News/talk radio has always drawn eccentrics as listeners.
It has been a part of the appeal. An occasional call on the air from someone who is a fry order short of a combo meal.
So, what are we to do with these sanity-challenged individuals?
The appeal of news/talk radio is that anything can happen at any time. The unpredictability of the news is a huge selling point for our art. Part of that understanding is that callers are included in the mayhem. I personally think that the unexpected and unscripted is delightful. It is what makes listening essential. It’s called “danger.”
One of my mentors, Harry Valentine, described it this way: when you watch Law & Order, you don’t want the conclusion in the first five minutes. That would end the show. Many hosts don’t create the drama or the reasons to keep listeners around longer.
I get it, and have mentioned this fact in my column before. People are very busy and have less than a goldfish’s attention span. If you have that listener, why should they continue listening to your show or station? There are hosts whose next sentence I can predict without hesitation. That is certainly problematic. The unexpected is essential for your show.
Some music stations at one time played a “spice” song — a song that everyone in that audience knows but doesn’t expect. These songs were played a few times a week. Otherwise, that station was locked into the mission of that format. Do music stations still do this? Or has PPM data eliminated this practice?
Know Your Limitations — and Lean Into Them
Delivering the expected and a surprise at the same time is a real skill. I will say that if you are a host who does a couple of things well, but doesn’t have that “wow element,” know your limitations. I like leaning into those shortcomings. It makes you human and relatable.
While show prepping, are you asking yourself how to make this unique and memorable? I don’t want you to be a parody of yourself, but where is the fun? What position can you take that is consistent with your show but also unexpected?
What I am about to say is not a criticism. Some hosts are not particularly funny. This is where a member of the team can step in. Is there a news person or a producer who can inject those special moments? Since I may not know you or the inner workings of your show, you can analyze this yourself. Perhaps there is someone in production. I sometimes hear producers simply parrot what the host says. This is not a good thing at all. The host has already made an opinion or observation. The producer or sidekick needs to add something different to the discussion.
Every situation is different, but the recipe is the same. Unexpected moments create memorable radio. You’ve received this from a listener: “Remember when you spoke about…” I am willing to bet that you likely don’t remember those two minutes of radio that have impacted that listener for years or decades.
When you think no one is paying attention to your show, one of these comes along. There are people who are totally locked in on your show. Creating more memorable moments allows more people to be impacted.
For Hosts: Stop Lying to Yourself
Does your show feel fresh or stale? Why do you think that is? Are you scared to ask a program director or the station’s consultant for help? Anyone who has hosted a show for any amount of time has felt these emotions. We are broadcasting from a little box-sized studio. The host sometimes tries to get eye contact with the producer who is watching TikTok videos. It is very easy for a host to feel isolated in that studio.
The reactions of everyone in that studio are essential — even if the reactions are poor. When I was a producer, I would shoot a look at the host if something was not working well or if the host decided to go down the wrong path. It is very important for the host and the show. Hey, producers and board operators — you are basically deputy program directors when that show is on the air. You can make the show better or worse by your immediate feedback to the host.
I know a lot of hosts are working remotely. I personally believe that a video feed allowing the producer and host to see each other during the broadcast is extremely helpful.
If you have a team that has been together for years and they can basically finish each other’s sentences, you may be okay.
Create an environment where the host doesn’t feel like the show is stuck in a rut.
For Program Directors: Praise the Unexpected
Program directors, when there is an amazing moment on a local show, please let the host or hosts know. Tell them how great that moment was.
I did that in the past couple of weeks. I walked in at the top of the hour news and congratulated my morning show on a terrific hour.
Lean into building confidence when good work is done. Praise the unexpected and the delightful.
When your host gets uncomfortable, praise 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.
