How to Pitch: Nile FM Drive
January 03, 2016 Radio
When 104.2 Nile FM and Nogoum FM 100.6 launched in 2013, they became Egypt's first independent radio stations. MediaSource caught up with Nile FM’s Assistant Programming Director and drive time presenter, Mohamed 'Mickey' Ibrahim, to discuss the evolution of the station, appealing to Egyptian audiences and pitching for radio.
Who is your target audience?
Our audience is mostly in the Greater Cairo area, although through our award winning app and online streaming services we also have regular listeners from all over the globe. Our core audience is between early teens and late twenties.
Your programme The Big Drive Home has been renamed Nile FM Drive for 2016 – what can audiences expect?
The Big Drive Home has always been a very dynamic show, where we have lots of on-air games and a variety of discussion topics every day. With the change in format starting in 2016, we plan to expand on that dynamic nature as it carries over into Nile FM Drive. Egyptian listeners enjoy being surprised and get bored easily if the show isn’t constantly evolving - we’re aiming to make the show even more varied and fast-paced than it’s ever been.
Tell us a bit about your role at the radio station?
As well as presenting the drive time show, I also host HomeGrown which features local underground musicians, and produce a late night weekend dance show. Off-air as the station’s Assistant Programming Director, I deputise for our PD and handle the technical backend for our station’s scheduling and commercial logging systems. Taking care of our music database, inserting new songs and imaging, coordinating between departments and making sure everything is running smoothly are all a big part of my day-to-day activities.
If a PR or marketer has a great idea for the show, what’s the best way to pitch to you?
We love out-of-the-box ideas. When a sponsor or client approaches us with something novel, that’s what gets us most excited. Pitches from the client side are usually held on our premises, so being prepared with a presentation and at least partially formed idea is crucial. In the radio business it’s usually us pitching ideas to a potential sponsor, but it’s not unheard of for a station to tailor a show specifically upon a client’s request.
It’s best for the client to keep an open mind about criticism and adjustments though, because sometimes clients are not always fully aware of what can and can’t work on-air.
Are there particular production deadlines to bear in mind when sending you a story idea?
Broadcast is a very time-sensitive medium. If ideas are based on a season or holiday, there has to be ample time to put everything together. A lot of planning and production goes into the final product. If the idea is open-ended and not tied to a particular date from either our side or the client’s, we can usually take our time to make sure it’s as perfect as can be before putting it out the door.
From your experience what makes for a great guest spot on the show?
Humour. We’ve had guests of all kinds, ranging from musicians to doctors, to charity workers and event planners. If there is humour involved, I can bet you anything that not only will the show be much more appealing, but that their message will also get across much more effectively.
Any advice for marketers about pitching to radio?
With standard radio, you lose the visual element, and that makes it harder to come up with ideas that would grab and maintain a listener’s attention. Selling a product through print media can be easier by showcasing the product itself, but through radio there has to be an element of curiosity. You have to get the listener interested to know more. For example, it’s standard practice for a radio presenter to entice a listener with a tiny bit of information and tell them more is coming up in a minute to keep them listening a little longer. I believe most successful campaigns on-air maintain that element of curiosity, along with solid interaction both on-air and online.
What’s the best way for PRs to build a relationship with you?
Every presenter is a people person. Aside from having a solid on-air team, our marketing and sales departments will always cater to our clients and PR contacts. Staying in touch and clarity of communication is important, but between our solid protocol and strong desire to keep our circle of contacts happy, I’m sure our clients, sponsors and PR clients will find themselves effortlessly in a solid relationship with us.
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