Four Big Wishes For The New Year

2022 is about to come to an end and, as we make our plans for 2023, I have four very specific wishes for our format and our industry. Please note that these are not unrealistic, but they are hopes for industry leaders to take some big steps to get radio on the road to being back in the media conversation.

Wish #1 – Break The Old Rules And Make Some New Ones

We’ve all been following the same programming rules for as long as I can remember (and this memory goes back a few decades!). How about working on a new set of rules that are more in line with the times?

Find new ways for revenue opportunities that are equal to, or better than, the results of a full commercial load. We must do something NOW about these excessively long commercial breaks. I wish for someone to step up and make the commitment to try!

Look at better forms of conducting your music research. Are seven-second hooks still what works? Can we honestly answer that either way? With technological advances, it’s time to get to work to find that better, more reliable system.

Let’s CONSCIOUSLY achieve some gender balance musically. Some time ago, someone said that Country listeners are more apt to prefer male artists/groups over females, and we’ve all believed it. The DSPs and CMT are moving in this direction, so why not radio? There are some amazing female Country artists being passed on who deserve a better shot!

Look at some of those long-standing radio “rules” and turn them upside down!

#2 – Eliminate Fear And Take Some Risks

We may not want to admit it, but a lot of us are working more out of fear for our jobs, presently, than looking for creative ways to get better. The result of this is the inertia that seems to permeate our business.

Encourage and reward experimentation within your staff. Let them know that mistakes will happen, but to learn from them and move on.

Give your people full responsibility and, along with that, accountability, what one boss of mine referred to as “your ball, your butt.” Your people should not ever be penalized for bad decisions made above them, but let them know you trust their judgement and hold them responsible. Watch the magic happen.

Allow open, honest conversation within your staff always. Don’t keep secrets. Make them part of the process and listen to each opinion as useful input to a decision.

#3 – REALLY Invest In Your People Sincerely

There are organizations which value their people, and there are those who say they do. The difference? Implementation versus lip service. Too many quotes on walls about values and not enough action.

Set up ACTIVE, in-house, online training programs to enable the possibility of internal promotion. This would include a definite succession plan with all management. There aren’t enough, if any, concrete programs that can prepare an employee for a move up. We need to change that!

Support all independent learning activities for your employees. Whether it be working toward a degree or expanding on what they already know, you should be there to assist them psychologically and financially, if possible.

More important than ever, you should prioritize the work/life balance to get the most productivity and longevity out of your staff.

#4 – Move From Top Down To Bottom-Up Mentality

We are doing so much more with less that we are starting to burn out our most productive employees. My wish is that we begin to look at ways to invest in growing a local staff at the expense of some upper-level management. Do we really need regional programming executives? Do we really need air personalities on everywhere in multiple markets and multiple dayparts? Should we not be able to train, and then trust our local management and staff to handle responsibilities efficiently and with confidence? We will never be back to a full local staff, but let’s reapportion the talent and spread it out a bit and let them do their job.

We are at a crossroads with our format and our industry. We must make this business attractive for possible future broadcasters AND, most of all, for our current employees. We can only wish!

“Taking Your Radio Presence To The Next Level. Be it an artist, radio programmer or on-air talent. Coaching and mentoring down to your foundational level”

Contact me:
John Shomby
Owner/CEO Country’s Radio Coach
jshomby@countrysradiocoach.com
757-323-1460
https://countrysradiocoach.com