10 ways to improve your radio station that you can do today!
I’d like to first thank Jason, Stephanie, and the team at Barrett Media for the professional platform to voice the thoughts I’d probably otherwise opine on my socials. I’m pleased to share, engage, and interact here on a wide swath of topics in radio, both on the business at large, programming, personalities, and music radio practices at a more micro level. So, where to start? Where we are! And so from the home office here in Providence, Rhode Island, the top ten things radio needs to fix and get right ASAP!
At #10) Digital supplements the mothership of terrestrial radio content, OR you aren’t a radio company anymore. Any company should sell to an operator that wants the broadcast business model, not a digital-first one.
On to #9) Mostly live, all local. Period. Very few examples where a syndicated product will shine brighter than local touch and feel.
#8) Market and promote your station and be everywhere. Go!
#7) Don’t be afraid to program to 55+, the demo that most uses, rely on, and love radio and holds two-thirds of America’s wealth. Side note: hire AEs who’ll get that.
Simple at #6) Program to 12-34 with music radio stations again and engage them.
Well, at #5) Embrace new music and artists beyond record label agenda times and then see above again and re-read.
Now #4) Content. Nationwide contest liners, generic-sounding phoners, celebrity gossip, and factoids from Reddit. Dramatically add to it with your personality or don’t do it at all. What happened to local flavor, edge, comedy, sharing the excitement of the music experience, and selling the station benefits? Too few and far between. Listeners don’t mind talk; they mind DJs who say a lotta nothing.
Ok #3) Stop AI. Regulate it, use it strategically, and keep it at arm’s length.
At #2) Passion. If executive leadership doesn’t care, if programmers and sales managers are under-resourced, and talent and staffers are demoralized, why should an audience care?
Honorable mentions? Make sure your stream sounds as good, clean, and processed as your over-the-air feed. Get your top talent content podcasted.
And #1) Spot loads, in short, they’re ridiculous on most stations. Not only are they the number one turnoff and turnout (particularly among the under 35 demo), but they offer diminished value to the advertising, who may well get no results as spot 9 of 18 and then assume the campaign didn’t work, adversely impacting radio yet again.
So, no big deal, right? Let’s go! Talk to you next time.
Robby Bridges works for Press Communications where he serves as the VP of Programming for 99.7 and 107.1 The Boss. He also hosts the morning show ‘Robby and Rochelle’ alongside his wife, Rochelle. He’s been with the company/stations since September, 2021.
Prior to arriving in New Jersey, Robby spent decades working across the country in many top markets for many highly successful brands. Among them include Z100, WPLJ and Q102. He has also worked in Detroit, Boston, Providence, Portsmouth, NH, and served as an exclusive guest host for Scott Shannon on the True Oldies Channel.
To get in touch, reach Robby by email at RobbyBridges@hotmail.com.
