Quick! Name a TV dad that is portrayed as a positive role model! How ’bout in movies?
They say that 85% of men in prison grew up in fatherless homes. Role models can change the trajectory of a life. My dad certainly did for me. “Remember who you are and what you represent” from his beautiful baritone voice still echoes in my soul.
Continue readingIt’s easy to think of radio as a one-way conversation. Hopefully, you get interest, even feedback from listeners, but that’s not how the process begins.
We should start by putting ourselves in the shoes of the listener – and what the likely reaction would be on the other end of the radio; the listene’s end.
Thinking people automatically care about what you’re saying is what makes for lame radio. Sometimes, they don’t. It’s YOUR job to “quality control” what you’re going to do when that mic opens, and to deliver something worth hearing each break you do.
Purpose. A goal. Having one in mind shapes everything that follows.
And now a little story…
In my other life I do some baseball announcing during Spring Training for the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins. I’m the guy that comes on loudly on the loud speakers and tells you not to smoke, run, or have any fun, by golly! And I do it in both English and Spanish because they’ll pay me twice as much. No fumar, por favor!
At some point in Spring Training the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and Philadelphia Phillies come to town. These games are sold out months and months in advance.
So why am I sharing this little story?
Continue readingSometimes I hear a station that seems to go overboard on trying to be “personality-driven.”
OF COURSE we want to entertain, but the first thought should be about being of service to the listener.
This could simply be in the form of a weather warning, or a traffic update. Keeping people up to date on what matters to them, or what could affect their lives, is our primary responsibility.
Entertain? Sure. Please! But, as much as you can, be of SERVICE to the Listener. If you start there, and keep this simple concept in mind, you’ll be on the right track.
When you MATTER to the Listener, adding other elements to that becomes almost effortless-sounding.
It’s interesting what you can see when you change perspectives. In a recent coaching session with a very talented team show I decided to move away from nuts and bolts, planning and execution and go to a 35,000 foot perspective and discuss the show’s strengths and weaknesses. Clever, don’tcha think? Mrs. Mahan in high school drama would be proud of me.
While this exercise of identifying strengths and weaknesses can be a common one for program directors and big time consultants, this time I heard an answer I’d never heard before.
Continue readingThe best air talents are almost always the ones who have a wide, expansive vocabulary – and the ability to select just the right words right NOW, in the moment.
Why do I stress this? Because…
When you know what you want to say, but not how you want to say it, you’ll always use too many words. (And that’s just boring.)
Memorial Day is often considered the official kick off to summer. But more importantly it is a time set aside to remember those who gave their lives for our country.
Perhaps this time of remembrance is a good time for us to reflect on how we hope our stations will be remembered.
Continue reading“Maybe you (did this)” also brings in the opposite – “Maybe NOT.” I’ve written about this before. “If you…” doesn’t have a downside. (“If” is the magic word that makes all things seem possible. “Maybe” isn’t.)
But you also don’t want to constantly use “If you…”
There are other options: Continue reading
When I heard that Walt had passed away my first reaction was that he always called me by name.
He had been an executive for a major league club that I’ve been involved with for over 25 years. We would see each other every spring when I would occasionally interview him for a season ticket holder event. Walt and I traveled in much different circles so we certainly weren’t buddies; but maybe that is the point.
Continue readingThis is primarily a team show tip and Talk show tip – but for anyone on the air who has a partner, or interviews a guest.
Whenever another voice overlaps yours… you stop talking.
The worst thing on the listener’s end of the radio is two people (or more) talking at the same time.
So here’s how it works: when the other person interrupts you, STOP … for a moment, then go on. You’ll never talk over each other (or a guest) for more than a word or so, and for a team show, this will lead to getting REALLY well-coordinated – fast.
