Radio Ink Magazine June 22, 2020

For over two months, Radio Ink Editor Ed Ryan and I have conducted a series of coronavirus podcasts and Facebook Live interviews. In those, we’ve heard from a broad and diverse cross section of the radio industry, along with voices from other media sectors. They have shared their concerns, challenges, and thoughts on the long-lasting impact the pandemic will have on the future of the industry as well as life in general. What has impressed me most is the tenacity and nimbleness, not to mention sheer will, and even optimism, our guests have displayed. They are measured and grounded in reality, but all are determined to win. Like everyone, they are guiding their ships through uncharted waters. One unbalanced move, whether due to miscalculation or a storm too rough to handle,…

“Attention is the new currency. Everyone craves attention, and those that do things to create attention will win.” Those were the words of Gary Vaynerchuk last year at the NAB Radio Show. And the masterminds of attention are program directors. PDs create attention so they get the largest share of voice, and in turn help their companies get the largest piece of revenue. As this issue of Radio Ink celebrates our industry’s finest, let’s break down the winning traits of programmers. Passion Passion for their craft is a vital trait for a programmer! Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate to witness this firsthand, whether it was Geoff Vargo (my first PD, at WVUD-Dayton) or Mark Chernoff (the last PD I worked for at WNEW-FM). Charlie Kendall was WNEW’s PD before Mark, and he says, “A…

A team of researchers from the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science recently published their findings in the Journal of Advertising Research (JAR). This recently published study proved that a common assumption about radio advertising is utterly wrong. According to the study, “Many advertisers have believed as much as one-third of the audience switch stations during radio-advertising breaks.” Changing stations to avoid ads is known as “mechanical avoidance.” The researchers decided to use Portable People Meters to determine the truth, once and for all. Their analysis spanned over 2.9 million programming minutes, including 534,071 advertising minutes and 841,003 separate commercials. A pretty good sample size, wouldn’t you say? Badda-bing, badda-bang, baddaboom! What they found was: “Overall, mechanical avoidance generally was low, with an average of 3% across the day.” The assumption was that 33% were avoiding…

In Somerset, Kentucky, Eubank Pizza has weathered the storm. COVID-19 has knocked a lot of businesses down, but Chris and April Robinson have kept their message alive, using radio through it all. Now, with the restrictions lifting, they have reopened for indoor dining and enhanced their ad campaign. They’ve produced a couple of streaming videos and have added a geotargeting campaign to their ad mix with the help of local partners Forcht Broadcasting. To say pizza sauce is in their blood would be an understatement. The couple have been “slinging pies” for most of their working lives: she managed a pizza chain for 15 years and he has been in and out of the business ever since he got his driver’s license. The business and radio are a perfect fit for the…

If you’ve read any of my articles in Radio Ink, you know my primary mantra is to think of your client’s needs first, not your own. During the current crisis, let’s take it a step further. Think of your client’s customers’ needs. It’s not rocket science, just good solid marketing science. Just as you want your advertisers to come back to the airwaves, your clients are trying to figure out how to get their customers back to their establishments. Think about sequestration. You and your own family are experiencing it yourselves. Think what that brings to mind, and you will clearly see whom you can help, and how. For example, consider the boredom factor — for both kids and adults. Did a bell just go off in your head? Yes, any home-based…

So, what makes a good radio show, and what makes a successful podcast? It’s not the same things. Not by a long shot. As listening habits and tastes change, radio needs to reevaluate everything from formats to what a successful host sounds like. Here are some of the things that make producing a successful podcast different from producing a successful radio show. PPM changed radio in a lot of ways that have led to a loss of listeners and a loss of creativity with formats. FM Talkers live for time spent listening. But FM talk shows would not be able to live, and don’t for the most part, in the world of PPM. In podcasting, time spent listening is the game. A successful podcast grabs a listener and keeps them for…