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This is the final stretch of the election season and time for News Talk Radio to shine. This unique time is where News Talk Radio can grow cume. Especially on AM, growing new listeners has been quite a challenge. There are a lot of people looking for confirmation of their vote or information on who to vote for. You have this new group of people; it is the time to be focused on keeping them.
I have a few rules on this. News Talk Radio should be the voice of the people, not the politicians. When people listen to us, we are given the honor of providing the audience with amazing information and opinions. We represent the people. How to define, “The People?” It is your station’s target demographic. They have concerns, worries and hopes. These people are concerned about the truth.
We live in an incredibly isolated society. The average household size in your community is probably about 2.4 people. Think about that number. My current community’s average age of a resident is 37 years of age. Your community may be a little different. Have you analyzed the census data? I bury myself in the data.
So, how many people are living alone? The answer is a huge number. If the average family is 5, that is over double the size of the average household. So, News Talk Radio needs to understand the actual landscape of our communities. So, how many 45-year-olds are living alone? The number is bigger than you may have realized until now. These isolated individuals are professionals, homeowners, and interested in our world.
Are you speaking for them? Are you the voice of the people? Rush Limbaugh’s great gift was speaking for people that felt like they were not being acknowledged in media. I don’t think that it was only because he was conservative. Rush spoke for the people. This is our mandate.
Every community is different. Your metro area may not be like mine, except I bet the basic demographics are the same. I am often asked to give aircheck sessions. The hosts are sometimes from small markets, others are the biggest names in the industry. I always give the same advice. Speak for the people.
This election season, it is incumbent for you to meet this need. What are their concerns? Are you meeting this basic need. I had a long-time host tell me that it was because he is giving the conservative viewpoint. The ditches along rural highways are strewn with the carcasses of failed hosts who claimed to be conservatives. It’s about speaking for the people. (I am personally Conservative; I know that my past on-air success was not only because of my point of view… It was because I spoke for the people.)
Your show’s success or station’s success during this election season will be built around reflecting your audience’s concerns. Every community has a flashpoint. Your community may be suffering from unemployment or the burden of supporting a large population of illegal immigrants. Your community may have high crime or poor schools. Are you representing the victims of crime? Are you holding schools and parents accountable for crappy education? (The kids are smart. They are let down by bad schools and communities who excuse it.)
Speak for them. It is our job. If you are reflecting on the concerns of the people, you will win. The biggest lie that you can ever tell is the one you tell yourself. I promise you that focusing on your communities’ attitudes and concerns is always a winner. Your job is not to be a mouthpiece of a political party, movement, or candidate. I was a morning show host in a community that almost universally supported Donald Trump. They loved him. Trump received 70% of the vote in 2016 & 2020. I reflected the community’s temperature. It was a win and a reflection of my community. It really didn’t matter what my thoughts were. It was about a Listener-Focused experience.
Talk Show Hosts or radio stations are not political organs. They are responsible for entertaining, informing, and reflecting their audience. Don’t get caught up in the balls and strikes of the campaign. This is a great temptation. I have certainly succumbed to this menace of broadcasting greatness.
You always need to focus on the audience. There are too many hosts who look to Fox News as a show prep tool. I love Fox News, but it can become a distraction for unique observations and opinions. Speaking of Rush Limbaugh, I often banned my station’s hosts from listening to Rush. I ran affiliates and loved that show. The reason that I banned the hosts from listening is because they would parrot Rush’s opinions. Your well thought out conclusions are best. Avoid reading opinion pieces. Check the data. Build your own thoughts. It is essential.
You can build a larger audience with this rush of cume. The casual voter, which is the majority of Americans, will begin to decide how to vote in the next couple of weeks. Previous election data shows that a significant percentage of voters make up their minds in the last moments of the election. People want information. Be that. These new listeners could propel your show or station to the stratosphere.
Peter Thiele is a weekly news/talk radio columnist for Barrett Media, and an experienced news/talk radio programmer. He currently serves as News/Talk Format Captain for Zimmer Communications. Prior to joining Zimmer, Peter held programming positions in New York City, San Francisco, Des Moines, Little Rock, Greenville, Hunstville, and Joplin. Peter has also worked as a host, account executive and producer in Minneapolis, and San Antonio. He can be found on Twitter at @PeterThiele.
