There was a time—two and a half decades ago—when air talent was afraid of the internet. Imagine – yes, it was real.
Streaming meant competition for audience, fear of declining revenue, and the rise of audience personalization of their own playlists. New forms of audio content creation freaked air talent because now anyone could create and broadcast content without needing a terrestrial radio station.
As my boss in Chicago, fearless broadcast leader Weezie Kramer – who would go on to run Entercom Communications – was the first I heard to champion embracing the World Wide Web.
Weezie encouraged us to treat the internet like our ‘25th hour of our radio day’. Embrace the power of the connection and use it as a tool to father our brand content through blogging.
Still – a foreign thought that push-back against digital existed. Much how we’re managing through the A.I. steamroller today.
In music formats, let’s develop off-air content as an extension of our on-air brands. If the unfortunate radio cuts reach you, your loyal audience still has a connection.
Mulling the topic for today’s post, THIS Buzz Knight interview with Matt Cundall (on Matt’s Sound Off Podcast) – where Buzz reflected:
- “I see more scenarios where the easy fix on talent is to let that large salary get away and let the people left to hold down the fort. Broadcast talent has not done that much in the content creation original space because their talent doesn’t have the mental bandwidth and time to do different things.”
Those words and a great dialogue with The Legendary Programmer Buzz Knight can be found – HERE. Buzz’s comments on the topic start around 17:30.
There are plenty of successful examples.
Music brands that extend their content beyond their music-based show include local and nationally syndicated talent.
Mojo In The Morning
WKQI – Detroit
Their More Mojo Podcast breaks the shackles of Mojo and Shannon’s music morning show with uncensored and in-depth experience beyond their morning show. Cast members are candid, sharing deeply personal experiences, their peek behind-the-scenes of the show, and often non-music friendly guests. Find More Mojo on the iHeart Platform.
The Roula & Ryan Show with Eric
KRBE – Houston
Roula, Ryan, and Eric use their podcast platform to extend content off-air through their “Raw Feed” – unedited, unrated, and uncut after-show content. This provides fans an unfiltered experience of the team’s personal and candid stories. Find their podcasts – HERE.
The Wally Show
WAY-FM – Syndicated
Wally and his partners Betty and Producer Gavin offer “Aftercast,” an authentic, Christian-based listen with an unfiltered, behind-the-scenes take on topics for the trio to explore subjects in greater depth, often sharing extended insights resonating with their audience.
At a minimum, cut bits of your show into consumable bites for the audience.
The Courtney Show
WARH – St. Louis
Courtney, along with co-hosts Brando and Tim Convy, knife their daily show into on-demand content. The Courtney Show is available as a podcast on platforms like Apple Podcasts, allowing fans to catch up on episodes at their convenience.
Randy Bauman and the DVE Morning Show
WDVE – Pittsburgh
Fans who missed that day’s show can access the show’s content through the “Randy Baumann and the DVE Morning Show Podcast,” which offers episodes of that day’s best-of segments, interviews, and outtakes. It is also available on the iHeart platform.
Developing online content isolates you from having your brand vaporize in the unfortunate event that your CFO erases you from the spreadsheet.
Extended content brings increased value to you as a brand and insulates you from being saddled with off-air station duties – in smaller markets – like ‘Hey, can you also do traffic?’ – or ‘Can you take the station van to the T-Mobile Store’ and ‘Mind if you take the afternoon to mow around the transmitter?’.
Yes – it happens.
“Sorry – I’m busy developing sponsorable, online digital content”
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Kevin Robinson is a passionate award-winning programmer, consultant and coach – with multi-formats success all over the country. He has advised numerous companies including Audacy (formerly Entercom Communications), Beasley Broadcast Group, Westwood One, Midwest Communications, Townsquare Media, Midwest Family Broadcasting Group, EG Media Group, Federated Media, Kensington Media, mediaBrew Communications, Starved Rock Media, and more. He specializes in strategic radio cluster alignment, building lean-forward tactics and talent coaching – legacy and entry-level – personalities.
Known largely as a trusted talent coach, Kevin is the only personality mentor who’s coached three different morning shows on three different brands in the same major market to the #1 position. His efforts have been recognized by The World Wide Radio Summit, Radio & Records, NAB’s Marconi, and he has coached CMA, ACM and Marconi Award-winning talent. He is also in The Zionsville High School Hall of Fame as part of the 2008 inaugural class. Kevin is an Indiana native – living near Zionsville with his wife of 39 years, Monica and can be reached at kevin@robinsonmedia.fm.
