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Mike McVay , President, McVay Media
Mike McVay is the President of the highly successful McVay Media, a program consultancy serving radio, TV, the Internet and digital media platforms. He is also President of McVay Syndication (a radio network syndicating several radio programs), is the partner of Listener Driven Radio (a New Media Platform) and Co-Founder of a digital consulting firm named McVay New Media. Mike serves as a consultant and advisor, talent coach, is a futurist and is recognized around the world as one of media’s most influential media strategists and consultants. McVay Media consults radio stations, artists, singers & songwriters, Internet businesses, Networks, air talent and publications. If it’s media & entertainment … McVay Media is involved.
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There was a time when we all argued that syndicated programming wasn’t as good as local programming. I remember some years ago when Howard Stern was first syndicated into Cleveland and I was consulting WMJI/Cleveland at the time. John Lanigan, the morning man, was playing music in the morning. I remember saying, “local will beat national every day of the week.” It wasn’t true. The publicity around Stern’s first book was so big that he beat Lanigan out of the box. He never beat Lanigan again!
Then programmer Rick Torcasso (now a marketing wizard and co-owner of Point-2-Point Marketing) made a decision that the radio station should stop playing music and go all talk in the morning with John Lanigan. He also decided to engage Stern so that Howard turned his attention from the traditional Rock station (WMMS) and focused on a format that Stern normally did not consider to be his primary competitor. Jeff and Flash, the morning team on WMMS, was Missing in Action. I wouldn’t have been surprised if they turned up on a milk carton.
This engagement by Torcasso helped Stern increase his ratings and at the same time helped WMJI rebound and build its ratings to heights it had never reached before the battle with Stern. Lanigan continues to be the #1 morning man in Cleveland today (2010) and Howard as all but disappeared from the public media scene given the small audience of satellite radio.
Stop the presses! The party is about to begin again. More and more syndicated programs are popping on the scene and broadcasters are moving to syndication as a way to save money and improve their on-air product. I was personally one of the three original owners (with Delilah) of the Delilah Radio Show. We’ve been involved as a strategist with John Tesh since the day he decided to go full time for the daily show. McVay Syndication, of which I am co-owner with broadcast entrepreneur Tom Embrescia, recently launched the Donny Osmond Show at the AC level and is soon to launch a Hot AC show. We consult Dees Entertainment and we work with Rick Dees on his weekly show as well as consult on several soon to be launched projects. We consult the Jim Brickman Show, too. Syndication has real benefits because it delivers a product and program that is stronger and better than what the average broadcaster can afford.
Syndicated programming is at the root of the growth that I’m projecting for local radio. Think about that statement. Syndication can help local radio grow. We have plans for Rick Dees to launch a daily radio program. His weekend show continues to be the longest running Countdown program in radio history. Z100’s famous morning man, Elvis Duran, is syndicated by Premiere Radio and continues to do very well. His morning show one that I’ve been suggesting to client stations across America. I must admit to being prejudice as I do have a young man that I like to mentor in that show. He is “TJ the DJ.” My prediction is that TJ is a future star.
Elvis puts more time and energy into his show than anyone could imagine. If he’s awake he’s working on his show. Kid Kraddick continues to be a strong and highly rated morning man and his work ethic is right there with Elvis’ worth ethic. Jack Diamond, a morning star in Washington, DC, is being rumored as the next nationally syndicated talent to take to the airwaves.
The key element that all of these shows bring to the table, and that one that your own morning show can emulate, is talk generating topicality these programmers understand and know what’s hot and they talk about it. There’s no such thing as “Natural Ability.” I don’t believe in it. He or she who works the hardest is the one who will win rating sweep after rating sweep.
Talk Generating Topicality is more than reading the front page of USA Today. It’s talking about those things your audience will be talking about. It doesn’t matter that your CHR station may not have ever played Michael Jackson’s music. When Michael Jackson died, you did play it … and you were talking about it. You may not be a fan of NASCAR, but when a “hottie” like Danica Patrick wins a NASCAR race you talk about. Tiger Woods personal disaster? Yes! You talk about it. That is what successful radio stations have been great at. Talk about what’s important to the audience. Talk about what the audience is talking about. If your local show can’t do it, I know a number of syndicated shows that can do it, and they will do it.
Learn from the nationally syndicated shows … and then apply that to your local show … and if you have a nationally syndicated show on your radio station … make it sound local. Syndication can (and does) win locally. However, you have to invest your time in it to make it sound connected to your community. Talk generating topicality! Practice it.
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