Have you ever heard this phrase in a job interview: “We’re looking to build a local version of The Dan Le Batard Show“?
I’ve heard that a lot. On its face, it’s an exciting thought. The station is looking for someone creative to build something fun.
For a different type of host, hearing that a program director or market manager wants to build a local version of The Herd can be just as exciting. It means the station values strong opinions, great guests, and good research.
Hang on though. Keep those emotions in check. There is a question you need answered before you know whether this is a situation worth pursuing or not.
What kind of support staff will I have?
If the answer is anything short of five producers, you need to dig deeper to find out what it is about the national show the managers want to model their new, local show after.
This is not an indictment of Dan Le Batard, Colin Cowherd, Dan Patrick, Golic & Wingo, or anyone one else doing national network radio with the benefit of a room full of producers. It is just simple math. Take Le Batard for example.
He has Stugotz as a co-host, Allison as a guest booker, and Mike Ryan, Billy Gill, Chris Cote, and Roy Bellamy as producers. That is seven different people that can generate ideas, chase down guests, and create elements and imaging for every segment. Again, it is taking nothing away from Dan. It is merely noting his advantage and how it makes his show very tough to re-create.
I was 24 when I got my first morning show. It was 2005 and I was still in rock radio. During that time, the thing I noticed in a lot of ads on the All Access job board was “we want to do The Daily Show on the radio.”
Forget trying to do everything an ESPN Radio or Fox Sports Radio host does with fewer resources. Try keeping up with Jon Stewart, a legit comic genius who has a huge staff of producers, writers and correspondents. Also, instead of having to fill 30 minutes four nights a week, the station wanted me to fill four hours, five days a week. Oh, and the entire show was just me and a single partner.
Look, everywhere you turn in this business hosts are being asked to do as much or more than they were doing before, but now they have fewer resources and smaller budgets. Being asked to make content miracles is nothing new and there are plenty examples of teams or solo hosts in local radio doing shows every bit as compelling as those on the national networks.
Program Directors and Market Managers need to zero in on what it is they like about their favorite network shows. Unless you’ve got a seven-figure budget, it is unfair to tell your new host that they need to create all the bells and whistles of a show with network distribution and a TV simulcast.
Instead, think about what qualities you are looking for in a show or in a host. If you want someone that won’t back down from their opinions, say that in your ad and in the interview. Don’t tell potential hires that you want them to do what Colin or Stephen A do. That is an impossible bar to clear on a budget that allows for a single producer.
Better yet, drop the comparisons all together. I mean drop them from your job description and your mind.
Do you know why you’re so attracted to shows like The Dan Le Batard Show or The Pat McAfee Show? The programming executives that were putting those brands together weren’t looking for the right person to host the show they wanted on their network. They found a host they wanted and then supported him with the producers and other support staff he needed to shine.
Next time you have an opening to fill, do yourself a favor and clear your mind. We all have favorite shows, but trying to copy those shows or do dime store versions of them is guaranteed to end in disappointment. They’ll never sound like what you had in mind.
Instead, look for talent. Focus on finding a unique sound or point of view, then ask yourself what the best show you can reasonably build around the host that meets those requirements sounds like. Do this for a dozen or so people before you start lining up interviews. That will give you a much better chance of finding your unique star, which is what you really want.
News Talk radio was rarely creative when looking for talent. That is why every nationally syndicated host is a Rush clone. That is why every local host is a Rush clone.
The format got lazy and made stars of copycats. Now it’s full of angry, white baby boomers that are indistinguishable from one another. Sports radio can do so much better. So drop your preconceived notions of what you want your next hire to sound like, and let’s do better!
Demetri Ravanos is a columnist and features writer for Barrett Media. He is also the creator of The Sports Podcast Festival, and a previous host on the Chewing Clock and Media Noise podcasts. He occasionally fills in on stations across the Carolinas in addition to hosting Panthers and College Football podcasts. His radio resume includes stops at WAVH and WZEW in Mobile, AL, WBPT in Birmingham, AL and WBBB, WPTK and WDNC in Raleigh, NC.
You can find him on Twitter @DemetriRavanos or reach him by email at DemetriTheGreek@gmail.com.
