Christine Merritt, Ohio Association of Broadcasters: "People want the sense of belonging and immediacy that they get from radio."

State broadcast groups like the Ohio Association of Broadcasters play an important advocacy role for radio. What message resonates the most when it comes to the power of AM/FM radio?

Christine: Radio’s resilience is the message that resonates for me. Throughout the last 100 years, radio stations have been a reliable and trusted source of news, information and entertainment. While there have been numerous challengers and new additions to the audio eco-system, radio is adapting to ensure that we continue informing, entertaining and connecting with our listeners and users wherever and whenever they want us. Today, radio remains the #1 reach medium of any media platform in terms of how many people we touch every day.

The commitment to local communities is also a critical component of radio’s resilience. Every day, there are countless examples of stations supporting and engaging their communities - raising funds for those in need, increasing awareness about critical issues facing the community, bringing the community together in the aftermath of a tragedy, or celebrating the accomplishments of a local team. People want the sense of belonging and immediacy that they get from radio.

With Ohio having three PPM Markets (Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland) and three large diary markets (Dayton, Toledo and Akron), you have a unique view of the radio landscape. What common themes are you excited about across markets, formats and ownership groups?

Christine: Ohio has a wide range of markets, with six of the top 75 markets and many small markets around the state. That said, regardless of the size of the market or where it’s located, I think radio’s localism is what attracts listeners and helps us stand out from other platforms.

The music streaming platforms like Pandora or Spotify are national in scope and don’t care whether a listener is based in Cincinnati, Toledo, or Findlay. What sets radio stations apart is that element of localism. It doesn’t matter if a station is part of a large ownership group or are a family-owned business - successful stations are those that understand the unique interests of their communities, whether it’s live high school football on a Friday night, a town hall meeting to discuss the opioid crisis or a fundraiser to help a local family in need.

With 2020 being an election year and Ohio being a battleground state, what’s the vibe you’re hearing?

Christine: There’s a saying: "As Ohio goes, so goes the nation." While some have questioned whether Ohio is still a bellwether for presidential elections, I think we will still be a significant factor for the 2020 election and would expect that Ohio broadcasters will get our share of political dollars.

The Ohio primary is on March 17, the next wave of primaries after Super Tuesday. We’ve already seen significant advertising buys here by Mike Bloomberg and I expect the other Democratic candidates to be on the air ahead of the primary.

And, of course, along with the national elections there are plenty of local races for elected office and local ballot issues. Many of these will rely on local radio stations to help promote their campaigns.

How can radio maximize the opportunity as many advertisers increase their utilization of radio with so much political TV spending?

Christine: It’s surprising that candidates don’t spend more on radio. Radio advertising is affordable and it’s a way to hyper-target certain demographics.

There’s only so much inventory a TV station can set aside for political spots without losing their best local advertisers. That can benefit local radio stations. I think there’s a big opportunity for radio stations to get to know the ad buyers for political campaigns and tell them the story of radio’s ability to micro-target hard-to-reach voters. The relationships established now can pay off in the weeks leading up to Election Day, when political candidates or Super PACs are looking to get their message on the air.

Last year, there was a mass shooting and a series of tornados that both happened weeks apart in Dayton, OH. It was a tragic reminder of the important role that stations play in serving their community. What stands out to you?

Christine: The response of the stations in Dayton in the aftermath of two tragedies that impacted the community in very different ways was remarkable.

The Dayton tornadoes and the mass shooting in the Oregon district occurred in the evening and overnight hours of weekends. Stations mobilized immediately, providing live coverage, simulcasting news programming on music stations, and posting breaking news and updates on social media.

After the national news media left, the Dayton community was still left with the reality of these tragedies and putting their lives back together. Local radio stations have been integrally involved in these efforts, coordinating fundraisers to support the families and survivors of the shooting, organizing food drives, distributing donations, encouraging contributions to local charities and relief funds, and so much more. Many of these initiatives continue today.

What other compliance and training related initiatives are you working on that will help drive radio forward?

Christine: There is a state broadcasters association representing each of the 50 states and Puerto Rico, and we are all committed to serving the needs of our member radio and television stations. Advocating on behalf of the broadcast industry at the federal and state levels is a significant part of our work. We coordinate closely with the NAB at the federal level, and this relationship has never been stronger. NAB’s strategic leadership and the strengths of the state associations at the grassroots level have led to success in achieving our shared objectives.

Helping our members stay in compliance with federal and state regulations is another key focus for the state associations and we all provide a variety of resources for our member stations. Here in Ohio, we are focused on radio station license renewal which occurs in June 2020, along with our hotlines, legal webinars and guides to keep our members updated on political broadcasting regulations, Ohio advertising rules, and changes in employment law.

And, finally, state associations also provide extensive resources for the sales staff at our member stations, including new seller training, access to on-demand research and training videos, live webinars, and in-person sessions.

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