[BC] Food for thought

[Denny Haight Jr.]

Excellent stuff.....thanks for passing it on!
Denny

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Scott Cason" <scott.cason at insightbb.com>
To: <broadcast at radiolists.net>
Sent: Tuesday, May 03, 2005 2:45 PM
Subject: [BC] Food for thought


Here are portions of an article written in February by Tom Watson, a very
well-known and highly-regarded broadcaster of thirty years and owner of a
major marketing and consulting firm in Los Angeles for the past fourteen
years. He has worked with #1 stations not only in the USA, but four other
countries as well.   I just found it, and to me it dovetails perfectly into
a thread we had a few months ago about the current sad state of radio
programming today.
"The biggest mistake we make in radio programming today is over-estimating
product knowledge on the part of the listener. We tend to assume that they
know everything we do on the air...every promo, contest, etc. THAT IS NOT
EVEN NEAR REALITY!  Radio is an appliance to the average listener...a
toaster, toilet, microwave oven, period. The scary thing is that people can
(and some do) live life without using radio! Radio is FREE to listen to. You
don't have to pay $10 for station "A" and $20 for station "B." So why should
they remember what station they listen to?  Music is not a strong enough
benchmark to make you #1. Don't get me wrong... music is important, but to
reach the full potential of your radio station in the ratings, there must be
more to your station than just a music image or "18 in a row."
"In a recent seminar at a major university, students were asked to raise
their hands if they had listened to a local radio station in the past 7
days. Out of the 350 students in that auditorium, NONE raised their hands!!!
When probed, they admitted to listening on the internet, and listing to
iPods/downloaded music, CD's, and watching VH-1 and MTV. When asked why,
they said there wasn't anything "interesting" on local radio. That, my
friend, is a sad testament to our industry and what we do for a living!  If
we as an industry don't start getting back to what made us famous, i.e.:
localism, fun, personality, local news & traffic..."the basics" that
listeners tell us over and over again they want from their favorite radio
station, we are doomed to declining ratings and revenue.  We as broadcasters
tend to say "to hell with what they want... we know what radio needs and
should be doing." That is the quickest route to the bottom of the ratings
stack. Give the listeners what they want when they tune into your station."
"There are about 15 "little things" that make up a successful #1 radio
station; i.e.: fun, (in presentation and sound) community reflection and
involvement, personality from jocks, localism, news & information, and the
list goes on and on.  Look at your station and your product as a listener,
and NOT as a radio person. Don't try to program your station to impress
other radio people, corporate program directors, etc. Program your radio
station for the listeners in your market...period!"
-Tom Watson

Scott Cason

LaGrange Communications, LLC
502-213-0024



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