Radio Ink March 16, 2020

RADIO’S PREMIER MANAGEMENT & MARKETING MAGAZINE SM

VOL. XXXV, NO.4

3•16 • 2020

WWW.RADIOINK.COM

EMILIO ESTEFAN WRITER PRODUCER ENTREPRENEUR GRAMMY WINNER

RADIO’S FANTASTIC FACILITIES WHAT SELLING RADIO TAUGHT ME RADIO HELPS SELL TACOS — A LOT OF TACOS HOW RADIO'S 30 & UNDER CREW OVERCOME CHALLENGES

S TA R M A K E R

L E G E N D THE 2020 MEDALLAS DE CORTEZ FINALISTS 2RI_p01_cover_3-16-20.indd 1

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IN THE ISSUE M A R C H 1 6 , 2 0 2 0 | V O L U M E X X X V, N O . 4

EVP/PUBLISHER Deborah Parenti dparenti@streamlinepublishing.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ed Ryan

edryantheeditor@gmail.com

MANAGING EDITOR Brida Connolly bconnolly@streamlinepublishing.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Rob Dumke rdumke@streamlinepublishing.com COPY EDITOR Adrian Zupp

azstreamlinepub@gmail.com

DESIGN DIRECTOR Alfonso Jones alfonso.streamline@gmail.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR Kenneth Whitney kenneth.whitney@gmail.com PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Nicolynn Kuper nkuper@streamlinepublishing.com DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS April McLynn amclynn@streamlinepublishing.com NATIONAL ACCOUNT MANAGER Tracey Homberg 248-330-4595 thomberg@streamlinepublishing.com NATIONAL MARKETING EXECUTIVE Carl Marcucci 703-670-2860 cmarcucci@streamlinepublishing.com ADVERTISING/MARKETING CONSULTANT George Wymer 937-609-6778 gwymer@streamlinepublishing.com CHAIRMAN/CEO B. Eric Rhoads erhoads@streamlinepublishing.com Twitter: @ericrhoads Facebook: ericrhoads

EMILIO ESTEFAN RECIEVES A STAR ON THE HOLLY WOOD WALK OF FAME

EXEC. VP/COO Tom Elmo

telmo@streamlinepublishing.com

DIRECTOR OF FINANCE Laura Iserman laura@streamlinepublishing.com

06 PUBLISHER’S BEAT

By EVP/Publisher Deborah Parenti Street Cred

ADVERTISING SUCCESS STORY

14

COVER STORY

By Editor-In-Chief Ed Ryan The Legend Emilio Estefan

By Associate Editor Rob Dumke Tacos Triumph With Radio

07 CRS

Radio Ink At The Country Radio Seminar

08 THE WIZARD OF ADS

By Roy Williams Ad Writing Revealed, Line By Line

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12

13

SALES

By Barry Cohen What Selling Radio Taught Me

ROUNDTABLE

Radio’s 30 And Under Rock Stars On Their Greatest Challenges

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2020 MEDALLAS DE CORTEZ AWARDS FINALISTS

32

RADIO’S FANTASTIC FACILITIES, PT. 1

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BLAST FROM THE PAST

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Copyright © 2020 by Streamline Publishing, Inc. and Radio Ink. All rights reserved. ® Radio Ink is a registered trademark of Streamline Publishing, Inc. Radio Central,™ RadioCentral.com, and QuickRead are registered trademarks of Streamline Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.

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CONTROLLER Jaime Osetek

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CIRCULATION COORDINATOR Sue Henry shenry@streamlinepublishing.com EXECUTIVE EDITOR EMERITUS Dwight Case (1929-2019) OUR MISSION Radio Ink’s role is passionately to empower radio management to be more successful by providing fresh, actionable, reality-based ideas, inspiration, and education in a quick, easy-to-read, positive, pro-radio environment.

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COUNTING EVERYONE IS GOOD FOR EVERYONE

PUBLISHER’S BEAT

Street Cred DPARENTI@STREAMLINEPUBLISHING.COM

EVP/PUBLISHER

STREAMLINE PUBLISHING

DEBORAH PARENTI

On March 25, 2006, hundreds of thousands of people marched in Los Angeles to protest a proposed immigration law

Unless you have participated in or attended the Hispanic Radio Conference at some point over its 11-year history, you may not be aware of the origins of the conference.

And if you aren’t part of Hispanic radio, you may think the story is not relevant to you. You would be wrong. Don’t stop reading.

To begin, figures don’t lie. The growth of the Hispanic population in this country continues to trend upward with no sign of stopping. Even if none of your stations programs a Hispanic format, chances are you currently compete with Hispanic radio in your market, or soon will. And as we all know, it’s smart business to understand the competition.

But there’s another overarching lesson in this story that transcends formats, cultures, and just about everything else. It’s that familiar yet unfortunately sometimes monotonous-sounding recitation about the enormous impact of radio. After a while it can fall on deaf ears — but stick with me.

The Hispanic Radio Conference was inspired by an event that captured radio’s ability to motivate the masses. It took place before social media influencers and podcasters came into prominence — before enthusiasm about their ability to sway opinions, which no doubt they do, took hold. Indeed, new media mavens didn’t invent this wheel. It’s been in radio’s wheelhouse for 100 years. As a mentor once counseled, “Seldom is there

anything new. The trick is to repackage it, put your spin on it, and own it.”

In 2006, radio demonstrated that powerful influence as mics opened across the Los Angeles airwaves and impassioned radio personalities prompted listeners to join them in a peaceful demonstration. One of the largest gatherings in L.A. history, sassembled to protest legislation dealing with immigration reform that was being debated in Congress. Fourteen years later, for all the changes in the media landscape, not much has changed there.

But that’s a discussion for another forum. The central point here is what inspired those masses. It was not a tweet or a Facebook post. It was not an Instagram or a TiKTok. It was radio.

A well-known Hispanic radio personality, Eddie “Piolín” Sotelo, along with his radio “rivals,” used their platform to encourage listeners to let their voices be heard

by Congress. They anticipated less than 20,000, and half a million people showed up. You read right: half a million people.

And they all came together because of ... radio. Capitalizing on what radio does so well. There was a mission. There was a message. And there were the ultimate messengers: as the L.A. Times so aptly dubbed them, on-air “celebrities” in a story headlined “How DJs Put 500,000 Marchers in Motion.”

This was not a major weather emergency or horrific tragedy that drove people to tune into their stations. These were

listeners drawn by the call of their favorite personalities simply because those personalities made the ask. And listeners trusted them.

It’s a story told every time a mic is opened. It’s that ubiquitous, familiar voice who is more than an acquaintance. It’s the voice of a friend. And friends respond to friends.

Last year’s Radio Ink Holiday Tote Board proved that, tallying station charitable drives that raised over $31 million for many causes — and that covered just the last two months of 2019. Why? Because station talent said, “Let’s do this for the community.”

Radio has power, especially in its talent.

Radio should capitalize on that talent, syndicated and local, and what they represent to listeners.

Celebrities. Influencers.

There’s a great opportunity to brand those “celebrities” with audiences and advertisers and to position that star power of radio’s influencers to them.

Harnessing that same power inspired the Hispanic Radio Conference because if radio can unite 500,000 people, how truly unlimited is its potential? Are we tapping into it?

P.S. We’re proud to present this year’s Hispanic Radio Conference on March 25, the anniversary of that historic demonstration.

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RADIO INK TEAM INVADES NASHVILLE

In February Radio Ink, along with Sony Music Nashville, honored the 2020 class of Best Program Directors in Country Radio with their plaques. The event took place during Bob Kingsley’s Acoustic Alley, which highlights songwriters, at the Country Radio Seminar in Nashville.

The 2020 Best PDs in Country Radio pose with their plaques during Bob Kingsley’s Acoustic Alley at the Country Radio Seminar.

Photos by Jillian Rose; www.photosbyjillianrose.com

Here is Radio Ink Publisher Deborah Parenti with a few of our first-time winners:

Ashley Wilson of iHeartMedia Louisville

Garth Brooks with Nan Kingsley, widow of the great Bob Kingsley.

And we ran into a few of our good friends along the way!

All these artists performed at UMG’s annual luncheon at the Ryman.

John O’Connell of Entercom Miami

Melissa Frost of Cenla Broadcasting in Alexandria, Louisiana.

Reba McEntire

The Brothers Osborne

Luke Bryan

Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban

Newcomer recording artist Kylie Morgan

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THE WIZARD OF ADS

ROY H. WILLIAMS

PRESIDENT WIZARD OF ADS INC. ROY@WIZARDOFADS. COM

Ad Writing Revealed, Line By Line

Richard Kessler is a celebrity in his hometown of Milwaukee, with 50% of the population of that city having heard at least three of his radio ads every week, 52 weeks in a row, for the past 30 years. Richard’s daughter, Monica, was his sidekick on the radio for five years, then became the principal voice of the Kesslers ad campaign when Richard retired.

designed to be worn with a tie. goTIELESS shirts are designed to make you look like you’ve been spending time in the gym. Seriously, go to Harleys Menswear and try one on and look in the mirror. Wow! My website is goTIELESS dot com. You’re going to look amazing in the casual dress shirts I designed for you. goTIELESS dot com.

Dad says “Hi,” by the way. For real. goTIELESS dot com.

But Richard Kessler also has a son: Hi, I’m Rob Kessler — yeah, that Kessler, son of Richard and brother to Monica. I invented a new kind of shirt that makes guys look fantastic. You’ll see what I mean the moment you look in the mirror after trying one on.

“Wow! Is that me?” And you can try one on right now at Harleys Menswear.

My company is called goTieless, and your new shirt has my patented Million Dollar Collar. Shirt-makers all over the world are trying to license the Million Dollar Collar, but I’m not sure I want to do that. But I am sure I want you to see yourself in the mirror wearing one. Average dress shirts were

Line 1: Introduce the unknown and unfamiliar by relating it to the known and familiar. “Hi, I’m Rob Kessler — yeah, that Kessler, son of Richard and brother to Monica.”

Line 2: Replace predictable words with unexpected words that mean the same thing. Not “I designed a shirt…” but “I invented a shirt…” Also, bring the customer into the picture by saying “…that makes guys look fantastic.”

Line 3: Amplify the customer’s curiosity by putting them squarely in the center of the picture you’re painting. “You’ll see what I mean the moment you look in

the mirror after trying one on. “Wow! Is that me?”

Line 4: Cause the customer to imagine themselves taking the action you want them to take. “And you can try one on right now at Harleys Menswear.”

Line 5: Introduce the domain name you need them to remember, then answer the question that lurks in the mind of the listener: “What did Rob Kessler invent that makes guys look fantastic?” “My company is called goTieless, and your new shirt has my patented Million Dollar Collar.” Transfer ownership of the shirt by referring to it as “your new shirt,” rather than “my new shirt.” This is another way of causing the customer to imagine themselves taking the action you want them to take.

Line 6: Establish third-party credibility.

“Shirt-makers all over the world are trying to license the Million Dollar Collar…” then let the customer get a glimpse into your heart by saying, “but I’m not sure I want to do that.” Those nine words signal making money is not your principal objective.

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Line 7: Now close the loop on this set of paired opposites. Not sure/am sure. “But I am sure I want you to see yourself in the mirror wearing one.” This line also contains the seventh and eighth times you’ve caused the customer to imagine himself taking the action you want him to take.

1. …makes guys look fantastic 2. You’ll see what I mean…

3. …you look in the mirror…

4. …“Wow! Is that me?”

5. … you can try one on right now…

6. … your new shirt…

7. I want you to see…

8. …yourself in the mirror wearing one.

Line 8: Introduce new information.

“Average dress shirts were designed to be worn with a tie.” This line implies that the customer’s “new shirt” is not the average dress shirt. This is also the first line in a second pair of paired opposites. The second line is…

Line 9: “goTIELESS shirts are designed to make you look like you’ve been spending time in the gym.” Yes, the customer is once again the star of the movie you are

projecting into his mind.

9. …you look like you’ve been spending time in the gym.

And you’ve closed the loop on our second pair of paired opposites! “Average dress shirts were designed/goTIELESS shirts are designed.” You went from past tense “were designed” to present tense “are designed” to indicate that average dress shirts are the past and goTIELESS shirts are the future.

Line 10: “Seriously, go to Harleys Menswear and try one on and look in the mirror. Wow!” 10. …go to Harleys…

11. …try one on…

12. …look in the mirror. Wow! Line 11: Repeat the domain name you mentioned earlier. “My website is GoTIELESS dot com.”

Line 12: Cause the customer to feel connected to his friend Rob Kessler. “You’re going to look AMAZING in the casual dress

shirts I designed for you.”

12. You’re going to look amazing…

Line 13: Repeat the domain name for the third time. “goTIELESS dot com.”

Line 14: Remind them of your heritage.

You are the son of someone they like.

“Dad says ‘Hi,’ by the way.”

Line 15: Elevate attention by using an unexpected phrase that could mean several different things. “For real.”

Line 16: Close with a last mental image that reminds them of what to do next. “goTIELESS dot com.” This is the fourth time we’ve given them the domain name.

Now let’s measure our increase in traffic.

If we don’t see a significant increase in website traffic, the problem is in the ad. If we see a lot of website traffic but not enough sales, the problem is on the website. And there is always the outside chance that we’re answering a question no one was asking.

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Tacos Triumph With Radio

By Rob Dumke

Lisandro “Chando” Madrigal

Could you walk away from a job where you were cashing five-figure commission checks? Nine years ago Lisandro “Chando” Madrigal said goodbye to a job he loved at Apple to live his dream — a dream of owning a business. It’s a business that started with a small vacant food stand in North Sacramento. Now, with six locations throughout the area, including an entertainment venue, Madrigal has used radio to grow his business and build his brand, Chando’s Tacos.

Radio Ink: Where did this desire to own a business come from?

Madrigal: I was number seven of eight kids. We were migrant workers, so we traveled up and down the West Coast. I learned a lot from my dad because he was a farm worker contractor, and at a

very young age I was closing deals for him.

My dad retired from migrant farming and opened a tortilla factory in Tijuana when I was a teenager, and I helped him run it. That is where I developed a love for service and food.

I got married and became a father at an early age. I figured that TJ wasn’t the right place to raise a family, so I moved.

In 2000, I became a telephone sales rep for Apple in Elk Grove.

In 2007 my dad died from complications of diabetes. That’s when it hit me — life is a bitch. I mean you’re here, working in the corporate world — I didn’t like the politics of that, having to kiss ass to keep a job. I figured that I was only going to get as far as the guy above me.

I took a couple of months off and figured: I’m not that bad at cooking. When

I worked at Apple, we had office parties where everybody would bring in food; my tacos were always the first to go.

So I decided that I’m just going to start catering in people’s backyards.

Radio Ink: So how does catering for a backyard party turn into a brick-andmortar business?

Madrigal: The catering was kind of a hobby at first. I did it for a couple of years. My wife and I would cook and prepare at home. The business took off. It got to a point where we had a couple of people working for us and we were doing multiple events every weekend. I had to find a place to do this outside of making everything at home.

One day in 2010, after a long catering event, I found a small closed food stand that was up for sale. I studied the traffic in

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Chando’s Tacos has six locations in the Sacramento area.

the area and it was good, and the kitchen was pretty cool. The area wasn’t the best, but I trusted my marketing skills. I knew once I could get the people to come in, my product would speak for itself.

We opened up our first place in June of 2010 on Arden Way in Sacramento.

The business took off, and about a year later I resigned my position at Apple, which was one of the saddest days of my life.

Radio Ink: So where did radio come in?

Madrigal: A lot of guys at the radio station near our first location were my customers. I developed a great relationship with the station. My first year using radio, we spent a quite a bit of money, and I started wondering if it was really adding value to my business. I mean I could see the benefits to the point where I started thinking, “Do I need radio anymore?” I yanked all of my advertising for a couple of months, business dropped off, and I quickly learned that there is value in advertising on the radio.

Radio Ink: What stations do you use?

Madrigal: My main focus is with the Entravision stations — KRCX, KHHM, KCVR, KXSE, KNTY. Entravision is the heavy hitter for us. We are constant with

what is going on at Chando’s Cantina, our entertainment venue. We always tie in the tacos and our other authentic Mexican street food selections. We tailor our campaigns to the station that we are running on and the audience we are trying to reach.

The team I work with at Entravision is awesome. They are always bringing me great ideas, suggestions, and recommendations. It’s a great partnership. I don’t see it as an investment per se, I see it as a partnership.

Radio Ink: What is it about radio you like?

Madrigal: I think people connect with it because it’s more genuine. l mean times are changing, so we also take advantage of social media. I joke with people that we are “high-tech Mexicans.” Coming from a technology background while working for Apple, I see technology in terms of bettering your processes.

But you know, not everybody is up on technology. Not everyone has the means to have a smartphone on them all the time. You’re in your car, you can’t be on your phone. You’re working, you can’t be on your phone. To me, I think the people that listen to radio are the kind of people that want to connect with what is really going on around them.

I like to listen to radio to hear about what’s going on in my community. Also, you’re connecting with the radio personalities. They have a show, and it’s entertaining — live entertainment that is happening right then It’s entertainment you can connect with. I like radio because it makes my business relevant to people. It’s on their mind. They recognize Chando’s for the great food and entertainment.

Radio Ink: What advice do you have for someone considering radio advertising?

Madrigal: Number one, know what your desired result is, and then let your sales consultant, your partner, know what you are looking for. Make sure you are partnering up with someone who is going to add value to your business.

Do your homework. Does radio work?

Absolutely, but you have to have realistic expectations. You are planting seeds that are going to grow.

Thanks to Lisandro “Chando” Madrigal: chandostacos.com Thanks to Angelica Balderas, Entravision: abalderas@entravision. com

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SALES

BARRY COHEN

MANAGING MEMBER ADLAB MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

What Selling Radio Taught Me

I knew nothing about sales. In fact, before I accepted my first radio sales job, I rejected every sales opportunity.

So on day one, I had no bad selling habits, because I’d never sold anything.

Sometimes a blank slate is the best place to start learning because you know that you know nothing. I was ready and willing to learn.

Not everyone is a prospect. I began my career at a small AM station with no ratings and a questionable reputation on the street. We spent our days coldcalling every retail establishment in a 20-mile radius. For the most part, we followed the other media reps, on the premise that if someone spent money on advertising, they were a prospect. In reality, that only made them suspects.

We were chasing after the crumbs when the retailers had already spent most or all of their budgets. Years later, when I sold for better stations, I came to understand that you had to be a marketer as well as a seller. You needed to know who was truly a fit for your station. Why? Because everyone you sold that was not a good fit didn’t get results and wasn’t coming back. And you can’t build a business on one-shots.

You can only make small miracles.

As the old saying goes, you can lead a horse to water, but the client has to make it drink. You can tap into your audience’s desires, but you really can’t

create them. And no matter how well your station pulls and generates traffic, the results are only as good as the offer.

Kill the 10-percenters! Sometimes you have to say no to the client. This is one of those times. If the offer isn’t motivating enough, your audience won’t bite — and you will get the blame. Help the client devise an offer that has real value and will resonate with your audience.

Qualify your clients’ expectations for results before they go on your airwaves.

Set realistic expectations together.

Remember to tell them, “Actual mileage may vary.” Every campaign will not yield the same results. Consider timing, competing events, and quality of the offer.

You have to make radio tangible and trackable. Even in the Internet era, most advertisers still want to see a coupon or some tangible evidence of response. When stations used plastic discount cards, they served as a radio coupon. Today, you can put a downloadable offer on your station’s website. When you sponsor an event, they can see those bumper stickers fill their parking lot. Have the advertiser make an offer that is exclusive to your station. Use a dedicated phone number or website in the copy, so they know a response came from your listeners.

You need to be creative. Whether you entice them with a produced spec campaign or devise a custom promo-

tion, you need to think like there is no box. Think big and bold, like we did when we offered people the opportunity to come out to a remote broadcast, jump on a waterbed and try to break it to win a $500 gift certificate. Add to that, we had the p.m. drive DJ and the traffic reporter doing just that on a busy highway during rush hour. We drew a crowd that both tried to win the contest and bought product. At one small station, we peppered the airwaves with hourly 10-second spots for an advertiser. The repetition worked.

Offer a “weather trigger” to an advertiser, tying their schedule to run with rain, snow, or a certain temperature.

It works for ski shops and resorts, air conditioner sales, umbrellas, etc.

You will always be competing for dollars. No matter how dominant your property is, you are competing for a share of any advertiser’s budget. With so many media choices, you need to make a compelling case for both your medium and for your particular station(s). No ratings? No worries. I challenged an auto dealer to give me the same budget and the same offer as they gave the other station and compare the results. It’s not about how many are listening; it’s about how many are responding. Remember, share is both a noun and a verb. Pigs get fat; hogs get slaughtered. As much as you want your (un)fair share of a client’s budget, if you take it all, then you are responsible for 100% of the results — good or bad.

Barry Cohen is the managing member of AdLab Media Communications, LLC (www.adlabcreative.com). He has sold both suburban and major market radio and managed a station, as well as conducting RAB workshops and webinars.

He is the author of the book 10 Ways to Screw Up an Ad Campaign.

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3 0 U N D E R 30 ROU N DTAB LE In December 2019 we launched a brand new list: Radio’s 30 and Under Rock Stars. We wanted to shine a light on the next generation, those men and women coming out of college and jumping into radio as a career. They provided us with so much great information, we couldn’t fit it all into one issue. One of the questions left on the 2019 cutting room floor was this: “What is the number one challenge you face every day, and how are you overcoming it?” Here’s what several of them had to say.

One challenge I face is helping local businesses recover from bad experiences with other advertisers or mediums. They find comfort in knowing that brands that advertise through radio experience five times higher brand recall than brands that do not advertise through radio. We aim to be great partners while providing marketing solutions for any business or community need.

Emily Ward Local Sales Manager Entercom Chattanooga

Balance. Marketing serves at the intersection of advertising partners and sponsorships, teammates and fan engagement. It can be difficult to manage communication while also consuming content and ensuring execution of our events, contests, sponsorships, and promotions. It relates to what I learned about focus. I overcome this by building a fantastic team of experts who focus on different areas of the marketing team.

We all bring a different strength and idea

to the team, but as a collective group, I am proud of what we can accomplish together. Learning to continue to delegate and not to chase too many rabbits helps me continue to find that work-life balance that we all need, especially in a world where news, information, and sports are around the clock.

Shawni Smith Director of Marketing Good Karma Brands Milwaukee

As is the case everywhere in media, sometimes you have to do more with less, and our cluster in Tuscaloosa is no exception. Every day, though, our team here rises to the challenge and works tirelessly to deliver for our listeners and clients, no matter how many hats they have to wear.

Stephen Dethrage Digital Managing Editor Townsquare Media Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Radio is an entertainer’s dream with many fun facets, making it easy to turn a blind eye to the not-fun (paperwork, affidavits, staff scheduling) or difficult tasks (staying on top of a constant e-mail flow, making sure all talent and staff are on the same page). Not every part of the job is entertaining or pleasant, and it’s tempting to procrastinate until I’m ready or not busy. I’m always busy. I’m always ready. By waiting, my only accomplishments are losing time

and peace of mind. I feel better when it’s checked off, so I jump in, head on.

Cameron Coats Assistant PD/Morning Host, WOVO Commonwealth Broadcasting Bowling Green, Kentucky

I knew that coming to a smaller market meant I’d have a lot of different jobs and responsibilities. I was (and still am) excited about this prospect, but my problem is that I never stop. I’m first and foremost a manager now, so I have to make time for my on-air staff. I want to make sure they have what they need to succeed outside this market, and that’s something that’s really important to me. On the air, I’m in charge of creating and executing all promotions, imaging, and going over music and special programming with my music director. I find myself doing more and more copywriting for commercials, coming up with ideas for clients, and tagging along on sales pitches. And to top it all off, I’m a morning show personality on our town’s number one show. I need to go out and interact with people, do events, and make appearances. It’s a lot, but I honestly wouldn’t want it any other way. I like to think that I’m constantly bettering myself and my operations by knowing how the business works and how to get things done.

Katy Dempsey PD/Morning Show Co-Host Bryan Broadcasting College Station, Texas

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T H E

L E G E N D

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Ed Ryan

Editor in Chief

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Legend. You really need just that one word to describe this soft-spoken, humble superstar who immigrated from Cuba to make a better life for himself and his family. And he has done so much more than that. He has made the lives of so many people around the world a whole lot better.

Emilio Estefan is a worldrenowned music, television, and film producer who has been instrumental in shaping, developing, and directing the careers of his superstar wife, Gloria, as well as Shakira, Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, and Jon Secada, among many others.

Estefan has seen incredible success throughout his career, boasting more than 40 years of industry-

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leading achievements, including working with five presidents, receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, being inducted into the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame, and winning 19 Grammy Awards.

Estefan has experimented and pushed the envelope of blending Latin, pop, and world rhythms, creating a unique style that has brought him chart-topping worldwide hits. He understands how radio works and how the industry, its programmers, and its DJs have helped him advance his career in music.

Emilio Estefan is also the recipient of Radio Ink’s 2020 Medallas de Cortez Distinguished Leadership Award.

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Emilio and Gloria Estefan

Radio Ink: What is your day like now?

What are you spending the majority of your time on?

Estefan: We do a lot of writing and producing. We did the opening of the Rose Bowl, which I wrote and produced. I just finished the album for the Wailers. I’m working on songs for Josh Groban’s new album. I’m producing and writing for Ally Brooke from Fifth Harmony. I’m writing music for movies.

At the same time, we have restaurants and hotels. I’m fortunate to have incredible people working for me — some of them for over 30 years. When you have a great team of people, it definitely makes things a lot easier.

Radio Ink: How difficult is it for you to write what you do? Does it come naturally to you?

Estefan: It’s not easy. I never got the chance to learn music. Everything I have

done in my life is by ear. When I was 16 years old, I went to my high school and told the professor I wanted to learn music.

He told me I was too old.

Being an immigrant, separated from my mom and family, the only thing that really made me happy was to do music. Even when I was a kid, I loved music and would play the accordion and percussion. It’s difficult for me; we only have 12 notes to create something — new melodies, new hooks and lyrics.

Being an immigrant from Cuba growing up in the States — my dad is Lebanese and my mom is from Spain — I am influenced by different cultures, and that helped me a lot.

People now get influenced by different cultures, and I was lucky enough to experience that, with the food and with the music.

In order to write a good song, you have to think about it a lot. The lyrics are very important to me because I always want to be positive. I want to speak or sing good

things about the people and inspire the next generation. I do it because I love it.

When you love what you do, it makes it easier.

Radio Ink: Where did you get your drive to be successful?

Estefan: Being an immigrant, my childhood was very negative, because I had to decide to leave Cuba when I was 11 years old. But I knew deep inside that instead of being negative, I wanted to be positive and concentrate on being successful. I didn’t want my kids to go through the same things I did.

I needed to get organized to get my mom out of Cuba. When my mom came from Cuba after 11 years, she was an incredible supporter and appreciated the United States. She knew we lived in the most beautiful country in the whole world.

She was not about money, she was about freedom. We wanted to be free and make

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“Radio is extremely important.

I created a lot of relationships with many DJs who became friends. They believed in our sound.”

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sure our family would not grow up in a Communist country.

We know how difficult it is to live in a country where you have no opportunities.

You are ruled by one person who tells you what you have to do. I wanted to make life better for my family and inspire the new generation. I always tell everybody how blessed we are to live in the United States.

Radio Ink: Do you believe young kids today feel the same way you did when you first got here?

Estefan: People know we are in different times. Some of them don’t want a car — they will Uber, or not buy a house but rent, because it is a different mentality. But for anyone who comes to this country from anywhere, the opportunities we get in this country, we don’t get elsewhere.

The U.S. and the American people are incredible. They open their arms to all these people. I have produced events at the White House for five presidents — Ronald Reagan, George Bush, George W.

Bush, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama. They all want to help with immigration, but nothing gets done. People from other countries, if they are going to make a contribution, I think they should be welcomed.

Radio Ink: What are your earliest memories of the radio?

Estefan: I grew up listening to Celia Cruz and Maestro Cachao. Growing up in the United States, you get interested in the Beatles, disco, etc. That makes our sound very unique. When we came here, about 40 years ago, there weren’t a lot of Latin stations. We always kept the Latino music alive.

In Miami, you listen to all these stations that play American music. My career is about different cultures and sounds, and that makes me unique. I did it with a lot of honesty and respect. The label rejected promoting “Dr. Beat” and then “Conga”; they told me they would never happen in the U.S., that the sound would never work because it was not American, it was Latino. But I said, “That is who we are.”

And now you see the number of people who’ve recorded “Conga” and it was number one on the charts and it’s still relevant to so many countries.

I tell the new generation, don’t let anyone try to change your life and tell you things can’t work. Prove them wrong and do what is good. Believing in yourself is extremely important.

Radio Ink: What do you think of modern-day radio?

Estefan: Radio is changing. Now you have the Internet, which plays a big role. My only concern is, in the past, radio stations created hits, but they put them out without anyone hearing the song first. Now they do a lot of research — they don’t know if it’s going to happen or not. I believe in my case, we were lucky to have radio stations that would play “Conga” and let the people decide.

Radio is extremely important. I created a lot of relationships with many DJs who became friends. They believed in our

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“Radio has to be more open. I wish they would take more chances with music.

They want a song to become a hit on Spotify.

Radio should take the lead.”

sound. Radio now is more open to playing other things; you can showcase any kind of music or sound. When you have a good programmer, he knows when it will be a hit and gives new talent a chance.

Sometimes people go with the predictable, especially the record labels. I believe I was the first crossover with Gloria, and with Jon Secada, who was rejected by Sony so we went to EMI. They didn’t want to release Shakira and Jennifer Lopez, and

you see their careers. Record labels sometimes don’t believe in it.

Something I am proud of is my relationship with all the DJs and how much they helped us, and I appreciate all the support through the years. When you have a career and can call a DJ a friend, it’s a blessing.

Radio Ink: Do you think radio is as relevant as it was back when you peppered the DJs with your music?

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Estefan: Radio will always be important, but definitely things have changed, especially with the Internet. We used to sell albums, and all of a sudden you can download a free album. Radio has to be more open. I wish they would take more chances with music. They want for a song to become a hit on Spotify. Radio should take the lead. When you have a good programmer, you will see right away if you have a hit. People will keep requesting it.

Radio Ink: How do you listen to audio these days?

Estefan: I don’t listen to a lot because I’m producing — personally, because I write music, I do the opposite. I do listen to the radio when I’m in the car.

Nowadays you have so many ways to listen and so many channels. One song I produced for Shakira went number one; that’s one of the songs Shakira performed at the Super Bowl. Gloria wrote

it and I produced it, as well as J-Lo’s “Let’s Get Loud,” also performed at the Super Bowl.

It’s funny because you do one TV show and you go back to number one on the chart after 20 years. TV plays a big role because people see something they like and they will go and download it.

Radio Ink: How important is Hispanic radio for the Latin music industry

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A young Emilio Estefan plays the accordion for his mother, Carmen.

in the U.S., given the growth of some of the platforms you mentioned, like Spotify and YouTube?

Estefan: Spanish radio is extremely important, and it is always a blessing when a programmer will listen and say, “We want to play your music.” They are taking a chance. Loyalty, to a Spanish radio listener, is important. We like the DJ and listen for many years, and when they retire, you feel like you are losing a member of the family. They get so close to you.

They are part of our lives.

Radio Ink: What is the most important thing a young singer-songwriter or producer needs to know as they start out?

Estefan: Don’t copy what’s out there.

Be yourself. Be happy when you write.

Be humble, listen to others’ opinions.

Nowadays, you don’t have to be with a label to put a song out — if you have a great video and song, use the Internet first. Promote yourself through the Internet first and get independent, then go to a label and radio station. Radio will help

you. And they are more open now to playing bilingual music on English radio, which is great.

Remember, you are not limited to local — now you can get 10 million people in India.

Radio Ink: What advice do you have for the radio industry so radio remains the primary destination for Latin music?

Estefan: Radio should always take the lead on a single. Music is about feeling. It’s about people reacting to the lyrics or the sound.

But you’re asking the wrong person, because everything I did in my life, the Songwriters Hall of Fame, 42 Grammy nominations, 19 Grammy Awards, was with people telling me, “That sound will not work.” Including when I went to Sony in Spain. They said they wouldn’t release it because it would not be a hit in Spain.

Everything I have done is real, with honesty. It’s important people know who you are and not to copy anybody else. You need to be happy first with what you are

doing before you can make anybody else happy. Be sure to do the best you can.

That is all you can do in life, not only in music.

Radio Ink: What do you consider the biggest success in your career so far?

Estefan: First, to leave a legacy for my family and a new generation. Second, we’re blessed to live in the U.S. and have freedom to write whatever we want.

We have been blessed with so many things, including a Medal of Freedom, and so many awards. The biggest reward is when somebody tells me, “Thank you for opening the door for a new generation to be proud of where they come from.”

You don’t have to ever forget where you came from. You can love two countries.

You can make a contribution without forgetting where you came from.

Make people proud, no matter your heritage. When Gloria records, she does it in five different languages. If the music is there and the lyrics are there, people will sense it. I think my contribution is that

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sometimes when I am not here, they will have a smile when they mention my name.

Radio Ink: You mentioned your team earlier. What is your philosophy on managing people?

Estefan: Gloria has the same musicians after almost 35 years. I have had my staff for almost 35 years. Nobody can make things by themselves. You need to have people who will help. When you find the right people, it’s fantastic. If you choose the wrong people, you have a problem, and that can happen sometimes; you make mistakes.

Radio Ink: What is your next big project?

Estefan: The Wailers. We are still working with the old members as well as the new, grandsons and Julian Marley, all of them on the album. It’s one of my favorite albums. The other album is Gloria’s that we did in Brazil. We did it with Brazilian musicians. Very interesting, some of the sounds and the dance songs we did.

I love the album we’re doing for Ally Brooke. I am working with [reggaetón artist] Farruko. A deep diversity of things, and that’s what I like.

I love writing and producing. I’m even working with Johnny Ventura, who is 88 years old, from the Dominican Republic.

He does merengue. He asked me to do a few songs, and I did. He loved them and sounds great recording them. He said, “You are never too old to do music. It comes from the heart.” When I see someone like him coming to me to make a single, and then you play it for people who are jumping up and down dancing, it’s a great feeling.

Radio makes such an incredible contribution to our career. It’s a beautiful thing that you can have a relationship.

Always say thank you to people who help you and be humble. Be an influence to young musicians. Try to have a good relationship with the DJs, because they make a difference.

“Being an immigrant, separated from my mom and family, the only thing that really made me happy was to do music.”

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HERE ARE THE 2020 MEDALLAS DE CORTEZ FINALISTS Cortez passed away in 1971. He was honored posthuRadio Ink started the Medallas de Cortez awards in honor mously by the NAB in 2006 with its Spirit of Broadcasting of Raoul Cortez, who in 1946 founded the first SpanishAward, and in 2015, he was included in an exhibition at the language radio station in the United States, KCOR/San Smithsonian National Museum of American History titled Antonio.

American Enterprise — the story of innovation in American Raoul Cortez is an incredible success story. business history.

In 1944, Cortez applied for a license to operate a radio Raoul Cortez’s name and image are etched on every station. However, with World War II raging, there were Medallas de Cortez award. The Medallas are the only awards government restrictions on foreign-language media. The dedicated to honoring excellence in Hispanic radio, and the brilliant Cortez let the government know he would use the qualities Cortez embodied are those the awards were estabstation to help mobilize the Mexican-American community lished in 2007 to recognize. behind the U.S. war effort. Two years later, the application From marketing to programming, sales and management, was approved, and KCOR-AM became the first full-time to executive leadership, the awards honor radio professionSpanish-language radio station in the United States owned and operated by a Hispanic. Nearly 70 years later, that radio als who demonstrate the passion, dedication, and vision of Raoul Cortez. Theirs is the task of carrying on the dream station still uses call letters with the first three letters of and continuing to make Hispanic radio a compelling force Cortez’s name. in media and the communities their stations serve. Radio The Mexican-born Cortez produced a variety show in that country, and when, along with his parents and eight siblings, Ink is proud to salute the 2020 Medallas de Cortez finalists. he immigrated to San Antonio, he continued to produce suc- While only eight will carry home the prestigious plaque, all cessful variety shows before launching his first radio station. of these professionals demonstrate the spirit of Cortez and Cortez later expanded into TV and launched a Spanish radio offer remarkable examples of the power and promise of network.

Hispanic radio.

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MARKETER OF THE YEAR

Tony Garcia Global Media Services

Rick Ramos Katz Radio Group

Andy Sanchez Radio Rancho LLC, Twin Falls-Sun Valley, ID

Karina Cerda Entravision, Los Angeles, CA

Raysa Rodriguez-Leon Katz Radio Group

Carla Sanez Aroushanian Univision

LOCAL PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR

Dani Lomeli KEGH-FM, Salt Lake City-Ogden-Provo, UT

Rita Rodriguez KMMQ-FM, Omaha, NE-Council Bluffs, IA

Juan Lezama WYMY-FM, Raleigh-Durham/ Greensboro-Winston Salem, NC

Elsa Sanchez WLZL-FM, Washington, DC

Cruz Santibanez WYMY-FM, Greensboro-Winston Salem-High Point, NC

Carolyn “Dulce Carolina” Benavides KTAM-AM, Bryan-College Station, TX

Raul Brindis KLTN-FM, Houston-Galveston, TX

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SYNDICATED/NATIONAL PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR

Stephanie “Chiquibaby” Himonidis DEG Entertainment

El Bueno, La Mala, y El Feo Univision

El Show de Erazno y La Chokolata Entravision

Eddie “Piolín” Sotelo Entravision

Armida y La Flaka MLC Media

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BROADCASTER OF THE YEAR

Norberto Sanchez Norsan Media

Alfredo Plascencia Lazer Broadcasting

Tomas and Mercedes Martinez Solmart Media, SarasotaBradenton, FL

Alfa Cortorreal WHOL-FM, AllentownBethlehem/Reading, PA

Jesus Lara Univision

Otto Padron Meruelo Media

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PROGRAM DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR

Angel Aguilar KNIV-FM & KEGH-FM, Salt Lake City-Ogden-Provo, UT

Nio “Encendio” Fernandez WYUU-FM, Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL

Candy Cintron WLZL-FM, Washington, DC

Gustavo Aguilar WLFM-FM, WVKO-FM & WOXY-FM, Cleveland/ Columbus/Cincinnati, OH

Jammin Johnny Caride WXDJ-FM, Miami-Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood, FL

Oscar Rios Univision

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DOS/SALES MANAGER OF THE YEAR

Armando Lapido iHeartLatino

Carolina Patino Spanish Broadcasting System, Miami-Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood, FL

Jorge Castañeda Radio Rancho LLC, Boise, ID

Jason Strongin Univision, Los Angeles, CA

Alison Hendrix Entravision, Palm Springs, CA

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MARKET/GENERAL MANAGER OF THE YEAR

Belia Paz Aerostar Media, Salt Lake City-Ogden-Provo, UT

Victor Martinez WHOL-FM, AllentownBethlehem/Reading, PA

Romeo Herrera R Communications LLC, McAllenBrownsville, TX

Claudia De Leon La Mega Media Inc, Cleveland/Columbus/ Cincinnati, OH

Doug Levy Univision, Chicago, IL

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STATION OF THE YEAR

KNIV-FM Salt Lake City-Ogden-Provo, UT

WEMG-AM & FM Philadelphia, PA

KTAM-AM Bryan-College Station, TX

KLLI-FM Los Angeles, CA

WAMR-FM Miami-Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood, FL

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R

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D

Over the past year, the radio industry has constructed some amazing new facilities all across the country, and Radio Ink has been lucky enough to get a glimpse at many of them.

Whether it’s Entercom’s new entertainment

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space in the major market of Los Angeles, or WHIN’s brand new studios in tiny Hendersonville, Tennessee, radio stations are spending money on new digs and they are moving their stations to highly visible locations in their communities.

W

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Here is part one of our 2020 special report on Radio’s Fantastic Facilities (part two will appear in our next issue).

WKLT Midwestern Broadcasting Co. • Traverse City, Michigan WKLT General Manager Chris Warren tells Radio Ink that when his engineers started laying out the new studio for Rocker WKLT-FM, they presented him with their “ideal” shape

for the studio furniture. “It was very much shaped like the State of Michigan. We went to a local company, the Lumber Shed, and asked if they could build it. We couldn’t be happier

and more proud, and our jocks are amazed at just how perfectly the shape of Michigan lends itself to a studio that invites individual guests as well as performing bands.”

The main studio at WKLT/Traverse City, with a custom-made table in the shape of the state of Michigan.

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WNFR & WNFA Wonderful News Radio, Inc • Port Huron, Michigan In January of 2019, Wonderful News Radio purchased and rehabilitated a long-vacant downtown building that was built in the 19th century. The building, sandwiched between two other businesses, has a unique “L” shape, providing entrances on two perpendicular main streets.

The goal of the remodel was to keep the historic feel of the building, including original

oak floors, soaring tin ceilings, open ductwork, and exposed brick walls, while adding a modern touch. Two studios on the main floor and a production studio on the second floor were built, and the larger main studio is in the front window, located on Main Street.

Port Huron’s downtown is enjoying a resurgence, and the new facility has a cafe where listeners can come in and hang out and

Wonderful News Radio’s new main studio looks out on Main Street in Port Huron

Listeners and locals can work and socialize in a new cafe.

people can connect to the Internet to work.

The second floor is also home to offices and a conference area.

Finance Director Lori McNaughton tells Radio Ink, “We may be small-market radio, but we are local and making a big impact in our community. Our new home positions us to be better than ever for years to come.”

WNFR and WNFA built out their new studios in a rehabilitated historic building

Wonderful News Radio’s 19th-century building has oak floors and tin ceilings.

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WHIN-AM & FM Kensington Digital Media • Gallatin-Hendersonville, Tennessee WHIN was located (as many small-market stations are) on the AM transmitter site.

In WHIN’s case, that meant across from a cemetery.

Station owner Tony Richards tells Radio Ink he wanted a high-traffic location for his new studios. “We came across The Streets of Indian Lake in Hendersonville. Hendersonville

and Gallatin are within minutes of each other and are nearly the same size. ‘The Streets’ is the most high-profile location in Sumner County, and we worked with the developer, who wanted us there as much as we wanted to be there. Over 500,000 people visit the plaza each year and that has really helped our visibility.”

WHIN-AM & FM’s new studio is located in the fashionable Streets of Indian Lake district in Hendersonville

WHIN’s Tookie Bird mascot strikes a pose.

While not everything in the studio is new, Richards tried to make the storefront location look as high-tech as possible, with LED lighting, uplighting, new curved computer monitors, and TVs all over the studio. They also have the ability to play music in the center stage plaza where concerts are held in the summer. Both listeners and clients love the new location.

The sleek, high-tech new main studio

The new view from the WHIN main studios; the station was formerly across from a cemetery

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Entercom Los Angeles HD Radio Sound Space

Coldplay were the first artists to play at Entercom Los Angeles’ new HD Radio Sound Space.

The suite is over 10,000 square feet and can host live broadcasts, music, and custom events The HD Radio Sound Space is a state-ofthe-art entertainment hub hosting live broadcasts, music, and custom events from the heart of Los Angeles’ Miracle Mile on Wilshire Boulevard. The space opened in January 2020, after nearly two years of planning and construction.

The fishbowl windows make the Sound Space extremely accessible to fans, the

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Listeners arrive for a show in the brand new performance space.

The Pacifico Sound Bar in the new HD Radio Sound Space

community, and commuters who can engage with talent, artists, and partners.

The space was designed by V Three Studios, a full-service architecture and design firm based in St. Louis; McCormick Construction; and the local Entercom L.A. team. The entire suite is over 10,000 square feet, and the performance space is 2,200 square feet with a capacity of 263. The Sound Space was sponsored in partnership with

HD Radio, the leading standard in digital radio broadcast technology.

The HD Radio Sound Space program began in February 2017 and was originally located in the KROQ/Los Angeles performance space on Venice Boulevard. The grand opening of the new venue on January 17, 2020 featured an intimate performance by Coldplay.

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KCRW/Santa Monica’s new studios were the result of years of planning and fundraising.

The state-of-the-art audiovisual facility is part of the college’s new Center for Media and Design.

KCRW, formerly located in a basement on campus, moves fully into the digital age with its new facilities.

On the air in KCRW’s new studios

KCRW-FM National Public Radio member station •Santa Monica College • Santa Monica, California KCRW relocated from the basement of a building on the Santa Monica College main campus to a new state-of-the-art $38 million headquarters at Santa Monica College’s new Center for Media and Design. The new facility is a culmination of 11 years of fundraising, designing, installing, integrating, and training

by KCRW staff and the partners involved in

the project. At the heart of the design was a $6 million upgraded radio and broadcast infrastructure — built to increase collaboration and provide staff the necessary equipment to bring their station into the digital age.

At the heart of the project was Edward Locke, VP of technology at Key Code Media.

He and his team of engineers designed all

audiovisual and media equipment necessary to satisfy the scope of the project. Each audio console, microphone, satellite transmitter, control room, server, and the studio had to be carefully thought out — ensuring adequate infrastructure was available in each room, that all systems were compatible, and each cable was defined.

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Meruelo Media Burbank, California Meruelo Media VP/Engineering David Gray says, “The Meruelo Media studio buildout took four weeks, starting in January 2020. Studio A is a multi-media studio that was specifically designed to cater to different talent, different mediums, and different sponsors. The studio is perfect for any radio, television, multi-media, or podcast production, with or without guests.

“The oversized 180-degree LED video wall

can easily be customized to a specific show name, sponsor, brand, or talent such as Nick Cannon Mornings on Power 106 or Frosty, Heidi, and Frank on 95.5 KLOS. Graphics, motion graphics, multi-media content, and video are custom-designed and stored and served from our internal media server.”

Gray adds, “The studio features dynamic lighting that can be adjusted for our hosts,

This custom floating desk can be raised from 29 to 50 inches and be positioned anywhere in the studio

The video wall visible in the background can be customized for different hosts, shows, or sponsors

guests, and to match specific branded graphics.

Studio A has four dedicated 4k production cameras that tackle spontaneous production needs, video production, and live-switched programming. The needs of talent were taken into consideration with a custom floating desk that can be raised from 29 to 50 inches in height and can be positioned anywhere inside the studio.”

A look at the dynamic lighting in Meruelo Media’s new studios in Los Angeles

The Meruelo Media buildout is truly brand new, all done in four weeks earlier this year.

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BLAST FROM THE PAST

QUARTER TO THREE

This fresh-faced young manager is Mike Henry, founder and CEO of Paragon Media, in the studio at the University of Georgia’s WUOG-FM/ Athens. Henry was student GM during, he says,

“the college radio go-go days in 1982.” This photo appeared originally in the university’s Red & Black student paper; thanks, Mike, for sending it in!

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November 11, 2020 Harvard Club New York, NY

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