ABSTRACT
Programming a radio station requires a mixture of skills, including staff management, audience research, music direction, marketing and gut feeling. This chapter examines music and talk programming in the different radio sectors. The key to programming is the development of a format that delivers a specific target audience by selection of programming material, inclusion of relevant promotional and marketing strategies, and an acceptable level of advertising content. It is important that the music format is continually monitored, constantly reassessed and finetuned to ensure that the programming philosophy is being maintained and that the music format is achieving the desired results. To alleviate the much-referred-to conflict between sales and programming, program directors need to understand the objectives of the sales department, and a defined set of program guidelines needs to be established and continually explained to members of the sales team. Promotions are an essential part of the marketing mix on a radio station.
