Chapter 7

1. Come up with a list of 5 radio stations in the Utah area (choose some FM and some AM stations – music and talk). Write a description of each station including format, advertising, and target audience. What makes each station successful?

97.1 – ZHT
This radio station plays the latest hip hop music and new popular music. The target audience is mostly teenagers and those in their mid twenties, or just people who like hip hop music. The advertising that they have is for popular shows in TV, modeling careers are those pursuing a career in the entertainment business, Halloween costumes, haunted houses, and what is going on in the “Hollywood world.” This station is successful because people like to know what is popular and they play the top new hit music and keep people informed on what is “in.”

93.3- K bull 93
They play the hot new country songs and old country classics. The target audience is country music fans from young ages to those who have been listening to country music “forever.” The advertisements are aimed at people interested in Country music concerts, they had cheap auto insurance ads, bull riding contests, and free flat screen giveaways. This station is successful because they reach all country fans by playing the newest country music, and then the old country favorites.

92.5- U 92
This station plays the latest rap, hip hop and R&B. The target audience is mostly teens that like this kind of music. Their ads are talking about the latest concerts, celebrity gossip about the artists that they play on their station, they talk about popular TV shows. They are successful because they are for a specific group of people who like rap, hip hop, and R&B and they play what is new and hip in the rap industry today.

910 AM- Radio Disney
This station plays the latest Disney stars who have come out with new albums and popular young artists such as The Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana, High School Musical, and Cheetah Girls. It is mostly targeting young “tweens” who watch the Disney channel and are aware of who is who on the Disney channel. They had advertisements for board games, shows in the Disney Channel, the latest Disney Channel Original Movies, shows in the Disney channel and when they are aired. This radio station is successful because they have interactive things such as call in and be a grand prize winner and things like that. They play the latest popular music for young teens and play the music that these kids see on TV everyday.

1230 AM- ESNP Radio
This station keeps live updates on sports games, and sports news to keep sports fans updated if they are unable to watch the game on TV or attend the game. The target audience is sports fans and mostly men. The advertisements were for radio shack, signing up for the ESPN magazine, what time games are being aired and played, sign up to get ESPN on your Ipod, and things aimed at men and sports fans. This station is successful because it gives the target audience exactly what they want; coverage on sports.



2. Radio is described as “the most personal of the media,” why is that? Why do you think music is an important part in radio programming? Why is talk radio so popular?

Radio is said to be the most personal of the media because each radio station is designed for a specific target audience. 93.3 is for country fans, ESPN radio is for sports fans, Radio Disney is for Disney channel fans. Also, listeners can call into radio stations and put their personal opinions on their air and contact radio stations directly. People can call in and interact with the radio DJ one and one.
I think that music is an important part of radio because it is entertainment and allows people to express themselves through music and it allows people to identify and relate to a specific artist and therefore gets people hooked to radio stations because they feel as if they have connected to a singer. I know that for me personally I like to have music while I am driving or while I am doing something in my apartment that does not require a lot of thinking, I like to have music as background entertainment.
Radio talk is popular, because like I said before, people can call in and make the radio a personal conversation with the radio spokesman. It gives people a chance to tell their feelings to those locally, and people listening can relate to the person that has called in. This is a big example of how radio is personalized. Radio talk always makes me think of the movie, Sleepless in Seattle when Tom Hanks calls in and talks about his wife and how the woman all around the world empathize with him and want to help him with his problems.