I did some traveling at the end of last week. It gave me an opportunity to tune in to a few radio stations I hadn’t heard in a while. I’ll admit, I was excited to listen. Maybe it’s just me, but I think you get a better sense of a station’s local flavor when you hear it on the air rather than streaming online. The promos, liners, and even the commercials give you an idea of what’s really happening in the city and on the station.
One local connection that stands out—that even TV stations with broadcast rights to the franchise can’t quite match—is radio’s bond with the city’s NFL team. Many markets embrace this, not just the one I was in. Urban stations in most major cities create weekly homages in the form of a song or rap, celebrating the hometown team. I’ve always been impressed by the song track selections and the creativity behind the lyrics that complete the package.
I’ve long believed that aligning your station with your city and what it’s best known for strengthens its global appeal. Another mantra has always been to “think globally and act locally.” Ride the coattails of your city by tapping into its identity. Hearing stations fully embrace their NFL teams during the first week of football underscored how powerful that approach can be to the start of the fall.
Another win for me comes when I find myself reaching for my phone to open the Shazam app. That’s always a sign of a positive feature for the station. During this listen, I came across some classic tracks I hadn’t heard in a while. I also heard a few brand-new songs that grabbed my attention. While I wouldn’t call myself a die-hard fan of today’s hip-hop and R&B, I do now and again hear songs I think are exceptional. When that happens, I immediately add them to my personal library. To my surprise, this happened far more often than I expected.
Where my experience faltered slightly was in the overall presentation. One station that had once featured a live morning show had now switched to a syndicated program. That was disappointing. I had looked to them first, expecting a truly local voice with my preferred music in the morning. Another station, as anticipated, stuck with its syndicated morning show. The experience was consistent with what I expected—syndicated content that was at least hyper-localized.
The third station I checked out was the most interesting. It delivered exactly what I was looking for: a strong local presence. In fact, it was better than expected. The local flavor was unmistakable, and the on-air team was cohesive,, and clearly in sync. That kind of chemistry matters.
While I need to do more listening, I came away encouraged about where urban radio could go. There are still viable examples of local programming that resonate with the audience. When stations do rely on syndication, hyper-localization helps bridge the gap. Add to that some fresh music and emerging artists who seem to be nudging the format forward, and I can see the potential beginnings of an evolution.
Radio has always thrived on its ability to connect people to their communities while also exposing them to something new. As long as programmers and personalities keep that balance in mind—local connection paired with global perspective—I believe urban radio has room to grow and even reassert its influence.
I’d love to hear your thoughts. Email me or connect with me on LinkedIn.
Ken Johnson is an Urban/Hip-Hop columnist for Barrett Media. Born and raised in Washington DC, his career experiences include serving as VP of Urban formats for Cumulus Media, holding the Director of Urban Programming post at ABC Radio Networks, and programming stations in Birmingham, Boston, Philadelphia, and New York City. He has also managed affiliate relations for the Nick Cannon show, and worked as the Executive Producer of The Hughley Truth Podcast hosted by comedian DL Hughley. Ken currently runs Mean Ole Lion Media, a content creation company and podcast network. He can be reached by email at ken@kenjohnsonmedia.com.
