Logo Montage of Z-100 New York

If you worked in radio in the 80’s, WHTZ/New York was the station that every CHR station (Contemporary Hit Radio) wanted to sound like.

It was where the cool kids hung out. Jingle companies fawned over them tossing them completely new customized and awesome jingles because they knew they’d make their money when every other station in the free world bought them for top dollar. See if these these don’t sound familiar to a market near year where only the frequency and slogan are slightly modified.

My point is once a trend setter, always a trendsetter…until you’re not. Z-100 still turns heads although the 80’s also-ran WPLJ-FM took the lead (and Scott Shannon) away to even things out a bit.

So when Z-100 changes its logo, unlike other radio stations, it matters a bit. You are more like to see those top two logos pop up in other cities around the country – radio as an industry is inventive, once. Then its copy city after that.

So what do you think of the new icon? Or do you have to hear the station to see if it fits?

The playing field is a bit more level today then it was when I was working as a jock but don’t be surprised if you start seeing similar logos to the top two in the graphic above in your market soon. Once a trend setter, always a trendsetter…until you’re not.

Tags: branding, broadcasting, commentary, logo design, marketing, radio by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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I was called in early Friday morning to voice more spots for the most recent Time-Warner Cable Buffalo Bills radio campaign.

Since we had some time, I thought it would be fun to record the session and show you how it went.

I appreciated the work but appreciated the camaraderie just as much!

How did I do?

Tags: announcers, commentary, commercials, radio, video, voice talent, voiceover by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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I have been involved in broadcasting in one form or another pretty much my whole adult life.

For the four years I worked in radio, I knew many broadcast engineers and I knew some of the perils of their job – not all of it is dangerous but some of it is. One of them was seriously electrocuted by a TV transmission line (he survived and continues to work in broadcast engineering).

But I think I tried to block out of my mind the work done by those few souls who work on broadcast towers. I believe these folks are not always broadcast engineers and in fact the people you are about to see I believe are not broadcast engineers but folks who I would call tower jockeys – people who maintain and repair broadcast towers.

It is insanely dangerous work.

In this video, you will watch two men climb over 1700′ up a single ladder and then free climb to change the beacon on a broadcast tower…that light at the VERY tip top of the tower that lets pilots know there’s a big stick in there way.

IF YOU ARE AFRAID OF HEIGHTS…you seriously may not be able to watch this whole video. If you are not afraid of heights, you may be after watching this video.

My thanks to my friend and great broadcaster/voice talent Chuck Lakefield for the link off his Facebook page.

What you think of this video?

Tags: commentary, radio, technology, tv, video by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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VoiceOverXtra! and Gabby Nistico are presenting a Radio Imaging Seminar on September 8, 2010

Many folks are interested in getting into the voice over fields of Radio Imaging and Station Branding. No wonder, it’s a lot of fun!

So John Florian over at VoiceOverXtra! has teamed up with Gabby Nistico for a webinar on Wednesday, September 8, 2010 (yes, that’s tomorrow night) which will show you “the skills and business savvy needed to succeed in this lucrative niche. Live. Ask her questions. Receive a free recording of the entire webinar.”

For the details on this event, click here.

Tags: announcers, branding, commentary, radio, voice actors, voice talent, voiceover by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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Radio Imaging & Promo Master Mark Driscoll

For as long as I’ve known Mark Driscoll’s imaging work (which I think goes back to when he was doing imaging for WLZR in the mid ’80’s) I’ve always thought he was at the top of the radio imaging and promo food chain. For me, his voice quality has been right up there with my voice over hero Ernie Anderson LISTEN

And I’ve never and likely will never come close to sounding like either of them.

But I noticed on Facebook for the first time a link to his blog and if radio imaging is a current or future objective of yours, pay attention to what Mark Driscoll tells you.

Tags: announcers, radio, voice talent, voiceover, voiceover blog by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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OK, I haven’t talked radio on here in a while but if you have worked in or around radio (as most voice talent, marketing and/or advertising folks have) you know some of America’s top radio stations. You’ve heard of their amazing falls from grace and some who just keep winning.

WCBS-FM, know forever as CBS-FM was a true oldies station, employing most of New York’s city’s most famous radio jocks for a long time. Well, until 2005.

It was then that some dunder-head thought they should change CBS-FM from Oldies to the Jack-FM format. The station tanked to #22 in the market.

Then, they fired the dunder-head and brought in someone else and he brought 101.1 FM back as CBS-FM in 2007 and this week, they ranked #1 overall in NYC.

That is a tough market so kudos and congrats to everyone at CBS-FM.

Tags: radio by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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