Rona’s Steep Learning Curve for Radio

As we continue trying to flatten the Corona Curve, it’s forced many stations to fast forward their digital and video engagement efforts. Research Director, Inc.’s analysis of March 2020 PPM ratings recently found music stations were off as much as 35% while social distancing set in. Partially because listening has shifted to information-oriented formats, but also because many of our listeners just aren’t in the car as much.

To stay consistently, meaningfully connected, my stations had to accelerate our visual content efforts. As we’ve pivoted, we’ve learned a lot! Our learning curve looks exactly how we DON’T want the COVID-19 Curve to look (it’s quite vertical!). In no particular order of importance, here are my takeaways so far:

1. Affirmation: your vision, creativity, and purpose may be more valuable than research. One of the ways I blow off steam is by doing live mixes on my personal Facebook page. I’m no Tiesto or DJ Maj, but I can hold my own! I’ve polled my friends on the kinds of music they wanted ahead of my sessions. Of their genre choices, “throw it all at the wall” has always won. If you’ve ever done a Facebook live video before, you’re aware you can watch your audience grow or shrink in real-time, as well as assess once you’re done. While my Facebook friends claimed they wanted variety more than a single style or era, numbers didn’t lie. Views were highest when I mixed in 90’s Pop songs. The more obscure or novelty or niche’ (or Christian) I went, the lower my viewer count. Variety may have received the most votes, but 90’s Pop has been the biggest draw. Bottom line: this is why you make the big bucks. It’s your job to know when listener feedback is helpful to your mission, and when it might get in your mission’s way.


2. Promotion matters. Here’s how Kris Love at Centricity Music put it: “The old appointment listening rules seem to apply to promoting these Livestreams. 24-48 hours is the most impactful time to let people know about the event. Farther out than that, it's too far out for people to remember and it isn't as impactful.”


3. Planning pays off. JBo, mornings on BOOST RADIO, says “We set the stage for the artist of how things will go. For example, what's the end goal aside from having fun? Is there a message you want to get across to people?”



4. Authenticity wins. Curb-Word Records Jeri Cooper: “Living room performances, live from the garage etc. Our artists have been very creative in what they’re doing online, from A Song a day to keep the Crazies away, (the) for KING & COUNTRY event, Darren (from We Are Messengers) interviewing a Doctor on the front lines, (Stars Go Dim’s) Chris Cleveland Workouts, and Cooking with Dan (Bremnes) + BriA have all proven to be BIG hits in the virtual world we’re living in now. There have been so many great personal connections come from this time.”

   Justin Paul from the afternoon show on 99.1 JOY FM/St. Louis agrees. “Especially during this time, show how the artists are just like the rest of us. They’re worried and annoyed by the same things.” Our listeners are comforted knowing we’re all in this together no matter our status.

If you ever needed a kick in the rear to level up your visual game, Corona is your kicker. Who knows when we’ll get back to normal? Will future normal will be anything like old normal? Our listeners are developing new habits with video and social media at the center and the longer this goes, the more ingrained those habits may become.

Jacobs Media found internet browsing is up 32%. Streaming Netflix, Hulu, etc. is up 35%. Social media use up 27%. Name the activity where eyeballs trump eardrums, and it’s up. All that in the face of the PPM stat shared up top (music radio on FM off by 35%).

Tough though it may be, this is the wrong time for radio to shrink back. There’s no time like the present to relentlessly pursue great service to our audiences on every possible platform.