I am reminded every day of the power that radio possesses to truly connect and bring us together. In good times and in not so good times we have always turned to radio and we still do. Why? Well, that is the magic of the medium and it is about the personal connections that radio makes with its listeners through the unique personalities who are part of their lives every day.
The stars of the show, from Kyle and Jackie O to Jonesy and Amanda are, as far as their listeners are concerned, a sort of confidant, a friend, and a therapist and these relationships go both ways. It is hard for some to understand but it takes a brave person to say that radio’s best days are over as no other medium forges connections that are so personal, so strong, and so enduring and it comes down to personality every time. That is the element Spotify, Apple and YouTube cannot seem to overcome.
Recently, ARN’s very own Christian O’Connell was overcome by the power of radio.
On what could have been a typical morning at London’s bustling Heathrow airport his mother-in-law, who has been outed on the show as a nervous flyer, was getting ready to board her flight to Australia – her fears were further heightened as there was a new, highly contagious variant of COVID-19 circulating.
As she was getting ready to board the flight, albeit a bit shaky and tense, another solo passenger leaned in and tapped her on the shoulder: “Excuse me, you wouldn’t happen to be Christian O’Connell’s mother-in-law?”
The man named Barrie, a huge Christian O’Connell fan, listened to the show daily during his London travels via the catch-up podcast so knew about Christian’s mother-in-law and calculated she would be on his flight and took the chance that the lady in front of him might be her. After they were checked in, Barrie emailed Christian to update him on the situation - including that he had moved their seating so he would be closer to her, informed the cabin crew that she was a nervous flyer travelling alone and he would look after her upon arrival into Melbourne to make sure she got through immigration and customs without any problems. Suffice to say, her level of anxiety reduced considerably, and she was able to relax and enjoy the flight.
When Christian told me that story, I was amazed and slightly emotional. Christian had never met Barrie, but with such a strong, personal connection, Barrie cared for Christian’s nervous mother-in-law as if he were one of Christian’s best friends.
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This story is one of many, highlighting the connection between announcer and listener which is based on talent sharing the most intimate insights into their personal lives, so their audience not only know them and like them, but they also love them.
Both Jack Post and Will McMahon know this all too well, recently creating moments that move you through sharing highly personal letters on their respective shows. Jack reading out a letter to his soon-to-be-born son and Will sharing a dedication to his long-term partner on International Women’s Day.
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These segments could have been small, insignificant moments on the show, but because of the connection with their listeners, the content resonated with such strength that it generated a barrage of emotional emails, texts, and phone calls from the audience as they would if their best friend had written a similar letter. That’s the magic, right there.
The connections extend to building community as was demonstrated when Kyle and Jackie O recently set up a young couple for life with a brand-new house and car. Only a cynic would see it purely as a radio competition as hundreds queued with their keys to take a chance on a life-changing event. Relationships within the community were formed and forged as a result of listening to Kyle and Jackie O on the radio.
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These connections are critical when creating great radio content and are at the core of any show’s success. These moments that move audiences are why we do what we do as they build loyalty and create habitual listening, which is extremely hard to break.
Radio is not going anywhere, yes, it will evolve as it has over the years, but the power of radio is more than the news and information or the music and entertainment as important as they are. The power of radio is those voices on-air and their ability to create powerful personal connections that impact lives in the most incredible and enduring way. That’s the magic of the medium.
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