DJs: One Sign You're Not Being Inclusive

Different kinds of people are tuning in to your show every day: fans, casual listeners, and new listeners. When checking out different radio stations I hear some on-air personalities missing the mark. They’re completely ignoring a big percentage of the audience. Maybe you are as well.

TORNADO WARNINGS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT

My family went to Fort Walton Beach, FL. for spring break this year. There were some amazing days filled with warm sunshine making for a perfect beach vacation.

Then came Wednesday. You may have heard about the tornado in New Orleans on March 22nd. That same storm system came barreling east and at 2:30AM our cell phones screamed a tornado warning!

I quickly found the remote and turned the TV to the local news station out of nearby Mobile, AL. Fortunately, the weather guy was tracking the storms live. Yet, when warning people what to do in order to stay safe he kept referring to your “house” and “mobile home.”

BUT, I’M NEW HERE!

The gulf coast of Alabama and Florida is lined with high-rise condos where people live full-time and vacationers, like us, rent. As the storm was coming in from the Gulf water and toward land, the meteorologist completely missed communicating with the thousands of people not living in a house or mobile home…and specifically out-of-town spring breakers.

In one moment of panic, it occurred to me that I had no idea where to go in order to keep my family safe. As we closely monitored the track of the storm the funnel cloud stayed about a mile east of us and never touched down.

HERE’S THE TAKEAWAY

One sign you’re not being inclusive is if you find yourself only catering to people who are super familiar with your show ...fans. But there are hundreds if not thousands of casual and new listeners tuning in every day that make up a large swath of your audience. Roll out a welcome mat for them too.

Realize and understand that non-fans don’t know your life intimately, like when you drop a name without explaining who that person is in your life. Most have never been to your website and don’t even know what you look like. There’s a good chance if you care enough to include everyone listening, you’ll probably build more fans more quickly.

After spending 25+ years working in leadership, programming, and on the air at 95.5 The Fish in Cleveland, 104.9 the River in Columbus, and as Network PD at WayFM Todd launched a coaching and consulting business, Beyond615.com, on March 15, 2021. There he strives to help others build confidence so that they can connect with listeners on a deeper level. He also serves as the Contemporary Christian Format Editor at AllAccess.com. He and his family live in the (615) area code, aka the heart of the CCM industry.