Mike Bettelli
By Mike Bettelli
Red + Blue = Purple
On any given Saturday this fall you’ll find me wearing purple. Not the most trendy color unless you happen to be a fan of the Washington Huskies (I am) or maybe the LSU Tigers, but this article isn’t about football. The fall Arbitron and the presidential election are two fall events you can’t ignore. Purple is the color of states that don’t fall into the Red (Republican) or Blue (Democrat) column. Purple is the color you want to be this fall, too.
Partisan Media
Since the Fairness Doctrine went the way of black and white TV’s, the U.S. media has embraced partisan viewpoints. There is no doubt about who Fox News supports (they lean Red) or who MSNBC will be poking jibes at (they lean Blue). Radio is even more divided when politics are being discussed. Most markets now have at least a couple of talk stations. Syndicated talk shows like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity have been so successful they are credited with keeping AM radio alive. Air America entered the scene a few years back and now “progressive talk” with hosts like Ed Schultz and Stephanie Miller have won a big fan base. What almost all talk radio has in common is a strong partisan viewpoint. If you program a music intensive radio station you may be wondering what this means to you. Should you take a partisan stand this fall?
Down The Middle
Your job as a radio Program Director depends on understanding your audience. If you did research that showed 90% of your audience embracing either McCain or Obama you might feel like you could encourage your air staff to say nice things about one and not so nice things about the other. That would be a big mistake. Take a look at how voting patterns played out in the last presidential election:
In 2004 Bush won 58% of the white vote, Kerry won 88% of the black vote, they split the Hispanic vote with 53% voting for Kerry and 44% going for Bush.
Big cities went 60% for Kerry. Small towns were a toss up with 50% going to Bush and 48% voting for Kerry.
High school graduates leaned toward Bush 52% to 47%, but Postgraduates went for Kerry by 55% to 44%. People who didn’t go to high school split evenly between the two candidates.
The very poor voted for Kerry (63% to 36%) while the very wealthy – those earning $200k or more went for Bush (63% to 35%). Incomes in the middle ($30k to $50k) were split evenly.*
Bottom line is that the race was decided by about 1 or 2 percentage points and the demographic breakdown is complicated at the very least. As a PD the most important information here is that you would never want to alienate 40% to 50% of your audience by taking a partisan stand. So how do you stay purple when it seems like the whole country is split right down the middle?
Be Famous – Be Purple
Once you decide that your station is going to be in the purple column you might be able to take advantage of your neutral stand. Create a “purple zone” for your morning show. You can ask listeners from both sides to contribute non-offensive jokes about the candidates. Much like the late night shows on TV you can poke a little fun towards both sides. Lettermen and Leno know the audience value of giving each party their share of heat. Somewhere at NBC and CBS there is a nightly tally of how many jokes in the monologue go one way or the other.
It’s no mistake that both Obama and McCain will be appearing on Dave’s and Jay’s shows before the election. Even Jon Stewart (who decidedly leans blue) has often had John McCain on The Daily Show. You won’t find Obama on the air with Rush Limbaugh anytime soon, and John McCain is an unlikely guest with Ed Shultz. Have your morning show proudly wear the purple label. Incorporate the material in your promos and imaging. Be the mass appeal “Tonight Show” in your market and let the talk stations rant about one candidate over the other.
Embrace The Positive
The process of electing a president in our country and our democratic system of government are the envy of most of the rest of the world. Urging your listeners to take part in the system by registering to vote is a positive position to take. Registration deadlines vary by state. Check out www.declareyourself.com to find out how it works in your state. Registering voters up to the deadline at station events and posting the information on your Web site will make a difference. Elections can bring out the best and worst in your listeners. Celebrate what everybody can agree with – this is a great country that highly values its freedoms and constitution.
Use Your Web Site
Have you noticed all the Internet polls regarding the presidential election? Polls are fun, but can get downright boring when the only question is: Who are you voting for? Use your station Web site to create some fun questions that may not be easy to predict.
Who would you rather take on a camping trip? Which candidate would you rather have a beer with? Who would you rather take on a road trip? Help you cook a gourmet dinner? Tie the questions in with the lifestyle of your listeners. Have fun with the topics on your morning show. Invite local supporters to lobby for each week’s question and post the results and drive the voting through your website. You might even attract some interest from local television and newspapers. Save the “who will you vote for” question for the last week of October.
When Will It Stop?
Chances are we will know who the next president will be by the morning of November 5th. Interest in politics will drop dramatically after that. The focus will then be on the usual normal stuff like the holidays, family, and what will be the hot toy for Christmas 2008.
In the meanwhile – you have to marvel at how divided everybody is about their choice for the biggest job in the U.S.A. Except for you and your station, that is. You will embrace the best color for this fall… it’s right between blue and red.
I’d love to hear from you! e-mail me at: mbettelli@dial-global.com. Call me at: 800-426-9082
* 2004 election statistics are from Wikipedia, “Red States and Blue States.”
Mike Bettell is Director of Adult Contemporary Formats, for Dial Global (formerly Jones Radio Networks) / Seattle. Reach him at 800-426-9082, direct: 206-508-8113, or mbettelli@dial-global.com.
