CONTENT & SUBCONSCIOUS TUNEOUT Tommy Kramer – All Access One of the most difficult things to get across to music radio talents is why every show needs content, and how to fit it into the show. Air Talents (being human) usually tend to move along lines of least resistance. And that makes it really easy to do as little as possible… play the music, and fall back on just sounding pleasant and using the music info and station liners as crutches to carry them through the day.
The problem with this is that there's nothing to make Thursday's show different from Wednesday's show. That "sameness factor" can make your station sound uncompeling, and can lead to what I call "subconscious tuneout."
The cardinal sin nowadays is going by unnoticed, which creates a blockade to Arbitron recall. When a Listener tunes out subconsciously, whether he or she consciously (physically) tunes out or not, you're dead in the water… like a kid's neglected goldfish. There should be things in each show that are about TODAY in THIS CITY. Otherwise, the show may just as well be automated.
A smart, well-coached talent finds ways to fit relevant top-of-mind stuff and local stories in, even just doing the weather, promo liners, and music info, even in a daypart or format that's basically a "music delivery service." But you have to be looking for those openings, or they're just lost opportunities. Help your talent SEE them. When you listen to tape, point out where a "link" to something the listener CARES about could have been created. When you hear it being done, point that out, too, and congratulate the talent.
Now I'm not suggesting that everyone just talk, talk, talk all the time. Quite the opposite. I think well executed, very crisp, concise music radio is very enjoyable. But just a few brief references to what's going on HERE, TODAY will let your listener know that your head isn't stuck in the sand, that you know what's going on around you.
Remember, it's about DIARY ENTRIES. UNAIDED RECALL. "Subconscious tuneout" means less recall, lower ratings, no bonuses, and the possibility of embarking on "new and exciting opportunities in the fast food industry." |