Thursday, October 29, 2009

REACH OUT AND TOUCH SOMEBODY Chuck Geiger


Country stations need to talk to the audience more often than Rock or AC. How long should you go without the talent talking in a music sweep? The school of though is no more than 2 songs and a good rule of thumb is make a connection at least twice in a quarter hour. No connection is made when you hear several sweepers and jingles in a row and talent breaks. In non-live or VT hours, this can be shored up with imaging based on the day part. On Sundays: COUNTRY FOR THE RIDE TO CHURCH AND BACK ON FM 101.5.

Country radio and the life group is built on the conversation model, like a coffee shop or bar, more like two women visiting and talking over the fence to each other while hanging laundry. Paul Wilson at Clear Channel Fresno came up with that one a few years ago. The conversation model for CHR is a mall, Rock is a strip club or bike rally, AC is a PTA meeting and so forth. We have never seen a successful syndicated morning show in Country – Why? – Bob Glasco of Glasco Media says the reason these shows don’t work in Country, Country is the most current adult format, the audience is more tuned into the station and the music as a whole and when the morning show doesn’t represent the station, where the rest of the talent is live and local it’s not a match.

If the talent is developed enough just to put “talent break” on the log, that will suffice, but if you have a younger coach able staff, you might try outlining what goes in each of those breaks, but don’t dictate or make them read liners – Connection with the audience every time. Might be a contest liner in their own words, social media/web site liner, music fact or artist connection, you can spread it around and make sure it happened twice in every quarter hour.

1 comment:

  1. It should also be applied to the Hot AC format as well. I believe that each break should contain something that relates to the listener..breakup, funny situation, meeting someone, etc. those are real events that happen everyday and the more connected and relatable the more success.

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