Retooling your news/talk radio show this summer is a worthy pursuit. Ok, I am not a fan of tossing the baby out with the bathwater, but this is the perfect time of year to try things. This is especially true if your show is on top of the ratings and revenue. I am going to give you some tools that you may find helpful.
If your show is working well, it is very easy to ignore signs of fraying. Tiger Woods, when he was just destroying the competition, changed his swing at least three times in his career. Why? I am guessing that Tiger found his swing inefficient. He tried new things. Tiger hired coaches. It was his desire to be better.
Are you trying to get better? When was the last time that you were airchecked? If your Program Director is not great at coaching, or you have adopted all of his/her suggestions and don’t feel like the show is fresh, you may need another coach.
If you work for a large broadcast radio company, ask for a critique from another program director in the company. Always go through your PD. Don’t go to a format captain without the PD’s permission. If you work for a smaller company that does not have the resources to coach you, find a PD who has either retired or is on the beach. Offer to pay that program director a couple of hundred dollars. That PD may waive the fee to do the coaching. Don’t expect anything for free.
You may learn a lot from the interaction. Over the years, I have coached many hosts. I remember being in with a talent who was not cooperating on a point to improve his show. I asked a simple question: when you follow my advice, what happens? He thought for a moment and said, “It works.” I retorted, “So why are you so suborn?” He followed my advice and improved his already very good show. Change your swing.
Your program director is invested in your success. They get bonuses from high ratings. Likely, your deal has some ratings bonuses attached. If you get bonuses, the program director gets extra money as well. Believe in them. If you have a new program director, there is a reason why that individual was hired. Listen to them. Showing buy-in is better for you and better for the station long-term.
Evaluate special features. I have heard hosts defend horrific segments that they have done for five years. The host will say that the listeners expect and love the segment. Really? I have had a talk show host move on and have never received a comment about how a segment is missed. The listeners will miss the personality but never the bit, theme, or feature. Don’t marry your career to a feature that has no legs.
I find that hosts who have been in a market/station for a long time will keep adding on things. It’s like hosts have become hoarders of bits. Shed things. Less is more. Remember my first commandment: The worst lie that you can ever tell is the lie that you tell yourself. I can’t answer that for you. Are you telling the person in the mirror the truth?
Change can be scary. But there is always room for change and improvement. You must adapt. Humanity has always been adaptable while also being creatures of habit. Human nature also states that being able to adapt is usually connected with the impulse for survival.
If you have not changed your show in years, I suggest you carefully evaluate what you are doing. The competitive environment that radio and quite frankly all media is experiencing necessitates an honest review of your presentation, content, and execution.
How is your theme song? Has it worn out its welcome? Is your bumper music from 40 years ago? Is your monologue tight? Are you telling stories? What is your glue for the listener? Are you welcoming new people to the party or is it a slowly diminishing insider’s club? Have you ever been invited to join the Lion’s Club or those rascally Rotarians?
A lot of these community organizations are dying out. It is not because the groups are not doing great work for our society and world. They are dying because they became an exclusive club. The members became older. The group became insular. I have a hobby and I drove to a meeting once of people who enjoy the same pastime that I do. I didn’t know anyone. The club members were very good friends of each other. I could not have a conversation with anyone. These individuals never introduced themselves to me. I felt like I was an outsider.
Is your show like this? Are you inviting new people to the party? I recently moved to a new area. I am like many radio people: an introvert unless I am performing. It can feel like you’re an alien if you have attended community events and social gatherings. Don’t make new listeners feel unwelcome.
Your show is a living breathing entity. It is a community. Every area needs to grow. Sometimes a building needs to be knocked down to create a better way for the community to be connected. What buildings do you need to smash?
Peter Thiele is a weekly news/talk radio columnist for Barrett Media, and an experienced news/talk radio programmer. He currently serves as News/Talk Format Captain for Zimmer Communications. Prior to joining Zimmer, Peter held programming positions in New York City, San Francisco, Des Moines, 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.
