Those of us on the programming side of radio all want more. Granted, if we have a single, competitive bone in our body, we should want more; more marketing, more access to research and information, more cross-promotion, and in many cases, more local content. But, there’s nothing wrong with wanting that and pushing for it while also understanding the problematic situations our business finds itself in as we continue to dig out of the pandemic. 

So there have always been two options. On would be to complain to anyone who will listen (and that group is much smaller than you think), or continue to push forward, make the best of the resources you’re given while also planning and plotting for a future of achieving what it is you eventually want for the radio station. 

Depending on your company and market size, you may have one or two local shows on your station for many news talkers. Of course, you may prefer having local, but at the same time, having syndication isn’t something you need to, or should, view as a negative. 

What can you do in news talk syndication to create a “local flavor”? How can you make these syndicated hosts, many of whom have hundreds of affiliates, feel like they’re part of your market? Well, that depends on who your host is, but many will be willing to do whatever they can (if they’re smart and care) to help your station and market. 

In our case at KCMO Talk Radio, Dave Ramsey has always been a very engaged syndicated host with our market. From hosting Ramsey events in Kansas City to providing himself and his personalities as guests on our local shows to doing local endorsements, there is a strong connection and feeling to the audience that Dave is part of the KCMO family. He has also been a staple in his mid-day time slot on the station for over a decade.

For more newcomers to the station like Ben Shapiro, who is also incredibly busy as a co-founder of The Daily Wire, he may not be as accessible. Still, he is willing to turn around topical and unique liners and rejoins we can use throughout syndication that make Ben sound like he’s one with Kansas City. For example, rejoins over bumper music during the holidays, saying, “Hey, it’s Ben Shapiro, and to all our KCMO listeners, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!”

Around the rest of the station, Mark Levin’s book publisher was kind enough to send us a few extra copies of his recent bestseller, American Marxism. We then planned an interview with Mark to promote his book and talk about the day’s news while announcing we would then be giving away copies all week long. 

Some of these items are smaller than others, but they’re personable and are appreciated by listeners. And guess what, these small things add up.

Granted, they may not add up by tomorrow, next week, next month, or even next year, but they’re building blocks. Whether it’s something glorious like events with personalities or smaller items like topical liners, these move the station forward in a positive way. As a bonus, it prevents you from complaining to someone who likely doesn’t want to hear it anyway. Everybody wins.