Monday Monday; Talkin' Local

This past Friday Night following Letterman on CBS, I flipped over to NBC to catch Conan. It was a rerun from May 2006 - the last from four nights in Chicago.

During the program O'Brien and Andy Richter did a skit about a driving tour of the city - hitting various landmarks and other "colorful" areas of the city.

Watching got me thinkin' about the great music stations - the ones you listen to and can feel the vibe of the city on the air.....between air talent (morning drive and otherwise), imaging, promotions (and in some cases - the music).

And I've heard my fair share of those that were local - but might as well been satellite fed from anywhere.

Perhaps on your next day long "out-of-the-office monitor" of your station, note how many elements relate to your market: people, places, sports teams, landmarks and the like. If most of your local "color" revolves around nothing more than news and weather, then maybe you've got some work ahead.

Grant permission and challenge your airstaff to "think local" when they open the mic. Do likewise with your imaging director as he produces and writes.

Don't do it with pre-written "local" liner cards - it'll likely sound forced and awkward....too "formula". It really won't take much to compliment the sound of your station.

Just some early morning thinking.

Added - Dave Beasing (Jacobs Media) writes this morning on The Lost Art of Being Local: "At the end of the day, it's your ability to connect with the locals on their home turf - a quality that new media will never have." Read here.

Added 1/29: Dave Martin writes about "local, local, local" and connecting - here.

Let's use our biggest asset to its fullest.