It’s that time of year when Americans are in the giving spirit. Despite the differences that exist in our country today, be they cultural, political, or other, Americans of all stripes like to try and give back during the Christmas season, and talk radio often does an outstanding job in this category.
At Cumulus Kansas City, we reserve the first day of the Holiday ratings book for our annual radiothon to support our local Children’s Miracle Network hospital, KU Med, here in the Kansas City region. Every dollar donated stays here in Kansas City to help kids with life-altering situations. And in each of the five radiothons I’ve been fortunate enough to partake in, the donations continue to grow exponentially.
I admit I worried this year that, given the recession fears that exist, folks might be a bit more cautious in their giving. Will they give less? Will they give at all?
The opposite happened. While we don’t have the total numbers as of this writing, we appear to have raised two or three times what we did in 2021.
As the talk audience continues to build a relationship with its hosts, I believe it becomes more and more willing to support causes that the host genuinely gets behind. All the data shows the talk radio audience has higher income levels than nearly every other format, so if they find that connection with their host, they will open their wallets.
Then, the challenge is to get them to completely buy into what exactly it is you are doing and raising money for. That can be done through interviews, vignettes, personal stories that relate directly to the fundraiser at hand, and so much more. This is an audience that is oftentimes littered with high-achieving and high-earning individuals who want to be challenged. Give them shoutouts on air, talk about the big donors, find other donors to match or top some of those numbers.
And on top of that, while it might not be the biggest ratings day ever, as many in the audience might ultimately want to get their news fix after giving you a single quarter-hour or two instead of the four or five you might get on a given day, it shows a different side of the host and the entire radio station.
It puts the station and every single person connected to it, from hosts to producers to news anchors, in a different light. It makes us all more vulnerable and more human. That’s a long-term benefit and is ultimately when radio is at its absolute best.
If an annual fundraiser is something your station or cluster is not involved in, you’re missing the boat. Find a great cause and a great charity. Then, bring your audience along for a one-day journey of powerful radio and make that emotional connection that in an era of unlimited media options, will make you stand out in a way you can’t ever pay for in marketing dollars.
You won’t just hopefully remain at top of mind for your listeners, you will be in their hearts as well. There’s no price tag to put on that.
Pete Mundo is a weekly columnist for Barrett Media, and the morning show host and program director for KCMO in Kansas City. Previously, he was a fill-in host nationally on FOX News Radio and CBS Sports Radio, while anchoring for WFAN, WCBS News Radio 880, and Bloomberg Radio. Pete was also the sports and news director for Omni Media Group at K-1O1/Z-92 in Woodward, Oklahoma. He’s also the owner of the Big 12-focused digital media outlet Heartland College Sports. To interact, find him on Twitter @PeteMundo.
