Monday Memo: Occasions, Not Duration
By Holland Cooke
Consultant
For 100 years, radio programmers have tried to keep listeners listening longer. “Coming up next…”
Another few minutes? Yes! Ask! And do so as-seductively-as-possible, saying “you” and “your.” But there’s very little you can say to keep someone sitting in a parked car after they’ve turned the engine off.
A more realistic opportunity?
Life is fragmented. Audio is everywhere. Listeners move among broadcast radio, podcasts, streams, satellite, YouTube and whatever their phones serve up next. Oh, and off-air promotion – billboards, TV, direct mail – remember them – cost money.
Sales 101: Say it with me: “Your best prospect is…?” An existing customer! Sell ‘em again, in this case inducing an existing listener to listen again later – specifically later-today, and same-time-tomorrow. You can’t win by earning TSL when they’re not listening. So, seem useful-enough that they’ll want to come back again.
- First thing in the morning…
- Before leaving home…
- During the commute…
- At lunch…
- Before the drive home…
- When weather threatens…
- When big news breaks…
- When the game will air…
All-news stations have understood this for decades. The very first one – 1010WINS/New York, to-this-day #1 in morning drive – said, “Give us 22 minutes and we’ll give you the world.” The product was designed for repeat use.
This also changes how we use digital tools
Too many stations treat the app, stream, and social media as separate products. They should be pathways back to useful content. A push alert can invite immediate listening when something important happens. A social clip can preview what the morning show will develop tomorrow. A podcast can serve someone who missed the original conversation while promoting the next live one.
The objective is not to trap listeners. It is to accompany them. Try this…
- Map your target listener’s day. Identify five moments when your station could be helpful, entertaining or reassuring. Then ask yourself…
- Do we offer something worth returning for at each moment?
- Do listeners know we offer it?
- Do we remind them when to return?
And when they do return, do we deliver immediately? Or make them wait through clutter?
Duration still matters. Every unnecessary word still spends attention. So, program at-the-speed-of-life. But focusing only on longer listening per-occasion overlooks how people actually live. You can’t keep someone sitting in a parked car. You can earn more visits.
Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn
moments of silence honoring those killed on September 11, 2001, and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, as well as those who have died from 9/11-related health effects. WINS reporters will be stationed throughout the region, including at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, Atlantic Beach, Yankee Stadium and Citi Field ceremonies, and the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund, providing live reports and updates throughout the morning. Audacy adds, “With the 25th anniversary marking a significant milestone in the city and nation’s remembrance of 9/11, 1010 WINS will offer extensive on-air reporting, interviews and eyewitness coverage from across New York.”
programming strategy and content development for WABC Radio and Red Apple Audio Networks. Red Apple Media owner John Catsimatidis states, “Lee is a game-changing talent. His ability to build winning content, lead high-performing teams, and understand what audiences want is second to none. As we continue growing WABC Radio, the Worldwide News Network, and Red Apple Audio Networks, Lee will play a critical role in shaping our future and driving our success worldwide.” Harris, who spent nearly 30 years as a news anchor at 1010 WINS, joined Red Apple Media six weeks ago. He says, “Red Apple Media is one of the most exciting and innovative companies in broadcasting today. Under John’s vision and Chad [Lopez’s] leadership, the company is building something truly unique in American media. I’m honored by this opportunity and energized by the challenge ahead. Together, we’ll continue creating compelling programming, expanding our national and international footprint, and delivering content that informs, entertains, and connects with audiences across the country and around the world.”
stations. Audacy says, “The move ensures listeners continue receiving trusted national and international reporting from ABC News Audio, while Audacy stations remain focused on delivering live, local journalism in the communities they serve. Existing ABC News Audio affiliates, including 1010 WINS in New York and KYW Newsradio in Philadelphia, will continue their longstanding relationships as part of the expanded collaboration.”
Network, and Red Apple has recruited New York radio news legend Lee Harris to serve as vice president of news for WABC Radio and The Worldwide News Network. The company says, “The move positions WABC Radio and Red Apple Audio Networks for a dramatic next chapter, transforming the iconic New York news/talk station’s reach into a 24/7 global audio news presence fueled by streaming technology, smart speakers, mobile platforms, syndication, and digital distribution.” Red Apple owner John 
Catsimatidis says, “Today’s digital technology gives us the power to deliver the truth instantly, not just across America, but across Europe and around the globe. WABC Radio is already heard in all 50 states and in 178 countries through our multi-platform distribution. The Worldwide News Network is the natural next step in building a global destination for fair, balanced, no-nonsense news people can trust.” Lee Harris was the morning news anchor at 1010 WINS in New York for 30 years. Additionally, he has advised broadcasters throughout Europe and Asia, helped launch Moscow’s Kommersant FM as a U.S.-style all-news station, lectured at television and radio outlets across China through the University of Missouri School of Journalism, and served as director of integrated operations and New York bureau chief for cable startup NewsNation. Harris comments, “John Catsimatidis has never thought small, and this venture is no exception. The Worldwide News Network is an ambitious, forward-looking news platform designed for how people consume information today. I am thrilled to join Red Apple Media and WABC Radio at such a transformational moment and help build a news organization with both national strength and international reach.”
treat an aneurysm, according to his family. Farley began his career in New York at 1010 WINS and would hold numerous positions in New York and network news over the years, including as managing editor at ABC Radio Networks. He is best remembered for serving as vice president of news & programming at all-news WTOP-FM, Washington from 1996 through his retirement in 2013. He worked as a news consultant after leaving WTOP and lived in Florida with his wife Jo. 
York market president Chris Oliviero states, “New York has always been proudly unique in supporting two all-news radio brands, but the news business has gone through significant changes. The headwinds facing local journalism nationwide made it essential to strategically reimagine how we deliver the news for the most impact. WCBS 880 has been one of the most respected radio stations in history, with a legacy cemented by the hundreds of world-class journalists, on and off the air, who willed it into existence over the decades. If it happened in New York or the world, you heard about it on WCBS 880. Today, 1010 WINS@92.3FM, equally iconic, moves forward as New York’s only 24/7 all-news station with the best distribution platform, the largest audience and the most recognized brand in the industry. All-news is a pillar of Audacy, and this decision, though difficult, fortifies that leadership position for generations to come.” Audacy says that to honor WCBS 880’s meaningful impact, the station will broadcast a live commemorative special, “WCBS 880 News: The People, the Moments, and the Events that Shaped our Lives,” on August 22 from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm ET. This special edition of “NEWSLINE” with Brigitte Quinn will include interviews and historical clips. Audacy New York will continue to serve as the exclusive rights holder and flagship audio home of the New York Mets. Audacy-produced broadcasts will continue to air on 880 AM and stream on the Audacy app.
Research shows that readers to trade publications like articles with five bullet points. Here are my five bullet points for 2024. If these were to be deployed, you could be thriving by the end of the year. These actions would increase sales and audience share.
WINS. Harris, whose last day with WINS will be Friday (5/5), has been with the all-news outlet for almost 30 years, currently co-hosts the morning drive daypart with Susan Richard. He tells TALKERS magazine he’s taking on a management position with Nexstar Media Group’s cable news operation News Nation. 
It was a cruel trick. Hulu started streaming “For the People” from Shondaland Productions last month and I bit. It is a show about Manhattan, ambition and really well-tailored clothes. Then I looked at the more information tab and discovered that the show was cancelled… in 2018. Crushed. Two seasons on ABC. Cancelled.
prestigious “World Radio Day Award” from the Academy of Radio Arts and Sciences of America in conjunction with the United Nations‘ UNESCO General Conference. Recent recipients of this high honor include WTOP, Washington, DC; 1010 WINS, New York; and KDKA-FM, Pittsburgh. WRHU is the only campus radio station to receive this award. Hofstra University president Susan Posner states, “Bruce was an incredible friend and mentor who had a major hand in turning WRHU into the multi-Marconi award winning station that it is today. We will truly miss Bruce and cherish everything he gave to WRHU. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.” Lawrence Herbert School of Communication dean Mark Lukasiewicz adds, “Our heartfelt sympathies go out to Bruce’s widow Veronica, his children, and his extended family. We were fortunate to be able to celebrate Bruce’s career with him only a few months ago at his retirement luncheon, where former students and colleagues shared stories and fond memories of his decades of service at WRHU. At that event, we announced the establishment of an endowed scholarship in Bruce’s name, recognition of the deep impact he made on generations of students.” For the past two decades, Avery also served as an extremely popular meteorologist on News12 Long Island which posted a heartfelt video tribute to his legacy that you can see