Got this from the NRBQ listserv & immediately thought you guys should read it. This isn't exactly local radio, but it may end up affecting us.
>>LITTLE STEVEN'S KEYNOTE ADDRESS RADIO & RECORDS CONVENTION 2005 - JACOBS
>>MEDIA SUMMIT
>>Date: Thursday, July 23, 2005
>>Place: Renaissance Hotel, Cleveland, Ohio
>>Audience: 250 Program Directors
>>
>>Fred Jacobs introduces 4-minute video bio.
>>At its conclusion the Dovells' "You Can't Sit Down" explodes from the
>>speakers as 5 Go-Go girls come out of the wings surrounding Fred, much to
>>his discomfort.
>>Little Steven enters to thunderous applause.
>>He cuts off the music with a wave of his hand, leans into the microphone
>>and says "Ladies and Gentlemen, Fred Jacobs."
>>The music returns as the girls exit. A stunned audience applauds wildly as
>>Fred, very uncharacteristically, dances off with them.
>>
>>Little Steven: Well that was worth the price of admission alone.
>>
>>(more applause and laughter)
>>
>>(paces with the hand held mic for a minute, and then . . . )
>>
>>I Love Radio!
>>
>>(applause once again erupts)
>>
>>And I feel nothing but love in this room because as I look around, I see
>>only two kinds of people.
>>
>>Our beloved affiliates . . . and future affiliates.
>>
>>(laughter)
>>
>>So now matter what happens in this next half hour, remember what I just
>>said. It's just family talking.
>>
>>And without any further disclaimers let me ask the only important question
>>that is on my mind, and I'm sure you've been thinking about it also,
>>especially lately.
>>
>>(pause)
>>
>>WHEN DID THE FUCKING PUSSIES TAKE OVER?
>>
>>(applause and laughter)
>>
>>When?
>>
>>Don't you look forward to the day when your grandson is on your knee and
>>he looks up and says,
>>
>>"Grampa weren't you in radio once?"
>>
>>"Yes, Grandson," you'll reply.
>>
>>"Could I ask you something," he'll say.
>>
>>"Of course, my love, anything," you'll say.
>>
>>"Grampa where were you WHEN THE FUCKING PUSSIES TOOK OVER?"
>>
>>(more laughter)
>>
>>Where were we?
>>
>>What happened?
>>
>>Things are out of line and we're not leaving here today until we
>>straighten it out.
>>
>>(applause and laughter)
>>
>>Now I was going to wait for this but we might as well get right to it
>>since it is all everybody's talking about.
>>
>>I have come to praise JACK not to bury him.
>>
>>(laughter - uncertain applause)
>>
>>The guys at Infinity are friends of ours, as is everybody else, we got
>>nothing but friends you all know that.
>>
>>And I've gotta say I'm proud of these guys for having the balls to shake
>>things up. Things needed shaking up. And history will remember them in a
>>very positive way when looking back at this world changing moment.
>>
>>Having said that . . .
>>
>>Replacing 33 year old New York oldies institution CBS-FM with JACK is like
>>replacing the Statue of Liberty with a blow-up doll.
>>
>>(eruptions of laughter and applause)
>>
>>But again, change is good. And necessary.
>>
>>With a little bit of luck JACK will last 10 or 12 months because it is
>>obvious people want something different, they are hungry for something,
>>anything.
>>
>>So it could be 6 months before anybody actually listens to JACK.
>>
>>Once they do it is doomed for 3 obvious reasons.
>>
>>At the moment it is replacing oldies formats but it is not an oldies
>>format in the true sense of the word.
>>
>>It's mostly 80's, some 70's, some 90's.
>>
>>Now it must be said that the oldies format is vulnerable because over the
>>last 5-10 years it has, in a word, sucked.
>>
>>It has sucked for a very simple reason, somebody had the brilliant idea to
>>eliminate the 50's and replace it with the 70's.
>>
>>This was done by somebody uniquely stupid and deaf and ignorant and a bad
>>businessman on top of it all.
>>
>>So naturally, everybody copied it and the 50's disappeared virtually
>>overnight.
>>
>>Now let's digress and examine this oldies thing for a minute.
>>
>>Assuming you accept the fact that those overseeing the oldies format these
>>last 5 years - 10 years - are, in fact, stupid, deaf, ignorant, and bad
>>businessmen, let's deal with it.
>>
>>As far as stupid, deaf, and ignorant, when it comes to decades that
>>matter, that matter historically, in terms of influence, importance, and
>>never-to-be-heard-again-quality - that is the 50's and 60's.
>>
>>Everything we do, everything we are comes from those two decades.
>>
>>You're gonna throw one away?
>>
>>You're gonna replace Elvis, Little Richard, Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran,
>>Johnny Burnette, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Buddy Holly, Lloyd Price, and
>>Fats Domino with, all due respect, Donna Summer and the Bee Gees?
>>
>>You're gonna replace primal, vital, timeless, forever cool rock and roll
>>pioneers with disco?
>>
>>Disco?
>>
>>You wanna know what disco is good for?
>>
>>Disco is for when you're drunk at a wedding with your old lady and you
>>want to act like an idiot and be John Travolta for an hour or two.
>>
>>That's where it belongs.
>>
>>Not on radio.
>>
>>And to the issue of oldies being bad business - all you hear - I'm
>>assuming from sales people - is we must lower our demo's.
>>
>>The oldies demographic are getting too old - that's the rationale for
>>replacing the 50's with the 70's.
>>
>>Now if all there was to sell in the world were Fruit Loops, Play Stations,
>>and sneakers - they might have a point.
>>
>>But I got a little secret to share.
>>
>>You know that age group - 35 to 65 - that nobody in sales seems to care
>>about?
>>
>>THAT'S WHERE ALL THE FUCKING MONEY IS!
>>
>>(laughter, applause)
>>
>>I mean ALL the fucking money.
>>
>>35 to 65.
>>
>>Memo to sales team - SELL THEM SOMETHING!
>>
>>And, by the way, if you want younger people listening, you can get that
>>done. And I mean kids, if you want them.
>>
>>Who is cooler?
>>
>>Early Elvis or Elton John?
>>
>>What appeals more to kids, Gene Vincent's black leather attitude, Eddie
>>Cochran's teenage frustration, Little Richard's cry of liberation, and
>>Dion's total Soprano's coolness - or the Eagles?
>>
>>You want wild? Put together the Sex Pistols, Audioslave, and the Wu-Tang
>>Clan - they aren't as wild as Jerry Lee Lewis in his prime.
>>
>>But you have to explain that.
>>
>>Show it, illustrate, educate, sell it.
>>
>>Alright - digression over - so JACK isn't oldies so it must be some kind
>>of classic rock/pop hybrid.
>>
>>But JACK doesn't address the two biggest problems of classic rock.
>>
>>15 years ago I said we're chasing all the personality out of rock radio
>>and into talk and sports.
>>
>>And the ratings went with it.
>>
>>We need more personality, not less, and JACK has none. No DJ's means no
>>personal relationship with the audience. Eventual apathy is inevitable.
>>
>>The other big issue classic rock must consider is it must start playing
>>new music again.
>>
>>I've suggested it to my own affiliates and I'll keep saying it every
>>change I get.
>>
>>We've got a big problem.
>>
>>Look around.
>>
>>Pearl Jam does some business.
>>
>>Dave Mathews - if he's rock at all - does well.
>>
>>Maybe Oasis breaks this year in the U.S.
>>
>>Maybe Coldplay - if they're considered rock.
>>
>>But in a real sense, the last big band through the door was U2.
>>
>>That's 25 years ago.
>>
>>Has anybody stopped to consider that.
>>
>>Basically when our generation stops touring, it's over.
>>
>>That's one reason why we started the Underground Garage format.
>>
>>New Hard Rock, Hip Hop, and Pop can be heard in various places, new Rock
>>and Roll had nowhere to go.
>>
>>We have played more new bands in 3 years than anybody since the 60's.
>>
>>We average 30 new bands a year.
>>
>>That's how many are out there.
>>
>>And we are very picky out of respect to our classic rock affiliates, we
>>know we need to keep the quality level high and we do.
>>
>>But we can't sell records with 2 hours a week.
>>
>>Someday somebody will have the balls to put the Underground Garage format
>>on 24-7 on broadcast radio but until then, we only have 2 hours a week.
>>
>>We need your help.
>>
>>Rock and Roll is not just that museum down the street.
>>
>>It's a living, breathing animal that needs to be fed.
>>
>>With new blood.
>>
>>And I'm not saying you need to do as much as we do, we're about 40% new
>>and the rest from the entire 50 years of history.
>>
>>And by the way everybody told us you can't combine old with new but of
>>course you can.
>>
>>As long as you're making your decisions based on musical experience, good
>>taste, and an effective, coherent emotional communication.
>>
>>As opposed to your Ipod on shuffle.
>>
>>(laughter, applause)
>>
>>When you properly combine old and new the old records give the new ones a
>>sense of depth, of belonging to an eternal continuum, carrying the flag
>>forward.
>>
>>The new records give the old ones relevance, keeps them vital, connected
>>to the next generation.
>>
>>And all testing and computer analysis and surveys don't tell you that.
>>It's all bullshit. When are we going to learn that?
>>
>>(applause)
>>
>>All that shit tells you is what people think they want right now.
>>
>>Well that's not the way great radio happens, or great anything.
>>
>>You don't do a survey before you write a song, or make a record.
>>
>>We are drowning in an ocean of mediocrity because sometimes you gotta have
>>enough historical perspective, and vision, and balls to say we have to
>>combine short term want with long term need.
>>
>>And yeah you gotta sell it.
>>
>>If you're playing cool stuff make sure the audience hears it right - in
>>the right context. That is everything.
>>
>>If to a punky consciousness the Ramones are sugar and the Ronettes are
>>broccoli you play the Ramones into the Ronettes and, because Joey learned
>>to sing from Ronnie and you can hear it, the Ramones become hollandaise
>>and it works.
>>
>>(laughter, applause)
>>
>>There is an art to this shit.
>>
>>You know that.
>>
>>It's the corporate bosses that forget that fact.
>>
>>But it's not just music - we have this problem plaguing every aspect of
>>our culture.
>>
>>Yes content needs work, yes marketing needs work, but it is the sales
>>teams that need to be re-educated and motivated and inspired and creative.
>>And it's not happening because they are being led by business oversight
>>guys.
>>
>>Content guys should be running companies, marketing guys should be running
>>companies, who put business oversight guys in charge?
>>
>>(applause)
>>
>>Wall Street that's who.
>>
>>Wall Street continues to love and reward and worship short term success
>>for some reason. As the culture and the economy and all our fathers' and
>>grandfathers' and hundreds of years of hard work get trashed in a
>>generation or two.
>>
>>The tail is wagging the dog.
>>
>>Wall Street should not be calling the shots.
>>
>>When did Wall Street ever write a song? Paint a picture? Make a movie?
>>Play a song on the radio that changed somebody's life?
>>
>>(applause)
>>
>>Where are the music people?
>>
>>I see lawyers, accountants, test marketers running the world.
>>
>>Where is the emotional connection?
>>
>>Where is the passion?
>>
>>This ain't about JACK or BOB or Moe or Larry or Curly.
>>
>>It's about you.
>>
>>Everybody in this room.
>>
>>You are here because you are connected emotionally.
>>
>>This ain't Harvard Business School.
>>
>>It's fucking Rock and Roll!
>>
>>(applause)
>>
>>These Wall Street cats couldn't have gotten us here. They react - they
>>don't create.
>>
>>They didn't build this industry.
>>
>>We did it.
>>
>>And you're not here because it was a smart business decision.
>>
>>I know what you make.
>>
>>(laughter)
>>
>>(pauses - slows down)
>>
>>You're here because you loved it once.
>>
>>And we've got to find a way to love it again.
>>
>>And communicate that love to our audience.
>>
>>I am determined - together we will find a way.
>>
>>The Revolution is on.
>>
>>Thank you.
>>
>>(standing ovation - thunderous applause)
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