Monday Memo: “So What?”
By Holland Cooke
Consultant
About those commercials… which pay for you. When a prospective client says, “We tried radio. It didn’t work,” I ask to hear the commercial. Within seconds I can tell why.
It opens with the business name. It lists products. It rattles off prices. It stuffs in an address, a website, a phone number, and a slogan. Then it ends. Nothing happened. Nothing memorable. Nothing emotional. Nothing that gave a listener a reason to care. Yet radio gets blamed. Like blaming a fishing rod because you cast with no bait.
The commercial has one job: Make someone care enough to take the next step
That’s it. Not explain everything. Not impress everyone with how many years you’ve been in business.
Its purpose is to create curiosity…confidence…desire…trust…urgency…hope. Any one of those emotions can motivate action. A list of merchandise almost never does.
The listener doesn’t wake up hoping to buy a water heater, or hire a lawyer, or replace a roof. People act when something in their lives creates a need. Good advertising connects with that moment.
A mattress store isn’t selling mattresses. It’s selling better mornings. A financial planner isn’t selling investments. She’s selling confidence. A heating contractor isn’t selling furnaces. He’s selling warmth on the coldest night of the year.
Translate Features into Benefits
Every advertiser has a product. Every customer has a problem. Say it with me: “Successful spots connect the dots.”
Here’s a simple exercise: Every time they mention a feature, ask, “So what?”
- “We stock thousands of [item].” So what? “You won’t spend your weekend driving from store to store.”
- “We’ve been serving this community since [year].” So what? “We’ve helped generations of local families buy homes, build businesses, and send kids to college.”
- “We offer custom designs.” So what? “The ring she’ll wear forever will be unlike anyone else’s.”
If the answer explains how the listener’s life becomes:
- easier
- safer
- faster
- healthier
- happier
- less stressful
- more convenient
- more secure
- more enjoyable
…you’ve found the benefit, and you get paid.
Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn
Howard Stern and SiriusXM announced that with beginning of the new season on Monday, September 14, “The Howard Stern Show” will be made available as a streamable episode for HBO Max, along with periodic extras. They say “The Howard Stern Show” on HBO Max will debut Thursday September 17, with new episodes releasing subsequent Thursdays.
Smith and afternoon host Angelette Aviles. Numerous reports, including from the blog DCRTV, indicate that several employees in the news department have been let go, as well. The talk shows are being replaced by Premiere Networks’ “The Glenn Beck Show” from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon and “The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show” from 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm. “The Sports Lounge” is now airing in the 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm slot, followed by the “WBAL News Now” from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. 
presidents of the New Hampshire Prostate Cancer Coalition to talk about awareness, early detection and getting men and their families to start talking about prostate health. Chidester says, “One of the reasons we created the ‘Morning Update Roundtable’ is to give important issues the time and attention they deserve. Prostate cancer is something that affects so many New Hampshire families, but it’s still a conversation many men are reluctant to have. If this discussion encourages even one listener to talk with his doctor, ask about a PSA test, or start a conversation with someone he loves, then we’ve done something worthwhile. I’m incredibly grateful to Kathy and Peter for being so open with our listeners and for the work the New Hampshire Prostate Cancer Coalition is doing across our state.”
Bill Gates has a useful term for something radio should be thinking about: “Human Reserved.” In an essay about a turbulent AI era, he sketches an unsettling future, and – for broadcasters – has a consequential warning… and an opportunity.
Management and Live Read Management software for the Aggies, while the Roadrunners join as a new client for AdView Inventory Management. San Jose State’s Spartans, meanwhile, are adding production services to round out their existing audio solutions lineup. Skyview COO Andrew Kalb states, “The addition of Texas A&M and UTSA to our NCAA portfolio along with the expansion of services for San Jose State demonstrates the trust our partners have in Skyview and how these partnerships often grow over time as existing clients look to us for additional services and support. Our team is focused on giving our partners the tools they need to run a first-class broadcast, while simultaneously providing valuable inventory opportunities to our sales team for continued revenue generation.”
deeply rooted community fixture who has worked across nearly every local media outlet. He spent five years as a sportswriter for The Wichita Eagle before joining KNSS Radio in 1995. There, he co-hosted “Steve and Ted in the Morning” alongside fellow Hall of Famer Steve McIntosh for 28 years, where they won a Marconi Award for Outstanding Talent in 2017. Fans also know him as “Ted, the Sports Head,” a familiar voice on KFH Radio (KNSS-FM) for more than three decades.” Woodward and his fellow 2026 inductees will be honored at the KAB Hall of Fame Dinner on October 18 at the Wichita Marriott.
TALKERS, “Last week, I announced I have been diagnosed with prostate cancer. I was going to wait until my treatment was finished, but I told my audience I needed them in this fight. I also told them I’m using my reach to educate, inspire and pray for them. We can turn the good of an audience inward on those who are suffering. I have a treatment plan, and I’m positive and motivated. I have helped many on the airwaves with cancer, now I face that fight.”
FCC Media Bureau’s decision that those entities could benefit from the LUC. The plaintiffs argued that the Media Bureau’s public notice “unlawfully dilutes [their] and other candidates’ statutory right to buy advertising time at lowest unit charge by insisting that broadcasters make that same right available to political parties and joint fundraising committees in circumstances where their spending cannot, under campaign finance law, be considered spending by or on behalf of a candidate.” The Court ruled that “the LUC requirement and campaign finance statutes are clear that neither political parties nor joint fundraising committees with non-candidate members can be entitled to the LUC.”
Show,” Salem Media’s Hugh Hewitt, Westwood One’s Mark Levin, Radio America’s “The Dana Show,” Talk Media Network’s Dr. Daliah Wachs, and Red Apple Media Networks’ “The Other Side of Midnight” with Walter Sterling. Kemp EVP Marty Basch says, “Kemp Broadcasting is excited to bring something different and compelling to the Las Vegas radio market. 106.9 FM KVGQ combines an outstanding lineup of nationally recognized talk personalities and local voices with the strength and reach of FM radio. We believe Las Vegas listeners deserve a talk station of this caliber.” Kemp adds, “The new station complements 670 AM KMZQ, Kemp’s local talk outlet, which has served the market for nearly a decade. Together, the two stations give the company a talk franchise spanning both national and hometown programming – and give Southern Nevada advertisers a broader platform for reaching engaged, habitual listeners.”
blend of breaking news, insightful commentary, and sharp analysis of the issues driving the national conversation.” The one-hour program is delivered Monday-Friday at 5:00 am ET. Westwood One president Collin Jones adds, “What’s better than Dan Bongino in the morning and afternoon? Twice a day with Dan Bongino coverage! On the heels of launching ‘The Bongino Report FM,’ we’re thrilled to now offer listeners Dan Bongino in the morning with The Bongino Report AM.” Westwood One says this program will be “comprised of edits from his podcast and other fresh content.”
“Rap” was senior vice president of rock promotion at Columbia Records where he served for 33-years during album rock’s golden era, playing a pivotal role in the careers of some of the biggest stars in the business. These included everyone from Bob Dylan to Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd to the Rolling Stones, Elvis Costello to Billy Joel, Judas Priest to Alice In Chains, Journey and many, many more.
Bear Walter Payton, Payton brings extensive broadcasting experience alongside a background in business, public speaking, and philanthropy through the Jarrett Payton Foundation.” Payton says, “I’m truly excited and deeply honored to join the team at ‘The Score.’ I’m looking forward to working alongside everyone there and connecting with the loyal listeners who make this station what it is. This place has always felt like family to me. My dad graced these airwaves back in the ’90s, and the thought of being part of that same legacy means everything. Grateful beyond words for this opportunity. Let’s get to work.” The change comes after Audacy dismissed longtime morning host Mike Mulligan and midday co-host Marshall Harris. The midday show continues with incumbent personalities Leila Rahimi and Mark Grote hosting the “Rahimi & Grote Show.”
thought my time at KNX would be the capper of my on-air career — that I’d retire from there, as so many other great broadcast journalists had. But it was not to be. I got caught in the churn of staff reductions in June 2025. I stayed busy over the next year. I focused on Archer’s Line and co-hosted podcasts with Jack Messenger and my KNX colleague Charles Feldman. I started a voiceover business and anchored for Remote News Service, providing local newscasts for small- and medium-market stations across the country. I applied for as many radio jobs as I could. But given the state of an industry that was letting far more people go than it was taking on, I didn’t have a lot of hope. But life, like Loki, loves messing with your plans. I awoke one morning to a message about an opportunity — and I grabbed it. I have accepted an anchor/reporter position at 95.5 WSB Atlanta. I’ll be working with my old KNX boss, Ken Charles, beginning next month. 
that a final Trafalgar Group poll – released early this morning – shows South Carolina’s Republican Senate runoff in a virtual dead heat with Senator Graham with 47.9% support and U.S. Rep. Norman at 47.8%, with 4.4% undecided. Gallagher’s guests will include Norman and Trafalgar Group founder Robert Cahaly. SRN says Graham was invited “multiple times to appear on ‘The Mike Gallagher Show’ in recent days but neither she nor her staff responded to those invitations.”
regained compliance with the Minimum Stockholders’ Equity Requirement for continued listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market and that the matter is now closed. Beasley continues, “As previously disclosed in the company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 14, 2026, the company received written notice from Nasdaq on April 13, 2026 indicating that the company was not in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1), which requires companies listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market to maintain a minimum of $2,500,000 in stockholders’ equity.” The company’s common stock continues to be listed and traded on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the ticker symbol “BBGI.”
into the radio business. He first went on the air on WGSM, Long Island but is best known for his weekend talk show on WPLJ, New York. He was friendly with singer Harry Chapin with whom he founded World Hunger Year that later became WhyHunger and led to a series of Hungerthon broadcasts. Ayres left the priesthood in 1979 and married his wife Jeannine.