Should We Eliminate Market Ranking of Categories?

[Editor]

As our industry has evolved over the past several years, we are finding that many entries for the Radio And Production Awards have producers, writers and voice talents from all over the world. An entry might have been produced in one city, written in another, and voiced yet somewhere else. Then, to top it off, it might air in a market shared by none of the participants in the entry. This makes it very difficult to categorize entries by “Market Rank” – Small Market, Medium Market and Large Market.

Furthermore, we have found over the years that the line between the caliber of material coming from the larger and smaller markets is continually fading. It’s often hard to tell what work has been done in a small market compared to a piece from a large one.

So, for the upcoming 2010 R.A.P. Awards, we are considering doing away with the market ranks. There would be no more Large, Medium, and Small Market Commercial or Promo categories. Instead, any market size would be competing in the same category, much like the Feature Production category has been all along.

Doing this would drop our category count down from seven to just three, so we are also considering at the same time expanding the new Commercial and Promo categories into at least two subcategories such as “Humorous” and “Non-Humorous”, with a similar breakdown for the Feature Production category as well. That would bring our category count to six, which is better than three.

What are YOUR thoughts on this?

Thanks!

Jv…

[kieranbell]

I think that eliminating the division between market size is a good idea however there should be some other way of defining the catagory.

Perhaps USA vs. International entries? Or defining them by their topic... Not 100% but there does need to be some way of splitting the catagory.

I would like to say that I have been waiting to see a Station Imaging catagory appear in the awards... perhaps it is time for that?

Anyway... my 2 cents!

[Editor]

I think that eliminating the division between market size is a good idea however there should be some other way of defining the catagory. Perhaps USA vs. International entries? Or defining them by their topic... Not 100% but there does need to be some way of splitting the catagory.

I would like to say that I have been waiting to see a Station Imaging catagory appear in the awards... perhaps it is time for that?

Kieran,

Thanks for your feedback. "USA vs. International" is an interesting idea for dividing the categories. Kind of like the World Cup of Production! I like it, but why not Canada vs. the rest of the world? Or Australia? I think if we were to divide by country, USA should not be singled out unless we also segment other areas, such as Europe, Asia, Australia/New Zealand, etc. At this point, I think the subcategories of "Humorous" and "Non-Humourous" will provide the greatest number of entries into each category.

As for the Best Imaging category, I like that idea a lot. At first thought, I don't think this category should be divided into Humorous and Non-Humorous -- it seems most of the sweeper montages we receive for The CD are non-humourous. And since promos can also be considered "imaging", we should further define the category to only include items 15 seconds or shorter. The entry could be a single sweeper, or a montage of sweepers/IDs, with each element no longer than 15 seconds, and the entire montage no longer than, say, 90 seconds. How's that sound?

jv...

[Editor]

I just received an email from someone in a small market who makes a good point. Here is his email. Makes me think twice about eliminating the Market ranks. What do you think?

I for one, like having Market distinctions. While the quality gap may be closing in terms of Production competence...a voice talent gap still exists. Personally, I think it would be a shame for good writing, production, and performance to risk being overlooked because it went up against a spot featuring better pipes. As far as humorous vs. non-humorous as categories, I don't mind having both included in one category. Whether it's a laugh-riot, or stone-cold serious...a good spot is a good spot, and I think Producers can call them as they are.

And here's another email representing the small markets:

I think it would be fair if there could be differentiation between stand-alone small market stations, and those who are part of a large company with regular access to seasoned talent. (Writers, producers, and voice.) It may be impossible to confirm/deny, but in a perfect world, I believe it would make the correct separation.

[wizz]

I wonder if splitting the categories is necessary at all? I mean, should it not encourage those at smaller markets to try harder? I my opinion that is what makes great radio, those that try harder to do the things the big boys could do easily with the bigger budgets. Perhaps the way forward would be to include a short written submission (say 250 words) to give an entry the angle of difference which makes it remarkable? ie: Small markets could highlight the fact that their limited budgets meant coaching local voice talent was a key role in making this entry great.

And I know about both sides of the coin, having gone from a smaller market in New Zealand, to a major sized market, London. Working hard at the smaller market, to make my work sound big, is what has got me to the larger market...

Whats more, some of the worst audio I've ever heard, has come from some pretty big market places... Small markets surely get the run of creativity, with major markets worldwide getting that squashed out thanks to the constant "refining" of product for the listener.

A change might be good though. Perhaps Best Technical Production, Best Written Production, and Best Overall could be new categories with Best Overall being a default category all work is entered into. Think like a 'Best In Show' for that years entries.

[Tucker]

JV,

I like the idea of a Station Imaging category and agree that a 90 sec max would be fair. However, I wouldn't limit each piece to 15 sec or fewer. I think it should be to the discretion of the producer to choose what goes in...and if you choose a 65 sec promo than maybe you should've just entered that seperately in the Feature Production category and stop being a dumbass. But, could this also be for a single promotion? Or could there be another category for Best Imaged Promotion?

As for the Market Categories, I like it. For those of us who have worked in Small Markets we know how difficult it was to try and get better talent, often times being turned down by many inside our own company! By eliminating the categories you would be trying to justify your philosophy on the creative future of our industry. The fact remains (and will continue too), we are seperated by market size, which seperates us by budgets, talent, time and much more. When I was in New Haven my music library consisted of a handful of 90's cuts and the recently recorded beats created by me slamming my hands against the console! Once I got to Hartford, I had the entire library of Megatrax, First Com and Groove Addicts! That's a difference easily understood and shared between Small Market and Medium Market.

I also like the idea of a Best in Show spot.

[Editor]

I like the idea of a Station Imaging category and agree that a 90 sec max would be fair. However, I wouldn't limit each piece to 15 sec or fewer. I think it should be to the discretion of the producer to choose what goes in...and if you choose a 65 sec promo than maybe you should've just entered that seperately in the Feature Production category and stop being a dumbass. But, could this also be for a single promotion? Or could there be another category for Best Imaged Promotion?

As for the Market Categories, I like it. For those of us who have worked in Small Markets we know how difficult it was to try and get better talent, often times being turned down by many inside our own company! By eliminating the categories you would be trying to justify your philosophy on the creative future of our industry. The fact remains (and will continue too), we are seperated by market size, which seperates us by budgets, talent, time and much more. When I was in New Haven my music library consisted of a handful of 90's cuts and the recently recorded beats created by me slamming my hands against the console! Once I got to Hartford, I had the entire library of Megatrax, First Com and Groove Addicts! That's a difference easily understood and shared between Small Market and Medium Market.

I also like the idea of a Best in Show spot.

Thanks for your input, Tucker. Promos are imaging. So perhaps the name "Best Imaging" doesn't quite define the category. What I'm thinking about is a category for things that go after stopsets and between songs. Maybe we call it "Best Sweeper/ID Campaign". However, by adding the word "campaign", we eliminate an entry that's a single ID, which could easily stand on its own and even win in a category of this type. On the other hand, I think most of us produce sweeper/ID campaigns as opposed to a single sweeper that runs in a 100% rotation. At this point, I'm liking the idea of a "Best Sweeper/ID Campaign" category, rather than a "Best Imaging" category.

And while I'm finding more support for keeping the Market rankings intact, I'm just having a hard time finding a way to maintain a "Small Market" category for Promos and Commercials when you have entiries produced in a small market, using a major market voice talent, and perhaps written by someone in a medium market. Up to now, the defining criteria were that the entry be "produced" in a small market and aired on a station in that market. That does not take into account entries "produced" in a small market but voiced and written by someone in a major market (or all the other crazy combinations). Given the vast inter-company sharing of talent across the country, I just don't see how we can fairly define market divisions, once again, bringing me back to eliminating the market ranks.

When it comes right down to it, in a small market, you either have the resources of your parent company like the big boys, or you're part of a mom and pop operation with little resources. Who is producing the better product? And if that's the station with the big boy ties, then don't they deserve the award? And since they do have large market talent at their disposal, shouldn't they then be required to compete with all the other markets?

And one final thought: in this past decade, I have had more judges comment on how the Small Market categories were far better than the Medium and Large. That alone tells me that even with limited resources, entries from small markets have a REAL good chance of beating the majors. And wouldn't that be an HONOR.

[Editor]

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[John Pellegrini]

Great ideas all the way around.

One thing to keep in mind: print advertising has literally dozens of award categories including color versus non-color, actual size (yes they award for one column, two, three, banner, etc...), and whether it's magazine, newspaper, mailer, billboard, insert, labeling, packaging, ad nauseam. I've seen agencies that entered the exact same ad in lots of different categories and win them all. 1 campaign - as many as 20 different awards.

Even television commercials can have a dozen or more potential award categories depending on length, style, and where the spot ran.

Why shouldn't the RAP Awards be any less?

Here's another point to consider: What about podcasts? So many radio people are now doing work in podcasting that should those areas be invited for consideration? I've heard some very interesting work being done on internet exclusive broadcast, even for radio, and some of that work is quite good. Shouldn't that work be recognized too? And if so, what categories - or should there be new categories?

How's that for livening up the dialogue?

[AFrame]

Keep the market rankings. Plenty of discussion already on pro/con, so I won't add to it, other than to say, keep them.

Perhaps add one more for freelance/network production. (Those of us that work for ourselves, or work for a network like Sirus/XM, etc.)