Ask a radio programming director anything

32 Questions

Last Answer on July 22, 2019

How realistic was the TV show Frasier re: the depiction of life at a radio station? I know it was a sitcom, but is there anything you think they got particularly right or wrong?

Asked by 2fer over 10 years ago

Hi 2fer...Usually, sitcoms push the truth in order to get a lot of mass appeal humor in there. It's been a long time since I have seen Frasier & due to time I don't usually watch a lot of TV. As I recall one episode mentioned something about 28 seconds of dead air, spilling coffee into the control board & messing up the call letters. Things like that do indeed happen every now & then although maybe not all in the same day. Sorry I couldn't be more specific but as I said it's been a long time since I've seen Frasier. Appreciate the question 2fer!

760 Votes

How much data did you have access to about listener behavior? Could you tell when listeners would change stations and did you use that to add/remove songs from rotation?

Asked by Bill over 9 years ago

Hi Bill

Just about everything we do is a barometer to tell us about behavior. Requests give us an idea of what our audience wants to hear to the town/city they live in & that can tell us to a point where a lot of our audience is listening from. Station ratings are the report card which tells us when people listen & how many are listening. All of the tools are taken with a grain of salt & are used as a guide as well as a sales tool. That is one tool that can help us determine when listeners change stations.

Adding/removing songs is another story. Not every listener calls to tell us he/she likes or dislikes a song. So when someone does we pay attention but can't use that as a final say. It would take a lot of calls to get us to remove a song. That decision is usually left to the program director. Different stations have different rules as to when & what to add, rest for awhile or remove for good.

Thanks for your question Bill!

732 Votes

What on-air incident generated the most listener letters?

Asked by Mike over 9 years ago

Hi Mike

Stations do receive letters about different things. Usually the bulk of any audience however does not write in or call. If they are upset they change stations, turn it off or keep on listening.

One incident that I remember is one of the DJ's did not know how to pronounce "Paul Masson" (The winery) & as a result called it Paul Mason. A Paul Mason who was very prominent in the city I worked had unfortunately passed away a few weeks prior to that. We had many letters from upset people & although the error was not on purpose it was embarrassing.

Thanks for the question Mike!

693 Votes

What songs were initially hated by the listening public that eventually became big hits?

Asked by Bear over 9 years ago

Hi Bear...that's a tough one. Songs become big hits because they are well liked. There are probably many songs that can "grow on you" but I don't have any specific answer to this question. At most if not all places I've been, a new song that is liked gets requested by a lot of people & thus the song becomes a hit. If a song is released that is hated by the listening public as you say, it probably would not become a hit. There are songs that are released & don't fare well & then get released once again and succeed. It usually is not because the public hates them, they just didn't get enough exposure for various reasons.

673 Votes

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Did you ever bring artists into the studio for live segments and who were the biggest jerks or sweethearts? Was anyone completely different than what you were expecting?

Asked by Matthew about 10 years ago

It's been awhile since we've had a really famous artist in but as I recall, all of them acted like what you see...very nice & enjoyable to talk to. I can't think of anyone who acted like a jerk!Thanks for the question, Matthew!

665 Votes

What specific events or programming decisions led to the most substantial rises or drops in listener numbers? Would hiring a hot DJ or running a specific promotion be enough to see an immediate spike in numbers?

Asked by Conan123 over 9 years ago

Hi Conan123 - Usually patience is required after any change as it's not a quick thing. You can introduce a "hot DJ" but it still could take awhile before the audience shifts away from other places. Promotions work the same way...they need advertising to get the word out as well as word of mouth to attract listeners from other stations. Some of the most successful promotions offer a cash prize. We all can find a use for money!

665 Votes

So I think my kids' (11 & 14) favorite music is horrendous noise, but my parents said the same thing about my Sabbath, Ramones, etc. Do you think parents will just always hate their kids' music or am I right that today's stuff is objectively awful?

Asked by CP over 10 years ago

Sorry for the delayed response...been a busy week. This is a fun question that is talked about a lot. I have seen it work both ways...parents who have no use for their kids music & the other way where a child got heavy influence from his/her parents. As an example a 50 year old mom or dad may like The Doors, Jimi Hendrix etc & their child(ren) love those groups as a result. My parents never really cared for the music I liked but "put up with it" while I wanted control of the radio in the car. I happen to like older stuff & currents as well. So then CP as far as parents always hating their kids music it depends on their taste & everyone differs. This question is a great one for the dinner table...you might get all kinds of answers! Take care CP & thanks for the question.

660 Votes

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Radio program/music director

Ask me anything!

What do YOU do?

How realistic was the TV show Frasier re: the depiction of life at a radio station? I know it was a sitcom, but is there anything you think they got particularly right or wrong?

How much data did you have access to about listener behavior? Could you tell when listeners would change stations and did you use that to add/remove songs from rotation?

What on-air incident generated the most listener letters?

What songs were initially hated by the listening public that eventually became big hits?

Also on Jobstr...

Did you ever bring artists into the studio for live segments and who were the biggest jerks or sweethearts? Was anyone completely different than what you were expecting?

What specific events or programming decisions led to the most substantial rises or drops in listener numbers? Would hiring a hot DJ or running a specific promotion be enough to see an immediate spike in numbers?

So I think my kids' (11 & 14) favorite music is horrendous noise, but my parents said the same thing about my Sabbath, Ramones, etc. Do you think parents will just always hate their kids' music or am I right that today's stuff is objectively awful?

Radio program/music director

Ask me anything!

What do YOU do?

How realistic was the TV show Frasier re: the depiction of life at a radio station? I know it was a sitcom, but is there anything you think they got particularly right or wrong?

How much data did you have access to about listener behavior? Could you tell when listeners would change stations and did you use that to add/remove songs from rotation?

What on-air incident generated the most listener letters?

What songs were initially hated by the listening public that eventually became big hits?

Also on Jobstr...

Did you ever bring artists into the studio for live segments and who were the biggest jerks or sweethearts? Was anyone completely different than what you were expecting?

What specific events or programming decisions led to the most substantial rises or drops in listener numbers? Would hiring a hot DJ or running a specific promotion be enough to see an immediate spike in numbers?

So I think my kids' (11 & 14) favorite music is horrendous noise, but my parents said the same thing about my Sabbath, Ramones, etc. Do you think parents will just always hate their kids' music or am I right that today's stuff is objectively awful?

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