2 Places Where Talent Have Ratings Control

“Dang panel change!”

“The format is down!”

“The (sports team) is the talk of the town.”

We’ve heard all the reasons why ratings don’t favor us, but I’m finding more and more frequently that talent (and programmers) aren’t focused on what they can control.

Too often, radio executives obsess over topline share versus a key competitor and often miss reconciling numbers that move the needle.

The good news for talent: You have controllables. They are most likely all the “nerdy format stuff” your PD asks you to do, but if executed consistently, the nerdy format stuff leads to higher ratings.

I’ll bet the odds are talent hasn’t been told why we need more daily cume, weekly occasions, time spent per occasion, or P1 TSL.

This also applies to stations that don’t subscribe to ratings. Mastering these basics makes your station a better listening experience. With two paths to higher ratings (more listeners and more from existing listeners), let’s focus on the existing listeners and (hopefully) what your PD asks of you.

1. One more occasion today.

• Great teases make or enhance a great break. Give listeners a compelling reason that matters to them to stay through a break or tune in at 7:40, and they’ll be there. “(Artist) is next” doesn’t work. “Proof that timing is everything, this new Cody Johnson song is nine years old. What took so long? Tell you that and play the song in the next 10 minutes.”
• For contesting in your show, there’s a massive difference between the basic have-to-read-a-liner-check-the-box “win tickets at 8:20” and you making the listener connection: “Summer’s over, and you probably haven’t been to a concert yet. Let’s fix that at 8:20 because you deserve the break.”
• Airing your full five-minute artist interview is most likely a tune-out. If it’s compelling, breaking it into “chapters” that play between songs with teases to the next segment … and bringing a highlight quote back several times throughout the week can be a ratings win.

Bonus: Have you promoted something outside of your daypart today? I’m still amazed at how many shows never mention anything else happening on the station.

• There’s a big difference between “win tickets at 12:20” and “I know you spend your lunch doing things for everyone else, but set an alarm on your phone for 12:20 today and take a break to win a night out. …”
• Have the communication system in place so the staff knows this is happening and can effectively promote it.

2. One more occasion this week.

• Let’s not kid ourselves: Every listener isn’t listening four hours a day, five days a week. For country morning shows in continuous diary markets, the P25-54 average is 4.4 weekly tune-ins. In PPM markets, it’s 8.2 weekly occasions. Getting to 5 and 9 could be as simple as being consistent.

Mastering the basics, not “wasting” a break, and having a strong social presence combined with consistent, compelling content are in your control and will increase ratings.

One more occasion today, one more occasion this week.

If all of this feels like a lot, remember: “Being a friend” and “making listeners feel good” are two of the top three P1 desires of listeners’ favorite stations, and you have 100% control over those.