Music formats should minimize interruptions and specialize in what you are for. Traditionally, that’s delivering a consistent offering of music balanced with personality and service elements like traffic, weather, and brief news updates. But as the marketplace has shifted, your audience gets information with a tap of a button. There’s an app for traffic, weather, and news. They already know before you get it on the air (if they care). What is (or should be) the role of news on music stations today? Is information merely clutter? Do you only keep it on because of sponsorship opportunities? Here’s what to consider when programming news on music stations.
Programming News On Music Stations
There’s an argument that traffic, weather, and programming news on music stations are as much of a tune-out as commercials. It’s not what your audience tunes in for; anything they don’t want or need is a tune-out.
You’re already thinking of perceptual research conclusions that indicate radio listeners value traffic and weather information during drive times, and that’s true. They do, but they don’t count on that from a music and personality-based radio station. They get it from apps or by pushing the button to the news station offering “traffic and weather together every eight minutes.” You’ve also seen studies that show the audience values knowing “what is happening in the world” so they don’t feel out of touch. Do they count on you to deliver that? If so, the news may be relevant on your station. But they probably don’t depend on you for that because there’s a news station, social media feed, and podcast.
So what value is programming news on music stations? What’s left? Should you punt and give it up? Maybe.
Options
Here are some things to consider:
Commit to It: If you can’t make information an important part of your offer, don’t do it. Too many stations go through the motions of filling a slot with out-of-date traffic, gratuitous weather forecasts, and poorly written information updates. They’re tune-outs.
Put Personality In It: Your audience may want to feel in touch with the world, but they don’t expect you to change formats when the information block comes on. Do it in your style, with your personality and character. Features branded as Three Things You Should Know, Trending, and Info To Go are clever ways for music stations to package information in their personality.
Information Is Entertainment: Adopt this philosophy to avoid “going through the motions.” Consider gamifying it by playing News Quiz for news reports or Pop Quiz instead of entertainment updates. Some stations connect listeners to the world with a game like Are You Smarter Than Zippy to relate to topical stories without committing to a newscast.
