Objective:

Take a good, solid radio station--and make it a great, winning radio station with a lively personality, great music, and fun promotions. Many steps are necessary to achieve this: first and foremost, it is essential to have a blend of the best, most focused music; second, the airstaff must be talented, in-touch, and informed; third, promotions and marketing have to reflect the character of the radio station and must involve the community, including events which are fun, timely, and encourage listeners to stay with the station for extra quarter-hours and remain loyal; and last (and very importantly), there must be communication.

Music:

The music is the product. It must have the right balance, focus, and tempo. I am a firm believer in call-out research and auditorium testing; they are important tools to create and maintain the product. We all receive the same songs--knowing the right ones for the right target is a primary key to success.

Airstaff:

I believe that the airstaff should reflect the lifestyles of the audience which the station is trying to reach. They need to be plugged into the community. They must be informed about the music, concerts, movies, hit TV shows, and basic pop culture. They have to be able to speak intelligently to the listeners.

Promotions and Marketing:

If a station is invisible, the ratings will reflect it. Promotion and marketing are essential to success-- the message will only be effective if it reaches the masses. The line "if you build it, they will come" does not apply to radio. If the listeners do not know that the station exists, the best programming and air talent cannot save it. I firmly believe in the radio station becoming part of the community. The station needs to be credible and helpful in solving community problems, as well as bringing them to light.

Communication:

So many wonderful ideas and events fall flat due to people's failure to communicate. To eliminate this problem, I would have the programming and promotions departments collaborate on a weekly information sheet to be given to the entire staff, which would include details on contests, new music, movies, shows, and sales events throughout the entire listening area.

Business:

Radio is a very big business now--so it is more important than ever to have a programmer with a business background, who understands everything from spreadsheets and taxes to contracts and unions. Not only has my tenure as an APD in New York given me the experience of PD's in other markets; my background in my family's business has given me ample opportunity to deal with all of the above. Since programming now is so much more than just music, my abilities would be an asset to any station.
 
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