Media Management Extra Credit

Spring 2006

10 points

You are a sales representative at a local classic rock station, WROK. WROK is owned by Red Brick Media as part of a three-station group in Wilmington. Overall WROK is ranked 6^th in the market out of 20 commercial stations behind the following formats: Country, Adult Contemporary, Top 40, Hip Hop and Alternative. Overall, the station is ranked higher than stations with the following formats: Classic Rock, Adult Album Alternative, Rhythm & Blues, AM Talk, AM Sports, AM Hispanic/Latino, FM Talk and a few others. WROK’s overall ratings improved slightly in the last ratings book. The other stations in the Red Brick group are the leading country station and an FM talk station. WROK ranks high in the male 18-45 demographic and relatively low in the female 18-45 demo. Red Brick is making a decent profit in the Wilmington Market and you made pretty good money last year, surpassing your sales goals.

The new intern at WROK that you are mentoring, Skippy, emails your sales manager one day and asks, “If we’re only ranked sixth in the market and we are performing poorly in the coveted female demographic, how is it that, 1) the company is making good money and, 2) YOU are making good money?”

Ahh, Skippy is such a naïve young man. Not only does he dress funny and complain about “having to be at work by 9:30 a.m.,” he just doesn’t yet get the advertising business. Your sales manager says he’s having lunch with a client and assigns you the task of responding to Skippy the Intern to explain some of the nuances of the ratings and radio economics business. The sales manager tells you to, “Guide and nurture the guy and instruct him as best you can about some of the methods, issues and techniques in the broadcast advertising industry that allows our station and company to be successful despite what appear to be modest ratings success.”

In your response to Skippy, you must touch on at least two major areas involving media economics, sales and/or ratings gathering and analysis to answer his questions. While there is not single correct answer, your 1-1.5 page “email message” must give a strong and plausible explanation for how your station and group can be a successful company despite fairly average ratings in the Wilmington Market. You do not have to explain everything to Skippy but you must pick a two or three major themes that enable you to demonstrate your knowledge of the subject matter. Some possible topics include: the role of ratings in sales, how ratings are gathered (strengths and pitfalls) and how those numbers are used (or ignored) in selling air time, the synergistic effects of group ownership, the role of the sales representative in making money for the station and the nature of the audience for your product. Be sure to refer your topics back to how they contribute to making the station successful.

Avoid the tendency to write your email as if you’re writing a friend…that is, it should be well written as if writing a formal letter. Make sure your document is well organized with a clear rhetorical structure (e.g., an introduction, a paragraph for each major point, a conclusion). You may refer to the text, class notes, PowerPoint presentations and Joey Flynn’s comments in class to make your points. The assignment will be graded on the quality of writing as well as the clarity and thoroughness of your arguments.

Questions: call or email me. Due: Next class meeting, March 21, 2006 IN CLASS. Do not email the assignment. Late submissions will not be accepted.