Media & Content Strategy

Evolution of Radio Formats
Mike Henry has been on the front lines of radio format creation and evolution since 1981.

Starting with his college radio station WUOG-FM/Athens (GA), Mike developed a format called “Rock Alternative.” In today’s terms, a mix between “Alternative” and “Triple A,” WUOG was in the center of the college radio revolution that swept America and set the seeds for music change for two decades to follow.

Mike’s passion for alternative music styles and formats landed him in the middle of the Triple A (Adult Album Alternative) format creation in the mid-1980s. Since then, Mike has worked for practically every major market Triple A station in America. Mike was an early and vocal proponent of this new format, as well as its younger format cousin called Alternative that he helped launch in the early 1990s.

In the mid-1990s Mike helped create and launch a new version of “Rock Alternative” on KXPK-FM “The Peak” in Denver. “Rock Alternative” was the first radio format with a music library based on 1980s alternative music, but it also played large amounts of new music. Mike personally helped launch over 10 of these new stations around the country, from New York and Miami to Sacramento and Phoenix, as well as a national network of Rock Alternative stations that he programmed for three years. The new format quickly became known as “Modern AC,” which ultimately had over 50 stations nationwide.

During the course of the 1990s, Mike continued to help develop several substantial new formats, including “Hip Hop,” “Jammin Oldies” and “NPR News.”

Mike’s penchant for creating new formats continues into the 2000s. His pioneering of the revolutionary “Jack FM” stations in Canada and the U.S. created the most successful new adult music format in years, called “Adult Hits.” Today there are over 100 Adult Hit stations in the U.S. alone, and others worldwide.

Always drawn to the outer edges of creative format design, in 2007 Mike unveiled the first ever Urban/Rock Progressive format on non-commercial “88-9 RadioMilwaukee.” This new format also includes a concept called “community voices” that populate the station’s airwaves, not a station voice. As with other formats he created before, the new format on RadioMilwaukee defies simplistic categorization.

Country Music Television
Beginning in 2002, Mike consulted the new VP/General Manager at CMT who had transitioned to TV from radio where he had been a Paragon client and very successful programmer. The dilemma facing CMT was that it lacked credibility and ratings, particularly from the Country core audience.

Over the course of the next few years, CMT was completely re-made. The music strategy evolved to a more appealing mix of videos, new sets were built to be authentically Country, credible Country hosts were added, and very successful new programs were created. CMT’s growth skyrocketed and CMT remains one of the darlings of the MTV network channels.

NPR News
When Mike began consulting National Public Radio on their news programs in 1998, they lacked a singular brand. “Morning Edition” an d “All Things Considered” were well known, but they were lumped into a category known as newsmagazines along with all the other NPR news programs, such as “Weekend Edition” and “All Things Considered Saturday,” etc.

Working directly with NPR’s VP/News and the President/CEO, Mike began a brand assessment that resulted in his recommendation to create a brand called “NPR News.” In 2000, the “NPR News” brand debuted, and since then NPR has clearly identify all its news programs and news content as coming from one credible source. Today, the “NPR News” brand is known worldwide and competes successfully against other international news brands.

During the course of his consulting for NPR over five years, Mike provided critical programming recommendations for “All Things Considered” and “Morning Edition.” Mike addressed everything from show names and hosts, to content hierarchy, vocabulary and on air promotion and cross-promotion techniques. Since that time, NPR’s audience has grown from eight million to over 30 million listeners.

Sony
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Mike consulted Sony on their first ever New Media venture in America called eMarker. Sony’s eMarker was a key chain sized device that allowed radio listeners to tag on air content for later review and even purchase. Well ahead of its time, Sony’s eMarker was akin to T-Vo for radio.

Mike worked directly with eMarker management and investors to refine the process for radio. Mike served as Sony’s eyes, ears and brain for the radio industry. He also critiqued and improved Sony’s technical infrastructure from a consumer-interface standpoint. Radio station promotions were created and executed featuring the eMarker, which drew national attention to the new service and a glimpse into a programmable digital media future.

Media Owner & Investor Consulting
What do Paul Allen, Phil Anschutz and Peter Buffett have in common? Yes, they are among the wealthiest individuals and families in modern Amercian history. They also have Mike Henry and Paragon in common, having retained Mike for each of their first entrée’s into radio ownership. Paul Allen’s Rose City Radio, Phil Anschutz’ NRC Broadcasting, and Peter Buffett’s NoVo Foundation each hired Mike after purchasing their first stations.

Investor’s confidence in Mike extends from his two decade position as strategic consultant to Susquehanna Radio Corp., which was America’s largest privately owned radio group until its sale in 2006. Mike worked directly with the President/CEO of Susquehanna on all strategic levels, from group-wide corporate decisions regarding new markets to local level format and content strategy and implementation. Since 1990, Mike has performed similar strategic duties for client Rogers Media in Canada. In addition to core business consulting, Mike’s clients rely on him to introduce and implement many of their New Media ventures.

Mike’s CEO-level consulting to these and other media companies, as well as to private equity funds, has cemented his track record as one of the most important and successful corporate media strategists in North America.

RadioMilwaukee
Mike’s consulting for non-commercial WYMS-FM in Milwaukee produced the most significant “community building” effort using a radio station in decades, and maybe ever. Funded by Peter Buffett’s non-profit NoVo Foundation, the goals for WYMS are not ratings and revenue. The goal for RadioMilwaukee is to present a radio station that reflects the racial, social and cultural diversity of the city itself. An entertaining music format heavy on local relevance was desired, without typical news and information, but with street level content exposing the real issues on the streets of Milwaukee. In an older rust belt city trying to evolve into a new economy and inclusive culture, it was hoped that RadioMilwaukee could be the rallying point for positive change.

To that end, Mike consulted WYMS for almost four full years before the station and new format was launched in 2007. RadioMilwaukee debuted with a new format never attempted before…a balanced combination of Urban progressive and Rock progressive music styles. More familiar than public radio, and more adventuresome than commercial radio, RadioMilwaukee is perhaps the first station ever to strategically position itself in the middle ground between the two polar extremes. The air talent was plucked from the real world of music lovers…not from radio. Real “community voices” fill the airwaves, not a station voice. As a package, RadioMilwaukee is completely new and different, and completely from the gut of Mike Henry.

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