“Live and local.” We’ve all heard it. We’ve all said it. It’s the go-to phrase when stations want to convince listeners (and themselves) that they’re different. But in today’s environment, does it really mean what we think it does? More importantly… does it still matter?
At its most literal, “live” means sound as it happens. “Local” means tied to a community or neighborhood. Taken together, the phrase should mean broadcasting in real time about the lives of the people right outside your front door.
But here’s my beef: plenty of stations throw around “live and local” as a slogan without actually delivering on it. I can give you multi-format examples from the daily listening I do in my home office, but I’ll just move on. So, let’s define what really makes a station FEEL live and local:
- Talent is live in the studio.
- The station and its talent are an absolute reflection of the tastes and preferences of its market.
- The station and its personalities have a real, lasting bond with the community.
- The station can react instantly to breaking news or local events.
Do you need all four to be a top-tier station today? Honestly, no. In 2025, it’s numbers 2, 3, and 4 that matter most. That authentic, emotional connection that reflects the community and the ability to react in the moment are what separate strong stations from musical wallpaper.
Because here’s the truth: being “live and local” isn’t always realistic. Centralized programming exists. Syndication isn’t going away. Few stations have talent in the studio 24/7, and some are lucky to even have ONE live-in-studio talent, if at all! But every station can be live and local sounding — and that’s where the win is, which means:
- On-air talent, whether live, syndicated, or voice-tracked, always sounding present, engaged, and compelling.
- No wasted breaks, no lazy song intros. REAL, consistent content.
- Imaging that reflects your community and what’s top-of-mind right now.
- Promotions and marketing, including socials and website, that reinforce the idea that you live in their world.
The music may not always be unique to your market, but everything else must be.
Success today isn’t about slapping “live and local” on a billboard or in an imaging piece. It’s about giving talent the tools, the coaching, and the expectation to sound as if they’re living life alongside the listener — every single break, every single day.
Because in an age of distraction, sameness, and infinite options, only one thing truly cuts through: authentic human connection. Now more than ever.
If you can’t sound like you’re living in their world, don’t expect them to live in yours. In the end, the ball is in your court.
So true. When I hear a jock talk up a song and the content is something like, “Hey, did you know that if you put a tablespoon of cinnamon in the washing machine with your fabric softener, your clothes come out smelling fresh!” I just groan. No mention of anything even vaguely market specific. Out of market voice tracking strikes again!
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