Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #413: We Do It a Certain Way

Ask yourself these questions:

  • What does the Program Director want the station to sound like?
  • Does the morning team have the same vision?  How about the other dayparts?
  • Do YOU know what makes your station sound different, and unique?

I deal with this all the time.  Great stations have common factors.  The thread of consistency; the gold bar at the core of the station, should be not only known, but clearly identified and discussed among the staff.

Being reverent in a certain way; being Irreverent in a certain way.  The language in the Imaging, the Promos, the standard of Production.

Example: early on in my career, I got onto how any spot or promo should change the music at least once, because there’s at least one place in all ‘copy’ where a momentum or mood change is needed.  At my stations, you COULDN’T just use one piece of music in a spot unless the client specified it (like using a jingle with a “donut” for the copy).

But it goes much farther, and deeper, than that.  STATIONALITY is what the great ones have.  There’s an understood attitude and common values that run through every daypart, even though (of course) each air talent is different.

Like the Beatles.  They had this sound that was only theirs, and they all knew what it was, but each singer and each instrument was totally individual in style.

You can tell a great station before you even hear its name said.  If your station isn’t like that, get to work.  CREATE something unique.


Tommy Kramer

Tommy has spent over 35 years as an air talent, programmer, operations manager and talent coach - working with over 300 stations in all formats. He publishes the Coaching Tip

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