Make "Live And Local" Matter

There's no point in being "live and local" if you aren't capitalizing on things you can only do when you're "live and local." I keep putting "live and local" in "quotation marks" because the phrase has been so beaten to death in radio, that calling it "cliché'" isn't even strong enough. If you're in a situation where being "live and local" is an option, or at least "live," let's make it matter!

I once worked at a mainstream Top 40 station where our GM prided himself on having no automation, voice-tracking, or syndication. (Except for "Open House Party," which still had a live board-op.) Well into the 2000s, we occasionally thanked GOD (or the music director) when a four-minute song hit the log so we could venture down the hall when nature called during our shows. Despite the privilege of being "live and local," our GM didn't want to hear any of the things you do when you're "live and local." Aside from the sponsored weather forecast with the current temperature, he had us locked down to station liners. Phone interaction and topical breaks were frowned on. (Our live segues were on-point though! With little else to do during a live show, we had a lot of time to perfect the tightest transitions you've ever heard.)

Going into 2020, I miss not being chained to the studio for every segue and every break. The amount of attention and energy a live show used to require made even a liner break better. There aren't a lot of practical reasons to turn back time, but at JOY-FM and BOOST Radio in St. Louis, we encourage and equip our jocks to make being live worth their time and effort. Otherwise, why not syndicate or voice-track and spend the money you save in other areas? (Hey GM's, I'm totally NOT advocating you go that route. Please keep your people and invest in them if at all possible. Love you.)

We interrupt this "live and local" totally not voice-tracked-ahead-of-time-from-my-bedroom essay to state the obvious: what you've read and will continue to read (I hope) is not a knock on syndication or voice-tracking. Each approach has tremendous value. In fact, I'd take a syndicated or tracked talent at the top of their game over a "live and local" person who wasn't making the most of their real-time efforts. We now return you to your regularly scheduled bloviating. It's 4:02 PM as I write this. That's 2 after the top of the hour and 58 minutes before the top of next hour. 35-degrees downtown, 32 at the airport.

Even some folks who beat the "live and local" drum have lost sight of why it matters. Here's a refresher:

1. The "Power of Now"

   The sharing of this moment with everyone else who's listening right now. The notion that not only is what you're hearing happening LIVE, it's happening live for thousands of listeners all around you at the same time – the people who work with, the ones you live and play with. (http://www.markramseymedia.com/2015/08/and-radios-secret-power-is/)

   "Bonds form around moments that are meaningful, special, and unique. Moments we all share together through radio's magic." You must create the magic you expect your listeners to share. You must invest in "now" to realize the power of "now."

   The "power of now" is why almost nobody DVRs the Super Bowl. You've likely taken calls from your listeners who geeked out when they saw the person at the stoplight next to them vibing to the same song your station was playing. At our stations, we purposely create live listening experiences that become tune-in appointments. (Live concerts on the radio 8 times a year, as one example. More to come below, right after this 7 minute stopset full of :15s.)

2. You reinforce your PERSONAL connection with each listener.

   There's no doubt making a personal impact on listeners in public, on the phones, and via social media is critical to success. If only 25% of the population interacts, and you can make an impact with (just) them, it's enough to drive you to #1. (https://tjohnsonmediagroup.com/blog/role-of-air-personalities/)

3. Results!

   Nielsen ratings analysis: Higher rated stations have fewer voice-trackers.

   • CCM stations who use less than seven hours per day of voice-tracked content consistently have better ratings than those who use VT more often. It's a sliding scale. The more voice-tracked a station is, the lower their ratings tend to be. (From a study Mark Ramsey presented to the industry at a CMB Momentum conference.)
   • CCM proof includes ALL the format leaders in Christian AC: KLTY/Dallas, K-LOVE, The Fish/Atlanta, KSBJ/Houston, and many more.
   • Locally, seven of my market's Top 10 stations (ages 6+, St. Louis, MO) are "live and local" more hours than they are tracked. The bottom five are entirely tracked or even mostly jockless.

Our listeners can replicate our playlists and personalize them. We could even invite them to download our best recorded content. But it's the "power of now" that can make your shows more valuable than anything your listeners could assemble on their own.
Without a "now," you may have no "later." – Mark Ramsey
Why it matters is one thing (well, I guess at least three things going by those numbers above). MAKING "live and local" matter is another. Some places to start:

1. Weather. IF you're going to go there, do what your market's canned forecasts cannot. When talking about current local conditions, tie them into the lifestyle and mindset of the listener in the moment. ("Taking Timmy to soccer practice is going to be cold! Give yourself time to find that up front parking spot.")
   • Don't do a straight facts-only forecast, but one that's relevant in the moment and includes the temperature/conditions NOW.
   • Ask yourself: what are they doing now and what's the next most important they're planning to do? Shape your language accordingly.

   Weather is instantly accessible on everyone's phones. It can be a useful tool to reinforce your "power of now" connection, but outside of extreme events (tornado warnings, blizzards, etc.) it's not often going to be something a listener is craving from you. It matters more in some dayparts than others, in some markets more than others, and with some demo's more than others. Learn yours well and the rest falls into place. (Side note: at our stations, giving forecasts when NOT live is discouraged. Weather changes too fast. A recorded forecast doesn't add value like a live one can, done well. And let's be real: listeners who care can smell a recorded forecast.

   Side-Side note: please don't attempt to predict the current temp when voice-tracking a forecast. When you get it right, nobody will notice. But when you get it wrong, it will be glaringly obvious. Use that break to make a real connection instead.)

2. Watch your interaction channels like a starving hawk. It's no longer just your request lines. It's your texting platform, your social media channels, and perhaps your station app. The listeners who reach out to you are SUPER BOUGHT IN to your brand. They're the 1%. Most likely to donate, to play your contests, and to be ratings respondents.

   If they called other places of business or other ministries this week, I'll bet you they didn't get a busy signal or a line that rang for four minutes. Why are radio station request lines still treated this way? At the very least, send them to voicemail when your studio isn't manned. (And don't forget to return calls promptly.)

   For your other platforms, Tech Survey after Tech Survey from Jacobs Media has shown our listeners EXPECT a response. When they comment on Facebook, text you, or drop a DM, and nothing comes back but silence: it speaks volumes.

   Not only is it super-serving your biggest fans (AKA the right thing to do), connecting with them in as real-time as possible is a gigantic asset. It's additional on-air content. It's an exciting moment for them to speak with an air talent. Emotional bonds are strengthened. Stories for fundraisers are captured.

   I'll be honest with you and admit my stations aren't here YET. We are putting together a plan to get here by early 2020, though. Technology allows most interaction to be handled from anywhere; we're coming to a point where there will be few excuses left for not making every connection we can. Even if your team is small, you can do it. If you choose to make it matter enough. (#Wherethere'saWillthere'saWay) (FM)

3. Watch what's trending in your market when you're live. Do that by monitoring hashtags on Instagram and Twitter, by surfing the local TV and newspaper websites (I am signed up for alerts),and watch your local sub-reddit (if you have one).

   It ultimately boils down to this: What is my listener, in my market, thinking about right NOW? (Maybe see if you can think of a Top 3-5 list each day.) Filter it through what YOU think and what matches your brand. You won't always strike gold, but make it a habit and you'll be ahead of most other talents in your market. Cheater Alert: I often don't have an opinion on even the most interesting local stuff. So I dare to click into the comments. There's often a wealth of color there! Skimming the comments helps me form opinions or find angles I couldn't have on my own.

4. Contesting. We've all but banned "be caller whatever" on our stations. The goal isn't just to make a winner (or manipulate the ratings); it's to entertain the 97% of the audience who will never play. Even when we do text to win contests, making it compelling to hear is the foundation.
5. Weekends matter more than many think. At BOOST, half of our weekly cume tunes in on Saturdays and Sundays. (BOOST has a young, multi-cultural audience.) At JOY-FM (our AC), our cume and share Saturdays and Sundays during daylight hours is equal to weekday Drive Time numbers. We responded to these realities two ways: 1. Asking each full time jock to go live on select weekend dayparts. 2. Brought the "build a bench" concept back. We groom part timers during non-critical hours. Would I rather have the strongest air talent on at all hours, even if they're tracked? There's certainly an argument for that, but we're playing a long game with our brands. Ideally if we're smart with how we plug in our weekend talent NOW, we won't be lamenting about the industry's talent shortage when we have our next opening, because we'll have a person on the bench already capable of filling the void. (Two of our three most recent full time air talent hires were part time with us first.) Since making these changes a few years ago, our weekend numbers have only grown stronger.

   Because weekends matter, our live shows have specific best practices and expectations. Establish some for your station maybe?

   "Live and local" isn't the end all be all. It has the potential to give you an edge though, if you make it more than a played out radio phrase.

As always, thank you for your time and feel free to hit me up if you want to discuss this or anything else. mikec@boost1019.com