Thank you for checking out ‘The Industry According To’. This series runs each Tuesday, and features radio and record industry executives, managers, programmers, talent, artists, and professionals from all areas of the business world. To be considered as a future guest, email me at keithblackboxgroup@gmail.com.
Today we check in with one of the most decorated talent coaches in radio and television, Randy Lane — someone who’s worked with giants like Ryan Seacrest, Jimmy Kimmel, and Kidd Kraddick.
He was coaching talent before the digital boom, and now in the middle of it, which gives him a rare view of what’s truly changed, what hasn’t, and how to navigate and grow amongst all the noise and competition.
So, let’s dive in.
What Do You Hear First
Keith: New client, your first listen. What do you listen for or what do you just naturally hear first? What tells you quickly you’ve either got a lot of work on your hands, or something different?
Randy: What tone or emotion is coming through each character’s voice? Are they authentic? Likable? Playful and fun? Funny? Edgy?
Overall, I listen for the Characters, the Content, and the Execution.
Does the content hold my attention? Is there an emotional impact? Are their viewpoints clear and strong? Is the content sticky?
Do they execute the content effectively with headline setups, resets, and teasing? How is the cast interacting with one another and with callers?
If the host or hosts aren’t interesting and the content doesn’t grab me, I know there’s a lot of work to get this show to compete.
Today’s Real Timeline
Keith: “Give a new show at least 18-months before you make any decisions based on ratings” — that’s what programmers and consultants tell the higher ups. But in 2026, few have the patience to wait 18 months. What’s a realistic timeline today to determine whether a show is going to work?
Randy: I intuitively know within 90 days, with consistent coaching, whether the show or a player will make it. Conversely, I would give it two years in PPM markets if everyone involved with the show believes in it and it’s getting considerable audience response.
Nielsen now allows meter holders to keep them up to three years! First, the sample is too small to be consistently stable; second, when meters fall within a station’s non-target demographics or metro area, the ratings can be inaccurate for up to 3 years.
It would be foolish to cut a show in less than a year if you believed that it sounded great and was gaining an audience despite wobbly ratings.
The “Good Enough” Era
Keith: There’s a creeping sense that “good enough” wins in many cases because budgets are tighter and expectations are lower. Has the industry quietly lowered its product standards… while still expecting premium revenue?
Randy: None of the NBA teams going into the playoffs think “good enough” is going to win a championship.
Yes, the industry has lowered its standards for attracting top talent and for expecting big returns from average talent. Many stations/corporations simply won’t or can’t pay to get the best talent, even when they’re available in their own market.
The “X-Factor”
Keith: I’ve been a long believer in the “X-Factor” — that human brain or voice-trait that can’t be taught or bought, but that some people have and some just don’t. Give us the names — past or present — that have it. And what specifically makes them different?
Randy: There are gifted personalities like Kidd Kraddick and Bob Rivers who naturally had charisma that attracted mass ratings. Charlamagne tha God and Jamie White (BJ & Jamie) are two of several current personalities who have it too.
I have also seen personalities who have the X-Factor not succeed because they wing it, don’t do the work, or can’t get along with their cast and management. On the contrary, there are talented people who don’t have the X-Factor, but adequately prepare, create compelling content, execute it effectively, develop their character, and hit home runs.
The Pipeline Problem
Keith: The industry talks about talent as its secret sauce, but very few are developing young talent with real intent. Is this an internal development problem… or a recruiting problem? And which one becomes the bigger issue a few years from now?
Randy: It’s a recruitment and internal development problem. It’s a recruitment problem because the talent pool is shallow. It’s especially difficult to find talent for young-targeted formats like Top 40/CHR. Of course, technology has eliminated the training grounds of overnights, weekends, and fill-ins.
One easy way to address the recruitment issue is to extend the geographic pipeline. Allow talent who don’t want to move from Tucson to Louisville to do the show virtually. Now we must look outside radio at podcasters, influencers, and college radio stations.
Developing talent internally is problematic for two reasons: one, programmers generally oversee multiple stations and have little time to devote to talent development. Two, many of them lack the skill set to coach talent effectively.
There are plenty of talent coaches available, and many shows and programmers want it and know they need it, but tight budgets often prevent outside consulting.
The Randy Hiring Filter
Keith: When recruiting for a client, what do you look for first? Humor, point of view, personality traits, work ethic, digital presence? What’s the one trait that matters most, and the one people overvalue?
Randy: The trait that matters most is a tie between authenticity and humor. Authenticity and humor in one performer are the Holy Grail of media talent!
Funny is gold, and it transcends many shortcomings. However, funny personalities are an elite group.
Being real, relatable, and a good storyteller are skills I always look for in talent. If you have those key abilities, you can be fun even if you’re not laugh-out-loud funny. Fun is essential to personality morning and afternoon shows.
Digital presence is important; however, a talent can have a strong online presence and still not attract high ratings. The content, execution, and character development must be there to win.
You also want to be sure a talent is coachable and collaborative with their teammates and management, or the show will eventually implode.
Not The First Destination
Keith: Radio used to be the first destination for need-to-know information. News, concert announcements, community buzz, breaking moments. That has changed. How has it shifted the way you coach shows on their purpose and content?
Randy: Listeners come to the radio first for their favorite personalities. People are not coming to music radio stations for information. Info is all at your fingertips.
My coaching partner, Jeff McHugh, coined the content rule we use to coach talent: “Go short on information and long on stories.” Information is forgettable; stories stick with people. We advise shows to either eliminate announcement stories (concert dates, etc.) or keep them brief, followed by a story or strong point of view.
The Consultant Question
Keith: You’ve been on both sides of it. When does a consultant truly help, and when do they just become expensive reassurance?
Randy: Talent coaches truly help when they are players on the team.
We collaborate with the show and management, evaluating talent on their strengths and minimizing their weaknesses. An effective talent coach listens to the show, contributes ideas, best practices, and is always available for counsel.
Consultants who are not involved and contributing players on the team are expensive reassurance.
Digital Mania
Keith: Today’s talent is expected to do everything: radio, podcasting, YouTube, TikTok, all of it. How do you keep them focused on what actually matters?
Randy: If you want ratings and revenue, the radio show must be priority #1. The ROI still favors the show first and digital as an important second.
Ratings are a game of inches, and every tune-in and quarter-hour helps, particularly in condensed PPM markets. It’s crucial for shows to make their content available on demand. That means posting show highlights, benchmarks, and the full show daily (coded for Nielsen credit).
Progressive shows post both audio and video highlights daily. The KVJ Show in West Palm Beach streams its morning show live on YouTube as KVJ TV. They also have a highly downloaded After the Show podcast to expand their brand.
Digital is also an essential vehicle for deepening your personality brand and expanding your audience reach. Unfortunately, there are many solo and team shows with zero extra help. Their real-time online engagement is minimal. We encourage them to have a digital presence, with as much time and help as they can devote to it.
Check This Show Out
Keith: What show should we all listen to right now? What should we listen for to understand what makes them great?
Randy: Way to put me on the spot, Keith! I could list an elite group of shows and why you should listen, but you don’t have the space. So, I’ll mention an up-and-coming show that hits all the marks.
Tino Cochino Radio is a young show that’s up to 100 syndicated affiliates. Tino doesn’t do legacy bits like War of the Roses, prank calls, and 2nd Date Update. The show thrives on real-life content executed in concise form for a young audience.
Tino is a successful touring comedian, so humor is a cornerstone. The cast has distinct, likable characters who consistently share personal stories and sharp viewpoints. They interact throughout the show with listeners on the phone and online. Tino has also mastered the essentials of PPM execution.
Tino has an outstanding online video presence. He’s funny, vulnerable, and real with the short videos he posts primarily on Instagram and TikTok.
2036
Keith: What do radio morning shows sound like 10 years from now? Will “War of the Roses” and “Florida News” still be staples? Is the talent even live… or human?
Randy: The future of radio is talent.
Yes, radio will be human 10 years from now. As futurist John Naisbett predicted in his 1980s book Megatrends, with high-tech, you need hi-touch. We already see that with the shift in appeal of authentic media hosts. It’ll become even more important as technology continues to advance rapidly.
Humanity, captivating storytelling, and vulnerability will continue to win in the future. Technology will be used smartly as a tool to create entertaining content…I hope!
War of the Roses types of features may still be around, with different names, different implementations, and new technology.
Radio content will be on a higher level with more multimedia stars. There will likely be fewer shows on fewer radio stations. There will be a continued expansion of syndicated shows, both nationally and regionally, as well as within companies.
Personality brands build trusted relationships with listeners, fostering long-term loyalty, while music will continue to be even more ubiquitous. North America would be wise to follow the UK and Australia by making personalities the face of their brands in marketing, research, and revenue.
The One That Went Wrong
Keith: Keep names anonymous if needed, but we’ve all had that one encounter with talent that went badly. Give us one you’d want a do-over on?
Randy: I won’t name names to protect the guilty! A host abruptly walked out of a workshop I was leading.
It was in New York many years ago, on a major station with a new host. I was leading a character definition exercise in a workshop. The host refused to allow me and the cast to describe his personality because he thought I was going to psychoanalyze him by running his character traits through a computer program.
He abruptly walked out of the room, his arm being pulled by his high-spirited female program director. She dressed him down and ordered him back in the room to participate in the exercise. He totally opened up and revealed one of the best character descriptions I’ve experienced!
In retrospect, I could have read him better and gotten to know him as a personality type before going into a vulnerable exercise that mirrors group therapy.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
Keith Cunningham is a music industry and Rock/Alternative columnist for Barrett Media and the founder of Black Box Group, a modern-modeled creative & strategic consultancy built for brands that need strategies with teeth. He’s the former Master of Mayhem at 95.5 KLOS-FM in Los Angeles for over a decade, a nationwide consultant, and has been repeatedly voted one of America’s top Program Directors and strategic thinkers. Keith has built his career by taking multi-million-dollar brands from worst to first and leading Marconi & Gracie award winners along the way. A data nerd with a rock-and-roll heart, he is an advisory council member for St. Jude fundraising, a fantasy football champion, and lover of his daughters & dogs. Reach him at keithblackboxgroup@gmail.com or on LinkedIn or X.
