Ever start reading about one topic or watching something on YouTube, and then you fall down a rabbit hole with a related topic?
Needless to explain, I ended up learning more than I ever knew I needed to know about 19th-century French impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and something he’s quoted as saying inspired me. “I don’t give up easily. My advice to young painters? Feel. Be true to yourself and your vision, and don’t let critics or trends dictate your choices. Paint what you love and love what you paint.”
First, I believe there’s something important to remember in this era of radio defined by layoffs and cutbacks. Just like acting, singing, improv, writing, or any highly defined skill that, when done well, motivates and moves masses, radio hosts create art. Art is a craft, and it is the body of work the talent gives and ultimately leaves behind.
One of the failings of content being created for radio today is how bland, if not inane, it is in many instances, particularly on music radio stations. The ever-common “DJs talk too much” listeners love to sling, I’ve always taken to mean, “I am not entertained by the jocks I hear.”
No one ever complained about being overly entertained. For far too long, radio has been micromanaged and controlled, with too little freedom for creative talent to create or, worse, put forth preconceived babble totally unlike and unreflective of the talent’s true personality.
While every QB needs a head coach, and every team needs a strategy with plays to run to have a shot at winning the game, you’ve got to let players do what they do and not overly interfere (looking at you, Bill Belichick).
Additionally, talents are being stretched thin and expected to host multiple full shows in multiple places. That’s commerce, not art. Cousin Brucie once noted, “This used to be the radio business and it has become the business of radio.” What Brucie is referring to is the Wild West, where talents like Alan Freed and Wolfman were not only groundbreaking in their delivery but in the music they broke.
Guardrails and direction are important, but talent should create art that is true to them and reflects them. It’s on both them and their coach to recognize when a situation is a fit; there are casting directors and editors for a reason, another facet of performance radio has routinely missed.
Perhaps young creators might seek to bring their talent to terrestrial radio rather than streaming or podcasting if they had that kind of support and freedom coupled with radio’s still vast and massive reach.
Creators, create! Listen and absorb coaching, research, advice, and ideas, but ultimately, just create radio content for yourself. Enjoy it, give of it, and hang up what I call “the coat knowledge” at the door; if you wear it while performing, it’ll restrict and interfere with your art.
The more talent tries to appeal, or to do, or be something, the less authentic they are and the less likely they are to connect with people they are, create, and it’ll find an audience, with some luck and focus a large one. Much like a Renoir hanging on the office wall…
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
Robby Bridges works for Press Communications where he serves as the VP of Programming for 99.7 and 107.1 The Boss. He also hosts the morning show ‘Robby and Rochelle’ alongside his wife, Rochelle. He’s been with the company/stations since September, 2021.
Prior to arriving in New Jersey, Robby spent decades working across the country in many top markets for many highly successful brands. Among them include Z100, WPLJ and Q102. He has also worked in Detroit, Boston, Providence, Portsmouth, NH, and served as an exclusive guest host for Scott Shannon on the True Oldies Channel.
To get in touch, reach Robby by email at RobbyBridges@hotmail.com.
