The Glenn Beck Phenomena

A few years ago I read an article profiling the now uber-popular Glenn Beck. He said something that struck me, about his foray into television, books, magazines, live events, and a robust online presence, something to this effect:

Everything I’m doing (related to touring, writing, and television) is to support my radio program. The radio is how I connect with people’s hearts and minds.

Again, that’s not a direct quote but it captures his sense of the power of radio, in particular, to get a message out.  Rather than merely tapping into every media channel, Beck is using his media efforts to support and strengthen just one medium: his radio program.

Hold that thought for a moment and consider the following item. At one talk radio website it was recently suggested that Beck’s unique messaging is what really makes him special:

Beck’s own mega-success is driven by his special talent for conveying a unique personality and world view that resonates with a distinctive (and sizable) audience.  It’s not about having a TV show, radio program, book deal, newsletter, website and speaking gigs; it’s about — to paraphrase the cliche — having a very special take and being exceedingly good at sharing it via those channels.

While I think his personality and his style are compelling (or if you are a Beck-hater, I guess they are most irritating), it is Beck’s ability to really harness media – in pretty much every shape and form – effectively that has led to his wild success.

Look, an extremely talented person with no media exposure will not be well known. There are probably some great communicators out there that we’ve never heard of – and many we’ll never know. Talent alone won’t get you a huge following.

As we’ve seen, though, many people lacking in talent (can you say Snooki?) have gained popularity through their wise, or perhaps lucky, use of media channels.

So is it the personality and his/her talent, or the medium/media, that makes popularity and success possible? Obviously a combination of both! And while I like a lot of what I see in social media, and I’m a big fan of multi-media messaging, I’m still quite bullish on radio. It does what other media can’t – it typically talks 1:1 with its listeners, giving much more than information – it gives values, heart and passion. If you listen to Beck, that is what he is delivering to his radio audience. He does that somewhat on his television show and online. His live events, I’m told do connect emotionally with people. But the greatest audience for this heart (soul?) connect with people is through radio.

Just remember what we might call “The Beck Principle:” radio makes a great connection with a great audience possible.

A Lot Of Radio

I saw this factoid and thought it was pretty interesting.

According to a story in Themusicvoid.com, Pandora’s managers recently said that Americans listen to about 20 hours of music a week and radio listening accounts for 17 of those hours.

If true, the iPod hasn’t (yet) killed radio, not even a little.

Radio: A Strong Buy

Radio is strong.

I’m not just saying that because I’m biased.

According to recent research,

• Broadcast radio reaches over 79% of all U.S. adults daily, who listen on average for over two hours daily.

And it isn’t just for an “older generation:”

• Even among younger adults (18-34 years old), radio reached more than 79% of the population –  with an average listening time of more than one and a half hours each day.

When I’ve run advertising campaigns, I’ve always included radio in the mix. There’s no reason to change, either. Smart money goes into smart radio buys. Use radio well, and it delivers exceptional results!

More encouraging data about radio here (see the report titled, “How U.S. Adults Use Radio and Other Forms of Audio from the Council for Research Excellence Video Consumer Mapping Study”).

Is New FM-Equipped iPod A Game Changer?

Probably not, although as Mark Ramsey notes, it is a breath of fresh air for the radio industry.

Happy Anniversary to the NRB!

Celebrating 65 years of influence, support and proclamation…happy anniversary to the National Religious Broadcasters!

Video Killed The Radio?

Radio stations sometimes use video to promote their product. Here are two very different takes on bad video production. Have to agree with the assessment that one is bad on purpose, the other is just plain bad. I’m wondering, did the radio sales team pull off these video productions? Sure seems likely.

Watch, and tell me: Did the video kill the radio station’s image? Which one will “stick” longer with viewers, and why?

When advertising, it is probably best to stay within the area of your expertise, or at least to hire someone better than you to do the creative.

Why New iPhones Don’t Have FM Tuners

Mark Ramsey knows.

VoiceOver…Radio…VO…iPod

Apple’s new “VoiceOver” feature for iTunes and iPods strikes me as a whole lot like adding a DJ to your iPod. Admittedly, that is one lifeless announcer, but still…another encroachment into radio territory. How will broadcasters react to this development?

Google’s Shifting Interests

Leaving two “traditional” media advertising sales efforts, Google is now planning to shuft their attention to…(surprise!) online streaming. Article here.

Makes some sense, in light of what Google does. Still, I think there is a lot to be made in traditional radio advertising. The medium has some 90% of the U.S. tuned in weekly. Where there are ears, there will be ads!

Cuts At Clear Channel

Trimming jobs to affect 1,500 at radio/advertising giant Clear Channel Communications. Targeted employees and budget cuts are said to include local programming hosts and production staff.

I’ll suggest that eliminating local programming is a mistake. While some of my favorite radio shows are nationally syndicated (and I happen to work for a national broadcast), there is a strong case to be made for a good local presence. That is what makes for good radio. And as the ol’ saying goes, “All news is local.”