Dramatic programming announcements

[johnbasalla]

Making a big deal about a "Major programming announcement" seems like a good way to get people talking about a station and tuning in. In my area we have a Sports-talk station that has done multiple ones. They mention that on such-and-such a date and time, they will make a major programming announcement. We have a local web forum where people post a-lot about the station, and whenever they announce that there will be a special program announcement, the forum lights up with all kinds of speculation. Then the announcement comes, and that generates more comments. The fact that some of these so-called "major program announcements" have turned out to be somewhat underwhelming does not seem to have diminished interest in the station over these announcements. Still, I would think that stations should be careful how they use this ploy because if you do it too often, and particularly if enough of the announcements are let-downs, interest will go down and listener disappointment will increase. What do you think of taking programming moves and turning them into "drama-queen" status.

 

[GeneSavage]

I'm wondering this exact thing about Clear Channel's "I Heart Radio" app on Monday. It appears it's going to be an announcement that they have something like Pandora.

Yay...

I mean, in the long run, it may be a game changer (similar to how MS eventually took over the browser market from Netscape); but if I've been using Pandora this isn't amazing, it's just nice to have an alternative.

I now completely ignore my local news/talk when they have a "major announcement" for this very reason. Somebody's coming to town, or a new show is coming on at night, or whatever... but I don't think any of them have truly rocked my world.

How other people feel, I can't say.

 

[Dick Skinner]

I'm wondering this exact thing about Clear Channel's "I Heart Radio" app on Monday. It appears it's going to be an announcement that they have something like Pandora.

Yay...

I mean, in the long run, it may be a game changer (similar to how MS eventually took over the browser market from Netscape); but if I've been using Pandora this isn't amazing, it's just nice to have an alternative.

I now completely ignore my local news/talk when they have a "major announcement" for this very reason. Somebody's coming to town, or a new show is coming on at night, or whatever... but I don't think any of them have truly rocked my world.

How other people feel, I can't say.

Actually, if posts from the New York pages are correct, CC is only going to announce a national contest that includes participation through iheartradio.com. No big deal, and probably a disappointment to listeners who care about that sort of thing.

 

[whit979]

Still, I would think that stations should be careful how they use this ploy because if you do it too often, and particularly if enough of the announcements are let-downs, interest will go down and listener disappointment will increase. What do you think of taking programming moves and turning them into "drama-queen" status.

And unfortunately in a lot of markets, it is used entirely too often. The words "major announcement" are often thrown around in the radio sphere just the same as "breaking news" is thrown around on TV.