I know that we all have things that get in our heads on a seemingly daily basis. Focusing on your daily radio show can sometimes be easier said than done.
You must be ready for your show. There is no excuse. You are judged daily and sometimes word for word. It is a difficult job. There are game-time rules for an individual who is in the middle of an on-air shift.
How to Handle Relationship Issues
Your romantic partner needs to be clued in on your job and focus. I get it. Your spouse, partner, or fling may be mad at you or you at them. Life is a little messy sometimes. There is a reason that radio people seem to get divorced more than the average person. We cannot be interrupted in the middle of a broadcast. Your partner needs to understand this. You may have to set rules if you have not done this before.
Your on-air performance is like being the pilot of a fighter jet. Your show should be your sole purpose during your air shift. Any romantic partnership is a give and take. Both of you need to make compromises. One of those compromises is that your “better” half does not text you like a raging bull during a radio show.
I have a morning show host friend of mine who had his ticked off girlfriend rage text him 30 times in an hour one morning. This guy eventually turned off his cell phone. I am guessing that you have seen this occurrence or had it happen yourself. You must make some clear ground rules. Your romantic partner is not the focus of 100% of your attention while hosting a show.
You really like or perhaps love that romantic interest in your life. You want to please that person. But this is a two-way street. You must never be interrupted unless it is an actual emergency. Don’t have this discussion when your romantic interest is mad at you over something innocuous.
Technical Issues in the Radio Studio
I have been there. The on-air computer crashes with all your soundbites in the middle of the show. The computer is not working even after a reboot. Your show prep is on that computer. It’s awful. We have all felt this. It is frustrating and unsettling. There is nothing worse than this. Your radio station engineer may be unavailable at that moment, and the host should pay attention to one thing: the show.
I always print my show prep. It is a hard copy of the subjects that you were planning on covering for that show. Always be prepared. How are the computers in your studio? How often are the computers maintained? Is it the host’s job to update the software or engineering? I have seen things work both ways. If your studio computer’s functionality is hampered by not updating software, too many tabs open, or other things, you may be the one responsible. Ask your program director and/or engineer. If your company has one engineer in charge of 4 markets and 15 stations, you may need to be proactive. We are all doing more with less these days.
If there is a fundamental problem with a piece of equipment, you may need to be the person getting this done. If you work for one of the big companies, cap-ex money may be needed for the equipment upgrade. You will need to be the person pushing that through. Most of us hate asking for money. But your job is to guarantee that your on-air staff can execute their duties.
Many radio station engineers are always asking for big-ticket expense money and just hate the process of asking for “non-essential” equipment. I once had an engineer rebuild a computer for the news department five times in 24 months. It was a nightmare. I got sick of it and called the Operations Vice President and told him the situation. I was asked if it could be fixed and my response was no. Within 24 hours, I had approval for a new computer.
Show Prep
Your show prep schedule is not a suggestion. You must have time to freely commit show prep. These times cannot be interrupted. The absolute top performers in our industry look at their show prep time as sacred space. I think that it is a great rule of thumb to have two hours of prep for every one hour on the air as a news/talk radio host.
If you are married with kids, good luck. But if you are going to perform the best show possible, you must dedicate the appropriate time. You are collecting that check to have an amazing show. Dedication to show prep is essential. Set ground rules with the people in your life.
Relationships
Build relationships outside of your personal bubble. Creating real-life interactions will make your show better. I know that you are insanely busy. You must be well-rounded. Many of us who work in radio are somewhat shy and withdrawn in social situations. I just want you to focus on making a great radio show.
Personal interruptions and technical obstacles are a part of living a real life. Nothing is perfect, except for me. Figure out strategies to deal with these challenges. Many radio hosts live in the moment, which can lead to amazing broadcasts. The challenges will present themselves constantly, but your job is to be an overcomer.
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Peter Thiele is a weekly news/talk radio columnist for Barrett Media, and an experienced news/talk radio programmer. He currently serves as News/Talk Format Captain for Zimmer Communications. Prior to joining Zimmer, Peter held programming positions in New York City, San Francisco, Des Moines, 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.
