If one of your resolutions this year was to improve your ratings, master your workflow, beef up your resume or enhance your programming ability, we have a sure-fire strategy for success: Attend a MusicMaster Genius Day!

Just check out what some of our past attendees had to say about their awesome experience.  Click below to play video

This year, we're kicking Genius Days off with a special session at our new Dallas corporate headquarters! 

The training sessions will cover new features in 6.0 as well as many other scheduling tips and strategies you don't want to miss. In addition to MusicMaster training by our Learning Director Drew Bennett, you'll benefit from lessons by George Gimarc, former program director of The Edge in Dallas. He's the author of  Punk Diary , the quintessential guide to punk music and he owns and operates the 24/7 Comedy Network. You'll also hear from "Unconsultant" Keith Hill and prolific radio branding and programming expert George "Geo" Cook.

Can't make it to Dallas?  Visit our website to find an upcoming Genius Day near you. Or, for North America, e-mail Drew Bennett. For International,  e-mail Rainer Eichborn. Here's a preview of some upcoming Genius Day opportunities**: Los Angeles - April 13/15 (TBD) @ World Wide Radio Summit Dallas - May 13 @ MusicMaster Headquarters Minneapolis - July 13/15 (TBD) @ The Conclave Austin - Aug 10 @ Texas Association of Broadcasters Conference Phoenix - Sept 19/20 (TBD) @ PRPD Conference Philadelphia - Oct 20/22 (TBD) @ CBI Dallas - November 11 @ MusicMaster Headquarters ** Final dates will be based on attendance Note: International Sessions to be announced in future updates We look forward to learning and sharing even more with you this year!

 

 

As a MusicMaster user, Mike shares "I really love how much control MusicMaster gives me to program my radio station. It's basically a one stop shop. Whatever I want to do, I can do it in MusicMaster! I have learned so much about MusicMaster simply by browsing through the program myself. Dave Tyler has been a huge help in teaching me how to effectively access and use the more difficult features of the software."

 

Mike is handy with various automation systems, including AudioVault, Prophet/ NexGen, Arrakis Digilink, Arrakis Digilink Extreme, and two different versions of Scott Studios.  

Mike adds "The best advice I ever received personally came from a book I read a few years ago, that being: 'The hardest choice, is more times than not, the best choice for you to make.' The best advice I received professionally was from a former general manager of mine who told me 'When you are in charge, be in charge, and instead of treating people the way you wish to be treated, treat them the way they want to be treated. You will get much better results.'"  

Some of Mason's mentors would include: 

 

Mike Goyne
On Air: Mike Mason
Phone: (701) 740-6453

Email:  mikegoyne@gmail.com or  masonradio1004@gmail.com
Website:  Mason Media Productions

Facebook:  Mike Mason Facebook

Linkedin: LinkedIn Mike Goyne

 

Ask any casual broadcast observer and they'll tell you that Donna Halper is the lady with the hats, the music director who gave RUSH a start in America, the speaker featured so often at conventions. Ask a real radio fan, and you'll meet a true female radio pioneer. Recently, we caught up with this rare broadcasting treasure to ask a few questions. Follow along below to discover her inspiring story and the wisdom she shared  in her interview.

___________________________

Who is Donna L. Halper? 

Donna is a radio historian, consultant, author, educator, mentor, Big Sister, and a special friend and advocate to an angel  with autism. She is author of the first book-length study devoted to the history of women in American broadcasting, Invisible  Stars: A Social History of Women in American Broadcasting.

In late 2008, she completed her fourth book, Icons of Talk: The Media Mouths that Changed America, a history of talk shows; that year, she also had a chapter published in a new book by  Michael C. Keith   called Radio Cultures: The Sound Medium in American Life. In 2010, she had an essay about the impact of  McCarthyism   on broadcasting published in a new encyclopedia, Perspectives in American Social History: Cold War and McCarthy Era. In 2011, she completed a new book for  Arcadia Publishing , Boston Radio 1920-2010. In 2014, she completed a revised and expanded second edition of Invisible Stars: A Social History of Women in American Broadcasting.

Discovering Rush

Halper attended  Northeastern University , where she received  B.A. ,  M.A. , and  M.Ed.   degrees. In 1968 she became the first woman announcer at Northeastern's campus radio station, WNEU (now  WRBB ). Halper went on to a career that included twelve years on the air-in  Cleveland ,  New York City ,  Washington, D.C. , and Boston. She was also a music director and gave a number of new bands their start. While working at  WMMS   in Cleveland, Halper discovered the rock band  Rush . Halper was also pivotal in getting them signed to a record contract; as a result, the band dedicated their first two albums to her.   Halper is seen in the 2010 documentary about Rush, Beyond the Lighted Stage. On June 25, 2010, she was a speaker when Rush received a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame.

A Career in Radio Consulting

In 1980, Halper became a radio consultant, one of the few women to be such. She has consulted for college and commercial radio stations in the United States, eastern Canada and Puerto Rico on various aspects of running a radio station.  Halper also began teaching college courses about broadcasting, media criticism and media history. She has taught at Emerson College, Lesley University (Cambridge, Massachusetts), University of Massachusetts Amherst and University of Massachusetts Boston.  In May 2011, she earned a  Ph.D.   in Communication from UMass Amherst. She has received or been nominated for several teaching awards.

An Expert Historian

A media and social historia n, Halper has written a number of essays for encyclopedias and magazines. She does frequent speaking engagements about the history of broadcasting, bringing with her a collection of rare memorabilia. 

She has been a guest expert on  NPR ,  PBS , the  History Channel , and on local television stations  WCVB-TV   and  NECN , commenting on media history.  Her expertise is in women and minorities in media history, t alk radio , and individual entrepreneurs whose contributions to broadcasting have been overlooked. Among the forgotten broadcast pioneers whose careers she has researched are  John Shepard III ,  Eunice Randall , and  Big Brother Bob Emery . 

Some of her other essays can be found on The Archives @ BostonRadio.org, where she is a contributing editor.  In her spare time, she collects rare magazines and artifacts about media history, as well as stamps and old postcards.