Last Monday, I explored the idea of a generational divide in media consumption. Where Generation X and Baby Boomers are on one side, and Millennials are on the other side, with Generations A and Z.
According to Evan Shapiro, the Cartographer of the Media Universe, people on both sides of the divide like a lot of the same content, such as Classic Rock. They just consume it differently. Moving into the future with this body of music doesn’t require stoking passion. What it requires is the right platform.
One of Shapiro’s suggestions for utilizing the Classic Rock credibility we’ve so carefully built over the years at our stations to reach younger audiences was to look at brand extensions. Like newsletters and podcasts. He pointed out that while radio attracts older demos, streaming platforms attract younger generations. Podcasting crosses all boundaries, making it an excellent area to explore.
I realize that podcasting isn’t new. Many stations have tried with varying degrees of success to implement a podcasting strategy. Quite often, the result ends up being a daily reposting of the morning show. So, fans who can’t listen in the morning can time shift the content. While that can be an important part of a station’s ratings strategy, I don’t believe it’s what Shapiro was suggesting.
He means creating new material designed to attract an audience that both stretches beyond your station’s existing cume and taps into the passion for Classic Rock that crosses generations.
This week, I’d like to shine the spotlight on one such effort to prove it can be done. Enter Janda Lane and her podcast, “Behind the Song.” Billed on the station’s site as “the history behind Rock’s greatest song lyrics.” Lane has been producing episodes for almost seven years. She says her goal is to “deliver a clear, straightforward history of the songs that make Classic Rock so interesting.”
Each of her 160 episodes breaks down one Classic Rock song. Telling the stories behind how the song came together. Songs are selected based on relevance to the genre. Whether there is a historical moment a song is related to, and in some cases, if something in current pop culture is fueling interest in a song.
She spends approximately a week researching and producing each episode. She says the most complicated episode featured ELO’s “Mr. Blue Sky,” which “makes sense when you think about Jeff Lynne’s approach to music.” She adds, “There were way more tidbits of interesting information about that particular song than what is typical.”
Another thing that stands out about “Behind the Song” is the musical soundscape in each episode. This can be an issue when it comes to creating content about copyrighted music. The problem was solved by her talented husband, Christian, who creates soundalike music specifically for the podcast. Which “imparts the general vibe of the original recorded work.” Add in that Lane can use a few seconds of the original song under fair use because the podcast is editorial in nature, and a true homage is created each week.
It’s also important to mention that Lane has gotten great support from Hubbard Broadcasting. “They have a history of supporting good podcast content and provided the framework for me to get going.” She says the recent launch of Hubbard’s Gamut Podcast Network has helped monetize her efforts as well.
It’s this sort of approach to repackaging the world of Classic Rock that provides the best opportunity to tap into the passion for the music we see in younger generations without expecting them to listen to the radio. But it’s not easy. It requires a huge commitment. Lane, who clearly has managed it, has two pieces of advice for anyone with an idea they want to pursue.
First, be authentic. Genuine interest in what you are talking about will “keep you going and help make your content really resonate with your audience.” Second, be consistent. In her case, Behind the Song publishes every Wednesday, “so people know they can rely on it being there when they want to escape from the world for a few minutes and go down a musical rabbit hole with me.”
And in keeping with the idea of going down rabbit holes. Next week I plan to explore another way to potentially help expand Classic Rock’s influence to the younger generations community.
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Mike Stern is a Classic Rock columnist and Features writer for Barrett Media. He has been with Jacobs Media consulting stations in the Classic Rock, Rock, Alternative and AAA world for more than a decade. Prior to that he programmed stations in Chicago, Detroit, Denver Las Vegas and other markets. He also worked as News/Talk Editor for Radio and Records, wrote about Top 40 Radio for Billboard Magazine and had his own radio talent coaching business called Talent Mechanic.
