In today’s radio world of format fragmentation, what makes you better than all the other radio stations in your market? Any radio station can preempt your music quantity or quality position. Any radio station could out-spend you promotionally. Any radio station could do the same marketing or better. So what makes you better? Historically, this answer has always been, and always will be, the double “Ps”...Personalities & Packaging. Do yourself a favor and take some time to listen to airchecks from the 60s and early 70s. (You can hear endless amounts of these airchecks at www.reelradio.com). You will hear a certain radio magic in the air. Yes, some things sound technically and conceptually  dated but they were aligned with their time. The successful stations of that time seemed to always give every effort to dazzle their audience with theatrical, fun, compelling and memorable productions. Yesterday’s personalities spent more time on building just their production elements for the next days show than many of today’s personalities do for all of their show prep for an entire week! This is mostly because personalities have been de-emphasized over the last 20 years. These days more emphasis has been put on music
than personalities. The reason for this? Simple, music is less expensive to develop and maintain. The problem with this strategy is that music is the easiest element on your radio station to preempt or neutralize and with today’s commercial loads, music alone is not as good of a tool to hold people through a long stop-set as a strong personality is. “The #1 song is up next...,” into 9 units of commercials will not do it.

Most radio stations spend very little time developing new talent, let alone working with their prime-time players. At a convention a few months ago I sat at a table with about 20 PDs and even more on-air people. Most of those people had gone over 6 months without having or giving a coaching session. One PD told me he doesn’t coach his full-time airstaff and has his music director aircheck his part-time people,  HE just doesn’t have time. What? Isn’t this like a surgeon being so busy with his paperwork, that he/she has a nurse actually perform open-heart surgery on weekends? It is my opinion that personalities will be our only hope for stabilizing this downward trend of radio usage across America. Remember, your music is easily preempted, not just by other radio stations but all other
audio media forms.

Many radio stations have bought into the “Field Of Dreams” strategy,  “If we build it, they will come.” If you’re just another spot on the dial, that is all you will ever be. You will rarely be consumed. You have to get out in your market and make BIG noise & get yourself noticed through strong marketing and promotion. *Caution* There has been a recent movement , (cleverly designed by those who want to cut budgets further), that says station hype doesn’t work anymore...DO NOT BELIEVE THIS! Hyping of a good product always has worked and always will! The double “Ps” are your answer.
 

Brian is a consultant with The Audience Development Group in Grand Rapids, MI. He can be reached at 616-940-8309 or email BrianW6187@aol.com