I think that we all struggle to be fresh, unique, and innovative with our radio shows or programming a station. I think that it is important to change things up.
Considering the glut of choices to develop show topics from websites, blogs, X, YouTube, streaming services, and more, are you taking the proper information in from a wide variety of sources?
Humans are addicted to routine. We pour the first cup of coffee at the same time each day. We often have the same breakfast, even if we go out to a restaurant. Show prep is the same thing. I am not saying that your routine is bad, dumb, or insane, even though it may be! I certainly know that my daily habits could be defined that way by some. But I am saying that changing things up may be a great way to feel fresh for your show or your life.
Make a list of the websites that you hit for show material. When I was doing a daily show, I had seven websites that I hit every day. Again, I am not saying that these sites are bad. But how much material are you getting from each site? Is that material any good? Remember, I cannot answer that for you. But evaluate it.
99% of news/talk radio hosts have an opinion on almost anything. Hosts can take one line from a single article and make a great topic out of it. My exercise today is helping you evaluate your show prep journey. When did you last eliminate or add a show prep source?
Let’s evaluate efficiency. We are all doing multiple things in the old radio station. Your job may include social media mandates, sales calls, or even promotional grunt work for your cluster. The days of showing up 30 minutes before show time and leaving as soon as your shift has been completed are largely over.
So, as you are prepping for a three or four-hour show, are you using your time in the best way? I get it. You have sites that you personally enjoy reading. That is great, but does that site contribute to your show? Our time is a precious commodity. I have been evaluating how much time I am spending on social media. I have pared my X, Instagram, and Facebook surfing in the last couple of years. Ultimately, I realized that this was not a constructive use of my time. I was thinking about my post demise standing at the pearly gates and having St. Peter tell me that I used 5,000 hours on watching dog videos, Kill Tony, or the Chef Reacts guy on my device.
My natural aversion is to opinion pieces. I get it, I have opinion writers that I love. Andrea Peyser from the New York Post is truly one of my favorite writers. Here is the problem: it is too damn easy to steal someone else’s ideas. There is a talk show host that is on a competitor of one of the stations that I run who just reads other people’s words and ideas. That is not doing a show. It is plagiarism.
You are paid to be a thought leader. Opinion pieces are fun and interesting to read, but are likely to cloud the originality of your ideas. I’ll give you a caveat. I’ll read a piece by David Corn from Mother Jones or Zephyr Teachout from The Nation. It logically gets you thinking about ideas that are completely different from the worldview of most talk radio listeners. Again, this is about you presenting unique and well-thought-out opinions, ideas, or scenarios.
Your show is not only about reflecting the ideas, experiences, and lives of your listeners. It is about providing unique entertainment experiences for the station’s audience. If you have been hosting a show for any time at all, you have received a comment in public or a text message from a listener over a moment that impacted their lives. We have such an intimate platform to create connections with our fans. Your uniqueness is that secret sauce that makes your show and you a mandatory listen. This is about your footprint and expanding your influence.
Providing a listener-focused experience must be focused on providing unique content. We all get into ruts. We all have our go-to topics or themes. I am not saying that these are bad, but they are predictable. Having moments of unpredictability is key to making your show essential listening. Because of the glut of content available, you must be able to surprise your audience. Moments of excitement on your show keeps people coming back.
When was the last time that your listeners heard laughter on your radio show? Your show prep routine must always be switched up because it allows you to create and perhaps be a little uncomfortable. Creating unique experiences will cement your show or station with the audience.
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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.
