Mike Bettelli
by Mike Bettelli
What’s Your Universe?
The first question all Program Directors have to answer is: Based on the market I’m in and the competition I’m up against – can we be both a ratings and revenue leader? The question is a complicated one based on a number of factors.
Where Do You Live?
Aside from demographic factors like high minority percentage of population or maybe high percentage of retirees – where you live can be a huge factor in the success or failure of your radio station. Much like restaurant franchises, what may be a hit in one location can be a dismal failure in another. Aside from poor management of a property – you may have a limited chance for success if you are in a community that has been hit hard by the dipping economy. Have factories or big employers left town? Is the median income in your market lower than the national or state average? Is anything about to happen that will change your local market? A realistic assessment of where you live is a necessary part of hoping to win.
How Do You Fit In?
As a long time consultant I have often heard PD’s and GM’s tell me about how “their market is different.” The first blush reaction to this statement is that most markets are similar and very much alike. It is true, though, that every city and radio market has distinct differences. You can’t assume that a list of music that plays well in Dallas will perform just as well in Seattle. There are cultural, historical and competitive reasons that make your market unique. Try explaining Carolina beach music to somebody who lives on the West Coast. Urban AC is viable in the Southeast and large urban markets, but doesn’t make a blip on the radar screen in other parts of the U.S. Rock formats in the Midwest have a different flavor than big metro centers like Boston or New York. Make sure your product fits your universe.
Can You Hear Us Now?
We’ve all seen the commercials on TV for cell phones and their coverage area. Radio is prone to this same coverage limitation. You can have the hottest format and personalities in your town, but if nobody can hear you there is no way you can win. Does your station miss key parts of your metro? Is the processing of your signal making you the loudest signal on the dial or the softest? Discuss any limitations with your owners, GM and engineer. It is very rare that a limited signal can produce a big winner in the radio business.
Do You Really Like Me?
When it comes to radio personalities it’s not always obvious why some personalities are wildly popular and most are not. Like any kind of popularity there are reasons why some radio hosts just seem to have “it.” When a consultant comes into a town for the first time and hears the highest rated show in the market it is not uncommon for the reaction be “Are you kidding me?” This is usually a reaction to a show that has longevity in the market.
There is no way you can appreciate how the radio audience gets used to and gets to know the personalities on their favorite station. This is usually because long term personalities gain a true equity with their audience. Listeners know about their families, know they understand and live in their community, and will often give them much more latitude on the material they use on their shows. The long term pros who maintain their audience do other things right, too. They prep for their shows, keep the correct balance between topical material and service information their audience wants.
If you are a PD faced with a competitor who has been in the market forever – get ready for an uphill battle. Smart talent can win, but you truly need to be better than the other guys.
The Difference Between Cume and Time Spent Listening
If you are in an Arbitron rated market or an Eastlan market – you know that the numbers you will live and die with are average quarter hour shares of audience in your target demographics. Those numbers are calculated by the number of listeners tuning in (cume) and how long they stay tuned in (time spent listening). A good rule of thumb is that marketing (TV spots, billboards, direct mail, print ads) can bring you cume, but that only gets your customer in the door. Keeping listeners once they find your station is a function of programming.
Great programming, including compelling content from your talent, combined with the right music for your target audience will convert that cume into time spent listening. Some formats are built for high cume and low TSL. CHR plays a limited number of current songs that repeat frequently. That’s okay if you play the best current music and keep delivering those songs with frequency. Without high cume CHR will not perform well. If you are in a format like AAA – the opposite may be true. Your eclectic music list isn’t for everybody (low cume) but the loyal fans you attract will stay tuned for hours every day. A long standing benefit of Variety and AC formats is that they enjoy the best of both cume driven and TSL driven formats. A station with both high cume and high TSL is hard to beat and will be a perennial winner.
Get An Outside Opinion
Every Program Director I have worked with has the same basic complaint. No feedback. GM’s are busy going on sales calls or dealing with ownership. The people who work on the air may give a PD an honest opinion, but often it’s colored with a desire to make the PD feel good. Sales people just want you to say yes to their next remote idea. Maybe you are working in a situation where none of the above is true.
Most likely you can relate to making decisions about your station on pure gut instinct and then hoping for the best.
Every PD should have the opportunity to put their work in front of someone who will honestly say: “Yes, that is a great promo.” Or “That idea just doesn’t work in this situation… here’s why.” A trusted and honest advisor is the best role you should have with any consultant. Here’s hoping you have the tools you need to win.
I’d love to hear from you.
Mike Bettelli is an independant programmer and consultant for radio. He can be reached at: 206-849-2456 or mikebettelli@yahoo.com.
