Programming Theory

If a radio station could reduce listener erosion, it could sustain ratings without marketing, promotion, or increased costs. Eliminating tune-out would cause listeners to become fans and rating nirvana would be within reach. The...

A headline like Double Your Ratings immediately seems like it will be followed by a comment like, "Get twice as many listeners." It doesn't seem possible, or at the very least it's unlikely. But...

Program Directors are notorious for establishing rules for their air staff. Programmers love to make programming rules. It makes things easier to manage, but programming rules suck the life out of the sound of...

The Holy Grail of radio programming is to convert cume to fans. After all, fans have infinitely more value in affecting TSL (time spent listening). Stations spend a lot of time fine-tuning a strategy...

Programmers and managers spend sleepless nights tossing and turning, plotting programming enhancements to counteract moves made by other radio stations to capture listener attention. And you know what? Most of that energy is wasted....

Traditionally, radio morning shows start at 6 and end at 10. Why? Because that's what time the rating services have chosen to define a "morning" show. But consumer behavior changes. And as it does,...

While watching some old home videos (yeah, we have a life), I learned a valuable radio programming lesson from my two year old son. Specifically, it reminded me of the two switch theory of...

It happens to every radio station. Clutter Creep happens, little by little. Over time, the station becomes full of stuff that doesn't need to be there. That's why I recommend program directors step back...

You may not have heard of the term learning theory, but understanding how the audience becomes familiar with and loyal to, brands will change how you program radio stations. Seriously. This is game-changing. In this...