By Walter Sabo
A.K.A. Walter Sterling, Host
Sterling Every Damn Night, WPHT, Philadelphia
Sterling On Sunday, TMN
If a shark doesn’t swim, it dies. Radio is just fine, thank you, but it’s not swimming. Water, check. Tank, check, Sharks, check. Swimming to the next meal, nope. For the past 10 years at least, the radio show in every city is stuck in place and that sound in the distance that wakes you up at night is a death rattle.
The public perceives radio to be live, current, and local. Those three ingredients are the foundation of radio’s hundred years of success and the envy of all other media. That’s right – ALL. OTHER. MEDIA. Radio was born with the characteristics envied by newspapers, magazines, streaming, TV… name it.
The savior of the AM band was not a three-hour-a-day-host. The savior is all-news and local live. The FM formats that thrive and grow put up a live mirror to a city’s needs and tastes. Stations that sound like their city, and no other city, do not just win – they dominate. The radio shark is the forward momentum of urgent local information, new ideas, new jokes.
When asked, most people will say, “I don’t think I listen to the radio much…” But they do. The problem is radio is not top of mind. Why not? Because radio must demand listener attention with urgent, new ideas, entertainment, and information. “Your favorites from the 90s and today” isn’t doing that. Listen to air checks of the double-digit share legends of top 40 night-time radio. They weren’t so great. BUT in every single break they announced the names of local schools, listeners, events – every break with urgency. The more listener names, the higher their shares. Radio math. The more listener names, the more live local points of reference, the higher the audience share.
Consider the stunning ratings of too many NPR stations. What accounts for their growth trajectory? Clock the percentage of time your local NPR station spends presenting local news, local information, and new ideas.
Compare that with any other station in the city. In its own dreary way, most NPR stations deliver on the presumed benefits of the medium of radio: Local, live, urgent ideas. Yes, many commercial stations command major ratings for the same reason: All-news stations, and hybrids such as WSB, Atlanta; KRLD, Dallas; New Jersey 101.5, WABC, New York; KFI, Los Angeles; WTAM, Cleveland; WPHT Philadelphia.
It’s sacred geometry: The more often a listener hears about their local, daily life, the higher go the ratings.
Consultant Walter Sabo A.K.A. Walter M Sterling has a nightly show “Sterling Every Damn Night” heard on WPHT, Philadelphia 9:00 pm – 12:00 midnight. His syndicated show, “Sterling On Sunday,” from Talk Media Network, airs Sundays 10:00 pm – 1:00 am ET, and is now in its 10th year of success. He can be reached by email at waltermsterling@gmail.com or Sabowalter@gmail.com.