It’s been a minute, but I’m excited to be back and again pontificate (and not just to civilians who couldn’t care less) about the industry I love so much.
For those of you who don’t know or remember me, I spent seven years at the late, great Radio & Records, working my way up from Assistant Radio Editor to a full-fledged format editor, reporter, columnist, and feature writer, as well as contributing heavily to Street Talk Daily. When R&R shut down in mid-2009, I co-founded RAMP (Radio and Music Pros) with Kevin Carter, and, amongst all of that, I also spent some time on-air in Connecticut, Boston, and Southern California.
In mid-2012, I left RAMP and said farewell to the industry when my family moved to Denver, and I finally fulfilled my parents’ dreams of me getting “a real job” and this weird thing called a “mortgage.” (Now that I was out of radio, I could actually buy a house!)
But, as you all likely know and personally experience, radio is kind of like a bad case of herpes: Once you’re infected, it’s basically impossible to rid yourself of it, even when it burns horribly.
I kept up with a lot of radio and record label friends over the years through email, text, phone calls, and Facebook. Read The Sands Report. Commented on many of Sean Ross’ Facebook posts and columns. I complained about things in the Radio Peeps Facebook group. Facebook named me a “top contributor” to JJ Kincaid’s “Oh Damn… That Song!” group. Mourned the loss of stations, jobs, and people and celebrated new jobs and station launches (or triumphant returns). I couldn’t not be involved.
In addition, I also broadened my horizons. Thanks to the wonders of the Internet, I had an entire planet’s worth of radio at my fingertips, and I started listening to a lot of stations from other countries. After decades of a U.S.-centric mindset, having other options was refreshing to hear how other cultures crafted their art.
So, what did I learn over the past few years as a less-active observer and my newly enlarged radio-scape? Two key things:
1. Live is important. Local?… not always so much.
My favorite radio station is from London, and the U.K. uses the DAB system (kind of like their flavor of HD Radio) that broadcasts nationally. Much like satellite radio, it’s accessible throughout the country, so in different cities, the available mix includes some local stations alongside national feeds.
When done well, the national stations leverage texts and calls from places around the U.K. to get listeners to participate and engage in the topics being discussed. It doesn’t matter that the audience members are 160 miles away in Shropshire and not down the street in London; good content is good content, and stories that entertain and contribute to the feature being discussed are key. And yes, listeners still enjoy calling in or hearing their names on-air.
This extends to all hours of the day and night. Several of the stations I listen to have live jocks on air 24/7, and they even have multiple overnighters instead of a single person handling a marathon shift. The “Early Breakfast” show from 3-6 am scores a good amount of engagement, with listeners getting shoutouts as they start their day before sunrise.
Content has always resonated nationally in the U.S. Conversations happen every day, recapping what the Jimmys (Kimmel and Fallon) said the previous night. We send “Saturday Night Live” sketches to friends days after they’ve aired. Many topics that work locally can usually work nationally, especially since broadening your reach gives you more area from which to draw responses.
Why are we so allergic to regional or national shows and lean so heavily into the “live and local” mantra? When done right – and I caveat that heavily and include being live across all those markets and not voicetracked or packaged to run whenever stations slot them in – shows that go beyond a single city can work well if the content is good and involves the audience.
Which leads me to my second point….
2. Content still reigns.
It’s been so long that I can’t remember where or how the principle came about, but somehow the introduction of PPM and initial rounds of analysis led to a massive cutback in jock talk time. It became about getting in and out in seconds.
To some degree, I agree with brevity: When you take a while to circle around to make a point, people will punch out. Be concise. Trim fat. But when you’re delivering engaging content and having a good conversation, it shouldn’t be limited to seven seconds just because. When we started programming to the meter, we began cutting away at the muscle that makes radio strong – the personality, the connection with listeners, and the stuff that makes them choose this medium over others.
Going back to my previous examples of Kimmel, Fallon, and SNL, viewers will sit through a several-minute-long monologue because it’s entertaining. John Oliver delivers what basically amounts to a 40-minute-long talking-head monologue every Sunday, and his audience will stick with him for the duration. Yes, his delivery is tight and punchy, but length is not a factor if the content is engaging.
My favorite radio jock does what amounts to a morning show in the afternoon, with breaks and features that run for several minutes at a time. I’ll sit through all of it and even catch the podcast if I miss a few shows that week because I know it always delivers.
Don’t be afraid of talking. It’s what distinguishes radio from Spotify, Apple Music, etc. But be good at your craft.
More to come. In the meantime, I’ve missed you and look forward to our new adventure together.
A former air personality and industry journalist, Keith Berman worked at the late Radio & Records for several years, where he held a number of positions before being promoted to format editor. While at R&R, he also served as a writer and reporter, covering breaking news; authoring weekly columns, format roundups and features; and contributing heavily to Street Talk Daily. When R&R folded, he co-founded RAMP (Radio and Music Pros) and spent 3 years covering radio and record labels before taking a hiatus from the industry. His experiences also include time on-air at stations in Connecticut, Boston and Southern California. He can be reached at KeithBerman@gmail.com.
