In the Classic Rock/Hits formats, stations must constantly walk a line between living in the past and being a contemporary media outlet. All the music is older, and so are many, but not all, of the listeners. As we continue trying to survive in a 25–54-obsessed media buying environment, attracting new, younger listeners while not losing the station’s core is a constant struggle. NBC, with its recent acquisition of broadcast rights for the NBA and MLB Sunday Night broadcasts, now finds itself in a similar situation.
A recent article in Front Office Sports website points out that, as the home of the NBA from 1990 to 2002, NBC was the network of record during what may have been the league’s most popular era. It was when Michael Jordan was in his prime and the Chicago Bulls won all six of their championships.
NBC’s connection with baseball goes back even further. The network has been home to thirty-nine World Series broadcasts, including being the first to televise the Fall Classic in 1949. It was also where the Game of the Week and Monday Night Baseball lived for more than forty years, starting in 1957.
So, let’s look at some of the tactics NBC is employing to tap into the nostalgia of the network’s history while not ignoring the need to attract younger fans:
Personalities
On the basketball side, NBC invested in, and heavily promoted, having Michael Jordan as a “special contributor.”
While plenty has been written about how impactful, or not, these segments have been, the hype of tying basketball coverage back to one of the greatest to ever play, who was synonymous with the years NBC covered the league, appears to be paying dividends with big ratings.
On the baseball side, the network is bringing back Bob Costas, one of the most respected sports broadcasters of a generation, who spent forty years involved with NBC’s baseball broadcasts.
At 73 years old, Costas said this will likely be how he wraps his storied career. “I don’t need a brass band and a parade, but if we can do some good work, have some fun, and it feels like the right concluding chapter, I think everybody will be gratified by that.”
Production Value
The network is tapping into even more nostalgia through graphics and other parts of its production. For basketball, they brought back the instantly familiar “Roundball Rock” theme that kicked off games in the nineties.
While we have yet to see a baseball broadcast, NBC executive producer Sam Flood says, “There will be an acknowledgement of nostalgia,” in their plans.
Innovation
The network is not only relying on nostalgia to bring in audiences. For the NBA, analysts are delivering “on-the-bench coverage” from positions located near the teams on the floor.
They are also working with augmented reality in the studio to create more in-depth breakdowns of the action, and games on Peacock include a “Performance View” with real-time statistics.
Again, while we have to wait to see what they have in mind for baseball, Flood has promised similar updates to the traditional broadcast.
Now, let’s consider how that applies to our radio world.
Talent
Tapping into heritage talent in your market can make a giant difference in how your station is perceived. Much like NBC did with Michael Jordan, that doesn’t have to mean a full-time position. There may be other creative ways to leverage a name synonymous with the music on your station without a major commitment.
Production
Sparing use of jingles, IDs, produced elements, and sounds from the early days of your station, or even another local station that was in your format, can easily tie your station to the market’s history without completely disrupting your contemporary presentation.
Innovation
While looking back for inspiration, continuing to find new and unique ways to present the music, to be part of your market, and to tie the station to current events and trends will help ensure that you remain intriguing to new, younger listeners.
There isn’t a simple blueprint for how to leverage nostalgia. No one handed the team at NBC a roadmap.
Instead, I’m challenging you to think outside your usual boundaries to find ways to create unique connections that only your station can deliver.
It’s not easy, but the results, much like the ratings NBC’s basketball games have been pulling, could be worth it.
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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.
