And Now A Word From Our Sponsor.

I want to talk to you for a minute about....radio commercials, although I suppose what I have to say applies to TV as well.

I have a question. Where's the creativity?

Programmers design formats to keep you from changing the station when commercials come on, because they are perceived as a 'tune out' factor.

I have witnessed many times listeners who can't change the station fast enough when commercials come on.

Maybe I'm being naive, but I believe that if the commercials were as entertaining as the music, there would be no channel flipping.

Let me cite a couple of examples. Here are a few commercials I think fit into the 'entertaining' category. As a side game, try and guess what the commercial is about, before the 'reveal'.

Click here for Spot Number 1.

Click here for Spot Number 2.

You really don't need a lot of sound effects or music to make a radio commercial entertaining.

Click here to hear a very funny spot about fireant killer. It's all in the writing and the voice!

Also....

Click here to listen to another voice-only commercial about a trivia game.

Stan Freberg is my guru when it comes to this subject. He started out as a satirist who eventually started his own ad agency who created an infamous commercial about radio, using sound effects to drain Lake Michigan and fill it with hot chocolate.

He also created some entertaining TV ads as well. For example:



He also wrote a book "It Only Hurts When I Laugh" that, among other things, talked about his work in advertising and includes a few script samples as well. The book is out of print, but you can find used copies around if you look hard enough.

OK I'm off the soapbox.

Think about it though....commercials as entertaining as the DJ's.

Radical.

Tony Dungy

With the retirement of Tony Dungy as Colts head coach this week, I thought I'd share the story of my one encounter with him.

Tony wrote a book called "Quiet Strength", and went on a book tour to support it. One day, he scheduled a few book signings in Indianapolis. My friend who manages one of the bookstores where a signing was scheduled, asked me if I would be interested in interviewing him.

I instantly said yes.

So there I am, in the bookstore where hundreds of people have been waiting in line for hours for the signing to begin, and I am waiting somewhat nervously to do my 5 minute interview.

I had a few questions in mind, but I gotta tell you I was a nervous wreck. I'd heard what a nice guy he was, but this is the head coach of the Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts!!!

He came out into the designated press area in the middle of the bookstore, surrounded by everyone that was waiting in line for the book signing. There was applause, and then the Coach came over to me for the interview.

It went well, I had asked about the different type of media he was dealing with for publicity for the book, as opposed to the sports media he usually deals with. We were off and running.

I had absolutely no reason to be nervous, he made me feel completely at ease.

After the interview concluded, I thanked the coach for his time and came to one horrific realization.

I forgot to bring my camera!!! I can't believe it!! A picture with coach Dungy would be a once in a lifetime thing, and I blew it!

Oh well, that was just a small blip on a pretty good afternoon.

He says that he will still maintain connections with Indianapolis, I hope so.

I want another chance at getting that pic!! hehe

And I Thought Working In Radio Was Risky...

How bizarre is this. Shortly after I got laid off last year I was interviewed by Susan Guyett for her column in the Indianapolis Star, "Talk Of The Town".

A few months later Susan got fired! Apparently there have been a number of firings/lay offs at the Star over the last few months. There are more changes to come!

How do I know this? I stumbled across a blog written by Ruth Holladay, a former Star employee.

If you have some time, you should read it as well. It's very eye opening! Click here to see for yourself.

Preserving my past.

I have a lot of stuff on paper that I am in the process of digitizing so I can have it around for a while longer.

My picture was taken in February of 1981, as part of an article in my high school paper on the broadcasting business. I was going to a radio/tv magnet school known as CIRT, The Center For Instructional Radio and Television.



The article mentioned my name but didn't quote me. You can click it to make it larger, if you want.:


I have a few other things I would like to scan and save, before something happens to them.

I recently had a pretty cool reference letter scanned. It came from Lucasfilm, after my work as an MC during Celebration 2 here in Indy. It's a PDF file so you'll need Adobe Acrobat to see it, Click here to get it.

One more thing I need to get scanned soon is a Mayoral Proclamation that named it Tom Berg Day in Indianapolis. It came from Bart Peterson, via Paul Poteet on my last day as a traffic reporter on WRTV-6. It was presented to me on camera, and I was flabbergasted. I'll post it here ASAP.