Thursday, May 26, 2011

Defining clutter....

All too often, many PDs, particularly at music stations, define clutter as any non-music element. 

I beg to differ. Help them understand the difference between clutter and information and service elements, even contests, that resonate with your audience.

You want to be their source for the information they need ... in the context of your format.

For example:

* If your audience is primarily “soccer moms,” don’t you think they would want to know that there is an 80% chance of thunderstorms during little junior’s game today?

* If you live in a city where many flock to the beach or a lake on summer weekends, don’t you think they would like to know how bad traffic is along beach/lake routes on a Friday afternoon?

* If your local team is in the NBA finals, even if it’s not your core target, something like that takes over a city ... .work it into breaks.

The art of programming is reflecting the needs and wants of your audience into the fabric of the format ... IT’S NOT CLUTTER!