The first FMQB Triple A Conference marks the seventeenth consecutive year that Triple A has gathered in Boulder, CO for three days of panels and music that is different than any other industry convention. We revisit this e-QB exclusive as CBS Radio VP/Adult Rock and WXRT/Chicago PD Norm Winer, who is celebrating his 30-year anniversary helming the Triple A outlet, talks about why his format loves its annual gathering so much
Norm Winer
By Norm Winer
Here’s the thing, (as my icon, Adrian Monk, likes to say), there’s literally no other industry event that compares with the annual Boulder getaway. There never has been.
When trying to explain it to outsiders, I usually say, ”There are fewer people to avoid in Boulder than at any industry event you’ve ever attended.” Or to put it another way, it’s nice to know that intelligent, impassioned, inspiring, and idealistic people still work in our business.
Time was when a Program Director’s job was as good as it gets. Often, it still is.
But all of us have days when rather than being a PD on a pedestal, we’re more like a PB – Punching Bag – for deejays or sales types, or record people, or spouses who claim we work too much. Being in Boulder is a chance to reaffirm our values.
1- Philosophically. After all, how can FMQB print you’ve been fired for “philosophical differences,” if you have no philosophy to begin with? Plus in Boulder we have the chance to convey the realistic day-to-day issues with which we all have to contend. It’s great to have a forum where folks on all sides of the industry can express their joys and frustrations with how we relate to each other’s job definitions. It makes it easier for all of us to excel at our respective gigs.
2- Musically. To argue about the artists who mean something, and to mock the people claiming that their flavor-of-the-month artists will be more than punch lines or trivia questions at future Boulder gatherings (and I’ve got a list of ‘em).
Undeniably, the musical performances at the Fox are among the most memorable we’ve ever experienced, and we’ve seen a few shows. For the artists, it’s because they’re playing before a capacity crowd of attentive, responsive, music-crazed fans. Unlike the typical showcase on either coast, few are chatting in the back of the room or checking their iPhones and Blackberries during their set. We’re all too busy groovin’ on their music. And the talent historically has invariably been exceptional and appropriate.
3- See old friends. These are the people with whom we have the most in common. In my case, these are the people with whom I grew up in the business – and we’re still growing up! We’ve known each other through a multitude of different predicaments and professional crossroads, and especially personal highs and lows. A lot of these people who come here every year mean a lot to me. Plus they’re really easy to make fun of, and have fun with!
4- Make new friends. Admittedly this is low on my list. Especially if my potential “new friend” happens to be working a record. But having once been named “Most Influential PD” by FMQB, I take my role very seriously. And any broadcaster needing encouragement to follow their dreams (in addition to valid research), rather than short-sighted corporate policy or consultant mandates, is fair game, as far as I’m concerned. If you can be corrupted, I can drag you down to my level! I love to come here to meet and stay in touch with the format’s future.
5- The “format.” Damn – this time of year, I’m usually not too clear on a definition of “Triple A.” Rather than a specialty restaurant offering one well prepared form of cuisine, I sometimes think Triple A has become a four-star cafeteria, with a vast array of offerings, catering to a select and discriminating clientele. There are so many choices, from the female-skewing Triple-AC’s to the Classic-leaning stations with more conservative approaches towards currents, to, say, WXRT. So what is it? All of the above. And each year we need to come here to figure it out together, defend our respective approaches, and cast doubt on any theories which underestimate the audience. We need to emphasize to any skeptical media observers or broadcasters the incredible impact this format has made in market after market over the years, and its still unfulfilled potential. Radio’s biggest obstacle overall remains people who tend to take it for granted. Our job is to prevent that from happening by consistently and creatively providing foreground audio and digital entertainment, without taking ourselves too damn seriously. In summary, if when we leave Boulder we can all agree on the same convincing explanation for what Triple A is, hopefully we can all come back again next year and figure it out all over again.
FMQB is proud to keep the Boulder tradition intact by presenting the first FMQB Triple A Conference at the St. Julien Hotel & Spa, August 5-7, 2009. A new tradition that will continue in the same location in August 2010. Keep watching FMQB.com for specific dates and details.
