This week I was a part of a conversation that had nothing to do with radio. Until I realized that it did.
For 790 weeks (that’s 15+ years for those of you keeping track), I’ve been churning out these Frost Advisories on my nifty laptop with the hope that they may inspire you to do better radio. Maybe even transformational radio. Golly, maybe even to impact your listeners’ lives.
Continue readingAfter you get to a certain stage in your career where you’re confident in what you’re doing, you have a certain “flavor” that you bring to the show – and it’s working; you’re successful – how you get even better is when you show more dimensions.
Which is more important? Creativity or discipline?
My answer is ‘yes.’
My first Program Director gig was when I was 21. Obviously, I didn’t know anything about programming at that age, but I did have the lowest voice on the air staff, had my own car, and laughed at the boss’s jokes.
In the decades since I’ve trained a couple of program directors, coached a few air personalities, and taught up to a few general managers about the fundamentals of programming.
Continue readingYears ago, the great comedian Norm MacDonald was fired from doing the “Weekend Update” on Saturday Night Live. It was because one of the higher-ups at NBC was friends with O. J. Simpson, and he demanded that Norm stop doing jokes about the ex-football player and accused murderer.
After that, Norm was on Late Night with David Letterman, wondering and griping a bit about getting fired. But Norm also quoted something that Letterman had told him about the bosses of network TV –
I don’t mean to brag but I was third chair Sousaphone player in high school. I could puff out my cheeks on the half notes right along with the best in the county. My West Texas public school education learned me a lot about good music.
But enough about me. I wonder what we could learn by comparing the design of a great radio station to that of a great song.
Let’s start at the beginning.
Continue readingMajor league baseball runs a commercial during a change of innings that says, “Every good player knows the value of a coach.” And that’s true, but I think the opposite is true, too – every good coach knows the value of a great player.
A lot of good coaching is just staying out of the way, or just gently carving at the edges of things – because…they’re good. They don’t need a lot of, “This is how we do this.” In radio/TV/Voice acting, it’s more about “This plays to your strengths more,” or “It’s better if you stop here instead of adding one more thing.”
Coaching is a two-way street. Hard to do on your own.
In the two previous Frost Advisories here and here I have shared a few brief ideas of how we can learn from the Turning Point USA movement created by Charlie Kirk. This week I’ll dig a little deeper on one of those ideas.
#2: Do your homework. Prepare.
Continue readingIt’s important to take stock sometimes, and wonder “How did this happen?”
Case in point, promos for a show playing DURING that show. Yes, I know, TV does it all the time — to the unheard voices of people screaming, “I’m watching the show NOW!” at their TV screens.
On last week’s show I shared a few brief ideas of how we can learn from the Turning Point USA movement created by Charlie Kirk. This week I’ll dig a little deeper on one of those ideas.
Have a clear vision and purpose. Charlie made it clear what Turning Point USA stood for.
Continue reading“The mission of Turning Point USA is to identify, empower, organize, and mobilize students to promote the principles of freedom, free markets and limited government.”
A generation – maybe more – of young people wanted to “Be Like Mike” (Michael Jordan, of course) when I was younger.
In the radio arena, I wanted to be like Larry Ryan. Larry’s a legendary morning man in my hometown of Shreveport, Louisiana. And besides a terrific, inviting voice and a laugh that makes YOU laugh, Larry embodied what I wanted in my life – to be successful, well-liked, and have a long career.
So, as everyone does, I did my best “impression” of Larry.
