This is the fifth in a series about the author’s experiences helping to launch and operate WDOG(LP) “The Rock Dog.” Read Dan’s first feature in the series, “It’s the People Who Craft a Career in Radio,” his second, “In New Philadelphia, the ‘L’ in LPFM Stands for Local,” his third, “This LPFM Fills a Rock Music Format Void.” and his fourth, “So You Have an LPFM Station. Now What Do You Do With It?“
In the community of New Philadelphia, Ohio, 105.9 WDOG(LP) is a small station, but it packs a big “bark.” It might be 100 watts of “flame-throwing power,” but when it comes to promotions and community support, “The Rock Dog” is anything but a lazy dog.
Promotions and events — paired with solid branding — do more than just build an audience. They accomplish what great radio does best: Serve the community!
Years ago, my first boss taught me that the most important rule was “to make money so we can serve the community.” Decades later, I still respect the wisdom in that logic. Whether through underwriting, commercials, listener donations or grants, a great radio station continuously reinvests in its town. When you do it right, the station and the community lift each other up.
Recently, the Rock Dog crew heard about a situation with the New Philadelphia Police Department. One of their young K9 officers developed a severe illness that required expensive surgery and, ultimately, a premature retirement. This created a sudden financial hurdle for the department, which also needed to raise funds to replace the retiring dog.
Upon hearing the news, WDOG donated $500 to assist and immediately asked our listeners to match it. Never passing up a win-win situation, we updated The Rock Dog logo to create a custom NPPD “Cop Dog.” We printed black t-shirts (keeping costs low to maximize the return) and donated 100% of the sales to the police department. We also dropped off a batch of shirts at the station so officers could sell them directly.
It was the perfect way for a station branded around a dog to step up and show our city of license that we care and want to be part of the solution. Ultimately, a few thousand dollars went to assist NPPD with the retiring K9’s surgery and help bring a new police dog onto the force.
Our mission statement explicitly commits to “helping all other non-profits in the area.” When the station manager, morning host and chief bottle washer (all me!) started brainstorming how to put that into action, the idea for “Woofstock” was born.
Rock music and Woodstock are already synonymous, so why not pair a rock station named The Rock Dog with a signature event called Woofstock?
In June of 2024, we held the very first Woofstock. New Philadelphia boasts a beautiful, expansive location called Tuscora Park — complete with picnic areas, a pool, a large fishing pond, amusement rides and ballparks. We reached out to the city to organize a free, day-long live music festival where local nonprofits could set up tents at zero charge to share their missions, recruit volunteers and run their own fundraisers.
The station sponsored the musical lineup by covering the bands’ reduced fees and providing the main stage, sound system and a professional audio engineer. Both Mayor Shane Gunnoe of neighboring Dover, Ohio and New Philadelphia Mayor Joel Day attended — even helping us debut an updated Rock Dog logo on stage!
During our third Woofstock on June 13, we had even more non-profits registered for free booth space and a stacked lineup of local bands ready to take the stage. It is a full day of free family fun, and a fantastic way to champion our fellow nonprofits.
Over my career, I’ve learned countless lessons about programming and execution, but you know you’re doing it right when a listener walks up to you like a long-lost friend and says, “Hey Dan, how’s it going? It was hilarious when you were talking about that pothole and spilling your coffee!”
You look at that person and realize you’ve never met them in your life. Yet to them, you are that familiar friend they chat with every single morning — even if the real-time conversation only moves in one direction! The psychology of radio is wonderful. You quickly learn how easy it is to make a positive impact on someone’s day while having an absolute blast doing it.
At WDOG, most of our station volunteers have very little (or no) prior broadcast experience. Because of that, our coaching focus is simple: relax, have fun, be yourself and speak one-on-one. Make sure what you say is relevant, keep it engaging and, above all else, stay intensely LOCAL. We constantly reinforce our core mission statement: support the community, support the people and support the local non-profits.
Throughout the year, WDOG has integrated itself into the fabric of the region. Roughly every two months, the station hosts or anchors an event aimed at giving back. For example, our annual Christmas food and coat drive allows listeners to donate warm clothing, non-perishable food and financial contributions directly to the Salvation Army to support families during the holidays.
Beyond charitable endeavors, WDOG keeps things fun by sponsoring a local racecar at Midvale Speedway and hosting ticket giveaways for our listeners. We’ve sent fans to major rock shows, including Donnie Iris and “The Orchestra” (featuring former members of ELO).
Our regular “Weekend Concert Getaway” contests keep the audience tuned in for chances to win show tickets, t-shirts and station swag. All of these touchpoints deepen the listener’s connection to the station and keep the energy on the air sky-high.
In our next feature, we’ll look at what is on the horizon for this little station, including a major technology upgrade currently underway that will take our operations to the next level.
When people claim “radio is dead,” I just laugh. Radio isn’t dead at all — it is alive and thriving when it is done the right way! When it stays hyper-focused on the listener and the local community, keeps content relevant and shows the younger generation just how much fun this medium can be, radio isn’t going anywhere.
