Legendary radio personality and programmer Scott Shannon sat down for what he said was his first-ever webinar on Thursday to share his lessons learned and insights on modern radio with Benztown‘s Andreas Sannemann and P1 Media Group‘s Ken Benson.
From whether radio can still attract younger listeners to what builds a great station, here are a breakdown of Shannon’s key principles – focused on authenticity, simplicity, and passion – for making an impact in the radio industry today
Plan Your Success: Shannon emphasized the importance of having a solid plan. “You can accomplish just about anything you want if you have a solid plan,” he remarked, highlighting the necessity of strategic planning in achieving radio success.
Local Appeal in Any Market: Shannon advised to “sound small in a big market, sound big in a small market.” He illustrated this by mentioning that despite being a New York City station, Z100 focused on areas like Westchester, Long Island, and New Jersey, creating a local appeal that fosters listener loyalty and engagement.
The Power of Simplicity and Word of Mouth: Keeping messaging bold and simple is key, according to Shannon. It’s crucial to highlight important content prominently, making it easy for listeners to understand and share. This approach helps leverage word of mouth, an invaluable tool in building a radio brand.
Recapturing the Magic of Radio: To answer how radio can recapture the magic once created by iconic shows like the morning zoo, Shannon pointed to the KBJ Show. He described it as a brand that is authentic, interesting, and compelling, noting that curiosity and fun are essential traits for engaging radio.
Communication and Discipline Shannon advised using simple terms on-air, like calling a novice DJ a “baby DJ,” to keep communication relatable and engaging. He also stressed the importance of “body discipline,” focusing on the process rather than external pressures – a concept he likened to Tiger Woods focusing solely on the action of making a putt, not its external win/loss implications.
Management and Engagement A proponent of “Management by Walking Around,” Shannon shared an anecdote about receiving great advice from a 78-year-old mailroom worker, underscoring the value of engaging with everyone in the organization and keeping communication channels open.
Attention to Detail: For Shannon, the devil is in the details, whether it’s in music logs, graphics, audio, or production. He believes that “great radio stations are built on a keyboard,” emphasizing that jotting down and showcasing great ideas can highlight a station’s advantages effectively.
Engaging Younger Audiences: Scott Shannon was candid about the challenges of attracting younger listeners, suggesting that shifting a station’s sound to appeal to them might alienate the core audience. His advice was straightforward: “Not a hell of a lot you can do.” Instead, he believes in sticking to excellence to naturally draw in new listeners.
Passion as a Key Ingredient: “Every great talent shares one quality – passion,” Shannon noted. He advised hiring passionate people and then giving them the space to shine, allowing their authentic selves to engage with the audience.
Adapting and Simplifying: Shannon also touched on the importance of adaptability and simplicity in radio contests and games, suggesting that if an idea can’t be explained during an elevator ride, it’s probably too complicated.
Well said, Scott!