We all have pet peeves. Whether it’s being angered by being interrupted or forgetting to put the toilet seat down, everyone has something that triggers their anger. And the same can be said for news/talk radio programmers and leaders.
One programmer may give advice that makes another’s skin crawl. And that’s the beauty of the art that is news/talk radio. We asked two program directors and a general manager what their radio pet peeves are, and found some interesting answers.
“Personally, I just think too many talk show hosts rely on calls to be good. That would be like a standup comedian relying on hecklers to make their act good,” 95.5 WSB Director of Branding and Content Ken Charles said. “A talk show host on their worst day — mad, got in a fight with their wife, maybe hungover from a long weekend, the kids annoyed them — better be better than a caller on their best day.
“I think too many show hosts come in and just expect the callers to carry the show. There’s a reason it’s called The Mark Arum Show, or The Von Haessler Doctrine, or The Erick Erickson Show. The connection is with the talent, and the over-reliance on callers drives me crazy.”
790 KABC and 560 KSFO Program Director Luis Segura took the opposite stance, stating his belief that taking callers separates news/talk radio from other mediums and creates a more intimate atmosphere on the station.
However, Segura was quick to point out another radio faux pas that grinds his gears.
“Remind me who you’re talking to. I think sometimes — especially when you have people used to doing a podcast as a radio show. When I go to a podcast, I probably already know who you’re talking to. It’s probably right there in the title,” Segura said.
“When I come into the car or I’m at home and I turn the radio, I might be coming in the middle of the conversation. Remind me who you’re talking to. Who are they? I’ll hear something and think ‘This is really good. I wish I knew who this was.’ That’s probably my biggest. Tell me who you’re talking to.”
WTOP in Washington D.C. has been the top-billing radio station in America for nine consecutive years, and has had the top spot in 13 of the past 14 years. So, unsurprisingly, WTOP Senior Vice President and General Manager Joel Oxley’s focus was on commercial breaks when asked about his radio pet peeves.
“Super long stopsets. Just tough,” Oxley said, noting that the station utilizes fewer commercials than most of its competitors in its top revenue finishes. “It’s just really hard to say how that’s a good thing. Except, it does seem to be a way to get Nielsen numbers.”
When asked if he was surprised that more stations hadn’t followed WTOP’s lead in the direction of fewer commercials, Oxley noted that many all-news stations — pointing out specifically 1010 WINS, KCBS, WBBM, and KYW — feature a similar format and are “really good news operations” that “do a really good job.”
He concluded, however, that his pet peeve doesn’t rear its head at the Washington all-news outlet thanks to support from the station’s parent company.
“There’s a lot of good stuff out there, but we’ve been fortunate to be with Hubbard that has allowed us a lot more support.”
Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing bi-weekly industry features and a weekly column. He has previously served as Program Director and Afternoon Co-Host on 93.1 The Fan in Lima, OH, and is the radio play-by-play voice of Northern Michigan University hockey. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.
