It’s one of the biggest complaints you hear about radio…too many commercials per hour during stopsets that run too long. It’s been a big problem for the industry for many years. Hubbard’s news powerhouse in Washington, DC is trying to address the problem.
In a note on the station’s website WTOP Director of News and Programming Julia Ziegler told listeners they would soon be hearing fewer commercials on the station. ” We will be reducing the number of commercial breaks listeners hear each hour and increasing the amount of news we deliver at the same time.”
The lighter commercial load announcement was part of overall programming changes the station is making, including moving sports and business reports.
Ziegler said the changes allow WTOP to provide listeners with longer, uninterrupted news segments, “which we believe offer a better listening experience overall.”
She also stated that WTOP is making a commitment to delivering a more balanced diet of news and compelling stories to listeners each day. “WTOP will always be the place you can turn to when news is breaking, but we realize news consumers want more than that — not just from WTOP but from the news industry as a whole. So, it is our commitment to balance out those serious news stories we deliver each day with news about the good things going on in the D.C. region, too. Stories that make you smile; stories that inspire hope; and stories that make you laugh or are just cool. We’re also committed to providing you with stories that can help you, your kids, your finances and your health, too.”
Ziegler ended by saying that internally the WTOP team talks about treating listeners like members of their family. “To me, part of that is being transparent and upfront, which shows a level of respect. That is why we wanted to let you know about the sports and money news changes before they hit the air next week. My hope is that even if you don’t agree with them, you appreciate the heads-up and, in time, you come to like the benefits.”
Gotta love the thought-but there needs to be more answers. What does “reducing the number of commercial breaks…” mean ? When music stations did that, they utilized 2 breaks per hour, and loaded up 6-9 minutes per break of commercials. Will the commercials themselves be better? Many of the commercials we hear these days on radio seem to be created to drive the listener away rather than promote a product or service. (Where is Dick Orkin when we need him?) Is this the 2023 version of “less is more”?
The release said they “will be reducing the number of commercial breaks”. It didn’t actually say thy will be reducing the number of commercials. As a WTOP listener, when I first read this, I “assumed” they would have fewer breaks with more units in each break. Do we know the real situation?
While the commercial load may go down, I’m assuming the rate card went up?
Let’s hope so … after all, they are a for profit company. And if there’s less available, the price per should go up.
I would be more intrigued to learn how you convinced the corporate brass to accept lower income when you cut the amount of commercials you sit. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a noble idea that has been talked about for years. Everyone talks about it, few actually take this action. Good luck!
You assume unit rates didn’t increase. As it’s been said, “assumption is the mother of all ignorance”.
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