Who’s Programming Your Radio Station Website?

If I walk into a radio station and ask who is responsible for what happens on the air, there is usually an easy answer. It might be the Program Director, Operations Manager or Brand Manager, but somebody ultimately owns the product coming out of the speakers. That person doesn’t choose every song, write every promo or coach every personality. Other people contribute to the finished product, but there is still someone paying attention to how all of those pieces fit together.

Now ask the same question about the station website. Who’s responsible for it? Not who knows how to update it or who calls when something breaks. Who is responsible for making sure the website is current, useful, growing an audience and supporting what the station is trying to accomplish? For a lot of stations, there isn’t an answer.

That’s where many stale radio station websites begin. Promotions sends contest details to programming. Programming assumes somebody will post them. The website person is waiting for an image. Sales is still confirming the sponsor copy. Everyone has done part of the job, but nobody owns the finished product.

The same thing happens with events, news stories, personality pages, schedule changes and advertiser promotions. Nobody is intentionally neglecting the website. Radio people are busy, the work crosses departments, and “someone needs to put this on the website” gets mistaken for an assignment. It isn’t an assignment until someone’s name is attached to it.

Last year, I wrote about stations appointing a Digital Content Director. I still think that’s a valuable role, but I’m less concerned about the title than I am about the responsibility. You may already have someone on staff who can do it. It could be your Promotions Director, PD, morning host or another person who understands the station and has an interest in digital.

Their job isn’t to create everything. News can write the stories. Promotions can supply contest information. Sales can provide sponsor copy. Personalities can contribute photos and content. Someone simply needs to own the finished product.

That person should know what’s supposed to be happening online this week, what is waiting on someone else, what needs to be published and what needs to come down. A shared calendar, task board or spreadsheet is plenty if it makes those responsibilities visible. But ownership should go beyond keeping the site updated.

A Program Director doesn’t just make sure something is coming out of the transmitter. They think about the audience, watch the ratings, develop personalities and make decisions about what will keep people listening. Someone should be doing the same thing with your website.

Are people coming back? Which stories and features bring them there? Are contests generating participation? Are you growing your email list? Are there things happening on-air that should become online content? Are there digital opportunities sales could be offering advertisers? Most importantly, what are you trying to accomplish with the website right now?

Maybe this month you’re growing newsletter subscriptions. During football season, local scores and schedules become a priority. When a major community event approaches, the website becomes an information hub. Those priorities can change just like your on-air programming changes.

You don’t necessarily need another employee or a new department to make this happen. You need one person with clear responsibility, a few measurable goals and enough authority to keep things moving. Give them access to the analytics, let them work across departments, and give them a backup for the inevitable vacation, sick day or afternoon when radio catches fire.

A better website won’t fix a broken process. Neither will another plugin, another social account or another meeting about doing more digital. Someone has to own it.

You already have somebody responsible for what comes out of the speakers. Your website deserves the same attention.