A lasting legacy is about the actions you take during your life and how those actions affect people who remember you. Your parents have left you a legacy in some form, and you may be doing the same with family. But what do you think is your radio station’s legacy?
Let’s think about the legacy that some of the all-time classic radio stations have left for us. WABC in New York, WLS in Chicago, and KHJ in Los Angeles were three stations that gave us the successful Top 40 hit radio format with their quick draw personalities and top-of-the-charts music.
WSM-AM in Nashville popularized country music across a lot of the nation with its Grand Ole Opry live broadcasts.
Today, you have KIIS in LA, WINS in NYC, and KKBQ in Houston.
Think about the legacy of the stations you grew up listening to. How do you remember those stations and how they captured and kept your interest? I grew up with WFIL in Philadelphia and remember the “cool” factor they had among my peers. (And the reason I got into this business!!)
We are definitely in a much different time than the aforementioned group, but one thing will always remain the same. What can you do, as a programmer with your staff, to create that legacy for your station in your market and in your listeners’ minds? First, know that this is NOT an industry thing; it’s all about the LISTENERS. It has nothing to do with station awards and accolades. It has everything to do with how you create lasting memorability for your audience.
You’ve seen articles here written about how a station has heart, how to find its “why” and various ideas and exercises to get the listeners to spend more time with the station. They are all a part of the process. BUT – if you can accomplish all of that but never have that ONE thing that creates a lasting, emotional relationship with the listener that they will be compelled to pass on to others.
What all the stations mentioned above had in common is they had an audience that would shout and scream about them. The listeners knew that they were a part of something special, and the station continuously made them feel that way. You could mention the station name, and they would know right away what the station meant to them.
Make a list, with your staff, of what your station needs to be for the listener and what would matter most. You can call them a set of core values if you like. These are the attributes that will NEVER change about the station day in and day out. It’s a list that will lead to building that legacy. A list that you would reference daily. Some suggestions could be integrity, honesty, fun, a strong sense of community, etc. Make your station matter every day in every way to the listener, and you are on the road to creating that lasting legacy.
