How many stations have become SO consistent in their approach that there’s no real reason to listen today? If you listened today, you can bet that tomorrow’s going to pretty much sound the same. As Seth Godin reminds us in "Purple Cow," being very good is the quickest path to being ignored by your audience. Sad to say, consistency can be a killer in this environment.
It takes a lot of programming skill and effort to craft every day to be a little different, compelling, and attention-getting. It’s especially important for formats like Classic Rock, where a finite gold library doesn’t have the current freshness.
That’s why I was so happy to receive an email from Buffalo’s 97Rock late last month, celebrating the "Blizzard of ’77." If you were in Buffalo 30 years ago, you were treated to one of the most amazing weather events in history. Market stalwart, Danny Nevearth who was the morning guy at WKBW, pretty much made his career that week by continuing to broadcast to his beleaguered, snowed-in community.
To "celebrate" this milestone, John Hager dedicated the entire day to playing music from 1977, and in the process, made an incredible connection to his community. We are continually asked how radio can possibly compete with iPods, the Internet, and cell phones. This is how.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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Absolutely true! And something nobody in our industry talks about. The feeling is that it is perfectly o.k. not to listen for a week because a week from NOW the station will sound identical to how it does today, so what possibly might be missed or lost? Weird and true analogy: Yesterday I opened a box of Raisin Bran and was shocked (in a really cool, intrigued way with a strong sense of serendipity) to find some Rice Krispies mixed in. Think how seldom…with each company’s strict fixation on standards and quality control…that must occur. It was one of the most interesting and entertaining little surprises to have happened to me in some time. It humanized and weirdly endeared to me the too staid and perfectly reliable Kellogg’s empire. Suddenly, in an unexpectedly reverse fashion, I liked the company more! Once upon a time, in a universe that now seems far, far away…rock air personalities would have a faux “rebellion” and pretend to decide on their own to play an entire side of “Abbey Road” at 5 pm…dead-air included. An entire theatre-of-the-mind scenario kicked in, with their “locking the control room door” and “putting their whole radio careers on the line” for this little instance of zaniness. You NEVER hear such antics now days, unless they’re on a morning show. Beginning precisely at 10 am, sanitized and homogenized and completely predictable robot-like radio kicks in…and it continues until the next day’s morning show. Very sad.
Bravo Fred! Thanks for sharing. What a wonderful idea. Reminds me of the “Todd Storz Rule of Three” to wit: “Be topical, be local, be obvious.” It only works 100% of the time. Best,
That is truly wonderful radio. And another “lesson” in my continuing education about creating compelling, attention-getting radio.
It indeed is content that an Ipod can’t duplicate; and something that a competitor may not take the time to create.
Thanks for sharing!