Answering The News Talk Challenge

This past week I attended a News/Talk media conference that discussed the future of Radio in the spoken word (news and talk) arena, the impact on the format from social media, streaming, podcasting, video outlets, texting, on-demand and the importance of crisis coverage. Local versus national, the credibility of talent, and growing revenue. The impact of Nielsen’s 3 Minute measurement adjustment, finding talent, and the aging of the radio audience were also a part of the conversation. Heavy topics. Lots of interest. A mountain of challenges to climb. 

The News/Talk format is often one that’s not thought of universally until there’s a crisis. For many there’s a belief that the format is found on AM only. Which is a misperception. There are those that believe the format is where mostly conservative and “some” liberal talk lives. There’s a lot of truth to that perception. The line between news and commentary often blurs. Which leads to a “choose your news” approach for the audience when commentary is interpreted as news. Social media magnifies that perception. 

Let me be clear as to my opinion … news should be news, and commentary should be just that. In my world, I’d prefer that commentary be noted as such. Even if only at the launch of a show, my preference is that it be noted. It can be a part of the show open, without a great deal of fanfare, unless it’s presented in an exaggerated way that matches the hosts personality. A great example is the open of The Glenn Beck Show which boasts “The fusion of entertainment and enlightenment” as its’ descriptor. That sets the stage allowing for the host to voice opinion and engage in debate.

I’ve been a part of internal conversations where corporate opinion is the opposite of some of the talent whose shows they broadcast. While a corporate purpose should align with the content that’s presented, legacy programs showing success are likely more a part of the structure supporting a company than the political opinions of leadership. Be assured that there’s not a Liberal who became a Conservative, or vice versa, listening to a talk program on the radio. It’s an echo chamber. Similar people with similar opinions listening to programming that supports those opinions. That’s the talk format in a nutshell. 

Some advertisers avoid the format believing that it’s bad for their brand. Those that know, know better. These misperceptions are magnified because of the blurring of the lines as to where information is consumed. Conservative and Liberal talk television, YouTube, Social Media, and Podcasts color the perception of what news/talk radio presents. The audience that listens to a station or a specific talk talent’s program, is likely to engage with products that are supported by a station/show.  The power of endorsements mobilizes an audience.

People who listen to News/Talk radio live in homes, condos, or apartments. They drive cars, or use mass transit. They wear clothes. Dine out or cook at home. Buy cosmetics, toiletries, personal items, health products … and the list goes on. You “get it.” My point being that an advertisers who refuses to buy advertising on News/Talk stations, regardless of the content being local or nationally syndicated, is missing an opportunity to expose their products to an audience that is clearly loyal to brands. That’s reality regardless of format. Cherry-pick around programs if you feel that’s necessary, but don’t bail on the format.

The News/Talk format is one of the most listened to formats in America. Checking in several times a day throughout the day. It has a loyal audience. When local content, information and personalities are a part of the format, it creates a reason to listen daily. The closer to home your content is centered, the greater connection to the market. More importantly, when an information station activates multiple media platforms (texting, social media, app alerts) to drive an audience to OTA or Stream, the format has the opportunity to lower the average age of the audience by as much as ten years.