Christmas Music The New Old-Fashioned Way - 2

On Christmas Eve I hosted "Gamut" on WTJU, which aired from 6-9am. As I outlined in part 1, I played what I hoped was an engaging program of music for the season. Here's what I aired -- and why.

Francesco Manfredini, "Concerto 12 in C, Op. 3 "Pastorale per il Santissimo Natale"
Les Amis de Philippe; Ludger Remy (CPO)

Corelli's "Christmas" Concerto Grosso is fairly well-known, but he wasn't the only composer writing instrumental music for liturgical use. Francesco Manfredini was a contemporary of Vivaldi, and this concerto is on par with Corelli's.

I programmed it for two reasons. First, to show that there's more baroque Christmas music than the few that are continually programmed. Second, for listeners who don't like Christmas music, it's a work that can just be enjoyed without any seasonal context.

Rutland Boughton: "Bethlehem, Part 1"
Holst Singers; City of London Sinfonia; Alan G Melville (Hyperion)

Rutland Boughton is one of the lesser-known composers of the Second English Renaissance of the early 1900's. His choral drama "Bethlehem" was written for the first Glastonbury choral festival in 1914, and was performed every year until the festival was discontinued in 1926.

I like Boughton's blend of traditional carols and original music. His music for the shepherds cast them as simple English country folk, and is just delightful to listen to (at least, I think so).


Anon. 15th C., "A Wassail Suite"
The Waverly Consort (Virgin Classics)

The Waverly Consort released a Christmas album featuring music from 13th-century East Anglia to 18th-century New England and Appalachia. The "Wassail Suite" includes some variations on "Greensleeves," played on a variety of renaissance and folk instruments.

I programmed it because the instrumental combinations sounded fresh (compared to traditional orchestras and chamber groups). Also, this is a lively, uptempo performance that's just plain fun to listen to.


Victor Hely-Hutchinson: "Carol Symphony"
City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra; Gavin Sutherland, conductor (Naxos)

Victor Hely-Hutchinson wrote his Carol Symphony for a 1929 BBC concert. The work is actually a set of four preludes, each one taking a carol and setting it in a different compositional style (Bach for the first, Balakirev for the second, and so on).

I programmed it because it was a different type of Christmas carol orchestral arrangement. Although not an entirely serious work, Hely-Hutchinson's music is well-written and stays true to the styles it emulates. In a world of paint-by-number orchestral arranging, the Carol Symphony stands out for its originality.


Jose Mauricio Nunes Garcia: "Laudate Pueri"
L'Ensemble Turicum; Luiz Alves da Silva, director

Jose Garcia was one of Brazil's earliest composers. A contemporary of Mozart and Haydn, Garcia wrote in a similar classical style with more than a hint of Brazilian rhythm.

I programmed it for two reasons. First, I hadn't aired that much sacred Christmas music. Second, the Brazilian influences in Garcia's music give it an exotic sound -- and one I think folks not that enamored of classical music might find attractive.


Percy Grainger: "The Sussex Mummer's Christmas Carol"
Joel Smirnoff, violin; Stephen Drury, piano (Northeastern)

Sure, you've heard the Coventry Carol a million times. But how about the Sussex Mummer's Carol? It's a beautiful, poignant melody, effectively arranged by Percy Granger.

I programmed it because it was unfamiliar -- and a lovely piece of music.


Miklos Rozsa: "Ben-Hur - Star of Bethlehem","King of Kings - Overture and Nativity"
Cincinnati Pops Orchestra; Erich Kunzel, conductor (Telarc)

Three scores by Miklos Rosza defined the musical vocabulary religious movie soundtracks would use for decades: "Ben-Hur," Quo Vadis," and "King of Kings." Two of those movies had sequences involving the Nativity. The music Rozsa wrote for those scenes tell the story without words.

I programmed these simply for that reason. Rosza's music effectively paints the picture of the Nativity without resorting to cliche. And it's music that just isn't aired.


Georg Philipp Telemann: "Ouverture a la Pastoralle"
Capella Savaria; Pal Nemeth, conductor (Capriccio)

The Christmas Cantatas of Bach are standard fare. But the Christmas music of his contemporary (and sometime rival) Telemann can be just as compelling. The Ouverture a la Pastoralle is an instrumental work in four movements.

I programmed it because it's well-written music, and it is a nice alternative to Bach's seasonal offerings.

Judith Lang Zaimont: "December: The Carols"
Elizabeth Moak, piano (MSR) [2011] 

Judith Lang Zaimont is a contemporary composer, and writes in an accessible, tonal-based style. This work was from her work "Calendar Set: 12 Virtuosic Preludes."

I programmed it because I think it's important to air living composers (it belies the notion that classical music is a dead art form). And this work had an amazing display of pianistic fireworks, and some sly references to familiar carols presented in an unfamiliar way.


Ralph Vaughan Williams, "Fantasia on Christmas Carols"
Steven Varacoe, baritone; Cambridge Singers; City of London Sinfonia; John Rutter, conductor (Collegium)

Ralph Vaughan Williams set a number of traditional English carols in his fantasia. Vaughan Williams was a master at reworking traditional material in a way that was both true to the source and personally expressive.

I programmed it because it's Ralph Vaughan Williams. 'Nuff said.

 
William Sandys, "Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day"
John Bull, "Carol: Een Kindeken is ons geboren"
Bramley & Stainer, "The Bellman's Carol"
Anon. 15th C., "Ding Dong Merrily on High"  - The Baltimore Consort  (Dorian)

The Baltimore Consort album "Bright Day Star" is a collection of seasonal music from the renaissance and early America.

I programmed it because of the variety. The three selections were all from different time periods, and played on different combinations of instruments. Plus I've always been a fan of Custer LaRue's smokey, yet pure singing tone.


Kevin Oldham, "Silent Night" from Three Carols, Op. 20" - Pamela Williamson, soprano; Lyra Pringle Pherigo, flute; Wesley  (Nimbus)

Kevin Oldham did more than just arrange "Silent Night." He rewrote it, keeping only the lyrics.

I programmed it because of its originality, and the blending of flute, harp, and soprano voice make this an ethereal and delicately beautiful work.

Christmas Music The New Old-Fashioned Way - 1

Let's be clear -- I enjoy Christmas music as much as anyone. But the time it takes me to burn out on the same old same old diminishes every year. Even in the field of classical music, playlists tend to be fairly conservative. Selections from the "Nutcracker," the Hallelujah chorus from "Messiah," "Winter" from Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" and (perhaps)" Corelli's "Christmas" Concerto. With some traditional hymns in orchestral settings for filler, of course.

This genre called classical music has been around for a very long time -- like a millennia. Since the Middle Ages composers have been writing advent and Christmas hymns, masses, chorales, and instrumental music inspired by the season. Sure, Christmas is a time of tradition, which gives those works resonance as they're heard year after year.

But there's so much more out there. Composers have writing music for this season for centuries -- including this one. There are many viewpoints and many forms of expression.

You can find Corelli's baroque Christmas Concerto stodgy and dull, but be electrified by Daniel Pinkham's contemporary Christmas Cantata. If you get to hear it, that is. It's likely Corelli will be broadcast, but not the Pinkham.

"Gamut," my Wednesday morning classical music show airs Christmas Eve this year, and I intend to use that time to present some unusual (but not totally alien) music. At worst, it should provide a break for listeners weary of the Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy. At best, it might be the moment when a listener discovers a seasonal work that speaks to them directly.

I'll report back tomorrow with what I aired, and why.

How loud is allowed?

I think of H.R. 6209, the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act as one of those "feel good" bills. After all -- everyone knows that TV ads are much louder than the programs they're embedded in, right? And everyone hates it, so it's only right that the government step in and DO SOMETHING, right?

It's certainly attractive legislation for the congresscritters, that's for sure. After all, if come out against loud TV ads, no one's going to start protesting outside your office door dressed in funny costumes and howling for your head.

Two questions to ask of any legislation that feel-good bills always seem to get a pass on.

1) Will this law effectively address the problem it's supposed to?

2) Are there any potential unintended consequences that this legislation might lead to?

Many folks assume that Congress will be banning loud commercials. Nope. According to the bill, it simply directs the FCC to devise a standard that precludes overly loud commercials.

Now some aspects of volume are tied to the physical world and aren't matters of opinion. If you stand next to a revving aircraft engine without ear protection, you will lose your hearing. If you use a sandblaster without ear protection, over time you will experience hearing loss.

But this bill isn't about absolute volume levels -- it's about relative levels. And that's where things get messy. Let's look at the actual legislation.

"Advertisements accompanying such video programming (described earlier as any video programming that is broadcast or that is distributed by any multichannel video programming distributor) shall not be excessively noisy or strident."

I like string quartet music. My wife, who has a hearing loss, doesn't. The higher range of the violin sounds harsh and piercing to her -- almost painfully so. So if an ad uses a violin, one of us thinks its strident, while the other doesn't. Who will decide for the nation?

There's always been a generation gap when it comes to music. Older people complain that what youngsters listen to isn't music -- it's noise. So if an ad uses the latest pop song, who decides if it's "excessively noisy?"

What does excessive mean, anyway? Are two or more audio tracks going on simultaneously? Too many sound effects? Too many voices talking at once? There are all kinds of innovative and/or edgy ads that some people enjoy that others absolutely hate. So who decides what's "excessive?"

(2) such advertisements shall not be presented at modulation levels substantially higher than the program material that such advertisements accompany and

(3) the average maximum loudness of such advertisements shall not be substantially higher than the average maximum loudness of the program material that such advertisements accompany.

Seems reasonable -- unless you know a little something about sound.

First off, one of the reasons ads can sound louder than the show is that their sound is compressed further. Mono sound fed through two speakers can have a greater impact than stereo. Lessen the contrast between high and low, and the sound has more punch to it. So if you go by volume level, an ad could still be within the prescribed range, yet still sound louder to the human ear.

And let's take a look at that guideline in section three. The ad can't be louder than the average maximum loudness of the program. Think of a horror or suspense movie. Most of it is very quiet until POW! something scary happens. If the POW! is the volume limit, then commercials aired at the level during the quiet parts of the show will seem excessively loud. How loud or how soft something is perceived to depend on context -- what's the volume compared to what it was before?

Also, who determines this average maximum volume? Will broadcasters or content creators need to provide a number with their program? Will they have to go back and note the average maximum volume for everything they aired? Will they not be allowed to air anything until they provide that number?

Ads are inserted after the fact by the various network and cable providers. So if Comcast's equipment isn't calibrated properly and ads are fed at a higher volume than the programming -- who's at fault and who pays the fine?

A final thought. According to Wikipedia's article on dynamic compression (and other sources)

Most television commercials are compressed heavily (typically to a dynamic range of no more than 3dB) in order to achieve near-maximum perceived loudness while staying within permissible limits... While commercials receive heavy compression for the same reason that radio broadcasters have traditionally used it (to achieve a "loud" audio image), TV program material, particularly old movies with soft dialogue, is comparatively uncompressed by TV stations. This results in commercials much louder than the television programs, since users turn up the volume to hear soft program audio. This problem is a difficult one to solve because much TV program audio contains very little audio energy to be electronically "expanded" with a compressor in an attempt to even out the volume. Even across the cable TV dial with myriad audio program volume sources, there is a wide disparity of audio volume levels.

In other words, TV ads are already making the most of a particular volume level while the programming sources aren't. So advertisers can still be within the technical guidelines (such as they are) of the proposed legislation and still sound louder than the surrounding material.

The sane thing to do here is not passing legislation that just makes things complicated for everyone. It's really quite simple.

Wield your remote as the weapon it was crafted to be. Hit the mute button.

Because this legislation quite simply ignores the reality of broadcasting and the science of acoustics. So either it will fail in its purpose or -- more likely -- a set of arcanely bizarre hoops will be constructed to force reality to match the rules. And that benefits no one.

Seriously, of all the issues facing us right now, is it really the best use of our elected officials' time to adjust the volume of our TVs by law? Is this really the most pressing problem in their constituents' lives? If so, then we're much better off than I thought.

- Ralph

Podcast Review --The Chris Moyles Show

Few broadcasting entities have embraced the new media as tightly as the BBC. Virtually all of their radio programs (across all their channels) stream online, have associated blogs and podcasts, and other online components.

The Chris Moyles Show airs Monday through Friday morning on BBC Radio One. For those of us over here, it's the equivalent of any of the nationally syndicated morning programs heard in this country. There's the main personality (Chris Moyles) and a team of coworkers for him to play off of (Comedy Dave, newscaster Dominic Byrne, sportscaster Carrie Davis, and daytime producer Aled Jones and producer Rachel Jones).

They interview celebrities with movies, TV shows, books and DVDs to promote; stage silly games with the audience; play today's top hits and generally have fun.

Like some of America's morning jocks, such as Howard Stern, Chris Moyles can be quite dirty-minded (if not always as dirty-mouthed), and his acid wit can cut deep sometimes.

The "Best of Chris Moyles" podcast features the best bits of the week's programs, condensed down to a single 45 minute podcast with some exclusive new content. Music, of course, is out (thanks RIAA!), so what's left are the speaking parts of the show. And that's just fine.

The comedy is brilliant (and compared to American broadcasts far more sophisticated and off-center). And it's clear that the program is rigorously planned out -- with ad lib sections built in, of course. Moyles always has an amazingly diverse library of sound effects and music cues at his fingertips, and always has just the right audio clip to further the comedy.

It's definitely entertaining for the average listener. But it should be required listening (in my opinion) to anyone involved in broadcasting in this country. Each week Chris Moyles and his team demonstrate how to engage an online audience, how to drive listeners to a website, how to make text messaging work for you, and how good radio should be done.

I've used specific examples from the Chris Moyles show before to illustrate how American radio can move into the 21st Century (nine years and counting, guys). I count on the Chris Moyles Show podcast to provide me with at least a half an hour of solid laughs. I'm seldom disappointed.

Remember, you don't need an iPod to enjoy a podcast. Just go online and listen!

- Ralph

Day 215 of the WJMA Web Watch. (Now here's an organization that really, really, really needs to subscribe to this podcast.)

WJMA -- Its history

The website devoted to the history of WJMA is without question a labor of love. This online museum was created by Ross Hunter, former program director for the station.

It's a site well worth exploring, even if you don't remember the golden days of "Radio Orange." Anyone curious about radio operation, or life in Central Virginia, or even those just looking for a good story will find lots to look through on the site.

In addition to an overall history of the station, there's plenty of source material documenting day-to-day workings of this small, independent radio station, and even some audio samples. And there's a chat room, which has become something of a living history archive as former employees share experiences and add their information to the site.

Ross Hunter's recently asked for help, putting out the word through letters to several regional newspapers. Hunter writes:

A year from now, in September of 2009, 60 years will have passed since WJMA-AM radio in Orange signed on the air for the first time. 

Over the last couple of years I’ve been involved in a project to document WJMA’s history and locate former employees. To date more than 300 former employees have been identified and about half of them have been located. Almost 90 former WJMA staffers are part of a Yahoo list serve exchanging memories about WJMA. 

A Web site to collect the history of the radio station has been set up. Information is being adding to the online collection as it becomes available. Go to wjma.radiohistory.net to see what has been collected thus far. 

I’m writing today in a effort to locate more WJMA history. Anything you might have: pictures, newspaper ads, newspaper articles, prizes, bumper stickers, audio tape, videotape, movies...it’s all valuable and I’d love to have an opportunity to copy it. Your originals will be returned. Personal stories are also welcome. 

Please contact me via e-mail at wjmainfo@radiohistory.net or by phone from 6 to 10 p.m. at (540) 672-2822. And if you are a former employee and have not yet been contacted, please do get in touch. 

Much has changed in the broadcast world since WJMA AM first went on the air. In 1949 WJMA was an AM only radio station with just 250 watts of power. While the call letters WJMA now belong to an FM station, the former WJMA-AM is now WVCV, but is still broadcasting at 1340 on the AM dial, just where it’s been since noon on Sept. 10, 1949.

Ross Hunter
WJMA 1971 to 1986
Orange

There's been some response to the letters, but of course, not everyone's still in the area. So I'm happy to contribute some space to help get the word out.

And no, I didn't make a mistake in the title -- that apostrophe's absent for a reason.

- Ralph

Day 99 of the WJMA Web Watch.

Thanks for Asking

Yesterday I shared the Alexa.com traffic reports for the WJMAFM.com website. It demonstrated how many links drive traffic on the interconnected web -- even if it links to a dead site.

But, some asked offline, what about this site? How has the traffic for "CE Conversations" changed over the last three months? Fair question.

Over the past three months, our ranking's gone up 3.9 million positions, and our reach has grown 487%. Sounds super -- but remember it's only ten times the reach of WJMA's placeholder page.

(click on image to enlarge)

Are there things we can do to maximize growth? Sure.

One tried and true method is to publish a single-subject blog. If we only talked about radio, or the Internet, or comics, or music, or politics, or any of the other goofy things we blog about here, our traffic would be much, much higher. But most of the content I produce professionally elsewhere is tightly focused -- so I'm willing to trade optimal traffic numbers for the opportunity to write about whatever I want.

And the web is social. The more blogs we link to and the more comments we leave on other blogs, the more links (and traffic) we get back. However, I'm not about to start posting comments on other blogs willy-nilly just to leave our URL as many places as possible. I'll read the blogs I'm interested in, and occasionally post comments when I have something to share.

So I expect we'll continue to grow, but at a slow pace. And that's fine -- because it means we can keep doing this blog the way we want to. And have some fun in the process.

- Ralph

Day 95 of the WJMA Web Watch.

One more from the Beeb

Yesterday I talked about how the BBC is using YouTube as an effective marketing tool by incorporating videos of their radio personalities into their new media mix of blogs, text messaging, podcasts, and website pages. Yes, the BBC has resources far and beyond most radio stations in this country. But their tactics can be used by just about anyone -- because most of these new media resources are free.

The Chris Moyles Show, on BBC Radio 1, generates a goodly amount of videos. And so they've taken the next logical step, which is to create their own YouTube channel. Now there's a single destination where listeners and fans can go to get all of the Moyles' show videos.

Again, this is something just about anyone can do -- but you have to do it right. Take a critical look at the page. It's effectively branded, and as you can see from the ratings, traffic is brisk.

For any station (or any other business, for that matter) that generates more than five videos, having a dedicated channel can be a great way to further focus the message.

You don't need to have a lot of money to survive in this changing media landscape -- just the imagination to take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves. Like the BBC.

- Ralph

Day 47 of the WJMA Web Watch.

A few tips from the Beeb -- with numbers

On one of my radio listserves, the subject of YouTube videos came up (after a radio announcer posted some videos). My contribution to the discussion, how a station can use YouTube as a marketing tool, was the basis of my post "Radio for video websites -- the easy way."

In the listserve discussion, I cited the BBC Radio 1's "Chris Moyles Show" as an example of how to integrate the various media. I linked to one of their videos involving the staff trying to talk while eating Pop Rocks, and explained how the show used this one skit on the radio, on video, as a text message topic, and a blog post.

Response from the listserve? "Eating Pop Rocks is dumb. What's the point?"

The point wasn't the content itself, but how it was being used to reach a wider audience through different media (as I further explained in another post).

Recently the Chris Moyles show did another video stunt worth paying attention to -- not necessarily because of the content, but because of what they did with it -- and the results.

The show's newsreader, Dominic Byrne, set out to make the world's most boring YouTube video. And the Moyles team set out to get that video as many views as possible. A silly stunt, sure, but let's look carefully at the execution -- and the results.



Listen carefully to the original segment. Although Moyles and his team are talking about a video (and a deliberately boring one at that), they use a wide range of audio tricks to make it interesting and fun on radio. When the segment starts, they note that the video has around 10,000 views -- by the end it's 100,000. Over 400 text messages come in during the segment, and the energy level of the segment is high throughout.

Now that broadcast has come and gone, but there's more to the story. I don't listen to the BBC live, but I did hear about this on the Chris Moyles Show podcast. And it pursuaded me to watch the video. I could have also read about it on the Chris Moyles Show blog. And played the Flash animation game. And watched the trailer.

As of this writing, the video has over 350,000 views -- which represents about 5% of the show's audience.

This video is silly, but what if these same tactics were used to drive traffic to a different kind of radio station video? What if it was a video designed to strengthen the brand of the station? What if it had an advertiser's message incorporated into it? Now you've got something that's working for the station in a medium outside of over-the-air broadcast. And what if listeners were directed to a page on the station's website to view the content? A page with additional advertising opportunities.

While 5% of an audience may not seem like much, consider this: a realtor shared a success story on our listserve. She was excited because advertising an open house on our local radio station resulted in 24 people showing up to the event. How much happier would she have been with ten times that turnout (closer to the 5% mark) -- or more?

- Ralph

Day 46 of the WJMA Web Watch.

Video for radio websites -- the easy way

I've talked before about how radio stations can use videos to add valuable content to their websites (and thereby increase traffic). Recently, I was reminded that this video doesn't necessarily have to be generated by the business itself.

JD Slade is the morning DJ at WJMA-FM in Orange, Virginia -- the station we're using as a case study to see what works (or doesn't) online. JD's posted some videos on YouTube. They're not official WJMA videos, just clips shot by private individuals. While not great art, they're the kind of fun, casual videos many people post.

However -- even though these are personal videos, they can be potentially valuable content for WJMA's website.

Here's one of JD Slade having fun in the studio while a song plays.



So what's the takeaway?

1. JD Slades's a person who knows how to have fun.
2. JD Slade's full of energy.
3. If you look carefully, you can see that he's not just flailing his arms -- JD really knows how to play the guitar. He's a musician.

Now if this video was embedded in the station's website with info about JD Slade's morning show, the augmented takeaway could be:

1. WJMA's morning show is fun.
2. WJMA's morning man, JD Slade, is full of energy.
3. WJMA's staff (at least one of them) is a musician. They must really know a lot about the music they play.

Here's another one of JD Slade dancing at a local event.



The immediate takeaway?

1. JD Slade is man who knows how to enjoy himself.
2. JD Slade is a good dancer (decidedly better than me, that's for sure).
3. This looks like a fun event.

Now suppose that video was taken at a WJMA remote, and posted to WJMA's website (with accompanying info identifying JD Slade as the WJMA morning DJ). Now the takeaway's changed slightly.

1. JD is a man who knows how to enjoy himself. His morning show must be fun to listen to.
2. JD is a good dancer. He sure has a lot of energy. I bet his morning show does, too.
3. Looks like this is a fun WJMA event. The next time they're going to be out broadcasting somewhere, I'm going to stop by. They know how to have a blast.

Of course, the more videos of this nature the station has on its site, the larger the cumulative effect. By also placing them on YouTube (yes, I know that's where these originated), the station makes the videos available to other folks as well. And every time someone links to it or embeds it in their own blog/email/Facebook page/etc., it just serves as another free plug for, and another link back to the station. And in the realm of social networking, that's the most effective kind of branding there is.

So the simplest (and cheapest) way to generate unique content for a website? Let the staff do their thing with camcorders -- and post the videos that work.

- Ralph


Day 27 of the WJMA Web Watch.

New Music for the Fourth

I'll be on WTJU-FM this coming Friday morning, the Fourth of July, from 6:00-9:00 am. If you tune into 91.1 fm (either by radio or online), you probably won't be hearing the "Stars and Stripes Forever." And you sure as heck won't be hearing the "1812 Overture! I've discussed why that's not appropriate for the Fourth before on this blog.

So what will I be playing?

Lots. There are almost 200 years of American classical music written by Americans for Americans that just doesn't get heard very often on most radio stations (that play classical, that is).

Why not? I'm not sure. It's not the quality of music -- some of it's on par with what was going on in Europe at the time. It's not the status of the composers -- many of them are safely dead and buried, just like Bach, Brahms, and Beethoven. I just think it's difficult for stations -- and listeners -- to stray far from the classical top 40.

Sure, Samuel Barber's "Adagio" gets played regularly, as does some of Aaron Copland's ballet scores and of course George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue." But that's only a tiny part of the creative legacy our forefathers (and contemporaries) have left us.

I'll be playing some songs from the American Revolution, as well as some music from 19th and 20th Century composers. Perhaps Howard Hanson's "Merry Mount" suite, from his opera of colonial Maryland. Count on some Charles Ives as well.

But what else?

I have some ideas, but I'll entertain motions from the floor. If you have a favorite American classical composition you think I should play, leave a comment.

There're just a few guidelines.

First, it has to be classical in genre. No crossover stuff, such as an orchestral version of Lee Greenwood, or Mitch Miller singing patriotic songs!

Secondly, it has to be composed by an American.

Third, it has to be something a little outside the ordinary. So Copland's "A Lincoln Portrait" is out, as is any march by Sousa.

So what should I play? You tell me.

This is democracy in action. Let the people speak!

- Ralph

Day 18 of the WJMA Web Watch.

Newsweek figures it out

Jonathan Alter wrote an interesting piece for Newsweek recently, titles "Adios, Sound Bites, and Fat Cats." In it, he looks at how the Internet's affected the political process.

The media and fund-raising rules have undergone a huge change this year. The era of sound bites and fat cats may be coming to a close.

It took me a while to grasp this. On the morning of March 18, when I read an advance text of Obama's Philadelphia speech on race, I told my wife that it was well written but contained no eight- to 15-second sound bites to counteract the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr.'s greatest hits. Under the old rules, a 37-minute speech full of complex ideas didn't stand a chance against the excitement of "good TV." Of course, I was wrong. Obama's speech has now been played on YouTube nearly 5.5 million times, with viewers presumably watching at least a few minutes of it.

It's a good article, and I'm glad I read it.

I do appreciate his admission that it took a while to grasp the change. "C.E. Conversations" isn't really a political blog -- I'm primarily concerned about new technologies (and old pop culture). Yet even I figured it out back in September of last year. I further articulated these startling new concepts in early February ("The Virtual Body Politic"), early March ("Politics as (un)usual" and "Political Pushback" ), late March ("Citizen Fact-checkers" and "Political Talkback").

And I freely admit I'm a latecomer to this party compared to commentators to this blog like Cameron, Samuel Brainsample, and Sean Tubbs. And I'm sure they could site others who "got it" even earlier than they did. This may be a new concept to Mr. Alter, but it's old news to the online community.

It's not quite the Rome/Nero analogy, but while mainstream media continued their unending cycle of sound bites and accompanying parsing by pundits, something interesting happened online. Something that's now been officially deemed newsworthy.

People haven't been waiting for mainstream media to filter the news for them. They've been reporting -- and deciding -- for themselves.

- Ralph

Non-NPR Public Radio

Yes, there is such a thing. Around the time I began attending public radio conferences regularly, National Public Radio began their push to solidify their brand. "Morning Edition" and "All Things Considered" were already the "tent poles" of most public radio station listening (that is, the two places where audience -- and pledging -- peaked).

NPR started by pushing stations to have their announcers emulate the NPR style of delivery, providing a seamless transition from the national feed to the local news segments and back again. Stations were glad to ride the NPR bandwagon. NPR programs brought in the big pledge dollars, and it was easier to schedule a syndicated program with high production values rather than trying to put together something on their own.

Affiliate stations always assumed that NPR's goals were identical with theirs. But different organizations, like individuals, by definition have different goals. In time the blending of local station with national network became complete. Many people today use the terms "NPR" and "public radio" interchangeably -- NPR's branding mission is now complete.

Folks will talk about NPR's "A Prairie Home Companion" -- a program produced and distributed by American Public Media (not NPR), or talk about a classical music selection Seth Williamson played on NPR (Seth's the local host of mid-day classics at WVTF, and his program is not distributed by NPR).

The first hint of trouble with this close association came when NPR fired popular "Morning Edition" host Bob Edwards. Listeners responded with howls of protests -- ire aimed squarely at the local affiliates. For most of the public, the local station was NPR, and many canceled their pledges in protest. That lost revenue hurt the local stations, which meant they had less money to meet their budget (a good chunk of which were NPR carriage fees -- according to Time Magazine, as much as $1.3 million). As for NPR, no station dropped "Morning Edition," and they collected the same rates from the affiliates they always did while the controversy raged on. In the end, Bob Edwards went to XM, some listeners went away, and NPR continued business as usual.

NPR has been moving more and more content onto satellite radio, into podcasts, and finally onto their own audio server. For this organization that derives revenue from the programs it produces, the moves make sense -- this is where the audience is going, and that's where they need to be.

For the radio stations, though, it's a disaster. If you contribute to your local station to support "Fresh Air," why would you continue to do so once you realize you can get it free as a podcast? Stations with strong local content have very good reasons for their listeners to support them. Those who rely almost exclusively on NPR are in for a tough time.

The recent firing of Ken Stern can be seen as an attempt to put the brakes on NPR's abandonment of its affiliates. But it's a temporary slowing, at best. Listening patterns are changing, and eventually NPR and public radio stations may come to a serious parting of the ways.

Here in Charlottesville, Virginia we have four non-commercial radio stations. Two are NPR affiliates, which means you can often hear the same programs on two different stations. Two run local programming almost exclusively.

Coincidentally, both of these stations (WNRN and WTJU) are currently in the midst of their spring fund drives. While WVTF and WMRA run "Morning Edition," WNRN gives its listeners "Acoustic Sunrise," which airs acoustic folk and Americana music. WTJU has classical programming in the morning, locally (and sometimes eccentrically) hosted. WNRN plays a healthy dose of local music throughout the day, while WTJU airs genres (serious classical and jazz, folk, world, non-Top 40 rock) other stations never touch.

All non-commercial radio station depend on some measure of direct public support. In two cases, a bulk of that support will be turned over to NPR to pay for programming, In the other two, the money stays "in house."

Which station is worthy of your support? Whichever one you listen to on a regular basis. Just remember that when you make your pledge, you're supporting the station, not NPR (at least not directly).

- Ralph

More Pillow Talk

Ken's post really brought back memories for me as well. In the Washington area WOWO Radio from Fort Wayne, Indiana was the far away AM station that I listened to (check out their 1960's coverage area at right). I'm not sure the songs they played were any different than those of our local Top 40 stations, but mixed in with commercials and announcements that referenced Fort Wayne streets and landmarks, it seemed more exotic and somehow, more special.

And sometimes those late night sessions were with WEAM and WEEL, two local stations. WEEL had to sign off at midnight, and for one summer that final song WEEL played before sign off was the last thing I heard before turning off the radio and drifting off to sleep...

- Ralph

"Radio Nowhere" and Half-Dead Radio

In my post yesterday, I asked a question:

Something that the radio industry trumpets as its savior is significantly absent from John Amos' essay. Do you know what it is?

John Amos, in his essay "Radio Nowhere" talked about the changing (for the worse) face of radio from a listener's perspective.

The subject was commerical radio, but he mentioned many other listening alternatives. Amos talks about:

CDs
National Public Radio
community radio
satellite radio
Internet radio

He talks a lot about content, and about the role local radio played in his life. But there's something missing from Amos' essay.

Have you figured it out?

There's no mention about the importance of sound fidelity, and no mention of HD Radio.

The listener is more concerned about the quality of the content than the amount of static in the signal.

According to the HD Radio Alliance,

It’s the most significant advancement in radio broadcasting since the introduction of FM stereo more than 50 years ago. HD Radio technology enables AM and FM radio stations to broadcast their programs digitally – a tremendous technological leap from the analog broadcasts of the past.

Yet in the cold light of day,

...some hard numbers on HD radio sales: 330,000 sold in 2007, up from 40,000 receivers in 2006.

Spin this any way you like, the reality is that these are low numbers, particularly after hundreds of millions of dollars of radio promotion provided gratis.

Indeed, by this time next year, there will be more HD radios in the U.S. than Ham Radios.

One day the radio industry will awaken to realize that inventing a new channel of distribution in a sea of already popular distribution channels is no pathway to the future.

Particularly not if the consumer has already spoken. - Mark Ramsey

And in John Amos' case, the consumer has spoken -- by not speaking about it at all.

- Ralph

"Radio Nowhere" -- Who's listening?

In "Radio Nowhere," the essay we posted yesterday, John Amos articulated the disenchantment he felt listening to the radio. And if you think he's alone, here's a little Internet mashup, placing excerpts from his essay alongside the posted thoughts of broadcast professionals.

Stations try to grab listeners with fizzy promises (“more music, less talk”) and catchy slogans... - John Amos

No one cares about your station or what you do. What they care about is how you make them feel about themselves and their decisions while in your presence. Do you make them feel special, in the know, smart, etc? Whatever it is, ask how you are making people feel while tuning you in or wearing your logo. - Tom Asacker

What’s missing, of course, is any sort of community connection... pre-packaged shows, produced in nameless places, are no substitute for the real, live thing. - John Amos

Programming went from local to homogenous. Making things worse was a decade in which the radio industry failed to program for youth. Bad timing, because it was at this same time that youth were looking for programs they could relate to. Youth still want to know what's happening locally. If radio won't tell them, they have this thing called the internet. And, boy, have they turned to it. - Ken Dardis

So the question is what can be done to save radio.

Get into the local content business. I’d start a website with music, social networks, artist interviews and other embellishments for every college and high school in your terrestrial listening area. Radio folks would do it the other way – one website for all local colleges. Radio works best when it is local. The Internet is your friend. It enables you to reach out to markets that may not ever listen to your terrestrial stations. After that expand by interest or social group. Impossible? Costly? It’s being done all the time in the Internet world by young entrepreneurs on what even today's radio would consider chump change. - Jerry Del Colliano

At issue is how radio companies transform their models from spot-sellers into marketing workhorses with communication assets built around individuals with faces and names rather than anonymous tallies of ears. - Mark Ramsey

In fact, not that long ago radio was a vibrant part of this community.... These folks took their work seriously, and they put out a product that people wanted, maybe even needed, to hear. - John Amos

Generally, listeners like the idea of live and local DJs. 77% said they preferred to have DJs who live in and are a part of their own community and 74% said DJs should be live, not recorded. - Mark Ramsey

Don't even think about more voice tracking -- it will only save money and never attract listeners -- not even if you paid a person carrying a People Meter to stand in front of a radio blaring your station 24/7. - Jerry Del Colliano

Real people, real entertainment, and real information.

Radio, far more than television, relies on an audience’s imagination. Without pictures, it has only words, voice, and human warmth to reach listeners. This requires a person at the other end of the microphone, not a recording. - John Amos

"TV gives everyone an image, but Radio gives birth to a million images in a million brains" - Peggy Noonan

What would a steak be without its sizzle? Radio is the security blanket of the ear. We flip a switch, we laugh, we scream, we sing along. We remember our youth, connect with our community, share our opinions, soothe our pains, calm our fears. Through the radio, our imagination unfolds, we dress for the weather, drive for the traffic, cheer for the team, take comfort when the world is safe and hold our neighbor's hand when it is not. - Mark Ramsey

[Radio] will only survive by cultivating the human connection. - John Amos

When you take out (or never put in) the personality, when you lack the voices that connect us to the music and each other, when there is no promotion, no news, no traffic, no weather, no contesting, no feeling that what you're hearing is in any sense "live" or, for that matter even "living," is that really "radio"?

Is that what we want "radio" to be?

Is that what the audience comes to us for? - Mark Ramsey

Commercial broadcasters won't listen to the professionals. Will they listen to the listener?

- Ralph

Bonus question: Something that the radio industry trumpets as its savior are significantly absent from John Amos' essay. Do you know what it is? Look for the answer in tomorrow's post.

WJMA - Still Frozen

There's been a little bit of change on the WJMA website -- sort of.

For those who came in late, in November I wrote a series of posts analyzing WJMA's website. The site's not unique in the radio world, which was sort of the point. Broadcast radio, on the whole, has not a clue how media consumption has shifted nor what to do about it. My series of posts used WJMA as a test case -- here's a problem, and here are some practical solutions.

One of the problems was the lack of maintenance on the site. The local news page had the dateline "November 9, 2007" and a blank page. I revisited the site on December 9 and January 9 and saw nothing had changed. Now on February 9, there's been a modicum of activity -- the page no longer says "November 9, 2007." It's now completely blank!

Note to the powers that be: this may be a change, but it's not an improvement.

Also, the job posting hasn't been changed. Piedmont Communications is still looking for a program director who can "oversea programs." I wonder if they were looking for someone who could oversee programs the position wouldn't still be unfilled?

And of course, you still can't contact the on-air staff -- or even find out who they are. That page is still under construction.

We'll check back March 9. Will anything be different? Stay tuned!

- Ralph

WMRA -- Dropping Classical with Class

Long-time readers of this blog may recall my series of posts taking WETA-FM to task, first for dropping classical music, and then bringing it back. It wasn't so much the format change that I objected to, it was the intellectual dishonesty displayed by WETA surrounding the decision.

Despite WETA's high-minded statements about abandoning classical music to reach out to audiences unserved by public radio, kicking the format to the curb was really only about one thing -- chasing after the bigger pledge dollars pubradio news and talk format listeners cough up. WETA's return to classical was partially due to circumstance, and partially due to the fact that both listenership and pledge dollars dropped significantly after the change.

Down our way, public radio station WMRA-FM in Harrisonburg, Virginia changed over from NPR news/classical to primarily news/talk this week. And while the underlying reasons were precisely the same as WETA's, how WMRA presented their decision was very different -- and refreshingly honest.

WMRA also operates WEMC, a sister station just down the road at Eastern Mennonite University. WEMC has a weaker signal and smaller coverage area than WMRA. Basically, the two stations switched formats, with WEMC now running mostly automated classical programming, and WMRA going to news/talk.

On their website, WMRA explains the reason behind their decision. In a question-and-answer section, they lay it all out quite candidly.

We have an opportunity to offer more diversity of programming to most of our listening area, giving people a choice between music and information throughout the day. Almost all of our classical music listeners will still be able to hear music on another station during the midday, whereas most of them could not hear midday information programming.

Not quite the bafflegab proffered by WETA -- especially since WMRA didn't completely eliminate classical music. Check out the answer to the following question (emphasis mine):

What do you hope to gain from these new programs?

Foremost is increased public service, indicated by more people listening to public radio with this additional choice available to them. We are excited by the prospect of better fulfilling our mission by having a larger impact on the civic discourse in the communities we serve. We anticipate, of course, that serving more listeners, and serving them better as they listen longer, will turn into fundraising success so that we can provide even better service. Our long range plans call for increasing our community involvement, more coverage of Virginia news and issues, and expanding Virginia Insight to a daily live program once the resources are in place.

And there it is. WMRA changed the format to increase listenership and pledge dollars. But unlike WETA, they said so.

The other big difference was this: when WETA made the switch, it was consistently one of the top-rated stations in their market. WETA was making money -- it just got greedy and tried to make more money. WMRA had a much tougher row to hoe, as they themselves admit.

The audience for WMRA has not grown over the past 5 or 6 years, despite a rapidly growing population. In the past year and a half, the audience has actually declined significantly, particularly during the middays. On top of that, the average time spent listening has also declined. We have seen the effects of this on our fundraising. The number of members has decreased, and although the average gift has grown, the trend is not a sustainable one. We came up short of our goals in most of our recent on-air fundraisers, and have had to add a third fundraiser in recent years. We had to cancel some programs and reduce staffing two years ago. Because almost half of our operating budget comes from listener contributions, successful fundraising is essential to our being able to provide a quality service.

I applaud WMRA for their integrity. They could have spun it, but instead, station management chose to present the real reasons for the change. The thoughtful nature of their comments indicates to me this was a difficult decision not entered into lightly.

WMRA closes their explanation page by listing all the public radio stations in their listening area that play classical music (even WTJU gets a mention). They even provide program times, so WMRA's former classical listeners can find the music they love elsewhere.

WMRA may no longer play much classical music, but they still have plenty of class.

- Ralph

Radio Daze

So is ignorance really bliss? Or is it self-destructive?

As I've commented before, the problem with the digital divide is that it's completely insular. The firestorms of controversy and criticism that sweep through the online community are completely unknown to those offline.

Commercial radio thrashes about desperately trying just about anything to hold on to a shrinking (and aging) audience. The frantic pushing of HD Radio shows that commercial broadcasters know that something's wrong -- and their approach shows they have not a clue about what audiences want, or how to provide it.

The answers are online -- and the answer is to move online. But the decision-makers at these stations live offline. And so they never see the solution -- or are even aware it's out there in (virtual) plain view.

Here're three examples of where we are:

1) Audiographics bids adieu
Ken Dardis, a radio professional who's been pushing and prodding the industry for years, has finally given up. In his final post he writes:

...the decision will be either to stop writing altogether (because it doesn't seem that radio is interested in how to step into the future), or to write about these new things I'm learning which are turning the advertising industry on its head (and which have been brought up in this column hundreds of times).

After writing, and documenting and analysing the path radio needs to take, Dardis is through trying to shout across the digital divide. He's moving on. And who could blame him?

2) Hear 2.0 turns up the heat
Mark Ramsey, another radio professional, has continually commented and pointed the way for radio. In a recent post, he took the gloves off (and not for the first time):

It's time for radio to stop imagining that success can be achieved by consolidating and cutting until one day your entire group is run from a PC in a locked room like W.O.P.R. in the 1983 movie Wargames. No need for PD's or air talent in that world. No need for marketing or research or promotion or staff. No need for anything but sales and - if you're lucky - an ever-diminishing number of listeners. It's Dabney Coleman and a big Central Brain that asks millions of listeners at once: "Want to play a game?"
Is that the kind of radio industry you want? Because if you mistake the current down market for a cycle rather than a trend, that's exactly the one you're going to get.

Looks like Ramsey is also getting a little tired of shouting across that divide.

3) At WJMA, nothing's changed
It's been a little while since I offered up an analysis of the ramshackle website of our local radio station WJMA. It's been a while, but the DJ's page is still "under construction," the job page still wants someone for "overseas programming" and the news page is still blank with a date of November 9.

Lots of people read those posts -- even some in the Orange area. And yet, no comment for any of the posts, and no change. Piedmont Communications remain incommunicado -- offline.

It's one thing for an individual to opt out of the online experience. But for a business in decline to steadfastly refuse to consider investigating the most important cultural tool of the 21st century? That kind of ignorance can be fatal.

- Ralph

Radio Websites -- Odds and Ends

Our recent series of posts about how to improve a radio station's website (using our local radio station WJMA as a case study) generated some good discussion both on- and offline. Rather than go back and alter the posts, I decided to just do a final roundup of ideas. Thanks to everyone who helped with this!

Don't be shy about your assets
Did you know that Piedmont Communications owns more than just WJMA? You wouldn't unless you went to their company page. On the home page for WJMA should be linked to WLSA, WCVA, WVCV, and WOJL, along with some indication as to their format. (Sorry, I couldn't find links to those other stations -- that's a whole separate issue).

This is important for two reasons: listeners and advertisers.

The iPod revolution has demonstrated that listeners are eclectic. While a person may prefer a particular musical genre, there's usually a few songs from other kinds on their MP3 player as well. A WJMA listener might occasionally go to another station for some variety. Letting them know what other music Piedmont Communications offers just helps keeps that listener within the Piedmont Communications family of stations.

As I said in the last post, a business' website often forms the first impression for potential customers. Current and potential advertisers coming to the WJMA site need to be aware that there are other stations. Don't rely on a sales call to explain it -- the modern business owner (and yes, even little ol' Orange County, Virginia has a growing number of them) will do online research on their own.

Don't forget the video
I talked about always having a digital camera at hand to take pictures to post on the site. Video's great, too. Clips should be short, and make some kind of narrative sense. And if its an entertaining clip, like an office prank, then post it on YouTube and other video sites. The more content you have on the web and the more places you have it ultimately increases traffic to your site.

Link everything
Hotlinks are the key to a successful website. Any URLS in PSAs should be linked, as well as any articles referred to. Cross-linking between pages within a site is extremely helpful. If you're talking about something on another page in another category, don't make the reader go all the way back through the navigation menu to get there -- just link to it. They'll be more likely to visit that page, and more visits = more views for the sponsors on those pages.

No dancing baloney
Keep animation to a minimum -- especially with advertising banners. Also, go easy on the flash animation and other such distractions. While the goal is to monetize the site, ads should be carefully placed so they don't overpower the content (which is why the reader is there). And an excessive amount of banner animation can actually drive people from the site.

Did I miss anything? Add your comment below and let me know.

- Ralph

Radio Websites -- Driving Traffic to the Website

Over the past three posts, we've been looking at radio websites and how to improve them, using our local station, WJMA as a case study.

We've looked at how to build unique and compelling content, and how to monitize it. So how does WJMA get people to come to this wonderful new website when there are millions of others they could go to?

Simple. Integrate the URL into the station's branding, and integrate the site into the station's broadcast content. Let's look at those two ideas in detail.

Integrate the URL into the station's branding
WJMA has a pretty simple URL, which helps greatly -- WJMAFM.com. This URL should be on every bumpersticker, every promotional cap or T-shirt, every scrap of stationary, every business card, and anything else that bears the company logo. This form of publicity is pretty standard, but it's amazing how often businesses miss opportunities by thinking of the URL as a separate -- rather than an integral -- part of their branding.

WJMA has an additional advantage. It's a radio station. Every time an announcer opens the mike the URL should be mentioned. Now notice that I did NOT list the URL as "www.WJMAFM.com." Newcomers to the whole Interwebtubie thing carefully include the three dubs in every web address. And sometimes, bless their little hearts, they even include "http colon backslash backslash."

None of this is really necessary. Just say "WJMAFM.com" and move on. At the very least, the URL should be in every station ID and every positioning statement.

Integrate the site into the station's content
The biggest mistake many broadcasters (and other businesses) make is thinking of their website as something separate from their core business. It's not. The public doesn't think so. Increasingly, the website is a potential customer's first impression of the company.

A radio station owner may think they're a broadcaster, but that concept went out with the previous century. In the 21st century, a radio station with a website is a content provider. Some of that content are appropriate for the Internet only, some for on-air broadcast only. But the successful stations will create an increasing amount that uses both channels. Here're some specific examples.

1) Audience participation
Move call-in polls to the website. Setting up an on-line poll is pretty simple, and it's an easy way to drive traffic to the site. Ask for audience opinions. Have the listeners vote "thumbs up/thumbs down" on songs the station's considering adding to its playlist -- that's like getting focus group info for free!

"Battle of the bands" can be good, too. Have two new songs square off against each other on Monday, with listeners voting online. The winner's up against a new song on Tuesday, and that winner against another song on Wednesday, and on through the week, until the big finale on Friday. "American Idol" and similar programs have demonstrated the appeal of this kind of audience participation.

Here're some examples of how to do this on-air. Note to the webmaster -- the poll should be either on the front page or there should be a big button linking to its page. Make it easy to find!

"So what do you think about this new proposal to expand Route 29? Yea or nay? Vote and give us your opinion at WJMAFM.com."

"Who's going to take the Richmond 500 this weekend? Jeff Gordon or Jimmie Johnson? Let us know at WJMAFM.com." [For polls with a big response, the dj could report on it from time to time, keeping the interest up and web traffic brisk. "Gordon's ahead in our poll by about 2 to 1 over Johnson right now. Do you think Gordan can take the Richmond 500? Vote now at WJMAFM.com. We'll announce the final results at 8:35."]

"Got a new track from the Dixie Bee-Liners coming up next. Is it hot, or is it not? Let us know at WJMAFM.com" [Perhaps a 10-second clip could be posted with the poll so voters could listen again. This would be especially helpful if two songs are competing.]

And of course, these polls are also opportunities for sponsorship as well.

2) Additional information
Use the website to cut PSA clutter. Every station's received long-winded announcements that just make for bad radio if read in their entirety. Trim the message to the core, and put the rest online. Here's an example:

"And the FunRun to support the Red Cross happens this Saturday morning in Rapidan. See the Hardee's community bulletin board at WJMAFM.com for more information." [The website post would have the sign-up info, contacts, Red Cross URL, and all the other information provided by the organizers.]

"Orange takes on the Fluvanna Flucos in basketball action this Friday night. For game time and a complete listing of regional sports, check out the WJMA scoreboard at WJMAFM.com, sponsored by Faulconer Hardware."

"So we got an e-mail in from Patsy K. who's really hot about slow drivers. She says, "I've got to drive Rt. 231 to get to work. It's a two-lane road, with almost no opportunities to pass. Is it too much to ask drivers to at least drive five miles under the limit? C'mon, pick up the pace! Some of these geezers drive so slow I don't know if I'll even make it to work before we close!" I know how you feel, Patsy -- that's one of the nice things about getting to the station at five in the morning. I only have to worry about deer -- and at least, they move fast! Got something you want to vent about? Let us know. Go to 'Here's the beef' at WJMAFM.com and gets it off your chest. ' And if we read your beef on the air, you'll receive a gift certificate from Hardee's."

These are just a few examples, but there's many more -- as many as there are features on the site.

So will this help WJMA? I don't know. It depends on what they decide to do with the information (they may not even be aware this discussion is going on). We'll have some indication, though, when this page no longer looks like this, and (heaven help us) this page no longer looks like this (both screen shots were taken November 28, 2007).

- Ralph