Carpe diem… zeitgeist… make hay… be present. Whatever phrase you choose, it matters for RockTernative brands and talent. Showing up in the moment matters.
Music and marquee talent will always be the entry points, but regular readers know I put topicality and treatment near the top of the totem pole for radio brands, especially those with content-driven shows.
Ratings, revenue, research, engagement, and even brand marketing all prove the same thing: topicality moves the needle. Moreover, it’s not enough to just talk about the big story — how a brand participates is equally important. That’s treatment.
Lessons From the Boards
When I started in radio, topicality was a key weapon. I’ll never forget the infamous KRFX/Denver (“103.5 The Fox”) Classic Rock billboards featuring OJ Simpson and Charles Manson captioned Bad Company. The station became known for its topical boards — including another favorite, Bill Clinton as a Doobie Brother.
Today, most GMs and PDs haven’t seen a billboard budget. But you don’t need one. RockTernative brands already have everything required to stand out: morning shows, daypart talent, social media, production resources, websites, and some even still have street teams — and hopefully some creativity left in the tank.
Being topical gets brands into the room where listener conversations are happening — sports, trends, viral moments, controversies, and scandals. Treatment determines how long they stick around or how frequently they’ll come back.
A Mid-Year Check-In
We’ve reached the midpoint of another year. It’s time to gear up for the second half. Let’s look back at some of the first-half highlights — the events we celebrated, couldn’t avoid, or scrolled past — with an exercise for PDs, talent, promotion and social directors, sales managers, and even GMs.
Look back and ask:
- Did our brand capture the moment?
- Did the morning show participate?
- Were we present in our own unique way?
- Did we find creative revenue opportunities?
- Did we let it get away?
This isn’t judgment day. Not everything here is right for every brand — some stations are purely music-focused and sit everything out except new releases. But being uniquely connected to what’s going on inside and outside of music should be part of the mix if max cume or TOMA are goals, because we all know music isn’t exclusive.
This list could have been longer, and only you can decide which topical moments are right for your brand. Still, it’s a reminder to have your head on a swivel. There will be second-half moments around every corner that can help connect your brand to the audience, alongside STP, Dexter, and the Moonrocks.
2026 First Half Highlights
- Stranger Things came to a dramatic end, leaving everyone praying for malls to make a comeback.
- It got so cold in the Northeast that trees literally started exploding.
- The Olympics slayed, and curling became more popular than “six-seven.”
- Music had a wild ride. U2, The Black Crowes, Sublime, and many others dropped new records, including Flea’s jazz album. Kanye was banned from the UK; Jelly Roll became single; Britney got another DUI; Shakira drew 2M fans in Brazil; 67-year-old Madonna crashed Sabrina’s Coachella set wearing purple lingerie; and Maiden, Oasis, and Billy Idol made the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — so did Sade and Luther Vandross.
- Sports was madness. The Seahawks dominated the big game, but Bad Bunny dominated headlines. Vrabel Gate became an all-timer; a real UFC fight broke out on the White House lawn; Golden Tempo became our new super-horse; Tiger rolled another car; the Knicks and ‘Canes got rings; Myles Garrett got his ninth speeding ticket; and Indiana went from worst to first.
- Airports melted down.
- Spring Break in Mexico was basically cancelled.
- Gas prices exploded.
- Artemis II returned from space with an alien… just kidding… or am I?
- Delta Force captured a president while blasting Chief Keef.
- Hantavirus mania spiked.
- Scientists with spooky ties kept disappearing.
- Sharks in the Bahamas tested positive for cocaine.
- The Michael Jackson movie crushed the box office. Star Wars didn’t.
- Elon Musk became the world’s first trillionaire.
- The most over-hyped wedding of all time finally happened.
- Soccer fans from around the world discovered the American greatness of ranch dressing and Waffle House.
The Second Half Starts Now
Being reliable for music should be priority one for RockTernative brands. But being unique with topicality and treatment can make brands and content shows unforgettable. The top brands across the country put their fingerprints on much of the above — whether through the morning show, a specialty weekend, an imaging campaign, or a promotion.
Here’s to a great second half. Special thanks to my friend Garner Goin, longtime KRFX PD and creative ninja, for sharing the billboard pictures.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
Keith Cunningham is a music industry and Rock/Alternative columnist for Barrett Media and the founder of Black Box Group, a modern-modeled creative & strategic consultancy built for brands that need strategies with teeth. He’s the former Master of Mayhem at 95.5 KLOS-FM in Los Angeles for over a decade, a nationwide consultant, and has been repeatedly voted one of America’s top Program Directors and strategic thinkers. Keith has built his career by taking multi-million-dollar brands from worst to first and leading Marconi & Gracie award winners along the way. A data nerd with a rock-and-roll heart, he is an advisory council member for St. Jude fundraising, a fantasy football champion, and lover of his daughters & dogs. Reach him at keithblackboxgroup@gmail.com or on LinkedIn or X.