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Time well spent with ...
Scrap Jackson, the big cheese at WBTT-FM (105.5 The Beat) in the lovely Florida city of Fort Myers.
Scrap Jackson tells Starpoynt his specialty is creating start-up media brands. Currently, he is PD/afternoon driver at what
he says is the highest-ranked and -rated hip hop station in Florida, WBTT-FM (105.5 The Beat) in Fort Myers. His previous
experience includes PD/morning man at hip hop start-up KTTB-FM (B96) in Minneapolis; PD at CHR start-up WNOU-FM (Radio Now
93.1) in Indianapolis; OM/PD of urban start-up More 94.9 in the Bahamas (first private station in that nation); OM/PD of urban
start-ups KUAM (96 Jamz) and Isla 660 in Guam; OM of NBC/Guam and CBS/Guam - recreated struggling brands; afternoon talent
at urban WQQK-FM (92) in Nashville (92Q); and morning talent at then urban start-up WJHM (102 Jamz) in Orlando. He has two
masters degrees: an MBA in Consumer Behavior (Vanderbilt/Nashville) and an MA in Communications (Fordham/Bronx). Jackson also
has a bachelor's in Broadcast Management from the University of Florida.
In addition, he has ad agency experience as a brand/marketing director in New York, Los Angeles and Miami. Jackson was
born in New York City but moved to Florida for high school and college.
Jackson, you will find, is not your average PD. He is most definitely a maverick. For instance, he refers to his staff
as his collaborators, and his vision is "to empower/inspire my collaborators to be their personal best.
His ambition? "Compete with myself to be my artistic and spiritual best."
His philosophy? "There is nothing - nothing - more vital than our emotional bond with the listener... everything
else - ratings, cluster revenue, stock prices - follows. It's also the best defense against emerging technology."
Jackson couldn't provide with enough pictures, but he certainly provided a picture of what he thinks it takes to create
and/or have a winning radio station. We call this one "The Maverick."
Star - Your background is certainly impressive but different from the usual programmer. Talk about branding for radio
and how important it is in today's highly competitive marketplace?
SJ - Our industry is far behind others in generating a cohesive brand, supporting it synergistically, fortifying it with
dynamic subsets and strictly policing its integrity. Branding is not a new concept. It is, however, glamorized today due to
emerging technologies and Wall Street's influence on our economies - rather than our product's relationship with people. I
think 90 percent of the radio stations in America are
brand-challenged. My favorite example of a fabulous brand is Elroy Smith's WGCI. From start to finish, on air and on the street,
you know the ONE THING you get with his station. The sad part is that Elroy is a genius, and few others get it. If radio truly
concentrated on bonding with the listener and not generating numbers for the trading floor, I'd be a lot more optimistic about
our future.
Star - How would you describe your management style? You are known to bust intotown to jumpstart a format change ... how
do you gain the confidence of a staff that may be uncertain about what's going down?
SC - Actually, I don't manage a format change; I create media brands from the beginning. Formats are not usually brands.
They are music genre that hopefully have a differential position. Brands, to me, are less tangible, abstract, emotional relationships.
They transcend the format. I have an exhilarating party station that plays hip hop music.
Sure, there was a format before me, but that is not in my realm. I've had the chance with a couple of TV stations, a half
dozen national TV shows and radio stations in Minneapolis, Indianapolis, Myrtle Beach, Guam and the Bahamas to a have blank
canvas. To me, that is art. Imagination.
I didn't create Vibe TV with any concern about what was before it in the 11:30 p.m. time slot. I don't care. A blank canvas
means everything new.
I "feel" the process, rather than conforming to a thought. My current company (Clear Channel) is far and away
the best for me because they support my vision.I have freedom. I'd suffocate with anything less.
My management style is completely unorthodox relative to others. I do not work with employees, I share ideas with collaborators.
I am here to inspire them to be their best in the context of my vision. They have complete creative space within a wide spectrum
to emotionally bond and entertain the listener. Of a dozen employees, only half bought in on my arrival. The other half was
replaced quickly with fellow artists.
Everyone MUST be on the same page or this unconventional approach would collapse. My RVP, GM and DOS are sold on it and
let us passionately play. There is nothing analytical about it. Our results speak for themselves - the highest rated and ranked
hip hop station in Florida -and unprecedented revenue that follow.
The exception in my career, ironically, is my current position, in which I am merely strengthening a great brand from
the two great programmers before me. They left me an exceptional canvas. I've just added a little color.
Star - What does it take to be a jump starter? And is it difficult to move on once you've done your thing?
SJ - Jump starters must be creative renegades that are less worried about corporate protocol and absolutely obsessed with
expression for the person. If you compromise on the front end, you are fucked. It takes a very strong personality, with an
Our station is basically white chick hip hop - and I am not ashamed of it. Hip hop is not exclusively angry, urban, Black
or male anymore. It's whatever the listener in your city
wants it to be.
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| PD Scrap Jackson, the ladies man! |
insanely narrow vision and a very supportive company. Duff Lindsay, Quincy Jones, Rick Cummings and Mary Catherine Sneed were
the best leaders I've ever worked with. They're brilliant, tolerant and sincere.
It's extra difficult to move on because you are usually getting fired. It is hard to justify your expense. Just like a
Basquiat, they don't understand. I am usually firing myself because I get real bored. Let someone else baby-sit the brand.
I like giving birth to them.
Star - What's the overall make up/demo of Fort Myers? I think a lot of people think it's kind of a retirement community
and you operate a hip hop station?
Enlighten us...
SJ - 105.5 The Beat is tailor made for Fort Myers, a city with very few African-Americans and way too many geriatrics.
Our station is basically white chick hip hop - and I am not ashamed of it. Hip hop is not exclusively angry, urban, Black
or male anymore. It's whatever the listener in your city wants it to be. We've mastered our narrow discipline. Our super service
equals loyalty. Despite having the demo configuration very much against us, we are the class of this city, and in my opinion,
the class of my state.
I live here for lifestyle and family. I love Southwest Florida. I'm from New York City. But I prefer living on a lake
than a block, hearing birds than cars.
Star - Music-wise, what does a typical hour sound like?
SJ - Generally, we sound like every other damn hip hop station musically, but our magic comes with our extraordinary personalities
and ridiculous imaging.
Star - So what kind of promotions do you have to complement the music?
SJ - I'm not going to give that away.
Star - You've programmed internationally... what's that like and how has that impacted how you program here in the U.S.?
SJ - The biggest learning experience was that you must understand your audience. Every single city has a different culture.
It's sad that
I'm blessed to be in media and it is my responsibility to give myself to the listener. I try to be my best in every moment
and I advocate the same among my peers.
90 percent of the stations in the U.S. sound the same. With callout and no talent/promo/mass media budget, most radio directors
acquiesce. Shame on them.
Star - How many stations are in the cluster there? Do you do joint promotions/projects?
SJ - My brand is in competition with every single other, including non-radio entertainment.
Star - How important is spending time and money on internal and external marketing and promotions of your stations?
SJ - Critical, it must be spent perfectly. Few do.
Star - Urban stations have always been very community oriented. Has budget tightening affected that?
SC - Again, yes if you are brilliant in execution. Otherwise, you are wasting the corporation's money. If I own a bodega,
do you think I want some dumb ass misappropriating my $200 flyer budget?
Star - What's your take on research? Are you a go out in the field kinda guy, or do you rely heavily on research companies?
SJ - Both are critical. But both must be done perfectly. Again, there's too much waste.
Star - What do you do to cultivate new talent? And as far as existing talent, how often do you go over air checks, have
meetings, etc?
SJ - I have special ideas here that I care not to share.
Star - What's been key to your longevity in this crazy industry?
SJ - Passion. I've hit some groundbreaking home runs for radio and television and I've had some serious lows - been fired
often – almost always because I am a staunch advocate for the brand. A brand is organic. It needs to be coddled
and fed daily. Every time I have been fired it is because someone perceives that the "brand has been maximized"
(the biggest misnomer in our business). They cut me a check and send me on my way.
I would not trade any experience.
Star - What's a typical day like for Scrap Jackson?
SJ - I am a Catholic Buddhist. I pray, meditate and enjoy every moment. I'm blessed to be in media and it is my responsibility
to give myself to the listener. I try to be my best in every moment and I advocate the same among my peers.
Also, for any PDs reading this, I have a Secret Santa AIDS Campaign for kids living with AIDS. I have this going in a
few of my former markets. Please contact me at Scrappyradio@aol.com. I can hook you up with a turn-key program that dually
helps the kids and helps you BOND with your people.
Star - Comment on the state of the music industry today? Has the music gotten better?
SJ - I am a P1 of XM Suite 62. That's where I get my R&B. I get excited every week with a new cut or two. But generally,
I really do not care about the music industry - as long as my genre, hip hop, remains the most popular form of music and my
superb MD, Omar, is there for me. Music is the easiest subset of the brand to manage because it is tangible.
Star - So what's in your CD player right now?
SJ - I've got an empty eight-CD changer in my trunk. When I'm not enjoying my own air personalities, I'm banging XM. Satellite
radio is not the enemy; it is an exciting opportunity for content providers.
Check out his station streaming LIVE at www.1055thebeat.com.
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