Since the beginning of radio, the search has been on for the next great talent. In today’s radio business environment, this has become a perplexing problem, and there is a reason for it. The ability to identify and develop talent has been somewhat forgotten.
Corporate debt has kept long-in-the-tooth talents in their jobs in key positions because of concerns over billing. When a news talk host leaves, there can be a huge challenge in keeping endorsements and ratings contiguous.
If a main player either resigns, retires, or is asked to look for future endeavors, the task can be monumental. If the host has been a long-time fixture in the market, advertisers may remain on that show at the beginning of the new show. If the results are not strong, many clients may disappear. The ratings likely will see the same result.
Frequently, stations attempt to find a host who will do a similar type of show. That is unfair to the station, the audience, and most of all to the new talent. I have always believed in hiring the most talented candidates who are focused on your station’s format. I once was in a building with a show that replaced a couple of legends. This was immensely unfair to everyone involved. The hosts were not news talk veterans, and they were simply put in a place where they were a poor fit.
You have seen this before — the previous show was not doing the exact show that the audience demanded. The previous show worked because of the longevity and talent of the previous hosts.
Frequently, market managers know they will lose some revenue and ratings, but understand that the new show is cheaper. There is a lot of hope in these situations. The most important thing is to fill the shoes of the legend with something that is modern and new. I get it — corporate offices are not fans of declining revenue. I understand fully. If a station meets or exceeds sales goals, everyone benefits. But how do you find that talent? Smaller markets are not developing hosts the way they did even a decade ago.
Frequently, this leads to bringing in talent that is completely unaware of the market and the regionalism that connects with the audience. If you are in a PPM market, the ramp-up seems quicker for a host to establish themselves.
In a diary market, it is a long slog — 18 to 24 months. When I added Clay Travis and Buck Sexton to replace Rush Limbaugh, it was 24 months before that show started doing well in the ratings. I worried that I had made a mistake in my particular market. I loved Clay and Buck, but I was patient, and the show eventually worked.
If your station is investing in a new local show, this may be the case. Is the show good? Is the talent working hard? Does the program director know how to coach news talk talent? I have seen market managers take control of the coaching.
Most often, that is not a good situation. Let me give a veteran take — when I started in radio, many market managers had transitioned to sales from programming. The market manager realized that they wanted to make more money. Those market managers frequently kept their programming brain in action. If your market manager is young, they may not have the programming chops. As long as the boss knows the truth, and there is an active program director in place, the new show will have the coaching necessary to grow into the role.
I will say that hosts who come from smaller market situations are better at retail radio than a local newspaper columnist or a large-market-only host. One of the reasons that Sean Hannity has done so well is that he came up through small market experiences. He was allowed to make mistakes and learn how to connect with listeners. Sean did remotes at local eateries — he was the big man on a little campus.
I know a terrific host who is a Northeast guy like Hannity. This guy is super talented, but he grinded it out in the big market until he got his shot. He did well, but he was not very good at shaking hands and kissing babies. This is a real skill. Can the host work the room and make listeners or clients feel special? This skill is more important now than ever.
So, if you are looking for that great host, they may sound great on their demo. They may have certain intangibles—energy, voice, opinion, and entertainment. If the new host doesn’t connect with the audience, you are in real trouble.
How do you develop a new host who has either limited radio experience or is transitioning from another format? You need to allow them to try things out. These people need to make mistakes. These people must also be themselves. You cannot hire the retiring legend’s cheap copy.
Likely, if you have a host who has been on your station for 30 years, the audience may have aged with them. You need to fill the funnel with something new and take the pain. Get new clients. Find a host who is sales-friendly and is not there just for their air shift. Realize that your new host will need to be supported with a pat on the back. These people will be unsure of themselves and will likely be blamed by some in sales if a client drops them. It’s okay.
If you have made the right hire, this host will help your sales team bring on new clients or increase revenue opportunities with established clients. It just takes time. I know that when budget headwinds are hurting the bottom line, it’s tough to take risks. No risk, no benefit.
If you are in the dating pool — or were in it — if you don’t ask that person out for an appetizer, you will never get that date. Sure, some will turn you down. But it is a risk worth taking. When Elon Musk was talking investors into backing SpaceX, there were many risks—but the rewards were worth it.
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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.
