It is perhaps one of the most frequently used buzzwords in radio today – locality. The issue of local sounding radio has always been a major concern of programmers, but the recent rise in syndicated satellite radio formats, voicetracking, and corporate-level programming has brought the issue to the forefront, and today how local one’s radio station sounds can often make the difference between success and failure. We often find this in many small markets, where two stations may have the same or similar formats – one being a satellite outlet, and the other being live and local, or at least locally voicetracked. Typically, the live, local station enjoys better ratings and thus higher profit, both of which are components of radio success.

In the United States , radio stations are licensed as public trustees and must serve in the public interest with respect to the community they are located in. The FCC has long-standing rules about the existence of a public inspection file in which quarterly “issues lists” must be placed which chronicle concerns of the community which the station feels it should address. Most stations these issues within a short, taped community affairs program that airs on early weekend mornings or some other similar time slot. While these issues and the programming they stimulate are obviously important, they constitute what I call “regulatory locality” – a local emphasis required or prompted by regulations (though the FCC may not specifically require it), it takes much more than just adhering to these conventions to sound local.

There are numerous components of a radio station that can be used to show involvement and identity with the community. Most are incorporated into the daily programming routine of the station, but there are many that can be manifested more subtly and ultimately improve the overall sound of the station as a member of its community. As with all of the articles in the Six Essential Elements series, I have presented some thoughts in the form of key questions to ask about your station operation;

1. Does the station sound involved in the community in which it serves?
This idea is fairly straightforward, and most well run stations do in fact engage in activities within their neighborhood. Community involvement can take a number of different forms, ranging from broadcasting public service announcements of local interest, sponsorship of charitable events, remotes at various community events, morning show discussions about various community issues and upcoming events, and so on. Even paid remotes serve to create a sense of local involvement for a radio station. The key is to get the station identity out and merge it with community events. Not only does it promote the station itself, but it also binds the station to the city.

2. Does the station make on-air references to the community in which it serves? The most obvious place for local on-air references comes from weather and traffic reports, which undoubtedly include mentions of locations of local interest, local roads, etc. Many stations have a list of local suburbs and other local locations in the studio for quick reference when doing a weather report, but many times the weather report is the only place that they are incorporated - in order to sound truly local, the entire station must be integrated with the community. Using phone drops is a great way to involve the community in the station, by putting on "Amy from Aimsville" on the radio, or letting someone dedicate a song to her blends the local element unobtrusively with the station. Many CHR stations in medium size and small markets have had great success during evening dedication hours and the like, by having students mention their school name. Granted the 12-17 crowd isn't usually the target demo, but they're listening nonetheless, and in a few years, those 12-17's become 18-34's.

3. Do station airstaff speak as a member of the community? This is a critical component of local sounding radio, and is one of the major pitfalls of automation and voicetracking from a central corporate or regional headquarters. Station airstaff should sound as if they are too a member of the community (granted, they typically are), and should appear to be involved with the community. New members to the station team should be given the grand tour of the city when they first arrive by the program director or other station staff, so that they get a good feel for their new market and the people with whom they will speak during their shift. Another way to get new airstaff to become "at one" with the community is to have some fun; let listeners call in during his/her first shift and talk about their favorite places in the community. From restaurants, and clubs to dry cleaners and accountants, it's a great way to get the listeners involved with the station and the station involved with the community.

4. Does the station incorporate listener phone drops or testimonials into regular programming? Already discussed briefly, most stations already take telephone calls for possible use on the air, but often this occurs only during certain times of day, such as the lunch hour, or an evening countdown show (i.e., top 8 at 8, etc.). Using listener phoners wherein they mention their location ("This is John from Johnstown") is an excellent, non-obtrusive way of including the local identity element into your programming while involving the audience as well. Some stations employ unique methods for doing this, such as one I recently heard in a mid-sized market in Pennsylvania, where they have listeners read their top-of-hour ID, which used to be a formally voiced sweeper that leads into the jingle launch. The same information is being conveyed, but now listeners are doing it, showing involvement within the community.
5. If the station broadcasts a syndicated format or voicetracks during any part of the broadcast day, are proper arrangements being made to make sure the station still sounds local, and not "canned"?

This has become a critical concern over the past several years, especially in smaller markets, as the use of satellite programming services and voicetracking has increased dramatically. With these types of operations, sounding local is imperative, as the station has significantly less of an opportunity to incorporate it into local programming. Most satellite and voicetracking services offer a certain number of station-specific liners per month or per quarter, but many stations fail to utilize this opportunity to its full potential. Having your voicetrack talent or satellite radio jocks read liners about local events, news, happenings, and locales will serve to increase the level of locality that your station exhibits, and thus work to improve listener interest and loyalty.

Without a doubt, sounding local is one of the most important elements a radio station can posses. In addition to the on-air sound of the station, which is of primary concern, the entire station should sound and feel local. Having the station studios and offices located within the community it serves, for example, is one way to accomplish this. With most stations, of course, this is the case, but with the increase of stations implementing satellite formats and corporate-level programming, having an actual studio within the community it serves may become a thing of the past. Stations that are local typically sound local, and as I said earlier, stations that exhibit a local involvement and interest will secure a more loyal listener base, potentially translating into higher ratings and thus, successful radio.

Chris Reed is the President of CSR Media, LLC and can be reached at chris@csrmedia.com.

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