Rarely do you hear guys brag about their urologist. Based upon the bumpy road I’ve had the last several years in that medical department I’m eager to brag on mine. (I’m fine now. Thanks for asking).
My recent annual exam went swimmingly wrapping up with “the glove.” In the man-to-man chit chat that ensued I awkwardly asked, “How can you do this procedure every day of your life?”
Continue readingRumor has it that there are more “religious” radio stations than any other format category. Rumor also whispers that those religious stations have fewer listeners than any other. I don’t like those rumors.
But having been involved in the CCM format for more than 25 years I suggest that there is something we might learn from Easter.
Continue readingIf you’ve followed these tips, you know that I’ve frequently referred to a morning guy in my hometown of Shreveport, Louisiana. His name is Larry Ryan, my first mentor, and he’s as good at connecting with an audience as anyone I’ve ever heard in any size market.
“Lovable Larry” did his show with his sidekick “Mr. Weather” for well over 50 years, with consistently fine ratings. Continue reading
Years ago, I traveled to Indiana to work with a morning show there. It didn’t take long to spot the fundamental weakness of the show – the guy was basically just allowing his female partner to be his live “laugh track.” And the Content was weak to begin with, some lame ‘prep sheet’ type of stuff and what he thought were jokes.
The problem was, she was much better than he was.
What do you see in this picture?
Some will just see four guys and a lady standing on the curb. Not a very compelling picture, either, with the faces of the lady and the guy in the blue jean jacket not even visible.
Others will recognize those four lads as the Beatles, but don’t realize the photo’s significance without the context of when it was taken.
Continue readingPeople often ask me what I listen for as the coaching process begins. There are many facets to an air talent, but I can learn where we need to start by hearing three breaks.
[1] A straight “station business” break. Does this person sound like he/she actually gives a cr*p?
[2] (For music radio) A short break, say, over a brief song intro. Does that person attempt to do anything, or does he/she just do a basic intro? Continue reading
Here’s a clever tip that can help you figure out a couple of things that are really important.
Sarcasm works okay in certain movies, TV shows, or articles, but if you think sarcasm is a strength on the radio, think again.
For every person that “gets” sarcasm and thinks it’s funny, there are most likely two people that don’t.
And that’s especially true of women. Most women think it’s uncouth, hurtful, and/or stupid. (This is not an empty guess. In my life are my wife and her two sisters, my own two sisters, and two nieces. You should see the looks they give when someone is sarcastic to them.)
“Oh, well then, sarcasm will work with men.”
Don’t be so sure. Just this week, a couple of my friends went through a heated argument when one of them tossed out a sarcastic comment.
So, drop the sarcasm. It pretty much just makes you sound like a smarta$$.
I’ve heard of an author that is willing to sit and watch his books go unsold because apparently for him that is better than changing the essence of what he’s written.
Seth Godin in his book “Linchpin” points out the author’s passion is for his craft, but has no real passion for spreading his ideas. “And if his ideas don’t spread, no gift is received. When an artist stops work before his art is received, his work is unfulfilled.”
These concepts are paradoxical.
Continue readingSo many beginning air talents think that they need a “big” voice to succeed. But they don’t.
Nobody cares about your voice.
They care about what you SAY.
Having a good voice is fine, but it doesn’t necessarily equate to more listeners. An idiot with a great voice is still just an idiot.
