Getting it Right

Curmudgeon Alert

Years of audience research and focus groups reveal that Public Radio's audience expect us to get it right. So...what happens to our credibility when the weekend host on our local station calls Delbert McClinton Dilbert?
Unless...of course...he really did mean Dilbert!

And another thing...It's BER-lin...not ber-LIN.
So...how come it's always being mispronounced?

Berlin: This town east of New Britain is BUR-lin, not bur-LIN. So, when you see the sign on Route 9 that says "East Berlin," try not to think of Cold War Germany.

You can look it up here...

It takes very little to get people to tune away. Why would you put any barriers between you and your listener? I worked in three very competitive markets with several public media options. Watching the audience data made it clear there was little room for mistakes. Barriers between you and the listener were usually unforced errors and easily fixed. Leaving the barriers unattended resulted in loss in occasions and duration of listening. For public media the decrease in revenue can be catastrophic. Today, with so many platforms and option available, there is very little margin for error.

Work with your people to get it right. Checking out the details is easier than ever. Digital media may be resulting in competition for the ears and minds of your listeners, but it also offers a greater opportunity to get it right.