Radio’s advantage is supposed to be that it’s live and local. Monday through Friday that case can be made. Weekends though are a different story.
If we hadn’t been launching this website last week, this would’ve been the focus of my column last Monday. I heard a lot of stations last Saturday night not ready to meet the moment locally when an assassination attempt was made on Donald Trump. Many relied on syndicated programming, and some ran shows that had zero to do with the biggest story in the world.
Addressing this topic again didn’t require having to wait long. Joe Biden announced Sunday on X that he was exiting the race for President. TV networks quickly pivoted to cover the story, but no outlet was better for coverage than X. Talent actively shared their opinions to the news. Videos and podcasts delivered real-time reactions. X CEO Linda Yaccarino even pointed out how the X platform was nearly twenty minutes ahead of television with its coverage.
After the news broke, I dropped in on twenty news/talk radio stations to see how they were adjusting in real time to the biggest news in America. Many ran ABC News, CBS News, Fox News Radio, and play-by-play. A two-hour health show, Frontlines of Freedom, and a taped local show aired on others. WMAL, WBT, WBEN, and KFI were all live with local talent discussing the news. Great job by those outlets. ABC, CBS, and Fox News radio also sounded excellent with their on-air coverage.
Two weeks in a row the biggest news in America has unfolded on a Saturday and Sunday. Each time, radio had a bare local presence. Meanwhile, podcasts, video shows/reactions, and social media discussions were readily available, and television moved into content quickly.
Remote technology has made it easier than ever to broadcast. It shouldn’t be hard to connect a host and get on to the air. Gary and Shannon on KFI were broadcasting that way because you could hear a dog barking in the background. Listeners will tolerate a show working out of the studio in an instant if it means being able to hear the people they know, trust, and enjoy during times of importance.
Radio stations train their audiences to think of them first for when big moments happen, but if news breaks on the weekend, we’re not exactly ready to deliver on that promise. Each time these situations pop up, we create more opportunity for podcasts, and social media to own the conversation. If that continues to happen, the eventual question becomes ‘why do I need radio?’
Increasing expenses for weekend programming may be a tough pill to swallow for market managers and executives. But can you afford to have your station sound out of touch when a major story breaks? I’m not suggesting that your weekend schedule should be live all the time. However, you must have a breaking news strategy, and react quickly to breaking news.
This applies by the way to sports and music stations too. Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins passed away on a Friday night. Lakers great Kobe Bryant, former Titans QB Steve McNair, and former ESPN broadcasters Stuart Scott, and Chris Mortensen all died on the weekend. Did your brand meet the moment and feature a local talent discussing those events or were you voice tracking or relying on syndication?
A plan of attack has to be in place in advance to properly execute. Which talent is on call if major news breaks? Who’s the engineer, and producer/board operator responsible for getting the station on the air? Which clock gets used, and how do we make sure spots get in so traffic isn’t doing make goods on Monday? Who’s handling social media to alert the audience that we’re live, and welcoming their feedback?
The program director, market manager, and key members of a team must be on the same page, and accessible. Enjoying the weekend off is what we all prefer, but news has no regard for our feelings or off time. If things unfold, you have to adjust, and quickly. If you live for being on the air or running a radio station, this should excite you. Breaking news means increased audience interest, and whether it shows up in the form of a ratings spike or not, this is what great performers live for.
Communication is key to meeting the moment, especially on the weekends. Judging from the past two, radio managers need to have a bigger conversation about their plan of attack. We’re making it far too easy for podcasts, social media, and television to attract an audience, and radio to become forgotten.
Jason Barrett is the President and Founder of Barrett Media since the company was created in September 2015. Prior to its arrival, JB served as a sports radio programmer, launching brands such as 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He also spent time programming SportsTalk 950 in Philadelphia, 590 The Fan KFNS in St. Louis, and ESPN 1340/1390 in Poughkeepsie, NY. Jason also worked on-air and behind the scenes in local radio at 101.5 WPDH, WTBQ 1110AM, and WPYX 106.5. He also spent two years on the national stage, producing radio shows for ESPN Radio in Bristol, CT. Among them included the Dan Patrick Show, and GameNight.
You can find JB on Twitter @SportsRadioPD. He’s also reachable by email at Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
