Are We Actually Programming Not To Lose?

You’re watching a close football game. It’s the beginning of the second half, and Team A with the lead comes out and exhibits a very conservative approach, doing what is tried and true, minimizing mistakes and avoiding any unnecessary risks. Meanwhile, the opposing Team B comes out “swinging,” and plays a wide-open game taking some chances and, oddly enough, comes back and wins the game.

There are probably a few games like that in your mind right now. It was very apparent that Team B came out playing to win, but what about Team A? You can say they came out playing “not to lose.” That still is a form of playing to “win,” but there is a big difference.

I spend at least 20-25 hours a week in my upstairs home office listening to Country radio around the country. I make it a point to monitor a different station in a different market from a different company/group every weekday to get the full scope of what’s on the radio everywhere. Several years ago, I wrote an article in another publication that chronicled my first experience doing this in my first months in my own business. Thirty months later, I’m still at it, maybe missing a day or two, but still very consistent with the listening.

Has anything changed in that 30-month period? I can honestly say, for the most part, it hasn’t. Not to say that I run across the occasional station taking a few interesting left turns or talent being amazingly creative. Most stations sound the same about 85-90% of the time. Bowtie commercial breaks twice per hour that are crazy long! Jocks using five to seven seconds of a 10-second intro to spout the station’s name and slogan. And bland slogans that tell me nothing about the station other than its music.

My brother, who is fairly new to listening to Country radio (two years or so), offered to me a few weeks ago that his station plays “the same eight songs.” This is coming from a short-term listener. Sad that he has that impression already!

I hear the same basic current music everywhere; nothing special or out of the ordinary. Radio, and particularly Country radio, is playing NOT TO LOSE! Conservative approach. Minimal chances for mistakes. Doing what’s tried and true. Sound familiar? (See the first paragraph again in case it doesn’t.) There’s a serious question about radio’s future outside of our industry, and I can see (and hear) why.

We do have to recognize the perception has changed out there. I suggest we REALLY start playing to WIN!

1. This is for all Market Managers, GMs, OMs and Programming VPs: Give your people the latitude to play to win. TRUST them! Heck, some companies don’t even allow their programmers to be quoted or interviewed without approval. TRUST that they will say the right thing and, you know what? They will. Funny thing how that trust works. Give your people room to fail – and watch them succeed. Too many are programming “scared” and not with confidence. Playing NOT TO LOSE! Remember this from teachers and coaches? – “No Risk, No Reward. No Pain, No Gain.”
2. If you believe in taking a specific risk, be really prepared to sell it to your supervisors. Enlist the help of your staff. Practice what you’ll say with them. Most of all, BELIEVE! The higher-ups will see it!
3. Make sure your team/staff is behind you. No risk is worth it without help and support. Get them 100% involved and watch the idea grow into something big. Encourage your staff to do what you’re doing. Creative ideas can come from anyone. Just get behind them.
4. Follow your instincts. Don’t just take a shot at something for the sake of doing something different. You must feel it in your bones, in your brain, and, most of all, in your heart. If you feel it, move on it and don’t look back.
5. Don’t over think. We programmers have had that analytic side drummed into our heads from our early years. I’ll keep saying it: If you feel strong enough about the idea, then do it – plain and simple. Research is good, but something that grows out of a strong feeling will be heard and felt by the audience.

“Do you want to be safe and good, or do you want to take a chance and be great?” – Richard Branson

PLAY TO WIN! Good luck!

“Taking Your Radio Presence To The Next Level. Be it an artist, radio programmer or on-air talent. Coaching and mentoring down to your foundational level”

Contact me:
John Shomby
Owner/CEO Country’s Radio Coach
jshomby@countrysradiocoach.com
757-323-1460
https://countrysradiocoach.com