If you found out today that your radio station was going away in a month, how would you plan your brand’s on-air and social media exit?
It was the question of a career for the Programming teams of the seven Salem Media music stations sold to the Educational Media Foundation (EMF) at the end of 2024.
Those Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) radio stations, including KLTY/Dallas, the “Fish” brands in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Portland, Cleveland, Sacramento, KBIQ/Colorado Springs, and their staffs, went away at Midnight Saturday (2/1/25) and were replaced by EMF’s K-Love or Air1 network feeds.
The Salem stations were fortunate to have a farewell tour. The traditional radio station change happens when management brings the staff into the conference room or the Zoom space and announces the format change happening at the end of the meeting.
Salem had a month of goodbyes. I’m sure it was the fastest month of their careers. Social media allowed air talent and program directors to share stories about the change and highlight the emotional impact of station promotions and events.
They planned in-person farewell events to thank their listeners and say goodbye. The final week of on-air execution included recorded announcements from some CCM artists, local leaders, and many listeners in the final days.
What can we learn from radio brand farewells that would make us sound better when it’s business as usual? Going-away tours are rare and unique in execution. You can’t fake a station leaving the air just to get emotional content. However, if Salem hadn’t announced on December 30, 2024, that they were selling those seven stations, what would January have sounded like?
As I listened, I found four areas to analyze and review for the stations not being sold:
Transparency:
- “We’re going away in three weeks” or “Today is our last day on the air as The Fish” creates instant emotion. The audience gets it because their listening experience has been impacted, or they can empathize with people losing their jobs. Everyone I heard on these stations brought emotion to the radio. Audio is powerful when you can feel it.
- Kevin and Taylor (WFSH) made me laugh Friday morning when Kevin was reminding us the station would end at Midnight, “And come Monday morning, it will be Bucky and Scooter in the Morning, or something like that…” They laughed, and I appreciated the moment. As nice and grateful as these broadcasters have been about the situation, I gave Kevin a virtual fist bump. Who wouldn’t want to make a snarky, although subtle, comment about what was getting ready to happen? It made him real.
- How does your talent project feelings about life, seasons, laughter, sports, music, and tragedy to connect with an audience through words?
Listener Connection:
- The farewell listener parties were reminders of the strength of meeting our audiences in person. WFSH reported their farewell event lasted two hours longer than the scheduled time so they could meet with every listener.
- CCM formats connect with a faith-based audience. The passion for the station’s mission differs from the typical mainstream format. Net Promoter Scores are among the highest of all formats. However, all radio stations or clusters should plan quarterly listener appreciation parties. Start small. The boutique approach is cool these days. In-person has a stronger connection than the social media influencer you will never meet.
Reset the narrative:
- “If you’re just tuning in…” was a phrase I heard often Friday. Several Salem hosts kept resetting the story for listeners who were unaware of what was happening even after weeks of exposing the story. It’s the reality of how people listen to the radio and absorb the message.
- Are we resetting the image, the sound, the goal, and the mission of our brands with the person who spends 2.5 days a week sampling these powerful radio stations?
Ear and Eye Candy:
- Ear Candy is a term we use around Production and Imaging Directors. “I need more Ear Candy!” The Salem goodbye week produced some memorable moments. WFSH aired a custom version of Mercy Me’s “I Can Only Imagine,” complete with audio from listeners, hosts, and promotions.
- KLTY interviewed a former owner who changed the format to CCM in the 1980s. That was a cool moment hearing how it happened.
- Why wait for emotional moments like tragedy or fundraisers to show off our audio skills? Can we find ways to use passion and compassion more often to make a difference coming out of the speakers and devices?
- Eye Candy: The farewell started early in January for several hosts I follow. The posts were memory-based moments with listeners, artists, and events. We’re good in the social media age at posting these moments as they happen. Is there an opportunity to strategically schedule these moments months and years after we create the content to build memorable connective tissue with the listeners? I mean, a hit is a hit on our playlists. The same is true with our social and video content.
Finally, the farewell month was a moment the teams at those seven Salem stations will remember fondly for a long time, even as their lives are upended in this season of change. They got a chance to end the story. It was a good moment for radio because it made those listeners feel like they had been recognized and heard.
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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.
