Why Talk? Well, it could save FM

When we were still stumbling to get our new show "Nightlife: the Rick and Patti show" off the ground (see previous blogs), a couple of listeners said that they didn't like the new semi-Talk show format. Thankfully, the second day and the rest of the week, we got into a groove and we haven't heard anything like that since.

I know that the Talk-show format on FM is not as huge as it is in the U.S., but here in the Philippines, it has the potential to be. We Pinoys can easily accept Talk Radio because we love personalities. Just think of the national obsession with celebrities and their exploits.

More importantly, the Talk format could save the FM Radio from the huge threat of file sharing and music piracy. Music-intensive stations are struggling because listeners can easily download their entire playlist off the internet, or even buy it on pirated mp3 CDs.

To combat this, FM has to offer something different, something that people cannot get just anywhere. The answer; captivating on-air personalities and/or interesting discussions. Humans relate to other humans, not to "faceless" announcers. I'm not saying that we should get rid of the music altogether, but perhaps a shift in focus could be the fresh air that breathes life back into FM Radio.

Evolution

Yesterday was the debut of my a cappella show "The Blend" on its new timeslot of 10-11am Saturdays. I moved the program hoping mainly to reach call center people as well as others on the way to work or school at the time.

Moving any show to a different is a bit of a risk. But if yesterday's texts, YM messages and Shoutbox are any indication, I think I made the right decision. I got lots of positive comments.

I will also host the program live from now on, instead of recording it in advance. So, I'll be able to take requests on the fly. I also believe that it makes the show sound more personal and less robotic.

I know that there are a few people who might miss the show because of the new schedule or the lack of a replay, but I plan to eventually extend the program to 2 hours show. This should make up for that. :)

Movin' on up!

Last night I couldn't sleep again. This time, it wasn't because our radio show went from good to bad. In fact, things went incredibly well! I was so excited that I couldn't go to bed.

All things considered, the whole show ran smoothly. Our interview with True Faith was fun and entertaining, our conversations were becoming more and more dynamic, and even the listeners were starting to respond to the format.

I was extremely proud that the innovations we introduced, like the sound effects and song parodies, were getting good comments. Last night, we really got a peek at the potential of the show.

But what really kept me up is the fact that we've still got so much more planned for "Nightlife: the Rick and Patti show". It's all so encouraging.

"Rome wasn't built in a day"

I'm so freakin' anal and OC. So when something goes wrong, it just drives me nuts.

Last night the debut of our new show didn't end so well. Everything started out fantastic. But when someone called with a love problem, things just went bad. It just drained the energy from the show.

I knew that the program wouldn't be perfect on the first day. But it still bugs me. I even had a hard time sleeping last night, just thinking about it.

The whole Talk Radio format is something new to us, so we're learning as we go along. At least now we know one thing that we're not supposed to do. We'll charge it to experience.

I hope the listeners will bear with us while we work out the bugs in our show. I still think it has lots of potential.

Jam 88.3's morning show at night!

Check it out everyone! This evening Jam 88.3 is launching a brand new concept in radio... a morning show at night!

From 9pm-12mn it's "Nightlife: The Rick and Patti Show", a program with the same feel as a regular morning show. How's it different from other Jam 88.3 shows? Well mainly, it's a talk show. So listeners can call in (via 6318803) with their opinions on the topics, and we'll put them on air.

Our goal is to give all those call center people (who go to work at night) that "morning show experience". But we also want to please students who are up late, employees coming home from overtime, and just about anyone who's awake.

We're extremely excited with this, so we hope you can join us! Please spread the word to your friends and family. Thanks!

Here it comes!

Tomorrow morning we're making some big changes to Jam 88.3. No, we are not reformatting the station. We're just fine-tuning the formula that we have to give our loyal listeners an even better product.

I am really looking forward to the things that will develop in the next couple of months. From my personal standpoint, the changes in my shows are both challenging and exciting. I feel like I've been given a jump start.

FINALE! (sort of)

This weekend will be the very last edition of my show The Blend...
...for its current timeslot. :)

After thinking long and hard and considering the fans' inputs, I've decided to make the show LIVE at 10-11am Saturday morning (with the possibility of it eventually being 2hours long.

The major reasons for the change:
- Most call center people are asleep during the 4pm show.
- It's too late for fans and a cappella groups in the US to listen in.
- People with work or school on Saturday afternoon can tune in on their way.
- The benefits of a LIVE 1-2 hour show during "drivetime" outweigh those of a 30-45 minute recorded show during a less-prominent slot (even when considering replays).

After two years of doing the show, I believe that a big change is long overdue. I hope that this decision will help increase the popularity of the program and push the genre even more. (Keeping my fingers crossed.)

Jesus' tomb?

Early last week James Cameron's documentary on the alleged "Lost Tomb of Jesus" aired on the Discovery Channel in the US. I was able to get a copy over the weekend.

(see http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070301/ap_en_tv/ap_on_tv_lost_tomb_2)

Most conservative Catholics would have told me not to watch it- the same way they called on people to boycott "The Da Vinci Code". But I decided to see it for myself.

After being presented with the evidence, I can say that I'm not convinced. The documentary took several leaps in logic and presented facts in a misleading manner.

I recommend that all Christians watch it so they can easily refute the arguments of anyone who claims it to be true.

Ahhh...

I love getting massages.  I don't get enough sleep, so it's my way of making up for it.  Just one hour really does wonders.  Also, I've had a bad back since my early teens, so it really helps loosen those muscles.

I usually have home service, because it's cheaper, but I prefer going to the spa.  The atmosphere (music, aroma, etc) and the sauna are worth the added expense.

Unfortunately, most of my free time is in the morning, but all the places near work don't open until 11am or 12nn.  They should re-think not being open early in the morning.  Imagine all the call center people coming off a long night's work wanting to de-stress.

Why overplay songs?

(This is adapted from an article by Dan O'Day, one of my Radio idols)

"Why do radio stations... beat a song to death... play a certain song every, say... 2 or 3 hours ?"

Because:

A) Listeners do not want to wait several hours to hear their favorite songs.

B) Playing the most popular songs frequently (which can be more frequently than every 3 hours) translates into larger ratings...Always.

------

Most people don't listen to the radio for hours straight, so playing popular songs frequently increases their chances of hearing what they want. It's funny how many people request for songs that we've played just minutes before. - Rick