How Yule Music Lets KOST Log Big Ratings

Ever since I was put in charge of KOST and KBIG, I searched for things to contribute to the stations’ continued success without getting in the way. My skill set obviously includes “hype” so the Disco Fever concept that I came up with for KBIG fit well at the time. But I was searching for something to do at KOST that did not obstruct the atmosphere of the AC station. When I heard the all-Christmas music idea, I thought “now here’s an idea this will work for KOST to bring attention,” plus I am Catholic and it seemed like a great way to promote my faith in an appropriate way. Jhani Kaye (KOST pd at the time] was not enthusiastic about the idea at first. In fact, I tried to get John Ivey to do it on KIIS initially, but Ivey correctly got me to back down and directed me toward Jhani’s office.

One day, after Jhani had said no several times to the pre-Thanksgiving start, the ratings come out and the LA Times calls me to get a comment. I had a long history with the Times as I perceived them as being irrational about the ratings. We went round and round about the publishing of the CUME with the AQH ratings for radio, as it gave a more accurate measure of the audience.

This particular call was about them asking me how it felt to not be beat by just one Spanish language station but now two Hispanic stations on the day the ratings came out, with KIIS in 3rd behind KLVE and KLAX. I said “they are cheating.” They print that. Now I have the Hispanic Media Coalition marching on the station, demanding that I be fired. (I think I saw John Hogan in that crowd as well? Just kidding.) I ignored them for a while until San Antonio called to say I had to fix it, or they were going to fix it. Yikes! I try to explain that the diary is overstating the TSL of the Latin audience and that it has to be fixed (later PPM proves this to be true).

Anyway, I set a meeting with the Hispanic Media Coalition to apologize and work out some way to get them to back off the call for my termination due to the “cheating comment.” I laid out several programs the stations will do to support their cause, but the Coalition is determined to have “me fired.” Finally, for some reason I say, “look I am Catholic, can I not offer a sincere confession and apology along with these programs and we move on?” One key lady in the Hispanic group says, “I am Catholic as well and I suggest we accept his apology and programs.”

After we agree and start working on the integration of the programs on a timeline, I randomly ask a follow up question on the topic of Catholics. I asked “what percent of the L.A. Latin population do you guys think is Catholic?” They respond with “maybe 90 percent?” I then say, “so it’s just like Italians like me.” Then I elaborate, “Do you guys speak Spanish in your home? Consume Spanish tv and radio?” They jokingly respond, “si!” I then ask, “at Christmas time do you listen to songs like Jingle Bells or Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer in English or Spanish?” They say universally “English!” Without blinking an eye I yell down the hall to Damien Lewis (my associate) to get me Jhani.

I said to Jhani, listen to this angle on why we’ll go all Christmas on KOST before Thanksgiving - Latinos represent 65%+ of the Persons 18 to 34 in Los Angeles and this 65% of all 18 – 34 year olds is nearly 100% Catholic! Translation: They are really into Christmas! Check this out Jhani: I have a room full of folks here that consume Spanish tv and radio at home and they do not even really like me much, so they are not agreeing with me just out of friendship. These guys are telling me that they listen to English-language Christmas music when the time comes. Jhani, this Christmas Music is actually the most bilingual music in all of L.A.

The test kitchen was clearly Arizona for the all-Christmas radio trend over many years of success. However, it did not become the massive format it is today until Jhani Kaye put it on KOST.

I remember signing the all-Christmas music on for the first time a few days before Thanksgiving. Soon afterward, I was chatting with Michael Jackel, one of the sales managers at KOST, while he was on a call at Grauman’s Chinese theatre. Jackel is a bright, supportive radio executive, so when he said, “Roy, I am not sure this all Christmas thing is going to work out for KOST. I have never had so many negative comments about KOST.” I respected Jackel’s input and said if the vibe was still negative on Monday after the weekend, we would likely just go back to normal programming and chalk it up to a stunt for the big shopping weekend.

Then Monday arrived. I came into the sales meeting at KOST and the room was abuzz with how much positive feedback they got from friends and talking to people at places they visited over the weekend in regard to the all-Christmas music. Jackel said, “I had the same experience,” so the concept was indeed a winner! If the KOST sales staff had not been supportive and gotten through the initial criticism of the idea, it would have been a one-time weekend promotion only.

The success of the first year ensured a repeat performance the following year. Year two of the Christmas music brought more opportunities to innovate. I was at lunch with Don Corsini and his new anchor from New York who had just joined his KCAL/Channel 9 team. I was talking to Don about the success of the first year of the all-Christmas music concept on KOST as part of a friendly conversation. The new anchor from New York pointed out the fact that, in New York there was an annual Yule tradition which involved showing a log burning and Christmas music playing on every channel on Christmas Eve. Don being as willing to take a risk as me, agreed at that lunch that we would bring the Yule log to Los Angeles and simulcast KOST in its broadcast premiere on KCAL/Channel 9.

Stella Schwartz and her team took the Christmas music to a higher level of testing. Then there was the involvement and influence of Mark Wallengren and Kim Amidon, just to name other ways the holiday format evolved. I believe there will be a new wave of all-Christmas radio in 2010. I am in talks to create a version of the all-Christmas music format to air on Spanish-language stations. The concept is for a radio station to offer Spanish programming 11 months of the year to flip all-Christmas music the week leading up to Thanksgiving. The announcers will still speak Spanish, but the Christmas music will be in English. I suspect that this version of all Christmas music is the only formidable competitor to the current dominant all-Christmas format.

I must confess taking the risks on projects, like the all Christmas format, and receiving no monetary reward or other accolades is a valuable lesson to have learned in life.”

Comments

-4 #10 2010-02-11 08:47

As a partial owner in radio stations, we have the show Betsy produces on a few, so the feelings are not mutual. I chose to positively highlight one of the most profitable pieces of radio programming today vs say the $100mill Howard Stern programming. The terrestrial radio industry should be touting this huge All Christmas Music win for the medium. As the financial infrastructure at radio changes out of necessity, more highly profitable ideas like the All Christmas Format and/or Tesh’s FTP daypart programming will emerge to win the day for stations and advertisers. I have always said that "New Business does not exist in radio as a stand-alone activity...There are only new ideas that attract new businesses..."

Now, to be fair Betsy's comment regarding me being in-studio with Dees and distracting him is accurate!!! But I am guessing that Rick would have liked having a supportive character for him at Movin' 93.9 even if he/she was disrupting him in studio...

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+6 #9 2010-02-09 00:00

48 uses of "I" in one article - not self absorbed much are we? Like they say, there is no "I" in team, which probably explains why Roy was unceremoniously dumped from 2 teams.

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+3 #8 2010-02-08 21:18

I find it interesting that Mr. Laughlin didn't credit the all-Christmas music idea to KLAC which did around a month of all-Christmas near the end of it's mid and late 1990's Adult Standards format (not the crappy "Martini" format that Clear Channel blew chunks with later after blowing more chunks with a crappier talk format). Now, I don't remember if KLAC actually went all-Christmas before Thanksgiving, but lest we split hairs, KOST was NOT first with the all-Christmas idea in L.A.

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-10 #7 2010-02-08 16:28

Roy is the most sophisticated, creative and gifted executive in Radio in the US. We need more charismatic executives that bring that creative and "can-do" personality into the industry today...

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0 #6 2010-02-08 13:50

Perhaps another risk should be taken, Return KOST to full service Beautiful Music 24 / 7 for the rest of the year.
Too many stations with the ugly music
difficult listening format!

TC

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+6 #5 2010-02-08 13:36

Roy couldn't be a bigger blowhard if he tried. Hey Roy, now tell us a TRUE story---like how you used to invade Rick Dees' studio during the 7am hour EVERY DAY and distract him with things that had nothing to do with his show? (If you worked in the front office of an NFL franchise, would you bug the quarterback on the field during games?) Bottom line, you are not a programmer Roy and you never will be. You are a sales slug. Know your role and maybe you'll find a job again. In the meantime, please stop bothering us with your dillusions of grandeur.

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-8 #4 2010-02-08 12:30

I think Roy is the best General Manager in the history of LA Radio!

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+7 #3 2010-02-08 10:56

Talk about a masturbatory exercise in self-flagellation. "My skill set obviously includes 'hype'"...ya think? What will Roy take credit for next...the falling of the Nerlin wall...the Saints' victory in the Super Bowl? The mind reels. Yes, taking risks on someone else's ideas, already successfully executed, "creatively borrowing" them for personal attribution - and not getting credit is a valuable lesson. Now go say 1000 Hail Mary's and sin no more.

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