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There goes the last DJ
Who plays what he wants to play
And says what he wants to say, hey hey
hey...
Lyrics by Tom Petty
| John Peel & Scott Muni |
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Will there ever be another John Peel or Scott
Muni? Sadly for millions of radio listeners in
the UK and New York, BBC Radio 1 legend John
Peel and New York City radio legend Scott Muni,
two of radio's last great DJs died last fall.
John and Scott had what many DJs are sorely
lacking today - an immeasurable PASSION, LOVE
and RESPECT for the MUSIC. For over 4 decades,
John and Scott turned their listeners onto new
music, shared stories about the songs and
artists, and frequently had the artists on the air.
Measure your listeners' passion for your music... »
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| The Best Defense: The Next DJ |
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Now every radio station doesn't need a John Peel
or an "Encyclopedia of Rock" like Scott Muni,
nor are we advocating a return to free-form
radio and giving every DJ carte blanche to play
whatever they want and say whatever they feel.
But for radio to flourish in the future, we need
to create the Next DJ, the next generation of
John Peel's and Scott Muni's. The Next DJ will
be our best defense against the iPod.
Is it any wonder most listeners can't remember
the name of a single DJ on your station after
the breakfast show? Most DJs have nothing to say
of any substance, and have been stifled by
Program Directors over the years. Sadly they are
just nice voices on the radio perfectly
executing the format.
Are you satisfying your P1's? They will tell you... »
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| Personality Renaissance |
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Programmers, it is time for a personality
renaissance. Time to begin empowering your
DJs and encouraging them to entertain the
audience. Formatics and a cohesive sound to your
station are fine, but let the DJs be
personalities. Give your DJs opportunities to
bond with your listeners and connect with them
on an emotional level.
Hire DJs with Great Personalities and a Passion
for the Music your station plays, and then get
out of their way. Encourage risk-taking, planned
spontaneity and predictably unpredictable radio.
A little fun and creativity goes a long way to
establishing unforgettable DJs while increasing
station loyalty.
We didn't let Video Kill the Radio Star, let's
not let the iPod kill it either.
Knowledge and solutions here... »
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| The Last DJ |
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Well you can't turn him into a company
man
You can't turn him into a whore
And the boys upstairs just don't understand
anymore
Well the top brass don't like him talking so
much,
And he won't play what they say to play
And he don't want to change what don't need to
change
Tom Petty
Special Thanks to Erica Farber and Kevin Carter
of Radio & Records for publishing this article
April 1st 2005
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