Tag: Radio

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Music Music Blog

New App, Ode Audio, is a Tribute to Black Memphis Music

Ode Audio CEO Howard Robertson (left) and Matthew Harris (Flyer)

If there’s one thing that Memphis knows, it’s music, and Ode Audio is looking to reinforce that fact. A broadcasting group that focuses on the curation of Black radio, podcasts, and music, Ode Audio plans to launch its mobile phone app this spring. The Memphis Flyer spoke with CEO Howard Robertson about his connection to the music industry, the formation of Ode Audio, and his hopes for the future.

Memphis Flyer: Tell us a little bit about yourself and your relationship with Memphis, music, and radio.

Howard Robertson: I’m a native Memphian, born and raised in Memphis during the 50s and 60s and I’m quite proud of that, because that was ground zero and basically the center of the universe if you were young and African American. There were so many things happening here from a musical, cultural, civil rights, and human rights standpoint. I could not have wished, or hoped, or planned to be raised at a better time, or in a better place than Memphis, Tennessee. I had always loved radio as a kid, and grew up listening to WDIA and WLOK. I didn’t know it at the time, but WDIA was the first Black format radio station in America. And that’s what I decided I wanted to do.

One thing that sounds important to you is your sense of pride in the African American community in Memphis. How has that feeling translated into audio?

I was fortunate enough to grow up here and was always exposed to Black excellence and Black entrepreneurs. So that exposure to business came from Memphis. I had an opportunity to see people do things that had never been done before. So having the opportunity to be exposed to that kind of excellence and entrepreneurial excellence, gave me a lot of confidence. I had long since been able to make a living from my ideas and imagination. And that’s how I came up with Ode Audio.

Where did you come up with the name?

Ode Audio has a dual meaning. First, it’s an acronym that stands for “our digital entertainment.” And secondly, the word ode, by definition, means a musical or poetic tribute to something or someone, and in this particular case, Ode is a musical tribute to Black music, Black culture, and Black radio. It speaks in two ways to what we’re trying to accomplish.

Your website says that you want to focus on not just Black radio and Black podcasts, but also on Black culture. What are some of the ways that you’re going to promote that through your new app?

We’re going to do that by being a conduit, being the linkage between music, news, and culture. What we’re going to do is to give an opportunity to pull things together. For example, where does where the National Urban League prize podcast live? Where does the NAACP’s podcast live? Other organizations that are significant contributors to Black people and culture, where does that information live? We’re going to be able to tie it all in because it really has no other place to live. Each group has its own website, but there is not a kind of a central repository, a one-stop-shop for Black information entertainment, and culture, and all of that.

Ode Audio will be launching its flagship app sometime this spring. More information on the app and its message can be found on the organization’s website.

Categories
Music Music Blog

DittyTV Steps Up To Major Radio Markets & Beyond

CREDIT: Courtesy DittyTV

Courtesy DittyTV

Local heroes DittyTV, who have steadily grown their online music television streaming presence since 2014, made a major leap forward this week when they announced a new partnership with the New York-based Krantz Media Group/KMG Networks (KMG), which specializes in marketing audio-only content, chiefly in what is still broadly called “radio.”

“DittyTV is the most robust video channel in the world dedicated to the diverse and growing Americana and Roots music categories,” said Gary Krantz, CEO of KMG. “Americana continues to grow exponentially and is the passionate choice for 18-34 and 25-54-year-old adults that are under-served by mainstream media, yet highly desired by brands and advertisers. KMG is very excited to build success with several projects in the works for all forms of radio and podcasts”. And while DittyTV already features a 24/7 Ditty TV audio channel, at www.dittytvradio.com, plans are now being made for daily and weekly podcasts, event and awards show coverage, and more.

I spoke with DittyTV CEO Ronnie Wright to see just what this meant for the company, and what new ways we could expect to hear its content in the future.

Memphis Flyer: So how did this partnership come about?

Ronnie Wright: Gary was pretty persistent, so we double checked with some mentors that we have before we decided to pursue it. It turns out this guy’s been in radio his whole career. It’s all about radio and audio. He reached out to us independently, and a couple people we know actually went to college with him. So they go way back. That gave us a level of comfort. He’s identified this Americana movement and this under-served market. He knows how to monetize audio-specific assets.

What specifically does that mean, in terms of how people will hear your stuff?

There’s a couple things he’s gonna help us with, which is getting a radio, or audio-only version of DittyTV on something like Sirius XM or iHeart Radio. It would be its own channel where you could listen to Ditty on some other platforms, other than our own. And then there’ll be a revenue split on advertising that they sell. That’s one thing he does. And another thing that’s growing are podcasts. Basically, what he does is bridge the licensing agreements, and then he has the advertising connections and machine to connect advertisers with our content. And we’ve already created a lot of our content, and we’re sitting on it. So we have a 24 hour broadcast, and we already have an audio version of it, where I just strip out the video. If you go to dittytvradio.com, it’s already live. You’ll see all of our podcasts, and you can just listen to the audio. So Gary thinks we can get on other platforms and make some money out of licensing, and or selling advertising. And ironically, he says on the radio market, there’s still people listening and people making money. Even on traditional terrestrial radio, AM and FM. They’re still buying content. So what we’re talking about putting together is a weekly Americana & Roots wrap up or countdown, something like that. And we’ll produce a two or three hour show that we then syndicate to all these radio stations.

Courtesy DittyTV

It sounds like this will be a big move for you all in the domestic market. I know you’re already pretty big internationally.

Yeah. And from our standpoint, it’s just building general brand awareness. The more places we can get, whether it’s on an app or a radio station, or iHeart radio, the better. Gary thinks there’s a lot of opportunity with the audio-only part of our thing that we really have to explore. I’ve always been more interested in the television part of this. But he’s right. All our teleprogramming is very easily turned into podcasts or radio programming. And since audio is cheaper to produce, there’s so many more opportunities that we can create. So we’re expanding our footprint into the radio podcast world, be it satellite or terrestrial. And we’re thinking about specifically producing a radio show, which we’ve never really done before. But we have all the rights to the music. So there’s no reason we couldn’t just put together an audio version of what we’re already doing.

What is KMG bringing to the table in this partnership?

Gary’s got a lot of connections in the industry, with larger names in the Americana Roots world. He thinks we could get guest hosts and guest DJ’s. Kinda like XM shows that have celebrity co-hosts. And since we’re  a lot better at producing content than selling, he can help us with that. So it could open some doors. He’s gonna do this whole market analysis. And our first goal is to get on a high profile radio network, like Sirius or iHeart. Just to raise visibility. And once we turn that corner, other things will come more easily. And it would be the same broadcast that we’re already doing.

Will DittyTV continue to stick with Americana and roots music?

With satellite channels, it’s usually genre driven. When it comes to Americana-Roots, whatever you want to call it, I think what Gary is realizing, which is what we realized, is there’s a big smart global group that likes this stuff. They like the fact that it’s not mainstream country. They like the fact that it’s not pop music or electronica. There’s a place for what we’re curating on more platforms, so more people can get to it. If you like it on your television, why not stream it in your car? Or on your XM radio? Or on your iHeart app? And with DittyTV, the goal is not necessarily to make a lot of money, the goal is to be sustainable, self sustainable, and be a real resource and help emerging artists. If we grow, we can make a bigger impact. It would be great to triple the staff. Or to have an RV on the road, covering festivals, with a whole other camera crew.

I know you’ve recently opened a retail shop as well, Vibe & Dime, on South Main Street. What other new projects are cooking at Ditty?

We also formed a non profit, called the Ditty Foundation. Everything we produce goes back to the artist. We give them all the media for free, we promote the albums and the tours.

And we also just released DittyTV 2.0. We have a brand new app for all the set-top boxes like Apple TV, Fire TV, Roku, Tivo, and now you can watch all the shows on demand, which is new. We’ll always have the live 24/7 broadcast, but now you’ll be able to pick your favorite shows. And we have so many episodes! You can also get daily news segments. And by the end of next week, we’re gonna have our mobile apps. So you’ll have all those same capabilities in an iPhone app and an Android app. The radio only, the on demand, the live broadcast. We’re super excited about that.

And we’re super excited about partnering with KMG. I think Gary really appreciates the entrepreneurship that’s gone into DItty so far, the challenges that we’ve had to overcome. So hopefully DittyTV will be coming to a radio dial near you soon.

Categories
News

Memphian’s PhotoBlog Featured on NPR

CREDIT: Lindsay Turner

Lindsay Turner, a 20-something Memphis Midtowner is participating in National Public Radio’s Project 365, and shooting a “photo-a-day” of her life in the Bluff City.

Today, a number of her photos are posted in a slideshow at NPR.org. You can check it out here.

And for more of Lindsay’s work, check out her blog, Theology and Geometry on the Flyer‘s newly expanded blogroll.

Categories
News

Calkins Leaves WHBQ for ESPN Radio 730-AM

After three years as co-host of the long-running morning-radio program Sportstime with George Lapides on Sports 56-WHBQ, Commercial Appeal sports columnist Geoff Calkins has left the station for its primary competitor, 730-AM ESPN Radio.

Calkins made his final appearance on “Sportstime” yesterday morning, appearing with substitute co-host Brett Norsworthy, rather than Lapides, who was traveling to New York for a University of Memphis basketball game. Calkins didn’t announce his departure, but suggested it in a closing monologue that paid tribute to the show. Lapides, appearing this morning with Norsworthy, announced that Calkins was leaving to do a show on another station and that Norsworthy would be his co-host for the remainder of the year.

Though the station hasn’t officially announced a start date or time-slot, look for Calkins to re-emerge on local radio early next year on a two-hour morning show on 730-AM, alongside his former Commercial Appeal colleague Gary Parrish, the former Tiger basketball beat writer who is currently the national college basketball columnist for CBSSports.com. Parrish, currently a regular guest on 730’s afternoon program, “The Chris Vernon Show,” is expected to remain a part of that show in a reduced role.

“I really enjoyed my time with George,” Calkins wrote this morning in an e-mail from New York, where he’s also covering the Tiger basketball game. “I’m not going to say a bad word about the guy. But after three years sitting in that chair, I wanted to create my own show, to build something with Gary Parrish that reflects my sensibilities. People said I was silly to leave the law, too, but life’s too short not to have new adventures along the way. This will be a great new adventure. I hope people give it a listen.”

–Chris Herrington

Categories
Letters To The Editor Opinion

Letters to the Editor

Best of Memphis

Once again, the Flyer‘s “Best of Memphis” issue has both entertained and infuriated me. I realize that polling is an imperfect art and the (sometimes) lowest common denominator will determine the winner. And yes, I like Huey’s hamburgers.

But seriously, how can a multi-million-dollar golf course such as Spring Creek Ranch possibly be tied (for third-best golf course) with a goat track like Overton Park? And how can a pedestrian “Italian” restaurant like Pete and Sam’s possibly be in consideration for “Best Italian” in the same garlic breath as Ronnie Grisanti’s?

I could go on: “Best Service” had Texas de Brazil first, followed by Chick-Fil-A??? Holy crap! That’s just insane. And Mud Island Amphitheater winning third in “Best Place To Hear Live Music”? Yeah, like what, twice a year?

I know the Flyer doesn’t have any control over the voting, but, people, please — show some common sense!

Ricky Gardner

Memphis

I want to know how Geoff Calkins and Wendi Thomas win “Best Columnist” every year when the Flyer offers us such stellar and superior talents as Jackson Baker, John Branston, Mary Cashiola, and Bruce VanWyngarden?

Haven’t you people ever heard of stuffing the ballot?

Mary Warren

Memphis

War Ethics

As I watched the excellent PBS Ken Burns series The War this past two weeks, I was struck how American expectations and standards seem to have changed since World War II. Think about what President Bush is reviled for in Iraq.  

Under an order signed by Roosevelt, well over 100,000 U.S. citizens — mostly based solely on their race — were sent to concentration camps and much of their property was stolen. For years after Pearl Harbor, Americans weren’t told the extent of our losses in men and ships. GIs in Europe, three years after we got into the war, had such lousy equipment to fight in winter, they were stealing from the German dead to try to keep from freezing.

The Allies killed 35,000 German civilians in one night in one city. A million Japanese civilians were burned out of their homes in one day in one city. German Army prisoners were executed out of hand, and an experienced U.S. soldier protesting this was warned he might get shot too.

“Intelligence failure” hardly seems an adequate term for the massive surprise military attack on Pearl Harbor after FDR had been in office for years. Of course, the U.S. in 1940-’41 had a military smaller than Romania’s, years after Germany and Japan were arming to the teeth.

If you don’t like Bush, fine — there’s a lot not to be happy with. But maybe think about what you accept without reservation in one president before you curse another.

Herbert E. Kook Jr.
Germantown

Air America

Because I still mourn the loss of Air America Radio, I am writing in response to the letter from the gentleman in Germantown (“Letters,” September 27th issue) and his reference to a “disgruntled” listener (and the three other listeners).

There were actually a lot more than three listeners and would probably have been many more if we had been made aware Air America wasn’t going to be available in our area. He mentions “hate,” and I won’t say there wasn’t some in evidence, but I guess it was just the wrong flavor for him, because I didn’t hear it directed at homosexuals, minorities, pro-choicers, Jews, Muslims, Catholics, or war protestors.

The “bile” being spewed was more directed at those who were perceived to be failing in their duty to protect and defend our Constitution and to respect our country as a nation of laws. How can dissent be un-American? Is that not what created this country? I would ask the gentleman, and anyone else, if you had been around in 1776, would you have stood with the king or the colonists?

Linda Cowart
Germantown

Iran and the U.S.

I keep hoping the damage the elected heads of state of Iran and the U.S. can do is reaching its limits.

It is a sad commentary on democracy when an “Ahmadina-Bush” is chosen. For my part, I vow never to vote for a Republican again, as I did in several races in the last general election.

Let’s send a message and work to take back our country from the election thieves of 2000!

Greg Williams

Memphis

Categories
Music Music Features

Back in a Flash

CREDIT: David "Flash" Fleishman

“Music is all I’ve done since I was 15, which is for the last 46 years.”

So says Memphis native David “Flash” Fleishman, who, in the 1960s, fronted rock-and-roll bands Flash & the Memphis Casuals and Flash & the Board of Directors. A decade later, he was hired as a local promotions director for Atlantic Records, when Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones were that label’s top draws. After working his way up the corporate ladder — and into a job at Atlantic’s New York home office — Fleishman relocated to Los Angeles, where he served as vice president of rock promotion for MCA before going independent.

He’s worked with legendary bands ranging from AC/DC to Yes, yet, at age 61, Fleishman’s knee-deep into what he claims as possibly his most exciting project yet: AllMemphisMusic.com, an online radio station he started with former Memphian Jon Scott last year.

Sitting behind his computer in his home office (he and his wife, Jaye, moved back to town in 2004), Fleishman leans back in his chair and smiles. “Here’s our studio,” he says, gesturing to the gold and platinum records lining the walls and a daunting pile of CDs stacked on his butcher-block-style desk.

“Jon called me up one afternoon with the idea, and I thought about it all night. I tried to find the negative, but I couldn’t. The artists get paid via BMI, and it’s positive publicity for Memphis music. It’s an absolute win for everybody involved,” he says of the Internet station, which, via Web server Live365, plays everything from B.B. King and Little Milton to Jimmy Davis and Giant Bear, broadcasts the syndicated Beale Street Caravan radio program, and, through a partnership with the Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau, promotes events such as Memphis in May, Gonerfest, and this summer’s Stax-centric 50 Years of Soul campaign.

The station’s criteria are simple: music made in Memphis or the Mid-South, music made by Mid-Southerners, or music with a Memphis theme.

“Memphis music is global. The list of countries I see listening is astonishing,” says Scott, who worked as a disc jockey at FM-100 during that station’s progressive-rock heyday, introducing local audiences to David Bowie and ZZ Top before embarking on a career at MCA and ABC Records in L.A.

“We have a lot of transplanted Memphians who listen to us, plus a legion of fans who love the Memphis sound,” he adds. “I don’t think there’s another station in the world like us.”

While Scott says that technological advances and corporate dictums have taken the fun out of terrestrial radio, he says Internet radio “is like the Wild West.”

Fleishman agrees. “It’s interesting times. The Internet has definitely leveled the playing field,” he says. “[Major labels] are in a horrible predicament right now, because their business is dependent on selling albums. Now anybody can make and promote a record. A guy from Missouri, Robert A. Johnson, sent us a letter thanking us for playing his music. He’d been contacted from people in Europe and on the East Coast about playing some shows there.

“We’re promoting heritage, but we also want to expose new artists,” Fleishman continues, explaining that after a year, All Memphis Music is now soliciting advertising, both on-air and via banner ads on its homepage. This Friday, October 5th, the station is also launching a new music show, which will showcase contemporary bands from 11 p.m. to midnight.

Incorporating current genres such as rap and indie rock is imperative to the station’s mission, Fleishman says.

“We can’t play every piece of music we’re sent, but rap is the genre of the day, and it’s Memphis music,” he says. “Sure, we play Otis [Redding] and Elvis [Presley], but there’s so much more than that. We love Nick Pagliari‘s new MADJACK record. Rice Drury, who is, I believe, a dentist, just made a very cool record.”

There is still a Memphis sound, Scott says, listing Keith Sykes, Todd Snider, Paul Thorn, and the North Mississippi Allstars as four purveyors of the style.

“The niche-marketing aspect of it is in my heart,” Scott says. “When I listen to our station online, I’m like, good God, there’s so much talent in Memphis that it boggles my mind. I know I’m prejudiced, but I really love it!”

AllMemphisMusic.com is currently seeking new Memphis music. To get your songs played, send CDs to David Fleishman (9169 Tryon Cove, Memphis, TN 38108) or Jon Scott (5352 Norwich Ave., Sherman Oaks, CA 91411) or e-mail MP3s to AllMemphisMusic@aol.com.

Categories
Best of Memphis Special Sections

Media

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

A precedent was set this year, as one man topped three categories and placed in two others. There has never been a sweep like this in any section of the Best of poll since it started in 1994. That man is Chris Vernon, host of “The Chris Vernon Show” on AM 730 ESPN. (Full disclosure: Flyer music and film editor Chris Herrington has a regular slot on the show.) Last year, Vernon’s single appearance in the results was a tie for third place in “Best Sports Show.” So how did Vernon become the man of nearly all Memphis media in just one year? He did campaign hard, asking his listeners to include him while making their Best of picks. But, really, only the voters know for sure.

Best TV News Anchor

1. Joe Birch, WMC-TV, Channel 5

2. Claudia Barr, WREG-TV,
Channel 3

3. Donna Davis, WMC-TV,
Channel 5 — tie —

Dee Griffin, WPTY-TV, Channel 24

Joe Birch gives Action News 5 a TV-category sweep in Best of Memphis. Sage, with a magical voice, some might say Birch is the Väinämöinen of Memphis TV, but that would just be silly.

Best FM Station

1. WEVL-FM 89.9

2. WXMX-FM 98.1, The Max

3. WMC-FM 99.7, FM 100

When WEVL 89.9 calls itself “listener supported,” they aren’t kidding: They got enough support to take this year’s top prize. WEVL’s stable of excellent and diverse programs and volunteer hosts makes a great case, but Friday night’s Cap’n Pete’s Blues Cruise might have been enough to do the trick by itself.

Best AM Station

1. WREC-AM 600

2. AM 730 ESPN

3. WHBQ-AM 560 — tie —

WWTQ-AM 680

With its potent mix of national programming (Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity) sandwiched between local drive-time shows (Memphis Morning News, Mike Fleming), WREC-AM 600 has daytime news and commentary covered. Add overnight spooks and conspiracy theories with George Noory and the rest of Paul Harvey’s story, and you’ve got an AM station lots of folks want to lend their ears to.

Best Drive-Time Show

1. Drake & Zeke, WXMX-FM 98.1, The Max

2. The Chris Vernon Show, AM 730 ESPN

3. Karson & Kennedy, WHBQ-FM 107.5

Since relocating to 98.1 from Rock 103, Drake and Zeke have taken over the morning FM airwaves. The comedy duo is ersatz coffee for Memphians in need of waking up before punching the clock. Sports reporter and sidekick Marky B spikes the concoction with salt.

Best Sports Show

1. The Chris Vernon Show, AM 730 ESPN

2. Sportstime with George Lapides & Geoff Calkins, WHBQ-AM 560

3. Morning Rush, WHBQ-AM 560

Vernon’s show is Memphis’ vote for best sports talk. But that’s not all …

Best Radio Talk Show

1. The Chris Vernon Show, AM 730 ESPN

2. Mike Fleming, WREC-AM 600

3. Drake & Zeke, WXMX-FM 98.1, The Max

Vernon’s show also has been named best talk in all of radio. But that’s not all …

Best Radio Personality

1. Chris Vernon, AM 730 ESPN

2. Drake and Zeke, WXMX-FM 98.1, The Max

3. Ron Olson, WMC-FM 99.7, FM 100

Winning the Triple Crown of Memphis radio, Chris Vernon has also nabbed the best personality prize. We’re pretty sure Vernon set up a booth in front of the Flyer offices asking people to vote for him on the way in, not unlike a high-schooler dreaming of being homecoming queen. We’re touched that you care, Verno! Also, at Vernon’s request, please make the following adjustments to your life: When playing 20 Questions, acceptable categories are now Vegetable, Mineral, or Chris Vernon. When talking about a dance club, you should now begin its name with the possessive phrase “Chris Vernon’s.” For example: “Chris Vernon’s Raiford’s Hollywood” and “Chris Vernon’s Backstreet.” Finally, in voting for next year’s Best of Memphis, Chris Vernon asks you to remember that he may be eligible for all kinds of nontraditional categories. To name but a few: Best Kid-Friendly Restaurant, Best Grizzlies Player, and Best Memphis Failure. Congrats, Chris!

Best Newspaper
Columnist

1. Geoff Calkins, The Commercial Appeal

2. Wendi C. Thomas, The Commercial Appeal

3. Tim Sampson, Memphis Flyer

What’s great about Geoff Calkins goes beyond his sports columns, which are often tinged with social commentary and give Memphians something to ponder while eating their Wheaties. It’s that readers can call him up on his radio show, Sportstime, on WHBQ-AM 560, and sing his praises or give him what-for. Now that’s service!

Best TV
Sportscaster

BOM 1. Jarvis Greer,
WMC-TV, Channel 5

2. Greg Gaston, formerly of
WPTY-TV, Channel 24

3. David Cera, WMC-TV, Channel 5

The sports director for WMC-TV Channel 5, Jarvis Greer has been a fixture on Memphis TV screens for decades. He looked great all those years on tube television. He looks even better on plasma and LCD.

Justin Fox Burks

Best Weatherperson

BOM 1. Dave Brown, WMC-TV, Channel 5

2. Ron Childers, WMC-TV, Channel 5

3. Jim Jaggers, WREG-TV, Channel 3 — tie —

Joey Sulipeck, WHBQ-TV, Fox 13

A paternal, benevolent force, with powers over the wind and rain and thunder: That’s right, Dave Brown is the Ukko of the Memphis TV broadcasting pantheon.

Justin Fox Burks

1st Place: Best Weatherperson

Best Memphis-Themed Web Site

1. MemphisFlyer.com

2. LiveFromMemphis.com

3. CommercialAppeal.com

You like us! You really like us! Actually, as far as we’re concerned, the best part of our site is the reader comments. It takes a village to kick so much ass.

Best Memphis Blog

1. Paul Ryburn’s Journal,

http://www.paulryburn.com/blog/

2. Verno’s Blog,

http://chrisvernon.blogspot.com/

3. Two Cents with Randy Malone,

http://memphissport.typepad.com/randy/ — tie —

Rachel & the City,

www.rachelandthecity.com/

Whenever we see Paul Ryburn out and about in downtown Memphis, sipping a brew at the Flying Saucer or strolling along South Main, why is it we feel we’ve spotted a famous person? Is it another product of the Internet age, where bloggers are celebrities? Or is it just the great neighborhood advocacy work Ryburn does on his Web site?

Categories
We Recommend We Recommend

Ham It Up

CREDIT: Lorelyn Medina | Dreamstime.com

CQ CQ CQ

Ever since Reginald Fessenden peeped a “Hello” in the Maryland night over a century ago, the invisible, seemingly silent airspace of earth’s atmosphere has boomed with the voices of amateur radio operators. Today, these radio amateurs, or “hams,” number in the hundreds of thousands worldwide. A bunch of them are gathering — in person — on Saturday for FreeFest, at the Bartlett Station Municipal Center’s Banquet Hall.

Though hams will be legion at FreeFest, jawing jargon to each other, the uninitiated are encouraged to attend. There will be seminars, Amateur Radio License Examinations, information on ham radio, raffles and prizes, and a flea market to get you properly outfitted, whether you’re obsessed, a hobbyist, a dabbler, or just ham-curious.

The event is produced by the Memphis Area Radio Association and is sanctioned by the Amateur Radio Relay League. Passing an exam is required to become a licensed radio amateur — this ain’t Pump Up the Volume, you know. Of course, once you’re licensed, you get your very own ultra-cool callsign. And, as of this year, you don’t even have to know Morse code to get certified.

FreeFest costs what you’d expect, and proceeds from the no-charge-entry raffles go to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Also, organizers say “Talk-In 146.28/88 Repeater — no tone,” whatever that means.

SK

FreeFest, Bartlett Station Municipal Center, 5868 Stage, Saturday, April 14th, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. For more information, call Tony Brignole WA4KHN at 372-2738.

Categories
News The Fly-By

What Women Want?

The Black Eyed Peas, MC Hammer, The O’Jays, Shakira, Montell Jordan, and the Bee Gees. No, it’s not a selection from a Saturday night at Alfred’s. It’s a sample list of the bands people at Entercom Radio think Memphis women want to hear.

Songs by those artists and others in the up-tempo-pop genre are played in heavy rotation on the new Snap 94.1, which switched names from The Buzz to the female-leaning format last Monday.

“This is targeted at women 18 to 49 and has been heavily researched within the Memphis market,” said Steve Sandman, vice president and market manager for Entercom Radio in Memphis.

Sandman says the station performed six weeks of market testing on local women chosen by a screening company. The women listened to the eight most familiar seconds of certain songs — also called hooks — and rated each selection in categories ranging from “totally dislike” to “one of my favorites.”

The results found that local women were hungry for a station that focused on upbeat music ranging from Motown and disco to ’80s pop and early ’90s dance music. The station plays some new music but mostly focuses on older, more familiar hits.

“It’s for the woman that goes to the mall and shops at Old Navy, but when it’s time for fun, she would go dancing with her girlfriends at Studio 54 in New York City,” said Sandman.

Despite decent rating, the Buzz went off the air at 5 p.m. October 27th without warning. The station ran a computerized countdown clock throughout the following weekend, and Snap was launched October 30th with no DJs or drive-time shows.

Sandman would not comment on the job status of Buzz DJs but says the station is in the process of taking resumes and auditioning for new Snap DJs. The station will no longer be airing syndicated morning show Kidd Kraddick.

The station’s decision to switch to a more female-oriented format came shortly after another local station made a similar change. Citadel Broadcasting’s Power 99, previously a hip-hop station, became the female-friendly Kim FM in September.

Though there is some overlap in what the two stations play, Kim’s station manager Lance Tidwell says they’re playing more “1970s and 1980s white pop rock” while Snap features more dance music.

Also unlike Snap, Tidwell says Kim changed formats because the previous station garnered mediocre ratings.

Kim is aimed at women ages 25 to 54 and plays artists such as Elton John, Billy Joel, Bryan Adams, Madonna, Heart, Pat Benatar, and Bon Jovi.

“Kim would be a 36-year-old, right in the core of the demographic of professional working mothers,” says Tidwell. “She would have graduated high school in 1987 or 1988, so the music most influential in her life would be the music spanning 1976 through the early ’90s.”

The adult variety format started in Canada with a station called Jack FM in 2000. With its success, stations in the U.S. and the U.K. adopted similar variety-hits formats aimed at men or women and giving the stations names such as Ben FM in Philadelphia and Jill FM in Los Angeles.

Entercom also acquired FM100 last week, and DJs Garner Miller, Steve Conley, and market manager Terry Wood were let go. However, Sandman says he does not anticipate format changes for that station.

“FM100 is a great brand and it’s been in the market for years,” said Sandman. “There may be some similar songs on FM100 [compared to Snap], but it’s more family-oriented. It’s a different way to reach the audience musically.”