Delivering Newspaper Radio

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Cover image for  article: Delivering Newspaper Radio

A dynamic, future-oriented new stage has launched: RADIO STATIONS ON NEWSPAPER WEBSITES. The Boston Herald, as first reported in Talkers.com, launches a radio station from its website on Monday, August 5th. Boston Herald Radio will bring a new, younger audience to the newspaper and hyperlocal, live advertising capabilities unimaginable for newspapers until this moment.

Having participated in the success of many print-to-audio businesses, a list of essential ingredients have emerged that are required for longevity. Here are three:

1. HIRE EXPERIENCED RADIO EXECUTIVES TO LEAD THE STATION. Joe Sciacca, Editor-in-Chief of the Herald sealed his radio success by hiring Tom Shattuck as Executive Producer of the radio station. Tom's background is in radio, at both WRKO and WTTK in Boston. He knows what engaging radio sounds like and how to get it on the air. Tom would probably be a lousy newspaper editor. He is a skilled audio craftsman and he will inspire compelling audio.

2. PROTECT AND GROW THE BRAND. The brand image is secured with the production of an engaging, memorable radio experience. Hire the best proven, local radio talent, let them perform in the way that made them successful. Bad radio attached to a newspaper's nameplate will hurt the brand. Good radio, made by radio pros, will enhance the brand – the customer is satisfied. No newspaper or magazine can afford to attach its name to a training ground for rookie hosts. Big papers would not hire a team of green reporters; they look for and test experienced writers to fill their editorial space. Radio requires the same level of professionalism to thrive.

3. ONE DIRECTION. In broad terms there are two types of radio and they are not compatible:
Commercial and non-commercial. Newspapers are commercial media. Be honest about what readers seek when coming to the paper and don't be afraid to put those stories and features on the air. Radio listeners come to the newspaper's website expecting those features. When the radio station and newspaper connect in terms of general content, a new and larger opportunity is created for advertisers to reach targeted audiences

Listeners are the editors. Listeners understand that radio is fleeting and live and unchecked. Print editors are trained and paid to check stories and approve coverage. Talk show hosts and DJs prepare their own material and because of the volume of production, they occasionally make mistakes. Listeners understand how radio is made and do not hold the station responsible for every word spoken the way readers do with print news coverage.

Radio hosts are like columnists. They have opinions, they may or may not represent the views of station ownership and their job is to gather audience share through their skills as entertainers and informers.

Starting a radio station newspaper website is a prudent method to bring the newspaper to a digital platform successfully. Please contact me directly at walter@sabomedia.com to continue this discussion on the ingredients for a successful radio station for weekly or daily newspapers.

Walter Sabo is the Chairman of Sabo Media, a company that offers executive-on-demand services.Walter SaboHe has worked on-site to build out new digital content platforms such as Sirius/XM. His team was the first to discover the marketing clout of web stars, Internet organic video producers. They founded OMMA award winning HITVIEWS. The company placed brands such as CBS, TiVo and Mountain Dew inside UGC. In FM broadcasting he is a leader in the profitable sector of FM Talk and held executive positions at NBC and ABC Radio. He can be reached at walter@sabomedia.com.

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