Pretty much every air talent tries to establish “benchmark” material. But what, exactly, makes something a “must hear” feature?
Well, first of all, it’s about the idea itself. Back when the huge box office sci-fi movies were just becoming all the rage, my morning show partner in Houston, Fred Kennedy and I came up with a thing we called “Star Fake.”
I’m surprised at how often I hear this conversation.
“That’s a lot of work.”
“It’s not in the budget.”
“I don’t have the time.”
Creating bad radio is easy. Just listen up and down the radio dial.
Continue readingOne of the things that comes up in coaching sessions with any music radio air talent is not just doing it, but “doing it well.”
It’s easy to wonder what key ingredients add up to accomplishing that. So here’s how it works:
Keep things short. This isn’t about a word count or how many seconds something takes. It’s about not adding words to sound more important.
Keep things simple. Make it easy to follow. Too many details, or parenthetical phrases will inevitably add up to unnecessary “side roads” in your Content. Always imagine the listener in the car, with his or her head on a swivel trying not to get crashed into by some distracted driver. The last thing anyone needs is something that takes too much time to follow.
Keep it short + Keep it simple = Doing it well.
This Frost Advisory is a personal tirade. I’ll apologize in advance.
Now lazy disc jockeys have another excuse to be lazy.
I was recently listening to a very well known radio station when I heard the talent talk about Facebook – for three consecutive breaks.
Continue readingMost air talents talk about “it.” A great air talent talks about us, and how “it” affects us.
Many air talents struggle for Content, but you can see Content pretty much everywhere if you think about how to make “it” about us, and if you do it the right way.
This week I’m jumping on a big airplane to share some nifty ideas with a group of your CCM radio sisters and brothers. In case you weren’t invited, I’ll give you a tease.
A while back I was trying to hire a major market pro to do the morning show in a really big market with very tall buildings. Although we had never worked together directly I did trick him into being the image voice for a bunch of my stations.
Continue readingThere are only two basic types of Content: it’s either observational (you saw it or read it), or it’s experiential (you actually did it).
So… your initial camera angle will be either Observational or Experiential, and either way will work. It’s your choice.
It’s ironic, isn’t it?
In a format that is all about belief, few stations ever share what they believe.
Not a doctrinal statement, but a brand position. A flag in ground. A line in the sand. A reason to be on the air.
Chick-fil-A has one. Your money is no good there on Sunday.
Continue readingIt’s very possible to become overwhelmed by what you’re required to do by the higher-ups. Research studies, guidelines for Content, listener profiles that only provide one side of the equation, etc. can hamstring an air talent to the point that you can feel like there’s nothing you can say. Or you second-guess things, wondering if you’re meeting the sometimes lofty guidelines that are presented to you.
So, let me simplify things for you. Continue reading
The celebration of our nation’s 248th birthday can be a reminder of the transformational power of reflecting beliefs and values, and adopting common ground.
For 25 seasons I’ve had the best seat in the house as a semi-professional public address announcer for St. Louis Cardinals’ spring training and the minor league season that follows. That’s lots and lots of National Anthems, dizzy bat races, and seventh inning stretches.
Do you know what I enjoy the most? It’s when my voice is the cue for veterans and active service members to rise and be acknowledged for their service and sacrifice for our country. And, incidentally, that is when the ovation is the loudest.
What in the name of Thomas Jefferson does this have to do with programming your radio station?
Continue reading
