January 2006 RAP
January 2006 Highlights
Production 212: A New Year's Resolution - Revolution
By Dave Foxx
As you sit down to read this column, Christmas and Thanksgiving will be
fond memories (for some of you) and it’ll be a brand new year. Many will
take this time as an opportunity to make some changes that will hopefully
make life better. I have a really simple suggestion that could help you get
ahead of the curve in 2006. You might even want to suggest it to your PD or
OM so they can work with you to keep on top of your game, and they’ll stay
ahead with their work too! (Oh, you’ll be hero for sure!) Your output will
increase, as well as the quality of your work. (OK, we’re talking BIG
raise!) You will be hailed as the salvation of the station! (Can I get a
hallelujah?)
Interview: Ed Brown, Emmis Communications, St. Louis,
Missouri
By Jerry Vigil
Emmis has had a long history of paying extra attention to its production
departments and personnel. This is no better exemplified than at their
4-station cluster in St. Louis, where Ed Brown serves as their Director of
Creative Services. We last visited with Ed way back in October of 1989 when
he was the Creative Director for KSHE. He had already been on board for
several years, and today Ed is one of the few that can boast tenure with one
station of over 20 years. In this month’s RAP Interview, Ed catches us up
with the past 15 years at the Emmis stations in St. Louis and offers some
insights into the success they’ve had, amongst other areas, on the
commercial side of things, where Ed’s creative talents are now focused
almost exclusively. Be sure to check out Ed’s demo on this month’s RAP CD
for a great sampling of his commercial work.
Radio Hed: Stop Lying
By Jeffrey Hedquist
Your audience doesn’t trust you. Why should they? They’ve grown up
learning not to trust politicians, doctors, lawyers, corporate officers,
clergy and the media. Why should they believe your commercial? It’s just one
of the 3,000 advertising messages they’re bombarded with daily.
Technology: Surround Yourself
By Marshall Such
Will it happen? It’s now 2006 and the radio industry is still "taking a
close look" at surround sound broadcasting. I say "still" because the
ability to broadcast in surround sound is already here. On December 31, 2004
a public radio station in Denver, KUVO-FM, broadcast their New Years Eve
celebration in 5.1 surround with great success. (Search www.radioworld.com
for details.) Will commercial radio see this as a pioneering breakthrough
that needs to be emulated and taken to the next level? Or will the suits in
San Antonio and elsewhere sit and wait. And wait. And wait.
Q It Up: The RAP Network Speaks! - Holiday Stress?
Perhaps the responses to this Q It Up question would do you more good if
you could read them in early December, but you can always save this issue
and look it over in about 11 months, when the holiday season rolls around
once again. A special thanks to all who responded during this hectic time of
year (a rather star studded lot as a matter of fact). There’s a lot of good
advice in this month's responses, and lots to remind us, we’re all in this
together. Happy New Year!
Q It Up: It’s the middle of the holiday season, the busiest
time of the year. Not only is your workload reaching limits, but it’s also a
time when family and friends need your attention too. Is this a stressful
time of year for you? If so, how do you deal with the stress? If this is not
a stressful time for you, how do you explain that? What do you do to keep
stress under control?
...And Make It Real Creative:
By Trent Rentsch
Inspiration can be fattening. I’ve decorated my office with several items
designed to keep the Creative juices flowing, but at the same time some of
them seem to be expanding my waistline. Because I write mostly car dealer
spots these days, it seemed appropriate to decorate my desktop with a
variety of model cars. One of my favorites is an antique wooden pick-up
truck. The bed is generally filled to the top with mini chocolate bars. I
try hard to keep it filled to the top until at least noon, but some days...
well, okay, most days, the truck needs restocking at some point mid
afternoon.
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