John Lund
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At your next programming meeting, put this question at the top of the agenda: “What will sound better or different on our station because we had this meeting?” Before anyone leaves, identify at least three specific improvements, assign an owner and establish a deadline.
Sooner or later, every radio station has a bad day. A promotion results in an injury. A personality gets arrested. Someone says something spectacularly stupid on the air. A contest goes sideways. An employee posts something inappropriate. Or a station vehicle suddenly appears on the evening news—and not because you donated it to charity.
Your website is part of the station's product. It should immediately communicate the same brand, attitude, entertainment and local connection listeners hear on the air. As you prepare for Fall, give your website a programming review. Start with these ten principles.
A strong listener database turns anonymous Cume into people you can communicate with, learn from, activate—and bring back to the station. As you prepare for Fall, consider these ten ways to make your database a genuine programming, marketing and sales weapon.
Fall is radio’s annual reminder that hope is not a strategy. You can’t wait until the ratings arrive and then decide what you should have done three months earlier. Before September gets away from you, build a Fall Strategic Plan designed to increase Cume, listening occasions, TSL, and Top-of-Mind awareness. Here are ten places to start.
Over the years, I've heard thousands of radio stations around the world. Many had similar music. Similar contests. Similar jingles. Similar voices. Some even used the same syndicated features. Yet a handful of stations sounded unmistakably unique. You knew it was them within seconds. That's not luck.
If your DJs would rather have a root canal than attend the weekly programming meeting, it's time for a new agenda. A great programming meeting shouldn't feel like detention. It should be part brainstorming session, part coaching clinic, part pep rally, and part comedy club.
Every market has one. The station everyone talks about. The station listeners recommend to friends. The station competitors secretly monitor. Winning stations don't have better transmitters. They have better execution. While others chase the latest gimmick, great stations master the fundamentals—and never stop improving them. Here are ten habits you'll find in almost every successful station.
Every station wants bigger ratings. The smartest stations also want bigger databases. Why? Because algorithms change. Social media comes and goes. Streaming services compete for attention. But an email address, mobile number, or app user who has chosen to hear from your station is one of the most valuable marketing assets you own.
Radio stations spend thousands of dollars producing commercials for advertisers. Then they promote themselves with a voice reading copy over a music bed. Your station deserves better. The best promos don't just announce what's happening, they create anticipation. They're movie trailers for your station.
