How? Entice young listeners to AM radio

[johnbasalla]

Sports-talk seems to be one way, at least for guys. Could life-style talk do the same with young women? Others?

 

[gr8oldies]

The few attempts at "lifestyle talk" have bombed

 

[12 In a Row]

Having a family in the car business, we learned lots about listening habits.
We had both the service department and trade-in's check the first three pre-sets.
Then we would match up the pre-sets with the age and sex of the owner.
Unscientific yes, but it helped us in targeting our advertising.

One thing we did notice, if the owner was under the under the age of 50, the AM was factory pre-sets. Translation, they never listened.

 

[joshzz]

My own opinion- Young people are listening to AM in markets with their is DISNEY - Most markets could certainly use a DISNEY type station especially if it's local with a local morning show and after school show.

You probably won't show up in the books but the Arbitron system for the most part hasn't worked for youngsters.

 

[BRNout]

Having a family in the car business, we learned lots about listening habits.
We had both the service department and trade-in's check the first three pre-sets.
Then we would match up the pre-sets with the age and sex of the owner.
Unscientific yes, but it helped us in targeting our advertising.

One thing we did notice, if the owner was under the under the age of 50, the AM was factory pre-sets. Translation, they never listened.

Not knowing what brand(s) of vehicles are sold at your relatives' dealership, it's very difficult to comment here. However, I can assure you that you've never serviced any of our cars as none have factory pre-sets on AM......and we're quite far below the age of 50.

 

[johnbasalla]

Making sure the play-by-play of the major sports franchises is only on the AM station may help.

 

[12 In a Row]

Having a family in the car business, we learned lots about listening habits.
We had both the service department and trade-in's check the first three pre-sets.
Then we would match up the pre-sets with the age and sex of the owner.
Unscientific yes, but it helped us in targeting our advertising.

One thing we did notice, if the owner was under the under the age of 50, the AM was factory pre-sets. Translation, they never listened.

Not knowing what brand(s) of vehicles are sold at your relatives' dealership, it's very difficult to comment here. However, I can assure you that you've never serviced any of our cars as none have factory pre-sets on AM......and we're quite far below the age of 50.

One roof top, Ford/Honda, second roof top, Chevy/Chrysler,both lots of used. A great mix.
After awhile you could pick out the #1 and #2 pre-set before you checked. 80% of the time they nailed it. Truck owners country and classic rock, Honda's leaned NPR and mini-vans favored soft rock.
As in life, you can't broad brush everyone's taste but 8 out of 10 were right on.
Happy to see someone under 50 is listening to AM.

 

[davideduardo]

Having a family in the car business, we learned lots about listening habits.
We had both the service department and trade-in's check the first three pre-sets.
Then we would match up the pre-sets with the age and sex of the owner.
Unscientific yes, but it helped us in targeting our advertising.

Actually, that process helped you miss a huge segment of your audience.

I was taken into the service department of a car dealer in Lake City, FL, while on a sales call for WDSR / WNFB. The manager gleefully said, "see, none of the cars are set to your stations." He thought he had found the objection that would shut me up.

i said, "Of course none of the radio are on our stations. You don't advertise on them. If you did, you'd have lots more business today, and those guys over in the last service bays would not be standing around."

He bought a schedule specifically for service, with a "radio cupon." Sales were up, and more than paid for the campaign. Lots of radios were set to us; the client renewed.

On a later call, the client pulled a magazine out of his drawer, and, laughing, said, "I was trying all these on you and I thought I had you with the service department one." The article was something like "10 objections that will get rid of media sales reps" and included all kinds of put-downs and objections that aparently made sellers cringe and slither out of the dealer...

 

[12 In a Row]

I hear you. In a market of 30+ stations, just about everyone of them said they were #1 at something. On occasion my uncle would "test" and give someone else a try. Most times he was lucky to cover the cost. Before selling, (smart guy) he killed print and was moving that money to internet.

 

[PTBoardOp94]

When I was a teenager in the 90s, the thing that called me to AM was "old-fogey" formats like classic country and adult standards.  What usually caught my attention most was the NBC chimes that hit at the top of the hour.

Oh, and I listened to Limbaugh during the Clinton administration.

Of course, when I was a teenager in the 90s, I didn't have the Internet.

If I were going to try for a young format on AM today, I'd first make sure I had sufficient life insurance.  Wouldn't want to leave my wife a pauper in case something happens.  Then I'd put on some kind of semi-contemporary music format: Hot AC, Dance, Urban, or the like.  There would be jocks (or syndicated and hosted programs) in selected dayparts only.  (Probably evenings and all nights). NO NEWS, EVER!

There would be considerable promotion of the station away from radio.  Maybe Cable TV ads, definitely online ads.  Maybe some print if there is a college in the town.

But the key: workable night-time signal.  The definition of "workable" depends on the market.

For clarity, when I say "young", I'm talking 18-35, none of this 40-55 stuff.

 

[butlerguy03]

I teach students everyday in the 14-18 age group in a public high school with a good mix of family incomes. When I do a lesson on AM v. FM and the technical differences, they always wonder why AM still exists and the question "when will they get rid of it" always comes up. It's dead, nothing will work. "Lifestyle" programming is already what most HotAC's do, and they pretty much have the 18-40 women locked up (other than country) in our market.

It's pretty simple...AM is dead, get rid of it and while we are at it, fix FM, go digital and shrink the band for more wireless technology.

 

[12 In a Row]

10 year prediction.....2020 most of FM will be talk/sports.
What was left of the AM listeners made the switch or they're dead.

 

[butlerguy03]

10 year prediction.....2020 most of FM will be talk/sports.
What was left of the AM listeners made the switch or they're dead.

Exactly. The same as the 50's & 60's oldies format, the listeners are literally dying out.

 

[landtuna]

The same as the 50's & 60's oldies format, the listeners are literally dying out.

*Ahem* The oldest of us Oldies listeners are around 70 - you know, the new 50. We'll be around for another 20-25 years.

 

[johnbasalla]

If AM radio is "dead" as some say, why are many of the big AM News/Talk stations near or at the top of the ratings in their respective markets and have the ad revenue to prove it? Marginal AM's seem to be the ones in danger.

 

[PTBoardOp94]

If AM radio is "dead" as some say, why are many of the big AM News/Talk stations near or at the top of the ratings in their respective markets and have the ad revenue to prove it? Marginal AM's seem to be the ones in danger.

The AM band is dead in several markets where these leading News/Talkers have moved to FM. A couple of examples (from the 12+ ratings):

Indianapolis
Total AM shares: 5.3

Washington, DC
Total AM shares: 7.9

And some markets where there is still a strong news-talker on AM:
Dallas-Ft Worth
Total AM shares: 13

Los Angeles
Total AM Shares: 12.5

Cincinnati
Total AM Shares: 19.7

A note about these comparisons: they may not be completely fair. For example, in Indianapolis, no one AM station covers the entire metro area at night. I believe the situation is similar in Washington. But Cincinnati has clear channel WLW, which obviously covers the entire metro 24/7.

The operators in the markets without a strong news-talker need something for their AM sticks to pull in ratings and (by extension) cash. If there are 7 AMs in a market, all pulling a share less than 2, they won't be making much money with their "niche" formats.

 

[butlerguy03]

OK, so a FEW large markets have 1 or 2 AM talkers that reach the public...I'm sure we can find 2 FM signals that would cover the metro area of these locations during some sort of digital revolution. The FCC should buy up all of the smaller AM's and disband them. Most don't have employees anyway and are 24/7 satellite. Don't ask me how to fund it, but if they can give away a bunch of money to banks to just sit on, they can do something with.

Classic example of how AM has died:

A student, 16 white male with a rural background, asked me today what station Sean Hannity was on locally. He said he had watched his TV show and wanted to know more about him. I told him WHBU in Anderson (1240am) from 3-6pm every day. He said, "oh on AM?" I said "yes" He then proceeded to say "well, I will stick to the TV show then."

Boom...a whole generation that doesn't even know how to get to AM let alone listen to the static. Edwin Howard Armstrong couldn't stand AM many generations ago, why would we think people would still put up with it? The only reason AM even exists today is because David Sarnoff/RCA Corp convinced the FCC to move the FM dial and make all of Armstrong's licensed FM stations ans recievers obsolete. C'mon people, AM should have died by 1950!

 

[landtuna]

...a whole generation that doesn't even know how to get to AM let alone listen to the static.

Are you assuming the rural male student didn't know how to tune AM? This the same generation that deals with computers, cell phones and all manner of small electronic gadgets?

AM should have died by 1950!

As a little boy whose radio listening began about 1950 I think AM served, and continues to serve, an important function. I remember DXing (yes, as a 6-7 year old) and listening to AM's all over the West. And when on car trips taking my radio along and logging all the stations I heard along the way. Content was great then too and not limited to the endless sports, religion or politics of today. And although I didn't live where weather was a huge concern I can appreciate all those Midwest and Gulf towns where a good AM signal was essential to being safe.

Most of that was lost in the change to FM. The distance, the content (although music was much better on FM obviously) and the DXing.

What is screwing up AM today is the amount of atmospheric noise and the degraded signals. No longer are distant stations listenable. No longer is there a wide variety of content. And listening to AM out in the hinterlands is mostly just your vehicle's ignition.

AM deserved a much better fate.

 

[butlerguy03]

Are you assuming the rural male student didn't know how to tune AM? This the same generation that deals with computers, cell phones and all manner of small electronic gadgets?

No, not at all. I take a poll in class every new tri (yes, we have trimesters, not semesters). Usually only 3-4 of 30 have every played a cassette...not owned, played...10-15 have owned CD's!!!!...and 1-2 have EVER listened to AM on their choice, even for sports. I agree, the issues are too many to name, and I think clarity (FM) has won. Radio people need to get a clue. FM is the only way to go and you better get your stuff online now or you will be history in 10 years.

 

[ROCKTHEMIC]

They each have their place in the world. AM is best as a news delivery system, FM is simply best for hi fidelity! When war's break out AM's reap the rewards. When the Xmas holidays come around FM is the big winner. All the FM's will be news/ talk....what are you smokin? 2020...will see no changes. Internet/ technology will still be separate from Terrestrial radio. They are two different entities, the only reason to bond the two is to make money with the internet. Just figure how to do that on its own and leave radio out of it! Record companies are not making money and they can't monitize the internet so they come after radio. We in radio are doing the same by going after alternative revenue streams....but there is no one to protect the internet. I think we are smart to give listeners additional opportunities to recieve our product...iphone, stream yadda yadda...but if more time was/ is spent focusing on our primary product (radio) rather than trying to reinvent the web then we might better be able to make radio stronger and more valuable and less of a dying technology. Radio is the car...4 wheels, engine, goes down the road...that will never change. Manufacturers are always looking for ways to make the car better...not make it fly! Sure the interior changes but its still 4 wheels, engine and it goes down the road! Work on better content (interiors) to make it more appealing and less time on trying to figure out to beam from home to the office. Make it so! More coffee please!