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10 Questions with ... Damon "Dee" Williams
July 25, 2017
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1) How does Music Choice judge success?
We look at the metrics that drive our business, which are distribution, usage of our products, and customer satisfaction. It's very important for us to continue to be innovative with our products so our distributors and customers can see the value of what we do. Depending on the platform, we judge our success on ratings. For Video-On-Demand we have Nielson, and for Music Channels we have quarterly data that measures our performance. We expect to grow unique users and Time Spent Listening accordingly to be successful.
2) What surprises you the most about your job?
I am pleasantly surprised how my job and role in the company keeps evolving as the needs of the business change. As programmers, we need to prepare ourselves to grow beyond our core responsibilities. I have been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work very closely with CEO Dave Del Beccarro and COO Christina Tancredi on Music Choice's product strategy and brand strategy. Because of my programming background, I have been able to help conceptualize some our key product offerings, such as Music Choice Play, our interactive TV network and our new unified experience application that will let consumers access all of products seamlessly on mobile devices. I have found that if we learn to leverage our expertise and perspective as programmers, we can contribute more to an organization at a very high level.
3) How does it all work?
Music Choice is a multi-platform video and music network that delivers music programming to millions of consumers nationwide through televisions, online and mobile devices. We have over 70 channels of uninterrupted music channels, thousands of Music Videos On-Demand, and a cool interactive TV network MC Play that is changing the way consumers watch videos on TV. In addition, we create original content for VOD to give established and emerging artists platforms to break new music on our network.
5) What does the future look like for radio?
I like to think that Music Choice's future as a music service and a multi-platform music network is very bright. We have a great distribution in 57 million homes for the Music Channels, are the largest Video-On-Demand network with over one billion yearly views of music videos and we have a growing interactive linear TV network MC Play. We believe that as our cable distributors' roll out more advanced IP-based cable set-top boxes, our usage will increase because we have more dynamic and more interactive versions of our music services
5) What factors are involved in the playing of music?
Music Choice has two key factors that impact the way we develop rotations vs. radio. First up, we have a different business model then traditional radio stations. We receive a license fee from our distributors, so we are not subject to programming around PPM data. Second, our Time Spent Listening per session is much longer then radio and we don't have commercial interruptions. This means we play about a lot more songs per hour without breaks, promos, etc. We typically make sure the playback strategy, our powers and currents, are aligned with audience listening habits on a channel-by-channel basis. For example, what happens on our gold-based channels vs. our current-based channels is different. The nice thing we can do in our rotations are strategically position new music in our clocks to expose it to consumers because we do play more songs per hour.
6) What advice do you have for programmers in putting together a music playlist for their station or stations? And does the approach vary depending on the format?
It's important for programmers to understand three things before developing a programming philosophy and strategy to drive ratings. First up, you must understand your company's business model and revenue goals. If you're PPM, what are your metrics? If you license fee-based like Music Choice, how do you add value to keep that fee? Second, you have to know the data and measurables. Where is the opportunity at to develop an audience for this playlist or sound for your station? Third, you have to take the time to learn about who your potential listeners are. From a psychographics perspective, what kind of music/content experience do they want? At Music Choice, I take all of our programmers through a training session to ground them on these areas regardless of the format.
7) Do you have a favorite radio memory?
I really enjoyed being part of the music scene that exploded out of the Norfolk, VA marketplace in the '90s. At that time, I was the MD and doing afternoons at K-92 (WMYK), one of the first 24/7 Hip-Hop stations in the country. During this period, you had artists like Ted Riley, Missy Elliot, Timberland and some guy named Pharrell Williams slowly changing the landscape of Hip-Hop and Pop music. At that time, we were able to break a lot of records from them and other artists across the country that would not have normally gotten any play at radio.
8) Could you give us more detail on your radio music background?
I started out as a club DJ and then became an intern at Power 94FM in Virginia Beach for former Def Jam Records VP Thomas Lytle in late '80s. I then went on to do nights, mix shows, and eventually became AMD for Kevin Brown who used to be at KBLX. A couple of years later I became MD and did afternoons at K-92FM in Norfolk, where I really got a chance to make a name for myself in the business. After that I call from WPGC in Washington DC and became the PD of Flava 1580AM, an all Hip-Hop station that they started to keep 12-24 ratings away from Radio One's WKYS. Working at WPGC was great because I got a chance to work with great radio guys such as GMs Ben Hill and Gene Harley, Jay Stevens, Doctor Dave and Albie Dee. I then went across the street and became PD of WKYS working with Steve Hegwood. We had some success, taking WKYS past WPGC for the first time in something like eight years. In Sept. of 1998, I came to Music Choice to oversee their Urban programming for just the Music Channels. However, since July 2005 I have been the VP/Programming for all platforms.
9) Do you have any advice for air personalities just starting out who have dreams of programming?
If you're an air talent that wants to get into programming, try to spend time with different people in the company to learn the business. Ask the GM or Sales Manager to go to lunch and pick their brain for information about how the business operates. Find a mentor in programming that will spend some time with you teaching you about programming philosophy and research. At the end of the day, a good programmer can help contribute to all facets of the business. Make sure you do your homework and then just work hard.
10) What would people, who think they know you, be surprised to learn about you?
I like speed, love fast cars. I own a 1972 Oldsmobile 442 with a 455 motor, so watch out!
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