In this week’s Programming To Win, imaging guy extraordinare Rich Van Slyke takes a look at production for the Triple A format. Van Slyke chats with a pair of programmers who oversee independently owned Triple A stations about the aspects of imaging that are important to their part of the radio world
Rich Van Slyke
By Rich Van Slyke
We all know about imaging a station owned by one of the large companies, but what about the other end of the spectrum? What’s it like to image an independent station where there are no corporate directives? I talked to two PDs who are doing it everyday. Ric “Rocco” Bennett is the Program Director/Afternoon Drive Host at V1073 Cleveland. Gene Murrell is the PD/Midday Host on 92 ZEW in Mobile Alabama. These guys are just like you, busy as hell. Music, promotions, air shift, imaging, they do it all and do it very well.
RVS: Can you describe the sound of your station and how the imaging reflects it?
Rocco: We are as unique as the music we play. V1073 plays adult music for adult listeners. The imaging reflects the day to day lifestyle of a resident of northeastern Ohio and Cleveland. We are independently owned and operated in this market. We sell community.
Lonnie Gronek is the VP/GM of V1073. We want our imaging to be pleasant sounding and distinctive, but have a conversational, friendly tone—to portray the way adults speak. Nothing harsh, over-produced or musical—just natural, and in keeping with the overall station sound. We had many examples of voices from around the country and ultimately picked RVS, and a local female British ex-pat to compliment and do personality drop–ins. The combination of our two voices compliments the station’s sound and overall flow.
Gene: 92 ZEW is live and local (one of the only stations in town that is). We’ve been around for 25 plus years and been voted Best Radio Station 7 years in a row by readers of the local paper. We take great pride in being out there with our friends and neighbors, right along side them enjoying this amazing city.
Mark St. John is Senior VP at Zapoleon Media Strategies and consults WZEW. We want to project coolness and attitude without being arrogant. AAA is about the music but the brand encompasses so much more — at WZEW we are entrenched in the community in so many ways and we want to reflect that in the imaging. We also want to be playful and not take ourselves too seriously and that is incorporated as well. Writing is crucial and production style is important. We try to understate the production and keep in more musical, with minimal effects.
RVS: What is your number one goal with Imaging? Stay fresh? Be cool? Be quick? Sell the station?
Gene: uhh Yes!
Rocco: Our number one goal is to give the listeners reason to not want to miss a minute. Whether it be music, information, or a lifestyle event. To sell and resell anything having to do with the station, webpage, Facebook, Twitter, print, any and all media outlets.
RVS: How many Imagers do you have in rotation at any given time?
Rocco: We have approximately 24 rotating on three rotators. Always in flux.
Gene: 20 to 30 I would estimate.
RVS: What are the categories?
Rocco: One smaller category would be ID’s, then positioning statements, special events, holidays, and seasonal.
Gene: Regular quick bugs, station positioners, local-ness of the station, New Music.
RVS: How do you keep them all straight?
Rocco: Teamwork between jocks, production, promotion, and programming. Also traffic, the front office, and the GM.
Gene: Music Master baby!
RVS: What qualities do you look for in an image voice?
Rocco: Audio ‘timber’ in voice quality, attitude, delivery, sense of humor, quick turnaround. When Charlie ‘Sheenisms’ were hot, we had a “winning duh” on the air within 24 hours…that is service.
Gene: Likeability, comfortableness in the quality, a little edgy and/or smooth depending on our needs and a sense of humor…someone who gets the music and the station mission. RVS and I worked together many years when I was at WWVV in Hilton Head, so when we decided to freshen the sound of the station, Rich was the first person who came to mind. He gets it and he’s funny as hell…plus he wrote me a song…gotta love that!
RVS: What about production? Do you like it multi-layered or simple?
Rocco: Simple. To me especially in AAA, the music is the star. The production is the pretty decoration on the cake. Gotta watch the sugar content. For this format as well, it must also reflect the city of Cleveland and our style and attitude. We are part of the fabric of listener lifestyle.
Gene: We lean more on the simple side.
RVS: What is the most important thing to keep in mind when you are writing a promo?
Rocco: The first thing I think about is that I need a fresh cup of coffee. Then we have a group therapy discussion, throwing out ideas and approaches, the discussion will bring about a plan and a path to follow. There sometimes is laughing, crying, and gnashing of teeth. It is the brain busting daily work of many people and eventually evolves into a final vision. From the client to the sales staff, through programming and promotion it becomes a game plan to deliver the final satisfaction for all.
Gene: Getting the message out but using economy of words. Also making sure that what we are promoting is clear and concise…there’s a lot of competition of events out there and sometimes we find ourselves competing with ourselves.
RVS: How do you think listeners perceive imaging?
Rocco: Certainly for the majority it is purely background that hopefully blends with the music to create an audio picture of your radio station and format. It is very satisfying when you spend a couple of hours on a project and hear it on the radio and know that somewhere someone is saying “that was cool.” Score…touchdown Browns…..
Gene: I think a lot of it goes in one ear and out other, which is why we like to keep things quick and clean. I did have a listener call once and request to hear a promo…That’s when you know you’re making a impact!
Rich Van Slyke is the voice of WBIG Washington DC, WCSX Detroit, WGRD Grand Rapids, KISS San Antonio, WRIT Milwaukee, WNWV Cleveland, WZEW Mobile, WKQZ Saginaw, WKZQ Myrtle Beach, WRXW Jackson, KZOZ San Luis Obispo, KZND Anchorage, WIXO Peoria, KCBL Fresno, WSFM Wilmington, KKPL Fort Collins, WRZK Tri-Cities, XFM Nairobi, 1037 The DAM in Kansas City, and the New Production Vault Classic Rock. www.richvanslyke.com Want a free demo? 770.962.4788 richvs@bellsouth.net
