When I first arrived in Detroit, it was to run WHYT, the Capital Cities CHR station. It was a massive job, and I had my hands full. But right down the hallway sat the undisputed giant of the market: WJR.

Being local has always mattered.

In 2026, it is essential. Listeners expect it. Advertisers demand it. And ownership wants it done without blowing up the format or adding bodies. The good news is that you can sound local, relevant, and connected even with voice tracking if you are intentional. Here are format safe ways to win the local battle every day.

Every NFL team spends time on blocking and tackling. Think about that for a moment. These are the best football players in the world. They've been blocking and tackling since they were kids. Yet every training camp and every week during the season, coaches go back to the fundamentals. Why? Because championships are built on execution, not gimmicks. Radio isn't any different.

After more than four decades in radio programming and consulting, I've learned that some of the things programmers worry about most are things listeners rarely think about at all. A good example is the language we use. Radio people often create terminology that makes sense to us but not necessarily to the audience.

After more than four decades in radio programming and consulting, I've learned that some of the things programmers worry about most are things listeners rarely think about at all. A good example is the language we use. Radio people often create terminology that makes sense to us but not necessarily to the audience.

Has a lot changed in just six years? Absolutely. Technology has seen massive upward swings. Back in 2020, "AI" wasn't even a whisper in most programming offices, and apps were often seen as something for the "geeks" to worry about. Back then, radio was largely just "doing its thing"—the same thing we’d done for decades.