Don't Rule Out Radio. Imagine these scenarios: It's almost Labor Day and your company is ready to announce a plan to offer on-site childcare and other family-friendly
perks to employees. Or...a federal judge moves to break up a certain software behemoth and your CEO (a Linux pioneer) wants to offer his perspective on how the ruling will affect
the marketplace. If you're channeling all your pitching karma into TV and print, you may be missing out.
"Radio is an excellent way to position [a CEO or company] in a leadership role on an important issue. And radio programming can be produced and distributed almost
instantaneously, making it a good medium to use when you're involved in, or wishing to react to breaking stories," says Deborah Genovesi, director of West Coast operations for DWJ
Television, an audio and video broadcast production company. Among radio's other strengths:
Precise Targeting. You can reach narrow audiences, such as farmers, African Americans, teens or college students.
Potential for Legs. You can extend your coverage by offering state networks and individual stations local contacts for follow-up interviews.
Low Cost: The average ANR (audio news release) costs around $3,500-$5,500, whereas VNRs run a minimum of $20,000. DWJ TV fees for ANRs include scripting, recording
sessions, editing, distribution and an 800 number that producers can call to gain on-demand access to audio material.
Mileage: If you've already produced a video news release, an ANR can be efficiently derived from your VNR - at a reduced price compared to the cost of producing an ANR
from scratch. (DWJ TV offers a discounted rate of $3,000 for ANRs derived from VNRs).
A good ANR will include several soundbites - called "actualities" in the radio biz - from your spokesperson or expert that radio producers can incorporate into their newscasts.
"Anything that has a ring of timeliness can usually be turned into a punchy radio story," Genovesi says. The average ANR reaches 5,000 to 10,000 listeners nationwide. Their main
downside is that, unlike VNRs, they can't be electronically encoded to track placement. ANRs are best used in tandem with VNRs to enhance a well-rounded campaign. (Genovesi,
DWJ TV, 310/827-8567, [email protected])