21 Aug Format Roulette
History repeats itself….in life and in radio. One can learn a lot about how a particular radio format or format niche will succeed in the future based on track records of popular formats today and their format trends in the past. Formats often take ratings roller coaster rides for a variety of reasons. Country, Hot AC, and CHR listenerships have been affected by current music released by core artists. Gold-based formats like Classic Rock, Classic Hits, and Adult Hits add “newer” music, and some drop older songs. Every format has had its hills and valleys. When listeners leave a format, stations consider jumping ship to try something different.
When evaluating your station’s format or considering a new course—especially right before a rating period—analyze ratings, audience acceptance, marketing campaigns and contesting, and advertiser campaign success or lack thereof, and review every aspect of your station. The music, imaging, and talent presentation will need intense focus. Stations conduct market research or a thorough programming evaluation of strengths and weaknesses to determine why their station isn’t doing well before changing the format or making a change.
Areas to consider when planning a format change:
> Your market is different. A successful format in one city may not work in your market.
> Don’t lose confidence in the station’s format too quickly. While some formats are instant successes, others grow slowly in popularity.
> Watch the herding instinct of doing the same programming as other stations. When every station has a thirty-minute music sweep, no one owns the image (except the first station that did it).
> Pay attention to advertiser successes. How well clients do may be one of the most important ways to gauge how well the station and format are doing.
> Consider the local advertising revenue potential. Do clients want to reach your target audience, and how much revenue can it produce?
> Your issue may not be the music but what’s between the songs. Consider fun and entertaining ways to engage your audience. Does your morning show captivate listeners? How about your imaging?
> Program for the total Cume and make the station mass-appeal. Niche formats are sometimes helpful in blocking or protecting a sister property. Still, they tend to suffer ratings spikes and declines because the cume is insufficient to allow adequate sampling in every sweep. In addition, a niche format can be exclusive to too few listeners.
> Super-serve the core listeners but ensure the “house” is large enough for a big cumulative audience. Often, what appeals to P1s will also convert P2s into stronger partisans. Continually invite new listeners into the format and station.
> Rely on the 3 M’s – Music, Mornings, and Marketing – to garner home run ratings and revenue. Have a terrific morning show and promote it aggressively. While music dominates midday and afternoon listening, a good morning show is the cornerstone of a strong station. Talents must sound relatable in every break, garner listener talk, be fun or funny, and sell cross-daypart listening (recycling to the workday, etc.).
> Focus on local listeners and talk about local relatables often on the air.
When it comes to format roulette, investigate all options. Fine-tuning your present format may be better. The best format in radio tends to be longevity; consistency has its benefits. Seek strategic advice as to how to make your station better. This is an area where the Lund Media Group consulting team can be your greatest ally. Contact John@lundradio.com for more info.