Broadcasting an Obama Event -- 20-thousand people attended

Senator Barack Obama's speech at the University of Maryland's Comcast Center, February 11th, 2008: http://www.thetruthfighters.com/

Senator Barack Obama's impressive Presidential campaign stopped in the DC-Maryland-Virginia rejoin for the three primaries held on Tuesday February 12th. Senator Obama soundly defeated Hilary in all three Mid-Atlantic regions. The primary in the southern commonwealth of Virginia was touted by the media as a competitive State. Both candidates campaigned extensively in the commonwealth. But even in Virginia, Senator Obama defeated Hilary in most demographics including Hilary's stronghold of White Women over 50 years old and Hispanics. The lopsided Virginia victory was an incredible feat. The Primary results in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia, were Senator Obama dominating Hillary in all three regions with at least 60 percent of the vote. In Virginia Senator Obama defeated Hillary by a whopping "64" percent of the vote, in Maryland Obama garnered 60 percent, and in Washington DC the Illinois Senator won 74 percent of the vote.

However what this blog is about is not the Primary but instead a lesson in going the extra mile to cover an event that a radio stations' "listeners" want to hear. Senator Obama's campaign stopped at the University of Maryland on a Monday afternoon the day before the three area's primaries. Senator Obama's speech was set in a 20-thousand seating capacity at the Comcast Center on the University of Maryland campus. Every seat in the Comcast Arena was filled for Senator Obama's speech that "early afternoon" on a freezing cold day in College Park, Maryland where the high temperature for the day was 15 degrees.

The Maryland and National Obama campaign operated together not only campaigning for votes from Marylanders, but also took care of the large venues in Maryland -- including the Comcast Center in the Washington DC suburb of College Park. A big responsibility for the campaign organizers at the College Park event was to make sure that the news and print media were well accommodated. Risers were set up for the television cameras fifty feet away facing Senator Obama's stage. Rows of tables were set up for the print media and bloggers with phone and broadband lines. Below is a picture of the television and still cameras facing the stage where Senator Obama was spoke...







Camera riser at the University of Maryland on February 11th, the day before the Maryland primary, where Senator Obama spoke in front of 20-thousand cheering voters. Senator Obama defeated Hilary by a wide margin the day after on February 12th., 2008.



Broadcasters that go the "necessary" Extra Mile

The new Syndication One News/Talk radio network was permissioned to broadcast the Senator Obama event at the Comcast Center in College Park, Maryland, on the Warren Ballentine Talk Show during the three hours that led up to the speech. We felt that the listeners wanted and would receive an education on the makings of an event and get an inside look at a Presidential Campaign. We set up interviews with the Communications Director for the Obama campaign David Weaver, Maryland Campaign Manager Jeremy Bird, and Co-Chairman of the Maryland Obama campaign US Congressman for Maryland Elijah Cummings, again giving the radio audience a "bird's ear" view. Ballentine broadcast's from Raliegh, North Carolina to network's headquarters in Lanham Maryland, and I was at the Comcast center connected to both the headquarters with a seperate feed to the Obama stage for the speech. The facility manager Nick Morrow provided us with fail-safe options to broadcast via ISDN, broadband, or a phone line.
The always passionate Congressman Elijah Cummings of Marland (pictured above) is the co-chaiman of the Maryland for Obama campaign at the University of Maryland's Comcast Center 90 minutes prior to Senator Obama's speech. Congressman Cummings is being interviewed in Maryland by Raliegh, N.C. based talk show host Warren Ballentine on the Syndication One News/Talk Radio Network.

What I want to dive into now is exactly how the Syndication One News/Talk Network was able to be the only radio operation in the Washington DC metro area to broadcast this unique huge event 'live'. The state of radio now is limited to do anything outside of their normal broadcast, virtually eliminating the concept of local radio, which is still to this day is what radio is to the listener. If radio is not local then the station and radio itself suffers. The surveys will always get there 2 to 5-thousand people representing the masses, but what they cannot survey are the actual masses. The fewer "actual" people listening to radio results in fewer people coming into the retail stores buy advertised products. A survey cannot see this, but when a listerner loses the ability to participate with their radio station, they competitive medians like the internet, downloads, and the ipod become more attractive. Radio easily served listerners before computer radio and satellite fed shows from afar. Now the listener frequently is not being served....service is bad. If voice tracked radio and satellite fed shows are now the way of radio, then these two factions need to increasingly hustle much harder than an listener serving local broadcast. The kitchen sink must be thrown at the listener to satisfy and ultimately save radio as we know it. Next year, for instance, a Mercedes car model will offer up a brand new standard "internet" radio, where you can program as many website radio shows from the internet as you'd like. While Satellite has not effectively penetrated the 300-million market as fast as expected, I predict the internet radio medium will take off quick, fast, and in a hurry. Probably faster than HD radio also.

Radio stations in the Washington DC area and elsewhere, need to recognize that other mediums are moving in the direction of fully serving their audience and that the television operations are also in your face daily. Television networks understand the need for localizing by providing standard times for local stations to present their local show -- mostly the local newscast. Daily on all Television stations no networks shows are slated for 5pm to 6:30pm and 11-11:30pm. Maybe the influx of computer radio and satellite fed radio can take notes from the well-established network television.

Though the localiztion of network television remains, the TV networks and cable television outlets do understand the need to be there at the hot national stories. The 2008 Presidential campaign is a major audience favorite. We, as Americans, have not seen in our lifetimes a candidate that fills 20,000 seat venues in every city as Senator Barack Obama has accomplished during his campaign for the President. All of the national television networks and local television were at the Comcast Center in Maryland that chilled September 2008 day with reporters and cameras. But neither radio networks nor local radio stations were there broadcasting with the exception of us...The Syndication One News-Talk Network. The sold out event was well publicized and even discussed on national cable news talk shows, plus the forming of the lines four hours before his speech was show on local television with folks in lined interviewed by TV reporters locally and nationally.

Have Radio Broadcasters sunk that far as being solely dependent on in-house services such as: biting from television news operations, TV news websites, youtube, and AP wires? The journalistic approach is no longer of substance to the radio news/talk format. No concern with the source that "in-house" reporters depend on may be totally wrong as was the "commonly quoted" Los Angeles Times was with their inaccurate story on Sean Combs. Heads should row at the Los Angeles Times, but shouldn't heads role with those others that bit off the story to make it their own. Link to the Times story: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-me-tupac27mar27,0,2043351.story 

R the EZ ways of Broadcasting serving the local audience?
Fact: Advertising on the web has recently surpassed radio in revenues. Maybe canned programs, jukebox no-jock computer radio, and out-of-town programs are not connecting with listeners, therefore losing tons of listerners each day and every day. Fewer and fewer radio listeners are getting their requests answered and winning a prize on your local stations more of a rarity. Local radio (those with local limited coverage areas via tranmitters on high-point radio towers -- not to confuse the reader) is ready-made for participation by local listeners within that limited local coverage area. Once local radio stations lose that close local connection inclusive of seeing their local News or DJ personality at a local remote event, then a large portion of the "active listeners" (promotion people for the station) moves swiftly to another station or another medium altogether. Considering that more and more radio stations are moving away from real local radio, the latter has been the case. Unfortunately the move away from local is so pervasive that discussions at trade conventions or periodicals are non-existent. But in essense, not regularly getting out locally to a "shake hand and make a friend" with your audience takes local radio southward. Something for Radio Broadcasters to think about.

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I found out about Senator Obama's speaking engagement at the University of Maryland in pursuant of booking an interview with Obama's Maryland Co-Chair Congressman Cummings. I though wanted to speak to him personally instead of going through other sources. I first met Congressman Cummings at the Congressional Black Caucus 2007 convention. While talking to Congressman Cummings at the convention, I manipulated the conversation in such a way as to commit the Congresman to interview with Warren Ballentine. We were set up live from the CBC convention as well. Note: we are out there consistently, which is why we are winning. Cummings and Warren hit it off well during the CBC convention interview and after teh interview, Warren spoke highly of Cummings. "Congressman Cummings always welcome on the Warren Ballentine show" is specifically what Warren stated.

A week prior to Maryland 2-12-08 primary, I got wiff of a "Maryland for Obama" office's grand opening in downtown Silver Spring that afternoon. I first spoke to my Program Director Lee Michaels to let him know that Congressman Cummings would be there and we needed to get more involved with the Presidential campaign, especially in our backyard as we are headquartered in Maryland. Michaels okayed the field trip and I jetted there not only set up an interview with Cummings, but to get information about Senator Obama's Maryland appearances for a possible interview or broadcast. Congressman Cumming did not show that late afternoon, but Maryland State Senator Jamie Raskins and other local and national dignataries were. Senator Raskins was the ring leader for the suprisingly 98 percent White enthusiastic attendees -- considering that Silver Spring, Md. is 30 percent African-American. State Senator Raskins is one heck of a motivator. Raskins got the crowd of about 300 into a frenzie, with the call and respond from Senator Raskins fist pumping the chant "fired up and ready to go".

The Maryland for Obama campaign staffers were no joke, they meant business. The first thing you saw when you walked into the room were three Obama campaigners sitting down at three connected tables with a large address book. There you would fill out your name, address, and phone number for the sole purpose of campaigning on either canvas or making phone calls. Canvassing means that you go door to door to get folks out to vote. And you were going to commit to one or the other or both. With an immediate line forming as you step in, you felt obligated to stand in line and then sign your committed name on the paper. This was your cover charge. I signed up for phone calls but I ended up canvassing that Saturday (feb 9th) with my kids, which was a introduction for them to get involved. During the Maryland for Obama gathering, Senator Raskins announced that the Cole Field house arena where University of Maryland Basketball team played prior to the opening of the new Comcast Center in 2001, was to be the site where Senator Obama will speak probably on Monday though not yet confirmed.

Stop! Question: As a Broadcaster what should you immediately think following the relevation -- from Senator Raskins -- that Senator Barack Obama may speak in a 14-thousand seat arena? If you answered "nothing" then please remove yourself from the Broadcasting industry...you would not be alone in line. The correct answer is that you should jump all over this rare opportunity. The Broadcast industry is a business of go-getters and a "cut throat" business as well. If you are not a go-getter by nature then find a more secure business. City, County, State, and Natonal Public operations are viewed by most to be a secure job for good employees, while Broadcasting does not care if you are a good employee. If you are an aspiring broadcaster do not fear as being a dependable and reliable person is a bosses dream. It's just that cutbacks, re-structuring, changing direction, new management, and selling stations are the norm. The scenario of a go-getter, dependable, and reliable person with talent will get you pass most of these fatal cases. I know that I spent more than a minute on broadcast etiquette, but it is important to realize that no matter what you do (especially in the new tech century we live in), you are going to have to be more than attentive to duty.

The Road to the Comcast Center continues...

After Senator Raskins revealed a 'possible' appearance by Senator Obama at Cole Field House, I immediately JUMPED Raskins before he walked two steps from where he made the announcement. I first booked the Maryland Senator for an interview on the Warren Ballentine radio show for that Friday. I called Warren's producer Tim Smith at that moment to confirm a time while walking as a fast pace toward Senator Raskins. While on the phone with Tim, I asked Senator Raskins if the Syndicaton One News/Talk Network could broadcast 'live' from the Cole Field House. Raskins, recognizing that I was from the media, politely referred me over to someone that can assist me. I then asked if Raskins would like to be on our network on the Warren Ballentines show that also airs in the Silver Spring area on WOL. Raskins said he would be delighted and I handed him the phone to talk to Warren's producer. Pretty fast paced and well thought out, wouldn't you agree reader??? Raskins ablidged to all my requests. When opportunity knocks you have to be ready, and don't think that this was the first time. I had good and bad experiences in jumping quickly on opportunities, which is a craft that can only be learned by experience, primarily understanding a person's needs and filling them while getting what you want. I wanted two thing: 1. Booking the Senator and 2. Getting in to the Arena to get more interviews.

Through a maze of a few folks, it turned out that the Office Manager Warren Hansen was the eventual point person. Once I found that out I left the event. Al Sharpton taught me that you do not hang around in business, and he got that from his surrogate father the late singer James Brown "The hardest Working Man in Show Business". If it worked for these two successful people, then their advice is valid to me. I met both of them and can attest to their practicing what they preach, as both left the scene once their designated time was complete.

The next day I phoned the Silver Spring "Maryland for Obama" office to speak with Warren Hanson. My intention that Thurday September the 7th 2008 was to gain access to an ISDN or phone line at Cole Field. I spoke to the calm Hansen and he was receptive to the ideal of us broadcasting 'live', but Hansen with five day before the primary election was extremely busy and had me to return the call later in the afternoon. I did so but still no information on the technical aspects at the Cole Field House. Friday came and the venue abrutly changed due to the overwhelming response. The new venue was the Comcast Center on the same U of M campus that holds 20-thousand seats instead of the 14-thousand at Cole Field house.








Senator Obama's Communications Director for the State of Maryland David Weaver (left); and Maryland's Campaign Manager for Senator Obama, Jeremy Bird at the University of Maryland's Comcast Center on Monday morning February 11th., prior to Senator Obama's speech.




Going for the gusto is absolutely necessary in Broadcasting, but unfortunately there are waaaaaaay too many Broadcast folks nowadays that refuse to go the extra mile. They would rather whine instead of getting off of their asses and perform to the height of their ability with the mindset of improving the radio stations -- or radio network -- share points. Gathering the hottest guests; being at the hottest events -- highly valued by listeners; and intense news gathering about the hottest story is essential. However the whiners do not understand this simple fact and hide behind their computers. Whining, moaning, ego-tripping, and screaming are far too common today with laziness and/or lack of knowledge written all over these types of people. On the other hand, when you get to these types of media events you see fighting passionate Broadcasting minds duking it out for every competitive edge. Broadcasting at its absolute best! If you can have a team of these folks then winning is a certainly.

My journey through the Obama campaign to first get permission to broadcast, and second to get to the Comcast Center techinical staffers took dozens of phone calls to Warren Hansen who became much too engulfed with the campaign to set me up for broadcast. Hansen admitted that fact and referred me to the National Obama office in Chicago. Chicago mistakenly referred me to Obama's Virginia campaign representative Liz Rider. Rider was cool about the mishap and properly gave me the phone contact information to Maryland representative Ryan Hutcherson. Both Liz and Ryan work though for Obama's national campaign and manage states activities. After explaining Syndication One and my objective, Hutcherson gave us the ok to broadcast. Wonderful news this late Friday evening September 8th!! Hutcherson informed me that the Communication Director for the Maryland for Obama campaign David Weaver will be the point person at the Comcast Center insofar as funneling guests. It was late Friday when I got the ok. One catch though,,,Ryan knew nothing about the people at the Comcast Center. Another mission begins with little time left, air time Monday morning 10:00am. Needless to say, I had everyone phone numbers at Syndication One on my Blackbery as we begin the weekend. A lesson learned the hard way long ago. I won't get into those experiences.

The clear cut mission after speaking with my Program Director and Chief Engineer was to get a location at the Comcast Center, an ISDN or phone line, and find out who runs the Comcast Center. Tough task considering that it was after 5pm on a Friday. I again called Ryan Huthcherson. Another busy soul in the Obama campaign three days before showtime, as he was unable to help me there but suggested that I contact the Comcast Center. I committed to contacting the folks at the Comcast Center personally, but decided to sleep on it as it was now Friday night and a freezing ten degrees. I felt that calling was useless at that time, though I did call anyway to no avail.

I had little time and patience two days after my first contact with the Obama campaign on Wednesday. Saturday came with the normal getting my eight year old to tennis lessons at noon. During the ninety minutes, I also decided to find out about the canvassing for Obama in Prince Georges County with my two high schools teens. I dropped them off in fact at the Obama campaign center to get acquainted with a Political campaign. The good Obama folks at the P.G. County Obama headquarters schooled them on the sales pitch for the homes. I went to pick up my eight year old at the University of Maryland Tennis Center at 1:30p and decided to drive over to the Comcast Center to see if I can catch up with a techinical staffer that can get me a phone or ISDN line. I drove up to the Comcast Center with son around 1:45pm. The emptiness of the Comcast Center's parking lot with only few vehicles was breathtaking in the 15-degree weather.

I got out with my son and we walked toward the front of this vast Comcast Center structure. Luckily a Comcast Center employee exited the solid double door on the Center's front right side with a bicycle. I immediately raised my hand and said "Yo". The staffer was roughly forty yards away and he hollered to me, "is this your bike"? Understanding exactly what he said, I decided not to answer with my son, who seemingly would fit the small bike. My son was the solid decoy to my ultimate goal of getting inside the Comcast Center. I remember that moment vividly, which was absolutely the only chance to get in the closed Arena's door. Once face to face with the Comcast employee, he again stated: "is this your son's bike?" While finally face to face with the employee, I said "No". We chatted for a moment to loosen him up to me, before I hit him with the question of "gaining access to a Comcast Center technician as our radio network was broadcasting the Obama speech on Monday" and handed him a Syndication One business card. I went as far to say that "the Obama Campaign sent me here to take care of the technical issues pertaining to the live broadcast." He walked me into his office to get his walkie talkie, where he summoned the head tech guy whom happen to be there. While he secured the eventual meeting, I stood in amazement at the University of Maryland's basketball program accoutremonts to include several banners, pictures, and trophies highlighted by the final four and championship mementos. I have been a basketball fan forever. I had never been in the relatively new Comcast Center. It was a blast to me but my son just wanted to run up and down the hallway. I had to make sure he did not break anything.

The Comcast staffer got in touch with the building facility engineer named Nick Morrow. Nick instructed the 'seemingly' office manager to send me to the 2nd floor. Once there the sharp dressed suited down Nick Morrow shook my hand and listened to my now well-rehearsed sales pitch. I got a sense that young man of about 27 did not want to be there on a Saturday. The reason Nick was there was to take Senator Obama's Secret Service throughout the huge Comcast Center. Nick with a crowd of about five Secret Service folks and five others, referred me to one of the others. A lady and man representing the Obama national campaign. Thankful that the man representing the Obama national campaign was guest who? If fact this guy recognized my voice and said, "Hey Kirk, how you doing?" I looked at him bewildered as if, "How do you know my name." He then stated, "I am Ryan Hutcherson and I recognized your voice." I finally felt relieved as Ryan was more than helpful then and up to that point. Nick Morrow then felt comfortable with me as well, which was the closer for me and Syndicaton One. After brief conversaton Ryan said that Nick will take care of you. Nick then instructed me to come in Sunday and he will take care of all the technical needs. The Secret Service too presidence that Saturday afternoon. Nick gave me his card and said to call him in a few hours after the Secret Service completes combing the area for bombs and we can set up a time for the next day. I then left with my eight year old, picked up my sixteen year old son and step-daughter, and canvassed for three hours for Obama in Prince Georges County. Called Nick after canvassing who confirmed Sunday 1pm.

On Sunday I came to the Comcast Center for the 1pm meeting with Nick. I went up the many, many stairs to the front entrance, which was gladly open. Inside they were getting the Monday event ready with stage and risers etc... I nativagated my way to the Comcast floor, and asked a gathering of roughly five folks as to Nick Morrow's whereabouts. The name escaped them, but one man said that the tall guy in the red shirt in charge is across the basketball court. I did not recognize him at first without the suit and time, but it was a cheerful Nick in jeans and red shirt. Nick remembered me and showed me the ISDN and phone line under the floor at half court. Syn 1's engineer was happy with being on the floor instead of being up high in the press box. The lines were also nearest the side of the floor where the media riser were constructed including mult boxes facing the stage where Obama was to speak. Nick had to get the ISDN and phone numbers from his office. In fact, it wasn't until I saw his name plate on his office desk that I recalled that this was the same guy from the day before. Thank God he remembered me.

Following getting the numbers I then call our engineer Greg Strickland and told him,"Greg we got it." Shortly followed by a call to our Program Director Lee Michaels. Both were estatic and surprised that we were finally in, as both wrote me off by Sunday afternoon. In fact, Lee had called Warren Ballentine's show producer Tim to tell him to go with plan B for the show that Saturday eve.
Again, you can hear Senator Obama's speech that we recorded at the Comcast Center on Ballentines website: http://www.thetruthfighters.com/.

I will stop there to suggest to anyone working in Broadcasting today that that extra effort counts, especially in a volatile radio environment. Before deregulation, the radio business had a high turnover rate, restructuring, and 'moving in another direction' lay offs, now more pronounced than ever due to technology, sydication, and other factors. The difference between you or that other person at work -- if you are in broadcasting -- may be taking extra steps to make a competitive difference in your product, benefitting the entire operation. On that brisk February day in College Park, Syndication One just happened to be the only broadcasters that aired the event 'live'. Neither CNN, C-Span nor the other broadcast entities carried the event live. We had a feeling that they would not too due to the time day that the speech aired at12:30pm while most stations had other pre-programming commitments. An event attended by 20-thousand spectators were well pleased with Senator Obama's historic Presidential tour. Hilary Clinton could never command that type of crowd outside of the Democratic Convention, though she may imagine that she did one day.

Getting the Comcast Center coverage took extra effort, extra hours, and several extra days to pull it off, but the listeners enjoyed it and to this day consider the Warren Ballentine show a program that goes the extra mile to thoroughly inform "the truthfighters -- down for the movement of justice."

Obama's speech at the Comcast Center: http://www.thetruthfighters.com/.