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Lisa Miller - "How I Got Into Radio"
Greg Strassell
(By Lisa Miller) Snr. VP Programming CBS Radio Greg Strassell has always been the go-to guy at CBS for talent acquisition for music stations, and he’s great at what he does. If there is a talent, format, station, or market in discussion, Greg knows everything about it. I find myself intensely listening to everything he has to say, as he lives and breathes this business.
Cumulus NY Market Manager Kim Bryant
(By Lisa Miller) I’ve had the pleasure of knowing and working with Kim Bryant for the past 15 years. When she was market manager for Clear Channel in San Francisco, we met on a regular basis as I negotiated contracts and she ran the juggernaut of stations that dominated the market and owned the female audience. As one of the few female market managers in radio, Kim has the distinct honor and demanding responsibility of demonstrating that women can provide the same, if not better, leadership than the men.
Pat Paxton
Pat has always reminded me of someone who could have lived in the '50s. He is a suave and debonair charmer who walks through the room as if he was accompanied by Frank and Dean. But as the head of programming for Entercom, he is always working well into the future. Pat is unique in that he is very serious about his business, yet he has a wonderful sense of humor.
Rick Cummings of Emmis
(By Lisa Miller) Since I started Miller Broadcast Management, I have worked with Rick Cummings. The 1980s acquisition of the NBC stations added a large group of major-market stations, all of which needed premium talent. But, on December 7, 1987, I conducted my most bizarre negotiations with Rick.
Buzz Knight
There's not much about the radio business that Buzz Knight doesn’t know. He's an encyclopedia of radio history and applies what he knows brilliantly. Most importantly, Buzz is one of those wonderful people whom you look forward to seeing and sharing time and conversation with. He is smart, clever, fresh, interesting, and never boring; gosh I wish there were more of him in the world.
Steve Czaban
Years ago, my business partner Matt Miller came to my office and said, “I want you to take a look at Steve Czaban.” I said, “Who?” Matt said, “You’ll love this guy; he’s hilarious and incredibly talented.” Since Matt is a guru when it comes to spotting great sports talent, my ears perked up. So after listening to Steve on WTEM-AM in Washington D.C., we agreed that Steve was smart, quick, entertaining, irreverent, and clearly one of the funniest guys in Sports Radio.
HOW I GOT INTO RADIO -- DICK RAKOVAN
(By Lisa Miller) My first introduction to Dick Rakovan occurred in the Fall of 1985 when I was waiting for my flight to the NAB in New Orleans at Midway Airport. Dick was the General Manager of WFYR in Chicago and with Dick at the airport was Linda Packer Spitz (although I think she was just Linda Packer back then). Linda was Dick’s national rep from RKO Radio Sales. As Linda introduced me to Dick, Dick began a tirade about my then business partner Saul Foos.
How Digital Changes The Lives Of Talent
I thought the world became a better place with e-mail. It was fantastic; I’d write something at my desk and within a minute or two, I’d get a response. No Telex, no Twix, no fax — nothing with an “x,” just e-mail. But then I saw what happened when people didn’t edit their comments, and thoughts that would never have left their mouths were leaving their fingers.
What’s In A Name? It’s Your Brand.
There was a time when you could work for a station with one on-air name, then move across country or across the street, change your name, and become a completely different person. Those days are long gone. Your name is your brand, and your brand is more crucial, and more global, than ever. Station owners, GMs, and PDs are only a few clicks away from finding out everything about you -- your successes and failures, your impact or lack thereof. Like Coke, Pepsi, McDonald’s, or Disney, your name defines you.
Have We Reversed Radio's Role?
Listeners used to set their day around the schedule on the radio. Now radio bases its day on the schedule of the listener. But are we doing things backward? Yes, we need to give listeners what they want. We’ve learned a lot about the habits of the listeners and have made smart adjustments to be more effective and efficient.
The Next Great Format
Every day I’m asked: “What is the next great format, and when will it be here”? The answer: It’s already here. What’s its name? I’ve heard every type of description, definition, and clever alliteration proposed as a moniker, but I’ll call it Contemporary Talk.Yes,Talk.
Are You Listening?
What happens when you don’t listen to your station? How do you sit in front of a prospective advertiser and express your conviction that your station is a “must buy” when you don't even listen? Who is the morning host? What benchmarks or features can be sponsored? How does the audience feel about the station? What are the strengths of the station?
