To compete and become a successful radio station or brand you need a point of differentiation. If you are the only station in town playing Oldies, you’ve got it. In a format battle you need something to set you apart. For example: Take the two country stations in NEO, WGAR and WQMX. They for the most part play the same music, thus their point of differentiation is localization of content. WGAR is all about Cleveland and WQMX is all about Akron.
After the last year I’ve come to the conclusion that WNIR is using death as their unique point of differentiation. I’m certainty not making light of the deaths of their hosts, they were tragic, both men died too young.
Consider these facts:
Howie Chizek passed away a year ago and every day since his name is mentioned almost hourly on the station. On the one-year anniversary (their words not mine) of Howie’s death, they pulled out tapes of his last shows to play. Sold CD copies on the air, and it gave them another week to talk about Howie. They frequently mention the ghost of Howie in the studio.
Tom Erickson passed away almost year ago and almost every day since his name is mentioned.
Evening Host Jim Isabella’s Wife passed and it was used as a LEAD news story on the station.
Last week the father of afternoon host Bob Golic passed and it was the LEAD story in their newscast.
Today their newscast included a story about the death of a client who recorded his own spots. The story began with “he was as much a part of WNIR as the greats like Howie and Tom.”
There appears to be a pattern of using death to get listeners to hold on a little longer. Think about the person holding an Arbitron diary. “Oh, those poor people at WNIR have been thru so much, I’m going to write them down and help them out”.
Death. A point of differentiation.
I can’t decide if its brilliant, or creepy.
After the last year I’ve come to the conclusion that WNIR is using death as their unique point of differentiation. I’m certainty not making light of the deaths of their hosts, they were tragic, both men died too young.
Consider these facts:
Howie Chizek passed away a year ago and every day since his name is mentioned almost hourly on the station. On the one-year anniversary (their words not mine) of Howie’s death, they pulled out tapes of his last shows to play. Sold CD copies on the air, and it gave them another week to talk about Howie. They frequently mention the ghost of Howie in the studio.
Tom Erickson passed away almost year ago and almost every day since his name is mentioned.
Evening Host Jim Isabella’s Wife passed and it was used as a LEAD news story on the station.
Last week the father of afternoon host Bob Golic passed and it was the LEAD story in their newscast.
Today their newscast included a story about the death of a client who recorded his own spots. The story began with “he was as much a part of WNIR as the greats like Howie and Tom.”
There appears to be a pattern of using death to get listeners to hold on a little longer. Think about the person holding an Arbitron diary. “Oh, those poor people at WNIR have been thru so much, I’m going to write them down and help them out”.
Death. A point of differentiation.
I can’t decide if its brilliant, or creepy.