How many times have we asked ourselves: Who made that decision?
Now, I’ve been let go a time or two in my career—and ironically, I was at the top of my game each time. Meaning: the station had great ratings and was doing well.
A few years back, a celebrity friend (I don’t like name-dropping) said, “There are many PDs that are great at what they do. Unfortunately, in radio today, mediocre is OK.”
Those weren’t my words, but they came rushing back to mind with the recent decision by Paramount and CBS to cancel “The Late Show.”
One of the great advantages of television is that it researches almost everything. But this most likely wasn’t one of those times. Financial reasons? Political reasons? I’ll save that for my Facebook page. But the outright cancellation of a major, successful brand will make you scratch your head.
It got me thinking about how many Urban brands have been stifled due to ego or ignorance.
When I was a corporate PD, a new GM came into one of our markets to manage the stations. During a regular check-in with the market manager, something I always did, he asked me what I thought about changing the format of the heritage Urban AC station and making it Jazz.
In my head, I had a very sarcastic answer.
There were a few reasons for that answer. First, I knew the value of the brand to listeners and advertisers. Second, I knew how much revenue that station contributed to the cluster, second only to the mainstream Urban station. And third, I knew how my boss would respond to that suggestion: because of reasons 1 and 2.
So my answer? “That’s above my pay grade.”
And it was. I appreciated that my boss would ask my opinion in those situations, but I also knew when something wasn’t my call.
The Late Show has all the traits of a solid, legacy brand. The original host, David Letterman, was the overlooked heir apparent of NBC’s “Tonight Show”.” And CBS made a great choice in bringing him on. His show gave “The Tonight Show” a run for its money and its ratings.
Letterman was a master at making a meticulously planned show feel like he was winging it. I used to call it “organized chaos.” He was also a brilliant interviewer—ruthless with questions but always able to put his guests at ease.
Then came a change of host. And once again, CBS made a strong, drama-free choice.
Stephen Colbert was a solid successor to David Letterman and a case study in preparation. His commitment to staying in character on “The Colbert Report” carried into his approach on “The Late Show.” His multicultural awareness served him well, as his smart, satirical voice did.
Yet someone decided that ending his and “The Late Show’s” run was the answer to the company’s problems.
In Urban radio, we’ve experienced this all too often. If there’s a sales problem, some decision-makers believe that cutting the quality of content will somehow fix it.
Here’s the final lesson from this late-night brand:
Stephen Colbert is extremely prepared for what’s next. Whether it’s another network, a streaming platform, or something independent, he’s got a great reputation. He’s relevant. He’s established.
Are you prepared for what’s next?
I’d love to hear your thoughts.
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Ken Johnson is an Urban/Hip-Hop columnist for Barrett Media. Born and raised in Washington DC, his career experiences include serving as VP of Urban formats for Cumulus Media, holding the Director of Urban Programming post at ABC Radio Networks, and programming stations in Birmingham, Boston, Philadelphia, and New York City. He has also managed affiliate relations for the Nick Cannon show, and worked as the Executive Producer of The Hughley Truth Podcast hosted by comedian DL Hughley. Ken currently runs Mean Ole Lion Media, a content creation company and podcast network. He can be reached by email at ken@kenjohnsonmedia.com.
