There’s a rule in news/talk radio that never made much sense to me. There are several, honestly. But this particular one stings — because I lived it firsthand, and I’m convinced hosts across the country are living it right now.
Let me take you to Lima, Ohio. Pronounced like the bean, not the Peruvian capital — that distinction matters deeply to the locals. If you know anything about Lima, it’s probably one of two things: the pronunciation trap, and Kewpee Hamburgers.
Three locations in town. Famous square burgers. Thick chocolate malts that’ll stop you in your tracks. Dave Thomas — the founder of Wendy’s — worked at Kewpee as a teenager, which explains quite a bit when you look at both menus. When someone visits Lima for the first time, you take them to Kewpee. If you’re ever passing through on I-75, stop. You won’t regret it. They’re very good. Anyone who says otherwise shouldn’t be trusted. But I digress.
Kewpee wasn’t an advertiser at the station where I worked. A previous sales manager had burned that bridge so thoroughly that the owner wouldn’t even take a meeting. So management issued the edict — don’t talk about Kewpee. Don’t mention Febucherry, their cherry pie promotion in February. No Marchocolate references allowed, either. Don’t say you ate there. Under no circumstances acknowledge their existence on the air.
The Rule That Made No Sense
That rule was dumb then, and it’s dumb now. People in Lima talked about Kewpee constantly. They discussed how long the line stretched at 2 PM on a regular Tuesday. The downtown location’s early closure became its own ongoing topic — management couldn’t find enough good help for the late shift.
Yet the medium built on being live, local, and relevant stayed completely silent on the biggest local topic in town. The sales logic sounds reasonable on the surface: if you’re talking about them for free, why would they ever pay?
But that thinking only covers one side of the equation. The other side is harder to ignore. How do you sound local when you’re actively avoiding what locals are actually talking about? You don’t.
That’s a far more serious problem than any missing sales contract.
Amazon Prime Days Are Your Kewpee
Amazon Prime Days started this week. Walmart launched its Deals Days at the same time. Target rolled out Circle Deal Days alongside them. Millions of people in your market are already comparing prices. They’re wondering whether the discounts are real or just repackaged, and dropping links into group chats nonstop.
Odds are good that management has told you not to talk about this. Amazon, Walmart, and Target aren’t buying ads on your station to promote their sales. So why give them free airtime? Here’s why: because your audience is already talking about it, with or without you. Silence isn’t some restraint based on principle. It’s malpractice.
Talk about Prime Days. Debate the deals. Ask your listeners what they’re buying and whether it’s actually worth the hype. Build that conversation. That’s what news/talk radio does better than any streaming algorithm ever will. And once you go silent on what your audience cares about most, that edge disappears.
If that earns you a stern email from management, treat it as an “ask forgiveness, not permission” situation. The hosts who build real, lasting connections with their audiences aren’t the ones who follow every internal directive without question. They’re the ones who trust their instincts, talk about what actually matters, and let the chips fall where they may. There’s something powerful about a host who refuses to pretend certain topics don’t exist. Your listeners will notice. Eventually, your bosses will, too.
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Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing daily news stories, features, and opinion columns. He joined Barrett Media in 2022 after a decade leading several radio brands in several formats, as well as a 5-year stint working in local television. In addition to his work with Barrett Media, he is a radio and TV play-by-play broadcaster. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.
