How Stations Can Win Online without News

I recently submitted an article to radioupdate.com titled “How Stations Can Win Online without News,” and thought I would do a podcast to follow that up.  If you’re not following radioupdate.com, you should.  It’s built and populated by radio consultants and other professionals, so every time you visit, you’re sure to find something of value for your radio(s).

For many years, we’ve encouraged radio stations to be the local news hub with their websites.  Having your radio station website be a local news hub is a no-brainer for most radio stations.  Just take the news you’re providing in the morning or throughout the day and repurpose it for online.  That consistently updated content gives people a reason to return day after day.  AI tools are making this easier and faster.  But what if local news is simply impossible?  This is feedback I often hear from stations that lack staff.  Others have competitors who already own “local news.”  Or perhaps their format focus might make it tough to sustain daily news coverage.

Regardless of your situation, it doesn’t mean you have to step back from being a content leader in your market. In fact, this challenge could push your station to create a digital strategy that your competitors can’t touch.

Don’t Compete Head-On—Find the Gaps

If another station already owns local news, don’t try to out-news them (unless you have a large team). Instead, ask: what are they not doing well on their website?  Are they ignoring community events?  Do they lack strong on-air personalities who blog daily?  Do they miss opportunities to tell human stories about the community?  News-heavy stations often sacrifice personality and local flavor for headlines. That is your opportunity to lean into the personal side of radio.

Event-Focused Content

Local events may not always make headlines, but they connect people.  Promoting them ahead of time and then covering them deeply—on-air, online, and on social—gives you unique authority.  Make your station website the local “Events Hub.”  Post photo galleries, recaps, or even short audio/video highlights.  Interview event organizers or spotlight “what to expect this weekend.”  Unlike generic national news, this is content your community can’t get anywhere else.

Personality-Driven Content

If you can’t be the news station, be the people station.  Encourage your talent to blog, post, and share personal takes.  Record short videos for social media that feel raw and real.  Showcase your team’s unique perspectives on music, pop culture, or local life.  If you’re syndicated throughout the day, ask for RSS feeds from their blogs that you can import to their show pages.  A station that builds strong personalities creates loyalty.  And in a market saturated with “news updates,” relatable hosts will stand out and be more relatable.

Other Content Opportunities

Here are more ways to keep your station content-rich without relying on traditional local news:

• Local Sports: Even small-market games matter to families. Highlight schedules, scores, and standout players.
• Community Voices: Feature local leaders, teachers, business owners, and artists. NPR did very well with this at one point. Short interviews can be as impactful as breaking news.
• Obituaries & Milestones: Birthdays, anniversaries, retirements—life moments that national sites will never cover.
• Lifestyle Content: Weather tips, local restaurant reviews, seasonal guides (“Best Pumpkin Patches Near You”).
• Interactive Features: Polls, “Question of the Day,” or listener-submitted stories/photos.
• “Swap Shop”: Items for sale and services offered by locals.

All of these positions your station as a trusted community hub, even without traditional news.

What About Importing RSS Feeds?

It’s tempting to fill your website with national or syndicated news feeds. But here’s the problem: listeners who feed off that content already get it from everywhere else.  If your digital presence looks like a copy of Yahoo News, there’s no reason for your community to visit your site. Local, unique, and personality-driven content will always win.

Final Thought

Each week, we’re hearing about bigger radio groups putting a bigger focus on local.  You should, too, and being “content-heavy” doesn’t require being a “news station”.  It requires creativity, consistency, and a focus on what your competitors are overlooking. So, if news isn’t in your wheelhouse, don’t retreat—lean into events, personalities, sports, and stories only your station can tell. That’s how you’ll stand out, earn trust, and become essential in your community and online.