 |
 |
|
Mike McVay , President, McVay Media
Mike McVay is founder and President of McVay Media, a full-service consultancy, serving Adult Contemporary, Country, CHR, Oldies, Rock, Sports, and News/Talk radio stations. McVay’s 35 years of broadcast experience include stints as an Owner, General Manager, Program Director, and Air Personality.
|
|
|
I must begin this article by declaring that I am NOT a Country radio programmer. I do work with several Country stations and McVay Media’s Charlie Cook consults a number of Country stations. Jaye Albright and Mike O’Malley (Albright & O’Malley) are likely the most successful country consultancy of the day. I am on the board of directors for the Country Radio Broadcasters association. My contribution is as a broadcasting advisor who also consults singers/songwriters. I am a broadcaster. I listen to Country music as one of my “personal favorites.” This disclaimer is detailed here in the spirit of full disclosure. You will find me VERY opinionated in regard to Country music and its amazingly huge upside potential.
Country Programmers need to wake-up! During a recent gathering in Nashville of Country Programmers, (The Country Radio Seminar) hosted by Country Radio Broadcasters, I realized that many Country Programmers still don’t “get it” when it comes to understanding who decides what is played on their stations. It will surprise those of you who are not Country programmers as you read about their unusual mindset.
Most Country Programmers have become “Brand Managers.” They understand that it is their job to generate ratings and ratings are indicative of how many people are listening to a radio station. Because ratings measure listening and individuals who listen count toward ratings. The higher rated radio stations generate the most revenue. The highest rated radio stations, those that have the most listening, expose the most music. The most exposed music sells the most records.
It all seems perfectly logical that if you consider that the ratings are reflective of listening, and that the listeners are the most important equation in growing your ratings, and that the stations with the biggest ratings make the most money, then we should give the listeners what the listeners want. That’s not always true with Country radio.
Country Programmers need to wake up to the fact that if they play the music their listeners want… no matter who the Country artist is and no matter what label the Country song is on … the audience will come to their radio station more frequently. Building your ratings is about repeat tune-in. The more listeners continue to listen to your station, and come back to your station to listen, the more Time Spent Listening you have. The tactic of instant gratification elongates your TSL and that increases your overall audience share. The simplistic bottom-line is GIVE THE LISTENER WHAT THEY WANT. How much more simple can it be than that. Stop snoring and work to build the audience of your station by satisfying the audience. Satisfied listeners return time and again.
|
