If you noticed my first article for Barrett Media, which discussed the programming pyramid, with MUSIC as the base block and TALENT as the next block, I’d suggest Hot AC programmers and anyone programming a music station consider switching those two blocks to the pyramid.
The fact is that music today can be consumed in many locations. It is NOT the key base building block to success that it used to be. It is still very important, but the necessity to make you stand out and win is your talent on the air!
You hear the phrase “Live and Local” mentioned often, and at least the second part of that is a must to connect with your audience. Let’s face it: voice tracking is here to stay, and if done right, it can be very effective. You must insist that your talent, whether live or voice-tracked, be hyper-plugged into the local culture.
You need to encourage and coach your talent to get them where you want them to be. They are performers, and unlike theatre or scripted TV in front of a studio audience, don’t usually get instant feedback on what they do.
There was a time when your studio phone lines lit up like crazy even when you were not doing a contest, but those days are long gone! Can your talent engage the audience enough to get responses that your station can air?
YES! However, as a programmer and coach, the key for you is to help them build on their personality. Get them to share their lives. Remember in Howard Stern’s “Private Parts” movie when he said, “I just need to be me, and talk about my life, the good and bad, all of it.”
Now, of course, that doesn’t mean you want them trying to be Howard, but you will never win by having them read the liners or just doing that was, this is breaks. When holding an aircheck session with your talent, the goal should be reinforcing what they did well, not searching for what they did wrong.
To be effective in your coaching sessions, I think you should never give them more than one, possibly two, things to focus on as far as improving their performance. I do not believe in having a time clock on a talent. Telling a talent, “Don’t go over 30 seconds, or your morning show no more than two minutes,” is just a recipe for failure.
A break can be compelling in 10 seconds, and it can also be really compelling at five minutes. I’ve always felt one legendary programmer’s approach was best; he consulted Y100 in Philadelphia when I was on the staff back in the mid-90s. Scott Shannon said it and had this posted in the studio…Preparation, Concentration, Moderation! You’re not only the coach, but the referee in this entire equation; let your players play and keep them in bounds.
A colleague of mine, Jimmy Steal, recently wrote an article about the importance of talent and how they are the key to radio surviving and thriving. He hit the nail right on the head.
Make talent your bottom building block of the programming pyramid and encourage them to be ambassadors of your station’s brand while building their brand within your system.
If we don’t invest in talent, music radio will continue to struggle. The game has changed, and talent is more challenged now than ever to be real, not just hype. Many programmers will meet with their morning shows daily or a couple of times a week.
I think it’s important to touch base with all your talent at least once per week and have a formal aircheck at least once per month. Be the COACH and REFEREE. When Scott Shannon took Z100 Worst to First, that was done largely by making the air talent the stars of the show.
At that time, the music also played a dominating role because there were fewer places to hear it than today. Yes, times have changed, but your talent now more than ever needs to be the stars of the show. You, as the programmer, need to stress that to those you report to. It is critical to make the investment!
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Jim Ryan is a Music Radio columnist for Barrett Media. In addition, he runs Jim Ryan Media LLC, a consulting company which assists major market radio brands and top talent including national radio personality Delilah. Prior to relaunching his consultancy in 2025, Jim spent 15 years with Audacy/CBS Radio, serving as SVP of Programming. Among his responsibilities included programming WNEW-FM and WCBS-FM. His career includes additional programming stops in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Houston. Jim was voted the #2 PD of 2024 in Barrett Media’s Top 20 series in the AC category. He can be reached by email at Jim@JimRyanMedia.com.
