We Get Letters - It’s Not the Size of the Market in the Fight…

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Hi Mike, Today’s RI article was spot on. I have witnessed the power of small market radio first hand. Several years ago we relocated to Harrisonburg, VA. A two-book market that features two groups – iHeart & Saga. You can probably guess which group is locally focused and which one is piped in. What I have learned – the smaller the market the more important local media becomes. When there were forest fires on Skyline Drive Saga was out collecting supplies for the first responders. The annual country fair draws huge crowds. Guess who is out there in force. Even the local newspaper is full of ads every day. My point is that – as an industry – we tend to have a major market bias. We follow the fates and fortune of New York or Atlanta and think that should trickle down. What we don’t take into account is how fractured huge markets are. It is harder to be “local” because the east side of town does not care about the west side. (I lived this for years in Washington, DC). Smaller markets are more homogenous. There seems to be more local pride. Even in Harrisonburg – which is driven by the colleges – that fact emerges. We can learn a lot from small and medium market stations. Especially, as you said, those not bogged down by corporate overlords. Love the weekly column BTW. Thanks for reading this missive. Hope you are well, Steve STEVE ALLAN | Programming Research Consultant