I believe that every radio station has its own personality and feeling. I think that every programmer needs to find that station’s sound. As a PD, I generally try to assess the community and the station’s role in that market. I also find the feeling that makes that station special. If you are programming one of the great big brands, you need to make sure that your station sounds larger than life.
I was driving through a city a few years ago and decided to listen to the news/talk giant of that market. This brand has Marconi Awards and the respect of anyone who has a long-time reverence of the news/talk format. The station didn’t sound big. It didn’t jump out of the speaker. I so wanted to learn from this legacy brand, but was left feeling flat. I am not naming stations because it is not my role. They didn’t hire me as the Program Director, General Manager, or owner of this brand. I just am a radio geek praying to be blown away.
Your station needs to sound big not only for dopes like me but also for your listeners. Your listeners always need to know that the station they are listening to is larger than life. It allows the listener to be confirmed in their love for your station. Your station’s fans need you to brag a little bit here.
Now, remember, this is show business. News/talk stations frequently forget this. Your station’s sound should set the tempo. When was the last time that you updated your news imaging? My station did it a few years ago. The imaging sounded dated and out of step with contemporary society. The imaging package was over a decade old. It was time for a fresh coat of paint. We carefully chose an imaging packaging that we felt could be still relevant in a decade without being too aggressive. This is a tightrope. What we chose may not fit your station. We chose what fit the sound of our community and was not too cool for the room. Having a strong sound in our news is essential.
It is essential for your station as well. I am not your station’s PD. I am not feeling your station’s vibe and role in your community. So, that being said, if your station does not have the foundation to be relatable to someone in their mid-40s, you are probably sounding too old. Our format’s future is about converting people around 45. When these people were 20, artists like Green Day, Everlast, Creed, and Lenny Kravitz were hot. I generally believe that rock is generally the best genre to look at. Your station or market may be different. Most news/talk stations hit a 60% to 70% male audience. Likely, these guys enjoyed rock over other formats. Is it all men? No, but it is a good guess.
Is your radio station highlighting competitive advantages? Let’s talk about traffic and weather together on the 10s. AM Radio stations can dominate the information race. It is against the law in most states to fiddle on your phone to find out traffic. Highlight these moments for cume. Make it big. Make it essential. People want to know how to avoid a wreck or a new construction zone. Listeners need this information. Is your set up for Traffic and weather together huge? Are you hosts hitting these benchmarks on time? If not, they are cheating the radio station. Like stealing money from the station. This is important.
Are you proud of the way your station is presented? If you think that it is just ok, you need to think again. If you are not proud of it, your audience is probably not being reached.
When was the last time that you changed your station’s voice? Some stations have had a voice that they have used for decades. The voice is as important to the station as any other element. I changed my station’s voice this year and moved to Jim Cutler. Jim’s sound was right for my station. It was an important upgrade.
The previous voice, who is terrific, did not have the right feeling for my market. It had nothing to do with him or his efforts. It was a feel. Having a strong voice for your station is part of sounding big. If your station’s voice is not jumping ‘out of the speaker,’ you need to really think about that change. You know your community. You know your station’s personality. Does your station’s voice reflect that? If you are not hearing it, it may be time.
Radio really needs to brag. We do big things. Radio serves the communities in which we live. Radio is a part of American’s daily lives. With 500 TV channels, satellite radio, podcasting, YouTube, TikTok, and millions of websites, radio still reaches over 85% of people each week.
Your station and radio show are a big deal. Do you sound big? We need to use our huge imprints and look at expanding. This is not only to our listeners, but it also has to do with anyone who has contact with the radio station. Do your Account Executives know what a big deal your radio station is? Pump up your AE’s. Ask your Sales Manager if you could speak to their next meeting. Tell your story.
Peter Thiele is a weekly news/talk radio columnist for Barrett Media, and an experienced news/talk radio programmer. He recently served as program director for WHO/KXNO in Des Moines, IA. Prior to that role he held programming positions in New York City, San Francisco, Little Rock, Greenville, Hunstville, and Joplin. Peter has also worked as a host, account executive and producer in Minneapolis, and San Antonio. He can be found on Twitter at @PeterThiele.
