Radio's "Next Big Thing"

When I was a kid, I grew up in a medium market that was as backwater as a typical small town. As a young teenager, my choices on the radio dial were the top 40 station, the rock station, the oldies station, the music for parents station (Hot AC), or the elevator music station (AC).

I listened to the top 40 station until djs with names like Mary Krismas came along - at which point, I could stand it no more. I moved on to the rock station, though it didn't really speak to me. It was, however, my only access to music aside from my records and tapes, so I listened.

When I went to college, I discovered artists with weird band names and music that spoke to me.

ME.

I never listened to radio again because I found my music elsewhere.

I got my real start working in radio when Alternative became the Big New Thing. I worked at a pair of sign-ons - one in a medium market, and one in the majors.

The major market alternative station was a disaster at first, because we had an out of market signal, and a full signal in the city flipped to our format less than a week after we signed on.

DOOM!

Our station's O.M. was brilliant. He told us that he didn't care about ratings... didn't care about winning or even competing really. What he cared about was a 24 year old male - PERIOD.

"Win him, and we're always in the game" he said.

That's when I realized radio isn't about music at all. It's about people.

I know what you're thinking. "That's freaking obvious!" ...but, is it really? Here we are, in 2005, and we're still talking about formats rather than listeners.

In this era of iPods for a hundred bucks, we've still got idiot programmers trying to "own records" - as if radio is still the be all and end all. Hell, they still call them records!

GET OVER IT.

There's also too much emphasis placed on songs not to play rather than songs to play. Radio formats better match record industry goals than they do listener passions.

Last year we saw alternative stations playing Eminem and Outkast. Bad idea? HELL NO. The bad idea was teaching listeners that a station cares more about what kinds of music it plays than what it's listeners want to hear.

If the favorite song of a typical 18 to 24 male is by Eminem, then the station that wants to win that demographic needs to play Eminem.

That station also needs to have an airstaff made up of people who know how to entertain that demographic god dammit dammit dammit. I simply cannot stress this point enough. Station slogan, artist name, show prep factoid, frontsell, next artist name on station name, and out. That's entertainment? Say it isn't so!

THE NEXT BIG THING:

Radio's "next big thing" needs to be entertaining a chosen demographic.

Pick a demo and win it by building a radio station from the ground up that speaks to the passions of those in that demographic, music-format be damned. Rediscover air talent as entertainers and realize that music is just one piece of the puzzle.

Less show prep and more show.

This should be a return to the era of DJ's being superstars. Air talent who can make 'em laugh, make 'em cry, make 'em curious. MAKE THEM WANT TO LISTEN.

Is there enough superstar air talent out there? Yes and no. I believe there are superstars waiting for the opportunity to shine, but those opportunities are few and far between, and too many potential superstars lack the know-how because they've never really had a chance to entertain beyond the typical front sell on-and-gone :15 and under no content breaks.

Are there enough programmers who know how to develop a radio station that embodies a true lifestyle rather than serving up yet another jukebox with imaging? I fear the answer is no.