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.

You can’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get. Remove self-imposed limitations. The only real limits in radio are the ones you put on yourself. ‘I can’t do that in this market.’ ‘My PD won’t let me.’ ‘Our audience wouldn’t get it.’ Bull. Every breakthrough show started with someone refusing to accept the conventional wisdom.

Here are a few of the songs we’re watching this week. Scroll down to hear the full songs. Miley Cyrus "Bass Persuades" Hot AC/Top 40, Adela "Nicole Kidman" Hot AC/Top 40, Beyonce (Timbaland Remix) "Get Me Bodied" Rhythmic/Urban, President "Sleepwalker" Rock/Alternative, Kane Brown f/Shania Twain "Boots" Country and more!

Out of this week's data here are a few of the songs that topped those lists nationally in the US and Canada along with a few random specific markets. The United States, Country, Ella Langley "Choosin' Texas" (Overall #1).

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.

Challenge yourself to rephrase content to be more efficient. It isn’t about the length, but about mastering the art of brevity. Don’t just trim words. Reconstruct sentences. Can you say it better in half the words? Can you make it stronger by making it shorter?

Every week at Radio Station Consultant we watch multiple new songs across radio formats to help us better advise our clients on new music adds. Here are a few of the songs we’re watching this week. Scroll down to hear the full songs. Alex Warren "Emerald Eyes" Hot AC/Top 40, Rod Wave "Dope Girl" Rhythmic/Urban, Dominic Fike "Wallflower" Alternative, Beartooth "Beautiful Again" Rock and more!

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.

Out of this week's data here are a few of the songs that topped those lists nationally in the US and Canada along with a few random specific markets. Los Angeles, California, Rock/Alternative: Steve Lacy "Oh Yeah?"