Why Corporate Radio Needs To Change

The answer is cell phones.

And land lines.
And blackberries.
And walkie-talkies.
And two dixie cups connected by string.
And the kitchen table at dinnertime.
And hand written letters anytime.
And post cards.
And email.
And instant messaging.
And message boards.
And chat rooms.
And blogs.
And staff meetings.
And AA meetings.
And any other kind of support groups.
And political parties.
And fraternities and sororities.
And band camp.
And church.
And the water cooler at work.
And the pub where everybody knows your name.
And internet personals.
And blind dates.
And dating in general.
And the fear of being alone.

What do every one of these things have in common? They help people connect. Social interaction is central to human experience and well-being. Period. That's Sociology 101.

What do the hundred and fifty million people who own cell phones usually use them for? Their features? Hardly. They're connecting. 'Can you hear me now?'

People need social interaction.

A great radio station can fill that need. That's not just hot air and hype - it's a strategy that works. Rush Limbaugh knows it. He connects with his audience. He knows who they are and he reaches their emotions. Howard Stern knows it. He may be crass - but he's talking to guys about guy stuff, and guys eat it up. He connects.

For some reason, the concept of connecting with listeners in a personal way often fails to get carried over to music radio outside of morning drive. And that's got to change.

There's very little social interaction coming from a voicetracker or a liner card reader - certainly not when compared to a passionate live jock. I'd like to think I write some of the best imaging out there - but a jock who opens the mic and speaks from the heart will connect better than the best of the best imaging. We've got too many yelling-at-you sweepers and zero-content promos. Most imaging is just a soundeffectapalooza. And that's got to change.

When our radio stations become impersonal, we take away the greatest asset our medium has. Live, local, personal. It works.

The need for human interaction will never go away.
...thus...
The need for personality based entertainment will never go away.
...never...

That's why I believe radio needs talent developers a thousand times more than it needs format managers. The talent is out there. Instead of holding it back, radio needs its talent to blossom - now more than ever.