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The Radio Station, 10th Edition

Book Description

The Radio Station offers a concise and insightful guide to all aspects of radio broadcasting, streaming, and podcasting. This book’s tenth edition continues its long tradition of guiding readers to a solid understanding of who does what, when, and why in a professionally managed station. This new edition explains what "radio" in America has been, where it is today, and where it is going, covering the basics of how programming is produced, financed, delivered and promoted via terrestrial and satellite broadcasting, streaming and podcasting, John Allen Hendricks and Bruce Mims examine radio and its future within a framework of existing and emerging technologies. The companion website is new revised with content for instructors, including an instructors’ manual, lecture slides, and test questions. Students will discover an expanded library of audio interviews with leading industry professionals in addition to practice quizzes and links to additional resources.

Table of Contents

  1. Cover
  2. Half Title
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright Page
  5. Table of Contents
  6. Foreword to the Tenth Edition
  7. About the Authors
  8. Preface
  9. Acknowledgments
  10. What’s New to This Edition of The Radio Station
  11. Chapter 1 State of the Industry
    1. Broadcasting
      1. Is Radio Facing a Digital Cliff?
    2. Profits in the Air—The Business Model Evolves
      1. What Do You Believe?
    3. Satellite Radio
    4. The Connected Car
      1. Four Visions of Radio’s Future
    5. Mobile Music Services
      1. The Impact of Mobile Listening on Radio
    6. Podcasting
      1. The Astounding Growth of Podcasting
    7. Streaming
      1. When FM Met the Internet: The Way It Was, Is, and Will Be
    8. HD Radio
    9. Public Radio/Noncommercial Radio
      1. On Public Radio
    10. Radio Regulations and Government Oversight
    11. Chapter Highlights
    12. Suggested Further Reading
  12. Chapter 2 Station Management
    1. Nature of the Business
      1. Small-Market Radio Management
    2. The Manager as Chief Collaborator
    3. What Makes a Manager?
    4. The Manager’s Duties and Responsibilities
      1. Radio Economics
    5. The Manager and Industry Associations
      1. The Qualities That Make a Station Manager
    6. Managing the Cluster
      1. Human Resources
    7. The Manager and the Profit Motive
      1. What Makes a Successful Radio Manager?
    8. The Manager and the Community
    9. The Manager and the Government
      1. Ten Regulatory Issues Any Broadcast Station General Manager Needs to Consider
    10. The Manager and Unions
    11. Chapter Highlights
    12. Suggested Further Reading
  13. Chapter 3 Music Programming and Consultancies
    1. Program Formats
      1. On Public Radio
    2. The Programmer
    3. The PD’s Duties and Responsibilities
      1. Market-Based Programming Decision-Making
      2. Multitasking Program Directors and Their Need for Air-Personality Coaches
    4. Programming a Cluster Operation
      1. Day-by-Day Program Management at a Station Cluster
    5. Satellite Radio Programming
    6. Elements of Programming
      1. How a Song Hook Can “Hook” a Listener
      2. A Radio Station Isn’t Just a Radio Station Any More
    7. The PD and the Audience
      1. FOMO: The Fear of Missing Out
    8. The PD and the Music
      1. Eight Things Broadcasters Should Know About Music Royalties
    9. Managing the Music Library
      1. Advice to Programmers
    10. The PD and the FCC
    11. The PD and Upper Management
    12. Program Consultants and Syndicators
    13. Program Suppliers
    14. Syndicator Services
      1. Producing The Bobby Bones Show
    15. Chapter Highlights
    16. Suggested Further Reading
  14. Chapter 4 Sales
    1. Commercialization: A Retrospective
      1. Outlook for Local Broadcast Radio’s Competitiveness
    2. Selling Airtime
    3. Becoming an Account Executive
    4. The Sales Manager
    5. Radio Sales Tools
      1. Hispanic Radio: Bias in the Buying Process
    6. Points of the Pitch
    7. Levels of Sales
      1. Profit Should Not be the Sole Reason We Are in Business
    8. Spec Spots
    9. Objectives of the Buy
    10. Prospecting and List Building
    11. Planning the Sales Day
      1. Selling Personality
    12. Selling With and Without Numbers
    13. Advertising Agencies
    14. Rep Companies
    15. New Revenue Sources: Websites, HD Radio, Streaming, Digital, and Podcasting
      1. Podca$hing In
      2. Radio 2.: Today’s Local Integrated Solution Provider
    16. Nontraditional Revenue
    17. Trade-Outs
    18. Traffic and Billing
      1. What is Traffic? (No, We Mean the Other Traffic)
    19. Chapter Highlights
    20. Suggested Further Reading
    21. Appendix 4A: RAB Guide to Writing Great Radio Copy
    22. Appendix 4B: Socast media: Why Mobile Apps Are Essential for Digital Success
    23. Appendix 4C: Socast Media: How to Monetize On-Air Content Through the Web and Social Media
  15. Chapter 5 News, Talk, and Sports
    1. Introduction
      1. Great Journalists Are Terrific Storytellers
      2. Local Radio News
    2. The Newsroom
    3. The All-News Station
      1. What Makes a Successful News Radio Station?
    4. Traffic Reports
    5. The Electronic Newsroom
      1. Boston Herald Radio
    6. The News Director
    7. What Makes a Newsperson?
      1. What it Takes to Work at the Boston Herald Corporation
    8. Organizing the Newscast and Other Programming Elements
      1. How Do You Create That Special Connection Between Station and Listener?
      2. Wire Services
    9. Radio Network News and Syndicator Services
    10. News in Music Radio
    11. News/Talk/Information
    12. FM Talk
    13. Radio Sportscasts and All-Sports Format
    14. Station Websites, Podcasts, and Social Media
      1. Turning the Titanic: One Man’s Tale of Digitizing Radio
    15. Radio News/Information/Sports and the FCC
    16. News Ethics
    17. Chapter Highlights
    18. Suggested Further Reading
  16. Chapter 6 Research
    1. Who Is Listening?
      1. On Audience Research
    2. The Ratings and Survey Services
    3. Qualitative and Quantitative Data
    4. From Paper to Electronic Measurement: The Portable People Meter
      1. Developer Profile: Geoff Steadman
      2. Audio and Radio Measurement
    5. In-House Research Techniques
    6. Music Research
      1. Music Research
      2. Music Selection
    7. Research Deficits
    8. How Agencies Buy Radio
      1. What a Research Company Does
    9. The Future of Research in Radio
      1. The Role of Research
    10. Chapter Highlights
    11. Suggested Further Reading
  17. Chapter 7 Promotion
    1. Promotions
      1. How to Write a Social Media Policy for Your Radio Station
    2. The Promotion Director’s/Manager’s Job
      1. Promotion Strategy
    3. Types of Promotions
      1. What Are the Goals of Your Radio Station’s Website?
      2. Find a Parade and Join
    4. Promotions in the Digital Era
    5. Sales Promotion
    6. Budgeting Promotions
    7. Promotions and the FCC
      1. The FCC Has Written Good Contest Rules, Now You Should Too
    8. Chapter Highlights
    9. Suggested Further Reading
    10. Appendix 7A: Assessing the Impact on Radio and Television Stations of the Federal Trade Commission’s Recently Revised Guidance on Endorsements and Testimonials
  18. Chapter 8 Production
    1. A Spot Retrospective
    2. Formatted Spots
    3. The Production Room
    4. The Control Room
    5. Audio Console
      1. Considerations for Designing an IP-Audio Studio
    6. Computers and Software
    7. Voice-Tracking
    8. Standalone Record/Play Decks
    9. Compact Discs
    10. Audio Processing
    11. Signal Routing
    12. Microphones
    13. Telephones
    14. Remote Pickup (RPU)
    15. Digital Editing
    16. Copywriting
      1. Skills and Personal Characteristics of a Good Copywriter
    17. Announcing Tips
    18. The Sound Library
    19. Chapter Highlights
    20. Suggested Further Reading
  19. Chapter 9 Engineering
    1. Characteristics of AM and FM Stations
    2. Digital Audio Broadcasting (HD Radi Technology)
    3. Satellite and Internet Radio
      1. Behind the Scenes: Engineering a Nationwide Collegiate Sports Network
    4. Becoming an Engineer
      1. Engineering: Challenging, Rewarding, in Demand
      2. The Society of Broadcast Engineers
    5. The Emergency Alert System
    6. Automation
    7. Chapter Highlights
    8. Suggested Further Reading
  20. Chapter 10 Careers
    1. Overview
      1. Generation Rap
    2. Radio as a Career
      1. Farber’s Rules
      2. Passion
      3. It’s Your Career. Take Charge of It!
    3. Jobs and Salaries in Radio
      1. Have You Considered a Career in Engineering?
      2. Digital: The New Sales Frontier
    4. Getting Involved: Student Organizations
      1. BEA Student Media Clubs
      2. What Is CBI?
      3. Intercollegiate Broadcasting System
      4. National Broadcasting Society
      5. Teens Are Rediscovering Radio
      6. College Radio: Life-Changing Yet Under-Appreciated
    5. National Radio Talent System
      1. The National Radio Talent System
      2. From AM to FM to XM: Parting Thoughts From a Six-Decade Pro
    6. Chapter Highlights
    7. Suggested Further Reading
  21. Glossary
  22. Index