John Lucas: Legend On and Off the Court

Basketball great John Lucas was on the Houston Business Hour with Allen Robinson and myself today on CNN 650 (M-F at 7 AM). It was a fascinating interview which included a candid conversation about his struggle with drugs and an even more open look at what is going on in the business side of sports.

On today's show John discussed:

* How he found himself struggling with drug and alcohol addiction

* How high profile athletes stay in major cities and how that affects league parity

* The struggles young athletes have transitioning from high school and college to the pros

* Insight into the way salary caps work in the NBA and more

Check out the entire video at you tube by clicking here.

Film footage provided by Andy Valadez of Marketing Dynamics.

Order Kevin Price's audio program The Accumulators, which explains the impact that the Internet is having on marketing and consumer behavior. It is available online here for only $10 plus p and h. Receive the Houston Business Review e-zine free each week by clicking here.

Neil Bush on the Houston Business Hour

He's introduced as "the President's brother," or the "former President's son", or the "former First Lady's favorite son" (as he like to put it) but I will merely call him Neil. Neil Bush was a guest on the Houston Business Hour yesterday (M-F at 7 AM on CNN 650). He has this unique ability of making a person feel like they have known them for years. He's friendly, like a next door neighbor. He's intuitive and seems like he has solid business sense. He provided one of my favorite interviews in years.

Andy Valadez of Marketing Dynamics and a regular contributor to my program and website video taped the interview and you can see it in its entirety at YouTube.

Neil's company, Ignite Learning, seems to be very cutting edge and provided a great subject for today's program. Instead of being redundant by saying what the interview was about, let me encourage you to watch it instead.

Order Kevin Price's audio program The Accumulators, which explains the impact that the Internet is having on marketing and consumer behavior. It is available online here for only $10 plus p and h. Receive the Houston Business Review e-zine free each week by clicking here.

Phantom Cell Phone Sensation

Let's face it, our lives are better because of technology for many reasons. We can access the information we want quicker and at unheard of locations just a few years ago. But I have been noticing a recent down side lately.

Have you ever sat in a comfortable chair watching a TV and feel a vibration in your pants leg and you think it is your phone? Sure enough, if you are my age, getting to it isn't as easy as it use to be so you struggle to get your hand in your pocket and you find the phone isn't even there. In fact, this problem has become so common that I actually now feel the outside part of my leg and make sure before I dive in.

It appears I am not the only one with this problem. Medical professionals have a name for it. They call it "phantom cell phone sensation." It is similar to what amputees feel after they lose a limb. There is the feeling that it is still there. In our case, we feel the vibration with no cell phone around.

Unfortunately for me, this problem will not go away any time soon. I'm on the air M-F, I also do weekly TV shows, and in between such I am in meeting after meeting. I have to keep it in vibrate mode or off (which I do on TV because of static it generates on my microphone even in vibration mode).

So if you were concerned that you were developing health issues, it appears there is no concern. It is just the "haunting" effect of technology. However, I will remind you that I'm not a doctor and don't play one on TV, so visit a doctor's second opinion if you have any questions. There is nothing like our litigation nation; but that will be another blog topic. Note on the video. I found this on YouTube, an example of others who suffer from this same issue.

Order Kevin Price's audio program The Accumulators, which explains the impact that the Internet is having on marketing and consumer behavior. It is available online here for only $10 plus p and h. Receive the Houston Business Review e-zine free each week by clicking here.

California Fire Fuels TV Ratings

If I have said it once, I have said it a million times, the media is in the bad news business. Again, not news, bad news. If people merely saw news or good news, it appears interest would be at a minimum. In the words of Don Henley, we want "dirty laundry." Proof of the power of bad news can be found in one of yesterday's article in Media Bistro's TVNewser:

Last night's special edition of 20/20 posted the program's largest audience in more than a year and its highest A18-49 and A25-54 numbers in more than eight months.
The Charlie Gibson-anchored special brought in 10.9M total viewers. In the A18-49 demo the hour had a 2.8 rating/8 share; in A25-54 it had a 3.7/10.

So when the media has the opportunity to talk about the fact that we will have one of the best home selling years in history this year or focus on the 1.5 percent of home owners who are in forclosure, what route do you think they will take? Sadly, bad news is good news for the media.

Changes at Business Week

There is a cliché that “style is not as important as substance, but people won’t notice your substance if you lack style.” Business Week magazine has undergone a very serious style change this month – the first in four years. I know why magazines are doing such these days, they are trying to figure out how to compete against the Internet, they like the buzz (even if it is bad, I presume) that any change brings, and there are often substantive reasons for a change in format.

The magazine contends that the changes are intended to make the publication easier to navigate and better to read. Furthermore, the change is also in content with a shift from executive lifestyle to more hard business news. I assume that those changes are fostered by the invasion of the Wall Street Journal Weekend Edition and the heavy emphasis placed by magazines such as Forbes and Fortune in this arena. Furthermore, I always liked Business Week for being focused on the real world of business and am glad to see it return to its roots. It is among the reasons it is one of my favorite business publications.

When I first saw the magazine’s new design I noticed the McGraw-Hill label prominently displayed. When I think of McGraw-Hill, I think of textbooks. This publication is decades old and has always been owned by the book publisher, but I had no idea. Historically, it has been about the content, not the content provider. Those days are gone and now every company is doing everything it can to promote its brand and that would include McGraw-Hill.

That label, the slightly larger size, and the wider margins gave the publication a dramatically different look. It provided a look that I have to describe as some what “academic.” Unfortunately, most of us gave up publications with an academic look when we were in college. Some even ceremoniously burned the books used that final semester to put the whole experience behind them, though I won’t mention any names.

It is too early to say I don’t like the changes. I need to spend a little more time with them. The truth is, however, I will get most of my Business Week content online like I have for the last several years. I hope they don’t take an academic approach there. Those university web sites seem very complicated.

Order Kevin Price's audio program The Accumulators, which explains the impact that the Internet is having on marketing and consumer behavior. It is available online here for only $10 plus p and h. Receive the Houston Business Review e-zine free each week by clicking here.

Disney Magic at Your Local Airport

I recently saw an article indicating that when you visit Bush International Airport you will be greeted by a video produced by Disney. The purpose of the video is, according to DiscoverAmerica.com, is "a United States government initiative developed in partnership with Walt Disney Parks and Resorts to welcome international visitors to the U.S." It won't be found just at Bush, but airports around the country.

The video isn't very long and it lacks some of the technological splendor that we associate with Disney, but it is certainly a nice film. I'm a Disney fan, I can't help it. The video is warm and makes visitors feel welcome.

I know my more conservative friends won't like it because of the suspicious nature of supporting the government funding of things like this. But one of the roles of government is US relations with the rest of the world. Programs like this certainly does project an image of the US that many visitors are not familiar with. Check out the video yourself and be the judge.

Tim Ferris Communicates Back

Well, at least his assistant does. About a week ago I wrote about my experience in attempting to get a copy of Tim Ferris's popular book, The Four Hour Work Week to do a book review or an interview. I recently got another email from Amy, his assistant, who asked that I communicate their responses directly to you. So, here we go:

Thanks so much for your e-mail and for your experience with our communication. We apologize that you were left feeling that way. You are right, we do in fact read each and every e-mail, (as you suggested) and with yours in particular, we thought that your writing to us of your interest to have a copy to read for your blog, was showing enthusiasm and support for the book. That is why we responded as such.

We receive thousands of e-mails and although we do read each and every e-mail, we do have a selection process, as we cannot simply meet the requests of every inquiry. You can imagine the interest is extremely high given that Tim is #1 on the NYT Best Sellers List as well as #1 on WSJ, in countless magazines, TV shows, speaking events, etc.

Please do not mistake our delay in a response as lack of interest or sincerity, just a lack of time to respond personally to each e-mail. As that is important to Tim.

In speaking with Tim about this, he also wanted to me to extend our apologies because believe it or not, he was given less than two dozen books to provide for friends, family and other opportunities. As you know, blogging is more popular than ever, and we have received hundreds of requests for a 'review copy' of the book for blog authors. So, while we appreciate your sincerity in a request for the book, we hope you understand that it simply is not possible to send a copy to each blog author requesting one. We hope you understand and nonetheless enjoy the message of the book. We hope you follow up with your readers as to our response.

Thanks again for sharing your post with us, and we hope you continue to enjoy Tim's book.

Warmly,
-- Amy this email is: [ ] blogable [x] ask first [ ] private

Amy ********** Executive Assistant to Timothy Ferriss Author: The 4-Hour Workweek (http://www.fourhourworkweek.com ) (Random House/Crown Publishing)Bio and Fun:http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog

I wrote that I found it hard to believe that Tim only had a few copies available of his book for his friend. I liked the quotes around "review," implying this is an odd practice. I understand a certain amount of selectivity for bloggers. But again, I don't normally get resistance when there is a radio platform involved. It is all very odd.

I was told that the delay in writing was due to a lack of time -- nothing else. Maybe these poor people are going to have to work more than 4 hours a week! Just a thought.

This is the response I got back after I suggested he renegotiate a better deal for extra books:

Thanks for the ideas. Yes most of Tim's marketing for the book was done online with the support of business bloggers, and readers and reviewers like yourself, so we appreciate their input and greatly depend on the online viral marketing that it creates. As a first time author, I am sure Tim has learned a few things that he will demand next time around. So far, I think he has had great success, and is handling it pretty well.

Thanks again for your response. Wishing you continued success in the blogosphere and on the radio...

-- Amy this email is: [ ] blogable [x] ask first [ ] private

Again, I continue to read it -- a chapter here and there. I am convinced that the four hour objective is not only unrealistic, but irresponsible (if you want to stay in business, unless you have the type of business that doesn't need you to work, which would make it no longer a "work" week).

I do have to agree with Amy, for a guy around 30, Tim is doing very well for himself and I'm sure he will continue to improve his game in the years to come. I'll keep you posted of any future communications.

Note: Order Tim's book from the Houston Business Hour Book Store. Order Kevin Price's audio program The Accumulators, which explains the impact that the Internet is having on marketing and consumer behavior. It is available online here for only $10 plus p and h. Receive the Houston Business Review e-zine free each week by clicking here.

The 1987 Stock Market Crash

It has become one of those “where were you?” moments. The stock market crash of 1987. I remember September 11, 2001 (in my home office as I turned on the TV), John Lennon’s death (driving to the Silver Shooter Ice Cream Parlor to meet some fellow college students), and JFK’s death. Okay, I’m lying about JFK. My mom said I was struggling to walk having had recently learned how to achieve this unique achievement of personal development. I always reminded her that would have made me around two years old at the time, but she always stuck to that story and I was too young to prove other wise. Any way, where was I when the Stock Market crashed? I was driving to a county court house some where in Virginia to check to see if there were any liens on a house that a client was buying. I was between jobs for a short period of time and working at a title company (I was about to move to Amarillo, Texas to manage a Congressional race, another long story).

My routine during this time was to spend around half of my day – every day – in my car going from point to point. Usually I would listen to music, but throughout the news day the DJs kept discussing the market activity. I kept spinning the radio dial and a local PBS station had decided to devote the rest of the day to discuss the crash. My initial feeling was relief because I was too broke to have any stock at the time. That was followed by the thought that I was very pathetic to have such a thought. This, in turn, was followed by the fear that the implications of this event could possibly go far beyond Wall Street and could pound Main Street.

In retrospect, businesses beyond Manhattan were some what affected, but we didn’t see any of the devastation compared to the crash of 60 years before. Furthermore, the Market developed mechanisms to make it a safer institution and more able to help reduce the likelihood of such a shock in the future. So, do you remember where you were the day the market tumbled?

Hospital Visit Reminds Me of Auto Repair

Remember the good old days when we trusted doctors? Remember that we thought of doctors in the Marcus Welby tradition? People that we could trust and take on face value that what they say is true? Well it appears those days are gone.

Recently my wife had to have surgery and I waited patiently in the waiting room. The room wasn't much different than a dealership's service area -- snack machines, TVs, out dated magazines, etc. I'm sure the cost was higher than expected, but this procedure was completely covered by our insurance. The wait was around twice as long as expected. Again, it reminded me of the typical auto dealership visited.

I'm sure you know that when you get an auto repair done you should always ask to see the parts that were replaced. Now, most legitimate mechanics show you without asking. This is where the mechanic parallel became all too real. After the procedure was done the doctor came out and showed me a photo of the procedure. Yes, it was disgusting! Yes, I think I would have preferred to have taken his word for it. What a strange world!


Note: Order Kevin Price's audio program The Accumulators, which explains the impact that the Internet is having on marketing and consumer behavior. It is available online here for only $10 plus p and h. Receive the Houston Business Review e-zine free each week by clicking here.

Official Fox Business Channel Schedule

So far Direct TV doesn't have any information on the new Fox Business Network schedule and the network's website seems to be failing to work quite often. I'm sure it is mere growing pains. Any way, I finally found a schedule from Gretta Van Susteren's blog. Here's the line up:

• 5-6am: FOX Business Morning Nicole Petallides and Jenna Lee

• 6-10am: Money For Breakfast Alexis Glick, Peter Barnes and Liz MacDonald

• 10am-12pm: FOX Business Tom Sullivan and Cheryl Casone

• 12-2pm: FOX Business Stuart Varney, Dagen McDowell and Connell McShane

• 2-5pm: FOX Business David Asman & Co-Anchor TBD (hmmm… Liz Claman’s available Wednesday)

• 5-6pm: Happy Hour Cody Willard and Rebecca Gomez

• 6-7pm: Neil Cavuto

• 7-8pm: America’s Nightly Scoreboard David Asman

• 8-9pm: The Dave Ramsey Show

• 9-10pm: Cavuto (repeat)

• 10-11pm: [Turn your TV to Fox News Channel’s On The Record]. She's putting a fast one here in a shameless effort to get more viewers, but do you blame her? I actually believe this hour is a repeat of America's Nightly Scoreboard with David Asman.

• 11pm-12am: Happy Hour (repeat)



The station seems to be moving along nicely and glad to see it is getting support from the Fox News Channel.

Note: Order Kevin Price's audio program The Accumulators, which explains the impact that the Internet is having on marketing and consumer behavior. It is available online here for only $10 plus p and h. Receive the Houston Business Review e-zine free each week by clicking here.

Dave Ramsey on Fox Business

My search for Fox Business is over! I found it on channel 359 on Direct TV (for others who have that service, but don't know where the channel can be found). I found the station to be very fresh, similar to its sister station, Fox News.

One of the things that always concern me about business programming is that such networks often disregard business beyond Wall Street. It is too early to see how Fox will be (unfortunately, I had to work much of the day and didn't get to watch every minute of it), but I was please to see the direction it appears to be going.

In particular, I was delighted to see the Dave Ramsey television show on Fox Business. Dave is an old friend who has been a guest on my own show back when he too was on AM 650 locally. Dave does an excellent job of addressing the "rubber meets the road" issues when it comes to personal finances. Most of our personal dollars are saved and spent on Main Street, rather than Wall Street and he provides great advise in that arena.

I know it is early, but I'm pleased to see the good things going on at the new Fox Business Network.

Note: Order Kevin Price's audio program The Accumulators, which explains the impact that the Internet is having on marketing and consumer behavior. It is available online here for only $10 plus p and h. Receive the Houston Business Review e-zine free each week by clicking here.

Fox Business Vs. CNBC

Fox Business Network began its business day today (sorry, I didn't mean to be redundant) and the debate is on over how big of a player it is going to be.

National Public Radio has chimed in by pointing out that one of the biggest factors is distribution. Today, Fox Business is in 30 million homes and CNBC is in 90. In the same vein, I'm a news freak (and a Fox fan in particular) and here it is launch day and I have no idea where to find the channel in the Houston market. NPR's point is well taken.

However, distribution isn't everything and there is always a curve involved with the introduction of anything new. I have already thoroughly checked out the videos online (which is where the future of TV is, in my opinion) and am certain we will see it in all the same places we find CNBC in no time. In fact, I'm sure some of the distribution "problems" are planned as the station makes sure it has reached a high level of quality as early as possible.

I like CNBC, so I do not mean this as a slight to that network. But being on many channels is only one part of the formula. Being wanted by viewers is even more important. I have little doubt that Fox Business will have plenty of demand.

The Four Hour Work Week

I get more books than I can read each year and so I rarely find one that catches my attention enough that I actually request an advance review copy. Recently that happened when I saw an interview on the Today Show about the "Four Hour Work Week." I work around 60 (conservatively) hours and although I love the many things I do, I often feel I do too much. I would love to find helpful strategies that would help me get down to a 40 hour work week. That would be progress.

With that, I sent an email about the book to the author (Timothy Ferriss) telling him I would be interested in at least writing an article and would likely enjoy having him as a guest. I sent it August 26th and went on with my life expecting to hear back from him within a few days, which is normally the case when I contact an author. Well, a few days turned into a week, a week turned into several weeks, and then I finally got an email back on September 30th. This became an instant indicator of how well his system is working. I can't stay in business and take over a month to communicate with business associates. What was more disturbing was the email itself. This is what I received:

Hi Kevin,

I'm Tim's Executive Assistant, Amy. Christine passed your email along to me. Thank you so much for your e-mail! Tim really appreciates your support and enthusiasm for The 4-Hour Workweek!

We really appreciate your offer. However, Tim is currently booked solid with interviews, TV appearances, and radio shows. Due to his extremely busy schedule, Tim is not making any more commitments at this time until the Book Promotion is completed.

Thank you so much for reaching out to us. We wish you all the best in your future endeavors. Have a great weekend!

-- Amy
this email is: [ ] blogable [x] ask first [ ] private

Did they not notice that I would also write a review that goes out to thousands through our media channels? I liked the little boxes at the end that gave the email that personal touch. My email didn't express an opinion either way about the book. I hadn't read it yet and wasn't a "supporter." I could tell my email was read, but not very well. The response email had form letter written all over it. Because Tim only works 4 hours a week, I guess he is having to turn down interview opportunities every chance he gets.

Form letters, taking weeks to respond, turning down opportunities to expand business, these approaches don't work for me and they typically don't work for most people in business. Yet, I was still intrigued by the concept. Lately, two of my boys have had football practice at a school near Barnes and Noble and I live far enough away that it is often worth hanging out there and getting caught up on my reading. I have been thumbing through Tim's book and have started reading and will likely have it completed before the author's publicist realizes I still want a review copy.

I have only just started and I will say he has an excellent writing style, an incredible amount of personal experience for a young man in his 20s (and I believe he is about to turn 30), and he has a very efficient approach to his writing (excellent word economy and he gets to the point). I'm going to read the whole book before I write a review, but I think it may be worth further consideration. I'm making it available at my bookstore. I would love for people who have read the book to email me and give me their thoughts. Who knows, there still may be something here.

Note: Order Kevin Price's audio program The Accumulators, which explains the impact that the Internet is having on marketing and consumer behavior. It is available online here for only $10 plus p and h. Receive the Houston Business Review e-zine free each week by clicking here.

Christmas in October?

I admit, I have been watching closer than in the past, but I can't believe how early in the year it is to see a Christmas commercial. Here we are on October 10th and I saw a commercial for a company that will set up your Christmas lights. Meanwhile I have noticed more Christmas displays in malls earlier than in any time in my memory.

Last year I wrote the following:

"Before Halloween had come and gone, I saw my first Christmas commercial. I think it was for a car, I don't remember, but it may be the earliest commercial I have seen for this important holiday.I believe I have a pretty realistic view of the past and I am fairly reasonable about not looking at my childhood through romantic eyes, but I believe that commercials for Christmas didn't usually begin until a week before Thanksgiving. That has been creeping to an earlier date year after year to where, eventually, it will probably begin after Independence Day, bringing new meaning to Christmas in July.I understand that Christmas is important. More consumer goods are bought between Thanksgiving and Christmas than any other time of the year. The more that is spent, the more fuel for the economic fire. However, I just want to encourage everyone to not forget the reason for this important holiday season."

I remember that it was the week of October. This year it was October 10th when I saw the first Christmas commercial. My advise this year is the same as last...don't forget the real reason for the season. The volume of commercials we will likely see may make that goal difficult to achieve.

Hedge Fund Changes

The US Securities and Exchange Commission is considering raising the financial requirements to participate in certain high risk investments (such as hedge funds). Currently to be an accredited investor, one must have $1 million in net worth to participate in such investments. If many in the SEC have their way, this amount will rise to $2.5 million.

Such actions happen in an effort to protect individuals from losing a disproportional amount of money. Such funds are largely unregulated and uninsured. So there is a belief that it makes sense to limit access to the fund, if they are not going to put limits on the fund itself.

Unfortunately, often the best funds available are those that require being an accredited investor. Robert Kiyosaki has pointed out that the vast majority of investments available to smaller investors (he calls them "retail investments") may be safer, but they have the smallest returns. Thus, the changes being proposed to raise the requirements for hedge funds are only making it more difficult for people to reach serious wealth.

People are smart, they will get part ownership of some lucrative investments for sweat equity when they don't qualify as investors, but it seems to me there needs to be a better way for individuals to have access to the best opportunities.

Note: Order Kevin Price's audio program The Accumulators, which explains the impact that the Internet is having on marketing and consumer behavior. It is available online here for only $10 plus p and h. Receive the Houston Business Review e-zine free each week by clicking here.

US is the "Source of Cheap Exports"

I was listening to the news this morning and I heard an interview about "cheap US imports" having a negative role in the expansion of the free trade agreement through out Central America. Cheap US imports? Who would have ever thought?

The imports these countries worry about are our agriculture products. Simply put, the US is a machine when it comes to producing such goods. We are more efficient than any country in the world when it comes to agriculture. Cheap labor can't always compete against excellent organization, fantastic machines, and superior supply chains.

We complain about other countries and their unique advantages. It goes back to a concept in classical economics, which is the "law of comparative advantage." Some times economics works better for some countries than others. Such advantages are some times driven by geography (mainly what David Ricardo had in mind when he first discussed it), but it is also driven by the economic policies of the country and other factors.

The beneficiaries of our cheap goods in Central America will be the consumers. The same type of people demanding affordable goods here in the US as they hurry off to Walmart in the quest for value. I say let consumers have their cheap goods. Doing such only makes all businesses more competitive and that benefits all consumers.

When government tries to sort these issues out in the name of fairness the results are arbitrary, tensions between countries become stronger, businesses are closed, and consumers are punished. Let the market win, so we can all win.

Economy Keeps Growing

In spite of the general malaise that seems to be spreading in the economy, virtually everything I have read beyond the headlines focuses on good news. Sure , the headlines can seem negative, "Huge drop in lower price homes," but the rest of the story tends to be positive ("but home sales in other price ranges reach record highs").

Today on CNBC I learned that the US economy added 110,000 jobs this past month, maintaining a very low 4.7 percent. Meanwhile, the stock market's hold on 14,000 plus seems to be continuing to grow, as seen recently on Fox News. So, in spite of these great numbers, why do we keep having a slightly negative view of things?

I think some of the weakness is due to long term exposure to negative spins on what should be, positive stories. This economy has grown continuously over the last few years in spite of what the media has told us. I am grateful to the few "good guys" out there like Neil Cavuto of Fox News who points out much of the positive news that is often neglected. Consumers of TV news should keep journalists accountable by telling them their opinions and voting with their wallet by supporting companies that advertise on networks that provide a more balanced view of the news.

Challenging Starbucks

Yesterday Allen Robinson and myself co-hosted our Sports Business Edition of the Houston Business Hour at a little coffee store called the Coffee Oasis. This event was arranged by Allen and the Oasis is clearly intending to challenge Starbucks in the Houston area. While there I noticed:

* A comparable quality drink

* A slightly lower price

* Free Internet (versus around $10 at most Starbucks)

* An environment very similar to Starbucks

It was a great event and we got to showcase some of the local high school teams. Also it appeared the shop was doing quite well for itself. But it also reminded me of the power of the free market and the great thing mega companies (like Starbucks) does for the economy as a whole. Starbucks proved you could have virtually unlimited establishments with relatively high priced hot drinks and make a sizable profit (sure they still sell food and music, but coffee is their mainstay). Starbucks proved it could be done and their prices are high enough to make room for competition. That is what leads to the rise of Coffee Oasis and other entrepreneurs trying to achieve the American Dream one cup at a time.

Note: Order Kevin Price's audio program The Accumulators, which explains the impact that the Internet is having on marketing and consumer behavior. It is available online here for only $10 plus p and h. Receive the Houston Business Review e-zine free each week by clicking here.

You Know It Is a Slow News Day When...

CNN does a story on whether or not hugging should be allowed in middle school. It appears there is a school in Oak Park, Illinois in which classes have been disrupted and kids have been late due to the persistent hugging going on. The principal had to bring this to a stop we are told!

To stop hugging in middle school -- the place where people begin to really appreciate the opposite sex, seems as likely as stopping prayer in school on test days -- is next to impossible. I guess it will be interesting to see how the petition drive goes to reverse such a decision.

Anyway, my point was in writing this post is that it must be a slow news day when CNN makes this an important enough story for them to cover. In fact, they even want viewers to vote on the subject. My thought is that this is an indication of a slow news day. So slow that I'm writing an article about the media struggle to find something worth talking about.

Note: Order Kevin Price's audio program The Accumulators, which explains the impact that the Internet is having on marketing and consumer behavior. It is available online here for only $10 plus p and h. Receive the Houston Business Review e-zine free each week by clicking here.

Quit Jacking With My Radio

On my way back from Orlando, Florida I discovered the "Jack Radio" format, which is no format at all. This "unformated" station had Black Sabbath next to, say, The Carpenters. The rough sounding DJ ("Jack") told us he had absolute power and would play whatever he wanted. I just hoped and prayed it wouldn't come to Houston and, if it did, it wouldn't show up on a station that I listened to.

I didn't pray hard enough. One of my favorite stations, Rock 103.7, was recently "jacked." It joined 20+ other stations who have moved to this approach in a desperate attempt to counter the growing influence of MP3 players. In essence, Jack plays the role of the "shuffle" you experience as the music changes.

It sounds good in theory, but in practice it is an audio nightmare. Why? It is really quite simple, I didn't get to choose the songs in the shuffle. If I put this eclectic selection together, it works. But if each selection is a surprise, it is terrible. In spite of what appears to be a rapid shift, I don't see Jack Radio working. People simply don't like it when others Jack with their radio.