The station isn't being programmed locally I'm told. But simply not using Westwood One.
The main takeaway is that listeners do not care where a station is being produced from. Imaging and music scheduling can be done from anywhere, They only care about whether the content is engaging and relevant to them.
as I said on another thread of an email discussion about local/content/live/vt
I agree content is incredibly important. BUT... and i can prove, it and LIVE are not the magical beans answer.
I VT afternoons for an FM in WY.. did it first from PA, then local in SE WY.. now I do it from Alaska. I've been doing it 7 plus years. We beat the nearest competition in time spent listening by 2x times and crush the rest of the market 3 to 4x. we are a locally owned FM stand alone.. competing against the estate of a lawyer form New England, Townsquare and public media.
Its now how we deliver it, its what we deliver. I've had missing kids and breaking news on air at midnight when everyone else at thestation was asleep.
Al;ong side the content... its the attitude/the aura/the mood you put forth.. if you talk the talk and walk the walk of community service, which we do, hands down barnone.. and listeners can tell its genuine and you care.... that is part of the secret sauce.. but it cant be taught.
The owner in Wyoming works harder than any of his employees. And doesnt ask his employees to do stuff he hasnt done, wont do again and wouldnt do right beside you.EVery one in town either knows this guy or they know someone who knows him.
He isnt famous per se, hes not a celebrity... hes just some guy who grew up there, went to HS and college there, bought a radio station and never left town. (im 42 and hes younger than me!)
Its not all about HOW you deliver it, it's what when and why. Know your audience and if you give them what they need, they won't care or even think.... is this live or not?
To which the person replied:
However, you downplay LIVE and I take exception to that. In my youth in Philly, two rockers WFIL "Famous 56" and WIBG "Wibbage Radio 99" competed hard head-to-head for audience. It was the Boss Jocks vs. Good Guys who reached out to us by doing remotes, attending high school ball games, etc., autographing glossies for swooning high school girls. We knew all their names and shifts, and did a lot of switching back-and-forth between the two stations depending on what was playing at the time. They were folksy and friendly and shared family events and Christmas presents they gave and received. We felt close to them. You can't do that with a voice track. There were expensive giveaway contests, random phone calls in which we answered "I listen to WIBG or WFIL" and hoped it was one of the stations and we got it right. I got one of those calls. I got it wrong. There was bonding.
i then commented again:
None of what you described is hindered by live vs voicetrack. I did/we do alot of that in Laramie... I was VT when I lived locally... still made (and have) good connections with folks. The station still does events, community involvement.. thats the relationship the radio station has with its community, the relationship it fosters......... and isnt hindered much at all live vs voicetrack.
Almost nothing I've had on air via VT would be made better simply because its live.. almost nothing. And in Laramie if something is .. holy moly urgent, the owner goes live.
www.theranch.fm
