The stark reality is that you do not have one or two minutes to set up a bit at the end of a song. Instead, you must set the hook within eight seconds of cracking the mic. If listeners find you interesting in the first few seconds, they give you a little longer.  The younger the audience, the less time you have.  Ensure your social media and web content is also crafted for a quick reward.

There are ways to stretch that listener’s time. Promote a feature (content) or contest to bring listeners back for the next hour (or next break). “Win a free tank of gas today at 3.”  Time spent listening is also about increasing listening occasions, not just expanding the listening duration. 

One of radio’s key benefits is the ability to react swiftly to current events.  Top-of-mind mirroring makes radio the go-to medium when listeners want to be in the know, especially during major events in local communities. 

Listeners are drawn to the station when the programming is presented with passion, and the musical product is staged with charisma. Too often, a station will play great music but present it in a way that is too bland to spark any interest and excitement in its audience. The following examples illustrate how a station can develop this programming charisma.

While music, talents, and promotion are essential, creating a one-on-one relationship with each listener requires instilling a distinctive on-air personality or Stationality.  It requires more than just playing the right music or having the best contest.  The depth of programming knowledge necessitates reaching out and touching the listener, developing new ways of marketing radio, and being a music source.