It’s almost the holidays. ‘Tis the season … for fill-in hosts. Best-of shows. Parties. Bad Cookies. Dry news cycles. And fundraisers. It is the best of times and the worst of times on the radio.
Even with the cheesy music, bad sweaters, and often insincere overtures of gratitude, it is an unequivocally positive opportunity for radio to get some attention for doing good.
Of course, every station in the country seems to do a toy drive. That’s ok, and if it works well, keep it up.
But maybe you can do more, maybe even something different.
At our station, we have a legacy fundraising project where we help raise over $250,000 for the Salvation Army. It’s a great relationship with a rich history, and I love helping the cause.
It could use some tweaks and improvements, but it’s not going anywhere. And it shouldn’t because a lot of businesses, older folks, and Connecticut-bred families make it a tradition.
By and large, I am ok with that.
At the same time, I also know it’s been around for some 30 years, and it’s not something our show can own in quite the same way as something that starts with us.
That’s sort of my message here: Even if you can’t invent or re-invent a major holiday event, perhaps, there’s still something you can do for the community and for the station. I’m thinking there is something else you can do that won’t dilute the “toy drive” but will reach a new audience, and maybe even provide a different benefit.
I tried it in 2022, and it worked great.
A year ago, the town next to where we have our station group had been dealing with a horrible tragedy after two local police officers were murdered. The community was both reeling and coming together. It was uncomfortable but also inspiring.
It was coming upon the holidays, and we as a radio station wanted to do something for the neighboring community. We wanted it to be appropriate, but we also wanted it to be fun. People needed to smile and see each other.
We noticed that the small city didn’t have a tree-lighting ceremony anymore. We thought bringing it back could energize residents; we would sing songs, drink hot chocolate, talk to each other, and then light the tree.
We called the mayor, who also happened to be a friend of the show. He liked the idea, so we set up a meeting where we hashed out the possibilities.
After a few back-and-forth conversations, we got the green light. The city planned it, our station promoted it, I MC’d the event and a few hundred people showed up and then went home happy.
It was not that difficult, and it felt great.
This year, they kind of want to “own” it, and that’s fine. It’s their tradition, and we simply helped revive it. Truth be told, it sort of felt like a one-time dynamic anyway. Time to move on.
The question is: Move on to what? I am all ears folks if you have any thoughts.
Approach another town to do the same thing? That could be fun, while also reaching a new set of people. America’s Got Talent holiday edition? Seems awesome but also high maintenance.
Even if you can’t help me this year with a great idea (I am hoping you can), think about it anew for yourself. It doesn’t have to be original. It simply needs to be something that is light, good for the community, and actually attainable at little to no cost – because as you know, to do something like this in the 2023 radio world, it better not add cost!
Brian Shactman is a weekly columnist for Barrett News Radio. In addition to writing for BNM, Brian can be heard weekday mornings in Hartford, CT on 1080 WTIC hosting the popular morning program ‘Brian & Company’. During his career, Brian has worked for ESPN, CNBC, MSNBC, and local TV channels in Connecticut and Massachusetts. You can find him on Twitter @bshactman.
