Saturday, January 10, 2009

Great Advice From Another Format's Experts

Al Peterson: What does a host need to play successfully on the national stage?

Phil Boyce: There is one undeniable quality: the ability to generate passion from their audience. Every successful talk host has that. They create appointment radio where listeners can’t wait to hear their next show. They tell others about what you said. They develop a bond with your website and message board. They become P-1’s of the show and the radio station. When I find a host who can do that I’ve found the next generation of great Talk radio.

AP: What’s the biggest mistake you see at Talk radio today?

PB: Trying to create a ‘checkerboard’ instead of a ‘jig saw puzzle.’ The argument is you have all these conservative talk shows so it’s a good idea to throw something completely different into the mix to attract a different audience. Wrong! You destroy your station’s TSL and listeners vote with their finger. Build a station like a jig saw puzzle, where every piece is a little different but the pieces fit together to create one big picture that makes sense. You’ll drive listeners from one show to the next and your TSL will be the highest in the market. You’ll beat the high cuming stations with audience loyalty and advertisers will want to reach that audience that never turns off your station.

No comments: