It’s a question we don’t ask enough. Why do people tune in to our stations, either for the first time or the 500th time? And I’m not just talking about the music.

What point of view do they expect? What lifestyle do our stations reflect?

“What are people hiring you for?” Mark Ramsey asks.

If you don’t know, ask them. If you think it’s not important enough to research at least put your ear to the ground and listen for the rumblings. It’s likely that you’ll hear some reoccurring themes.

A promo for a well-known morning show recently featured clips of listeners reminiscing about childhood toys that no longer exist. It’s not a stretch to say that no one tunes to their station for that. And things that no longer exist cannot be “now,” the largest common reference point any station can have. (A future Frost Advisory, no doubt).

If trivia, celebrity birthdays, This Day in History, children’s radio theatre, and financial talk shows aren’t why people hire your station, you might want to evaluate their purpose.

Oh, and then there is politics.

The more you do what people hire you for the more successful your station will be. Perhaps you’d like to write that down.

Or we can just head down to the fillin’ station and get some hotdogs, wine, jewelry, and a chainsaw!