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JacoBlog - Jacobs Media's Blog: July 2009 posts
July 2009 posts
It's been an interesting month for Amazon. First, there was the debacle with 1984 and the Kindle. You probably read the well-circulated story about how Amazon botched a situation where customers had bought 1984 (and Animal Farm) only to find that one day, these books were mysteriously deleted from their digital readers.
It turned out that Amazon had an ownership issue with the Orwell books, and instead of going about the removal of these books in a transparent, honest way, they simply removed them from Kindles. This was a very "un-Amazon" step, and the company has been pilloried on the Internet - and rightfully so.
Later apologizing for this screw-up, Amazon boss, Jeff Bezos, issued this statement:
"Our 'solution' to the problem was stupid, thoughtless, and painfully out of line with our principles. It is wholly self-inflicted, and we deserve the criticism we've received."
This is typical Bezos - admitting a mistake, apologizing, and promising to do better in the future.
The other Amazon news revolved around its acquisition of Zappos, an online shoe seller that has a reputation for being hyper-focused on serving customers. In a letter from Zappos' CEO to his company's employees, the transaction is explained, and Jeff Bezos is introduced to the rank-and-file in a great 8-minute video.
<CLICK HERE TO READ CEO LETTER>
Titled "Everything I Know," it's an incredible statement of purpose that boldly lays out Bezos' philosophy on invention, customer service, the long haul, and always acting like it's Day One. It goes a long way toward explaining why Amazon has become perhaps the most successful e-tailer in the world.
Bezos' video also makes you wish that other CEOs would take this example, and release their own statements of purpose. All of us in radio don't see those internal memos that are sent to employees, so some of this communication is no doubt occurring within companies, and not on YouTube.
But we also speak with many radio employees who wish they had a better grasp on their companies' goals and initiatives - above and beyond achieving ratings and revenue numbers.
It's easy to criticize radio's CEOs during these tough times, but that's rarely productive. That's because it isn't just radio going through painfully difficult times. Newspapers, television, and other media outlets are all suffering similar but different troubles. Even Microsoft missed its financial numbers last week, and immediately paid for it with a Wall Street thrashing.
It's times like these when CEOs are understandably struggling. But it's also the time when the really great ones step up, provide direction and a way forward for their employees.
We wish them all well in their struggles and sincerely hope for better days ahead.
Friday, July 31, 2009 in Books, Business, Current Affairs, Digital, Management, Marketing, Sales, Streaming, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Pandering Radio
As if Pandora hasn't caught enough of a break by getting its music royalty fee situation together, founder Tim Westergren (or just plain, folksy "Tim" in his recent email to customers) is going after broadcast radio in a blatant, sleazy, and not-so-nice way.
In an email to Pandora customers, "Tim" asks them to contact members of Congress to push for passage of the Performance Rights Act so that companies like his have "a level playing field" with broadcast radio.
First, Westergren is conducting an end run, using his own customers to attack his apparent #1 enemy, broadcast radio. "Pandora Radio," as it is referred to all over its site and around the Internet, is making a not-so-transparent effort to upset broadcast radio's long-time dominance of music discovery and presentation.
Second, now that he has his deal in hand, he feels he can put the pressure on broadcast radio, even though Pandora wasn't far away from extinction because of the artists he is now trying to protect.
Third, for a company that prides itself on its unique, honest relationship with its customer base, this email campaign reeks of being underhanded, while not clearly explaining how Pandora would benefit if broadcast radio took another one on the chin.
Westergren deserves a lot of credit for his creation. As a supporter of music, Pandora often does a much better job than many music radio stations because he embraces artists and their music, while being in better touch with his customers. Radio could help itself by observing how Pandora serves its audience by being music-centric and engaged with what they want from "radio."
But this Pandora campaign to further destabilize radio (Hey, we're doing a pretty good job without his help) also misses an important point about the calculation of value to the recording industry, its musicians, and its brands.
Broadcast radio does more than play and identify music, and provide a convenient store where you can buy songs. Over the decades, broadcast radio has conducted millions of artist interviews, sold millions of concert tickets, has promoted new albums and singles for no direct compensation, and has built the thousands of artist brands that has contributed to creating an entire industry. Broadcast radio doesn't just sell songs for 99-cents. It sells albums, CDs, boxed sets, digital repackagings, and just about everything else the music industry has released to the public.
I want to meet the guy who was the first to stand up in that big conference room, and make this suggestion: "Our sales are in the tank. Kids are stealing our music. We're getting bombarded by new competition. This Steve Jobs guy will kill our industry with his 99 cent downloads. I know - let's go on the attack against radio!"
The assault on broadcast radio by the recording industry has always been short-sighted, despicable, and just plain stupid. Westergren has made his reputation by being "about the music," and in the process has created a web service that has milllions of adoring fans. It's too bad he's chosen to go down this road.
Thursday, July 30, 2009 in Business, Current Affairs, Management, Music, Records/Artists, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
We all know those narcissistic people who can't go anywhere without being distracted by mirrors, or for that matter, any surface that provides a reflection. But for too long, many radio stations have been guilty of just that - being self-absorbed at the exclusion of listeners.
To address that issue, Alan Burns has come up with a great new study that breaks down the content specifics across 20 CHR and AC radio stations across the U.S. I suspect the same basic findings would apply to Rock, Country, Jazz, or Talk.
<CLICK HERE TO READ ALAN BURNS' STUDY>
Bottom line - most stations spend the lion's share of their time talking about themselves, rather than addressing content to the audience. So, on the one hand, technology like iPods has attracted consumers, and then radio pushes more away by rarely referring to them on the air.
This is what happens when research is largely quantitative - or worse, ratings reports from Arbitron or Nielsen - rather than taking the time to get eye-level with listeners in focus groups, one-on-ones, L.A.B.s, and on the streets at events.
When you take the time to sit down, and listen to your listeners, you get an understanding for their real needs, their concerns about the economy and their jobs, their love and passion for music, and how they feel about their communities.
Had Alan's company conducted a similar analysis of station websites, he would have reached the same conclusions. Our newest Tech Poll generated a pecking order list of the elements that listeners value the most on radio sites. And when you compare them with the home page content that adorns most radio sites, it's a real disconnect.
Between the ads - making most radio sites look like the outfield fences in minor league ballparks - to the lack of music content, it's not difficult to conclude that many radio stations are simply not providing the content their listeners cherish. And when that happens, the exodus to iPods, Pandora, and other sources intensifies.
Clearly, some stations are trying, and the moves to access radio content on other platforms in the past year have been impressive. It is about letting listeners enjoy a station and personalities on a myriad of devices, and in multi-locations.
But as we know only too well from our own jacAPPS business, just having presence on iPhones, iPod Touches, and other smartphones is not enough. If the content's not there, the iPhone isn't going to be a difference maker, much less a savior.
Kudos to Alan for taking the time and effort to provide valuable information about the status quo of AC/CHR radio. Now it's radio's turn to rethink some of the basics, and start turning the mirror away from itself, and to the most important customers - listeners.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009 in Business, Management, Marketing, Radio, Research, Sales, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Attention Please
What do you do if you're broadcasting a quality product that while valuable to consumers, is so boring, repetitive, and basically wallpaper that most people have essentially tuned it out?
Before you get paranoid that I'm talking about your station, my example is actually those safety videos the airlines are all required to run while taxiing to the runway. I'm on airplanes pretty much every week, and even after the U.S. Airways incident where the plane miraculously landed in the Hudson River, I don't usually pay a whole lot of attention to the airlines' attempts to make sure I know the location of all the exits and how to work their "flotation devices."
Delta has spiced up their safety video with a very attractive model known as "Deltalina" who even wags a finger as she's reminding you not to light up while on the plane. I fly these guys a lot since they acquired Northwest, and I can tell you that most people are paying a lot more attention to their safety video now.
And Air New Zealand has taken this concept to the next level. They've created a little video called the "Bare Essentials of Safety." Utilizing body-painted – and naked – flight attendants and a pilot – and some very careful camera angles, their video is also pretty riveting. It's part of a larger campaign where even CEO Rob Fyfe is in the nude to hype the fact that "At Air New Zealand, our fares have nothing to hide.
Now only have passengers put down their magazines and Blackberries to watch what used to be a mundane safety video, but "Bare Essentials of Safety" has generated millions of downloads on sites like YouTube, adding viral interest to an otherwise boring piece of production. Deltalina has also become a YouTube star.
So, back to radio, and there's an important lesson here. Many stations produce a pretty good sounding, consistent product. But because they sound essentially the same as they have for many years, consumers may be systematically tuning radio out. It's one thing to be good, but another to have a dash of unexpectedness and unpredictability to keep consumers on their toes.
Recently, we were working for a heritage station that is going through a challenging cycle. As one of the members of the team pointed out, we can successfully "fix" all the elements that need attention, and in the process, greatly improve the sound of the station.
And no one may notice.
That's because the call letters and the brand have been so staid, the airstaff has been the same, the voice guy has been there for years, and the overall style of the station has remained essentially unchanged.
Given the cacophony of media and entertainment outlets competing for the attention of what were once "our listeners," radio needs to do more than simply present solid, competent products. We need to shake the tree, do the unexpected from time to time, and be willing to take some risks on and off the air in order to cut through.
As Seth Godin reminded in Purple Cow, being good will kill you. Being "purple" is the only way to remain viable.
Realizing there are risks to being edgy, chance-taking has to be thought out before diving in. Yet, the station that relies on consistency in order to win is taking a risk by being predictable. In this environment, we cannot afford to be ignored.
Many stations and personalities are still experiencing a form of creative post traumatic stress disorder from Janet Jackson's "Nipplegate." In the process, they've forgotten about the importance of creating attention and being compelling. The TV networks get it, even with the names of their shows. This fall, it's "Dance Your A## Off" from Oxygen. How else can yet another reality TV dance show get your attention?
Even if we were marketing like in the "good old days," the old "Favorites of the '70s, '80s, and Today" TV spots with accompanying video clips wouldn't penetrate the audience's collective ADD.
While still satisfying the demands of PPM, radio has to take the longer view, and think about how its stations, shows, contests, and promotions can blast through the myriad competitors, the hype, and even the news in order to not be left behind by new media.
It will take a lot more than music testing and 9th caller contests to get their attention now.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009 in Business, Marketing, Radio, Sales, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
A few weeks back, Allen & Co's media conference took place in Sun Valley, Idaho. On one superstar panel were some of the biggest brains in media - Liberty Media's John Malone, IAC Chairman Barry Diller, and Disney CEO Bob Iger.
As they talked Twitter, and other major web phenomena, it became clear there is no shortage of skepticism about how to generate digital revenue, despite gargantuan page views and unique visitors. Twitter was the center of their pessimism, but as Malone posited, "Sooner or later people are going to get addicted to some of these services and they'll be willing to pay for it."
Perhaps, but "free" is an amazing concept, and at the root of what newspapers are fighting in their quest to somehow start charging for some level of premium coverage.
Last year, I was fortunate enough to represent radio in an all-day symposium focused on how quality journalism can hope to survive the high-tech tsunami. It was an august group of very smart people from all walks of media life, and I was excited about the prospects of learning what other industries were doing to monetize their digital products.
So often, radio professionals are beaten up for their inability to sell their digital offerings. We work with so many stations that are driving tons of traffic to web cams, text messaging platforms, streaming, and iPhones, while often struggling to integrate reluctant advertisers. There's cold comfort in realizing that smarter, wealthier, and more experienced gurus in this space are struggling right along with us.
Ken Auletta, a New York City writer who moderated the Allen & Company panel, came away with this nugget:
"No one had any answers" about making money from the Internet.
That pretty much summed up my experience, too. Smart people, great digital offerings, some brilliant consumer integration, but generally a lot of shrugs about how to connect it all with advertisers in a meaningful, profitable way. And lots of hand wringing about how to convince consumers to start paying for all this stuff.
The blogosphere is littered with know-it-alls who have all the answers. I am not one of them. I have a tremendous amount of respect and empathy for content providers who are struggling to make it all work. When you think about it, it is truly an incredible event that media outlets, advertising agencies, and the record industry are all co-experiencing similar levels of pain when they could all be part of each other's solution.
But we'll keep trying to connect the dots and make it work. In that spirit, we are excited to move the Jacobs Summit to a new and exciting platform in 2009. As you probably have heard by now, we're partnering with the NAB Radio Show, and it's a big stage for us.
Both the NAB and the Summit have our work cut out for us to entice broadcasters to a convention that can exude relevance, and to show that we can present panels and sessions that are truly breakthrough and actionable.
Now if we could just answer that big question...
Monday, July 27, 2009 in Business, Digital, Management, Marketing, Other Media, Radio, Research, Sales, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Album Oriented Rock - a phrase that no one uses anymore, but it once described the most popular rock format of the '70s and '80s.
AOR lost its mojo for a variety of reasons - the fragmentation of the format by Classic Rock was one culprit. But the other main driver was that these stations stopped playing anything except hit singles from albums. Back in the day, AOR meant album playbacks. It meant adding 2, 3, or 4 new songs from a shrink-wrapped album to see which ones would garner the best audience response.
Callout and auditorium tests kept playlists tight, but perhaps the biggest culprit was the birth of the mp3 file, and a greater sense that record companies and even artists were ripping off consumers by marketing albums that only contained one or two really great songs. While there remains album works of art - "Dark Side of the Moon," "Abbey Road," or "Who's Next" - many 21st century consumers are more comfortable buying their music one song at a time, without all the "filler."
While there may have been some subjective truth to that, the exodus away from albums and toward individual songs signified an inevitable loss - for both music buyers and the recording artists who work at their craft.
But in an event that is as counter-intuitive as the comeback of vinyl as a medium, more and more concert tours are now about album performance. Aerosmith has been playing Toys In The Attic in its entirety, and Van Morrison (Astral Weeks) and Steely Dan are moving along the same path. In Steely Dan's case, the plan is to play different albums (Aja, Royal Scam, Gaucho) on different nights of the tour.
As Steely Dan's Walter Becker notes, "In the current climate of financial desperation, we figured there's no reason why people who are going out and buying tickets to concerts shouldn't get a little extra."
And in that spirit, this is clearly a repudiation of the singles mentality that tight-listed radio wrought, and later made official with the 99-cent download. For bands, this is about serving P1s. At this point, anyone paying more than $100 for a concert deserves to see something a little special.
Friday, July 24, 2009 in Classic Rock, Management, Marketing, Music, Radio, Records/Artists, Sales, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Switcheroo
Do any of us really understand the physiological impact of how songs, jingles, and advertisements somehow get stuck in our cranial cavities - sometimes over decades or more?
That's the case with me and those old Tareyton cigarette ads that were designed to promote customer loyalty. "I'd rather fight than switch" became a powerful slogan for that brand, and promoted the value of sticking to your guns - or in this case, cigarettes.
Contrast that old campaign to the impact the recession is apparently having on brand loyalty. According to the Financial Times, a new study indicates that as many as half a brand's most loyal customers have switched to competitors. That's a scary stat, especially given how little in the way of advertising and marketing that is being designed and implemented.
I was thinking about that study while reading a different research report by Crowd Science, showing that 4 of every 10 smartphone owners would rather have an iPhone. Of course, research like this underscores the challenge that BlackBerry, the Palm Pre, and other device manufacturers have in unseating Apple's rising dominance in the mobile space. There's no doubt that Steve Jobs and company are looking at their ubiquity with iPods, and strategizing how it can reoccur in the smartphone sector.
For radio companies, it should serve as a lesson about the value of brand loyalty and customer enthusiasm. Too many radio professionals came up through the business at a time when AM/FM radio was the only game in town. The notion that radio had a monopoly over audio content or in-vehicle entertainment is rapidly becoming history. In 2009, loyalty and engagement have to be earned, bad economy or not.
In PPM, regularity and loyalty are key components because of the nature of the panel sample. There is no better time than now for stations to awake to the value of an audience that happily comes back, day in and day out.
Radio continues to focus on the meat and potatoes aspects of its product - test the songs, which DJs are most familiar, and which tactical contesting works - often at the expense of determining how to satisfy a rapidly changing, restless consumer audience that's in the process of rethinking everything.
A recent MediaPost article by Kevin Mannion - "Zen And The Art Of Online Selling" - spelled out the simple formula for how any media/entertainment outlet can drill deeper into audience tastes and desires:
Identify passionate site users and regularly speak with them.
Create user advisory boards comprised of passionate, engaged users.
Survey users on why they are there, what they are seeking to accomplish, and whether or not they were successful.
These are all steps that we've prescribed to our clients for years, and in this era of diminishing budgets, there is no better way to get to know your cume and your core. What motivates them? What can you do to improve the listening experience? How can your local presence provide with entertainment and community service they can get nowhere else? How can you make them a bigger, more significant part of what you do?
And don't forget that "research is marketing." The very act of getting to know your listeners better will enable more loyalty and connection to your brand. And if you go the extra mile of integrating their ideas and feedback into your strategy, you're even closer to ensuring that your audience isn't gong anywhere - recession or not.
Thursday, July 23, 2009 in Business, Cell Phones, Management, Marketing, Radio, Research, Sales, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
The Summit @ The N.A.B.
If you've ever attended one of our Summits - first with Gavin, then a long run with R&R, and in recent years, being co-located at the N.A.B. - you know that our focus has always been on presenting sessions that are in-tune with the issues of the day facing radio. (Selfishly, we have always booked the Summit with the idea that if we at Jacobs can benefit from the content, then there's a good chance you will, too.)
The Summit started out as a get-together for Alternative programmers, and has evolved into an all-industry afternoon of compelling, relevant sessions. In past years, we've featured celebrities like Harry Shearer, Little Steven, and Nikki Sixx, and we've taken on issues and topics ranging from indecency to listener-generated content to the threat of satellite radio. Last year's "Presidents of Radio" session was groundbreaking, entertaining, and memorable.
We've gone from a gathering that was once mostly populated by PDs and DJs, and expanded it to CFOs and CEOs. During that time, the industry has changed a great deal, but the focus of the Summit and its panels have remained consistent.
But when R&R went under over a month ago, we weren't sure about our next act. And that's when the N.A.B. stepped up.
A few phone calls and emails later, we are proud to announce that the Summit has found a new home at the N.A.B. Radio Show in Philadelphia.
Thanks to John David, David Dziedzic, and the rest of the team in Washington, we've forged an exciting new partnership. The N.A.B. Radio Show is a great platform for us, and a wonderful opportunity to reach more broadcasters. This year's Summit will require an N.A.B. badge, which is part of the evolution of this event. As we know, change happens.
You can expect the same level of relevance, buzz, and perhaps even a little controversy at this year's Summit. And we hope you can find a way to get to Philly this year for the show. Yes, you'll need an N.A.B. badge to attend, another sign of change as we evolve with the times.
But I can promise you that as has been the case for the past 13 years, this Summit will be worth your time and money. As radio goes through painful change and churn, we need to keep growing as individuals and professionals. As folks who work in other industries will tell you, conventions are still the center-point of learning, idea-sharing, and communication - even in a down economy.
As we've learned over the past 15 years of rampant consolidation and over-exuberant financial projections, no company is an island. You can run 1,000 stations, have some great talent in your stable, and own a giant footprint - and still benefit from a healthy exchange of ideas, opinions, and new thinking from professionals outside your organization.
The Philly location should attract many of you to the convention this fall, whether by plane, train, or automobile. And we hope that whether your company foots the bill or you pay your own way, that we'll see you on the convention floor, at the sessions, and of course, at the Summit.
We have a lot of work to do in the next eight weeks to put together an afternoon of great content, and we're already moving quickly to live up to the reputation the Summit has set.
As I say every year at this time, my hope is to "See you at the Summit." And now, "See you at the N.A.B."
Wednesday, July 22, 2009 in Business, Current Affairs, Management, Marketing, Other Media, Radio, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
App or (Cr)app?
Radio-Info's Tom Taylor and I exchanged emails after his story ran about how the Sirius XM iPhone app passed the 1,000,000 downloads milestone.
But there's another angle on apps that most of us in radio aren't used to facing - continuous, accessible, transparent listener reviews. In Sirius XM's case, their app's bulk download stats are illusory because when you study their ratings, and read the reviews in iTunes or in the App Store, there are many, many irate consumers.
Check out their ratings (below), and you can readily see the problem. When your "1-star" ratings outnumber your "5-star" grades by more than 4-to-1, you have some serious issues with iPhone and iPod Touch owners.
Then read the actual reviews, because while there are some happy users, most consider this a paid app even though it is listed as "free." It is clear that huge numbers of iPhone/iPod Touch owners downloaded the app thinking they were going to get all these great satellite radio channels.
<CLICK HERE FOR SIRIUS XM APP AND USER REVIEWS>
But if you're not a subscriber, it'll cost you $3 month, and even subscribers are required to be in the "premium" category in order to listen - otherwise they have to pay an additional $3/month over and above whatever they're already paying.
Here's the official explanation of "free" on the Sirius XM FAQ page for their iPhone app:
What is the cost of this application?
The application is FREE. Streaming to iPhone and iPod Touch is FREE with a paid Premium SIRIUS Internet Radio or Premium XM Radio Online subscription. You can also sample great SIRIUS & XM content with a FREE TRIAL. Visit siriusxm.com/oniphone for more details.
No wonder people are pissed, and they are taking it out on Sirius XM with their 1-star ratings, and their scathing reviews. Above and beyond the costs, there is also the obvious disappointment with the absence of Howard Stern on the app.
So, beware of those download stats because they don't tell anywhere near the entire story.
In the App Store, you can't hide. If your app sucks, doesn't work well, is perceived to be a ripoff, or doesn't live up to its promise, it's there for all the world to see. (By the way, a look at iheartradio's app tells an interesting story, too. While better than Sirius XM, their 1-star ratings outnumber their 5-stars, which supports the notion that mega-downloads alone don't make for a great app.)
At jacAPPS, we are using these user reviews to learn more about the benefits or problems with the apps we've developed, and this process has led to updated versions with improved features. And we've launched a web survey, supported by many of our app clients, because research is an important component in providing customers with the optimal experience.
We also have a "5-star" goal for all our apps - whether they're for commercial, public, or Internet radio, personalities, events, or games. Customer satisfaction is a key in any business, but especially when it comes to apps. We are already learning - not a shock - that word of mouth is a major driver because when iPhone owners talk to each other, the question is usually, "What's your favorite app?"
We are rapidly learning that just having an app in the App Store is insufficient in order to be competitive with Pandora, Facebook, and the myriad of other channels and outlets that will be in the app business soon. Apps - like broadcast radio itself - have to be reliable, high-quality, user-friendly, and deliver on the promise.
In the case of the Sirius XM, that long wait for an iPhone app was apparently not worth it.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009 in Business, Cell Phones, Management, Marketing, Radio, Sales, Satellite, Streaming, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Killing Radio?
Yes, they look innocent enough, but these young media types are killing radio, a medium that continues to provide entertainment to millions of Americans, as well as results to thousands of advertisers.
Do they hate us? Is it something we did? Is it the result of bad parenting?
Well, not really, not really, and perhaps.
It turns out that according to Brent Bouchez, founder of Agency Five-0, the average agency creative person is 28 years-old - and that's where the disconnect comes into play.
Bouchez recently wrote a compelling piece in the Engage: Boomers series about how agencies simply don't "get" the power of the Baby Boomer audience. He makes a strong case that while media buyers are mistakenly chasing after 18-34 year-olds, 50+ Americans generate more than 40% of disposable income; they buy 60% of all packaged goods, and in '07 spent 3.5 times the national average in online holiday shopping.
Last year, Adweek ran an article - "War of the Ages: How a host of new agency realities are pushing boomers out before their time." It speaks volumes about the shift in the ad community toward youth over experience.
<Click here for the Adweek article>
And one of the results is that Baby Boomers are consistently overlooked and undervalued - even during an intensely difficult recession.
But perhaps another more subtle impact of the young agency rat syndrome is its effect on radio in general. I think you can make a case that just as there's a tendency in the ad community to lean away from Boomers - radio has fallen into this same trap. Despite its steady reach, its local strength, and its ability to move products off shelves, it is positioned as "old media" by many in the agency world.
To some degree, we saw indications of how poorly radio positioned in that RAB Roundtable we covered in this blog last month. And as many radio salespeople will acknowledge, the medium is often pigeonholed as stodgy and anachronistic. Too often search, clicks, and ROI are more in vogue, despite the fact that Internet companies like Constant Contact use radio with success.
So I ask agency folks to give this one some thought, and ask themselves this question:
"Just how difficult is it to follow the money?"
Monday, July 20, 2009 in Boomers, Business, Management, Marketing, Radio, Research, Sales, Web/Tech, Youth | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Lessons From App World
Our own Paul Jacobs provides insight on the popularity of iPhone apps and how fans of radio stations want their favorite station to be a part of the growing trend.
I've become famous among my daughter's friends because my name is frequently found in the iTunes Store (go ahead, search me). Is it because I've designed a cool game or cut a hit single? Not even close. It's because my name is shown as the contact name for the 70+ iPhone apps we've developed.
The result of this is that I not only get inquiries from people who want to purchase apps, but I also get tons of email from the fans of radio stations. That's right, I'll say it again - fans of radio stations.
Every day I receive emails from listeners of stations that don't have an app, begging us to build one for their favorite station. Or from fans of Christian stations offering us blessings for providing them with apps for their favorite station on the iPhone. From listeners of stations with a lousy signal so the only way they can hear it is online. From people who've moved away from their hometowns and want to remain connected on their mobile devices. Or from those who want to slack off at work to listen to their favorite station or personality, but can't because streams are blocked by their employer - needless to say their productivity is down but their happiness is up.
The bottom line is that underneath the financial pain and agony our industry is enduring, and beyond the media hype claiming that radio is dead, there are still a helluva lot of ardent fans. Emotional, connected fans, who love what they hear but want it on their terms, on devices they can control and carry with them.
Maybe if we begin to listen to them we'll learn that we're better off than we think.
Friday, July 17, 2009 in Business, Cell Phones, iPhone Apps, Management, Marketing, Radio, Sales, Streaming, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
A Big Day In Radio
It seems like broadcast radio is almost always overshadowed by other media - whether it's TV, Internet, satellite radio, or movies. Too often, radio is either overlooked or it's a putdown story about how radio is tight-listed, predictable, voice tracked, or slashing more staff.
The anti-radio press has been exacerbated by the fact that so many well-known radio personalities are simply MIA - from Adam Carolla to Steve Dahl to so many other once-big names who ruled the airwaves. To a great degree, we've done this to ourselves as more and more celebrity DJs simply cannot get themselves back on the air.
So the return of Drew Lane to WRIF this week, and the "Drew & Mike Reunited" theme stands out as a happy exception. First, kudos to Lane, Mike Clark, and everyone else in the cast for preparing a great debut show. Second, the management and staff of WRIF is to be congratulated for putting together a multi-layered media campaign that earned coverage from both local newspapers, as well as all the local TV stations.
In fact, Detroit Free Press reporter, B.J.Hammerstein conducted a live chat with listeners from right inside the control room throughout the entire show, as media folks and camera crews were in and out of the studio all morning. The chat thread alone is worth the price of admission.
>CLICK HERE TO READ THE LIVE CHAT<
The station broadcast the first show via webcam, and web visitors were greeted by a big splash page making it easy to access and enjoy the show. Again, there was no question what WRIF was all about on this day.
Radio needs to be the center of attention in local markets, instead of always being relegated to the back seat. It took money, vision, and some balls for everyone involved to step up and make this event happen for WRIF. The PR and sales response alone indicates a successful launch, and in a just a few weeks, we'll see the PPM evidence.
It was a great day for radio in a town looking for some good news.
Full disclosure: Jacobs Media consults WRIF.
Thursday, July 16, 2009 in Business, Current Affairs, Management, Marketing, Radio, Sales, Talent, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Making The Buy
iBiquity is doing something right. Realizing that part of the HD Radio solution is to get inexpensive, cool-looking hardware into the hands of consumers is a key factor. Now the Insignia portable at $50 is on the market, available at Best Buy, and it's a chance to flood the market with inexpensive, portable radios. There are lots of nice features on this Insignia unit, so to provide a little insight on the buying experience, our intrepid reporter, the Conclave's Jay Philpott made the trek to a St. Louis Best Buy. Here's his report:
Upon reading in this morning's trade press that the first portable HD radio (the Insignia NS-HD01) was available as of today, I resolved to get one. By early evening, I had a chance to get to my local Best Buy, and before walking in, reflected on the tales I've heard over the past few years about how uninformed the sales people at the "big box" stores were when it came to HD radio. I braced myself for the worst, but it wasn't the central problem I experienced.
I was happy to learn they had received 5 units, and according to the sales person, only three remained. The question was: Where was the radio? Although it was assigned to the "home theater" department, it wasn't stocked there... it wasn't in car audio or computers either.
At one point I had three sales associates surfing the store computer, calling out SKU numbers and canvassing the store. I was happy to hear that they were a bit more informed as to what the product was even if they still referred to it being a device that was "like satellite." At least they knew it was an adjunct to FM. Finally, the stock of radios was located in the section with mp3 players... and that makes sense, although there was no prominence in the display to alert anyone to the presence of this new product.
The Insignia is a pretty cool-looking radio, unlike some of the designs of its tabletop predecessors. It's about half the size of an iPhone, has a nice LCD interface and pretty intuitive controls... it does not have an onboard speaker - so the only way to listen is with earbuds or headphones.
Still, it's a nice device. But, there is work to be done to insure that consumers won't have to endure the process I went through. I'm not so sure that the moderately interested buyer would wait the 40 minutes I did just to get this new radio, even at the very reasonable price of $50. And the manufacturer needs to be a bit more aggressive with the store to get shelf space and signage.
As an industry, we should support this effort with better promos than those offered by the Alliance. They seem to be shooting more for creative writing awards than selling actual radios. None of the ad campaigns has really done much to entice a consumer to the medium of HD Radio by extolling the virtues of the unique programming.
And as individuals in the industry, I submit we all commit to this exercise: Pick a Best Buy in your market and go there as a normal shopper. Inquire about this product. See what product knowledge the sales associates possess. If they seem to struggle with the product description, how it works, etc... help them through it.
Let the teaching and learning (and buying) begin! An appropriate spirit since the Conclave begins this week!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009 in Business, HD Radio, Management, Marketing, Radio, Sales, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBack (0)
You know the scenario all too well.
Cluster A has a dominant Country station, so to counter it, Cluster B takes one of its loser FM signals and goes right at it with a Country spoiler of its own.
Cluster A won't take that lying down, so they deploy one of their dog FMs, changes the format and puts on a Classic Hits format to try and upend Cluster B's successful Classic Rocker.
Petty? Self-serving? Typically radio?
Well, not really, based on the escalating war that Google and Microsoft are now engaged in (and let's not leave Apple out of the mix).
First, Google creates Chrome, a web browser designed to steal market share away from Internet Explorer.
Then, Microsoft launches Bing, its answer to Google Search. Bing has received positive reviews, and might emerge as a player in the search space.
Not to be undone, Google announced last week that it's going to create a new computer operating system - Chrome OS - designed to rival Windows' long-time dominance. Talk about lofty goals.
Are these upstart events simply crazy or is this just the same kind of back-and-forth maneuvers common to radio formats over the years? How rationale is it to go up against Google or Windows? Yet, each company is confident they can do just that to each other.
The history of dominant brands suggests that it is indeed possible to create a new brand or product in this space that can rival - or even topple - a long-time category leader. It's the "black swan" theory, popularized by Nassim Nicholas Taleb's book, The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable.
And we've already seen it happen. Remember that the dominant, first-in search engine was Yahoo! and it was rapidly obliterated by Google. And that Facebook is set to pass MySpace for social networking (yes, we even saw that trend happening in our Tech Poll V). Blockbuster has gotten kicked around pretty good by Netflix, too, in another example of how innovation can lead to improbable changes of the guard.
And in radio, it happens, too. The Power Pig destroyed WRBQ. WNRQ put WKDF out of business (forcing it to become a successful Country station!). And WYSP crushed WMMR in the '90s - only to see WMMR come back and return the favor in the '00s.
There are scores of other examples in the radio space that speak to this notion that market leaders can be upended by clever, innovative challengers. The improbable can and does happen, and the rapidity of the Internet appears to usher in more of these "black swan" moments.
But they don't happen by accident. There is research, innovation, and dedication that mega-companies like Google, Microsoft, Apple and others utilize in order to run the kind of drag race necessary in order to damage a dominant brand or company. It also takes balls.
As Google stated in their press release about their goal with Chrome OS, "The operating systems that browsers run on were designed in an era where there was no web. It's our attempt to re-think what operating systems should be."
Now that's an attitude we haven't seen in radio in decades, perhaps since Bill Drake, and yet, reinvention is all we talk about in the trades, at conventions, and in board rooms. I have long wondered what a company like Apple or Google might do if they swooped in and bought a major radio company, especially during these times when stations are cheap and bargains are plentiful.
Some re-thinking would be healthy, and beware the "black swan."
Tuesday, July 14, 2009 in Books, Business, Management, Marketing, Other Media, Radio, Sales, Social Networking, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Oh, Randy
In a recent RBR email "Opinion Box," the Tribune Company's COO, Randy Michaels, posed the rhetorical question to Arbitron about the diary versus PPM: "Since the results are so different, which time were you wrong?"
And his answer: "Both times."
Which raises some other questions.
Why is the COO of the Tribune Company wasting his time writing editorial comments to a radio trade when his company is in flames? What is he doing to earn the confidence of his company's shareholders? Last time I checked, Tribune was still in bankruptcy.
To be fair, the newspaper business has been battered like no other, and has experienced the worst year in its history. And to be even fairer, Randy Michaels had nothing to do with its failure to keep up with the digital times. But the promise that Randy and his former Clear Channel team brought to Tribune had all the radio trades going ga-ga. The innovations. The out-of-the-box thinking. The brash, edgy Power Pig tactics.
But specific to Michaels' "Have you stopped beating your wife?" question about diary versus PPM, and which one is more accurate, he knows better. Different methodologies always yield different results. Go ahead and test the same artist or song in a perceptual study, callout, and an auditorium test, and you're likely to get three different answers. The phone, the web, and the hotel room all yield different results. Does that make them all wrong?
The onus falls on the analyst who has the task of studying the data to determine how to best interpret the numbers and apply them to the problem.
The diary system has always been archaic, and radio people have had to live with a flawed methodology for decades. The "bounce" from month to month is often downright scary, and the diary's inability to capture good and bad moments on the radio is well known to any of who have been in the business for more than 15 minutes.
Is the PPM methodology perfect? Not by a long shot. And Arbitron has much work to do in order to keep its panel samples strong and healthy. In many markets, the ups and downs have been within tolerance. In some of the newer ones, however - like Seattle and San Diego - the settling in the data is frankly, unsettling.
For years, advertisers and radio people have placed more weight on the ratings than has been smart. After all, these are "estimates," and while they are the only numbers we have, they are only a cursory look at the lay of the land.
As Arbitron struggles to get PPM "right," there are going to be ups and downs. Should their feet be held to the fire when they fall short of sample goals? Should they move as quickly as possible to get to the bottom of market and format specific ratings anomalies? Should they continue to upgrade PPM with cell phone only respondents? Should we ensure that headphone listening is accurately recorded? Absolutely, on all counts.
But the cheap shots on Arbitron, a company that is easy to dislike for its PR debacles and questionable business practices from years past, are just so unnecessary at a time when advertisers need to have confidence in radio and the companies that measure it. Arbitron needs to be questioned, tested, and pushed - hard.
But radio has to play this wisely. While challenging Arbitron as PPM rolls out, the radio industry needs to take a bigger picture view of the way it publicly criticizes the most visible and widely used ratings services. We have consistently asked the most vocal and snarky critics of Arbitron to keep their questions and even their frustrations at a lower, calmer volume so as not to communicate to the agencies that radio cannot agree as an industry about its ratings service.
Michaels is no longer in our business, but his trademark outside agitation continues. Thanks, but let radio deal with its ratings companies.
The cheap shot mentality at radio, popularized by Jacor, is as dated as the mullet and the Pet Rock. It's how some in radio used to behave, but it has been replaced by a more business-like attitude and strategic thinking.
And it won't work in the newspaper business either.
Monday, July 13, 2009 in Business, Management, Marketing, PPM, Radio, Sales, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
The $ummer Of Love
A recent New York Times article notes the smell of incense in lots of advertising these days - and there are signs that it will intensify into lots of marketing expenditures this year.
A number of brands are dredging up '60s images, clothing, decor, and phrases during the 2009 version of the Summer of Love. Of course, August marks the 40th anniversary of Woodstock, coupled with the revival of Hair on Broadway, both of which are fueling this nostalgic trend. Advertisers on the psychedelic bandwagon include Wawa (convenience stores), Macy's, Disney, and Volkswagen (featuring all those original Beetles). CBS Radio has even created a '60s inspired channel, "Hair."
As Glen Dady, creative director for the agency that's producing the ads for Wawa told The Times, "For people in their late 40s and up, it takes them back. And the younger people gravitate to it because their video games are playing music from that time period."
Of course, he's referring to Rock Band and Guitar Hero, which have revitalized a lot of Classic Rock for multi-generations of gamers. For stations that specialize in Classic Rock, what's old is new...again and again... as the country just cannot get enough from the nostalgic '60s and '70s. That's a great pitch to advertisers, who are always looking for more proof of Classic Rock's long-term viability. They are looking for a little buzz in a tough economy. And it continues to cement the value of the Classic Rock specialist in the radio landscape.
Groovy.
Friday, July 10, 2009 in Business, Classic Rock, Management, Marketing, Music, Radio, Sales, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
The Healing Power Of Michael
Here's a quote from Magic Johnson: "Michael Jackson made me a better point guard."
What? It is truly incredible how death can instantly change one's image. Have you ever seen so many people come out of the woodwork, "deeply affected" by Jackson's passing?
This recent "research" from the website, GraphJam, says a lot about posthumous mood swings and changing attitudes:
Let's put the Michael Jackson story in perspective. Yes, for the cable news networks, this thing could generate O.J. Simpson-like ratings. And with medical and autopsy results, child custody fights, and other family squabbles yet to come, this story will be the gift that keeps on giving. The PPM data in a couple of weeks will no doubt be telling.
But at what point can media outlets not benefit from the Jackson hype? What is the trade-off for tapping into the most mass appeal story of the year versus going against the grain of the audience's DNA? Case in point: WNRQ in Nashville, a Classic Rock station that has been quite successful over the years. Here's an email they sent out to their database (mostly P1s, of course) on Tuesday morning.
And Michael Jackson video coverage of the service was featured on their website the next day (along with many other Clear Channel station sites we checked).
When does mass appeal news coverage overstep its boundaries and do damage to the brand? Would a Country station or an AC outlet do the same if (gulp) a Robert Plant bought the farm?
Maybe this is one of those Clear Channel "cram downs," rather than a local decision. And while no disrespect to the PD at WNRQ, how does the audience react to something like this? It's a good question, and one that should spur varied opinions on both sides of the Michal Jackson line.
While some would argue that this is one of those bigger-than-life events that demands coverage and attention, others (me) would respond that you can't have it all. There is the Law of Sacrifice, and while Rock morning shows need to deal with the Jackson death/service/hype/insanity in their own stylized way, does this type of adulation coverage exceed the "rock speed limit?"
Your comments, as always, are welcome.
In another note this week, the radio industry was saddened by the loss of one of its own superstars, Emmis/Indianapolis' Tom Severino, who was highly regarded both in life and in death. Tom was one of the good guys - a down-to-earth broadcaster who truly loved this business, and was in the process of leading his cluster through the digital morass. Tom was also an alumnus of WRIF in Detroit, a station that has "graduated" many fine radio professionals over the years. Our sympathies and condolences to Tom's family, and our friends at Emmis. We just lost one of the best.
Thursday, July 09, 2009 in Current Affairs, Pop Culture, Radio, Records/Artists, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)
Cash for Radio
A catchy headline, to be sure, but that's what the "Cash for Clunkers" government program could mean for radio. But not if radio reps are going through the "business as usual boogie." It's why radio stations that play the same drops and positioners, month after month, sound dated and out of it, when they should be keeping it current by integrating big local and national events (Sarah Palin, Michael Jackson, etc.). The same thing could be said of the sales department. How can sales management think differently in order to generate much-needed new revenue?
In one of Tom Taylor's Radio-Info emails earlier this week, he quotes Gap Broadcasting's Erik Hellum about the "Cash for Clunkers" program. Hellum posits that "CFC" could be a shot in the arm for radio, based on his notion that perhaps most consumers don't know much about the program and how it works.
And that leads me to a few important observations....
First, Paul Jacobs sent out a great piece on "CFC" and related opportunities a couple weeks back to Jacobs clients, based on the same notion that there's cash to be had. Paul consistently looks for new ways for radio to take advantage of its inherent strengths - in this case, local automotive biz. Radio sales managers - and whatever DOS's are supposed to do - ought to be constantly strategizing to find new revenue sources, especially in an environment where the government is heavily involved in just about everything that falls under the heading of manufacturing, finance, and consumer spending. It's critical to be able to understand how changing policy and turbulent times can translate into financial opportunity, as opposed to planning the first quarter sales trip, the client golf outing, or the one-day sale.
Second, there's a way for Hellum and everyone else to not have to wonder whether consumers know much about "Cash for Clunkers" - but to go with confidence to local auto dealers. In less than a week, just about every manager reading this blog could field a Listener Advisory Group or two. Bring in your listeners to the station's conference room for some Dominos pizza and soda, and do a little dive into their worlds. How's it going in this crap economy, are they in the car buying mood, any change in that American car vibe, and what do they know - if anything - about the "Cash for Clunkers" program?
Videotape these sessions, get Jason the Intern to edit a neat little two minute video, and you've got something to show the local car dealers that - believe me - they have no way of knowing themselves.
And more sophisticated stations can go one step further by pulling together a quickie web poll among database members, asking all of the above questions, while also identifying listeners who may be in the market for a new car or truck. If you don't think having a list of prospective buyers means much to your local car dealers, you're missing a major way to make your station - and radio, in general - more valuable and proactive than the local newspaper (assuming you still have one), the Yellow Pages (how are they still in business?), and the sales folks at the Fox TV affiliate.
Do you think the auto dealers are getting a whole lot of help, guidance, research, and insights these days from their corporate nameplates? Think again. Your station can provide the research, and with it, the strategy. And for hardly any expenditure.
Finally, if you're wondering when that digital department down the hall is going to start producing revenue, here's a great way for them to contribute. Build a microsite for your "CFC" initiative, complete with FAQs about the program, and resources that auto dealers can consult in order to learn the best ways to reach customers - sales packages, appearances, dedicated videos, personality participation, and all the other tools that can help your station or cluster stand out and take a leadership role. This is how you monetize your digital efforts.
Radio has to do more than talk about its reach, its bargain basement rates, and its legacy status. In fact, all of those things are conspiring against the medium in 2009. Simple, effective, creative solutions that generate results are the only language that retailers - especially car dealers - understand.
We know how to do this, but it's not going to just happen without proactivity, effort, and imagination. Creative, current solutions and clever tactics are the only way to move the sales needle in order to salvage some degree of respectability in the last half of the year.
It's time to think differently.
Wednesday, July 08, 2009 in Business, Current Affairs, Digital, Management, Radio, Research, Sales | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
An Arbitron Shocker
Last week, Arbitron broke out its April data based on the first month of Cell-Phone Only data. They discovered that while the overall 12+ level for CPO is just under 11%, more than one-quarter of 18-24s have dumped their land lines in favor of mobile phones.
Of course, this is data we discovered during our debut Tech Poll in '05 - young radio listeners have been under-represented in Arbitron surveys prior to the Cell Phone Only fix.
But there's lots of good news here. First, Arbitron is well on the way to rectifying this deficiency, thus making the ratings more representative of the population, especially young listeners. Second, formats that are younger targeted are on a level playing field. And the inclusion of CPOs will faciliate Arbitron reaching its Designated Delivery Index goals.
Unfortunately, it often takes a long time - in this case, a few years - for complex ratings systems to adapt and change with the times. As technology continues to evolve at a rapid clip, Arbitron (and any other ratings service that hopes to compete) is going to have to move like the rest of us - fast and furious.
Tuesday, July 07, 2009 in Business, Radio, Television | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
In a recent Sunday edition of The New York Times was a full page ad for Target, asking this simple question:
Tell us what more we can do for you.
Customers are encouraged to send Target an email, and they'll receive a timely response.
Does it get any more simple than this? A basic question about how an already successful retailing giant can improve the customer experience. As we have learned over the years with our own database survey work, research is marketing. The very act of asking for a consumer opinion is almost always perceived as a positive.
And this type of consumer campaign can help expand Target's reach, while converting fans to evangelists. At Jacobs Media, we regularly utilize the Net Promoter scaling into nearly all the research studies that we conduct - especially the fan-based web polls. In a very simple question, it identifies "promoters" - those who will willingly sing a product's praises to others, while recommending it to them. The Target ad can accomplish the same thing, while strengthening the bond with current customers.
Oftentimes, stations ask us how they can expand their databases - without marketing or contest dollars. But if you think about it, the types of listeners who sign up for your email club based on the bribe of winning something are likely to be very different from those who join up because they are interested in helping you make a better product.
A simple campaign - like Target's - run on both your website and backed up on your own air - could be just the cume/fan/database burst you need. But be prepared to follow up your initiative with valid, timely, and meaningful responses. And be prepared to serve up some solutions. My bet - based on moderating hundreds and hundreds of Listener Advisory Board groups over the years - is that you'd actually come away with some good ideas. You can bet that before Target crafted their campaign, they made sure they had a back end in place, to ensure that suggestions would be properly handled and responded to. And some of the best will more than likely be put into action.
Maybe this is another reason why K-Mart and other retailers are no longer in the same league as Target. Connecting with consumers, especially during a time when companies and institutions are being questioned on a daily basis isn't just smart - it's good business.
Monday, July 06, 2009 in Business, Management, Marketing, Radio, Sales, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Happy Fourth Of July!!
We wish you and your family a safe and wonderful Independence Day!!
JacoBlog will return on Monday, July 6.
Friday, July 03, 2009 in Current Affairs, Holidays, Weblogs | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
The Harper Effect
There's been a lot of talk in media circles in recent weeks about "The Oprah Effect." This is where Oprah provides marketing's "Holy Grail" - an unabashed endorsement of a product that she believes in. It's one thing to read a J.D. Power report for a car or to analyze online reviews of a product. Oprah's stamp of approval is in a whole different universe. It sells products - books, clothing, or anything she endorses. This is where NBC is headed with Jay Leno's new show, and we can look for even more product engagement and integration with television talent. Marketers want more than commercials - they crave an honest-sounding endorsement of their product by a trusted celebrity.
So how does radio fit into this equation? If you think about it, Oprah cribbed this from some of radio's original superstars (long before format radio). Arthur Godfrey, Don McNeil, and many others perfected the craft, back when their entire shows were underwritten by sponsors that demanded RESULTS for their products. That was ROI in the 1940s, and getting the endorsement from a major host in those days was every bit as powerful as what Oprah provides now.
So, let's fast-forward to radio here in 2009. Yes, live spots have become more common, and for reasons that are still a puzzle to me, advertisers place higher value on a jock reading a piece of copy than they do an obviously produced commercial.
But they're missing the boat. The way in which Johnny Carson played with Mrs. Grass' Soup or how Howard Stern had fun with Snapple is the type of humor and engagement they ought to be seeking. Instead, live commercials on the radio often don't pull down rates much higher than the run-of-the-mill produced commercial because they are devalued, unemotional, non-genuine, and too commonplace.
Radio is leaving money - and relationships - on the table. The interaction between the advertiser and the sales rep, and the sales rep and talent, and talent and the audience is all pretty clunky. The jock is told to do a live read (for which he may or may not get some extra cash), and that's what passes for engagement.
But it's not. This is why I've long admired what Jim Harper has put together first at WNIC, and now at WMGC here in Detroit. Jim has an exclusive group of advertisers ("The Platinum Club") that pays for the privilege of him not just reading their commercials, but committing to their product, store, or service in a highly personal way. Jim personally screens these clients, ensures they're a good fit, and then makes them a part of his advertiser posse. Here's an example of Jim's work:
Jim Harper and On-Star
Download the Mp3 File
And ask any of them - Jim's relationship with their companies is gold - or platinum - and well worth the additional cost. In the process, Jim has unknowingly sold them on personality radio as an advertising and marketing medium. Instead of being one of six different undifferentiated advertisers in a spot cluster or even being part of a dry, pedestrian live read, Jim's "Platinum" advertisers get what they pay for - his seal of approval. I have seen the focus groups that underscore this premise, and his Platinum Club clients have, too.
The handful of radio stations and their personalities that have nurtured these types of relationships is too few and far between. There is great potential here for many stations to create their own "Oprah Effect," but it requires a strategic marketing effort between advertisers, the station, and the iconic personality.
As Jim told me, "Live 'partnerships' with advertisers are part of radio's equity. And even in a struggling economy, it's something we still do better than any other form of media."
Radio has gone to the trouble and expense of discovering, nurturing, and growing talent. And many hard-working jocks and personalities have established valuable relationships with listeners and advertisers.
What's missing in this equation is a plan to create a program that nurtures talent/station/client relationships in partnerships that get results. Oprah gets it, Jim Harper gets it, and many of you could, too.
Thursday, July 02, 2009 in Business, Management, Marketing, Radio, Sales, Talent, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Those Boomin' Boomers
As we continue to dissect Tech Poll V and mine its rich data, one continual thread has emerged - Boomers are catching up. When it comes to new media and gadgets, Classic Rockers are displaying greater comfort with technology. While they're not moving at light speed like their kids, they are becoming increasingly immersed in texting, social networking, iPods, streaming video, and other technologies that are enhancing their lives and communications.
Our information dovetails nicely with a recent advisory by Tom Derzypolski, a VP of client communications for Kidd RV Resort Consulting, an RV resort company that has the task of communicating with the increasingly mobile Boomer generation. As Derzypolski notes that when it comes to RV travel, more than 90% have their computers with them with Internet access "all the time." And more than six in ten plan their trips via the Internet.
We're seeing these same things, and it has implications for Classic Rock and similarly targeted radio stations, trying to keep pace with a generation that is rapidly figuring it out. Consider that in our poll, six of every ten Classic Rockers at least occasionally stream video, half own an iPod or similar device, and nearly four in ten visit and/or have profiles on social networking sites. If you design contests for one of these stations, you should know that half engage in text messaging at least weekly, opening up another possible giveaway methodology. About a quarter have downloaded a podcast, while a third listen to streaming radio weekly or more.
That's quite a profile for a generation that essentially didn't turn on a computer until they were in their thirties, and grew up with rotary dial phones. It also begs the question of how stations should update promotional, contest, and marketing language. And how heritage morning shows and other personalities might better integrate new technologies and digital tools into their repertoires.
The Boomers are catching up, using the information and technology to better entertain and inform themselves. There are lessons here for marketers, programmers, and talent.
Whether your station participated in Tech Poll V or not, this is data that can help shape programming, digital, sales, and marketing strategies. Get out of the station, and do a little research of your own among an audience that is rapidly catching up with technology.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009 in Business, Radio, Research, Sales, Social Networking | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)


Just like the Kingston Country Fair but without the Agricultural aspects, and relocated to downtown Kingston around the Old Roane County Courthouse. A day of fun for all ages: Craft and retail vendors. Home-based businesses. A car show, music, dancing, food trucks and a kid's area with games and a reverse Bungee Jump.


text:
Tech's Dr. Phil Honored for Athletics Support
Matt Winkeljohn, Sting Daily –
There was a story written in, "The Whistle," a few years back that began with the words, "Known for his incredible memory" . . . and every bit of that still applies to Dr. Phil Adler – no matter that he's now 81.
The long-, long-, long-time Georgia Tech professor will tap a distant part of his past this evening, when he'll throw out the first pitch before the Yellow Jackets' game against Miami at Russ Chandler Stadium.
Now a Professor Emeritus of Strategic Management at the College of Management, Adler has an athletic background; he earned two varsity letters at Ohio State, although he's quick to suggest that he really wasn't much of a grappler but rather he was very good at just being around.
He's been around Tech since 1962, retiring from teaching in 2000, and doing his best to stay in the mix up to this day.
Baseball, though, now that goes way, way, way back – even before Adler roomed at Ohio State with an eventual Pittsburgh Pirate. Vic Janowicz, won the Heisman Trophy as a junior at OSU in 1950, before a new coach the next year (Woody Hayes) changed his role and made him a relative afterthought.
"I didn't play any high school or college ball," Adler said. "Just AAU when I was young. I was a pitcher and a first baseman. I think I can throw it about 90 feet, certainly 60.
I will not pitch from the pitcher's mound. You know how [Braves closer Craig] Kimbrell leans over to get the sign? If I did that, I'd fall flat on my face."
Anyone with long-time ties to the Tech Athletic Association remembers Adler, as do thousands of students from over the decades. A group of graduates raised funds a few years ago to name the fourth floor, north end of the Management building, "The Donna L. and Dr. Phillip Adler Jr. Faculty Excellence Wing."
Adler has a way of making himself known, of involving himself.
After finishing his Ph.D. at Ohio State, where two of his students while he was a graduate assistant were undergrads named Jack Nicklaus and John Havlicek, Adler moved to Atlanta and knocked on the door of the football coach.
Bobby Dodd was not impressed, at least not immediately. Some salesmanship was required. That was, you can be sure, no problem for Adler.
"I . . . introduced myself. He was easy to talk to. He called everybody, 'Son.' Even later when his granddaughter was my teaching assistant," Adler recalled. "I said, 'Coach, I want to know if I can help you with recruiting . . . from the academic standpoint?'
"So he looks at me, and says, 'You just came from where?' How do I know that you will not send my recruits to Ohio State? I said, 'It's as simple as the name at the top of my paycheck.' He said, 'You come down here Saturday; I have 25 recruits coming in."
Adler played a role in hosting prospective Tech student-athletes for decades, right up until five or six years ago, and his involvement in athletics went beyond that.
He was involved at various times and to various degrees in ticketing, moving the band from the East stands to the North, the creation of VIP boxes in Bobby Dodd Stadium, and recruiting for more sports than you can fit fingers on a hand.
Adler became especially allegiant over the years to Bobby Ross, Bobby Cremins, George O'Leary and Paul Hewitt.
Glaucoma has addled his vision, and while he said he still walks, "I don't do well with steps," so his visits to The Flats have become rare in recent years.
That doesn't mean the man is sitting around.
Once keenly involved at WGST when Tech still owned the radio station, he still hosts a show – radio's Dr. Phil – on 1620 a.m. and America's Web Radio.
His list of projects over the decades is remarkable and impossible to encompass as it ranges from time spent as a Tech trustee, serving former Georgia governor and U.S. President Jimmy Carter, helping organize the first Tech College of Management Alumni Advisory Board and the Honorary Beta Gamma Sigma and much, much more.
Ground zero, though, is Georgia Tech.
"I've been involved there for nearly half its existence, coming in 1962," Adler said. "I would like to [stay busy at Tech], but I have a very difficult time with my eyes . . . and those steps at the stadium are really hard.
Many have said I was their most demanding professor, but it worked. I'm the only plain professor to have a piece of a building named for me. It was $1.5 million to name that floor."
Adler was a joy to speak with, although I owe him an apology for not calling back Thursday while I was in Athens covering the NCAA tennis championships all day and into the night. He has a thousand stories, and he recalls them vividly. Comments to stingdaily@gmail.com.
January 13, 2021 2021 NCAA Honors Celebration Stream
Chaunté Lowe is the recipient of the 2021 NCAA Inspiration Award
2021 NCAA Honors Celebration Stream
January 11, 2021 Tech Student-Athletes Excel Academically During Fall Semester
Yellow Jackets register a department-wide 3.10 GPA
Tech Student-Athletes Excel Academically During Fall Semester

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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text:
Q: Correlation analysis using seaborn : TypeError: 'float' object cannot be interpreted as an integer I have a dataframe V of the following form:
       ECON1     ECON2     ECON3     FOOD1     FOOD2     FOOD3      ENV1  \
28  0.310071  0.096913  0.228500  0.234986  0.260894  0.267858  0.489309
28  0.353609  0.045075  0.222571  0.222803  0.248388  0.330560  0.060107
28  0.280600  0.170201  0.232027  0.226792  0.233379  0.316765  0.114550
28  0.299062  0.127866  0.198080  0.189948  0.222982  0.327082  0.052881
28  0.346291  0.645534  0.371397  0.389068  0.380557  0.386004  0.186583

        ENV2      HEA1      HEA2      HEA3     PERS1     PERS2     PERS3  \
28  0.206320  0.252537  0.266968  0.248452  0.184450  0.093345  0.173952
28 -0.206570  0.263673  0.126182  0.265908  0.134481  0.191341  0.113324
28  0.237818  0.257337  0.102037  0.214423  0.159002  0.321451  0.165960
28  0.345857  0.272412  0.069192  0.251301  0.130606  0.132732  0.174925
28  0.372713  0.382155  0.373531  0.468293  0.364305  0.299510  0.350822

        COM1      COM2      POL1      POL2
28  0.781430  0.487822  0.361886  0.233124
28  0.083918  0.005381  0.266604  0.237078
28  0.395897  0.257888  0.330607  0.229079
28  0.000000  0.000000  0.307907  0.238908
28  0.188402  0.101147  0.410619  0.385933

I am trying to do a correlation analysis as follows:
import seaborn as sb
corr = V.corr()
ax = sb.heatmap(
    corr,
    vmin=-1, vmax=1, center=0,
    cmap=sb.diverging_palette(20, 220, n=200),
    square=True
)
ax.set_xticklabels(
    ax.get_xticklabels(),
    rotation=45,
    horizontalalignment='right'
);

I get an error as follows:
TypeError: 'float' object cannot be interpreted as an integer

Not sure how to interpret this error. Can someone comment on this please?
additional information on the correlation matrix
print(corr)
          ECON1     ECON2     ECON3     FOOD1     FOOD2     FOOD3      ENV1  \
ECON1  1.000000  0.341774  0.498779  0.522529  0.588714  0.503961 -0.074569
ECON2  0.341774  1.000000  0.964742  0.951770  0.932538  0.785570  0.003878
ECON3  0.498779  0.964742  1.000000  0.998125  0.983827  0.734790  0.104750
FOOD1  0.522529  0.951770  0.998125  1.000000  0.991068  0.703027  0.153686
FOOD2  0.588714  0.932538  0.983827  0.991068  1.000000  0.683437  0.192360
FOOD3  0.503961  0.785570  0.734790  0.703027  0.683437  1.000000 -0.580854
ENV1  -0.074569  0.003878  0.104750  0.153686  0.192360 -0.580854  1.000000
ENV2  -0.475257  0.564601  0.369804  0.349462  0.328092  0.202113  0.183099
HEA1   0.518089  0.971623  0.948098  0.938049  0.941533  0.857258 -0.087292
HEA2   0.492331  0.760587  0.854620  0.882823  0.909930  0.320175  0.579590
HEA3   0.637159  0.933654  0.949112  0.949667  0.970425  0.798348  0.014684
PERS1  0.435383  0.965742  0.986036  0.988420  0.983967  0.656593  0.222572
PERS2  0.006943  0.584600  0.574856  0.535135  0.424989  0.647732 -0.423388
PERS3  0.278137  0.981872  0.931251  0.923784  0.918289  0.687020  0.134177
COM1  -0.323141 -0.151890 -0.047608 -0.009682 -0.018765 -0.702210  0.913371
COM2  -0.405013 -0.141136 -0.060505 -0.026537 -0.041302 -0.702745  0.897211
POL1   0.024764  0.819855  0.797155  0.804438  0.792430  0.291577  0.526974
POL2   0.534160  0.974790  0.970808  0.965523  0.969961  0.813307 -0.000965

           ENV2      HEA1      HEA2      HEA3     PERS1     PERS2     PERS3  \
ECON1 -0.475257  0.518089  0.492331  0.637159  0.435383  0.006943  0.278137
ECON2  0.564601  0.971623  0.760587  0.933654  0.965742  0.584600  0.981872
ECON3  0.369804  0.948098  0.854620  0.949112  0.986036  0.574856  0.931251
FOOD1  0.349462  0.938049  0.882823  0.949667  0.988420  0.535135  0.923784
FOOD2  0.328092  0.941533  0.909930  0.970425  0.983967  0.424989  0.918289
FOOD3  0.202113  0.857258  0.320175  0.798348  0.656593  0.647732  0.687020
ENV1   0.183099 -0.087292  0.579590  0.014684  0.222572 -0.423388  0.134177
ENV2   1.000000  0.440689  0.309514  0.335610  0.473824  0.161769  0.664619
HEA1   0.440689  1.000000  0.738058  0.982913  0.938014  0.492595  0.945905
HEA2   0.309514  0.738058  1.000000  0.811820  0.901376  0.157842  0.801182
HEA3   0.335610  0.982913  0.811820  1.000000  0.942849  0.387558  0.915053
PERS1  0.473824  0.938014  0.901376  0.942849  1.000000  0.472608  0.963744
PERS2  0.161769  0.492595  0.157842  0.387558  0.472608  1.000000  0.447905
PERS3  0.664619  0.945905  0.801182  0.915053  0.963744  0.447905  1.000000
COM1   0.106662 -0.304509  0.362041 -0.239231  0.040733 -0.226292 -0.058492
COM2   0.185397 -0.307438  0.332330 -0.257903  0.034155 -0.208413 -0.041872
POL1   0.727061  0.707109  0.856765  0.695222  0.875352  0.297894  0.887691
POL2   0.424788  0.995079  0.798982  0.989886  0.965114  0.480057  0.953595

           COM1      COM2      POL1      POL2
ECON1 -0.323141 -0.405013  0.024764  0.534160
ECON2 -0.151890 -0.141136  0.819855  0.974790
ECON3 -0.047608 -0.060505  0.797155  0.970808
FOOD1 -0.009682 -0.026537  0.804438  0.965523
FOOD2 -0.018765 -0.041302  0.792430  0.969961
FOOD3 -0.702210 -0.702745  0.291577  0.813307
ENV1   0.913371  0.897211  0.526974 -0.000965
ENV2   0.106662  0.185397  0.727061  0.424788
HEA1  -0.304509 -0.307438  0.707109  0.995079
HEA2   0.362041  0.332330  0.856765  0.798982
HEA3  -0.239231 -0.257903  0.695222  0.989886
PERS1  0.040733  0.034155  0.875352  0.965114
PERS2 -0.226292 -0.208413  0.297894  0.480057
PERS3 -0.058492 -0.041872  0.887691  0.953595
COM1   1.000000  0.995152  0.397261 -0.217775
COM2   0.995152  1.000000  0.419501 -0.225367
POL1   0.397261  0.419501  1.000000  0.748706
POL2  -0.217775 -0.225367  0.748706  1.000000

A: You might want to look into this issue: https://github.com/mwaskom/seaborn/issues/1907
The issue seems to come from cmap=sns.diverging_palette(20, 220, n=200),
You might need to update your seaborn installation
Works just fine for me.
import seaborn as sns  # sns version '0.11.0'

corr = df_P5p5.corr()
ax = sns.heatmap(
    corr,
    vmin=-1, vmax=1, center=0,
    cmap=sns.diverging_palette(20, 220, n=200),
    square=True
)
ax.set_xticklabels(
    ax.get_xticklabels(),
    rotation=45,
    horizontalalignment='right'
);

Dataframe:
           absh_0    absh_p    absh_m  absh_0_1  absh_p_1  absh_m_1  \
599866   0.000177  0.000004  0.021056  0.000035  0.000013  1.484300
427635   0.000309  0.000006  0.017254  0.000074  0.000021  1.881500
1833852  0.000032  0.000005  0.016329  0.000006  0.000065  0.244173
690821   0.000040  0.000035  0.030917  0.000064  0.000101  1.063950
1098632  0.000327  0.000002  0.017160  0.000056  0.000016  0.005837
...           ...       ...       ...       ...       ...       ...
617761   0.000341  0.000007  0.009808  0.000061  0.000011  0.491265
204467   0.000437  0.000021  0.012242  0.000019  0.000059  1.515220
932372   0.000036  0.000022  0.035300  0.000028  0.000073  1.089760
1584400  0.000023  0.000005  0.014236  0.000001  0.000059  1.662190
139578   0.000212  0.000005  0.015321  0.000009  0.000087  0.741250

             absh_p_2     absh_m_2;  CQe_2322  CLQ1_2223  P_5p_LQ5_LHCb
599866   2.283040e-07  1.085160e-05 -0.162193   0.670895      -0.570265
427635   2.789950e-08  1.895490e-05 -0.204701   0.742776      -0.577415
1833852  3.995840e-06  7.339210e-06  0.658051   0.984142      -0.560692
690821   1.061680e-05  2.352440e-05 -0.566117   0.734917      -0.622448
1098632  1.566270e-06  2.679160e-05 -0.376097   0.649306      -0.585776
...               ...           ...       ...        ...            ...
617761   2.077150e-06  3.115670e-05  0.079413   0.568284      -0.494631
204467   1.397560e-06  1.893320e-05  0.104801   0.618369      -0.565908
932372   1.335230e-05  6.610640e-08  0.225752   1.086700      -0.622773
1584400  1.609910e-05  3.062290e-06 -0.110411   0.635001      -0.560502
139578   9.748530e-06  7.800600e-06 -0.122956   0.679417      -0.628816

[100000 rows x 11 columns]

Correlation matrix
                absh_0    absh_p    absh_m  absh_0_1  absh_p_1  absh_m_1  \
absh_0         1.000000  0.034578  0.097363  0.095424 -0.091923  0.195620
absh_p         0.034578  1.000000  0.403523 -0.001839  0.047511  0.136713
absh_m         0.097363  0.403523  1.000000 -0.004896 -0.005719  0.340453
absh_0_1       0.095424 -0.001839 -0.004896  1.000000  0.049618 -0.001182
absh_p_1      -0.091923  0.047511 -0.005719  0.049618  1.000000 -0.069683
absh_m_1       0.195620  0.136713  0.340453 -0.001182 -0.069683  1.000000
absh_p_2      -0.050823  0.021416 -0.000820  0.180376  0.496774 -0.023613
absh_m_2;      0.167619 -0.019075 -0.059183  0.246883 -0.032227 -0.219272
CQe_2322      -0.103104 -0.071771 -0.153265 -0.106895  0.028045 -0.412171
CLQ1_2223     -0.125011 -0.036544 -0.068685 -0.011385  0.030520 -0.253707
P_5p_LQ5_LHCb  0.001508 -0.006292 -0.020996  0.163136  0.122048 -0.121965

               absh_p_2  absh_m_2;  CQe_2322  CLQ1_2223  P_5p_LQ5_LHCb
absh_0        -0.050823   0.167619 -0.103104  -0.125011       0.001508
absh_p         0.021416  -0.019075 -0.071771  -0.036544      -0.006292
absh_m        -0.000820  -0.059183 -0.153265  -0.068685      -0.020996
absh_0_1       0.180376   0.246883 -0.106895  -0.011385       0.163136
absh_p_1       0.496774  -0.032227  0.028045   0.030520       0.122048
absh_m_1      -0.023613  -0.219272 -0.412171  -0.253707      -0.121965
absh_p_2       1.000000  -0.099868 -0.020970   0.023178       0.274502
absh_m_2;     -0.099868   1.000000 -0.194679  -0.109361       0.122653
CQe_2322      -0.020970  -0.194679  1.000000   0.651148       0.006585
CLQ1_2223      0.023178  -0.109361  0.651148   1.000000      -0.003935
P_5p_LQ5_LHCb  0.274502   0.122653  0.006585  -0.003935       1.000000

Plot:

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: How do I convert this jQuery code to vanilla Javascript? I am trying to convert this jquery code to vanilla javascript. Actually this code is constructing the nested ul li on the fly with this json data. Can anyone help me with that?
Here is my Code
var tree = [
  {
    name: 'Vegetables',
    children: [
      {
        name: 'Green',
        children: [
          {
            name: 'Broccoli',
            children: [{ name: 'Broccoli-sub1' }, { name: 'Broccoli-sub2' }],
          },
          { name: 'cabbage' },
          { name: 'Brussels' },
        ],
      },

      {
        name: 'Orange',
        children: [{ name: 'Pumpkins' }, { name: 'Carrots' }],
      },
    ],
  },
];

function recursive_tree(data, tag, child_wrapper, level) {
  var html = [];
  //return html array;
  level = level || 0;
  child_wrapper = child_wrapper != false ? child_wrapper : 'ul';
  $.each(data, function (i, obj) {
    var el = $('<' + tag + '>');
    el.html(obj.name);
    if (obj.hasOwnProperty('children')) {
      var wrapper = $('<' + child_wrapper + '>');
      var els = recursive_tree(obj.children, tag, child_wrapper);
      wrapper.append(els);
      wrapper.appendTo(el);
    }
    html.push(el);
  });

  return html;
}

var html = recursive_tree(tree, 'li', 'ul');
console.log(html);
$('#parent').append(html);
`enter code here`;

A: There are many ways to do this. Here is a way to generate the inner html

var tree = [{
  "name": 'Vegetables',
  "children": [{
      "name": 'Green',
      "children": [{
          "name": 'Broccoli',
          "children": [{
              "name": "Broccoli-sub1"
            },
            {
              "name": "Broccoli-sub2"
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "name": "cabbage"
        },
        {
          "name": 'Brussels'
        },
      ]
    },

    {
      "name": 'Orange',
      "children": [{
          "name": 'Pumpkins'
        },
        {
          "name": 'Carrots'
        },
      ]
    },
  ]
}]

function recursive_tree(data, tag, child_wrapper, level) {
  let html = [];
  //return html array;
  level = level || 0;
  child_wrapper = !child_wrapper ? child_wrapper : 'ul';

  data.forEach(obj => {
    html.push(`<${tag}>${obj.name}`);
    if (obj.hasOwnProperty('children')) {
        html.push(`<${child_wrapper}>`);
      html = html.concat(recursive_tree(obj.children, tag, child_wrapper))
      html.push(`</${child_wrapper}>`);
        }
    html.push(`</${tag}>`);
    });

  return html;
}

var html = recursive_tree(tree, 'li', 'ul');
console.log(html);
const parent = document.getElementById('parent');
parent.innerHTML += html.join("");


text:
Мародёр (также известна, как Man of Prey) — компьютерная игра в жанре тактическая ролевая игра, разработанная российской компанией Apeiron и выпущенная совместно с компанией Buka Entertainment для платформы Microsoft Windows в 2009 году. Сюжет игры создан по мотивам книги Беркема аль Атоми «Мародёр». В игре много багов и недоделок, существуют вырезанные сцены и квесты. Официальная поддержка проекта прекращена в 2010, в связи с распадом компании Apeiron.

История создания
 11 декабря 2008 года компания «Бука» объявила набор добровольцев для проведения бета-тестирования проекта «Мародёр».
 13 января 2009 года начал работу официальный сайт проекта.
 10 сентября 2009 состоялся официальный релиз игры «Мародёр».
 25 сентября 2009 года вышел патч версии 1.2, исправляющий ряд ошибок оригинальной версии.
 23 ноября 2009 года вышел последний официальный патч версии 1.3.
 В начале 2010 года компания «Апейрон» прекратила своё существование из-за финансовых и иных проблем, тем самым проект остался без официальной поддержки.

Сюжет
В России пришли к власти проамериканские силы, и в страну были введены американские «миротворцы» для «наведения порядка и окончательного провозглашения демократии». На деле же, иноземцев интересовали лишь природные ресурсы.

Поддержание порядка и благополучия гражданского населения не входило в задачи военного контингента. После самороспуска органов управления, военных и милиции, большая часть населения провинциального уральского городка «Тридцатки» погрязла в кровопролитной гражданской войне.

Игрок выступает в роли мародёра Ахмета, которому предстоит выжить в сложившейся ситуации. Начав игру с двустволкой и кучкой патронов, игроку предстоит собрать «семью» (отряд от одного до четырёх человек), вооружить её и выжить в условиях постоянной войны «всех против всех».

См. также
 Бригада Е5: Новый альянс
 7.62 (игра)
 Jagged Alliance (серия)

Примечания

Ссылки

Статьи

Игры для Windows
Компьютерные игры, разработанные Apeiron
Тактические ролевые игры
Компьютерные игры с трёхмерной графикой
Компьютерные игры, разработанные в России
Компьютерные игры, изданные «Букой»

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
AIG Lawsuit Gets Class Action Status, As Bailed Out Shareholders Sue Government
ByEthan Re
A federal judge granted a group of American International Group (AIG) shareholders class-action status on Monday in a case that is starting to resemble a television drama. At the center of the lawsuit is former AIG Chief Executive Maurice "Hank" Greenberg, now CEO of Starr International Co, which was once AIG's largest shareholder, who is suing the U.S. government for $55 billion over decisions made as a part of the 2008 bailout of the insurance giant.
Greenberg's lawsuit alleges that the federal government "violated the statutory, contractual, and Constitutional rights" of AIG shareholders when it took a 79.9% stake and then conducted a reverse stock split without allowing existing shareholders to vote on the decision. Greenberg argues that the government demanded an excessively punitive interest rate and has treated AIG more harshly than similarly rescued institutions.
AIG itself briefly considered joining Greenberg's lawsuit, a move which resulted in significant public backlash. Several lawmakers warned AIG not to "rub salt in the wounds" of taxpayers still furious with the need to bail out the corporation in the first place. When the board of directors declined to join the lawsuit, and moved to dismiss the claims, Greenberg accused the government of strong-arming AIG into staying on the sidelines.
Greenberg himself has a complicated past with AIG. He was investigated for fraud in 2005 by then-New York Attorney General Elliot Spitzer over his actions as CEO, and although criminal charges were dropped, Greenberg was removed as Chief Executive. He later settled several civil complaints to the tune of $15 million.
Little analysis has been offered as to the legal merits of Greenberg's case thus far; although this is not the first time he has taken legal action on the subject. A previous case against the New York Federal Reserve was dismissed last year. "While driving a hard bargain with the counterparties might have saved AIG and its shareholders money, (the NYFR) could reasonably conclude that its statutory mission of stabilizing the economy made speed and closure a top priority," wrote U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer.
In the court of public opinion, however, the backlash against AIG for even considering the lawsuit may offer a hint of what is to come. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a noted critic of the banking industry, offered a scathing rebuke: "Taxpayers across this country saved A.I.G. from ruin, and it would be outrageous for this company to turn around and sue the federal government because they think the deal wasn't generous enough."
Thus far, such outrage has been primarily focused at AIG itself. "On the one hand, from a corporate governance perspective, it appears they're being extra cautious and careful," said Frank Partnoy, professor of law and finance at the University of San Diego and a former banker.
"On the other hand, it's a slap in the face to the taxpayer and the government." But should Greenberg find himself in the public eye, perhaps as the result of a legal victory, it's likely that taxpayers would not take kindly to his actions.


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The martyrdom of Polycarp bishop of Smyrna, celebrated yesterday in both eastern and western churches, is remarkable in many respects. It is not often that old men got martyred for religious beliefs in antiquity, let alone 86 year old men, and the account itself is among the earliest surviving martyr accounts in early Christian literature recording a martyrdom in the 150s or 160s AD.
The story also is interesting and shows certain parallels with the death of Jesus: the bishop is pursued by the police into the country where he is arrested, allowed to pray for everyone he ever knew for two hours, brought into the city via donkey, and tried by the proconsul. Ordered to revile Christ he responds "I'm 86 years old and still I am serving him, and he has never wronged me." Threatened with death in the amphitheater, he invites both beast and fire. Ordered to shout "away with the atheists" to the other Christians, he directs the accusation instead to the roaring crowds. And he is protected from death: the flames intended to consume him actually refine him (like precious metal) and give off a sweet smell of perfume. Eventually the executioner thrusts a sword into his side, which releases a dove and so much blood that the fire is extinguished. These are extraordinary events.
It is the subsequent history of the martyrdom that takes us to Corinth. The account itself assumes the form of a letter from the church in Smyrna to the church in Philomelium and all sojourners everywhere. A man named Marcion seems to the be the source of information (20) which was written down by a scribe named Evaristus. The church of Smyrna encourages the letter to be circulated to Christians elsewhere.
The account comes to an end in 20 or 21, but then an epilogue (22) is tacked on noting the history of the transcription and copies. The letter evidently finds its way to Irenaeus, the famous bishop in Gaul who was (as Eusebius later notes) a student of Polycarp. A man named Gaius, who lived in the same city as Irenaeus copied out the document from his version. And then (shifting to the first person), "I Socrates in Corinth wrote it out from the copies of Gaius. Grace be with all. And I, Pionius, again wrote out a copy seeking these things from the aforementioned one." Pionius notes that he gathered the papers which were worn from old age and made a copy so that the Lord Jesus Christ would remember him with his elect in the kingdom.
There is nothing surprising about these sorts of connections in the movement of texts in the Mediterranean but not often do we have the recorded path of transcription, in this case between Smyrna — the west (Gaul? Rome?) — Corinth — ?? Interesting that Corinth, situated between east and west, would be a critical link here and that the text discovered by Pionius was the old Corinthian copy (did Pionius find it in Corinth or elsewhere?). This Socrates is an otherwise anonymous Christian living in the city of Corinth in the later 2nd or 3rd century who gained access to a copy of the account transcribed by Gaius. It is at least curious that a Christian named after a philosopher sentenced to die in old age (and with charges of atheism) would be interested in preserving the story of an old bishop sentenced to die in old age (and with charges of atheism). Not only does he write himself into the margins: "I Socrates in Corinth" but he also adds his own little salutation: "Grace be with all." Here in a postscript of one of the most significant martyr accounts of the early church we find an educated but anonymous Corinthian Christian, or individual residing in Corinth, who has inserted himself into the story and greeted the reader.
A couple of other blogs on yesterday's feast day: the daily office and cyber brethren. The entire account can be found here.


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Ran across Appreciation Financial....they claim to market to teachers and all school district employees. Anyone here have any experience (good or bad) with them?
Wow, I do not know if this is a good sign or a bad sign!
I'll go with bad sign.


Synergists don't necessarily do anything more than heal and buff their allies. They are the helping class. Synergy began in Fusheyila, so mostly TaruTaru and Selkie train in this class, however in recent years many other races have begun to practise it. At higher levels, Synergists can also debuff enemies to make them weaker. They also have offensive magic in the term of the non-element Ruin.
Selkie have advanced most in Synergy, able to upgrade into classes depending on there gender. The females become dancers, whilst the males become bards.