{"id":2076,"date":"2020-03-17T12:33:08","date_gmt":"2020-03-17T01:33:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bprworld.com\/?p=2076"},"modified":"2020-03-17T12:56:15","modified_gmt":"2020-03-17T01:56:15","slug":"what-does-the-coronavirus-mean-for-radio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/bprworld.com\/de\/news\/what-does-the-coronavirus-mean-for-radio\/","title":{"rendered":"What Does The Coronavirus Mean For Radio?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>The BPR Team<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the reality of the spread\nCoronavirus impacts on the ordinary lives of people around the world we at BPR\nare seeing signs that radio listening is increasing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This does seem like a logical step as\npeople look for more information &#8211; both from Public Health updates and official\ngovernment announcements. Radio\u2019s job as a provider of local information has\nnever been more important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For most people life is now a modified\nform of normal as self-isolation and working from home becomes more every day,\nwe have compiled some thoughts and tips on what radio could do for its\nlisteners\u2026 &nbsp;the big question is &#8211; are you doing enough at your station?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Radio occupies a unique space in the\nmedia landscape, especially during a crisis. No other medium builds the same\nfamiliarity with presenters and with their local community in the way that\nradio can. A regional, rather than national focus offers unique opportunities\nfor all stations to engage with listeners and help contribute to tackling the\nCoronavirus epidemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even at this very early stage there\nare already some pronounced social and attitudinal impacts emerging:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Why is \u201clistening\u201d on the increase; radio is the least fatiguing of all media consumption.\u00a0 The effect is that as life becomes more complex and stressful people gravitate from high fatigue activities to low fatigue.\u00a0 Listening is the most \u201cmultitask friendly\u201d media of all. Content should be simply and clearly presented.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Stations should develop structured, clear Coronavirus information updates in addition to regular news bulletins. News can be easy to drown out in the current environment, but clear updates especially in breakfast and drive periods with a regular medical expert, can help cut through and provide vital information on how the current local situation is developing. Reports at set times each day, topics such as what do if feeling ill and where to get assistance or testing.<ul><li>1-2 times per week a segment on \u201cCorona Myth-Busting\u201d. There is a lot of misinformation and rumours from a range of sources. Radio and key presenters may be trusted and familiar figures in the market.<\/li><\/ul><ul><li>Radio\u2019s advantage is ability to cut through some of the noise and deliver the public accurate intel into what\u2019s actually happening. <\/li><\/ul><ul><li>Deliver this as a question and answer session, with listeners calling up with their own questions and utilizing medical professionals (possibly) news staff to help answer queries. <\/li><\/ul><ul><li>All segments should be easily cut out of the show and delivered as podcasts and online material uploaded to social media. As people seek information, the more easily accessible this becomes the better. Podcasts aimed at helping people cope with being isolated, particularly with the kids will be popular. Consider podcast partnerships with bloggers aiming at this market.<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>All stations may\nhave resources that will be under-used in the coming weeks. Get creative on these &#8211; for example\nredeploying promotions, outside broadcast &amp; street teams\nto&nbsp; help supply the elderly and those forced to isolate with needed groceries and supplies. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Businesses that are struggling in the local community could be given airtime to\npromote their brands or create donation campaigns. Any of these initiatives\nwould cement a stations relationship with its listener community.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>If advertisers\nbecome increasingly gun shy, use unfilled ad schedules for additional Public\nService Announcements, either government created\nor produced in-house. If these are provided as charitable donations this\nbecomes a win-win.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>As people are\nwillingly or forced into maintaining more social\ndistance, the need for people to be social does not change. The need to feel\npart of something increases as people feel more isolated.&nbsp; Radio\u2019s local\none to one nature can help supplement face to face interaction.&nbsp; Use your\nstation\u2019s social media platform which\nshould focus on local issues and reinforce the relationship between someone\nthey know and trust and lives where they live.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Working from home\nmay sound like a great idea, particularly for single people or couples without\nchildren however parents with young children are going to\nendure significant stress having to work from home and be productive while\nkeeping the kids entertained.&nbsp; Getting grandparents to look after the kids\nnot an option in most cases as the elderly are most at risk.&nbsp; <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Content that reflects an empathy\nwith these changes and pressures will be welcomed.&nbsp; Promotions and content\nwhich provides respite, empathy, ideas and solutions for home-bound parents\nbattling to balance home isolation\/work\/home kindergarten\/schooling will be\npowerful.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>With people confined to home there\nwill be greater demand on Netflix, TV, Books, Movies and other entertainment. A\nweekly segment recommending new shows\/movies\/books\/games would help those\nlooking for anything to stave off boredom. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>This could also be a Facebook\ngroup or separate podcast featuring the stations key personalities allowing\ndevelopment of a \u2018book-club\u2019 discussion around what people have been watching\nor reading.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is an evolving situation, what is clear is that media companies which keep on top of this developing social situation will be in a stronger position in the longer term.&nbsp;The biggest risk that radio faces at this moment is a reduction for in-car listening as commuting to and from work reduces.&nbsp; Radio should now focus on leveraging in-home listening. Ideally the loss of one would offset the other. This needs to be actively planned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are potential\nopportunities for sales in all of this.&nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Focus on improving the home\nenvironment \u2013 what surrounds you becomes increasingly more important, the more\ntime you spend in it.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Home delivery is growing, people\nwant things home delivered more than ever.&nbsp; <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Home office equipment. Expect\ngrowing demand for better broadband, home exercise equipment and online gyms. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Treats, people still want to treat\nthemselves. If they can\u2019t go to the movies, treats will be replaced with other\nforms &#8211; expect chocolate sales to spike. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Online retailing, Drive through\nretailing\/services.&nbsp; People want to get out of the house but not to\ncongregate.&nbsp; We could even see a return of people going for a \u201cSunday\ndrive\u201d\u2026 the list goes on.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reporting the truth and confirming all information before it is passed on to the audience is critical. This applies not only to news programs but to everything that is said on our station. Casual conversation between presenters or between presenters and listeners must adhere to strict standards. If something is said that is un-verified or speculative, our presenters have an obligation to qualify that information and caution the audience against assuming that it is valid. This applies not only to unconfirmed claims from shady media operatives but to reckless speculation from the highest levels of government. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As we struggle to come to terms with\nthe pandemic, our first responsibility is to the facts. Yesterday, one of our\nconsultants received a panicked call from someone they know well saying that\nTrump has the virus. The report turned out to be false and groundless. Radio\u2019s\nfirst responsibility is to tell the truth and that rule has never been more\nimportant than it is today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br>In this time of great uncertainty, it is important for stations to use the resources they have as best they can to inform and update their masses of listeners. As the pandemic grips the world people will look to radio and rely on it now, more than in recent times, for the truth and facts of what is happening around the globe, and how we can all help to see this through.<br><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Other references:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The NAB has prepared various tools for broadcasters in the US\nwhich can be found at through the link below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nab.org\/coronavirus\/\">https:\/\/www.nab.org\/coronavirus\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some examples <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Redefine clear editorial guidelines \u2026 use only trusted sources<\/li><li>Accessibility\u2026. provide continually updated information across all station platforms or links to external official sources<\/li><li>Internal employee communications<\/li><li>Staffing issues &#8211; who needs to be in the office<br><br><\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The BPR Team As the reality of the spread Coronavirus impacts on the ordinary lives [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2077,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2076","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorised"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bprworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/corona.jpg?fit=1380%2C776","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/bprworld.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2076","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/bprworld.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/bprworld.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/bprworld.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/bprworld.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2076"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"http:\/\/bprworld.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2076\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2089,"href":"http:\/\/bprworld.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2076\/revisions\/2089"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/bprworld.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2077"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/bprworld.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2076"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/bprworld.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2076"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/bprworld.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2076"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}