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It's been 3 and a half years since we have had Steve on the show. The last time I spoke to him, we were trying to figure out how morning shows were going to do what they do everyday... but from home. We pick up where we left off with my first question, "Are we back to Normal?" (As if there was any normal to go to back to)
In this episode, Steve and I discuss how his coaching business evolved through the pandemic with less travel but more meetings, morning show dynamics, and I learn thar benchmarks on a show are as important as ever. We also spent a fair bit of time on mentorship and why Steve has a personal policy of always helping others regardless of personal gain.
I also made reference to the Podcast Superfriends episode with Jay Nachlis from Coleman Insights. You can find that episode here and in YouTube form here.
I mention that because Steve and I recorded this for video and you can find that right here.
TRANSCRIPTION
Tara Sands (Voiceover) 0:02
The sound off podcast. The show about podcast and broadcast. starts now.
Matt Cundill 0:12
Steve Reynolds is back on the show to talk about coaching radio talent. The best part about these episodes with Steve are all the great tips and tricks that you pick up. But often I find it's the stuff we already know that we're reminded we should be doing more of that benefits us most. Steve last appeared on the show in the early days of the pandemic. So although it might feel like yesterday, it's been three years since he's been on this show. Steve Reynolds joins me from Raleigh, North Carolina. Are we back to normal? And by that, I mean, you and I had some discussions during the pandemic, in the first couple of months, please put your pants on and go to work and get dressed like everyone else, some of the best advice that was out there, but in the rearview mirror now, when that started March 2020. And we came out of the gates guns blazing with great ideas on how to do your show from home. Are we back to normal now?
Steve Reynolds 1:05
I think normal has changed. And from my vantage point, it's to the better. Who knew about all of this video stuff until that happened. And I get a lot more out of seeing people, I mean, the most you get is being in the room with them. And that does not happen all that often any longer. Because you know, it's expensive money and no one has that. So that's been alleviated. And I can travel if I ask. And I do think there are times it's important, I'm with them. And we are all together for more than just an hour. But I like the zooms. The downside is that during the boring calls, I can't be folding the laundry or mute emptying the dishwasher. I'll pause for everyone to nervously chuckle That that's what I was doing. Or maybe that a show that I worked with in the past things was that us? So let's pause for that. I like it because body language says everything to me. And I can engage people and see see them. And if I see someone drifting, maybe because they got up at three o'clock in the morning, or this might just not be resonating with them or host of other reasons. I could say, you know, Hey, Carl, you know, what are your thoughts on that? And I think that at the end of the day makes it better. I think the coaching is easier because of
Matt Cundill 2:27
that. What is something that's going to make you say I think I need to get on an airplane to go visit this morning show?
Steve Reynolds 2:33
Awesome question. If I don't have a formed relationship with the team recently had that in the last few months, there was a team brand new team that I was asked to launch on a radio station, and it just, it just wasn't clicking, couldn't feel each other. And so I said to the company, I gotta go. And they said, Fine, go. And I went did it. Everything became right, because we could sit in a room and bullshit and laugh and I could make jokes and tell stories. And I mean it. That's the thing that would make me walk in if I've never shaken your hand most of them I've been with. That's critical relationships are everything.
Matt Cundill 3:12
Are you busier than you were than 2019?
Steve Reynolds 3:16
Yep. Everywhere that everyone now understands. Finally, hey, all we got is you. If we're if we're expected to make money for the mothership, we got to have you your will put the soul into the brand. You're the face of trust in humanity, and you're the face of the community. So yeah, I'm busier than I ever have been. I turned stuff down. I just very fortunate to be around companies that really understand the value of talent. I think that there's some companies on my roster that may not have that image in the industry. But I know the inner workings and I'm part of those conversations at the highest levels of the company and they do
Matt Cundill 3:59
you know, this is the first time you and I have gotten together to do this podcast that involves video. So the first time we did it, it was audio only second time audio only we could look at each other but it wasn't story and for video. Here we are now 2023 videos all the rage. And so now you've got morning shows that you know and especially older talent, who maybe started to get into radio now there's a camera in the control room in the studio. Do you have any coaching advice for the relationship between doing great radio and there being a camera in the control room as well?
Steve Reynolds 4:34
Well, you don't need to put on a shirt and tie. You don't even need to shave every day people like real and it's additive to our brand because it's just another way in which they can have a relationship with us. It's kind of like the people that say, Oh, this whole social media that that'll all you know that'll blow over. It's a fad. It's not a fad. I mean, there's just when I was on the air, it was just us and maybe a cup We'll have other stations in the market, that work that mattered that had good shows. Now it's everywhere. And if we want to be competitive and be successful in both ratings and revenue, we're going to meet people wherever they are. And what's the downside of putting the camera in? Are you willing to grow your skill set? Do you feel like you have to to be successful. And so every brand evolves, staying in the same spot is not an option. Standing still is not an option for anyone for me, for you for the show's got to evolve. What
Matt Cundill 5:33
has changed between morning shows in terms of you know, where they might go off the rails? So in the past, it's always been a little bit about roll definition. And maybe the hosts aren't getting along for a particular reason. Are there any new reasons why morning shows might not get along, because of some of the new pressures that might be out there to perform social media members on the team dynamics inside a radio station? What's changed inside the control room? You know, for relationships with morning shows? I
Steve Reynolds 6:03
don't know that I've got a great answer. My instincts are that nothing's changed. It's all about personalities, and ego in some regard. And culture drives everything. So when I get involved, I ask questions like, tell me about your relationship with each other? How do you resolve arguing? What commitments do you have of the others? What expectations do you have of me? What are you willing to sacrifice for success? How are we going to navigate the rough waters of dysfunction when we have them? Because we will, because you just do? How will we resolve all of that stuff? I think if we have a document, not a literal document, although I've done those, but if we understand how we're going, what kind of relationship we want to have, what kind of show we want to have, we'll all tend to row in the same direction. I have a show recently that went off the rails. The reason is inconsequential, I would tell you, and you would say oh, that again. Because it just happens, right? And I pinged the anchor at what I heard about heard about it from the program director. I ping the anchor at three o'clock in the afternoon, I was out walking my dogs. And I ping the anchor, I said, you have a minute, I knew exactly what would happen. And the anchor called and I said to them, I hear this is going on. And then that got my ear tucked off, in which happens and I said, question, who's going to show leadership here and resolve all this? Who's gonna do it? You? Others? How about all of you. And I was told that by five o'clock, it was all resolved. Sometimes you just got to unstick people when those things happen, but I don't know that there's anything new that could send it off the rails. We all have to check our egos, right. I mean, we're ego driven people, our insecurities are front and center me included. I'm on that list. And if we can have a moment of maturity, we can get everyone right. Because I will say at the end of the day, our I was on a webinar yesterday with audit the Odyssey people I was doing a talent webinar with them a couple 100 People someone said, is there another metric by which another way in which we can judge the success of the show? Other than ratings thought it was a fabulous question. Most days, I don't know the ratings of the shows that I work with. Maybe that's wrong, maybe I should know all of them. Maybe I should know every demographic and break down how we're doing. For me, the North Star is the strategy. What's our content strategy? What's our philosophy of positive culture in the room? That to me is the North Star because we control all of that ratings, I got nothing to do with Nielsen ratings will come if our culture is strong, and our strategy is solid and unique and being executed. Do
Matt Cundill 8:45
benchmarks matter? More or less these days? More?
Steve Reynolds 8:49
You've got to have them I mean, people wake up, there's a lot of clutter in people's lives. So I'll flip it on you because I know you work out of your home, right? Correct. What time you wake up 630 Okay, what's the very first thing you do when you get out of bed? The very first thing you do pee. Thank you, everyone bypasses that but that's what we all do. What's the second thing you do? Alexa, start my day. Okay, what's the third thing you do? iPad? Okay. So you have a routine that you follow every morning I do to everyone else does. And why do you follow that routine because when you wake up you're tired and physically and spiritually and emotionally you are at a low ebb and the routine acclimates you into your day it wakes you up. For me it's P turn on my kettle for tea as I walked to the back door to let the dogs out. Then I give the dogs a treat. And then I come into the office I forgot I went into the closet and put on my love The Blue lands and terrycloth bathrobe, I say that so you have the picture of what what I'm dressed in benchmarks are part of a routine. And we have to wedge ourselves as a show into the routine of the audience. And part of what does that our benchmarks, and we have to create appointments for the audience to force our show into the routine of what they do. So at 730 in the morning, when I'm in my car, driving to my office, and I'm in front of the Home Depot, show X is blanking, boom, if we get wedged into that routine, our ratings go up, and we earn imagery faster. So yes, benchmarks are super important. And
Matt Cundill 10:41
I think when I look back at 2020, aside from the cars disappearing from the road, which meant the listeners were disappearing, all of our times had changed. And those benchmarks kind of got blown out of the water. So when I see cars back on the road, I get excited, again, for benchmarks and finding out how important they are. And yes, we were starting our days, 75 minutes later. And there have been some repercussions. I do believe from the pandemic a little bit quieter on Monday a little bit quieter on Friday, there's still work from home that goes on. But it's good to know that benchmarks are alive and well, right.
Steve Reynolds 11:16
And then of course, there's the other side of that equation, which is we have to conquer content, we've got to be on the right content, we have to conquer content, we have to create connection, so that if a connection is created between you and the listener, then that's another reason to turn the show on. Because, you know, in this age of iPads, and iPhones and texting and WhatsApp and all of that nonsense, and maybe I'm a man of a certain age saying this, I'll admit that nothing ever beats the human touch that's radios, superpower. And if I feel like I know you and have that relationship with you, and I wake up in the morning, and I'm technologically driven, not in a literal sense, but my car is all about, I got Alexa in my car, I got Siri in my car, it's like, if I feel like I need human connection, I You're doing the right content, and I come to you. Now you're a friend. And that's another reason to get loyal to your brand. What about the role of traffic and weather? Why not? Depends on how it's done. I mean, I know shows in all markets that shed that stuff. I think that's a missed opportunity. Because I think if done the right way, it's another it's another vehicle by which you can connect with the audience. So sunny today with a high of 83 is not as great as communicating that we live here too. And this is what our day is going to be like because it's going to be sunny in 83. Plus their sponsor bowl opportunities, we got to create reasons to bring revenue in. Yeah, I'm all for it. I like news being done. But I like news being done a certain way. The news, it's not about the communication of information. What's your take on it? Well define ourselves by sharing our life vulnerability and being honest about the stories of the day. So XYZ stories happening, what do you think, just be honest with them. And that forms the connection, just want to roll back
Matt Cundill 13:06
a little bit to you know, what you said about morning shows, and talent, needing to be in connection with the listener, and you wrote a really good piece, paying attention to your listener, I think, you know, dovetailing that a little bit further and that's having some some empathy. And then going a little bit further, I'm like, Well, can we listen to the people who are listening to us and what they want to say. So what is the the opportunity that talent have to connect with the audience at a deeper level.
Steve Reynolds 13:37
So we are all conditioned to never hear back from anyone. In that piece, I talked about a car brand that I was loyal to that told me expressly years ago, our goal is that you will have no human contact with our company. It will all be apps and bots. I'm like, again, maybe this is man of a certain age chat. I require the conversation. And so that ends up being a differentiator in a world where we don't expect it. I've given shows an idea called Your call is important to us. And that's not a revolutionary idea. And I liked the name of it, but it's not one that's going to set the world on fire. But I'm like, what businesses in town when you call you actually get someone on the phone to help you. In a world of press one for this and press two for that. I've been out with shows before where their talents recognized and they don't know what to do with it. Some don't know what to do with it. But if you spend time saying to people, how are you and tell me about your life and your son? What sport does he played if you only need to do a little of that? They don't expect it and so when you beat those expectations, they rave about you. And that's what that's all about. And again, that's hard. That's that's super hard is to do what no one else is doing to set yourself apart.
Matt Cundill 14:58
I was watching my behavior You're trying to get attention from somebody in politics, a member of parliament as it were. And they didn't respond to me for five months. And when they finally did five months later, they apologize for it. But I felt like they were my best friend, after they wrote back and said, what I wanted to hear. Yep.
Steve Reynolds 15:16
You just needed someone to hear you out. Right? So when I was on the air prior to the internet, you know, our general manager used to who was a master at replying to complaints about the show, he had a standard line to the US that I always loved. He would say, a quarter million people listen to Steven Kevin, every week. And our goal is never is never to upset anyone. And we've upset you, they've upset you. So please accept my apologies as their manager, and I will absolutely share this letter with them. And people became bigger fans of the show, because they were heard. So on social media, et cetera, when people call the request lines, you know, these are your customers. Just listen to them. Thank them love them.
Matt Cundill 16:07
I remember how excited I was to meet you the first time. Do you remember where it was?
Steve Reynolds 16:13
Was it Canadian Music Week?
Matt Cundill 16:15
conclave?
Steve Reynolds 16:16
I apologize. I don't remember that. But
Matt Cundill 16:18
that's okay. It could have been any it could have been Canadian Music Week too. Because again, the inside of all those places do look the same. I guess now with the disappearance of the Conclave, Canadian Music Week is sort of transition to Radio Days worldwide radio Summit, that's not there anymore. And you know, for what you and I do, which is, you know, get out and go and meet people at these places. What do you look at as being the calendar because there are less of them, there's less opportunity to go out as an industry to get together to meet one another. And I, that's tough. I miss it.
Steve Reynolds 16:53
I miss that too. And I apologize, I didn't remember that. I'll lean on the man of a certain age excuse for the third time. You
Matt Cundill 17:01
should not by the way, apologize for any of that. Because either Canadian Music Week or Conclave, I was doing the tour and going to for these a year. But now there's only like rolling, we're traveling less. So it's like one or two things,
Steve Reynolds 17:12
Matt, it's Jewish guilt. 6000 years of Jewish guilt, let it happen. You know, I have this policy, that if any talent reaches out to me and says, I need help with you listen to this AirCheck I have this personal policy, to never say no, I say this now here in this forum with you. And if I say if you are confident, and aggressive enough to send me an email and say, here's who I am, here's where I am, I get no feedback. Will you listen to a few breaks and send thoughts? My answer 100% of the time is yes. And I don't do it to get you as a client. I don't do it for any gain. I'm not looking for a mug or a t shirt. I'm doing it because I I always say my only expectation is that you do it for someone else. Because we're a small little industry now what's left of us. And if we're just not professional and good to everyone else, I mean, we'll continue to wither and die and that we just I love the industry too much.
Matt Cundill 18:22
So I think you blogged about that. I did. You might have or you might have mentioned it's Oh, I know where you mentioned it in another podcast. And I remember when I listened to it, I said, Steve, I gotta get Steve back on the show and talk to him about this because I run my business the same way. And that if anybody wants to call and ask me about podcasting, how what's the question? What can I do? Can you take a listen to the show? Can you evaluate it? All that stuff? The answer is always yes. And I know there are people out there like well, it's you know, 75 bucks an hour or 125 an hour to two, whatever it is No, I don't know yet. But that's a waste.
Steve Reynolds 19:01
Yeah, I know. I mean, I know that there are people who sell those services. I'm not that guy. I was not brought up to be that guy by my parents. I don't think it's good business. I also don't think it's good values. I was at a morning show boot camp, and I was on a panel with Greg's for sell from Hubbard and the iconic Hall of Famer, Fred Jacobs. And I it was a room full of talent. And what was one of the things that Fred found in his survey of morning show people of personalities was that I don't get any feedback. And I think in many instances, you don't get any feedback because the the person who's supposed to give the feedback is just overwhelmed. They're doing 18 jobs and it just gets ticked to the bottom of the list. Not on purpose. Yeah, pay attention to people go back to that theme. So I said to the room, here's my promise in a world where people might charge you for that. I want nothing. Reach out to me. Here's my mobile number. Send me an attack. Steve asked me a question. And I was shocked at the number of people who took me up on that. And I felt good about me. And I feel good about them. And I felt good about our industry. All of us have to do that. We all got it. Yeah.
Matt Cundill 20:10
Shout out to brand with on demand with Kipper McGee. Great, guys, great guys. You know, that's where I heard it. And I thought, Man, that's what I do. Because I, there's no point in me keeping this information and having somebody else struggle, putting together a podcast or their, you know, on demand audio or anything like that. It's so important to get it out there and share what we know because we can get you to hear, we can then get you up to the next level after that. We
Steve Reynolds 20:39
need engaged people in the industry at any age, and I don't this is no elixir by which we fix our problems attracting younger talent into the industry. It's just how about it's just the right thing to do. Let's just do the it's just the right thing to do. I feel better about me and you feel better about what you do. And that's that's not a bad outcome. And no money exchanges hands because no money needs to wash it.
Tara Sands (Voiceover) 21:06
transcription of the sound off podcast is powered by the you may also like podcast, the show about people places and things. Follow the show on your favorite podcast app, or at You may also like dotnet the sound off podcast supports podcasting 2.0, so feel free to send us a boost. If you're listening on a newer podcast app. If you don't have a newer podcast app, you can get one at new podcast apps.com. You know, when
Matt Cundill 21:36
I started doing this podcast, I made so many mistakes. And along the way people helped. And they offered toys and services. And I like to share what I know because I feel I have to pay it back. Can
Steve Reynolds 21:51
I tell you a story? Yeah, for sure. I don't think I've ever told you the story. But if I have to stop me. I had dinner on Wednesday night this week with the person who is my greatest mentor in the industry. I've got many of them. I always say Steve Reynolds is a Frankenstein. I'm just a little a him and a little of her and all of that became philosophically what I believe so at the end of the day I'm a Frankenstein I you know cut to copy one is plagiarism to copy six is research. And I just find people smarter than me and ask a lot of questions. Right dinner on Wednesday night with my main mentor, John Coleman, the smartest man in radio. Do you know John Coleman insight? Holman insights, yes, John lives here. For the some odd years ago, I'm programming WRAL in Raleigh, and John did our research. And he lives here that their shop is here. And John, and I kind of hit it off. And he said, I want you to come to Dallas, and I want you to do a presentation on how you do a morning show. I'm like, Huh, that's Latin to me, I don't understand any of that. And Johnson, I'm going to help you do this. Because the industry is going to go through consolidation. And they're going to need teachers. And John knew my second chosen profession after radio was to be a school teacher. That's what I wanted to do. And so he gave me my company, John said, I'm going to help you start a company because the industry is going to need people like you. So I had dinner with John on Wednesday. And I think all the time. I didn't build this, John gave it to me. And he asked for nothing in return. Don't get me any research projects. I don't need you introduce me to people, because I know all these people you need to know. And I'm like, one of the best pieces of advice. And I said this on that bandwidth, a thing, whatever you have given away. And we'll make the industry better good for you. I'm in awe of you that you do that, but not surprised. Well,
Matt Cundill 23:43
while we have John Coleman, in our thoughts in mind right now, we can thank him for the video portion of this because it was their study along with Steve Goldstein and amplify, which they released a Podcast Movement, which talked about how many people are connecting with podcasts through video. And so that's why we're now doing this podcast in video form as well as on audio.
Steve Reynolds 24:07
There's a lot of people in our industry who keep pushing to teach all of us and our understand that this state like I said earlier, just stay still is not an option. We have to just evolve and you know, those that can't or won't, you know, the industry is going to leave you behind. So let's just keep moving forward.
Matt Cundill 24:26
Tell me about how you were a basketball official and you had an encounter with Bobby Knight.
Steve Reynolds 24:31
You want to provide context to those either watching or listening what you're talking about. Do you want me to?
Matt Cundill 24:36
I want you to I just saw the post. prepared
Steve Reynolds 24:40
to be disappointed man. We all have side hustles and my side hustle for 36 years was I officiated now past tense because I recently retired in the last few months high school basketball here in the state of North Carolina, much to the dismay of my father. I never joined any athletic teams in high school because I just was not athletic. So my uncle came and said, Why don't you referee our scrimmages of my varsity basketball team? And I'm like, What's that all about? And he thought for a minute, man hold for a minute and said, you get the boss the other kids around. Huh? Okay, that sounds good. I'm in. And I got like the head got the radio bug. I got the officiating bug. I went to did a little of it. When I was a teen went to college, started the career came here and reengaged with it. And so for 36 years, I called high school basketball here in the state. That's the context. Move forward. Everyone needs a thing. I was never that radio guy who lived to meet celebrities and get pictures with them. I don't begrudge anyone who does. I have a few of my own. They're mine. I don't ever think I've got to post them online to show everyone that I meet met Ed Sheeran, or just that's not my thing. If you do it, it's cool. So some celebrity died like Tina Turner or something. And I watched on Facebook, everyone was posting their pictures of Tina and I Scott online as well. I never met Tina Turner, but I'm sure someone would care enough to Photoshop me into a picture meeting Tina Turner. And that became my thing. Anytime a celebrity dies, I asked for it. And I've got a few friends. I don't know Photoshop, I have a few friends who do it. So the night Bobby Knight died the iconic basketball coach of the Indiana Hoosiers. I'm on the sofa 50 paces from here and a friend of mine says I got you covered. And he photoshopped me as an official into a picture with Bobby Knight. And then I post it online and we all get a good laugh out of it. And then I get your notes saying I didn't know you officiated a game with Bobby Knight and so sorry to let you down. But it was a fake. I
Matt Cundill 26:42
think I love that because I'm an official we have officiating in my home. So as a longtime hockey referee, and loved it as much as playing. And I've got a son right now who's a baseball umpire. And he's got the officiating bug. So when I see somebody who's officiating and has the officiating bug, I immediately think they're my best friend. It really doesn't matter what sport it is.
Steve Reynolds 27:04
It's like you're in radio. Oh, my God, we have something big in common. I cannot. I mean, I gotta see, can you see? Where's that picture is a picture. You see that picture there? Yes. So that picture is me tossing the ball in 2019. At a high school basketball state championship, I've done three of them. And that was the worst one, because 15 minutes after that picture was taken, I tore my left hamstring in front of Roy Williams, the then coach of the UNC Tar Heels on the campus of North Carolina State University. So we all have to have our thing, right. And here's a message that I would share to any radio person listening, find something other than radio and get involved and it gives you great balance people I've met officiating maybe for you, too. I've met so many great people and have had had so many great experiences, you got to have more than just this to balance your life off and make it worth living.
Matt Cundill 28:01
I know another thing that people sort of get caught up in this is not my thing, which is flying. So that's another one I find that radio people who get the bug with radio, get a bug with officiating or they might get one with with flying and aviation. There are other bugs out there to get affected by.
Steve Reynolds 28:17
I retired because after 36 years, it was just time to recapture some time because I wanted to learn other stuff. So get involved in life.
Matt Cundill 28:26
What did you think about sometimes when we touch because I was thinking about you when I was watching it. So
Steve Reynolds 28:33
this show this three or four part show I think on Hulu, which which I think was brilliant. I'm gonna sit here and tell you that I have the carpenter's greatest hits on my iPhone and in Spotify. I love all of that smarmy 70s music I grew up from it. That's really I mean, I used to tuck up those songs in my basement as I prepared for my significant career hitting the post and radio. And all of that music just mattered to me and the iconic artists Moby said that Spotify is nothing more than a nostalgia machine. I find that to be true. Because when I get in the car, I'm playing all of that music. I thought it was brilliant. Because it made me feel like I was 15 years old again. And I found out I don't know if you know this, but the guy who sang the song sometimes when we touch is it downhill and help. Anyway, great song. He speaks the truth. If you know the history of that song, I don't know what role he played in that show. You should watch it if you're listening or watching and you haven't. It's fantastic. I wrote the blog piece for Coleman for their blog because they know it's like kinda like yacht rock. And so they said, Hey, write this piece for us. So that was great. And then I got the greatest honor. Mike McVeigh sends me a note and says I'm friends with Dan Hill. I'm forward In Him your blog, and he did and Dan wrote back to Mike and Mike forward to me acknowledging that he appreciated it.
Matt Cundill 30:07
Oh, that's incredible. Yeah. Yeah, I watched it and forgot that I loved those songs without ever admitting to myself that I love those songs. Yeah,
Steve Reynolds 30:17
here it is, again. And you know that that show happened to just the right time because it happened during COVID. And, you know, they seem nostalgic, as in I always think we gravitate to what's familiar to us. So when I'm in the car, and I'm listening to all that music, I don't feel my age. And I also don't feel the weight of the world because I tell this shows what time and distance give us as they, you know, it's like, oh, my god, 15 when life was perfect, and I'm thinking to myself, at the age of 15, I didn't know who I was. And I was getting beaten up from my lunch money in the boys room of North Junior High School to Newburgh, New York. And kids followed me on the way home and knocked all the books out of my hand. I mean, life was not perfect. But that's what time and distance does to us. And so you know, familiar brands advantage you. And that's why that music was still resonates for people like you. And
Matt Cundill 31:10
one of the things you did mention inside that blog, which does tie in to yacht rock, which is to protect your IP, I guess there is a section I don't mean to spoil it. For those who haven't watched it, there's a section where they do talk about the term yacht rock where it started, we know where it started, but it got fuzzy as to you know, how anybody should trademark it or monetize it. And now it's a generic term. It's just sort of evolved that
Steve Reynolds 31:36
way. Yeah. And those guys lost out on millions by not not trademarking the phrase. Yeah, rocks. Now, everyone has got rock, I'm sure you have a yacht rock channel. I do, too. We all have one, and are the shows that I work with. It's and I made this point in that piece. We do a feature called the Carpool Karaoke at WRAL. It's phenomenal. And Brian, Lord on the show is musically inclined. And he goes once a week to grammar school and entertains the mothers dropping their kids off. It's a thing after two years, it's a big thing. And I did a thing for the NAB recently, where I talked about, you know, you got to do big things. And Brian was in the session. And I said to the show months ago, you are, are we protected? Do we have the YouTube channel forward do we have all of the social handles for it is we have a service mark on the name, and the look and all that kind of stuff. And because I got home from the NAB, and I had people writing, saying, we're going to do it, we're going to do it, we're going to do it and the station's protected. And so you've got to figure out on your own, you just can't take it, you got to figure out what to do on your own. So we have to, we have to protect ourselves legally, in all these instances, so that the Iraq thing doesn't happen to us. So
Matt Cundill 32:47
often, we will stumble across something we don't think much of that bout it. We don't give it any value. And then 10 years later, it's like, Oops, we should have done something about that. And one example that comes to mind is, you know, the CBC didn't really care about under the influence with Terry O'Reilly. And Terry said, Well, I'll just take that as the podcast and goodbye. And now it runs across, you know, the US on many public radio stations in Canada, and now it's one of the biggest podcasts going. So I mean, it's, I think, sometimes IP is we can say, protect your IP, but are we assigning a value to what we think, is our IP,
Steve Reynolds 33:25
many of us grew up in the industry where we didn't have to think about intellectual property rights for things because there was no internet. And we would hear that, you know, I would be in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and I would hear that there's a show in Springfield, Massachusetts that did this feature, because the consultant for them is our consultant. So they would come in and say, you know, they do this, and it really works. And then I would do it. And now, everyone does second date update, but think about what it would have been like with whoever started that feature, and got the intellectual property rights on it. And, you know, in some ways, it would have been good, it would have been four, it would have forced all those other radio stations to create something for themselves, instead of just stealing it.
Matt Cundill 34:11
I didn't know what you were on about the first time you took to social media to talk about the bad song selection for yacht rock. But eventually, you know, by the second the third time, I totally got it. And there's one song that will put somebody over the edge to say, I know what Steve is talking about. And for me, it was 10 cc dreadlock holiday. You're right. What is that doing on a yacht rock channel beyond me. I mean, the lesson here is play the hits, right? Yeah,
Steve Reynolds 34:37
the lesson always is to play the hits. And I'd love to converse with the people who are making these decisions. But I've asked, no one reaches out to me little Steve. Let's get Steve involved. Maybe they think I want a retainer fee. Maybe I would want a retainer fee for that. Come to think of it. But I will say this that on social media. I just tried to be goofy like Photoshop my picture in with Glen Campbell. After he passes away, and I can make a haha out of it. And that was the same thing that I was driving somewhere that started I was driving someone I was the passenger in a car and a song came on like, what is that? And I took a screenshot and I just put it on Facebook because I was my ID was in the moment. And I got a lot of reaction to and I'm like, okay, that maybe could be a thing. And it's probably played out for me, maybe but every year in the spring, someone will reach out to me and say, did you hear this? Captain? Are we in again on that? Okay, I guess we I guess we are. Steve, you're
Matt Cundill 35:37
really good at this podcast thing.
Steve Reynolds 35:38
You know, I've told you before you are a great conversationalist. You are a casebook on how you do these because interested people are interesting people. You're interesting to me, we would be friends. If we live closer, I don't say that. We would you're just an interesting person. I like people who are curious. And I feel like I've done to way too much talking here. I've not asked you any questions. I've not turned the tables. But you just come and you were just a very curious person. And I think those those are the kinds of people that I have stimulating conversations with, they intrigued me.
Matt Cundill 36:18
Well, thanks. We're gonna do this again, too.
Steve Reynolds 36:20
Let's do it. Let's do it every week. What are we going to talk about next week?
Matt Cundill 36:25
That's too much pressure. Yeah, but
Steve Reynolds 36:26
you know you I mean, you're good at it, because you've done it so much, right? It's, it's kinda like, I'll just go back to the basketball officiating. It's kind of I always made make the equation that when you drive and you're 16 years old, and you drive for the first time, and you get into that busy intersection, and you want to make a left hand turn, and there's a lot of oncoming traffic, and it's overload for stimulation. And then few years later, you just don't You don't even think about it any longer. Officiating is the same way right. How did you know that was an offensive foul in that game, I've called a million of them, you will learn to forget and the same with prep. you've prepped so much. You never wing it so that it's all now part of your muscle memory. On how to do it. You would never wing it but you would always come in but you know where you want to take some.
Tara Sands (Voiceover) 37:13
The sound off podcast is written and hosted by Matt Cundill. Produced by Evan Sieminski, edited by Chloe emo Blaine, social media by Aiden glassy, another great creation from the sound off media company, there's always more at sound off podcast.com