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THE POWER OF THE MIRROR

By: Walter Sabo

With great puzzlement in his voice, a radio exec recently asked, “Why are the reality TV shows so popular?”

Reality TV shows have always been popular. The number 1 TV show on Saturday night is COPS and has been for 10 years. Here’s a list that might jog the memory:
America’s Funniest Home Videos, America’s Funniest Pets, Real People, Candid Camera, Queen for a Day, America’s Most Wanted, Real World, American Band Stand, The Grind, Soul Train and virtually every game show.

Why are these shows appealing? They show normal people in extraordinary situations. It’s the power of the mirror. The mirror is the single strongest draw in show business. A normal person in extraordinary situations can beat the top earning stars in the world. How about that.

I spent summers in college working at a newspaper. Everyday people would come to the newspaper office and buy dozens of back issue copies of any newspaper that featured a story about them and their picture. (That’s one reason newspaper websites charge for archives but not current newspapers. They are priceless if you are mentioned in that paper.)

For years, bad researchers would ask focus group participants if they had ever participated in a radio station contest. Almost everyone said, “NO.” Then we asked the question properly: “Most people have played radio station contests, which one have you entered?” 80% of the hands shot up. Then we asked them about those contests. To a person they were able to say the name of the host who gave them the prize, the name of the station, what they had to do and, if it was tangible--they still had the prize. Some have had the prize for 20 years.

Why? It was their moment in show business.

You wonder why people go on Jerry Springer, Montel, Sally? To be on Television. It is powerful.

You have the power. Talk radio is reality radio. 9 years ago we named WTKS FM Orlando “Real Radio.” Like most things, radio folks didn’t understand it. But the audience got it right away. Many who are out of touch with the target demo think that something like “The FM talk station” would have been more sensible. Go to Orlando. Casual as could be, when asked about the station, listeners will say...”Oh, yeah Real Radio.” Like they say “aspirin.” It’s part of their language. It’s a major reason Real Radio 104.1 is the number 1 Men 25-54 station in the market for the past 8 years.
It banks on the power of reality.

Real life. Real stuff. Never underestimate the power of two best friends talking to each other about their true concerns, their real experiences. Guests get in the way. Bits get in the way. One caller on for one moment taps into radio’s truest power. The ability to make a listener a star---even for a moment. A normal person in an extraordinary situation. That’s how you get ratings like Temptation Island.

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