Sometimes breaking the rules is the only way to move forward. We did it occasionally (usually to the consternation of bosses) and sometimes our maverick ways worked to the delight of all.
Bob Dearborn writes in his "Radio Notes" of a push in Texas to expand HD listening by Clear Channel and YES they broke a few rules in the process. GOOD FOR THEM!
Meet Lone Star
Take Dallas’ special blend of Outlaw Country, Southern Rock and Alternative Country; indulge our obsession for the music whether on-air or online (the Lone Star Web site delves deep into artists’ passions and inspiration); invite over a few legendary radio hosts; and ‘86 the traditional commercials - this one’s all about the music.
From Willie Nelson to ZZ Top, Stevie Ray Vaughan to the The Old 97’s to Pat Green, Lone Star’s on-air and on-line media will celebrate a unique Texas sensibility. The brainchild of homegrown radio programmer Duane Doherty, Lone Star was road-tested on one of Clear Channel Radio’s HD-2 digital side channels over the past 12 months.
“All we had on the HD-2 channel was the music and the response was incredible,” said Doherty. “In a sense, we’re recapturing the early days of FM - when your jock was a trusted guide through what was new and important. Lone Star is the music we love in Dallas without the hype.”
Indeed, Lone Star welcomes legendary Dallas radio personalities Bo and Jim, Jon Dillon and Red Beard. And Willie Nelson will serve as the “voice of Lone Star”.
And in a second major move, Lone Star will not air traditional commercials. Instead, advertisers sponsor an hour of programming, during which a D.J. will promote its product conversationally in what the company calls integration.
For example, the D.J. will identify Southwest Airlines, one of the station’s first advertisers, as the sponsor at the beginning of the program. In a prototype provided by the station, the D.J. later discusses the South by Southwest music festival, a popular annual event held in Austin, and concludes, “You know, the best way to get down to Austin for South by Southwest is Southwest Airlines. They have tons of flights. It’s the way I travel.”
The product-themed chitchat will account for about two minutes peppered throughout the hour, in contrast to the 12 minutes to 16 minutes of commercials that most stations broadcast each hour.
Advertisers will own not just the hour but also their categories. The station has four initial sponsors - Southwest Airlines, AT&T, Coors Brewing and Guitar Center - and will not sell advertising space to other airlines, phone companies, breweries or musical instrument stores.
“There’s a credibility and an authenticity of partnering with sponsors who share our passion for this music,” said Kelly Kibler, director of sales for Clear Channel Radio Dallas. This is about sharing an experience and a commitment to the incredible creativity of these artists. To do that honestly and well, you have to step up. Traditional commercials are fine for many radio formats, they just didn’t work here.”
“We got extraordinary support from corporate,” echoes J.D. Freeman, Dallas market manager for Clear Channel Radio. “They completely insulated us and told us to break all the rules. So we broke them in programming, we broke them in advertising, we broke them on the Web. When you have that kind of freedom, great things happen.”
At 92.5 FM in Dallas-Fort Worth and streaming at www.lonestar925.com, Lone Star breaks all the rules. - Compiled from a Clear Channel-Dallas press release and a story by Andrew Adam Newman in the New York Times
