Programming and sales have always worked together -- not exactly peas in a pod, but definitely ying and yang. I remember back in the day, sales just meant collaborating with concert tickets, trips, or playing golf together. Later on, that extended to sales promotions, then ratings promotions, and today - PDs are the ones making sales calls and sales people are writing ad copy. For better or for worse, that's the state of radio broadcasting. In this week's episode, we sit down with the host of the Genuine ScLoHo Media & Marketing Podcast and the Marketing & Advertising Sales Consultant with WOWO & Federated Media Digital Solutions. When Scott Howard made the change from on-air to sales, he will be the first to tell you that he didn't get it right away. His first opportunity came at WMUZ in Detroit where he freely admitted that he made a lot of mistakes. Over time, he became more engrained in the sales world and started sharing his wisdom on a blog and then a podcast. Most episodes clocking in under 10 minutes. Scott currently works at one of America's oldest and most renowned radio stations: 1190 AM WOWO Fort Wayne Indiana. I discovered Scott in an online forum called Radio Sales Cafe. What sets Scott apart is his genuine approach to sales: Telling the truth and not being fake. Similar advice that programmers convey to on air talent. This episode is brought to you by NLogic. NLogic turns data into action. How it works: they help Canada’s leading broadcasters, media agencies and advertisers make sense of their audiences and programming. They have the data, technology, and expertise to help uncover insights faster and easier. NLogic works hard to transform your business.

Join us for an episode where we talk about all things podcasting, from its relationship to radio (and why broadcasters can give up on striking the comparison) to whether or not your station should start one (or two or three...). Bob Willette takes time of out of his busy day as the Music Director and Mid-day announcer at 94.9 The Rock (CKGE-FM) to set the record straight about 102.1 The Edge (CFNY-FM), where he began his career as a member of The Humble and Fred Show. We start the episode by clearing the air with a simple fact: radio stations that repurpose content in downloadable formats, which they provide on their website, are not podcasts. I repeat: that audio from the morning newscast posted to the station website is not a podcast. But technically, podcasting ceased being podcasting the day Apple discontinued those wonderful devices that housed all our music. Thankfully we do not have to plug our iPods into the computer for updates to download all latest shows and music releases; the iPhone and wireless providers do all that for us now. If you think radio is in competition with podcasting, you not only don’t understand podcast, but you don’t understand radio either. Radio is not is in competition with podcast. When you are in an “on demand” space, your competition is all the shit people have to do. (Take the kids to dance lessons, hockey, cook dinner, and the quarterly report for the boss) What is Netflix’s #1 competition? Sleep. Radio programmers often wastes its time worrying about Jilly Jack and the Z Zoo rather than marketing their great brands into the lives of potential listeners. I’ll quote Steve Jones from a recent episode from my podcast: “In the case of radio, we have realized that rising tide floats all boats, so everyone wins when radio wins.”) The question I get asked most often from broadcasters is: should we be doing podcast? There is an awful lot to consider. Aside from the type of podcast, do you (or the people around you) have the time to make a quality podcast that is worthy of a listener’s time that will be relevant in the weeks and months to come? It takes a few hours to construct a rudimentary podcast, and double to triple that to make a really good one. You also have to spend time marketing it once it’s done. Have you considered that a podcast can be a short series or collection of episodes and not some ongoing weekly or monthly project? It could be seasonal with twelve episodes this spring, with another twelve in the fall.' The best advice I have for radio people who are mulling over the podcast question is to listen and enjoy a few podcasts of their own and become a listener and consumer first. Your ear is already trained to gravitate towards great audio content. When you find the shows you like and consume them on an ongoing basis, you will develop a vision for the type of podcast you want to create for yourself. As any therapist will tell you, the answer is inside you... That'll be $150 dollars. Please see the receptionist to book an appointment for next week.

In this week's episode, Matt visits with radio consultant Gary Begin, the president and owner of Sound Advantage Media. Gary has over thirty years of radio programming experience in small and medium American markets in Florida, Rhode Island, Michigan, Maryland, Georgia, and Maine. On top of his work with Sound Advantage Media, where he delivers full-service programming, marketing/branding, promotions, research and operational consulting to radio stations; Gary also owns Gary Begin Voice Talent for his voice talent services. Matt was happy to sit down with Gary and chat about his approach to social media; Gary always seems to find his way onto Matt's social media feed -- sure, it could just be a matter of algorithm linking up Matt's favourite hashtags -- #podcasting #radio #radiobroadcasting... -- but who knows?! Maybe he has a few tricks up his sleeve Matt doesn't already know. During their visit, Radio Programming and Banding: The Ultimate Podcasting and Radio Branding Guide and the work he does with his company. The book is designed to equip broadcasters, radio bloggers, radio entrepreneurs and students with the tools to launch and run their own radio program or station. If you're looking to hone your craft and develop a winning brand that attracts attention, followership, and, ultimately, advertisers; you reach out to him for a free consultation here: GBegin@SoundAdvantageMedia.com.

Lori Lewis knows how to deal with change, which makes her ideal to lead the way when it comes to navigating the murky waters of Facebook. From its changing algorithm to the overextension of selling your data to third party sources, Lori offers up her tips and expertise for robust content development and increased audience engagement. We also touched on some best practices for Facebook Live which still remains a challenge for talent. Lori is also the chairperson of the long standing Radio Summer Learning Conference The Conclave. The 43rd edition will take place on July 18th thru 20th in Minneapolis. Lori has been so kind to offer up a bonus code for $50 dollars off the registration fee. The codes expires on April 17th and is located at the bottom of this page. Make sure to check out this year's agenda because there is a lot of great programming. This episode is powered by Promosuite who will be on hand at the Conclave, as well. The following Bonus code was provided in kind from Lori and the Conclave Board to our podcast listeners. Please use it when you register for the event. BONUS CODE: POD18 (valid through April 17th) The SoundOff Podcast is a supporter of this conference because of its dedication to the craft of radio, its encouragement of young broadcasters to progress, and for veteran broadcasters to give back. That's what great radio is all about.

Mark Burley has devoted his career to radio. He started out broadcasting in his teens and even built Canada’s largest College frequency radio station from the ground up, developing it into an integral “living lab” for the students of the Broadcasting Program at Conestoga College in Kitchener, Ontario. He has enjoyed a successful run as an on-air personality, a production manager, a promotion manager and senior level program director. Mark was the Group Program Director for Bell Media’s 22 radio stations in the BC Interior, where he received industry recognition with not one, not two, but six consecutive Program Director of the Year Awards and Station of the Year for Sun FM on 5 occasions. When asked about the secret to his success, he humbly maintains that it was the great people around him that made those wins possible, explaining that it is always a healthy combination of staff commitment to the community, while remaining visible and accessible in the industry at large, that makes it a station successful. How he made time for it all, we'll probably never know (though he does give us some helpful tips during the interview!). While at Bell, Mark mentored 7 Program Directors across 5 formats, within 7 different clusters. He also led the Sun FM Network from Kelowna which consistently topped ratings in the Okanagan Valley. In spite of his many successes, and not unlike countless radio professionals all over, Mark was unceremoniously relieved of his role at Bell in early 2017 -- as was his wife, Janet Burley, who was also shown the door after eleven years as a General Manager for Bell Media in Penticton. In our one-on-one, Mark reflects on the time since his termination and tells us that while it was a tough break, he received overwhelming support from his peers in he and his wife Janet. And today, Mark spends his time at the helm of his own Broadcast Consulting Company AMFM Media. Mark offers some great advice in this week's episode; he tells us about the importance of staying nimble with responsive creative production so radio doesn't sound how television looks. As we say, the biggest opportunity for radio is in the live and the now. Mark explains the value that radio stations offers by serving their local communities. He even tells us about working with his favourite personalities, Kevin and Sonya; and how he was dubbed "Early" Mark Burley by the likes of Kurt Dixon and Derek Botton. These days, Mark is weighing job offers from across Canada, deciding where he wants to land. He's loved radio and loved being on the air. We'd be willing to wager that there's another PD operations job in his future, but who knows where. For the moment, Mark is enjoying the freelance projects he is working on from his home office in Kelowna, between his regular phone calls and checking Milkman, of course. Mark lets s us in on what makes the West coast the envy of western Canada, and its rise in the lifestyles of the rich and famous with exposure on TV shows like Hockey Wives with NHLers like Carey Price and Ryan Getzlav living there in the off-season. What's not to love... wine, water, and sunshine. When I worked in Edmonton, a number of my co-workers found their way there... and stayed. How does a once secluded part of the country adjust with the rise of digital? Listen to the episode and Mark will tell you all about it.

Gregr is the Morning Host at 107.7 the End in Seattle, as well as the creator of a whole host of podcasts, namely, So You're In Seattle, Our Dumb Podcast with co-host Manley, Nerd Talk, and Full 90. The secret to his success lies somewhere between a deep passion for his work and the fact that he mirrors the sleeping habits of his infant child, which leaves him well-rested enough to balance all that content creation. I met Gregr last summer at the Podcast Movement. We shared the stage at Jacob’s Media’s Broadcaster meet Podcaster series. We had dinner the night before the event and I remember he had the most unrelenting deer-in-the-headlights look in his eyes. As it turns out, he was on-edge because he had just welcome his first-born a day or two before the event. Throughout dinner we shared countless radio and podcast stories. I was impressed that he seemed to be producing a whopping 4 podcasts on top of a successful morning radio show in Seattle. The truth is, Gregr and I could have talked forever about radio and Seattle Sounders, but out of fairness to the rest of the company at the dinner, I told him we would finish the conversation on this podcast. And nearly one year later, we managed to make the time. On this episode, we cover how exactly Gregr makes it all work. Turns out, his schedule lends nicely to fatherhood. He heads to bed early and is able to wake up at the crack of dawn to head into the office. His other podcasts are almost entirely passion projects, too; ones that centre on subjects that he already loves to talk about with guests and co-hosts who make his work not really feel like work. Seems simple enough! We also catch up about 107-7 The End's infamous 2 Minute Promise and its consistent appeal to Millennial listeners. You might remember that we touched on this subject on an earlier episode of the podcast with the station's program director Leslie Scott, on Episode 23. We continue to wonder why more stations don't adopt this stellar policy.

Yes. That’s right. The Bachelor. I completely understand if you want to turn your nose up at this show and critique its narrow artistic contribution to society. The first thing you need to figure out is why people watch this show. If you are caught up in how cheesy and hokey the show is, I’ll help you: The show is about choices and opportunity; the audience playing along at home about who they would choose. You always hear how “contests” should be fun for the listener to “play along” with? Well this one is. The Bachelor “Franchise” is full of broadcast lessons. Let’s start there: It recognized it was a Franchise and Brand The Bachelor started out 15 years ago this month and has run 22 seasons. It’s franchise stable includes or have included “The Bachelorette”, “Bachelor in Paradise”, and the often mocked “The Bachelor Winter Games”. Like any franchise, it goes through ups and downs and in order to evolve, it tries new things and alters the formula from time to time. The “Face of the Franchise” is Chris Harrison whose style is clearly ringmaster to the circus around him. He doesn’t take himself too seriously and even mocks the fact that the show annually features the “most exciting conclusion in Bachelor history”. Chris appears to be everyone’s friend throughout the show; isn't that what you are hoping for in a good morning show host? It Stepped Outside the Box and Tried Uncomfortable The most recent edition that cluttered your social media feed featured Bachelor Arie who got together with Becca, and then changed his mind in the weeks after the show concluded and bee-lined back to Lauren. (One of 4 Laurens on this season’s show) ABC was there with two cameras to record the brutal car-wreck break up on aired it unedited Monday night in a space that was normally reserved for tying up loose ends and wishing everybody well. ABC coughed up an additional two hours of airtime on Tuesday night to dissect the Monday night cringe worthy affair and managed to leave us on a hopeful note announcing that Becca will be the Bachelorette in May. (Always leave the viewer asking what’s next, right?) It should be pointed out that most of that was done on Live TV veered from the script at times and featured one of next season’s contestants walking a horse onto the set. Nothing like rolling the dice! It Embraces Social Media The show was (and still is) largely based on keeping a secret while the show airs. Yes, some of this stuff inevitably gets out but the show manages to produce around it. Each episode is a Twitter event with #BachelorNation comprised of its fans, contestants and former contestants participating full-bore. I suspect that many contestants are now vying for a place on the show to bolster their social media followings. (Something being a part of a radio station can also do) Platforms like Instagram stories have allowed viewers to follow and look into contestants’ lives every day. It Establishes Characters This is something you should be doing every day and every break on air. About 15 contestants get to appear on multiple episodes. There is 47 minutes of show time. That doesn’t leave much time to get characters established but they manage to do it. Every year someone is the villain, (This year it was San Diego fitness instructor Crystal) and you can’t have a good story without a villain. There is also Analeisse who was painted as anxiety-ridden with her childhood bumper car trauma. You might not recall the name Kendall Long but you would if I said taxidermist. What are you known for? Who are you? Are you revealing that to your audience often? If this TV can do it in 47 minutes on air time per week, what can you do in a 3 hour radio show? Reacting to the Moment This is not from the Bachelor franchise but from a distant subsidiary of the franchise. Hubbard Broadcasting’s Minneapolis radio station MyTalk 107.1 has a Bachelor/Bachelorette strategy that includes a post-show podcast amongst other on air and online components. With hometown Becca being at the center of the Bachelor shit storm, it sprang into action and had a billboard erected to capture the moment. The billboard found its way onto the show. I’m no advertising genius but I think that billboard just paid for itself. Can your station do that? Can you get a billboard up for tomorrow morning if you needed to? How about a TV ad? A bus board? An online video? Today is a good day to clear to the path and prepare for that moment. The Bachelorette starts May 28th. I won’t be watching as much because poor Becca has already been through enough. Okay, I might have a peek. #bachelor #minnesota

Chantal Desjardins is a television and radio personality, stand-up comedian, voiceover actor and emcee. She might be recognized as the regional host of the Montreal Canadiens broadcasts on Sportsnet or maybe from a side-stitching set she delivered on a late-night comedy appearance; there really aren't too many women in sportscasting that you can say that about! Beyond her work on television and radio, Chantal is climbing the ranks in comedy, performing at comedy clubs, corporate events, and charity fundraisers across North America. Chantal gets a bigger high from stand-up in a club than she does from Hockey Night in Canada (in front of some 3 million people), so she's well on her way to ending up exactly where she's the highest! What she's up to these days? Globe-trotting and drinking beers with comedians like Aziz Ansari. In this week's episode, we talk about her move from Winnipeg to Montreal, the ways she brings her humour into sportscasting, the importance of taking risks in comedy, and When it comes to sussing out how she found her passion for comedy, we can credit her marriage and ensuing divorce. The break provided her with enough material to build up her act, helping her to become one of Canada's top up-and-coming women in comedy. She is often recognized locally as a radio personality, filling in on Virgin Radio Montreal; nationally as a former host of the venerable Hockey Night in Canada, and internationally as a comedian. If you haven't seen her perform, check out the video below: Chantal also operates her own voiceover business -- when she's not on-air or on-stage kicking ass and taking names. Learn more about Chantal's work on her professional website. This episode is brought to you by Promosuite. If you work in radio, check out all the great products they have for your station. #comedy #montreal #winnipeg

Jean-Marie Heimrath has always been fascinated by the business of the entertainment industry. Whether it be during his time working in the record industry for Island Records, while working on radio syndication for the Sound Source Radio Network, or while being at the forefront of streaming with Iceberg Radio, Jean-Marie's knowledge of monetizing content is incredible. He will have you re-thinking exactly what business you are in. Earlier this year, alongside Jeff Ulster and Bob Kane, he formed The Podcast Exchange (TPX), a new company that uses market research, advanced metrics, and geo-targeting to give advertisers better access to the Canadian podcast audience. Jean-Marie is the President and CEO of TPX, which is backed by Slaight Communications, one of Canada’s preeminent investment and entertainment holding companies. TPX signals the ways the industry has shifted from content creation, to working with advertisers and marketing strategists to mobilize the full potential of the Canadian podcast audience. We can't wait to see the exciting future in store for TPX. Co-founder Jeff Ulster is co-publisher of The Canadian Podcast Listener report, was Director of Digital Talk Content for CBC and has worked with US partners including Apple, NPR, Midroll and PRX. Bob Kane joins TPX after six years at CBC, helping them generate new revenue and grow to become a global podcast industry leader in both sales and content. The result is an enterprise positioned to be a thought-leader in the podcast industry, providing agencies, companies and advertisers access and counsel to maximize the potential of what remains a mostly untapped Canadian market. Jeff Ulster appeared in our podcast (Episode 72) when he explored the Canadian Podcast Listener - a Landscape Study with Jeff Vidler. Jeff Ulster, the co-publisher of The Canadian Podcast Listener Report, was Director of Digital Talk Content for CBC and has worked with US partners like Apple, NPR, Midroll and PRX. Jeff also penned a very important blog in the early part of 2019 about podcast measurement. We know it's worth a read... and so is our blog on podcast measurement. T #podcast #broadcast #broadcasting

Art Vuolo is our featured guest this week. Art Vuolo is radio's best friend. In this episode we will tell you why he is and revisit his biggest achievements including having his work prominently displayed in the National Radio Hall of Fame in Chicago, and being a recipient of the Rockwell award at the Conclave in 2001. Art's Radio Guide was a mid-west fixture in the 80's at gas stations; helping motorists find a station to listen to. All the while upselling radio stations for prominent positions on the guide, and selling additional ad space to other clients. Three generations of future radio personalities have been ordering VHS tapes from Art Vuolo. Those tapes would generally be the highlight event at a jock meeting. Art's latest video venture is the 50th Anniversary reunion of WRKO. Order your tape here. Five dollars from each double DVD will go to the Broadcasters Fund of America. Visit the exhibit at the National Radio Hall of Fame online through their website or facebook page #radio #vuolo