Making radio a must watch

For a long time TV has know a lot about the power of emotional connection. There have been whole shows built around it, putting everyday people front and centre and sharing their stories. Daytime TV is full of this kind of stuff. From Jeremy Kyle to DIY SOS, people who need help or just a thank you have been made the starts. But, I don’t think I’ve ever seen it on radio. Until now…

This is from the great Kyle and Jackie O in Sydney. These guys are big stars there, and were poached from their old station a few years back with much noise. They’ve been constantly pushing the show forward since then. There are cameras in the studio, and they film a lot. They have big guests, big personalities and lots of attitude.

There are several things I like about this piece. Firstly, this a driveway piece of radio. The kind of story that demands your attention. From the story itself to the way Jackie tells it, it’s attention grabbing. We then get the woman on-air and the narrative comes to an emotional and well planned climax. This takes skill and planning, so well done to the team for pulling that off. By taking on ideas that have worked on TV the station are really taking the game to the other places that compete for our time and our attention. This is good for radio. It’s should be an obvious thing to do, especially as radio is such an emotional medium.

The other thing about this is the visualisation. This is something that is new in radio, and whilst not everyone agree – it is part of the our future. This is a great example of it done well and where it adds value. Here is something the audience will want to see and share – it’s been shared over 260,000 times on Facebook already. The act of going online to view is itself an act of connection. Connection that suggests a great sense of engagement with the brand. Engaged listeners are loyal. It’s also a great introduction to the brand for anyone who wasn’t already aware or listening. Visualisation is a complex thing. Some videos are cheap and throwaway, and that’s fine because they are there as a tease or a hook. This is more nuanced. It’s the denouement of a radio story. It’s a big feature and something where you don’t want bad camera work, or bad editing to get in the way. By sneaking a camera into the car, and then getting the sound editing right this is something that looks and sounds good. Again, not an easy task but one that really smells of quality, and that’s important.

Increasingly this is what radio stations will need to do. Hire great personalities, and let them be themselves on-air. Invest in great ideas. Build reasons for the audience to listen, and these might be emotional. And finally, remember the visual elements. Build on them and invest in them. That doesn’t mean you do radio differently, but you reconsider what a radio station institutionally.