Blog

Five Practical Steps to Improve Station Content and Ratings

By David Kidd, BPR

Whether you’re running a tight CHR station or navigating the unpredictable currents of Talk radio, content is still king….and ratings are the scoreboard. But many Progammers get caught in the reactive cycle of trying to fix today’s problems rather than building tomorrow’s success. Here are five clear, strategic steps to help lift both content and ratings:

1. Define (or Redefine) Your Audience

Start with brutal clarity about who you’re targeting. Not a vague demographic. Paint a vivid picture of your ideal listener: their age/life cycle stage, lifestyle, music tastes, media habits and what they care about. Too many stations try to please everyone and end up connecting with no one.

Create a “listener persona” and make sure everyone, from programming to sales, understands it.

2. Audit and Align the Product

Take a cold, honest look at the content. And I do mean “honest”. Is it consistently engaging? Is it compelling? Is it on-brand? Is it built for your actual audience or based on legacy habits and assumptions?

Conduct a thorough content audit – across talk breaks, music, imaging, promos, marketing and online – and ask, “Is this truly relevant and compelling to our target?”

3. Coach Talent with Purpose

Talent makes or breaks the brand. Afterall, in Talk radio they are the content. Coaching shouldn’t be limited to airchecks. It should be about building great communicators who connect. Focus on storytelling, authenticity and delivering moments that matter.

Schedule weekly one-on-one coaching that’s collaborative, focused on growth and tied to the station’s strategic goals.

4. Use Research Intelligently

Ratings are an output. Use research to understand the inputs: what people like, what they skip and what they want more of. Whether it’s perceptual studies or music research, use insights, not guesswork.

Whether you use an in-house research team or an external consultancy, make sure they are providing you with actionable insights and content strategies. Ensure you are getting more than just numbers on a spreadsheet.

5. Be Ruthless with Relevance

Every piece of content—on-air or digital—should answer one question: Why should our audience care right now? In a cluttered, short-attention world, relevance is non-negotiable.

Encourage presenters and producers to apply a “so what?” test to every topic, story, and break.

A Final Thought:

Ratings success isn’t a mystery; it’s the result of consistent, strategic choices made every day. The best Programmers aren’t simply managing the flow…. they’re curating compelling content, shaping station culture and championing the audience at every turn. Lead with clarity, stay inquisitive and keep the content focused on your target audience 24/7. The ratings should follow.