Music-intensive radio formats have a problem with news. Countless research studies show newscasts on most radio stations rate next to hard sell car commercials. News is important though, and this week’s column takes a look at some basic elements of a credible newscast.
Mike Bettelli
By Mike Bettelli
Music-intensive radio formats have a problem with news. Countless research studies show newscasts on most radio stations rate next to hard sell car commercials. The prevailing wisdom has been to limit news to only morning drive and to streamline the content and length. Through the 80s, when I was working at a full service AM station, we would field strategic studies on programming elements listeners really wanted to hear. Music was always first and then came a friendly host, weather updates and finally news updates. Morning drive was the most important daypart for news and the other dayparts almost dropped off the map with these adult AM listeners. Imagine how news rates on your music-intensive format! News is important, though, especially for your morning drive numbers and recycling to other dayparts. Let’s take a look at some basic elements of a credible newscast.
1. Content targeted to your audience
2. High story count
3. Consistent open and lock-out
4. Accurate and impartial coverage of events
5. Counter-programmed scheduling
6. Brevity
7. Authoritative news voice
Content
My biggest complaint with most newscasts I hear is the content. Stations wrongly assume that listeners have been exposed to national/international news from TV or the newspaper or maybe even from the news/talk stations in the market. The first content rule to remember is that listeners don’t separate news stories into local, regional, national and international. They are just hearing a newscast. They want to feel like they are informed. They want to hear stories that are of interest to themselves and their lifestyles. Each newscast should be assembled with these interests in mind. Just like idle jock chatter, make sure each story passes the “who cares” test. Will the story capture the interest of your audience? Is it relevant to them? Don’t let your morning personality insert football trade stories into a newscast targeted to female listeners. Likewise a male rock audience has little interest in American Idol or The Bachelor. Whether you use a news service like AP or a network service, make sure each story passes this test. If the news services don’t have any relevant stories, start looking for other sources. Check the provided information in your last Arbitron and find out what magazines your target audience subscribes to, then check out the stories that make the grade in favorite magazines. Stay away from local “beat” topics, like council meetings, fender-bender accidents and political stories. They almost never pass the “who cares” test.
Story Count
You most likely do not carry any network newscasts on your station, but it’s instructive to listen to an ABC, AP or CBS network ‘cast and pay attention to story count and variety. The network folks know the value of several well-written stories compared to ninety seconds or two minutes filled up with one or two items. You’ll be amazed how many stories will air in a short network newscast. Four or five in ninety seconds is not unusual.
Also, make note of the variety. Just like music programming, a well-crafted newscast will have story variety. It’s o.k. to jump from local to national and back to local again. The story line-up needs a balanced variety with the most compelling story at the top of the newscast. Save the humorous kicker for the end and put lots of stories in the allotted time frame. Beware of story fragments; each must be able to stand on its own and be complete and understood.
Consistent Open and Lock-Out
Sometimes the easiest part of news seems to be the most difficult for radio. Opening up a newscast requires a standard procedure.
Whether it’s a news sounder with a scripted opener (“Good morning I’m Joe Dokes in the Q-97 News Center”), or even a cold open with a toss from the morning show host (“At 7:20 here’s a Q-97 News Update with Joe Dokes”), be consistent with your news open and close. There is always going to be a desire for the news anchor and morning show host to include clever chatter in their news open and close; don’t let it happen unless they have an amazing chemistry on the air. Even then you probably want most newscasts to open in a consistent way. Save the clever chatter for elsewhere. Need we add that the open and close require call letters or dial position or both?
Accurate and Impartial
It’s O.K. to have an opinion about a news story; just don’t let the listeners in on your feelings. Inserting opinion or just presenting one side of a story may be tempting, but takes you away from doing news and into some other entertainment area. Even “tabloid” stories can have a ring of accuracy and impartiality if presented correctly. How many editorial comments have you heard or seen recently on radio or TV?
Counter-Programmed News Times
If you are not the news “voice” of your market, why be doing a newscast at the time the other guys are? Try to play music when they’re into a newscast. Most of the top news image stations will present news at the top and bottom of each hour. Schedule your counter-programmed news at twenty and forty past the hour, or fifty past. I’d much rather be sweeping over the top and bottom of the hour with a killer song; there’s just no advantage to copying what the other guys do. If you do own the news “hill” in your market – there are good reasons to use top and bottom of the hour.
Brevity
Set up an amount of time for your newscasts and stick to it! Unless a major emergency is right on top of you, keep the news short and concise. Sixty to ninety seconds is right for most music stations. That time frame should include a quick weather update and important sports scores. It’s easier to present longer newscasts, but they’ll send listeners over to the competition.
Always Vigilant
In this post 9/11, economic crisis world we are all a little worried about what’s going on. If you are concerned about listeners drifting over to news or news/talk stations between your newscasts – here’s a great line to add to your news close. “When news breaks… we break in to keep you up to date.” Make sure your listeners know that you won’t let them miss an important news story.
Authoritative News Voice
Listeners don’t require a glance at your resume before listening to a newscast. They don’t care whether the voice they hear has a journalism degree or watched every episode of WKRP instead of going to high school. The important thing is to sound authoritative without being Ted Baxter pretentious. Listeners will pick up on a news voice that lacks understanding of stories and mispronounces copy. Believable is better than “ballsy.”
Set up a schedule to critique newscasts often. Check for the areas we’ve discussed and make sure your news product is the best it can be. News is worth a little extra effort and will keep listeners tuned in if you’re on target.
Mike Bettelli is a Programmer/Consultant and Partner with The New Broadcast Partners. He can be reached at: 206-849-2456, mike@thenewbp.com or www.thenewbp.com
