USTED NAME IN RADIO FEBRUARY 16 1996 This Week It was the thrill of victory: the agony of John Fagot's feet, as he made the run into the Centennial Ballroom to light the GAVIN Seminar Torch. Our sexy cover boy did his job, and all of us who attend- ed the 1996 Seminar in Atlanta, the Olympic City, did ours. Sure, we had fun, as evidenced by wti the photos to your left, of the Opening Ceremonies and the sports -intensive Cocktail Party. But, as the Seminar sum- maries in News and the editors' columns make clear, a lot of net- working, teaching, learning, rallying, and A&Ring also took place in and around the Hyatt Regency. Erik Johnson cf KKNB-Lincoln, Neb., got a bit of everything. "It was a great networking tool," he said. "I enjoyed the historic stuff-the Legends of the Airwaves and Ahmet Ertegun (top). And the "Taking Control of Your Sales Department" panel...I can go back and use it." Inside, we recall some of the Seminar's many great moments, including the piano -side visit with Herbie Hancock (middle) and the panel of consultants, who From Opening jumped on the latest news out of New York, where Evergreen's Scott Ginsburg and Steve Rivers (bottom) Ceremonies to were unveiling the return of WKTU. From fabled history to the latest the Cocktail Party, headlines, it was all at 4 the GAVIN Seminar. the Seminar Reached Olympic Heights real love from the beatles anthology 2 Produced by Jeff Lynne, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr 0 1996 Apple Corps Ltd. Under exclusive license to EMI Records Ltd. First Person Inside AsTOLDToKEVIN ZIMMERMAN 4 News 8 That's Sho-Biz Friends of RadioRoland Edison Val Azzoli 15 Classifieds 4 Gavin Gets the Gold On What Needs Fixing (Hint: It's Not Atlantic Records) An extended news section and an awards and photo spread are On January 16, Val Azzoli was up, not only in talent, but also in just the beginning of our post named co-chairman/co-CEO of The executive talent. Seminar coverage. Atlantic Group, a title he shares with We have to evaluate everything: FORMATS Ahmet Ertegun. Azzoli's appoint- signings, the cost of doing business. 9 Top 40Thinking and Thanking ment comes at an intriguing time I think we have to hunker down for the company: while the positive and weather the storm to survive- Top 40 Profile:Lisa Loeb turnaround in Atlantic's fortunes and we will; there will be growth 11 Go Chart over the past few years has been again. But it's going to be a hard 13 Adult Cortemporary well -documented, so has the general couple of years. Inside A/C:Seminar Recap It was a very hard year at the executive turmoil at its parent, the 16 College:Dealing With PCD Warner Music Group. Indeed, a Warner Music Group. The only large part of that turmoil has way I and Atlantic got through it 18 Gavin Americana TM: revolved around Interscope Records, was that we all concentrated on Seminar Rewind, Part 1 which was 50% owned by Atlantic. selling records, since that was the 19 Alternative Azzoli assesses the state of only thing we had any control Static:Avow Go Home Atlantic, of WMG, and of the record over. Every day we'd read things 26 CountryOn Your Mark, industry at large. in the papers and be fielding Gel Set... This company is in great Val Azzoli these calls from all these people. shape. Every aspect of than we were, because that area A lot of time was spent just talk- Country Profile:Keith Stegall Atlantic is solid, and that's had been sort of left to Interscope. ing about it. But we felt that we 30 A' Album Adult Alternative because we have the best possible 1996 is going to be a transitional could be the architects of our own Extension 606:Things We Did people working for it. After five period for the industry as a whole. future if we could sell a lot of 36 Rap:PHATTanta Was All That years of basically re -building it, it's We're coming to the realization that records, with the idea that if the Rap Profile: rebuilt. Nothing is broken and I retail is flat, and that we're going to division is running well, people don't want to "fix" anything. My have to accept it. Returns are going are not going to come down and Conscious Daughters appointment is not about turning to be higher in '96 because more start messing with it. 38 Urban Landzscape things around or fixing something. I people are going to be closing more Now there's a much more calm, Urban On-line MonicaStarr think instead it's a reflection of how stores. A lot of these megastores are stable feeling here, not only at Black History Snapshot: well the company's doing. going to effectively be cut in half, Atlantic, but throughout Warner Ilalcolm Could we use more hits? Sure- because they're going to be focus- Music. It's as simple as this: when I I'd like to sign every band in ing on accessories in order to make get up in the morning I don't run to 40 Gavin RocksSeminar Blowout America. But in all seriousness, the their margins. get the paper and read the business Rock Profile:Gravity Kills one thing you can always do is We also have to face up to the section. I check out the box scores. 42 A2 Adult Alternative improve, and improve in every fact that the cassette configuration is I've been very lucky in that I've On Z Corner: department. We as a company are not dying; it's dead. been able to work with some really Jazzy and Smooth Highlights not perfect, and I'm not perfect. And radio is going to continue to good people. Doug Morris taught Interscope going to MCA does be more and more fragmented; me a lot - virtually everything I 43 Jazz leave a hole. But we're not going to there are less shots, spots and slots know about the record business. go out and acquire another compa- opening up. At the same time there Doug and Mel Lewinter-these ny; we'll be focusing on building up are all these new record companies people were friends, employers, NEXT WEEK from within ourselves. There is signing up more bands, which co-workers, confidantes. It was a Country Spotlight most definitely room for rap at the makes for less and less slots in close family. Now we're all in differ- AGAVINsalute to the company. We're still going to sign radio. It's going to be a very com- ent places, but like with every rap bands-probably even more petitive year. Everybody's staffing family, you move on. GAVIN Country Radio Seminar, featuring revelations from Wynonna. Seminar is H0I First Words mTanta Phew, what a week that was! As much fun as we had at the \ II `seminar Photos:Pat Johnson Studios On Sunday, the day many of us took leave of Atlanta and Seminar-particularly at the Cocktail the 1996 Gavin Seminar, a front-page headline in the local Party, where my wife, Julia, became paper read, "Changing the Rules of the Game." the undisputed Sumo Champion of WYNY: That's not a bad summary of the Seminar. the World (Dalton chapter)-we VIP In session after session, from the heady keynote event to know, as do the world -class ath- GAY.' Founded by Bill Gavin -1958 nitty-gritty format workshops, radio and music industry letes heading towards the Olympic 1- published 50 weeks a year on Friday of each people got the word. The world is changing at a blinding City, that games can be a serious matter, indeed. week. Subscription Rates $325 for 50 issues or $180 speed, due in no small measure to media and technology, If you enjoyed it as much as we did, I hope that we can look for 25 issues. Subscription and circulation inquiries: and it won't do to just keep up. We've got to do all we can to forward to seeing you in New Orleans next year. (415) 495-1990. All rights to any or all of the contents of this publication are reserved. Materials may not be see around the corner and over the edge; to grab opportuni- reproduced in any form without the publisher's ties, and to take risks-changing the rules, as it were-all permission. ©1996 GAVIN, MillerFreernan Entertainment Group while understanding the basics, promoting the best in 140 Second Street, San Francisco broadcasting and music, and while respecting who and what David Dalton California 94105. USA me befores. CEO 1/1 Miller Freeman A United News & Media company GAVIN FEBRUARY 1 6 ,1996 "Great companies are not built by committee." - Rupert Murdoch GAVIN NEWS see below Seminar isofin!manta Gavin Seminar attendees got instant reports on keynotes and panels by way of the Daily, a four -pager that somehow materialized Thursday, Friday, and Saturday mornings. Murdoch Mesmerizes Crowd This week and next, we present coverage of major events at the Seminar, much of it from the Daily. BY BEN FONG-TORRES fying force...anclI wouldn't network-a realnetwork. P.S.: There is no truth to the rumor that Rupert Murdoch count him out yet." And it desperately damaged has purchased the Daily to serve as the foundation of his Rupert Murdoch talked Onebiggamble, he CBS." fledgling all -news cable operation.