Dealing with Change

Program Shifts!  Equal Stress!

Wisconsin Public Radio: Ends production of “Old Time Radio Drama”

Something like this might seem like a simple shift in programming. 

The joke, What is a good time to program radio drama? 1948. 

Pretty funny, huh? Not to those who think public radio should be the keeper of the flame. As a veteran of these types of programming moves, I can tell you, the logical reasons you came up with to make long overdue changes, don't matter to the listeners.

Anytime I pulled something off the air, even if the data demonstrated no significant listenership, those listeners suddenly appeared after the change. Be prepared. The response will be bracing.

WPR has been through this before with the opera and locally produced car repair program. In both instances, the producers were connected and exerted pressure to get the programming back, including a state audit and a very large contributor to the University.

A program I took off the air had no discernable audience. The producer put pressure on the Board, found a contributor for $5,000, and pressured the CEO into putting the program back on air. Nevermind that the replacement contributed thousands of new listeners and increased core loyalty in it's time slot from barely breathing to about 70%. I was told to stop making sense. The experience gave me the tools to deal with much larger changes later.

Be ready. Get the board, well, on-board, Make sure all of management is ready for the change. The response is something you must be prepared to deal with. Your messaging needs to be consistent. All responses should be handed over to those trained to deal with listeners. You must be willing to listen. Many of those calling and writing probably never listen. It's just the idea of the change that runs counter to what they think you should be doing. Don't bore them with the ratings.

WPR seems prepared:

“While schedule changes can be difficult, now is the right time to end this program,” said Mike Crane, WPR director. “Many of these plays and productions were produced more than 60 years ago and include racist and sexist material. Despite significant effort over the years, it has been nearly impossible to find historic programs without offensive and outdated content. And, ultimately, these programs don’t represent the values of WPR and The Ideas Network’s focus on public service through news and information.”

What's that quote about the best laid plans? "The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry. No matter how carefully a project is planned, something may still go wrong with it. The saying is adapted from a line in “To a Mouse,” by Robert Burns: “The best laid schemes o' mice an' men / Gang aft a-gley.”