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Radio: This is how to fix what’s wrong
I don't agree with everything the guy who wrote the linked article below says (I'll never accept that commercials will be seen by listeners as a kind of public service) but we do meet on at least one thing: too many spots in one block are an absolute tune out. It happens to me all the time.
Especially on the talk stations.
Way too often, I'll be listening to something on either 'RB or 640 and it may be a topic I'm interested in. And then they go to a commercial break, as they inevitably do. I know they'll forever hate me for this, but I usually tune away for the duration, waiting for the show to resume.
And I can't tell you how often I have this reaction: They can't possibly be playing yet another commercial? And another? And another and another and another and... well, you get the idea. Listen, someone has to subsidize the programming because not everyone is lucky enough to be the CBC. But who in their right mind - especially with push button radios that make changing stations easier than ever - would sit through a 5 or 6-minute spot break?
Anyway, have a look at the suggestions to improve radio and see how many, if any, you agree with.
Radio: This is how to fix what’s wrong
- Old Codger
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Re: Radio: This is how to fix what’s wrong
R.A...I disagree with your learned self. LOCAL 'spots' are local information in addition to being commercials. They are an annoyance and an intrusion until you need to purchase/take advantage of what it is that they're offering up. Then? It's almost a true p.s.a. Anything beyond 2 minutes [plus a station promo which should never exceed 30 seconds] is TOO long for any stop set. Play fewer spots...charge more for them. [NEVER two competing spots in one stop set...no exceptions...ever.]
Talk stations are 110% shyte. There are NO exceptions. Only buffoons and fools listen to talk radio. Who the 'eff' wants to advertise to single-minded/simple-minded fools and buffoons? Fools and buffoons.
I'll read the link later but greed is death. 3 stop sets an hour MAX. That's 6 minutes of commercials TOPS. Gauge your rate card accordingly. [Easier to do if you are a ratings winner.. Want to be? Do it now. No? Continue to follow the leaders. What's your next job gonna be?]
- cGrant
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Re: Radio: This is how to fix what’s wrong
Attention: My Pillow, Tom, Saul, Jack, precious metals, employment lawyers, lawyers in general, Spence, whatever Lou is shilling.... From that article: STOP.....
• Accepting bad commercials: Yes, revenue is important. But just as the fictional WKRP in Cincinnati ended up dropping a very lucrative campaign for a funeral home, you cannot run ads that are tune-outs. No station should ever run ads from Kars4Kids, for example. It’s a guaranteed tune out.Solution: Your program director should have final say for everything that airs on the station. Don’t let the sales staff dictate what makes it on the air. And make sure your PD is good enough to know the difference between good and bad.
- Mike Cleaver
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Re: Radio: This is how to fix what’s wrong
Back in the day, talking sixties here, spot breaks were limited to two minutes and I think we were allowed 20 minutes of commercials per hour which would be ten breaks for commercials, promos, public service announcements, etc. We never rolled two records in a row without some sort of announcer input between them, even if it was ten seconds or less or a short station jingle. We never ran two produced spots by the same voice in any break and never ran competing sponsors in any break. Nowadays, one commercial is produced and repeated until listeners just tune it out. Remember Coke and Pepsi ads coming in on 16 inch discs with perhaps 10 different produced spots that were rotated to lessen listener fatigue? Almost every sponsor had at least five versions for a live read and at least three if they were produced. Hearing the same ad over and over and over again and six minutes is a definite tune out. Charlie O'Brien and I had a conversation about his CKLW webcast and I suggested the 2 minute limit because listeners attention spans are so short and they won't put up with long breaks. Radio keeps shooting itself in the foot.
Last edited by Mike Cleaver (August 7, 2018 1:19 pm)
- DeepTracks
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Re: Radio: This is how to fix what’s wrong
cGrant wrote:
Attention: My Pillow, Tom, Saul, Jack, precious metals, employment lawyers, lawyers in general, Spence, whatever Lou is shilling.... From that article: STOP.....
• Accepting bad commercials: Yes, revenue is important. But just as the fictional WKRP in Cincinnati ended up dropping a very lucrative campaign for a funeral home, you cannot run ads that are tune-outs. No station should ever run ads from Kars4Kids, for example. It’s a guaranteed tune out.Solution: Your program director should have final say for everything that airs on the station. Don’t let the sales staff dictate what makes it on the air. And make sure your PD is good enough to know the difference between good and bad.
cGrant's reference to the Mighty 'KRP reminds me of the movie "FM". Q-Sky Radio PD wanted to nix the US Army ads, quit when his decision was over-rode, only to be re-hired after the station's owner intervened.