We are dealing with an extraordinary moment in our history, one that brings with it extraordinary disruption to our listener’s daily lives. Obviously, this includes how people feel and how people will use radio.

This is the time in which radio stations needs to stand-up and be the voice of their community. Radio’s defining strengths are being local and serving their community. We need to be the trusted friend that we have worked so hard to become for these listeners.

These are uncharted waters and we need to evolve our programming to deliver on our listener’s needs while keeping in mind that the listeners have an expectation of our brand. We believe there are a number of key elements to being an integral part of our listener’s world:

1. Local…our listeners are bombarded with national information from the internet, social media, cable TV, etc. Most of it is national, and much of it is wrong. We need to be the source of information that impacts their daily lives in their community.

2. Information…updates and information are changing at a rapid speed. We need to communicate that we will provide the most accurate, timely and verified information. See the graphic on the last page for how people are using the information radio gives them.

3. Companionship…with social distancing and self-quarantining, we can and should be that “friend” that helps our listeners deal with the chaos. We are all in this together! A good companion cares about his/her friends…if a listener can tell that you do care about her, she’s a friend for life.

4. Trust…we have spent years developing a relationship with our listeners. Now is the time to make sure we accentuate being the familiar, calming, and steady voice for our listeners.

5. Relate…we need to understand what’s most important to our target audience. Is it closing/cancellations, kid activities, or what to binge watch on Netflix.

6. Engage…again, with isolation from our friends and peers, listener interaction is more important than ever. Listeners want to talk, and to hear others talk, as a way of confirming that “I’m not in this alone”. But whether it is on-air, through social media or other platforms, we need to have conversations that involve the listener and facilitate listeners talking to other listeners.

7. Entertain…if you are a radio station that has personalities that have a strong image of being funny and entertaining, we need to continue to deliver on those expectations. In addition, give our listeners a break from all the “sad/scary” content on most other media outlets. One useful pattern can be “vegetables, then dessert” (ie. serious, then light). Follow the serious information with something lighthearted, fun, and/or distracting.

8. Up-beat…one of the primary reasons people listen to music based stations is a mood set. For most stations, this means a “pick me up…make me feel good”, positive vibe that helps them get through the day. There may be times when things look dark, but people appreciate a station or personality that helps them feel better.

9. Listening habits…it’s important to understand how our listener’s lives have changed and the impact that has on their listening habits. Lockdowns and shelter-in-place orders will affect in-car, drive-time, and at-work usage. Parents have the kids at home all day. We need to adapt to how people are using radio in this “new normal”. It’s possible that more listener interaction than normal during midday is in order. Drive times may not be the only time for information. Trivia or other mental challenges may help parents distract kids. If your station has smart speaker skills, promote them strongly- smart speakers are radio’s best path to more in-home listening, but only 40% of listeners can remember ever hearing “their” station talk about its Alexa (or Google Home) skill.

10. Innovate…there is no rule book for this type of situation. Yes, we can learn from events that are similar (9/11, hurricanes, mass shootings, etc). but they were all a single event that lasted for a short period and then we reacted. This is an event that continues and re-shapes our lives each day. We need to continue to monitor the pulse of our audience and adapt. It’s important to keep giving listeners what they’ve always come to you for, but this is not the time for unthinking, “do it the way we’ve always done it” radio. Adaption leads to survival and health…for listeners and for radio. Call on us for brainstorming, and share your ideas as other share with you.

Few moments in our careers can be as rewarding and satisfying as being of service and helping other during a crisis. This crisis is (we hope) a once-in-a-lifetime event, and a time to define yourself and your station. It’s your time to shine. Remember that listeners derive huge emotional benefits from radio.

At its simplest, listeners need only three things from us:

A) Comfort and companionship

B) Mood Service- to feel better

C) Local Information Let’s be the people, and the place, that gives it to them!