Boomer Nation! broadcast radio show defies odds.

March 4, 2012 - PRLog -- Boomer Nation! defies the odds by celebrating the start of its fourth year as an infotainment AM radio show in a field dominated by politics, sports, and infomercial-like paid programming.

Boomer Nation! is a welcome anomaly in today's AM environment; not just because it's the first and still one of the only broadcast radio shows targeted directly to the massive generation of Baby Boomers, but because, unlike the vast majority of today's AM programming, it's both an informational and entertainment show, something increasingly more difficult to find on the AM dial these days.

"When we first developed Boomer Nation! I wanted to provide the best advice to my fellow Boomers in an entertaining format.  I think it's become so immensely popular because it's more like what AM radio used to be - well written, engaging productions that could easily compete with TV" says Terri Benincasa, the show's host and nationally recognized Boomer Expert.

No doubt as a result of dwindling listenership, over the past 6-7 years AM radio has morphed into a shadow of its former self, attempting to fill its coffers with income from weekend programs bought by any business willing to pay for an hour on the air vs. filling its airwaves with quality programming.  Luckily, Salem Communications, the network carrying Boomer Nation!, saw the show's value and added it as part of its weekend line-up.  

"I find folks like to blame internet radio for the listenership problems being experienced by terrestrial radio in today's market, but as someone with decades of experience in producing TV shows, I feel confident that's not the biggest factor" according to Carol Pettit, head of CAP Associates Productions and the show's Producer.  "Boomers particularly still rely on traditional media outlets, radio, TV, newspaper, to get their news and entertainment.  I can't speak for the print media, but I can tell you that while TV did an excellent job of offering a variety of creative programming to stay relevant, radio went in the opposite direction and is suffering as a result."

The show’s format includes a team of experts who provide the latest information on everything from Boomer health and wellness, to business/career planning and leisure activities, and interviews with nationally renowned guests like US Humane Society CEO Wayne Pacelle, the creative team behind the feature film “The Red Suitcase”, and pro sports figures like Tyrone Keys and Craig Breslow.

But according to Pettit, what makes Boomer Nation! truly entertaining is "a combination of Terri's sense of humor and high energy interviewing style, and the segments like the her 'Boomer Alert', 'Ramblings from Boomer Nation’s comedy team', and the 'Boomer Trivia Contest' all designed to give the show a true 'variety' feel."

Benincasa looks at it this way: “I love doing the show, our audience continues to grow as ever more Boomers find out about it, and as more marketers recognize the importance of campaigns targeted directly to Boomers on shows like our designed just for Boomers, we look forward to staying on the air in a market that typically doesn't value programs like ours.”

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Boomer Nation! Broadcast Radio Show is the first, and still one of the only shows of its kind the nation; for & about Baby Boomers, informative & entertaining, and airs Sunday, 5-6pm ET out of Salem Communication's Tampa station WGUL AM.

Photo:
https://www.prlog.org/11811001/1