NEW IN TOWN

Janis grabbed a few movies at Blockbuster on Sunday and one was Harry Connick Jr. and Renee Zellwegger in NEW IN TOWN. A corporate executive is sent to New Ulm, MN to automate and reduce the workforce in a manufacturing plant. She is driven with the corporate blood racing through her body. After getting to know the town and the people, she decides it's not a bad place after all. Then the company wants the plant closed entirely because it's losing money. How about this rationale: It's more cost-effective to the company to close the plant then keep it open. She gets the idea to manufacture her executive assistants tapioca. The do local research and it's off the charts. They take the existing production line and convert it at no cost and turn out a local product. The plant makes so much money, the company puts it up for sale and Renee's character buys it and makes it employee owned. How many parallels with local radio do you see? Here's the rest of the 10 ways to better connect with your life group: 4.) WRITE IN REDNECK - More of your imaging needs to talk to the outlying areas and not the city. Jay Walker of KTTI Yuma began doing this effectively and turned out some of the best imaging I have heard in years. Remember: This is not an AC or CHR station it's Country! The life group doesn't have urban zip codes. 3.) MORNING SHOW TOPICS - I remember telling Ken and Kitty at Cat Country 96 - You should be talking about the city councilmen in Philadelphia that was outed. The listeners wanted to talk about an appliance box on fire on Highway 22. Call after call. Keep it local and yo cal. 2.) TALK TO THE PEOPLE - Don't blow them off, we hide behind Next-Gen. There are no radio stars any longer. Become communicators and realize these folks make up the occasions of listening to your radio station. 1.) STOP BEING A SLAVE TO THE PROCESS - It's not about counting hot dog buns for the remote, putting toner in the copier - It's about the people listening to the radio. Perform the mechanics of the radio station in terms they understand and will participate with. Tuesday: Are you getting on local television once a week?