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Many of the world's winning radio stations are
successful for two reasons: #1) the station owns a
clear position in the marketplace; and #2) it has a
superstar morning or breakfast show. For example, in
Los Angeles KIIS-FM is LA's Top 40 Station with Rick
Dees in the Morning. Unfortunately, there are more
radio stations than star level morning shows. The few
radio stations in these enviable positions more often
than not, have their star talent signed to expensive
and long-term contracts. Meanwhile, everyone else is
constantly struggling to create or develop the next
superstar that will drive ratings. Virgin Radio in the
United Kingdom has changed their breakfast presenters
for the fourth time in the past two years in an endless
attempt to win over listeners.
Author of Morning Radio and Morning Radio II, Tracy
Johnson, said in our previous email, "developing your
own air talent is not easy. It takes patience! It takes
an intense commitment and belief in your personalities.
And most of all, it takes time. Dominant, market-
leading personalities don't just happen overnight. They
are created, molded and developed." But how?
| A BETTER WAY |
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The advertising, television and film industries found a
better way to analyze and evaluate content many
years ago. Utilizing digital-dial technology, viewers
evaluate the appeal and effectiveness of
advertisements, sitcoms, TV pilots & programs, films,
news programming and more. The results of these
sessions are shared with writers, producers, directors
and actors.
Sitcom writers, for example, are trying to create a
laugh every 45 to 60 seconds, Directors are looking for
reactions to character and story development, News
Producers are searching for more efficient and effective
ways to package, present and write the news, and so
forth
Average air personalities are easily replaced by
automated systems or voice tracking. Great air
personalities can't be replaced for any cost. The bar
has been raised. The importance of entertaining the
audience has never been greater.
Now imagine that you can utilize the same technology
at your radio station to read the minds of your listeners
and find out exactly what they are thinking while
listening to your radio station? A very small number of
radio stations have been utilizing this extraordinary
programming tool for many years, while many more
don't even know such a tool was available.
See the Digital Content Analyzer in Action »
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| ON AIR TALENT & CRITICISM |
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The problem with air checking Morning show talent in
particular, is that they do not respond well to criticism,
even if its constructive criticism. Critique sessions are
subjective by nature, and often lead to confrontation
and debate. How many times have you been in
critiques sessions that sounded like this: "That was a
very good bit, but it went on too long", or "I just didn't
find the humor in that break", or "you really crossed the
line on that one", and then your on air show simply
disagrees or pays no attention?
Unlike standard Focus Groups, Pinnacle's Digital Content
Analyzer sessions provide real-time, qualitative
feedback. By continuous measurement, we can pinpoint
exactly when their engaging the audience, and when
their not; when their content is compelling...and when
its not!
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| YOU CAN "SEE" HOW THEY "FEEL" |
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Programmers from around the world have begun to
realize how powerful this tool can be. For most
programmers, it's more a tool for the talent. It's
important that on air talent can now see how new
material tests in relation to their benchmark bits. When
they go on too long and when they miss the mark.
When you talent sees how their listeners respond
second-by-second to their every word, you can
imagine the enormous impact. It's an excellent tool to
evaluate targeting and material relevance, improve
timing and pacing, define the boundaries of acceptable
content, and more.
Bottom line - Pinnacle's "Digital Content Analyzer(tm)"
empowers you, your producers and most importantly
your on air presenters with actionable information to
fine-tune their content for maximum listener appeal.
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| ARM YOURSELF WITH ACTIONABLE INFORMATION |
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Many programmers lack the skills to work with difficult
and ego-driven personalities. Yet the success of the
morning show is crucial to the ultimate success of the
station and it must be one of their top priorities.
Radio stations spend tens of thousand to hundreds of
thousand of dollars on format, strategic, & perceptual
studies, as well as tactical music research that are
designed to position their stations and perfect their
playlists. Yet, most spend very little or no money
researching and developing their morning shows. If the
morning show is the difference between moderate to
enormous success (or no success at all) why do most
stations ask only ask a few top-of-mind questions in a
perceptual study? While perceptual studies are critical
to formulating strategy and assessing strengths and
weaknesses, they do not provide tactical information to
improve the execution of your morning show.
Auditorium music tests, call out, and online research
are all examples of tactical methods used to determine
the songs that best support your strategy. But when it
comes to the content and all we create between the
records, we seem to rely solely on the vision and gut
instincts of on air talent and programmers. We are not
advocating the elimination of the "vision" that you as
managers & programmers create. That vision is often
what makes great radio. We are suggesting that you
must be able to validate your strategy and vision by
examining the tools that will empower you and your on
air talent with actionable information from your listeners.
Click to View "Jeff & Jer San Diego" (Hi-Speed Broadband Recommended)
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