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Content from BPROne of the major findings in the study of psychology over the last 50 years has been what people had suspected all along: human thinking and judgment often isn’t rational.

And it’s all due to cognitive bias.Here’s an example. If there were two yoghurt brands on the supermarket shelf and one says “80% fat-free” and the other one says “20% fat added”, which one do you think most people will pick? Yes, the study found the majority chose “80% fat-free” even though both had the same fat content.Cognitive bias is the tendency to base conclusions and decisions on our predispositions rather than objective evidence.Cognitive bias is a strong preconceived perception of someone or something, based on information we have, think we have, or lack. These preconceptions are mental shortcuts the human brain produces to expedite the processing of information…..to quickly help it make sense of what it is seeing or hearing.Unfortunately, biases make it difficult for people to exchange accurate information. A cognitive bias distorts our critical thinking, leading to possibly perpetuating misconceptions or misinformation.Cognitive bias can be disastrous in strategic planning.Biases lead us to avoid information that may be unwelcome or doesn’t sit with our preconceptions,  rather than investigating the information that could lead us to a more accurate outcome.There are many types of cognitive biases and all serve as errors in a person’s subjective way of thinking. The biases originate from that individual’s own perceptions, observations or points of view.I’ll address just four types here.Confirmation bias. This type of bias is the tendency to seek out information that supports something you already believe and is a particularly harmful type of cognitive bias……you remember the hits and forget the misses. Confirmation bias can also lead to the “ostrich effect,” where a person buries their head in the sand to avoid information that may disprove their original point. “All my friends love my new morning show……the research must be wrong.”The Dunning-Kruger Effect. This particular bias refers to how people perceive a concept to be simplistic just because they don’t have a lot of knowledge on the topic…..the less you know about something, the less complicated it may appear. This form of bias limits curiosity…..the desire to know more, to explore the “why”. Unfortunately, this bias can also lead people to think they are smarter than they actually are, because they have reduced a complex idea to a simplistic understanding. “Our share of listening is up…….we are improving”. Perhaps not….it could just be that overall listening is down and your station’s average audience remained steady….it could be demos out of your target audience pumped up the figures…..it could be any one of a number of  anomalies.Availability bias. This bias refers to the tendency to use the information we can quickly recall when evaluating a topic or idea…..even if this information is not the most accurate. Using this mental shortcut, we deem the information we can most easily recall as valid and ignore alternative solutions or opinions. The bias operates under the principle that if you can think of it, it must be important. “The problem isn’t the music. There was a story on the news today about information overload……I think we’re running too many commercials……too many messages. We need an urgent review of inventory.”Status Quo bias. The status quo bias refers to the preference to keep things in their current state, while regarding any type of change as a loss. Change can be very scary for many people but this bias results in the difficulty to process or accept change that may be needed for a radio station to improve. Status Quo bias is connected to Loss Aversion bias…. the potential for loss stands out in people’s minds much more prominently than the potential for gains. “We’re not winning 25-39 females with the current format but if we change format we may lose even more”.As a programmer, how can you deal with cognitive bias?
Importantly, admit that as humans we are all impacted by it.
Seek out information from a range of sources and consider situations from multiple perspectives. Challenge your own ideas.
Ensure you have accurate research upon which to base your decisions.
Make no assumptions without research.
Avoid having to make decisions under time pressure where the decisions will be difficult to undo. Make the time to think the issues through.
Don’t make decisions when you’re in a bad mood (yes, that’s a psychological fact!).
If you’re not analytical with statistics by nature, don’t try to analyse data and make decisions based upon it. Find someone who is analytical to do it for you.
Don’t make decisions in the evening if you are a “morning person” (and vice versa).
Appreciate that uncertainty is a necessary ingredient on the road to rationality. Embrace uncertainty as an opportunity to sharpen your thinking skills and to learn from experience.
By David Kidd, BPR […]

According to a report by ANTARA news agency, Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Informatics (Kominfo) has highlighted the importance of radio’s vital role in providing information on the COVID-19 pandemic to people in addition to being an accurate information distribution medium to tackle hoaxes.“The ministry observes that radio plays an important role by providing information through a variety of talk shows, information dissemination activities, as well as public service announcements regarding COVID-19 pandemic,” Communication and Informatics Minister Johnny G. Plate told ANTARA.Plate also highlighted that the COVID Alert Radio movement, by the Indonesia’s Radio Community Network (JRKI), plays an important role in stemming the spread of hoaxes and disinformation related to COVID-19.

Radio not only plays a part in spreading information but it also offers public services, such as the online learning program for students during COVID-19 pandemic, he remarked.Head of Jakarta’s Public Broadcaster RRI (LPP RRI) Enderiman Butar-Butar echoed his group’s unwavering commitment to serving the people amid the pandemic by holding a broadcasting program and news segments on mitigating the spread of COVID-19.“LPP RRI’s journey for the last two years ever since the pandemic struck has been one of total commitment, meaning that our programs have been focusing on how to mitigate and how to stop the spread of COVID-19 from all sides,” he said. […]

India’s Big FM network is celebrating independent music in the country by partnering with Hungama Artist Aloud for their latest offering ‘The Blue Mic’.Starting October 11, the show will air Monday-Friday from 4 pm to 5 pm.Each week, it will feature one exceptionally talented artist or band and delve into their journey, music, inspirations, passions, future plans, interactions, on-air jam sessions and requests from listeners.

Every Saturday, the ‘Artist of the Week’ will also perform exclusively on BIG FM’s Facebook handle through their property BIG Café Online to entertain and engage with fans.The show will kickstart with Euphoria as the first band and will see many artists with their distinctive musical styles be part of the show.Sunil Kumaran, Country Head, Product, Marketing & THWINK BIG, BIG FM, said: “Over the last couple of years, Indian audiences have turned to independent music like never before and its loyal following is snowballing by the day. We are glad to provide a platform for the renowned as well as budding talents through which they can showcase their passion and give our audience fresh content that they can enjoy.”Soumini Sridhara Paul, Senior Vice President, Hungama Artist Aloud, said: “Today, almost everyone we know takes solace in music to relieve their stress and anxiety. At a time like this where we are fighting a global pandemic, we feel it is the need of the hour to provide our young listeners with content that they like and enjoy. Independent music has been on the rise and we are thrilled to present these talented artists with a platform that takes them to further heights.”Singer and Euphoria’s lead vocalist Palash Sen shared: “Having been so closely associated with independent music space over the years, I am glad to be a part of the show which celebrates independent music and artists. With new artists being discovered, it’s great to see these talented voices get the opportunities that they deserve. I am sure listeners will instantly connect to the show as they explore fresh music.” […]

Content from BPRThis quote comes from Michael Porter, an American academic known for his theories on economics and business strategy. He is credited for creating Porter’s Five Forces analysis, which is instrumental in business strategy development today.

But the quote shouldn’t be taken out of context……it applies to one of his five “tests” of good strategy.Strategic planning in most businesses often focuses on what to do….what the goals are and how to achieve them. Makes perfect sense.In radio, we determine the strategic goals and articulate what the station will be…the means by which we will achieve those strategic goals….the format, the talent, the brand image, the “sound” etc.But Michael Porter makes a great point…….we should also articulate what the station is NOT.By establishing what you are NOT, you further define and refine the format by not only making it a much clearer value proposition for the listeners but also by crystallizing the programming vision for internal stakeholders.What a station is NOT depends on the format and the target audience. Here’s an example for a station taking a “family friendly” position targeting females with young children.We are NOT:
Boring
Loud
Fake
Smutty
Rude
Out of Touch
Try hard
Negative
Condescending/Patronising
Obnoxious
Soul less
Controversial
You now have additional filters through which every element on your station should pass before going to air, which will ensure that all content adheres to the brand promise.By David Kidd, BPR […]

Content from BPRFor years it was accepted that people listened to music stations primarily for music. Everything else was secondary. Now that may be changing. A recent study conducted by Jacobs Media suggests that music may not necessarily be the reason why listeners tune to their favourite station. The study shows that listeners are now more likely to choose a station because they like the presenters.The above graph tracks the appeal of music versus personalities over a 7 year period. At the start of the study, radio listeners chose music over presenters by a 13% margin. However, in the 2021 survey, listeners chose presenters over music by a 6% margin. This is a remarkable shift. (***)Let us examine the specific question/answer used in this survey. One answer option is “I like particular DJ’s/shows/hosts” and another is “I want to hear my favorite songs/artists”. The first answer option is clearly focused on presenters and their programs. The second is focused on a person’s favourite music.

What could have caused this shift in listener priorities? Look to the Internet.In the past few years, people’s music listening options have expanded dramatically. Spotify, one of the earliest music streaming pioneers, initially gave listeners the option to hear playlists based on a particular music style or artist. However, music streaming services now give the user the option of hearing specific songs on demand.  Listeners can hear their favourite songs as often as they like. Not only are they available on demand but they can be downloaded as well. This makes listening to one’s favourite songs and artists easier than ever before.Now we turn to presenters and their programs. If a listener wants to hear a specific presenter’s program, there is usually only one practical option: tune to the radio station where that program airs. Because the presenter’s program is proprietary to that station, it cannot be accessed any other way. Presenters and their programs give a station a unique selling proposition (USP) whereas music playlists do not offer this advantage.A word of caution. The presenters who are most attractive to listeners are the presenters with a personality and who have something to say. In other words, they are real communicators and not just slogan readers. Talented presenters require enough format flexibility to allow them to express themselves in a way that is interesting and convincing.It is ironic that in an era when station operators are increasingly reluctant to use live presenters, they are perhaps becoming an increasingly valuable and necessary asset to a station’s brand. Radio operators need to invest in the development of air personalities as if the station’s existence depended upon it.First published by Jacobs Media. Read original here By Andy Beaubien, BPR […]

Content from BPRPeople and companies who commit themselves to the search for knowledge with the most determination tend to be the least complacent and most successful.From radio’s perspective, the search is a continuous one to fully understand listeners’ evolving tastes, to ensure that your station is doing the best job of catering to those tastes and to be cognisant of threats, not only in the form of competitor stations but also the rapidly changing audio segment.

“Questions” are one of the most valuable weapons in your programming armoury. Without asking the correct questions, you won’t get any answers…you won’t get crucial insights….in other words you’re programming a station blindfolded.UK advertising executive Robin Wight is famous for defining the principle of “product interrogation”……. “interrogate the product until it confesses to its strengths”.In the world of programming, you could amend the quote to include “and weaknesses”.Now interrogating a competitor’s radio station is easy. You get the results of a strategic market study, look at what the listeners want and see how competitors are perceived in delivering on the programming priorities. But when it comes to interrogating your own station, sometimes it’s a lot more difficult. Human beings can be defensive, they can be subjective rather than objective when they are personally involved in the creation of the product. They can be biased, they can create their own “subjective reality”.Let’s revisit my take on Robin Wight’s quote: “interrogate the product until it confesses to its strengths and weaknesses”.You won’t get the confession you’re after unless you are completely objective – ask the right questions during the interrogation process (I’ve seen some absolute shockers that have rendered the responses useless-but more on that in another article) and be prepared for whatever the listeners throw back at you.Their perception is your reality!By David Kidd, BPRRead more at: https://radioinfo.com.au/news/interrogate-product/ © RadioInfo Australia […]