Please Stop Launching Radio Stations Like It's 2005.
Radio doesn't have a branding problem. It has a value proposition problem.
Every few weeks, I read another press release announcing the launch of a "brand new" radio station.
The logo is new.
The imaging is new.
The slogan is new.
It's going to be "the soundtrack of the city."
It's "today's biggest hits."
It's "a bold new chapter."
I've been in radio for more than twenty years.
I've read this exact press release hundreds of times.
And every single time, I ask myself the same question.
Who is this actually written for?
Certainly not the listener.
Because if it were, it would answer the only question that matters.
Why should I choose you?
Not over the station across town.
Over Spotify.
Over Apple Music.
Over YouTube.
Over TikTok.
Over podcasts.
Over every other piece of entertainment already sitting on my phone.
That's your competition now.
Not another FM frequency.
We're Still Writing Press Releases for Radio People
The more I read these station launch announcements, the more one thing stands out.
They're almost entirely about the radio station.
Not the listener.
Think about what they don't say.
Nothing about local personalities.
Nothing about local creators.
Nothing about becoming part of the community.
Nothing about helping me discover what's happening in my city tonight.
Nothing about introducing me to the next great local artist.
Nothing about making my life better because I listened.
And perhaps the most unbelievable part: many don't even tell me how to listen.
Where's the app?
Where's the stream?
Where's Apple CarPlay?
Where's Android Auto?
Where's Alexa?
Where's YouTube?
Where's TikTok?
Where's Instagram?
Where's the digital experience?
Do we honestly believe a 22-year-old is going to read a press release and think, "I should go find an FM radio"?
Come on.
Then Comes the "Commercial Free" Gimmick
And while we're at it, can we please retire one more marketing cliché?
"Commercial Free."
Really?
That's the winning proposition?
We're still acting like people are going to race to a radio station because it's commercial free... for a limited time?
That battle is over.
Spotify Premium is commercial free.
Apple Music is commercial free.
Amazon Music is commercial free.
My own music library is commercial free.
And unlike radio, those platforms play exactly what I want, exactly when I want it.
So why are we still pretending "10,000 songs commercial free" is some revolutionary idea?
It's not.
It's the bare minimum.
Even worse, it's temporary.
You're asking someone to change a listening habit because you'll have fewer commercials... until Tuesday.
That's not a strategy.
That's a promotion.
If "commercial free" is the most compelling thing you can say about your product, you've already admitted the product itself isn't compelling enough.
Radio Doesn't Have a Branding Problem
Here's the uncomfortable truth.
Nobody leaves Spotify because your station has a cooler logo.
Nobody switches from Apple Music because your sweepers sound bigger.
Nobody downloads your app because your imaging package has more explosions.
People change habits when you offer something they can't get anywhere else.
That's where radio has lost its way.
We've become obsessed with launching radio stations instead of building products people actually want.
Give Me Something Spotify Can't
Want me to listen?
Tell me where the best food truck is tonight.
Tell me about the band playing five miles from my house before they sell out arenas.
Introduce me to people making a difference in my community.
Make me laugh on my drive home.
Help me discover local businesses.
Break local news before it floods my social feed.
Help me feel connected to where I live.
Create moments that algorithms can't.
That's something Spotify can't do.
That's something Apple Music can't do.
That's something AI can't do.
That's radio's superpower.
Yet somehow we keep leading with "a fresh new logo."
Stop Launching Stations. Start Solving Problems.
Radio doesn't have a branding problem.
It has a value proposition problem.
We continue to market radio as if radio itself is the destination.
It isn't.
The destination is wherever people find the most value, the most entertainment, the strongest connection, and the best experience.
Sometimes that's radio.
Most of the time today, it isn't.
Not because radio can't compete.
Because we're still telling people what we built instead of why they should care.
Here's My Challenge
The next time your company launches a station, don't write the press release for people in the radio business.
Write it for the 24-year-old who hasn't intentionally listened to terrestrial radio in years.
Answer these questions.
Why should they care?
Why should they leave Spotify?
Why should they leave TikTok?
Why should they open your app?
What will they get from you that they can't get anywhere else?
How will you make their life better tomorrow than it was yesterday?
If you can't answer those questions, the format isn't the problem.
The logo isn't the problem.
The frequency isn't the problem.
The press release isn't the problem.
The product is.
Please stop launching radio stations like it's 2005.
Stop announcing frequencies.
Stop celebrating logos.
Stop hiding behind "commercial free."
Start building experiences people actually choose.
Because the future of radio won't be won by convincing people to come back to FM.
It will be won by giving them something they can't get anywhere else.