FM drops to a low number of connected listeners after attempting a “standard” news format

The station even went out of its way to reorganize its schedule and lock in fixed time slots for debate and journalism programs, choosing the classic news window. In other words, it deliberately stepped onto the field to compete head to head with stations that already dominate that time slot.

It is a relatively new station in Natal. When it stays in the safe territory of music, it does very well. In multiple audience surveys, using different methodologies, it frequently appears among the three most listened to. So far, so good.

The problem starts when it decides to play at being a standard news radio station and tries to compete for the attention of people who turn on the radio for debate, news, and analysis. That listener is not random or neutral. Historically, this is a pro market audience, interested in economics, politics, and power from a very pragmatic perspective, far removed from ideological romanticism.

That is where the classic mistake comes in. The panel begins to give too much space to anti market discourse, as if that listener profile were a minor detail. It is not. People who like this format quickly notice when the editorial stance does not match their expectations. They feel misled and do what every radio listener does when something bothers them: they turn the dial or close the app.

The result appears without the need for any speech. Streaming audience collapses and becomes a mirror of what is already happening on live radio. Connected numbers do not lie, do not campaign, and do not ask for context. They simply reveal the enormous difficulty of sustaining a standard news format when it completely ignores who actually listens to this kind of content.

It is a relatively new station in Natal. When it stays in the musical lane, it performs well. Very well. In virtually all the most reliable surveys, it shows consistent presence in the top three most listened to stations. It has never led the rankings, that is true, but it is always on the podium. For a young FM station, that is no small achievement.

The problem begins when it decides to play at being a standard news radio station and tries to compete for the attention of people who turn on the radio for debate, news, and analysis. This audience does not appear by accident. Historically, it is a pro market listener, interested in economics, politics, and power from a pragmatic perspective, with little patience for ideological romanticism.

Here comes the classic mistake. The panel starts giving too much space to anti market discourse, as if the profile of that listener were irrelevant or interchangeable. It is not. People who like this format quickly realize when the editorial proposal does not speak to their expectations. The feeling is simple: editorial betrayal. And the reaction is immediate. They close the app, switch stations, disappear.

The result shows up without any rhetorical effort. Streaming audience plunges and begins to faithfully reflect what is already happening on live radio. Connected numbers do not campaign, do not contextualize, and do not ask for patience. They simply show that if the station decided to give up the solid average audience it already had, it chose the right formula to do so: define a target audience and, with efficiency, drive it away.