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From the May 1989 issue of Radio And Production
Tips & Techniques
Cart Labeling:
"Programming Stop Sets"
by Jerry Vigil
Terry Slane (Prod. Director, WIRK-FM, West Palm Beach, Florida) writes:
...Regarding your article about "Cart Labeling" in the April issue...I'm
still amazed at the number of programmers who stack their spots as you have
listed...i.e. "cold voice" first in set, then voice-over-music, then jingle,
then promo. At WIRK, we consider "voice only" spots to be tune outs for the
most part, so we run them last. Our goal is to stage the stopset so the best
spot always goes first...usually an agency jingle spot. By airing best spots
first, tune out is reduced. In addition, if the promotion is a ballbuster,
we generally run our promo spot ahead of paid spots, so we can get our
station licks in before the "automatic" tune out of a stopset. I realize
this violates many programmer's concepts...but we try to sell WIRK first,
then sell the beer...
Buy this man a beer!!! The theory behind cold voice spots first and
jingle spots last has something to do with the nearly two decade old idea
that this progression in a stopset provided a better overall flow. ("Flow"
is a word you don't hear much any-more outside of the plumbing industry.)
However, there is still an argument for this theory: If you have a cold
voice spot in a stopset, you're going to have to play it sooner or later.
The burning question is, will the listener tune out if the cold voice spot
is the first spot in the stopset or the last? If the listener loved the song
you just played, they might not be so anxious to tune out on that first,
cold voice spot; but if they hear two commercials, regardless of the fact
that they have music behind them or singers singing the pitch, then hear a
third spot that is cold voice, dull, and boring, aren't they more likely to
tune out? And who cares if they tune out on the first spot or the last spot
except the client?
The bottom line is that any stopset is a tune out. The idea of playing
the promo first and jingle spots next is the best to come along in quite a
while. Why not start the promo on the fade of the record without a backsell?
That way the listener isn't given the usual backsell that is the signal to
an impending stopset! The song fades, a super produced promo airs, the
station is identified in the promo, then Michael Jackson sings about Pepsi.
Before the listener knows it, you're in the middle of your stopset! Then, if
they tune out on that last cold (dry) voice spot, at least your station and
its bigger clients have had their messages received!
Let's get some more input on this. We'd like to hear your point of view
on this perpetual question! ◙
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