(By Mike McVay) The elimination of on-air talent, which is happening in some markets, is a huge mistake. It’s happening at the absolute wrong time. The value of and the need for good and strong programming content has not changed. The only thing that has changed is the level of competition from your radio competitors along with streaming services, video, podcasts, digital and many more places for advertisers to place their ad buys and your audience to find entertainment or information.
There are many distractions in the lives of the audience. Radio isn’t as important to them as it once was. Those factors alone are reason for stations to invest in talent. What should really get the attention of radio is that several of the streaming services are adding air talent to their streams. Personalities who create a connection with their listeners build loyalty. Loyalty creates repeat tune-in. Repeat tune-in builds ratings.
In some cases, we’ve given away our audiences because we’re no longer creating the dependency that listeners once had for our stations. You can get the weather, the time, news stories, Amber Alerts, EAS and social media on your phone. There have to be on-air personalities to deliver that information. If you’re voice-tracked or automated, then what’s your plan to deliver crisis coverage? Services are available. Systems exist. Unfortunately, there are some stations that have no plan for extreme situations.
It is arguably more important than ever that air talent be show-ready to put on a show. They are well prepared before they arrive at the station. So much so that when they turn on the microphone, they snag the audience in the first seconds of a break. It takes about that long for a listener to make a decision as to “do I listen or do I reach over and push the button on my radio?” You have to be well prepared, regardless of the shift you’re hosting, because today’s audience is less patient and far less tolerant than in previous years. You have to do a Show and not a “shift.”
Instant gratification is important to our busy audiences. If you’re on a music station, play the hits frequently. If you’re on a spoken word station, then the hot topics are your hits. Talk about those topics frequently. The personalities, who can create entertainment over song intros, entertain and build a connection with the audience, will be successful. Personalities who can present content that is compelling and brief are the individuals that will perform best in the ratings.
If yours is a critical radio station, meaning that it is critical that your station perform well in a cluster of stations, then you need at least one radio star on your station. That star, and your station being the place to hear that star, makes your station a destination. If you don’t have a star, you’re not a destination, and you’re not going to be consistently high rated. Radio stars build loyalty. They create day-to-day tune-in. That’s the secret weapon. Get a star. If you have a star. Keep them. That’s easier than trying to find a new star.
Mike McVay is President of McVay Media and can be reached at [email protected]
You nailed it Mike. In this era of corporate “interactive” everything, authentic human connection is more critical than ever. Even Bill Drake and his “8 second “ format knew that.From Charlie Tuna and The Real Don Steele to Rick Dees and Jay Thomas, on air performers and their ability to breathe personality into a format -be it music or talk – have been the key to succe$$ful stations. Video didn’t kill the radio star but EBITDA maybe the new hitman.
Well said Mike! Always get some inspirations from your articles.
Mike, well said! I always look forward to reading your articles.
Thank you TK. No one knows personality at a high level than you.
Mike, as usual you are speaking the language of successful radio. So many of us (who’ve been around long enough to remember when personalities were among the top two reasons for listeners to tune in) know how correct this is.
Even the concept of, “weather, time, news stories, Amber Alerts on your phone” should be rethought. While that statement is obvious, it is different when you are being told by your friend on the radio“ even when you weren’t wondering about it.
At KDRI The Drive Tucson, we run no recorded tracks even from our own homebase. We have eight live hosts playing music and giving local information and confidence to our community that if something happens here they will hear about it. As obvious as that is, you would be shocked at the number of people in our two year history who thank us for both the music and the DJs.
Listeners in our 45+ target are receptive and relieved to hear a modern day approach to the way they were raised on the radio.
Thank you Bobby!
So well said Mike! The ability to inform and entertain in carefully chosen words and phrases is an art form and one that the air personality has to try to do better each time he or she hits the airwaves. Also owners and management need to understand the importance of live people 24/7. How sad for a station to throw it on autopilot for evenings and overnight. Every day part matters is
Even the “local” companies, like Beasley, allow too much voice-tracking. 2 of our stations are VT’ed in afternoon drive because the PD says that they’re too busy? Too busy to put on a show? Embarrassing.
Great advice Mike! Insightful and well stated.
Thank you Mike. I totally agree. I invite you to read an article I wrote a couple years ago which I have on my Linkedin page. It’s called “Can local radio actually be fun again?” You might enjoy it. You’ve been around my whole career. Don’t quit yet! Eddie Coyle
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Well said Michael! Sadly the unemployed talent pool is tremendous with many of them working in other jobs now like Costco. It’s impossible to put the Genie back in the bottle I’m afraid. I’m still here…thank you Jesus!