When a hip hop legend like Snoop Dog calls the third period of an Olympic hockey game, it’s time to give some thought to the rapidly growing concept of the Alt-Cast.
If the previous sentence reads like gibberish, allow me to explain. NBC’s Olympics coverage included a series of special reports from a one-of-a-kind correspondent, Snoop Dogg.
To me, it seemed like his reports — and especially his outfits — were one of the best parts of the Milan Cortina Winter Games coverage. Then, to top it off, he hosted a special broadcast of the third period of the men’s quarterfinal hockey game against Sweden.
He didn’t replace the regular coverage of the game. Instead, the Snoop-cast was available as an alternative on the Peacock streaming platform. As Front Office Sports pointed out in an article about Snoop’s hockey exploit, this is part of a bigger trend of networks rolling out alternative versions of big-event programming to give consumers more choices.
The premiere example of an Alt-Cast is the so-called ManningCast, which features Peyton and Eli Manning doing an alternate Monday Night Football broadcast. The Barrett Media staff recently wrote a piece about how being invited to be a guest on the Mannings’ show has become a coveted opportunity.
For me, there are two questions that come out of considering the growing popularity of the Mannings and Alt-Casts overall.
Question 1: Is your morning show as good as the Mannings?
When ESPN announced the return of the ManningCast for last season, the network pointed to three strengths that are eerily similar to what great morning shows do. Consider each of these points:
- Big-Name Guests: The show brings in personalities that go beyond the sports world, including pop culture celebrities and several former presidents. This is a staple of the show that fans have come to expect. It begs the question: What is your morning show known for?
- Peyton’s Interactive Whiteboard: The whiteboard, which Peyton uses to provide in-game analysis, and other gadgets have become a regular part of the show — much like having a strong daily benchmark that gives the show at least one consistent piece of entertaining programming. Does your morning show have a go-to piece of content it can count on?
- Fan-Centered Content: As opposed to the announcers on the regular broadcast, Peyton and Eli watch the game like fans, reacting to the plays in real time with excitement, disbelief, and other emotions. Does your morning show come off like real people the listeners could easily sit in a bar with, or do they seem like announcers in an ivory tower broadcasting to the lowly masses?
Question 2: Have you changed things up lately?
It’s true radio stations don’t have additional channels like NBC or ESPN to host Alt-Casts on. But there are lots of ways to safely change up your station’s normal format without taking any big risks. Consider these scenarios:
- Guest Hosts: When a talent is on vacation, instead of rolling a “best of” show or having someone from the air staff fill in, find a guest host. It could be someone well known in town, a former talent from another station, or someone from a band.
- Listener Control: Pick an hour and give control of the station to a listener. Pre-record their breaks and give them some leeway in selecting the music. It’s incredibly memorable for that listener and proof to the rest of your audience that you care about having them involved.
- Use a Turntable: Especially on Classic Rock or Classic Hits stations, playing music from vinyl is surprisingly powerful with your P1 listeners. They will appreciate the feeling that the station is more than just a computer.
- Concert Replays: This is not a new idea. Program the station to play the setlist of a big show in town starting at the time people who attended are getting to their cars. Track it with a talent talking about the artist and the music. It’s virtually risk-free because it takes place at night, and it’s a great way to heighten the experience for listeners who went to the show.
Those are just a few ideas for how to create our version of an Alt-Cast. Just like how ESPN maintains its regular broadcast alongside the ManningCast, I’m not suggesting you throw your regular format out the window. Instead, consider taking calculated risks so listeners who are tired of the same old station every day have something unique and fun to look forward to.
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