This week, Salem Media’s and CNN‘s Scott Jennings was in Kansas City as the keynote speaker for the Kansans for Life annual fundraiser in Overland Park, Kansas.
I was the emcee for the evening. Jennings also broadcast his radio show from our incredible facilities at Cumulus Kansas City. He was as pleasant and easy to work with as it gets, and gave a killer keynote address on the value of life, Western civilization, and the future of the country.
As a result, it gave us multiple opportunities to briefly discuss radio, the media landscape, his life and career, along with the ups and downs.
One conversation we had that any news/talk host can relate to is the never-ending balancing act of figuring out when and how to take a break. We agreed that even one day off the air can feel like a week, given today’s news cycle. You almost feel naked. What did you miss? How many stories did you miss? How many angles on the recurring stories did you lose the opportunity to opine on?
The ramp-up after even a couple of days off is real. When you’re in it and on every day, the stories and days flow together. Take a day, and you feel like a little kid learning how to ride a bike again.
Please don’t misunderstand. None of this is intended to be a complaint. We agreed that we are blessed to do what we do for a living, but it’s also a really unique part of the job that doesn’t apply to individuals in most industries.
The conversation with Scott Jennings got me thinking about how we can best handle that. It’s easy to say, “Put away the phone,” but that’s not always realistic. Even when you’re off, there are expectations to engage with the audience on other platforms.
Once again, not a complaint — just a reality in today’s 24/7 personality-driven media environment. You may be “off” from your show, but your fans are still scrolling Facebook, X, and Instagram, and looking for your perspective on the hits of the day.
So what’s the balance?
To me, the balance is in giving them content — albeit less — and making it more driven by your life. Take them behind the scenes. It can be serious. It can be silly. Don’t overthink it. It doesn’t need to be the hottest take of the day on a serious political story.
And when you return to the airwaves, find a personal story or two that you weave into your first show back. Where were you? What were you doing? Within reason, of course. But humanizing yourself with a radio audience is something most TV personalities don’t have time for in their shows. You have it. You have a different relationship with your audience than a TV anchor or personality. Use that to your advantage.
Now, I’m not saying to bury Topic A, or talk about nonsense that your audience doesn’t care about. Be targeted. Be creative. And leave them wanting more. It’s something Scott Jennings does well. It doesn’t need to be more than a couple of minutes. Segue into or out of a story that gives your audience a peek behind the scenes of your life.
Frankly, we should probably be doing more of this anyway — especially in the news/talk format, where the expectation can sometimes, and wrongly, be to just spout big hot takes after big hot takes.
As we start to approach the summer season, and hopefully you have the ability to get a little time away, it will do you good. The news cycle is moving faster than ever.
And while it might be admittedly scary to step away, for fear of missing stories or getting out of rhythm, it will be beneficial. The show will be there when you get back. And as you ease in, use it as an excuse to lean in even more and let the audience learn more about you. You won’t regret it.
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Pete Mundo is a weekly columnist for Barrett Media, and the Vice President of News/Talk for Cumulus Media, while also hosting “Mundo in the Morning” and programming KCMO Talk Radio in Kansas City. Previously, he was a fill-in host nationally on FOX News Radio and CBS Sports Radio, while anchoring for WFAN, WCBS News Radio 880, and Bloomberg Radio. He’s also the owner of the Big 12-focused digital media outlet Heartland College Sports. To interact, find him on X @PeteMundo.
