RELENTLESS RADIO

 

Author:	Mark Rider
Published:	August, 2000

 

Many things have to happen before you can have a successful Fall Book. In this article we'll take a look at seven steps you can take to gain a competitive advantage. 1. Get A Running Start Know that summer sets the tone for your Fall Book. That is, what you are doing now will be a major factor in what your Fall Book will give you. Get a promotions meeting going. Have a contest that will build up TSL. Have an advertising campaign that will bring new cume. Cume and TSL, that's what it's all about. Take those ideas and DO THEM! Don't rest and say, "Wow, that was a great promotions meeting, I hope we get around to doing what we said we would do." 2. Test Your Music Now How with no music budget? Bring in volunteers to call out to people on your mailing lists, contest lists, newsletter lists, donation lists, and qualify them. Approach them in this way, "We're with Target Marketing and we're trying to find out which radio stations in town are performing the best for this market, would you be interested in being a part of our focus group?" Sign them up, bring them in and question them. Ask questions like, "What stations do you listen to?" etc. Ask them indirect questions about your station, "I just heard you mention a religious station, what do they do?" You will find out many things you didn't know. Identify your potential listening audience and bring them back to answer your other questions concerning music, programming, jocks, promotions, contests, etc. There is not enough room in this article to explain it all but, you can call me or Jerry Williams anytime to ask questions on any subject. Plus, I would love to learn from you also. 3. Pump Up Your Jocks Jocks are like children with adult brains. No offense, but jocks tend to be creative, not administrative. Sometimes all they know is to get on the air and relate. That's good but it doesn't mean they know how to look at the bottom line. You have to pump them up. You have to get them excited about winning. Here's how. Tell them, "There's a hill up there, we've gotta' take it. We're gonna' take that hill. You guys/girls are going to be the reason we win in the Fall Book. You have what it takes to make it happen. You're the connection to the station that the listeners are looking for. Be excited on the air, relate, be interested in the listeners, take them to the next level, love on them, make them the most important part of your show." Coach them into excitement. It goes a long way. 4. Look For Opportunities Opportunities are like the wind. They come and go. For the most part opportunities don't last very long. Here today and gone tomorrow. What's the hottest TV show right now? The Survivor series. What's the hottest contest? Who wants to be a Millionaire. What's the hottest trend in ministry? Relationships. Then, go for it. Find it. Put it on your station in a way that will work with your audience. I have a sign on my door that reads, "Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats." I live by it. You can too. 5. Always Read The Trades Whether it is RELENTLESS RADIO, CRR, CCM Update, Today's Christian Woman, Youth Director, or any other magazine or tip sheet, you need to be reading them all the time. I know you have to multi-task. I have to do it everyday just like you. But, you have to do it anyway. Read , read, read. Otherwise you will be quickly left behind. We are in the information age. Get used to it. That's my soap box. 6. Delegate Authority You have heard about "micro-managers". They have their hand on everything. They don't "get it". They think they have to "do everything". Well, they are wrong. You need to let others work for you. They can do it and they are not going to replace you because of it. Get that out of your head. The more you let other employees do the work for you, the more you can concentrate on the big picture. The big picture will take you far and beyond your desire to control everybody around you. Let go. Let them do the work for you. Get over it. Grow up. I'm talking to myself as I write these words. Please don't be offended. 7. Organize Ok, you may not be the most organized person in the world. You have a lot on your plate already. Still, if you follow the advice I have given above you can save yourself a lot of grief in the future. I am giving you information that will make you a great programmer and it won't cost the pain and sorrow I had to go through to get there. Take my advice, don't be too proud to hear it. I have been very busy working at KLTY. Believe me I really don't have the time to write this article but, I know that if I can be vulnerable and reveal the truth and my own weaknesses then most of you might grasp it also and become powerful programmers for the Lord. His name be praised!  About The Author Mark Rider's career included stops at KSBJ and WAY-FM Nashville where he served as PD. His most recent position was at KLTY, Dallas, where he had served as both PD and most recently Production Director. Mark founded Just Radio, which began as a monthly print publication. In its most recent incarnation it was a respected Internet prep service.  Friday afternoon, July 6th, 2001 Mark Rider died of a heart attack in Dallas. He had finished his work for the day at KLTY and was preparing to drive home around 4:00 in the afternoon. A few minutes later, a security guard in the radio station parking lot found Mark unconscious in his automobile with the engine running and the air conditioner on high. The ambulance took him to the hospital, but Mark passed away shortly after 5:00 Friday afternoon.