Many seniors have been forced to wait out the current crisis in isolation. Retirees have managed to find connection and comfort through the airwaves.
Good News radio station helps seniors connect and combat isolation
Adweek reports that Radio Recliner is an online pirate radio station that is hosted exclusively by elderly DJs from assisted living communities across the United States.
In April of this year Radio Recliner was launched by marketing firm Luckie. They created it as a means of keeping lonely seniors entertained and optimistic during the current crisis.
New shows are airing every day at noon
The company only planned on airing new 60-minute shows every day for one month. But the station has garnered more and more listeners. Meanwhile, Radio Recliner has also attracted a team of 18 senior DJs to continue recording new segments.
New shows are aired every day at noon. The station now streams a continuous loop of old content to keep its fan base entertained. On the Radio Recliner website, listeners can also submit song requests. Moreover, they can also ask the hosts to broadcast audio messages and shoutouts to friends and family members.
“For this generation, radio was the original social media,” Luckie chief creative officer Mitch Bennett told The Tennessean. “Dedicating a song to someone you love, and having them hear it along with everyone else, is a special way of connecting. It’s a great time to bring that feeling back.”
While Radio Recliner is a fun walk down a musical memory lane, there is a far more crucial component: keeping seniors connected and engaged through the shared experience of music from many eras. One of the funnier aspects of the station is the names residents choose as DJ personas (15 of them so far). Names like Silver Fox, Birdman, Chickity Chick, Charming Charlie, and Jersey Jack create a good-natured roster that continually rotates.
