98.9 Magic FM: Jeff Haber discusses record label and venue involvement in radio
(Jeff Haber/ Photo credit: Anna Vogt)
Cumulus Media's 98.9 Magic FM is a radio station that broadcasts today's top hits. Its primary audience is adults ages 25-55, and its secondary audience is women ages 18-49. According to a data sheet released by the company, 98.9 Magic FM has an average of 128,800 listeners per week in the Colorado Springs and Pueblo areas.
Composed of four main actors—The Jubal Show, Dallace Jade, Jeff Haber and Big Mack—the team at Magic FM knows all about collaboration and partnerships in the industry.
Program Director Jeff Haber offered some riveting inside into the world of radio and life as a program director.
(Jeff Haber on-air at Magic FM/ Photo credit: Anna Vogt)
Haber explained that radio deals in direct communication between record labels and venues to promote artists. The line of communication between radio and venues is streamlined.
“We'll hear from a promotor. They'll say, 'Hey, put together a proposal. What are you going to do for the show?' and based off of what we do for them determines on how many tickets we get,” Haber said.
The proposal is a document that includes critical information regarding how a radio station will promote an event at a venue.
“A standard proposal will include how many times we are going to mention the show on the radio, if we are going to do social media for the show, if we are going to promote on social media, if we are going to promote it in an e-blast — our listener-base — and if it's going to be on our website,” Haber said.
The more a radio station promotes, the more tickets it will receive for giveaways. Record labels can also participate in this process.
“The record labels will maybe get involved by giving us something extra special for specific shows,” Haber said.
The importance of a record label's involvement with radio should be considered. But how exactly do record labels connect and communicate with radio?
“Record labels will reach out to us, and they'll say, 'Hey, I have this artist. They have this song. We want you to play it on the radio station,' and usually we will get to hear songs before they come out,” Haber said. “Usually, when that artist is in town, we'll get tickets to their show.”
Record labels do this to promote their artists.
“They want to do everything they can to make us fans of their artist or that song. And so, you know, it's almost like, like I said, they're trying to push their artist to get us to play it,” Haber said.
Record labels will give the ticket giveaways to program directors, like Haber, for a paramount reason: Record labels see ticket giveaways as an opportunity to immerse the program director in an artist's music.
If a program director is unfamiliar with an artist's music or initially dislikes it, attending a concert might lead to a shift in opinion. In turn, a program director may be willing to play the artist's music on their station.
“Best example is Madison Beer — wasn't a big fan of her, went to her show and was blown away," Haber explained. "And when I saw how the crowd reacted to her hit single, I was like, 'Alright, there's something here."
Haber said that a record label’s job is to influence programmers and get them to play the label’s music. Because of this ebb and flow between radio and record labels, promotions between the two organizations occur regularly.
Haber explained that the two partners collaborate and increase listenership by giving away VIP packages. This benefits radio, record labels, and the audience.
“And that will help us, you know, increase listenership. It also allows us to do something super cool for one of our listeners by giving them a VIP package — maybe that comes with a meet-and-greet; maybe it's just a whole bunch of merch — whatever it is, but it allows us to do something for our listeners,” Haber said.
Increasing listenership is a common goal between the two institutions, and this living symbiotic relationship between radio and record labels is necessary.
“It's that kind of relationship that record labels and radio programmers will have,” Haber summarized. “Scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours.”
While Cumulus Media's Magic FM focuses on today's top hits, 94.3 Kilo is a rock station that plays current and past rock hits. Established for 47 years, Kilo has catapulted itself into Colorado Springs, Colorado, rock culture.
Keep reading to learn how 94.3 Kilo partners with The Black Sheep and Ford Amphitheater to lift the community.