Clear Channel radio executive Tom Poleman shares his thoughts, opinions and visions with FMQB CEO Fred Deane in this month’s FMQB Cover Story. The full article appears exclusively in FMQB’s February 2008 magazine issue, however below are some poignant moments from the extremely comprehensive and very informative piece.
Poleman’s been on board with Clear Channel for twelve years. During that time he’s received numerous awards and much industry recognition as one of the most successful programmers in his field. In a recent FMQB industry ‘advisory board’ poll, Polemen was indeed named as one of the Top 5 CHR programmers of all time. Poleman continues his mission as a multi-tasking senior exec for the mighty Clear Channel empire, tackling a multitude of today’s radio challenges.
On why he chose to stay in radio… I still believe in radio. I really like what I do and who I’m working with. We’re at an exciting juncture with technology, and all the turmoil around should lead to opportunity and growth. Plus, I feel like I’ll be in Clear Channel’s “petri dish of creativity” when our five city-based stations all move together to Tribeca, along with Evan Harrison’s Clear Channel On-line Music Radio (CCOMR) team in February. This is where so much of Clear Channel’s innovation and experimentation with new technology is going to happen.
On contrasting the music industry and radio opportunities… Both opportunities were exciting and filled with challenges that put me in a position to lead change within the music industry. Ever-evolving technology and consumer needs have put both radio and labels on paths of re-invention. Radio’s path, however, is much further along and abundantly clearer. When you compare the fundamental business models of the two and dig in deep on the record side, you realize how much work there is to be done. That didn’t discourage me because it’s an invigorating challenge, but there is still plenty of work to be done on the radio side that’s just as exciting.
Hangin’ with Rihanna
On the expanded syndication of the Elvis Duran morning show… The show transcends location because it gets into a unique emotional space with listeners. The topics and discussions are things that anyone can relate to. The conversations are incredibly compelling. The show addresses everything from relationships to Pop culture. It talks about things that matter to women. There are so many intangibles in the flow, team chemistry and content that make the show unique.
On how he sees changes in the music biz model… Like any business in flux, it starts by being consumer centric and re-examining every piece of the business model. The buzz concept of the moment is “360 deals,” and that certainly needs to be a piece of it. But it’s also about fundamentally redefining the role of a label. What services does it provide to an artist that they can’t get elsewhere? Should it be more of a marketing entity? How do you create an organization with a team aligned to deliver services in a way that monetizes everything associated with an artist? It starts by recognizing that it’s not about just selling songs. It may take a team open to experimentation and willing to look with a fresh perspective.
On the existing marketing synergy between the music and radio industries… There’s plenty of mutually beneficial work that could be done. We can start by helping each other recognize opportunities and solutions. Sometimes you get so close to what you’re doing that you can’t see the forest through the trees. A meeting of the minds to better understand what the other side is working on could provide clarity. Sometimes it’s easier to solve someone else’s problem than your own. The reality is we’re both catering to the same customer.
On the re-allocation of personnel at Clear Channel during Q4 of last year… In New York most of our adjustments were focused on better aligning our team to serve the changing consumer and ultimately, our shifting business model. As on-line expansion of our brands becomes even more central to our business, we need more employees skilled in new media applications and fewer focused on executing the old model. If you look at the number of people employed in 2007 in CCNY, it’s actually going to increase in 2008 because of growth in the new tech and sales areas. It’s also about getting more of our top people touching more of our business.
On the general criticism that large broadcast companies are too centralized in their approach to local product decisions… I don’t see it from my vantage point. In any organization I suppose every situation is different with different market managers and different regional people. Managers act differently. Some people may think they should be following what other stations are doing when that’s not necessarily required. I just know what I deal with locally and what we’re encouraged to do, which is simply “do what’s right for your market.”
Lifebeat 2004 honoree Tom Poleman with
Jessica Simpson and John Mayer
On systematically managing people in a large cap company… It’s all about how we can get more of our best people touching more of our business. In theory, that should be a good thing. It needs to come down to individuals executing the vision properly. Any system can be a great system if executed properly. It becomes a bad system when it isn’t. This company is about people with empowerment. A lot of people have more responsibilities and hopefully we’re putting the right people in the right situations and they’re making the right decisions. We’re never going to be perfect, but what organization is?
On his first hand experience with the People Meter… I’m a fan. And it’s not just because our Clear Channel stations debuted #1 and #2 18-34, and one through four 25-54 in New York’s inaugural PPM monthly. It’s fundamentally good because it forces programmers to have a heightened focus on the consumer, since it’s about measuring actual versus perceived behavior. We were also happy to see two of our biggest brands, Z100 and WLTW, actually grow in PPM. It’s also gratifying to see Helen Little and her team at Power 105 dispel the concern that Urban stations can’t improve in PPM.
On Arbitron modifying its sampling matrix with the PPM placing it in a holding pattern regarding use of results to advertisers in NYC… I hate being in limbo. It creates a lot of unnecessary confusion within the advertising community as well as within our organization. It’s very frustrating. We’re getting two measurements on a regular basis through this period, which is supposed to end in September or hopefully sooner. We continue to get diary along with the monthly PPM data, the later available for programming use only. I find it extremely valuable to continue to monitor and analyze the PPM data, because it’s a snapshot of what the future is all about.
At a charity event for autism with Senator Barack Obama
On radio being criticized for not playing the early adopter game… It’s absurd. Who says chasing early adopters will attract more listeners? It’s important to remember that radio is a mass medium. You’re always going to have early adopters who are attracted to cross media niche formats. It’s always been that way. It’s a basic way people like to discover music and then turn their friends on to it. The contrast now is that you can measure it in a much different way with new technology. The viral nature of the internet also shortens the time between early adoption and mass acceptance, so it’s still important to track. But just because early adopters are out there and more easily measured, it doesn’t mean that radio should shift away from being a mass format. You’d never get ratings.
On reacting to Pop trends as you see them… You have to be conscious of your brand and what people use your brand for. There are many times when (PD) Sharon Dastur, (MD) Romeo and I see something developing on the radar here at Z100, with a song or a new sound but we’ll wait to jump on it until we feel the time is right. It’s not really our position to break new music. We play the hits. That’s what people use Z100 for, and it’s important not to lose sight of what the brand is all about.
On Z100 being in the forefront of playing tween artists like Hilary Duff, Jonas Bros. and Miley Cyrus… It amazed me how long it took for so many radio stations to recognize that Miley Cyruswas one of the hottest things in Pop last year. Look at ticket and CD sales. How can you ignore that? Recognition and reaction to such trends are essential for the Pop format. It’s what the Pop format is largely all about. As a whole, our format has a problem with this issue and it confounds me.
On blind spots that exist with these type artists with some of today’s Pop programmers… I’m not quite sure why. Maybe some haven’t been around long enough to see that Pop music is cyclical. You just have to catch the updated version of artists in each genre. What Notorious B.I.G. was to Hip-Hop ten years ago Kanye is today. Hanson is now Jonas Bros. Miley Cyrus is Britney at the beginning of her career. Rihanna has moved into the Janet Jackson spot. Where the Fugees once represented Pop-reggae, we now have Sean Kingston. The Smashing Pumpkins have been replaced by Fall Out Boy. And so on. Pop can always take from all of these genres. Pop programmers have to understand the wide scope of artists they have to choose from, and the more they give those a shot the more success they’re going to have.
** QB Content by Fred Deane **
