Grow Learfield

History of Learfield: Station Ownership

One of the questions I get is: "did you ever consider station ownership?"  The answer is yes.

First, soon after we went into business in 1974 we had an opportunity to purchase KAOL, Carrollton.  Located in prime farm country, we considered the expansion, but declined because we thought it was much too small of a market in spite of a good AM frequency. (it later was a move-in to the Kansas City market). 

Second, in May of 1977 we hired a national radio station brokerage firm, Blackburn and Company, of Washington DC, to make inquiries about purchasing KLIK in Jefferson City.  This was the 5,000-watt AM station at 950khz where Derry, Bob Priddy, Jim Lipsey, Jeff Smith and I had all worked.  I'd heard it was on the block.  Further the owners had secured a construction permit for a 100-thousand watt FM, which later became KJFF.  I wanted the FM to use the subcarrier as a network transmission tool.  We told Blackburn to offer $1.3 Million for the properties.  After several months of negotiations through the summer, Blackburn suggested we withdraw our offer because the property was too expensive.  We did.

In hind sight, this was a blunder.  That would have been a great time to buy into the radio market even at a higher price.  Further it might have emboldened us to buy more radio properties in larger markets.  Financing was relatively easy to come by. I should have been more bold.  I was a little fearful of operating the business, but shouldn't have been because I was surrounded by guys like Lipsey, Smith and Priddy.  We'd have been great.  However one could argue it might have caused me to take my eyes off our core business; so you just never know.  Be sure to read future blogs about Missouri Life Magazine, another media we bought two years later.

--clyde

History of Learfield: John Rooney

John was our first-ever Sports Director. We weren't the first place he worked, however, nor the last. 

The roots of Learfield Sports go back to the first newscasts of the Missourinet in January, 1975.  The 7:05 a.m. feed to affiliates was an extended newscast that included weather, sports, and things that had happened that day in history.

In the first few years when the company broadcast Missouri Tiger football games, we followed each game with a 90-minute scoreboard show presided over by News Director Bob Priddy, former Jefferson City sports writer Jim Vieth --who was then with the state high school activities association-- and Jack Guthrie, from the Jefferson City News-Tribune.  Bob handled the college scores.  Jim reviewed high school football.  Jack looked ahead to the NFL games on Sunday with special emphasis on the Chiefs and the football Cardinals. 

In time, our income picture improved enough that we could begin offering stand-alone sportscasts. By then we had heard from a young man in Pittsburgh, Kansas who had been one of our first affiliate correspondents when he worked at a station in Lexington, Missouri.  Bob Priddy took John Rooney's application to Clyde Lear one day and told him, "When we start doing sports, this is the guy we should hire."   

The time finally came.

We found a chink in John Rooney's St. Louis Cardinals broadcasting schedule schedule long enough to get together and recall some of those days. (Download/Listen 12 min MP3)

--Clyde

PS: Thanks to Bob for providing background for our interview.

Kelly Medwick joins Learfield News in Lincoln

Kelly will be an account executive for both the Brownfield Network and for the Nebraska Radio Network, helping marketers develop and implement effective campaigns.  Both networks enjoy growing influence across the Cornhusker State. 

She was Associate VP of Communications for Nebraska Children and Families Foundation developing branding and public awareness campaigns, so she is well suited for her new responsibilities.  Further, she has worked with multiple state and non-profit entities on outreach programs. 

--clyde

Adam Nuse new AE at Memphis

Tiger Sports Properties welcomes Adam Nuse as an Account Executive. Adam comes to Learfield Sports from the Corpus Christi Hooks, a minor league baseball team. Prior to that, Adam was with the Oklahoma Redhawks, the Triple-A affiliate of the MLB Texas Rangers, and he spent one season with the Round Rock Express team near Austin, Texas.

Adam and his wife, Sarah, are graduates of the University of Oklahoma and Adam received his Masters degree in Sports Administration at Wichita State University, where he also worked in the Shockers Athletic Department as a marketing associate. Originally from Round Rock, Texas, Adam enjoys spending time with his family and friends, his dog Wrigley, and being active in the community. Adam and Sarah are expecting their first child in August.

Carabin heads up 'Tide

Jim Carabin takes over today as GM at Alabama! Roll Tide! Jim knows the Alabama property well since he's worked there twice. He's been Associate GM since December 2006. And, he was an account exec. there from 1998-2002. Before returning to the property in 2006, Jim was Associate Commissioner for the Sun Belt Conference for five years. Jim is originally from Dayton, Ohio and is a graduate of Bowling Green. Former CTSM chief, Mike Alford, has moved to Dallas to join the Cowboys organization.

--clyde

Dress For Success

In the mid-seventies researcher John Molloy wrote a book of this title.  The gist of it was that people judge you by how you look.  He proved it by 15 years of research.  Better dressed people get into see people more easily; “strongly-dressed” people get their way.  He proved—through research—how the clothes on your back put financial success in your pocket.  The book is out of date, so don’t rush out and buy it.  And, I quite agree, that somehow it seems wrong to make an initial judgment of a person solely on attire.

 

The fact remains—like it or not—that your influence is tied to how you dress.  In the first place, you’ll feel better about yourself when your shoes are newly-shined, when your slacks have a crisp crease and your dress shirt was professionally-laundered (and similar high quality attire for our female executives).  Your clients will judge you by how you dress; always look better than they do! 

--clyde

We're Going to Work for the Big Ten Conference!

We've been asked to enter into an exclusive partnership with one of the nation's oldest and most prestigious athletic conferences to deliver strategic corporate initiatives. Greg Brown and Mike Behymer worked together on this piece of new business. Brown says Learfield will develop an exclusive corporate partner platform through an entity to be called Big Ten Sports Properties to be located at or near the Big Ten offices outside of Chicago in Park Ridge. 

Mike tells me the Conference expects us to use media, corporate hospitality, the presentation of sponsorships of select championships and tournaments, venue exposure, branding opportunities and product sampling. "As you know", Mike says, "we're already aligned with six of the 11 Big Ten schools:  Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin."

Conference Commissioner, Jim Delany, says: "We have a deep respect and admiration for what Learfield Sports does for its existing partners and firmly believe they are the right partner for us as we look to bolster our corporate partner initiative and other overall marketing efforts."  I went along with Greg and Mike to Chicago last week as we met with Brad Traviolia about this new project for us.  And, I must tell you how excited I am as we begin work for them.  I think we'll do an impressive job.  [Full news release]

--clyde

The Effectiveness of Advertising

Did you ever wonder if the advertising we're selling works?  Has a client ever remarked: "You know, I think I'm wasting my money!"

You could learn tons about the impact of each message by listening to one of our users:  Carl Landwehr and Stacey Kromer of the Vitae Caring Foundation.  Landwehr is a sociologist. This quiet, almost shy, scientist  studies people's attitudes. He learns how they feel about things. His particular field of work is the highly-charged emotional area of abortion. While Carl is against abortion, he isn't one of those hate-filled meanies.  In fact, he is very respectful of those who are pro-choice. For over two decades Carl has researched abortion attitudes of women considering an abortion. He scientifically studies their responses to creative commercials and then he places those ads that perform best on radio and television. After the spots air, post testing is done. Now airing nationally, ads on our Missouri Tiger broadcasts were his first!  Doug Bax showed Carl how right the audience was, and continues to be. Not only do attitudes among young women change after a schedule; but the number of abortions goes down!  Here's my point:  we deliver the audience!  It's up to the client to creative strong, effective, tested, ads that sell.

Debbie Stokes and Stacey were in Dallas this week and while there they presented us with an "Equal Opportunity in Media" award [larger photo]. Greg and Andy accepted on all our behalf.

We're particularly proud of Stacey because she worked at Learfield for many years and now she's a leader in this wonderful business of changing attitudes.

--clyde

Party Time

This week Learfield hosted two nice events. Wednesday afternoon was open house at our Jefferson City office. It was a chance to show of the newly-remodeled digs and enjoy some time with clients and friends. We touted our 35 years in business as an excuse to get together. Maybe 300 attended and were entertained by the Jefferson City High School Jazz Combo.

Earlier in the week we showed off the new Dallas office to Learfield Sports General Managers with a reception there. Following that we bus'd to Geri and Greg Brown's home for a lovely poolside dinner. 

--clyde

History of Learfield: A Buy-Sell Agreement

Recall the stock distribution we organized the business with in 1972:  Clyde 25%; Derry 25%; Baclesse 12.5%; Wunderlich 12.5%; Stiles 12.5% and Murphy 12.5%. Three years later, I wanted some sort of an agreement whereby stock owned by any of the shareholders would not go to their estates in the event of their deaths or withdrawal but instead would could be repurchased by the company or the remaining shareholders; we needed some sort of an agreed-upon orderly procedure. Candidly I'd worried about these eventualities for a year or more.  First, unlike the others, Derry and I had much at risk.  Second, we were beginning to see this business might make it. And, third, three of these shareholders were older. But Jack Murphy's death in July, 1975 set off exactly what we didn't want to have happen. 

As I posted on March 6th, after Jack's death the remaining shareholders made an offer to Jack's widow, Lela, to buy back his shares. She agreed, but changed her mind after consulting her lawyer.  His advice (Download PDF) was surely sound.  Further, if she could become a director, she'd earn monthly director's fees and it looked like the value of the business would only rise.  She became a good board member, but what would become of her stock upon her death?  Would it go to her nieces and nephews? 

Derry brought up the subject at the August,1976 meeting saying he didn't know what form this should take, but that something needed to be in writing in the case of the death of a shareholder.  George Stiles recommended his Kansas City lawyers, Gene Sands or Rex Fowler with the firm of Dietrich, David, Dicus, Rowlands and Schmitt. I went to Kansas City to meet them and they came to our board meeting the next month to discuss the first draft. Buell's lawyer offered suggested changes; Lela's attorney suggested she not sign any agreement. But at the December meeting--and upon a motion by Lela Murphy--a final document was presented, agreed to and signed. (Download PDF ).

The document served us well. Over the next nine years it provided the orderly transfer of ownership for four exiting shareholders.

--clyde