This Industry Guest Column is from Audacy Buffalo Senior Vice President and Market Manager Tim Wenger. Wenger is a self-described “recovering” news/talk radio programmer.
“Is the caller there?”
For those of you old enough, or nostalgic enough, to remember TV talk titan Phil Donahue making that frequent exclamation amidst passionate discussions on his show, it reminds me to ask the same question of today’s talk radio.
Are the callers there?
In many cases, the answer may be yes, but they just don’t call in.
Sure, part of the problem may be modern technology and how we all communicate now. Many may be more likely to send a text or message via social media to a host on-air. The problem with that, of course, is there is no emotion. No passion.
People text when they want to tell you something. They call when they care and want to communicate.
If talk radio is the original social media, ponder for a moment, social media … without comments.
It’s like food without spice. Bland.
I put the blame for one-way talk radio squarely at the feet of stubborn talk hosts who adamantly declare that they’re the star of the show and callers detract from them. That can be true, which is why callers do need to be screened and newcomers welcomed by producers and hosts.
Hosts wanting to be in the spotlight always, and new technology, are only a couple of the reasons why we hear fewer callers on talk radio these days.
Is the opening there for the callers to feel welcome?
Simply and periodically saying, “If you want to weigh-in, give me a call at 555-1212” won’t do the trick. A host needs to drive interaction by having a take on whatever they’re discussing, being passionate and animated about it, and then providing a challenge to listeners to add their two cents or challenge you’re thinking altogether.
We all remember college lectures. The ones where the professor just droned on at the lectern, never looking for any way to involve students, or even see if they were awake. The same can be said about one-way talk radio. Is anybody out there? In college, you couldn’t leave. In talk radio? Click!
When pressed about why they don’t work to drum up more interaction and engagement on their shows, hosts often will respond by saying, “I don’t like calls. They don’t add anything.” Yet, when the calls do come in, we hear exclamations from hosts like, “The phone bank is full, when someone hangs up, that opens a line for you.” Doesn’t sound like someone who is against callers, right?
There actually are examples of when callers really aren’t there, because they simply don’t care about what’s being discussed. That’s another issue that’s led to the scarcity of calls to talk radio.
You mean everyone doesn’t want to talk about Beltway politics?
Engaging and interactive talk radio is a “secret sauce”, as I see it. And here’s my recipe:
Topic & Take
It needs to be clear, targeted and have a point that is intelligible quickly. They say the attention span of the new younger demographic is 12 seconds. 12! Let that sink in.
Start The Show
Radio talk hosts can learn from their modern-day TV counterparts in this regard.
TV talk hosts, although full of other flaws, hook the audience immediately and draw them in. There is no time to waste in this regard. Nobody cares what you had for lunch.
Draw Them In
You don’t need to boil every topic into a corny question to fuel engagement.
Draw listeners in with your natural storytelling and pointed take on the discussion, and challenge them to support, build on, or challenge your thinking.
Attach those emotions to the ways they can interact, and the results will follow.
Know When to Move On
Topics of discussion have a shelf life. Few are worthy of a three-hour show, unless there are layers and ways to build upon them. Recognize when it’s time to move on, and have something as good, or better, to move onto and repeat the recipe.
So, “Is the caller there?”
Probably. But you need to hook them, give them a reason to add some spice to the food you’re offering, and be big enough to allow the spotlight to shine elsewhere and provide you an opportunity to shine even brighter than you already are.
Here’s to “A full bank of calls.”
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.
