In a temptation too easy for many talk radio show hosts, the time for prognosticating Donald Trump’s running mate has arrived. I have heard hosts waste precious airtime on this pursuit.
I want to tell you a little secret: No one cares. I mean real people. The political junkies may have an interest in Byron Donald, Doug Burgum, or ASPCA Poster Girl of the Year Kristi Noem. The actual real people have zero interest. Who are the real people? Your listeners who are struggling to put food on the table, pay their mortgage, and live in the crime-riddled sewer of Joe Biden’s American.
I can promise you something: Donald Trump and his glorious team are just beginning to evaluate the abundant choices. Remember, this crew found the most boring man in the world 8 years ago. Mike Pence was a bland little man who was a Garfield superfan. Yes, that Garfield. Pence probably cuddled up to a plush Garfield as he kept telling people to not look him in eye. Pence learned that from Ellen DeGeneres. That may not be true. Ellen DeGeneres and the Pence family were never seen together on vacation. It doesn’t mean that it didn’t happen. Ellen and Mike playing a spirited game of pickleball followed by digging into some Lasagna that Mrs. Pence and Ellen’s wife made.
Joe Biden found Kamala Harris. Harris is such a dunce that she makes President Biden look lucid. Imagine what those meetings were like? Candidate Biden’s people said that they need to find someone who is so desperate to be Vice President that they would get on their knees and beg for the best no-show job in the world.
So, you are hanging the drapes in the executive residence at The White House, you are sadly missing the point.
It is about providing the amazing people taking time out of their nightmare of a life. Provide a listener-focused experience. It’s May. Vacation season has arrived. Can your radio listeners afford a vacation this year? Should they take out a second mortgage on their home to take the wife and kiddos to Disney World? Better yet, what about the Wisconsin Dells?
Your listeners may have seen layoffs at the office. These people may want to purchase their first home and 8% interest rates are a little daunting. Perhaps, your listener has had a health setback, and the Obamacare copay is so high that they fear that it will sink them financially. Who is there for your listeners? Are you? Or are you so lazy that opining that Trump should choose Mitt Romney as his VP is your idea of compelling radio?
You may make a lot more money than I do. My grocery bill has doubled. Your listeners have experienced the same thing. Childcare is almost impossible to find. Many Americans are very isolated. The average household size in your community is 2.5 people. This is not because we are getting older.
My community has an average age of 37 with less than 2.5 people in the household. You represent connection. You may be the only person speaking to that human today. Check the stats for your community. You will learn that old Uncle Peter is right. I delight in providing accurate information. Can you imagine that Jason Barrett and Barrett News Media pay me for truth bombs? It is true. I went to a deli today and they asked if I wanted a pickle with my Pastrami on Rye. They had to actually ask. Of course, I am getting the pickle. I am at a deli in Des Moines.
Are you addressing the concerns of your audience? If you are taking a deep dive into Donald Trump’s Vice Presidential Sweepstakes, you are failing the listeners who are seeking someone who understands their plight.
Have you considered your community’s insurance rates? I drive an eight-year-old Kia. I like to live fancy. My Kia is paid off and probably has a few more years in it. Why should I pay a $500 a month car payment? I think that Dave Ramsey would approve. I am paying $90 a month. $90 for car insurance! Insurance companies are pulling out of certain states. These are actual concerns of your listeners.
I was speaking with a buddy who purchased his home in 2006. Last year, his neighborhood was declared a floodplain. There has never been a flood in his area. Yet, his home has become uninsurable. His home can’t be sold. He has lost everything. If his home burned down, he wouldn’t be able to rebuild it. He still has a mortgage. This a real concern of your listeners. Speak to them.
When you dismiss the real-world concerns of your radio listeners, you are abusing your relationship with them. Your connection with your listener is a sacred thing. Once you lose trust, it is almost impossible to earn it back.
Don’t be lazy. The worst lie that you can ever tell is the one that you tell yourself. We have all done it. Be a truth-teller. You represent the people. You are their voice. Never, ever abuse this. I find myself enjoying the wonders of a traffic jam. Don’t discount an old-fashioned traffic snarl. Keeps people in the care to enjoy your wonderful radio show.
Peter Thiele is a weekly news/talk radio columnist for Barrett Media, and an experienced news/talk radio programmer. He recently served as program director for WHO/KXNO in Des Moines, IA. Prior to that role he held programming positions in New York City, San Francisco, Little Rock, Greenville, Hunstville, and Joplin. Peter has also worked as a host, account executive and producer in Minneapolis, and San Antonio. He can be found on Twitter at @PeterThiele.
