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One Of Radio's Finest Moments - Inspired And Led By Radio's Talent
June 14, 2016
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The beauty of social media during times of deep sorrow is the sharing of our own stories and reading others.
And watching radio doing just that with its audience during such heartbreak these past few days was another reminder of the value of our storied industry and why radio talent matter.
The Orlando radio market, along with cities across the country, shined in the darkest times. There was a true social service happening, beyond the airwaves.
And it played out naturally because of the fundamentals set in place at so many radio stations.
Guiding principles such as:
- We Are Often Defined By Our Actions - Not Our Words.
It was moving to see stations post how they were physically helping to deliver supplies to blood banks.
These types of visual cues no doubt inspire others to rise up and help:
- Fulfilling The 'Jobs' Fans 'Hire' You To Do
This is the mindset of Harvard Professor, Clayton Christenson. The 'jobs-to-be-done' framework is a tool for evaluating what fans 'hire' you to do when they turn on your station or 'like' you on Facebook.
No doubt all of radio fulfilled those 'jobs.'
XL 106.7/Orlando took to Facebook Live to help make communication visual - comforting the community. And the comments the station received in the Facebook Live thread spoke volumes. Comments like:
"[This is] such a testament to how incredibly connected to this community you all are."
Another fan wrote, "Listened to this station for years, and this is just another reason [why]."
- Giving The Audience Every Visual Angle Of The News
WDBO/Orlando helped us feel - in a sense - what it was like to be there with around-the-clock visual story-telling.
Visually pulling people into the news allows us to feel a part of what's going on.
- Seeing Beyond A Comment And Seeing A Person
Stations were interacting with the audience one on one - all day long. I read so many replies from talent that were very comforting to listeners.
There was also a ton of this - talent staying vigilant to get important information out:
- People Naturally Feel Closer To What Reminds Them That They Matter
Beyond Orlando, it was moving to watch radio talent all over the country take to social in support of the LGBT community, and cover events like local candlelight vigils.
Radio reminded us that we are all one.
WPLJ/New York did an incredible job with that. They took video and stills from the historic Stone Wall Inn, the birthplace of the modern Gay Rights movement:
People were moved beyond words over the moments WPLJ captured from this monumental event.
The list of good will on behalf of radio is long.
From KLOS/Los Angeles using "Facebook Live" to visually talk with a counter-terrorism expert to KRBE/Houston sharing information socially on how to talk with your children about Orlando, we saw radio at its finest.
I wish there was time to showcase every post and tweet created.
You truly helped comfort people in a time of shock and pure sadness.
Let us never forget what radio and its talent do best every day.
We make fans feel something, and we remind everyone in a time of deep sorrow and fear that we are not alone.
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