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WHO’S STEALINGYOUR LISTENERS?and what can you do about it?

6 o f t h e b e s tI TEMS EVERYSTATION SHOULDHAVE TO HAND

EMERGENCYP L A N N I N G ?when disaster strikes, is your staff prepared?

Paul Hollins

paul@bluerevolution.com

Blue Revolution is a leading supplier of programming content, music services and

production tools to radio stations

worldwide. Our range of weekly

shows include the award-winning

Totally 80s, Totally 90s, The Weekend Vibe, The Donny Osmond Show,

Wolfman Jack and many more.

Our network of client stations

trust us to deliver programmes

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Find out more by visiting us online

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Issue 38

April 2012

WWW.BLUEREVOLUTION.COM

Hi again,

If you've been a subscriber for any length of time you'll already know

that the Radio e-Zine brings you insight and advice from some of the

world's top consultants and futurologists.

My aim is to bring together many different viewpoints so you can

decide on the best strategy for your station and market. And that's why

putting together each issue is so much fun.

Some articles are packed full of advice while others are more thought

provoking.

This time around I've decided to include my latest article/report called

"Who's Stealing Your Listeners". In it I share my thoughts on why radio

is "under attack" and what you can do to defend your station against

eroding audience levels.

I've worked in radio all my life and in some of the most competitive

markets in the world, so my article draws on that experience. I also

share how Blue Revolution can play a part in creating a much more

robust schedule for your station, and I make no apologies for that. :)

The PD Tip this month is about Emergency & Disaster Planning, while

our semi-regular feature '6 Of The Best...' returns with a look at 6 things

you should always have on-hand in your studio (from a DJs perspective).

Thanks again for being a subscriber and I'll see you next month.

bluerevolutionIn this issue: Who’s stealing your listeners?

station have an emergency plan l To-hand essentials for

every station

l Does your

WWW.BLUEREVOLUTION.COM

3

Who’s Stealing Your Listeners(and what you can do about it)

Now more than ever our industry needs to pull together to fight off

challenges coming from many different directions.

For years radio has battled for supremacy against the long-established

alternatives such as TV and newspapers, but in the end this trio has quite

happily co-existed alongside each other. So TV & newspapers aren't an

especially new challenge.

“The Walkman Era”

When Sony released their first Walkman (portable cassette player) and later the Discman portable CD player, the

industry didn't see a slump in reach or hours, so that begs the question about the current "threat" of the iPod... are we

over-reacting to the onslaught of the latest generation of music players?

It's a very relevant question. Back in the heyday of the Walkman, they offered just one thing: music. Radio, on the

other hand mixed music with attention-grabbing content. As a result, the Walkman was left behind. There was a true

'point of difference'.

Now it's the iPod and the mp3 player that is a challenge our industry is facing, but it's by no means the only front

which we're under-attack.

These days most radio stations focus on playing lots of music, whereas owners of a smartphone can pre-load their

favourite music... but the smartphone can also deliver other attention-grabbing content to go alongside it.

It's almost like a role-reversal of the Walkman era.

The Real Threat To Radio

I personally think the biggest threat to our industry right now is the smartphone.

Why? Because smartphones can offer so much more than just music.

In fact a smartphone can significantly erode your station's 'hours'.

For example, if you're chatting on the phone, you can't be listening to the radio at the same time.

Lots of radio listening used to be done in the car, but these days people can spend their car journey

talking to their friends or catching up with their family. This can have a huge impact on your station's

figures.

Paul Hollins

includes many of UK’s most well-known stations including Key 103, BRMB, Capital FM and London’s Heart 106.2. In 1999

he became the first British presenter to fly to Los Angeles to host the internationally syndicated ‘World Chart Show’ for Radio

Express Inc. Since setting up Blue Revolution in 1999, Paul has helped grow the company into one of Europe’s largest

providers of audio content for radio.

is the CEO of Blue Revolution. He is an award-winning presenter and producer. His on-air broadcasting career

It's not just other stations that are vying for your listener's attention.

continuedBut smartphones also offer other forms of 'distraction' like:

� Video games

� Apps

� Social Media

So is this a battle that radio can't win?

Absolutely not. We just need to counter-act this phenomenon by raising our game and reminding the audience that

radio is relevant. We need to be doing all we can to give the audience a REASON to tune in.

If you're thinking of the “usual stuff” like doing more weather updates... they can get weather updates on their

smartphone. Traffic news? Their Sat Nav app will take care of that.

Have You Heard Of The Pink Water Tap?

In the mid-90s stations started to focus their output away from specialist shows so that the

audience knew that whenever they tuned into their favourite station it would always be

offering them the same 'style' of programming and music.

This is the proverbial 'pink water tap'. Turn it on and you expect 'pink water' every time. The

only time it annoys you is when you switch it on and there's no 'pink water'.

But times have changed since the 90s heyday. Tastes have changed and so have the habits

of your listeners. But a lot of radio programmers are still programming their stations as

though it's the 1990s. Nowadays when you're programming your station you have to consider WHAT is going your

target-audience to tune in?

'Pink water'? They can get the equivalent of that from numerous places these days.

You have to offer something more.

You can't just be 'wallpaper' anymore.

In today's world one of radio's main selling points is that it is essentially a “done for you” service. Listeners don't

have to worry about loading it up with songs like they would with a smartphone. They can flick a switch and be

instantly entertained.

But the content HAS to be focused and on-target.

Let me give you an example. If your station is aiming at 25-34s you need your output to REFLECT what is going on in

their lives, so that they make a connection and start to think of your station as one of their friends.

Play them the songs they want to hear, but also include bits about THEIR lives. Most 25-34's either own

an iPad or aspire to own an iPad. Why not be the station who 'gives them away'? That will drive

audience.

who’s stealing your listeners?

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