Radio And Production
April 2009
April 2009 Highlights
Please join us in
congratulating the winners, runners-up and finalists
of the 2008 Radio And Production Awards!
Talk about close! We had more ties this year than
ever before, including a first-time three-way tie
for the trophy in the Large Market Promo category.
Return winners include John Masecar who breaks a
4-way tie for all-time wins and is now all alone in
3rd place, Ross McIntyre who wins his 8th trophy and
remains 2nd all-time winner, and Joe Meinecke, Rob
Frazier and Chris Pottage all add to their
collections. And welcome to our elite group, first
time winners Sheldon Hovde, Jeremy “Tucker” Mooser,
and Howard Hoffman who picked up two in the Large
Market Promo category!
Interview:
Charles Nove, Managing Director, A1 Vox,
London, United Kingdom
by Jerry Vigil
What is the voiceover business like in the UK? We attempt to get
a glimpse of that in this month’s RAP Interview with Charles
Nove, Managing Director at A1 Vox, a studio that focuses on the
voiceover needs in the UK and abroad. Although we live and work
in a worldwide marketplace, some things are still done
differently in various parts of the globe, as we discover.
Charles is a 30+ year veteran of radio and voiceover with an
established studio in the heart of London, providing voice work
for a number of clients around the world, as well as a studio
for other voice talent to congregate in an informal setting, as
they wait for the calls for VO to come in. If you’re a fan of
BBC Radio news, you’ve probably heard Charles over the years,
not to mention the many commercials he has voiced. Check out
this month’s RAP CD for a sampling of some of Charles’s work,
and read on for some interesting insights into the voiceover
business in the United Kingdom.
Notes Off The Napkin: (Un)Easy Writer
by Andrew Frame
Occasionally we’ll get a referral from one of the local radio
reps, most recently for a company that does home theatre sales,
alarms, and such. The client was very business savvy, and he
knew he wasn’t an advertising guy, he was a home theatre guy. I
like clients like that. I also like sales messages that hit the
“what’s in it for me?” lifestyle factor of the listener.
Identify the lifestyle you’re trying to reach, and build around
that. It doesn’t have to be corporate-shill Sunday morning
network television spots, either. You can have lifestyle, and
sell, too.
Test Drive:
AKG Perception Series Microphones
by Steve Cunningham
At the recent NAMM Show in Anaheim, I happened to spend a few
moments at the AKG booth where I noticed that they’d upgraded
their entire Perception line of condenser microphones. According
to the company, these mics are designed and engineered in
Vienna, and built in China under close supervision and subject
to rigorous quality control. I’m a fan of AKG microphones in
general, so I had them send me one each of the three large
diaphragm condensers in the Perception series. Let’s take a look
at a trio from AKG. Do I need to mention that they all require
48V phantom power? I thought not...
Production 212:
"Hay Foot, Straw Foot"
by Dave Foxx
I've written many times about the dual sides of production:
science and art. A good, creative producer needs both to be
successful, but certainly will almost always be better at one
over the other. Which are you? By the end of this article,
you’ll know. I suspect being science-minded or being art-minded
is a lot like being right or left-handed. Great athletes,
writers, actors, painters and even radio producers come in both
left and right-handed varieties. Coordination is the key. Being
art-minded or science-minded can work equally well, as long as
you play to your strength. Knowing which you are can help you be
stronger and more coordinated.
Radio Hed:
Our New Job Description
by Jeffrey Hedquist
OK, it seems like the economy’s gone South, advertisers are
pulling back from radio like they’ve grabbed a hot stove and
things you’ve done in the past don’t work anymore. Hold on…
people are still buying, certain advertising categories are up,
and throughout the country advertising success stories are being
written. As with most disturbances in the status quo, there are
opportunities for those willing to change. I’m not going to list
the many reasons for clients to advertise in tough times or all
the marketing turnarounds that have happened because of
continuing to advertise – you’ve heard them from everyone.
Q It Up:
The RAP Network Speaks -
Do you let sales reps sit in on your
production sessions? - Part 1
Q It Up: Do you let sales
reps sit in on production sessions for their clients’
commercials and help direct the talent, coach the client (if
he/she is the talent), help pick music, and/or sit in on the
post-editing process? Do you believe this helps or hinders you
or the producer? Give an example of how this has been a good or
bad thing. What is your policy regarding sales reps in the
production session? Feel free to add any other thoughts you
might have on the subject.
If you have a question for the RAP Network, email it to
editor@rapmag.com!
...And Make
It Real Creative
by Trent Rentsch
Wading through our bills recently, I made a disturbing
discovery. It seems that, although we’re paying for something
like 6,873 cable channels, the wife and I are probably only
watching 6 or 7 on a regular basis. That’s right. It seems that
we’ve been paying for 6,873 channels, and wasting 6867 or 6866
of them! So, I did what any other thinking, logical,
budget-minded person these days would do. I’ve started watching
more of them.
Monday Morning Memo: 10 Unusual Ways to Advertise
by Roy H. Williams
Are you a one-person company with a
lunch-money ad budget? Good News: Time and money are
interchangeable. You can always save one by spending more of the
other. When money is tight, spend time. (If you don’t have any
money AND you don’t have any time, then you’re spending your
time on the wrong things.) The key to low-budget advertising is
to focus on small groups and individuals. Here are some ways to
do it: