Monday Memo: Does Anybody Really Know What Time it is?
By Holland Cooke
Consultant
Possibly not – beginning Sunday – unless you live in Hawaii and Arizona (except the Navajo Nation) or American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands. Everywhere else, clocks will change when we “fall-back” on November 2.
It’s uncanny how just that one-hour shift impacts listeners’ lives. So, it’s a BIG topic of conversation. Plan now to empathize with the emotional and practical adjustments they’re confronting, including…
Increased Morning Light:
- Positive: With the clock set back, it becomes lighter earlier in the morning, which can help people wake up more easily and feel more alert, especially for those who need to start their day early.
- Negative: For people who start their day later, they may not notice much of a change, but the adjustment period can still be disruptive.
Shorter Evenings:
Positive: The extra hour of light in the morning might be useful for early morning commuters, outdoor activities, or children heading to school.
- Negative: On the downside, the sun sets earlier in the evening, meaning it gets dark sooner. This can affect evening activities and make commutes home feel less pleasant or even more dangerous due to reduced visibility.
Disruption to Sleep Patterns:
- Positive: The “fall back” of the clock gives people an extra hour of sleep, which many enjoy.
- Negative: Some people experience disrupted sleep patterns and may feel temporarily groggy as their bodies adjust to the new time.
Health and Mood:
- Positive: For some, the extra morning light can improve mood and reduce symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
- Negative: The early evening darkness can lead to feelings of fatigue, a drop in energy levels, or contribute to “winter blues” or SAD. especially as daylight becomes limited.
Impact on Productivity:
- Positive: People may feel more productive in the morning due to earlier sunlight.
- Negative: However, the earlier sunset could reduce motivation to engage in activities after work or school, potentially leading to a decrease in evening productivity.
Safety Considerations:
- Positive: More daylight in the morning can make commuting safer for drivers and pedestrians during rush hour.
- Negative: With darker evenings, there’s an increased risk of accidents, especially for people who are walking or biking.
Energy Consumption:
- Positive: Energy usage patterns may shift as a result of less artificial light being used in the morning.
- Negative: However, people tend to use more lighting and heating in the evenings, which may counterbalance the potential energy savings.
Impact on Schedules:
- Positive: Some people enjoy having the extra hour in their day when DST ends.
- Negative: For parents and workers, adjusting children’s or personal routines to the earlier darkness can be challenging.
What’s a radio station to do?
- Bump with or play songs related to time (Cyndi Lauper “Time After Time,’ Cher’s “If I Could Turn Back Time”).
- Explain the history of DST.
- Ask listeners’ opinions on DST. Do they love it or hate it? You’ll hear both.
- “How will you spend your extra hour?”
- Give away nostalgic items (like retro vinyl records or vintage tech).
- Sleep tips from health professionals and mental health experts.
- Advertisers offer “10% off for the extra hour! Sale only valid from midnight to 1 AM.”
- Coffee or breakfast gift card giveaways.
- Pertinent commercial copy hooks, i.e., “It’s time for a new ___!”
And please note: It’s “Daylight Saving Time,” not “Daylight Savings Time.”
Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn
through a bill that is before you now. AM radio stations continue to be the backbone of many communities. They serve their audiences with programming features like news updates, traffic/weather reports, sports play-by-play, and talk programs. In some municipalities, AM radio stations also cater to a specific immigrant community, reaching their listeners with a specific foreign language or other programming elements like music or sports.” They go on to say, “H.R. 1279, as it is written, would make Daylight 
Saving Time permanent, thus impacting AM radio stations’ power and, therefore, coverage in the crucial morning drive daypart. This issue would be even more detrimental during the darkest days of November, December, January, and February, when AM stations would not be at full power until at least 8:00 am. From a programming and revenue standpoint, the morning drive daypart is still one of the most significant dayparts on an entire radio station. It’s the daypart that generates the most amount of revenue and is a cornerstone for the rest of the programming day. AM radio is facing a multitude of challenges. Radio, in general, faces constant headwinds from an ever-changing media landscape. This challenge might likely be the death blow to many AM radio stations. I am confident you don’t want to see that happen.