Trying to be all things to all people never works out. There is a difference between being “family friendly” and family friendly. Especially for rock and alternative radio stations.
If you know how Nielsen ratings work, you know everyone in the home has to play along. Parents, kids, and even Uncle Barry in the basement. If you’re living under the roof, crank it up and rip off the knob.
This is one reason why brands pay close attention to school drop-off and pick-up. It’s also why you might hear stations promoting giveaways for all you can eat popcorn and a family 4-pack of tickets to the Circus.
In theory, everyone wins. Adults get their music, kids get clowns and popcorn, and the station racks up quarter-hours.
It’s not dumb logic. When many from the same household listen to the same station, those listening hours pile up. They can, at least temporarily, change rankers and make or break in-format battles.
We’ve all seen brands play it safe:
- A movie edits a shower scene to avoid an R rating.
- Radio rolls out the “Is Your Kid Smarter Than the DJ” game at 7:45am.
- NFL rules that now bring a flag just for breathing on the QB.
Some call those credibility killers, but they’re not. It’s sensible programming. But there’s a fine line between being too safe too often — and being reckless.
Blasting “Closer” or calling for the “Threesome of the Day” topic at school drop-off isn’t smart. But neither is masking-up to the point of making sure little ears don’t ever hear something spicy.
The RockTernative audience WANTS spicy.
Rock and Alternative weren’t built on safe.
Led Zeppelin, Sex Pistols, GNR, and Nirvana didn’t write songs for the carpool lane. Counterculture, volume, rebellion, angst — that’s the foundation. It’s what made the music famous and it’s what the audience expects.
Threading the needle between spice and smart is what separates good programming from great programming. It’s where the game is really played.
Think of it like a weekend at the movies.
- At the Pop theater, imagine a Steven Spielberg Rom-Com starring Jennifer Aniston.
- Over at RockTernative, it’s Quinton Tarantino’s freak-fest with Sydney Sweeney.
Now apply it to Radio Speak.
- “Up next, I have your chance to win a 4-pack of tickets for you and the whole family.” That’s fine — but it’s Spielberg, it’s the Pop station.
- RockTernative can deliver the same message with an edge. “Happy Hour beers, the Sunday Ticket AND Circus tickets — all in the SAME month? Brutal. I’ll spot you 4 Circus tickets at 4pm.”
Not perfect, but it’s same message with a different filter. Both are family friendly.
The same applies for marketing copy, liners, promos, website, social, sales decks. Yes, sales decks should echo the brand’s on-air swagger, too. If your sales department is sending out watered down, vanilla decks that 103.5 The Breeze would use, step in and help them out so the client knows what they’re getting.
A little PG-13, especially in the right spots, is gold. Just play the odds. It’s like dayparting a song for mood, volume, length, lyrical content.
Football does it every week:
- Fourth and 1 isn’t the time for a deep pass. Play it safe, keep the chains moving. That’s the morning school run.
- Second and 2 is when to drop the double reverse. That’s cranking the loud stuff and talking to listeners about things the little ones can’t (or shouldn’t) understand.
With Nielsen throwing the flags and keeping score, the whole household matters. But RockTernative doesn’t have to be family friendly to win families.
Find the balance. It’s not vanilla. It’s not reckless. Dude, it’s just RockTernative.
Keith Cunningham is a music industry and Rock/Alternative columnist for Barrett Media and the founder of Black Box Group, a modern-modeled creative & strategic consultancy built for brands that need strategies with teeth. He’s the former Master of Mayhem at 95.5 KLOS-FM in Los Angeles for over a decade, a nationwide consultant, and has been repeatedly voted one of America’s top Program Directors and strategic thinkers. Keith has built his career by taking multi-million-dollar brands from worst to first and leading Marconi & Gracie award winners along the way. A data nerd with a rock-and-roll heart, he is an advisory council member for St. Jude fundraising, a fantasy football champion, and lover of his daughters & dogs. Reach him at keithblackboxgroup@gmail.com or on LinkedIn or X.
