You will be reading a ton of material on what's its going to take to turn around the process and return Country radio and radio in general to the glory days. It will really only boil down to several essential elements of passion, pride and creativity:
1.) Stop the business as usual attitude and realize the sound of radio has got to more magnetic. Even the listeners are complaining about it's boring offerings. Listeners and clients don't care about corporate conditions of your radio station and the inability to bring creative radio to the surface.
2.) Every one has got to be involved with the goals of the radio station from the owner, to operators, to managers and programmers all the way to the air talent, promotions, production, sales and engineering. This is a problem that has to be corrected and this has nothing to do with budget. This is an attitude that is being masked by the operation conditions.
3.) Country radio is reaching a boiling point regarding it's new found 18-34 musical direction. What is happening with the 35+ listeners? Can they continue to be served with the new musical implementation. Successful stations are finding ways to keep the upper demographics listening. Will there be a split into two formats, newer and older?
4.) Radio sales has to begin to implement a new business plan that adheres to rates and inventory. Wishing and hoping will not cut the cake. Sell weak inventory and adhere to prices by finding buyers. Print has had circulation problems, but not a decline in advertising. I (Chuck) work for a major paper and it's up over last year at this time. In print sales, we don't make deals and give the store away.
5.) Bring back the spark and magic - Country listeners and life group members expect to be entertained not bored to death by cramming useless music information and unprepared radio down their throats. FTC and NGP will be bringing new directions on how to accomplish this in the coming year.
Happy 2010 and get ready to rock the box again!
Thanks from Chuck Geiger and Jessica Northey
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