Photo Credit: claus convergence by phantom kitty. Tis the season. Very cool comp, thanks for sharing.

"If men could learn from history, what lessons it might teach us! But passion and party blind our eyes, and the light which experience gives us is a lantern on the stern which shines only on the waves behind us." Coleridge

Previously on N=1: Posts about the genesis of AC radio and about programming to Arbitron methodology. Heard from Jim Smith. "Jukebox Jimmy" was, in my opinion, the greatest music director in the history of WLS. At one point many semesters ago I became one of the many music directors to work across the street from the estimable Mr. Smith. Truth be known, Jim Smith, during his day, was the only Chicago music director that really mattered, the rest of us simply labored in his considerable shadow. If Jim didn't add a tune at WLS it wasn't a hit in Chicago, period. As an MD, I learned a bunch from the study of Jim's weekly chess moves; what titles he played, how he played them and, importantly, the titles he didn't play. He is also an accomplished programmer, consultant and media researcher. Jim shared some comments on the previous posts referenced above. Don Shafer was programming AC on WTAE before Ted Atkins arrived says Jim. And Jim would know. Don's success prompted KDKA to make some changes including the hiring of a bright young college grad as music director, the very same kid who later came to be known as Jukebox Jimmy. Jim also said his first introduction to the techniques of programming to Arbitron methodology was made by Buzz Bennett, years before Jhan Hiber was on the scene. My sense is Jim is likely 100% correct on both points. Don Shafer deserves far more credit and so does the legendary, much storied Buzzy Bennett. Jim also spoke about attending one of the gatherings put together by the great Bob Hamilton of Radio Quarterly Report fame. It was during one of those after-hours sessions, Jim tells me, that discussion turned to gaming Arbitron and Buzzy held forth. Too bad those gatherings are no more, many of us learned the craft via a rich oral tradition akin to the passing down of American Indian tribal customs. FYI - it was Bob Hamilton, who was the very first radio person to go online. His Radio Star publication and service the first pub to walk away from dead tree stuff way back in the early 1980s. Still recall dialing up to read Bob at a then blazing 300 baud. Thanks for sharing Jim, appreciate you making the time to get in touch and set the record straight.

Well played: Speaking of WLS. Kudos to Scott Shannon for bringing back The Silver Dollar Survey. Scott's Chicago team features images of the vintage survey on the 947 TrueOldies Channel web site. Brilliant!

He rocks around the clock, again: Dick Biondi hosted his annual 32-hour Toy Drive this past weekend. The event was, again, a major success. Dick is nothing less than a force of nature. Amazing, gifted performer! Congrats and Cheers Dick! (closed circuit to Scott Shannon - very cool vo work on those bumpers).

Nobody does it better: Bruce Reese promotes Drew Horowitz to EVP of Bonneville. A well deserved promotion for one of the great general managers working in the craft today. And, he's a mensch. Cheers Drew!

Audience as auteur: Jon Pareles writes at NYT...

"Low-budget recording and the Internet have handed production and distribution back to artists, and one-stop collections of user-generated content give audiences a chance to find their works. With gatekeepers out of the way, it’s possible to realize the do-it-yourself dreams of punk and hip-hop, to circle back to the kind of homemade art that existed long before media conglomerates and mass distribution. But that art doesn’t stay close to home. Online it moves breathtakingly fast and far."

Kudos Jon, well done! Read all of Jon's article, 2006, Brought to You by You, here (thanks to Dave Winer for the tip)

The widget in your future: Alex Williams, one of the SplashCast crew, does the crystal ball number and looks into the future - My Widget Predictions for 2007 here

Creating their own must-see appointments: Nielsen data says among 18-49 year olds with DVRs, 76% played back broadcast network shows, 85% played back cable and syndi programs within two days. 50% of all prime-time tv usage is via DVR playback. At least we are going to be getting the raw data - thanks Nielsen! Nielsen Preps Data Launch via ADWeek here

Which reminds me: BBC gets it. They allow me to playback the great Bob Harris when I want and, I do (especially his killer Saturday night program on Radio2).

The lists posted here last week have generated a lot of lists from readers. Thanks for sending them along. Here are two...

In building a firm foundation for Success, here are a few stones to remember:

1. The wisdom of preparation.
2. The value of confidence.
3. The worth of honesty.
4. The privilege of working.
5. The discipline of struggle.
6. The magnetism of character.
7. The radiance of health.
8. The forcefulness of simplicity.
9. The winsomeness of courtesy.
10. The attractiveness of modesty.
11. The inspiration of cleanliness.
12. The satisfaction of serving.
13. The power of suggestion.
14. The buoyancy of enthusiasm.
15. The advantage of initiative.
16. The virtue of patience.
17. The rewards of co-operation.
18. The fruitfulness of perseverance.
19. The sportsmanship of losing.
20. The joy of winning.

Rollo C. Hester

1. Do more than exist, live.
2. Do more than touch, feel.
3. Do more than look, observe.
4. Do more than read, absorb.
5. Do more than hear, listen.
6. Do more than listen, understand.
7. Do more than think, ponder.
8. Do more than talk, say something.

John H. Rhoades

If you have a book reader on your holiday list: Now reading some simply wonderful fiction and I highly recommend it for the reader on your list. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. The book spent five years on the Spanish bestseller list, a great deal of that time at number one. It is the most successful Spanish novel since Don Quixote. Lucia Graves has translated. Next up, I'll attempt it in Spanish. Amazon info here (Paper, <$20, an extraordinary value).

Excellent wine value: 2004 Cycles Gladiator Syrah. My love affair with Syrah continues unabated. This one is a winner from the LA County Fair, a jammy red, BIG fruit notes, from the CA central coast. About $10.

Thanks for stopping by. Make something amazing happen this week!