Monthly Archives: July 2014

Mason Morning Minute

Doesn’t Play Well With Others

Leave a comment

“The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual starts in the world, but if they don’t play together, the club won’t be worth a dime.” – Babe Ruth

It was kindergarten, my first year of school, at a small school in the Mohave desert. I thought I was doing ok, but then the report card came out with that dreaded admonition.

Doesn’t play well with others.

That appears on my report cards many times in my early years. You might think that’s because I was always trying to take control and tell others what to do. But you’d be surprised, because it was the opposite. I always removed myself from the others, where I could be in my own.

I was painfully shy up until my senior year in high school. Some people who know me now can’t believe it, but it’s true. I wasn’t at all social.

But I knew and saw plenty of the other type of “doesn’t play well with others.” Always had to have their way, would take toys from the other kids, and generally tried to boss around a bunch of other five year olds.

Sometimes I think they all grew up and got into radio.

Continue reading →

Frost Advisory

Frost Advisory #215 – If Only The Words We Use

Leave a comment

If only the words we use were compassionate words… and not distant newscaster words.

In our format, what if we only used the words of a friend, not those of a scolding teacher, or a detached observer.

I literally heard these words on a radio station this week:

“Extricated the lone occupant…”

…which, I guess, means that someone’s daughter or son, or brother or sister, or husband or wife was trapped in their car when heroes (someone’s daughter or son, or brother or sister, or husband or wife) came to their rescue, something those heroes do almost every day for someone’s daughter or son, or brother or sister, or husband or wife.

Instead of instructing and scolding, I wonder how many more people would listen if if our stations were known for the caring and loving people on the air.

What if the key to your station’s impact was contained in these simple words:

“Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” Romans 12:15

Tommy Kramer Tip

Tommy Kramer Tip #60 – Know When To Stop

Leave a comment

After you’ve become a successful talent, one of the most significant challenges with your show’s Content is knowing when to stop doing something.

People listen for 10 minutes – 20 if you’re lucky. Huge fans of the show will listen longer, unless they feel that it’s just rehash. Then, even they will go find something else.

So try this on for size:

[A] Whatever you do, treat it as a “one-off” break, meaning that it could stand alone. Plan to move on to something else the next break.

[B] But IF you get a decent reaction—a phone caller, for instance, or if you have a teammate on the show that might have a different “take” on it, okay, air that.

[C] Everything else on that subject now has to EARN being on. This means it has to cover NEW ground, not just repeat a point that’s already been made or give a second example of something we already heard.

Think of it like movies with sequels. Almost every time, the sequels get worse. The 4th Indiana Jones movie, the 4th Lethal Weapon movie, the additional 3 Star Wars movies, or any Jennifer Aniston movie.

Frost Advisory

Frost Advisory #214 – Names, Names, Names

Leave a comment

“My friend told me to call because you called out the name of my daughter. I’ve never listened to your station before!”

Stations that play the Family Name Game® understand the power of a name. A community of voices introducing traffic or weather, birthdays, anniversaries, can all be used effectively to create word-of-mouth. (They can also be used ineffectively adding clutter).

Share A Coke - Tyler

Coca-Cola’s new campaign invites you to #ShareaCoke with the someone whose name is on the label. This a ‘trigger’, something designed in that creates a reason to act.

Continue reading →