The Anchor: 4 things I would like to change in Radio Programming

By Sarthak Kaushik

1. Programming differentiation

Sometimes looking around can influence individual creativity, and far too often, the ‘mega’ goings on are mirrored across the airwaves, without a thought for its efficacy in grabbing eardrums of that particular city.

2. Radio as a LOCAL medium

What a listener in Mumbai would identify with is not necessarily what appeals to the listener in Bengaluru. Radio is an intensely local medium, with its geographical bearings – and the understanding thereof – being critical to its connect. And on radio, if the personal touch is missing, the biggest USP of the medium has been squandered. In trying to make a countrywide campaign, sometimes this attention to ‘local’ goes missing.

3. Making the listener a star

Far too often, celebrity endorsement overshadows the fact that radio works on a one to one, on-the-passenger-seat-of-my-car intensity. And when the listener feels a part of the station – the Star – the loyalty lasts for a long time. Attention to making the listener feel special could perhaps do with a little more focus. Everyone wants to be associated with a celebrity, but more importantly, everyone wants to feel like a celebrity, the nudge-wink “I Am on Radio” feeling could also perhaps be encouraged a little more

4. Simplicity still rules

The keep it simple rule still applies very much to radio. Being a medium with only one sense paramount, the message – both about the identity of the station and things attached with it – needs to be stylish, individualistic, and memorable. But, perhaps, the power of simplicity in ticking all these boxes gets dropped by the wayside. A flashy message might make the jaw drop open, but the simple elegance of a warm connect will invariably lead to a smile. And in the end, the smiles are usually more memorable in the long run.

Sarthak Kaushik is Director, Programming, Hit FM