Where do you place your guest? You have a 3-hour show — what is the best time or worst time to book that guest? Fox News, CNN, and Newsmax have great strategies here. Do you?
Also, what is the purpose of the guest? What makes that person so important, and why does that individual appear at the time that you booked them? Have you ever heard the term “Don’t Leave Cash on the Table?” Your cluster has a client that is spending one million dollars in the market on radio, TV, digital, and billboard. Sadly, that client is only spending $100,000 with your company. The account executive should always be asking for 50k more. Is your show leaving cash on the table?
Guest placement is essential for your show. Great guests at the right segment and for the appropriate amount of time. Following the USA military action in Iran — what time did you have the expert on that story? It should be booked into the most important time of the show. What hour of your show has the highest cume? Best guests or subjects for the time where the station has the most listeners. You don’t want to bury the biggest story and guest in the least important time of the show. You also don’t want a guest who is not timely or amazing for the listeners.
Take a cue from Fox News, Newsmax, MS NOW, News Nation, and CNN — always lead with the biggest guests and topics at the best time for the show to grow audience. Here is an interesting aside: I have been a guest on CNN, but never the rest. I am sure that is a slight oversight, or perhaps I am better looking and more charismatic than their hosts.
Moving guests is a tough thing for most talk show hosts or producers to accomplish. Remember, you are doing a favor by having a guest on your show. How long is your average guest hit? Eight minutes? How much is an endorsement spot on your show? Let’s say that it is $100 a minute for that style of live spot. Your guest is receiving your voice, giving an indirect or direct endorsement for the privilege of being on your show. Your guests are getting free marketing for their website, book, products, and/or their ideas. You hold the power here.
In fact, guests should be sending you a thank-you card, email, or text every time they have the honor of being on your show. If someone is a jerk about being rescheduled for a breaking news item, that is their problem. I suggest to my producers that they have that caveat when a guest is booked — that breaking news is the priority and sometimes we reschedule guests.
Another note: the most important person on a news/talk show is the host. Obviously, you are not moving the President of the United States or a hugely important get. Most of the guests that you are booking are not that great — unless it is me. I am a really good talk show guest. Ask Kevin Miller and Walter Sterling, but this is not about me. It’s about your shows.
Let’s talk about the role of the guest. That expert should be there for a specific reason. You are there to accomplish something with the discussion. If that person is there because you like them, or because they are a regular who occasionally delivers a great segment — reevaluate that person.
Now, here is a little more on guest placement. The biggest guests at the times of the largest audience. Just because you need a guest, you don’t automatically book them to the best time on the radio station. If you are desperate for guests, you are not a host — you are an interviewer. Your audience will not grow attached to you but to a cluster of largely mediocre guests. Your listeners are tuning you in because they connect with you.
You are the most important ingredient of your show. If you want to book the think-tank expert on the wonders of agricultural weedkiller, book them for the least important time on your show. 6:05 is perfect. Place the guests at the most important time for your show, not around their schedule. You are giving these people the favor.
Interview length is key. Jimmy Kimmel gives the greatest guests available two segments — that is, approximately, eight minutes of programming. I can’t tell you how many times I have heard a host hold over a lousy guest.
Remember, if your talk segment is eight minutes, get the guest to opine and inform on the subject. You don’t need to keep them for the full eight minutes. Why was the guest booked on your show? What are you trying to accomplish? Once those criteria are met, move along. Tell your producer that the guest will be on for up to eight minutes. Remember, you are giving the guest a huge favor.
I understand it. Hosting and/or producing a three-hour-a-day talk show can be incredibly challenging. It is a living and breathing thing when you book a guest. Sometimes these guests can go sideways — other times, the guest just stinks. You don’t need to keep them on the air. Think of your audience. With millions of options, listeners aren’t waiting around. Treat every moment on your station or show as a precious commodity.
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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.
