It’s been said, “It takes 30 years to build a reputation and 30 seconds to destroy it.”
I used to remember that phrase every time I walked into the studio to go on air at legendary 1040 WHO Des Moines—a station where Ronald Reagan worked.
In a recent interview (BMM 1/16), Kenn and Ness, the morning team at KUZZ in Bakersfield, talked about being mindful every day of the legacy of Country music legend Buck Owens, who started the station and created the Bakersfield Sound in Country music.
It doesn’t matter if you’re on the red team or the blue team; I think you will agree that the United States is probably more divided than at any time since the Civil War.
For Music Radio, this division and political climate can potentially be your station’s kryptonite.
Someone recently asked me, “How should my morning shows handle the political climate on air?”
Many programming philosophies can be debated and opinions weighed. THIS IS NOT ONE OF THEM. You cannot thread the needle and play it down the middle if you are a music radio station.
It won’t work. Stay away from it. Period.
I’ve seen it happen too many times. One remark sends you into days and days of damage control, takes all the good things your station has done, and flushes them down the toilet.
At least half your audience will go from loving you to hating you. And the social media fallout will be spectacular.
It’s a good time to remind your on-air team that politics is off-limits. No good will come from your morning team taking sides.
Your station’s reputation is too important. Let the talkers do what they do. Don’t violate the audience’s expectations. You don’t want to spend another 30 years rebuilding it.
Community Connections:
103.1 The Wolf WWWF in Nassau-Suffolk, NY, is set to host an exclusive private concert featuring emerging artists Josh Ross and Bryce Leatherwood. The “Live from the Wolf Den” event will take place tonight (1/31).
Listeners can win complimentary tickets with a suggested donation of $10.31 to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Mitchell Tenpenny, Megan Patrick, Randall King, and Chayce Beckham will play Country 94.7 QDR, Raleigh, NC, Hometown Heroes Guitar Pull. The show set for March 30 benefits Paddling For Pennies, an active duty and veterans organization.
Industry Happenings:
NuVoodoo Media will present Country music research titled “The Country Fan – Reviewing, Retaining, and Recruiting Your Listeners” at this year’s Country Radio Seminar (CRS).
The Museum of Broadcast Communications will accept nominees for the 2025 class of the Radio Hall of Fame. The nomination period runs from February 1 through March 31. This year’s induction ceremony is on October 30 in Chicago. Nominations can be made here.
The Grand Ole Opry will celebrate its 100th anniversary with “Opry 100: A Live Celebration.” The special hosted by Blake Shelton will air on March 19 from 8-11 (ET) on NBC and Peacock.
Add ons:
7 Mountains Media’s Chuck Seese has been named Pennsylvania 2025 Radio Broadcaster of the Year. The award presented by the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters comes as Seese celebrates 40 years in broadcasting.
Midwest Communications Classic Country Y’all 106.3, Nashville, is launching “Talking with Taylor,” a new weekend feature hosted by Taylor Stanford. The show will allow listeners to hear from Music Row insiders and artists. Standford will be joined each week by a celebrity co-host.
“Talking with Taylor” will air on Sundays at noon (CT).
Bit Of The Week:
Hit me with your best. The Pulse wants to include your show with the “Bit Of The Week.” If you want to be featured, please send me an mp3 of your best, most recent bit to jeff@barrettmedia.com.
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.
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.
Jeff Lynn serves as Editor of Barrett Media’s Music Radio coverage. Prior to joining Barrett Media, Jeff spent time programming in Milwaukee, Omaha, Cleveland, Des Moines, and Madison for multiple radio groups, including iHeartMedia, Townsquare Media, NRG Media, and Entercom (now Audacy). He also worked as a Country Format Editor for All Access until the outlet shut down in August 2023.
To get in touch with Jeff by email, reach him at Jeff@BarrettMedia.com.
