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10 Questions with ... P. Robert Massey
December 9, 2008
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NAME:P. Robert MasseyTITLE:Dir./Programming & Affiliate RelationsSTATION:Access.1 Communications, Inc.MARKET:New YorkCOMPANY:Superadio Networks, LLCBORN:Early December in Oakland, during the era of the Black Panther Party.RAISED:Oakland, with summers in Houston.
Please outline your career path.
After finishing college, I worked in corporate sales before I entered the entertainment business. Currently I am Dir./Programming & Affiliate Relations at Superadio Networks, an Access.1 Communications, Inc. company. Additionally, I am the Product Manager for the SuperMixx Brands, BackSpin, Lost in the '80s, Joyful Noyze, Holy Hit List and EBI, Earl Boston, Inc. Formerly, I was an in-house consultant for Ruben Rodriguez Entertainment, Inc., a leading promotions and marketing firm. Prior to that, I was Publisher of Impact Magazine and Director of The Impact Super Summit Conferences. Previously, in recorded music, I was Dir./Field Promotion for the Urban division of Priority Records. I worked in a similar capacity at Tommy Boy Music and at Red Ant Entertainment. In print, I was part of the original launch team for the Airplay Monitor brands and have also been Dir./Brand Promotions/Associate Publisher at Vibe/Spin Ventures.
1) What was your first job in radio?
I am looking forward to my second anniversary at Superadio, which is actually my first "radio job" although I have worked "around radio" since 1993.
Radio Influences?
Early Years: KDIA-A/Oakland and KSOL/ San Mateo
Teens: KMEL and KPOO, both in San Francisco
As an adult: I was a big fan of Clifford Brown Jr. at KBLX in Berkeley.
Highlights: I remember the voices of J.J. Johnson and Bill Speed at KFRC. Later in life I worked with and became friends of both. (J.J. Johnson @ Hits, Bill Speed @ Impact)
2) What led you to your present career choice? Was there a defining moment that made you realize "this is it"?
I have always been passionate about music and radio. I attended the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB) Training Academy in an effort to make a transition to radio from recorded music. My job at Superadio is a great fit because it allows me to apply my music background and utilize my relationships.
3) If you were just starting out in radio, knowing now what you didn't then, would you still do it?
I would absolutely still do it because I believe that one should follow his or her passion in life. Radio and music has always been my #1 passion, although food and sports are a close second and third, respectively.
4) Where do you see yourself and the industry five years from now?
I see myself as an equity partner at some point, but in the meantime I will continue to work hard everyday, while remaining open to internal and external opportunities. As a result of the current economic environment, both the radio and recorded music industries are in the midst of major transitions. Content is king and brands will need to be platform-agnostic in order to flourish. Radio will require the development of creative brand extensions and innovative new approaches to revenue generation. The recorded music industry will have to find new ways to monetize its digital assets through peer-to-peer networking and revenue sharing of advertising dollars with social networking sites. I am confident that both industries possess the intellectual capital necessary to solve their respective problems and I look forward to being part of those solutions.
5) How do you feel about syndication in the Urban formats going forward?
Syndication is falsely vilified as damaging radio. Superadio and others provide solutions for understaffed radio stations and corporations watching their bottom line. That's why we've seen a rise in hosted shows. Syndication has grown because of corporate cuts, not because syndication companies are forcing the hand of programmers. There is a lot of content available and that is not going to change. However, as local stations attempt to monetize every available unit, syndication actually becomes a more difficult sale.
6) Having been on both sides of the industry, do you feel syndication significantly affects the number of hours that stations control over the music they play?
I don't think syndication affects music rotation greatly when you consider many national shows are fed without music in order to provide affiliates with the opportunity to program their own music. Typically, the same research is used within the industry anyway, therefore many of the same" hit records" are heard from show to show, station to station. Also, how much control does a local programming department actually have anyway? With corporate programming guidelines, approved lists and conference calls, the entire process is more centralized now. The paradigm has simply changed...
7) Because of callout research are today's Urban and Urban AC programmers going to be slower in adding and playing new music? And can syndication help?
I think programmers will be slower. Some have a heightened sense of protection over playlists due to scrutiny from their senior management. Now, in a PPM world, radio will be even more reliant on research. Although radio promotion departments could probably work more effectively with syndication companies, syndication will not necessarily help break new music because we're on the same page with radio stations as far as playing the hits. Our objective is to provide programming that keeps it familiar/friendly and entertains listeners between the music so they won't "punch-out."
8) Of all the skills you have gained through the years, is there an area you'd like to improve?
I would like to improve my knowledge of music scheduling. Fortunately, at Superadio we have one of the best services available to help radio improve efficiencies in the areas of music scheduling and time management -- Earl Boston, Inc. (EBI.)
9) How do you account for and what effect do you feel the continuing ratings dominance certain syndicated shows have had on the industry as a whole? Do you feel there are going to be new challengers in the near future?
If a show is entertaining it should not matter where it originates. A local personality does not guarantee ratings success nor does it mean the listener will immediately identify with them simply because they're in the same area code. The bottom line is that we need to entertain listeners, make radio "sexy" again and give listeners a reason to keep it "locked-in." To say the key to ratings success is local personalities is myopic. National personalities have access to celebrities and recording artists that local personalities logistically don't have the same access to. Everyone likes to have a backstage pass and that's often what a larger scale, national show can deliver to listeners.
10) As you look back over your career ... any regrets? Missed opportunities?
I was disappointed that I was not selected to be a participant in the 2008 NABEF, BLT Program, and there have been forks in the road where decisions made have affected future opportunities, but overall, I feel that I have been Blessed and highly favored in my career and am thankful my longevity. Hindsight always provides 20/20 vision ... but my philosophy is to live in the present with an eye towards the future.
Bonus Questions
What would people who think they know Robert Massey be surprised to know about you?
My cousin is Oran "Juice" Jones, the singer/rapper who had the #1 song in 1986,
"The Rain." VH1 is actually in production on a new series that will celebrate the breakout hits from the '80s. and he was nominated for a spot on that countdown.
What are some of the new shows or changes or features Superadio has planned for 2009?
JoyfulNoyze: 3 hours of Urban Inspiration, with a razor-tight delivery and compelling programming hosted by award-winning Urban, Top 40 and Gospel programmer Michelle Price. (A perfect compliment for Urban & UAC stations)
The Holy Hit List: 3 hours of the hottest Urban, Inspiration, Neo Soul and Holy Hip-Hop music. It is the answer for Hip-Hop and Rhythmic stations as it brings a positive message, but stays true to the target demos. Hosted by Michelle Price.
Full Throttle Radio: A 3 hour mix hosted by Fatman Scoop featuring today's hottest Hip-Hop, R&B & Classics, as well as interviews from your favorite artists.
Gossip on the Go With Flo: 5 minutes of daily gossip with Flo Anthony. This is the hottest gossip in Urban radio. Flo Anthony knows who's hooking up, breaking up and shaking it up in urban and pop entertainment. She goes straight to the source: publicists, friends, enemies, neighbors, pastors, husbands, wives, lovers, mistresses and exes. No event is off-limits and no celebrity is sacred.
Do you feel that Urban stations should be more careful not to blindly copy formats, but tailor them specifically to the age and racial make-up of their own markets?
Blindly copying is a bad idea; however, there are some stations in markets that have similar make-ups that execute certain promotions or have certain positioning statements that could be customized...
How important is syndication to overall ratings success? Could it be more effective and if so, how?
Depending on the daypart and the show, syndication can be a significant contributor to the overall ratings success of a station. Stations must look at syndication as part of the station and promote it as such.
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