Matt Pelishek “The 28%”
I’m often in awe of a lot of the programmers in our industry. The people who are so good at hitting all the fine-tuning details to maximize listening time, perfect the flow of music, market specific strategies that counter program the stations in the area, and aligning things in such a way that welcomes the most people to stay on your station the moment they land there. It’s a lot of effort to create proven strategies to maximize the amount of people listening.
So, it’s odd to me when I hear a station like that, and then a radio personality comes on and says something that disconnects more than a quarter of your audience.
There is an odd dichotomy when it comes to the goal of connecting (and ultimately bringing hope to) as many listeners as possible between music and on-air personalities. I’ve heard strategies that include the latest research and methodology in programming and, in the same strategic plan, encourage the on-air talent to focus on what amounts to a ‘good news verse of the day’ or bumper sticker platitudes. It’s a strategy that feels like counter-programing yourself.
The problem is not only does that kind of on-air strategy lack any connection or emotional honesty, but it also ignores that 28% of the Christian radio audience isn’t even Christian. In fact, in some markets, they’ve found even higher numbers of non-believers that tune in. I realize I’m not saying anything revolutionary here, and many of you are already experts at building that connective tissue that delivers hope. And yet, even in 2024, I still hear this play out all the time.
If we’re looking specifically at that 28%— which from here on out will be referred to as…the 28%— this is where we can see how the programming research and on-air coaching don’t always line up in the goal of maximizing your listeners.
–Programming: carefully monitoring the burn numbers on well-established songs
-the 28%: these songs are great, plus they make me feel good!
–On-air: “well all know the story of Joseph, but did you know…”
-the 28%: No, no I don’t know that story
–Programming: tracking consumption numbers to pull in a fresh song before the other station in your market does
-the 28%: Ooh, I like this new one
–On-air: “Here’s a reminder to take God at his word. It’s called ‘Take you at your word’
-the 28%: um, k.
Instances like that just disconnected that group of listeners from all those hours of programming strategy that had them up until that point, and yet that’s often exactly what on-air staff are told to do. That approach lacks connection, and makes a lot of assumptions.
And of course it’s not just maximizing numbers, it’s actual ministry. I pulled up a handful of Christian radio mission statements, and most had a similar theme. To influence people to follow Jesus, to point people to Jesus, to develop meaningful relationships with Jesus. These are beautiful, and I’ll be the first to shout amen, but how do we do any of that if the on-air strategy doesn’t involve building connections, and we are only appealing to people that already know Him with a verse of the day off of a daily calendar?
While your target audience might be the mom of 3 trying to get the family to church each week, a significant portion of your audience isn’t. More than one in four are just people who don’t know what they believe, but they do know something is different on your station. Our focus on air should be just as strategic and well executed as your programming strategy. And maybe, with God’s grace, that 28% will shrink. Not because they left your station, but because they joined the percentage that have experienced Jesus.
Matt Pelishek is the program director at 88.3 Life FM, and co-host of the Afternoon Joy Ride. He has been in radio over 20 years, and is just now starting to figure out what most of the buttons do. Contact Matt at Matt@kaxl.com
