One of the things we used to do in programming talk radio was to try and focus on what’s top-of-mind to listeners. The answer for most of them isn’t politics. Talk radio, of course, has concentrated almost exclusively on politics for decades, and if you’re not part of the dwindling hardcore P1 talk radio audience, you’re not going to find your spoken word audio needs (“spoken word audio needs”?) satisfied by most talk radio.
Add that to the AM issue and the it’s-all-conservative issue and you know why podcasts are the primary option for anyone under the age of, let’s be charitable here, 55.
As a result, talk radio is a 55+ medium and has been for years. Most stations try to superserve that audience with conservative talk and nothing but conservative talk 24/7. That makes sense for reaching people who are really into politics, but what about the rest of the audience? Sure, it’s an election year and people do care about what’s going on, but not everyone is like the tiny percentage on social media sounding off on everything, or the crazies who dress up and go to candidate rallies, or the protestors outside.
Most people just want to live their lives with as little trouble and stress as possible, and what they talk about with their friends and family is unlikely to be political (especially if they don’t agree amongst themselves, when real life becomes “All in the Family”). It’s…
To borrow a phrase from the crazies, do your own research. Go out and listen. See what people talk about when they’re not terminally online. Find a place where your target audience gathers and just eavesdrop. Here’s what I do: since I live in southern Palm Beach County, there is no shortage of delis packed with seniors having lunch or dinner (at least an hour early). It’s hard NOT to hear what the people at other tables and booths are saying. You know what the number one topic is? No, not their adult children who never call anymore.
It’s health. Not Trump. Not war. Not the border. Health. As in whatever maladies they have, doctors good and bad, insurance and Medicare… anything and everything related to health.
Now, if your garden variety AM talk station has as its potential audience the 65+ demographic, should there be more programming about what that audience is already talking about over a nice brisket on rye? If your listeners are talking about their maladies, their doctors, issues with their Medicare Advantage plans, problems obtaining appointments that aren’t six months out… maybe you should, too.
You might not get a lot of national and agency business from it, but, hell, you’re already scraping with political talk, and maybe this would loosen up some spending from medical groups and insurers along with the gold sellers and miracle cures.
Other demos have their topics, too – celebrity stuff, issues with their kids’ schools, issues with their kids. If you have a spare FM and want to do a talk format with little competition, just focusing on the topics traditional talk radio won’t touch but that are top-of-mind to your potential listeners makes sense. (Expensive, but if you’re trying to save not just your investment but the entire medium, you gotta spend on the product. Cutting your way to profitability never ends well.)
So, talk to your audience. Listen to your audience. Don’t assume that they’re only interested in the election; they’re interested in a lot of things that get overlooked by radio. (See: Plethora of podcasts.) That’s where you’ll find whatever opportunity radio still might have.
Oh, yeah, what are the deli guys talking about when they’re not talking about their bursitis? Pickleball and Trump. Maybe that’s a format, too.
Perry Michael Simon is a weekly news media columnist for Barrett Media. He previously served as VP and Editor/News-Talk-Sports/Podcast for AllAccess.com. Prior to joining the industry trade publication, Perry spent years in radio working as a Program Director and Operations Manager for KLSX and KLYY in Los Angeles and New Jersey 101.5 in Trenton. He can be found on X (formerly Twitter) @PMSimon.
