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Radio And Production
December 2009
December 2009 Highlights
Interview:
Anthony McNutt - NewCap Radio/Atlantic Media, Halifax, NS,
Canada
by Jerry Vigil
Radio producers getting into video. It’s a trend. Get used to
it. Get ready. You may never need video skills on your résumé,
but it’s already as much a plus as being able to write or voice,
as well as produce. And if video skills aren’t that important
yet, they probably will be. This month’s RAP Interview travels
to small market Canada where Anthony McNutt works the familiar
full-time radio gig/ freelance biz combo in the beautiful town
of Halifax, a market of nearly 400,000. He is a commercial
producer and imager for Q104 and Kool FM (NewCap Radio’s Halifax
cluster), and partner in Atlantic Media. One aspect of this new
trend toward video is that it appears to work in any market size
-- no matter where you are, video production is in demand, and
radio producers are in a perfect position to get their piece of
the action. We find out how Anthony is doing in this venture, as
well as with the challenge of balancing the two jobs. Check out
a great sample of audio from Anthony on this month’s RAP CD.
Feature:
Plan B? What Plan B?
by John Pellegrini
This article is not about all the negative things going on in
radio right now. There has been far enough negative press on
radio already as it is. Nor is this article intended as a
criticism on those who might be deemed responsible for creating
the negative situations in radio right now. There has also been
enough press on that as well, and as far as I can see those who
are responsible couldn’t possibly care less what we think so why
beat a dead horse (aside from the sheer pleasure of beating
one)? No, this article is about you and all of the dedicated
production pros who are still working in radio.
Test Drive:
Mackie Onyx 820i Firewire Mixer
by Steve Cunningham
As anyone who’s been around the audio business for more than
twenty minutes knows, Mackie has been making some very cool
small mixers for a very long time. After all, the original
Mackie 1604 is the stuff of legends. The company’s Onyx series
of mixers has recently distinguished itself by including a
FireWire audio interface on every model, allowing the analog
boards to be connected directly to a computer. These particular
mixers, referred to as the Onyx-i series, include models with up
to 16 input channels and four busses. This month will look at
the latest in the Onyx series: the 820i.
Radio Hed:
Upsell/Cross Sell
by Jeffrey Hedquist
“Would you like fries with that?” “Can I super-size that for
you?” “Here’s a shirt and tie that would really go well with
that suit.” “For only $2.50 more, you can get the hot wax.”
Spend $25 on your order from Amazon and get free shipping. Sound
familiar? We hear them every day. They’re called upsells and
cross sells, and they work. It’s a simple way to increase sales.
And yet, many of our clients either don’t use them, or don’t use
them often enough.
Production 212:
You’ve Got Questions… I’ve Got Answers
by Dave Foxx
Starting with this issue of Radio And Production, I’d like to
take a slightly different approach to this column, one that I
think will be a lot more helpful, especially to up-and-coming
young producers. All along, since I started writing a few years
ago, I’ve gotten emails with specific questions that I’ve
answered in this space from time to time. The rest of these
columns dealt with issues I perceived as important to the
business of radio production. I’m thinking that perhaps it’s
time to let you ask me the burning questions and let me give the
burning answers all the time. Frankly, what I think is important
is likely not quite as important to you as what you really need
to know, and I really want to make this column as pertinent to
your everyday life as possible. And hey, if the quality of the
questions does deteriorate, we can always switch back. So…if
you’re just not sure how to do something, or just want a better
explanation of some aspect of production, please send me an
email. I will make it a point to answer your email directly, and
then pick one or two questions for the next column. If you’re
feeling shy because you think yours might be a dumb question,
I’ll even keep your name and station out of the column. I’m
going to kick things off with a “How To” question from a
producer from South America named Gillmor, who had heard or read
something about what I call “permanent flange.”
Q It Up:
The RAP Network Speaks - How have interns
helped you?
Q It Up: Do you use
interns, or have you used them in production in the past? If
so, how are/were they most valuable to you? What tasks
do/did they perform? Do you have an intern “success story”?
What did YOU learn from the intern(s)? What tips would you
offer others about using interns? Feel free to add any other
comments you might have.
If you have a question for the RAP Network, email it to
editor@rapmag.com!
Feature:
Saying Grace
by Ed Thompson
If you were to ask me if this was the worst year of my life,
I would honestly tell you, “Absolutely not.” For some of you,
the following is old news. For the rest, it’s something which…
“must be distinctly understood, or nothing wonderful can come of
the story I am going to relate.” The day after last Christmas, I
fell from my roof, broke my back and became paralyzed from the
hips down. On the outset, one might think that to be a tragedy.
They would be wrong. The tragedy was averted because I fell
exactly the way that I did. Had I fallen to the left or gone to
the right, my head would have hit an obstruction, and I would
have been killed. I am a faithful man and lying where I landed,
I screamed for help and help came. It’s been coming ever since.
...And Make
It Real Creative
by Trent Rentsch
As an only child for the first 14 years of my life, I
suppose it was inevitable that I was going to be spoiled. So
while there were threats of coal in my stocking if I wasn’t
good before Christmas, deep down I knew Santa wasn’t going
to let me down. He never did; probably, at times, to a
fault. Yep, spoiled little brat, looking back on it. But I
noticed something else during my trip in the “Wayback
Machine.” The few gifts that were labeled from my parents
generally had, not the latest Hot Wheels track I’d begged
Santa for, but things I really needed -- socks, shirts,
mittens -- all that stuff you unwrap, mumble a quick thank
you for, and shove aside as you rip into the next box. But
then, a funny thing would happen. Of all the presents that I
was over-indulged with, guess which ones got the most use?
That’s right, the ones I never asked for; the ones I really
needed.
Monday Morning Memo: How to Write Ads for Realtors, Used
Cars and Free Puppies
by Roy H. Williams
Real estate is a business involving
mountains of money. It’s also a business in crisis. Put
these together and it means ka-ching if you know how to make
the phone ring for realtors. You ought not be surprised that
I know how to make phones ring. What should surprise you is
that I’m willing to tell you… for free. Here’s how to Make
Magic in real estate....
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