ARE YOU READY FOR WAR? This article was first published in October 2001, and was recently updated. Chris Byrnes America, perhaps joined by some UN member countries including Canada, look likely to go to war again, probably during this ratings sweep. Is your radio station prepared? Music stations should be ready to drop music for a time, in favour of wall-to-wall news coverage if they are to hold their audience. Some people who have a TV available to them may well go there, but given the poor coverage from CNN on September 11th, I believe a lot will stay with radio providing we have the information and can present it in a clear and concise manner. Here are our suggestions:
Cut Promos: Cut IDs, promos, sweepers and special news update sounders. Produce material that supports the troops and members of the service from your area. "XXXX-FM is behind the troops serving our nation… We salute Major Bill Smith, who is serving our country in the Middle East… XXXX-FM supporting those fighting for our nation…"
The Instructions: Write an instruction manual with step-by-step instructions and procedures and put it in the control room. The attack will likely happen at night, when most stations are not live so you need a plan the deal with this.
Get the Experts: Develop news sources and setup relationships, so you can get the local, national and international angles. If your station is news intensive or an all-news station, now is the time to locate experts in your area for use on the air. Historians, Government members, and experts at local universities should have your hotline number, and you need all their contact phone numbers.
Your Web Site Is Important: Look at your web site and brainstorm ways to best use the web to keep your target audience informed, and keep your station sounding uncluttered. Provide links to obvious areas of interest such as an international weather forecast for the areas involved in hostilities.
The Music: Put a list together of songs you will remove because of title or lyrics and songs you will add.
Listener Feedback: Decide how best to allow your listeners to interact with your station especially in the first 72 hours [phones/emails/faxes]. Make sure you have your email database up and running and have a strategy to keep your database in touch with events and what your station is doing.
Involve All Staff: Assign duties to each member of staff, so that you can cover all the bases, and you are able to sustain the level of service over days or perhaps weeks if required. Have a contingency plan in place to provide hotel rooms near the station for staff in case they need to stay overnight. Arrange to provide meals and toiletries for staff working long hours.
What To Leave Out: Decide if you will drop inventory/contesting and for how long. Have sweepers and promos cut to reflect this.
Local, Local, Local: Decide how best to cover the LOCAL angle. Compile a list of phone numbers for local emergency management officials and media contacts for local fire and police departments in case there are bomb threats or other local incidents. Contact local schools and colleges for information on any changes in their classroom activities and extra-curricular events.
Staying Power: Decide how long you will stay all-talk, at what point you will add some music back into the format, and how you will handle breaking news, news updates etc. This could be a long slow campaign, fought on a number of fronts and even in a number of countries.
Get Connected: Have engineering wire a TV audio feed directly into your board. This will give the jock the ability to take a TV audio feed live, or at the very least record and edit material for later broadcast.
Geography: Hang a map in your newsroom and control room that includes Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Make sure your staff knows the geography.
Positioning: If you are a music station, stop running "12 in a row," "super long sets," and "music marathons." "News for your life and family" is more important than playing "12 in a row today."
Local Changes: Check for changes in security precautions or closings at Federal, Provincial, and local buildings.
Calm the Nerves: Setup local contacts so you have the information to reassure the public about the availability of food and gasoline.
Follow the Moneymen: Interview local bankers and investment advisors regarding the security of banks and financial institutions. Other information: Provide information on prayer services and vigils organized by local churches and synagogues. Many college campuses will also schedule these events.
The Local Angle: While your local news coverage will set you apart from your competitors, keep in mind that the most important news will be on the national and international levels. Network news access will be essential.
Conclusion: Perhaps the most heart-warming part of radio's coverage of the attacks on the U.S. was how quickly most stations dumped their spot loads and abandoned music formats to provide their listeners with very important news and information. But, like all other industries, there are those who will seek to take advantage of the war to increase ratings or revenue. Your listeners are smart enough to tell the difference between honest emotion and an attempt to exploit death and destruction for cash. It will be part of your job to alert the public and appropriate authorities about those who may engage in price-gouging - as we saw in some areas on September 11 - or who attempt to stir up fears or create artificial shortages for their own gain. Make sure your station isn't on that list.
Thanks to Mike McVay, and Bob Moody of McVay Media who also contributed to this article. |