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Volume 5, Issue 2
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WE'RE FIVE! Celebrating Revolutionary
Radio PR
by Lynn Harris Medcalf
On August 18, 1997, Susan J. Matthews
and Lynn Harris Medcalf opened the doors to News Generation,
a public relations services company based on the principle
that quality clients, dedicated team members, and a
learning atmosphere would make the radio world stand
on its ear. The mission was then, and continues to be,
connecting clients who have credible, newsworthy messages
with appropriate radio outlets that are seeking high
quality content. And for the last five years, News Generation's
team of seasoned journalists has completed more than
1,000 successful radio campaigns.
Why radio? Many have asked this
burning question. Every week, radio reaches 96% of people
ages 12 and older, and there are more than 13,000 radio
stations in the U.S. Keeping track of radio contacts
is a full-time job, and on top of that comes writing,
producing and pitching customized to the medium. Listening
to and understanding what radio news directors, programmers,
and reporters want has been the key to our continued
success.
Awards and accolades for the company
include finalists for Fast Company's 'Fast 50,' winner
of the PR Week Audio News Release of the Year, winner
of three Phoenix Awards from the Georgia Chapter of
PRSA, and speaking engagements with the Automotive Public
Relations Council, Ragan Communications and regular
appearances on a nationally syndicated radio talk show.
Since 1997, there have been dynamic
changes in the radio industry, and we have been fast
to implement the latest technologies. Broadcasting over
the Internet and e-mailing audio files is now second
nature and part of our pitching every day. We are excited
to see what the next five years will bring and lead
the charge in new technologies for the radio broadcast
industry. On our fifth anniversary, the News Generation
team would like to thank all of our clients, friends
and partner companies who have helped achieve us this
level of success. Here's to many more years of radio
campaigns that make a difference!
Volunteerism and Public Relations
by Susan J. Matthews
According to Webster's Dictionary,
to volunteer is 'to act under one's own free will without
valuable consideration or legal obligation.' With the
events shaping our nation during the last year, many
have turned to volunteerism to make a difference in
their communities and work for a more peaceful and just
world.
Donating time and energy allows
people to make important contributions to worthy organizations.
In return, participants get a great sense of accomplishment
and involvement in local and global communities. While
many organizations rely on volunteers for support, and
volunteerism is often essential to a group's continued
vitality, it's important to remember that volunteering
should also be fun!
Public relations and communications
professionals can play a vital role in a nonprofit organization's
efforts. Since outreach and communications are usually
central to an organization's mission, PR professionals
can provide an essential link in the communications
chain by communicating effectively with targeted publics.
We believe in volunteerism and encourage others to use
their gift of communication to help organizations really
make their mark as we have.
News Generation continues to dedicate
time of volunteer PR support to Safe Shores, the D.C.
Children's Advocacy Center, in Washington, DC, and the
Partnership Against Domestic Violence in Atlanta. We
are committed to volunteerism as a way to get involved
in our communities and really use our communication
skills to make a difference. To help ensure the best
volunteer experience possible, we've included some tips
to help match up your talents and interests with organizations
in need and questions to ask yourself before committing
to a cause.
____________________________
QUESTIONS TO ASK: What am I interested in doing? Should
I do something I am good at, want to learn more about
or that is related to my career? How much time can I
dedicate? Think in terms of each week, day or during
certain seasons or periodic times Do I have an area
of expertise that would benefit an organization? How
would the logistics work? Would I be there in person
or do the work online? Is the location convenient?
____________________________
TIPS FOR WORKING TOGETHER: Understand and believe in
the mission. Keep lines of communications open. Set
out a list of goals early and make clear responsibilities.
Stay organized, provide long lead times for meeting
planning and incorporate plenty of cushion time to avoid
surprises. Have a crisis communications plan in place.
Radio Station Formats
by Susan J. Matthews
In our Spring, 2002 newsletter,
we highlighted station formats and included descriptions
and demographics of typical listeners for each format.
Many have been surprised to learn just how many, or
how few, of each formatted station there are.
For example, when asked, most would
say that 'talk' or 'news' are the number one formats
in the United States. However, country is overwhelmingly
the number one format, followed by news and Spanish-language
formatted stations.
When targeting any radio campaign,
it is essential to determine the geographics and demographics
you want to reach. Geographic targeting is typically
pretty basic. Ask yourself this question: Does what
I am pitching affect the people who live in this area?
Demographic information, or pitching by format, can
be a bit trickier. Within the geographic areas you are
pitching, you want to make sure that you are only pitching
stations that are formatted towards your ideal listener.
The best advice is to picture your ideal listener. Are
they predominately male or female? How old are they?
What is their education level? Do they listen to talk
radio or mostly music? Asking a few leading questions
can help you really visualize the ideal listener and
formulate a list of potential formats to pitch.
We have provided a list of the number
of stations per format, as a follow up to the format
descriptions and to help determine the possible universe
for your message. For more radio resources, including
format descriptions, please visit www.newsgeneration.com/radio_resources/resources.htm.
Mammograms Investigated on NOW
with Bill Moyers
by Martha Sharan
After years of bombarding women
with messages about the importance of mammograms for
the detection of a leading killer, breast cancer, now
American women are getting shocking information, by
way of radio, newspaper and television, about the very
tests they’ve been urged to use.
On June 27, 2002, after a year-long
investigation, reporter Michael Moss of The New York
Times broke the bad news. Doctors in two states may
be putting women’s lives at risk, with some missing
as many as four tumors in every ten, because they may
lack the ability to read the shadows and swirls of a
mammogram.
Ten years ago the federal government
set out to clean up the mammography industry, but the
sad reality is that today women may be no better off
than they were back then.
The searing results from the two-part
investigative report spread well beyond the circulation
of the Times. The findings hit radio stations all around
the country to promote the weekly PBS news series NOW
with Bill Moyers, featuring a segment on the state of
mammography screenings in the United States. This cooperative
undertaking between The New York Times and PBS also
stressed ways that women can protect themselves and
help them seek out the highest quality mammograms available.
Working with the publicity team
at Kelly & Salerno Communications, News Generation added
radio to the effort, resulting in an additional 10 million
listeners benefiting from the investigation’s findings.
An audio news release sent out to stations across the
country reached the ears of more than six million listeners
and interviews booked with reporter, Michael Moss, on
news and news-talk stations reached another four million.
This cooperation between newspaper,
radio and television achieved what the media was designed
to do in the first place: serve the public. A vitally
important issue received immediate and widespread coverage
arming women with information necessary for the protection
of their well-being.
Tuning In newsletter is produced and distibuted bi-annually. The goal of the newsletter is to educate clients on radio trends and industry tips, as well as highlight case studies and release survey information.
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