Get to know CBS Radio's Dom Theodore


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Posted by Bud on October 01, 2009 at 14:39:54:

From All Access today, here is a look at CBS Radio's Vice President of Contemporary Hit Radio Programming. Question #10 has a big Chicago connection. Former Kiss-FM DJ, Tic Tak (Mark Allen) is mentioned too, as Dom is PD of the station where Tak now works.

..................
Dom Theodore
VP/Top 40 Programming, CBS Radio

Station: WXRK 92.3 Now
Market: New York
Company: CBS Radio


10 Questions with ... Dom Theodore

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

On-air/Production at WHYT/Detroit, WDFX/Detroit, WIOG/Saginaw, WTCF/Saginaw.
OM at WILN & WTBB/Panama City.
On-air, MD and eventually PD at WFLZ/Tampa.
PD at KRBE/Houston.
OM/PD at WKQI/Detroit
Top 40 Brand Manager, Clear Channel
RVPP/Clear Channel Michigan Region
VP/Programming, Clear Channel/Detroit
VP/Top 40 Programming CBS Radio


1) Congratulations on the launch of 92.3 Now FM. How are the early PPM numbers looking?

It's very early in the first inning, but in the first six months, we doubled our cume, and had early wins in the Middlesex-Union-Somerset, NJ book, where we are now #2 18-34 -- about a half share out of #1 behind WQHT. We also have early traction in teens (typically the first demo to find a new Top 40) where we are now #2 ahead of Z100. In a market where every faction that makes up the Top 40 coalition is super-served by heritage brands, this is no small feat, but we are still in launch mode with much more to do.


2) What have you done differently with the station -- if anything -- than you would have done if the Arbitron diary system was still in effect?

In diary, we spent lots of time banging people over the head with well-researched positioning statements in a highly produced way. In PPM, it's about making a genuine connection with the audience. While we have taken many of the same steps as other stations to "game" the system (clutter reduction, forward momentum, appointment setting, etc), we are also careful to retain a "stationality."

PPM is like having an unforgiving BS detector strapped to your station at all times, and some stations are dealing with that by completely eliminating personality in favor of an emotionally void "juke box" approach. I think that's a mistake with serious long-term consequences. Music radio must offer a better entertainment experience than the iPod, and our best opportunity to do that is in between the records. It's important to balance "gaming the system" with feeding the long-term health of your brand.


3) Your morning show is, shall we say, conspicuous by its absence. Thoughts?

Ultimately, we will have a great morning show and we will make that announcement in the near future. But in the meantime, there's no harm in using AM drive as an opportunity to showcase our music brand during this introductory stage while competitors are playing very little music in morning drive.


4) Commercial-Free Mondays are a unique concept. How did the idea come about?

There have been so many music quantity positions through the years and I'm convinced that listeners no longer believe them. The Commercial-Free Monday concept is a game changer because nobody expects it, and very few stations have the guts to do it, so it has a big impact. We saw Kevin Weatherly's tremendous success with this concept in L.A. at our sister station KAMP, so we decided to give it a try in New York, too, and it's paying off.


5) A characteristic of Dom Theodore radio stations seems to be great audio processing. How important is it for you to have the best sounding station in the market? Care to share any tips or secrets?

Great audio processing is part of a radio station's personality. I like to create a unique signature sound so people know what station they're listening to even without someone saying the call letters. It's one of my obsessions, actually, and of course I'm not going to share too many secrets, but I will tell you that no two transmitters sound exactly the same. You can have the same model, same processor and settings, same STL, same board and same source material, and it will sound completely different ... it's part science and part art.


6) You were with Clear Channel for a long time. How strange is it to be competing with them?

WAR is half the fun of radio, so it's not strange at all.


7) Can you give us a quick rundown of the strengths of each of your on-air personalities?

Lisa Paige is one of the most relatable personalities in the format ... she is the listener's girlfriend. Tic Tak is fun and unpredictable with a genuine opinion ... and you never know what's going to happen next. Chunky is the guy our listeners would get into trouble with at the club ... and then would come back again for more. Buster is the smart-ass of the station. He says what people are already thinking. We also have an amazing weekend staff with Dave 'Slim' Rocco, DJ Lil Cee, Vibegirl and Guy on the Couch (yes, that's his real name and it even says that on his paycheck).


8) Your target demo is often characterized as the "Lost Generation" as far as radio usage is concerned. How do we change that perception?

The perception is incorrect and exaggerated. Younger demos still use radio in a big way ... yes, it's way more fragmented than it once was, but it's not a lost cause. The key to changing this perception really lies in two areas: 1) Go where the audience is going. We live in a multimedia world and every station needs a strong multimedia presence through the web, social networking, streaming and mobile apps, and text messaging so we can communicate with the audience in the same way that they communicate with each other; and 2) Provide a unique entertainment experience that these other technologies can't provide. An iPod is a great appliance, but can't provide companionship in the way that radio can. It's one of the reasons why the iPod now has a radio built into it ... because a mere appliance that dispenses music becomes boring after a while.

A great radio station is just a social network in an audio sense, with listeners connecting through their common interest of music, news, sports, politics, or whatever the format is ... we were the first social network! There's a reason why the most downloaded songs look a lot like what radio is playing, because listeners still discover new music on the radio first. These are just some examples of the many unique selling propositions that radio offers which other media can't provide. But we need to do a better job exploiting these unique offerings if we want to change the perception.


9) Top 40 radio is currently enjoying a nice resurgence, with new stations signing on all over the place. Yes, these trends tend to be cyclical, but what do you see driving the current trend? Is it driven by PPM measurement, a lot of great Pop music, or other factors?

It's both actually. There's no question we are in a great music cycle. We haven't seen balance like this in many years. Add to that the fact that PPM has been very friendly to Top 40, and it's no wonder that we've seen a new crop of Top 40s. Top 40 programmers have known for years that we had a much wider listener base than we ever got credit for, but now we see it in PPM, which makes the format an intelligent risk in many places where it might not have been a few years ago.


10) What Top 40 stations in other markets are you a fan of?

There are many ... B96 Chicago is one of my favorite radio stations of all time. I remember driving from Detroit to Chicago just to listen to it when I was a kid (yes, I'm a radio geek). I still love watching the battles in markets like Tampa with Wild 987 and 933 FLZ, and Sacramento with KSFM and KDND. Mark Adams has done a great job building Hot 957 in Houston. KDWB in Minneapolis is a powerhouse. Like I said, there are many.


Bonus Questions

What artist would we be surprised to find on your iPod?

I have the strangest things on my iPod. You'll find old airchecks, jingle packages (no surprise there), and music ranging from Blacksheep "The Choice is Yours" to Brad Paisley "I'm Still a Guy." You could play a mean game of "name that tune" or "call letter trivia" off of my iPod.


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