It might be hard for Barrett Media readers who follow non-music radio to imagine a talk show being syndicated to music radio stations. Most talk radio stations are politically focused. Even if they aren’t discussing partisan politics, they are very news driven and talking about subjects that the majority of music radio stations actively avoid.
There is however an exception to every rule. Hubbard Radio’s myTalk 107.1 in Minneapolis is different. The station has an entire schedule filled with talk shows that aren’t talking about politics. Instead, they are focused on lifestyle and entertainment news. Generating 12 hours of original programming each day led to a larger discussion. What else could be done with all that material?
The Program Director of myTalk 107.1, Amy Daniels, explains, “We were trying to figure out how to better use and distribute the 12 hours-a-day of fresh, entertaining, and original content that myTalk produces. We were podcasting it, but there had to be more options than just local radio broadcast and podcast.”
The team had a meeting to discuss ideas. One had been on Daniels’ mind for more than a year, syndication.
Leaping Into Radio Syndication
Once they found a partner in Skyview Networks, they launched a weekend version of the Donna and Steve show. The program airs weekdays from 9am to noon, tailored for music radio stations. With an initial list of about 12 affiliates, they started the process of learning how to take the content and make it work for a completely different format. “We were cutting the talk segments down from 10-12 minutes to between 30 and 90 seconds,” Daniels explains.
That much editing wasn’t an easy task. It got exponentially more complicated too when Patti Marshall, Managing Director of Branding and Content for Hubbard Cincinnati and Julie Evans, Program Director of Mix 94-9, approached them about creating a daily version of the show.
“At the time we had one and a half people. We had to listen to each show, harvest the raw audio clips, edit them down to time, upload and administer the show. Now it was going to go from sixteen to ninety-six required segments a week,” says Daniels.
It was a tall order, but they made it work and eventually hired Grant Wenkstern as full-time Executive Producer. Now they’ve built out processes and a workflow that enables them to deliver fresh, relevant pop culture segments to music-based affiliates six days a week.
The mechanics are interesting but, throughout the history of syndication, the content must be great for the project to work. Host Donna Valentine says the show plays an important role in listener’s lives, providing the opposite of most talk radio shows. “We are here as an escape from hard news, politics, sports, and religion. Our content is mostly light and non-political. If we ever go against those expectations, we will get emails from listeners slapping our hands.”
Co-Host Steve Patterson takes that one step further. He points out a key difference between their show and most other talk-based products. “I think sometimes political talk radio shows feature a lot of disagreement that ends up dividing people. Whereas our pop culture, lifestyle-based show features a lot of differing opinions and light-hearted disagreements but in a way that is relatable, humorous, and brings people together.”
The Benefits of Expansion
Often when shows go into syndication the content and vibe can change causing problems. In this case, both Daniels and Valentine feel the content needed for syndication has improved the original show.
“We are more focused and better at not getting off topic,” Valentine says. “We are aware of the need to keep things clean because the stories we discuss need to be on the shorter side for music stations.”
Ironically, Daniels also says the content has improved but for almost the opposite reason. “Patti Marshall and Julie Evans wanted segments that showed off Donna and Steve’s chemistry and personalities.” That required the segments running a little longer than they had for the original weekend show. “The only advantage any of us have over AI is to be authentic, entertaining, and human. Donna & Steve are all of that, but they needed more time to highlight those qualities in each segment.”
At the receiving end in Cincinnati, Marshall says the show sold itself. “Donna & Steve have such an authentic chemistry, warmth, and relatability. They sound like real friends having real conversations that are funny and emotionally intelligent without trying too hard. It felt like a show that could live inside our brand naturally.”
It’s early but so far, according to Evans, the response has been great. “Listener feedback has been really positive. People mention how genuinely funny they are and how the show has become part of their daily routine.”
Evans says they have been working hard to integrate the show into the Mix brand. “We integrate Donna and Steve into our on-air imaging, promos, website, and contesting so listeners feel like they’re truly part of the Mix 94.9 family, not ‘outsiders,’” she says. “We also make a point to feed them local stories, events, and contest information so they can play off Cincinnati-specific content on air.”
Patterson says they still talk about local Minneapolis stories in specific show segments that don’t go out to affiliates. But that localism is also about connection. “Our highest priority is delivering content that feels relatable and connects with listeners, no matter where they are. When listeners connect with the hosts they’re listening to, they feel close to them. Connection supersedes location ten times out of ten.”
Looking to the Future
Daniels succinctly sums up the team’s future goals as, “World domination.” More specifically she says the plan is to get the show in front of as many stations as possible. “We think they’ll agree that there’s not enough time or money in the world to replicate what these two deliver every single day. It’s important to thank Skyview Networks, Hubbard EVP of Programming and Audience Development Greg Strassell, and the team at Mix 94.9 in Cincinnati for their patience and faith in us.”
She adds that myTalk 107.1 is in a unique position. It can help with one of radio’s biggest issues, stations that lack compelling content. “In radio we’re all looking for talent but not looking to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to develop and manage it.”
Daniels added, “myTalk 107.1 is the only pop culture and entertainment talk radio station in America. We have three other shows that are also primed to deliver listeners for music radio. In an environment where we are all doing more with less, we can provide the humor, authenticity, smarts, and lovability that stations need to stand out, and it can all be done for barter.”
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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.
