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I started in the dark ages of radio. Computer systems were not a thing in 1990. I had to run the board of AM 1500 KSTP by hand. I started as a part timer, and then became fulltime overnight, eventually being promoted to Producer of The Barbara Carlson Show. The Producer and Board Operator of a talk show is a very important job. There are several aspects beyond pushing buttons to be a great one. Here are my rules:
Put down your phone and pay attention to the host. You are the host’s security blanket. When a talk show host is performing, they are worried about a myriad of things: Is this topic interesting? Am I connecting to the audience? Am I boring? Your job is to be the hype human for the host. Smile. Laugh. Be engaged. Make eye contact with the host. If the host is remote, keep that eye contact on zoom. If that phone rings, answer it on the first ring. Make sure that the host is only worried about doing a great radio show. You are key. You are essential for that host. That host is the star quarterback.
A great Producer or Board Operator is the Program Director of that show. Keep that host focused. You are the offensive coordinator. You answer to the Program Director, not the talent. Before you think that I am anti-talent, let me take you behind the curtain.
Even the best hosts lose their focus. An argument with a spouse, side-piece, or partner may distract the host from doing a great show. The station ran out of coffee. The printer is broken and jammed. The office computer is doing an update in the show. We have all seen these distractions. The host must deliver a Listener-Focused Radio Show.
The Producer must be that person to reign in the distractions. The host sometimes is on with a caller too long. The Producer or Board Operator needs to be that individual who tells the host to move on. Having a great relationship with the host is helpful, but the most important job of the Producer is to get a great show from the host.
The Producer must screen calls well and make sure that the caller is ready for air. There is one rule about callers: the longer they are on-hold the worse the caller gets. Screen and focus the caller. You take calls to make the host look good. Ask the caller what they want to say. If the caller wants to ask the host about something from two weeks ago, thank the human for calling and move on. If the caller has a great point and you are holding him/her through the break, talk to the caller and say this, “John, you are telling the host about the topic of the day, right? Remember your point was…”
Tell the caller the order they are up. Also, always tell the caller to TURN OFF THE RADIO. If you ask them to turn the radio down, that is not a specific request. Once the caller is on the air and they hear themselves on delay, it is a disaster. If a caller is not ready when they go on the air, it is likely the fault of the person answering and screening the calls.
Now, to defend the Producer or Board Operator, when you put someone on hold, anything can happen. I have had callers go completely sideways. If the caller is ill-prepared or listening to the radio while on hold, it is the Board Operator’s responsibility.
Some hosts love calling the guest to get them on the air, other hosts don’t like doing that. I personally don’t like too much interaction between the guest and the host before airtime. It is natural for a host to ask a question or two before airtime. Guests typically do not answer the question more honestly the second time around. The Producer or Board Operator needs to make sure that in-studio guests are brought in at the very last moment. This is very important.
Engage with the host. Sometimes a host may be at a loss for a word. Whisper it into her/his ear. Hosts sometimes may get off the mission of the station. The Program Director will likely tell the host before the next show. The Producer or Board Operator needs to get them focused on the station mission now. I had a morning show host once that came from an Adult Contemporary Disc Jockey background. He was a very good host. This station was running the news wheel with 2 news maker guests every hour.
There was a community event at a local park. This park offered classes for adults and children. The host lost focus and started asking the guest about ‘Crafting’ classes. Ok, for a male focused News Talk station, this was a tune-out. I pulled in the host and Producer after the show and quizzed them about this. The host thought that men loved crocheting. I had to correct him and tell the Producer that his job was to keep the host focused. The Producer booked the guest, and his prep sheet needed to keep the host from forgetting the target listener.
Most successful Program Directors that I know came up from the Producer ranks. People with these skills know what it takes to create a great radio show. If you are a Board Operator or Producer, don’t be a clocker. Figure out ways to learn everything. I have had Board Operators and Producers who have moved up in this business. They have the same DNA. They are studio rats.
Radio for me was my mission. My first Program Director had to boot me out of the station. If I was not going to school or working one of my other jobs, I went to the radio station. I came to learn. If a host was at the coffee machine or having a cigarette, I was there. I asked questions. I shared my ideas. And I am sure that I drove them totally nuts. I wanted to learn. I wanted to be good. To practice voicing spots, I came in on my off hours. Be that next generation of this business. If you love News Talk radio, bury yourself into it.
Producers and Board Operators are essential for a listener-focused radio experience. Your work is important. Producers and Board Operators are the future of News Talk radio. They bring fresh ideas and energy to the radio station.
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.
