Last time the "MPR’s" of Programming dealt with the first "M" which I believe is THE most important programming element of the "MPR’s". I laid out

a simple "basic" checklist which can be used as a programmer’s primer in helping to focus attention on the "Music" programming priorities necessary to keep your radio station on track.

But there are many nuances beyond the basics in turning the ideal into the "real" deal. This month I’ve turned to a couple of top programmers, music directors, and record executives to explore music programming a bit more in depth.

A radio station’s Artist Benchmark List is an important area of product differentiation in today’s age of consolidation. Simply put...these artists are the "cornerstone" of your radio station. Last time we looked at a typical Active Rock Artist Benchmark List which might include AOR stalwarts AC/DC, Van Halen, and Metallica, as well as key 90’s acts like Creed, Stone Temple Pilots, and Tool. This Artist Benchmark List should also include Classic AOR artists like Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd.

Larry Miles is the Operations Manager for Mainstream Rock KLPX and Alternative KFMA in Tucson. Over the last several years, KLPX has gradually moved away from it’s Active Rock slant evolving into it’s current Mainstream position. During this same period, KFMA has transitioned from a Triple A station (the Echo) to it’s current Alternative base.

Here is a situation where Miles and KFMA PD Chuck Roast have had to consciously make decisions on which station owns or how much to play compatible artists. "The Benchmark Artist list for each station has become less of a problem as time passes," notes Miles. "Today, the list is automatically different as KLPX is rooted in the rock artists, while KFMA is obviously alternative."

When KFMA was created a few years back, Miles knew that artist crossover would be a problem. "KLPX had been playing much of the alternative artist library in an Active Rock stance. When we put KFMA on the air, the plan was to slowly eliminate the alternative based music from the KLPX library, and to look at current music that fit the heritage rock sound and audience."

That’s currently where it stands today with KLPX. "We’re playing current music that fits the 35 to 44 year old rock fan’s tastes like Susan Tedeschi, Black Crowes, Sammy Hagar, and Indigenous." Miles also notes "there will always be a few songs and artists that play on both stations. Creed works for both audiences. As for library artists like U2 and R.E.M., if the song tests well for both audiences, we’ll both play them. In this case we don’t really put a lot of weight on who owns an artist."

Beyond the Artist Benchmark list, radio station’s in duopoly situations must also deal with compatible music cluster’s. In the case of KLPX and KFMA, there are potential crossover music categories like Hard Rock and Hard Alternative with artists like Metallica and Candlebox which are played by both radio stations.

Again, Miles feels if the music works for each station’s listeners, you have to play it. "If we share artists in the same music cluster, what separates the stations will be the NEXT song played and the overall sound of the station. If KFMA plays Candlebox, the next song might be Eve 6 or Pearl Jam, while KLPX might play Candlebox into the Black Crowes or the Stones."

Scheduling the music effectively is a skill in itself. Whether you’re adept at Selector, Music Master, or any other music scheduling system, the more you effectively execute the special policies and tricks of your scheduling system, the smoother the ebb and flow of your music which directly leads to longer Time Spent Listening (TSL).

Rich Hawk is the Station Manager and Program Director for KILO in Colorado Springs. For over 20 years, he’s had the unique distinction of not only managing and programming one of the original Active Rock stations in America, but effectively scheduling all the music as well.

About four years ago KILO switched from Selector to the Music Master music scheduling system and began networking with the in-studio "Real Time" software. Hawk believes in the old K.I.S.S theory. "We operate under the philosophies of ‘Less is More’ and ‘Keep it Simple’, using only music policies absolutely required to achieve optimum rotations like minimum song rest, hour rotations, artist separation, and sound coding."

"We always schedule currents and recurrents first," continues Hawk, "followed by a review of each hour, checking the history and rotation of each song. Then we run our gold categories, again going over each hour song by song looking at flow and segues, making sure each 15 minute segment of music represents the overall sound of the station. We follow this practice religiously EVERY day!"

It’s this kind of meticulous attention to detail that creates winning radio stations. Both Hawk and Miles run two to three different clocks in each daypart so the music doesn’t sound predictable. Both KLPX and KILO also daypart quite a bit. "Dayparting is an important tool for KILO’s Active Rock format," states Hawk. "We use it extensively and always on a song by song basis."

Meanwhile, the results of a recent music test has Miles dayparting the music on KLPX even more than usual. "KLPX is an adult AOR station which leans on the classic rock library in the morning and middays, loosens up through afternoon drive with harder edged tunes slipping into the flow, then gets a bit more current and hard at night."

How many songs and what songs to fill each category with are usually determined by music research. But how do you effectively integrate music test results into the fabric of your station’s music scheduling? Do these results have much of an effect on a station’s categories and clocks?

Miles feels, "the music testing has everything to do with the categories and what’s in them. The better testing tunes are played in the category that’s displayed the most, followed by the medium testing tunes in the secondary categories, and the marginal testing music in the lunar categories."

Hawk uses music test results even more specifically. "We place the best testing songs leading in and through all critical quarter hours and during the competitors stop sets. We’ve found it’s usually necessary to fine tune category depths and clocks after each music test is instituted."

While these music "quality" decisions help create positive Cume and Time Spent Listening (TSL), the final step of an effective music programming process is determining the right "quantity" to display your music.

Hawk is particularly bullish on the advantages of music quantity. "At KILO, we believe music quantity is extremely important for two main reasons. First, no other station in the market offers any, and second, our research shows it’s very important and effective with our P-1 listeners. We run ‘40 minutes non-stop’ each hour outside of morning drive."

If your station plays current music, the responsibility of determining what new music to play presents even more of a programming challenge. An astute Music Director is an invaluable asset to a programmer and the radio station. But what are the primary factors involved in deciding what current music gets played on the radio? How much does gut instinct and the station sound have to do with these decisions?

Patty Martin is the music director of WXRT in Chicago, one of the most respected adult rock stations in the country. Martin’s number one rule of thumb in making current music decisions is the sound of the record. "Is it compatible and will it fit with what we do? We also consider our history with the artist and the sound of the whole album since we’re not looking for one song to play from an album that doesn’t fit us."

Cathy Faulkner is the APD/MD of KISW in Seattle, one of the original Active Rock stations in the country. Faulkner feels there are several informational variables as a foundation in making current music decisions. "What are the new tracks to consider for the week? Who’s playing it? What’s the research and sales info along with the chart information?"

"Beyond this information, there are two things to consider," states Faulkner. "Is it a great song? Does it fit with the overall vibe of the tempo driven guitar sound of KISW and the balance of our current playlist?"

While both Martin and Faulkner feel that the station sound is key in initially determining what current music fits, the other important factor is a programmer’s gut instincts.

"Ultimately, if you think about it," says Faulkner, "an add is a leap of faith that a song will pan out and become a hit or a staple in our library. You can attribute all the science to a song that you want but you truly won’t know how a song will work until you add it."

Martin echoes this sentiment with the opposite tact. "Although we share music with other stations in the market, we really try to make sure you can tell the song sounds right on WXRT. In some cases, we end up NOT adding a song and letting another station in the market be its champion. This is a gut call. We just look at each other and say...’that’s just not us’."

Martin and Faulkner also believe a record label’s commitment to a new artist and song is another important element in a programmer’s decision to play a current track.

"We certainly consider label priorities, but they have to coincide with ours," says Martin. "If we’re confident the label has a commitment, we’ll be more inclined to give it a shot." Faulkner stresses, "Commitment pertains to a label’s long term support of the band and song in question. That matters to me and is a factor towards our decision to add new music."

Ray Gmeiner is the VP of Rock Promotion for Virgin Records. It was his label’s strong commitment to Lenny Kravitz that ultimately catapulted the track "Fly Away" to it’s monstrous hit status. "We made a strong commitment early on to that artist and song," says Gmeiner. "Several astute PD’s and MD’s gave us a shot on that record based on our staunch belief in the song’s potential. The rest is history."

Barry Lyons is the VP of Rock Promotion for the new Island/Mercury record group. Although Lyons feels that record companies themselves often pick the wrong tracks to commit to, "the fact is that for the vast majority of programmers, a label’s commitment is a critical factor. With all the second guessing going on, how many really want to take a chance on something that isn’t going to have the profiling that a major commitment brings with it?"