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Radio Formats: Notes and Summary |
Copyright, Dr. Janet McMullen, 2001
Four reasons for radio's popularity:
1. Mobility
2. Consistency
3. Content
4. Localism
The radio industry is changing daily. Reasons for it:
Trends over the last fifteen years have led to today's radio industry.
1. Specialization: formatting to serve one specific demographic group
2. Fractionalization: division of markets because of more and more stations in each market due to:
3. Fragmentation: division of formats to super-specialize, focusing on a specific, narrow demographic group
NARROWCASTING: programming to attract a narrow "niche" of the audience.
4.. Multiple ownership/duopoly: allows more stations to operate more efficiently, allowing radio to have an economic resurgence:
Ownership regulations began to change in the early 90s and by 1996 with the passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, previous limits of 20 AM and 20 FM stations per owner were eliminated. Clear Channel Communications now owns more than 1200 stations. Radio is making more money than ever because multiple stations make economies of scale more advantageous.
5. The Resurgence of Talk Radio, Networks and AM
Largely due to the influence and success of folks like Rush Limbaugh, AM radio made a come back after it was thought to be dead and buried. The return of all types of audience because of talk radio, sports radio and news/talk provided a financial base for AM. "In Tampa, Fla., you could have purchase one of the best AMs in the market for $1 million to $1.5 million three years ago. Now you can't touch them for less than $4 Million....There had been a time when there were AMs you actually had to give away. No one wanted them.....Now, the prices for good AM facilities have gone up and the very good facilities, buyers can't even touch." (Bstg 10/10/94p. 45) In the September 28th issue of Broadcasting and Cable, it was announced that WMVP(AM) in Chicago sold for $21 Million. (P. 56).
In 2001, the Talk resurgence has applied to FM. Now FM talkers are gaining ground, particularly among younger audiences. FM talk usually tends to be more entertainment oriented than information oriented, but it is delivering well.
6. Use of new technologies: Digital technology is changing the way radio operates right now. You must know how to use computers and be comfortable with them. In the very near future, all programming, editing, and production will be done digitally; we're almost there now.
In addition digital technologies will allow totally new TYPES of radio - Digital Satellite Radio will bon the air before the end of the year.
A tour of radio web sites will quickly show you how many stations are on the web and how many audio delivery systems are available.
Some sites to check out:
Http://www.@home.net @home is a service that provides internet services (including music) via cable modems.
Radio is also delivered by cable, through The Box Music Network. It is an interactive network though which viewers/listeners can order videos, access various formats, some commercial free, and other pay-per-view services. They also have a new web site, which you can see at http://www.thebox.com/
National media are covering these trends and making consumers aware of their new listening options. A Februrary, 1999 article in Radio World emphasized that broadcasters needed to recognize the world for them is changing and they had better change with it. The real threat may be that listeners can build their own stations on the web, focusing on the type of music they like, regardless of how cost effective such a format might be in a local market. While that's good for them, it means the whittling away of local market listeners. Some experts compare this era to the dawn of cable television. Broadcasters didn't take cable seriously, but after two decades of steady growth cable has nearly cut the three-network share in half! Broadasters need to see themselves less as radio broadcasters, but as content providers. That means they use all channels at their disposal and seek to develop new ones. According to Paul J. McLane of Radio World, "The strongest product rmeains the same as before: good, localized, compelling programming." (McLane, 1999).
7. Growth of Syndication: This is related to talk radio, but syndicated programs are becoming more and popular and syndicated program services are successful as well. Limbaugh, Stern, Kasem and others. Newer trend is syndication of entire stations. Winning station in a market exports itself via translator or syndication. WAYM (WAY-fm) in Nashville does the translator route WDRE-FM, 92.7 of New York City is syndicated to six additional outlets across the country.
8. Aging of the radio audience: 13-18 demo is way down from just 1990 ; older demographics are holding steady but declining in 24-34 slightly. Still, advertisers still want to go after a younger demo because these people have not yet established buying patterns and brand loyalty.
9. Radio on the Internet: New Delivery system. Development of real audio. Computer software which delivers real-time audio over the Internet to a PC. Proliferation of Web Pages for radio stations. Useful as promotional/marketing tool, provides information. Necessary if station is to be perceived as "cutting edge."
By 2005, Internet is expected to be a 5 BILLION dollar industry. Experts say broadcasters have to be on the net in order to obtain easy/quick interaction with listeners on a regular basis. There are also advertising opportunities as listeners visit the site; basic ads and coupons. Start up costs for a Web Site in 1995-6= $5,000-10,000 with monthly maintenance costs running about $800.00.
NetRadio Network (http://fly.hiwaay.net/~jmcmulle/(http://www.netradio.net ) is the first internet provider to offer original audio content on the net. If offers music and information, including shopping.
10. The growth of digital and satelite radio: The next year will see the inauguration of this service. More info on it later.
.
You must never for get that this is a BUSINESS and depends on financial success! How is financial success achieved? By Delivering Audience and audience is delivered through content:
FORMATS
TWO definitions of Format:
1. routine: Format clock--based on # of spots/hour
Stations have various format clocks for different times of the day, based on how many spots are sold during that hour and how many listeners are there.
A rotation is a category of music based on how quickly a song cycles through, or is repeated during an hour, a daypart or a day. There are number of difference types of classic rotations:
hot hits: this will have the fewest song which will cycle through most quickly.
currents: those songs which are on the charts but not high enough on it to be in the "hot" rotation. These won't be played as much as the "hot" songs, but will have the next highest frequency of play.
recurrents: song which WERE very popular, which people still like, but which haven't been on the charts for 18-24 months (generally). These songs will be cycled through at a slower rate than currents.
oldies: These are songs that have been off the charts for a while. In non-Classic Rock or Oldies formats these songs will have the slowest rotation.
Categorical: Rotations may also be determined by their characteristics: instrumental/vocal group/male/ female/tempo/etc.
Some decisions which must be made:
Group of spots called:
Researchers find that 4 breaks per hour seem to work best. Even powerful personality jocks get stale after 20 or 30 minutes straight. Howard Stern is about the only one who can do it successfully. The breaks seem to add energy to program.
DAYPARTS:
6-9 (10) = Class A or AA = AM DRIVE drive time
9-3 (4) = Class B = DAYTIME
3-6 (7) = Class A = PM DRIVE
6-12 = Class C = EVENING
12-6 = Class D = Late night
CONTENT:: What the station programming includes type of music amount of news, sports, etc. These are described as radio formats: top 40, country, etc. 20 years ago, there were a few static formats: MOR, TOP 40, Easy Listening, Country, Religious and that was about it. Now there is a proliferation of formats, frequently sharing characteristics. Delineation among formats is becoming lured.....Formats are constantly changing, and it is important to stay up to date with what is happening in radio programming.
UNITY
VARIETY
BALANCE
COHERENCE
CONTRAST
EMPHASIS
The concept of unity is probably the most important. Recent article in Radio World (1/1/95) discussed the role of an "image voice" -- a sound or voice which is identified with YOUR station/format. The voice-over artists who do this may not even live in the city where the station operates....Copy is faxed to the announcer who records it and sends it back to the station by noon the next day.
Using the same voice for all promos and station id's provides a unifying factor which "maintains the integrity of the station image."
The production tools you use are also important. As well as the voice over sound, the production music and sound effects are essential in reinforcing your sound."
Ziggy Pelzer , production director at WCBS-FM in New York put it this way. "(Every station) is playing the same music. It depends on how it's present, the whole flavor..." (RW 1/22/97 p. 34)
How do you do that?
First: Find the right voice over artist (which we've already discussed)
SECOND: Find the right production libraries: Music and SFX
[If time allows, play Kieth tape illustrating commercials designed for specific types of formats.]
Why all this attention to detail? Because it gets and holds the attention of listeners!
According to the Radio Advertising Bureau's 1997 Radio Marketing Guide and Fact Book, the average person in the U.S. listens to radio 3 hours and 18 minutes each weekday and more (5 hours and 45 minutes) on the weekend. Adults in the U.S. spend more time with radio between the hours of 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. than with any other medium.
If a format is designed correctly its listeners do more than just listen: they get involved. Most people will pick two or three stations that meet their needs and interests and STAY with those stations. This makes radio an attractive medium for advertisers: immediacy, intimacy, mobility and the ability to target a narrow demographic on a consistent basis.
Formats are listed in the order of their use by stations. Listing is based on the ranking in Broadcasting and Cable Yearbook, 1997. The rankings have not changes significantly since then.
ANNOUNCING CRITERIA: (from Keith)
THINGS to AVOID:
2. ADULT CONTEMPORARY: Also known as "Light Rock"
NEW ADULT CONTEMPORARY is one of the "hot formats"; the MIX
Some Background on the MIX:
THE MIX: The format was introduced in the early 1990s. It's not exactly a format, but a label to describe the variety used in format.
ANNOUNCING CRITERIA:
3. NEWS/TALK Sub-formats/related-formats
News
Talk
IF ALL of these three are totaled, there are more than 2000 stations, making this the largest format. Different organizations/reports will total these differently, but you can see that the success of this format has been a shot in the arm for AM radio!
TALK:--Began in the 1960's.
That same research showed:
Rush LImbaugh, Dr. Laura, and others have revolutionized this format.
More people receive their first news from radio (42%) than TV (31%) or print (18%), but news formats are very expensive.
NEWS:
Once ratings were low, but sales were very good because of solid, up scale demographics. KGO in San Francisco has been #1 in market for 10 years. Its PD said "Music is background; we're FOREGROUND. When you're listening to us, you're really listening!" both formats may be moving to FM soon. That's where 75% of listeners are.
RATINGS are getting better. People have found "a media that's immediate, that's responsive, and allows them to participate."
Help from strong talk show hosts: RUSH LIMBAUGH and others.
"For the first time in recent history, you're seeing TV imitating radio." (Larry King, Limbaugh)
We can't talk about talk radio without talking about Rush Limbaugh --
In March, 1997, the Jacor Communications bought EFM Communications which syndicates the Limbaugh program. The price of the acquisition was $50 Million. In the same deal, Jacor got Dr. Dean Edell 's show. Later in the summer, Jacor purchased Dr. Laura Schlessinger's program rights for $71 million dollars. This deal included the cost of MultiVerse Networks, which put the prices for the talk hosts at about the same. (Bstg. 9/5/97p. 14)
Air personalities can be liabilities as well as assets.
KLBJ -AM found they had a big liability in Rollye James. While she brought the afternoon Austin, TX talk you way up in the ratings, her poor choice of words resulted in her "leaving" the station and a flood of calls, including an investigation by the Secret Service!!
Caller: "Rollye, I was in Kentucky and I saw a bumper sticker that read "Where is Lee Harvey Oswald when you need him?""
Rollye: "Yeah, right, you got that right...but the problem is, if you got Clinton, you'd get Gore."
Later when a caller took her to task for the statement, among other comments, she said if she had the power, she'd "make it a trifect and get Clinton, Gore and Hillary." She later said she was kidding, but the apology she made on air, "wasn't an apology" according to the station manager.
Another similar situation occurred in May of 1996, when Bob Grant of WABC(AM) made an inappropriate comment associated with the death of Commerce Secretary, Ron Brown. HE had previously been under fire for pro-white supremacist statements he had made. This was the last straw and he was GONE!
News has been dropped from music stations because with deregulation, don't HAVE to have it. In a tight niche, however, news may help make a difference. Especially "Water cooler news" -- the stuff people talk about around the water cooler. Big financial losses were incurred in these formats because news is so expensive. Many stations just dropped hard news all together.
Syndicated services have kept some of stations in business.
NEW SPIN: Computer-delivered talk radio is on the way! Real audio is putting radio on the Internet. Technology still very expensive; requires sophisticated multimedia computer. Internet is a series of computer networks linking some 14 million people in more than 100 countries via telephone lines and satellites. Of those 14 million, 2 million have computers powerful enough to turn computer files into digital audio. Since new computers sold are multimedia computers those numbers are rising at an astounding rate.
Service seen as a work place technology (like trade mags)
Not seen as potential threat to radio because of lack of localism.
INTERNET SITES: site visitors seem to want news and information on the site, so stations, while limiting length of newscasts on the air, are putting them on more frequently in some cases, and offering the newscasts on the internet site 24 hours per day. A whole realm of news providers hare working the radio market to meet those needs for content 24 hours per day.. Bstg 8/19/96 p. 54.
Another Influence on TALK RADIO is DUOPOLY based!
AM-AM COMBO's offer "48 hours of talk in a day!"
Once a broadcaster corners the market on talk, there's not a lot of room left for other AM duopolies.
EXAMPLES: KPRC-KSEV: in Houston. Rush Limbaugh is live on one; taped and aired later on the other. Local talkers are on both stations. Promote stations as a one unit 8-call-letter station
San Antonio: 2 WOAI's -- WOAI 1200 (local talk) and WOAI 700 (syndicated talk)
Key Names to Know in talk radio:
TALK Networks --several network providers are offering talk formats over satellite New trends:
4. OLDIES (999 stations)
5. RELIGIOUS (925 stations)
Related or sub-formats:
Christian (390) rank =17
WRLZ(AM) of Orlando is finding that Christian music has broad appeal to Spanish-speaking listeners. The all-Spanish Gospel station is doing quite well and beating out its competition by offering news, weather, sports and other full-service feature. Black Gospel is now replacing Urban formats on stations in urban markets like Washington, D.C. Station managers are happier with the message of the music and happy that the over-all sound does not change significantly. The transition is fairly easy, and the audience has been receptive.
Gospel (463) rank=13 (45% of all Christian stations) The format is growing and delivers a good demographic. Music includes the soundtrack from The Preacher's Wife and may include Christian rap artists as well. Some are programming a combination of traditional gospel and urban black gospel.
AC Gospel may include many of the southern gospel traditional artists like the Statler Brothers, but also includes more contemporary gospel groups.
Total religious type stations:
For many years this format had a serious image problem. Stations were seen as backward and not really very much attuned to modern society or radio. Most stations used a block format: teaching/music. There were a variety of formats from gospel to contemporary Christian, but none of them sounded very much like secular stations. Over the past few years that has begun to change.
Christian Contemporary music is the fastest growing segment of the music industry right now, and new stations have developed to showcase the music. These stations are programmed more like secular stations, except the music and continuity are consistent with the Christian message.
Some SPECIALIZED FORMATS ARE DEVELOPING: Listen to WAYM-FM from Nashville, on 87.5 our of Killen, also in H'vlle, Florence, and other town in the area on translator. The station is programmed like a CHR but with a more rock/alternative skew. The format is complete with news, traffic, concert promos, call-ins, etc.
WFIX in Rogersville: programmed like an adult contemporary station.
Roughly half the stations are commercial, and they must select commercials which do not offend their listening audience.
5. News (see above)
6. Talk (see above)
7. ROCK/AOR (album-oriented rock) (548 stations)
AOR (with no rock designation) (136 stations)
This format has gone under a transformation over the last several years. In the mid 1970s stations played only album cuts; 50% old music, 50% new. That type of playlist is now very rare. Currently they play music from 60's and 70's with new music from those same performers.
Becoming the new MOR. for a while, but has been bumped by talk formats. AOR can have a mainstream sound with a mixed demographic which appeals ot boomers or follow a different trend--MALE CHR: 15 to 28 yr. olds, males, "Z-Rock". Satellite format with a "harder edge."
Alternative or Modern Rock is dominating the young demo. The Rock format is splintering. Still many alternative artists are now played on CHR and other more mainstream formats like AC, Top 40 and hot AC. This variation has only been around for about eight years (as of 1998) but is doing very well in major markets with the 18-34 demographic. According to Interep, the format skews 60%males/40% females and while it draws 70% of listeners from 18-34 demo, 89% are from the 18-49 demo. Listeners are mostly single (60%), 1/3 have college degrees and 55% live in households with incomes of over $55,000. All of which is a good deal for advertisers.
ANNOUNCING CRITERIA
8. CONTEMPORARY HIT RADIO (CHR):
Led to growth of new sub-format....
ANNOUNCING CRITERIA (Keith)
9. CLASSICAL: (458 stations)
5% of total stations
ANNOUNCING CRITERIA:
10. ALL-SPORTS RADIO: (456 stations)
WFAN in New York was the first, and has done very well. In the last 12 months an all-sports station opened in Chicago, L.A. and in Washington, D.C. Target is 18-54 males, but deliver females as well. It is now the #1 Billing radio station in the United States (Broadcasting and Cable, 7/20/98, p. 50)
ANNOUNCING CRITERIA for all information formats:
Names to Know:
(Note : Don Imus' morning program is the only non-sports program on WFAN)
11. SPANISH: (453 Stations)
Growing format serving Spanish -speaking market. Got big help from 1990 census. Black populations shrinking in many major markets (like L.A.) compared to Hispanic population which is growing in prime demographics. The 1980 census was believed to have undercounted Hispanic population. After the 1990 census, ratings for Hispanic stations grew. Black stations are concerned, because the numbers of their listeners have decreased.
Spanish stations aren't the only type of ethnic stations. There are ethnic specialty stations in numerous variety.
12. GOSPEL (445 stations) see above
A religious format which plays traditional gospel music. Popular in the south. WBTG-FM is an example.
13. CLASSIC ROCK: (423 Stations)
This is a mix of old rock and roll songs from the 60's, 70's and 80's with some current songs
included. Format characteristics:
ANNOUNCING CRITERIA for Oldies and Classic Rock
14. MIDDLE OF THE ROAD or MOR: ( 393 stations)
15. JAZZ STATIONS: (392 stations)
Two basic types:
Traditional and
NAC or New Adult Contemporary:
16. CHRISTIAN: (390 stations) see above
Stations in this category usually focus on music rather than talk and teaching. They may do some block formating but music is the main programming element.
17. DIVERSIFIED: (317 stations)
This station will usually program four or more of the primary formats but block format them.
This is typical of some noncommercial stations.
18. URBAN CONTEMPORARY: (314 Stations)
19. Progressive (251 stations)/Alternative (146 Stations) Rank =24
20. EDUCATIONAL: (243 stations)
These are the PBS and other stations operated for educational purposes.
21. VARIETY: (186 stations)
Similar to diverse stations. Block programming,
typical of noncommercial stations.
22. BIG BAND: (172 stations) Also called Nostalgia Radio
23. BLACK (166 stations)
These stations are sometimes classified as ethnic stations. These are different that Urban Contemporary stations in that they may have a more specialized format -- R&B, gospel, soul music....Progressive black stations combine dance music with soulful rock, jazz, and even some white artists.
Black stations have been hurt by Urban Contemporary Stations which have drawn off youthful viewers.
Across the country, you'll find Polish Stations, German, French, etc.
Ethnic stations may be programmed according to any
basic format, but usually aim at a mass audience.
24. BEAUTIFUL MUSIC STATIONS/EASY LISTENING: (137 Stations)
This is one of the old classic formats, but it has lost ground in recent years.
ANNOUNCING CRITERIA:
24. Nostalgia See Big Band format.
25. Agriculture and Farm: News, weather and features of interest to farmers and those in the agriculure business.
26. Full Service: Block formats, lots of news, varied music, local sports, weather, etc.
27. Easy Listening see beautiful music.
28. Other.
29. BLUES
30. Foreign Language/ethnic
31. Public Affairs:
32. TRIPLE A: Eclectic choice of music ranging from hard rock to folk.
33. Inspirational: Religious beautiful music.
34. Top 40
35. New Age
36. Golden Oldies
37. Tejano
38. Children
39. Blue Grass
40. Folk
41. Ethnic
42. Light Rock See beautiful music
43. Polka
44. Portuguese
45. Greek
46. Korean
47. Soul
48. French
49. Polish
50. American Indian
51. Native American
52. Reggae
53. Serbian
54. Arabic
55. Filipino
56. Drama/Literature
57. Chinese
58. Disco
59. Comedy
60. Sacred
61. Jewish
62. Eskimo
63. New Wave
64. Russian
New Or Growing Formats:
Health and Fitness Format:
Rhythmic Dance format
Financial Format: Struggling because it's hard to present the information without visuals.
This is one to keep an eye on. Recent articles in the trade magazines have discussed how important business news is becoming to listeners. We may see real growth in this format over the next few years, especially if the economy stays strong.
More on the GROWTH OF SYNDICATION
In the old days, you sold a program concept, taped it, mailed the cassette, and that was it. Now programs are made in multi-track studios, use satellite delivery, marketing and merchandising campaigns. Formerly syndicated programs only on weekends, now 7days in all day parts.
TYPES of Syndicated programs:
The two largest satellite services:
Why syndicated programming works:
CHALLENGES:
Chicago market is example of significance of networks, since some network shows are based there.
INDECENCY ON THE AIR!
You must watch what you say! FCC has established a "safe harbor" for indecent language between 10 p.m. and before 6 a.m. Some phrases which might seem fairly mild in college vocabulary are considered inappropriate outside the safe harbor. (Radio World 10/4/95p.13)
Additional Resources:
McLane, Paul J. "Wake Up to Radio's Alternatives." Radio World. 2/17/99 p. 4.
Kieth, Michael. The Radio Station, 5th edition. Focal Press, 2000
Janet McMullen
Return to Com 240 page
Email Dr. Mc at UNA
STOP HERE FOR Com 240!!!!!!
MARKETING YOUR STATION is vital:
Some guidelines:
Most marketing linked to IMAGE radio: connecting the listener's identity and self-image involved with listening to a particular radio station.
PROGRAMMING IS KEY -- Total sound.
Several experts have some good ideas about how to do this:
David Anthony from Radio Week
"A big budget isn't necessary, smart marketing is..."
His programming check list:
1. Choose a specific age group or life style (better).
Listeners tune in to particular station to match their mood at the moment, not their age.
2. Monitor your music flow. If you claim to have "variety: be sure to mix fast and slow songs.
Your music should match your advertising.
3. Take note of counter-programming. Other things besides music are important. Speed up turntables slightly to make competition sound "draggy." Slot your spot sets just before theirs, so those switching back and forth will think the other guy is always breaking for commercials. Play your hottest records while they're in a newscast.
4. Air Staff need special feedback. POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT ... special attention to morning show.
5. MOTIVATE...be enthusiastic
6. Use music research to make sure your music is right, but don't forget your own judgment.
JINGLES are very important to station's image
Must identify station in a musical and memorable way.
Don't make the mistake of choosing a jingle you like instead of one which will appeal to the listener and do the job.
POINTERS ABOUT JINGLES
--shouldn't sound like anything else you/ve/the listener's heard
--keep it simple. It should pass the whistle test
--easy to remember.
--stick to musical composition of four notes.
--clearly identify call letters and frequency
--message must be clear/cean/short/to the point
--MUST FIT station's format
--should create a sense of excitement about the station
--consistent with overall station image
Most jingles are now produced in about 6 to 10 companies in Dallas, Tx. they gross up to $10 mill annually. Some new things happening:
In 1989, Century 21 (programming consultant) entered JINGLE business. They believed that old companies were doing the same old stuff. Top 40 jingles for new formats don't work.
In 1990 they merged with jingle specialist companies, TM Communications, Inc. and Media General. TM formerly sold 8 to 10 packages to 50-60 stations at $150 to $250 per cut. (AC, COUNTRY, CHR) MEDIA GENERAL made 11 AC packages, 6 AC/MOR packages, 9 Country, 2 easy listening packages available to 800 to 1000 stations.
The new company TM CENTURY is currently (as of 1994) the leader in the market.
It provides full service for stations (see BSTG 4/29/94p42) . Stations lease jingles for a period of three years but do not have copyrights; TM Century retain those. The company then can
lease jingles to other station is other markets. Goal of company is to create a jingle that is
"CONSISTENT WITH THE STATION'S IMAGE." (p42) Stations usually order 10 to 15 versions of a jingle so listeners don't get tired of it. TM Centurys offer program services as well and offers a music package called HITDISC which goes to more than 3000 stations nationwide.
It is a package of CDs, issued weekly with the tops hits on Billboard and Radio and Records
charts. Their GoldDisc series contains a formats key music from different time periods.
All the music a station would ever need to play for some formats is available through TM CENTURY disc packages. Formats available include country, urban, and various rock formats.
In addition, they provide a disc service ("HitDisc E") to international markets which want
a sample of popular American music from all formats.
TM Century effectively combine 3 out of 4 of the key jingle-making players, but there is
one other company of note.
JAM CREATIVE PRODUCTIONS< INC> (in business since 1974
and one of most successful. 300 to 500 top-rated stations)
(SEE BSTG 8/8/88 for more info on the individual companies before the merger.
(See BSTG 8/29/94 p. 42 for info on TM CENTURY.)
MARKETING IS KEY to success and turning around a station in trouble. At NAB in 1990, a session was devoted to "turn around tactics." Three PD's told how they did it.
WLUM-FM Milwaukee HOT102-FM
CHR with heavy sports emphasis
1. Form your game plan:
a. set a goal you can achieve
b. use a tactic your can execute
They used promotion to
build revenue
build ratings
create "street talk"
boost morale
c. take a position in the market you can defend
--do something comp. isn't
d. make your competition react!
you take offense; force them to defend
2. INTERNAL tactics:
a. Assemble your team: personnel changes may be necessary
b. Make sure all the players know the game plan
--no personal agendas; the manager is the coach.
c. make sure all players are committed to the plan
-- it's a mission, not a job
d. Make sure the team works together
- compete with other stations, not each other.
Sales and programming can both benefit from the same promotions
-audience and revenue go together
e. reward your staff for success
-- they have a ship's bell in the office. Ring it every time some one makes a sale!
f. Give your staff bragging rights
-- Giant Boom Box
-- something special they're proud of!
EXTERNAL TACTICS:
a. Dominate something --boom box/ sports tie-ins, etc.
b. Create an exclusive franchise. Provide something listeners/advertisers can't get
any place else. (Sports Tickets)
c. Use other media for promotions: TV (have someone else pay for it -- car dealerships,
etc.)
They had a promotion where winner got groceries from store/ car from dealer.
Grocery store and car dealership paid for 750,000 $ worth of TV and prizes.
d. Use press as a vehicle to get your message to listeners and advertisers. They cover what you do.... (Morning DJ made up a song about the Packers, and it made the news.)
WJDX FM/AM in Louisville, Ky. had similar ideas:
1. Research: Strategic profile study
On going music and perceptual research
2. On Air Promotion:
a. Show us your WDJX -- people were painting it on barns, houses, cows, on road kill and even on a "fanny".. Lots of street talk.
b. Passport -- gave away trips
3. Marketing: television, bus boards, direct mail
4. Sales: VERY IMPORTANT TO THEIR TURNAROUND
a. walked from business: Spot rates were too low, so increased them. Some advertisers left, but most came back.
b. Average unit rate is up 60% -- funds to do more and improve sound
5. MOTIVATION: Morale is very important!
a. kept most of the same people; little turnover
b. salaries/incentives
c. met away from the station/ bars, out to dinner
d. moved studios --new facilities let everyone know that new owners meant business, better location, pretty environment
e. people started to believe in the mission/culture
wellness program for employees/
employee ownership
COMPETITION
a. direct competition went Rock 40
b. Urban/CHR when Beautiful Music
c. Third competitor now on third format
AM TURNAROUND is somewhat more challenging.
WFAN -- went all sports (NYC)
- very involved in community: 28 1/2 hr. radio-thon to raise $ for a kid with cancer. $1.1 mill raised.
- research showed that people wanted more info on sports
- two-man afternoon drive show
- John Madden with show
- expand pre- post- game shows
-- directed specifically to fans
--local emphasis (NYC's all-sports station)
- billing success (after 2 years and better frequency )
3 times #1 biller in NYC ahead of AM's and FM;s
1989 billed 20 mill. (Tied with rock stations)
-18-34 males
- promotion across media
GUIDELINES FOR MARKETING:
1. THINK! Every $ you spend must bring listeners.
2. USE your OWN AIR TIME to promote yourself
--promo's need to sound different than spots--SFX, etc.
--listener testimonials
--station promote every hour
--ID station as much as possible
3. MICRO- or NICHE Marketing
--fine tune- learn about your listeners
--demographic and pyschographic research
--be where listeners are WATCH OBSERVE
--talk the language of listener; Boomers don't like insincerity or "B.S."
(DEFINE: niche is a protected level; doesn't have major competition in that arena)
--reach listeners in ways and places they're not used to.
--reach them WHERE they listen (on the street, bus, in the car, etc.)
--make sure listeners believe you're giving them what they want.
Bill Sabo, radio consultant NAB SESSION, 1991-- Las Vegas.
REMEMBER: Most people can't remember more than 7 brand names in any product category. (36 types of deterrent are on the market now.)
We have to get people to remember and commit it to writing:
No punishment for listening to bad radio station
no incentive to learn name of station
ARBITRON requires writing name and signature in diary
(this is somewhat taboo in our culture --especially in minority cultures)
Rotations don't matter -- MARKETING MATTERS
know where to put stop-sets
what to play
problem: listeners can't hear the difference from one station to another.
solution: OUTSTANDING PERSONALITY
MARKETING
so you get accused of buying the book -- good business
It doesn't matter if they really listen, just that they write it down! Put your ego aside. Don't try to get listeners --
try to get DIARY KEEPERS.
SIMPLE repetition of CALL LETTERs 32 ID in 15 min.!
(this may vary from format to format)
three types of audiences:
people who listen and write accurately
people who listen and think they write accurately
people who write what they think they should write
Make promotions count to them: "hamburger helper prizes" rather than dream house. Maid service; rent paid; 3 car payments; dinners out for a year; free child care; etc.