Wednesday, May 29, 2019

03 Jun Wednesday, May 29, 2019

This Week in The Lund Letter:  
>   News-Talk “Hits”
>   Taking a stand
>   Fascinating topics
>   Tease and please
>   The generation with the most buying power…plus other Trends

Lund Programming Clinic: Play the “Hits” In News-Talk

It’s what people want most from Talk Radio.  Local news; strong personalities; frequent weather that’s easy to find and understand; and traffic reports – this holds true regardless of market size.   Local news and events are the power hits to News-Talk. What makes News-Talk relevant?

+   Local news at the top and bottom of each hour.

+   Frequent traffic and weather benchmarks (“we never keep you waiting…”).

+   Frequent time checks in the morning.

+   Informational, interesting, and locally-oriented morning host.

+   Programming basics like frequently saying the station name, strong positioning, and sweeping the quarter with needed benchmarks.

+   Consistent promoting ahead – the next quarter hour, the next hour, the next show, etc.

+   “Best of” morning show promos aired throughout the day.

Does your programming need a Spring Cleaning?

You want your station to be the best it can be to attract listeners and revenue.  How do you sound compared to the digital and local listening options available in your market?  Get an assessment with a top-to-bottom station(s) review and programming analysis.  The Lund Strategic Programming Evaluation finds the strengths and weaknesses in your station(s) – music, promotions, talents, digital, and strategy.  Make sure you’re playing the best songs for your target demos.  Get the edge back!  Contact John Lund to discuss a Program Evaluation of your stations.

Lund Talent Tips: Developing Talk Topics

1.   Show prep the breaking news and interesting stories that are found on the Internet.  Give your listeners a fascinating show filled with stories and views they don’t hear anywhere else.  “What happens next happens here!”

2.   Develop a stand on each issue of concern.  Know your feelings and your position well.  Read articles that agree and disagree with that stand.

3.   No topic that sustains long interest is fixed and immutable.  The facts always shift.  New factors come into play.  Old theories are disputed.  The hot topics demand research and an open mind.

4.   Thanks to social media and cable news, the news cycle is very short – likely eight hours.  Those still talking about the Mueller Report, Russian meddling with the election, and the release of Trump’s personal taxes need to get a memo – it’s over.  People don’t care anymore.  Don’t rehash last month’s news; work fresh topics.

5.   The clearer the talent’s position on a controversial issue becomes on the air, the deeper the obligation to be informed on all sides of the argument.

Lund Basics: The Art of the Tease

If it’s worth doing, it’s worth promoting.  When you have something exciting coming up, promote it in advance so the audience is alerted.

Promote in a way that is likely to keep people listening.  Reading a laundry list of upcoming artists or what’s on the show today is not compelling.

Teasing a contest should perk interest; lead with the benefit and focus on “you.”  Nothing is more mundane than, “I’ll have more tickets to give away.”  Talk to the listener in active language:  “How would you like to be in the front row of the biggest concert of the summer?”

A good tease heightens the listener’s interest in what is coming up.  It makes the show more interesting and extends Time Spent Listening.

Put drama into your show.  Your avid listener should ask, “I wonder what’s going to happen next?”

The Importance of Prep

Radio personalities who systemize their approach to prepping and presenting their shows realize improved performances and higher ratings.  Want to know the benchmarks that listeners like most?  Utilize the Lund Radio Personality Guide to improve show planning and execution.  The Lund Consultants coach and develop talents for improved performance and higher ratings, and this stylebook has all the tools and insight to execute a great show.  Order your copy here.

Lund’s Top 3:  Newscasts That Work
  
…Deliver What Listeners Want!

Our continuing series helps you shape your news content into the news your listeners can use (and will want to).

1.   On-scene coverage is a plus.  When disaster strikes, listeners choose a particular station based on how it performed in the last emergency, and as a result of promotion of its coverage.

2.   Sound connected. Have an arrangement with a radio network to provide strong coverage and reporting for major national news events.

3.   News never sleeps.  A 24-hour newsroom is not realistic for most station budgets. Have the top news on your website for anytime access. 24/7 accessibility is more important than 24/7 staffing. Aggressively promote the website.

Next week, more tips on making your newscasts work for your audience.  For more Top 3 lists, check out www.lundradio.com.


Promotion of the Week: Dress To Impress

Give away a wedding dress.  A fun twist?  Have the entrant turn in a picture of herself in the ugliest bridesmaid dress she ever had to wear.  Listeners vote on who suffered the most on the station’s website and social media, and that woman wins the new dress.

Do You Need A Great Promotion?

Our Summer and Fall Promotions Guides outline every programming and sales promotion you’ll need for the months ahead.  Over 100 audience-building promotions, contests, sales promotions and show prep ideas will make your stations sizzle right now and through summer … and help the sales staff lock in new dollars.

Order our Fall Promotions Guide now and receive the Summer Promotions Guide free.   Order here to get both guides.

Lund Trend Watch:

I Feel You

Amazon is developing a voice-activated wearable device that can recognize human emotions. The wrist-worn gadget is described as a health and wellness product designed to work with a smartphone app.  It has a microphone paired with software that can discern the wearer’s emotional state from the sound of his or her voice. Eventually the technology could be able to advise the wearer on how to interact more effectively with others.

The notion of building machines that can understand human emotions has long been a staple of science fiction, like Data, the android in the TV show Star Trek: The Next Generation. It’s unclear how far along the project is, but it will know your emotional attachment to Amazon Prime.

Baby Boomer Buying Power

Advertisers focus strongly on the “it” demos: the Millennials and, more recently, Gen Z.  A lot of blame can be placed on the image of “older” Americans, but that image is often wrong.  Boomers aren’t sitting at home trying to get a grasp on technology while sorting their pills.  They like to travel, spend time outdoors and keep up with friends and family on Facebook.  And as for physical image… George Clooney, Julianne Moore, Tom Cruise, Robert Downey, Jr., Lenny Kravitz, LL Cool J and Nicole Kidman are all Baby Boomers!  Total Retail Report says only 10% of marketing is targeted to Baby Boomers, yet Boomers “outspend every other generation by $400 billion annually.”  Baby Boomers control 70% of US disposable income and spend $3.2 trillion a year!


Programmer’s Planner:

Tomorrow, May 30: NBA Finals first game: Warriors vs Raptors
June 14: Flag Day
June 16: Father’s Day
July 4: Independence Day (a 4-day weekend for many)

Next week in the Lund Letter: Great stations have defining morning shows.

Thanks for reading
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About Lund Media

For over 20 years, the Lund Media Group has provided programming, music consulting, operational guidance, and research to broadcast stations throughout North America and overseas. With specialists in every format, the Lund Goal is to help stations get more listeners and keep them listening longer.

Call John Lund for more information about how the Lund Media Group can help your stations achieve more listeners, higher ratings, and more revenue.
Phone: 650-692-7777.
Email john@lundradio.com.