Kirk Stirland

In an era where consolidation, a soft economy and huge debt loads have forced many a radio group to cut back on a variety of functions, from programming to production, companies like Dial Global have stepped in. Under the leadership of Pres./Programming Kirk Stirland, Dial Global offers financially-strapped stations everything from 24/7 programming and syndicated Talk shows to imaging and jingle packages. Here's how Stirland sees Dial Global's place in the current radio environment.

What were you doing before joining Dial Global ... and what made you decide to take on the position there?

After a career in local and network radio, and a couple rugged start-ups, I was running the WOR Radio Networks, and finishing up a mid-life MBA. Although it was great working for Rick Buckley and Joe Bilotta, the opportunity to rejoin David Landau, who I worked with for years at Unistar, and his partners Spencer Brown and Ken Williams in building a new company was too good to miss. I immediately got the sense that it was going to be successful.

What were your immediate goals and challenges once with the company?

Spencer, David and Ken discovered that while they had a real vision and depth in ad sales and operations, they needed some extra horsepower in management of their growing list of owned and syndicated properties, particularly after acquiring MJI Interactive from Premiere. While I had a good deal of ad sales experience, I also was experienced in affiliate management and programming, so it was a good fit.

Our first job was to weed through the products, trim away those that were not growing nor had a reason to be, and then refine and develop the remaining ones. Then, it was look for new slots in the marketplace that we could fill, always with an eye on making sure of a harmonious fit with our ad sales representation customers.

Have those goals and challenges changed at all since then?

Not so much. We still constantly tune the shows and services, and appraise the portfolio to keep it vital. The scope has certainly changed; nowadays, there's little that radio stations want or need that we don't provide. And whether its 24-hour formats, shows, prep, jingles and imaging, or commercial/copy/creative services, we try to do it in a way that surprises people with the quality. We were able to bring aboard Beau Phillips as our EVP/ Programming when we acquired Jones; he and I and agreed that the overarching mission was going to be to redefine Network radio. I think we're doing that.

The network and syndicated field is extremely crowded and competitive. How has Dial Global gotten a foothold in this arena and how do you plan on growing your business?

Our culture is extremely focused on what our customers tell us they need. We don't have the benefit of a large O&O station group on which to build or launch shows, but we ask lots of questions of the many great radio people that we regularly talk with. What's your pain? What can't you do that you'd like to? That's the key to Network radio success: Do for your customers what they can't do for themselves, effectively, efficiently ... or at all.

Once you get the idea, then it's all about execution ... and execution is all about the people. Beau and I marvel every day at the quality of the GMs we have in each of our Programming business sectors: Susan Stephens with Shows and Chris Long at TM Studios, along with Chris Corcoran, who leads Prep and all affiliate management for all these divisions. Phil Barry at Formats, with Pat Crocker who heads affiliate management there. And Conrad Trautmann, our head of technology. I've just never been part of a higher-functioning team.

But it doesn't stop there by any means. We've been able to develop high-quality people already in the company, and we've become something of a magnet for talent and creativity, from seasoned pros. It's really extraordinary, and it shows up in our relationship with our customers.

How does your talk talent, for instance, compete against heavyweights like Rush, Beck, et al?

There is good real estate available for different talk brands around the big bellwether shows, which allow a station to competitively position itself within its market. Amy Bolton and her crew do a great job representing our broad spectrum of shows from personalities ranging from Neal Boortz and Michael Smerconish to Clark Howard in the Talk Radio marketplace.

Is the key to success being as polarizing as possible?

The key to success in Talk is just like any radio: Be compelling, interesting and entertaining.

Would you be interested in Howard Stern should he become available?

Howard Stern was a real terrestrial radio hero, and we need those personalities who listeners adore. I'm not so sure Howard's ever coming back, but if there was something we could do for him that met his goals, whatever they might be at this point, that radio stations wanted, and at which we could make something for our effort ... sure we would.

Is Internet radio a potential gold mine for syndicate network programming growth? Why or why not?

We know how to make a great listening experience, and insomuch as listening is happening on different media, were thinking about how we can provide entertainment for that media in such a way that it doesn't violate our core customers' business. I was on an airplane today and my seatmate, who was an independent cable TV franchiser, told me he'd just been at a conference, where a speaker reported that viewing is actually up, thanks to all the different ways that we receive video. The same will probably be true with listening. And we want to be there, as that's the case.

Terrestrial radio claims that being "live and local" as one of its main advantages against iPods, Net radio and the like. Can Dial Global tailor its product to be local?

Our DG Local brand of 24-hour radio formats is produced on an amazing software platform called STORQ, which we got as part of our acquisition of the Waitt Radio Networks. We're just receiving our second patent on STORQ's unique ability to produce localized breaks for affiliates, from information that they provide through a web interface. So top-quality personalities on their satellite-delivered format are doing sponsor tags, talking about events and news from the community, delivering weather forecasts and doing all the things that comprise a great local radio station, in real time. Combine that with the clock flexibility that STORQ allows, and you've got a format that can win in competitive markets anywhere. And none of it can be done on an iPod or on Internet radio.

We're hiring talent and building solid radio brands ... not jukeboxes, which are so prevalent on the Internet.

Has the advent of PPM changed the way your programs sound? What kind of alternations have you made with your talent to optimize PPM results?

PPM has highlighted that when the mic comes on, you've got to have something to say ...and get right on it. Well, that's no different than before, is it? We're doing like good programmers everywhere, and coaching our personalities to put the magic back in, be compelling and entertaining, and concise. We've also taken the counsel of people like Mark O'Neill, Guy Zapoleon and Jaye Albright, as well as our affiliate program directors in PPM markets, and optimized our clocks.

How do you find and/or develop the next generation of network/syndicated star personalities?

First and foremost, we want to hear from radio stations that there's something they need. Even with the big platform of our 24-hour formats, we're going to have a bias to projects that have an immediate jumpstart. After that, it's pretty obvious: We look for some track record of success on the radio, some unique national recognition or point of view, and a smart and directable manner.

Lastly, we look for expanded opportunities, for the evolution from radio show to brand, like the ability to develop a loyal following. Deeper involvement with fans is the key there. And whenever we can hook it all to ways for an affiliated station to make non-traditional revenue, that's a bonus.

How much time and energy can you devote to a new property, be it a format, a weekend show or a personality, to achieve success before you pull the plug on it?

If we do a good job assessing a need and filling it, the question of commitment is less important; success is guaranteed. That said, we try to be disciplined to both give a project time to grow and establish ... and to let it go when we've put the proper energy behind it, and it hasn't gained traction.

How aggressive do you have to be to grow your jingle/imaging business in another very competitive, crowded field?

You know, when we got TM Studios as part of our acquisition of Jones, we thought that it was a fairly mature business, particularly the jingle side, with limited growth opportunity. But once we got in there, we found there's actually great vitality in jingles ... we're just now finishing the best year in that segment in nearly the last decade.

The trick was that they just had to be taken to a new place; "The Dallas Sound" just needed to be updated to what radio was doing. Between Dave Kampel's MicroJams, which we co-produce and market, and some other exciting stuff we're coming with next year, jingles have a whole new life.

We've also kicked off a new venture inside our jingle/imaging business called TM Creative, which provides finished commercials to radio stations as well as agencies. Services marketed there include Spot Me!, which is on-demand spec-spots; our JingleBank, which are pre-produced jingle beds for advertisers; and fully-voiced commercials from PDQ (Production Done Quickly). Once again, we're trying to do for our customers what they can't get done themselves inside their own operation, and with stations having fewer resources, we intend to be there with solutions for them.

Have you noticed a lot of undercutting of prices to get new clients ... and if so, how do you combat that?

Eileen Decker, our President of Sales, focuses the ad sales team on promoting the capabilities and benefits of Network radio to attract new advertisers, as opposed to undercutting prices. There are plenty of positives to talk about with medium, and we much prefer that higher road.

What of the future? Radio seems to be growing again, albeit modestly. Do you share modest expectations for growth, or is Dial Global poised to "outperform the market?"

Yes, we do see growth for the industry, and Dial Global is poised to outperform the market. It's just up to us to listen to what the advertisers' needs are, then provide the tools to meet those needs. That's how we'll distinguish both the Network radio medium and ourselves from our peers.

We work a lot with agencies to present "The Big Idea" and other solutions to make their clients' products stand out; we're demonstrating the deeper involvement we can provide a sponsor with our personalities, with live reads and interactive presence. We're highlighting our deep reach into specific formats and demos; our systems are being tuned to allow for the ROI analysis and accountability that advertisers require today. If we do these things, we'll stay ahead of our competition.

What of your future-what kind of goals and challenges do you set for yourself now...and can you see the finish line, so to speak, where you can rest on your laurels?

There is no shortage of challenges ahead, that's for sure, not only in network radio, but in all of media. And you can't just look at the pot you're ink you have to consider the whole kitchen, so I still try to make sure we step back and consider the big picture regularly.

As we've grown larger, it's consistently been my goal to keep front and center the same qualities that have allowed us that success. Be a straight-shooter, always ethical in business affairs. Be compassionate, fair and open with people I work with, because in our business they are everything. Listen to what our customers tell us, and help them with their challenges. I'm so fortunate to love what I do, and who I work with. If I can keep these qualities, I'll get to do it for a long time.