-
10 Questions with ... Mark Elliott
May 12, 2008
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. -
NAME:Mark ElliottTITLE:President/ConsultantSTATIONS:KFYV, KGMX, & KSNNCOMPANY:Z1 Creative ConsultingBORN:Pittsburgh, PA - September 1959RAISED:RAISED: Weirton, WV
1) What led you to leave the day-to-day operations of programming a cluster of radio stations to start your own consultancy?
After 28 years of being on the front lines and overseeing multiple formats for over 16 years, I felt it was time for a new challenge. To me this is the next logical step in my career. I see an opportunity to help several companies instead of just one. Over the years, I've made my owners a lot of money and now it's time to apply everything I've learned to my own business.
2) Why did you name your company Z1 Creative?
Just about every situation I've found myself in during my career has been one where I've had to take an under-performing operation and turn it into a profitable one. It's what I enjoy doing most and it's what I'm good at. The "Z" is the last letter in the alphabet and the "1" stands for first. Therefore, Z1 stands for last to first and you have to be fairly creative to take an operation from last to first. That's why I decided to call my company Z1 Creative.
3) Will consulting be your main focus?
Initially, consulting will be our main focus. We're starting with 23 stations under our belt. But long term I want Z1 Creative to become a marketing, research and consulting firm.
Five years from now I see radio as being just one division of what we do. I want to concentrate on building the radio division first, and then we'll develop the marketing and research divisions later. However, market conditions may force me to focus on marketing sooner than later.
4) What was your first job in radio? Who were your early influences?
In 1979, I was hired as a Sportscaster for WEIR in Weirton, WV. My early influences were Bob Prince, Myron Cope, Jack Fleming and Mike Lang.
5) What do you feel is one of the biggest challenges facing radio today?
The perception that terrestrial radio is dead has to be frightening. While iPods, the Internet, and satellite radio have been making in-roads, consolidation and greed has been slowly deteriorating our business.
Since consolidation began in the mid 90's, have you noticed the more our industry invests in technology to become less dependent on people...the more ground we seem to lose to our competitors?
The two most common questions I get from General Managers are, "Where can I find some good sales people?" Or, "Where can I find a good morning show?" The answer is to start investing in creative people again, or continue to watch your investments suffer.
6) What are your thoughts about the people meter?
I still have an article from May of 1991 announcing how the people meter was going to reshape radio. Here we are 17 years later and it's just now getting introduced to Los Angeles.
When talking to programmers, what I find fascinating is how they're all trying to figure out how to manipulate the people meter. My suggestion is to just program the most compelling and memorable radio station you can, and I promise you'll do well. Too many programmers today focus on everything but what comes out of the box.
7) What can we be doing with our web sites to better our stations as a whole?
Radio is so far behind the eight ball on this. Television and print have seen the future and are doing something about it. A station's Web Site should be an extension of your entire operation, and needs to evolve as your audience evolves or you'll be left behind. ESPN does an awesome job of utilizing their website(s) as an extension of their brand and this is where terrestrial radio needs to get to in a hurry, especially their News-Talk operations.
8) What would you recommend to someone new just getting started in the business?
Start developing and maintaining good relationships. It's not "what" you know...but "who" you know in most cases that gets you a job. Also, learn every aspect about how a radio station functions. Knowledge is power, and the more tasks you can execute the more valuable you will be to an employer.
9) What songs do you have on your I-Pod?
Let's just say enough music to where I would never have to listen to music radio again if I didn't love it so much.
10) What format does not exist that should? Would it work?
Every consultant has a format that doesn't exist they believe will work. I actually have
two. Call me at Z1 Creative at (818) 259-0091 to find out more.
Bonus Questions
1) What stations do you have on your car preset
I rarely listen to radio, but when I do its usually public radio. Ok, seriously...since I live in the Los Angeles area, on FM: KROQ - KPWR - KIIS - KYSR - KLOS - KMVN - KFYV - KCAQ - KOCP - KBBY - KVYB - KRUZ. On AM: All 6 stations are set on 710 ESPN.
2) Name some of your favorite TV Shows?
I rarely watch TV, but when I do it's usually PBS. Ok, seriously...I like "2 1/2 Men," "Boston Legal," "Seinfeld" lots of ESPN and CNBC (which doesn't mean Jim Cramer's "Mad Money" either). We have a saying in my house, "Don't let the Booyah Fool Ya"!
3) What if you could start your radio career over again, what would you change?
I would have done a better job of networking but I just didn't have time. I was raised to give the person signing my check 100% and I didn't think it was fair for me to be looking for my next job while I was being paid to do the one I was hired for.
-
-