A radio career is like crayons.
You start with the little 8-pack, and boy, is that fun. All the primary colors at your service. Now to find a surface to draw on…
Frost Advisory #820 – What Christian Radio Can Learn From Eric Church
There will be those in our format that will push back from my observations that follow because Eric Church is not specifically a Christian music artist. I get that. (Oh, the irony that Church is his name).
That friction is likely from a perspective that our format is fundamentally about the Christian music industry, not that that our format is about the message, articulated by numerous talented musicians, songwriters, and on air personalities. (One tends to attract a smaller audience while the other has the potential to attract a much larger audience).
If you’ve yet to see his remarkable commencement speech at UNC Chapel Hill this might be a good time to do so. I’ll wait.
Continue readingTommy Kramer Coaching Tip #675: You Need to Know Them
This is the starting place – especially when you’re new to a station:
People don’t need to know you. You need to know them.
Streets have names that are pronounced differently than you would have thought.
Food tastes are different. (I once went to a corporate meeting in York, Pennsylvania. EVERY store and every restaurant I went into had candy machines in the entrance. Dentists must love that place.)
Frost Advisory #819 – A Programming Lesson From Mother’s Day
I saw an amazing thing on Sunday.
Hundreds of millionaire professionals willingly gave up a tool of their trade and replaced it with something that on any other day, in any other circumstance, would subject them to ridicule and harassment from their co-workers.
They wore pink.
Continue readingTommy Kramer Coaching Tip #674: The Aircheck Swap Meet
Here’s something you can do to both improve your on-air performance and bond the station together a bit.
Years ago, my friend and fellow Texas Radio Hall of Fame member Bruce Gilbert each Programmed a station in the same cluster – mine was a Talk station, Bruce’s was a Sports-talk station.
Frost Advisory #818 – People Love What Is Familiar And What Is Familiar Is What We Love
“Everyone’s favorite radio station is the station that plays their favorite music.”
I cleverly put this sentence in quotes because it is the first thing I say when talking to a station. After more than two decades in our format I can honestly say that NO ONE understands this fully at the beginning of the journey. However, all understand it later. If they are successful.
Why does this matter?
Continue readingTommy Kramer Coaching Tip #673: How Long is Your Show Prep Time?
Often, I’ve asked air talent how long their show prep time is. The responses are varied. Some claim hours are spent sifting through websites and social media, local news, etc. Others say they don’t really need much prep. They pretty much just wing it each day.
Both of these responses show a certain lack of truly productive prep.
Money (your wallet), the Entertainment world (as it applies to your format), whatever “the Buzz” is today, Relationships, and things that are unique to you are the only things you really need.
The prep starts in your living room, and works outward from there, including what you’ve observed as you’ve gone through your day.
There. Solved it for you. 
Frost Advisory #817 – Dear Younger Me
Last week I had the unique opportunity to share success principles of our format with some media executives whose background is exclusively mainstream radio. It was a “Dear younger me” moment as I reflected on my now-27 years in our format.
If I only knew then what I know now.
Continue readingTommy Kramer Coaching Tip #672: A Voice-Tracking Lesson – inspired by Clint Eastwood
Actor and film Director Clint Eastwood is famous for doing as few “takes” as possible. There’s an interesting story about that.
Once, an actor who was dissatisfied with his first effort asked Eastwood is he could have another try.
Clint then asked, “Was there film in the camera?”
Continue readingFrost Advisory #816 – A Programming Lesson From Artemis II
The launch of Artemis II was a really big deal in Florida where I live. After all, it was the first crewed flight beyond low Earth orbit since the Apollo program before most of us were even in high school.
They estimate that almost half a million folks watched in person from the Space Coast. The launch could be seen in backyards and roadways all the way from Jacksonville to West Palm Beach and throughout Central Florida.
Everyone was talking about it. (The photo is of a rocket launch seen from my front yard).
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