10 Questions with ... Sam Weaver

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

I am the Editor for Urban/UAC at All Access and owner of a radio talent coach/strategic advisor business (Radiocoach.biz) for terrestrial/Internet radio personalities and programmers.

I have been in the business for years as a programmer and air personality. My format background includes Top 40/Mainstream, Urban, Country, Sports, Talk and Rock. I have worked in Chicago, St. Louis, San Francisco, Dallas, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Memphis, Greensboro and Kansas City. My list of 12 stations programmed includes WDIA/Memphis, the oldest Black-operated property, and KPRS-KPRT/Kansas City, the oldest Black owned-and-operated stations.

Besides numerous programming awards, other career highlights include teaching in the Broadcast Department at Columbia College in Chicago, comedy writer for the late Jerry Boulding's Highlights radio show, and hosting Westwood One's Superstars of R&B Concert Series.

I like beginning each year with a self-interview to voice my thoughts on various concerning Urban Radio

I interview myself at the beginning of the year to touch on some concerns and topics I think are on people's minds.

1) Are radio stations doing a better job with their websites these days?

Some companies are doing much better in-house with their sites. However, still too many sites are cookie cutter and negotiated through third parties in exchange for commercial airtime. Most web hosts offer content management systems (CMS) permitting stations to edit content without third-party presence; technical support for questions is provided.

But a lot of places could do better. There are still too many sites with too much clutter and not enough local content. It is good to see radio operators grasp Internet radio streaming and podcasting. However, I believe stations are correct in theory, but wrong in application. Consumers want to be involved in the new media world. Radio needs to look at itself as a social network community, consisting of the terrestrial station and the web with various social platforms. I'm also waiting for a cluster to step out with Internet only stations.

2) Is the music industry in sync with consumers?

Yes, for the most part. When it comes to the new world of music consumption, they are very on target with being available at Terrestrial radio, satellite radio, Spotify, Pandora, Google Play, Xbox, SoundCloud, iHeartRadio Plus and iHeartRadio All Access, Mixcloud, Tidal, YouTube, Tik Tok, Facebook, MySpace, connected car; Internet-only Radio, and other digital delivery systems yet to surface.

Art and commerce have always clashed and 2020 is no different. Music companies are making more money than ever from fee deals with streaming and download services. With the new windows of opportunity, thanks to technology, the writers are getting the short end of the stick with the low streaming rates. Artists are subject to "360 contracts" that allow sharing of revenues in areas other than putting out music projects.

And when it comes to traditional album sales don't be fooled, percentage-wise companies don't make as much as they once did, but they more than make up for it by raking in millions and millions of dollars worldwide with catalogs, publishing, and licensing deals with cable and TV streaming companies.

3) What are your concerns with radio these days?

The misunderstanding of the product and what it means to the consumer. All radio people are not created equal and there are too many people being promoted with limited skills. You would think with so many publicly owned companies that this would not be the case.

4) Do you think Urban radio is doing a better job of competing?

I believe Urban properties are doing much better at playing perceived hit music for listeners. Urban radio is also playing songs in rotations to take advantage of PPM and diary methodology. That's why you're seeing many Urban-formatted stations do well in their respective marketplaces. A better interpretation of research has also been a contributing factor too.

One of my pet peeves is distinguishing who works in Urban radio. When using the term "Urban," people associate the term with African Americans and assume Urban radio is where we work. However, today African Americans work in numerous formats other than Urban mainstream or Urban AC. At the same time, many Urban radio properties have air staff and personnel from other races and cultures --White, Hispanic, Asian, etc. One other thing, there are Urban stations that are Black owned and operated and there are stations non-minority owned and programmed specifically to those who like Black music.

5) How should on air personalities view their roles?

They should see the airways as the frontline platform for a station. Air talent is a major asset to the entire process. The mission of their boss is to oversee the strategic programming plan from every angle. The role of the personality should be to execute the plan - Don't make your bosses' job harder than it already is; always leave them in a defensible position. It's alright to disagree and discuss programming directives off the air with your PD, but don't go on the air or social media to share an opposing viewpoint in public. Stay in your lane. It's the job of an air personality to be an accessory to the musical journey for the listener.

One more thing, too many times I hear air talents say they don't want to be liner jocks. I respond by saying that Broadway actors are liner jocks, the actors must deliver the same lines in a play day-in and-out -- they do so without changing the script. Their job is to perform as if they had written the words, it's called acting. Air talent should follow the same train of thought when it comes to reading liners.

Being authentic is how you can make listeners believe. The improvisational moments for air personalities depend upon programming directives and the air shift. There's a lot of self-discipline involved with being an on-air talent.

Nowadays air personalities must be well versed with other digital platforms and social media. They must be consistent with presenting themselves to the public - whether it's content as a station representative or posting to personal social media. The public doesn't differentiate between on-air persona and personal when it comes to social media. In 2020 you're always on in the eyes of the public.

6) What should stations be watchful of in 2020?

In radio, team chemistry and office politics are sometimes overlooked and undervalued. A few bad apples with narcissistic tendencies can ruin a station's ratings, revenue base, and morale. Before you hire someone, find out as much as possible about them beyond their skills. Never second-guess yourself if things still don't work out with a new employee. There is the right of free will, you can't anticipate or plan for everything.

7) How many funny or memorable "ah ha" moments have you had?

There have been many but this one comes to mind. I was working for the late Jerry Boulding in the Bay Area, KDIA/Oakland. He tricked me into emceeing the Vacaville Prison annual show for the inmates. He had me meet him at a hotel where all the talent gathered to head over for the event. I met up with Boulding and as I was about to ask, "What exactly is it that you want me to do?" He excused himself, supposedly for the men's room, "Sam, I'll be right back." He didn't return and the next thing I knew, they were loading up the bus and one of the organizers came over and welcomed me. Other than meeting Jerry there at the hotel and having him quickly say something about emceeing, I knew nothing and here I was headed to a prison for a local USO-type event.

There were four or five acts on the bill and like all shows, the stage lights were too bright, and I could not see the audience very well. Every time I was onstage, I would say something concise and keep things moving, but would always make it a point to tell the ladies in the audience how gorgeous they looked. The inmates in attendance were not the hardened criminals, or at least that was what I was told.

The prisoners, guards, and our visiting troop shared the restroom area. There were no dressing rooms and the acts that day came prepared to hit the stage. But back to the bathroom thing. I could not hold out any longer and had to go. So, I cautiously went in and noticed one of the ladies from the audience was at a urinal, and it hit me, those weren't ladies in the audience.

8) What does the future hold for Urban and radio in general?

Instead of a new music fad, the Y generation (Millennials -1980-2000) received new communication and delivery systems. They experienced the birth of computers, blogs, MySpace, Facebook, podcasts, Smartphones, Twitter, Macs, chat rooms, P2Ps, YouTube, iTunes, LinkedIn, Instagram and iPads; radio is being used differently and there are new audio media sources.

Music is being sampled in various ways. Millennials and Generation Z (2000-now) represent terrestrial radio's version of "Custer's Last Stand," and will be the determining factor for its fate.

The "Z" generation has made its presence felt with new advances on the digital and social media that Millennials grew up with. In addition, Z's have grown up with music streaming services, smartphone apps, music downloads, cable TV expansion, rediscovered vinyl albums, Tik Tok, and TV streaming companies.

The key to the future of terrestrial radio is consolidation of old media with new media. Radio should not fight progress, but profit from it. It took the music industry a few years to figure it out and look at them now.

Generation Alpha (2011 -2025) will treat terrestrial radio as "a never was" if it drags its feet in terms of audience entertainment needs --audio and visual.

9) What do you think of the Urban & Urban AC charts?

I think the Urban (Mainstream) and Urban AC (UAC) charts should be renamed to reflect the demographics and lifestyles closer to the realities of today's audiences. I am not sure what the new names should be but based on many conversations within the music and radio industries, something should be done to address this issue.

For example, from an artist standpoint, the Urban charts are hip-hop driven, except for grandfathered R &B acts (Beyonce, Chris Brown, Trey Songz, Rihanna, Usher, The Weeknd, and occasionally Mary J. Blige.

It was nice to recently see Alicia Keys go # 1 at Urban AC and making moves on the Urban side with "Show Me Love f/Miguel" - she has been pretty much only been on the Urban AC charts in recent years.

Hip-Hop/R&B hybrids like Drake have enjoyed success on both charts. However, last year, when it came to R & B artists, only a few showed dual movements on the Urban and Urban AC charts. Those few included Wale, H.E.R., and The Bonfyre. However, I do see indications that more artists like them will get a shot this year.

I think too many radio decision-makers are locked in on reflecting the Urban chart typecasting couch. It's a catch 22 for record companies --only a few of the Urban radio panels will deal with an R& B act in rotation ... it's a never-ending cycle.

The record companies could start an artist on the Urban AC chart, but the odds of breaking back over to Urban Mainstream are not good. Regardless of the artists age, the Urban AC chart gets most of them labeled and regulated to only that chart.

Too many stations only play what is marketed to their format without any shades of gray. It seems as if only when a song goes viral across the culture spectrum does it get played at both formats. The best examples in recent years are Uptown Funk and Childish Gambino's Redbone.

This year I hope Hip-Hop will be reflected more on the Urban AC stations. You would think it would have happened organically with thj aging process for the listeners within the target demo -- 25-49 (40 is the top end for the Millennials-born 1980). The people who have grown up into the demo have wider musical tastes that include Drake, Jay Z, Cardi B, Lizzo, etc.

10) What are the differences between programming in a PPM or Diary market?

The only difference is the methodology and frequency of releasing ratings. PPM methodology provides information weekly and monthly. Over the years the need to get good ratings has remained the same regardless of rating systems. The best stations are focused, the personalities are concise, the music appeals to the majority of the target audience, research is interpreted correctly, and the station is efficiently marketed.