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New topic: Should a jock say the station name into spots?

R

radiomojo1

Inactive
Inactive User
We've heard what the consultants have to say, nowadays. "Don't say the station name directly into spots, it only makes the listeners subliminally associate your station with commercials, which they hate."

What do you think? Agree/disagree? Why/why not?
 
> We've heard what the consultants have to say, nowadays.
> "Don't say the station name directly into spots, it only
> makes the listeners subliminally associate your station with
> commercials, which they hate."
>
> What do you think? Agree/disagree? Why/why not?
>

I learned not to trust consultants many years ago. This practice has been going on, ever since radio has been around. These consultants that said that were obviously educated beyond their intellegence. What are you supposed to do... go into a stopset cold?! I cringe everytime I hear that. It sounds like sh*t, when stations do that. Commercials are a necessary evil. Listeners can tolerate commercials in shorter stopsets and not so many of them.

If stations focus on playing great music, more variety, decent jocks, good imaging, and killer promotions, the station will be just fine regardless if you say the station's name going into stop set or not.

Where the hell do they come up with that crap?! It's infuriating! <P ID="signature">______________
KVIL Highland Park
KVIL-FM Highland Park/Dallas-Fort Worth
Thanks for the memories Ron Chapman!</P>
 
> We've heard what the consultants have to say, nowadays.
> "Don't say the station name directly into spots, it only
> makes the listeners subliminally associate your station with
> commercials, which they hate."
>
> What do you think? Agree/disagree? Why/why not?
>

Consultants suck. If they knew anything, they'd be working on air or in programming or management. They are all frustrated no-talents who got into consulting because they couldn't hack it otherwise. They spout paradigms and offer crap advice that a college student could give and prey on the gullible. They're like cult leaders or something. I hate consultants.

As a wise man once said, "Those who can do. Those who can't, teach."
<P ID="signature">______________
Video killed the radio star.</P>
 
> > We've heard what the consultants have to say, nowadays.
> > "Don't say the station name directly into spots, it only
> > makes the listeners subliminally associate your station
> with
> > commercials, which they hate."
> >
> > What do you think? Agree/disagree? Why/why not?
> >
>
> I learned not to trust consultants many years ago. This
> practice has been going on, ever since radio has been
> around. These consultants that said that were obviously
> educated beyond their intellegence. What are you supposed
> to do... go into a stopset cold?! I cringe everytime I hear
> that. It sounds like sh*t, when stations do that.
> Commercials are a necessary evil. Listeners can tolerate
> commercials in shorter stopsets and not so many of them.
>
> If stations focus on playing great music, more variety,
> decent jocks, good imaging, and killer promotions, the
> station will be just fine regardless if you say the
> station's name going into stop set or not.
>
> Where the hell do they come up with that crap?! It's
> infuriating!
>

I know, I never understood it. I was always pretty sure that listeners are smart enough to put two and two together and figure out that if they're not hearing a song on their favorite station, they're probably hearing a commercial. Also, most of the time the first spot into the stopset is a station promo (which starts with the station calls, first words). Fifteen years ago, when we all started inserting station imaging between every single song, they told us "You must never waste an opportunity to say the station name, and absolutely the first and last thing out of every break!" And although I hated the clutter of constant imaging drops at the time (at the station I worked for when this practice first came along, we were letting two or three songs go by without an imaging drop or speedbreak) I do agree with the old standard of opening and closing a break with the station name. It just sounds better and more complete, to my ears.

Just wondering what other radio folks think.
 
Fifteen years ago, when we all started inserting
> station imaging between every single song, they told us "You
> must never waste an opportunity to say the station name, and
> absolutely the first and last thing out of every break!"

Here's a good rule of thumb...from an ex-program director. Spending a lot of time worrying about the "subliminal factor" is silly, especially today. Most people only have the radio on for 'background noise'. Subliminal posturings will go unnoticed. Still, for the few who are, actually, glued to the radio, give the "brand" as the first item out of a tune....and the last item going in. Just before punching up the spots, tease something that's coming up....something worthwhile, like a new song (assuming, of course, that radio actually plays new songs), a major breaking entertainment news story, or even something fictitious like, "Coming up in a couple of minutes, we'll tell you how to avoid embarrassment while driving a Yugo." But, be careful while attempting any kind of humor. Most program directors and consultants don't like humor. Corporate PD's have been known to fire people for resorting to humor. So, play it safe, and make sure that there are plenty of fresh liner cards in the control room. If there aren't any, borrow some from the station across the hall. And, don't bother to substitute the call letters. Most listeners won't notice. Also, before starting your air shift, be sure to flush all original ideas out of your head. Today's programmers and consultants absolutely hate any idea that isn't theirs. (It's an ego thing!)

Now, in reference to the "Those who can't do, teach..." line, you're certainly right about that. A jock I used to work with back in the '80's said it best: "A consultant is a bulls**t salesman with a mouthful of samples!" Okay, not all consultants. In fact, over the years, I've worked with a few consultants who really did their homework, so we could spend our time working on the local stuff that needed attention. One consultant I worked with, spent a lot of time, physically, at my station doing local research. He was pretty darned good. He was expensive. I think he's dead, now.
 
jock say the station name into spots?

I agree with not saying them as the last thing into spots- it tends to make the talent sound very canned, predictable and repetitive.

> We've heard what the consultants have to say, nowadays.
> "Don't say the station name directly into spots, it only
> makes the listeners subliminally associate your station with
> commercials, which they hate."
>
> What do you think? Agree/disagree? Why/why not?
>
 
Re: jock say the station name into spots?

> I agree with not saying them as the last thing into spots-
> it tends to make the talent sound very canned, predictable
> and repetitive.
>
> > We've heard what the consultants have to say, nowadays.
> > "Don't say the station name directly into spots, it only
> > makes the listeners subliminally associate your station
> with
> > commercials, which they hate."
> >
> > What do you think? Agree/disagree? Why/why not?
> >
>


OldiesCat, thank you for responding with a different POV, and for your reasoning behind it. Something for me to consider!

Open to listening to all sides,
~J
 
> the old standard of opening and closing a break with the station
> name. It just sounds better and more complete, to my ears.
>
> Just wondering what other radio folks think.
>

I think we get too hung up on the "whethers" of hitting your station name, and should instead pay more attention to the forward momentum of the station when you're transitioning between content and commercials (and I believe this holds true for music and talk stations, alike).
What's the benefit of giving the station name? Keeping it branded in your listener's memory.

What's the benefit for the listener in sticking with your station through a stop set? Ah, that's the question you have to answer...and an element of that answer must be the name of the station.

Into the stop set, out of the stop set--they're both important, and with so many distractions to draw listeners away, the challenge is to keep your station name in that list of top three things they're thinking about and rememembering.

A side note--if you're not too crazy about associating your station name with the commercials you're playing, there's a clue that not all is right on your station. The creative process for producing great spots is no less important than having the right music playing between the stop sets. And face it, if the commercials aren't working for your clients, your station's not working for them.

Yours in Radio,
Brent Clanton
 
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