December PPMs

[TheBigA]

But in the case of this particular topic (which certainly comes up a lot!), listeners kinda have to be resigned to personality-less stations because that's all they're being given.

Not exactly. There are lots of personalities on Philadelphia radio right now, in lots of formats. A lot of radio stations are defined by their personalities. Take a look at Post #4 in this thread. There are also stations, like BEN-FM, that are built around the personality-less approach. Certainly The Woody Show is a personality-oriented show, and what we're seeing here is hostility aimed at that show. You didn't see that with Hy Lit.

But personalities on the radio are a chicken & egg thing. What came first? Negativity aimed at personalities, or the decision not to use them at all? If you look at the research over the last 30 years, one of the biggest complaints people have about their radio station is the "annoying DJ." It's not just about saving money. If you see research complaining about DJs, you start to think about radio without DJs. One less annoyance factor. You didn't have that in the 1960s.

 

[AbrahamJSimpson]

FM does offer them something they don’t get from many other options: long spot breaks. (Didn’t say it was a winner. 🤣)

My small focus group has zero interest in calling a request line (talk on a phone? What?). They follow social media, maybe if it’s someone they find compelling.) Interrupting the music for chit chat? “Ok boomer.”

They segment things quite well. Podcasts, streaming, social. Maybe some personalities span more than one category. But the idea of a personality or personalities needing to set up the song? To tell you the weather? To….whatever? Not a shred of interest.

No doubt there are exceptions. Maybe enough to scrape together a sellable audience nationally, and some can pull it off locally. But with the plethora of options available now, perhaps we are finding what worked in the past as more a function of the limits of technology than some great utopia.

 

[TheBigA]

Maybe some personalities span more than one category. But the idea of a personality or personalities needing to set up the song? To tell you the weather? To….whatever? Not a shred of interest.

We have a generation of people who grew up with a certain kind of radio. Even then, not all radio stations did the same thing, but the mythology is that they did. That kind of radio existed in that media environment, built around the daily newspaper, three TV stations, and music availability from only one place: The radio. That media environment has completely changed, but the generation that defined radio one way still insists on radio operating as though nothing else has changed.

Meanwhile, two generations have come up with very different experiences, and they see radio very differently. To them, radio is an appliance, not unlike a microwave oven. They don't have a love affair with radio, because there are lots of alternatives. But they'll listen when it gives them what they want for free. Does personality fit in? Sure, on sports talk radio, personality is very important. But to introduce the next song? Not so much.

The boomer generation has to realize that the media world has changed. The only way it goes back to the way it was is if the boomers are willing to give up their computers, their smartphones, the internet, and their TV choices. They're not. Radio is redefining itself for the new audience. The future won't look like the past.

 

[AbrahamJSimpson]

Quite true how not all radio did the same. Our house in my younger days had WIP (the music era--Garland, Webber and the like) on my "parents'" radio, my siblings and I at various times would have WIFI, WCAU, whatever-the-flavor-of-the-year was on 106, WMMR, even WSNI (more me on that one, as I enjoyed the impersonations on Cannon & Company).

All personality radio? Sure. But WIP and let's say WCAU...night and day different approaches beyond the music, of course. I respect both what WIP did and what WCAU did. Heck, I get nostalgic for both. But a few air checks online remind me that the past best lives in the past.

I remember listening a few years back to the dying days of WEEU doing occasional music in the full service format. It could have been a descendant of WIP. Listening to it even as someone who probably liked WIP more than my peers did...nah, those days had long passed.

I may still be in the demo that enjoys some personality radio at times. But even among my contemporaries, I feel quite in the minority. My wife grew up on hot hits, and wants nothing to do with chatter now. Start talking, she's moving on. The only reason our kids move on faster is they have the speedy reflexes of youth.

Time marches onward.

 

[JH_Radio]

WMMR is very personality driven. Is there a way to make personality on radio be more in the socals?
Maybe they're not talking up the next song, but engaging more on things like twitter, FB, the gram etc.
WIOQ has personality too.
Even WISX mornings has the most for ISX at least..
Also when i think of it, RDS /the whatever radio app has song data too.
WBEB Jen and Bill is personality.
WSTW had more in the past but again, their morning show has the most I'd say.
WVLT has it.
WOGL?
Ben-FM yeah personality is not in the DJ per say but more on their imaging. especially so outside of morning.
but this is true of adult hits format in general.
Here's something else i've noticed, nmornings tend to hav the most personality in general no matter the format. at least this it the case lately.
how come?

 

[TheBigA]

WMMR is very personality driven. Is there a way to make personality on radio be more in the socals?

Some stations do that. They use the station twitter site for outreach and interaction. It depends on the station. Some DJs are required to post something online every day. Either a podcast, or some kind of content.

Here's something else i've noticed, nmornings tend to hav the most personality in general no matter the format. at least this it the case lately.
how come?

Money. That's where the audience is and that's where the advertisers want to be. Mid-days, evenings, overnights are throwaways.