Last week I wrote a post about the inflection point many public radio news stations find themselves at, trying to sort out their areas of focus in a fast-changing media environment. Their audiences continue to age (along with the rest of radio listenership), and despite sincere efforts, stations are, at best, only enjoying incremental progress in attracting more diverse listeners, a stated goal for most. The mantra – “grow the audience” – has been intoned since Paul and I started working in public media since the late 1990’s, but achieving it has been elusive.
On top of that, the news cycle continues to be difficult to navigate. Even self-described “news junkies” often need a hiatus from the news. And given the program lineups on many public radio stations, the same stories are often covered ad nauseum in show after show. For regular listeners trying to keep up-to-date without feeling pounded by the incessant coverage of Trump, Israel/Gaza, the election, and other stories with “legs,” they often feel inundated by the repetitive nature of public radio programming schedules.
And then there’s the digital piece. While most public radio stations tend to be well attuned to the available challenges and opportunities, their choices and execution aren’t consistently successful. Many have made – and continue to make – unfortunate bets on digital, only to find out attracting audiences – and sponsorship support – has been arduous at best, and unsustainable at worst.
Against this backdrop, there’s a new revealing new research resource available, thanks to the Station Resource Group, the Public Radio Program Directors, and Greater Public – three of public radio’s outstanding leadership organizations. They retained City Square, an outside research company, to aggregate more than a couple dozen studies commissioned by public radio stations from all over the country. (You can access this study here.)
While this exercise yielded myriad recommendations – and a great “Playbook” free to anyone who wishes to access it – the leading directive is for public radio stations to double-down on the local opportunity, described as the medium’s “superpower.”
The City Square team also suggests greater presence by public stations in their communities. To commercial radio pros, this is known as “street presence,” something generally missing or inconsistent in public radio.
And the local news opportunity has gotten even more attractive this year for public radio as tech platforms dial back their news efforts. In The New York Times over the weekend, “Silicon Valley
Ditches News, Shaking an Unstable Industry” (behind a paywall) tells the story of how online news organizations are scaling back their news efforts.
There are several reasons for the pullback – a rocky relationship between journalism and tech platforms as well as online “polarized debates” that prattle on endlessly. Meta has cancelled Facebook News, while Twitter/X has taken the emphasis off legacy media as web traffic has been heading downward.
That presents even more room for local news organizations to step up with meaningful coverage of their own. Local engagement has become even more relevant in a landscape where newspapers, local TV, and other media have dried up or pared back. The Times story quotes The Atlantic’s executive editor, Adrienne LaFrance:
“Direct connections to your readership are obviously important.”
Same thing with your audience. But this post is supposed to be about commercial radio’s local opportunity – especially stations that play music where news is either in small quantities or nonexistent altogether.
And that’s the perfect segue to consider how music stations can create stronger and more meaningful bonds with their audiences that seize the local opportunity. Because many consumers still regularly listening to broadcast radio appreciate these connections, particularly since the dark days of COVID. While women and younger generations are even more attuned to the value of being connected to a hometown radio station, these numbers are solid across most demographic groups, especially since 2020.
This isn’t just about local news – it’s the local vibe.
This is playing out right now by a tuned-in newspaper, the Philadelphia Inquirer. If you know Philly, you know there’s a definite attitude the locals carry around. And the Inquirer is doing its level best to tap into it.
They’ve started an extensive ad campaign that unapologetically leans into “Philly bias.” The ads play on an “unsubscribe” to old ideas about Philadelphia, and “subscribe” to an idea that is authentically Philly. Like “Weird accent” versus “What accent?”
Or the example below that hometown residents “get,” and who cares if anyone else does. To varying degrees, these same attitudes about the local zeitgeist work pretty much everywhere, from Nome to Nebraska.
The idea is “being local” doesn’t necessarily come from local news reporting (but we will revisit that), but in the overall vibe a hometown media outlet exudes on and off the air.
Here are some examples of “embracing the local” that many music stations could adopt:
Local music is always a winner – Whether most consumers actually go to bar and
clubs or not, the fact is most are supportive of local musicians in their hometown trying to make it big.
Many rock stations over the decade have benefitted from this support, none bigger than WAPP in New York City, who ended up discovering Bon Jovi during the compilation of a local licks album.
Today’s local stations can rip a page from those 70’s and 80’s rock stations who very much understood how to reflect hometown roots. Local concert showcases can be effective, too.
Some stations are leery about actually playing homegrown music over their airwaves, but that’s where the web comes in. Creating a sponsorable web page/voting/contest promotion allows for having the local music cake – and eating it, too.
Local news sites and apps – This is more of a cluster play, but it can be done in
any number of ways. Because local news has become sparse in many smaller markets creating “news deserts,” there’s an opportunity for radio to fill this gap – profitably.
A number of companies are staking out this turf, but none better than Saga. They modestly started the initiative in small town Tennessee with “Clarksville Now,” an online newspaper spearheaded by the innovative Katie Gambill. She has now moved from the company’s Clarksville cluster to the newly created corporate position, Director of Online News Brands.
That tells you how much faith Saga has in this strategy that doesn’t just reap profits – it wins images. Other broadcasters such as Mid-West Family are staking out similar turf.
Local podcasts – These have proven to be effective for pubic radio and news stations. Why wouldn’t music stations go after the same opportunity? A market music history podcast could work in many cities and town with a solid musical footprint.
Produced well, podcast series about local stations could work, too. When WRIF
turned 50, Steve Black and Mike Staff collaborated on a podcast that showcased five decades of rocking the Motor City.
On “The History of WRIF” podcast, episodes included former and current DJs and programmers, as well as a look at the promotions that set WRIF apart from its many competitors.
These podcasts could easily attract local advertisers, and they more certainly contribute to the goal of “owning local.”
Just own the streets – It’s an old mantra in rock radio, but that’s because it has been proven to be effective. And it turns out even public radio fans want to see the personalities and journalists who make these stations special – and local. Here’s a data point from our recently released Public Radio Techsurvey 2023:
But rather than simply showing up “everywhere,” smart stations strategically lay out their home market attack plan, making sure they can own events rather than being another station on “radio row.”
One way to pull this off is to be as bombastic as you can, especially given that it’s harder than ever to capture the audience’s attention. Jacobs Media clients have undoubtedly heard this story
before. Nearly a decade ago, I journeyed to Ireland to participate in the Radiodays conference. Outside Dublin’s spectacular convention center were these incredible vehicles – the equivalent of tour buses that had been converted to mobile studios capable of broadcasting from anywhere.
And during most of hours during the convention, there were multiple vehicles visibly parked at the convention center, representing Irish radio stations. These vehicles attracted attention – certainly from me – because it was easy to picture how any radio station could tactically deploy them pretty much any day of the week. Morning show remotes, movie premiers, festivals, events, etc. Here in the U.S. where at best, most stations drive around a wrapped van, it wouldn’t take much to stand out and get noticed.
Are these tricked out station vehicles expensive? Undoubtedly. But when you consider the investment in a multi-year plan to dominate the streets in your market, there’s clearly more staying power than a one-off billboard campaign or a text-to-win contest.
Use your personalities – Is there anything that says “local” to your audience than an iconic personality who absolutely exudes the market? Maybe she’s from your city or he’s been there long enough to be a fixture in the area.
Deploying these on-air ambassadors is something so many stations simply don’t lean into. But there’s no better connector than a beloved personality who is already visible in the community.
Too many stations pay competitive large dollars for local talent and barely use them beyond their shows and voicing live reads. If you’ve got them, put them to work. They can be incredible ambassadors.
Building promotions that check off all the boxes – on-air host, local town, a fun activity or experience, a local event – isn’t very hard. In fact, your personalities will most likely instinctively know what to embrace.
Hire a newsperson – On a music station? Seriously. It’s not for everyone, but a talented, hometown newscaster can do some amazing things for your station in the area of community and connections, especially with the movers and shakers in town.
Back in the day, radio news stars like Ace Young (KMET), Neil Parker (WXRT), and Buzz Kilman (the Loop) were reasons to actually tune IN a music radio station. These special journalists knew exactly which stories would resonate with their audiences and their hosts.
There aren’t many left in U.S. radio, but one local news guy who fits the bill is the mercurial Josh Spiegel on WIYY/98Rock Baltimore. Josh is a unique, quirky personality – period – and does a great job of making his news interesting and compelling. When I listen to the “Justin, Scott, & Spiegel Show,” I always try to catch Josh.
How ’bout event marketing? – For too long, radio has simply looked at the idea of throwing events, sponsoring festivals, and showing up at concerts as another revenue generator.
And while they can be just that, the right types of events can root a station to the local community in myriad ways.
Big events that are tethered to the local market can bring out throngs of fans. Making sure a station is highly visible at its own event is also an area where balls are often dropped.
Going all out for a local festival event can be rewarding, including setting up an HD2 channel for a series of interviews with guests (musicians, etc.), interviews, and other content you might not want to risk having on the main station. But on an HD2, stations can actively promote this programming, while also sponsoring it.
Of course, the more local an event, the better. Ed and Pam Levine of Galaxy Media in Syracuse have done a stellar job with key events like “Taste of Syracuse.”
Neighborhood nostalgia works – This is an especially smart social media play. Again, the station, its music, and audience demographics will play a role in how these posts are set up. But keep in mind every generation has its own nostalgia – even for listeners born in the 21st century.
Everyone has “back in the day memories. The key is for the station and its personalities to tap into these memory reserves, bringing out vivid recollections, along with pictures and perhaps even video. It is easier to pull these off in markets like Pittsburgh rather than Phoenix because of the stability of the former and the transience of the latter.
But I have a syndicated morning show? – Many stations do. But that doesn’t mean you have to suspend local connections during a four hour show that everyone knows is from somewhere else. With most of these shows, however, you can communicate with their producer or affiliate person to let them know about cool, interesting, or controversial things happening in your city or town. If it’s a big enough deal, your network show might even talk about it.
What are you doing during those promo avails on the show? How are you showcasing your local promotions and events? And can you get your syndicated hosts to voice your promos and drops? All these things can better connect your show to your station.
Of course, bringing them to town is another obvious way to make sure your national show is immersed locally. Yes, it’s an investment to fly an entire morning show – or even a key player – to your market. But that’s part of the way to ensure stronger local connections. After all, you’re not paying for their health care.
The tweet below shows the impact of syndicated show Dave & Chuck the Freak’s “.5K” – earlier this month in Boston. Bringing a syndicated show to town is a great move for the audience, programming, and of course, sales. When these moments are well-marketed, they pay for themselves, and then some.
What about your website? – One digital asset that is often ignored or left to the corporate team to populate is the station website. While air talent are more likely to utilize a station’s social
pages, the website is often ignored or “back burnered.”
Seth Resler conducts usability tests for station and brand websites, bringing in random respondents to peruse various sites. His opening question – often is answered incorrectly or earns a simple “I don’t know.”
“What does this organization do and where is it located?”
The correct answer should be a response like this:
“It’s a country radio station in San Diego.”
But given how top-down, genericized so many radio sites have transformed into, you’d be surprised to learn how many stations fail this opening quiz. And that’s too bad, because the website for any radio station could be another key contributor to a station’s local identity.
Charity begins…in the air studio – Paul and I continue to learn about how charity and cause-related fundraising can amp up a station’s local bona fides. 
We work with Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals whose well-known “Radiothons” raise hundreds millions on behalf of children’s hospitals in local communities. Aside from these donations staying home by benefiting these hometown hospitals, the vibe is compassionately positive for the local station, its personalities, and its sponsors. This activity also helps to connect stations with key civic leaders, contacts that often come in handy down the road.
“Doing well by doing good” has become a familiar phrase in charity and non-profit circles for a reason – being a good citizen provides an important glow for radio. When it supports a local cause the hometown denizens actually care about, better yet.
And finally, “The 20 Minute Test.” When I monitor your station, I check to see whether in 20 minutes, it’s obvious where I am (and weather and traffic don’t count). I also hope to hear a
reference to something that I don’t understand – because I’m not from your market.
Any radio station can benefit from leaning into the local vibe.
The great stations will guarantee their long-term stability and take “local” to the bank.
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.
- Under The Influence(rs) - March 14, 2025
- Radio’s Dilemma: Trump Or Get Trumped - March 13, 2025
- What About Bob? - March 12, 2025
Good one, Fred. “Back in the day” in San Francisco (ie, late ’60s to the ’90s), localness was pretty easy because of the City’s dominant role in modern music. Nevertheless, with respect (literally) to local newscasters on music stations, I have to add the late Dave McQueen, a highly regarded news presence on one station after another as formats and the industry changed–KSAN, KFRC, KKCY, KKSF, KCBS, surely others that slip my mind. And what a voice! When Dave said what was happening somewhere in the Bay Area, you knew you could take it to the bank. Straight news, yes, but never devoid of humanity and caring.
The right professional in this role is a HUGE asset.
No one in Cincinnati will ever forget Bob Schuman or Dennis Rooney from Q102 (WKRQ). Bob was phenominal with his “20-20 News” style – but very conversational. Randy Miller brought in news ace Rooney to cover every story that made sense to our audience. When Randy left, Dennis stayed (thankfully) for another few years. Linda Welby and I were endlessly entertained by Dennis and his incredible wit and (purposeful) lack of wisdom. Both are gone now, as are many really good morning show ideas. Rest In Peace, Gents. Keep fighting the fight, Fred.
I’ll have to plug the recent feature on Madison radio’s history (centered on the ’80s), in large part because I can personally vouch for much of it. (I still have a few promotional items–in varying degrees of quality–from that era.)
https://www.channel3000.com/madison-magazine/madisons-wild-days-of-radio/article_e621b8f8-5cb8-11ee-8882-07c250e12382.html
Also, WAPL will always be in Appleton; the former Rock FM in New York was actually WAPP. (It’s bad enough that Wisconsin lost the WEMP calls to New York for a bit.)
It’s interesting that I checked out WAPL’s site today: Not only did the station post an obituary for Dwight Twilley, but it happens to give an overview of when the station added his biggest hits…
https://www.wapl.com/2023/10/20/dwight-twilley-power-pop-legend-and-wapl-favorite-dead-at-72
Yeah, a sloppy call letter referrence, Eric. The original post is corrected. WAPL is a great station, but they did not discovver Bon Jovi.
Satellite Music Network (SMN) supplied a basic set of liners to their affiliates for free. If you needed more, then there was a cost. During a major event (i.e., winter blizzard) they’d cut them right away for the station (and usually at no cost).
It really did make a huge difference in localizing the station.
Don’t these national shows have a similar practice for their affiliates (their customer?)
To my knowledge, most syndicated shows aren’t thinking about how they can “localize” for affiliates. The onus is on the station. Most don’t do much.
First: there’s no doubt that local is the key to radio’s future.
Second: I love the thoughtfulness of, and ideas within, this blog entry (including the local news angle). That said, I want to add to/challenge some of what you wrote about local music.
Stations need to stop thinking about local, independent music in the same way they have for … decades. Spending an hour a week on Bandcamp (new releases/location filters on) is enough to illustrate just how strong anyone’s music scene is, as well as the depth of its talent pool.
Things like “battles of the bands” for airplay are fairly demeaning and disrespectful to artists whose work sounds competitive with what an FM station might currently be rotating on its playlist. The message there is “sure, we’ll support local music, but certainly not in the same way as how we support unknown bands that were brought to us by record companies.”
As for”some stations are leery about actually playing homegrown music over their airwaves,” you’re right. The issue is that most programmers don’t have the ear or time (or familiarity with the markets they program) to step out on something that wasn’t worked to them by a label, offered in exchange for a station festival performance, or proven in another market (where another station had to take a chance).
Yes, local music used to get added more “back in the day”(though still more sporadically than it should have), but now it’s almost unimaginable. Find the programmer and station willing to commit to local, and you’ll find a station people want to work for, listen to, and follow.
James, these are insightful, helpful comments. Aprreciate you taking the time to level-set the art and craft of playing local music on the radio. Thanks for taking the time.
Thanks for mentioning (however softly) the need for news on a music station. I get very frustrated when I hear PDs say they’ve been “saddled” with news. “News you can use” has been my mantra in every market in which I’ve worked, hitting topics that will have direct impact on the listeners. Ironically, I’d get complaints from those same PDs, who were upset because I didn’t have details on the dumpster fire they passed on the way to work. (The one on the obscure block that has five people driving past it every morning.) A well-done newscast on a music station should be short, informative, but NOT follow the “if it bleeds it leads” formula so many TV stations have coopted these days.
It takes aa special talent, but it can be done. When I’m in Baltimore, I enjoy tuning into 98Rock, I look forward to hearing what Josh Spiegel is going to do. I like your mindset on this, Dianna. Thanks for chiming in.