Making Radio Relevant…Again
Disk jockey, personality, host, call them what you will, but virtually every radio station has them. But why?
It’s presumably because stations believe that personalities can bring listeners to the station or keep people listening longer. But is it true anymore?
A recent post here pointed out the outsized role DJs played in the 1970s. Jocks like Wolfman Jack, Dr. Don Rose, and Larry Lujack drove listeners to the station. People tuned in to hear what these personalities had to say. More recently, it was also true for Howard Stern. People tuned in to WXRK to hear Stern.
Rush Limbaugh also comes to mind. His show was carried by 300 stations and estimates of his audience were north of 15 million people. Compare the ratings of talk stations with Limbaugh to stations without him and it’s clear Limbaugh drove listenership.
But what about today? Do we have any Lujacks? Do we have any Sterns? Who is today’s Rush Limbaugh?
If local radio is to remain relevant it has to offer the listener something that she can’t get anywhere else. Why else listen with today’s alternatives to local radio?
History has shown that the right personality can increase listenership. The right personality can be that unique difference that keeps radio competitive. Unfortunately, either radio can’t find another Stern or maybe radio today is just too buttoned down.