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The political landscape, and its relationship with the media, is changing in front of our eyes. Are you noticing?
Kamala Harris has been noticeably absent from TV, radio and print interviews. Donald Trump has also not been as active with traditional media outlets down the home stretch of this 2024 Presidential Election cycle.
What you’re seeing are two candidates picking and choosing certain media outlets and targeting some non-traditional media outlets and shows that get them in front of non-traditional political audiences.
Two recent ones that stand out are Kamala Harris’ interview with former NBA players Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes, whose show, “ALL THE SMOKE” has north of one million subscribers on YouTube. On the other side, Donald Trump sat for an interview with Theo Von, who has over three million subscribers on his YouTube channel.
Granted, when you go through a YouTube channel, you’ll notice that most videos don’t have the number of views as the channel has subscribers. But it’s clear that both shows have enormous audiences, and both candidates are trying to reach the non-traditional voter.
Going on FOX News, CNN, MSNBC, etc. is repetitive for these candidates. It’s likely that the vast majority of these viewers are going to vote and have their minds made up. But exploring these other outlets makes all the sense in the world for the candidates to see if they can find, and convince, more casual news and political observers to vote for them.
So, what can News Talk Radio, and radio in general, take from this approach? It’s two-fold.
1) What are we doing to become a multi-platformed media outlet that can add value for our potential guests, and our own show content, beyond just the “live” radio? The best guests we all want to land want something more than just a 10 minute “live radio” spot. They’re getting more requests than ever. How can we make our show worth their time? Podcasts, social media clips, exploring video, both long-form and short-form, are all avenues that we talk about extensively, but that need to be taken more seriously by the day.
2) Why aren’t we, as talent, also looking to branch out to other forms of media to expose ourselves to non-traditional platforms? Granted, it’s not as simple as, “Hey can I come on your show?” But it’s cultivating relationships with potentially popular digital shows and platforms in your market/region, or in your niche, that could be quality cross-promotion for both programs.
We’re in an era where as much as our competition is every content-creating platform in the world, there is also plenty to benefit from in collaborations and cross-promotions. It goes beyond doing local TV hits, which is great, but is also largely dominated by out-of-demo viewership.
Searching and finding popular accounts on various social media platforms that are unique to your city and or format/niche, and offering up cross promotional opportunities, when appropriate, has the chance to benefit all parties involved.
As radio continues to fight for ears in our content-rich environment, especially when outside the car, bringing awareness to your show and station via others’ popular platforms is a great way to find free marketing and exposure, while also offering something in return. There’s still something special about being “on the radio” to individuals who have never done it. Don’t discount that and sell yourself short.
So, with that, pick up the phone, start searching, reaching out and see what great collaboration you can find in your future.
Pete Mundo is a weekly columnist for Barrett Media, and the morning show host and program director for KCMO in Kansas City. Previously, he was a fill-in host nationally on FOX News Radio and CBS Sports Radio, while anchoring for WFAN, WCBS News Radio 880, and Bloomberg Radio. Pete was also the sports and news director for Omni Media Group at K-1O1/Z-92 in Woodward, Oklahoma. He’s also the owner of the Big 12-focused digital media outlet Heartland College Sports. To interact, find him on Twitter @PeteMundo.
