You all know I’m a Tony Kornheiser radio junkie, so I apologize for being a little tardy getting to this.
But Tony’s show just became a case study for terrestrial radio vs. podcasts – and how not to market either.
Tony’s daily programs used to post to iTunes as podcasts mere minutes after the show’s 11 a.m. completion on ESPN980. I’d eagerly download them before my afternoon commute, and finish them up in the morning. Beginning Friday, May 27, however the podcasts were strangely on delay, unavailable until 24 hours later.
I was a little miffed, but not totally upset. I thought maybe Memorial weekend threw a wrench into the upload schedule. But it happened again Tuesday, and again Wednesday.
I didn’t think much more of it until I haphazardly plugged in last Tuesday’s show on today’s morning drive. Surprisingly, Tony began by pointing out the 24-hour delay. The podcast version of his show is, in fact, now downloadable only the next day. This was an ‘understandable’ business decision, he mentioned, but he seemed skeptical.
And so am I. The rationale for the decision is something like:
- We want more people to listen to the broadcast “live,” because that’s what the advertisers pay for.
- If the podcast isn’t available till later, more people will listen live. And that’s what we want.
This seems intuitive. It seems plausible. But is it?
The largest circle of listeners to “The Tony Kornheiser Radio Show” is in the greater DC area; who presumably report increased awareness of Window Nation and Bagel City. The other circle of listeners downloads his podcast daily.
Who are these people?
Are they DC-area residents, unable to listen in the morning? Or are they national devotees from Tony’s ESPN radio days? Finally, do they, as ESPN 980 management must believe, listen to the podcast to avoid the ads?
I’m inclined to believe the podcasters are like me, national followers, and just a fraction of the DC audience.
Because why would ESPN 980 make this decision without data to show that a substantial portion of regional listeners download the podcast when they could instead listen to not one, but two daily airings? Presumably the change will be justified by podcasters flocking back to the airwaves, and listening to 30-second spots during the breaks.
But I’m a skeptic. I don’t think the crowds overlap that much. Radio advertising is a passive medium. This is why it works. Radio listeners are almost always doing something else while they listen to the radio. Ads, thusly, must repeat frequently and command attention immediately. The passive listener never changes the channel, so by osmosis, they absorb more than they would through TV or print.
By contrast, podcast listeners are active listeners. They download the TK show to pay full attention to the content. They’re engaged the whole time, even during Gary Braun’s repeated “Striker?” jokes. Whether they’re D.C. residents or a national audience, they’re committed to Tony Kornheiser’s show. They are his best customers.
Now, however, ESPN 980 has made a decision to shortchange the best customers, in order to reach a mythical “more” customers in the moment. It’s a gamble – because those customers may not exist. My guess is ESPN 980 won’t even see a bump in ratings during the next three months when Tony is on air.
My other guess is that ESPN 980 will see a decrease in podcast downloads. For me, Thursday and Friday podcasts are now almost out of the question – rendered totally irrelevant. So 980 has made a decision that underscores the whole problem with radio vs. on-demand. You’re gamble on presenting your advertisers with raw numbers, ratings, and millions of people viewing your product.
But those are empty numbers. Those clicks and library-readers and channel-scanners don’t internalize a thing – not your content, not your advertiser’s. But you’ve chosen to chase the promise of empty, inflated numbers instead of building your growth through your best customers. It’s newspaper circulation vs. actual consumption. It’s pageviews rather than click-throughs.
The decision probably came about as a result of unhappy advertisers, who wanted a wider net to cast during the TK show. That’s understandable. As a media buyer myself, I’m always concerned when eyeballs or earbuds decline.
But there’s a perfectly acceptable alternative solution. Tony’s sizeable podcast following is a small, but active customer base. Instead of making a decision to shortchange these customers – and winnow your overall listener numbers – why not leverage these folks to present value to advertisers?
Keep the podcast up for download right away. But don’t strip the ad content. That wouldn’t bother me. I already tolerate (and sometimes enjoy) Tony and Nigel’s reads during the script. If I’m ever in D.C. and need an onion roll with cream-cheese or a double-pane door, I know where to go.
By leaving the ad content in, you can also present podcast customers, downloads and plays as added value. What better way for advertisers to reach the TK Show’s most loyal customers? For certain advertisers, this is a great throw-in. For others, you can even put a price on it. You’ve added to the value of the TK show, ESPN 980, and the saleable product. You’ve deepened your relationship with advertisers without compromising your active listener base.
Instead, ESPN 980 made a decision to placate a few unhappy advertisers. This may buy them a few months, but after listeners plateau, those advertisers will be unhappy all over again. Instead, they could have utilized their devoted customers to grow their value, their business, and in turn, their reach.
The challenge for all media companies is finding ways to deliver to two sects of customers: advertisers and consumers. All too often, media companies bet on the wrong group. ESPN980 is no exception.