As the broadcast industry continues grappling with cost-cutting and quarterly layoffs make headlines, programming experts are calling for the preservation of personality, authenticity, and human connection, which they say remain radio’s greatest competitive advantages.
CRS360’s Audio Avengers: Radio Superpower Is Talent assembled four of radio’s most influential voices to argue that personality, creativity, and genuine human connection remain broadcasting’s ultimate competitive edge.
Moderated by Pamal Broadcasting New York/Vermont Executive Director of Operations and Programming Kevin Callahan, the discussion featured Jacobs Media President Fred Jacobs, The Randy Lane Company founder Randy Lane, and The Reynolds Group President Steve Reynolds.
Jacobs began by presenting findings from Techsurvey 25, showing how talent are the third biggest reason why audiences tune in to broadcast radio, behind ease of use and AM/FM being free. Focusing on Country audiences, Jacobs shared that the format stands out for its emotional connection. “DJs, hosts, and shows have been moving up,” he said. “They’re only a couple of points off the main sample percentage of 61. They’re at 59%, which is very, very healthy. And that represents growth over the years.” He added that “connection with radio,” “companionship,” and “mood elevation” all rank higher among country listeners than in other formats.
Lane said those findings underscore the industry’s need to protect and amplify its personalities, not cut them. “In many markets, there are two country radio stations, sometimes three. And then you look at the fact that music is ubiquitous. It’s available on your phone anywhere, and the talent is what’s going to set your radio station apart.”
He warned that overproduced imaging and limited live interaction reduce listener connection: “I hear so many radio stations, even a morning drive will go into a stop set, come out with a produced sweeper, play a song, a produced sweeper, another song, a produced sweeper. No connection with the talent.”
Reynolds described that absence of connection as radio’s most pressing risk. “We as human beings are wired for connection,” he said. “We learned this in COVID, when we couldn’t have human connection with people: how much we missed it, how important it was to have that as a driver to build relationships with the people in our lives.”
He added that familiarity and trust build loyalty. “If you are familiar to the audience, you will become part of that routine. People will choose what is familiar to them, and it might not be as good as the new product across the street that is less familiar.”
Reynolds continued, “Great brands have human faces now. Elon Musk is Tesla… Tim Cook with Apple, and Jeff Bezos is with Amazon. Great brands have human faces in front of them. How does a talent build trust? Well, to me, trust in life is nothing more than a product of vulnerability plus time.”
Of course, every superhero has a weakness, and Jacobs said radio’s “kryptonite” is losing its ability to entertain. “People’s time is valuable,” he said. “They have so many different choices for what they can listen to… When they invest their time in you and your show, that need for you to be able to deliver, I think, is critical.”
The conversation also turned to leadership and culture. “What do employees want more than anything else? To feel valued and to feel safe in our industry,” Reynolds said. “If you make everyone around you in your circle feel valued, and if you create safety for them, they can perform. They can be creative. They can be imaginative.”
As the webinar closed, the panelists shared takeaways for air talent heading into 2025. Lane said, “Master the art of storytelling… and not just be a radio personality, but be a multi-platform media personality across video, social media, blogging, all of the above.” Jacobs added, “Empathy… has never been more important than it is now.” Reynolds concluded, “Radio does not have a listening problem, in my opinion. Radio has a top-of-mind awareness problem… We have to do stuff that makes people talk about us.”
The full CRS360 webinar is available to watch in full, on demand.
Personality is the super power that radio seems to be abandoning. In some instances, I heard better, more engaging personalities on certain small market radio stations back in the nineties than I hear on most major market stations today.
As for the comment about overproduced stations that “come out with a produced sweeper, play a song, a produced sweeper, another song, a produced sweeper” and so forth — that’s a guaranteed way to lose me as a listener. Not only does it not provide any human connection, but it is monotonous to the point of being irritating. And, yes, I understand the budget limitations that lead to that, but if you can’t afford any personality, at least limited the produced sweepers to being between every other song instead of every song — it’s not exciting radio, but it is less irritating.
WHOLE HARDHEARTEDLY AGREE. ANY stream, site or app can play the same music. It is PERSONALIY that connects with listeners as evidenced by response to the Passing of Pierre Robert at WMMR in Philly. NO Ai could duplicate that. Group owners.,,Get your heads out of your petutes.
Radio has been around for 100+years… and now we need a study, to acknowledge that personalities are important??!!
Wow.
Exactly what I was thinking.
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