Volume 5 • Issue 1 • January 2014 909 North Railroad Street Eagle River, WI 54521 (715) 479-4451 HHCCGG aazzeettttee “One of America’s Finest Small Market Radio Broadcasting Companies” In This Brutal Weather Challenges Issue the Northwoods and UP Page 2 . ’ve never seen anything Pres. Release like it,” said one long - “Itime Heartland listener. Page 4 . Are you kidding me, it’s really 32 Ashland News degrees below zero?!” And, he didn’t talk very long for fear the cold air traveling through his Page 5 . mouth might freeze his windpipe Eagle River News shut. Perhaps the coldest Heartland Page 6 . market in January was Ashland, WI. It was probably the market hit Iron River News hardest with the most snow as well. Snow is usually very wel - Page 7 . come, but when it comes in foot Park Falls News measurements instead of inch measurements, it can be rather challenging to say the least. The Jim Coursolle, CRMC picture of snow on the Heartland President and CEO Ashland station studio building says it all. By the way, the roof Deb Josephs, CPA had to be shoveled clear of snow Corporate CFO to prevent roof leakage or col - Snow on the roof of the Ashland station building. lapse. Wendi Ell, newsletter Ashland General Manager, wind chill factors for over a week. storm in Ashland…we have cer - designer and Scott Jaeger, said, “In Northern In fact in Superior, Wisconsin, tainly had our struggles with win - publisher Wisconsin and the UP of Michi - where Sandy and Marge Berg ter!” gan we have experienced one of work, they officially recorded 61º Darla Isham, GM in Park Falls the earliest and longest cold snaps below zero! Couple that with asks, “How cold did it get in the we have seen in a long time. We Mother Nature wreaking havoc Park Falls Market? were experiencing 30 to 50º below with a monster 32 inch snow See C-O-L-D , Page 3 www.heartlandcomm.com Heartland Winds Up Year on a High Note All-Company Performance for December at 100.5% n the final month of 2013, Ashland exceeded their rev - 116.98% budget. Wheeler told the three out of four Heartland enue budget by 103% led by HCGazette that he is proud of the Imarkets went over the top Heartland’s leading salesperson efforts put forth by his team. with revenue budgets catapulting John Warren who exceeded the Wheeler said, “Our new salesper - the company into 2014 in a very $41,000 mark. Bob Michaels and son, Troy Margoni, is showing positive manner. Tammy Hollister, who joined the positive growth and we expect Park Falls led with 111.7% of Ashland team in 2013, showed good things from him in 2014.” budget. Darla Isham, Park Falls solid growth with Hollister ob - “2014 is shaping up to be a V.P. & General Manager said, “It taining 107.67% of budget in De - good revenue year for Heartland,” was a total team effort; our new cember. according to CEO Jim Coursolle. salespeople Paul Dischler and Iron River surpassed their “Our focus in 2014 will be in - Tammy Hastings have developed budget goals by 101.7% with creasing EBITDA by hitting a their skills and along with veteran Amber Sarifiny reaching high percentage of sales budgets Preston Vaughn, this sales team 166.41% of budget and market in all four of our markets,” said put it all together!” VP & GM Dan Wheeler obtaining Coursolle. Page 2 Volume 5 • Issue 1 • January 2014 HCG azette PPrreess.. RReelleeaassee anuary, in my opinion, is their gear and heading home; it was Heartland, how did 2013 go for You have heard me say that, a month that brings the day after the defeat they suf - you? What percentage of the time basically, it always comes down to Jmixed emotions. The hol - fered at the hands of San Francisco did you make your personal sales “attitude,” and in this case, it is idays are over and there may be a in the brutal cold at Lambeau Field. budget? If you would make your your attitude about yourself. If let-down to some degree. It gets Most of the interviews I heard personal sales budget in 2014, how YOU have the desire to make 2014 cold and mentioned something about “next much more in commissions would the best year of your life, YOU can that is espe - season” or “beginning again.” I you earn and would that money be and YOU will. cially true heard things like “working on my meaningful to you in some way? I’m not big on New Year’s reso - this year in technique” or the word, “improve - What can you personally do to im - lutions only because they’re often the North - ment.” January gives all of us a prove your sales in 2014? With forgotten in about a week or month. woods. In chance to do some introspection. today’s Internet, the RAB, WBA But, I do believe that we can pick the North - If you are an on-air talent; did webinars and resources at your sta - one or two certain areas of our life woods, we your shows go the way you wanted tions, there is a ton of stuff you can that we perceive needs improve - do pray for them to go in 2013? Is there room use to improve and learn new sales ment and formulate a plan that we snow be - for improvement in 2014? Can skills. Your general manager can work on until we improve; athletes cause it Jim Coursolle your show preparation be more assist you, but most importantly, do that all the time. By formulating brings the President, CEO beneficial? What can you do to you can assist yourself. Spend the an improvement PLAN, you do snowmobil - make your radio show more com - time, and maybe a little money, to much more than just wish or make ers, skiers and winter sports people pelling so that more listeners tune obtain training courses or materials some sort of a resolution to make a up here and we know tourists al - in to our Heartland stations? What that will improve your sales skills change. ways make things easier finan - do people tell you that they like in 2014, but it’s up to you. If you PLAN to improve in cially, but we could do without the about your show; have you heard On the personal side of the 2014, you will. It’s all about your sub-zero temperatures. I think the any negative comments from lis - ledger, you may have some areas in attitude toward yourself; YOU one thing that I really like about teners or other staff members? your own life that you would like have to decide that YOU are worth January is that it brings a new be - There is so much information on to improve. Again, there is a myr - it and then begin to go to work with ginning; a chance to start over and the Internet today that can be used iad of self-help materials available your PLAN. Invest in YOU and renew your life. for show preparation or show im - on the Internet and at your local li - YOU will improve. I remember listening to the inter - provement in some way, but it’s up brary. But, YOU have to take the Diane and I wish you the most views on the radio with Packer to you. initiative and make the move; it’s successful and happiest of New players as they were packing up If you are a salesperson for up to you. Years in 2014! December Top Sellers birthday “broadcasts” january 4th – Peggy Kaczkowski - Eagle River 5th – Starr Helgemo - Iron River Market Managers 9th – Wendy Schulta - Eagle River Darla Isham ................................$20,118 11th – Trish Keeley - Eagle River th Dan Wheeler ................................$16,693 17 – David Olson - Ashland 21st – Tammy Hastings - Park Falls Scott Jaeger ................................$14,905 22nd – Jenny Gabrelcik - Eagle River Sales Reps 25th – Kathy Wawiorka - Corporate John Warren................................$41,089 28th – Paul Dischler - Park Falls Amber Sarafiny ............................$14,340 February Bob Michaels ..............................$12,736 11th– Bob Michaels - Ashland Trish Keeley ................................$12,677 18th – Jim Slagle - Eagle River th Rob Zimbler ................................$12,539 19 – Preston Vaughn - Park Falls 22nd – Rick Frischmann - Park Falls Volume 5 • Issue 1 • January 2014 Page 3 Ashland Cluster Accomplishes “Hat Trick” he Heartland Ashland Manager of the Ashland cluster, we have in Ashland. Q-Ball, Mark, first impression!” stations turned in an out - Scott Jaeger Rudy and Veterans Tstanding fourth quarter said, “I am Skip give us Marge and performance making and exceed - very proud a tremendous Sandy Berg ing all sales budgets for the months of the way product to continue to of October, November and Decem - our team in take to the represent the ber 2013. In October, Ashland Ashland marketplace. Ashland posted 103.8% of their revenue overcame a And when cluster in the budget; in November, they hit poor econ - our listeners Iron River, 101.7% and in December, they omy to win come into WI, Superior went over the top at 103%. the way we the station to and Duluth, Throughout 2013, Heartland’s did. We have Scott Jaeger buy shop - Lori Mahnke MN areas. Tammy Hollister leading salesperson, John Warren, terrific sales - Ashland ping show Ashland “We see a lot Ashland exceeded his sales budget; in Octo - people in General Manager items or receptionist of business salesperson ber Warren Ashland.” bring in pub - from our reached Jaeger said he also wanted to “tip lic service announcements, Lori, Western areas.” 101.9%; in my hat to the excellent on-air talent our receptionist, creates the best Jaeger went on to praise the November outstanding performance of, new in 103.36% and 2013, salespeople Tammy Hollister in December and Bob Michaels, “I am so appre - he obtained Ashland’s Personalities ciative of their ability to catch on 110.28%! (L to R) Dave Q-Ball Nelson, to radio sales as quickly and as Warren told Mark Miller and Rudy well as they have.