Dom Theodore’s been cast in many prominent executive programming roles throughout his career and has guided, advised and mentored several PD’s at major radio groups along the way. There are Dom disciples who have been influenced by his passion for and acumen of radio in general, especially as it applies to strategic programming. His path through the industry served as an ideal setting and preparation for his current incarnation as a consultant. Dom’s never been at a loss for strong opinions about the business he loves most and expresses himself in true fashion across a variety of issues in this week’s Cover Story.
Dom Theodore
If you’ve been in the radio business for any length of time you know that the name Dom Theodore is synonymous with competitive radio. Dom spent the majority of his career in major positions at major radio groups over-seeing major market stations. There’s a bit of rebel in him that most likely can be traced back to the early days of The Power Pig, when attitude ruled and rules were routinely broken. He did have his shot as one of the chosen few to program the legendary Tampa Top 40, but it was only the beginning.
He had quite a successful run with Clear Channel last decade programming at various levels including WKQI/Detroit, where he built a powerful brand and spring-boarded his success to larger roles at CC including CHR Brand Manager, RVP/Programming and VP/Programming. In October of 2008, Dom crossed over to CBS Radio and was named VP of CHR Programming, eventually signing on and adding programming duties at the newly minted NYC CHR, 92.3 NOW.
He left CBS Radio at the end of 2011 and made the move you’d most expect from a radio exec with his experience: ownership and consultancy. Dom also became involved with The Blaze Radio Network where he serves as its VP of Programming…as always his insights remain as real as rain.
Reflecting back on last year, what do feel have been the most significant changes (if any at all) in the radio industry?
The truth is, I’m not sure that enough has really changed. We continue to see programming decisions become more centralized, while the next generation of PD’s are learning to be good “executive producers” for their stations, but they’re not learning how to truly program, nor do they have the autonomy to make major content decisions. We’re also seeing new stations launch as the second or third station in a format, which is causing even more market compression. New platforms continue to gain audience traction because they’re taking bigger creative risks in some cases while most terrestrial stations lack authenticity, plus the 7 to 10 minute stop sets are driving listeners away. Nothing has happened in the last year to truly “disrupt” the radio industry in a way that forces innovation, and that’s a shame.
How has this trend toward programming affected the way programmers must now perceive to do their jobs in competitive markets?
Programmers that have autonomy really have an opportunity to take advantage of their competitors who lack it. While your competitor is busy trying to conform to a corporate-issued template, you can step out and try something different. Every market has a unique sound and unique vibe. The station that reflects this best will win.
In your current role as consultant, what are the lessons of programming you try to impart to your client stations?
Beyond flawless execution of the basics, I really push the programmers and talent I work with to be different and be authentic. It’s not enough to have a tight playlist and slick jocks. You need to have a story and tell it in an interesting way. There are too many radio stations that are focused on perfect mechanics, but lack a soul and a story. I try to push my programmers to think beyond the “appliance” of radio and connect emotionally with the listener instead.
Coaching talent is one of my favorite parts of the job, and it’s amazing to me how many jocks I can listen to for four hours and not know anything more about them than I did before I started listening. This is almost an epidemic in our industry right now, and I really enjoy teaching talent how to break through the radio and connect on a human level. Listeners are craving authenticity and a genuine point of view, and I work with programmers and talent to build brands that are authentic and relevant.
Can you elaborate a little on your involvement with The Blaze Radio Network?
The larger hat I wear these days is VP of Programming for The Blaze Radio Network, and it’s the most exciting project that I’ve been a part of in my entire career. We are literally building the next generation of talk radio, along with a news network and a very different approach to talk and entertainment. I’ve always had an entrepreneurial streak, and the chance to work with Glenn Beck, Chris Balfe and Joel Cheatwood to launch a new platform and throw out the standard playbook was something I couldn’t pass up. The culture at The Blaze encourages innovation and creative risk-taking, and the industry is going to be amazed at what we do over the next couple of years…stay tuned!
How much different of a role is consulting versus day-to-day programming?
Consulting has many advantages. I get to focus on what’s actually coming out of the speakers and listen like a listener without the daily grind of sales promotions meetings, and the ‘business of running the business.’ Sometimes the PD is so close to it, and they miss the big picture. I always enjoy the moment when I point something out to the PD that they hadn’t thought about and their eyes light up with “I never thought about it that way.” Sometimes progress is impeded by fear or internal station politics, and I am able to break through all of that and have very honest and direct conversations with the PD’s and Market Managers I work with.
What experiences in your past best prepared you for your new role and how do you apply those experiences to your current relationships with radio?
I’ve spent most of my career in very competitive situations and understand the pressures that today’s PD’s are under with fewer resources and responsibilities over more stations than ever before. As a former Regional VP and format VP, I’ve had the opportunity to mentor PD’s and talent which has prepared me well for my current role. The irony is that in many markets I consult there are stations competing with stations I used to oversee as a format captain, so I know the strengths and weaknesses of the brands that I’m up against. It’s a unique perspective that few others have.
With digital, social network and leaner staffs in general, do you feel most PD’s are overloaded with responsibilities these days and what advice do you give them to overcome this challenge?
There’s no doubt that today’s PD’s have less time than ever before. Because I’ve walked in their shoes, I know how hard it is to master time management, but the key is to be highly organized and set limits on meetings and time wasters. I encourage the PD’s I work with to set specific time aside each week to listen to their stations and their market. This needs to be a top priority and the only way to make sure it REALLY happens is to put it on the schedule. With leaner support staffs, it’s important that the people you do have are able to multi-task, and that you build a team who understands your vision so you can empower them to make decisions.
Is the radio industry prepared to compete on a large digital playing field with some of the other digital players that pose a threat to its primary goals of winning and retaining listeners and advertisers?
Terrestrial radio can compete and even thrive, but that will only happen if we stop trying to compete with these new technologies on an appliance level and get back to the advantages of our medium. That means exclusive content that these new technologies can’t duplicate. Too many radio stations have over-reacted to PPM, andare so busy trying to prevent tune-out that they’ve forgotten to create reasons to tune-in. We treat talent like they’re “in the way” of the music instead of encouraging them to become a reason to listen. Content can be a great song, a great talent, a funny bit, a good contest, or a great story…music is the easiest content to duplicate. In fact, nearly every one of your competitors (terrestrial stations or digital players) can play the same songs you play, so why would they choose you over the others? When I’ve asked this question of some PD’s I’ve gotten answers like “but we’re local” or “our imaging is better” or “yeah but we play 100 minutes of music.” You’re kidding yourself if you think that’s enough to beat other technologies. I may be the only one left who isn’t afraid to say that I truly believe the key to the survival of our industry is great talent. Great talent producing great content may be the biggest opportunity for radio to differentiate itself from other mediums.
What is radio doing right that’s encouraging and promising for its future?
I believe Clear Channel’s commitment to iHeartRadio is an example of how to best preserve radio’s future. The game changer that’s coming is wireless broadband in the car. Once this becomes standard, listeners will have easy access to every streaming terrestrial station in the country, along with Pandora, Beats, Spotify, and stations that some kid in another state built in his bedroom and streams for fun…along with every other digital competitor, next to analog FM (and AM at least for now). iHeartRadio at least ensures that terrestrial radio has a prominent space on the new digital dash. So the end-user will have hundreds if not thousands of delivery systems at their disposal. Then it becomes a battle for the best ‘delivery,’ and that’s where the exclusive content I mentioned earlier comes in.
In what areas does radio fall short, and what does the medium need to work on more diligently?
The industry needs to do a much better job with research and development of new content, formats and talent. We need to encourage innovation and allow creative people to create. Right now the creative 20-somethings are leaving college and jumping into new media, not radio, because the creative environment and opportunity is much greater in new media. Think about the typical radio station – if you’re a creative 20-something would that environment appeal to you more than the chance to work at Google?
As the stakes rise for overall competition of listeners, consumers and users, what method of corporate management structure do you feel will optimally work for long-term radio growth? (Top down, national distribution of programming and talent, or more localization and emphasis on individual market needs)
We can see examples of all three operational structures across the industry and the trend seems to be toward top-down management. How is that working so far? Is it really producing better ratings results? How about revenue? The top-down style leads to homogenization of the product and I fear we are boring listeners to death with the same old predictable thing. By giving local markets autonomy to seize the best opportunities in their market and leveraging the benefit of local, interactive and community-involved talent, radio stations can be more competitive from a ratings and revenue standpoint. There are plenty of operators still out there that use this model and their overall financial performance is healthier than most of the top-down operators.
Which radio groups do you admire most and what are they doing to not only distinguish themselves from the pack, but also to compete on high and broader digital levels?
Outside of The Blaze Radio Network and the two stations I have an ownership stake in, there are a few other larger operators I admire and believe are doing it right. One of those is the Beasley Broadcast Group. At a time when other companies are cutting local talent, the Beasley group is actually hiring great talent and even developing talent in later dayparts so they have a bench for the future. They make intelligent investments into programming and encourage innovation and a creative environment, while expanding their digital platform as well.
Another company I admire is Summit Media Group who purchased the former Cox stations in several markets last year. They are focused on building great brands through innovation and a strong commitment to programming. Another company to watch is a new player to radio – Broadway Media in Salt Lake City. They are making a massive commitment to radio in that market and are making intelligent investments in programming and talent. Greater Media is another operator that has always impressed me. There are several others, in fact too many to list here, that are doing it right.
You’re both a student and teacher of radio, is there anything programmers aren’t doing today to improve themselves and their stations that programmers of the past have done successfully?
The most impressive PD’s of the past were part-scientist and part-artist. Over the past 15 years or so, many of the artists have been run out of the industry. I’ve always said that if Steve Jobs were a Program Director, he wouldn’t have lasted a month before some GM would have fired him for being “too difficult to work with.” But Steve Job’s greatest achievements came by a relentless pursuit of perfection through great design (art!), and he knew how to win consumers over not only with functionality, but with emotion. The early adopters of Apple products felt that by using the Macbook instead of the PC said something about their character. It screamed “I’m different” or “I’m a creative type” or “I will not conform.” The best programmers of the past had much of the same rebellious spirit. They would unapologetically disrupt the market and listeners would pay attention to their stations because they were different. Today’s programmers should take a page from those rebellious PD’s of the past and think like Steve Jobs. Create a cult with your radio station. Make your product special and irreplaceable.
What do you miss most about day-to-day programming in local markets?
In my current role, I really get to do everything I loved about day-to-day programming without all of the time-wasters, so I don’t really miss it because I’m still doing it especially with my role as VP of Programming for The Blaze Radio Network. The difference is I now get to program without walls or limits. We are limited only by our imaginations. I wouldn’t trade this for the world!
[eQB Content By Fred Deane]
