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Mike McVay’s SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE RADIO STATIONS

Excerpted from Mike McVay’s Radio Programming Secrets

radio programming graphic

Mike McVay


1. NEWS & INFORMATION IN THE MORNINGS Winning radio stations present informative news reports and have community information so listeners can plan their lives. The most successful of these radio stations present news that, were it in print, would mirror a local weekly small community newspaper.

2. PRESENCE AT COMMUNITY EVENTS Being everywhere, being seen by everyone, being involved with anything that matters to the community, attaching your name to those things the community cares about is extremely important.

3. FAVORITE MORNING SHOW How often do people change their radios in morning drive? They all do it in the car, but seldom do they change the clock radio in their bedroom.

4. BEING FUN TO LISTEN TO The person working in a steel mill considers your air talents’ job (being paid to play music and talk) as anything but work. Encourage your on-air talent to sound as though they’re having fun.

5. BEST FOR LISTENING AT-WORK Successful music stations have a product that is compatible with at-work listening locations. You MUST be a “Listen While You Work” radio station to be successful.

6. MOST CONTESTS We’ve all seen studies that indicate only 5% to 10% of the audience plays contests. But the most successful stations have contests and games on the air. Radio stations that win … play games.

7. HERITAGE/LENGTH OF TIME IN FORMAT/CONNECTION TO THE MUSIC A radio station that brands one name with the type of music it plays and doesn’t keep changing will have the greatest opportunity for success. Find something that works …. And stick with it.

You’ll find more of Mike McVay’s Radio Programming Secrets here.

Comments on this entry are closed.

  • W.B. Ward August 4, 2009, 9:59 am

    Amen!

  • Dan Nims August 4, 2009, 4:52 pm

    See? It isn’t rocket science! It’s common sense. Why is it so rare?

  • scott snailham August 4, 2009, 5:37 pm

    maybe you need rocket scientists behind the mic?

    problem is, if it wasn’t so rare, dan and mike mcvay would be out of business….

  • Peter Bradshaw August 21, 2009, 3:13 pm

    Why is it so rare.

    Because PDs and other key radio staff don’t attend PD Grad School and Creative Radio and Production Summit !!

    One of the key principles I have learnt from Dan is: ‘See or hear from listeners perspective’. Then all of these wonderful insights make perfect sense