The changes in radio in the past few years lead to concerns about the future .

• Less diversity and more cookie cutter formats. This has been talked about for 40 years. Not a big deal.
• Less advertising revenue. Just a change, not an ending.
• Less  listeners. So? Profit anyway.

Radio still has a lot of listeners. Even though things have changed in the past few years, radio is hanging in.

People who change with it can thrive.

Here are my suggestions:

• Use the internet more.  Not just for revenue sources but for radio programming.
• Produce spots using freelance folks like me or any number of places like Voice 123.com

There are many ways to get radio produced, on the air and build a strong audience.

Outsource copy, creative syndication, use independent radio producers, programmers,  sales, news.

Lots of innovations are coming to radio. These changes might seem like the symptoms of a broken machine but they are all just changes.

Some winners some losers, nothing new really. Nobody knows exactly what form the changes will take. But there are plenty of predictions-

“ I may be in the minority on this one, but I do think that in today’s economy, radio affords some of the juiciest creative opportunities, at a bargain price. A radio revival could be just the thing to beat the recession blues.”

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What do you think?

25 years ago I wanted small studio recording machines that would do a massive job. For a radio producer to set up and tweak complex devices is just not practical. The job requires quick turnaround. Those simple machnes that would do big jobs were not available back then.

So, I waited knowing that these machines would come along sooner or later.  They did and things are getting even better.

For recording and mixing I have used Pro Tools for the past 10 years.   I also use other devices that I think are amazing. The Roland Boss BR 1200 is one tool that performs nicely. This mutlitrack recorder is just  full of neat options. Some, I don’t even use.

I record radio spots on mine, as well as original music.

Warning, there are a few areas you should know about on the BR1200. This thing was not easy for me to figure out!

I spent a lot of extra time trying to learn the basic flow of this machine and it was frustrating. Finally, I broke down and bought the DVD that teaches you how to do it. For $20, it was a great investment.

Today I can use the BR1200 easily. But I remember the learning curve. It was not fun, especially after so many years of fingertip access to easy recording. So, I recommend you get some instruction to get started, or get the DVD.

This machine can do a lot. And I mean a lot! Plug your guitar in and get plenty of different sounds and textures. Record two or three guitar tracks. I often use my acoustic/electric  as a bass guitar. The BR 1200 will convert your low guitar strings to bass strings for smooth sounds (if you’d rather use the built in bass that’s fine, too. )It has strong bass sounds including jazz, slap, heavy, light, and upright. Add drums already built in to the BR1200. It takes a little time to program these things but once you get the hang of it, the results are solid.

I’ll be honest. I read reviews and searched the internet to try to get some help learning the BR1200. Slim pickins. What’s a hurried radio producer to do?  There is hardly anything out there that helps you learn to use it. Maybe I am just dense but I had a hard time. Now, I can record and edit almost as fast as I can think. So once you break through the learning curve it is a breeze. With so little info and not much support it took a lot of faith to keep going. If you have this problem, contact me and we will talk.

I also use the BR1200 to record voice for radio spots. I add a stock music bed, sound effects, mix it right on the machine, master it and can even burn a CD right there within the unit. It really does a lot.

There are preset voice filters, too. It does a good job of simulating certain mics. You can play around with all kinds of mic textures. There is built in reverb, compression, and equalization.

In the old days there was a general rule for buying a multitrack recorder. You could count on paying a thousand dollars for each track the machine offered. A four track would cost about $4,000. An eight track, about $8,000. Those days are long gone.

I marvel at today’s small audio worsktations. They offer so much at prices that would only be a dream 30 years ago.

If you want a machine to record your original music, including vocals, or if you just want to plug your mic in and record

books on tape, radio , TV or internet audio the BR1200 will do a good job.

I am a fan of the BR1200 and all that will come next.

Any radio producer can benefit by using these great recorders.

A good radio producer needs to know how to conduct emotion like an orchestra.

Susan Boyle is such a phenomenon that her soon to be released CD is being pre-ordered! Get on the waiting list here.

Have you seen the viral video that’s making the rounds? Susan Boyle singing beautifully on “Britain’s Got Talent”. The YouTube video has topped the 100 million-viewer mark – and may become the most viewed YouTube video ever.

Boyle, the 47-year-old resident of West Lothian, Scotland, sang the song  as she auditioned

before awestruck judges and audience members. Boyle said she’d like to be the next Elaine Page

Since then, the entire world has been watching — and rewatching — the dowdy woman with the unlikely, big voice.

OK, here’s the thing. Emotion is absolutley key here. Let’s go back to the beginning for perspective. Imagine you have just an etch-a sketch. Your mission as a producer is to create a lot of attention with whatever you can put on that screen.

That’s exactly the challenge  radio and TV producers are faced with every day. You’ve got a screen or a set of speakers and you’ve got to make something happen. So where do you turn? What direction do you take? Draw a few lines and hope it works? Not on your life.

You’ve got to touch hearts if you want to get real attention. I’ll use the Susan Boyle Video as an example. This was a masterpiece of attention getting . It looks so natural and feels so good to watch. Oh, and it is nicely embedded in real life to give it an extra sense of believability.

But don’t be fooled. This didn’t just happen. A producer was behind this. A good one.

The Hero’s Journey ( as taught by Joseph Campbell) is used extensively in this video.  In typical Hero’s Journey fashion, Susan Boyle  is a regular person just doing her regular thing. She is involved in a situation that is presented as a challenge. She takes the challenge against pretty big odds. The challenge is visible in the way she looks, the actual singing competition, the doubting audience, a panel of judges who don’t do charity. All elements that contribute to the dark night of the soul that  marks every hero’s journey .

She even has helpers, friends if you will.. the guys sidestage who are like a couple of accomplises. Their presence adds a lot to feelings that emerge in this video. They represent ‘us’.

Note: I am not suggesting that anything about the video if contrived. It was simply well crafted and presented in a way that contains these elements that make a great story.

Then she sings. She is pulling the sword from the stone. Big time.

The townspeople love it and give a big “hip hip hurray! ” Susan wins the day and delivers the goods to the people. Perfect ending. 

Knowing all this as I watched, I still felt it deeply and enjoyed it. That’s why The Hero’s Journey works. And true to the format, who get’s transformed ( the identifying characteristc of the hero)? Why,  she does, of course! Along with her, each of us do too as we identify with the hero.

One- He talked the way real people talk. Paul Harvey was the master of relating, using radio’s most powerful secret, one on one communication. His delivery felt personal.

Two- Use of word pictures. There has been none better than Paul Harvey. The man spoke theatre-of-the-mind. He used this radio tactic to the utmost. Instead of saying—“it was a cold day”, he would say something like “ it was so cold the stubbly grass on the front lawn was white with frost and crunched under foot.”

Three- He was direct. Quick. Staccato. He left little to ambiguity. Paul Harvey’s phrases were exact. Trimmed. Concise. A commanding style that creates a sense authority.

Four- He was real. We learned of his family. His weekends in the country. His meetings with celebrities. He shared his life with us. How he spent Thanksgiving, weddings, births and deaths.

Five-He was a master salesman with intergrity. Paul Harvey only endorsed products he believed in. No other person on radio has been so convincing. The best promotions do not appear to be promotions. The best sales methods do not appear to be selling at all. His commercials were little slices of information delivered in a compelling voice. Sincere. Believable. Relateable.

Six- He was professional. Paul Harvey was a pro, plain and simple. The best. His example of professionalism is an example of refinement. Educated for practicality. In other words. Useful knowledge.

Seven- Paul Harvey was a master storyteller. His beginnings, middles and endings kept the listener on the edge with curiosity, in the grip of drama and in the wonder of awe . His voice carried the story with such transparency that  he disappeared and the story took over.

Eight- He always gave more than expected and in honor of that principle, I give one extra lesson-

He was creative. One classic newscast was nothing but laughter. He got tickled, could not regain his composure and laughed the entire newscast, right up to his signature closing… Paul Harvey… good day.

Thank you Mr. Harvey, for the memories. Thank you for the laughs, the sharing, and the lessons.

God speed Paul Harvey.

Just want to give a big congratulations to some of my radio DJ friends -Rick McCracken, Rob Tanner, Chris Allen, Pinkie, Catherine Lane, Charlie and Debbie, Chad Dixon, and the staff at WSOC 103.7 ( listen online at wsocfm.com) in Charlotte, NC.

They just won the Academy of Country Music’s LARGE Market Radio Station of the Year Award!

I am proud to know each one of them.  Rick did the  production of the entry for the awards and I was honored to produce Catherine’s portion of the entry.

( I was also honored to produce Catherine’s entry that received a CMA nomination this year as well.)

These folks work (hard ) every day to keep the listeners in Charlotte informed and entertained. The Academy of Country Music agrees that they do a great job.

I look forward to seeing the televised awards show April 5th from Las Vegas and hope to see them all accept it!

Being a radio producer has it’s finer moments and this is one to celebrate!