Rocket Science

How hard is it to successfully program a classical music radio station? Are there any tried and true formulas? Does what worked yesterday, still work today? Tomorrow?

Remember listening to radio as a kid, utterly fascinated, totally engaged, completely charmed. Radio was a constant companion. Simpler times. Less complex media environment. Far fewer choices. I don’t remember ever hearing classical radio as a kid in the Shenandoah Valley. The choice was AM and the formats were country, gospel and top-40, most of which went dark at dusk. But, what made radio work then? We each have our ideas and opinions about that, but for me it came down to 3 essential elements: the mix of music, the personality on-air and the sense of place.

Things haven’t changed that much, really.

For us in classical radio, and it doesn’t matter whether it’s commercial or public-supported, we might add to this short list of ingredients: audience interaction. That’s not a new concept either. Don’t forget all the request and dedication shows, back in the day. I can still hear Cousin Brucie on WABC in New York, must have been around 1972, skipping 350 miles across the ionosphere to the AM radio in my ’61 Plymouth Valiant, “Thanks for the call, Bonnie, in Brooklyn Heights. Hey, baby, we have your Little Deuce Coupe!” Call-in still drives AM radio’s numbers and success. Any road trip across the good ole USA, scanning the AM dial, will remind you of the lost “art” of live call-in radio, not to mention the vanishing regional dialects, or the rustic charm of grange hall dance notices and livestock prices. Now think about satellite and on-line services where there’s no DJ and certainly no sense of place. Great for a while, but we always come back to radio. Fairly recently, Apple learned about “iPod fatigue” (folks tire of even deep playlists they’ve created) and starting adding FM tuners to the next generation of their devices. The surprises, the companionship, the magic and yes, even the mistakes still cause radio to endure.

I recently had a call from a long-time radio producer, very successful and smart who is now charged with the success of a prominent classical, public radio station. This, for the first time in his lengthy career, means all the traditional responsibilities of a PD, including but not limited to, everything that comes out of the speakers and personally handling the host-whispering. We mused about the unique challenges of today’s economy and what its like to deal with a vast, unseen, fickle, niche-conditioned audience with myriad alternatives to our stations, and rely on them to voluntarily part with their coin for our success. I think we decided in the end, though, that in the best of circumstances – the tried and true still works.

Got Mozart? If so, you have the real deal in terms of music. You own the best potential audience in the world with that thin slice of format. It’s important to treat them with respect and dignity, which also means using wit and wisdom. That also applies to the music mix. Keep your playlists deep, broad, appealing, consistent & cohesive…with ample surprises. Allow (and cultivate) the host presentation style, to be sophisticated but approachable, always authentic and warm. This ain’t rocket science, kids, so why do so many stations struggle?

I’ll let you fill in the blanks. You know the answer and probably what to do. Don’t over complicate things. Keep it simple. Do the right thing(s). You don’t need any additional research or a consultant to come tell you. Get in your car on one of these warm summer evenings and listen to your own station.

Listen and hear. Think and adjust.

Get back to your roots and try to have some fun. Rediscover what it means to make great radio, or at least until your daddy takes your T-bird away…

Onward!

P.S. Obstacles to success and doing the right thing(s), right there in your own organization? That’s another blog…