(By John Shomby) A few weeks back, Nielsen released a study of 30 PPM markets that are home to NFL franchises that showed, on average, 3.5 MILLION listeners tuned in to pro football on the radio. Specifically, 6+ share numbers were anywhere from the 30s to close to 50 (a 49.5 in Pittsburgh!). Cumes were anywhere from 100,000 to over 220,000 for these games. One big rivalry – Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys – produced a combined cume of 600,000!
Imagine having numbers like these with your morning show, let alone your entire radio station. What do play-by-play sports have that’s missing, or lacking, in day-to-day radio?
Compelling Storytelling
Play-by-play announcers are adept at describing succinctly every play, at bat or shot. The accompanying analyst provides the various narratives from a player, coach, and/or team perspective. They both are supreme “picture painters” in the listeners’ minds. They place you right there on the sidelines, in the dugout, and on the bench so you get a first-hand “view” of the action through their description.
Are we coaching our talent daily to really paint the picture for the listener with specific topical news events, pop culture happenings, community activities, or station-sponsored promotions?
The Emotional Connection
A play-by-play sports announcer utilizes every emotion during a game almost to the point of being labeled a “homer”. Positive and negative plays are part of every game, and the announcers transfer what happens into personal reactions that, most likely, reflect that of the team’s fan base. Think of some of the greatest sports events of all time and listen to the play-by-play associated with them. You can feel it.
Reflecting the lives and emotions of the local listening community is essential to becoming a successful on-air personality and, in turn, a high-rated radio station. Can a voice-tracked talent accomplish that or, for that matter, a talent who broadcasts from another market? Once again, it all depends on the time spent coaching. The stations and the personalities who have had the most consistent success are those who are heavily involved in their community. The ones that sound local.
Clarity in Communication
A play-by-play broadcast team must be clear, exact, and simple. You very rarely hear a host or analyst’s inability to describe what they see. They “slow the game down” for the audience. Their job is not to keep up with the game as much as to make the game easily understandable for the listening audience. Their pace is the audience’s pace. They don’t get caught up in what they see as much as what they need the audience to see.
Are we coaching our talent to learn and understand the audience’s “pace” – what it takes for them to grasp what is being communicated? Are we presenting our station in a way the listeners will understand, who you are, what you do, and why? Are you making it simple for your listeners to get involved in a contest, promotion, or event?
Community Connection
Think of some of the best radio play-by-play announcers of the past and present – Harry Caray with the Chicago Cubs, Merrill Reese of the Philadelphia Eagles, Brad Sham from the Dallas Cowboys, Vin Scully with the LA Dodgers. The one big thing they had in common was how they are/were the voice of their city and region. They managed to connect their teams with their cities.
What are you doing to connect your personalities (local and not) and your station to your area? Local charity organizations, sports teams (ya think?), schools, specific local initiatives, etc.
Don’t expect 30 shares but know what kind of results are possible when you REALLY are in the business of communication.
Based in Nashville, TN, John Shomby is the owner and CEO of Country’s Radio Coach. He is focused on coaching and mentoring artists, radio programmers, and on-air talent to help them grow and develop inside the radio station and the industry. Reach John at [email protected] and 757-323-1460. Read John’s Radio Ink archives here.
