All of us are living in a new Covid-19 dominated environment. As everyone masks-up, live radio and TV are being originated from living rooms, recreation rooms, perhaps even bathrooms!
This is also a challenge for radio as we know it – a challenge to do better and return to service in the public interest, convenience and necessity. For some stations, especially local ones, it is a matter of survival and re-defining themselves for the audience they were meant to serve. Before Covid-19, the overall radio climate and perception of competition did a “180.” It used to be that we never, ever mentioned another radio station’s call letters or talked about their programming, competition was so stiff for the listeners’ ears. That 180 change has been necessitated by fierce competition from other media, including the internet, on-line radio, and endless permutations of Facebook, Twitter and sub-sets of the main genres. We are now realizing the need to promote each other on the busy, busy shared radio dial, giving equal weight to the biggest of the big sharing space with local stations running lower power and concentrating on their own audiences.
Through the kind courtesy of WCBS-AM (880) Anchor Wayne Cabot, here is a unique story, where the biggest of the big – possibly one of the most consistently successful radio stations in the NYC market has reached out with an incredible story that originated from a local New Jersey station licensed to Hackettstown. Listen carefully – this story has heart – REAL heart to make you believe. Thank you, fellow New Jerseyan, Wayne Cabot and WCBS NewsRadio 880 for a wonderful story. Now, this is what radio is all about!
Click here: WCBS report