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10 Questions with ... Gabe Hobbs
September 8, 2009
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NAME:Gabe HobbsTITLE:PresidentCOMPANY:Gabe Hobbs Media, LLCBORN:Paducah, KYRAISED:Paducah, KY
BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
Radio/TV degree from Murray State University, 5 years in Evansville IN as PD of WKDQ, 2 years as PD of Y-107/Nashville (now The River), 3 years as OM of U-102/Knoxville, OM/PD of WFLZ/Tampa (Power Pig), OM/PD of WFLA/Tampa. SVP of Programming, News/Talk/Sports for Jacor/Clear Channel until January 2009. Launched Gabe Hobbs Media 9/8/09.
1. Let's get right to the new venture: What will Gabe Hobbs Media be offering? What do you see as the industry's greatest need right now, and how will you be addressing it?
Primarily Gabe Hobbs Media will be a full-service talent management company, although I will be offering media advisory services as well. The biggest need right now in our business is, in fact, talent. That may seem a little counterintuitive, given the layoffs and move toward syndication. However, a lot of the talent I plan to work with is in the syndication business and I think the demand for local talent and syndication will grow as we see spoken word formats expand and the economy recover.I will be working on talent management, coaching, mentoring, content development and distribution.
2. You were a leader in the talk radio format for many years. From when you started, what would you say have been the biggest changes in the format? Is today's talk radio substantially different from talk radio when you got into it?
Some things are different but the fundamentals remain. Distribution is one of the big differences in that syndication was very limited when I first started working in spoken word radio. And of course now there is distribution via the internet direct to the PC, laptop, mobile devices, satellite radio and more is coming. Again, this will create more demand for talent and compelling content. When I started with talk radio in 1989, the topics were far more diverse and more lifestyle oriented in nature. Rush Limbaugh was often not only the singular syndicated show you might have on your radio station, but also the only one devoted almost exclusively to politics. Now, it seems as though 99% of talk shows are about conservative politics. Don't get me wrong; that is a lucrative genre if you can differentiate and stand out from a very crowded field. However, I still think there is great upside to many genres of non-political talk as well, and I believe it will make a comeback as talk radio grows and fragments.
3. At Clear Channel, you oversaw not only traditional talk stations, but several progressive/liberal talkers and sports stations as well. As the industry moves forward, do you see it becoming more receptive to new permutations of the talk format aimed at more diverse audience targets -- especially on FM -- or do you think that the last wave of liberal talk and "guy talk" stations was pretty much as far as there'll go? What audience segments SHOULD they be targeting?
Yes, as mentioned above, I believe spoken word radio will grow and further fragment in the coming years. As the formats move to FM, thereby gaining access to nearly four times as many people as we have access to on the AM band, the need and demand for diversity of styles and opinions will only grow. What's the point of moving to FM if you're only going to talk the same language and talk to the same audience you were talking to on the AM dial?
4. You've worked with a lot of talent; without making you pick the best or worst or asking for an exhaustive, complete list, can you give some examples of hosts who, in your opinion, young talkers would be wise to either emulate or listen to and learn? Who are some of the hosts who you'd consider as good "role models" for aspiring talent?
Morton Downey, Jr. comes to mind... JUST KIDDING!! Glenn Beck was certainly an exciting talent to work with. It has been very rewarding to see him grow the way he has. The brightest new talk star on the horizon in my opinion is Todd Schnitt out of WFLA in Tampa. I'm still very partial to my early lineup at WFLA in Tampa as well. Folks like Lionel and Jay Marvin (on the progressive side) and Mark Larsen and Al Gardner (still one of the best news magazine hosts you'll ever hear). I've always been a fan of Neil Rogers, Jim Philips and others of that ilk who realize it's entertainment first. If you don't study what Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity have accomplished, then you're missing great lessons; but I think most people misunderstand what has made them successful. There are folks that have specialized in niche formats and made it on their own such as Dave Ramsey that provide a great study in success. I know I'm leaving out a lot of people that will be mad at me. Sorry.
5. Speaking of young talent, there's been a lot of talk about the industry's "farm system," or lack thereof nowadays. Where do you think the next generation of talk talent will come from? Where will you be looking?
While there are some interesting young folks on the internet doing some great things, I'm not sure we can convince them to do talk radio, although we should find out which ones can adapt (or should we be adapting to them?). As the economy improves and local radio returns, as stations start to trickle back into the hands of true broadcasters and entrepreneurs, I think we will see more farm team systems return and more opportunity for young talent. However, 10 years ago, the only way to cut your teeth was to get a talk show on a small market station or do weekends on a larger market station. That's not the case now, as you can do a talk show on the internet. Granted, maybe you won't have the big built in cume or the immediate audience feedback, but it's still an opportunity. I was a disc jockey when I was 12-years old, but it was in my basement on Citizens Band Channel 14 with my record player wired into the transceiver. That's what the internet can be today.
6. There are plenty of doom-sayers in the industry proclaiming radio "dead." But it's still alive now, so... what's your outlook for radio in the coming decade? Are you bullish on the radio business? And, while we're looking forward, do you foresee any chance that stations will increase local talk as the economy and industry recover, or are we looking at syndication remaining the lion's share of most stations' lineups?
I'm very bullish on radio. It will absolutely make a comeback. The business reinvented itself in the 50's when television hit its stride and we have to do it again. Perhaps the definition of "radio" may change. Perhaps we should think in terms of content. How we distribute is the key. There are so many opportunities to touch so many people with all of the senses. Think about it: video, audio, internet, mobile, publishing, social networks and a lot more, some of which we haven't even figured out yet. But we have to get aggressive and take action now and embrace the future or, hell, it would be nice to see some companies just embrace the present!!!!
7. Who would you consider the person who had the greatest impact on your radio programming and talent evaluation philosophy?
Randy Michaels.8. What are you listening for when evaluating talent? And what in an aircheck turns you off?
I'm listening to someone who can keep me interested beyond the first thirty or sixty seconds. I want to hear someone who is unique.someone that can make me say, "Wow. Haven't thought of it that way." What makes you different? What makes you stand out? When I listen to you, will I smile, frown, cry or laugh? Will I be entertained? Will I learn something? The biggest turn off are the hosts who are merely trying to do what other successful hosts have done in the past. You are NOT going to out-Rush Rush or out-Sean Sean. Stop it. Move on.
9. While you were at Clear Channel, the company put a few FM talk stations on the air, but from scratch -- it didn't move AM talkers to FM because of the limited options for programming on the AM side to replace the moved programming. How long of a future do you see the AM band having? Do you think that some of the AM talkers are going to have to move to FM to survive long-term, or can a heritage station last and attract listeners under 55 right where they are now?
Under 55? Ooooh... tuff putt. I told Clear Channel they should package their biggest AM's and sell to big religious broadcasters like the Catholic Church (always looking for a footprint in the biz), the Moody Bible Institute, Salem, etc. There are a lot of religious organizations that would love to get off the crappy AM's and have a 48 state footprint with 50kw clears. And at one time they could have paid for them. But that was just my crazy notion to help solve the question of what we do with these big AM's when we move to FM. It's all moving to FM and Wi-Fi down the road. AM will have to find a way to monetize a smaller cume and older demos if they are to continue to be profitable and dominant. FM has challenges with music and spoken word is becoming more and more attractive. CBS is VERY smart with their current FM rollout. And don't forget the old marketing axiom. First in wins!!
10. What's the best advice you've ever gotten? The worst?
Two pieces of advice. The first from Henry Lackey in Henderson, Kentucky: "If you ever doubt who your boss is or who you answer to, just look at the signature on your paycheck every week. That's a good place to start." And from Randy Michaels: "Just play the hits." That was the first piece of advice he gave me when he put me in charge of my first talk station.Worst piece of advice?... Hard to say as I must have blocked out that stuff. Thank goodness!!
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