2010: WHAT'S NEXT FOR COUNTRY PROGRAMMING Part 2 Imaging

We gathered the brightest minds in Country radio to pontificate on 2010 and the changes and trends in the wind for Country radio. This week, we look at Imaging, stationality, sonic sound and non-commercial product development from the best:

Jaye Albright from Albright & O'Malley leads it off with "concise, crisp and compelling". Bob Glasco of Glasco Media joins in "Put compelling content on the air to protect your franchise". 


We are approaching burn out and don't give a damn with the life group and traditional chest pounding imaging topicals. 12 in a row, the most Country on the radio and How do you spell Country? have reached ad nasium. Time for the life group and life group supported elements to rule the radio. 


Lance Tidwell Program Director of WWYZ Hartford shines a light on the loss of quality wrirting: "Writing and it's purpose isn't being taught, imaging and stationality are often devalued or simply not understood in our industry and we don't put our money where our mouth is but I think we'll get through to the other side". 


Randy "Bubba" Black of KATM Modesto remarks: "Everything is getting to choppy..  let it breathe  let your station breathe  the digital world already has taken the fat out of the sound of analog. don't let your image production do the same  let it breathe at the end  stop chopping". 


From John Paul of Albright & O'Malley "Be as creative AND brief as possible without losing honesty.   No hype, include tons of actual listeners.  Use “listener speak” not “radio speak” when writing imaging".


FTC IMAGING TIPS FOR 2010:


1.) Use real listeners in imaging, get off your ass and record them at events, picking up prizes, remotes and community events, shopping centers and bars. Stop using the cut up ones from production services and recording sales people. 


2.) Target the imaging towards the life group and not radio. Re-read what John Paul said. Oommunity sweepers, ties the artists into the towns: MORE TAYLOR SWIFT FOR TREXLERTOWN.


3.) Put the morning show in regular imaging and station legal ID's. Stop the "Missed a minute of" type promos. Promote the morning show's social media platform in the topicals.


4.) Twitter and Facebook imaging: Sell the sizzle of social media.


5.) Develop an imaging matrix that rotates multiple levels of imaging: Image sweepers, fast sweepers, listeners, community sweepers, artists sweepers, morning show sweepers and social media sweepers. If you have web site sweepers, erase them.