The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum / Why Do Talk Stations Insist On Doing This?

**Posted by RadioActive** July 24, 2025 9:29 am

I just heard this happen on Ben Mulroney's AM640 show. But it occurs all the time on other talk stations, as well.

You're listening to Show "A," which then throws to a break. During that pause, they run a promo. But not for a different program upcoming later in the day, which would make perfect sense. Instead, they air a "be sure to listen to" 30 sec. announcement telling you to tune into Show "A" - the program you're already listening to.

Why are you promoting a show I'm already tuned into? Yes, I know people join a broadcast in progress all the time, but if you're going to waste my time, at least promote something coming in the future. CFRB is also guilty of this. I've heard promos for Jim Richards' show during Jim Richards' show.

Why bother wasting valuable airtime to tubthump something I'm already listening to? Yet it happens all the time. Baffling.

**Posted by Radiowiz** July 24, 2025 9:39 am

That is crazy. Bad waste of airtime.
They need to use that time to promote other programs to be sure to tune into later in the day or evening.
Someone is asleep at the wheel.

**Posted by Binson Echorec** July 24, 2025 9:39 am

I *think* I've seen this on TV too, actually. I agree it makes no sense but if you're hearing it repeatedly and on other outlets, then I'm less inclined to think it's a scheduling or operator error.

Given that radio hosts these days are not really household names anymore, I suppose there is no harm in reminding the audience who these people are.

"You can never overbrand." - some consultant, probably.

Last edited by Binson Echorec (July 24, 2025 9:46 am)

**Posted by RadioActive** July 24, 2025 9:40 am

Seems like a waste of airtime to promote a show you're currently running. I'm guessing if you're tuned in, you already know it's on and when it runs.

**Posted by Binson Echorec** July 24, 2025 9:46 am

"There are always new listeners tuning in." - some other consultant, probably.

In which case, yes the newer audience may not know who or what they're hearing, so an "in show" promo helps them learn.

Also a factor, network simulcasting. Break lengths cannot be changed as it would throw (possibly automated) affiliates off the clock so you have to fill with something.

There are better options but I might take an "in show" promo over another Frank Leo/Tom's Place/Jiffy App/Law Firm commercial.

Last edited by Binson Echorec (July 24, 2025 9:58 am)

**Posted by RadioAaron** July 24, 2025 10:57 am

This all assumes it’s intentional, which it likely isn’t.

If promos are scheduled by the traffic department, they’ll fall where they fall. Often, they just schedule a single rotator containing all promos.

For music stations, it’s more common for programming to schedule promos through the music scheduling software, where they can be easily dayparted

**Posted by ED1** July 24, 2025 11:12 am

In the old BBM diary days (for TV), people would confuse the anchors they are watching on one station and think they are working for another.

eg) Oh I love Nirmala Naidoo Hill on CFCN. (she worked for Global and never worked for CFCN)

So I am not surprised why stations will try to enforce their branding etc even while the viewer/listener is already tuned in.

**Posted by Dparker** July 24, 2025 2:57 pm

It's probably also because there is so little staff, not one is paying attention to these type of things because they have to do 30 other things

**Posted by RadioAaron** July 24, 2025 3:08 pm

Dparker wrote:
It's probably also because there is so little staff, not one is paying attention to these type of things because they have to do 30 other things

And in the case of traffic, probably from someone’s home-office in a different city.

**Posted by Dale Patterson** July 24, 2025 3:42 pm

Do thay still have humans doing traffic or is it mostly AI now?

**Posted by RadioAaron** July 24, 2025 3:46 pm

Dale Patterson wrote:
Do thay still have humans doing traffic or is it mostly AI now?

Still humans. But multiple stations per human.

**Posted by Chrisphen** July 24, 2025 5:08 pm

it's Richards. He probably saw to it personally that the promo was inserted. Surprised he didn't talk over it the way he does to everything/everyone else.

**Posted by kevjo** July 24, 2025 8:53 pm

RadioAaron wrote:
This all assumes it’s intentional, which it likely isn’t.

If promos are scheduled by the traffic department, they’ll fall where they fall. Often, they just schedule a single rotator containing all promos.

For music stations, it’s more common for programming to schedule promos through the music scheduling software, where they can be easily dayparted

Exactly. Scheduling software can easily be set to daypart promos. Therefore, the reason for this happening is often laziness on the part of the human setting up the parameters.
As for branding the show, that's why you put the show's I.D.'s around the commercial breaks. The promos should be there to pump other shows on the station for increased hours tuned and all that.

**Posted by Shorty Wave** July 25, 2025 8:15 am

Well scheduling isn’t what it used to be! I too hear promos for shows during that specific show, more now than ever. I have also noticed sloppy scheduling for example, with the Spence and Got Junk commercials that feature the same female voice talent, one ends with her and the next starts with her, not the best situation

There doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of care with scheduling anymore, back in the day you wouldn’t hear two car/vehicle commercial back to back, or often even in the same break, but that’s gone out the window. The spots are now just numbers to plug into a log.