John Lund
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It’s summer – a time when many take their family to Disneyland or Disney World. Most Americans admire the extraordinary worlds built by Walt Disney—theme parks, films, and experiences that somehow make grown adults wait an hour in humidity to hug a six-foot mouse and call it magical. But Disney’s real genius was not simply attractions. It was people.
Once your station has achieved a viable cume level, building a core of heavy users should be a top priority.
There is one highly contagious radio disease we continue to hear in stations across the country. We call it: Formatus Interruptus. It is the sound of a radio station constantly disrupting its own momentum.
A few additional minutes of listening per day can work wonders for ratings performance. For example, if your station enjoys an average quarter-hour share of 8.0 with a cume of 75,000, extending listening by just 16 extra minutes a day could potentially move that share to roughly 10.2.
Ask someone to name a running shoe and you’ll hear familiar winners: Nike, Adidas, Reebok, Brooks, or New Balance. Ask someone to name a radio station and, more often than not, they’ll mention the stations with the strongest visibility, clearest identity, and most consistent image. But not necessarily the best station; they name the best-known station. That distinction matters.
A strong Strategic Plan provides management, programming, sales, and marketing with a shared roadmap, measurable goals, accountability, and direction. Think of it as GPS for your station—because “let’s just see what happens” is not a management strategy. Here are practical steps to create and implement a winning station strategic plan.
Summer may feel like taking it easy, but it’s no time for your station to take a vacation from the basics. Listeners still expect great radio, and ratings don’t suddenly become generous because someone brought popsicles to the office.
This is the “sparkling magic” that creates an emotional connection with listeners. It makes your station feel alive, fun, aspirational, and slightly larger than everyday life.
Bigger Audience, Smaller Budget. Growing your cume doesn’t have to cost a fortune—it just has to cost some thought. In fact, some of the most effective audience-building tactics are sitting right under your nose… probably next to that promo calendar you haven’t updated since February.
We’re radio junkies, and we hear a lot of contests. A few are brilliant. Many are effective. And some make us wonder if the winner also receives a decoder ring and a graduate degree in cryptography.
