NEW "GOLD" STATION vs. HERITAGE STATION QUESTION FOR DAN O’DAY: What are your thoughts on a Gold format radio station, with a target of 40 plus which has been in the market for about 16 months getting to potential new listeners? One thing which came back from a recent survey showed the audience we are going for is still entrenched on a station which has been in the market 60 years, but now aims its music and programming younger. We are playing music directed at that age group...Getting involved in events which target that age group...But are we doing enough? Do you almost need to print out a fact sheet explaining what you are.....who you are.......where you are........who your personalities are, etc.? Do you need to get into the press more with an educational type approach? Is this an inherent problem with an older established audience? DAN REPLIES: Do you almost need to print out a fact sheet explaining what you are.....who you are.......where you are........who your personalities are, etc.? That is exactly what you need to do. Almost every radio station in the world assumes their listeners (and potential listeners) know much more about the radio station than they do. Actually, this is not peculiar to radio; it applies to almost all businesses in any field. The more you can educate your potential customers, the more likely they are to "buy" from you (in radio's case, by tuning in your station). By "educate," I mean showing them, step-by-step, exactly how your station will benefit them. The one thing you haven't told me is exactly what your station offers that the heavily entrenched Gold leader doesn't offer Are you playing terrific doo-wop tunes that the competition doesn't? Rockabilly? Motown? Girl groups? Surfing songs? British Invasion? Do you go back further than the competition....or play more recent hits than they do? What do you offer the listener that the competition doesn't?