Wednesday, March 08, 2006

Sanitized For Your Protection


Robert Feder has a very informative profile and interview with Chicago's #1 morning guy, Eric Ferguson of "Eric & Kathy" fame. Read it and learn:

Together with co-host Kathy Hart, they've dominated listenership among advertiser-coveted 25-to-54-year-olds for most of the 10 years they've been at WTMX-FM (101.9), the Bonneville International adult contemporary powerhouse known as the Mix.

The secret to their success -- or at least one of the secrets -- has been their ability to keep their show edgy enough to engage grownups but clean enough to sail right over the heads of youngsters.

1 comment:

girard31 said...

Eric's admission that his audience is broad and constantly in flux flies in the face of the "know your listener" mantra shoved down young talent's throats.

Check it out:

"Q. Whom do you consider to be your "typical" listener?

A. Mainly humans. In the early years, the show catered primarily to women. There were five million morning shows in town all vying for the male listener, and the female listening audience was underserved. Like anything else that happens over time, the show has evolved.

Trying to determine our "typical" listener is difficult because we have an audience that has evolved with us, both men and women. That's what makes it fun for us because we hear from so many people with different perspectives on a topic. It's a melting pot."

I think good talent works from a core audience outward. The trick is finding the management to allow that to happen. It helps always having good 35-54 numbers.