The Power of the Exclusive

This article was originally published in the monthly newsletter of UK based radio indie, Blue Revolution. In it I explore the value of exclusives to radio stations with a few practical tips along the way...

We all know that it is killer content that makes the difference on the radio ratings battlefield.

Whether it is the funniest presenter, relating brilliantly to his or her audience or track after track, after track that the listener loves to hear.

But what about your newsroom? When is the last time your journalists produced killer content that you thought could really help make a difference?

I would suggest that, generally, radio stations do an excellent job of reflecting the main local or national news everyday but exclusives are rarer. This is not necessarily a criticism of journalists by the way, many of whom can be inexperienced at smaller stations and doing their best with modest resources.

But, it is worth considering what exclusives bring to a radio station. Let us start with an easy but important question: what is an exclusive news story? Answer: it is content that the listener will not have heard elsewhere. Powerful stuff. So, aim for the stories that will persuade the consumer to tell family and friends: “Have you heard…..on the news on Down Your Way FM they said…” It will help spread the word that your radio station is the one to tune into for news.

My thoughts extend to all factual speech by the way. So, it may be a news bulletin story but it could equally be a travel update talking of a major road closure or a celebrity scoop. (The ‘exclusive’ can also refer to first plays of songs etc. of course.)

Just talking of an exclusive on air will help your news and information perception. It just sounds sexy doesn’t it? There is a health warning here though. Only sell your exclusive when it is a story worth selling. Bandying the phrase round for little else than local tittle tattle or a minor traffic jam will soon mean the listener will not take much notice.

The story needs to be relevant to the listener – as I would hope all your content is – and it needs to be strong enough to make him or her tune the radio up and listen closely. Referring back to my earlier point, it has to be a story the listener wants to retell to family and friends. The best term I have ever heard for this is, ‘social ammunition’.

So, where do your journalists find these exclusives? In honesty, they often come through a mixture of hard work and luck. A reporter may hear a whisper from a contact and attempt to follow it up. Perhaps he or she notice a missing angle from a newspaper or web article. Sometimes, listeners will contact the newsroom with tip offs. These are to be encouraged. Ask your listener directly to send you stories, either in trails or within bulletins. There will be a lot of stuff you are not interested in but there is sure to be the occasional gem too!

The other common source of exclusives is the interview. If your station has managed to secure time with an influential VIP or a celebrity, make sure your journalists or the producer/presenter work hard on the questions. A key consideration should be, “what has this person so far not talked about that the listener would want to hear?” From time to time, an interviewee will give you a gift and throw you an exclusive story during the interview without any preparation by your team. Cherish these moments!

So, you have your exclusive. The script is clear and crisp, the clips are ready to go and the web content including images are set to go live. What else can be done to capitalize on the situation? Tell the press! Your rivals can be your friends in this scenario. Encourage your Press Officer and/or News Editor to build a list of contacts to call in the event you have an exclusive story. These may include the local papers, the Press Association, national papers and don’t forget key news websites. Act quickly, either as you are about to go to air or, if you trust your contact, issue the story beforehand with a strict embargo. Insist on a credit for the radio station. Now, I need to manage your expectations. Sometimes a sub-editor might snip out the credit. I have even known two examples when the journalist has mistakenly credited a rival station (aaaahhhh!!!) but except these risks and push to get the station’s name out there. Don’t forget the trades if appropriate too.

Finally, programmers and their News Editors need to encourage an environment where the value of exclusives is seen. This means allowing the journalist the odd hour off the rota to put in calls or do interviews and so on. And rewarding scooping reporters in which ever way you see fit but, at the very least, a mention in the staff meeting, newsletter or an email.

So, to recap on five main points:

1. Value news and information exclusives. At best, it is relevant content that the listener will not have heard elsewhere.

2. Don’t start every new story with ‘exclusive’. To be worthy of the title, it has to be something special, something stand out.

3. Exclusives can come from a variety of sources from contacts and guests, to listeners and other media.

4. Allow other media to run your story, with a credit for the radio station of course.

5. Reward journalists who bring in exclusives to encourage more in the future.

Take thirty minutes to discuss the idea of exclusives with your newsteam. Bringing these stories to air is also great for developing journalists and their own CVs! So, set them a challenge to bring more unique content to the air.

In a Crowded Marketplace Far Far Away...

I just found this photo of the BBC London 94.9 team at the Movieum (as you'd expect a museum about movies) on the capital's South Bank. It was one of those OB venues that also had a lot of visual potential for pictures.