• AGENDA • AWARDS
Format luminates in Boulder for top-notch panels, performances
By John Schoenberger R&R Triple A Editor jschoenberger@radioandrecords.com BOULDER, CO — The R&R Triple A Summit, held Aug. 6-9 at the Millennium Hotel, was a huge success, highlighted by a Radio Executive Panel, various format sessions, the Triple A Industry Achievement Awards and performances by some 30 artists, including a special solo performance by Dave Matthews. Moving into its 11th year, the Summit kicked off its sessions on Thursday morning with the “Triple A Crystal Ball” panel moderated by KINK/Portland, OR PD Dennis Constantine. He and some of the format’s leading programmers addressed issues that loom in the format’s distant — and not-too-distant — future. The overall vibe of the session was very bullish for Triple A’s future. That same afternoon, SBR Creative Media’s John Bradley and Dave Rahn conducted a creative problem solving workshop, and Media Positioning’s Keith Cunningham led a panel discussion concerning the implementation of big promotion and marketing ideas on a limited budget. Rahn was back on Friday morning to present a Streaming For Dummies session that brought the audience up to speed on the current issues regarding the Internet and streaming music, while John Silliman Dodge hosted a session on Managing Air Talent.
R&R CEO/Publisher Erica Farber (l) moderates the Triple A Summit Radio Executive Panel, Which Featured (l-r, seated) KBAC/Albuquerque GM Ira Gordon; KINK/Portland, OR GM Stan Mak; KMTT/Seattle Station Manager Chris Mays; broadcast attorney David Oxenford; and KFOG/San Francisco GM Dwight Walker.
That afternoon, convention registrants were treated to a special sneak-preview screening of a VH1 documentary recently produced about Warren Zevon, as well as an executive panel moderated by R&R Publisher/CEO Erica Farber. She, along with KBAC/Albuquerque GM Ira Gordon; KINK/Portland, OR GM Stan Mak; KMTT/Seattle Station Manager Chris Mays; broadcast Attorney David Oxenford; and KFOG/San Francisco GM Dwight Walker, addressed many of the bigger issues such as cluster management, streaming issues and promoting the growth of the Triple A format within the ranks of the larger broadcast groups. The Triple A Achievement Awards luncheon was on Saturday, and among the winners were KBCO/Denver and WXPN/Philadelphia for Triple A Station of the Year (Commercial and Noncommercial, respectively), WXPN’s Bruce Warren for Program Director of the Year and Interscope/Geffen/A&M for Platinum Label of the Year. Attendees also had some fun with the R&R Know-It-All Game Show, created in conjunction with RateTheMusic.com. A radio team was pitted against a records team, and both tried to guess the answers from a Triple A listener lifestyle survey. There was also the annual Rate-A-Record session, which included over 25 KBCO listeners as a voting block in the audience. A large part of the Summit is the showcasing of established Triple A artists as well as the chance to spotlight emerging new talent. Among those featured were Jonny Lang, Nickel Creek, Guster, Ziggy Marley, Shelby Lynne, The Mavericks, Indigenous, and Blues Traveler, among others.