Radio in an AI World

radio ai

Believe it or not, we have been using AI for several decades. So, what changed to speed up the technology? Computer drive space was a big part of it. We’ve gone from the 90s using early search engines like Yahoo and Bing to creating streaming services like Netflix and YouTube. social media like FB, IG, etc. Retail it’s apps like Amazon. Retail apps like Amazon. AI is also being developed for Finance, Marketing and Advertising, Healthcare, Energy, Transportation and so on. Soon we will be able to have a fluid conversation, in two different languages, while being translated in real-time. The possibilities are truly endless! 

When it comes to broadcast radio, Virtual Jock.com‘s parent company, New Generation Radio has been involved with AI from day one using one of our top talents, Ashley Z at Top 40/CHR KBFF/Portland. 

Our goal with AI isn’t to do full shows using the technology, but to enhance our already strong products. With all of the benefits of AI, it still will not be able to tell the audience what happened to you on the way to work, over the weekend, etc., that’s why we must continue to use REAL Talent for storytelling, quick wit, and comedy/entertainment.

Where AI CAN be beneficial is when it comes to enhancing our overall talent shows for REAL-TIME content. For instance, when one of our talents records a show, and late-breaking news occurs, AI will throw out the next break and showcase whatever that story is, in the talent’s voice

EXAMPLE: “The 5 has been shut down in both directions at the Marquam Bridge, the Trail Blazers just beat the Charlotte Hornets.” The possibilities are endless. 

The Radio/TV model of 2005 where we used live jocks throughout the day and night can no longer be sustained due to dramatic changes in revenue. However, AI can benefit many stations as well as talent— ‘IF used properly.’

Boost Your Radio Station’s Revenue with Virtual Jock’s Proven Strategies

Live online radio broadcasting station desk with on air sign

For radio stations seeking to thrive in today’s competitive market, it is crucial to adopt a strategic approach that drives growth and optimizes revenue generation, ultimately ensuring the long-term success and sustainability of your station. Virtual Jock specializes in providing your radio station with comprehensive solutions, ranging from talent, formats, imaging, and consulting services, all aimed at positioning your station for success in terms of both ratings and revenue. In this blog post, we will explore various ways in which your radio station can leverage Virtual Jock’s expertise to capitalize on revenue opportunities, streamline your operations, and create a successful and profitable business.

With our five-star roster of major market talent offering a breadth of formats and over a decade of experience, Virtual Jock can help revolutionize your radio station’s sound without sacrificing its live and local essence. Our professionals are proven ratings and revenue winners, ensuring that your station can effectively attract and retain a loyal audience while maximizing lucrative advertising and sponsorship deals.

In the subsequent sections, we will delve into essential revenue-driving strategies, such as optimizing ad placements, finding the right sponsorships, engaging in partnerships, and harnessing the power of digital media for additional income avenues. Equipped with these strategies, your radio station can significantly boost its revenue potential.

Stay tuned as we uncover the potential of Virtual Jock’s services in boosting your radio station’s revenue, positioning it for long-lasting success and prosperity in the ever-evolving media landscape.

Optimizing Ad Placements: The Key to Maximizing Ad Revenue

Effectively managing your radio station’s advertising inventory is crucial for capitalizing on revenue generation opportunities. By strategically scheduling and placing ads throughout your programming, you can maximize your station’s appeal to advertisers and ensure the highest return on their investment. Virtual Jock’s team of professionals can assist your radio station in developing efficient ad placement strategies essential for driving revenue growth and maximizing ad sales potential.

Careful consideration of factors such as audience preferences, listening habits, ad frequency, and competitive market dynamics can help your radio station find the perfect balance between maintaining listener engagement and generating ad revenue. With Virtual Jock’s expertise, your station can create a high-value advertising platform that attracts a wide range of advertisers.

Sponsorships: Building Mutually Beneficial Partnerships

Sponsorships are another vital aspect of a radio station’s revenue-generation strategy. They provide an effective alternative to traditional advertising by developing long-term partnerships between your station and businesses, ultimately benefiting both parties. Virtual Jock can guide your radio station in identifying and securing valuable sponsorship opportunities that align with your programming and audience demographics.

By engaging in sponsorships, your radio station can develop mutually beneficial relationships that drive revenue while adding value to your listeners’ experience. Through our network of contacts and years of experience, Virtual Jock can help foster strong partnerships that result in sustained revenue growth for your radio station.

Collaborations and Partnerships: Expanding Your Revenue Streams

In addition to traditional advertising and sponsorships, radio stations can explore various collaborations and partnerships to expand their revenue streams further. By teaming up with other media outlets, local businesses, and complementary organizations, your station can create unique revenue-driving opportunities that extend beyond on-air ad placements.

Virtual Jock’s consulting services can provide valuable insights for developing strategic partnerships that align with your radio station’s brand and audience preferences. We can ensure that your collaborations not only boost your station’s revenue but also enhance its overall image and listener experience.

Capitalizing on Digital Media: Unlocking Additional Income Avenues

As the popularity of digital media continues to grow, radio stations must adapt and capitalize on the emerging opportunities it presents. Utilizing digital platforms like podcasts, online streaming, and social media advertising can provide your radio station with additional sources of income while expanding its reach and audience engagement.

Virtual Jock’s expertise in both radio and digital media can help your station develop and implement a comprehensive strategy that integrates online platforms to optimize its content and revenue generation potential. By embracing digital media, your station can tap into an increasingly popular and lucrative market, maximizing its revenue streams and opportunities for growth.

Drive Revenue and Growth with Virtual Jock’s Expertise

Boosting your radio station’s revenue is a fundamental aspect of ensuring long-term success and sustainability in a competitive media landscape. By partnering with Virtual Jock and leveraging our extensive expertise in talent selection, format development, imaging, and consulting, your radio station can effectively optimize its revenue potential and growth opportunities.

Through strategic ad placements, sponsorships, collaborations, and capitalizing on digital media, your radio station can transform itself into a thriving and lucrative media venture. Choose Virtual Jock to maximize your radio station’s revenue potential and set the stage for a successful and profitable future in the ever-evolving world of broadcasting.

Strengthening Your Radio Station’s Brand Identity: Key Strategies for Effective Brand Building

on air sign in a radio station

In the competitive world of radio, crafting a distinct and memorable brand identity for your station is crucial for attracting and retaining your target audience and securing advertising and sponsorship deals. A strong brand identity helps you stand out from the competition and establishes an emotional connection with your listeners, fostering loyalty and long-term engagement. As radio stations grapple with the challenges posed by an ever-evolving media landscape, focusing on brand-building strategies and sharpening your station’s unique identity is essential for sustained success.

This blog post will list the key strategies to strengthen your radio station’s brand identity, from developing a clear and consistent brand message to creating a cohesive on-air and digital presence that resonates with your target audience. We will also discuss the role of brand ambassadors and the importance of integrating community engagement initiatives into your overall brand-building strategy. By following these best practices, your station can cultivate a powerful and lasting brand identity that helps propel its growth and solidifies its position within the radio industry.

Read on and fortify your radio station’s brand identity and market position with industry-leading consulting services and expert advice.

Developing a Clear and Consistent Brand Message

A well-defined brand message helps to create a strong, consistent image of your radio station in the minds of your audience. To develop an effective brand message, consider the following steps:

1. Identifying Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP): Determine what sets your radio station apart from competitors and focus on those differentiators within your brand message.

2. Understanding Your Target Audience: Gain insights into your target audience’s preferences, values, and listening habits to craft a brand message that resonates with them.

3. Defining Your Tone and Voice: Establish a consistent tone and voice for your radio station that reflects its personality and values, ensuring it remains consistent across all touchpoints with your audience.

4. Ensuring Message Consistency: Ensure your brand message remains consistent across all platforms, including on-air programming, digital media, advertising, and other communications.

Creating a Cohesive On-Air and Digital Presence

Fostering a seamless brand experience for your audience across both on-air and digital channels is essential for building brand recognition and loyalty. Here are some tips for achieving this:

1. Consistent Brand Elements: Incorporate consistent brand elements, such as taglines, logos, color schemes, and typography, across all platforms, ensuring instant recognizability and familiarity.

2. Aligning Content Strategy: Strive to align your on-air and digital content strategies, reinforcing your brand message and creating a unified experience for your audience, regardless of the platform they are engaging with.

3. Cross-Promotion: Cross-promote your on-air and digital content, encouraging your audience to engage with your brand on multiple platforms and experience a cohesive brand presence.

4. Integrating Social Media: Utilize social media platforms as extensions of your radio station’s brand, providing relevant, engaging content and fostering direct interactions with your audience.

Leveraging Brand Ambassadors: On-Air Talent and Influencers

Your station’s on-air talent and influential personalities play a crucial role in shaping and promoting your brand identity. Leverage their reach and influence with these tactics:

1. Brand Alignment: Ensure your on-air talent and influencers understand and embody your radio station’s brand message, tone, and values, enabling them to effectively represent and promote your brand.

2. Nurturing Relationships: Cultivate strong, long-lasting relationships with your on-air talent and influencers, providing them with the support and resources they need to thrive and act as compelling brand ambassadors.

3. Collaborative Content Creation: Collaborate with your on-air talent and influencers in creating engaging content, leveraging their unique perspectives and expertise to enhance your programming and reinforce your brand identity.

4. Generating Buzz: Encourage your brand ambassadors to generate buzz for your station by representing your brand at industry events, engaging with your audience and community on social media, and participating in promotional campaigns.

Engaging with Your Community: Events and Initiatives

Integrating community engagement initiatives into your brand-building strategy can help establish your radio station as a valued and trusted local resource. Consider these approaches to community engagement:

1. Hosting and Sponsoring Events: Host or sponsor local events to showcase your station’s commitment to the community, forging relationships with local businesses, organizations, and residents.

2. Spotlighting Local Issues: Address local issues relevant to your listeners’ lives, demonstrating your station’s involvement in the community and fostering a sense of belonging among your audience.

3. Giving Back through Charitable Initiatives: Support local charities, nonprofits, or community projects to strengthen your relationship with community members and demonstrate your station’s goodwill and social responsibility.

4. Encouraging Listener Participation: Engage your audience in community initiatives or events by inviting their input, feedback, or involvement, fostering a sense of connection to your radio station and its local community.

Solidify Your Radio Station’s Success with Effective Brand Building Strategies

In the radio industry, developing a distinct and memorable brand identity can be crucial to your station’s long-term success. By focusing on developing a clear and consistent brand message, creating a cohesive on-air and digital presence, leveraging your on-air talent and influencers, and engaging with your local community, you can craft a powerful, lasting brand identity that propels your station to new heights of listener growth, engagement, and overall success.

Partner with Virtual Jock’s industry-leading consulting services to strengthen your radio station’s brand identity and secure its position in the competitive radio market. With our expert advice and support, your station can develop a compelling and effective brand-building strategy that drives long-term success, audience loyalty, and growth within the constantly evolving radio landscape.

AI isn’t coming, it’s already here! 

It’s one thing to get a little nostalgic from time to time. We all do it. Listening to old airchecks on how things “used to be.” It’s fun to reminisce. It was an era that inspired me to wanna do radio as a career. It was an incredible time. However, to think things can still be like that, you are not being very honest with yourself. Change is inevitable. It scares the shit out of some people. I get it, to a point. I’ve never been wired like that personally. To really be successful in this industry or really any other for that matter, you have to embrace change. In my mind, change is exciting and keeps things new. It’s the key to success. Things simply can’t stay the same, nor should they. 

As time evolves, so does the technology and so does the consumer. Unfortunately in some cases, the business model did not.. So big box retail giants like Sears and Kmart became Amazon.  Airline’s business models evolved from serving full meals on domestic flights to now charging for bags or to be first on board. The ones that didn’t like Eastern and TWA were gone. TV newscasts we’re full of big entertaining personalities, not about looks or who favors what political party. If a young Larry King or Oprah came through today, they most likely would not get hired. Many local TV newscasts now look like Vogue meets GQ. Many TV reporters now go on assignments by themselves and work their own camera. 

And then we have radio.. once live and local across every day part, even overnights. Monster promotions budgets. I once had a staff of 52 people who would report to me as Program Director only 10 years ago. If that didn’t change by now, the company would’ve been long gone years ago.

Things began to change in the 2000’s, corporations going public and constantly having to meet stockholders demands, meant cutting more and more of the product. Before the cutting, places like Washington DC, 1999… WPGC and WJFK-FM would bill $98 million together. Today those #’s have been cut by over 60%. Radio revenue has been almost on a constant decline since 2008. Veteran news anchors, big morning and afternoon shows have been victim. The promotions and marketing was cut in most cases and would allow new forms of competition to spawn. 

Tablets now playing everything from Netflix and YouTube to TikTok and podcasts. This is the new form of TV and Radio. Of course it is for now.. as you have seen, nothing is permanent. The only thing constant in life is change. For radio.. it’s been Live & Local, Syndication, Satellite, Automation, VoiceTracking and now.. AI.. 

AI, If used properly AS A TOOL for a certain percentage/ratio of a living, breathing, talent’s voice-tracked show, has the ability to localize instantly without a talent having to redo a track. Track a night show earlier in the day and the local team just won a playoff game? You just gave out the sports score and celebrated the win for your local team without having to record a new track. Riots breaking out downtown? You, the talent.. just went on the air within seconds to talk about what’s going on. I-95 in Philly just collapsed on an early Sunday morning and everyone is voice tracked? You are on the air with non stop coverage. 

Here’s why if you are really that good, you shouldn’t be worried as a talent. It can’t do life experiences. That’s where you come in and do your magic.. Not AI. It can’t. AI can put talent back on in day parts where there has been no talent on air for years, even overnights. AI can make a talent sound more plugged in than ever, again if it is used properly. There are many live talents that like being local. This can be extremely beneficial. 

Moving forward.. AI will affect every aspect of our life in all shapes and forms, in all industries. It ain’t going away. You can either embrace it or you can push back like many did during the voice tracking phase 20 years ago and were shown the door. If you are a talent who talks for 6 seconds and relies on the music to carry you, your lifespan in a changing world will be short. If you are a 5 star pro and are entertaining, funny, share life experiences by telling stories and sharing your life, you will connect and be very successful. 

Things are evolving fast. New technologies like AI will be a “part” of many future business models in and outside of radio. Its vital to radio’s survival moving forward, otherwise radio will be the next Sears and Kmart.

Metal Music: The Challenges and Opportunities of Radio Play

fans at a concert

Metal music has always been a genre that has struggled to gain mainstream acceptance. With its aggressive sound, explicit lyrics, and often controversial themes, it has been difficult for metal bands to secure regular airplay on mainstream radio stations. 

However, with the rise of dedicated metal radio programming services, there are now more opportunities than ever for metal bands to get their music heard on the airwaves.

Challenges

One of the biggest challenges facing metal bands in radio play is the perception that their music is too aggressive or controversial for mainstream audiences. Program Directors and Operations managers may be reluctant to play metal music for fear of offending listeners or losing sponsors. Additionally, metal music often features explicit lyrics, making securing airplay during daytime hours when children may be listening difficult.

Another challenge facing metal bands is the sheer volume of competition. With so many bands vying for radio play, it can be challenging to differentiate oneself from the crowd. Program directors and operations managers are bombarded with new music every day, and it can be challenging for a metal band to get their music noticed.

Opportunities

Despite the challenges, there are also many openings for metal bands to get their music played on the radio. With the rise of dedicated metal radio programming services, there are now more outlets than ever for metal music. These services cater specifically to metal fans; their listeners are often highly engaged and passionate about the genre.

Radio programming services can be a valuable tool for metal bands looking to get their music played on the airwaves. These services often have established relationships with Program Directors and Operations managers at radio stations and can help to promote new music and secure airplay for up-and-coming bands.

Additionally, social media can be a potent tool for metal bands looking to build a following and get their music played on the radio. By engaging with fans on platforms like Twitter and Instagram, bands can build a dedicated fan base passionate about their music. This can boost the band’s presence and increase their chances of getting airplay on mainstream radio stations.

Tips for Radio DJs

For Radio DJs, playing metal music can be a great way to engage with listeners and grow a loyal fan base. However, it is important to approach metal music with sensitivity and respect. Here are some tips for Radio DJs looking to play metal music on the air:

1. Be Aware of the Time of Day – Metal music often features explicit lyrics, so it is important to be intentional when playing this type of music. Playing metal music during nighttime hours may be more appropriate when children are less likely to be listening.

2. Be Sensitive to Controversial Themes Metal music often deals with controversial themes like violence, sex, and drug use. It is important to be discerning of these themes and to avoid playing music that could be considered offensive or inappropriate.

3. Engage with Listeners – Metal music fans are often highly engaged and passionate about the genre. By engaging with listeners on social media or during on-air segments, Radio DJs can build a loyal fan base that is passionate about their show.

Conclusion

While metal music can present some challenges in radio play, there are also many opportunities for metal bands to hear their music on the airwaves. By working with dedicated metal radio programming services, building a following on social media, and approaching metal music with sensitivity and respect, metal bands and Radio DJs can build a loyal fan base and connect with listeners passionate about the genre.

Attention DJs and Program Directors! Are you struggling to find the right metal music for your audience? Look no further than Virtual Jocks! Our expert radio programming services will help you discover new metal bands and connect with passionate listeners. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to build a loyal fan base and take your metal programming to the next level. Contact us today to learn more!

5 Hot Topics for Podcasts by Radio Hosts

Podcasts by Radio Hosts

While radio still reaches a large number of Americans every week, many listeners are choosing to get their audio entertainment elsewhere these days. Podcasts have exploded in the internet age, becoming something of a cultural phenomenon, and an opportunity for content creators to give their audiences even more of what they love. A recent study found that nearly 51% of American adults listen to podcasts, so it’s a great opportunity to take advantage of a fast-growing platform! There’s definitely a market for podcasts by radio hosts.

Radio shows are quite different from podcasts, but radio show hosts can still engage with audiences and increase their listener base by creating a podcast. It’s not necessarily as simple as converting an unedited radio show to an online format, however. Podcasts can run into licensing issues by playing copyrighted music, but savvy radio hosts can find plenty of topics to utilize in a podcast.

Here are a couple of our top ideas for topics for podcasts by radio hosts!

1. Artist Interview

If you have a specific genre or quite the following as a radio host already, you may have some music industry connections that you can utilize for an online podcast segment. Reach out to artists, producers, and other music industry personalities and ask to conduct an interview for an episode of your podcast!

Most podcasts tend to draw more engagement with more than one person speaking, so interviews with special guests are a popular format for the solo podcast host. Ask the artist guest questions about their upcoming projects, about their history in the industry, or ask them to speak on a special topic for the episode. Whatever you decide, the sky is the limit!

2. Top Track Roundup

Another idea you can use for a podcast topic is a roundup of your top favorite tracks of the week. You can theme your list around any topic you want, but here are some of our favorite ideas:

  • Top recently released tracks
  • Top tracks in a particular genre of all time
  • The WORST tracks in your genre
  • Top tracks by decade
  • Top tracks by one artist
  • Top tracks that use a particular technique or style

Make sure you check the licensing requirements and “fair use” laws if you’re going to play clips of the tracks in your roundup. But even if you don’t play clips, you can still create an engaging podcast based on your top music picks.

3. Music Industry News/Topics

Many popular podcasts have a narrow niche, unlike most radio programs that try to appeal to a broader audience. An easy podcast topic for a radio host to deliver is an episode about the latest news or topics in the music industry. You can talk about artists’ personal lives, tours, controversies, scandals with record labels, and more! Grab a co-host or a guest for an engaging back-and-forth dialogue about the topic at hand and let your personality and opinions shine. Your audience wants to hear what you think, so be honest!

4. Edited Versions of Prior Radio Shows

Something else you can do to pad out your online content and keep your listeners engaged is to record your live shows and cut it down to a podcast format to post online later. Many radio shows often have interviews, or include the hosts talking about relevant topics, which would be fantastic podcast material. Take some time to modify your previous shows in post-production and upload the edited version to your podcast platform. This is a great strategy to increase engagement and keep your podcast schedule on track if you don’t have new content to upload.

5. Whatever You’re Passionate About!

Finally, podcast audiences love unique content that the hosts are passionate about, so don’t be afraid to get creative! Talk about your experiences in the music industry, pet peeves about recording, your honest opinions about instruments, musical styles, genres, whatever! The sky is the limit, and even if you think a topic might be too narrow, it might be a good idea to talk about it anyway. Podcasts don’t have to be very long, many are around 15-30 minutes in length, so you don’t necessarily need a ton of material to create an engaging episode. Think about what your ideal audience would like to listen to you talk about and use them as your guide.

Podcasts Vs. Radio Shows – Things to Keep in Mind

Now that you have your topics for podcasts by radio hosts, there are a few things you should keep in mind about the different formats.

  1. While radio shows are live, podcasts are pre-recorded. You can take some time to make sure your voiceover is perfect, and the narrative of your script flows together in a way that makes sense.  You can cut audio clips and move them around, add transitions between topics, and more.
  2. Podcasts are an on-demand format, meaning that your listeners will be accessing them at different times, and be able to come back to them again and again. Radio shows are usually broadcast in a predetermined time slot, and if someone misses it, they miss it, unless it’s uploaded online later. Your audience can discover you at any time and go back through your catalog, as well, which can increase your overall visibility as a host.
  3. Podcasts aren’t as heavily regulated by the government, unlike most radio shows, so you’re freer to speak your mind and choose topics you may have to steer away from for broadcast radio. You can also run a podcast for as long as you want, or as short as you want, instead of having to stick to predetermined time blocks.

Choose Virtual Jock for Radio Hosts for Podcasts

If you’re looking for a podcast co-host or just some killer on-air talent for your radio show, Virtual Jock is where you can find hundreds of talented on-air DJs for your show. We also can help you with finding radio topics, broadcasting techniques, and a whole lot more. Get in touch with us today if you have questions!

3 Radio Marketing Tips to Broadcast Your Station’s Brand

radio marketing

If a tree falls in the forest but there’s nobody there to hear it… does it make a sound? In the same vein, if a radio station is producing top-quality programming but has no listeners… at the end of the day what’s it all for? When you’ve got content you’re proud of it’s natural to want to share it with the world.

Amazingly, 92% of Americans still listen to the radio each week, so you’ve got a huge pool of potential listeners to work with. It’s just a matter of reaching them. That’s where radio marketing comes in. 

If you want to learn the fundamentals of radio station promotion you’ve come to the right place. Read on for everything you need to know.

1. Define Your Branding Identity

The first step in any sort of marketing strategy will be to define the image you’re looking to project. You can’t market yourself if you’re confused about your identity. If you haven’t done this already, it’s time to think about the type of radio station you want to be.

What’s your mission statement? what are you setting out to achieve with your station? Do you want to entertain the masses, dispense advice, or share new and exciting music?

Once you know who you are and what you’re about you’ll have a much easier time communicating this to everyone else and capturing the attention of your target audience.

2. Work With Exciting Guests

One of the things you can do to gain listeners for your station and its programs is to invite exciting guests to appear on your shows. It can be helpful if these guests are well-known in their own right but really any guest with a compelling story to tell will be a boon.

Personal stories resonate with people so speaking with guests always makes for good listening. You can then promote these programs with the hopes of reaching specific audiences. Your guests will also be able to tell their own audiences about their appearance which will allow you to reach an entirely new and untapped group.

3. Get Your Socials Sorted Out

No radio marketing strategy would be complete without an element of promotion on social media. Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are the perfect place to build a following and promote the content you’ve got on offer.

You can let listeners know when you’ve got new episodes coming out and tie in a social media campaign with a show or series. This is also a great way to connect directly with your listeners to listen to their comments, answer their questions, and take their suggestions on board.

Radio Marketing 101

The elements of a great radio marketing strategy aren’t all that different than that of a traditional marketing strategy. You need to produce quality content, know your niche, and take advantage of modern tools like social media to build up a following.

If you’re in need of help with boosting your station’s profile we’d be happy to help. Check out our complete list of services now to see what we can do for you.

HOW TO SAVE TOP 40 POST-PANDEMIC AND REIGNITE THE FLAME

Innovate… Differentiate… or Disintegrate

By Jason Kidd – President/CEO of New Generation Radio and VirtualJock.com

This last year has been challenging for CHR and radio in general, to say the least. CHR was already struggling in several markets prior to the pandemic, things since have escalated. The majority of my programming career has been CHR or some sort of offshoot. I always liked going to the stations that were dead in the water that had huge turn around potential. Not one time in my career did I ever go to a station that was already successful. A couple had been successful before, but then lost their way. These stations in trouble would excite me. Today, you can take your pick; there are plenty of underperforming stations, which is why I have chosen to address this issue of where we are as a format today.

There is no question the industry has changed a ton since I started. That’s because it’s supposed to! However, the problem is we as an industry haven’t always been great at changing with it. There have been great professors along the way that absolutely knew how to evolve and reinvent—many I either worked under at one time or greatly respect like Steve Kingston, Scott Shannon, Dan Mason, Dr. Dave Ferguson, Jerry Clifton, Jay Stevens, Kid Curry, Steve Rivers, Steve Perun, Randy Michaels and Dom Theodore, just to mention a few. Most of these guys are now out of the day-to-day programming life and enjoying life on the beach, deservingly so. The problem was once guys like these left, there’s been very few to step up and fill their shoes. In the CHR world, there are about 8 or 9 programmers currently, who I greatly respect, that are real innovators, and their stations are winning because of it. A few of them are in high level corporate positions. Then, we have several others who have it in their DNA but may feel their hands are tied. With the lack of innovative risk-takers today, CHR’s progression, reinvention and evolution has slowed down dramatically. Much of the music has gone back to being driven solely by the record companies. With over 1000 Top 40 stations across America, less than 10% of them are still innovative at a time where it should be happening more now than ever. Join me, as we address CHR’s biggest “doldrums” and how we fix it before it’s too late.

32 things that could save CHR (and radio) tomorrow, before it’s too late:

 

Certainly, technology has played a part in competing for audience, but should it?

 

Over the decades we battled vinyl, cassettes and cd’s, the Walkman, MTV, video games, iPods, and Napster. What’s different about today? One big thing that played a huge part, which may sound a little crazy is… law enforcement. See, I told you, a little crazy, right? Not really. You see, once states implemented the hands-free law, it allowed Bluetooth to become front and center—a HUGE disruption. While it may be much safer then holding a phone up to your ear while driving, it has hurt radio listening tremendously in the automobile. Before, a personal people meter (used to measure radio audience) could still pick up audio from the radio while the driver was on the phone. Today when stuck in traffic, you make or take a call and the next thing you know you’ve been on it for 80% of your ride home. That doesn’t exactly help your time spent listening! However, let’s play devil’s advocate here for a sec… what if the product was really that good? If there was an engaging conversation being had, maybe people would wait on picking up that call.

Is the music cycle really that bad right now? 

I hear programmers complaining how there isn’t great product right now. I’ll be one of the first to say we’ve seen stronger years. 2010 through almost all of 2019 was a pretty strong decade. No doubt the pandemic has set the music world back, so we don’t have as many superstar artists putting out songs. Plus, it’s also allowed many tertiary songs to rise to the top more than they would have under normal conditions. With that said, it is not nearly as bad of a cycle as some may have you believe. Even with all the new real time metrics out there now, we still have a lot of radio using traditional call out research. It’s like reading a newspaper; it’s old information. Not to mention, who is picking up their phone from an unknown number in 2021? Radio MUST rely on real time stats. Things are just moving way too fast today.

Is CHR repeating an ugly history by ignoring the real hits?

I am once again seeing a big disconnect with the music I see people streaming locally in various markets and what’s currently being played on Top 40. 12 to 24-year-olds who stream YouTube, Spotify, etc. are not streaming half of what is played on Top 40. Billboard’s HOT 100, SiriusXM, TikTok, Apple, Shazam, Spotify, and Pandora also are quite different than what I am hearing on terrestrial CHR. That is very scary. “Up” by Cardi B, “Streets” by Doja Cat, “The Business” by Tiesto, and “Sea Shanty” The Wellerman have all been huge on TikTok, some for as long as 6 months. Where is Top 40? Well, I hear things like “they don’t test” or “I don’t see it on Mediabase yet”. So instead, we force songs like RITT MOMNEY “Put Your Records On” up the Mediabase chart. An okay remake of a once AC hit—just what the format needs right now (sarcasm). We have “What’s Next” by Drake and “Hold On” by Justin Bieber… monster artists in the demo that are big across the streaming platforms that are barely registering on Top 40 as of the publish date of this article. Oh, and let’s not forget “WAP” by Cardi B, a number 1 song on the HOT 100 (and many others) last year. Very few CHR’s got behind this… about 9 nationwide actually. How are we ignoring a #1 song? Because of sexual content? It was bad enough this was happening 34 years ago with George Michael’s “I Want Your Sex,” but we’re still doing this in 2021?  The difference today is listeners have plenty of other places to go. We cannot IGNORE THE REAL HITS.

When I go back to the ‘90s and look at the Hot 100, My friends (who are non-industry) know all of the songs in the top 10. Not because Top 40 embraced them, but because they got them from MTV or the rhythmic/crossover or alternative stations at the time. Programmers and consultants were afraid to play the hot new cutting-edge sounds at the time (Grunge, Hip Hop, Dance) in fear of blowing off adults. Instead, these programmers would still try to force feed irrelevant artists like Billy Joel, Elton John, and Celine Dion. These artists by this time should’ve been primarily AC, a lot of those programmers and consultants probably should’ve been too for that matter. The end result was CHR would lose over 800 stations within a 6-year period. It was billed as a horrible music cycle for CHR. To anyone my age at the time, it was some of the best music of our youth. So here we are today in 2021, and surprise, many of those responsible for that downfall era are now at a corporate level or are consultants still telling these stations how to program CHR. Don’t get me wrong, there are still a few out there that very much evolved with it and still get it… Mike McVay is one who comes to mind, but many others need to retire to AC, with all due respect. For Top 40 Radio to succeed in today’s world, the torch needs to be handed over to Gen-X/millennials at the higher levels. Top 40 should not be scared to play anything in this era.

No more 15-year-old “AC” songs on CHR.

I’ve seen and heard some top 40 stations playing “Crazy in Love” by Beyoncé, Kesha’s “Tik Tok”, “Sexy Back” by Justin Timberlake, or Jay Sean’s “Down.” These songs were great 10 and 15 years ago… But now? Really? I have some programmers say to me, “well they test well” or “the music cycle is bad right now.” Hmm… okkaayy. Then play a recurrent. Maybe a song that came out post-2010? Can you imagine back in the day growing up hearing a song on CHR from the 1970s when it’s 1992? I mean that is real cutting-edge radio. Come on, what are we doing? They test well? Well, I guess so, they’ve been out forever and are most likely playing on the local AC station in town. Why don’t you throw in Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” while you’re at it? CHR needs to get back to being innovative. Radio as a whole needs to do that, but especially a format like top 40. If we do not regroup and find a way to bring in 12 to 24-year-olds, we will have no future in CHR or any other format for that matter. This is it. Some could argue that it’s too late. I still believe there’s time… but we have to move fast.

Time to head back to the swamp in Secaucus. 

Okay, maybe a little extreme, but it is an absolute necessity that radio downsizes its facilities at once. Over the last 20+ years, radio companies have spent millions on leases for oversized, fancy facilities in some of the nicest neighborhoods in the country. I get the days of having little hole in the wall buildings next to swamps and railroad tracks were not exactly ideal, but the listeners had no idea. A lot of these stations were also some of the best in the country. These beautiful, huge facilities were mostly created for Wall Street. Now, most of these buildings are only a quarter full. Instead of decimating your staff, cut down on the size of your operation. Hold a zoom call with your staff every week, do some one-on-one’s by meeting up for coffee or HH once a week. Maybe a hybrid schedule. Your brand will flourish and so will your revenue.

More PDs need to take chances. 

Okay, I hear you loud and clear. Job stability sucks more than ever now, how are you supposed to push the envelope? The best case scenario is to work for a company that truly gets it in 2021. Believe it or not, there are still several. With these kinds of situations, you can make a name for yourself and win in the process. If you find yourself working for a company where your hands are tied, search for another situation when they become available. Sure, you could certainly stay there and toe the company line and play it safe for the paycheck, but you will never cut through as a PD and make a name for yourself. Also, even if you play by their rules, you can still be let go at any time. Why not make a difference and set yourself apart from the rest of the crowd, be a true innovator!

Learn from HBO and MTV. 

Yes, TV has had its own issues over the years too. HBO learned you can’t just rely on movies forever. Once Blockbuster Video gave way to Redbox, it became clear to HBO that anyone can have access to movies at the touch of a button. So to fix that disruption, they created their own content—huge original series!  HBO’s series are far bigger than any movies being shown across their platform.

As much as we joke about how MTV doesn’t play music any longer, can you blame them? It was becoming increasingly clear in the late ‘90s with the internet growing and the advent of websites and services like AOL and YouTube that they were going to need a lot more than just music videos to survive. Ironically, Bob Pittman, the creator of MTV, went on to launch AOL, which then became a huge disruption in the marketplace—including to MTV. MTV countered by also creating their own content. They developed series like, “Road Rules,” spearheaded the reality tv revolution and capitalized big on it. Their ratings in the last 20 years are higher than ever. Now, its radio’s turn. With the exception of maybe middays, every other daypart on a CHR station (and other formats) should be more talk and entertainment based, especially in the major and biggest markets. There, the usage of streaming platforms is not nearly as strong. In the smaller, more rural areas, people still tend to use radio for music. With that said, even there, talent should be doing more than just talking over intros. I have either worked with or evaluated several successful morning shows and their meter performance. They all would take a big dip anytime they played a song. The goal is to have that problem in other dayparts. Again, I’m not saying throw the music away, just extend the length of the content. As long as it is entertaining and compelling, it will beat out playing Justin Bieber for the millionth time that the listeners can get anywhere.

Stop shutting your talent down.

I am the talent’s biggest fan. Upon creating VirtualJock.com (6 years ago this week), I saw many talents not being treated with a whole lot of respect. Clearly if we’re going to become more talent driven, we can’t be handcuffing them. Countless times, PDs make the mistake of shutting talent up just so they can get back to another Justin Bieber song that they will hear in 10 other places. This was absolutely fine at one point in time to keep it short and not get in the way of the music. However, today in 2021, music is no longer the star at top 40, and most formats for that matter. One push of a button on the dash or a smartphone, or there are even cars where you just can just say, “Play The Weeknd ‘Save Your Tears’” and it plays instantly. Talent, entertainment, a real connection MUST COME FIRST. Everything else is second. I agree, there will be a percentage of the talent that will not be able to evolve and do more long form content. However, the ones that have it, let ‘em have at it. WIYY (98 Rock) in Baltimore is a great example. They are more talk than they are music during the week. They just produced a brand new 30-second TV spot, and it doesn’t mention the music once. All talent focused, mornings and afternoons. Guess what? They are number one. Not because it’s a rock station… but because it’s entertaining. They are even beating the local CHR’s with women. Again, funny, entertaining, mass appeal. The fact that it’s also super local doesn’t hurt either.

Afternoons, the new morning drive? 

More and more, especially post-pandemic, afternoons are becoming the new morning drive. Don’t throw away afternoons to 6-second breaks and a lot of music. While at WWMX/Baltimore, VP of Programming at the time, Dave Labrozzi already saw where things were heading and implemented a full-on morning show in afternoon drive– which I was a part of for a few years. The listeners still coming to radio want more than just the music. Put shows on the air that are entertaining; stop the music and perform and make people laugh. Again, Hollywood stories alone will not get the job done.

Lose the music beds. 

These are fine for night shows, but if we are doing long-form entertaining breaks more than a minute long, get rid of them. Talk dry.

Immerse yourself in the market. 

Still amazing in my travels speaking to programmers how many couldn’t tell you the names of their counties in the metro area or have even been to all of them. Get out of your office (or your new home office) and talk to the people. Relying on a piece of paper with data will not lead you to the promise land. If it were that easy, you could just give the receptionist at the front desk the research and have them plug it into MusicMaster or Selector.

PDs.. stop playing your biggest songs over 100x a week. 

This was the reason why “Hot Hits” fizzled so fast back in the day. 130x a week is great out of the gate for a new station, but it can’t be long term. After a while it becomes annoying, and your listeners will grow tired of it quickly. Add a 2nd top 40 in the market doing the same thing and then it’s really annoying. Top 40 in its biggest decades spun its songs between 70 and 99 times. That’s plenty.

Stop using the word ‘new’!

When it comes to music, radio has nothing new. Most of it is out way in advance on TikTok, YouTube, or another platform before radio discovers it. So just stop. The imaging I hear stating “new music” going into a song that I’ve been hearing for 6 months on another platform is lame.

Stop waiting for labels to get you the music.

Labels have some of the best music available, no question. However, even they sometimes miss one. Go out and find the hits. Whether it’s the local bars or local streaming. Top 40 should be cutting edge. Without the 12 to 24 demo, there is no future. Stop waiting for the hits to be handed to you. Go out and find them.

Top 40 played songs you wouldn’t hear on other stations or in other markets. 

Top 40 stations always had unique playlists over the years, different from market to market—album cuts, local artists. The big hits were not always the singles. See what the listeners are listening to from these albums. Then put it on the radio. 2/3 hits nationwide, the other 1/3 were hits local to the market.

Stop programming a station the way you did 15 years ago. 

The listening world has changed; change with it or die. Why are we still waiting a full week to do rotations on a top 40 station? As fast as the listening habits are today, don’t be afraid to make changes throughout the week. Innovate… Differentiate… or Disintegrate.

Stop using the phrase “what you don’t play can’t hurt you.”

That’s BS in this era. What you don’t play WILL hurt you. They will go elsewhere. Evolve your thinking.

For the love of God, get away from the 12-minute stop sets.

This was going on 10 years ago when I was at WPGC. How have we not evolved from this yet? I get it, we have to make money, but the days of long stop-sets must change. Commercial free hours do not work any longer. But neither do 12 minutes stops sets. The happy medium is maybe 2-minute stop sets every 3-4 songs, or 1 or 2 sponsors that can own the 30 minutes or hour with little 5-second spots in between songs. Home run, and your listeners will thank you with bigger ratings. With all of this said, we can no longer rely on revenue just from spots. While working for CBS in Baltimore, we bought a bar, hired a catering company, and sold sponsorships like Southwest airlines. The bar was open every Sunday, hours before the Ravens game started. Years prior to that, we bought a parking lot. We made money off the hundreds of cars every Sunday who were coming to the games. Events and radio shows are great, but we got to think bigger.

Make the stop-sets matter. 

Over the years production departments have been dismantled and centralized and in a lot of cases the spots just don’t sound compelling like they used to. Commercials do not have to be a tune-out. If your station needs help with that, we can absolutely assist through our killerspots.com division. Their creativity is some of the best you’ll ever hear.

No more Hollywood fluff. 

No one cares. Every research study I’ve been involved with ranks this dead last. Now don’t confuse “fluff” with real Hollywood stories like Kanye and Kim divorcing. However, these should be few and far between. Find four or five biggest things going on, especially locally and hit them like powers. Put your spin or opinion on them. Make it funny, make it entertaining.

Get back to “showbiz”

Radio talent over the years has gotten too realistic to where it’s boring. Most radio people I know don’t have exciting lives. Sorry, its reality. Even Howard Stern has a pretty boring life overall, and uses people around him for “show biz entertainment.” Enhance your “act” a little bit—get back to “showbiz.” As real as Howard Stern is, there is plenty of showbiz going on constantly. He is the best at it.

We must stop doing the same 6 or 7 formats in every market. 

Let’s come up with some new stuff. So much great music out there today and over the decades, be creative. Lord knows SiriusXM and others have.

Reboots! 

It started with Fuller House, Roseanne and now recently, Saved by the Bell and Punky Brewster. All huge hits and all have been reordered for multiple seasons. Cobra Kai is even bigger. The most popular series on Netflix, taken from a movie series that started all the way back in 1984. These series are not just huge with 35+ year-olds, its huge with 12-34’s as well! Radio companies should be all over this and taking advantage of this massive opportunity in their local marketplace. A station that had a massive following/connection with your local market in the ‘80s, ‘90s or 2000s, and if it’s done right can be a huge win for a floundering station. Some of these stations from the ‘80s do not need to necessarily come back as “Classic Hits” stations. They could be CHRs again today. You would get a lot of the adults who have kids today, they all would listen.

Stop playing solely to the meters.

There are classic hits stations playing a song from 1982 as many as seven times a day. That’s absolutely absurd. Games like that work in the short term, but then once those meters are gone, good luck replacing them with future audience. You’ve run everybody else off.

LOCAL, LOCAL, LOCAL!

Mentioning towns on the air is not being local, it’s being lazy. There’s no substance there. When talking about these cities and towns around your metro, have a purpose behind it. Have a story. While spending 3 years in afternoons at WRQX/Washington, DC 90% of what I discussed, made fun of, etc. were all LOCAL and people were talking about it. It resonated with the audience as we saw it in the ratings. Apps like Spotify and Pandora are not able to produce local, entertaining content or encompass what’s popular musically in your market.

Podcasting.

Some in radio blow it off, other companies have gotten behind it. It’s the real deal, though, and it’s only getting bigger. People want longform entertainment which radio has not been providing. The app Clubhouse is also a huge up-and-comer and will completely change our listening environment. Radio must embrace these technologies and platforms to make their product better without trying to be like them.

Replace PPM with an app.

Ever since Shazam, I’ve been screaming this. I know I can’t be the only one. The intel I get from people in the biz is that it’s not as easy as it seems. The app developers that we’ve spoken with say that is simply not the case. Our guess is that Neilson probably does not want to make it seem that easy. It can be done. Radio companies, come together and create your own. I know there are things currently in the works with a couple of companies and that’s exciting to hear.

Promotions.

The days of the booth handing out cookbooks and having them spin the ‘ole prize wheel are long gone… at least they better be. Someone I’ve worked with for over 20 years at just about all of my stations, the one and only Promotions King, Paige Nienaber from CPR promotions says, “It needs fun contesting. Desperately. With winners. Can you imagine Monty Hall having people enter their emails and then not even have the winner on? When concerts and experiences come back, have some fucking fun with them.” Once again, he nails it. The one thing radio can still deliver that streaming platforms can’t are experiences. We’ve put listeners in the front row, backstage, on their tour bus, hell, I’ve had them fly on the band’s private plane to the next show. Who else can do that, but radio?

Social media.

Radio has always been a 24 hour a day marketing platform—the original social media! Don’t waste an opportunity to market your brand in a fun, creative, entertaining way. At the same time, utilize other social media platforms in incremental doses. Watch the number of posts and FB lives per week. Have a reason when you do it. If you do it all the time, it won’t resonate, and it will be a turn off—a wallpaper. Make sure your station or show on social media is always on top of whatever’s current. It should always match your on-air product.

Processing. 

Not sure how we lost the art of sounding better than an audio stream, but we did. Processing was one of the few things we still actually got, and we’ve managed to mess that up too. I generally find 2, maybe 3 stations in each market who still get this. The others make me want to listen to a streaming platform because most of the time it does sound better. It shouldn’t. There are some great processing boxes out there today by groups like Omnia and Orban. Part of the issue is there may not be an engineer in the building on a full-time basis anymore and the local PD may not know how to fix it. The other part of the issue is what we are going to bring up next…

Turn off the Voltair box.

This with the combination of Neilson’s eCBET make radio stations unlistenable. PPM is literally driving people away from local radio. Together, they make the audio quality at times sound horrific. Radio, especially CHR always had an unduplicated sound. It shouldn’t sound like it’s coming off a PC or an iPhone. It should always sound better than any app can produce.

Imaging. Slick presentation

I still hear a lot of imaging that sounds like it did 20 years ago. Lots of filtered stuff and non-processed voices that sound like commercials or wallpaper. My vision for a CHR station when it came to imaging was always to make it larger than life. A bunch of dummies came in years ago and tried to reinvent the wheel by making their imaging “conversational.” That’s great if you are an AC, or Adult Hits, perhaps… but CHR? That makes me want to vomit. Your talent is the one connecting with the audience on a conversational level. The imaging brings you in and makes you remember what you are listening to. CHR’s like Z100/NY, WKTU/NY, KISS 108/Boston, B96/Chicago, Q99-7 Atlanta, KDWB/Minneapolis, WLLD/Tampa and LIVE 95-5/Portland all still get this, but they are the minority as it is becoming a lost art. When I had a competitor that was already doing a “larger than life” presentation, then we would do the opposite and strip everything down to almost whispers, but still with an attitude. Very Jerry Clifton-esque. Any way you could stand out. Build stagers out of stops sets with forward momentum so the jocks can have some energy and excitement into the music. The stagers, drones, contest solicits, etc… all should sound like Elon Musk’s SPACEX launching.

It should suck listeners in!

WHY YOU SHOULD HIRE A VOICE TRACKING RADIO PERSONALITY

radio personality

Are you looking to create a new show or radio commercial to appeal to your target market? Do you want to find ways of attracting your customers to your brand? If so, then you need to hire a radio personality to add life to your new radio endeavors.

Doing so can give you the help that you need. Rather than going through the motions and reading off a script, the radio talent you hire will bring those words to life and open your customer’s ears!

See below for all of the reasons that you should hire a radio personality and give your new show the excitement it so desperately needs.

1. Represents Your Brand

The voice that you use in your new show or radio advertising initiatives will play a pivotal role in whether or not listeners receive your message. They can tell when you’re merely reading words off of a script.

A radio personality can connect with the listeners and give an exact representation of the brand image you’re going for.

For example, if you’re wanting to make a fun show that talks updates listeners about the hottest celebrity gossip, you want someone with a fun and zany voice.

If you’re running a show about answering medical questions from callers, you’ll want someone with a firm and professional sounding voice. Someone that can put it into terms that you understand. You get the idea.

Be sure to reach out to find the right radio voice talent for your project. Doing so will get your show off on the right foot from the get-go.

2. Generates Excitement

Generating excitement for your show isn’t as easy as it sounds. It means that you have to bring the same level of energy to the mic every single show. 

You have to deliver the same tone and vibe that the audience is expecting. You either have it or you don’t. No amount of coffee is going to fix it if you don’t have that particular skills. Listeners will turn you off faster than you can say “radio”.

No matter what type of show you’re running, the show’s voice(s) have to create excitement from within. 

If you’re a murder mystery show, then the radio personality will have to create suspense and intrigue. If you’re a top 100 songs show, the radio voice has to generate enough interest to keep the listeners tuned in to see what song made it to the top.

You don’t have to have a unique show concept to get a following. People tune in for the person behind the mic. Without the right level of energy, you could turn people off to your show. They may never turn back to it again.

3. Encourages Listener Engagement

The listeners of your new radio show are a lot like customers. They want to be told what to do. If you’re fortunate enough to earn their trust, then they will consider everything you say as a firm fact.

That’s the power of an attractive radio personality for your show. They’ll be able to connect with your audience in a way that you otherwise couldn’t. They will encourage your listeners to engage with your brand on multiple levels.

For example, if your radio show is throwing a nonprofit event at a small business nearby, then your radio voice can pump up the excitement of the event.

They’ll make it sound more appealing for your target market, which will lead to you getting face to face with more qualified listeners. People want in on the fun, and with the right radio personality, you can direct your audience any way you want them to go.

4. Create Familiarity

Put yourself in the shoes of a member of your show’s audience for a second. You hop in the your car after a long day of work, turn the ignition, and what’s the next thing you do? Turn on your favorite podcast and/or radio station.

Why? Because you’re familiar with that radio station. You know that you’ll enjoy listening to the radio personalities on it and the songs they play (if applicable). This is a prime example of familiarity, and it’s a powerful tool for your up-and-coming show.

If you have new voices running the show from show to show, your audience can never get comfortable with your show’s vibe. If a listener tunes in expecting to hear “Froggy Tom’s” voice, then they’ll be disappointed to hear a different voice.

5. Off-Air Connection

The personalities and people on your radio show will extend far beyond the time restraints when you’re on the air. If a listener likes the brand you’re selling, they’ll want to connect with you and your radio voice off-air as well.

That means following you and your show on social media, on your website, relistening to your episodes on playback, and so on.

Without a proper radio personality, you risk not connecting with your audience in a strong enough way. You want listeners to view your show as a must-listen. That way, they’ll not only listen to every episode but follow your every move as well.

Find the Right Radio Personality for Your Needs

Now that you have seen all of the different reasons that your new radio show needs a radio personality or two behind it, it’s time to start your search for the right voice.

Be sure to read this article for more information on what characterizes an outstanding on-air broadcaster for you to use while you search.

To hear some of the industries top radio voice tracker’s or if you are or if you want to speak with one of our radio talent gurus. Ready to take the next step to higher ratings?  Let’s chat! Contact Jason Kidd, CEO of VirtualJock.com today!

7 FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN BUILDING A RADIO STATION FORMAT

A Microphone in a Recording Booth

When Marconi made the first transatlantic radio wave, he probably never imagined we would be where we are today. More than 244.5 million American adults listen to the radio each month. In the competitive climate of radio today, you’ve got to be top-notch to grab the attention of listeners and earn your way to the top of the market. Whether you are starting a radio station or changing your format, you know that you have an important decision to make. The foundation of your station lays in your format and you have to know your audience to provide relevant programming. Keep reading for 7 factors to consider when building a radio station format!

1. Consider the Competition

Just like any product or service on the marketplace, the first step is seeing what is already out there. Using All Access and Nielson’s ratings you can see where the market is too saturated. If there are decades-old stations that you know listeners are committed to, you might stay away from that format.

If you’re up for a challenge and have a great idea, go for it. However, the best option is looking for formats that aren’t tapped into yet. You want to offer something unique and interesting to grab the listener’s attention and then retain it.

It’s important to pay attention to companies as well. Sometimes watching how a company is behaving in a market can let you in on some secrets. If they are planning to sell or change their game plan, you’ll be able to make a better decision for your future.

2. Research the Demographics

Another marketing plan must-have, you’ll need to find out who is listening. Meaning you should know exactly what demographics make up your market. You’ll need to find out information about age, race, sex, employment, education, income, marital status, and more.

These factors can give you a major hint as to what they would like to hear. Most radio broadcasting companies will create a “sample profile” of one of their station’s listeners. Whenever you need to come up with content, you refer to that profile. If they would most likely be interested, your content is good to go and works when it comes to trying to target your audience.

The more information about your potential listening audience that you have, the better you can relate, sell, and provide relevant information to them after you have decided on the format.

3. Can Your Team Sell It?

It would be great to just pick a format that you think is the most interesting. When building a radio station format, you’ll need to consider how you are funding this operation. 

Sales are the way to do it. Making an informed decision about business comes down to money. If you think you have a great idea about which format to go with, sit down and think about how marketable it is. Ask your team if they believe in the decision and what challenges they think you may face.

Depending on the format, you may have vastly different clients looking to advertise on that station. For example, your local smoke shop might not be interested in advertising on your gospel station. In that case, you probably wouldn’t want them to either.

4. How Are You Going to Promote It?

When it comes to radio stations, marketing is a double-edged sword. Thank your Promotions Manager, they have a lot on their plate! Not only are you concerned with promoting your clients in the best way possible but you have to make sure you are getting your station out there too.

The big question is how are you going to create a unique identity for your station.

Think about ways that you can promote the format. Non-profit involvement is a wonderful way to get out there and make a name for yourself while making a difference in the community. Depending on the attitude you bring with your format, some non-profits may be hesitant to work with you.

On one hand, you could have the edgiest rock station ever and be super successful. On the other, you could have a talk station full of angels. Both have their own benefits. Either way, you’ll need promotional materials to get you to the top. This means coming up with creative ideas and then all of those logo-ed out materials that we all end up with way too much of.

Also, think about remotes. How is your format going to look out at businesses and how exactly does it come into play when you are on-site with listeners? Your street-team will need to know how to represent your unique identity and have the right tools to do so.

5. Syndication, Clocks, and Programming

Another big question is syndication or no syndication? Where are you getting your radio shows from and what does that sound like in your market? These are very important questions to ask yourself and will save you some pain once you’re deeper into planning.

Furthermore, think about clocks. Sometimes there are formats that stick to a general idea about how clocks should be composed. Your rotations for commercials, music, and voice-tracking will be the foundation of how you compete in a market against other stations. This includes how you schedule your shows. A one minute difference could throw your whole game off.

Your format will come into play with your sweepers and liners as well. These will act as another key identifier for your brand. Working between programming and production is an important relationship to consider. Virtual Jock offers production services to help out! 

6. Who Is Your Talent?

You could have the greatest program director in the world and still miss the bar if your talent isn’t on point. Consider the factor of who is going to be on your station if you choose a certain format. These are the voices (and nowadays faces), of your station.

We love sounding local when it comes to radio. You’ll need to find talent that fits your format, sounds good, and if they aren’t local they need to make it sound local. Hiring outside of your market can be intimidating so if you’re looking to make sure you’re getting the right people, check out our talent.

7. What Isn’t Working?

Back to the competition, but not so competitive this time. Pay attention to who is failing. If you notice there is a format that is overall underperforming in the ratings, find out why. Depending on the answer you know you have a chance to make something happen there or you know to stay away.

Securing the Right Radio Station Format

Keep in mind that radio is a service and a product so you still need to think about the marketing plan when you are trying to figure out which radio station format will work best for you. Taking these factors into consideration will help you plan for the long haul and create the best station possible.

Set yourself up for success and next time the ratings book comes out, you’ll be sweating a little bit less and the office won’t be so dead.

We offer great format design at Virtual Jock, make sure to check out our services and see what we could offer you!