(By John Shomby) The dictionary defines fabric as “material produced by weaving or knitting of fibers.” The obvious keyword here is “weaving.” A good, local organization does an excellent job of constantly weaving itself into the community it serves. Is your station/cluster a part of the “fabric” of your community?
I can think of a sports team or two who have done that so well. Baseball’s Chicago Cubs and basketball’s Boston Celtics come to mind. Who are some of those legendary radio stations that are now an iconic part of their cities? Z100 in New York, WTOP in Washington, DC, and WMMR in Philly, just name a couple.
How about air personalities, past and present? Chris Carr at KEEY, Minneapolis, Scott Shannon in New York, Matty Siegel in Boston, and DeDe in the morning at K104 in Dallas, to name a few in that group.
What do they all have in common?
- They have built trust over the years. Not as much from big ratings but more from being transparent, consistent, and dependable year in and year out within the community. Having a successful radio station is important but being there for the fans, when they are in need, earns respect and builds a long-term relationship.
- They integrate into the community. The stations have become community participants heavily involved in events and activities that forge a lasting connection. They support local businesses and get behind various community initiatives that will benefit the entire area. They find ways to be a part of the local culture that help foster a sense of identity and pride for everyone.
- They identify and know what’s important to the community through research, market appearances, and consistent personal contact.
Does being a part of the “fabric” of your area mean being “live and local” for your station?
Let’s examine what REALLY defines a live and local radio station:
- All talent is on the air live and in the local studio.
- They are an absolute reflection of local listeners’ tastes and preferences.
- They have created a lasting bond with the local community.
- They can react, at a moment’s notice, to any breaking event or happening.
I would say numbers 2, 3, and 4 would be very essential to being a part of a community’s fabric. Reflecting the listeners’ tastes, that lasting bond and the ability to respond to events must go hand in hand. But – what about the “live” part? There are some radio stations out there that may have live on-air talent in-studio 24/7, but there aren’t a lot! Does that really matter?
How about we rephrase what we are talking about to “sounding” local? If your station has centralized music programming, there is not much you can do about that BUT you can make sure you have on-air talent, whether they are live in the studio, live from a remote studio, syndicated, or voice-tracked, sound local with strong, compelling, entertaining content 100% of the time that reflects the community.
No simple song intros. No wasted breaks. And, you can make sure that your imaging reflects where you are and what’s top of mind with your audience.
Becoming a part of the fabric of your community is hard work but it comes with positive results, and we can really only do that with our talent – local, regional, syndicated, etc. We must make the time to work with each one and give them the tools, the information, and the guidance they need to create a long-lasting relationship with the audience.
We must take the time to know what’s top of mind with our listeners and constantly reflect that in our station promotion, marketing, and imaging. No wasted slogans! BE local! Weave yourself in – for good.
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.
