Author: Scott Westerman
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Keener’s Secret Sauce
There has been a lot of discussion on the blogs lately about what made 60s Top 40 radio rock. The buzz around the on-air reunions at WLS, WQXI, et al, attests to the continuing connection listeners have with the radio stations they grew up with. That’s something that’s clearly not the case today. Our kids’…
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The Ultimate Competitive Advantage
In three decades as a telecom guy, I’ve enjoyed both technological and price advantages… and disadvantages. I’ve learned the most about customer loyalty in the situations where we’ve had intense competitors, some of whom appeared at the time to have the better value proposition. I always found it possible to win if we remembered one…
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Remembering Ted Heusel
In the days when my dad was an administrator at the Ann Arbor Public Schools, election nights took on a special significance. It was a time when people actually voted “yes” on school bond issues and the money drove the construction of Scarlet Junior High and the venerable Huron High School. I don’t remember the…
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Virtual Date Night
Someone once told me that the secret of a successful marriage is to “never stop courting”.For 30 years Colleen and I have preserved our Wednesdays for Date Night. I leave the office at 5 sharp and we spend the evening celebrating our relationship. We’ll seek a favorite restaurant, see a movie, walk the mall or…
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Thunder in the Desert
There are no ordinary days in New Mexico. The view from Academy and Tramway is an exquisite panorama that splashes a palate of earth tones more than 40 miles distant on a clear day. Its noon, and I’m watching a thunderstorm form far off in the desert. When the pressure systems that blanket the earth…
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What's up with the Keener Podcast?
After more than three years, the Keener Podcast has faded into history. Why?1) The day jobs that Steve Schram and Scott Westerman have are keeping us pretty busy and time has been at a premium. Both of us won’t do anything Keener related unless we’re certain it will live up to Keener standards.2) It costs…
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Why commercial radio is in decline.
From Inside RadioTime for radio to take some chances.That’s a mantra for Greater Media’s Peter Smyth. While Cumulus chief Lew Dickey tells the NAB Radio Show in Dallas “we can’t be afraid to fall on our faces” and experiment. And Emmis boss Jeff Smulyan says the new comedy-based morning show at Q101, Chicago has him…
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Change Management
I’ve been thinking about change management a lot lately. Most of us exist in organizations that have a degree of dysfunction and helping others open up and buy into new ideas is a pretty important part of the job.Mark Goulston, writing on Keith Ferrazzi’s blog says that you can get a person to open up…
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Nellie Knorr 1916-2006
Nellie Knorr, the visionary woman who created WKNR, passed away on August 10th, four months shy of her 90th birthday. She would have been the first to share the credit for WKNR’s groundbreaking success with the many men and women who were part of the Keener team. But in the end, it was she who…
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Ignoring this is not a business model
There’s a great ad in one of the trades that lists the latest on-demand technology: Weblogs, Podcasting, YouTube, Tivo, ITunes.. And then, in a direct shot at the linear media, the ad concludes, “Ignoring this is not a business model.” It made me think of this..https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xAA71Ssids