There are many motivations for those of us who have chosen the life of being on news/talk radio. Some of us just love sharing opinions and ideas, others love making others laugh or interviewing people. Emery Songer was a part of the iHeart reduction in force. I had the honor of meeting and working with him during my brief Iowa adventure.
Emery is a very thoughtful and talented man. He loves his home state, which is a real commodity in Iowa. I have lived in a few places in my radio adventure, and Iowa’s residents have a certain pride in where they are from and what the state has shared with the world. Yes, Iowa is more than just pigs and corn. Emery put out this video, and I asked him if I could share it with you.
If you have been given the microphone on a news/talk station, there are many very cool things about it. Emery’s introspective musings are a reminder of the gift that you have as a host. Most hosts don’t get the luxury of picking the time of their last moment on a radio station or of hosting a show.
Now, we have many alternatives for sharing our thoughts or interviewing interesting people. But being on a major media outlet comes with a certain amount of prestige. Many of us were class clowns or were chasing down ways to make our friends laugh. You may have been a prankster. Most successful radio personalities are whip smart, and — as the joke goes — if we were good students, there is a better way to make a living that would probably pay a lot more.
Finding Your Inner Motivation
So, why do you do this? What is your inner motivation? I can only speak for myself. I wanted to be on the radio because of a narcissistic impulse to be the center of attention. And I wanted to be famous. I didn’t think that I had a good look for TV, the movies, or being on stage.
Perhaps, like Emery, you just love meeting and interacting with newsmakers, businesspeople, or regular people. There is a point to this paragraph. Knowing the true impulse behind your choice of career allows you to lean into your strengths. I can’t answer this for you. I have coached hosts on my team and sometimes get the honor of coaching hosts who seek me out.
Just a note, I love the coaching part of being a program director. Over my time as a PD, some prominent hosts have asked me for feedback on their show. These are private conversations, so if they want to share it, I will let them.
Knowing why you are seeking this career is essential. Jim Parsons was on a TV show called The Big Bang Theory. He is an awesome comedic actor with perfect timing on delivering his lines. Every radio personality, actor, singer, and comic desires to be known. There can be a huge personal cost. Sometimes, being anonymous is awesome. But we seek recognition as radio people.
Early in my career, I learned that people look at those with fame as a thing over being a human being. Recognition is an important symptom of success. It can also be a little bit of a prison. You become a thing over just being a human.
Defining Success and Chasing the Creative Spark
What is your personal barometer of success? Being a host can be extremely mentally draining. You are, or should be, leaving it all out on the show. There should be no holding back. Ok, some holding back. You don’t want to violate FCC rules or destroy your personal relationships. I am not discussing your employer’s metrics. But I am asking you to evaluate your definition of success. I always feel that if I finished a show without remembering anything that I said, it was probably pretty good. The creative process is about catching the lightning.
You have heard about the musician or writer who was experiencing creative hurdles, and sometimes these people just wanted to quit. Then, out of the blue, a moment of inspiration hits, and a hit song is written in minutes. What happened? I believe that the creative subconscious must be allowed to express itself. If you are putting limits on ideas, you are in real trouble.
I was in a brainstorming meeting over a format flip of a failing music station. The company’s CEO, vice president of programming, market manager, and all the program directors in the building were in the conference room to discuss what was next for this failing station. The CEO assured us that he wanted a judgment-free brainstorming session. He wanted us to think outside the box. You have likely been in a brainstorming meeting. Every idea the CEO and vice president of programming heard was shot down almost immediately without exploring it further.
I quickly observed that the suits’ definition of thinking outside the box meant being inside the box. The new format was a failure, and believe me, the suits blamed others for their decision. If you are counting your breaths while on the air, I guarantee that is not a good show. If you cannot remember what you said, you probably hit a home run.
What Would You Miss?
I have a word limit here, but there is a lot to explore. Emery’s Facebook post was an honest look at what he loves about radio. Why are you doing this? Can you define your motivation? Is this personal for you? Are you being introspective and curious? Remember my line: the worst lie that you can ever tell is to the person in the mirror.
If you no longer know why you love this, think about what you would miss if it was taken away from you today. I was thinking of an old girlfriend the other day. The relationship was never going to work in the long run. She was a lovely woman, and we had a great time together.
I thought about the fun experiences we shared. Radio is about passion. Radio is about connection between the host and the audience. Are you connecting?
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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.