Max” refers to
a popular preposition from the 1980's: “...to the max.” (e. g. “That shirt is fiinky to the
max”) “Max” is short for “maximum.”

Since the “All 80's Format” would be a new format, the first concern would be
building listener awareness—to let the people know the format is out there for them to
sample and hopefully enjoy. One way of doing this is holding a "Totally Radical 80's Jam”
at a club or other place where a dance could be held. The station with the new format,
WMAX, would sponsor the dance and personalities from the station would be there to
play all 80's songs, meet and greet the party attenders, and give away prizes. The event
would be advertised beforehand in newspapers, on television, on posters placed in
businesses, bus stops, laundromats, schools, and other places that the intended audience
members would frequent. Of course, the event would be promoted on the new station
itself, but since the purpose would be to attract new listeners, a lot of emphasis would be
put on outside advertising.

At the Eighties party, people could come dressed in Eighties attire, if they wish,
and a contest would be held for the most “radical” Eighties outfit. Prizes would include
money, gift certificates for record stores, clothing stores, and free gas at a local gas

station. Prizes with an Eighties theme would also be given away periodically throughout

 

the eve
with in
(the 19
and Cl
prizes
cofi‘ee
attend
privile
away i
statior
lively,
every
to dan

PTOgT:

80

the evening, such as Rubik’s Cubes, Cabbage Patch Dolls, Ray Ban sunglasses, Polo shirts
with instructions attached that say to wear the collar up, high top sneakers, Trivial Pursuit
(the 1980's version that features questions about the Eighties), CDs that feature 80's songs
and CDs that feature famous comedians, such as Adam Sandler. All of the Eighties theme
prizes would feature the station’s logo. Bumper stickers, pens and pencils, T-shirts,
cofl‘ee mugs and keychains with the station’s logo would be given away to everyone who
attends. Plastic cards (like credit cards) that permit holders to enjoy special discounts and
privileges at local merchants would also be distributed by WMAX. Everyone would walk
away with something. This would be a big, exciting and memorable way to introduce the
station and the format to the market, and would introduce the image of the station as
lively, upbeat, and fun-loving. The station could form a partnership with the club, and
every week could sponsor a Retro Night when all 80's music would be played for people
to dance to. The station could broadcast live from the club during that evening, and the
program would be named “Live at the Retro.”

Advertising these big events and advertising the station’s arrival in general would
be done by using the services of local newspapers on a reciprocal trade basis. The best
way to do this is to repeat the ad throughout the newspaper, maybe one small, eye-
catching ad per section. Having one large ad would not be as effective since audiences are
more responsive to messages that are repeated. Since ads on television and radio are
repeated many times in order to get people’s attention and have them remember the
message, having several small adsinthepaperwould makethead stand outandbe

remembered. The ad would read “Warning: Listening May Cause Flashbacks,” with the

 

word “Vi
Slogan “1

would e

placed r
from pl.‘

read:

Anothe

The pc
Elghfie
This is

the Sta

wOuld
demog

progra

81

word “Warning” in big block letters. The station logo would be pictured, along with the
slogan “We Are the 80's.” The ‘Vvaming label” would attract the reader’s attention; it
would catch them ofi‘ guard.

In addition to a dance event, the new station would be advertised via posters
placed where the intended audience members would visit. The posters would vary a little
from place to place, but they would all have the same theme. An example poster might
read:

DO YOU REMEMBER WHOSE NUMBER 18 867-5309? IF YOU DO, THEN

YOU ARE FROM W. JOIN THE REST OF US AT 98.5 FM

WMAXTHEMAX. WEARETHESO'S!

Another example poster might read:

ARE YOU STILL UPSET ABOUT THE BREAKUP OF WHAM? WE ARE

TOO. RELIVE THEIR MEMORY WITH US AT 98.5 FM WMAX THE MAX.

WE ARE THE 80'S.

The posters would invite new listeners to join a community of people who appreciate the
Eighties. The overall theme would be “Ifyou are into the 80's, then join us at WMAX.
This is where you belong.” The businesses that feature the posters would be advertised on
the station.

Another way of building listener awareness about the new format and station
would be to advertise on television during prime time, when a high number of the format’s
demographic would be watching. Thirty second ads would be placed during prime time

programs on area TV stations to promote the station and its image. Three difl’erent

 

versions w:
person imp
the 1980's)
Reagan. I
“Like a Vn
Conboy’W
impersonm
station anc
end by sho

Th
the new fc
newspape,
35 People .
because 0:

82

versions would be created and rotated with each other. Each version would feature a
person impersonating an 80's personality, such as Michael Jackson (as he looked during
the 1980's), Madonna (as she looked during the 1980's), and a jelly bean-eating Ronald
Reagan. The song “Billie Jean” would be playing during the Michael Jackson version,
“Like a Virgin” would be playing during the Madonna version, and “I Wanna Be a
Cowboy” by Boys Don’t Cry would be played during the Ronald Reagan version. Each
impersonator would be shown listening to the radio and telling the audience about the new
station and format—that it includes all 80's music with comedy mixed in. The ads would
end by showing the station’s logo and slogan “We Are the 80's!”

The ofllthe-air marketing methods mentioned would be most efi‘ective in getting
the new format and station the exposure it would need to build an audience base. With
newspapers and the posters, people are able to focus on them for more than just a second,
as people do when they see billboards while on the road. Billboards are not as efl’ective
because of this. The amount of information on the billboard would have to be very
minimal, and this amount of information would not be important enough for people to be
motivated to tune in to the station. Billboards can only very briefly inform or remind.
However, with newspapers and posters, people can ofl‘er more than just a glance. They
can take in the information ofi‘ered in the promotion at their own pace, and then can make
the decision whether to try the new station and format. These promotion tools can hold
attention longer, and the reader would understand the promotions’ message more clearly
than by just giving a quick glance at a billboard. With television, many people can be

reached, since most everyone included in the intended audience, as well as those outside,

 

watch tel
listeners

well join
than pos
rather to
motion 1
amfios
potentia
research
scale f0?
cOmplet

marker

ofllrhe.
vvould
Widesp
WMA
thOSe ‘
Stand .
Pencil

PadS,

83
watch television, especially during prime time. Radio listening drops sharply after 7PM as
listeners become viewers of TV.“ So if radio can’t beat the viewership, radio might as
well join it! Furthermore, television ads tell a story and are more complex and interesting
than posters, newspapers, and especially billboards. TV ads are made to sell the product,
rather to just inform or remind viewers. The combination of sight, sound, color, and
motion has the potential to be very persuasive and motivational. Using this medium to sell
a radio station and its format would draw attention and motivate a significant number of
potential listeners. However, in order to fully gauge the effectiveness of these promotions,
research before and after the plans are put into action is essential. For instance, small
scale forms of plans can be carried out beforehand as a prc-test before the promotion is
completely put into action. The success of promotions carried out by other stations in the
market is also an indicator of the efi‘ectiveness of a promotional plan for a new station.

As the new format and station gather footage in the market, another method of
oE-the-air marketing would be added to the posters, TV ads, and newspaper ads, which
would be done less frequently afier knowledge of the new format becomes more
widespread. Since shopping malls are popular places for people of all ages, having a
WMAX stand in the middle of the mall would draw people fi'om many demographics, both
those who would listen regularly and those who would be potential listeners. The small
stand would sell specialty items that feature the station logo, including T-shirts, hats, pens,
pencils and stationary, watches, keychains, socks, plastic cups and cofi‘ee mugs, mouse
pads, pins, postcards, notepads and posters. Also at the WMAX stand, both listeners and

thosewhowishtosamplethestationcanbuycassetteswithonefeatmingWMAX’sBest

of the 1

Breakf

issued
inform
cornmr
Station
use the

The De

84

of the 80's, another featuring WMAX’s Kookiest Comedians, and WMAX’s Best of the
Breakfast Club series. The first two would feature the best of what the format ofl‘ers—BO's
songs and comedy. The Best of the Breakfast Club would feature the funniest, most
memorable clips floor the morning show. As more material would be gathered, more
cassettes would be issued, thus becoming a series for fans to collect. With every purchase,
customers would receive a bumper sticker and a WMAX newsletter, which would be
issued once a month. The newsletter would include current happenings at the station,
information about the station staff, 80's artist information, comedy club information,
community events that the station would be involved in, and general information about the
station and the format. Advertisers wishing to use the station as a marketing tool could
use the newsletter to find out more about the station’s audience reach and programming.
The newsletter would be paid for by advertisers who place ads in the letter.

Also, during difl‘erent seasons, WMAX would market itself as caring and fitn-
loving community leaders by hosting special events such as flower planting outings during
the spring, fireworks and kite flying/beach volleyball outings in the summer, football
games and Halloween costume parties in the fall, bowling tournaments and snowman
building/sledding outings in the winter. Any regular community events that would be
scheduled, such as county fairs, would also be an opportunity for WMAX to promote
itself and have fim with the listeners. If a new business would open in the market or have
a large sale, WMAX could be the station to proudly sponsor the business. Remote
broadcasts at these community events would allow listeners to put a face to the radio

station. The station would show that it is not an anonymous entity floating through the air

85

to radio receivers; it is the neighbor, the fiiend, the associate that connects with the
community it is a part of. Of course, items with the station’s logo such as bumper stickers
would be available.

Even though WMAX would focus on the Eighties, the station would employ
1990's technology to promote the station by creating a site on the World Wide Web.
Many stations desiring to keep abreast of the new technology have their own homes on
the Internet. This technology is useful for promotional purposes as it supports the bi-
directional flow of information. Listeners can interact with the station by sending
messages, entering contests, voting on favorite songs, and even ordering merchandise.
Listeners an also find out information on their favorite disc jockeys, musical artists,
concerts, and trivia. The station’s site on the Internet acts as an interactive newsletter.
Audio, animation, and video can be added to the text, pictures and graphics in order to
add even more interest to the site. A station can either rent space fi'om a provider or can
set up a WWW server in-house. The latter is more complicated and involves more time
and money. It is up to the station how often the material in the site is changed and
updated.

On the WMAX website, the home page would feature the station’s logo, a short
description of the station, and hypertext where visitors can click and go to other areas of
the site. The areas would be the following: Artists, Comics, WMAX Current Events,
Concerts, Back in the Day, The Station, The Stafi‘, Order! Orderl, Go to Town, and
Whaddaya Say? On the Artists page, information about artists played on the station

would be featured, such as their history, personal information, a picture, and if available, a

86

connection to the artists’ home page. The Comics page would be similar to the Artists
page, and by clicking on the picture or name of a comic, the visitor can hear a short
excerpt (30 seconds) from the comic. WMAX Current Events would include information
about the station’s programming, contests, and community events with which the station is
involved. Concerts would let the visitor know of any 803 artists that would be currently
touring and where and when they would be stopping. Information about touring comics
would also be included. Back in the Day would feature trivia about the 80's and what
happened during certain weeks. The Station page would feature pictures and descriptions
of different areas of the station, such as the production room, the lobby, the news room,
the studio, the ofice area, and other areas. It would be like a virtual tour of the station.
The Stafl‘ page would include a little biographical information about the announcers, and
list names of the station directors. The Order! Order! section would allow people to
order merchandise such as books, clothing, and music. By using Netscape or another
appropriate browser as defined by the ISP, the station would be able to sell directly over
the Internet by taking credit card numbers and automating the ordering process. The
station could become associated with other companies on the Internet that would provide
the merchandise, such as book companies, and the visitor could order through the
company. Instructions on how to order would be provided. Go to Town would tell the
visitors about different entertainment establishments in the market, such as restaurants,
bars, clubs and theaters. Shopping areas could also be featured. The address, phone
number, services and products of each establishment would be included. Finally, the

Whaddaya Say? section would allow the visitors to send electronic mail to the station staff

87

as well as vote for their favorite 80's songs and their favorite comics.

Pictures, graphics, and other material in the WMAX website would help to give an
image to the station. It would allow the listeners who visit the site to feel connected with
the station The listeners could even listen to the station through the computer while
visiting the site, provided their computers have the capability.

Once listeners sample the station, on-air promotion would work to keep the
listeners and satisfy their expectations. In fact, radio programmers focus most of their
marketing efi‘orts on this kind of promotion. They use on-air promotion for “imaging,
creating an overall sound, and for generating increased time spent listening.”" On-air
promotions are also cheaper than ofi‘-the-air marketing.

The most basic of on-air promotion is the F CC-required station ID. This must be
done at the start of every new hour, and the station’s call letters followed by the city or
cities of license must be included. Anything else is optional. With WMAX, the station 1])
would say: THIS IS THE MAX, WMAX LANSING 98.5 FM (or whatever the city of
license would be). THE ESSENCE OF THE EIGHTIES. The station ID gives what is
needed plus an image statement—The Essence of the Eighties.

The slogan for the station would be analogous with the image statement: WE ARE
THE EIGHTIES. The slogan would be in most of the station on-air promos and would be
included with the station’s logo on bumper stickers and the like. The slogan tells the
listener what the station is about; the slogan is the plot to the story of the station and its
format. Even though the format also inchrdes comedy, the most important programming

element is the 80's music. Also, the “Back in the Day” stories, the contests and prizes, and

88

the overall upbeat nature of the format reflects the fun and importance of the decade.

Special programs featured in the format, such as Soundtrack Sunday, would each
have on-air promos of their own. These would be used to inform listeners about the
programs and to persuade them to tune in to the station longer to check out the special
programming. The program promos would show that the format is fun to listen to, and
that the longer one listens, the more one will be rewarded. The station would make
listening well worth one’s time. The program promos would also further stress the
station’s slogan-We Are the Eighties. The DJ s that would host the program would be 'the
ones to represent their special program by being the voice for its promo. He or she would
be the one with personal ties to the program and would understand it most (other than the
program director, of course). In addition, the listeners would come to recognize the voice
and relate the voice with the program.

General on-air promos for the format and station itself would also be made. Three
types would be used: 80's music, comedy, and news. The promos would feature short
clips from 80's songs, famous comedians, and newscasts, along with short spoken
segments that emphasize the fun, optimism, and localism of the format. The slogan would
be included near the end of each general promo as a sort of closure that sums up the
promo.

The type of on-air promotion from which listeners can get the most enjoyment is
contests. Contests can be the most effective way of drawing attention and listeners to any
station. Contests can also keep listeners loyal to a station as they hope to win certain

prizes in future contests promoted by the station. Through this promotional tool, it has

89

been shown that people will do pretty much anything to win prizes, but what contests and
prizes are given depends on those participating. The contests and prizes should fit into the
lifestyles of the targeted audience; they should be made worthwhile for the listeners to
listen to and participate in. Contests should draw people in to the station, and be able to
keep the listeners alter the contest is over. Some stations experience a surge in ratings
during the duration of a contest, only to have the ratings fall sharply after the contest is
done. In order to succeed, contests should be simple, involving (both for participants and
non-participants), compatible with the station’s sound, appealing, worthwhile, and should
have justifiable costs. A contest that is very expensive can be efi’ective, but it needs to be
justified.”

Although one of the most popular prizes is money, stations should attempt to set
themselves apart fi'om all of the other stations giving away money. The station’s goal
should be to have the listener remember where he or she received the prize. Ifthe listener
remembers, “Hey! I won $500 playing a contest on a radio station!,” but cannot answer
the question, “So what station gave you that great prize?,” nothing has been gained by the
station. The listener is likely to just move on to another station to try to win another
$500. Therefore, prizes should be tmique and should reflect the image of the station and
its format. The prizes should also be coordinated with the audience’s lifestyles and
preferences. Niche contesting, a subcategory of niche marketing, can “touch” listeners
and make them feel as if the contests and the prizes are designed just for them, rather than
for the masses.” Ifa station creates a contest niche in its market, the image of the station

can be strengthened, and the listener can position the station in his or her mind as the

9O
station that has this kind of contest and prize, e.g. “The station that gives away trips to
warm, tropical places.” The listener is bound to not be as confirsed about where she or he
received the prize (“Y eah! I got the tropical trip fiom the greatest station, WHOT!”).

Contests are a favorite marketing too! especially with Oldies formats. The contests
are used to convey an atmosphere of fun and entertainment to coincide with the
atmosphere of the format. Oldies stations are known for giving away prizes that come
fi'om the decade that the music selections are from. Classic cars are a main example.
Maintaining youthfulness in Oldies contests is a significant tool as those listening to the
station were in their teens when the music of the format was popular.’0

For the “All 80's Format”, niche contesting would be a common practice. Many of
the contests would have some kind of Eighties theme, and the prizes would also reflect the
upbeat, firn mood of the decade. The following are examples of contests that WMAX
would execute and the prizes that would be won.

One of the first contests that WMAX would hold would reward those sampling the
new format and station, and would help out the programming of 80's music. The contest
would require listeners to send a postcard in to the station that included their name and
phone number, their five favorite 80's songs, and the slogan for WMAX (We are the 80's).
The postcards received would be put in a box and every hour fi'om SAM-8PM, one card
would be drawn at random. Ifthe card has the correct slogan on it, the name would be
read on the air. If the slogan would be incorrect, the card would be discarded, and
another one would be drawn until one was found that featured the correct slogan. The

name would be read as such over the air: “Jane Smith, thank you for listening to WMAX

91

the Max! You have ten minutes to call our studio lines at 555-1234 and win the 80's prize
package!” Then, the DJ would pick two songs out of the five songs listed by the listener
and play it for the listener: “Here is one of Jane’s favorite 80's songs-’Rock It’ by Herbie
Hancock!” The songs chosen by the DJ would need to fit into the mood curve
appropriately. Ifthe caller would phone in within ten minutes, he or she would win a prize
package filled with 80's items: a Rubik’s Cube, a Trapper Keeper notebook with a
WMAX bumper sticker on it, a can ofmousse, a WMAX polo shirt, a Trivial Pursuit
game that features questions about the Eighties, a box of Jelly Bellies brand jelly beans, a
gift certificate to a video store for free rental of two movies, and one volume of the Livin’
in the Oblivion CD series (the CDS feature all 80's music). The winners would be
recorded and (with the listener’s permission) be placed in an on-air promo for the station
that would be placed between songs. All the promos would be rotated with each other.
How often they are rotated would depend on how many winners decide to do the promo.
The contest itself would last four weeks.

With this contest, everyone who enters would tune in to see if they won, and those
who do not enter could tune in and hear if anyone they know is announced. The winners
would receive unique prizes fiom the decade and the chance to have their own voice on
the radio. They would get to be sort of a local celebrity. They would also get to hear two
of their favorite songs played just for them. The station would expand and strengthen
their audience base, receive music programming preferences from the songs people list,
and would receive fresh promo material fi'om those who listen.

Another contest would require that the listeners exercise their puzzle solving skills.

92

Once a month for a year, an 80's personality would be “hidden” somewhere in the area of
WMAX’s market. IfWMAX would be in Lansing, the personality would be “hidden”
somewhere in the Lansing city limits. At the start of the month, the first clue would be
given to the whereabouts of the celebrity. The first celebrity could be Mr. T from the 80's
TV program, “The A-Team.” Two clues would be given per day, one during the morning
drive and one during the aflernoon drive daypart. The first five callers would receive the
chance to guess the location. The first clues given would be very general (Mr. T is in a
brick building). The callers that qualify would get one try to guess the area outlined in the
clue, such as the building Mr. T is in. The same caller could not call twice during the same
five-caller round. As clues are solved, the succeeding clues would become more specific.
Thefinalanswergivenhastobevery specificaboutthelocationavir. TisinSparrow
Hospital on the second floor in the ladies’ room by the waiting room in the third stall from
the right of the door). Whoever guesses the exact place will win $500 plus an Eighties
prize package, as in the postcard contest aforementioned. A new 80‘s celebrity would be
“hidden” each month. This contest would be fun and intriguing for participators and non-
participators who do not call in but just play along. The grand prize would be well worth
the listeners’ trouble of pondering and guessing locations. The winner would feel a real
sense of accomplishment. Having the celebrity be fi'om the 80's would efl‘ectively tie in
with the slogan of WMAX-We are the Eighties! It would also help the winner and other
listeners remember which station held the contest—the station with the All 80's format.
The last example of a contest for the “All 80's Format” asks listeners to be

personal and to share special memories of the decade. Participants would write in to the

93

station, describing a memory from the 80's that is associated with a certain song from the
80‘s. The memory associated with the song could be about a person, an event, a place, or
any combination. The memory could be fiinny, romantic, sentimental, or melancholy.
Memories that would include sexually explicit or unnecessarily violent material would not
be accepted. preople wish, they may use false names to protect identities. The entries
would be limited to 500 words or less. Entries would be judged by station stafl'ers for
emotion, descriptiveness, how the memory connects with the song, and grammar. The top
three entries would be picked and the names would be read on the air during the Breakfast
Club morning show. The winning memories would be read on the air by the morning
personalities, and the song mentioned in the memory would then be played. Ifthe author
would want the song to be dedicated to a special someone, he or she would note that in
the writing. The top memory would win a trip for two to anywhere in the continental US.
for a week (including round trip tickets, hotel accommodations, a rental car, and $500
spending money), plus the 80's prize package. Second place would receive a complete set
of Life magazines fi'om 1980-1989, 3100, plus the 80's prize package. Third place would
win the Livin’ in Oblivion series either on CD or cassette, $50, plus the 80's prize package
(excluding the one volume of the Livin’ in Oblivion, since the winner would have the
whole series). This contest reflects the format’s fimction as a soundtrack for the targeted
audience’s lives. The songs provide memories, and the format allows the audience to
relive those precious times that had been pushed to the side but not forgotten. The
contest allows the participants to share these memories with the community of 80's

children, who have similar memories and shared experiences. Those who do not

94
participate can enjoy hearing the winners’ entries on the air and thinking of their own
stories from the decade.

While the contests and prizes mentioned above all have an Eighties theme and
serve to have the listeners celebrate and remember the 1980's, these would not necessarily
have to be the only kind of contest and prize that the format would feature. Other ways of
focusing the prizes and contests to the targeted demographic include those that focus on
the listeners’ lifestyles. Since the targeted demographic is women ages 25 to 40, contests
and prizes that cater to their everyday life would be attractive and useful to the listeners
and could build the format’s audience base and increase loyalty. One such contest could
be a recipe contest where listeners would send in recipes for various categories of food,
such as main dishes, side dishes, salads, desserts and appetizers. One winner from each
category would be chosen by a panel of judges (local chefs and restaurant owners, for
instance), and each winner would receive their own personal chef for two weeks
(exlcluding weekends). The chefs would make nightly visits to the winners’ homes at a
time worked out by the winners and chefs and would cook the family dinner every
weeknight for two weeks. Since most women in the “All 80's Format” demographic work
out of the home and do not have much time for making meals, having this assistance
would be a wonderful and very appreciated gift, and they would have the “All 80's
Format” station to thank.

All of the examples of contests and the prizes mentioned are unique and targeted
for the format’s audience. Thus, they are examples of niche contesting, which sets the

contests apart from those on other formats and stations. It makes the format stand out

95

among the masses, and with it, the stations that carry the format, such as WMAX.
Positioning the station and format strongly in the listeners’ minds helps to let the listeners
understand the format and its function, its purpose for being on the airwaves. Listeners
remember what stands out in their mind and what they understand. The targeted audience
would feel the format and station is just for them, and this would increase loyalty. The
listeners would have a home on the radio dial. This is the goal of niche marketing-letting
the targeted audience know that there is a product just for them out there, and its easily

within reach.

Chapter 12

HUMAN NATURE: QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

Niche marketing requires detailed information about an intended, or targeted,
audience. Quantitative information that ratings give does not sufice; more qualitative
information is needed to truly distinguish one station and format fiom another. In larger
markets, the stations are separated by only fractions of a share point." The stations are all
addressing the same age and sex demographics. But audiences are more than just these
simple quantifiers. Advertisers need to know more about who they are marketing to when
they employ a station’s services. They want to know that the ads placed on the station
will reach the people who will purchase those products. Programmers need to know more
about who they are programming the format and station for so as to create programs that
will appeal to the targeted audience. Each format and station has listeners with difi‘erent
lifestyles, perceptions, desires, and behaviors. A group of people with the same age and
sex can have several different lifestyles and preferences. Ratings are just a start at
understanding the radio listening audience; this information needs to be supplemented with
more in-depth information, and qualitative research can provide this information.
Qualitative research can efl’ectively distinguish one radio station fi'om another.

Arbitron, the diary-based audience research service for radio, ofl’ers a service
named Arbitron Information on Demand, or AID. With this service, subscribers can

create customized audience analyses from Arbitron’s diary data base. Listener behavior

96

97

can be studied in more detail, as information including where, when, and how often
listeners tune in is provided directly to programmers to aid them in making decisions. AID
can calculate whether listeners listen during more than one daypart, whether listeners listen
exclusively to one station or are dividing their listening time between multiple stations, and
can track tune-in and tune-out. Specific demographics and geographic data based on ZIP
codes can be pinpointed, which is especially usefiil in larger markets. AID clients can run
the program on the station’s computer by direct access, or Arbitron can perform the
analysis. Although a very helpfirl tool, AID is quite expensive.”

A less expensive but much slower alternative to AID is a mechanical diary-a
printout of the information in the diaries that mention the client station. Like AID, it
provides insight into who is in the audience and what their behaviors are. Client stations
order mechanical diaries from Arbitron for analysis at the station. Since it is not on-line,
the service is slow, but it is just as helpful as the on-line service.”

With the information gathered fi'om AID and the mechanical diary, programmers
can make insightful scheduling decisions concerning music, news, promotions, and stop
sets. For instance, if the information shows that most listeners tune in to the station
between 7AM and 8AM, programmers can make sure that important promotional
information is included in that hour, such as information about contests. This would
encourage listenerstotuneinat othertimesofthe day.

Another type of qualitative research is geodemographic research. This “combines
an analysis of demographic variables with the geographic locations of subjects?“ Certain

attributes of audience members who live in areas defined by ZIP codes are fairly

98

consistent, and clusters of people can be labeled with specific characteristics. Measured
attributes include marital status and family composition, ethnicity, education, occupation
and income level, length of residency and mobility, and possessions of cars, appliances,
and household conveniences. This wealth of information can provide advertisers with
predictions of buying behavior and can provide programmers with information on lifestyles
and preferences that can be used to better focus the programming to the desired audience.
ClusterPlus and PRIZM are two geodemographic services that stations can employ.”

Research companies provide many computerized lifestyle or geodemographic data
bases that have great potential for channeling precise radio audience composition.
Expertise in the use of these computer-based systems is becoming more important in the
radio industry and will be a must for firture programming and advertising decisions.

Along with knowing the listeners’ lifestyles and preferences, programmers should
know what the audience wants fi'om a station—more music? Less news? Less music by a
certain artist or group? Also, what listeners think about a station should also be
determined. What kind of image do the listeners have about the station? What are the
likes and dislikes? What do the listeners think about the contests and ofl‘-air marketing
methods, such as TV ads?

In order to ensure objectivity, radio station employees usually do not conduct this
audience perception research on their own. Consultants fiom research companies are
hired to conduct tests and interviews with a sample group of listeners, and the results are
shown and explained to the station managers. By using the services of consulting

companies, the data gathered will be more valid and objective for more efl‘ective analysis

99

and decision making. If small market stations cannot afford a consultant, they can obtain
reports fiom the research.“5

Often the first step in perceptual research is to do focus group interviews. These
interviews involve six to eight people and a professional moderator who asks the questions
and directs and focuses the conversation on the topic or topics at hand, such as the
group’s opinions on a station’s morning show or a station’s contest. The interviews allow
radio programmers to gain insight on the opinions and behaviors of the listeners and why
they think what they think, help interpret other research data and embellish the information
in ratings reports, obtain audience perceptions about the station’s image, and develop
questions for representative survey research. Four or six focus group sessions should be
held in order to get enough information. The people chosen to be in the focus groups
should be screened carefirlly and should be those who are in the target audience of the
station.” For the All 80's format, the focus group participants should be people aged 25
to 40, with more women than men being included in the groups.

Focus group research does not give statistically representative results, due to only
a small amount of people being interviewed. The responses elicited from the focus group
respondents can be validated by doing a follow-up survey of a broader sample of the
targeted audience.” The larger survey will be more effective in that the focus group will
have yielded important insights that can provide focus to the survey. Without focus, the
large survey could ask the wrong questions, not enough questions, or even too many
questions. The larger survey could be done by phone, mall intercept, questionnaires, or by

having people call an 800 or 900 number to give their opinions. Phone surveys are the

100
most popular method of survey research in radio, as they are quick and not very
expensive.”

Since music is the most important programming element for most formats, radio
music research is done to gauge audience preferences. This research can track the
familiarity of songs, the burnout tolerance of songs, and audience reactions. Call-out
research and auditorium testing are two methods of gathering the information. Both
involve playing a hook (the most recognizable part of a song) fi'om every song and having
the respondent rate the song fiom 0 (never heard of the song) to 7 (one of my favorites).
Ifthe person is tired ofa song, he or she would give it a 3. Ifmany 3's are given for a
song, the song would be high on the burnout factor and should be put in lower rotation. If
a song receives many 7's, the song would be placed in higher rotation. ‘°°

As with focus groups, the respondents in music research should be screened to
ensure that those who listen to the format are the ones in the study. About 200 people
should be used in the sample, and the research should be done twice a month to keep the
playlists and rotation efl‘ectively updated. "’1

Auditorium testing, although more expensive than call-out research, is considered
more accurate and reliable by many consultants who do music testing. ”2 For auditorium
testing, people are screened and called in to an auditorium or a big room and about 200
hooks from songs played on the station are played over loudspeakers. Respondents then
write their responses on a sheet of paper. With auditorium testing, respondents are paid
to participate, and more hooks can be played than can be played when doing call-out

research An auditorium music test can last an hour and a half, while a call-out test, since

101

it is by phone, could only last 15 to 20 minutes. Two hundred hooks could not be played
in this amount of time. Also, in auditorium testing, respondents can not hang up as they
can during call-out research.

The auditorium testing method could also be done to do lifestyle research on the
intended audience. “’3 Questionnaires including questions about lifestyles, preferences,
behaviors, and personal characteristics could be handed out to all of the participants to
find out detailed information about who the targeted listening audience really is.

This qualitative research can result with a plethora of valuable information with
which to program and promote a radio station. WMAX would use this information to
choose new songs and delete songs from the playlist, construct promotion plans, and
design contests that the listeners can really enjoy, since their input was used. Qralitative
research and music testing are somewhat recent; music testing has only been done for
about ten years, while qualitative research is just getting ofl‘ the ground. ‘°‘ As radio
stations’ audience shares become smaller and similar in size, the need for this kind of
audience research becomes more significant in order to distinguish between stations and
who is listening to them. Ifa station wishes to cater to a certain audience, the station had

better know just who that audience is, where they are, and what they need.

Chapter 13

WE BUILT THIS CITY: SURVEYING THE LANSING MARKET

A survey of targeted listeners was taken via written questionnaire in order to elicit
radio habits, preferences, and opinions so as to help design the format. The respondents
were asked to record how many hours they listened to the radio, during what time periods
they most frequently listened, whether or not they switched stations oflen or listened to
one station exlusively, why they listen to the radio and why do they listen to the stations
they listen to most, when they enjoy listening to the radio the most, their dislikes about . '
radio stations, their favorite morning shows, their news and sports preferences, if they
entered radio contests, their favorite 80's artists and favorite comedians, and what kind of
music they would like to hear on an all 80's station. Also, a variety of demographic and
psychographic information was asked.

The surveys were distributed to different professors who are in the
Telecommunication Department at Michigan State University, and the professors handed
out the surveys in classes that included students at the Junior level or higher. Surveys
were also handed out in hallways in the Communication Building and in dormitories and
student apartments. The response rate for this survey is 72%. Sixty percent of the
respondents were male, and 40% were female, and the average age of the respondents was
24 years old. Having the male response rate higher than the women’s is problematic since
the “All 80's Format” focuses on women more than men. However, the average age of 24

is an advantage, since the respondents were born during the designated time frame of 1965

102

103

to 1975, which is the intended audience of the “All 80's Format.”

In addition to the written survey, two difi‘erent groups of individuals were asked to
give their evaluations of the proposed “All 80's Format.” One group consisted of students
that were in the demographic of the format. These individuals represented the format’s
listeners. The group consisted of 30% males and 70% females. All are Caucasions in
their twenties and at the time of the evaluation were either seniors in college or graduate
students. They were chosen while they were on the job at the campus radio station
WDBM-FM or in a Telecommunication class at a 400 or above level. The other group
consisted of program directors from various radio stations with difl'erent formats. This
group represented the professional point of view. All directors were Caucasian males
ranging in age fi'om mid-twenties to mid-forties. They were chosen from a listing of radio
stations in the Lansing yellow pages and contacted both by letter and by phone. Those
who responded were included in the focus group.

Both the listener and professional groups were asked to listen to a demonstration
tape of what the “All 80's Format” would sound like. The results from the questionnaire
survey aforementioned influenced the content of this demonstration tape. The groups of
students and program directors listened to the tape, wrote down comments, and
afterwards a discussion was held about the individual’s opinions and suggestions
concerning the design and content of the format. They were also asked to look at a
pamphlet of papers that included Table 1, Figures 2 and 3, and descriptions of the music
categories, specialty shows, and contests and promotions. All of the respondents who

took either the written survey or who were involved in the evaluation of the demonstration

104

tape were located in the Lansing radio market, which would be an example market for the
“All 80's Format” due to the demographics of the market and the businesses that are in the
market.

The Lansing market consists of three counties: Clinton, Ingham, and Eaton. The
total population is approximately 434,000, with 219,000 females and 215,000 males.
About 111,000 people are between the ages of25 and 40. For each county, this age
demographic is the largest. Most of the pe0ple in this age bracket are married, have some
college, and have two workers in the household. Manufacturing, retail, educational
services, public administration, and health services are the main industries in this market.
The average commute to and from work is quite short—l 5 to 30 minutes, with most
people leaving their homes in the morning between 7 and 8:30AM. This would be a prime
time for advertisers to get their message on the air as people commute to work Other
commute periods are noon to 4PM, and 5 to 8PM. ‘°’

Advertisers in the Lansing market that would want to advertise on the “All 80's
Format” station would include restaurants, pizzerias, cofl‘ee and bagel shops, bars and
clubs, clothing stores, record stores, car dealerships, beauty shops and barber shops,
firrniture stores, electronic stores, grocers and discount stores, gifl shops, party stores,
insurance companies, health clubs, jewelers, apartment complexes, and banks. These are
products and services that are most important to the targeted demographic—women aged
2535. Men in this age bracket are the second most important targeted demographic.

As for competing stations for this demographic group of the “All 80's Format”, the

competing formats would be CHR and Adult Contemporary stations that include some

105

80's songs in their playlists as well as Country stations. In the Lansing market, the stations
WFMK FM (Adult Contemporary), Z 101.7 (CI-IR), and WITL (Country) would be the
stations in competition with WMAX 98.5 FM. However, the “All 80's Format” has its
unique niche of being the only station that focuses on all 80's music, and is the only format
that includes comedy bits throughout the day rather than just during morning drive time.
The audiences of the other stations could be drawn to the new and unique format out of
interest. Hopefiilly, many of them would enjoy the new format so much, they would
choose it over the other competing stations. Otherwise, all four stations’ audiences
would share the same audience. What station gets the biggest share depends on how well
each station caters to its audience and markets itself.

The next chapter details what the questionnaire respondents and the participants in
the demonstration tape evaluation had to say about radio in general and about the “All 80's

Format.”

CHAPTER 14

TELL IT TO MY HEART: SURVEY RESULTS

The written questionnaire was distributed three months before the “All 805
Format” demonstration tape was produced. This survey served to obtain the targeted
listeners’ opinions, likes and dislikes about radio, as well as their listening habits. The
results of this survey were calculated after 72% of the surveys were returned and were
used to help create the demonstration tape.

The first section of the questionnaire asked respondents to recall their radio
listening habits. The males in the survey listen to the radio 2.5 hours per weekday and 2.7
hours per weekend day, females listen 2.3 hours per weekday and 2.9 hours per weekend
day. For all the respondents, most listen to the radio during the 6-10AM daypart during
the weekday (33%), followed by the 3-7PM daypart (32%), 10AM-3PM (28%), 7PM-
12AM (21%), and 12-6AM (5%). During the weekend, the respondents listen during the
10AM-3PM daypart most often (43%), followed by 7PM-12AM (28%), 3-7PM (22%), 6-
10AM (14%) and 12-6AM (4%).

When listening, most of the females (69%) listen to one station exlusively, while
28% switch back and forth between several stations. On the other hand, more of the
males switch back and forth (56%) than listen to only one station (42%). Most of the
females enjoy listening to the radio in the evening (45%), while most of the males enjoy
listening in the morning (42%). An equal number of males enjoy listening during the

afternoon and evening (28%), while 34% of the females enjoy listening during the morning

106

107

and only 14% during the aflernoon.

The next section called for respondents to relate how they used radio and what
they liked and disliked about radio. As for why the targeted listeners surveyed listen to
the radio, most listen for entertainment. Other reasons include using radio as background
music, as an information source, as a relaxation tool, and as a way to wake up. When
asked why they listen to a particular station, the respondents listed the music as the most
important reason, followed by the Djs and the news updates, which equalled in
importance. The most common complaints included the stations having too many
commercials (although this was even listed as a complaint for those who listen to stations
that do not have commercials, such as the MSU student radio station WDBM 88.9 FM).
The other two most common complaints involved the two most important reasons why
listeners choose to listen to certain stations—the nursic and the announcers. Respondents
said that the Djs talked to much and sometimes sounded fake and “stupid.” Also,
respondents complained that the songs were repeated too oflen and that the playlist was
too short. They wish for more variety in the songs played.

Only 35% of those surveyed had a favorite radio morning show, but of those who
did, they enjoyed the mix of humor, music, and information. However, they stated that
there was too much talk and desire more music to wake themselves up. Also, most did
not think that the content in their morning show should be included in the programming in
the afiemoon or night.

The next section of the questionnaire asked for news preferences. Both males and

females think news updates are important, and desire news most often during the morning

l 08

drive period (6-10AM). Early evening updates are also desired, followed by late night
updates. Local news was considered most important, followed by national news, state
news, and international news, respectively. Both males and females considered sports not
very important, but they do desire some sports coverage, with professional teams being
the most important, followed by college and high school teams, respectively.

When considering radio contests, the respondents do not participate often-only
1.5 times per year on average. When asked what contests they either heard about or
participated in were most memorable, respondents listed contests that involved prizes of
concert tickets, compact discs, trips, and money. A few respondents said that they tried to
win a prize they wanted and were close to winning, but did not win.

The next section of the survey focused on the proposed programming of the “All
80's Format.” According to the results, most of the respondents said they listened to Top
40 music during the 1980's. Hard rock and altemative/punk rock follow Top 40 as the
second and third types of music most listened to. Rap and R&B follow alternative rock.
Very few respondents listened to country during the decade. When asked what kinds of
music they would like to hear on an all 80's station, most respondents chose alternative
rock, followed by heavy metal, easy listening, and R&B. Rap music was less desired, and
only a few desired country music.

The 80's artists most often listed as the respondents favorites include Bryan
Adams, Genisis, Prince, Michael Jackson, Wham/George Michael, Duran Duran,
Madonna, U2, The Police! Sting, Men at Work, and Depeche Mode. As for the most well-

liked comedians, Eddie Murphy, Jerry Seinfeld, Jefl‘ Foxworthy, Sam Kinison, Bill Cosby,

109
Steve Martin, Adam Sandler, George Carlin, Robin Williams, Babcat Goldwaite, John

Belushi and Dan Akroyd were listed most oflen.

The last section asked for demographic information and some psychographic
information so as to try and find out more about the demographic. The targeted listeners
surveyed have similar characteristics according to the information collected. They watch
television three hours or less per day, use the Internet three hours or less per week, read at
least one newspaper three times per week on average, rent three or fewer movies per
month, and purchase two compact discs per month. Less than half belong to either a
music or movie club, and about half subscribe to magazines. Of those who subscribe to
magazines, they subscribe to entertainment, fashion, and information magazines the most
(examples include Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, Details, Cosmopolitan, Time,
and Newsweek). About 95% 'of those surveyed like to travel and do so often (five times
or more per year out-of-state and five times or more out of the country during their
lifetime). Most believe that their peers are living in a troubled economy and that their
daily lives are filled with much stress. Slightly more respondents felt more optimistic
about life ten years ago than they currently feel. Most do not think that the lyrics to
current songs are depressing, and do not necessarily prefer optimistic songs over songs
that are less optimistic. Most value peer support and are willing to take risks. Although
making money is important to success for the respondents, having a satisfying career is
more important.

Due to the responses of the survey, the “All 80's Format” would include mostly

Top 40 music from the decade, since that was the music most listened to during the

 

110

decade. Top 40 music would be played during every daypart. Alternative rock would
also be included in every daypart, especially during the morning and afternoon drive time
periods, since this is when most people are listening. Hard rock would be included in the
morning hours and the evening hours, but would be put in low rotation during the
afternoon hours so not to irritate those concentrating at work. After 5:00PM, hard rock
songs would be put in higher rotation. Easy listening and R&B would be put in higher
rotation during the aftemoon hours, but would be the lowest rotation during the morning
drive period, since many easy listening and R&B songs are at a slow tempo. Since many
females enjoy listening during the evening and like easy listening and R&B more than
males, and considering that the format is skewed toward females, easy listening and R&B
would be included in the evening hours, but at a lower rotation than during the afternoon.
The evening hours would include a higher rotation of Top 40, alternative, and hard rock.
The easy listening and R&B would be played when the composite mood curve is at its
lowest point in its cycle. Therefore, a hard rock song with a high tempo would not
immediately precede or follow a slow easy listening or R&B song. Top 40 or alternative
songs would be between the hard rock and easy listening/R&B songs to aid in the flow
fi'om high to medium to low tempo songs. Rap songs would be put in the lowest rotation
and would only be played during morning drive time or during the evening hours. The
comedians listed as people’s favorites would be put in the highest rotation, and a variety
of bits from those comedians would be included to aid in preventing burnout of their
routines.

For the morning show “The Breakfast Club,” although humor and talk would be

111
included, music would still be the main focus in the programming mix. Listeners enjoy the
humor and information, but still wish to be entertained with music more than any other
programming element. The talk that is included would feature bits about what is found in
newspapers and magazines that are most often read by the listeners so as to keep in touch
with the audience’s interests and concerns (i.e. “Did you read the article in Entertainment
Weekly about...”). Relating to the listeners as peers is one of the best ways of drawing a
loyal audience that feels at home with the station.

After the demonstration tape for the “All 80's Format” was produced, the student
group which represented the listeners of the format gave their evaluation of the proposed
format. Their opinions are important as they would be the ones to actually use the station
for their own gratifications. However, having only the students’ evaluations would lead to
slanted results. The listeners do not know the inner workings of a radio format and do not
fiilly understand the business of radio. The listeners pay more attention to the musical
artists played than to the intricate design of the format. This is why program director
evaluations were also gathered. These individuals understand radio formatics-it is their
job. They know the methods of efl‘ectively scheduling the various events in the format:
stop sets, news, liners, and music categories. They understand how ratings work and how
well a station could survive the ratings system. Program directors also would consider
external promotions, research, station image, and how to market to the targeted audience.
Progranuners know radio is a business, not just a form of entertainment. They would be
able to ofl‘er a more professional viewpoint which could difi‘er greatly from the listener or

layman viewpoint. Incorporating the two groups of evaluations allows for a more

112

comprehensive summary of how well the format would work if put into motion.

After they listened to the demonstration tape of what the format would sound like
during various dayparts and days of the week and examined the pamphlet of tables and
figures, the listeners were asked a series of questions. The first question asked if they
were familiar with the 80's songs featured. All listeners responded positively: “The songs
brought back a lot of memories.” They said that the songs were ones that they would
enjoy hearing again. When asked if the music mix worked well and if there was enough
variety, all listeners responded yes. However, there was a concern by some about keeping
a fresh mix due to the songs all being from the same decade with no new songs. Most
agreed that the music flowed well and were satisfied with the pacing. One wished the
pace could have been faster. As for the comedy, all liked the mix of comedy and music:
“The comedy adds meat (to the format)” However, many were confused about the 90's
comedy mixed in with the 80's music. They were not sure how the comedy related to the
80's music. Several noted that only 80's comedy should be included. One noted that
comedy should only be included during the morning and aflemoon drive dayparts rather
than having it across all the dayparts. All of the listeners enjoyed the specialty shows
(Michael and Madonna Monday, The Big Hair Blox, Then and Now, The Top 10, and
Soundtrack Sunday). They thought the show ideas were novel, fun, and “a great way to
remember the 80's.”

As for the news, most agreed that they wanted news and were satisfied with the
times scheduled in the format (morning drive, 3PM, 5PM, 7PM, 11PM). They liked the

idea of naming the newscasts in order to distinguish between them: “It gives (the

1 13
newscasts) identity.” The listeners favored the Smile Story and the Back in the Day
segments of the morning news: “They are a good change of pace.” They noted, though,
that they do not want to be bombarded with news. They desired quick updates, and
wanted to return to the music quickly.

The listeners all really enjoyed the bumpers and sweepers featured in the format,
saying that they were “lively” and “fun” and that they give the station a positive image and
make the station memorable. They were impressed by the production; “(It’s) one of the
station’s best assets—it catches your attention.” Some gave some creative ideas about
other liners, such as having 90's musical artists name their favorite 80's artists and having
listeners giving quick descriptions of their first or favorite 80's concert. Most agreed with
the placement of the liners after every two or three songs. Only one person felt “jingled
out.”

The contests and promotions described in the pamphlet and featured in the tape
pleased the listeners. They thought the ideas were unique and fun, and most would want
to participate in the contests. They agreed that some of the prizes should have an Eighties
theme, and thought that cash prizes were the best. Some ofl‘ered other contest ideas, such
as ofl‘ering listeners who wanted to get rid of an Eighties hairstyle or Eighties fashions a
chance to get a Nineties makeover. This contest, however, puts the Eighties in a negative
light, insinuating that items from the decade are undesirable and should be pitched-
forgotten about.

Feedback concerning the morning show, The Breakfast Club, contained both

positive and negative comments. The listeners favored the energy and show content,

114

namely the video game contest and “The Top 5 Ways You Can Tell if You are an 80's
Child.” They liked that the hosts gave the song titles and artists often, and enjoyed the
host interplay and production. However, some thought that the hosts talked too much,
and stayed on one subject for too long. Some wanted a faster pace. One thought the
show was too fast-paced, and that the hosts bantered back and forth too much. But
overall, the listeners said the show was fiin to listen to and that they would tune in to wake
up in the morning. One noted “Yes, the show would wake me up, providing that I didn’t
change the channel during the program (because of the hosts’ bantering).”

The listeners’ overall impressions of the format were positive, saying that the
format is “a nice alternative to what is already on the radio”and that the format was fiin.
Onelistenernotedthatitputherinagoodmoodandmadeherwanttogodancing. The
listeners thought that the Djs should be from the 1980's in order to make the format more
believable and genuine. The Djs in the demonstration tape often used 80's lingo, and the
listeners enjoyed that. One suggested that the Djs should be tested to see in which daypart
they fit best. All the listeners said that they would listen to the station if it were in their
area. It may not be their favorite station that they listen to exclusively, but they would
tune in often.

The program directors were all male, but came fi'om various formats: oldies,
country, alternative rock, Top 40/CI-IR (contemporary hit radio), and AOR
(album-oriented rock). Like the listeners, the PD’s were handed a pamphlet of what the
format looked like on paper, including the logs for the difl'erent dayparts, the clocks for

the news and st0p sets, and descriptions of the music categories, specialty shows, and

115

promotions. A series of questions were asked, but the questions difi‘ered fi'om those of the
listeners due to the programmers’ expertise of the radio business. The first question asked
how the format would fare in the ratings system. Four said that the format would perform
medium to well, depending on the market. One director thought the format would not
fare well, noting that the format was “too broad” and was not focused enough. Another
advised “Anytime you do a narrowly targeted format you have to be absolutely sure there
is enough of an audience to support the format.” When asked if the format would work
well with external promotions, four said it would, and one didn’t think the format was
focused enough to do well with external promotion. One director stated that promotions
“could be huge—if the music, information and personalities all work well, (too). Stations
that promote well do not always win (in the ratings)” All but one of the directors said
that the format would perform well with the targeted audience. One director feared that
the audience would get tired of the format easily, and advised that the station should start
playing only the “killer songs”-the top hits of the decade. Then, once the audience’s
attention is grabbed, broaden the play list and play the songs that were not as popular but
are still familiar. This would make the mix sound fresh to the listeners.

The program directors did not think that the method of scheduling the news
presented would work with the listeners. They thought that there was too much news and
noted that less is more. The market would have to be examined in order to know the best
way to handle news. Is there another news outlet in the market? One director noted
“News is efl‘ective during the morning drive. Outside (of that), listeners want music. If

they want news, they will go to AM news stations, newspapers, or TV.” The directors

116

said that lifestyle news content would work best with the targeted audience.

All of the directors thought that the format would work in Lansing, but how well
would be “a shot in the dark.” They said that the format would work best in major
markets, due to the format being a niche format. One director even stated that the format
would work best in warm climates-it would work as a party format. When considering
what kind of audience research would be best for the format, the directors listed music
testing as the most important. One noted that even some 90's songs should be tested,
since some 90's songs are perceived as 80's songs by listeners. He also stated, “Too many
stations guess and play their favorite songs. (The listeners’ favorite songs) should be
played oflen—test the library before you air the music.” Perceptual testing (how listeners
perceive the station) was also named as important research, as well as call-out and
promotional research.

As for the music categories, three said that they would work, while two disagreed.
One advised that the categories be separated by where the songs placed on the chart: Top
5, Top 15-6, Top 30-16, etc. Another said that the turnover of the top songs (the songs
that test the best with the listeners) should be high so listeners can hear their favorite
songs often. “What you want to do,” one director advised, “is eliminate the possibility
that someone will hit their button for another station. Now that there are so many choices
on the radio dial, it’s that much more important to play only the best songs.”

All of the directors thought that the station’s imaging was favorable, but one noted
it could be more direct. Another thought the imaging could be broadened, and that

branding the music played by using the station’s fiequency and branding the frequency to

117

the image would make the station’s image stronger. In addition, including promos that
quickly detailed how and when the listeners can use the format (i.e. listening on the way to
work or during the day at work) would help the listener know why the station exists and
why they should stay tuned to the station in order to gratify their needs. When discussing
outside marketing of the station, the directors listed TV, billboards, cable, and “direct
marketing via mail, calls and promotions.” A director noted that giving something to the
listeners through the mail—giving them something they can actually touch—will allow the
listeners to remember the station better when the time comes to write in their Arbitron
diaries what stations they listen to. Another director advised to start soflly for the first
few months, then get into more heavy marketing.

The last question asked if audience size or audience loyalty is more important.
Three said size was more important. One said that it depended on the station’s sales
goals. Another director stated “Loyalty doesn’t exist. A listener may listen to you every
day, yet when they fill out a diary, they might not even give you credit. The station that
markets and attracts the most diary keepers wins.” One program director summed up the
job of programming best: “You want people to only need your station and nothing else.
That alone is the ultimate programming challenge.”

These evaluations prove that designing a format involves a lot of insight into what
is needed by the radio market as a whole and what is needed and desired by the targeted
audience. Nothing should be lefl to chance. Every detail is important. Some of the
details are passed over when creating the format’s design, which is why the suggestions of

the listeners and program directors were so valuable, such as pointing out the confiision

1 18
caused by including 90's comedy with 80's music. The listeners and program directors had
very compelling comments, and the two groups conflicted between and within their
separate groups. For instance, within the listener group, some liked the fiequency of the
sweepers, while others thought there were too many. Some program directors thought
that the format would work in Lansing, while others didn’t think it would.

The two groups conflicted between each other, as expected, since they each have
difl‘erent viewpoints of what radio is about. The groups conflicted the most about the
music. The listeners loved the variety, while the program directors said the music was too
broad and that only the top songs should be played. The program directors’ points are
quite valid—there should be a limited play list. However, the program directors’
limitations were a bit too rigid for this format, which focuses on the variety of the music of
the 1980's. The listeners’ desire for a wide variety of 80‘s songs illustrates that variety is
needed within this format. The Top 10 songs that are played on a lot of other stations (i.e.
“Come On Eileen” by Dexy’s Midnight Runners) should not be the only songs featured,
but 80's songs that are not heard so often but still were chart-hitting songs, such as “Sugar
Free” by Wa Wa Nee. The song is familiar, even though it may not have been as popular
or as frequently played during the decade as the hits by Duran Duran and Madonna.
Listeners would enjoy hearing those rare 80's tunes that they haven’t heard in many years
and would be pleased by the station’s novelty: “Oh my gosh! I had forgotten about that
song. This is great! I can still remember some of the words. This station has really done
its 80's music research—they really had to dig deep to find this one. No other station still

plays this one. Why not?” Of course, music research is very essential. But surprising the

119

listeners with songs they haven’t heard in many years is a great reward for them, and that
would keep them coming back for more, wondering when they will hear another rare 80's
song to which they can still hum the tune.

Conflicting statements can cause confusion about whose comments are more
worthy. Which are the most important ones that one should take note of and which are
the ones that should be disregarded? With the listeners, they may not know the business
of radio, but they would be the ones to actually use the station. The station would be for
the listener, ultimately. Without listeners, the station could not get advertisers, and
therefore the station could not make money. On the other hand, the program directors
had the most helpful, specific comments about designing the format. They knew what
details need to be attended to when creating a format; they know what works and what
doesn’t. They know that radio is a business, and money needs to be made before the
listeners can be entertained and informed. Basically, it is a question of which comes first-
the chicken or the egg? Is the business side of radio more important than pleasing
listeners? The station needs money to operate, but money cannot be made without the
listeners being there for the advertisers to sell to, and unsatisfied listeners will not tune in.
The best way to explain the situation is to say that both sides of radio-business and
entertainment—are equally important. They both need each other to make commercial
radio work. In other words, both the listeners’ and program directors’ comments are
equally important and all should be taken into consideration. When the two groups
conflict, a happy medium needs to be determined.

Both groups did agree for the most part that this format would work, with a few

120

changes. The listeners were excited and said they wished that an all 80's station were on
the radio currently. They believed that radio needs this format. The program directors
claimed this format would be most successful in a major market. This format could work
very well in a major market as well as in any area with a large university and where this
format is needed by the audience it is targeted for. The unique twist of having All 80's
music with comedy would interest listeners, and in turn would interest advertisers. The
format could make money and entertain at the same time, the mark of any successful

format.

Chapter 15

RADIO GA-GA: CLOSING STATEMENTS

The art of radio formatics is certainly intricate. Not only does the entertainment
side of radio need to be considered, but the business side as well. How the format is
designed not only afi‘ects how the audience is entertained, but also afl’ects the station’s
profit. If stop sets are scheduled too short, for instance, not enough advertisers would be
able to buy air time, and this would cut into profits. But too many commercials would
turn ofl’ the listeners, which in turn would not please advertisers wishing to reach
consumers and would lead to lower profits. The way all the elements of a format are
scheduled—music, news and information, commercials—as well as the personalties,
marketing and promotion all have significant consequences on how well a format will
work. The market also makes an impact on the format’s success, for if the market does
not have the audience that will be attracted to this format, the station with that format will
find itselfin trouble. Research is needed to test the market, the music and other elements,
and marketing-nothing should be lefl to chance.

The design of the “All 80's Format” needs tweaking due to the results of the
evaluations mentioned in the previous chapter. One program director stated that there are
fourareasofaradioformatthatneedtoallworkinsyncsoastoensureasuccessfiil
format, and a successful station. These four areas are music, information, personalities,
and promotion/marketing, in order of importance. The “All 80's Format” was reevaluated

in each of these four areas, and the following alterations have been made.

121

122

With the music, the station with the “All 80's Format” would start of with a
somewhat tight playlist of only the top hits of the 80's-the most familiar artists (Duran
Duran, Cyndi Lauper, Madonna) and one-hit wonder songs (“Mickey” by Toni Basil,
“Come on Eileen” by Dexy’s Midnight Runners, and “Tainted Love” by Soft Cell). Afier
a few months of this “introduction” of the format, the playlist would be broadened to the
songs and artists that listeners may not have heard in awhile (Samantha Fox, Men Without
Hats, Taco) but still recognize. While the top songs and artists would be kept in higher
rotation, the less popular songs would be in lower rotation, and the playlist would change
every week. Some songs would be taken out of rotation (likely to return after a period of
time), and other songs would be put in a higher or lower rotation, depending on their
former rotation. For instance, if the song “One Night in Bangkok” by Murray Head was
in low rotation, it would be put in medium rotation, and a song in medium rotation, such
as “I Ran” by Flock of Seagulls, would be put in high rotation. All songs would be tested
by using auditorium testing, since that is the most reliable and effective way of music
testing. Due to the onset of telemarketing, few people are willing to take the time to
participate in any kind of research over the phone, even if it involves listening to music
clips.

As for the music categories, they would remain as originally created (Number One
Hits, Groups, Solo Female, Solo Male, Nostalgia/One Hit Wonders, and Comedy), but
music genre would be added as a filter when choosing which song will follow another.
The filter of tempo would be kept, but mood and texture would be deleted, since tempo is

the most importam and most easily labeled out of the three characteristics. The musical

123
genres would include Pop (P), Alternative (A), R&B (R), and Other (0) (which would

include rap/hip hop and hard rock). No more than three P songs would be allowed back
to back, while with the A and R songs, no more than two would be allowed back to back.
The 0 category would be the least played, and only one would be allowed at a time. The
tempo filters would be labeled as such: Fast (1), Medium (2) and Slow (3). The tempo
would follow along the mood curve as mentioned before (fast-medium—slow-medium-
fast), but without the consideration of the texture and mood. No more than three fast or
medium songs would, be allowed back to back, and only two slow tempo songs would be '
allowed in a row. This music categorization is to ensure the most variety and a smooth
progression fiom one song to another.

None of the specialty shows would be altered except for the Big Hair Blox. The
current program design lasts four hours and includes two blocks of three songs in a row
per hour from 80's hard rock bands that featured members with long hair that stuck out in
all directions. The rest of the hour would be regularly scheduled music. However, there
is question about the feasibility of having an hour of music which included a song by Janet
Jackson followed by a song by Bon J ovi. The listeners may find this bothersome. They
could be alienated and turn the station ofi‘. True, the personality would introduce each Big
Hair Block beforehand—that way the listeners would know that a small shifl in
programming would be occurring and to expect some heavier rock. Ifthey wish, listeners
could call in and request bands and/or songs they wanted to hear. But this may not be
suficient enough. The shift back and forth between the light, dancy pop music and the

sound of wailing guitars and screaming vocals could be too much for the listener to

124

handle, and therefore would not work efi’ectively. Perhaps the better way to handle the
Big Hair Blox is to have a one hour program where listeners would call in and request big
hair bands they wanted to hear. The bands that are chosen would be the bands to be
featured on the program, and three songs from each band would be played in a row. For
instance, if someone were to call in and request Bon Jovi, three songs fiom that group
would be chosen, such as “Livin’ on a Prayer,” “You Give Love a Bad Name,” and
“Runaway.” The program would last an hour because two continuous hours of constant
hard rock music on this format could alienate the audience and the listeners could begin to
wonder if the station had switched formats: “Is this a hard rock station or is it All 80's?”
Ifthe show became quite popular, and a lot of listeners would call in and request bands,
the show could be lengthened on a trial basis to see if two hours would work. But the Big
Hair Blox program, designed in this new way, would not go beyond two hours (8 to 10
PM). It would depend on listener response whether or not the program would last longer
than an hour.

As for the comedy, the listeners and program directors who stated that only 80's
comedy should be included had a very good point. Playing an 80's song with a 90's
comedy clip would confuse listeners: “What is this Jefi’ F oxworthy doing on this All 80's
station? Is it all 80's or not?” However, the view that comedy should be limited to the
morning drive and afternoon drive is not as valid. Listeners can certainly laugh during
other parts of the day. Enjoying good humor should not be limited by time. Having
comedy all day long would work well—the listeners would enjoy the variety provided by

the parodies and comedy clips from favorite comedians such as Bill Cosby, Bobcat

Table l—Weekday Daypart Sequences

km W HEM
:00 Red :00 Red :00 Red
Green Green‘ Green"
Thue/I‘enspfl‘alk Yellow/Black Yellow/Black
Blue“
:10 News 2 V: min. Purple :10 News
Spots 5 min. Talk Spots
Weather/Talk Weather“
:10 News 2 min. (3PM, 7PM, 11PM)
:20 Spots 5 min.
:18 YelowIBIaek Weather‘ :18 Blue
Blue Purple“
The/Temp/I'alk :26 Red Red
Green‘ Green“
:30 Purple Black/Yellow Black/Yellow
Red' Blue‘I Blue“
Green Purple‘ Tinsefl'esnpfl‘alk
Talk Red
:40 Spots
:49 Communlty Calender Weather“
:45 Red
:50 Spots 4 V: min. Green“
Weather‘ Yellow/Black
Blue
:40 News 2 Va ruin. :55 Green Purple
Spots 5 min.
Weather/Spurn"
:51 Green
Talk
Yellow/Black
12:15am
:00 Red :20 Spots4V: mm. :50 Spots4mln.
Green' Weather* Weather‘
Yellow
Blue* :25 Red :54 Green
Purple Green‘ Yellow/Black
Thnefl‘emp/I’alt Black
Blue“
Purple
Red“
Thnefl’empfl'alk

mm: All Request, Commercial Free Lunch Break. Monday-Friday

*: Designates when a jingle is to be played.
Talk includes backselling the last three songs played and hillboardlng the next three or four artists to

be played after the scheduled break.

125

 

:10 News

:18 Yello
Blue
Time

Red
Greer
Tints}

140 News
Spou
Wax

Tune
Y elk

2mm

:00 Red
Green
TimerI‘emp/Talk

:10 News 2 V: min.
Spots5mln.
Weather/Talk

:18 Yellow/Black
Blue
Timel'l‘empl'l‘alk

:30 Purple
Red
Green
Timefl‘empl'l‘alk

:40 News 2 V: min.
Spots 5 min.
Weather/Sports’

:51 Green
Tlmel'I‘emp/Talk
Yellow/Black

:00 Red
Green'
Yellow
Black"
Blue
Red

mm: All request, Commercial Free Lunch Break, Monday-Friday

Table 2—Revised Daypart Sequences

:20

:26

:49

:50

:55

Time/Talk

Spots 5 min.
Weather‘

Green
Black
Yellow“
Purple'
Blue
Red
Green

Community Calender

Spots 4 Y; minutes
Weather“

Black
Blue

Spots 4 V: min.
Weather‘

Green
Black“
Yellow“
Purple‘
Blue

Red
Green‘I
Yellow
Tlmefl’alk

*:Designates when a jingle is to he played
Talk includes backselling the last three songs played and billboarding the next three or four artists to
be played after the scheduled break.

126

:00 Red
Greren‘I
Yellow

Spots
Weather

:18 Black
Blue‘
Purple‘

Green‘
Black
Yellow‘II
Blue

:40 Spots
Weather‘

:45 Red
Green“I
Yellow
Black‘
Blue

:50 Spots 4 min.
Weather‘

:54 Black
Blue

 

Golda
away 5
Therefc
within t.
an hour,
provide r
hour. Br

changed.

127
Goldwaite, and Weird Al Yankovic. But having too much of the comedy would take

away fiom the flow of the 80's music, which is the main concentration of the format.
Therefore, the fi'equency of when the Comedy category (the Purple category) is placed
within the hour should be altered. The frequency would be cut down and only aired once
an hour, near the :30 mark. Keeping the comedy clip at the same time every hour would
provide consistency—listeners would expect to hear a comedy clip at the bottom of every
hour. Because of this alteration, the weekday daypart sequences would need to be
changed. Tables 1 and 2 on pages 125 and 126 show the changes.

To ensure a smooth segue from music to comedy, each comedy clip would be
preceded by a comedy jingle to let the listener know that the comedy bit is to follow. A
jingle would be played after the comedy clip to sweep from the comedy back to the music.

The next consideration is the news and information of the All 80's format. The
program directors’ advice that news should only be included during morning drive and
afternoon drive is valid and would be taken into effect. Listeners do not depend on radio
to keep them constantly up-to-date on the news. Listeners want to hear their favorite
music over everything else. Ifthey want news, listeners will turn to the newspaper or
television, and some will even tune into an AM station with an All News format. If a
station is to do news, it should be the best, otherwise it should not bother. In the case of
the Lansing market, WITL is seen as the leader in radio news. It features news every
hour. Why should other stations compete? The listeners in the market are familiar with
WITL’s news image, and any other station’s news would just be lost in the shufie and

would be considered a nuisance. The news on WMAX 98.5 would be changed in the

 

 

followil
would b
headline
deals Mi
being int;
news, am
need for I
Day Stor
the news
the voicq
person w

aliftdat:

 

Story Of
lhe “emu
0f the n

Weeker

They ,
a few ‘
Comm
Persom

Probab

128

following way—no news during the 3PM, 7PM, or 12AM hours. The morning news
would be kept the same, with one lifestyle news clip added to the other important
headlines. This is due to the targeted audience (women aged 20-40) desiring news that
deals with improving their way of living. What foods are healthiest? What new drug is
being introduced to help with weight loss or cancer? This demographic group needs this
news, and having one short lifestyle news clip per newscast would fiilfill the audience’s
need for both the local headlines as well as lifestyle tips. The Smile Story and Back in the
Day Story would be scheduled the same. Also, the same morning newscaster would read
the news every morning during all of the news breaks. That reporter would then become
the voice of the morning news-the listeners would come to know that voice and trust that
person with the newscasts. During the 5PM hour, one 2 ‘/2 minute newscast would be
aired at :10, and one lifestyle clip would be included in that newscast as well. A Smile
Story or a Back in the Day Story would not be included in this “Drive-Home Edition” of
the news. Whoever the aftemoon drive personality is would be the one to read this edition
of the news, unless the news budget can allow for a separate newscaster. During
weekends, no news would be scheduled.

The personalities of WMAX would have to be energetic, but sincere and real.
They would have to treat the listeners as peers, as friends that they would go out and have
a few drinks with. This goes along with the format’s ideal of the 80's community sharing
conunon backgrounds and memories from the decade. Ifa song would remind the
personality of a certain fiinny story, the person should share it. The listeners would

probably relate somehow to the personality’s experience and would appreciate his or her

 

willingm
each stat
infomtati:
the sound
the person
otherwise
songs to t
added to t

not need 1

 

Madonna
include it
of the so
if time p
60mm '
alter the
lemind t
happene
high so!
actual]3
efiechv
helped 1
did not ;

129

willingness to share. The personalities would be scheduled to talk twice an hour before
each stop set, but for only a minute or so. No rambling would be allowed, and any
information should be straight to the point. Too much information would only bog down
the sound and confuse the listeners, as well as annoy them. During the rest of the hour,
the personalities would be allowed to talk during the beginning of three or four songs,
otherwise known as “talking up the ramp.” The personality would get to choose which
songs to talk during, although it would be strongly advised that any song that is being
added to the playlist be given special attention. The most popular songs and artists would
not need to be talked about very oflennthe listeners would know that the song was by
Madonna and the name of the song was “Like A Virgin,” for instance. The talk would
include naming the artist and year of the song that is ending (backsell), the artist and year
of the song that is beginning (fiontsell), what artists that are coming up (billboarding), and
if time permits, any important happenings at the station (contests/promotions) or in the
community. Events concerning the station would be most important item to talk about
after the billboarding of the artists. The year of the songs would be given in order to
remind the listener of when that song was popular and perhaps to spark memories of what
happened during that year (Gee, what was I doing back in 1983? Oh, I was a freshman in
high school! Boy, those were the days. . .). Preferably, all of the personalities would
actually be from the 80's generation. They would be able to relate to the audience most
efi’ectively, since they have a special tie with the music being played and the events that
helped to shape their lives while growing up during the Eighties. Having a personality that

did not relate to the Eighties could hamper the station’s sincerity. The listener would be

 

 

able (0}
doesn't i
personali
in the da:

80’s soun

word user

faVOn't

 

130

able to pick up on it and would wonder “Why is. this person on this station? Hc/she
doesn’t appreciate this music or the decade it came fi'om. This person is a phony!” The
personalities would be encouraged to talk 80's lingo and use words that were popular back
in the day, such as “fresh” and “bogus.” This would add authenticity to the format’s All
80's sound and add an entertainment value for the listener (“No way! I haven’t heard that
word used since high school! Wow! This station really is totally 80's!”) The personalities
used in my thesis production-the format demonstration tape—are all from the Eighties,
and all use 80's lingo. The listeners enjoyed this detail.

Finally, with the promotions, a wider variety of on-air promos would be included
within the format than what was presented on the demonstration tape. All of the promos
used were imaging promos—selling the image of WMAX as the one and only All 80's
station (“We Are the 80‘s). Clips fiom 80's movies and Max Headrome-like techniques
were employed to reinforce the All 80's image. However, branding promos should have
been included, such as “Your station for Duran Duran-98.5 FM The Max.” This brands
the fi'equency to the image, not just the call letters, and brands the tunes played to the
fi'equency. Iflisteners wish to hear Duran Duran, they know that 98.5 is the place to turn.
Also, usage promos should be included. These promos should answer the following
questions: How and when can the listeners use the station? Why should they tune in?
What are the benefits? Examples of usage promos would be “We only stop the music
twice an hour! You can enjoy your favorite 80's hits longer here on 98.5 the Max!” “We
keep your workday movin, no matter when you work. Tune in and enjoy all of your

favorite 80's hits on 98.5 the Max-We are the 80's!” “For Michael and Madonna

 

 

 

 

Mondays ‘

station spe

 

listeners k
ltlllllld lllt
informatitl
start out l

those dri"

stores, Id“

other are

 

would a
entertain
the pap.
mail m,

Sent 0t
send t
disco:
Sandt
frequ
Whicl
thm fl

“alto

131

Mondays, Big Hair Blox Thursdays, and Soundtrack Sundays, keep it locked on the
station specializing in 80's fun times-WMAX 98.5 the Max!” These on-air promos let the
listeners know what can be found on the station, when they can listen, and the promos
remind the listeners why they should listen. The listeners appreciate this kind of
information, as it makes them feel a part of the station.

As for the outside promotions and marketing, the “All 80's Format” station would
start out softly and have a few billboards in areas that would provide optimum viewing for
those driving around the market area. Posters advertising the station would be placed in
other areas where intended audience members visit frequently (shopping malls, discount
stores, laundromats, music stores, etc). These places would also be the business that
would advertise on the station. A few ads would be placed in the newspapers near the
entertaimnent section where movies are listed, and in the lifestyle section of the paper (if
the paper features such a section). After a few months of introducing the station, a direct
mail marketing plan would be put into place. Postcards advertising the station would be
sent out once every two weeks for five months, and those who fill out the postcards and
send them in to the station would be eligible to win cash prizes. A coupon featuring a
discount for a local business would also be attached for the listener to use, such as a free
sandwich at a deli. The customer would have to mention the station’s call letters or
frequency in order to get the discount. This would give people something tangible by
which to remember the station, and would inform them of the new station and format so
that they could test it out. Having the postcards sent out several times would allow the

station’s name and fi'equency to sink in, much the same way advertisers buy multiple spots

 

to make S!
will remer.
something
ads woulc
VH1, For
mentionet
would als

T
changes .
the form

radio prd

 

formats:
work w
format,
f0mm
All 80
SPeCia
the lit
PeTSo

[1011!]!

With

132

to make sure that their prospective customers are being reached and that these customers
will remember the business and the services provided. Ifa person is repeatedly told
something, the better the chance will be that he will remember the message. Television
ads would also be used. Programs that the targeted audience watches most often (MTV,
VH1, Fox, HBO, etc) would be those to advertise on. The other marketing ideas
mentioned in Chapter 12 (the WMAX stand at a mall, the 80's Party at a local club, etc)
would also be used to build awareness and to keep listener interest.

These are the changes that would be made to the “All 80's Format”. Ideally, the
changes would make the format more streamlined and efl'ective. From the design stage,
the format would need to be promoted and marketed to program consultants who counsel
radio programmers on how to most effectively program stations and how to refine their
formats for their audiences. The consultants would know what markets the format would
work well in, if any. Program syndicators would also be a group to market to. This
format, if viable, could be syndicated to major markets across the country where this
format would fit in efi‘ectively. The format would be marketed using its uniqueness-the
All 80‘s music mixed in with the 80's comedy, the music categories used, the novel
specialty programs and promotional ideas, the All Request, No Commercials Lunch Hour,
the lifestyle bits, Smile Stories and Back in the Day Stories in the newscasts, the
personalities being fiom the 80's generation and using lingo from the time period as well as
noting the years that the songs are from on a regular basis.

After the format is sold, market research would be essential in finding a market

with the audience for this format. Ifthe audience is there, the format could be started in

#4
—_._#

 

that marke‘
lifestyles \i

answered

 

 

from worl

would be

 

have to bt
people th
Next, the
from scr
formats.
where t
“gins
regular
loyal its
fOrrnat
gamble
and the
and wit

doesn ’

Offo

133

that market. Then, the targeted audience would have to be researched in order to find
their likes and dislikes and to find out which 80's music and comedy they enjoy. Their
lifestyles would also need to be researched and the following questions would need to be
answered: Where do they live? Where do they work? How long is their commute to and
fi'om work? What do they do for recreation? Once the audience is known, the music
would be selected and plans for promotions would be put into place. Advertisers would
have to be found to support this new format. They would have to be shown that the
people they wish to reach would be effectively reached by the station with this format.
Next, the format would be introduced to the market. Either a new station would begin
from scratch or an existing station with falling numbers in the ratings would switch
formats. The targeted audience would need to be informed of this new format, which is
where the outside marketing would come into play. The on-air promotions used (the
imaging, branding, and usage promos) would act to keep the listeners tuning in on a
regular basis. Ifthe format is successful, the cume will continue to grow, and a group of
loyal listeners will form. However, research would need to be kept up to ensure that the
format and station keeps in touch with the listeners and their needs. Nothing should be
gambled on. Along the way, alterations might need to be made to keep the listeners happy
and the cume high, but research would be the key to finding where to tweak the format
and what to keep the same. Changing what works is just as hazardous as keeping what
doesn’t work.

The design for the “All 80's Format” is a blueprint that can be used for other kinds

of formats. Someday, the “All 80's Format” could become the “All 90's Format”, where

134

only songs from the 90's would be played along with 90's comedy. The same design
would be used, but as an analogy to a house blueprint, the carpeting and furniture used
within the blueprint’s design would be difi‘erent. This design is not exclusive to the
content specified in this project. The uniqueness of the design is what the format is about.
Other formats include more news, music categories that are tied to the songs’ positions in
the record charts, comedy bits only during morning shows, more stopsets within the hour
that last only a couple minutes each, personalities that talk more often and for longer
periods of time, and more of a slower-paced music mix. Every format has its unique
characteristics that when put together form a certain sound that the station’s listeners
come to expect. The “All 80's Format” design is a cross between the Oldies format and
the Top 40/CHR format. It brings the people of a certain decade together into a
community of listeners by playing songs exclusively from a certain time period during
which the listeners grew up, and it keeps a fast, upbeat pace like the Top 40 stations did
back during the Eighties. It is not as hard-edged as hard rock/AOR stations or as soft-
edged as Adult Contemporary stations. It doesn’t have the quirkiness of the Alternative
format that tests new (and sometimes odd) music constantly, nor does it have the calm
soberness of the MOR format. The format is involved with the community like the Urban
Contemporary and the Country formats are, and loves to have firn and interact with
listeners like many formats do. The “All 80's Format” is like other formats, but yet is like
no other. It does not have to be better than any other format-it just has to be different
and it has to be enjoyed and needed by its listeners.

The purpose of this format is to entertain those who appreciate the 1980's; that is,

135

those who grew up during the decade and remember the songs, events, people, fashions,
and fads that surrounded them and helped to shape who they are today. The format is the
soundtrack to their years making their way through school into adulthood. The goal is for
the listeners to be drawn together in a community and to feel enthusiasm, pleasure,
optimism, and pride for having grown up during such a charismatic decade. In addition,
listeners should experience pleasant surprises when they hear 80's tunes that they haven’t
heard in a long time and maybe have forgotten, but somehow remember the lyrics.
Listeners should be able to link these songs with memories and events from the decade
that influenced them so significantly. These events and experiences hold unique and
special meanings to each person, as these are the experiences from which people learned.
These experiences should be shared within the 80's community, and the “All 80's Format”
is the place where these memories can be collectively exchanged and enjoyed. This format
is the voice for the 80's community. Those in this community are the leaders for the next
decade—the next rnillemuum The “All 80's Format” will be their home where their
identity can be celebrated and understood by those in the community and those outside of
the community. The Eighties fever has already begun with radio specialty shows,
flashback tracks, record companies releasing 80's collections, and dance clubs featuring
Retro nights. The next step is to formally introduce this “All 80's” niche fonnat--the
demand and desire is there for the taking. The comedy included within this niche format
would be to provide extra variety and entertainment. After all, listeners use radio for
entertaimnent above everything else and desire variety in the entertainment.

True, the 1980's ended just under a decade ago. But as “Future Shock” author

136

Alvin Tofller stated, “Nostalgia comes faster every year.”

Footnotes

lEmily D. Edwards and Michael W. Singletary, “Life’s Soundtracks: Relationships
Between Radio Music Subcultures and Listeners’ Belief Systems,” Southern
W 54 (Winter 1989): 145.

2Ibid

3Ibid, 146.

‘James Carey, CommunimeMediundSmim (1992). '

sIbid

6Ibid

7Ibid

'Eric G. Norberg, Wm, (Boston: Focal Press,
1996), 1.

’Peter Fomatale and Joshua E. Mills, WW, (Woodstock:
The Overlook Press, 1980), 13.

10Ibid
"Ibid, 17.

"David T. MacFarland, WW (Hillsdale:
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1990), 57.

13Philip K. Eberly, W, (New York: Hastings House, 1982), 200
1’Ibid, 225.

l’MacFarland, 59.

137

138
16Fornatale and Mills, 74.
"MacFarland, 59.
l'Eberly, 238.
l"Fornatale and Mills, 141.
20Cheryl Heuton, “Too Old to Rock and Roll? (Phasing Out Classic Rock Radio
Stations),” Mediaflegk, February 5 1996, 12.

21Carrie Borzillo, “New Oldies Format Mines ‘70's Gold,” Billboard, October 9
1993, 104.

22Edward Pease and Everette E. Dennis, W (London:
Transaction Publishers, 1995), 98.

Z’l’mstin 1- Molean, ed, W
(Washington DC: National Association of Broadcasters, 1991), 67.

2‘Ibid, 77.

2’Ibid, 37.

2"Ibid

2"Jennifer Cheeseman-Day, “Population Projections of the U. S. by Age, Sex, Race,
and Hispanic Origin 1993-2050, ” W,
P25- 1104 (Washington D. C. U. S. Government Printing Omce, 1993), 165.

2'Ibid, 179.

29McLean, 34

30US. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, WW
1295, Report 902, February 1996.

3‘McLean, 30.
32Ibid, 31.

33Ibid, 36..

139
“Ibid, 38.

”Eric G- Norberg, Wes! (Boston: Focal
Press, 1996), 13.

“Ibid, 14.
37MacFarland, 125.
3'Ibid, 126.
”Norberg, 13.
”Ibid, 15.

“Ibid, 17.

“Ibid

"Norberg, l9.
“MacFarland, 122.
”Ibid, 123.

“Ibid

"Raymond L. Carroll and Donald M. Davis, WWW,
(New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc, 1993), 229.

“Ibid, 230.

”Ibid

”Ibid, 232.

”Norberg, 20.

52Ibid, 21.

”Carroll and Davis, 230.

s‘Norberg, 108.

140
”mm, 110.

“Norm N. Nite, W, (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1992),
41 7.

”Ibid, 407.
5'Norberg, 98.
”Nite 367.

60Ibid, 389.

61Ibid, 5.
‘zMacFarland, 193.
“Ibid, 195.
“Carroll and Davis, 230.
“MacFarland, 142.
“Ibid, 145.

”Ibid

“Fred MacDonald. DonltlcuchlhatflalLRadiufimsmminginAmenm
W, (Chicago: Nelson-Hall, 1979), 91.

“Carroll and Davis, 212.
7"MacDonald, 124.
7'Ibid

72Ibid, 93.

73Ibid, 94.

7‘Michael C. Keith, WWW (Boston:
Focal Press, 1987), 29.

141
”Carroll and Davis, 140.

"Ibid, 141.

"Ibid

"Ibid

79Peter Fomatale and Joshua E. Mills, Warm, (Woodstock:
The Overlook Press, 1980), 27.

”Ketih, 23.

"Norberg, 78.

”Ibid, 79.

”Ibid, 86.

“Carroll and Davis, 496.

"Robert E. Balon, WWWmmmkmm
Strategies, (Washington DC: National Association of Broadcasters, 1990), 98.

“Carroll and Davis, 87.

"Balon, 100.

"John Pan'khal and David Cakes, W
(Washington DC: National Association of Broadcasters, 1989), 26.

”Norberg, 108.
”Balon, 82.
5"Ibid, 54.
92Keith, 140.
”Balon, 105.
9"Ibid

”Ibid, 110.

142
”Keith, 35.

”Balon, 113.
”Ibid

”Paid, 116.
100Keith, 35.
‘°‘Ibid, 4o.

mPeter K. Pringle, Michael F. Starr, William E. McCavitt, W
Management, (Boston: Focal Press, 1995), 121.

103Ibid, 124.
lo‘Norberg, 118.

”Michigan Census Data CD ROM

 

APPENDICES

APPENDIX A

APPENDIX A
QUESTIONS FOR LISTENERS

QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT!
Jot down any responses that come to mind.
A discussion about your comments will be held after the listening session.
Thank you.
I. THE MUSIC
Were you familiar with a majority of the 80's songs featured?

Are they songs that you enjoy and would like to hear more of?

Does the music mix work? Does it need more variety? If it does need more variety, how
might this be accomplished?

Do the music categories make sense to you? If not, why and how would you change the
categorizing system?

Do you think mixing comedy in with the music adds to the variety and makes the station
more enjoyable to listen to? Or does the comedy act as a deterrent from the rest of the
music programming? Explain your answer.

Do you think the music flows well? That is, does it move well fiom one song to another?
Is the pace too fast or too slow?

What do you think of the specialty programs (The Big Hair Blox, Then and Now, The
Top 10, Soundtrack Sunday)? Are they enjoyable? Would you add any? If so, what?

143

144

11. NEWS
Look at Table 1 and Figure 3 and note how the news is scheduled. Is the scheduling
appropriate? Do you think it is scheduled too often? Not often enough? Explain.

Do you think it is a good idea to name the newscasts to distinguish between them? (I.e.
The Morning Edition, Evening Edition, etc) Why or why not?

Do you like the ideas of the Smile Story and the Back in the Day segment of the news?
Why or why not?

1H. BUMPERS, SWEEPERS, PROMOS
Do you think the bumpers, sweepers and promos project a positive, fun image for
WMAX? What kind of station image do you think they project? Explain.

Do the bumpers, sweepers and promos work to make the station memorable? Do they
make the station’s personality stand out?

145

IV. CONTESTS AND PROMOTIONS

From what you have heard in the demo and from what you have read in the materials
given you, do you like the contests and promotion ideas given? Are the prizes ones you
would enjoy receiving? Would the contests be fun for you to participate in? Would they
be fin to listen to?

What other contests and prizes would you like to see, if any?

V. THE BREAKFAST CLUB
What was your favorite part about the Breakfast Club?

What was your least favorite part about the Breakfast Club?

Was the show fim to listen to? Do you think it would wake you up in the morning?

VI. OVERALL IMPRESSIONS

What was your overall impression of WMAX 98. 5 The Max? What would you change?
What would you keep the same? Would you tune in to this station if it were to be on the
air?

APPENDIX B

APPENDIX B
QUESTIONS FOR PROGRAM DIRECTORS

QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT!
You can write your responses in the space provided
and/or on the back of the papers. Thank you!

1) How would this format fare in the ratings system?

2) How well would this format work with external promotions?

3) How well would this format do with the targeted audience (women 22-40)? What

about other audiences (men, teens)?

4) Is the method of scheduling news efi‘ective for this format and its audience?

5) What type of market would be best for this format? Is Lansing a good example
market?

6) What type of audience research would be best for this format?

146

147

7) Are the music categories and music scheduling effective for the target audience?

8) Is the image of the station clearly portrayed by internal promotion (promos, bumpers,
etc)?

9) What would be the best method(s) for advertising this station/format?

10) What is the most efl‘ective way of measuring audience size and loyalty? Which is more
important: Audience size or loyalty?

APPENDIX C

APPENDIX C
LISTENER QUESTIONNAIRE

INTRODUCTION

Hello, I’m Traci, a Telecommunication—Media Arts Masters student here at Michigan
State University. Currently, I am working on my production thesis. I am designing a new
radio format, and I need your input in this design. This questionnaire will measure your
radio listening habits, your opinions about radio, and what is important to you concerning
radio programming. This survey will take a half hour or less to complete, and most of the
questions are quite interesting. Your participation is voluntary and your answers will be
kept confidential. Your responses will not be associated with you in the final written
report. You indicate your voluntary agreement to participate by completing and returning
this questionnaire. You can feel free to skip any question you prefer not to answer. To
insure anonymity, please DO NOT put your name on the questionnaire. Your
participation would be greatly appreciated. In addition, if you complete and return this
questionnaire, you are eligible to WIN a $10 GIFT CERTIFICATE to Tower Records.
More information about this drawing is on the last page of this questionnaire. Your
answers to the questions in this survey will have significant impact on the design of the
radio format 1 am creating. Please consider your answers carefirlly. Thank you.

148

149

RADIO SURVEY
PART ONE: LISTENING

1) Did you listen to music on the radio during the 1980's?
YES NO
-—IF NO -->P1ease SKIP to Question 3 AND SKIP PART FOUR (page 7) of this
questionnaire.
-IF YES --->Please continue with the next question.

2) Rank the top three (3) kinds of music you listened to MOST frequently during the
1980's (1 being MOST frequent)

__TOP 40/POP ROCK _HARD ROCK/HEAVY METAL _COUNTRY
PUNK/ALTERNATIVE ROCK _RAP __RHYTHM AND BLUES
_OTHER (PLEASE SPECIFY)

 

3) Do you currently listen to the radio?

YES NO
-IfNO—->Please SKIP to PART FIVE (page 8) of this questionnaire.
--If YES--—>Please continue with the next question.

4) How many hours per weekday (Monday through Friday) do you listen to the radio?

(Circle one)

ONE-HALF HOUR 11-IR ‘ ZHRS 3HRS 4HRS SHRS 6HRS
7HRS 8HRS OR MORE

5) Do you listen to the radio during the weekend (Saturday and/or Sunday)?
YES NO

«If NO-->Please SKIP to Question 9 on the next page.

«If YES-«>Please continue with the next question.

6) How many hours do you listen to the radio on a typical Saturday? (Circle one)
ONE-HALF HOUR IHR ZHRS 3HRS 4HRS SHRS 6HRS
7HRS 8HRS OR MORE

7) How many hours do you listen to the radio on a typical Sunday? (Circle one)
ONE-HALF HOUR 1HR ZHRS 3HRS 4HRS SHRS 6HRS
7HRS SHRS OR MORE

150

8) Rank the times of day during which you are most likely to be listening to the radio on a
typical weekend (Sat. and Sun)? (1 being the MOST likely time)
_6-10AM _lOAM-3PM _3-7PM _7PM-12AM _12-6AM

9) Rank the times of day during which you are most likely to be listening to the radio on a
typical weekday (Mon-Fri)? (1 being the MOST likely time)
_6-10AM _lOAM-3PM _3-7PM _7PM-12AM _12-6AM

10) When listening, are you MOST likely to:

_LISTEN EXCLUSIVELY TO ONE STATION

____SWITCH BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN TWO OR MORE STATIONS
_NO PREFERENCE—I JUST LEAVE THE RADIO DIAL WHERE IT IS AT

11)Rank the reasons (1-5) why you listen to the radio (1 being MOST important)

_ENTERTAINMENT _BACKGROUND MUSIC/ACCOMPANIMENT
_GET INFORMATION (NEWS, WEATHER, ETC.)

_RELAX AFTER SCHOOL AND/OR WORK _WAKE MYSELF UP
_OTHER (PLEASE SPECIFY)

l 5 1
PART TWO: RADIO PREFERENCES AND OPINIONS

12) List three (3) radio stations that you listen to MOST frequently (list either the
frequency, such as 99.7 FM, or the station’s call letters, such as WZYX):

13) Rank the reasons (1-5) why you listen to these stations (1 being MOST important)

_THE MUSIC _THE DISC JOCKEYS/HOSTS _CONTESTS
_UPDATED NEWS/WEATHER _SPORTSCASTS
_OTI-IER (PLEASE SPECIFY)

 

l4) Ifthere is anything you dislike about the radio stations you listed above, please
describe here.

*F or the next several questions, after reading the statements, circle the ONE response that
is closest to your opinion about the statement.
15) What is on the radio in the morning is more enjoyable to listen to than what is on in
the afternoon.
STRONGLY AGREE AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE

STRONGLY DI SAGREE

16) What is on the radio in the morning is more enjoyable to listen to than what is on in
the evening.
STRONGLY AGREE AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE

STRONGLY DISAGREE

17) What is on the radio in the afternoon is more enjoyable than what is on in the evening.
STRONGLY AGREE AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE
STRONGLY DISAGREE

18) What is on the radio in the afternoon is more enjoyable than what is on during the

morning.

STRONGLY AGREE AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE
STRONGLY DISAGREE

152

19) What is on the radio in the evening is more enjoyable than what is on during the

afternoon.

STRONGLY AGREE AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE
STRONGLY DI SAGREE

20) What is on the radio in the evening is more enjoyable than what is on during the

monung.

STRONGLY AGREE AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE
STRONGLY DI SAGREE

21) Do you have a favorite radio morning Show?

YES NO
-IfNO-->Please SKIP to Question 27 on the next page.
-If YES-->Please continue with the next question.

22) What is your favorite radio morning Show? (List either station call letters, frequency
and/or the morning Show personalities)

23) Why do you listen to this morning Show?

24) Ifthere is something you dislike about this morning Show, please describe here.

Consider what is in the morning Show you listen to the most. Now answer the following
questions.
25) Do you think that something similar to what is in this morning Show should be ofi'ered
in the afternoon?

YES NO

26) Do you think that something similar to what is in this morning show Should be offered
in the evening?
YES NO

153

PART THREE: RADIO PROGRAMMING: NEWS SPORTS, CONTESTS

27) How important is RADIO news to you? (Circle one)

VERY IMPORTANT IMPORTANT SOMEWHAT IMPORTANT
NOT IMPORTANT

28) Rank (1-4) the kinds of RADIO news you are interested in (1 being MOST interested

in)

_LOCAL NEWS _REGIONAL/STATE NEWS _NATIONAL NEWS
_IN'I'ERNATIONAL NEWS

29) Rank the top three (3) times of the day that you desire RADIO newscasts (1 being the

MOST desired time)

_6AM _7AM _8AM _9AM _12PM _3PM _5PM
_6PM _7PM _1 1PM _OTHER (PLEASE SPECIFY)

 

30) How important are RADIO sportscasts to you? (Circle one)
VERY IMPORTANT IMPORTANT SOMEWHAT IMPORTANT
NOT IMPORTANT

31) Rank (1-3) the kinds of sportscasts you are interested in (1 being MOST interested in)
_HIGH SCHOOL _COLLEGE _PROFESSIONAL

32) How many times a year do you enter RADIO contests (either by calling in or filling
out entry forms)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 OR MORE

33) Describe the most memorable radio contest that you either won a prize in or heard
about on the radio (describe the prize[s] and what one had to do to win)

154

PART FOUR
RADIO PROGRAMMING: MUSIC AND COMEDY

34) Are you familiar with Top 40 artists who were on the radio in the 1980's?
YES NO

-If NO-->Please SKIP to Question 36.

-If YES-->Please continue with the next question.

35) List the five (5) 1980‘s musical artists (groups and/or soloists) that you like the
MOST.

36)Imagine turning on the radio and hearing a station that plays music exclusively from "
the 1980's. Would you want to hear the following kinds of music on that station? (Circle
YES or NO for each kind of music listed.)

COUNTRY MUSIC FROM THE 1980'S YES NO
HEAVY METAIJHARD ROCK FROM THE 1980'S YES NO
PUNK/ALTERNATIVE ROCK FROM THE 1980'S YES NO
RAP MUSIC FROM THE 1980'S YES NO
EASY LISTENING MUSIC FROM THE 1980'S YES NO
RHYTHM AND BLUES MUSIC FROM THE 1980'S YES NO
37) Are you familiar with comedians? (Ex: Adam Sandler, Jeff F oxworthy, Ellen
DeGenres)

YES NO

-If NO~->Please SKIP to the next page.
--If YES--—>Please answer the next question.

38) List five (5) comedians that you like the MOST (note: they do NOT have to be
currently popular comedians.)

155

PART FIVE
DEMOGRAPHIC AND LIFESTYLE INFORMATION (optional)

39) What is your age? _

40) Are you MALE FEMALE

41) Do you like to travel? YES NO

42) How many times do you travel out of state in a typical year?

NEVER ONCE TWICE THREE TIMES FOUR TIMES
FIVE TIMES OR MORE

43) How many times have you traveled out of the country in your lifetime?

NEVER ONCE TWICE THREE TIMES FOUR TIMES
FIVE TIMES OR MORE

44)How many hours per day do you spend watching television?

ONE-HALF HOUR lI-IR 2HRS 3HRS 4HRS SHRS OR MORE

45) Do you read any newspapers? YES NO

-If YES-«>How many do you read per week? _

46) Do you subscribe to any magazines? YES NO

--If YES-->Please list them here.

47) Do you use the Internet? YES NO

-If YES—->How many hours per week are you on the Internet? __

48) Do you rent movies? YES NO

«If YES->How many movies do you rent in a typical month?

49) Do you buy compact discs? YES NO

«If YES——->How many CDS do you buy in a typical month? _

50) Are you a member of a music club? YES NO

51) Are you a member of a movie club? YES NO

*For the next several questions, after reading the statements, circle the ONE response that

is closest to your opinion about the statement.

52) My peers are currently living in a troubled economy.

STRONGLY AGREE AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE
STRONGLY DISAGREE

53) I feel my daily life is filled with a significant amount of stress.

STRONGLY AGREE AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE
STRONGLY DISAGREE

54) Ten years ago, I felt more optimistic about life than I do now.

STRONGLY AGREE AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE
STRONGLY DISAGREE

55) The lyrics to most of the popular songs these days are depressing.

STRONGLY AGREE AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE
STRONGLY DISAGREE

156

56) I prefer songs with lyrics that are optimistic.
STRONGLY AGREE AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE
STRONGLY DISAGREE

57) I highly value the support of my peers.

STRONGLY AGREE AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE
STRONGLY DISAGREE

58) In general, I am willing to take risks.

STRONGLY AGREE AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE
STRONGLY DISAGREE

59) To me, being successful means having a lot of money.

STRONGLY AGREE AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE
STRONGLY DISAGREE

60) To me, being successful means having a satisfying career that I enjoy.

STRONGLY AGREE AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE
STRONGLY DI SAGREE

Thank you for your time and cooperation. Your input is greatly appreciated. Again, your
responses will be kept confidential. If you wish to enter the contest, please fill out the
entry form attached to this questionnaire. After you have filled it out, DETACH it and
place it in the envelope that was provided with the questionnaires (your professor should
have the envelope). This is to insure anonymity of your responses. Your entry form will
be entered in a drawing. If your name is drawn, you will receive a $10 gift certificate to

Tower Records through the mail. Good luck, and thank you again.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Balon, RobertE. z. ' ' ° ' . .
Washington: National Association of Broadcasters, 1990

 

Borzillo, Carrie. “New Oldies Format Mines ‘70's Gold.” 0mm, Oct. 9 1993.

Carey, James. WW 1992.

Carroll, Raymond L. ,and Davis, Donald M. ElectmniLMediaRmmmminsfitratesies.
W. New York. McGraw-Hill, Inc, 1993.

Cheeseman-Day, Jennifer. MWLQWWM

W050, U. S. Bureau of the Census, Current Population
Reports P25-1104, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington DC, 1993

Eberly, Philip. Mnsje In' the An’ ; Amen'ea’s Changing Tastes m’ Begum Musie, 1220-
1280. New York: Hastings House, 1982.

Edwards, Emily D. and Singletary, Michael W. “Life’s Sondtracks: Relationships
Between Radio Music Subcultures and Listener’s Belief Systems.” 89mm
Communieafioulmrmal 54 (Winter 1989): 144-158

Fomatale, Peter, and Mills, Joshua E. W. Woodstock: The
Overlook Press, 1980.

Heuton, Cheryl. “To Old to Rock and Roll? (Phasing Out Classic Rock Radio Stations). ”
Medjafleek, February 5 1996,12-14.

“Internet and It’s Use for Broadcast Facilities,” http://www.lns.com/nab95/

Keith, Michael C. W Boston: Focal Press,
1987.

MacDonald, J. Fred. ° 2 '
1221-1269. Chicago. Nelson-Hall, 1979.

 

157

158

MacFarland, David T. W Hillsdale:

Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1990.

McLean, Austin 1., ed. Wm Washington:
National Association of Broadcasters, 1991.

Wall, CD ROM
Nite, Norm N. W. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1992.

Norberg, Eric G. W. Boston: Focal Press, 1996.

O’Donnell, Lewis B., Benoit, Philip, and Hausman, Carl. Wen,
2nd ed. Belmont: Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1990.

Parikhal, John and Cakes, David. W
Washington: National Association of Broadcasters, 1989.

Pease, Edward C., and Dennis, Everette E., ed. W. New
Brunswick: Transaction Publishers, 1995.

Pringle, Peter K., Starr, Michael F., and McCavitt, W111iam E. W;
Managemm, 3rd ed. Boston: Focal Press, 1995.

U. S. Department of LaboruBureau of Labor Statistics. WW,
Report 902, February 1996.