Radio & Robots... from the Jacobs Media Strategies newsletter

Boomer alert.

This is an obit that really only affects one format: Classic rock.

As far as updating the website, that kind of news information is automatically inserted via RSS.

What was more telling to me was all the online reports that referred to him as the "ramblin' man," when Gregg didn't write or sing that song.

gr8oldies said:

I would think still important for Classic Rock/Classic Hits. There's still a tie-in with his very brief marriage to Cher.

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So that justifies live staffing over a holiday weekend? Was Jacobs at the office over the weekend? I doubt it. Wonder what his clients think of his opinion.

Classic Hits? The Allman Brothers had ONE HIT, and it's the one that Gregg had nothing to do with. Like playing Yesterday when John Lennon died.

I just saw a post by DJ Jimmy Fink where he said he and other DJs at his station came in on their own to do a memorial show for Gregg. I'm sure no radio stations have rules that prevent DJs from coming in on their own time and serving their music community. That's different from what Jacobs is talking about. When I was in the union, we all worked on holidays, but we received double time and a half. Today, no manager in his right mind is going to offer that.

My question is whatever happened to DJs being willing to come in ON THEIR OWN to work over a holiday weekend and do a special show for no extra money?

Willing DJ's are still out there that DO come in, on their own time, just for the opportunity to present a special show on a holiday weekend not 'officially recognized' by policy as an observed holiday. Why would jocks bother?

The good ones LIVE to be on the air! Holidays take on a whole, new meaning in Radio, too. Monday holidays and sometimes a Friday or even a Tuesday holiday mean that everything radically shifts to satisfy the needs of the, "Beast".

Sales deadlines often mean the books close AT noon Wednesday or Thursday. Broadcast Traffic must have flawless commercial logs generated for the cluster of six stations, seven if there is an additional LMA if this is to work.

Quick math means that usually twenty four commercial logs must be completed. Production must ensure that maybe two thousand or more commercial units are 100% - and verified by signature, including date or day specific spots, updated tags and critical date ranges where ZERO commercial miss their air time.

When the 'magical' merging of just these two elements of a Radio station occurs no one wants to see a single discrepancy report or the dance can turn ugly and no one leaves.

Air talent must prep to a far greater degree and there's just something 'mental' that must occur where each Talent should mentally place themselves or 'immerce' into the vibe of the day or evening they're creating (ie. Tracking). What an ugly word: AUTOMATION. Morning shows usually opt to do their magic live rather than pull some, "best of crap". Union Presenters/Talent may be restricted depending on their terms.

A Senior V.P. Market Manager once emailed her staff and presented a challenge. In order to have a requested unofficial holiday 'off', (see requirements above) she proposed: Create a sellable program that we create in-house. If the Sales Managers sign off then we'll close the offices as the banks will closed anyway.

We constructed a sellout. A non stop Memorial Day Weekend dream concert of a lifetime. It was, "The Greatest Concert that could never be!©"

It was complete. Presell, billboards, Promos, Rules, ONE medical emergency announcement, SFX - even two births during the long weekend. The one critical element that made the 'fantasy' a reality was TIME. We were soo far out in front of the ball we had time for 'stage announcements and Artist backstage interviews. We had TIME to drive the legalities of our fantasy concert that was only available via our groups stations as, "the greatest concert that could never be." Sure, it was inspired by those great WestwoodOne programs but this was OURS as an all hands team venture.

To blow in some voice tracks for the 'expected'... well, that would have just made us those 'other guys'.