When Radio Programmers Are Playing ‘Not To Lose’

(By John Shomby) You’re watching a close football game. It’s the beginning of the second half and Team A with the lead comes out and exhibits a very conservative approach. Doing what is tried and true, minimizing mistakes, and avoiding any unnecessary risks. Meanwhile, the opposing team B comes out “swinging” and plays a wide-open game taking some chances and, oddly enough, comes back and wins the game.

There are probably a few games like that in your mind right now. It was very apparent that Team B came out playing to win, but what about Team A? You can say they came out playing “not to lose.” It’s still a form of playing to “win,” but there is a definite difference.

I spend at least 20-25 hours a week in my upstairs home office, listening to radio around the country. I make it a point to monitor a different station in a different market from a different company/group in a different format every weekday to get the full scope of what’s on the radio everywhere.

• I can honestly say that most stations sound the same about 85-90% of the time:
• Bowtie commercial breaks twice per hour that are crazy long!
• Jocks using 5-7 seconds of a 10-second intro to spout the station’s name and slogan.
• Bland slogans that tell me nothing about the station other than its music.
• I hear the same basic current music everywhere no matter the format. Nothing special or out of the ordinary.

My brother, who can easily be classified as your “average listener,” offered a few weeks back that his station plays “the same 8 songs.” Sad that that’s his only impression!

Radio is playing NOT TO LOSE! Conservative approach. Minimal chances for mistakes. Doing what’s tried and true. Sound familiar? (See the first paragraph again in case it doesn’t). There’s a serious question about radio’s future outside of our industry and I can see (and hear) why. We do have to recognize the perception has changed out there. It’s time to REALLY start playing to WIN!!

1) This is for all MMs, GMs, OMs, and Programming VPs: Give your people the latitude to play to win. TRUST them! Give them room to fail – and watch them succeed. Too many are programming “scared” and not with confidence. Playing NOT TO LOSE! Remember this from teachers and coaches? – “No Risk, No Reward. No Pain, No Gain”.

2) If you believe in taking a specific risk, be really prepared to sell it to your supervisors. Enlist the help of your staff. Practice what you’ll say with them. Most of all – BELIEVE! The higher-ups will see it and, most likely, get behind it!

3) Make sure your team/staff is behind you. No risk is worth it without help and support. Get them 100% involved and watch the idea grow into something big. Encourage your staff to do what you’re doing. Creative ideas can come from anyone. 

4) Follow your instincts. Don’t just take a shot at something for the sake of doing something different. You must feel it in your bones…….in your brain…….and, most of all, in your heart. If that’s the case, move on it and don’t look back.

5) Don’t overthink. We programmers have had that analytic side drummed into our heads from our early years. I’ll keep saying it. If you feel strong enough about the idea, then do it – plain and simple. Research is good but something that grows out of a strong feeling will be heard and felt by the audience.

“Do you want to be safe and good, or do you want to take a chance and be great?” – Richard Branson

PLAY TO WIN! Good luck!!

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.