Leveraging The Power Of Radio Personalities

By Jon Holiday ~ Managing Partner Radio Consulting Services

Dom Testa (above right) is the morning host on “Mix 100” KIMN-FM in Denver, Colorado. Before most of us are awake, he’s already perused prepared for his weekday morning radio show. He on-air partner Jeremy Padgett (above left) crack open their mics and greet their faithful listeners with topical information, entertaining lifestyle stories and an infectious smile that permeates his every word.

Dom Testa is the reason why AM and FM radio will survive, fending off numerous radio-challengers from MTV to Pandora. All have failed to silence this century-old medium because for all the shiny new technology, radio, at its core, is about people and community.

“I’ve hosted the morning show on Mix 100 since before our producer was born. And that’s not a joke” says Testa. “I never miss being grateful for this opportunity. I’ve been fortunate to have a great job, but also, it’s a job where we have a great time. It’s so much fun. I know I’m blessed, so I never take it for granted.”

In a tech-savvy world where anyone can program their own radio station online or play their favorites via smart phones and other devices, thousands of Dom Testas do their homework and make the experience personal on radio stations all across America. Testa says, “We have strong adult numbers that range from eighteen-year-olds to sixty-year-olds, and that’s pretty rare.”

I met Dom about 10 years into his still long running tenure at KIMN-FM, a Hot AC powerhouse in a Top 20 radio market. He moved to mornings after an 8-year run at former crosstown Top 40 Y-108. And he’s now 28 years into his current gig at Mix 100.

No curated playlist or algorithm streaming music service can replicate Testa’s life stories, pop culture banter and, of course, that smile. Still, technology provides a critical link to connect him with his audience. “We don’t record any of our callers who come in. The producer puts up like a sentence on the screen of what they’re going to talk about, but that’s all we know. So, our callers are spontaneous, too, and we have a blast, because we don’t know what they’re going to say to us.” says Testa.

He has been involved with Food Bank Of The Rockies in the local community. “Local families need more help than ever before, and Food Bank of the Rockies is a key component in making sure people in need don’t go hungry.”

His approach to radio and connecting with listeners offers valuable insights others would be wise to emulate. “We like to talk about things in life, and in our personal lives, that people can relate to. So, I get the local angle, but I kind of wonder sometimes if local media companies don’t put too much stock in that. Good content is good content, and I don’t think it really matters where you are. I guess I’m kind of in the middle about that.”

These are the qualities that make a great radio personality and a radio personality great. They’re also the same qualities that can jumpstart an advertiser’s impact when that trusted radio personality delivers your marketing message.

If your brand isn’t leveraging the power of radio personalities like Dom Testa, you’re overlooking a powerful tool that’s been around for 100 years because it works. New technology and audio delivery systems will continue to thrive and splinter market share, but none will extinguish the little AM/FM engine that could.

Because at its core, radio is about people and community.

About Radio Consulting Services

Radio Consulting Services is the multi-format consulting and programming services company advising stations on how to grow their audience. Every day, our winning Programming and Consulting team keeps radio stations on top.  For more information on how Radio Consulting Services can help your company gain more listeners, achieve higher ratings and grow revenue, contact Jon Holiday.