Blog

Love Beats Like — Every Time

By David Kidd, BPR

In radio, being liked is easy. Being loved is hard. And that’s precisely why it matters more.

A station that’s liked is pleasant, inoffensive and……acceptable. It doesn’t annoy many people but it doesn’t excite them either. Liked stations are fine background companions. Loved stations, on the other hand, are chosen. Actively. Passionately.

Love creates loyalty. Loyalty drives time spent listening. People don’t rearrange their morning routines for something they merely like. They do it for personalities, shows and stations they feel emotionally connected to.

Being loved also means having the courage to stand for something. A clear point of view. A recognisable sound. Personalities with edges, opinions, humour and humanity. That inevitably means some people won’t like you…..and that’s fine. Indifference is far more dangerous than polarisation.

Liked stations chase consensus. Loved stations have partisans.

And in a world where consumers of audio have infinite choice and zero patience, ask yourself this: “would the audience actually miss my radio station if it disappeared tomorrow?”.

In 2026, a great radio station doesn’t win by being everyone’s second or third favourite choice.
It wins by being someone’s absolute favourite.