The Local Lifeblood - #Radio

In times of crisis, people come together in many ways. Currently, nurses and doctors are on the front lines and persevering through long shifts. Federal and State agencies are offering relief and emergency support. Businesses are donating services and springing into action to meet the needs of their employees and customers. All of us are looking for ways to help our community of friends, family, and neighbors.

This sense of community is our local lifeblood, and communication within our communities determines how dynamic and full of life we are. Communication builds a sense of identity and helps us implement our decisions for the greater good. As Americans are staying home, communication through both broadcast (radio and TV) and social media is at its peak.

Local TV anchors, radio DJs, and on-air personalities present a connection to the real world that viewers and listeners gravitate toward and trust during a national emergency. According to a recent Nielsen survey, 83% of consumers say they're listening to as much – if not more – radio than they were before the pandemic. This is true despite having access to multiple media options, such as streaming platforms and connected TVs.

“In a time of heightened uncertainty and disrupted routines, consumers are turning to radio as a trusted source of information and community connection, mirroring patterns observed during past regional and national disasters and weather events,” said Brad Kelly, Managing Director, Nielsen Audio.

Getting your message out through radio programs people trust every day is one of the most effective means of reaching your local community even from a work-from-home environment. If you’ve been crafting re-entry messaging or have timely content, the MultiVu team can help you to capture and polish that message – and even help with placement on appropriate radio and/or podcast channels.

If instead your team has a spokesperson or segment that could benefit from being broadcast on-air, setting up a Radio Media Tour can amplify the reach of your message as well. An RMT offers a unique opportunity to link resources or ideas with the audience that most needs them to adapt and manage limited out-of-home activities. Whether it's Virtual AP testing for high school seniors looking to get into college, tips on how to deal with the stress of the pandemic, funneling clicks online to keep your business thriving, inspiring kids to get up and get moving, or offering advice for college seniors entering the workforce during an unpredictable job market, radio is still an undeniably essential way to reach your audience.

Almost half of consumers polled said that radio has helped them deal with the coronavirus outbreak, which points to lasting relationships between listeners and their favorite stations and shows. This trusted communication within a community is the healthy flow of lifeblood carried by our arteries from the heart to the body. For brands with thoughtful content, it is an opportunity to be part of that flow – and right now, that lifeblood is helping Americans cope with an unprecedented time in U.S. history.

ABOUT THE EXPERT: Ted Birkey

Ted Birkey is the Radio Broadcast Coordinator at MultiVu, a Cision company. He has over 20 years' experience as a media analyst, broadcast radio coordinator, producer and sound editor in the news broadcasting business. During his fifteen-year career at MultiVu, he has executed thousands of radio media tours and helped develop their broadcast radio distribution network by strengthening relationships with radio news assignment editors, major radio network planning desks, and independent program producers.

In 2016 Ted won the PR Newswire 2015 President's Club Golden Ticket Award which recognizes the top Sales, CCS professionals and other PR Newswire/MultiVu colleagues who make outstanding contributions to the business. This recognition is based on top performance for Sales and CCS, while Golden Tickets are awarded to other contributors by the EMC following a careful nomination and selection process. He holds a B.A. in Sound Engineering from Chicago's Columbia College.