I remember sitting in the offices of WMRQ Radio104 Hartford in the 90s with Jaybeau Jones. We wrote radio promos like Picasso painted. The thought and depth we put into what we created was another level for radio of that time. Promos were an art. And somewhere along the way, that art got lost.
There was a time when radio promos felt like movie trailers. Not liners. Not sweepers. Real productions.Big voice. Big stakes. Big drama. A great promo stopped listeners cold. It made the station feel larger than life. Somewhere along the way, the industry traded that for efficiency.
That shift makes some sense. Attention spans shrank. Clocks tightened. Ratings pressure intensified. Consultants preached shorter breaks and faster execution. Art slowly lost ground to mathematics. Promos became utility pieces. Get in. Sell the contest. Mention the station three times. Get out.
Still, something valuable disappeared during that transition.
He Didn’t Just Read Copy. He Built Worlds.
I came from a unique situation at 99X Atlanta. We worked with Keith Eubanks. His voice dominated modern rock radio for years. Keith didn’t just read copy. He built worlds.
That’s the difference.
Great radio promos once created atmosphere around a station. Listeners weren’t simply hearing songs. They were stepping into a universe with its own identity. Characters existed. Running jokes carried over for months. Storylines stretched across station imaging. The station developed mythology. Listeners followed along because they felt included.
The Station Developed Mythology
Later, when I moved to WMRQ Hartford, I kept Keith involved. Some characters followed. Then we created new ones. Eventually, those characters permeated the station.
Imaging stopped being filler between records. It became connective tissue. A listener could tune in briefly and immediately understand the station’s attitude.
That took creativity. More importantly, it took commitment.
Creativity Rarely Flourishes Under Compression
Unfortunately, time became radio’s enemy. The industry compressed everything. Every decision centered on retention curves and efficiency. Creativity rarely flourishes under compression.
Many stations stopped sounding dangerous and started sounding processed. Ironically, audiences now claim they want authenticity more than ever. Yet many stations sound interchangeable.
Five Seconds Could Identify a Station
Old-school imaging created separation. Five seconds of production could identify a station instantly.
Stations leaned into the bit. They trusted the characters. They allowed imaging to become entertainment instead of interruption.
Back then, programmers waited for the FMQB Sampler to arrive. That trade CD fueled creativity across the business. You’d hear one promo from another market and a new concept sparked.
Most importantly, stations cared about sounding different.
Personality May Matter More Than Ever
Today, many stations focus more on sounding clean than memorable. There’s a major difference between those ideas.
Research matters. PPM matters. Consumption habits changed forever. Even so, personality may matter now more than ever. Every platform fights for microscopic attention spans. Emotional connection becomes increasingly valuable as a result. Algorithms optimize delivery. They struggle to create attachment. Historically, radio excelled at attachment.
Branding vs. Mythology
The best stations didn’t simply play music. They built culture. Listeners felt connected to something rebellious and exclusive. Promos helped build that ecosystem.
Now, too much imaging sounds transactional. It explains what the station does without explaining who the station is. That distinction matters.
Listeners don’t build emotional relationships with formatting clocks. They connect with humor, storytelling, and personality.
Radio Was Never Supposed to Sound Safe
Some of those old promos were absolutely insane. Monster movie effects exploded through speakers. Fake callers appeared constantly. Concert promos sounded like end-of-the-world movie trailers. Half of it probably wouldn’t survive corporate approval today.
That may be part of the problem.
Radio was never supposed to sound completely safe. The stations people still remember had edge, swagger, and unpredictability. Promos carried that energy.
Make Them Matter Again
Maybe the lost art of the promo isn’t really about production. Perhaps it’s about imagination.
Somewhere along the way, stations stopped building worlds and started building systems. There’s a difference between branding and mythology. The legendary stations understood mythology.
If radio hopes to separate itself from playlists and algorithms, it may need to rediscover some old magic.
Not by making promos longer. By making them matter again.
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David Hill serves as a Music Radio Editor, Columnist and Features writer for Barrett Media. A radio lifer with more than 30 years behind the mic, in the control room, and in the program director’s chair, David’s career spans influential stops at brands such as WIYY 98 Rock, WBAL-AM, and 99X. He has worked across multiple formats and ownership groups, including iHeartMedia and Cumulus Media, developing talent, breaking music, and navigating every major industry shift from diary to PPM and terrestrial dominance to streaming disruption. When he’s not writing or analyzing the industry, Dave runs The Tune Farm, a marketing firm built to help artists and brands grow audience the same way great radio always has—by creating connection, not just impressions. He can be reached at David@BarrettMedia.com.
Absolutely…100%…correct!