This pandemic is so darn inconvenient.

We’ve designed our radio stations to do specific things at specific times. It’s so automatic that we hardly even think about doing something different.

But life is now different. Perhaps you’ve noticed.

What do your listeners need from you during morning drive and afternoon drive when they are no longer driving to and from work?

What do your listeners need from you during the day when life at the office is now stay at home and home schooling their kids?

Knowing what your listeners need is different than knowing what they need in this moment. Great radio stations are designed with moments in mind. The analytical folks at Nielsen may call it TSL or AWTE, but in real people language it is really about moments. Those moments either bring me (the listener) closer or push me away.

As someone who has traveled more than 100,000 miles every year for 20 years I’m amazed by the news that vending machines in the Las Vegas airport are now dispensing PPE equipment like liquid hand sanitizer, alcohol wipes, and reusable cloth masks. Not something done a few months ago nor (hopefully) needed a few months from now.

If your station sounds basically the same today as it did a few months ago, you haven’t noticed that life has changed. While there may not be anything wrong with a vending machine full of Nutty Buddys, licorice sticks, and Skinny Pop popcorn, it’s not as important as meeting the needs of travelers concerned about their safety today.

Great radio stations think about what their listeners need from them right now. Because moments add up to experiences.