Southern California wildfires. We’re familiar with the annual routine of the burns, but the recent Los Angeles area fires have branded the names of Palisades and Eaton in our memories for a long time.
Radio and broadcasters shine in these moments of natural disaster and public panic. We know the power of News/Talk and News brands during these times. But what is the responsibility of music stations when the community is hurting?
When the fires were exploding last week and dominating news and social media, I grabbed my smartphone and started listening to KNX on the Audacy app and KFI on the iHeart app. The information was all fires, all the time, as it should’ve been.
After an hour of bouncing back and forth between those News and Information icons, I asked, “What are the music stations doing?” So, I bounced around the apps for a while.
Note: I wasn’t analyzing each station’s approach. I could’ve recorded these stations and evaluated the entire hour to observe the strategy. But I wanted to listen as a person jumping around the dial. What impression would I get when I landed on the station? If the station was playing a song, I listened to the song until the next human break.
My first music format stop was World Famous Rock, KROQ-FM, 106.7. I heard the Klein/Ally show in the middle of a break, promoting updates on their sister station, KNX. They played a Blink-182 song, set up the new 8 am hour, and played the bumper for the daily bit “A.D.D. News.” However, the content was all fire updates and comments about the fires from the hosts.
Because I was on the Audacy app, I searched for KROQ’s sister station 94.7 The Wave. A Leon Bridges song was playing, and I continued to listen until host Liz Henandez back-announced the song and talked about the fires. She did a good job describing the scene and the realities of what was happening. At this point, the fire departments had 0% fire containment.
The iHeart app was my next stop, and 102.7 KIIS-FM was my first thought. Ryan Seacrest back-announced a Chapell Roan song, teased an upcoming content bit, and played “APT.” by Rose & Bruno Mars. Seacrest back announced the song and talked about it being played throughout Times Square when he was there for the NYE Countdown. The conversation moved to a discussion about a new phone scam, followed by a tease to win Justin Timberlake tickets that morning. He said it was “Wednesday,” but I didn’t hear an acknowledgment about the fires during those two songs.
Approaching the bottom of the 8 am hour, I clicked on Salem’s 95.9 The Fish. I caught the final minute of a song followed by a traffic report that didn’t mention the fires. Scott & Sam played Cody Carnes’s “Take You At His Word,” followed by a break about garbage seen in parking lots and the general increase in human hopelessness. There was no mention of the fires before playing MercyMe.
The next stop was Radio Free 102.3 KJLH, with The Steve Harvey Morning Show. I connected during a stop set when the local host, Adai Lamar, was talking about the fires and the latest updates. It was followed by a stop set, then back to Junior and Sports Talk. The show teased the next bit, followed by a song.
I went back to two iHeart stalwarts, starting with 104.3 MyFM at 8:55 am. Valentine In The Morning was in the middle of an entertainment news break with Jill. They were laughing when Valentine mentioned the need for laughs today. He acknowledged MyFM would have fire updates throughout the day.
At 9:00 am, Ellen K, morning host of 103.5 KOST, came out of a Cyndi Lauper song and quickly started sharing fire information with a well-executed update on the situation, complete with sound bites and a live legal ID.
The app listening tour continued with The Heidi and Frank Show on 95.5 KLOS. They talked about the fires for a while. Frank revealed the fires looked like they were moving close to where he lives. This became a frequent mention for several days across the dial when other broadcasters opened up about the possibility of the disaster affecting them.
At the end of the Heidi and Frank segment, Frank teased they had Toto concert tickets to giveaway during the hour. Sarcastic laughter was next because they knew a concert ticket contest was low on the list of listener priorities that day. But Frank was in the moment and said, “Hey, it’s about balance right now.”
The final stop happened in the afternoon on K-EARTH 101.1 KRTH. I tuned in during a stop set. It was followed by a produced fire update, and the reporter ended it by promoting continuous updates on sister station KNX. The station went back to music and played “Major Tom” by Peter Schilling. The next song was Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin,” and midday host Lara Scott promoted a money contest starting Monday. She tied it all together and created an in-the-moment break over that iconic song intro when she said, “We’re all looking forward to brighter days ahead.”
Later in the day, I heard K-EARTH’s Greg Simms come out of The Eagles’ “Take It Easy” and segue into “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” by Tears for Fears. Greg gave fire updates, including new information about the evacuation line being extended to Hollywood Hills, all over the song intro.
Music radio has the unique challenge of balancing the expectations of the format with the information needs of the moment. These brands are primarily used by an audience attracted to specific genres of music. The presentation by the talent and everything else that comes “between the records” is the art of producing a radio brand that goes beyond the music.
When your market is on fire, boarding up for hurricanes, or finding interior walls during tornado warnings, where do you call audibles and change the plays without violating the expectations of the brands? Here are three considerations based on my fragmented listening experience last week:
BE IN THE MOMENT:
Radio isn’t on-demand, but it is in the moment. If we want to be different from generic streaming services, then empower the talent to connect with the audience during these times. Change your imaging if it violates the mood of the community or makes you sound out of touch.
Celebrate the edited jock and the power of the sentence fragment. One of the best moments I heard was Greg Simms giving an updated fire line evacuation break over a song intro. He didn’t violate the flow of the formatics, and he created a visualization moment for his audience. Ignoring the moment creates a disconnect between the brand and the listener.
MATCH THE MOMENT:
Most of my listening was in the morning so there’s a higher percentage of bits and features. The Klein/Ally Show didn’t drop the A.D.D. feature, but they changed the content because the fire updates were a bigger attraction than the whacky content typically delivered in that bit. Valentine continued with the entertainment report, but he didn’t want me to think he wasn’t aware of what was going on in my world, so he said something like, “We could use the laughs today.”
ACKNOWLEDGE THE OBVIOUS:
A station’s talent may be 100% imported from outside the marketplace. No live jocks in the studio. Or, you may have syndicated shows on your station. Find ways to get updated lines from the voice-tracked talent, even if it’s one an hour.
If your cluster doesn’t have a spoken word outlet to supply your station with updates, then network with a local TV affiliate to supply the breaks. It is easier than ever to get access to audio and quickly upload it to your scheduling software.
Music radio has an important role in connecting with the audience and disseminating important information during times of crises and disasters because most of radio’s audience is listening to these music-based brands.
Update your playbook for 2025 so you’ll be ready to serve the community when the moment arrives.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
Ron Harrell is a columnist for Barrett Media. He founded Harrell Media Group, specializing in radio and audio brand consultation, fractional management, and talent coaching. He has worked in every role on the Programming and Branding side during his career, becoming management and executive-focused in the post-Telecom Act era. Ron has held leadership roles for media groups such as ABC/Citadel, CBS Radio, Chancellor Media, Cumulus Media, Hope Media Group, Hubbard Broadcasting, and WAY Media.
Interested parties are invited to learn more about his company Harrell Media Group and reach out by email at Ron@HarrellMediaGroup.com.
