'Want' Takes A Holiday

As it turns out, I didn't rush out to buy an iPad this week. After careful consideration, I decided I would buy a new radiator for my car instead. The radiator cost more after labor and taxes, but what's another hundred or so here and there?

My "decision" was, of course, made for me. An iPad would have been nice, but being able to drive to the NAB in Las Vegas seemed a little more, you know, practical. But that choice was an example of the mindset of your listeners, your customers, and pretty much everyone else right now.

It's "want" versus "need." And this isn't a great time for "want."

I'm not going to get into the specifics of the iPad right now. It's hard to weigh in on whether the thing will be huge or a bust, or what it'll mean for radio and the consumption of content, when I haven't yet gotten my hands on one. I can think of a few ways an iPad would be useful for my work, and I wouldn't be shocked if I ended up buying one at some point. Right now, it's about need, and it didn't take long for "I don't absolutely NEED this thing" to trump "it looks cool and I want it."

The battle of want vs. need is practically universal these days. It applies to everything; You want a new car, but the old one will do for now. You want to see that movie, but you can wait for the DVD to show up for a buck at Redbox. You want to eat at a fancy restaurant, but you'll make do with a Double-Double and fries at the In-N-Out or a Lean Cuisine at home. People are focused on taking care of needs.

Radio doesn't usually fall into the category of "need." It's something that you put on when you get into the car, or, more precisely, that goes on when you start the car, because you never actually turn the radio on and off. Or it goes on when the alarm goes off in the morning. Or it's something you absent-mindedly flip on at your office desk. But people don't think of it as an absolute need; it's a utility.

But there IS such a thing as "need" where radio's concerned. A really good host can make people feel like they NEED to be listening every day to know what's really going on. In an emergency, there's a strong likelihood that people will NEED radio to tell them what's happening, what to do, and where to go. You get to be a "need" in people's minds by doing what they need you to do, whether it's being on top of every misdeed or shenanigan perpetrated by your state or local government or going into complete-coverage overdrive for every breaking news story or emergency.

Which leads me back to earthquake coverage and last week's shaker in Baja that was felt throughout California. It happened on a Sunday afternoon, and I was in the supermarket when everything began to shake. After we got out of there (tip: if you're in the salad dressing and mayo section, get out of that aisle as soon as you possibly can), I turned on the car radio. The all-News station was right on top of it, immediately reporting the magnitude and location and taking reports from callers throughout the region. Our talk stations... well, one had a host located in another city mention it, but the next show was on tape and had nothing about the quake. Another station stuck with regular programming. Another was in infomercial mode. Once again, the report card was mixed. The quake didn't do much damage in the L.A. and San Diego areas, but it scared the hell out of a lot of people -- water sloshed out of pools, elevators got stuck, fixtures swayed for what seemed like an eternity -- and people needed information. If they don't get it from your station right at that moment, they don't need you.

You need them to need you. It's how you get a core of loyal listeners (please don't make me call them P1s). It's the difference between the casual cume that flits away from your station to check what else is on and the people who consciously come back to you and stay with you every time. Sure, you have to give the people what they want, but give them what they NEED when they need it and you'll keep them around longer and more often.

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If you do a talk radio show (see what I'm doing here? Another expert segue), you need material. And you'll get it (man, that's seamless, right into the plug, totally natural) from All Access News-Talk-Sports and the Talk Topics column. What's there for your show prep pleasure this week? Lots, like cheerleaders who served up a special drink for their teammates, how Elmo got implicated in a drug scandal, some special entertainment in the ballpark rest room, Ronald Reagan Day, the trouble with some antibacterial soap, a son's confession about dear old Dad, a good Samaritan who paid for his deed, why people don't think the current recovery seems like a recovery at all, making kids walk to school, how big business (and other folks) hide their use of private jets (even when you're paying for it), a dog attack on a baby boy that hurts just to read about, why pot growers are campaigning AGAINST legalization, how it's hard out there for an ex-company president, San Francisco's proposed "meat-free Mondays," the battle against obesity in... dogs?, a teen's ultimate (and well-done) revenge against the bull who gored him, and much more. Also at All Access News-Talk-Sports, you'll find "10 Questions With..." KDKA-FM (93.7 The Fan)/Pittsburgh midday co-host Vinnie Richichi (you might remember him as longtime Seattle sports talker "New York Vinnie"), talking Pirates and Primanti Bros. sandwiches. And the rest of All Access continues to provide the continuing breaking radio industry news coverage, ratings, job listings, columns, music charts, and resources you've come to depend on. You need it, we have it. Simple.

Remember to follow Talk Topics on Twitter (twitter.com/talktopics) and Net News, too (twitter.com/allaccess ). Oh, and me (twitter.com/pmsimon).

Got an iPhone or iPod Touch or, assuming you're not like me, an iPad? Add the free All Access iPhone app by clicking here. (Did I mention it's free?) Oh, and bookmark pmsimon.com, where I'll probably post some NAB convention commentary along with all the pop culture and sports stuff that clutters up that particular site. And I'm scheduled to be on Heidi Harris' show on KDWN/Las Vegas on Monday morning, talking about the industry as the NAB Show hits town; I'm always available to do that kind of stuff, so drop me a line here anytime you need to burn a segment on that kind of thing.

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Hey, have you donated yet in support of my participation in the Revlon Run/Walk for Women 2010 on May 8th in Los Angeles? We (my wife Fran and I) are once again raising money for women's cancer research and treatment and celebrating another year of survival. Your help is greatly appreciated (and needed!), especially in these tough times; just go to https://www.revlonrunwalk.com/la/secure/MyWebPage.cfm?pID=533458 and enter your donation. Thank you!

Perry Michael Simon
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All Access News-Talk-Sports
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