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It’s 5:05 A.M. The bigtime radio voice booms the station I.D. and your name over the huge studio speaker and into the world. You lean forward to punch that mic button.
Who are you? What are you feeling at that moment?
You have to answer those questions every single day because you’re blessed with a great responsibility to inform and entertain. For five decades I felt a thrill and sense of obligation as I reached for that mic switch every morning. I loved it. I didn’t want to ever grow up.
I needed to be smart, honest, and sincere in the performance of my craft. I had to know what I was talking about and to display the delight, the wisdom, and the dignity of my years old, young, and in between.
Dignity on air exudes an easy confidence and a large measure of humility. You need to be gracious and also willing to say, “I don’t know, and I was wrong.”
You can’t fake sincerity or honesty on talk radio, and you don’t have to be perfect.
“Let none presume to wear an undeserved dignity.” – Shakespeare
Dignity is a wonderful yet evasive quality. Like wisdom, it grows with age and the frustrating knowledge that it carries personal limitations.
American culture is filled with contradictions about age. We worship youth and yet dismiss its immaturity. We pay tribute to long years of experience but still make fun of old people and turn them out to pasture. As a radio personality, you can’t succeed at either extreme. Work your timeline.
I hear a lot of wise-cracking comments about old farts on talk stations, especially from the new kids. I also hear old farts putting down every aspect of young people and society today. Nothing in your performance can be more short-sighted and self-indulgent. You don’t have to kiss ass, just be respectful and open-minded. Let the producer in you stand apart from you as a performer. You have to hear your show as a listener and know when to tap the brakes or stop and change directions.
If you’re doing all of these things you don’t have time to get caught up in yourself. Don’t let your personal biases suck you into an age-defined stereotype or act like a prima donna. You’re not a star, you’re a host. It’s not all about you.
How you perceive and present yourself has nothing to do with your age, target demographics, or the current trends in any particular topic. For that matter, you can’t worry about how you’re being perceived by the audience, you can only be your best self.
This is my favorite aphorism. It’s wisdom for all ages:
“What other people think and say about you is none of your business.”
― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart
I know. The message sounds contradictory to your purpose in doing talk radio. You have to be concerned with what your audience thinks of you, right? Not at all.
You weren’t hired to cater to your idea of a particular demographic, you were hired because you’re smart, inclusive, and interesting. All you have to do is activate people’s minds; give them something to think about and ignite an emotional response.
A great talk host has to share a bit of personal experience; that’s where you get your perspective. You can and should share occasional anecdotes but not too often and only to illustrate a point. Focus on the listener, not yourself.
“You know, I think you might be right” is the most powerful statement you can make. It validates your guest or partner and allows you and your audience to expand your horizons.
Long ago I vowed I would never become a grumpy old man. I enjoy my memories but refuse to live in them. I don’t understand all the new cultural and social changes, but I try. I embrace the present and greet the future with eager anticipation. I strive to be ageless because it’s a joyous way to live. It’s also the only way to keep growing on the air and in life.
If you are dedicating your life to a career of informing and entertaining, you must have respect for people of all ages and perspectives. You can’t fake it. You have to get to know and enjoy the company of your elders and the wisdom of their experience. At the same time, you should understand that young people, even children, have a right to be respected for the opinions that their still limited views allow. Even teenagers deserve respect and compassion because we’ve all been there, growing into adulthood overly sure of ourselves.
When you come right down to it other people have every right to the perspectives that grew out of life lessons. They’ll change over time as yours have. When you understand this an amazing thing happens – you never get old. You never become grumpy or stuffy because you never stop learning or caring.
If you’re young, make friends with your grandparents and hear what they have to say. If you’re old, have younger friends; stay in touch with trends, fads, and the things that fascinate youth. Listen at least as much as you talk. Ask more questions. Don’t pontificate too much, though an occasional splash of pomposity can enhance your likability like a dash of lemon in a cheesecake.
Ingratiate yourself without being obsequious.
Don’t use big words like obsequious.
You’re never too old to laugh at fart jokes.
Reality TV is not beneath you.
History is fascinating and important.
Words matter.
Age does not.
