You may think this is a post about Fantasy Island, a place where Talk Radio is #1. But in fact, there’s a real island where talkers are on top of the ratings heap, bolstered by happy listeners and strong ratings. And Sean Hannity is nowhere to be seen.
The mysterious story of that missing Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 brought this story to light recently when airplane parts starting washing up on a small island 500 miles east of Madagascar. Aside from the celebrating going on at CNN, there’s a happy story on Réunion Island – for Talk Radio!
Yes, the format has taken its share of dings, dents, and ridicule these past few years because of declining ratings, a narrowing audience, and ebbing influence.
Not so on Réunion Island, according to a story in the Wall Street Journal where the locals (known as Réunionese) trust their Talk Radio station – Radio Freedom – to reflect whatever’s going on in the community. The island boasts 800,000 residents, making it the size of a market like Dayton, Ohio, or Columbia, South Carolina.
Launched in 1981 in a basement by activist Camille Sudre, Radio Freedom is the voice of the island, providing the Réunionese the chance to talk about anything and everything, hosted by DJs who only use their first names. On Radio Freedom, Sudre is the Larry Wilson of his island, the guy who gave his people a voice on the airwaves that cover the entire island. He’s a true believer in the “Live & Local” philosophy, and he has the ratings to prove it.
There’s no one named Rush, Glenn, Delilah, or Click & Clack on Radio Freedom. None of its DJs has attended the Talk Show Boot Camp (although I’m sure Don Anthony has tried).
This station truly reflects its home base, and they have their priorities in order. A story like this missing airplane brings the mission of Radio Freedom into focus.
As Sudre told WSJ reporter Patrick McGroarty, “The DJs can’t be acting like stars. The only stars are the listeners.”
Don’t think for a moment, however, that Sudre doesn’t understand the human condition, the keys to entertainment, and how to impact his community. From 8pm to midnight, Radio Freedom broadcasts Tropical Heat, a relationship show that focuses on romance and dating. The Réunionese are captivated by this local version of Loveline.
This isn’t a station that relies on syndicated hosts carried by satellite, so common to Talk Radio in the U.S. The conversations are very Réunion Island-centric – lost pets, natural disasters, escaped prisoners, and anything else impacting the island and the people who inhabit it.
And its sense of community is the secret sauce in keeping this station vital and attuned to its audience’s needs. Radio Freedom broke the missing 777 story a couple weeks ago, and it was the source for news about the plane’s debris. But every day, the station delivers the news, information, talk, and gossip that are essential to understanding the community. Island residents insist that Radio Freedom is “like a religion in a way,” according to Nicolas Cyprien who was quoted in the WSJ story.
You can stream Radio Freedom here and they also produce their own podcasts. (Wonder if Norm Pattiz has them signed up yet?)
Radio Freedom’s community/listeners first strategy is a commercial win, drawing in amazing audiences as the sales piece at right illustrates. Sudre notes their record-setting 40% audience reach 13+, nearly three times the performance any station in France can claim.
All without the help of Voltair.
Thanks to Dr. Ed Cohen who knows a great story when he see one.
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This is personally very timely and inspirational. I start my new job next week in a similar format.
I’ll be hosting mornings on a station that is already utilizing many of the philosophies highlighted in this piece. We’re going to blend our talents together to produce a bold new brand of Talk Radio we believe will breathe life into the format.
A heavy promotional campaign will support our efforts. The official announcement is later this week.
Good luck, Dave, and think LOCAL. It’s working for Radio Freedom.