Whereas radio promoting remains to be being heard by radio listeners, the relevancy of these advertisements to listeners is low. In distinction, the audio advertisements heard by podcast listeners had been deemed extremely significant.*
The Radio Advert Disconnect
As soon as upon a time, radio stations employed gatekeepers. (Gatekeeping – “the method of controlling info because it strikes by a gate.)
Let me provide you with a private instance of what I’m speaking about. Within the 80s, I used to be managing WFPG-FM in Atlantic Metropolis, New Jersey. WFPG-FM programmed a Bonneville Lovely Music format and was the market chief within the Atlantic Metropolis-Cape Might, New Jersey Metro. Walter Powers, Vice President of Operations at Bonneville Broadcasting System, was our music gatekeeper. However simply as essential as ensuring that the music was effectively focused, WFPG-FM’s program director was the gatekeeper of each different factor of content material that will be heard on the radio station. Each commercial was reviewed to insure it was acceptable and related to our viewers. We employed these identical requirements when it got here to our promotions and air personalities too.
Paul Harvey
Paul Harvey Information and Commentary on the ABC Radio Community was an promoting powerhouse. Paul thought of himself to be a salesman first and a broadcaster second. Harvey wrote and voiced the radio copy for the services and products he advised his listeners about and it was well-known he wouldn’t promote a services or products he didn’t personally use.
Right this moment, we see this taking place with podcasters who likewise voice the advert copy for the corporate that sponsors their podcast. I imagine that is why podcast advertisements resonate with podcast listeners versus radio promoting.
Howard Stern
When Howard Stern was the afternoon air character on 66-WNBC in New York Metropolis, he usually learn dwell copy for his native advertisers.
On one in every of my journeys to New York Metropolis to satisfy with advertisers, I ended into the published services of WNBC and met with their native gross sales supervisor. I’ll always remember asking her this query: “What are fewest variety of commercials you’ll promote an advertiser?” She answered: “one, if it’s on Howard Stern’s present.” One, I requested? Is that efficient? She advised me that Howard Stern was such a very good communicator and had such a loyal viewers, that if he promoted a product or enterprise, even simply as soon as, they at all times bought outcomes. However then once more, Howard had the authority to just accept or reject any advertiser.
Each Paul Harvey and Howard Stern had been gatekeepers for his or her radio packages.
Randy Kabrich
This previous week, we discovered of the passing of one in every of radio’s nice CHR/Top40 programmers, Randy Kabrich.
In studying an article about his life, I couldn’t assist however discover that the twice named Billboard journal CHR/Top40 radio programmer of the yr was a severe gatekeeper.
When Kabrich was Program Director at WROQ-AM/FM in Charlotte, North Carolina, the station administration deliberate to just accept an promoting purchase from Deliberate Parenthood. Randy felt the advertisements had been “too risky and blatant” to look on a “household” radio station. Inside Radio reported that Kabrich stated “I’ve been making an attempt to make WROQ a enjoyable, household radio station – an escape from actuality, from the conflicts in life – and I felt these spots had been inappropriate for the station’s viewers.” This resulted in Randy resigning.
Something For a Buck
There was a time when radio operators employed gatekeepers that weren’t afraid to say “NO” to an advertiser and his cash when their product, service or just the best way they needed to ship their message was not in live performance to the targets of the radio station.
These had been the times when radio operators understood that EVERYTHING
that got here out of the listener’s radio speaker mattered. Spoiler Alert:
