WHERE'S THE CONNECTION

I was reading ALL ABOUT COUNTRY'S weekly poll, "Is your station voice on more than your talent" and so far: Station voice exceeds local talent by a landslide. Have we gotten so lazy, that even in these economic conditions, we are just plugging sweepers into the clocks? 

Even with pre-recorded programming and voice-tracked shift, we can get creative. Sorry: But it does entail some work. Shifts without talent can be real people talking about the station in breaks, much like talent breaks. "Hi this is Bobby Martin in Cloverdale and your listening to Country 101.5, home of Big D and Bubba tomorrow morning with fun and music in the morning". Combined with names of the recorded shift. No talent either live or recorded on Sundays? Try "Country 101.5's 7th Day - Country and fun for the families official day off." 

All night show - "On and On til' dawn Country 101.5 playing non-stop Country for the 3rd shift". Write imaging around the available audience for the shift you are producing. You are missing out if you just run generic tracks and sweepers. 

Try playing an hour of music for one of your communities: "Cloverdale, this Country's for you, another hour especially for everyone in Vista Valley's All-American community: Cloverdale" On Country 101.5". You can write an effective group of imaging for:

MORNINGS (WEEKENDS)

MIDDAYS (WEEKENDS)

AFTERNOONS (WEEKENDS)

NIGHTS (WEEKDAYS AND WEEKENDS)

ALL NIGHTS (WEEKENDS AND WEEKDAYS)

Saturday morning recorded shifts by the morning show should be plugged into community events transpiring during the weekend. Heck they can even look in the paper for flea markets, yard and garage sales to talk about on their shows on Saturday morning.

If you plan out the week, you can connect better with your audience than just playing sweepers!