Rich Davis spent the better part of his early radio career tooling around with some of the most successful programmers in the business. The good student that he was enabled him to parlay that experience with some strategic career moves that ultimately landed him in Nashville, where today he oversees five very successful Clear Channel brands while simultaneously programming one of the most respected CHR’s in the business in WRVW/The River.
By Fred Deane
Rich Davis
After spending quality time with some quality programmers like Brian Check, Dave Allan, Steve Rivers, Cadillac Jack, Rob Morris and Buddy Scott, in markets like Allentown, Philadelphia and Minneapolis, Rich Davis embarked on a programming career of his own. Following a stint at Z104/Madison, Rich landed in Nashville where he would proceed to distinguish himself as both Programmer and Ops Manager at one of Clear Channel’s most successful clusters.
eQB presents excerpts from the November FMQB magazine
Cover Story: Rich Davis, OM Clear Channel Nashville, PD 107.5 The River
“The commonality is that I have passionate programmers for each of those stations. They are leaders in their formats and really care about their brands as much as I care about CHR. It’s great to have a really solid team of people that cares so much about what they do for a living. I’m very proud of this group of programmers.”
“I absolutely think healthy competition within a cluster is a good thing. None of us are neglecting a record because we need to leave it for another station in the cluster. I believe everyone wins that way. There really are no inhibitions around here and I believe that’s the way it should be.”
“I’ve been primarily a CHR guy my entire career so it’s been great for me to learn about the other formats, how they’re put together and what uniquely makes them work. That said, the best programming tenets are the best programming tenets across the board, but there are some nuances that make each individual station tick. That’s the real education process.”
“The principles I learned and worked with as a PD also seem to be working for me as an OM, while I continue to grow as well. I’ve always felt that it’s the individual PD’s bat and ball, and unless I know it’s going to be detrimental to their station, I let them run with it. You hire good people and you let them do their jobs.”
“I really feel I’m a players’ coach and the good thing about me being the OM of the cluster is that I’m also a PD. I’m never asking the programmers to do something I don’t have to do. I’m also very honest. If there’s something we have to do that I’m not terribly fond of, I’ll tell them. But I’ll also tell them we have to get it done. I believe that really goes a long way with the PD’s because I’m not some insulated corporate guy.”
“I was very lucky with PPM in that so many other Clear Channel stations had gone before us. It was great to be able to call on the best practices those stations had learned. We didn’t go into PPM blind at all. We literally had a playbook. We did a lot of preparation and engaged a lot of PPM philosophy a year ahead of time.”
“It’s interesting when you look at personality radio and see how it translates in the PPM world, whether it’s a big morning show or a talent that does more talking than playing music. The challenge is figuring out the balance between music and talk, while addressing the service elements around that. We have some very big morning shows in the cluster and working on that balance is an ongoing process.”
“You have to grab the listener quickly because that’s the new reality. PPM is dictating we do something meaningful for the audience in the first eight seconds to hold them through what we’re going to talk about. However, if you are laser focused on what your target listener wants and expects from your station you can still deliver it with personality. You have to be better at it, more relevant, and more concise.”
“The CHR music’s been great! I’m a huge fan of Guy Zapoleon, but I don’t know that I necessarily buy into the whole music cycle thing anymore. Aren’t we supposed to be in some sort of decline right now? Sure music ebbs and flows, but if I’m cherry picking the best of the best music that I know my audience likes I don’t really have time to worry about where we are in some music cycle.”
“Be passionate. It’s something you can’t teach but if you have it, it will take you very far. When I’m looking to fill positions at any of my stations I’m always looking for passion. I’m not going to pretend there are as many positions to get into radio as there were when I got in, but I still think if you have the drive, the desire, and you love it, somebody’s going to recognize that in you. You’ll get that shot you deserve and if you keep it up you will go very far in this business.”
** QB Content by Fred Deane **
