Common ground.  We talk a lot about it in our little format, and that’s a good thing.

Who’s your target demo?  How many kids?  What’s their favorite TV show?  Where do they go on summer vacation?

All good stuff we need to embrace.

“To move an audience, especially a diverse audience, from where they are to where you want them to be requires common ground.  If you want me to follow you on a journey, you have to come get me.  The journey must begin where I am, not where you are or where you think I should be.”

But there is a common ground that we seldom consider and about which few books are written.

The power of NOW.

NOW is where we live.  NOW is when we’re stuck in traffic, NOW is when we’re concerned about our kids, NOW is when we feel love.  Or don’t.

“Live and local” has become an industry parody phrase intended to throw spit wads at the big consolidators that created industry evils like voice tracking and programming 447 stations from a bunker in Walla Walla.

Yes, we radio folk get jazzed by the phrase because we know how the sausage is made, but live and local isn’t the least bit noble if it only results in an under-trained part timer sitting for four hours in the right zip code.

The real power is NOW.

NOW is where our weather is, NOW is when our favorite team is playing.

NOW is where are heart is.  NOW is where our faith is.

NOW is the shared experience.

NOW is what keeps your station smelling fresh as a daisy because yesterday’s NOW can never be today’s now.

“Don’t voluntarily give up an opportunity to give the impression that you’re right here, in this moment, listening to the song with me.”

And another thing,  NOW is what radio does best.  It always has.