Posted by Bud on February 08, 2010 at 16:11:04:
"Face Off: Rick Vaughn, Program Director/Director of Social Media WKSC/103-5 KISS FM, Chicago & Peter Gray, SVP Promotion, RCAMG"
RV: You continue to work with the most respected and successful leaders in the business. Do you ask permission or forgiveness?
PG: It's because I work with such great leaders that the short answer is usually neither. As my role has grown Richard (Palmese) has often said, "With responsibility must come authority," and he means it.
RV: Callout ? love it or hate it?
PG: Love it. No one in the business of breaking records hates callout when they have a song parked at the top of playlists nationwide. Research falls under the "play the hand you're dealt" umbrella. You can either complain about it, or fight like hell to make it work in your favor. We choose the latter.
RV: What is the one most meaningful piece of advice you will give your assistant?
PG: Be yourself. Some people will like you, some won't, but don't put on an act to fit in. There's plenty of room in this business for everyone crafty enough to find their way into it.
RV: You are a clever and creative marketer. If Elvis was found alive and signed by you, what would the trade ad look like?
PG:
(See image by clicking Linkback below)
RV: What are record companies doing right these days? Wrong?
PG: Right - Investing in direct-to-consumer initiatives. Music consumers need MORE places to buy music, not less. Fans buying directly from their favorite artists is a great step in the right direction.
Wrong - In many cases, allowing too much down time between album cycles. Music is consumed way too fast to let bankable artists sit on the sidelines for two years while a fan base turns over, or vanishes. While the music market has a run on singles, labels might be wise to release EPs where applicable.
RV: What are radio companies doing right these days? Wrong?
PG: Right - Putting more Top 40 stations on the air! PPM data shows a great demand for Pop radio, which allows for a growing supply of Pop music. We're happy to provide it!
Wrong - Becoming increasingly LESS live and LESS local. I don't claim to be an expert on the radio business, but this trend seems to contradict the fundamentals of broadcasting.
RV: You are the new PD at KDRM-FM. Build your dream radio station, including format, talent (alive or dead), positioning statement and flip stunt.
PG: KPTR/Los Angeles (office in Laguna). It's a hybrid AAA and Alternative that steals equal parts from 101.9 RXP/NY, INDIE 103/LA (RIP), Cities 97/Minneapolis and WEBN/Cincinnati. Freddie Mercury does mornings. Richard Pryor does middays. Bill Burrs does afternoon drive. Dave Grohl does nights. Billy Gibbons does weekends. Flip stunt would be playing Van Halen's "Drop Dead Legs" on a loop for a week. Positioning statement would be a recording of my mom yelling "Turn that crap down!" (You didn't say the station had to win, did you?)
RV: What is the best example of viral marketing that you have seen in the last year?
PG: I think twitter's explosion and its impact on both of our businesses wins the big prize. Musically though, I remember seeing A LOT of online Bieber-fever before his songs went into orbit. I can tell you first-hand that the Ke$ha sales story might be written very differently had we rushed to radio without the bedrock of fans who spread the word about K$ before "Tik Tok" hit its stride on the air. You want to see the best viral story of 2010? Check out mikeposner.com.
RV: You can hear a hit song as well as I do. How do you balance hype from above with your ears?
PG: I'd like to know who said YOU could hear a hit song?!?!? Labels should separate the cream from the crap by setting attainable goals for each project. Some songs are meant to go the distance, some simply open the door for future releases to do so, and others struggle to get a spin when the sun is shining. If you work records long enough, you can usually tell which ones are which before they get to the bridge. As far as balancing hits and hype goes, that, my friend, is your job.
RV: Had I actually rode that picnic table down the waterfall in Cedarburg, would I have lived?
PG: Yes, but you would have lived in jail for the first 48 hours after the ride.
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PG: You grew up on one of the biggest farms in Washington State, and now you run one of the biggest radio stations in the country. Any similarities?
RV: Haha...Yes. There are no days off! There are multiple responsibilities each day, and hours are never the same. Farmers have to keep up with new technology just like we do in the communication business. When is the last time you saw a horse pulling a plow? Consolidation is another big similarity. Over the years, farms have gotten bigger and bigger as smaller operators fell on tough economic times or decided to take the money and run. And finally, it?s not uncommon to step in shit once in a while.
PG: As the most experienced PPM programmer on the planet, do you have more criticism or contentment with the new system?
RV: I think someone in Houston gets that award?or Todd Shannon when Philly was a test market. Anyway, I dig it. Not content yet, but I dig it. We see real movement; real listening patterns. We are graded every second! It?s been fun to learn the system and find ways to be sure we always give ourselves the best possible chance to increase audience and win. Sample size is troubling. Panel changes can really lead to huge swings for stations or shows with low cume and high time spent per occasion. I want the technology in cell phones. Offer someone a free phone for two years and 40 bucks a month service allowance, or make a deal with a wireless provider for discounted unlimited service. Done. I never forget my phone. I don?t forget to charge it. 1988 beeper-looking thing? Might slip my mind.
PG: You've turned 103-5 KISS FM into a ratings winner in a very tough market. What's your favorite and most fulfilling stat?
RV: It was a winner when I got here. Rick Gillette and Rod Phillips really did a great job of introducing and building the brand of 103-5. The station is alive and constantly evolving and I am proud of what my staff has accomplished as a team. Favorite stat over the course of my tenure is year-to-year target audience growth.
PG: Other than the one you manage, what's your favorite station in Chicago? In the country?
RV: In Chicago: ?GCI. The vibe that Kris, Kenard, Doc and Derrick have fostered on the air and in the hallway is contagious. In the country: KUBE. ?I want my KUBE!? Jeez, I heard that in college on the OTHER SIDE OF THE STATE. Students from Seattle actually missed it that bad. It?s a perennial winner. Year after year after year the programmers there have never been afraid to try new things or take risks. Edgy. Focused. Fearless.
PG: What are record companies doing right these days? Wrong?
RV: Record companies are giving me and this format great product. We have had a fun run over the past couple years! ?Thanks!? Eh, wrong, it?s frustrating when singles are jammed up the a** of the first one. Ladies and gentlemen, it takes some records a minute. Many times you do yourself and your artist a disservice.
PG: What are radio companies doing right these days? Wrong?
RV: Most radio companies are embracing digital/social media. Clear Channel is leading the way once again. We are using new platforms to reach our listeners where they live and deepen our personal relationship. Wrong? No one ever sets out to do the wrong thing.
PG: Define a hit song from your perspective.
RV: A hit song for 103-5 is one that gets a limo full of 21 year-old college girls from the suburbs screaming as they roll down Ohio Street into Chicago at midnight.
PG: In a very short time, you've been awarded programming posts in San Diego, Hartford, Philadelphia and Chicago. To what do you credit your swift success to in our business?
RV: (1)I have had the best mentors in the business. The BEST. I also respect bridges. Be careful which ones you burn.
PG: How has raising a young family impacted the way you approach the demands of your career?
RV: It makes me work even harder. I have two daughters and a wife to take care of!
PG: You're on an island - not stranded, you've got everything you need. Here's the catch: You can pick only one of two channels to watch forever - NFL or NASCAR?
RV: Well isn?t that a pickle. Jeez...uh...NFL. More games. Unless I get sprint cup, nationwide, the truck series, some arca and classic races than I?m going NASCAR.
PG: Will you please add Alicia/Beyonce "Put It In a Love Song?" I've got a day job too my man...
RV: By the time this goes to print, who knows.