Artist to Watch: Lola Young

Lola Young is unapologetically herself, which makes her music that much more powerful. You may have heard her song, Messy, on Tik Tok, but there’s a full lifetime of experience in this young package. 

Cumulus Cuts Seven 24/7 Westwood One Formats

Yesterday Cumulus announced that seven of their twenty 24/7 Westwood One syndicated formats will be shut down in thirty days. The formats that will be eliminated as of Sunday April 20th include Variety Hits Pop, Variety Hits Rock, Hits Now, Classic Hits Gold, Classic Rock X, Rock 2.0 and Good Time Oldies.

#1 Songs This Week

Thanks to the market level song data we look at daily at Radio Station Consultant we’re able to see exactly what songs are connecting with audiences overall, in all radio formats and in individual markets. Out of this week’s data here are a few of the songs that topped those lists nationally in the US and Canada along with a few random specific markets.

Why Your Radio Station Needs a “Website Program Director”

Much like a Program Director drives on-air success, a Digital Content Director ensures your online presence resonates with listeners and advertisers alike. If you want your station’s digital arm to be more than just a place to find the stream link, it’s time to give the same level of thought and care to your online content strategy.

Giving The Audience What They Want

The big thing many radio programmers get wrong is they think that they know what the audience wants better than they do. Here’s how we change or eliminate that mindset for music and talk programming.

Three Minutes vs Five Minutes

The three minute qualifier versus the five-minute qualifier has shown to improve ratings across the board. Last year, Nielsen announced the time qualifier for a station to get credit for an average quarter hour.

Make Your Imaging Work Harder

Station imaging sells continued listening and listener benefits.  Here are ten imaging suggestions to make your station sound great.

Endorsements: What’s Old is New Again

The strength of personal endorsements is POWERFUL, and radio personalities have long been a force in that area. Whether hugely popular on a national scale, or having a small but loyal audience, radio DJ’s are tremendously influential in selling product. Combined with their social media pages, these campaigns can really move the brand’s awareness and the consumer’s purchase intent needle.

Radio Job Openings March 18, 2025

Click the Jobs tab to browse openings or submit a job for free! You can also email your job listing to jobs@radioupdate.com.

New Music Mondays March 17, 2025

Here are fourteen of the songs we’re watching this week. For more insight on how we choose these songs or to get a sneak peek at some of the data we track on 500+ new songs across radio formats, email me at Andy@RadioStationConsultant.com.

Three Ways To Reduce Tune Out By Eliminating Things That Drive Listeners Crazy

Radio listeners are a picky, fickle bunch. They don’t listen nearly as much as we would like, have little loyalty to even a favorite personality or station, and are quick to tune out anything that annoys them. It’s similar to your loyalty to a “favorite” restaurant. But every radio show can reduce audience turnover by fixing things that drive listeners crazy.

Radio Update Top 10 Content

According to our internal data, these are the top ten things you all clicked on this week. If you’d like to create content for Radio Update and get paid for it email submissions@radioupdate.com.

#1 Songs This Week

Thanks to the market level song data we look at daily at Radio Station Consultant we’re able to see exactly what songs are connecting with audiences overall, in all radio formats and in individual markets. Out of this week’s data here are a few of the songs that topped those lists nationally in the US and Canada along with a few specific markets.

April Fools Day On-Air!

Sadly, this holiday is constantly overlooked. Some claim it’s childish. Others say you definitely need to steer clear of celebrating in the office. I mean, would you REALLY prank your boss? However, we can have some fun with this on air!

Shrinking Attention Spans and How Radio Should Adjust

One study estimated Gen Z’s attention span at just 8 seconds flat. That’s not surprising when we look at the rise in popularity of short form video. So, how should radio respond to these shrinking attention spans? Here’s a few thoughts on adjustments we could make across departments. 

Create Your Strategy

Do your stations sound great – or just OK?  Consider the following tactics to improve programming and enlarge your audience. Perform a brand audit. Conduct a complete evaluation of each station in your cluster.  Do it for your direct competitors, too. This is what we do as consultants when we perform a Strategic Programming Evaluation.

AI Images Ensure No More Copyright Issues

Images are crucial for engagement, whether it’s for your advertising blog, news stories, events, or contests. Studies have consistently shown that visuals attract more clicks and keep visitors engaged longer. Traditionally, we’ve turned to stock image services or royalty-free platforms such as Pexels and Unsplash. But now, more sites are turning to AI to help create unique images without the hefty price tags or confusing license agreements.

Choosing the Right Voiceover Mic

A great mic in the wrong space can result in a terrible recording. For example, if the recording environment is such that it cannot be adequately treated then a large condenser microphone will not be the best choice despite being widely regarded as the “best category” for voiceover work.

HRN Launches Two 24/7 Spanish-Language Music Formats

Hispanic Radio Network (HRN), the largest independent Hispanic radio network in the US, has announced the launch of two 24/7 Spanish-Language music formats, JUAN-FM and Los40 24/7. JUAN-FM is a Regional Mexican format and Los40 24/7 is a Tropical/Caribbean format.

New Music Mondays March 10, 2025

Here are 14 of the songs we’re watching this week. For more insight on how we choose these songs or to get a sneak peek at some of the data we track on 500+ new songs across radio formats, email me at Andy@RadioStationConsultant.com.